Final Post of the Year

2012 has come to an end.  Well, almost.  It's 10 pm on December 30th, so I'm jumping the gun a bit.  Probably because I have sooo many New Year's Eve parties to attend (none).  We've had a lovely holiday, with lots of time off, lots of eating, and lots of laziness.  Just kidding on the last note--Ashley and I were very diligent and worked out every day.  Tomorrow will be a day of football and some house-keeping.  We should clean the place up, and maybe go to the store and buy something other than ham.  Bode has enjoyed being home, but I think he gets bored with just Mom and Dad around.  We've spent some time with friends, and he's always happy with kids his age.  Plus, today he asked if we could go back to Sean and Brenna's house.  Fortunately he has Harley to keep him company.

She just makes her sweet self comfortable on the good chair.  Harley had some visitors this morning.  I walked into the sun room and right in front of the window were some deer.  Harley spooked them away before I could get the camera, but I did manage to take this shot.  Note how attentive Harley is--if only the window wasn't there...

This break was nice--sort of a mini-retirement for me, as I did not shave for almost ten days.  Bode didn't like the scratchiness, and commented on my whiskers.  He even wanted this picture.

I'm not sure if we have any real resolutions.  I turn 40 in 2013, so I know I don't have many fast running years left.  Thus, I'm going to give it my all for one last year of personal bests.  I'm sure this will last to maybe February.  Of course, I do hope to run the USAF Marathon in September, but I'll see how the winter goes.  Have a Merry New Year and we'll see you in 2013!

Truck Town USA

Bode likes trucks.  I mean, he really likes them.  I decided to get them all out of the garage for a group photograph.  Below are the big trucks.  There are plenty of smaller-sized one that were deemed unworthy of this picture.

I asked Bode which one he likes best.  "All of them."  Just a statement--no real favorite, all of them have the place of honor in his heart (although we did get him the bull-dozer Santa forgot, so he might favor that one for a few days).  We've been lazy this break--lots of eating and sleeping.  It's going to be hard getting back into the swing of things.  Fortunately, we still have five (FIVE!) stay home days.  Ahh, gotta love Christmas break.  Pleasant day to all.

Dinner with the Rankins

We headed up to Denver for a Christmas dinner with Dave, Kathy, Teddy, and Charlie.  Kathy's mother, Marci, and her friend Gary, were there as well.  We had a lovely time.  The kids were playing with all their Christmas loot, while we nibbled on snacks as the turkey baked to perfection.  We ate too much (a theme this Christmas) and enjoyed all the delicacies one would expect at Christmas dinner.  Afterwards, time to open more presents.  Ashley and I agreed having multiple gift openings made Christmas seem longer.  However, we worry Bode will think he gets gifts every time we go somewhere.  Sadly, Bode continued his poor manners after opening his gift from Aunt Kathy and Uncle Dave.  We (Ashley and I) always appreciate clothes for the little dude.  Him, not so much.  It was almost a repeat, with him saying, "Do you have any other presents for me?"  Ungrateful little sh*t :-)  Oh well--maybe we should let him buy his own clothes.  Then, he'll start to realize the importance of nice fitting pants.  Ok, enough blasting Bode--he is only five.  Here are some action photos.  Below is a shot of Bode "helping" Charlie play with his new truck.

Next we have Teddy tearing into a Wii game.  I think this was when he opened Donkey Kong Country Returns.  He really seemed to like it.

Finally, here is a nice shot of the Rankin cousins and Bode playing with a dinosaur/truck thingy.  Lots of entertainment.

That about puts a wrap on Christmas 2012.  We loved spending time with family and appreciate how close we are to so many relatives.  Bode thoroughly enjoys playing with his cousins, and is always sad when we leave.  However, we promise to visit often and invite everyone to come see us in return.

One final note:  As many of you know, I provide a Christmas gift list to aid in you picking something out for me.  I don't expect anything, and I am very appreciative for everything you give me.  However, I must point out one of the nice things about the list and email is you can keep track of who is getting what, thereby preventing duplicative gifts.  Sadly, I received not one, not two, but THREE copies of Halo 4.  Like I said, I appreciate the effort...:-)  Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Christmas in Colorado

The forecasters were correct--we had a White Christmas!  Granted, it was about an inch, but white none-the-less.  We woke up to an excited Bode running into our room telling us, "Santa Came!"  The proof was the missing cookies, cookies which we had left specifically for Santa.  Evidently the jolly old man wasn't famished--probably too many cookies at the neighbors'--but he did eat most of what we left.

Bode dragged us to the living room--sure enough, there were more presents there than when he had gone to bed.  This, combined with the missing cookies, was concrete evidence of Santa being in our house.  Unfortunately, we hadn't set the security cameras, so we didn't get any footage.  Before proceeding to open gifts, Bode posed for a picture.

He dove head first into his gifts, tearing at the paper with reckless abandon.  Well, perhaps he was a bit more civilized, but you get the idea.  Here are some action shots.

Here is a movie.  After watching it, I realize Bode has a lot to learn about opening gifts.  His speed isn't quite up to snuff.

Here is picture of Bode in the middle of all his presents.  Why do all little kids think the big gifts are the best?

Here is another movie.  I'm including it because it documents Mommy and Daddy's (and Santa's) big Christmas error.  Bode had asked for a crane and all this other stuff.  At some point, he started asking for a bull-dozer.  We both thought we'd gotten the bull-dozer or that someone else had gotten it.  Thus, at the end of this video, you can hear Bode say, "Where's that bull-dozer?"  I think tomorrow we will go and get him one :-(

Fortunately, Bode wasn't distraught about the missing bull-dozer, and he proceeded to enjoy himself.  Mommy spent a good part of the morning putting together the combined Police Station / Fire House.  Lots of fun.

It must have smelled good to Harley.  We had a lovely Christmas opening presents.  Later in the day, we headed up to Denver for dinner with the Rankins.  Stay tuned!

Albuquerque

Bode spent some quality time with the McGuirk cousins the weekend before Christmas.  Ashley and I decided to play hooky from work and headed down on Friday, arriving just in time for a scrumptious dinner.  Dana is quite the chef and made a delicious lasagna.  We really needed all that food because we were *so* active while we were down there :-)  Actually, Bode probably played as hard as he has ever played.  As soon as we showed up, Sean was there to greet us.  Sean is nine, and is Lord of the Universe in Bode's eyes.  He always wanted to sit by Sean, eat by Sean, play with Sean, well, you get the idea.  And it was great for the parents because we really weren't needed.  At all.  Sort of a window into what it will be like when Bode is a teenager. (Sigh) The ABQ McGuirks took great care of Bode.  They all slept in the same room--sort of a minicamp out (and with a big-screen TV and climate control--my kind of camping).  Here is a nice shot of the McGuirk cousins' sleeping arrangements.

That's Brenna on the left.  She's twelve, and the next time we see her, Ashley might be looking up to her.  Devin is next to Bode--she's about six months older than Bode and very cute (must have gotten the Lithgoe genes).  And, of course, there's Sean, or as Bode called him, Zhhawn (it sometimes sounded like John, but with a very soft J).  The first night, the kiddos watched movies and ate popcorn. Ahh, to be young again.  The next day, we lazed around during the day.  Brenna and Sean each have electronic phones/games, and Bode loved watching them play.  Here is a nice shot of them on the couch.

At some point, Bode got hold of the camera and started taking pictures.  Gotta love the close ups...

In the mid-afternoon, we headed to the children's museum, which was a blast.  Bode told a few people it was just like the Boonshoft, which, if you haven't lived in Dayton, is meaningless.  The museum had all sorts of interactive displays and ways to entertain the kids.  Water is always a big attraction.

The bubble factory was also a hit.

Afterwards, we went to a park and played.  I tried keeping up with Brenna and Sean on the monkey bars, but my shoulders don't seem to work like that of a young child.  We also walked through Old-Town, and saw the very large Santa.

There was also this cool Christmas tree.  It's hard to tell, but every branch is its own tree.  Very neat.

That night, we went to the Walk of Lights (or something like that).  It was awesome--lights everywhere, with all sorts of great decorations and lighting arrangements.  It was a tad chilly, but fortunately, we were dressed appropriately and none the worse for the wear at the end of the evening.  I didn't take any pictures, because my pictures of holiday lights always turn out horrible--just looks like a bunch of little fireflies with a lot of dark.  I think Ashley took some, and if she ever ports her photos over to the computer, I'll be sure to load them.  Following the festival of lights, we dined on Mexican (we needed more food) and headed home.  The kiddos, once again, did the camping thing, staying up too late, and doing what they do.  

Sunday was a great day.  Dana, Brenna, and Devin went to The Nutcracker ballet.  The men plus Ashley went to a place a lot like Bounce U--lots of bouncy houses and such.  Once again, I left my camera at home (this time by accident), so Ashley has all the pics of Sean and Bode bouncing around.  I did race Sean through the obstacle course.  I lost.  Badly.  Sunday night, we did a gift exchange.  Prior to opening, we posed for some McGuirk Family pictures.  

Afterwards, we opened some presents.  Bode must have inherited the gene from Ashley about how to NOT respond to a present.  He was soooo excited to open this big present from Uncle Pat and Aunt Dana.  It turned out to be a mini-trampoline (which he now likes).  Evidently, it did not ring his bell because he said, "Do you have any other presents for me?"  Nice.  Here are some action photos.  Bode really likes opening presents--even those that aren't his.

We had a lovely time in ABQ.  We got home on Christmas Eve--we did not want to confuse Santa.  Bode was so tired that nice.  At 7:00 pm, he tells us, "I just want to go to sleep."  Fortunately, he was up early the next day for Christmas!  

The Christmas Train

First snow of the year!  We woke up and it was C-O-L-D!  The high was 20 (maybe).  What fortuitous timing, because today was the day we took the Cog Railroad all the way to the North Pole.  The snow really put us all in the Christmas spirit.  The roads were a bit slippery on the drive down to Manitou, but we got there with time to spare.  Which was good, because there were no bathrooms on the train, so the kiddos needed to take a pit stop.  Here is a shot of Bode with some of his friends before getting on the train.

We also snapped a quick picture of Bode with Mommy.

We were fortunate to have a surprise rider with us on the train--the Mrs. Santa Claus.  I think her first name is Shaunita, but I'm not positive...Shaunita Claus.

The ride to the North Pole was surprisingly short--only about 40 minutes.  The time flew by, because there were elves and minstrels riding with us, singing Christmas carols and entertaining us.  Once there, we were glad we had our hats and mittens because it was quite chilly.  There was a nice supply of hot chocolate and cookies, which really hit the spot at eleven in the morning.

Here's a cute shot of Bode and Mommy.  For those of you that read the blog often, you will notice Kristen (in the hat) and Eric in the background.

We waited our turn, and were eventually led past the armed guard (elf) into Santa's lair.  Bode told Santa he wanted a bulldozer for Christmas (which is the first we've heard of this).

Afterwards, we lounged around the North Pole and took in the scenery.  We were lucky and saw a reindeer.

We did not do much the rest of the day.  Bode helped me (hindered me from) shovel, which was fun.  Harley loves it when we shovel.  Evidently attacking a shovel is the biggest thrill for a rottweiler.  Speaking of Harley, she seems to know when Ashley and I aren't around to enforce the rules.  I was upstairs on the computer and happened to look over the balcony.  This is what I saw.

I need to talk to Bode about keeping her off the couch.  One more week of classes for me, and then it's time to grade finals.  After that, ten or eleven days off from work!  Pleasant week to all.

Bode's Birthday Party

Bode's birthday party was yesterday.  We partied at Skateland, which was a lot of fun, after the initial, "I can't do this!" part.  His cousins, Teddy and Charlie came down from Denver, along with Nana and Papa, and Grammy.  Here are some random pictures of us skating around the rink.  Before continuing, let me assure you despite a number of falls, there were no injuries :-)  First up is a shot of fearless Charlie.

This little guy had no hesitation about anything.  He just grabbed the supporting walker, and away he went.  Next is Teddy.

Yes, the kiddos could fall even when using "no-falling" devices.  Here's a nice one of Bode and Mommy.

Bode didn't like the walker at first, but after awhile, he really started to get the hang of it.  His buddies, Rylan and Brenna, were also there.  Here is one of Bode playing with Rylan.

Here's a movie after Bode had gotten some vital skating experience.

We also had plenty of pizza and ice-cream.

And, of course, we sang (poorly) to the birthday boy.  I am not including that video because I was closest to the microphone and my voice dominates, which doesn't make the song pleasing to the ear.  You will have to be content with a picture.

We had a lovely time at Bode's party.  Afterwards, we went home.  Teddy, Charlie, Nana, and Papa stayed the night.  Nana and Papa were nice enough to baby sit, and let Ashley and I go to the Bond movie.  It was good--too much shirtless Daniel Craig for my taste (Ashley drools over him).  Otherwise, very entertaining.  Everyone has left, so our house is back to just the three of us (and, not surprisingly, a bit quieter :-)  Ashley is traveling to DC this week, so it will be me, Bode, and Harley.  Pleasant week to all!

Bode's Birthday

Bode is now five!  Neither one of us can believe it, yet we also can't really remember the time before him.  It's been fast, but also been long.  Sort of a paradox, much like the mind of a five-year old :-)

We opened presents on Wednesday.  I don't know if Bode was surprised.  In October, we asked him what he wanted for his birthday, and he told us.  Then, every time afterwards when his birthday was mentioned, he would say, "I'm getting the grader truck for my birthday."  No asking for it.  Simply a statement.  We tried to convince him he had to be good to get it, and he was (for the most part).  However, since he "knew" what he was getting, his excitement was subdued.  Here's a picture of him opening one of his presents.

Next is the movie of the same present.  He seems excited, but not the jumping up and down that was expected...

He proceeded to open his other presents.  He received the aforementioned grader truck and also this big crane truck, shown below.

Here he is playing with the trucks.

He also received a cool game from his Aunt Geri and some always-acceptable cash from Aunt Marnie.  His party wasn't until the weekend, so we'll post more pictures of that later.  Happy Birthday, Bode!

Thanksgiving

We have had a lovely Thanksgiving.  Ashley's parents (Frank and JoAnne) came to town.  They arrived on Wednesday, having picked up Bode's cousin, Teddy, in Denver.  The two young men did nothing but play and play and play.  Trucks, movies, trains, swimming, and, of course, ice cream.

Teddy spent the night with us on Thursday, which Bode loved.  Sometimes we wonder if Bode gets bored with us because he plays so hard when he has friends over.

Thursday morning, Ashley and I ran in the Briargate Turkey Trot.  Over 2,500 people ran this event.  Well, I shouldn't say ran.  Many walked, which isn't a big deal, but it does make the fact I came in 62nd seem more impressive than it actually is :-)  Ashley did well, but she thinks she's slow.  She hasn't been running--she's more into aerobics, kick-boxing, and other full-body work outs.  I think she did great, but she ignores me when I tell her so :-)  After the race, my Mom and Ashley's brother's family (Dave, Kathy, and their other son, Charlie) came down from Denver.  We had a wonderful day of food, food, and to top things off, food.  Here are some pictures.  First, one of Dave and Ashley on the couch.

Next is one of me.  Note I'm working diligently doing the dishes.  Yes, I earn my keep.

After one of the meals, the ladies went for a walk.  The men stayed at home and watched football (you know, manly things).

We had a great visit with the Denver Rankins and my Mom.  Bode was exhausted--went right to bed after all that playing with Charlie and Teddy.

Today was rather tame.  Ashley and I went to the Verizon store and got her an early birthday present.  She has wanted a smartphone, and I've ignored her for the past year or so.  She threatened to stop cooking, so I guess I had to give in.  Thus, she is the happy owner of a new Droid (or something like that).  Look for all sorts of cool things from her now that she has a smart phone.  I bet she could post to this blog from it (As a reminder, Ashley has NEVER posted anything to this blog.  Not that she hasn't tried.  As editor, I simply have a high standard for the posted material :-)

In the afternoon, we went down to the Broadmore, a posh hotel in Colorado Springs.  They were doing some ice-sculpting.  Bode wanted a picture with the fish.

A big treat at the Broadmore was the presence of Santa.  Bode was able to tell him everything he wanted for Christmas.  He also assured Santa he has been a good boy the entire year (debatable).

Afterwards, we came home.  While I was cooking dinner (I thought getting that d*mn phone meant Ashley was supposed to be in the kitchen), I told Bode to take some pictures.  Here they are.  First up, me in the kitchen (proof of my hard work).

Next is one of Papa.

Finally, Nana and Ashley on the couch.  Evidently shopping for the smart phone wore her out :-)

This week has been great...so far.  Tomorrow is the Iron Bowl.  We are pessimistic.  But for what it is worth, War Damn Eagle!