futbol

The oldest 3 kids are in full swing of soccer this fall. This is the first season for all of them so my girls are a little behind. They mostly run around the field clueless of what's going on but with more practices and games, I think they will catch on. C-boy is starting in the youngest league but is also just running around. The good thing here is that all the rest of the boys are too.

Nephew's birthday party

This Sunday we celebrated my nephew's 1st birthday! My brother, his wife, and son just moved down here from Chicago last week and we got together to celebrate at my parent's house. It was a great time by all and the burgers and dogs were awesome. This is the first party of many more to come...











Disregard the kid passed out in the background...it was a good spot for a nap...

It's Game Day

Today we embark on one of the greatest times of the year...tailgating. Today is the first home home game for the Mean Green. It's also the first soccer games for our oldest kids T-Girl, M-Girl, and C-Boy. It's a busy day but here's the basic rundown.

7:00--woke up

7:01--put Mean Green yard sign in front yard

8:00--breakfast and misc crap

9:00--turn on College Game Day on ESPN

9:15--gave boys game day hair cuts

10:45--leave for debut game of Ladybugs soccer

1:00--Bulldogs debut soccer game

2:30--head home to pack up truck for tailgating

3:15--arrive at Fouts Field to unleash the tailgating celebration

3:17--argue with parking lot officials about where to park

3:30--set up 'camp', first drink, grill ribs, Muenster sausage, and hot dogs

5:45--stumble into stadium

9:00--leave stadium and listen to post game show

10:00--slam tons of Pepto and Advil

10:03--pass out

more pics

random news

Here are some random pics...



Beer Can chicken is the best way to smoke a yard bird. They are so moist and full of flavor...makes you hungry doesn't it.



L-Girl is eating real baby food. Our grocery bill is going to explode...



C-Boy and I are reading the Sunday paper catching up on the news. He later wrestled the paper and lost...



The girls and C-boy are freakin weird...(gets that from their mother)

Happy Birthday America

This 4th of July was a terrific one. We really enjoyed our annual get-together at Grandma's house. We feasted on hot links, hot dogs, and hamburgers...not to mention countless chips, crackers, and other snacks. The weather was perfect and the pool was delicious. Here are some pics...

I'm a smoker

I believe I'm becoming an addict of smoking. Yes, I know, I know...but I can't help it. It's too much fun and it is so satisfying.

I have researched for quite some time which smoker I wanted to get. I have had a 'bullet' electric smoker for some time but I was ready to upgrade. I still wanted an electric smoker because with 5 kids, I don't have the time to baby a wood smoker. I know that there are purist out there that say I'm cheating, but I don't care. I care about the outcome and ease at this point of my life. I ended up buying a Masterbuilt smoker. I picked up this smoker a couple of weeks ago and pre-burned/seasoned it the first day. For Father's Day, I smoked some baby back ribs and beans and it turned out very nice. Last night, we had our Financial Peace University instructors over for a cook-out and I smoked a pork shoulder and some more beans. I also tried my luck at some barbecue sauce made from scratch. The meat, beans and sauce turned out great. I smoked the meat for 12 hours at 225 degrees with hickory chips. I smoked the beans for about 7 hours. Here are some pics...