Waltzing December

I really tried to narrow down the pictures below, but there were just too many fun images I wanted to keep for the blog.  Oh well, this is the last blog for the year, so I am just hoping we can still limit our blogbooks to 3.  If we go to 4 books a year, we may just have to limit to all digital copies.  :)  Oh well, so on to the last blog.  I will start with a couple of stories, then try to remind myself what was going on in all these pictures below.

So first we will talk about the kids attending a really fun movie night at the Clemons from church.  This is the 2nd annual event, and the kids love going over and hanging out with all the other kids.  They watched Home Alone this year.  But the fun show began when Ruby started eating too many sweets as she does often, and then crazily peed her pants.  I don't know why, but probably just not wanting to stop playing.  But then they headed home with ruby wrapped up in a blanket and had eaten too many sweets.  Then once in our neighborhood dropping Jamison at her house, she woke up and started gagging.  We all know Ruby, so the kids went into immediate action and Anabelle found a bag for her, but Ruby could not move her hands as she was wrapped up, so anabelle had to hold the bag up to Ruby while she puked into it...and therefore starting making Anabelle gag...about that time, Davis said "I can't take it" and jumped out of the car and started running down the road.  I am glad I missed this fun, but really wish I could have witnessed the craziness.  Luckily they made it all home with no puke anywhere except in the bag, and found davis on the side of the road running home...sometimes, I don't understand that boy.

So What's Going on in the pictures below...Sam is now leading the scout meetings as the assistant senior patrol leader...Davis received his second class rank...Anabelle had her baton recital at the high school...the Cloutier light show stops...Anabelle's choir performance (she had a solo shared with another girl)...white elephant at the Sam's house...crazy elf travelings...santa legs that looked like Kai Vinsant...band performance...Night at the clemons for the movie night (see story above)...Ruby shares her winking eyes "like they do in China"...Christmas end of the year parties...Star Wars!  The skywalker saga ends...making cookies for Santa...Larry and Wanda win back the rook trophy from us, and Terry had a perfect hand against us (We were happy to make it back to the final match, but we were beaten badly)...robotics tournaments...scout Christmas party...Little women movie with the little women from church...Dad feels death on the bathroom floor after taco bell...And some last views from the year of the beard...

And there you are...the end of 2019...

Waltzing December, waltzing December
You'll come a-waltzing December, with me,
And he sang as he watched and waited till his "Billy" boiled,
"You'll come a-waltzing December, with me."



Dad and Dave Day

Dave and I had been talking about this day for a few weeks.  Sam was going to be gone to Florida College winter camp, so we planned to have some fun at Oak Mountain then go check out some motocycle shops.  Well, the motorcycle shop visit did not work out as everyone around us was closed on both New Year's eve and New Years Day.  So instead I told him I had always wanted to hike up to King's Chair at Oak Mountain...and it didn't take any convincing for him. 

We began our day picking up some picnic sandwiches for lunch at Publix, then once in the park, we started riding our bikes around the lake trail.  It was a cold morning, and Davis and I both realized quickly that we were out of shape.  Hard to breathe in that cold air, and our legs were killing us by the middle of the trail.  At one point I hit a bump and slamed the pedal against my shin, which was PAINFUL! 

After a round trip of the lake trail, we then took our bikes to the BMX trail.  We rode over the trail a couple of times, and it was kind of sad, but Davis during a break told me...I think the hills have gotten smaller.  Nope bud, you just remember them being much bigger.  But maybe one day he will look back on this day and remember it as big and fun as I will always remember it.  But we did share a laugh at how much "smaller" the hills seemed...even though neither one of us could peddle up to the starting line.  haha.  And as we were about to leave, Davis stopped near the van, tipped and then just fell over.

And for the last portion of our journey, we parked at the north trailhead and hiked all the way up to King's Chair lookout.    We had lunch on the rocks up at this view.  Dave found a cool tree that grew against the rocks on the way down the mountain.  A beautiful view to end the year, and a wonderful day with my buddy Dave.  Not many dad and dave days out there, but glad to have captured this one.  And after 3 miles on bikes, laps on a BMX trail, then 4 miles hiking...it was time to rest.