Define "Gorgeous"

"Hold it - there's a Flag on the play." - 

That's a saying I hear often enough on the football field. It usually comes when things are going good and something unfortunate has happened to nullify any forward progress.

Well,  take that analogy and apply it to this knucklehead coach for a second. I committed a penalty yesterday. NO - it wasn't holding as the picture might lead you to believe. I publicly made a statement about a friend's wife the other day on Facebook. Something that harmlessly started out as a comment about an attractive woman has admittedly led to a penalty on me.

All in good fun, Michele is milking this "slip up" for all that it's worth because she knows that things like this mess with my pea-sized brain. It's ability to focus on only one thing at a time is the cause for my Facebook Fumble. Thankfully though, this is not to the point of dog house, sleep on the couch groveling. But if it was.....

I would tell you that when the sun is shining, it gravitates towards my wife because accenting her beauty is the path of least resistance. (See above for proof) Michele's smile serves as only a fraction of the inner charm she has to offer the world. She is a knockout but no doubt a modest and elegant woman that could somehow turn this groveling back on me because she doesn't seek other's attention or approval. (Another trait that makes her even more exquisite to me.) Imagine a guy like me with a pumpkin orange beard and a blossoming old man belly, winding up with such a lovely dish on my arm. I am proud to call Michele my wife but not because of her stunning, heart stopping good looks but because of the love she has within.

    I only have eyes for you Five. 

Hot Rod.

I miss my hot pink fishing rod.

I would gladly be fishing these days if I could. (and that sentence just made my husband fall in love with me all over again)

Shorts, tank tops, flip flops and a hot pink rod...it just sounds like a country song doesn't it?  Someone get me Brad Paisely's number....

CHEESE!!

This picture helps me feel better about it being Fall.

What a WEEKEND!!!

It's 11:07 on Sunday night and I'm WIDE awake.  I should know better than to drink a McDonalds iced mocha at 5:30pm but it just sounded so good and those golden arches were just calling my name tonight.....

Sigh..

So, here I am up while the entire house is asleep -trying to convince my mind to 'give up' and rest as well.

Might as well as make use of this quiet time right?

Then what better than a few random thoughts from this past weekend.....

1. Great Grandma Fox passed away a few days ago.  The pillar of the Kirby family.  She was one great lady who is now in a better place.  God bless you Grandma Fox and may you be taken care of wherever you are and may there be lots of walleye fishing in your future. 
2.  I took Friday off from work.  No particular need, other than I'm burnt out-mentally fried-emotionally drained.   I'm so happy that I did because I honestly feel better about getting up and going to work tomorrow.  When working with those whom are looking for employment and some direction in their life, it's hard to not be thankful for your job....but man is it tough.   So, I will continue to be thankful for my employment and Kirby's and keep looking for ways to improve the lives of others.  
3. I ran 4.5 miles on Friday!  (and I wasn't sucking air when I stopped)
4. We had an awesome trip to the pumpkin patch.  (see previous post)
5. I've learned to accept my flaws for playing video games.  My hand/eye coordination for Halo just doesn't work well.  However, I can still pass a volleyball coming at me at a high speed to an exact spot on the court but I just can't figure out where the heck Tyler is on a sandy/rocky plain in Halo.
6. Sometimes God puts some pretty cool people in your life.  We had some family photo's taken today out at the State Park on a beautiful fall day.  The photographer and her husband gave up their afternoon to spend time taking pictures and appreciating my family.   How cool is that?  
7. This next weekend I get to spend some time with my Best Friend Becky watching some Gopher VB and relaxing.  We've got a hotel room for 2 nights and tickets for each Gopher match this weekend.   Some girlfriend time is long overdue!  We shall call this our Duck hunting weekend. 
8. And lastly, I have the most faithful dog ever.  We went for a run this afternoon on a trail in which some parts were muddy and slippery.  Gunner was out ahead of me enjoying his freedom.... I slipped and twisted my ankle just a bit....   and before I could look up and call for him.... he was right in my face (bad breath and all) with a look of concern only a dog who adores you could give. You're the best Gunner....

I will end with a 'quote' that I saw on Facebook a few days ago from a HS  friend.

Life is good but sometimes you just have to look a little harder to see it.  

This weekend I looked hard and saw lots of good things........

Getting ready for the holiday season....

Yup---it's that time of year again. That time when you force yourself to put away all your cute summer clothes and shoes and dig out the jeans, sweatshirts, socks (blah) and heaven forbid-sweaters.   The only thing that keep me sane is though is heading down to our local pumpkin patch in search of the perfect pumpkin.  Watch out Charlie Brown, here we come!

The first challenge was picking out which wagon to haul the kids and pumpkins in...

The next challenge is for each of us to find that perfect pumpkin that reflects who we are and were we come from... 

Tyler is always livin' large....

Emma gets by with a smile......

Logan knows who he is and takes on things that he can relate too...

Then they all decided to take a break and rest on the pumpkins.

Tyler, still looking for the biggest pumpkin he could find, decided to sit and wait for us to come to him. 

Here we come to his rescue.

What a group!

Daddy takes the home stretch.....

Logan enjoying every single second of this ride... this is what I love about Logan-he's always in the moment.

The kids are getting bigger!  Check out last year's photo to this year....

Somehow Daddy, Emma and Logan all squeezed into a little play house...

Don't you just love his lumberjack jacket?

Here's hoping you get to take a break, head outside and visit your local pumpkin patch! Today was a good day.... (name that song if you dare-it's an oldie but a goodie)

Emma

Today was a big day for Emma...

Today was the day that all her good behavior finally paid off.

She has been receiving "caught being good slips" at school since it started.

Today, her name was finally drawn out of the bucket, announced over the intercom, and a prize awarded.

Great job Emma!  You just keep being good in school.....and being caught!

My tank is FULL

About this time last year, the MN State Patrol found my color vision unfit for service in their fine operation. After an intensive process and months of difficult family decision making, that outcome left me depressed and searching for reason.

I can assure you, friends and family, as of Oct. 10, 2009 - MY TANK IS FULL.

This year I've noticed that I no longer storm the sidelines of varsity football games with blood-pressure readings registering on the Richter Scale. I do still care and I do still Bark. It's just that I've accepted that I am not in control of as many things as I once thought I was. And to concern myself with those things beyond my control is wasted effort. Instead, I'm trying to take advantage of the little moments that make High School Football so great: the ability to scold a kid one minute for breaking off a route or missing a block and then pat him on the back and throw him right back into the ring for Round 2, high fives and fist bumps with everyone (even the Freshmen) for Big Plays, spreading the ball around offensively so that everyone is a part of the picture and hugs in the 'shake-up line' for those rival kids that I've come to really know over the years.

But not just football.... I've been rushed daily at school. Having 33 students in my homeroom could potentially be the magic number to early gray. This sheer number has created issues beyond anyone's imagination. Old routines like passing out papers or lining up for gym class now feel like learning the NutCracker ballet and then performing it in a crawl space. Let's just say that there's potential for workplace complaining around every corner. BUT I'm honestly trying to take the high road. I don't know if I could have done that a year ago. In the morning before school when my conscience is screaming that I should run to the copy machine, while creating a new seating arrangement after personalizing 33 progress reports for God knows how many different subjects.... instead of panicking and sweating myself thin, I am happy to hold my daughters hand as a personal escort through the halls. A part of me knows that there's something productive that I could be doing but coloring on the board with my kindergarten daughter has taken priority this year. And when time constraints and testing deadlines bear down on my class, we say 'Hakuna Matatta' - because that is our survival mechanism this year. Too much of this mess is beyond our control - so we choose to enjoy the ride together.

My family is happy and healthy. Our fall Birthday Parade has come and gone with new milestones. Sista Emma has taken to Kindergarten like a duck to water. Her teacher has assured us that we have made the right decision with early enrollment. Worksheets and booklets come home daily as proof of the hard work and attention to detail with which Minnow applies herself to everything. Tyler has made the 'A Team' of the Magic 7th grade football squad. Pile that on with Band, regular Jr. High academics and the social life of his personal young Hollywood and he manages it all like a pro - rarely letting anything get to him. At his 3 year well-child checkup, we're reminded that Logan is in the 3% ranking for height for boys his age. But the 35 inches that doctors measure do not take into account the size of his little heart or the reserves of positive energy he's hiding from NATO. Logan only spent two minutes on the phone with his mother today while she was in Bismark before he asked to talk with his sister. Logan truly loves his siblings and not only does he emulate them but he makes them better people. And my wife, Michele, is honestly an angel sent directly from above. Her laugh is infectious. Her drive is never ending. Her love is constant. Her sarcasm is crippling but in the nicest possible way. She's a giver but has shown me that the rewards come back 10fold when you give someone else a smile. - My Tank is Full. -

I usually ramble through hunting stories... I won't waste too much more of your time. I will say that this 10th day of October started off with a premature inch of snow on the ground and a teenager loosing a brand new contact in the bathroom. We were late to Saturday morning football film study because of that. But instead of letting those small things set me on a collision course with disappointment, I have to honestly believe that my MN State Patrol lesson on control allowed me to refocus and truly enjoy one of the best fall days of my life.

Although the wind nipped away at our noses, this afternoon Tyler, Logan and I headed to Roger's farm for some pre deer season trigger time. With Mom and Emma away for a few days, I've been intent on creating some Boyz Weekend Memories. The wisps of snow still dusted the hay bales in the field as Tyler sighted in the 30-30. Logan flinched in my arms with each shot but quickly recovered and always with a smile. After finishing up with the heavy iron, big brother asked little brother if he wanted to try a walk in the grouse woods. We bundled up and hit the trails with Tyler totting the 20 gauge and me totting the 35 incher. Regardless of what the State Patrol says, I couldn't help but feel bumbarded by the erupting fall colors inside the tree line. Tyler spotted a bounding deer within the first 100 yards of our abbreviated hike as I began to wonder if Walt Disney was scripting this. Just like Roger had advised, we took the new clear cut towards the swamp....

--- --- --- ---

My smartass best friend offered to write the State Patrol last October. In a few words or less, he offered up that - although I may not be able to spot a man wearing a yellow hat, driving a

blue car, southbound on Interstate 35, he would bet his life savings that I could spot a grouse in the fall woods long before any of them. He is right.

--- --- --- ---

Logan and I paused in the middle of the cut as Tyler walked to the edge. Just as he returned, I sensed movement to our left and scanned the underbrush for movement. There it was. Grouse. Pegged. Thank you State Patrol. Thank you Lord. Thank you Mr. Disney. I whispered Tyler into range as he had yet to spot the bird. After the first bird flushed, clutching Bear I calmed Tyler and reassured him a friend was near. And shortly after that, Logan watched his big brother shoot his first ruffed grouse.

Yep - My tank is full. -