Bulldozer

Today was the big day at Stephanie and Greg's to have some more of their dozer work done. Greg called in the AM to confirm that the work was going to take place and then we started the process of getting everyone ready to go.

At around 9:30 we made it to their house and Wesley was certainly excited. He came outside to check out the preparations to get the dozer going. After topping off the hydraulic fluid and greasing lots of places, the dozer finally cranked up and Wesley was there watching all the way. He was offered the chance for a short ride before the work started, however, Wesley declined by saying 'Dooooo' :)

The sun was high and hot, so we retreated to watching under the shade tree. There Wesley decided it would be fun to learn how to operate a 4 wheeler. With instructions from Greg, Wesley learned to start the engine. I am not sure that was such a good thing for him to learn, but there is no turning back now!

The real tough question for the day is not whether or not Wesley had fun because that is obviously be his grin and how dirty he is... the real question is whether he liked the dozer or the 4-wheeler more. I think the dozer scared Wesley a bit because of how loud it was. In either case, we had a great time.

As a side note, Stephanie and Greg's yard is really starting to look nice. They are working hard and it is paying off!

July 7, 2009 - Sliding for Fun

Well today was a great day for swimming. After work, I enjoyed coming home to a wonderful dinner and then heading to the pool for a nice evening swim. Wesley has decided that he no longer needs swimmies and so he ditched those and has moved to simply utilizing the lifejacket. In addition, he has decided that he is capable of doing all of the things that big boys do... like jumping off the ledge, going down the waterslide, etc. Wesley started off the evening with the waterslide and was having a blast. Then Julie joined into the fun for the first time since we opened the pool and seemed to also have a great time. Of course, as a big kid myself, I have been having fun on the slide since we got it :)

I had a great time watching the whole family enjoy the pool that we worked so hard to get ready... and now it is ready and LOTS of fun.

I should also note that Julie harvested the biggest squash out of the garden today that I believe I have ever seen. It was a monster.

July 4, 2009 - Enjoying the Holiday

What a wonderful day. There was a great breeze, the skys were a bit overcast helping to keep the heat down a bit. It was the perfect day to celebrate Independance Day.

Wesley, Cameron and I went to Albert's for his traditional get-together which was fantastic. There is nothing like some good BBQ chicken along with all the fixins. Although Julie had to work, she will get the opportunity to enjoy some ribs via rain check. This was a wonderful event.

Tonight, we will be going to shoot a few fireworks over the pond which will hopefully be fun. It is yet to be seen if Wesley and Cameron will like fireworks or if they will be scary. We will see...

July 2, 2009 - Vacation Planning

It is rapidly approaching that time! I haven't taken a true vacation where the plan was to relax and there were no side agendas for other events etc in a very long time and I cannot tell you how excited about the upcoming week of vacation that I am going to take with the family-- it is going to be great.

We are planning our trip to Dollywood, Splash Country and then we will enjoy some fun around Gatlinburg and relaxation in the mountains.

To help make the relaxation better, Julie helped to find the perfect cabin-- and I think she found it. She managed to find a place that has two bedrooms, two bath, WiFi access, is close to the resort pool, has a hot tub, jacuzzi in the master, kitchen, laundry, and many other fun perks for less than what the hotel was going to cost. I am proud of her for finding us this gem which makes me look forward to the trip even more-- too bad we can't leave immediately :)

More to come on the trip...