Auction & Racing

Today we were able to cross 2 more things off our list of things we've never done before. We first took in a county auction over at the fairground. Wow. And we thought that Tyson was a fast talker! We didn't come away with anything, but that was in part because we warned Tyson about raising his hand to ask a question.
Later in the afternoon, Tyson and Cody took a 15 minute drive over to the Kansas Speedway. On their way, they took a total of 2 left turns and 1 right turn. At the Road Runner 300 race featuring the finest of the Indy Racing League, they watched more left turns than they'll probably see in a lifetime. They had a great time and were educated, both on the sport and the culture. Click here to watch a short clip. Pictures are below.

Rain Brings Tadpoles

It can feel like feast or famine 'round these parts sometimes. We went two weeks without any rain and then all of a sudden ... BAM! Flash flooding and torrential downpours. Our hearts and prayers go out to those that were affected by the tornadoes and severe weather that affected Mississippi but at the same time, a little severe weather around tornado alley would be nice. Otherwise the weather starts to feel a little bland and boring. We did have a few storms pass by and say hi over the weekend, including the one pictured below, late Friday night. Oh ... and each time it rains it replenishes the rain in our pond, thus sustaining the backyard ecosystem we have ... namely tadpoles and frogs. Click here to watch a short two-minute video of Ty harvesting some tadpoles for his collection.

Busy Hands

We had busy hands this weekend. Ty spent the night up at Leavenworth (the military base, not the prison) with the Boy Scouts on Friday night. Then Saturday was spent in a day long service project with several other troops to help restore the landing area along the Missouri River where Lewis and Clark once landed by clearing out trees and brush. Cody and Paige also spent the day on Saturday clearing out trees and brush from the backyard. There was no historical significance of the area that they restored. It sure did look nice when it was all said and done! Who knew that there were actually trees growing under all those prickly bushes? There were no pictures taken of either event, but we do have pictures of the actual hands that did the work ... one of which apparently still needs to be washed.

Camping Weather

Spring camping weather in the Midwest can be hit-or-miss ... but this weekend's weather was a bulls-eye with blue skies, warm temps and a southern breeze. Thus we were off to the lake for some overnight rest and relaxation with our friends the Beyelers. It would have been nice had it only been our two families but we seemed to have attracted a few local party going folks that seemed to enjoy telling stories and playing loud music in the wee hours of the night. But the food was great and the time spent with friends and family was even better. You just can't go wrong with a camping trip to Leavenworth State Fishing Lake on a weekend with weather like that.

Wired and Amped

If Easter Eggs had circuitry, an on-and-off switch, or perhaps an LCD screen, then maybe Ty would have more interest in them. But as it is, his life revolves around a hot glue gun, a soldering iron, and a 12 volt lawn and garden battery - the latter two items coming from money he earned recently from pet sitting. As much as the rest of the family is tired of hearing about wattage, voltage and amps, it's better than hearing about how miserable his life is with his new braces.

The Nutrition Plan

The word "diet" brings up all kinds of evil thoughts and imagery. We like to call it a "nutrition plan" round these parts. Cody started the P90X routine again but this time armed with the nutrition plan that came with it. That meant a big change in the way that our family eats and the way Paige cooks. Phase 1 ("Fat Shredder") calls for a ton of protein, lots of fruits and veggies and all the other healthy stuff as well. In addition, for a 600 calorie workout like P90X, that means calories ... and lot's of them too! The portion sizes that Paige prepares are enough to feed a small army. Phase 2 will add the carbs back ... which are important for high energy events ... like running ... half marathons. Case in point: Cody's tank hit empty at the 9 mile mark of Saturday's Rock the Parkway race.

Addicted to The Office

You know that feeling you get when you discover something new and you just can't put it down or leave it alone? It stays on the mind and you can't help but think about it all the time? Such is the case in our house when we discovered two things at the same time: Streaming videos on Netflix and NBC's The Office starring Steve Carrell. The next thing you know we're eating dinner in front of the computer watching The Office. Paige & Cody will move the oversized chair over in front of the computer to stay up watching episode after episode into the wee hours of the night waiting to see what happens with Jim and Pam (NO spoilers PLEASE!) We've started at Season 1, Episode 1 and find ourselves nearing the end of Season 3. Tyson's engaged as well - having downloaded The Office theme song to his phone and putting up with his parent's social and personal relationship lessons following each episode. Now ... we just need to wait for the streaming service to come to Netflix so we can move our addiction from the computer to the TV.