4t3

Sometimes I am so creative. 4t3, I could very easily have just left out the t but that wouldn't have been as fancy. Well the message of the title is that I have reached the ripe old age of 43.  Hard to believe I know, but it is true. When I was a wee lad I used to think 40 was so old. Here I am at 43 realizing just how young it really is.  It is a wonderful thing. Maybe I am just a kid at heart and mind. It was a great day for a birthday. 

I may make reference every year around my birthday to the fact that the best birthday gift I could ask for is the safe return of my children. I have enjoyed that gift this year as well.  I did not sit alone today at church. It was wonderful and it was equally wonderful to see big Jack pass the sacrament.  I am grateful for family and the time we share together,

Wheelbarrow

Way back in 1995 I was given a very prestigious award by my friend and fellow missionary Elder Woffindon. We were not companions but we did serve in the Bellville ward together. We were helping some members out with a home they were building and by helping we found ourselves moving a bunch of dirt. We were filling wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow with dirt and moving it to the back of the house which was a steep decline. That is what we did and it was great fun.  I liked to have fun with Service and so I made this game with the wheelbarrows. When we would come back for another load we started jumping the wheelbarrows off a little dirt ramp of sorts and would do weird tricks with our feet whilst in the air.  It was nothing serious but we were having a good time with it. For fun Woffindon with the help of the members made a wheelbarrow jumping champion certificate and awarded it to me. I might still have that in my mission box.  Those were fun days. 

Today I got up close and personal with my wheelbarrow. Last week I went to move a load of shingles in it and one of the handles snapped in half. That barrow was less than two months old.  I went to see if they had replacement handles available but they did not. I did the next best thing and picked up a couple of 2 X 2's. Today I tore apart what was left and then rebuilt the wheelbarrow with new handcrafted handles.  It turned out really well. If only there was a mound of dirt I could jump it off.

Ride Like the Wind

The boys and indent out on a bike ride today. I told Jack about riding the East Bench trail and he wanted to do it. We set off and after an uphill climb to start the ride Andy was done and went Home while Jack and I continued on. It was a good ride.  Tonight I am completely wiped out and I must needs sleep.

Shingles

I don't have shingles. None of my kids have shingles. I am not referring to that type of shingles.  I got up this morning and climbed atop the roof and began work .  Holy cow I am exhausted. Must sleep, must sleep now.

Adjustment Time

With the kids coming home after a couple of months in Alaska we go through a bit of an adjustment period. It is that time of year and we need to get back to going to bed earlier in the evening. I could have done better with that schedule tonight but it was after midnight before all were in bed. For their body clocks it was more like 10. We have to fix that.  I am so tired right now.  Must sleep. 

Home Again

This morning the kids flew in from Alaska. We have been hard at it with the travel in the last t so days. I am so tired at the moment. ... I just now woke up. Simply passed out. Anyhow, it is good to be home, it is wonderful to have my beautiful children home again.

Blogging from the beach

I am right now sitting on the beach, Huntington Beach to be exact. I am here to pick the kids up. They fly out of Anchorage tonight and arrive in Long Beach at 730 in the morning.  My plan was to get into town early and go to the beach. I even pulled out my flipper from my Hawaii days, that's only been 26 years and I borrowed a boogie board from Dave. Unfortunately I was unable to leave as early as I wanted to and traffic pretty much sucked from Stateline all the way in.  It was stop and go for several miles through Baker and then after a short reprieve we were back to stop and go through the agriculture checkpoint.  After that it flowed fairly well until I got to the 605 which was a parking lot.  So my boogie boarding dreams died on the highways today.  The beach opens at 5 am and the thought has run through my head to come in the morning. I don't know if ill make it so I'm just sitting here enjoying a salty breeze while waves crash on the shore.  The next time we come this way I'm bringing boards and I'm having at least one full beach day.  It has been to long.