Fathers Day / Joe Graduates

 

 

 

Fathers day weekend began with me getting home late after a flight home from Dallas. When I came in the door Elaina and Violet with Mr Cuddles in tow came running to the door to greet me.  So it was a warm welcome. We celebrated Elaina's birthday on Saturday with a castle cake. All the little kids had a blast playing on the trampoline and swing set.  Although Cash seemed more intrigued with some of the old tonka toys we had dug out of the toy box.

Fathers day itself went nicely - grilled some ribs and spent time with Elaina and Violet. Very satisfing day.  Vanessa and Eric got every thing picked up and ready to go. We were talking in the dining room, but Violet was busy in the Living room.  She left a trail of destruction as she emptied the toy box, threw the crayons on the table to the floor,  tossed out some of the giant lego's, and finally emptied a box of kleenex.  Maybe someone didn't want to leave...

Drove to Pennsylvania for Joe's graduation. Passed a 1949 Oldsmobile in mint condition on the way.  Visited a wine and cheese shop in Blairsville. Joe seemed real happy to see us and was excited about graduating.  Grandma Susan met us for lunch at the Dairy Diner. Good home style cooking at a decent price.  Some how we got everything packed up and ready to go. Chad rode home with me and we talked about the whole way back.

Joe did make one comment that I hadn't considered.  With the oldest grandchild Elaina turning 5 and entering Kindergarten in the fall, and he, the youngest child graduating this summer - one cycle ends and another cycle begins.  Everyone likes Joe - when we got home - 4 of his friends were already there waiting on him.  They helped unload his camaro.  Then he was off to a party at Colin's.  So he was home for like 30 minutes and then he was gone with his friends!  Some things don't change.

 

 

 

 

 

Heather visit

 Good weekend, Heather was in for a class reunion.  Visited her for a little while yesterday with grandma Susan. Then today we had lunch at Gells in Eaton with Grandma Garret.  Chad and Sarah showed up along with Misty and Shane. It was nice to have everyone together and enjoy good company.  

I guess that Sean is not doing so well healthwise.  So we hope the best for him. Grandma G. seems more frail, but she is chugging along. Misty and Heather have aged well like fine wine.  I am little rougher for wear - aging more like cheap whiskey. 

Took Cash for a walk when he got a bit fussy.  We got to see three pigs and the big bad wolf - a building down the street from Gells had them all painted in the windows of the second floor.  I told him to tell Sarah, she was very quizical about his story until I explained.

 

 

 

 

 

mid year review

Chad is visiting Joe in PA this weekend, Sarah wanted to visit a friend and so they stopped by Joe's on the way.  Both Cash and Serenity are doing OK.  Serenity was a bit colicky early on, but she seems to have a cheerful disposition now.  He is working on my pick up truck.  It has like 200k miles on it so he is putting in a new timing belt and doing other routine maintenance on it. Gotta hand it to Nissan, that ole truck just keeps chugging along.

The move to Louisville seems to have been a good one for Vanessa and Eric.  She is enjoying her job at the hospital. Eric has the edge in the favorite son-in-law category.  He is working in the Budweiser warehouse.  He gets so much free beer every month and then can buy beer real cheap that has gone past the expiration date.  They carry a lot of brands and so I get variety of beers each visit. I joke that I need to open a beer tasting club and have folks buy tickets to try all the varieties. Both Elaina and Violet are doing OK.  Violet is walking now and so this last visit she did a lot of exploring.  Hard to keep those little hands out of things. 

Chelsea and Dan are doing OK so far in Florida. He works for a company that puts up fences.  And she is a contractor for Heinz - the company that makes ketchup, and horseradish sauce, and Wendy's Chili etc.  All foods that she has to sample as a Quality Control Technician.  She also samples from the line to be sure it is the right color, that the containers are being filled to the right spec. and so forth.  So they are both gainfully employed.  We hope to visit sometime this fall, maybe in October before basketball season starts.

June is busy as I have a week of pager duty, Ugh. Then I have to fly to Dallas for a week, then when I come back we go to Joe's graduation from WyoTech. He is ready to leave Pennsylvania.  I asked him if he got a job offer there, if he would stay - no way was the reply.  He would like to stay within a 2 hour drive of home. We will see how the local job market goes.  But before he gets on with his lifes work, he wants to go on a road trip, to California.  Pretty ambitious, we will see how this plays out.

Had a traffic jam on usually quiet Aukerman Creek Rd. A tractor with a big disc was parked on the road. A back hoe was doing something to it. A big sprayer had to squeeze by as well as several other vehicles.  They had several helpers as a truck and a car stopped by too. Then a bit later am ambulance went to Precision Wood.  So lots of excitement in the county last night

Memorial Day weekend

 

Halfway thru the weekend and it has been fun so far. Vanessa and Eric are up from Louisville and it was nice to see them and the girls.  I joke with Eric that he is my favorite son in law since he brings me beer from the Busch warehouse that he works in.  I guess he can buy expired beer at a discount. So I get a variety of beers each time he visits. Some day I am going to set up a beer garden and sell tickets to the different beers...

Elaina likes to come with me to take care of the animals.  When we went to feed the cows, they were not up by the barn. E: " Grandpa, where are the cows?" Me: I dunno where they are at now. E: "Maybe they went to eat in a restaraunt?"  Vanessa said that her favorite part of the weekend so far was just going outside to pass the softball with me. She is doing co-ed softball this season. So she wants to keep in shape.  Little Violet is quite the walker now.

Went to Chad and Sarahs for a cookout.  That went fine except we had a thunderstorm roll thru - so much for the dry weekend we were promised. Anyway the food was good and so was the company. Raven was there and all the kids had a good time playing. Little Serentity seems to a much more cheerful disposition. She was cholicy early on, but seems to have left that behind.  Cash had a good time playing with everyone.  It was hard to keep them all out of the creek. 

Florida Bound

Well Chelsea and Dan are Florida bound. I think of it as Dan and Chelsea's excellent adventure. It got off to a shaky start.  Didn't leave our house until 1:30 in the afternoon. But went over to Debbies to say good bye.  Which in hindsight turned out to be the right move.  I had an awards ceremony for the basketball team. When I got home I sat down at the computer desk.  Chelsea's only debit card was sitting on the desk. We called her and fortunately they were only as far as Middletown.  So they came back to pick it up.  That was around 3:30.

They made it to the campground in Kentucky in time to see a 'moon bow' I guess there is a waterfall there that makes a rainbow during a full moon. It is supposed to be a scenic trip, there are several stops they plan to make. Then they have a job interview lined up in Jacksonville.

Also this weekend we are celebrating baby Violets birthday.  Hard to believe that she is one year old.  It will be nice to see the Deeters.  Eric plans to bring some free beer for me from the warehouse.  My favorite son in law.

 Joe is visiting next weekend - and bringing his girlfriend to visit. She comes from Pittsburgh and is taking art at school there. We haven't seen him since the holidays so we are looking forward to his visit.

Chad had to have gall bladder surgery.  He is getting around better now and he is trying to get Joe's car finished so that he can drive it back.  He has had some bad luck with his own vehicles.  The engine blew on the pickup truck. The Neon was down for awhile.  So he has been keeping his hands greasy.  

 

 

Chelsea Wedding

 

Well we couldn't have asked for a better day in December in Ohio.  50+ degrees and sunny.  Snow a week before the wedding and the week after, but clear for that day.  There were still icicles on the falls, so it was picturesque.  

The reception was at the Twin Valley Rod and Gun Club which matched the outdoor theme.  Fair turnout, but I think the short notice limited the number people who hadn't already made plans.  Still all in all it was a good time and went well.  Now comes the hard part.

 Becky is helping watch Vanessa's kids for a week. Got a list of instructions to follow for all the critters.  Didn't realize how much Mr. Cuddles was being spoiled.  He only drinks bottled water and when I prepare his food I am suppposed to make a gravy to put over his food!  Well Mr. Cuddles will drink the same tap water that I drink and he will have to make his own gravy if he wants any on his catfood.

 

December Update

 

I am shopped out.  And we really didn't do much Christmas Shopping.  A few gifts for the grandkids and some food for Christmas day.  The rest was buying stuff for the wedding of Chelsea and Dan.  With the Durango broke down, I am the designated driver for shopping expeditions.  And I can't stand shopping.  We left around 9am and didn't get back home until after 6:30pm.  There was smoke coming off of the VISA card we used it so much.  Oh and my little Suzuki was filled to the brim with food, decorations, and champagne.  Could have just forgotten about the wedding and gone on a week long road trip.

Anyway we have a few perishable items to buy a day or two ahead of time, but most everything has been bought.  Now it is a waiting game where we watch the weather to see how things are going to break on the 31st. 

We are paying for the repairs to the Durango, it will take a replacement engine + labor.   I am still taking Advance Auto to small claims court since they sold me the wrong spark plugs which caused a hole to be burned in the piston.  But the wheels of justice grind slowly, so that is why we opted to proceed with the repairs now rather than wait.  Although the shop is swamped with work and so we have to wait our turn in line...

 Sorry to see Vanessa, Eric and the girls move back to Louisville, but happy that Vanessa has a good opportunity.  I think it is a good career move.  The Cincy office is small and not much growth. The Louisville operations are a lot bigger and so she be able to branch out and grow with the company. 

Basketball team is struggling a bit this season.  Hard time getting everyone on the same page.  But I am seeing signs of progress.  They are getting better.   As a junior high coach you just try to remember that the end game is getting them to learn they skills they need to play Varsity some day.

 

Post Thanksgiving Wrap up
Topic: Serenity

 

 

 

Little Serenity Miriam Tilton made her entrance just before Thanksgiving.  An ounce short of 8 pounds and 20 inches long.  Momma and baby are doing fine.

Joe is back for the holiday nice to see him.  Although there is a 24 hour bug going around.  It has made the rounds in our family.  Chelsea, Becky, Dan, me and finally Joe.  It hit him hard yesterday, but today, the day he drives back he is feeling much better. 

December will be a whirlwind with Wedding and Christmas planning.  

 

Prepping for Turkey Day

Wow lots of change in the Tilton family.  Lots of plates spinning.  Vanessa has an opportunity with her company to be a coordinator at Jewish Hospital in Louisville. A pay raise and better position.  And so the Deeters are returning to the Bluebgrass state.  The move will be happening right after Thanksgiving.

 Not to be outdone, Chelsea and Dan are getting married.  On New Years Eve of all times.  It will also be an outdoor wedding by a waterfall. So that will be an adventure.  So we are busy planning that.  There was also some kind of falling out between Chelsea and her cousin Jessica.  So there is some added turmoil to make sure that the pot keeps at a steady boil.  

 Sarah is due any day now with new baby Serenity. The actual due date is right around Thanksgiving.  So that will be grandbaby number four.  It has been a difficult pregnancy for her.

Joe is doing OK at school.  Grades in the 90's.  We went to Blairsville to visit and had a good time.  Nice food and a scenic area.  We delivered the seats for the Star Chief and the Camaro that Chad and Joe respectfully are restoring.  Joe is going to redo the upholstry.  

I am going to the Eaton game tonight.  They are in the regional final against St. McNicolaus.  This is the deepest that any team from Eaton has gone in football, so I figured that I should watch it.  Hope that I don't choke rooting for the Purple and Gold. 

 

 

 

 

 

Vaca!
 Good times as always at Edisto this summer. Part of the money to pay for the vacation was courtesy of Lexis and the severance package that I got.  Bought a CD with a portion of it - specifically for this vacation and cashed it in before going. So a tip of the hat to my ex employer for helping to finance the expedition.

Some things never change and so it was with Vanessa - our most injured kid growing up. Got stung by jellyfish, not once but twice!  Joe had a really bad jellyfish sting, a week later you can still see the affects on his foot. Asa got sunburned pretty bad. Wouldn't listen to his uncle Chris about putting on sunscreen. This was the second time that Sarah has come to the beach and been pregnant (Little June expected in Novemer). So she was able to get the water some, but couldn't enjoy it as much as she could have. Despite it all we were able to laugh it off and have a good time.

Cash's first words on seeing the ocean - "big swimming pool" and I guess thru his eyes it was a huge swimming pool. He had a blast running thru the surf and playing in the sand. Chelsea had a little game where she passed him back and forth on a raft in the surf.  He rode the waves a short way and then Dan would catch him and push him back. Cash and Elaina had fun together in the ocean. And even baby Violet got into the surf for a little bit.  She was a good trooper thru it all.

Got to spend some time with everyone in the ocean.  One memorable time was Me, Chad, and Joe chilling just out past where the waves were breaking. Floating on rafts and talking. Spent one evening smoking cigars and having a few beverages on the deck of the beach house with the crew.  And we found out that Vanessa can still ride waves on a boogie board.  

Went fishing for sea bass about 20 miles offshore. The water was choppy as there were storms brewing to left and right.  We had a gap and our Captain ran hard for it - and got us all soaked.  Eric and I were in the bow and although the waves broke over our heads, we go bounced good as we went from wave to wave. Joe and Dan were back further and every so often a wave would break right and soak them.  Chelsea probably ended up with the most fish, but Asa - a first timer at fishing caught the biggest sea bass and the biggest fish overall, a shark.  It was an Atlantic shark about 3 foot long.

 Also on the trip we saw some dolphins in the distance and a crazy bird that kept following us while we were fishing. He would circle the boat hoping for scraps, then land in the water and bob in the waves for awhle.  We considered him good luck as the fish really seemed to bite while he was around.  No one got seasick although Dan and I got a little queasy.

 Went to patriots point to see the aircraft carrier and submarine.  Cash was pretty good thru out.  He was fasinated with the planes on deck and some of the ships models that were in the hanger section.   Had a meal at 5 guys burgers and fries.  First time that we had a chance to try it - and the food was great.  Mixed reviews from the big meal at the Pavilon.  It has changed ownership several times over the years.  None seem to compare to the first time that we ate there.   

The trip back was harrowing at times.  The Durango is big, heavy SUV with a car top carrier on the roof to add to the instanbility.  Best suited for driving straight, not looping thru the Smokey Mountains in the rain.  It would downpour buckets, then in an instant it was gone, then you would go another few miles and another cloudburst - or a clouid!  One good thing about the Durango, it was nice to have the V8 to power up the inclines.  

Ahh and summer is all but over.  Chelsea is taking a couple of classes this fall at Sinclair before transferring.  Now she is thinking of Ohio Un.  Joe intends to goto WyoTech outside of Pittsburgh in Sept.  The rest of us go back to work on Monday.