We have a 10 year old...

Hard to believe, but 10 years ago today, Cameron was born. Below are just a few of the pictures that I have kept in my wallet over the years. The wear and tear on the pictures is obvious, but they were ones that I was always proud to share with anyone that asked about my family.

Cameron is just a great kid. Anyone that meets him, quickly learns that he is an intelligent, caring young man with a soft heart and a sweet tooth. He is determined to be good at everything that he does, and has an eagerness to learn that I wish I had. While he can be a bit shy at times, other kids and even adults migrate to him because he accepts everyone and always looks for the positive. He is a fun, protective older brother, and a loving, obedient son. I am blessed to be his Dad.

Happy Birthday Cameron!

July 2009 Recap - Part 3

For those that know me, they know that I am not the outdoorsy type. I actually enjoy getting out into the mountains and an occasional hike or campout, but it is not something I grew up doing, so it is not something I do frequently today. This past July, I went back to Colorado to visit my grandparents who are both in their mid-to-upper 80s.

I went back with my dad and brother, Justin. We decided that we would take my Grandfather's old aluminum fishing boat out to a nearby reservoir to fish for some trout. It was a beautiful day, and after getting the boat out on the water, for some reason I got stuck with the job of dropping anchor. There were two in the boat, and from what I could tell, they were both attached... you know where I am going with this. Anyway, I started to untangle one of the anchors, and listening to the instructions from the front of the boat to "just throw it in," I did so, and watched as the rope followed the anchor down to the bottom of the reservoir. Fortunately, we had a second one, which was in fact connected to the boat. And while I may not be the smartest angler, I was the one who caught the most fish. See proof below.

This is all you'll see from Justin... For him, this is all that fishing entails.

Dad finally got one right before we were leaving...


Count them...


I know it is tough to get past the pasty arms, but hey four fingers. I hadn't been to the pool much.

This is my grandpa overseeing the fish fry operations...


While life in small town Colorado can be slow at times, it was a good visit with my grandparents. Justin took some great pictures while we were over there.

July 2009 Recap - Part 2

For our family vacation this year, we decided to rent a cabin in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee with Kenna's family and G'ma and G'Pa. We always see the commercials for Gatlinburg, and it looks like a fun place anyway. Well, what they forget to tell you about is the insane traffic and that Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are the Las Vegas for pancake houses, mini-golf and go-cart tracks. Hard to believe that so many people want to try to get a glimpse of Dolly Parton.

The cabin we rented also looked and sounded a lot better online than it did in real life. Other than the phone and satellite not working, no pool (as originally advertised), an inoperable gas grill, pool table and electronic dart board, it was great. Actually the cousins had fun and it was functional for sleeping and eating. Once it stopped raining, we actually got to enjoy the outdoors a bit.

Other than the traffic, the area is beautiful and the Great Smokey Mountain National Park is worth seeing. Below are are just a few of the fun moments captured on film.

On the way...


The hot tub became our pool after we found out the "advertised" pool did not exist...


We did let the kids play one of the 100 mini-golf courses...


Monica and I waited 45 minutes for this 30 second ride. By the look on my face, you would think we were headed for a water fall. Not really...