Stinkbait, Fishing, Garden, Tour 18, Baseball, Garner

Well it is the middle of the summer and alot has gone on since school let out. Graduation was ok, Tressa got her first year as department chair closed out and the kids finished 7th and 4th grade. Me and the kids took a fishing trip during late May. I took them out of school on a wednesday and we drove down to lake conroe. We met the guide at about 7 in the morning at the April plaza marina. We walked out on the pontoon boat and met Carl Bostic. He was about 55-60 gray messy hair and kinda dishevled. We sat as he loaded all the stuff. He took us out to the middle of the lake to try and catch some stripers. We set out about 6 rods with liver on them. About 20-30 minutes into it one of the rods bent over. We jerked it up and Mady reeled in a big striper. Soon after that Brad reeled one in and I videoed both of them. After that he took us to some bulk heads and we caught a bunch of catfish. The kids had a great time. One of the funniest parts was watching them put the stink bait on the hook. It smelled so bad. It was a combination of sour chicken scratch, lard, coffee, and old peanut butter and who knows what else was in it. We finished the day with about 20 catfish and the two stripers. They were cleaned and we headed home at about noon. We stopped by a little burger place on the way home and had lunch. It was a good time for me and the kids we had some bonding time and it was something I never got to do with my dad.I put in a garden this year and it has really thrived. I have tomatoes , cucumbers, peppers,cantaloupe,okra, and eggplant. I have had good success with tomatoes but I have really been impressed with my cantaloupes. I have picked about 5 already and have 3 out there right now. Not going as good with the cucumbers some have turned out to be bitter. The peppers are just now going great and I have canned about 4 jars of them. I have been freezing the okra and making okra and tomatoes periodically. The eggplants are good. Tressa even took a bunch of them and made two big trays of eggplant casserole and froze them. There are about 5 on the vine now that I am excited about. It has been really good for me. I go out daily and sweat and mess around in the garden. I get a since of pride when I come in the house with a big sack full or am able to give some away to friends. I planted two orange trees and am looking forward to seeing them produce. I think I am gonna plant a fall garden. Maybe all this will help my blood pressure, LOL. Our wine making is really coming along good also. We made a batch of white chardonay that turned out great. Right now we are making another red and looking at putting a big wine rack somewhere to hold it all. Veggies and homeade wine what more do you need!

Summer started and Mady continued to play golf and Brad continued with baseball. She has played in about 3-4 tournaments so far and has done pretty well. Me and her also played at Tour 18 together it was fun just me and her. We bought her three new clubs. A nice driver, sandwedge, and pitching wedge. Funny story is her golf coach set us up to meet a guy at Edwin Watts and we are supposed to get a sandwedge and a driver. We go in and meet a guy and and Mady hits a few drivers and we pick a cleveland driver with a 13 degree loft. Then she ask me if she can get a picthing wedge also. Ofcourse I cave. Well we pick two out and call mom. She isn't real happy but Mady got the clubs she wanted. It was just too hard for me to say no when I watched her hit into the screen and doing so well. Anyway, I guess thats what dad's do.

Brad has been really improving his hitting with this select team. He doesn't like practice too much but games are fun. He has been playing right field and catcher mostly. He has started liking right field alot because he has thrown a couple guys out at first from line drives to right. It is fun to watch how he gets excited about it. His hitting has really improved just this last weekend he went 5-8 and three walks. He had 3 doubles and 2 singles. It was really great watching him and I boomed with pride. The team itself has gotten better as well and we have went a little further in tournaments. The season has ended now and we are getting ready for football. As I type this he is out at football camp right now.

We had vacation in Garner again this year and the kids had a blast. We went with Al and Sonja, Eddie Tamez and his family and Jody and Jennifer. We set up camp and the kids hit the rope swings and ran around. The girls got ready for the dance and Brad decided to go with them. Surprisingly he ask a bunch of girls to dance. When me and Jody got over there Allie said "hey check out your boy" and showed me a picture of him dancing with a girl. I was shocked. Then I find Brad and he is looking around for girls to ask to dance. It was cool watching him with his head on a swivel panning the girls. Then payton said "your boy is on fire he has ask like 10 girls to dance". Then I see him ask another one and me and Mady dance and catch up to them and I get a couple pictures. He played it off pretty good and didn't seem that embarassed when we got back to camp and told everyone. Well the days were filled with loading up an ice chest and sitting in the river. Tressa made some great chicken salad that we took down daily and would eat and drink and talk until about 4-5 and then come up and cook dinner for everyone. We would eat then sit around talking and maybe playing poker. The kids would be off running around or watching a movie in a camper. It is a good bonding time and hopefully we are making good family memories. I am still anxious to go to disney again before they get too old.

Well we came home from Garner and everyone kinda went back to their routine and we are now trying to get ready to go back to work. Mady is finishing up stp and Brad is in football camp. Tiger football will be coming soon and Mady will be starting Volleyball camp and her 8th grade year. Looking forward to her having a good year and Brad ruling the elementary school.

More to come soon

Ya'll be safe out there!!