Stomp the Jayhawks

11/3/11 - (this was supposed to post in November) On Saturday We got the opportunity to take the kids to Stillwater and attend the football game. Harper is a veteran of OSU football, but it just so happens that this was Owens very first game. It really came as no surprise that he loved it from the get go. "Oh a football player", was all he could say for like the first ten minutes. It was funny though because before this time his idea of a football player involved his cowboy boots and his cape and they kicked a football. So this was probably eye opening. His next point of fascination came with the Orange Power chant

His new obsession

Recently Owen has become very smitten with his swing. Anytime the weather is remotely pleasant he begins tugging on me, or Melissa, or Harper and asking us to go swing him. So far this spring I think his record is 2.5 hours in the swing. We'll see how Lon it lasts.

Stomp the Jayhawks

On the Saturday of the OSU vs. Kansas football game, we got the opportunity to take the kids to Stillwater and attend the football game. Harper is a veteran of OSU football, but it just so happens that this was Owens very first game. It really came as no surprise that he loved it from the get go. "Oh a football player", was all he could say for like the first ten minutes. It was funny though because before this time his idea of a football player involved his cowboy boots and his cape and they kicked a football. So this was probably eye opening. His next point of fascination came with the Orange Power chant, he quickly figured out how to yell out POWER as the opposite side of the stadium yelled ORANGE. He then went to daycare and taught the chant at the lunch table, having opposite sides yell their parts. Also at the game Larry got him to tell out "stomp the Jayhawks", much to the amusement of the fans around us. He truly loved the experience........until it started raining. Harper enjoyed the game like a true veteran, she got her pre-game face paint,with her cheerleader outfit. She just loves going to Stillwater (thank God). Overall it was a great day and a great game, love those Stillwater days with my family!

Go Fly a Kite

Sunday was an absolutely beautiful day, but a little on the windy side. Wasn't gonna slow our family down we decided to use the wind to our advantage. Mel had the great idea of breaking out the kites. That didn't mean the little plastic wing shaped kites with only one cross piece, oh no. In this family we don't do anything small, we have three fairly complex nylon and wooden dowel kites. Two airplanes and one menacing pirate ship. Once all three were mostly assembled, we had left-over pieces, we took to the pasture and had a fun few hours of flying and attempting to fly kites. At one point I made the observation to Melissa that the kids were sitting in the yard with Grandma, and the adults were out flying the kites. Our family also likes to channel their inner-child on occasion. All that to say it was a great Sunday afternoon!

Super Hereo!

Yes you read that correctly, and in case you didn't know that's exactly what Owen fancies himself as these days. He is loving nothing more than donning his cape, his boots ( yeah that's right, what super hero is complete without their cowboy boots) and his new cowboy belt! That outfits strikes fear into the hearts of..... Well at least it looks pretty cute, I mean tough. I really just get a kick out of hearing him yell out "Super Hereo" and then run around making his cape flap and boots clack!

Summer Fun

Better late than never right?

This summer as in years past I have had the immeasurable joy of taking care of my kids while Melissa works. We had many days filled with fun, playing and mostly staying inside. This summer was brutal on the weather front, but we still managed to squeeze in our zoo trips.
I think the best part might have been sleeping until 8:30 with my little guy who managed to sneak into our bed in the middle of the night.
Unfortunately the weather was so uncooperative that about all we could manage was to get outside around 8:30 and play for maybe an hour. By then it would begin to boil outside and we would retreat to the air-conditioning. This was when I became very thankful for Netflix.
There were many times when it was awesome To sit and watch my kiddos playing, but a split second later they were fighting. I was instantly transported back to my own childhood.
We did have one last blast of summer, in a three day stretch we went to the park, the zoo and splash pad, and finally the movies to catch Kung Fu Panda 2! It was yet another great summer as the stay home Dad. I am thankful for the time and opportunity to be with my babies.

Thirty? For real?

Now I am thirty years old, yeah that's right thirty, the big 3-0. I have to admit though that I still feel like a kid. That same kid who had to muster the courage to ask my now wife out on a date and start my lifes track. The track that would bring me to the point where I am now, loving life and being more blessed than any man should be. I am going to run down a list of thirty things I am thankful for, cherish, make me happy, smile, etc.

30. Dec. 12, 1997
29. Garden City KS, it is here I discovered my passion for teaching
28. Creating things with my hands.
27. the feeling you get after a hard day of mindless, skilled work
26. The 7-11 ladies
25. Car trips with my family
24. A good law fiction book - Grisham
23. Any opportunity to be creative
22. Being a big tech geek, if it can be wired up I will try it
21. Being Mr. Barlow
20. Discovering the joys of being a Watch Dog
19. The awesomness of Mac
18. If you know me you know my love of iPods - we have 1.5 ipods per family member
17. Monday night hoops, it makes me feel like a kid and channels my competitive jerk
16. A good documentary film
15. Being an NPR geek, if it talk, I'll listen
14. the feeling you get after completing a tough run
13. Sunday mornings
12. The burn of a good Pepsi
11. "I wuv you Daddy"
10. Having lunch at school with my princess
9. Making our home a place filled with love
8. Just hanging out a playing at home or the farm
7. Family time at the kitchen table
6. The challenge of being the best man I can be for my kids
5. Running with my best friend
4. The fact that I have arrived at 30 and I feel like God has blessed me with so much, and looking into the future filled with many more blessings
3. Owen - my sweet tough little guy
2. Harper - The sunshine in my life
1. Melissa - She is my rock, my partner, my buddy, my Best Friend, the Love of my Life... You get the point!

Wow, thirty is a lot. Just a short list of the things that make my life so good, I am sure I have left some things off. For anyone who reads this, just know that I cherish the love of family and your friendships, laughter, and caring. These are all things that make my life awesome.



I love you guys!