Picture of the Week - 4/20/2023

 Thursday before a long weekend with a roadtrip...  yes, please!

The last couple of weeks have been really "work-centric".  I guess this is understandable, given Bob and I both work full time.  Every now and then the paying gig requires real attention.  It's boring to talk about work.  No one wants to hear about it.  I bet there aren't 3 people out there (Bob doesn't count) who even know what I do.  Am I right?  

So I won't dwell on the boring job stuff...  but the fact that it's been there means I'm tapped of energy for other stuff.  I have pictures of the dogs (mostly sleeping while I sit at my desk) and well, that's it.  I took this picture of me at the office the other day.  I am amused by the fact that ADP (hey, there's a clue to what I do!) insists that we go to the office, but the spaces all pretty much still look like this 90% of the time.  I go, punch in my security card, and stay off the HR naughty lists.  I sit in this (relatively nice) spot with a headset on talking to the same people I talk to every day, none of whom are in this office with me.  It's ridiculous.  But then I get a paycheck every other week...

Wait - I'm dwelling...  moving on.

Tomorrow morning we are heading to Memphis for a wrestling tournament.  This is the first tournament since state - and the first time our high school coach will be coaching Zane and Beck in years.  We are taking a high school team and a middle school team.  Our boys are wrestling in both individuals and duals.  I'm hoping they each get 4-7 matches.  Also, I've never been to Memphis...  so that'll be cool.  No, we aren't taking the camper...  because the venue is in the downtown area and there really aren't a ton of downtown campgrounds, go figure.  

We wrap up this tournament and pretty much roll right into the end of school sprint - with a healthy dose of spring football thrown in for good measure.  Before we know it, it'll be mid-May and the summer will be upon us.  I can do it!  Even if I occasionally need to do it from a deserted cube farm in Alpharetta.  (Does ANYONE look good in office lighting?  Goodness....)

Picture of the Week - 3/9/2023

 Time to catch you all up on our really great weekend last week!  

We took Zane and Beck to the Georgia youth state wrestling tournament - and we took the camper!  It was kinda nerve-wracking on multiple fronts!

Punchline - planning and preparation worked for both wrestlers and campers!

The drive down was one of those "waiting for the other shoe to drop" experiences.  We started out fine and then we got onto the interstate for the first time ever.  All was fine.  Then we got into traffic.  All was fine.  Then we went through all like 10 lanes of downtown Atlanta.  All was fine.  Then eventually we got out of traffic.  All was fine.  We even stopped at a rest area.  Guess what, it was fine!  

Good even!

The site I reserved was a pull-through (no back-up required!) and sorta unlevel, so we had to use our levelers for the first time.  It was fine!  

There were many many firsts with that thing over the weekend - and some minor inconveniences, but nothing major.  We learned a lot.  Figured out a few MORE things we needed to get - and we are already looking forward to our next trip.  (3 weeks from now)

And then the wrestling.  I mean, to say I'm proud of the boys is a huge understatement.  We knew this year would be rough for them.  They are both on the young end of the age groups.  And then we bumped Zane UP a weight class around a month ago.  Most kids DROP weight classes at this time of year, but he's in the middle of puberty and I'd much rather let him GROW than restrict calories for a youth wrestling tournament.  Zane got an unfortunately draw in the first round and lost to a kid who was not as good a wrestler, but WAS a stronger kid.  And sometimes that matters.  He won his next one and then lost the 3rd to a kid who was a better wrestler.  It happens and we aren't sad about it.  It gives him something to work toward next year.

Beck faired a bit better and won his first match, which made the whole bracket easier.  In his second match he was losing in the 3rd period with around 25 seconds to go.  He threw the kid, who was a good bit taller than Beck, into a headlock.  Took him down and scored 2 points with 11 seconds left to win the match.  It was pretty awesome!  He lost his next match to place 4th, but it didn't really matter.  He was the only kid from the West program to place at state and I couldn't be happier for him.  Next year, after another year of training and growing and getting stronger - both of these boys are going to be super fun to watch!

The return trip was equally uneventful.  Actually, check that...  it was more fun because we totally stopped at Buc-ees and bought FAR too much junk food and munched all the way home.  

It was a really good weekend!

This week we took off completely from any practices of any kind.  It's been a long time since we had downtime like this.  Bob and I feel disconcerted about the whole thing.  I think Bob's nearly finished a whole book this week.  Next week we will get back to work, but taking a breather was pretty nice.  

Quinn comes home tonight and Spencer comes home tomorrow night for their spring breaks.  I am looking forward to having them home for the weekend.  I love having them all in one place - even if it's just for a little while.  

Have a great week everyone!  I'll be here cuddling on dogs and hugging boys.  Life is good.

Here're the action shots from Beckett's big take-down.  :)  Notice the time left on the clock when the ref throws up the TWO in the last picture.  

Picture of the Week - 2/24/2023

 Better late than never I guess

This week kicked my butt!  I had a multi-day summit at work - fancy word for a meeting with lots of people and lots of work with no downtime.  But hey, they had free coffee...  And no one wants to hear about me and my job.  So... moving on

Anyone who follows us on Facebook knows we drove to NC last weekend and wrestled a ton.  It was, honestly, one of the best weekends we've had in a long time.  We had fun going over there on Saturday and hanging out as a family.  Traveling can be a super experience!  And then Sunday - the actual wrestling part - was awesome!

First - the tournament was pretty chill and REALLY well-run.  It was the best run tourney we've been to in years - even at the high school level.  I have mad respect for that!

Second - because the NC weight classes are different than the ones in GA the boys kinda fell between weights.  I don't really want them cutting weight right now (because both are in growth spurts*) so we registered them for higher weights than normal.  And then we went to the movies and ate snacks and candy and followed up with Chinese food.  When we got to weigh-ins on Sunday, they were both really light - and then the amazing coordinators were like for 10 bucks you can double-bracket.  So we asked the boys if they wanted to - and they did!  Win!  I mean, after the 4 hour drive, it made things worth it!  THEN they ended up combining some of the weight classes which meant that Beck was in 2 round-robin brackets - and wrestled all the 12U kids from 120-138 lbs.  He wrestled 9 times - and won one of his brackets.  That's a crazy amount!  Zane was in 2 legit brackets and wrestled really well in both of them even being really undersized in one of the brackets.  If he had a different spot in the brackets he probably would have placed 2nd in one and 3rd in the other.  Instead he ended up 4th and 3rd - very respectable and a great lead up to a state placement run.

Third - we tested the boys and they impressed us - and themselves.  That's SO important in this marathon journey.  We have always played the long game with these guys and this past weekend felt a little like a milestone.  They both, but Beckett especially, found a way to finish, score, and win in a hard situation.  And honestly, we just couldn't be more proud of how they handled themselves.  The fact that they wrestled really well was icing on the cake.

Fourth - Bob's uncle Warren and cousin Joe, along with his kids, came to visit, which was really nice!  I was touched that they took time out of their day to spend with us - and honestly to meet the boys!  It was fun!

*Beck had his 11 year old well-child appointment this past week too and the fact that he's in a big growth spurt was confirmed.  In fact, he's still running ahead of where Spencer was at the same age.  So I figure I have about 6 months - at most - before this child is taller than me too.  It's inevitable.  

Happy weekend!  Next weekend at this time we will be making final plans for our very first trip with Harvey the RV!  So excited!

Have a great week!

Picture of the Week - 1/26/2023

 This week feels a little bit like "more of same".  It's still cloudy and cold.  (I think Atlanta is on track to have a January in the top 5 wettest of all time.  Not a fan.)  We are still doing wrestling nearly every day.  Work and school.  And amazon still stops my the house to visit daily - sometimes multiple times a day!

Bob just got back from a work trip and we are gearing up for a weekend of wrestling again.  

To break up the routine, Bob's taking me out tomorrow night.  We are going to hit up Cru for wine flights and then head to the Container Store to look for bins and baskets and buckets and other amazing organizational aids for Harvey!  Might sound like a lame date to you, but I'm ridiculously excited about it!  Wine AND nesting baskets AND planning opportunities galore.  That's some kinda heaven!

Here's a cute picture of the doggos and some photos of Zane and Beck that probably everyone has already seen on Facebook.  

Have a great week everyone!  

PS - Quinn's birthday is next Thursday if you wanna drop him a Happy Birthday note!

Picture of the Week - 1/20/2023

 What. A. Week!

Lots of work - mostly - stuff took up all my brain cells this week!  

But in the middle, Bob and I took Wednesday off to go pick up Harvey, the RV!!  To say we were stressed about this experience may be an understatement.  I mean, we have never even towed a row boat!  

I am very happy to report that we had no issues.  Bob reports that towing it was more comfortable than he expected on our hour-long drive home AND (maybe even more impressive) we didn't even argue while trying to back into our storage space the first time.  Ha!  #winning!

We have a bit of work to do inside before we will be ready to travel.  This is very similar to getting a new apartment ready to go!  We need bedding and kitchen stuff and bathroom stuff and a whole bunch of new camper hook-up stuff.  And I am certain we need stuff we don't even know we need yet.  Amazon loves us!!!

Here's a selfie of me and Bob at pick-up.  And a picture of the doggos checking out the couch (which is in the back in front of the bunk beds) during a quick stop at the house on the way to storage so Beck could see it.  And finally a picture of the successful parking experience at our storage spot.  

Our first trip is scheduled for the first weekend in March.  We have a campsite booked in Perry GA for Kids' State wrestling tournament.  Now we just need at least one boy to qualify to get to state!  

This weekend we are traveling over to Dallas, Ga for the All American Slam tournament.  I'm excited for this one.  There are 4 guys in Beckett's bracket and 11 (!) in Zane's.  That's a pretty big tournament and should be a lot of fun.  It's far enough away that I think we will see a whole different set of Georgia wrestlers.

Other than wrestling and camper shopping...  we are just plugging our way through January.  Hope all is well where you are!  

Picture of the Week - 1/5/2023

 Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a really wonderful holiday season.  We had a really nice, relaxing Christmas and a fun New Year's Eve - even with the Buckeye loss.  

The re-entry to "normal" life after a nice vacation is never fun, but this week...  oy vey.  It's kicking my tail!  Work, kids, house, wrestling.  All the things...  and they keep wanting me to make dinner.  It's only been 3 days back to work and already I need another break!

This is the current state of my dining room.  It's serving as a staging area for 1) Christmas decoration packing 2) wrestling backpack distribution and 3) tournament hospitality room preparation.  It's a hot mess...  boxes and bins and stuff everywhere.  I have never been one to fret over clutter, but this is a bit much even for me!  Ever so slowly, we will reclaim some order and peace and calm...  I hope!

*************

In other news...  (If we are connected on Facebook, this will be old news.)  Bob and I finally bought a travel trailer on Monday.  We've been looking for ages - almost a full year, actually.  We've been to many dealerships and in/out of dozens of different brands and floorplans.  We even took that trial trip a few weeks ago to try out the camper lifestyle.  

I'd be lying if I didn't share that I'm a little nervous about it.  It's a pretty big purchase (although, surprisingly it costs about half what we paid for Bob's Yukon) and a pretty big departure from what we are used to.  Neither of us grew up camping - so culturally, we have a lot to learn.  It'd also be lying if I didn't say I'm pretty darn excited about it too.  I'm really looking forward to some peaceful, relaxing trips - and hopefully a way for us to see some parts of the country you can't see from a Hampton Inn.  Stay tuned for more.  We pick Harvey (as the boys have named the camper) up a week from today.  Our first trip will likely be to Statesboro to visit Quinn over spring break.  (Unless we decide to hit up a wrestling tourney in FL in Feb...  which is a possibility!)

If you are interested in what we got - here's the link.  It's a 2022 KZ Sportsmen 281BHSE https://www.kz-rv.com/products/sportsmen-se-travel-trailers/281BHSE.html They have some nice walk-through videos and pictures.  

Picture of the Week - 12/15/2022

 Wrestling isn't for the weak.  It's not a casual sport.  It requires, if you want to succeed, dedication and determination.  

I'm really proud of both Zane and Beckett for embracing this lifestyle.  It's not glamourous - and it hurts.  (See picture of Zane who came home from last weekend in Virginia Beach with 2 black eyes and a singlet splattered with blood.  His blood.)

Bob and I have taken a pretty "long game" approach to wrestling with Zane and Beckett.  We didn't go "all in" while they were really young.  This is partly because we were busy with Spencer and Quinn, but it was also a direct result of my favorite parenting super skill - perspective.  

What we learned watching Spencer and Quinn - and their peers - is that many of the kids who were successful at high school had lots and lots of experience.  They didn't have lots and lots of youth state championships.  We also noticed along the way that there were kids who were absolute stud wrestlers in 6U and 8U who disappeared after middle school.  Our goal with the boys has been pretty straight forward - 1) don't let them quit and 2) make sure they have fun.

This year we have intentionally stepped things up a bit.  Actually this started last summer...  when we sent them to a wrestling camp in Missouri because it had a great reputation for teaching techniques that match how our boys wrestle.  We decided that this year we are going to continue doing what we're already doing, but layer in some additional opportunities for them by watching for - and being willing to attend - travel opportunities.  Will this work - in the long run?  No idea...  but along the way we are going to have some fun!  

This weekend we are staying local and wrestling in a tournament on Saturday.  What's up next is a little up in the air.  Maybe Kentucky the weekend after Christmas.  Maybe South Carolina the first weekend of 2023.  Maybe both...  Stay tuned for more updates - and if you need to know how to get blood out of a singlet, give me a call.

Picture of the Week - 12/8/2022

 Quick update today because it's kinda more of same - except I think I have the flu and feel pretty crappy.  

Bob's got Zane and Beck this weekend in Virginia Beach with one of their wrestling teams for a big weekend of wrestling.  Last weekend was a vacation with a little wrestling.  This weekend is wrestling in a different state.  Big difference!  It'll be interesting to see how they do.  I expect a lot of learning.  ;)  If you aren't winning, you are learning, if you get my drift.

Quinn got home yesterday for winter break.  It's nice to have him here for sure!

Spencer gets home on Tuesday - I think.  Details are always a bit sketchy when it comes to Spencer and plans.

I'm going to spend the next 3 days trying to get well - and wrapping Christmas presents.  :)  Maybe I'll even bake something.  Maybe I'll just watch nonsense TV instead.  LOL

Here's a fun picture of Beckett from breakfast this morning.  Zane has been on a bit of a weight cut - prob last one this year.  I'm certain he's looking forward to dinner tonight after weigh-ins!  (In case anyone is curious, there's less than 10 lbs between Zane and Beck right now.)

Picture of the Week - 11/10/2022

 Whoops - almost let 2 full weeks slip away without a POTW email.  

It's a funny phase of life right now!  Things are kinda overwhelming and simultaneously sort of boring and routine.  I suppose that's life in a nutshell.

We are neck-deep in all things wrestling right now.  Bob and I are running both the high school and youth team booster clubs.  I love all of it.  I really do!  If I could figure out a way to monetize serving a wrestling booster club, I'd leave my job in a heartbeat.  But that doesn't mean things are drama-free all the time.  We have grown the program from about 30 kids 6 years ago to around 130 now.  This year we have onboarded probably 60 brand new wrestlers.  Maybe 50...  I'm not sure, but it's been a LOT.  And one of my favorite things is talking to these folks and helping them understand the sport and our program.  I love helping other people fall in love with this sport like we did.  95% of the folks I talk to and the things I do are super rewarding.  That other 5% literally makes me lose sleep - and some faith in humanity in general. 

I choose to focus on the good while I knock out all the things on the wrestling to-do list!  Gotta get things rolling so I can dive into the Thanksgiving prep to-do list.  Let's goooooo!

This weekend Zane is wrestling in a middle school dual after winning his first wrestle-off of the season.  Last weekend he won his first tournament.  I think this is going to be a fun season for him.  After this weekend I think we have around 7 straight weekends of wrestling stuff - including a trip to Gatlinburg and another trip to Virginia Beach - all before Christmas.  So fun - so crazy!

Sharing some pictures of Gable out practicing his new skills!  We put him in a board and train program a few weeks ago.  We missed him SO much while he was gone, but he came home with some better manners and is way nicer on a leash now!  One of the things that he learned was a "place" command where you put him on a place (any place) and he has to stay there until you release him.  This is really hard for him because he just wants to be with his people.  But he does it!  The first two pictures show him before he got tired.  The last picture is him with his "I'm over it" face.  It's exhausting for him - which always results in a nice, hard nap!  Win/win!

Have a great week everyone!  

Picture of the Week - 10/27/2022

 I just finished adding all our wrestling tournaments to our calendar.  Simultaneously sobering and exciting!  I can't wait to watch the boys wrestle this year.  

This is the first year we will be able to focus on ZnB without splitting duty with the high school schedule.  It's going to be fun!  It's going to be busy too...  and if you need anything between now and March...  well, we're probably in a gym somewhere.

All is well here - really nothing exciting to note really.  (Sorta makes me wonder about whether these potw messages are really worth it to anyone anymore...)

Yesterday both Spencer and Quinn checked in - without prompting.  They are both pretty good about reaching out from time to time, but it's also not unusual for days to go by without hearing from them.  What a weird transition it is to experience the "moving out and moving on".  Sigh...  

They are both doing really well.  Classes are good - both have enough struggles to keep them focused in the right direction, but not so many struggles to feel overwhelming (or to make me worry).  Quinn's in the process of signing a lease for an apartment next year.  This is new for us!  Spencer has to stay in the barracks all 4 years, so we are navigating college-town rentals for the first time.  Thank goodness he's got friends he wants to live with and one of them is already in the house they will be moving into.  The process could be even more unknown!  

We have a pretty free weekend coming up - no football, no wrestling - so of course we have chores planned!  HA!  Last weekend we started painting the ceiling on the main floor and got about 1/3 done.  We need to finish that up this weekend!!!  Also, Beckett tells me that pumpkins need to be obtained and carved into jack-o-lanterns.  :)

Here are some screen shots of snapchats from Spencer and Quinn.  I'm so proud of them!

Picture of the Week - 10/13/2022

 I started writing this about a dozen times today and I really wish I had finished it earlier!  I had grand plans to share all kinds of good info and news about the last week.  Now, however, I'm tired!  Long day after a few back-to-back long weeks is taking it's toll!  Lemma try to rally here...

Last week, after I got home from a work trip to Minneapolis, we packed the suitcases back up and prepped for a trip to Charleston.  But before we left, we dropped Gable off at the dog trainer for a couple of weeks of doggie boarding school.  We did this same program with Brutus and Ozzie and really liked the results.  So when we get Gable back next week I'm excited to see what he's learned.  He's been a really good puppy without the formal training, so this additional discipline will be bonus for us!  Man I miss him though!!  And I think Brutus REALLY misses him!  Here's a picture they sent us.  

We headed down to Charleston for Citadel's Parent's weekend while my parents held down the fort and took on Uber duty and cheerleading responsibilities for Zane and Beckett's practices and games.  Bonus - Quinn drove up to see us from Statesboro, which is about a 2.5 hour drive from Charleston.  We really had a great weekend.  The weather was absolutely perfect.  The rental we had was in a great, convenient location and had a ton of space for us.  We had some great dinners and some fun conversations.  We did a lot of people watching and talking with other parents who are just as happy and proud as we are.  It's a really fun weekend!  It's also kind of sobering to realize that in 2 short years, Spencer will be a senior and will be receiving his ring.  Time flies!

This week we, sort of unexpectedly, saw the end of Zane's football season.  The team lost a heartbreaker of a game on Tuesday they needed to win in order to make it to the playoffs.  It was a really bad call from a ref that's kind of notorious around here for being a pretty big jerk.  It was a hard way to end the season, but Zane took it all in stride.  He's already looking forward to next year as an 8th grader.

The next day, he started wrestling season.  I'm really interested to see how this year goes.  I am always excited for wrestling season - and this year is no different.  But it might be a growth year for both boys, who both moved up an age group this year.  While they are both really good wrestlers, with more experience at their ages than most already, they are also on the young side and will compete with kids a year older than them.  I'm not sure if you've ever seen the difference 12 months can make in a teenage boy on either side of puberty or not...  LOL  It's a big difference!  SO we shall see how things go - and I know that they will either win or learn!  :)

This weekend we only have 1 football game - which should leave plenty of time for me to sort and organize (and then distribute) 80ish wrestling uniform gear packs.  My basement looks like a screen-printing warehouse at the moment...  

Next week we celebrate Beckett's birthday.  11...  crazy!

Have a great fall week!  Go outside and enjoy the crisp air and the color on the trees.  And be grateful for all of it!

Picture of the Week - 8/25/2022

 Happy Thursday!

We are charging through August!  I've never loved this month.  I kinda want to get this one in the rearview mirror, if I'm being honest.

All the boys are well.  Spencer is now back at The Citadel for the semester.  Here's a picture of him with his friend Jackson (aka Bradford).  I don't have any new pictures of Quinn from this week, but I've talked to him almost every day.  He's really loving college life!  Zane and Beck are doing the school then practice, rinse & repeat routine.  And the doggos are just fun and happy :)

Have a great last week of August everyone!  We are very much looking forward to a nice 3-day weekend right around the corner.

Picture of the Week - 7/21/2022

 Greetings!

I hope everyone is well - and staying cool.  It's HOT and HUMID in Atlanta right now!  This weather has been a great reminder that we live in a sub-tropic region!  This month, I am grateful for air conditioning!

Lots of stuff going on - none of it particularly exciting...

1. Football/Zane edition - Zane's (official) practices started this week.  He's got practice 5 days a week and so far loves every minute of it!  Even the practicing in the storms days!  
2. Football/Beckett edition - Beckett's practices start next week.  His schedule will be interesting this fall.  We were hoping that he wouldn't have practice on Tuesdays so he could watch Zane's games, but sometimes the scheduling Gods don't cooperate.  Luckily, we have friends on the team he's playing for this year (Bob is retiring from coaching football!) so we will work it out.  He'll be practicing 3 nights a week - including Fridays...  so if you need us on Friday evenings, check Midway Lower where you may just find us chilling with a couple of Goldens and a cooler full of "soda".  
3. Wrestling/family edition - HA!  Bob and I are knee deep getting ready to help host the high school golf tournament on Monday.  (No, we don't have any high school age children.  Yes, we do love this program!)  Then we are helping to host a program-wide party a week from Saturday.  Both are fun events that I'm looking forward to!  I miss my wrestling peeps!
4. College/Quinn edition - we are getting scary close to Quinn's departure.  Close enough that I'm in serious list-making, list-crossing off mode.  Oh and my bedroom looks like an Amazon truck blew up in it.  Oy!  Much more on Quinn's launch into college student status in a couple of weeks.  He leaves here on August 4th.
5. College/Spencer edition - we have a bit more time with Spencer, who doesn't return to campus until August 21st.
6. Work and stuff - nothing exciting here, but it's still happening...  LOL  I traveled last week to NYC and Bob traveled this week to Tampa.  I think we are both home for a bit now.
7. Quinn and the cardiologist - Quinn had an check-up exam with his cardiologist today.  We didn't expect any issues, but (you know) it's always a little nerve-wracking.  All is well and he got an "all clear for another year" report.  We also got confirmation that Quinn gets to stay with Sibley until he's 23.  I was worried about the transition, so this makes me feel VERY comforted.  We've been a patient of Dr. Sallee since Quinn was 6 weeks old and 4 lbs big.  Dr. Sallee has kids that are 20 and 22.  We have, literally, grown up together.  Special place in my heart for that guy, I tell ya!
8. Dogs - All good and Gable is growing like a weed.  He's over 23 pounds already.  He's such a good puppy.  We are having a lot of fun with him - except my backyard is FULL of mosquitos and taking him out always means more bites.  See sub-tropic note above.  

I think that's about it for here.  We have a weekend full of chores and cleaning and packing and prepping planned.  But I also have reservations for fancy grown up dinner and will be soaking up these last couple of weeks with my full house.  Gonna look a lot different around here in a few short weeks.

Here's a couple of recent pictures.  Have a great week!

Picture of the Week - 6/30/2022

 What a fun summer week happening 'round here!

We spent the last week doing "normal" summer stuff - pool and watermelon have been involved.  And gearing up for more fun!

What's going on?

- Zane and Beck had a wrestling camp this week in the mornings - then heading to a football camp in the evening.  Keeping them busy and tired has always been our goal!  LOL  Picture of Zane leaving weight training this morning.  Coach has them there at 7AM - he shares my "keep them tired" philosophy!

- Spencer has been working and has been filling in as a construction supervisor somewhere south of the city.  He's really getting the best experience!  He likes what he's doing too and has lots of plans for what he wants to learn next year.  

- Quinn is pretty much living his best life and has been out and at parties and having fun pretty much every day.  My thoughts on this, while I wish he were being a bit more productive, I also know you only get the summer after your senior year once.  So we pretty much go with the flow.

- Yesterday my parents got a contract on their house - yay!

- Today Beckett left with Berber and Pappy on his 10 year old trip.  I can't wait to hear all about it.  Here's a picture of Beck on the plane taking him out West.  They will spend the night in Jackson Wyoming.  Beck is actually taking the same trip that started all the 10 year old trips that Spencer took.  It's a nice way to bookend the grandparent trips!

- Zane has his woodlands camp next week and Bob and I are taking the opportunity with ZnB outta the house to head to Greenville, SC for a couple of night - just for fun!  Quinn's on puppy duty while we are gone. 

- Speaking of puppy, Gable is awesome.  He's actually really good - I think fewer accidents than we have had with our last couple of puppies.  He's SO cute and so sweet.  He's heading for his last round of shots today.  He's currently 14.5 weeks old and at least double the size he was when we brought him home 3 weeks ago.  

Hope you all have a great, relaxing, and fun 4th of July!  

Picture of the Week - 6/17/2022

 I can't believe it's mid-June already.  Where in the world has this year gone???

All good here!  Just busy busy busy!

(Work is crazy for both Bob and I right now, which has added an unexpected layer of stress.  That's what they pay us for and I'm sure things will stabilize again soon...)

Bob left this morning with Zane and Beck to drive to St. Louis to check the boys into Purler wrestling camp.  We have heard amazing things about these camps.  I can't wait to hear how they like it - and see the results!  

This week we finally got the tile done on the backsplash in the Kitchen Reno 2022 project.  That's a story in itself that includes very crappy craftsmanship, a 10 year old casing our house, and Bob raising his voice at many people.  (If you know him at all, you know this is very rare.)  It's all going to be fine...  we have the doors and drawer-fronts off the cabinets at the moment and the lady painting them should be done with changing the brown to white next Wednesday.  I'm so excited for that part!!!  (Bob is less so, because it's probably going to make me want a non-black microwave and oven...  and maybe new lighting over the kitchen table...  and while we are at it, the kitchen table may need a new look too.   Woot!)

Also this week the dogs have become playmates - although it's still kinda awkward to watch.  Brutus is sooooo patient with Gable.  He wants to play hard, but the little guy (who is like twice as big as he was when we got him already) is just too little.  It's resulted in some funny situations.  But every day those 2 doggos become better friends - and we fall a little more in love with our new buddy.

Stay cool everyone!  I'm planning a lot of AC time this weekend!!!