Answers to All of Life's Questions

Summer came and went huh? I know that we still have a few weeks left, but I for one am feeling pretty gypped this year. I had pretty high hopes for this summer. Felt like I was going to get so many things done. Some small yard projects, some exciting adventures, a successful get-rich-quick scheme or two... but no luck. I think that part of my problem is that I have been so unproductive on the days following my work shifts because we have been getting hammered at work lately. It has been a very busy summer as far as emergency calls go for my station. And many of these being at night. (That is a picture of the recent Jim's restaurant fire that burned down in West Jordan.) It has made me very tired. I am sure the wife (side note: I am not going to use names as much anymore to keep ourselves more private to some extent while I consider making this blog private. Don't worry though, the He Says She Says blog will remain open, no matter what we decide) has been very frustrated with me coming home and being a lazy husband on my 4 days. Sorry dear.

We have done a few things lately. Last week we spent a few days up near the Uintah's at the home of my Captain.

We had a summer party for our crew. My kids loved it. Especially daughter number 1. (See parenthesis note above.) My Captain lives on 7 or so acres and has all the makings of being a farmer. Horses, pigs, chickens, and multiple vehicles in various stages of operation. I think that is the true sign of a farmer... having that old truck that you drove in the 60's and refuse to part with so it sits in the fields getting rusty. He also had a tractor here, and tractor accessories all over. With this in mind, my dad belongs on a farm. He was raised on a farm and I am not sure why he hasn't made his way back to one. Us kids all call him a crumb bum that collects all kinds of junk at the yard. I do not mean this in a derogatory way, I think its awesome. I realize that I am becoming a pack rat as I get older as well.

So daughter number 1 loved the farm trip. She hung out with my Captain's grandson who was 5 or 6 and took her around to the Shetland ponies. This kid seemed so much older than 6 because he would wander off by himself to one of the several barns and decide on his own to get one of the horses out for the other kids to ride. Daughter 1 loved riding the horses around.

She got bucked off one of the Shetlands and rather than crying when she told us about it she was quick to assure us that "it's okay, that's what happens to cowgirls." At another point she had her foot stepped on by one of the other horses, which really scraped it up and bruised it. I knew she was in pain, but she refused to cry too much, because "sometimes that happens to cowgirls." She asked the above mentioned boy on several occasions if he would "teach her how to be a cowgirl."

I am already doing my best to come up with valid excuses for the moment she asks us for her own pony for Christmas or birthday. Any suggestions?

Boy number 1 had a great time as well. His fun seemed to be more so on the trampoline though. All of us went to Strawberry reservoir to catch Crawdads for one of the dinners we had planned, and Son 1 loved it.

He was working the nets trying so hard to be the helper. Neither of the older kids were scared of these things. For those that don't know what they are, think mini-lobster.

They were good 'eatin' too, though the effort required to get the little bit of meat out of each of them was not an equivalent payout. One of the days was a water playing day. Our kids didn't bring swimsuits so they went true redneck style, in their undies. Like all other kids, they love playing in the water, and didn't even care that they were doing it in their underwear. They also went swimming at Strawberry while we there. That's what the picture way up above is!

Daughter 2 is getting big and growing up as she should. (Yeah, your right, I am already going to bag all of this discreet stuff. I am still considering the private thing, but I am not just that paranoid of person, so it doesn't suit me. Future posts will omit the impersonal codes and numbers. I am too lazy to go back and change it now for this one though.) Rebecca calls her the perfect baby. She does have to take a medication for reflux, but other than that is pretty happy all the time. She seems much easier than the other 2 were.

This is our update. Comment away.