Monster Jam 2011

The boys recieved Monster Jam tickets for Christmas.  The event was held in January.  Here are some of the pics from that night.

 The boys decided to take their daddy, along with his friend Jim.  Cole and I enjoyed a quiet night at home.

 Grave Digger.

Awesome!

Winter 2010 Hunting

This was Caiden's second year of deer hunting with Dale.  They saw a few deer but didn't bring any home.  That's about all I know...what happens at deer camp, stays at deer camp...

 Caiden on his way to the deer blind.

Getting all the gear on.

Here they are!

Outside the cozy blind.

Dragon Boat Racing

Here are some pics from this year's Dragon Boat racing. It was very warm this year, with a heat index at about 110 degrees. The Pollution Prevention Pirates worked hard to oust the other teams but came up a little short this year. Don't worry, they'll be back next year to challenge the most daring of dragon boat racers.



The battle on the Cumberland.


At the start...


Hey, who are these cutie pies? Lovin' the "bat tower" in the background.

Dale's Turns 39!

The same day as my Gram's party was Dale's actual birthday. So, we decided that later that evening we'd throw him a surprise party. Thanks to all the family and friends that showed up to surprise him. He had a blast. Can't you tell by the look on his face?!



We decorated in dinosaurs for the party. My mom found these dinosaurs (which we later figured out were actually dragons) and we hung them from the ceiling for the party. The boys ended up playing with them and now sleep with them. Here they are showing off their dragons. Cole can actually ride his.

Sometimes you just gotta act a little...

gOofY!

A Guest Post

This is a guest post by my husband, Dale about a conversation that took place in the truck between him and Caiden. This is what he wrote...

While Caiden was looking at my mapbook, he said,

"Daddy you know if you don’t have a map you can use a GPS." He said,

"a GPS tells you where you are at so you don’t get lost."

I thought to myself, "boy this is great he is just like me, how smart this boy is, he knows what a GPS is."

Then he proceeded to ask me, "how do you spell GPS?"

I then again thought to myself, "boy he is really like me….can't spell." He said he thought there were more letters to spell GPS.

A nice breather

This past weekend, Dale and I had an opportunity to attend the FamilyLife Marriage Conference in Franklin, TN. It was a nice breather for us to get away, relax and focus on our marriage and on each other for a few hours. Before we left for the conference, I would have said that our marriage was pretty good. Now, I would say that our marriage is going to be better than ever. Not only did we grow closer to one another, we also both grew closer to God. If you've never taken a weekend to attend a conference like this, I encourage you to do so. It will enrich and refresh your relationship with God, your marriage and help you be a better parent. Some of the topics we studied included: why marriages fail?, how we should communicate, God purpose for marriage, things every marriage needs, resolving conflict, intimacy in marriage and how marriages thrive. You won't be sorry if you make a commitment to attend a conference together, whether this one or another, to focus on your marriage.

Two Twin Beds Complete

Dale finished the boys' beds a few weeks ago. They love sleeping in their new digs. Dawson got a new comforter since this was his officially first "big boy" bed. He's sleeping better at night too, finally!

My Valentine

I love you Honey...Happy Valentine's Day!

"Valentine" by Martina McBride
If there were no words

No way to speak

I would still hear you

If there were no tears

No way to feel inside

I'd still feel for you

And even if the sun refused to shine

Even if romance ran out of rhyme

You would still have my heart until the end of time

You're all I need, my love, my Valentine

All of my life

I have been waiting for

All you give to me

You've opened my eyes

And showed me how to love unselfishly

I've dreamed of this a thousand times before

But in my dreams I couldn't love you more

I will give you my heart

Until the end of time...

You're all I need, my love, my Valentine

The makings of 2 twin beds

What once began as a pile of lumber, will soon become 2 twin beds for our little boys. Dale made our bed about 5 years ago and had a desire to make the boys their very own bed. I thought it was a great idea! Of course, grandpa gets to help too. Don't you love the orange hat? I'll update you with a look when they get finished.

The Dog House

As promised in my last post, here are the pictures of the "dog house" that Caiden and Dale made on Saturday afternoon. They are so proud of it. It is very cute. Notice the detail...2 doors, one for the little dog, and the other for the big dog. They came to the conclusion that the dogs needed a pillow and blanket. I guess Dale or Caiden will have to learn how to sew!

Can he build it? Yes, Caiden can.

Much like his dad, Caiden loves to work with wood and make things. Plus, Dale has an incredible amount of patience to do this with him. In fact, Caiden and Dale are in the garage right now building a dog house for his "stuffed" dogs. I'll let you know how that turns out.

But, the reason for this post was to share some pictures with you. A few weeks ago, Caiden did the Home Depot project - football helmet bookends. He and daddy had a great time. Remember, Home Depot has a woodwork project the first Saturday of every month. **I know Lowe's has one too but I'm not sure of the dates.** Mark your calendars and send the kids off with dad - they'll have so much fun and broaden their imaginations!

Its been 5 years?

Recently, Dale celebrated his 5th working anniversary with Metro Nashville. In reflecting on this milestone, we have had a hard time imagining how much our lives have changed since we left the San Diego area. In those short 5 years, we've moved 2000 miles, had 2 children, bought a new home (and a mini-van), gotten connected in to a great church and met many amazing friends who are active in our lives. Wow! God works in incredible ways. We know He's been with us each step of this journey. Thank you Lord. We can't wait to see what the next 5 years holds!

Dragon Boat Race Silver Medalist

Dale and a bunch of his co-workers participated in the 2nd Annual Nashville Dragon Boat Races last Saturday. Dale and his friends placed 16th overall last year. This year, they took 2nd PLACE! Can you believe it? We had so much fun. And the best part? the competition benefits the Cumberland River. And, if you live anywhere near Nashville, you know that the Cumberland River could use a little benefiting. Congratulations Pollution Prevention Pirates! Just in case you wanted to know, the Nashville Outlaws Rugby Club took 1st place.

The Pollution Prevention Pirates sport their 2nd place medals!