Hello, Everybody!

I took a couple of pictures the last time Bruce, Mari, and fam came to visit.  This was at Ann's house.  Katie Rose is a very photogenic person.  Bruce, not so bad either.  Me, well, lets just say I look better on the other end of the camera.  I'd rather take the shots than be in them anyway. Tonight I seem to be having a few problems getting any other shots to upload into Blogger, so I will save them for another time.  I really like this picture anyway.

If you all will permit me to get sappy for a minute, I just want to say that family is what's most important in life, or at least very near the top.  In a world spinning slowly into the craziness of the last days, we need to keep in touch with each other and support each other.  I hope everyone is doing well, in all our families.  Travis and Rebecca, I hope your closing glitches all work out in your favor.  Joe and Ashley, hang in there.  There really is an end to what you are going through.  Erik and Jen, we hope Kendall gets healthy soon and stays that way.  Bruce and Mari, congrats on your new home.  Blessings on you all!  Cathy and I love all you guys.  

Here's our house

What to say when you lose a two person race:  "I came in second, but the other guy came in next to last."

Since there are a couple of people and families who haven't seen the old homestead, namely Bruce and Mari and Reed and Marie, and maybe others, I decided to put a couple of pictures of our house on the blog.  Bruce is building a new home, and closes on June 14th or so, and Travis and Rebecca are buying (see pictures on the previous post).  S0, here's the home be bought last September, for those who haven't seen it yet.  For those who have, you will probably recognize the place.  Both pictures are of the front, just at a little different angle.

Rebecca and Travis' new house

Here are some photos of the new house the are buying in Fruita.  Actually, they are more pictures of the lot around the house than the house itself, I guess for landscaping purposes.   I have been trying to email the pictures to them without much success, for some reason.  So, here they are on the blog and hopefully they can copy them from here.

Siskel and Ebert give it two thumbs up!

Cathy and I went to see Ironman this evening.  I have been wanting to see it for a while now, and everyone I have talked too said that they liked it, so we finally went.  I add my cudos to the list, and Cathy's.  We definitely liked it too.  It lasted over two hours and I was sorry to see it end. Looks like they left it open for a sequel or two too.  Or, is that a sequel or tu-tu.  Whatever.  You want to see a fun movie, go see Ironman.  You won't be disappointed.

The playhouse is finished!

The only thing left to do is paint it with wood sealer so it won't weather and crack due to rain and weather related stuff like that.  I have the sealer, but, naturally, it rained this afternoon so I couldn't put it on.  Now I will have to wait until it dries out.  We are looking forward to a visit from the grandkids and their parents so the kids can check it out and play in it.  I think they will have fun.  

We love you all and pray for each of you daily.  

Dad.

The grandkid's playhouse

The playhouse is almost finished.  It looks pretty cool, and I am sure that Jed Clampett would be proud!!  I have to attach the door and window shutters and then it will be ready for waterproofing, and after that it will be ready for grandkids.  I have a gallon of the stuff (water sealant), and hopefully it will be enough.  If not, I will get some more.  It was fun and pretty easy to build, except for the back pain I got when Pat and I carried the box into the back yard.  The wood should have been packed in a couple of boxes, instead of one big heavy one.  I'm on Vicadin and some muscle relaxers until my back gets better, and I'm not riding my bike until I'm all better.  

On another note, Pat was in an accident today.  He was in his work truck and was stopping at a red light, and some old man rammed him from behind, pushing him into the car in front.  He was the filling for the sandwich.  Nobody was hurt but Pat said his neck was a little stiff.  The guy behind him got the ticket.  

It's been quite a day.

This Saturday was full of "projects" or "honey do's" as they are called.  Cathy and I went to Ace Hardware and got another new sprinkler head to replace the one we discovered last night was broken.  I was watching TV at about 10 p.m. and heard water coming off the roof of the house in the back.  I looked out the door, and it looked like it was raining hard.  I checked the front but no rain.  My steel-trap mind realized that I had a problem.  I couldn't for the life of me figure out where the water would be coming from on the roof.  I went into the bedroom to get a flashlight, and told Cathy about the mystery.  We went outside, dodging the water, and learned that the pump was on and a sprinkler head had blown out, and water was geysering up about 30 feet into the air and was falling onto the roof.  I turned the water off, and this morning we got a new sprinkler head and a pair of channel locks, because all I have for tightening the sprinkler heads is an old pair of vice grips.

After that we went to Sam's Club and got a wood playhouse to put together for the grandkids to play in when they visit.  It came in a big box and was really heavy.  After I dropped Cathy off at her friend Dorothy's house so she could help paint, I went to Wal Mart and got some tomato and pepper plants for the garden.  Then I went home.  

Pat was still home and he helped me unload the big heavy box.  He told me that it was a dumb purchase, but he doesn't have grandkids so what does he know.  Well, after we got the big heavy box into the side area on the west side of the house, just before putting it down, I tweaked my back.  I got a sharp, shooting pain across my lower back and knew immediately that I was in for some pain.  It has hurt all day.  That didn't stop me from fixing the sprinkler, planting the tomatoes and peppers, watering the trees, mowing the lawn, and pulling some weeds.  Now I am relaxing and my back is hurting.  I wonder how I will sleep tonight.  I probably won't be riding the bicycle for a few days.  Pat will have to ride his motorcycle so I can drive the truck.

If I feel better tomorrow I will start building the playhouse.  After church.