6 Years Old!

Parenting has a way to lull a person to sleep. Not that any aspect of parenting is particularly boring or sedentary. But there are certain aspects of it that are mundane and quickly become routine. Making lunches, getting them ready for school, picking them up, doing homework and rushing off to different activities. It's a day in, day out kind of lifestyle that passes slowly by day, and whizzes past by the week, month and year. I often will look at the calendar and realize an entire month has flown by, and the boys are that much closer to being done with Kindergarten. One day they are struggling with sight words and inventing their own spelling, and what seems like a few days later they are reading independently and making 100% on spelling tests.

Such is the reality of raising children. Nothing brings this reality closer to home than watching the boys celebrate a birthday. They are at the age where this is so exciting for them, they can barely sleep for the week leading up to their party. Meanwhile, I mourn the passing of their preschool years and wonder where the time went. Did I spend it well? Did I sow more positive in their lives than negative? What will they remember about their childhood?

One thing we hope they remember is the fun they had at their birthday parties. We really did it up big this year for Sam and Nate. Turning 6 only comes around once, so it better be a good one. This year, we had their party at Pump It Up, a big warehouse with bounce houses, slides and obstacle courses. We have been to several parties at Pump It Up, so the boys knew exactly how much fun this would be. What was even more fun than watching Sam and Nate was watching their friends who had never been there before. It made the whole event even that more memorable to watch their friends experience the unrestricted fun for the first time. After about an hour and a half of jumping and sliding, we sat down to eat pizza and cupcakes. Nate even got to drink his beloved Sprite, which is a bigger treat for him than I even like to admit.

One thing we did differently this year was that we explicitly asked the party guests not to bring gifts. Sam and Nate (with some encouragement from their parents) decided to ask their friends to donate money to EB research, in honor of their cousin Ella. I even asked my colleagues at TCU to join in, and the results were astounding. They were able to raise almost $1,000 for EB research, which still seems just remarkable to me. I do not know the exact number because the website most of the people used to donate does not tell how much people donated. Anyway, we thought this was a great way to celebrate a birthday, by giving to other people and celebrating their lives as much as your own.

Despite my reluctance to let the 5's go, we had a wonderful day of partying and fun. Gina and I love Sam and Nate so much, and we are proud of who they are becoming. The boys are blessed with great friends, a family that loves them, and so many more reasons to celebrate.

You can see more photos from their party in our February Photo Album.

Christmas 2013

This past Christmas was a special time for our family. As the boys have gotten older, they are starting to understand Christmas and why we celebrate. They love hearing and telling the story of how Jesus came to earth as God's son to save us from sin and death. They are also starting to understand the concept of asking presents and getting a lot of cool new stuff.

I have to admit, it is becoming quite a challenge to teach the boys that this time of year actually is about Jesus and not just about asking Santa for everything they want. Here is an example of one conversation I had with Nate:

Me: Nate, what do want Santa to bring you for Christmas?

Nate: I want a phone.

Me: I don't think you are old enough to have your own phone.

Nate: Well, I'm not asking you for a phone. I'm asking Santa.

Me: I'm pretty sure Santa will not bring you anything that parents don't approve of.

That settled the issue, temporarily.

In addition to celebrating Christmas together in Fort Worth, we were able to travel to Virginia to spend the holiday with my family. My sister Katie, her husband Joe, and Ella recently welcomed Master A.J. into the world, and we could not wait to meet him. I have to say, he was totally up for the task and I'm pretty sure I am his favorite uncle already. During our trip, we also got to make a visit to Charlottesville so we could show the boys where they were born. I have been back a couple of times since we moved, but the rest of family hasn't. Other than the long drive there and back, we had a lot of fun walking around Grounds and seeing our old neighborhood.

Other activities we did were visiting two Smithsonian museums (Air and Space and Natural History), seeing Frozen, going to see Christmas lights and a carnival, playing board games, eating at a hibachi grill, giving A.J. a bath, and chasing Sabrina (the dog) around the house. I can't forget Sabrina. Overall, it was a perfect Christmas with lots of love, memories, and fun.

You can see all of our pictures from Christmas in our photo album, and you can also see our family photo shoot.

Thanksgiving 2013

For Thanksgiving this year we stayed close to home. We have traveled before for this holiday, but I really like spending the few days we get off for Thanksgiving close to the home front. There are so many people traveling this time of year, and the weather is almost always bad at some point on the trip. Besides, in a city like Dallas/Fort Worth, there is plenty to do and really no need to leave town. Here is a summary of some of the things we did.

I started the holiday off by running the Fort Worth Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. I had been wanting to do this for awhile, and this was the perfect opportunity since we were in town. The race started at 8:15, and it was a balmy 27 degrees when the race started. Unfortunately, I was not feeling that well because I had a tetanus shot the day before and I was achey and stiff. After a slow start, I was able to maintain a pretty good pace and finish in about 48 minutes. This is a far cry from my glory days of running, but under these conditions I'll take it. Just so you know, I am way, way, way back in the crowd in this photo. I stole it from the Google.

After the race, we headed north to Roanoke to spend the rest of the day at Tommy and Carol's house. It was a great time of food, family, and of course, football. I have probably written about this before, but Sam is becoming quite the football fan. In fact, he has gotten to where he likes to keep score on paper just to make sure the refs are doing their job correctly. We got to watch a lot of football that day, and it was great.

After the Thanksgiving celebration in Roanoke, I took the boys to the farm for a couple of days to hang out and do boy stuff. Gina was helping her mom with some things, so it was just the guys. Our activities included playing football in the huge front yard, driving the all-terrain golf cart (the boys even got to do some driving), watching more football, eat lots of cookies, exploring the woods in the back of the farm, going on a nighttime golf cart ride in the pasture, and eating at Tony's in Farmersville. The entire weekend was magical, and I did not want to come home. But, the semester was not over, the boys still had school, and we missed Gina.

Overall, our Thanksgiving was a humbling reminder of just how much we have to be thankful for. It was a wonderful time to spend it with the people we care about in the place we love. You can see more photos of our adventures in our photo album.

10 Years!

I did not know Gina was the woman I would marry the first time I met her. In fact, that did not become clear to me for a few years. I've written about this before, so I won't bog this post down with the details. However, the more I got to know Gina, the more I knew she was the person I would spend the rest of my life with.

I will admit, getting married was a shock to the comfortable little world I had created for myself. I was 31, teaching school and coaching, and basically hanging out with my buddies from high school every weekend. Life was simple and I had pretty unambitious goals for myself. As you can imagine, Gina came into my life and shook things up quite a bit. She's passionate and ambitious. She sets goals and works tenaciously to complete them. She says what is on her mind and is relentless when it comes to standing up for what is right and true. Oh, and she is wicked smart. Some of these traits I share with Gina (OK, maybe one or two), but as I said, I was comfortable.

Our first few years of marriage brought a lot of changes. We got a dog, changed jobs, sold our house, moved across the country, started graduate school, welcomed twins into the world, graduated, sold another house, moved again twice before settling here in Texas, and continued to change jobs and houses once we arrived. Each change has brought stress into our lives but somehow made us stronger and closer than ever.

With all of the changes, some things have not changed. Our faith in God and His son Jesus Christ has remained a constant through all these years. We know that his grace and love is sufficient to sustain us through all life's challenges and victories. More than mere provision, God continues to use us to share His love with others. We have been blessed with faculty positions at TCU where we can influence and mentor the next generation of nurses and teachers. Most importantly, we have been blessed with the opportunity to raise Sam and Nate. We are continually amazed at the amazing, compassionate, insightful, intelligent young men they are becoming. They are learning to love each other, the friends, and the Lord. Of all the experiences we've had during the last ten years, raising boys has been the most special.

After 10 years, I can still say with no hesitation that I love Gina more than I did on November 22, 2003. For this 31-year old, set-in-his-ways, comfortable bachelor, I have to say I hit a home run. I cannot wait to see what the next 10 years has in store. I am eager to see who the boys become as they grow and mature. I am eager to see who we become as we join hands and experience life together, married, husband and wife.

You can see some photos from our weekend at The Adolphus Hotel in downtown Dallas in our photo album.

Bye-bye, Subaru

Last Wednesday, I was in a serious car accident….rear-ended heading east on Highway 183 between Bryant-Irvin and Hulen St. All cars had come to a stop, as two lanes were merging into one. I was at a complete stop, when a car hit me going at least 50 mph. I had a concussion and still have some neck pain, although a chiropractor has helped me to recover quickly. I’m so grateful that Sam and Nate were not in the car. As you can see from the post-wreck photos, the back seat was torn up. Just another reminder to count my blessings and to pray for safety on the road for all drivers…

Bye-bye, Subaru. We purchased you in Casper, Wyoming, on Curby's 33rd birthday. You carried us to Charlottesville, Virginia, as our sole vehicle, transporting our boys safely home from the hospital after they were born and being reliable throughout our PhD journey. You carried us to Springfield, Illinois, and you brought us home to Fort Worth. Just one month ago, you passed 100,000 miles...and now it's over. Just one more trial we're facing...through it all, we're thankful for our blessings.

Alexander News November 12, 2013

Today the whole family thought it would be fun to create a newscast with my iPad. What started all of this is that Nate found an old headset mic in one of our desk drawers, and he said it was just like the guy on the news uses. I don't actually recall this, but I thought it was cute and we decided to make a video. As you  will see, Sam loves talking about the weather, and Nate thinks only bad news is real news. I used an iPad app called Touchcast, which is pretty amazing and something I want to learn some more about. We hope you enjoy the video, and hopefully this will not be the last one!

The Great Wolf Lodge

For our Christmas present this year, GiGi and PaPa gave us a weekend at the Great Wolf Lodge. This hotel is more than just a place to stay. It's an event, and people come from all over the region to stay here and participate in the many activities there are to do here. To call this place just a hotel would be like calling bacon just a piece of meat or a Porsche just transportation. The GWL, as we will call it, has everything from a water park to an arcade to a fantasy game that requires magic wands.

We arrived on Friday night and ate dinner in the hotel, then hit the water park for awhile before we had to head to bed. The next day we did every single activity the GWL had to offer. We swam until our fingers wrinkled up. We played video games until we were out of credits. We walked around every (freaking) level of the hotel ... all 8 of them ... completing different quests with our magic wands until I was ready to "accidentally" drop them down the Secret Staircase.

Seriously, this was a great get-away for us during a very busy time in the semester. Gina and I both had been going 100 mph since August, and this was a nice break from the intensity. Of course, that intensity was waiting for us when we got back home, but it felt good to ignore it for a few days. You can see some pictures below of our fun times, and there are even more in our November 2013 photo album. We are so thankful GiGi and PaPa thought of this idea, and we can't think of a better Christmas present for our family.

Our First Baby

When Gina and I brought Sydney home in July 2004, we had no idea what we were getting into. We were young and newly married, and things seemed to be going so well we thought a cute little puppy could only make life better. Who doesn't love a cuddly little fur ball?

You can probably guess that dog life was not the easy transition we thought it would be. Sydney, in addition to her cuteness, was energetic, high-strung, demanding, and strong willed. Did I mention energetic? After a round of obedience school and some socialization with other dogs and people, we were able to adjust to our life with a hyper dog. As Sydney grew up, so did we. Gina and I moved to Virginia for graduate school, and she was there with us every step of the way. She was waiting at the door when Sam and Nate came home for the first time. She rode with me in the moving truck from Virginia to Illinois, then again from Illinois to Texas. More importantly, she faithfully waited for us each day to return and greeted us as if we had been gone 5 years.

Sydney was amazingly fast and could catch a frisbee out of the air. I would take her running with me early in the morning, and she never missed a beat or lagged behind. She intuitively knew where I was going before I went there. Even though it was a challenge having an energetic dog, it was also a lot of fun because she was so athletic.

Sydney passed away quickly on a Monday morning in October with no warning. I had been on the treadmill running, and she was sitting with Nate in the garage watching me. She fell over as she ate her breakfast, and shortly after that she was gone. Death always catches people by surprise, even when it's expected. This was very unexpected and sad and traumatic. Even though it has been a couple of months, we still miss Sydney everyday. She still comes up in our conversations as we remember the unique role she played in our family. Sam and Nate wanted to get a new dog immediately after Sydney died, but I think it will be awhile before we find a new teammate.

Here are few images of Sydney, mainly from her early years. If you dig around in our photos, you will notice she in the background of just about every one. That is how I will remember Sydney ... always there, always excited, always faithful. I also wanted to include this short video of Sam playing with Sydney right after we moved to Illinois. Those two were always good buddies.

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Fall Soccer 2013

It's fall in Fort Worth, which can only mean one thing: soccer! The boys have been playing for a few weeks now, and I think this is their best season yet. They are with the same team as last spring, and most of their teammates are back on the team. Gina and I have been very proud of both Sam and Nate for getting out there and trying their hardest. They have won some games, lost a couple, and tied one. I have been helping out as the assistant coach, which means I mainly stand back by the goal and coach the keeper.

I am glad to see both of them loving soccer and giving it their all. More than anything, this has shown me how much Sam and Nate are growing up and learning to be good teammates. I think that is a skill that will serve them well way after their soccer days are over.

Meeting Coach Patterson

This weekend the boys got the chance to be in a video shoot with Coach Patterson, the head Horned Frog around these parts. Some students in the Nursing program were putting together a video to promote the upcoming Flu Clinic at TCU. One of them knew someone who knew someone, and they were able to convince Coach P. to participate in the video. Trust me, as soon as that bad boy is ready to roll, I will be posting it faster than you can write the word "viral."

I met Coach P. several years ago when I was an undergraduate at Utah State, and he was an assistant coach for the football team. My fraternity hosted a BBQ for the entire football staff at our house, and he was there. The part of that event that stands out to me is how he sang and played guitar for everyone after the event was over. He was quite gregarious and seemed to really love to play.

Well, all these years later I got to meet him again. I will admit, I didn't rush in and tell him I met him years earlier in Logan, Utah, but I wanted to. Believe me. I sooooo wanted to. But this was about the kids and Gina's nursing students. So, I stood in the background, took some pictures, laughed at Coach P's jokes, and just soaked the whole moment in. The part of this experience that stands out so vividly is how wonderful Coach P. was with the kids. He asked them questions, shook hands, asked their names, and was just an all around great guy. He even asked the kids if they wanted to see his office, and he proceeded to give them M&M's (which Nate seemed to love way too much) and posed for some pictures. I can see why 18 year old kids want to come here to play football for him.

I love cheering for TCU football. It has quickly become a tradition in our house in the last 4 years. But now I can say without a doubt, I'm a pretty big fan of the guy behind all the X's and O's.

Cowboy Classic 2013

If you live anywhere near Dallas or Fort Worth, then you know about the spectacle known as AT&T Stadium. Also known as Cowboys Stadium. Or Jerry's World. Some even refer to it as the Death Star. No matter what you call it, there is not doubt this is one of the most amazing venues in the United States. Every detail is perfect and there is something for fans of every age. I have now attended to two TCU games here, and I am still amazed by this place.

So, when I heard that TCU was playing LSU in the Cowboy Classic 2013, I jumped at the chance to get tickets and see the game in person. Of course, I had to get my #1 football watching partner, my dad, in on the action too. So he flew down from Wyoming to spend the weekend with us and watch the game with me on Saturday night.

We had a great time hanging out and visiting some different sites around Fort Worth. Dad came to TCU with me on Friday and even managed to squeeze in a nap while I taught a class. We then picked up the boys from school and went to get ice cream. That night we went to Edohana Hibachi Grill for dinner, and it was just as good the second time as it was on Gina's birthday.

The game was not until Saturday night, so we relaxed and took the boys to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History for the afternoon. Finally, Tommy and Carol arrived at the house and we drove to the game. I even managed to get free parking with my Six Flags Over Texas season pass, which saved us about $40. It was kind of a long, hot walk to the stadium, but thankfully Jerry closed the roof and turned on the AC in the stadium for us to cool down.

The game itself was pretty good, and TCU actually had a chance to win in the 4th quarter. But LSU proved to be just a little faster, bigger, and more capable of big plays. I was still very proud of the Horned Frogs for stepping up and competing with a team that played for a national title just two years ago.

On Sunday, we all went to church and then to lunch. Eating was a major theme for this weekend, and Sunday lunch did not disappoint. We went to Charleston's, and it was very good as usual. After a short rest at home, Dad, the boys and I headed to the airport to catch his flight. We were sad to see our fun weekend end so quickly, but we were grateful for the chance to spend some time with PawPaw and experience the wonder what is Jerry's World in person. I don't know when TCU will play there again, but you can bet I will be in line for tickets when they do. And I'm bringing Dad with me!

Ready, Set, Kindergarten!

At some point in the early days of Sam and Nate, I remember thinking, "We have so much time until they are in Kindergarten. They will be little and cute for 4 more years!" I can't remember when it was exactly that I had that thought, but I can tell you now 5 years was not enough. Before I knew what happened or figured out how to slow down time, my children were no longer babies WAY sooner than I was ready to not have babies in the house anymore. Yes, I do not miss the diapers and bottles and being woken up in the middle of the night, but there are so many other things I desperately want back. Like fat wrists and funny sayings such as, "lellow" for yellow and snuggling and being able to carry both of them at once. I wasn't ready to give those things up, but they have now been replaced with early morning walks to school, rushed breakfasts, brushing teeth and hair at the same time, and homework.

Sam and Nate entered the world of formal education two weeks ago when they started Kindergarten at the school up the street from our house. We knew they would do fine because they have been in preschool for three years. They know their letters, numbers, colors, seasons, shapes, and animal names. They even know that what most people call a buffalo is really a bison. They've been to Yellowstone, for crying out loud! Kindergarten should be a breeze.

And it probably is for them. It's Gina and I that struggled to walk from the room on the first day and leave them with their new teacher and classmates for the first of many days of school. We struggled to understand that their schooling just transformed from "preparation" to "education." We fought back thoughts of bullies and failure and fitting in and finding a friend who is a good influence.

Letting go is hard, but we know that Sam and Nate have an amazing future ahead of them. They will have good days and bad days. Probably some missed homework along the way, and they will learn they can't please everyone. I hope they come to appreciate the value of hard work and understand there are things more important than being first (or last, depending on their preference). We want them to learn how to be a friend. To listen when people tell their story. To learn from mistakes and put their hope in the One person who will never leave them hanging.

So, here's to a great start to Sam and Nate's academic career. Let's make this the first of many first-day-of-school blog posts!

Last drop of summer

A few weeks ago Gina and I decided to look at summer and see how much was left. Once we calculated how much of summer was already committed to activities, meetings, or work-related commitments, we saw there was only one drop left. Just enough to cook up one last batch of fun. So, we packed up out stuff and made one last trip.

Our first stop was Port Aransas, Texas. This was my first trip to a Texas beach, and I was pleasantly surprised at how nice the town and beaches were. Sure, we had to deal with some of the standard hassles of a small beach town: one small grocery store, small overpriced room, busy restaurants and slow service. But there is something about the pulsing rhythm of the surf that makes a person not really care all that much about those details that normally drive city folks crazy.

We stayed at The Beach Lodge, and it was a great choice for us considering the short amount of time we were there. It was right on the beach, had a small restaurant, and was reasonably priced. The room was definitely small (probably smaller than our cabin on the cruise ship last January), but we didn't spend a lot of time in the room anyway. There as a pool that we didn't use, and they had a huge deck on the upper floor overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Sam and I hung out up there for quite a while one morning while Mommy and Nate slept. It was a great memory with Sam asking lots of questions and letting me peek into his little 5-year old perspective for a little while.

The only downside to our stop in Port A was that we all got sunburned. I guess when you know you only have two days at the beach, you want to spend as much time as possible actually ON the beach. That is exactly what we did, which meant we were in the sun most of the day. Even with several re-applications of sunscreen, it all got rubbed and washed off and we looked like a lobster family by that evening. Consequently, we didn't even swim in the ocean the next day because we were all sore from our sunburns. We have decided when we go back to the beach, we want to spend more time so we don't feel pressured to spend all day in the sun.

From Port A, we headed to San Antonio for a stroll on the Riverwalk and an early dinner. The Riverwalk was just as beautiful as I remembered it, and as usual it was buzzing with people. We didn't have a lot of time to walk around, but we did find time to squeeze in a ride on one of the boats. Even with the temps hovering over 100, the shade and coolness of the water made it bearable. From there, we headed to Market Square (El Mercado) on the edge of downtown for some authentic TexMex. Gina had read about La Margarita, and it definitely lived up to the hype. We could have easily eaten on the Riverwalk, but this place was worth the extra effort. There were musicians, waiters dressed in traditional clothes, and the food was amazing.

The last stop of our getaway was to see Max, Wes, John, Carrie, Jean and Poppy in Round Rock. After all we had done, this was by far the most anticipated part of the trip for the boys. This was everything four little preschoolers (almost Kindergartners!) could ask for: a camp out on the floor with sleeping bags, playing with toys, swimming, and a piñata filled with candy. The grownups had a nice time visiting and relaxing while the boys swam and played. We are already planning the next time we can all get together. As usual, the boys slept nearly all the way from Round Rock to Fort Worth, which is the sign of a good trip!

This was the perfect way to end the summer. We played, we relaxed, we laughed, we explored. We are now recharged and ready to start the busy school year, which I'm sure will bring even more adventures. You can see our photos and video from the trip in our family photo album.

Hello Win Column

This past week, Gina and I took the boys to their first Texas Rangers game. It brought back a lot of memories for me. Way back when I was still working as a school teacher, I would go to games on Tuesday nights, when they sold tickets for half price at Tom Thumb grocery stores. My friend and I would grab tickets and meet at the game, which was a pretty fun way to spend then evening. It was outdoors, cheaper than a movie, and the Rangers were actually pretty good back then. This was the team with Pudge Rodriquez, Will Clark, Juan Gonzalez, Rusty Greer, and Mark McLemore. Even though they never quite made a run in the post-season, it was a lot of fun watching them play. Weak pitching but LOTS of offense.

Gina and I knew the boys were not quite old enough to really follow a baseball game, but we wanted to take them to the ballpark for the experience anyway. We attend a lot of TCU baseball games, and Sam and Nate are more interested in the carmel popcorn and sweet tea than what it happening on the field. With that in mind, we knew there would be more than one trip to the snack stand. It happened to be $1 hot dog night, and we took advantage of that deal. Each boy had 2 hot dogs, and I ate 3!

The game ended very well, although we did not get to see it. It was tied 1-1 going into the 9th inning, and the boys were getting tired and whiney. Did I mention we spent the afternoon leading up to the game at Six Flags over Texas in 100 degree heat? Yeah, there was that little factor working against us, and the clock was clicking toward 9:30 at this point. I would have loved to see Adrian Beltre's walk-off home run in the bottom of the 9th inning, but I was more eager to avoid a public spectacle with one, maybe two, five-year olds on the verge of a meltdown. Honestly, it worked out well because we didn't have to battle crowds or traffic, and the game ended as we were getting in our car.

The boys are already asking when we can go see another Rangers game, so I'm sure we will hit at least one more before this season is over. Now if they can just bring home that elusive World Series championship, Sam and Nate will probably be fans for life! You can see some more photos from the evening below.

Boys weekend in the country

 This weekend I took the boys to the farm for some boy time. This was somewhat of an impromptu trip, so I just packed a few things and we were off. After getting some staples for the kitchen, we left just in time to arrive around dinner. Our first task was to catch some grasshoppers so we could go fishing. Once the boys got the hang of trapping them with their nets, we were able to catch quite a few critters. The toughest part was keeping the captives in the box when putting a new catch in.

We feasted on frozen pizza the first night while we watched Wall-E. We hadn't seen this movie in awhile, and the boys really enjoyed it. We headed off to bed not too much later than normal, and the boys were asleep within minutes.

The next day we started the morning with some fishing. We gathered up our poles and tackle, and we tried our hand at fishing for the first time this summer. Of course, it didn't start off too well, and the only thing we really caught was some weeds and moss. After about an hour, we went back to the house to help Uncle Clay put a canopy on his new tractor.

The best part of attaching the canopy to the tractor was getting to go for a ride in the pasture. Both boys also decided it would be fun to race the tractor on foot when they weren't riding. Sam and Nate were both very happy that they were able to outrun the tractor, and I was pretty impressed myself.

After Uncle Clay left, it started raining so we played on the front porch and gazebo for about an hour. The boys stripped down to just their shorts and played in the rain while I relaxed in the easy chair.

After the rain stopped, we took another stab at fishing, and this time we had better luck. Nate caught a pretty good sized catfish, and Sam caught a brim. I had to do most of the reeling, but they definitely caught the fish. Our fishing was cut short because a turtle learned we were using grasshoppers as our bait, and he would go wherever we cast the line. It became a game of chase, where I would cast the line and try to reel it in before the turtle could get the bait. If you want the score, the turtle won 4 times, and I got skunked. And yes, I forgot my phone at the house when we left to go fishing, so no pictures. You will just have to believe my storytelling on this one.

After a bath (we were all VERY dirty and stinky), we went over to Uncle John's for dinner. The boys loved playing with Sissy, their rat terrier, and I had a nice time visiting with Uncle John and Aunt Nancy Jane. The dinner and fellowship was wonderful, the perfect end to a fantastic day.

We packed up and went back to the city that morning. We met Gina at Granny and Granddad's house, were we got to also see our cousin Max, Jean and Aunt Carol. I knew it was a good weekend because both boys asked me when we could go back to the farm before they fell asleep. It was the last thing on their minds when they drifted off into slumber, which is just about all you can ask for.

37 years ago today

One thing I look forward to each year is figuring out how I will honor Gina on her birthday. I got off to a pretty rough start in this particular aspect of our relationship, but I like to think I have redeemed myself somewhat in the past several years, and this is now one of my favorite events of the year.

This year the boys and I wanted to fill the day with as many of Gina's favorite things as we possibly could. We started the day with gluten-free waffles, scrambled eggs, and fresh blueberries and nectarines. This was the first time in awhile I had gotten my act together enough to fix breakfast before 9:00, and it felt awesome. Considering when the boys will have to be at school every morning when they start Kindergarten, we should get in the habit of moving a little more quickly in the morning.

We followed our breakfast with presents, which is always a lot of fun. I enjoy watching the boys get excited about the presents as much as I love seeing Gina open them. The main present this year was an art project I undertook in which I made a plaster cast of the boys' hands and put them in a fancy display box with their picture. Gina and I have always talked about how sad it will be when they no longer have "baby" hands, so I preserved them as a reminder of how incredibly blessed we are and how precious these days are.

After presents, we packed up the car for a bike ride on the Trinity River Trail. The weather could not have been more perfect on this day, and we took advantage of it by biking for nearly 5 miles. And yes, the boys hung with us the whole time. In fact, Sam led the way (Nate was the leader on our last expedition). The high temperature the day before Gina's birthday was an incredible 74 degrees, and it was below 80 on the day of our ride. Because this was in the middle of the week, there were very few people out, and we essentially had the entire trail to ourselves. At the end of the day, everyone agreed this was the best part of the day.

We relaxed and went to swimming lessons that afternoon (while I attended a meeting at work), then we cleaned up and took Gina to dinner that night. She had no idea where we were going, so we were able to surprise her by going to a Hibachi grill in our neighborhood. The boys went to a Hibachi when they were about 17 months old and didn't remember it, so this was a real treat for them as well as Gina. The chef was very entertaining and the food was fantastic. It was a great end to a perfect day!

We three guys are so very blessed to have Gina in our lives. Speaking for myself, she has been a wonderful friend, adventure partner, companion, and mother to my sons. She loves the Lord and lives out His purpose in her life. She also puts up with me, which is no easy task. It is a privilege for me to be able to honor Gina on her birthday, and every day, and we look forward to many more celebrations.

Another Fourth on the Farm

In what has become a yearly tradition, we made the trip up to the farm to celebrate our nation's independence with the Gooch's. Last year we gathered at the farm and had such a wonderful time, we decided to do it again. Don't get me wrong, watching a fireworks show is fun, but it is way cooler when you get to light your own fireworks. Thomas and Hal brought  a small arsenal out to the farm this year, and I have to say it was pretty remarkable. This was just about as good as a professional show, but a little shorter and more time between rockets. No one seemed to mind, and the bearable weather actually made the whole event perfect. Sam, Nate and Callie got in on the action with some sparklers, and I even lit a few Black Cats and bottle rockets. Yes, they were left over from last year, but they still worked pretty well. I can't think of a better place to celebrate freedom and liberty than in the countryside with family, wonderful food, and beautiful surroundings. There will be many events between now and the next Independence Day, but when it rolls around again, you will know where to find us.

Wyoming 2013

Each miracle writes for us in small letters something that God has already written, or will write, in letters almost too large to be noticed, across the whole canvas of Nature.

~ C.S. Lewis

This year our family embarked on what has become a summer tradition: a trip to Wyoming. Each summer, we all look forward to seeing GiGi, PaPa, and MaMa (my grandmother), spending time in nature, hanging out with old friends, and just basically relaxing. Besides, it's a great escape from the heat in Texas! This year was going to be extra special because we were spending a week in Jackson. We hyped this up for the boys for weeks, reading books about Yellowstone, the Tetons, bison, and other experiences you can only have in Jackson Hole. Our efforts paid off because Sam and Nate told just about everyone they encountered about their upcoming trip.

The day finally arrived for us to depart, and Gina dropped the 3 boys off at the airport. She was traveling to a conference in North Carolina, then planned on meeting us in Jackson a few days later. The boys were excellent travelers and our whole trip from DFW to Denver to Casper was without incident. We arrived in Casper just in time for dinner, and we were all pretty tired from the busy day. The boys also got to see their new bikes GiGi and PaPa got for them to ride while they were in Wyoming! Now that they are both skilled bike riders, they were very eager to test out their new wheels.

After a couple of days of biking, hiking, and getting ready for the drive to Jackson, we finally packed up all of our gear and started the next leg of the journey. The first part of the trip is pretty brutal, with a lot of flat land and dirt, but after Shoshoni it gets much better. The boys watched two movies and even slept a little, making this one of the easier road trips I have ever taken with them. As usual, the drive from Dubois into Jackson Hole is still one of the most breathtaking thing I have ever seen. We arrived in Jackson, checked into the condo, and got unpacked just in time for dinner.

 We picked up Gina the next morning and started out adventures. There is honestly too much to write about here. I mean, I could tell every detail, but the pictures do a pretty job of handling the narrative load for me. The link is at the end of the post.

The trip, of course, was not without some mishaps. There were a few bike crashes on the gravel parking lot, a couple of Pete Rose-style face plants on dirt roads, and Nate's glasses mysteriously vanished along the trail around the pools and geysers at Old Faithful. By the way, if you see this bison roaming around Yellowstone, kindly remove those glasses and mail them back to us.

After seven glorious days in Jackson spent canoeing, biking, hiking, and looking at God's wonderful creation, we headed back to Casper for a few days before flying back to Fort Worth. You can see the pictures from our trip in our photo album.

The boys are already asking if there is another trip to Jackson in our future. They loved everything about it, and I can attest that the mysteries surrounding this place never get old. You would think after a couple dozen trips to the same place, it would get old. But the opposite is actually true. I find myself yearning for those familiar vistas even more, and I passed this addiction on to Sam and Nate. Gina and I look forward to many trips to Jackson and the wonders that make it so special.

Get your motor runnin'

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Untethered

Sam and Nate got their new Spider-Man bikes last summer. We looked at a few different designs and models before we saw these bikes, and the boys were convinced from the first moment we saw them. The only real difficulty we encountered with buying these bikes was getting the boys to stop riding them in the aisles of Walmart long enough to pay for them. Since that day, Sam and Nate have ridden their bikes just about everywhere: to the park, around the neighborhood, on the river trail, in the garage. They have really enjoyed having bikes and being able to go fast.

Until yesterday, they were still riding with training wheels. While at a play date last week, they learned that two of their classmates had learned to ride their bikes sans training wheels, and from that moment the boys were on a mission. Of course, this mission could not be carried out without their parents, and yesterday we were finally able to go to the parking lot at the church across the street from our house and give two-wheel riding a whirl.

Like all new endeavors, the boys started off a little shaky. One disadvantage of using training wheels is that kids get in the bad habit of just sitting on their bikes without really balancing. Both boys learned pretty quickly that if the bike isn't moving, it will fall over. We took some time to practice putting a foot out and using the brakes. We also learned the concept of looking where you want to go, keeping hands on the handle bars, and keep pedaling (I may write more about his later).

After about 15 minutes, both boys were riding completely autonomously. Well, not exactly, but they were able to pedal themselves up and down the parking lot without falling over. In fact, the only real injury was to Gina, who got  her toe stepped on by an aspiring cyclist. Other than that, I would say this was a successful adventure. You can see photos of this first voyage in our photo album.