DEAR EASTON,

You just turned nine and there are a few things I wanted to tell you. I love you. I am so proud of you and a lot of times I am in awe of you. You have a lot of great things going for you...more than I could have ever imagined at your age. Happy birthday buddy. I am so glad I had you!

FINALLY...

..summertime is here!
We have been doing a lot of fishing. The kids love it. Funny story....we went to the golf course to fish on #16. (Keep in mind I am not really a fisher person.) It was sweltering and the bugs were swarming. I took some hot dogs to fish with because piercing live bait is just not in my blood. We got all set up. I was the baiter and the kids were the fishers. Easton was complaining that his rod was not working right. Josey was whining just to whine. We started catching lots of fish with our little cheep rods and hot dogs and a good time was starting to be had by all. UNTIL...Dummy me asked easton to step around the rod as I was holding the hook. His foot caught the line and jerked the hook deep into my finger. All of my golf course etiquette went out the window as I screamed at the top of my lungs and tried to pry the hook from my finger. Finally I was able to pry the hook loose and tried my best to put on a happy face and continue. THEN... Riley hooked THE. BIG. ONE. A twenty pound...TURTLE. Luckily it was not a snapping turtle. But me, being the bleeding heart that I am just couldn't cut the line. I knew he would swallow the hook and die. So there we sat on the banks on of #16 pond trying to pry the hook out. Finally after many minutes I did it and the turtle ran back into the pond. Some people think turtles are slow but trust me they are anything but slow. We caught some twenty fish that day between the four of us and it is a day I am sure they will long remember.

Thanks riley for snapping this one.