Message from Hayden

Yesterday I received a message from Hayden in the mail. Last week I was in a card shop and spotted a card that made me think of Hayden. I wrote him a message and mailed it to him. Yesterday I got it back, torn up with a note enclosed. The note was a drawing of his hand giving me the bird and signed Sincerally, Not your son. Brought tears to me and made me rethink this blog. I am not sure if I can ever win my sons hearts back. They have been poisened too much by the negitivity from their mother and family. I know they are both mad or upset at me for the whole divorce but as we all know. People grow apart and I never intended to hurt them. I always thought that I would still see them and have a relationship with them. I don't think that is going to happen. If they are reading this, Boys, I am sorry for failing as a father and I hope that your lives turn out great and you aspire to be all that you want. I love you both but I am signing off for now. Love Dad

Steelers News

Hey guys,
Did you see where the Steelers traded Santonio Holmes to the Jets. I guess they were tired of all the off-field trouble he has gotten into. I also heard that the league suspended him for four games as well. I wonder what Big Ben is going to get for all his trouble? I bet they suspend him too. The league needs to step up to the plate and squelch all the antics that have been happening off the field. Hopefully Ben has learned a lesson. Do you think the Steelers are going to pick up a QB in the draft? I wouldn't be suprised. They can easily replace Holmes. They are pretty deep in that position considering they just signed Randle-El back. Well I hope you both are doing well and reading these messages. I miss you both. Love Dad.

What a Masters Weekend

I hope you both got to watch some of the Masters this past weekend. Sunday was very good. I was happy for Phil Mickelson and his family. What a great role model for Tiger to emulate. This week is going to be a very busy week. We have to run over to Sioux Falls twice for a funeral. Laurie's nephew got killed last week and we need to attend the visitation and the funeral on Thursday. Will be a tough one to sit through. He was partying all night with some people and he got mad about something. Next thing you know he went and got a gun from his house and brought it to the party. When he was confronted, a fight ensued and he ends up shot and killed. Goes to show you that nothing good happens after midnight. You might as well go home and get to bed at that time. I hope you both are safe. Love you.

Masters Friday

Well Tiger did a great job yesterday and it looks like he made up some ground today. I hope Phil Mickelson stays in the hunt. So far it has been a good tournament to watch. I see on the internet that Nathan's frisbee tournament has been changed to May 1st. We are thinking that we might drive up and watch him for awhile. Hayden, I hope you enjoy the card that I sent you. I don't give you enough encouragement and you need that from your parents. Always remember that you can do anything in life as long as you put your mind to it. You already know that though. I hope you both enjoy the nice weekend. It sounds like the weather is suppose to be great. Love you both. Dad

Masters Thursday

Hi fellas,
Well today is a great day. It's Masters Thursday and Tiger is back in the tournament. I have been watching off and on throughout the afternoon. It looks like he is doing pretty well, two strokes off the lead heading into Amen Corner. Phil Mickelson had a great opening round 67 and leads with Tom Watson at this point. However I look for Tiger to do something in the final few holes. We'll see though. We'll I guess I'll go for now and talk to you later. Love you both. PS I sent Hayden a card today. I hope he gets it. Love you both.

WINDY!!!!! Hold ON

Wow is it ever windy today. I rode my bike this morning and now I am going to have to peddle home into the wind. It's currently blowing at 25 mph. I texted Nate today to wish him luck on his Ultimate Frisbee tournament this weekend. I believe that was what was going on for him in Brookings. I hope he does well and that he doesn't hurt his foot again. Hayden, how's your break going? I was in Wessington Springs today, connecting a clinic up to wireless. One of the doctors there wanted wireless for a laptop that he uses to go room to room. Should be working for him now. I am really enjoying my job. It isn't very often you can say that about anything in life but I really enjoy this one. Well keep your heads up and stay safe until tomorrow. Love you both.

Duke Did it!!!!

Hey did you guys see that game last night. What a close one. I really thought that the Bluedevils were going down. I can't believe that they didn't run away with the title but I am glad the won. Today is a rainy day here. It is great for my lawn but I wasn't able to ride my bike to work today. Man, I must be out of shape though. Yesterday I got home and was just completely out of breath. I have a long way to go to get back to what I was like ten years ago. I have gotten a little tummy on me. We'll see how long I can keep this up and lose the weight. I hope you both are doing well and that I get to see you soon. Love you

Make a difference Monday

Hey guys,
It's Make a Difference Monday! You should always find some way to make a difference in somebody's life today. I tried to be more helpful to people at work today. How was your Easter? I bet Hayden is enjoying the time away from school. Only a few more weeks and then it's summer. Tonight is the big game for NCAA basketball. I hope Duke runs away with it all. I don't have much to write about today. I got a lot of yard work done this last weekend. It was fun to get out in the yard and work again. Well, I love you both.

Happy Easter

Well it is Easter time again. That always marks the time of year that golf offically starts in my book. Maybe I can get out this weekend. It is suppose to be pretty nice but yet still cool. I wondered today what you two would be doing and if you were going to be in Rochester or not. I hope you have a good break from school and enjoy the time off. I wish I could see you though. I know Grandma Robey would love it. It would probably make her year! I wonder if Hayden has school next week? Doesn't the school system usually give the students a spring break around now? Well anyway. I love you both and hope to see you soon. Love you both.

Thursday

I know I posted something yesterday but it doesn't appear to have been posted for some reason. Oh well. I will just have to make sure and save everytime I go to post. I hope you both are doing well. I texted Hayden this morning on my way to a job site. I was just thinking about him and wanted to let him know. I also wanted to setup a time for me to come over and visit. I miss playing XBOX with him. All the times we would play and laugh! Man that was fun. I remember one time we were playing Madden and I didn't know where my guy went to and then all of a sudden he appears on the screen and totally takes out a guy that was going to tackle Hayden. Man we laughed. I am even laughing as I write this. Then there were all the times playing Halo. Remember Hayden when my guy got "tired" Man I crack myself up.... How about the time we were dropping Nathan off at Steve's and there was a squirrel running around in the front yard. It was fall and the temperature was cool. The squirrel stopped in his tracks and stood on his hind legs. You could see that he had stuff acorns in his mouth to take back to his home. I saw him and said "Hum, must be cold. That squirrel has his nuts in is mouth!" Boy that was fun. Well I gotta go. Love you both. Dad.

79 Degrees!!!!! Wow

I can't believe as I am writing this. It is 79 degrees out! What happened to spring? I'll take this weather though over the snow and rain anyday. I called your mothers work today to see if I could get an update on Hayden. She answered but then blew me off saying we'd have to talk later because she was late for a meeting. So far I haven't heard back and it's been eight hours. I'm not going to hold my breath on that one. I'll have to try a different route. I hope you both are enjoying the weather and I will see you soon. Love you.

70 degrees!!

It's a great day, 70 degrees and the golf course opened. I hope it is at least this nice where you both are. I think it is safe to say, spring is here. What are you guys doing for Easter? I was thinking that I might drive over this weekend but then remembered that it was Easter and you may not be there. I miss you guys and really want to see you both. I hope that you miss me too and that you are reading these. If you are could you make a comment about them or something?. Well I going to grill pizzas tonight on the grill. Hopefully they turn out. It is my favorite time of year ya know! I have been thinking of new stuff to try on the grill. Maybe I can teach you two someday. Well, I let you go for today. Love you tons

TGIF

It's Friday. Can't wait until work is over. This weekend is suppose to be nice and that means that I may get some stuff done out in the garage and yard. I can't believe how fast the snow melted. I guess our golf course is opening next week. Wooho! I texted Hayden last night. Told him that someone in South Dakota loved him. I think I am going to just drive over and see him in the coming weeks. As long as the snow stays away. Maybe we can grab a bite to eat or something. Well, I hope you both have great weekends and you stay safe. Nathan, you probably are play ulimate frisbee. Should be nice enough. Well like I said. Hope you have fun and always know that I do love you both.

Texted Nate today

Hey, I texted Nathan today to see if I could get an update on Hayden's status. I also looked over the LaCrosse schedule for this year. I am going to try and make some games. I hope Hayden decided to go out again. Tonight I am having supper with Grandma Robey. She is feeling a lot better now that the weather is getting warmer. I hope she doesn't have another bout of that stuff she had. It took her forever to over the illness. Boy it sure is nice out again. It won't be long now and we'll be hitting the golf ball. I can't wait. Well I should get going. I have had another bad week. A lot of stuff keeps breaking. I finally had a some what easy day today. Love you both

More Football

Can you believe Big Ben might not play next year. He put himself in a situation with a girl at a night club and now might be suspended. That is all the Steelers need. How we going to get back to the Super Bowl without him? Well it goes to show you that nothing good happens after midnight. Remember that and live by it. Well it looks like Spring may actually be here. It is 51 degrees and I'm going to grill out again tonight. It won't be too much longer and I'll be out hitting the golf ball around. I hope we have as good of a season as we had last year. Maybe we can win some other tournaments. We'll see. Hey I gotta joke for you. There was two blonde ladies standing on opposite shores of a river. One blonde yells across the river to the other. "How do you get to the other side?". To which the other blonde yells back "You're on the other side!" LOL. That one never gets old! Love you both.

50 degrees!!!!

Wow, It is 50 degrees today. The snow is about gone and the birds are singing. I hope the sunshine has found you two today too. I didn't get a chance to post yesterday. We had major issues with our wireless access here and I spent all day and most of today working on it. It is finally up and running again. I thought about you both today and wondered what you were up to. Hayden, I really need to get your doctor to call back. I hope you are doing well. Nathan, what's it like being back from break? I see where you are having an Ultimate Frisbee tournament in April. You never know I just might get a team together and see what we can do up there against you young guns. I spoke with Grandma Robey yesterday and she is finally feeling better. She has had a very bad winter season. I think the warmer weather will clear her up. Well, you two take care of each other and I love you both.

March Madness is upon us

Hey guys,
I am not sure if you both get as excited about basketball this time of year as I do but, it's March Madness time. I have my office pool all filled out and I have Duke winning it all against Ohio State. How's that for a stretch! Nathan, how was your spring break? Did you go anywhere fun? Hayden, I texted you this weekend and told you I missed you and that I wanted to come see you. I hope you get those and haven't changed your number again. I am going to just run over there and see if you will talk to me. I hope everything is going well for you. It must be about time for prom. Are you going to take anyone? I would like to help out if I could. Well I gotta go for today. Love you both.

It's Snowing again!!!!

I can't believe it. It is snowing again and it's the sloppy, slushy stuff too. I thought that we might be done with this for awhile but I guess not. The only good side of this is the weatherman says that we should start warming up on Sunday. It should get up to 50 hopefully. I thought about Hayden a lot today. I hope he is good. I can't believe his doctor will not return my calls. I am going to try again tomorrow. All I want to do is get a chance to visit with him and for him to grant me permission to attend Hayden's sessions. I think that would be the best to get through all this and let Hayden understand that he is loved and that I do care about him. I was remembering all the times we had playing catch or Xbox. I wish he could live with us. Laurie is all for it and wants to help him out too. We could get him through his schooling and maybe onto a career of some sort. I am not sure if he is still interested in the military still. I know whatever he decides to do, he will be the best at it. I love him. Well I will talk later. Love you both.

Let's talk football

Did you guys hear....Randle El is coming back to the Steelers for another three years. That is awesome. It should help out the receivers so Hines Ward doesn't get all the double coverage. They should have one of the best group of receivers in the league. Now if they can only shore up the defense with some cornerbacks. Last year after Palamalu went down, everything didn't jell. I can't wait for the season to start. I know it's five months away but, it is never to early to start looking at the coming year. I hope Hayden plays this year. I want to come over and watch him play. Well my days are starting to get busier because of some updates that we are taking here at the hospital. Hopefully this summer won't be to bad and I can play some golf. Well I will go for now. Remember I am always praying for you both to have blessed lives and wonderful things to look foward to. Love you both.

SDSU Lady Jacks!

The SDSU Lady Jackrabbits are putting on a show again this year. It looks like they will be making their second trip to the big dance. I hope they make it and go deep into the tourney. It would be good to see a team from South Dakota do something. Love you both.

12 Days until Spring

Hey guys,
Well there is only 12 days until the first day of spring. I can't wait. It will be nice to start having some warm weather and be able to go out and golf. I hope I get a chance to golf with you two. I still haven't heard from Hayden's doctor. I am beginning to wonder if you Mom has told him not to talk to me. I am going to try again tomorrow. You would think that he would atleast return my call in some manner. How was your weekend? Mine was uninventful. I did manage to take down the Christmas decorations though. Well, except for the ones that are still covered with snow. Again, it will be nice to get this out of here! You cousin Alex and his basketball team, made it to the state tournement on Friday. I watched the game on the internet and it went into double overtime. I hope they do well at the tourney. Well enough for today. I hope all is well. Love you both.

What a week!

Sorry boys, I haven't had an oppurtunity to post recently. I had to make a couple of trips out to our other clinics. It really has been a long week. On the bright side, it is finally warming up. We might even break the 40 degree mark today. I hope so. Spring can't come fast enough as far as I'm concerned. I saw your Grandma Robey today at lunch. She was out with her girlfriends having a good time. She has been really sick over the past few weeks. She has had phemonia and has been confined to her apartment. Hopefully she has seen the last of that stuff for awhile. I still haven't heard from Hayden's doctor. I am going to try and call him again on Monday. I hope all is going well for you both. I know it is spring break for Nathan next week. I wonder if he is going anywhere with his friends. I also wonder sometimes if he is seeing anyone. I hope he is happy. Well I gotta go for today. Love you both tons.

Finally February is over!

Hey, Finally the month of February is done. It has had to be the coldest and longest 28 days ever! Maybe now March can come in and warm things up. I hope this finds you two doing well. I tried to contact Hayden's doctor this morning. He or she is suppose to call me back so we can talk and I can finally find out what is going on with my boy. It will be nice to really get down to fixing all our issues so that I can go back to seeing you both regularly. Laurie and I spoke about this on the weekend and we wondered if Hayden would like to come live with us for a while. I guess we'll have to wait and see what transpires. It would be cool to finally have him back. Well this is short today but I will type more tomorrow. Love you both.

Cold Wednesday

Hey boys, It is really, really cold here today. I hope you both are staying warm. I talked with your mother today on the phone. I answered my phone thinking it might be Hayden's councilor but it was her. She informed me about the troubles that Hayden has been experiencing. Hayden, you are extremely fortunate to have such good friends to look after you. You are truly blessed. I told your mother that I wanted to visit with your Doctor when he got a chance. I want to help you through all this as best I can. I hope you are doing well. I left a voicemail message on your phone to call me but you must not get those. I really hope the Doctor calls me to join in your sessions. I feel we have a lot of garbage to get through and it can only help if we are both face to face. Love you buddy and talk to you soon.

Disturbing News

Hey boys, I got some news yesterday about Hayden and what he is going through. It really tugged at my heart. I am not sure what exactly is going on but after getting through to Nathan, he eluded that Hayden was going through some tough times. I called the school Psycologist this morning to see what I can do. I will wait to hear back from her. I will do anything to get Hayden better. I just want him to know how much he is truly loved on this side of the family. All his Aunts and Uncles as well as his Grandma Robey, love him and miss seeing him. I think Dana has tried to text Hayden but I am not sure the result. Hayden, I need you to know that I do love you very much. There really isn't a day that I don't think about you and what you are doing. I wish things had turned out differently but I guess we'll deal with things the way they are now and move on to a better future together. I hope I get to come see you so we can sit down as men and get back to the loving relationship that we should have. In the mean time I will continue to pray for you and your brother and hope that one day we can all be together sharing the happy times. Love you both. Dad

It's Friday

Boy this week really flew by. I guess that's what I get for taking two weeks off. I heard that one of my good friends in high school, your Uncle Dan's brother, is sick in the hospital in Albert Lea. I guess he got that flesh eating virus and it has taken all the skin on his leg from the knee down. I talked with him today and he seems in good spirits. I imagine you two are as sick of this winter as I am. Today was actually a pretty nice day. I went out at lunch and it had gotten up to 32 degrees. Hopefully it stops snowing and starts melting soon. I guess it won't be long and it will be Masters week and spring will be here. Well I hope you both are doing well and alwasy remember that I love you.

Ash Wednesday 2010

Well it's Ash Wednesday today which means that we are on our way to spring. We need some warm weather don't we? We traveled from Maui to the Big Island and spent three days there. It was interesting to say the least. The west side of the island where we stayed was very dry and basically everything looked like the outback. A lot of lava flows and stuff. There are no sandy beaches just lava rocks. It was fun though. We toured the largest coffee plantation on the island and even sampled the various coffess. It was located just outside of Kona. I couldn't believe that each coffee tree or plant only produced two pounds of coffee a year! It also takes up to seven months to harvest all the beans. I got to try a bean freash off the bush and it tasted like a cranberry. The guide told us that there is no caffeine in the beans until you roast them. While there, we say papaya trees, apple bananas and avacodo trees. This particular plantation was the largest exported of coffee on the islands. Back at our hotel the next day, we had the oppurtunity to see a whale jump right off shore. We were looking out over the ocean from our balcony and it started jumping and splashing. It wasn't any farther out than I could hit a pitching wedge. (100 yards) It was cool, and boy was he big. It rose out of the ocean about 25 or 30 feet and would come splashing down on it's side. Very unbelievable. Well that's enough for today. I will talk to you tomorrow. Love you both.

Another cold day

It is yet another cold day in South Dakota. I can't believe how long this winter has gotten. I really can't wait to see all the snow gone. I wonder if coming back from Hawaii has anything to do with how I feel. Speaking of Hawaii. It was awesome. We had 80 degree days everyday except for the day we toured Pearl. The whales were down from Alaska and we could watch them everyday from our hotels. We went to three different islands. The first one was Oahu. We spent three days there and it really isn't what I expected. It has a big city feel to it. The only reason I would go back would be to see Pearl Harbor again. The Arizona was closed and it rained all day. It was still awe inspiring though. The second island we stayed on was Maui. That is a real laid back place. From our hotel we could see out into the ocean and watch whales play and jump around. They sure are bigger that I had imagined. On our second day there, we went for a drive up to the north shore. It was beautiful and there was a ton of surfers out enjoying the big waves. I think next time I go I am going to try my hand at surfing or snorkeling. We'll see. Well that is all for now. I will continue my story tomorrow. Love you.

Back to South Dakota

Hey sons,
Well I have been offline for a few weeks. We were in Hawaii and boy is it beautiful. Hayden, we visited Pearl Harbor. It is quite a sight to see. I saw the Arizona and also stood on the USS Missouri where the Japanese surrendered. We visited three islands and they all were different in culture and scenery. Maui was fun and alot of activity. The whales were very active there. I could stand on the beach and watch them jump and play offshore. The Big Island was all lava flows. We actually landed on one as the airport. It was very laid back there. I will have to show you both the pictures sometime. I would love to take you two back someday. Well I need to go for now but I will write more about our trip tomorrow. love you both.

Brookings Memories

I was in Brookings last night for a high school event. It was a night full of memories of your childhood. Nathan, I drove by the sidewalk that you crashed on your bicycle riding to swimming lessons. I remember seeing you getting lost and crying until I showed you the way home. Hayden I drove by the school at Medary and remembered all the times I took you to school in Kindergarten. I remember one time I dropped you off and drove away. I watched you in the rearview mirror and noticed that you had stopped on the sidewalk. You were just staring in the air. So I turned around to see what was wrong. When I drove up to you and asked why you had stopped. You just looked at me and pointed in the air. You said "Bird!". There was a big black bird perched on the backstop of the baseball field. I am not sure if you were watching hoping it would take off or what. It makes me giggle just writting about it now. Well, You guys take care and know that I always loved you.

Vikings blew it!

Hi fellas, Well I am not sure if you saw either of the games yesterday but the Vikings blew that game big time. I thought they were on their way to the Super Bowl. They had the ball with less than two minutes left. All they had to do was move the ball ten yards closer, kick a field goal and punch their tickets. What happen next leaves me baffled. Farve, instead of running for a first down, throws a interception and the game goes into overtime. Then they lose the coin toss and the defense couldn't stop them. I can't believe it! Not that I'm a big Vikings fan or anything but I do know Chad Greenway's family and it would have been nice to see him go. Well I hope you both are surviving this next storm. It is nasty out there today. The wind is howling and it is snowing again. Just a little though. It makes the fact that I will be in Hawaii in six days, all the more pleasent. Well enough for today. Love you both.

Still Freezing Rain

I really can't believe how aweful this winter has been so far. We have had nothing but freezing rain all day. They are talking about a winter storm coming tonight and lasting through the weekend. I texted Hayden and told him that I hoped he was safe and warm. I still worry about you two. I can't be the father that I want to be and I still have the need to protect you both from being hurt. I know you are going to say that I have already hurt you more than I know. It wasn't intentional and what happen between your mother and I, was just that between us. You two should not have been put though any of what you already have. I hold your mother responsible for filling your ears with all her bad feeling towards me. It basically turned my two sons against me. Hayden you need to understand that I didn't mean to say those thing to the Dentist. If I had known that you were listening, I would not have said it. I was just so mad that your mother was trying to stick me with yet another bill. She stuck me with all the medical bills and I didn't want that to happen with the ortho bill. Trust me, I do love you very much. I'll stop for now but there is a ton of stuff you two need to hear another version of. Someday maybe we can sit down, just the three of us and talk more on this subject. Maybe over some beers while watching football. For now just believe me I do care about you two. Love you both.

Hello

I wish there was communication back from you guys. I wonder how you both are doing and if you are growing into nice young men. It sounds like we are in for another blast of winter over the next couple of days. They are talking about as much as 6 more inches of snow on Saturday. I hope it clears up so we can make it to the airport next week. It sounds like Hawaii is beautiful this time of year. I hope to catch a glimpse or two of some whales.

Freezing Rain

Today we have freezing rain and snow going on. Can you believe it? January and all the streets have a layer of ice on them. Sounds like they closed all the schools and are canceling all the church activities for tonight. I think I will make some soup for supper tonight. That should be good on a cold night like tonight. I wonder if Hayden had school today or if the storm hasn't gotten there yet. I hope you both are doing well and know that I miss you both dearly.

Busy Day today but still thought about you.

Hey boys, It was a busy day today but I still was able to think about you both. I said a prayer this morning that you both were kept safe and free from harm as you ventured out into God's world. I thought about if I would even recognize you guys if I saw you on the street. I was wondering when this spring would I go and see you. Spring really can't come soon enough! It is going to rain! believe it or not. Feburary and they are talking freezing rain and snow, clear through the weekend. I hope it stays nice next week and weekend. I really want to get to Hawaii. Well that is all for now. Talk to you soon and love you both.

WOW what a weekend of Football

Did you guys see those games this last weekend? I am pulling for the Vikings just because they have never won a Super Bowl and I think everyone around here would like to see them get one. It is really foggy here today and it sounds like it is supposed to be that way all week. I am actually going to be in Brookings Friday night. Cole has a wrestling meet there. I always hope that I will see Nathan while I am there but I am sure I won't. Hayden I was over to your Grandma Robey's for supper last night. I was looking around the apartment at all her pictures of her grandchildren and your's made me smile. It is one that I took when you first moved to Rochester. You older brother has his arm around your shoulders and you are making a funny face. I think I told you two to smile and you, being the goof you are, just squinted and smiled. As I am writting this, it makes me smile and miss you more. Sometimes I wonder how you are doing and if you ever think of me. I don't know how I do it sometimes. I miss seeing you and playing catch with the football. I miss just goofing off the way we both did playing video games. I hope you are well. I miss you both and I love you tons!

It's Finally Friday

Well it is Friday and really it couldn't have gotten here any faster. I need a break from all the stress here at work. Between the phone system crashing and a virus being downloaded, I've had it. Anyway, I thinking that I should talk about some of my memories of your early childhood. I was in DeSmet yesterday working on some systems. I had to drive accross town to one of our clinics. I drove by the high school and it reminded me of the basketball tournement that Nathan played in when he was in middle school. I can't remember what place we got but I do remember a couple of close games and him having a pretty good tournement. I sure was proud of him that day. I think you should have a team picture or something at your home. Hayden, my memories of your basketball days are short. I just remember you always dribbling and shooting during the quarter breaks at your brothers games. I also remember on of the camps you went to. I was so proud of you when you won the Freethrow championship for that camp. You came out to the car with your medal and didn't know why they gave it to you! :) I still laugh about that day. Well that's all for now. Watch the Vikings this weekend. Love you!

Hello again

Whew it's been busy the last couple of days. We lost the entire phone system here at the hospital yesterday. We were down for at least seven hours before we got any service back. That is a real emergancy in the medical field. I recieved a call about 5:30am that our system went down and didn't come back up. I hurried in to see what I could do. We called the service provider and rerouted the incoming calls over some single lines that we have. Then we had to pass out radios for the different floors to communicate back and forth. It was stressful but everyone performed awesome. I tried to call you guys last night. I recieved a notification of medical service for Hayden. I hope his leg is healing well. I wonder if you two will ever call or answer the phone when I call. Just so you know that I am atleast attempting to call. I hope that I have the correct numbers. Nathan's went to voicemail, so I am pretty sure his is correct. Well I need to go for today. Sorry I didn't get a chance to write over the past couple of days. Love you both.

Stories of your childhood

I thought I would interject some memories that I have about you growing up. I still think about the days that your two were born. It was a great event in my life. Seeing you lay in your cribs at the hospital nursery. You both sleeped so soundly, although Hayden made a lot of little noises. I will always cherish those times that I was alone looking through the glass at both of you. I often wondered what you would grow into and what you were going to contribute to this world. I hoped for a better life than I had and thought that with my guidence I could get you there. I failed in some aspects of that but hopefully we will be together again and I can contribute to your lives in some way. Love you both.

A warmer day finally!

Hey sons. It is finally warming up. I think the temperature will be in the mid 30's. Did you watch any games this past weekend? The Green Bay game was a good one. I thought they would win but you just never know. The playoffs just aren't the same without the Steelers in them are they? Next year they will be back.

Bread Pudding Day!!!

Well its a new year and Friday's are still Bread Pudding day here at the hospital. Boy is it good. I hope you are keeping warm. I sent Nathan a text yesterday to see how he was doing. I wonder if he even gets those texts. I hope you both have a great weekend. love you.

It seems like Alaska

I woke up this morning to the wind howling and snow blowing all around. The drift in the driveway was four foot deep and the street was blown shut. So instead of going back to bed and waiting for the snow plow....I got dressed started the snow blower and blew everything out, including the street. I can't wait for the street department to see that one. Well at least I got us to work. It looks like Rochester is getting the brunt of the storm now. I hope Hayden is safe and warm. I would think that Nathan is back at school in Brookings again. At least I would be. I was thinking about Hayden and his leg last night. I hope it is healing well and he will be able to at least play football next season. Hopefully it wasn't anything major. Nathan is your foot getting along well? Well I have to get some things done today so it is kind of short. Tomorrow I will tell you how it was growing up in Alaska during the winters. Love you both.

Another 5 inches of snow!

Well today we woke up to another five inches of snow and still snowing. I think this is the worst winter for snow accumulation since 1997. That winter when you traveled between Brookings and Sioux Falls on I-29, you couldn't see the traffic in the oncoming lanes. The snow was stacked about six feet high in the ditches around Flandreau. This morning I made it to work but I am not sure if I'll make it home. The wind is suppose to pick up and blow everything all over. Should be a fun evening.... On other new. Did you watch Iowa win the Orange Bowl last night? It was a pretty good game. There is a kid from Parkston that plays right tackle for Iowa. Parkston is a small town about 20 miles from here. Chad Greenway of the Vikings is from here too. I visit with his uncle all the time. His cousins wrestle for Mitchell. Well I'll let you go. Talk to you soon. Love you.

Winter is here

Hello Nate and Hayden,
Winter is really taking a bite out of us this year. It is below zero on the thermomiter and more snow is to arrive tonight. We are expecting 2-4 inches with windy conditions. Should make for a miserable day tomorrow. It's a good thing I went out and bought gas for the snow blower. Now that the new year is here, have you made your resolutions? I am trying to lose the weight that I put on over the fall and holiday. I figure that I need to lose about twenty pounds or so. Well that's it for today. I hope you both are good and doing fine.

After the long weekend

Hey Guys,
I hope your New Years was fun. Ours was pretty uneventful, we stayed in where it was warm. The weather around here has been terrible cold. It reminds me of when I was growing up in Alaska. We didn't have wind chill factors back then though. Well the sad news is, the Steeler's season is offically over. :( They did win thier game however. Maybe next year they can focus on what needs to be done and win those close games.