Pretzel Time!

Instead of making cookies, I decided to make mall pretzels (with the help of the younger ones of course). Instead of small, hard pretzels, we made the big, huge, and buttery ones. Before we started cooking though, the helper chefs had to dress up and look cute. After the dough had risen, we cut it into pieces and formed the pretzel. When all were in a some-what pretzel looking shape, we put it in the oven and cleaned the messy place up. When it was time for us to take them out of the oven, Luke took the task of buttering and salting them (good thing none of us has high blood pressure). When the pretzel making process was over, we sat down with a huge glass of milk and ate our pretzels.

Election is Over

The election is over and unfortunately, Dana was not elected as Trustee to the Anderson District 1 School Board. Dana and I are surprised by the result and disappointed but we respect the vote.

We had campaign signs spread throughout the county so we were busy picking them up this week.

My commissioner position was not up for re-election this term. But in two years, we will be campaigning again as I seek re-election.

Halloween Fun

October 31

We had a little halloween fun today. First we started the day by going church. Later in the evening we went to another church for their festival. They had a trunk-or-treat event with rides and games. As the sun set, we came home to pass out candy and go trick-or-treating. Justin stayed at home and scared the bigger kids by jumping up from a grave yard and saying boo. He did this to only the big kids. Most of them laughed.

Mommy set up her campaign headquarters outside and informed the potential voters as they walked by our house.

Currahee Challange

Ashlyn and I ran in a race over the weekend. The race was three miles up a mountain and three miles down the mountain. The race started at the base of Currahee Mountain on the Colonel Robert Sink Trail, the training site of the 501st, 506th, 511th and 517th Parachute Infantry Regiments seen in Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan & The Dirty Dozen.

Per the military guidelines, you have to complete the run under 1 hour or you have to run the course again. Fortunately for me, I did not ascribe to those military guidelines as I finished the race in 1:22:02. Ashlyn did much better by winning her age group and coming in 15th overall for females. Ashlyn's time was 1:05:45.

That was one difficult run! It was strenuous to say the least. It is also a race I look forward to competing in next year.

The Commissh

Grand Visit with Mom

I went to visit my mother for a few days. It was good to see her and
spend time with her. I arrived at mom's house on Thursday and stayed
busy until I left Sunday morning. Mother and I accomplished many things
in a short amount of time. Hard work is one of the many great virtues
that mother instilled in me. She has always been a hard worker.

The trip was not all work. Also important is that we made time to have
fun. I certainly ate good - everything from good old Texas BBQ brisket and Tex Mex to fine dining at an private club.

We enjoyed the time together and I look forward to many more visits.

Cookie Monster

Right before we left our neighborhood pool party, Julia grabbed a chocolate chip cookie without us noticing. On the ride home, she was very, very, quiet. When I went to go unbuckle her, I saw chocolate all over her face and fingers (and not to mention all the crumbs around her). She looked so innocent like she had done nothing wrong!

The Campaign Trail

Dana and her team are starting to hit the campaign trail. We are making signs and putting them in high visibility areas. Dana is running for Anderson School District Trustee. The election is November 02.

Here I am building a sign for the campaign.

A day at the beach

Wouldn't it be nice if life was a day at the beach. Well, my family and I recently enjoyed a few wonderful days on the beach. We stayed at a hotel on the beach in Mytrle Beach, SC.

Dana and the kids went parasailing.

My little girl is following in her daddy's foot steps by enjoying surfing.

The little kids and the big kid enjoyed making a sand castle.

We also had fun taking turns being buried in the sand.

The hot days of summer

The summer season is winding down and the north pole of the earth is tilting farther away from the sun. However, the weather in S.C. is still hot like it is the middle of summer. Here is a picture of Ashlyn which reminds me that cooler temperatures should be on their way.

40th Birthday

Today I celebrate my 40th birthday. It is hard to believe that I am 40. In many ways, I still feel like a kid with so much to learn and so much to do.

Typically, people see forty years old as the beginning of middle age. Some people see forty as a time when one feels a sense of loss, the loss of being young with a fear of becoming old. As for me, I see this as the beginning of a wonderful time, a time of celebration of gain and a time to look back on past accomplishments and forward to those things which I hope to accomplish.

I am going to do something different today on my birthday. I will give my wife and kids each a gift. That should be fun.

Dana put a large picture of me in the local newspaper with the caption - "lordy, lordy look who is forty." That was cool.