California or bust

We had two free tickets to anywhere in the US and we had to decide where to go.  It all started when I got fed up with Alaska Airlines.  I stopped using the credit card I have from them last year when they tried to charge me $75 for the privilege of having thee card.  Of course that did not go over well with me and I called to cancel so they decided to waive the fee for the year.  So another year goes by and I called to cancel the card again and they decided since I stopped using the card they would not waive the fee so the card was cancelled.  After it was canceled they informed me that all of my points would be removed from my account within 24hrs, so we had to buy tickets and quickly.   CA was the place and after we got the tickets, I scheduled work down there so we got to extend the trip and had a great time.  Did I mention I hate credit cards...Dave Ramsey is the new cool, and if you don't know what I am talking about you need to listen up and get a clue.

When we got there we drove down to Myron and Andrea Kamper's in Visalia.  James got to play with Jake.  While playing in the garage they found a lizard and put it in a bowl.

Jake touched it and so did James.

He loved to watch the thing run around outside.  It was the source of much yelling and high pitched screams.

Myron is a vet and I got a chance to go visit a goat dairy with him.  These goats look possessed.

Baby goats sucking the milk down.  This is they way to run a  dairy, very little smell, clean and dry...very neat to see and any goat milk you would buy in Trader Joes comes right from this dairy.

Back at the homestead.

The girls looking awesome as ever...not sure what they were laughing about here, but I think it was me taking the picture.

We had a chance to also visit my grandparents.

James had a great time with my grandmother, especially trying to figure out why her ear kept squealing (her hearing aid sweaks all of the time).

Then we hung out with the Schenks.  After dinner it is shirts off wrestling time at their house and man is it a good time.

Mo looks quite interesting in this picture.  She is one tough girl and those kids are so darn cute.

Clothing optional.

After Riptown it was time for San Jose.

We went to Harry and Mindy's house and they had a bunch of people over to connect with again.  Here James is embracing Lucy who was born the day after he was.  She talks alot, but James is much bigger. 

Mindy was due any day and she was showing.  It turns out they day we left to come home she gave birth at 6am...we did not get a chance to see the baby though.

We got to have dinner with Jeff and Jen as well and hang out with the two girls they have.  We were so thankful to have a place to stay and crashed at Drew and Amy's house.  They were very hospitable and we had a great time catching up with all of our friends.

This is the best sight for the whole trip though.  James has been on a kick of high pitched whining lately and 2 minutes of that feels like an eternity and makes you want to jump out of a car traveling at 60mph down the road.  I assume it is partly due to his inability to talk yet, but we have been taking steps to curb the whining like turning the radio up, taking deep breaths, and then putting him in his crib...when will it stop?????

Thanksgiving 2012

Some pics of the festivities for the Thanksgiving holiday posted a bit late, but we have been out of town on another trip and just got back so that is they way it goes.  Pics from that trip to SJ will be posted soon, but onto Thanksgiving and what all of that entailed.

Firstly we have a picture of Brenda in all of her glory.  She is indeed getting bigger and that is a good sign.  All of her appointments are going as planned and besides being a bit uncomfortable she is doing great.  No, we are not going to find out what sex it is, if you thought of asking.

Brenda's rents came up to us on Wednesday and then were were off to my parents place in MT.  When we got there James got a chance to tickle the ivories.  Although, throughout my childhood I was required to take piano lessons and was told when I hated it that I would regret not practicing and learning how to play, I am happy to announce I do not regret it.  Sure I would like to know how to play the piano, but I know how hard it is, and I am not willing to put the time into learning and have not looked back...sorry to disappoint you mother.

James liked going for a walk, but later in the week he did not like the walk so much.

One day we went up a canyon for a walk and James loved the snow.

Eating it.

And playing in the snow...he is going to have a great winter.

Here he is on another walk and sprinting for the road.

Here is the turkey chili from the day after Thanksgiving.  It was great and we polished all of it off.

James....need I say more.

James also got to play king of the hill on grandpa.  He would laugh and laugh and then fall off and get right back on again.

With a little encouragement.  He did this till one him he jumped and my dad let one fly...James was frightened and started pointing and yelling and everyone was rolling on the floor laughing.

We all got to play a bunch of games and here are the ladies trying to pick out what game they want to play next.

It was a great thanksgiving and then on Sunday we headed home.  We were only home for a few days and then on Wednesday we headed to San Jose and CA to visit friends and family....to be continued.

I wanted to say something here about the upcoming "fiscal cliff" that everyone seems to be talking about.  First off let me talk about the taxes going back to higher rates.  I expect the government to kick the can down the road again for two reasons 1) they are idiots 2) they need to "put off" the tax hikes and not end them so when they put a budget together for the next year they can show it as balanced because the tax hikes will be again on the table.  If they made the cuts permanent, they would actually have to cut spending to balance a budget and not do the "creative accounting" they currently do.  This type of irresponsible spending would make a household go under in less than a year, but the government arrogantly keeps spending like a drunk guy at a all night rave.

Secondly, if we do go over the "cliff" I think that the spending cuts across the board are actually good.  Sure I would like to see some program specific spending, but if they got to cut spending go ahead and cut a little of everything.  If we cut 5-10% of every program they would certainly be more inclined to find areas where they are wasting and cut that.  They actually might check on who is getting the government assistance instead of just handing it out to all who ask...who am I kidding, they will not kick those who do not need assistance off of it, but they would probably just cut everyones benefits...idiots...how can they all be idiots?

Playplace, Bathtime, and Carrots

Not too much going on besides Brenda getting bigger.  James is still up to no good, but most of that is my fault. 

He likes Playdough

And  messing around on the ground.

I decided the other day that both of us could use a bath.  I had not bathed in quite some time so I figured it was about time.  Backfired on me though when I caught James peeing in the water, that kid needs to learn that you can only do that in the shower.

He now likes standing on the train and we remind him that he is going to get hurt, but am resigned to the fact that he will have to learn many things the hard way.

Anytime there are tools close by, he feels the need to fix anything.  I only have to show him once and we is right on it.

Notice the giant drool stain.  He has a couple molars coming in, and man it is impossible to keep any shirts dry.

Last week we had some friend moving out of their house and going to Denver.  They had this play structure out in the back and gave it to us.  I had to dismantle it and get it off site, but it actually took a lot less time than I thought.  Now I just have to find a place in our backyard to put it.  We have plenty of space for it, but I don't want to have to mow around this behemoth.

Seriously a very nice and expensive play structure, and for free....We have great friends.

Lastly, we have the garden.  Check out this carrot that the wife pulled out of the ground today.  I have never seen a carrot so wide, but we have so many more where this came from we will not be starving anytime soon.  I did not include a picture of the big potatoes I dug up on Saturday, but they are huge.  We got some seed potatoes from my parents, and I think one of those buggers could feed a family of four.

Reformation Day festival.

Short videos just to make the blog more kiddish..as if I have not already been accused of too much of that already.  James loves to dance around and must have learned his moves from me.

Here we are out for a walk.

For Reformation Day our church had a reformation day festival with all the necessary candy and a ton of games for the kiddos.

Here is the pumpkin chunkin...also known as a trebuchet.  It actually worked really well and glad that Chris put the thing together.  I think I should try and make one next year if I got the time, because who couldn't use a pumpkin catapult.

James and I were hunters and Brenda went as a deer.  A six year old pointed out to her that female deer do not have antlers, but she was not deterred.

James checking out the trebuchet.

Another kid picture for you to drool over his cuteness.

Yesterday Brenda and I got a chance to go to a Eastern Washington football game.  It actually did not rain the whole game so we had a good time.  Every time they get a first down they blast a "eagle" call over the loudspeaker...I pointed out that it actually sounded like a red tailed hawk call, but not a big deal.

Brenda and James hangin out tonight.

And the wife resting.  I remember a call for a prego picture, but have yet to get one so here is what you get.

And a final video.

Pumpkins and Training

I was gone and busier than ever last week.  I was in Pueblo CO for some training for the next time a big railroad derailment occurs.  Generally we got about 12hrs per day of training, and the days seemed to drag on.  Almost everyone in the training were firefighters from all over the country.  At the end of every day the Railroad gave us dinner and all the drinks you wanted...needless to say, firefighters tend to drink a lot.  I tried to take it easy since we had to be on the be us for training every day at 7am, but some of these guys were out till 4-5am and then training all day.  Not sure how they do it, but they did.  It got a bit crazy at some points, but the cops were only called one, so it was an improvement over the last group that came for training.  I felt like the old guy there turning it at 11pm at the latest and if you can believe it, I was about the most mature person there.  It was like being with a bunch a freshman frat guys, except they were 40+yrs of age...seriously tiring.

Training in progress

what is that black smoke coming from the rail car....I am sure it is nothing.

Here is the night exercise of flaring material from inside the rail car.

Before I left we had a friend give us this electric train.  It seemed to be out of batteries, but after a replacement, I found out the motor was broken.  No big deal, because James does not know any better and he is happy with anything. 

Jim and Sandra came over the other weekend because it was Sandra's birthday.  A good time was had by all.

James likes hats sometimes, and apparently he likes my 25yr old Oakland A's stocking cap...who would have thought.

We also got to go to a backyard harvest party the other weekend.  Brenda saw this pumpkin idea on TV and wanted me to figure out how to make it work...standard.

I ended up contrasting a picture and getting it into black and white, printing it off, laminating the back and then slapping it onto a pumpkin where I skinned the front.  Bam...done.

The back is the family on a TV set.  It looks great now that I got a light bulb in it, but it was not very bright with the candle.

Hard to tell, but these were the other pumpkins in the competition.  We did not win, but I had a happy wife and that is better than any old first prize you can win (I got my "first prize" all the same).