Lucky Number Seven

Seven years and running strong...

Over the weekend, the annual All-Balls Reunion took place in Seguin, TX.

To sum up the weekend; pool, golf, shopping, drinks, eat, drinks, eat, sleep.  The way every weekend should lay out; except maybe the shopping part.

He Done Graduated

I realize it's preschool graduation; but the smile on his face you would have thought he just graduated medical school.

Also, each child had to tell the attendees what they wanted to be when they grew up.  I like this for two reasons.  First, it allows the kids to start practicing their public speaking skills - never to early.  Secondly, he said he wanted to be a builder (like his daddy-o).

As much as he likes to doodle and tinker with toys, by tinkering I mean take apart and put back together, I think we may have an engineer developing on our hands.

To Her Own Beat

Somewhere, Annabelle found a stubborn bone - not sure if it came from momma or me, possibly a combo of the two.  When she doesn't want to do something, she won't.  No way around it; your just out-of-luck.

At her first dance "recital," her participation was minimal at best during the ballet portion. 

However, when it came time for the Tap portion of the "recital," she was all over it.  I'm sure it had to do with when she tapped her feet, a sound came from it - so she was getting some sort of external reaction to something she was doing.

Whatever it was, I was glad to see her enjoying her time and concentrating on what she was doing.

Only Sugar Melts

Pregame rain can't keep us from enjoying good seats at a great ballpark.

But the little guy has to ask, "Where did all my peeps go?"

Dreaming Big

Right Spot, Right Time

One benefit of showing up to a ball game two hours before first pitch is being able to watch batting practice and exchange some words with the players.

Ten minutes after finding a great spot in center field for batting practice, both boys had official MLB game day balls.  One, straight from the glove of a player shagging balls in center field, Gio Gonzalez, and the second ball came from the bat of a player - don't recall who was hitting at the time.

Sadly, the ball you see in Jaxson's hand never made it home.  When we relocated to our seats on the first base foul line, Jaxson put his ball in a cup holder for safe keeping...so safe that it was never saw again.

I guess that means I have to go to another game and retrieve him another home run ball...

Evening At The Park

No doubt about it; an evening at the park is a good way to spend an evening.

Rules Have Been Set

Apparently, at least according to Jaxson, as long as you aren't bringing nuggets or water into the basement to watch TV your're good to go.

New Trails To Blaze

Moving sucks.

The entire process is for the birds.  The final product is good - fresh start, new surroundings, new faces, new places.  But the process itself, sucks.

The Wheat clan has finally landed in what we hope is a permanent home.  With our move to Maryland last year, we lived in a place not by choice, but more necessity of needing a place to lay our heads until we knew the area well enough to make a decision where we wanted to live.

Jefferson, Maryland was love at first site.  Very small town (as in one strip of a few stores) with a great elementary school.  Our development is the only real housing development in the area, except for farms and an occasional historical marker.

The friendliness of the neighbors is incredible and with just a few nights and days under our belt at the new house, it already feels more like home than the last year did at our previous house - also, the fact that there are 16 kids under the age of 7 within one block of the house, is a great selling point. 

Looking forward to blazing new trails; however, Annabelle was first to run the trail and look onto the horizon at what's to come...

Blue-Eyed Brownie

Not sure which I want to bite more, the brownie or Annabelle.

Summer Has Started

Kicking off summer the right way with an afternoon ice cream date with the kiddos.

Rolling Hard This Weekend...

I needed a smile headed into the weekend.

School Bound Buddy

Watching your kids grow is one of the greatest and hardest things to do.

You want them to grow, you want them to experience life, you want them to fall down and pick themselves back up, you want them to learn from their mistakes; but you also want them to stay in the moment they are in today.

Jaxson is an incredible kid.  Most days he drives me bat s**t crazy, but it's a crazy I can deal with.  He pushes me farther than anyone has pushed me before; but we both learn more about each other every day.

As we prepare over the next few weeks to settle into our new house, which will hopefully be the last move we make for sometime, in the small town of Jefferson, Maryland; I can help but be beyond ecstatic to see Jax sign up for his new elementary school.

Crazy to think that my little buddy will be in "big-guy" school in a few months; but if I had to pick a school and a town for him to start his adventure, this would be the one.  

Faking a smile outside his new school

First time eating in his new cafeteria

Open For Business, Maybe Not...

The idea:  Robyn and I will have a garage sale to get rid of some of the things we have acquired over the years before we move to our new house in a few weeks.  Jaxson had the great idea to have a lemonade stand to make some extra cash for his piggy bank.  Win-win situation, right?

The reality:  Robyn and I woke up early.  Set everything out.  Organized and priced the items.  Waited thirty minutes, maybe, and decided to box everything up and take to GoodWill.  We had zero customers.  Jaxson had one; however, he wasn't there when she came by to buy some lemonade and make his first sale.  Business Fail 101.

Total profit for our garage sale / lemonade stand:  $0

Business can be cruel to small businesses...he did have one customer; but she never paid and kept drinking all the profits...

I Started Running...

The family that runs together, stays together.

The last week in our house has been a constant hub of activity.  Three races, two states, and two runners later; we can now take a deep breath and enjoy our accomplishments.

Robyn is now an official runner.  Knocking out her first 5k has opened her eyes to the world of running and the sense of proud a runner feels after finishing a race you have trained for.  

I would love to pass this new found passion onto our kiddos.  To run, you don't need much.  All you need is your own two feet and a desire to challenge yourself.  You can't cheat in running.  You either do it or you don't - it's that simple.

Congrats Robbie on your run; now it's time to push yourself past your comfort level and experience even more joys of running.

I Paid To Do This?

Not sure why.  Can't figure it out.  Baffled.  Stumped.  Curious, why my thick head fell in love with long distance running...whatever it is; I'm glad the bug got to me.

Two marathons and six half-marathons later; I want more.

This past weekend I ran the Gettysburg North-South Marathon.  Toughest race I have ever run (except maybe the half-marathon I ran with a small case of the beer-flu...not recommended.  Pizza and beer the night before was the wrong fuel for that race).

Gettysburg was full of hills (big hills), temperatures in the mid-seventies by finish time (which is very hot for a race) and the fact that I didn't feel my training had prepared me...I thought wrong.

3 hours and 58 minutes after the gun went off, I was done.  Two minutes under my goal time. Big smiles.

Best part of it all, I am set to run another half-marathon this Sunday at the Frederick Running Festival.

The picture above is why I do the races.  

I hope to show my kids that you can do whatever you want in life. Hard work and commitment is the only way - no short cuts in life.

Dare Devil

All Smiling Faces, Almost.

The digital world has changed us, as a culture.  

Everything is quicker, faster, digitally incorporated, and usually requires a USB port at some point...even birthday cards and invitations are more commonly sent electronically versus snail-mailed.

All that being said, there is nothing better than a quick note sent (digitally or handwritten) from a friend, spouse,  or even an enemy.  My wife, and partner in crime, sent me the below e-card.

Not sure if the card or Belle's face made me smile more, either way, I'm still smiling.

Catching Air

Small Town Charm

A Man's (Boy's) Dream

Heaven on earth?  Homemade cooking + Guns & Ammo...love me some small town.

Top 'O The World

Topping out at Sugarloaf Mountain with the family; +1 (cousin from Texas, Cayla)

He's A Baller

Some white men can jump.

Me, nah, not so much; but I can hit a three from deep.

Always played hoops growing up; I was never the best, but I could always shoot the rock from deep and lead the team from the point position.  I was always on the "B" team through high school, but I was late losing my baby fat - my athletic abilities came late in life, which I am actually happy it happened that way instead of losing my abilities.

Jaxson hasn't had much success in the realm of team sports; he's an independent guy.  So, when he told us he wanted to play basketball, the wife and I were weary to say the least.  

He's tried soccer - hated it.  He tried tee-ball - hated it.  Loves golf, which I am fine with...

Jump to yesterday.  He had his first basketball practice session.  No games in the schedule, more of an extended introduction clinic for kids over a six-week period.  Sadly, because of work, I had to miss the first practice.  But mamma and Cayla said he did great and was the biggest kid out there - partially the reason why I think he liked it so much.

Made the first shot he attempted and has already told me he "wants to play basketball forever."

The smile you see in the photo is genuine; he loved it.

Running Out Of Room On The Cake...

Every birthday is a milestone; however, some are just a little bit harder to swallow more special than others.  Mimi hit one of the milestones; she turned 30 (cough, cough) once again.

Happy Birthday; if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have my wife.  So thanks a million.

All Ears

Jackpot

Easter - 2012

Show Stopper

All In.

Rock the Red

Let's Go Caps!

Being born-and-raised in Texas, you would think hockey would be a sport that meant diddly-squat to me; however, my parents exposed my brother and I to hockey at a very age - my first hockey game ever was an exhibition between Detroit Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins...second game was USA vs. the former USSR - not a bad start for a Texan when it comes to hockey.

Washington is serious about hockey; more serious than Texas is about football.  I am lucky enough to work for a firm that is also serious about hockey - center ice is a good benefit to have.

Jaxson may have found his new favorite sport...

 

 

 

 

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing...On Something

Family of Monkeys