February 2022

Landon's class had their first field trip since COVID became a thing. They went downtown to the children's theatre to see a play. Landon is in the green shirt on the second row. He said he had a lot of fun.

Landon continued his indoor soccer season. His team only lost twice the whole season and it happened to be the same team. Both times they played Landon's team, the Scorpions, were missing players. For the second time in the indoor season they were runner's up.

We had a new family member arrive on February 3rd, Miss Eliana. She was born during a winter storm, which just happened to be named winter storm Landon. We can't wait until we are able to get up to Columbus to meet her. Until then we will just have to Facetime her. 

Jennifer got into such a cleaning mood that she took the door off the oven so that she could get in there to clean it. I had never seen an oven door off so I had to take a picture.

Happy Birthday Jennifer! We are so happy to celebrate you. We started off the morning with homemade waffles and bacon. I even decorated Jennifer's office space. The kids made their mom her favorite cake, yellow cake with chocolate icing. 

Better picture of the cake the kids made.

I was so excited to make a drive to Bowling Green one day after work. That's because I was able to finally get my Highlander back. It has been a long month living with just one car. I am so thankful for the people at Lee Myles Auto Care who fixed my car. It was finally nice to meet them in person and tell them thank you.

Landon and I ready to watch the Super Bowl. This Super Bowl put me into a real predicament. I have a ton of friends who are Bengals fans. However, most people know that I am a big Browns fan. Well if you know the NFL then you know that the Bengals and Browns are divisional rivals. I wanted nothing more than the Bengals to lose. Cheering for the Bengals would have been like cheering for the Louisville Cardinals. Never going to happen! If the Bengals did win I would be happy for my friends.

Another UK home game means some time with my little man. Every trip to RUPP Arena includes one trip to the concession stand and a Goodfellas bread stick. Kentucky won, but more importantly was the time I got to spend with Landon. He has turned into a big fan and is up and cheering the Wildcats on to victory. 

Well, it might look familiar but we decided to head back to Florida in February because we thought the parks would be less crowded than around New Years. We did the same as before and Jennifer worked in the hotel while the kids and I ran around the parks and played. We ran into Bart Simpson and the crew from Scooby Doo.

Universal Studios celebrates Mardi Gras for a whole month. Every night they have a parade where people on floats throw out beads. We watched the parade the first night there and the kids thought it was so much fun.

Look at all those beads that they collected. We also had some beignets to feel even more like we were in New Orleans. 

Literally we were collecting tons of beads because we went back the next day too! We even found this bead tree where people had been throwing beads on it for decorations. The kids wanted to throw some out on the tree too. They both added some to the tree. 

In the early morning we rushed back to Harry Potter world so that we could get there before it got packed. Our season passes let us get into the park an hour early which was awesome! I had never seen Hogsmeade with so few people in it. 

We met some more characters during our time in the park. We saw Patrick and Squidward from SpongeBob. We also got to see Vector, the bad guy from Despicable Me. The kids and I even spotted Poppy from Trolls. The kids were also excited to ride the Twirl-N-Hurl ride in Simpson land, but I opted to sit it out. 

Another night at Universal means that we collected even more beads. I really have no idea what we are going to do with all the beads. If you need any just give us a call we still have tons of them. 

Picture of the kids with Hogwarts while we were waiting in line for Hagrid's Motorbike ride. Even with smaller crowds the wait times could get up to 2 hours long for this ride.

We discovered an area we had never been, the Dreamworks Dance Party. We saw Alex and the Penguins from Madagascar along with Puss-n-boots from Shrek. The kids didn't have any desire to dance. I might have boogied a little. Thankfully the kids didn't have phones to film me. I have to get all my silliness out some way. Better to do it in front of strangers.

We met Spiderman and Doctor Doom who are characters from Marvel. Neither kid was tall enough to ride the Hulk rollercoaster. I spoke with a worker at the front of the ride and he hooked us up by letting us skip the line and not have to wait with the kids. He took me up the exit and let me ride in about 5 minutes (instead of 60+).

Jennifer and the kids walking out of Universal Studios one night. Notice everyone was wearing more beads!

Hot days in Florida call for cold ice cream treats.

Our two little wizards went around and did magic with their wands. We even got to see the sorting hat. The kids even wore their school robes around one day. The kids discovered one day that their wands weren't working right. We found out that you can take them to the wand shop so they can repair them. (Actually they just replace them) The kids were so excited to have the wands ready and working again. 

The picture on the left could have been the last picture before our life changed forever. The kids and I were walking into the park and I stopped to get their picture with Islands of Adventure lighthouse. I started walking towards the entrance and I thought both children were following me. When I turned around to give the kids their passes to get in I only had Landon with me. I asked him where Brinley was and he said he didn't know. We quickly backtracked and my heart was pounding. There was well over 1,000 people trying to get into the park. Thankfully when we got back to where the picture was taken she was standing right there. I was so relieved and I told her I was sorry we lost her. 

The kids favorite ride again this time was Velocicoaster. I love the bottom picture that I captured while we were waiting in line. The picture is the last inversion that the coaster does. 

We found out that anybody could be bead throwers up on the Mardi Gras parade floats. We were able to secure three spots by signing up in a virtual line. (It wouldn't let me choose 4) Jennifer picked to be out in the crowd and to take pictures of us.

Just a week late, but it is always fun to wear a birthday button. This is the fourth time that we have been in Florida to celebrate with Jennifer in the month of February during our 21 years together. What a better way to celebrate than with a hot butterbeer.

The kids found us some Oscars to take home. 

The kids told their mother that she had to ride Velocicoaster with them on this trip. She decided that it should be the very last ride of the trip for her. The kids were so excited to have this happen. The picture on the left was waiting in line. The one on the right was after the adventure. You can see the blur of the coaster in the background on the first huge drop. Jennifer said it wasn't too bad, but not something that she wants to do again. I bet we will talk her into it again. How can you tell these kids no.

I had some co-workers tell me about this crazy gas station that we should try on the drive down called Buc-ee's. It is more than a gas station, it is an experience. You have to get some beaver nuggets when you go. It was also the most money that I have ever spent at a gas station. We tried the brisket sandwiches which were good too. They are getting one close to us in Lexington soon too.

I forced the kids to attend the last home game for the women's basketball team. This was Rhyne Howard's last home game for the wildcats. It was great to see her one last time. They destroyed Auburn and she ended her career with a victory at home. She had a great chance to win player of the year and be the first overall pick in the WNBA draft. (She actually won player of the year and went first overall pick) I am so glad we went to see her play one last time!

We also just happened to see Oscar Tshiebwe walk into the game. The kids and I were so excited. I ran over and asked for the kids to get a picture with him. He took one with the kids, but then had to turn everyone else away because he had to get somewhere. Turns out he was going to preach at a local church. This young man is so awesome. What an amazing basketball player, but an even better human. (Turns out he won the player of the year award too! So the kids saw both college basketball National Players of the Year in the same day.)

After the women's basketball game we met up with Uncle McKinley and Taylor at the batting cages. The kids wanted to show them what they could do on the pitching machines. Everyone got in and hit a few. The kids enjoyed seeing everyone get in there and whiff on a few pitches. Jennifer might have been the best hitter of the day. 

The end of February comes with great joy because the next day is my birthday! My parents came up a day early so that they could see McKinley and Taylor. My mother also made an orange slice cake for us. This is a traditional Christmas treat, but we didn't get one last year. This is a favorite treat of mine and McKinley's.. 

Although February is such a short month it was jammed packed full of fun. A new niece, birthday celebration, trip to Florida, and most importantly I got my car back! I am not sure when we will be back at Harry Potter World, but I am sure it will be sometime later this year. Thanks for reading and God bless!

January 2022

The new year started out with a trip to Camping World Stadium to watch the Kentucky Wildcats play the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2022 Citrus Bowl. I got free tickets for working for the team and they gave us some pretty great seats. Kentucky dominated the first half and jumped out to a 13-3 lead at the half. Kentucky was the better team and it looked like we were headed for a blow out. 

The Florida sun was so hot and the Kentucky sideline was completely exposed to the elements. Halftime was Jennifer and the kids favorite time because they got to be in the shade. They didn't want to go back out for the second half. 

Well, after the half Kentucky came out and could not get anything going. Kentucky still held the lead going into the 4th quarter, but Iowa soon took the lead and their side of the stadium got to rocking. All the momentum was on the side of the Hawkeyes. Then Wandale Robinson made an amazing 70 yard catch and run to get the Wildcats near the goal line. With just under two minutes left in the game Kentucky took back the lead 20-17. The Hawkeyes just had one drive left to try and tie or win the game. Thankfully Kentucky's linebacker DeAndre Square was there to intercept the ball to seal the victory. It was an awesome game and we had a blast cheering on the Wildcats!

It was awesome to see the Wildcats victorious, but I also got to experience it with my fellow golf cart crew (minus Tim). It was fun to see some of the players have success that we had driven around campus on their visits. 

I was so happy to have Jennifer and the kids to witness the bowl victory. The kids have now seen the Wildcats win two bowl games and this was Jennifer's first. Hopefully we are able to witness many more for years to come. 

A couple more pictures of the day. The top picture is from the CATWALK when the coaches and players walk into the stadium. We got to say hi to everyone as they were walking in. Then Landon was enjoying his popcorn during the game. Lastly when we left the stadium we headed straight for Giordano's so that I could enjoy my favorite pizza. What an awesome day from start to finish.

After the football game Jennifer had an idea. We went to Wal-Mart to look for a new pair of shoes for Landon. Remember how Landon was just about an inch short for the rides. Well, Jennifer got him a pair of shoes four sizes too big and put them on top of his normal shoes. Now Landon would be tall enough to ride the roller coasters. He looked like he had clown shoes on, but nobody ever said a word. Landon of course loved Velocicoaster!

The last day at the park we spent the most time trying to find a souvenir for the kids to remember their time. Brinley isn't a common name so she will probably never find her name on a keychain. So she found this one that said Brenda. The backstory to this is that on the ET ride they ask your name before the ride and electronically load it onto a card. At the very end of the ride ET thanks everyone by name. Well, Brinley is not a common name so ET has never said it right. He usually ends up calling her Brenda. Brinley has tried to outsmart the system and tells the person taking the names to spell it BRIN LEE. Just to keep the gig going I tell them that my name is Brenda. I get some weird looks but it is worth it to hear us all laugh.

One last stroll through Diagon Alley before we were ready to go back home. Not sure when we are planning to come back to Harry Potter World, but I know it will be sometime this year. I think that made leaving just a little easier. 

We had seen so many people walking around with the pink VooDoo Donut boxes that we just had to try them before leaving. Brinley got a peanut butter oreo donut, Landon got an oreo, and Jennifer and I shared an orange creamsicle and voo-doo doll. They were good, but maybe not something that we will have to have everytime. 

It was a sharp difference in temperatures when we returned home to Kentucky. We had all gotten used to the 80 degree weather in Florida and then came home to cold and snow. As we were driving home Brinley got to coughing a little. Just to be sure we had her COVID tested before heading back to school. It came back positive so she was unable to go back to school. After a day she felt better but she still had to quarantine for five days. Just to be careful we all got tested too. Landon tested positive with no symptoms and Jennifer and I were negative. Thankfully we were all vaccinated so the symptoms were milder than they could have been. 

Probably not the best time to wear crocs with holes in them to work. My feet were freezing afterwards.

While Brinley was home on quarantine she had lots of time to put together her baby Yoda that Uncle McKinley and Taylor got her for Christmas.

For Christmas McKinley got me tickets to see the Wildcats play Vanderbilt down in Nashville. It was a Tuesday night game so I took off work and headed down. The Wildcats jumped out to a huge early lead and the game was never close. The stadium was only about half full and most of the people in attendance were cheering for the CATS! The Commodores made a run late to get the final score with just a 10 point difference. The next day I stayed and we played board games until I needed to head back to Lexington. 

Just a little over an hour after I left Nashville my car died on the interstate. I was trying to push on the gas and the car was losing speed. Then every light on the dash came on. I pulled over to the side of the road and called roadside assistance with my insurance. I called McKinley to tell them what happened and Taylor (who was going to drive to Lexington the next day) volunteered to come pick me up and take me home. The car broke down about 20 miles outside Bowling Green so that is where the tow truck dropped me and the car off. I was so thankful to see Taylor pull up to save the day. I left my car in Bowling Green never knowing if I would ever see it again. The next day I got a call from the Toyota dealership telling me that it was going to cost $10,000 to have a new engine put in the vehicle. I was completely distraught over the whole situation. I asked for anyone on Facebook for someplace to get a second opinion. I had so many friends and family reach out to offer help and places to get a second opinion. I finally found someone that would do it for almost half the price of the dealership. Until then I guess we would just be a one car family. 

Landon and I went to another basketball game together because he is the only one that has shown any interest in the Wildcats. He might have just become my permanent sports sidekick. They gave a nice tribute to coach Joe B. Hall the day after he passed away. It was a blow out against Tennessee and it was awesome! Kentucky was up by 30 points for most of the game. 

For Christmas Jennifer got a subscription to Hello Fresh. We tried a lot of good dishes and we expanded our culinary talents - mostly Jennifer. I thought this one looked really close to the example picture. We are still undecided if it is worth it for the subscription, but we got a lot of good recipes out of it. 

I was in a huge puzzle mode during January too. I completed these four. I even started trading puzzles with some friends at work so that we could all enjoy the puzzles.  

Just a couple of days and a few states in between these two pictures. A fake snowman in Florida and a real one in Kentucky. 

Another snow in Lexington and it happened on a school day. They called off school and I just so happened to be off from work so we headed out to the sledding hill. The kids didn't want me to slide down the hill with them anymore. They said I was too big to fit on the sled with them. They are growing up too much for my liking. 

It was time again to donate blood. It was also Big Blue Slam. I got a shirt and a mug that says I Bleed Blue, which is most definitely true. 

Grandma and Grandpa stopped by the house on their way up to Andrea's for the birth of the new baby. Even though Grandma and Grandpa live 3 hours away they always make a point to see the kids every month. They have been doing this ever since they were born. We are always glad to spend time with them. 

Jennifer was not very happy that I came and snapped a picture of her at work. She has added an extra monitor to help with her efficiency. 

We took the whole family to the Tuesday night 9 pm game against Mississippi State. My dad saw someone online saying they couldn't make it to the game and that they were willing to give them away for free. Their tickets ended up being directly across from our seats. We split up and Brinley sat with me and Jennifer and Landon headed over to the other side. Of course before the game the kids got some Goodfellas breadsticks. 

There were some open seats beside Brinley and I so we told them to come back over with us. Kentucky let their lead slip away late in the game and the game went to overtime. Even though it was a school night we stuck around and watch the CATS pull out the victory in overtime. 

While I was at the game I had a memory pop up on my phone of me carrying both the kids at the store. We tried to recreate the picture. The kids look so much bigger, but one thing is for sure, I am still repping my UK!

Brinley randomly asked me if we were going to the father-daughter dance like we did one other time. When I looked it up the tickets were sold out. After a little bit of research I found that a local church was also going to host a little father daughter party. Brinley was excited to go. She had lots of treats, met a mini horse, a couple of princesses, and lastly we got to dance. 

 

They even had a photo booth so of course we had to do some silly shots. 

I was cleaning out Landon's school folder and I came across this note from his teacher. It just made my heart so happy because Landon is a great kid. Sometimes it doesn't go noticed by others because he doesn't use his voice very well, but he has one of the biggest hearts I know. 

Landon in a little soccer action. His team signed up for a second winter indoor session. The Scorpions picked up right were they left off before Christmas. It was nice to see them out there again. 

I am so proud of Brinley. She had 9 inches of her hair cut off and she was happy to put it in the mail to send to a company that makes wigs for children with hair loss. I am so proud of her willing to do something for others. 

January 2022 started out great. Hopefully this is the year where we return to "normal" life. I hope you all have a great 2022. Thanks for reading and God bless!