We're Back!

For some reason beyond my understanding, I haven't been able to log onto our blog for awhile.  I think it had something to do with Google taking over the blogspot site (and the world).

I've probably forgotten all the funny stories that have happened these last few months so I'm going solely on what memory is jogged by the pictures.

I remember this!  Kevin caught his first real fish.  He'd actually caught another fish twice many years ago in NM.  And I really mean another fish twice.  It was a small catfish that we threw back only to have Kevin catch it again a few minutes later.  I chucked it much harder that time and never saw it again.  Other than that, Kevin never had much luck.  He did catch one other small fish the first year we were here but it was hardly big enough to fight.  Not only did catching this whopper make up for all that but it turned poor Hunter (photobombing in the background) green with envy.  Kevin used Hunter's pole and bait and even rode with Hunter to the pond. 

Easter was quiet this year with just the 5 of us. Well, quiet in a relative term. It's never really quiet with these boys.

 Dana got to join Cade in his class' Easter Egg Hunt this year.  As a side note, Cade's teacher, in the yellow shirt, retired at the end of the year.  She taught for 20-something years and retired immediately after having Cade in her class.  Coincidence?

Egg coloring! 

Cameron combined two holidays to make a vampire egg.

Kevin going for plaid.

The annual family picture which inevitably leads to a fight.

You're never too old to hunt for Easter eggs.  A word of advice though, don't hide camouflaged eggs.  They tend to disappear and forgotten.  Just yesterday (7/15) I found one under a bush.  A colony of ants appeared to have made their home in it and were enjoying what I believe was at one time Starbust candies.

Time for a Moto Update

 Cade seriously outgrew the PW and is now on the KTM.  Rides it pretty well, too.

Cameron airing it out on his 65.  He seems to enjoy riding the most of the 3 boys and he certainly gets our money's worth when we go to the track.

 Who says old dudes can't learn new tricks?  This near-geezer finally got the nerve to huck one of the triple jumps!  Moments later, some twerp on an 85 whipped it sideways over the other triple making me seriously consider t-boning him with all my might.  (But I couldn't catch him.)

Kevin didn't go riding that day because the he's way outgrown his 85.  Poor boy needs a bigger bike.

 Cam and Cade wanted to work on something.  Never passing up the opportunity to encourage a new generation of gear heads, I had them take apart their old bicycle and showed them how to remove the brakes from the hub. 

Soccer season finally ended!  Kevin's middle school team, who was expected to bomb this year after all the talent went to HS, made it to the Northern Alabama championship round.  They went toe-to-toe with the other team and lost in a close game.  Very proud of those boys.

 Candid shot of the kids waiting for their game.  Kevin's on top.

 Because of his size, we moved Cade up to the 7-8 year old league.  You'd never know he was so young as he played right with those kids and even scored.

 Undefeated!

(Mostly because of the little Mexican kid on the lower right - but still, it's a team sport)

 My littlest buddy and me

 Somewhere along the line, Cameron turned into a bad little soccer dude.  Here, he just powned #6 who pretty much ran over the rest of our team. 

And in April, Cameron turned 11!  As the middle child, he just seems to sneak up on us.

Dana made his favorite "cake" to celebrate.  It's actually ice cream sandwiches with crushed Butterfingers on top.  His dinner location of choice was... McDonald's.

 

This was taken by one of the ponds in our neighborhood as the sun was going down.  I really like this picture.