Milk Love

Media days get a little weird.

Too Cool

I think this is the guy sam golfs with.

Guard Kitty

The nieghbors cat loves to come over and lounge on our front walk. I hadn't seen him in a few weeks and figured the fox got him, but there he was last weekend.

Iowa Golf

Sam's been playing some golf this fall in Iowa. Getting some good pictures too. Look out for the corn on the left. Tough to hit out of the corn.

Bulldog

Sammy's 2022 football picture.

Target Dog

The game was a fantastic edition to a quick visit to Minnesota. It was great seeing my family and Adam while enjoying the state fair and crows concert. All and all good times and both of our flights were on time.

Section 110

Last minute ticket buy but it doesn't appear there's a bad seat in the house.

Minnesota United

Caught a soccer game at the super nice, brand new Loon stadium. They beat Houston 2-1 to boot.

Band at Work

Nearly 11,000 people tonight.

Missing Sammy

Just needed one more person in this photo from the concert.

Family

A big bunch of family backstage pre show.

Rainbow

Quick shower before the show.

Sound Check

The band getting ready for the show later in the day. Us, taking a break from all the food on sticks.

Big Paul

Three lumber jacks.

Swine Barn

First stop, the cavernous animal barns at the Minnesota State Fair.

Driver

The boys used to sit in the front of this car rental shuttle train and pretend they were driving many years ago. We made Dylan do it again on our visit to MSP this week.

Roomies

Sam, CJ, Sam

The Whole Clan

Ground Cover

I hated being on the ground for this but the picture turn out pretty good. My legs aren't as flexible as they used to be.

Couple Shot

It's been a while since we had a professional picture together. This one turn out ok.

Cousins

Displaying good behavior.

Togetherness

The photographer of the family shoot force a few images. Funny all the same.

Dawn of Rail

Nice picture from one of Nicole's early runs this week. We have been getting a break from oppressive summer heat the last couple weeks but I'm sure it will be back.

Milo

Milo got some extra attention during Nicole's visit to Santa Fe. I think this look is "so, you want to walk how far?"

Santa Fe

Nicole had a nice visit with Linda and Gil with what looks like some fantastic weather. I stayed home with Dylan but plan to join her next time.

Drop Off

Nicole helped Sam move to his new dorm for his sophomore year and left him there to spend some time in Santa Fe. They left VA at 6am Wednesday so she got a few more Sammy days than I did. He's back at football training now. Hope he's staying healthy.

Crafty

Craft projects before Sam returned to Des Moines.

Two Generations

The boys with Grandparents. The professional photos are coming in a few weeks.

Light Blue

Carolyn and Sam in similar shades of blue.

Tom Peterson Land Mine Shot

Uncle Tom loved these pictures back before cameras on cell phones. Hard to get 17 people in one shot but this one seems to have worked.

Photo Shoot

An early start after a long night of bowling. 9am photo shoot on lake Minnetonka. The professional photos will be ready in 6 weeks.

Glow Bowling

At Country Club lanes, a 1950's era bowling ally in Tonkin Bay.

Cousins

Aunt Rachel

The first reunion event Friday night. Great to see everyone in one place.

First Night

Visiting Mae at her hostess gig in Wayzata on Thursday night. Good time crank calling the restaurant with reservation requests using fictitious names.

Order of the Jedi

I've neglected this blog for a while now and have probably lost my last couple viewers but I just haven't taken many pictures these days.

It's been fun having the kids home but Sam has already returned to Des Moines for football camp so it feels like summer is fading fast. We will see him in Minnesota next week and then he will be back for four days after that but then it's full time football and school until thanksgiving.

Dylan is still working the kids camps that they were both doing before Sam left and buying vinyl albums with his new found wealth. Nicole and I are just workin away and trying to plan an anniversary getaway in the next few months.

Rachel sent me the picture above and represents either my Jedi indoctrination or Lutheran confirmation and the last time I went to church outside of a wedding or a funeral. Organized Religion never really stuck with me, even after being held back from my confirmation class graduation in the spring and forced to do special summer school make up learning.

They said I wasn't taking all that Jesus seriously. My hair looked good anyway.

The GOP Court

Nicole and Ashley stopped to show their displeasure at the court wing of the Republican Party during a run this week. Fences up to stop the majority of the population from taking the court back from the anti-democratic majority.

Charlottesville Tourney

Dylan joined some of his Mothers buddies in an open rugby tournament in Charlottesville on Saturday. He got to play against his old buddy Micheal from his Fort Hunt Warriors days. It was a great day for rugby.

Frankteenth

Nicole and I met some friends at the Fillmore Silver Spring for a fantastic Frank Turner show. It was nice to get out to concert during this long holiday weekend.

Open Meet

Sam threw at an open track meet hosted by Edison on Saturday. Open track meets have participants from 5 years old to 95 years old and one guy that ran all his events backwards. He didn't throw as far as he wanted but he was looking better with each throw.

Joe Camel

Nicole and Sam visited Lexi at her summer job at the Roer's Zoofari park in Vienna. Just like a little kid, Sam spent some quality time on a camel.

Late Spring Bloom

I believe this Is one of the plants we had added to the yard in October of 2020. We get a lot of different flowers popping up around the post lamp in the spring but these seem newish. Nicole's shoe is pretty too.

Bulldog

Rocky is wearing his Drake Bulldog scarf proudly. Sam gave him this little present last week when we were in Des Moines packing up his room and storing his stuff at Robbie's. It's nice to have a relative so close to Sam while we are so far away. Rocky likes the attention too.

Cake #2

Baby Bundt's tonight.

Birthday Chorus

Celebrating another 29th birthday.

Night Wing

Our flight from Des Moines to Chicago was an hour and twenty minutes late. Our connecting gate was nearly a mile away and we had twenty minutes to get there. Sam made it in 10 minutes, Nicole in about 12 and was there in about 15. I just walked briskly because I knew Sam would tell them I was on the way. Sam really wanted to make that flight to see Lexi. We all wanted to see Dylan as well of course. Chicago to DC was smooth, on time and pretty as you see.

Rocky

Sam was a little tired after finals and moving out of his dorm. Rocky wanted to spend a little time with Sammy before he left Iowa for 7 weeks. Hopefully the little guys paw will be all better so he can shed his cone of shame by then.

Cake #1

Robbie provided Nicole's first cake of the weekend on Thursday night as her birthday week progressed. I ove me some Bundt cake.

Happy Birthday

Nicole's running friend decorated our driveway on Wednesday because we left for Iowa at 4am on Thursday. Always fun to see our driveway transformed over night every year.

Last Fire

May 7th and it's 45 degrees. One more fire in until October. I like the feel.