Growin' On Up

Not that long ago DeA and I were discussing how weird it would be when Rock gets older. At the time he was a little infant, not even crawling and the thought of him getting bigger seemed strange. I never forgot thinking what it would be like to lose that little baby and gain a little boy, but now that it's happened I'm glad I have the Rock that we have. He couldn't wait to get baptized and Jens wouldn't let someone take a picture without her in it.

 He is a great example to his brother and sister.

 After this picture Jens made sure to tell me that she was waving.

 Rock is growing and changing but we're still working on his cupcake eating technique.

 Jens has spent a few days at the office this month. Nicole wraps her int he heated blanket and together they watch Doc McStuffins.

 Ryker is just a chill guy.

 The weather was nice enough to let the kids get some swings in. 

 Between at bats Jens kept warm and loose on the trampoline.

 Ryker loves celebrating his base hits.

 It was nice, but it definitely wasn't shirt off nice like the boys thought.

 Rock hit a ball from home plate over the fence where Ryker is standing. It was a pretty impressive shot, especially since the ball was flat.

 Another visit, another homemade crown.

 The boys wanted to roast marshmallows but Gpa said there wasn't any wood. Rock wasn't going to let that stop him.

  Rock wanted to shoot his new Red Ryder BB gun so we went to Top Shelf. Jens was happy to play in the truck and wear ear protection.

 Rock tried wining a shot at the target but accidentally jammed the rifle into his shoulder. Other than that he was a dead-eye. 

 STRIKE ONE!

10th Anniversary Hawaii Trip

Somehow DeA has survived ten years of marriage with me. I don't know how she did it, but that kind of accomplishment deserves a reward. In February I took her to Kauai for a week while Mama Zista watched the kiddos back home. 

 We arrived late Saturday night which meant that we didn't do any touring until Sunday. After church in a cool old open building we went driving around and found a cool waterfall.

 Apparently this time of year was supposed to be really rainy but we had almost perfect weather the whole time.

 On Monday we woke up in time to walk out to the beach to watch the sunrise. 

 

 Almost every day we shared the beach with a monk seal. 

 It was nice having some free time, I read a book for the first time in over five years. It felt strange to not have things to have to do.

 We took the drive to Waimea Canyon to see the thousands of helicopters touring the gorge.

 DeA was pretty excited to find a little piece of home on our way back to the condo.

 There was a cool train tour at one of the old plantations. At one point they let you out to feed the feral pigs and goats.

 The goats were more patient than the pigs.

 Did I mention that the weather was pretty perfect?

 The company was more perfect.

  

  DeA started a little hesitant to go whale watching or snorkeling, but after seeing whales from the beach she really wanted to get a better look. 

 Our boat captain was really good and found us two different pods and also showed us some cool parts of the island.

 Unfortunately all that sun left DeA's delicate skin a little burnt. When we stopped to get souveniers for the kids the nice Asian lady told DeA to put Aloe Vera on her burns. DeA held her hand out for the gel but instead the lady started rubbing it on her face. DeA initially wasn't thrilled.

 When she felt immediate cooling relief she forgave the nice lady.

 We had a fun time in Hawaii and look forward to going back in another 10 years for our 20th.

Waiting for Spring

After New Year's the wait for spring begins. Some of us are more impatient than others.

  Rock and Jens helped me ease the winter blues by shooting the pellet gun.

 It's a little long for Rock but he did pretty well.

 He's a dead-eye.

 Jens made sure that she got her turn in the rotation.

 Pretty impressive aim for lil' Annie Oakley.

 The kids came with me and Grandpa to help a lady dig her truck out of the snow. The highlight of the afternoon was their St. Bernard dog.

 They loved that dog.

 They really loved the six feet of snow and huge piles all over the place.

 I was able to sub in sunbeams with Jens and Eli. They didn't care for the lesson but they loved the Rice Krispy treats.