Truman & the New House

This past weekend, we had the opportunity to travel to the Northeast corner of Missouri and visit our daughter Shallen at school, Truman State University (and for all you old timers, formerly Northeast MO State Univ). Kirksville is a nice, small town with very little to do outside of the college. Shallen, not surprising, loves the college life! Staying up till when ever and making that early class the next morning. The sleep deprivation finally catches up with her after about a week and she sleeps for a day or so...then back to the same old grind.

Stephan came up with Stephanie & I to visit with Shallen. We had breakfast together then met up with her later at the football game (Truman was playing host to Emporia State Hornets). It turned out to be a good game. Truman is not known for it's football program, so this was a nice surprise. It was tied 24-24 after 4 quarters and they went into overtime. The Hornets finally got a touchdown and it was all over.

Shallen plays in the marching band for Truman. They're not bad, not real good, but not bad. They did a couple numbers at half-time...one was a rendition of Thriller by Michael Jackson (of course they did the zombie dance during that performance). After the game, we met up with Shallen's friends at the nearby pizza place in downtown. Shelly and Claire are from North Kansas City and went to high school with Shallen at Platte County. Man, that was a long drive home with a full belly and little sleep from the night before (3 hour drive).

On Sunday, we went out to the new house to pull carpet, clean the kitchen and vacuum the carpet upstairs to make ready to move in. Oh, I guess I haven't blogged in so long, I didn't mention the fact that we finally sold our house and found another within two days. The new house is in Blue Springs, not much off I-70. It's a Colonial style with 4 bedrooms and sitting on almost a half acre lot. We plan to be in this house for about 5-10 years then sell to get into our dream home just in time for retirement.

We took a beating on the sale of our house - it truly is a buyers market right now. But, we also got a great deal on this new house. We bought it from the bank with the intent of selling in 5-10 years. I'll be posting some before & after pictures a little later.

Family!

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I've missed putting my thoughts down.

This week, I was very fortunate to have dinner and visit with distant family members in town for a Dr.'s appointment. Genealogy has been such a great tool to reach out to family I never knew existed.

A few years ago, after my grandmother died, I really got the bug to find out about my heritage...where I came from and who was in my blood line. Much to my surprise, I found out that my grandfather's brother (Harold Elkins) was still alive and living in Overland Park, KS. In doing a little more research, I found that he had cousins still living in MO and IL. This road has led to some great friendships and interesting stories.

Steph and I met with the ladies after work on Wednesday evening. Sitting to my right is Mary Elkins. She lives in St. Louis, MO and is my great grandfather's (James D. Elkins) niece. Her father was Woodie Elkins, a postal carrier back in the 1930's.


To my immediate right is Betsy Wharton, the daughter of Russell Elkins, my great grandfather's brother. Betsy lives in Monticello, IL. She comes to KU Med Center once a year for a Dr.'s visit.

And to my far right is Marcy Buckles, Besty's daughter and my second cousin. Marcy drives her mom into KC. This year, they grabbed Mary and brought her along for the ride.

The only one missing was Harold. Evidently, a few weeks ago, he had what was reported as a mild heart attack and has been convalescing in a retirement area until he's able to return home. Our prayers go out to him and he gets better. What a great time we all had talking about old stories and creating new ones that we will cherish for years to come.

Thanks for the wonderful visit ladies...I really enjoyed myself!

Happy Birthday Stephan!

There were times during Stephan's 18 years you just weren't sure if he was going to make it. He lives everyday harder than the previous...and has a great time doing it. He was born at St. Mary's hospital in Blue Springs, MO on a very hot day in 1991.

When I started in the Navy, Stephan wanted everything camouflage. His blanket, cloths, everything was camo. I think he was really ready to move into that part of his life and he's never looked back.

As he's gotten older, he's taken on responsibility as a young adult and walked away from it when he still wanted to be a kid. He has a contagious smile and a good heart.

Stephan makes me very proud as I get older and see the man he is becoming. He still has a lot of growing up to do, but he isn't afraid to make mistakes and learn from them as every man does! Happy birthday Stephan...I love you!

Rock-n-Roll 1/2 Marathon - Virginia Beach

Steph and I have been getting up every morning at 5am to train for the Rock N Roll Marathon in Virginia Beach to be held over Labor Day weekend (Sept. 6th). The 13.1 mile course is suppose to follow the ocean front and end on the beach.

This is Steph's first 1/2 marathon and she's pretty excited about it. She got on-line last night and ordered our flight, hotel and car. We still have to sign up for the event - we'll probably do that in the next day or so. Since this is her first, I'm training/adding moral support to her daily runs. We're doing about 3 miles a day during the week and have a long run on the weekend.

By early August, we'll be doing 4 miles each morning and 10-12 on the weekends...she'll be ready, and we'll have a great time in Virginia Beach over Labor Day!

Pictures to Remember...

At Derek's on the 4th we had another family picture taken. It's been a while since all of us have been together, so it's always nice to get a current shot of my brother's and sister and especially mom! In case it's been a while since you've seen the group, it's Derek (the youngest), then Caron (the oldest), then mom, me and Jeff (the goofiest)!

Steph and I took our turn getting a picture as well. This December, Steph and I will have been married 6 wonderful years! I love this woman more than I can ever put down on paper. Just to catch you up on our life: we are STILL trying to sell our house! We extended our contract a month with our Realtor with the provision that he start doing some things I want him to do to sell our home. I am a Project Manager by trade and selling a house is nothing more than a project. Define the objective, determine milestones to be met and deliverables...add in a marketing and communication plan and the project is on the way. We are using Craig's List now as well as the Realtor's site to reach out to everyone we can. His contract expires on August 6th - we'll see what happens!

Morgan came over and stayed with us this past weekend (she's the older one on my back)! We were going swimming on Sunday afternoon and invited Colby and Addison (on my lap) to join us. We got a free day pass at a new neighborhood pool with waterslides and a couple pools. The girls had a good time and so did we. I was pooped that night - I didn't realize I was so busy with going down the slides with Morgan and catering to Addison (she was a little cranky...she didn't get her full nap out).

Stephan's 18th birthday is this Friday, July 17th! There were times I though he would never reach this day; actually, we're not there yet, he still has the chance to prove me right. He is currently working on a horse farm in the mornings just outside of Odessa, MO (about 10 miles from his house). He enjoys the outside work and likes being around the horses. Have a terrific birthday Pal!

Outstanding Weekend!

Over two months...WOW!!! That how long since my last blog! I humbly bow my head in disgrace. It's not that things haven't been exciting - I just haven't been actively involved in keeping everyone up to date. I hope to do better...they say the first step is admitting your fault! ;o)

We had a great weekend. Mine started Thursday afternoon and went till 6:00 this morning when I had to get ready for work. We had a cookout and good family fellowship at my home on Friday for Steph's side of the family. Shirley (Steph's mom), Kay (Steph's sister), Craig & Nedra (Steph's brother & sister-in-law), Jessi (Craig's daughter) and Shallen enjoyed dinner together. This was a progressive meal as we drove to Shirley's for brownie's & ice cream to top off the evening.

On Saturday we met at my brother Derek's home in Grain Valley, MO for a little more "explosive" day! The kids were shooting off fireworks. My brother's Jeff (and his girlfriend Stacey) & Derek (& his wife Wendi) were there. My sister Caron & her husband Jeff was there. Mom was there enjoying all of her kids together once again. We had some good food and enjoyed everyone taking turns at "Guitar Hero!" There were a number of pictures taken...I'll be sure to include a few in my next blog.

Shallen is set to go to Truman State in Kirksville, MO this fall. We went up in June to a parent/student meeting with advisors. Shallen got her classes and we got to see her dorm room - it's a far cry from what I experienced as "dorm life" some 25 years ago when I first attended school at Central Missouri in Warrensburg, MO. She already knows her room mate and suite-mates given the social networking of Facebook!

Steph and I are preparing for the Rock & Roll 1/2 Marathon in Virginia Beach on September 6th. This will be her first 1/2 marathon and she is somewhere between excited and sick to her stomach. I am playing the role of her trainer. She'll be ready! We ran a 5K on Saturday morning, The Freedom Run, in Lenexa, KS. She could have easily gone another 2 miles. My big run will be the Kansas City 1/2 marathon this fall...I'd like to run about a 1:35.

My hope is that this blog finds all my family and friends in good health. Please feel free to reach out to me as you all get the chance!

Let The Games Begin!

Kansas City Corporate Challenge kicks off this evening in the parking lot surrounding Arrowhead Stadium. Each year, Kansas City businesses of every size and shape get together to compete in events that mirror the Olympic games...and then some!

I am competing for H&R block in the 5K run and Tug-of-War. I'v been trying to focus on the shorter distance and doing a lot of speed work - we'll see if it helps. Tug-of-War is a tactical sport. The idea is to get more bodies on the rope than the opposing team...two additional legs can add a lot of support when the pulling starts. My brother Jeff also works for Block and will be on the Tug-of-War team as well - he's a moose!

Tonight's kick-off is about getting the companies together and having a rah-rah session to promote good sportsmanship and competition. While I'm competing for H&R Block, Stephanie will be competing for Applebee's Inc. in a smaller division. She'll be playing table tennis, volleyball and tennis.

Let the fun begin!

Last Day in the Navy

Today, April 29th, is officially my last day in the United States Navy. I joined April 29, 2001 after a friend of mine at Sprint, Mike Macias, introduced me to the Reserves. At the time, I was 38 and needed to sign an age waiver to get in (cut-off is 36). I was still in good shape and knew I could compete physically with anyone in the Navy.

My oldest daughter, Erin, had entered the Navy a year earlier and her mother and I were separated and looking at divorce. I had always wanted to go into the military and I thought, "if I don't do it now, this will pass me by and I won't get another chance." My grandfather, Melvin Lusby, had flown in the Air Force during WWII, my then Father-in-Law Ed Becker had been a Corpman during the Korean War, my dad, Marden "Curlee" Elkins was enlisted in the Air Force during Vietnam stationed in CA, my brother Jeff had spent time in Germany while in the Army and my brother Derek had enlisted in the Air Force - this was my time.

My intent was to go 20 years (I would have been 58 when I was able to retire) and then two years later have access to that retirement. Funny how your perspective changes as you get older.

Looking back over my short Navy Career:

• I enlisted for 8 years (April 29, 2001) as an Information Technology Specialist (the old Radioman), Petty Officer 3rd Class
• I was still in Navy Indoctrination when 911 happened
• Attended Reserve bootcamp at Great Lakes, IL in January 2002
• I joined Military Sealift Command, ROK (Republic of Korea) following bootcamp
• I transferred to Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit 114 in October 2002 after I got tired of sitting in a classroom during my Reserve weekends - this is NOT why I joined the Navy
• MIUWU 114 was given orders to deploy to the Middle East (Kuwait/Iraq) right after I joined. I needed 30 drills INCONUS (inside the continental US) to deploy with the unit - I spent the next 30 days at Whiteman AFB getting my time in - THIS is why I joined the military!
• We processed into active duty in San Diego before heading to Kuwait for staging 12/5/2002
• We moved into Iraq two days after the war began to secure the port of UmmQasar for the humanitarian ship to offload their supplies and send them to Baghdad via railway. We took fire from a pair of snipers as we were entering the town
• I returned home from my first tour in early June, 2003
• I participated in war-games in South Korea in March, 2005
• I returned for my 2nd tour to Kuwait for a 14 month deployment in March, 2006 - this was nothing more than a babysitting assignment...very unproductive!
• I leave the Navy with 16 ribbons/medals, numerous commendations and an Expeditionary Warfare pin. I leave as an E5, Petty Officer 2nd Class

I have enjoyed the Navy. I have made some life-long friends who would do anything for me. This time in my life has taught me a respect for our country, our freedom and what America was founded upon - Service to Country! As I continue through my life, I will foster the mantra of the Navy and walk it in my daily life: Honor, Courage, Commitment!

Hoo Yah!

Very Emotional Week

Thanks, so much, to everyone who has been in prayer for my family...my Aunt Pam greatly appreciates the thoughts & prayers. It has been a difficult week to say the least. My Aunt and cousins lost a very intricate part of their lives this last week...Larry will be missed in many different ways to each of us.

My former pastor and good friend, Charles Turner, joined me for the Royal's game this last week against the Cleveland Indians. Chuck & I had a great time of fellowship and really enjoyed the game (it helped to get my mind off the troubles with my uncle). The Royals' squandered a number of opportunities to score and eventually lost the game, but it was wonderful to spend the time with Bro. Charles. We are planning to get Chuck, his son's James and Paul (when Paul will be in town) and I together for a game later this summer...now, that'll be a good time!

Shallen had her Senior Prom on Saturday night. She attendedwith her boyfriend Cory and they both looked great. Shallen, with three of her friends and their dates, rented a limo for the evening. The Prom was held at the Arrowhead Club at Chief's Stadium. The kids all ate at Feilio's on the Plaza (I was told the food was pretty good). This is Shallen's last dance before she graduates on May 9th...she is extremely excited about finishing this part of her life and looking forward to the next chapter.

Stephan had a very difficult week: not only did he lose his Great-Uncle Larry, he also lost a good friend from his school and class, Tanner. Tanner was involved in a car accident when his girlfriend was driving them back from Blue Springs to Oak Grove. She lost control of the car and it flipped and went into the on-coming traffic. Another car hit the passenger side where Tanner was still belted in...he died at the accident site. The girlfriend and driver are going to be OK. Stephan attended Tanner's funeral in Oak Grove, then had to drive to Gladstone (about 45 minutes away) to attend his Uncle's funeral. Please keep Stephan in your prayers as he deals with these two tragic losses. He often acts like a tough guy, but he's got a heart as big as can be and it was obvious that it was breaking yesterday.

I'm back at work full-time today since Larry had his heart attack last Tuesday morning. Some things never change - I got slammed with projects this morning when I came in. Luckily, I come in about an hour ahead of anyone else on my team - that gave me a little time to get my arms around everything before the questioning started. It's good to work with a good group of people. My boss stopped by my office this morning to make sure I was OK and everything was going OK for my Aunt Pam...Tim's a really good guy. Pam is continuing to deal with her knee surgery and hopefully the physical therapy will keep her busy enough over the next couple of weeks so she doesn't just sit around and dwell on her loss.

Prayers Are Needed!

While my Aunt Pam (pictured) was in the hospital after having knee surgery, my Uncle Larry (also pictured) was staying with her. My Aunt woke the next morning with Larry laying on the couch beside her bed. When she tried to wake him, he was unresponsive. Pam yelled for the nurse at which time Larry had no pulse and was not breathing. They immediately started resuscitation.

Larry is 61 years old and had a major heart attack. Last Saturday, we held a surprise retirement party for him at his daughter Tracey's house. Larry has little if no brain activity. We have had family around Pam & Larry all day at the hospital.

For all the prayer warriors out there, please lift up a prayer for the family. Ask for strength in this time of trouble. This is especially difficult for Pam as Larry has always done everything for her...he literally took care of everything. Ask God for comfort and direction through these next couple of days while the family awaits the outcome.

Pam will be release in a few days and they will begin removing Larry from the ventilator tomorrow afternoon. Please keep my family in your prayers.

Opening Day at "The K"

The rain started last night and the light show was magnificent! Knowing that today, the Royals would be playing their home opener against the New York Yankees...frankly, I wasn't sure if they could pull it off.

The rain stopped about 10:30am and the clouds pushed out of the sky. On my way into the office this morning, I decided to get the annual opening day newspaper that supports local charities. I drove through the Plaza area and who offered me my paper, none other than Hall of Famer, George Brett! George was soaked but had a big smile on his face.

As I drove into work, I thought about some past memories of my Kansas City Royals (everybody takes ownership on opening day)!

I always loved it when the Royals would bring in for middle relief, Al "The Mad Hungarian" Hrabowski. He would step behind the mound, tuck his glove under his arm and procede to rub the baseball in his hands working up the fans into a hysteria. His head would stay down as he placed the glove back on his hand, then slam the ball into the pocket of the glove. With this, the crowd would go crazy and he would storm back up to the pitching rubber with the disturbed look on his face. I would have been a little nervous to stand in that batter's box at that point!

My 2nd memory should be very well known to most baseball fans. I was watching the Royals back in the 1983 season during an away game to Yankee Stadium. George Brett had just cracked a home run off Goose Gossage over the right field wall when Billy Martin came out to the Umpire. His issue was the length of pine tar on Brett's bat. The Umpire asked for the bat, had a quick conference with Martin and the field Umps then turned to the Royals dugout and gave the close fisted "out" signal to the last play. George came racing out of the dugout like a madman - he went nuts. Later, after review with the Commissioner, the home run was reinstated.

My other big memory came when Bo Jackson played for the Royals in the late 80's, early 90's. We were playing the Seattle Mariners at Royals Stadium and Bo was in Left Field. Harold Reynolds, the speedster for the Mariners was on 3rd base when the next batter up hit a line drive shot to Bo on the warning track. As soon as the catch was made, Reynolds was off for Home Plate. I remember sitting about 10 rows back of the Royals dugout down the first base side. After making the catch, Bo took one step toward Home Plate and threw a beebee that hit the catcher's glove about knee height, all the way in the air and Reynold's was tagged out...it was a perfect strike!

I am ready for this year to get underway! The Royals start their Home Opener in first place in the AL Central. I look forward to an exiting year...let the fun begin!

KC Zoo with the Grandkids

Saturday was a terrific day in Kansas City to take the kids to the Zoo. The day started out a little chilly (it was in the mid to upper 50's) with a few rain drops from time to time, but the Meteorologists predicted a sunny, much warmer day by mid afternoon.
Addison was going to spend the night with us. We had to be by to pick her up by 8:30am to give Colby plenty of time to get to work. Addison was packed and had a great big smile on her face for us. You really can't see it on any of the pictures...as you can see, she's always very serious!
We went by to pick up Morgan around 9am, then off to McDonald's for breakfast (it wasn't my idea - just ask the girls).


It's been a while since we've been to the Zoo. Kansas City, over the years, have made a number of great changes/additions. We were pretty much the first folks in the Zoo that morning - it was still pretty cool. We rented a wagon to pull the kids around in. Addison was content to sit in it and be pulled from location to location. Morgan wanted to go where she wanted, so she walked most of the way.



Addison enjoyed the camels (as you can see in the previous picture where she was amazed by them). Morgan liked the kangaroos because they are able to roam free over the Austrailia exhibit of the Zoo. Numerous times, they crossed our paths as we were walking along. Around 2pm, the temps were around 60-65 degrees and we started shedding jackets.



This was Addison on the way to the Zoo...trying to be stylish and well equipped for anything the Zoo had to throw her way. Half way through the visit, she curled up in the bottom of the wagon and took a well deserved nap.





Morgan was a big help to us as we made our way through the Zoo. She held Addison's attention and helped to keep her occupied as we ventured from site to site. All in all, it was a great way to spend the day with the grandkids!

Real Estate...a second job!

This past weekend, I fired our Realtor. After a month, he finally got the data on our listing complete and correct. I think I have been incredibly patient, but just couldn't put up with it any longer. Anything we wanted done in regards to the home sale, I had to instigate. I felt as though I had taken over a second job that I wan't getting any compensation for. In the past month, the house has been shown twice by our realtor and the second person is questionable.

Steph and I decided to try our hand at selling it ouselves for a few weeks before turning the reins over to another realtor. I hate to say it, but I percieve the realtor population as "used car salesmen." I know some are very good and are in it to offer a service, but many want to list your house and sit back while someone else sells it and they get a portion of the commission at that point.

The house is in great shape (now) so we're going to take a number of pictures, get a "sale by owner" sign for the front yard and post it on Craig's List. We had great luck with the car we recently sold out there and also ran into an old friend recently who sold two of her past homes on Craig's List - she said it was easy and you didn't have to pay out a commission. You just work through a Title Co; they do all the paper work and you sell the house.

We'll see how this goes...I'm just ready to have this home sold and begin earnestly looking for "OUR" new house. Stay tuned!

Snow, State & Church

This weekend was full of exciting items...beginning with the weather. Friday, the local weather crew predicted between 6-10 inches of snow to hit our fair city. The interesting part is, we had a high of almost 80 not a week before. Even the MODOT crews on TV thought it was a joke. We got some rain and ice on Friday and got hit even harder with it on Saturday morning. About noon on Saturday, the snow started. I'm not talking about gentle little flakes fluttering to the ground. These were big, huge globs of wet snow dropping like rocks to the ground...it didn't take long for it to start accumulating. We ended up getting about 2-4 inches of heavy, wet snow.

Shallen had district Band on Saturday in Liberty, MO. She was part of a quartet flute ensamble as well as a solo performance. Shallen ended up getting a 1 (scale of 1 to 5...1 geing the best) in both her ensemble and solo - this means she's going to state competition on May 1st in Columbia, MO. She was so excited, she called Steph immediately to tell her about making state. Not a bad way to finish out her high school band competition.

Sunday morning, Shallen had to work at the tennis courts so Steph and I attended church at the 10:45 service at Antioch Baptist Church. This is a great church, we really enjoy the services and messages the pastor brings. There were a number of baptisms this morning...all young girls. It brought a tear to my eyes as they read the testimonies of these kids - they really have a heart and passion for the Lord. The message spoke to our motives in life. If we do things to show our "godliness" before man (in prayer, fasting and giving), we have already received our reward. God wants us to be in private with the things we do that glorify him and he will reward us in a very public way. It's always great to hear these passages in Matthew from time to time to keep us focused on our motives behind our relationship with God.

Have a great week!

We're Gettin Close

For our anniversary and Christmas this last year, Steph bought me a 9-game package to the Royals for this season. After selecting the games I wanted to attend and letting the folks at the KC Royals know them, it turned into a waiting game.

My wait has paid off. I received in the mail this week, two tickets for each of the games I selected. To open that box was exciting. I love baseball and am looking forward to watching the Royals this season. Regular season begins next month at the newly renovated stadium.

My love for baseball started as a teenager when I used to play catch with my buddy Paul in his back yard. We'd throw grounders to each other making them faster and faster. We'd end up throwing just about as hard as we could just in front of the other person's feet and making it difficult to field the ball. Through all of this, we would keep count until one of us missed. We actually did pretty well many a day in his backyard.

The other great memory was pitching to his dad. Rev. Charles would taunt us by telling us that we couldn't get a ball past him. We used a hard rubber ball that tended to flatten out a little when thrown hard. Chuck would start by crowding the plate - Paul and I had no trouble brushing him back, sometimes landing a ball square in his side. Then it was all we could do not to cry from laughter when he would jump around the yard fussing from us hitting him so hard. You knew it got bad when he'd yell to Frances in the house that "the boys" were beating up on him. I remember hearing Frances laughing in the distance.

You had to be careful with Chuck, though. If you floated one over the plate, he'd get that bat around and you'd be hoppin' a few fences to retrieve it. I often think about those times when we spent our whole afternoon in the backyard laughing, sweating and loving the game of baseball! Honestly, that's what it's all about.

One of Those Days

Have you ever had one of those days when you had to force yourself to finish something...every step of the way? Yesterday was one of those days for me. My day started at 5am getting up to pick up Stephan and traveling to Boonville, MO for a court date (let's just say it wasn't one of the smarter things he's done in his life). Booneville is about 2 hours from my house down I-70.

Let me start by saying, yesterday was beutiful in KC. The temps got up to about 80 degrees (very nice for a St. Patty's Day in KC...it's usually rainy and cold). I came back home after taking the day off from work and mowed the lawn. With the warm temperatures lately, I've actually got a good bit of green grass coming up already. I did a few other odds and ends and before I knew it, it was about 4:45. I needed to get a good run in and was actually motivated to do it.

Once I got out on the road running, I wanted to stop and walk. I even tried to convince myself that I should walk and run today. I was so tired and not motivated to go on. I had planned on an eight miler, but ended up cutting it back to six...I was surprised I got six miles in.

Steph was at home waiting for me when I got back. I quickly showered and we went up to Applebee's for dinner. Very relaxing evening. I even got home early enough to catch my favorite movie on TV - "The Quiet Man" with a very young John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Ever since I saw that movie years ago, it's been my favorite.

This morning, I got Steph up at 5am and we ran a couple miles. I'm trying to help her be a little more consistant with her running. It was a little cool when we started, but we warmed up pretty quickly. I'm now at work and ready to begin a long day at the office. Have a great day, everybody!

Monday...Monday

Great weekend...enjoyed spending all that time with my beautiful wife. On Friday, Stephanie and Shallen traveled to Kirksville, MO to check out Truman State University. Shallen is interested in playing tennis in college and this school offers the best possiblilty of doing that. Shallen liked the campus and the town. Steph was not as impressed, but I reminded her that Shallen was the one attending, not her! Shallen came home and immediately signed up for housing - it looks like the choice has been made.

Saturday, we did some work around the house. I finally got the new faucet put in the kitchen sink. It turns out, whenever a new house is built and the plumbers pipe in the kitchen sink, they don't put in shut-offs unless prompted to. Problem is, neither Steph nor I were here when they were building the house. I had to cut the pipes, put in shut-offs for both the hot & cold lines with compression fittings and run flexible lines to put in a new faucet...alot of work for exchanging out a faucet.

For lunch, we had the good fortune of meeting Steph's mom and sister Kay at Jason's Deli...I love that place. Excellent food and conversation. Everything seems to be going well for family - all in good spirits and healthy.

Saturday night, Steph and I went to O'Dowds Irish Pub in Zona Rosa ("The Plaza" north of the river) to watch the finals of the Big 12 Tourney. MU looked a little sluggish in the 1st half, but gained momentum in the 2nd and went on to win the tournament. They are now seated 3rd in the West Region and Kansas is seated 3rd in the Central. Should be a good tournament. It's too bad we couldn't get a home-town team to play at the Sprint Center for the opening rounds...who wants to watch Oklahoma???

Sunday, we met with three other families (the parents) to discuss the graduation party for our four girls. These girls have been friends all through grade/middle & high school. They are the best of friends and we love each and every one of them. Plan on seeing a high school graduation announcement in the near future.

On a separate note, I need all my prayer partners out there to lift up a newly found cousin and her husband (Marcy & Tom). I met Marcy and her mom Besty when doing research for the Elkins family tree. They live in Illinois and Tom is experiencing some issues with his heart and lungs. Please pray that God will hold this family tight and assure them that he is in the midst of this troubling time. I pray that a renewed strength is given to both Tom & Marcy as Tom awaits results back from tests.

Have a great week!

Beautiful Day for a Run

After getting off work yesterday, I had the need to get out and get my daily mileage in. I'm still preparing for the Nashville Marathon and knew I needed to get in a run between 5 and 8 miles (I settled on 6).

It had started to rain here yesterday as I was leaving work about 3:30. The temperature was in the mid to upper 40's...great running weather. Since we live North of Kansas City, the farther I traveled north from work, the more it seemed to pickup in downpour. By the time I got home, it was a constant flow of rain - sometimes a little sideways with the wind behind it.

I ran in the house and changed as quickly as I could knowing that I probably didn't have a lot of time before the temps started dropping and the rain would increase. I stretched and made it out of the house in time to start my run in a light rain that I knew would get worse as I ran.

Running is a great release for me. It gives me time to think about all the rushed areas in my life that need to slow down abit so I can make a solid decision about them. It also gives me a time to reflect on my beautiful wife, great kids and all the wonderful things God has so favorably blessed me with.

I'm glad I brought some light-weight gloves with me...I really needed them later in the run. Rainy days are fun to run in - it give you new obsticles to overcome, like dodging all the massive puddles that begin to spring up. There's a lot of new construction around where we live so I got the chance to run through a lot of mud and muck as well - it's all part of the run.

The farther I ran, the stronger I got yesterday. I was constantly forcing myself to pull back a little as my body was trying to set a blistering pace. I had to keep telling myself this was suppose to be a nice easy run, not a race. I finished the 6 miles about a block from the house and walked to the house for my cool-down. It was a great run for a solid day all the way around.

Fun Weekend

This past weekend we had the pleasure of having our grand-daughter Morgan over. She is a lot of fun and a ball of laughs. We went out Friday night to get her some new clothes and go out for dinner (the new clothes have become a ritual starting back a number of years ago...it's fun for both of us).

We spent Saturday morning driving around the Nothland looking at houses in a snow storm. We made plans earlier in the week to have our realtor take us out Saturday morning just to check out a few houses since ours is now on the market. It was cold, wet and generally uncomfortable. Out of about 10 houses we looked at, only one was worth thinking about for us. It's only the first day, I'm sure we'll see more we like over the next few months.

Sunday, we took my mother-in-law Shirley and traveled south to Lee's Summit to visit Steph's brother Craig and his wife Nedra to celebrate birthdays (Steph's was Feb 22, Nedra's was the 28th and Shirley's is Mar 5th). Nedra's daughter Ellen was there as well along with Craig's daughter Jesse. We had a great time with talk about current events and family news (Ellen is getting married in the fall).

Monday evening was Stephan's Spring vocal concert at Oak Grove High School. A number of the choirs performed (including the middle school choir). They all did a great job and I found out between songs, that Stephan made the All-Conference Choir (the boy never tells me anything)! I'm very proud of him. He is currently running track and preparing for his final year in school.

After the concert, I ran into an old friend of mine, Robin Wise, who used to live up the street from us growing up. Turns out, she has a set of very pretty twins in the 9th grade that Stephan is friends with...go figure!

O, Happy Day!

Sorry for the long drought in blogging, but I've been a little busy!

Yesterday, we finally had a sign placed in the yard...so, officially, our house is now on the market (not bad...only about a month later than I had planned)! We finished all the painting, cleaning, primping, etc, etc, etc...

We have made some pretty late nights of it recently. I still have a couple pieces of quarter-round to put on the new landing floor, and a few spots to touch up on the ceilings where we got a little crazy when we were rolling the walls - but that's it. The new carpet is in, new living room furniture, new head & foot boards for the master bedroom. After this, I really don't think I want to move again for awhile.

The problem is, I'm a perfectionist when it comes to making things just right. I spend a lot of time measuring, then remeasuring to make sure the cut is right the first time. I built a book case in our downstairs family room on both sides of the window. It probably took me two weeks just to make everything right. It turned out great...it just takes me way too long.

I also got the pickup truck I wanted. It's fire engine red with dual exhausts (a low rumble when you start it up and accelerate). It's a SuperCrew which will be nice for transporting 4 adults around. It sits high off the ground so I can see everyone around me - it's just what I wanted. The gas mileage could be a little better, but it's not a bad trade off.

Please pray that we get a lot of ready-to-move-in folks walking thru to check out the house and it doesn't stay on the market too long. The average house in our neighborhood after listing has stayed on the market about 58 days - 2 months isn't too bad! Please pray it goes in less than 30, for my own sanity's sake. Onto the next fun item - finding and putting a contract on a new house!

Get ready for, "Busy - Part II!"

Friday The 13th

I spoke with Stephan last night about how school was going and what's been happening lately. The first question he had for me was, "Dad, when are you going to get another truck so I can have yours?" A couple of weeks ago, I let him drive the truck for the week after his stopped running. His truck was getting, on average, about 8 miles to the gallon (it's just an old beat-up farm truck). Mine gets closer to 20 miles to the gallon. I've been looking for a crew cab because I like the size and the additional seating - that way, it also becomes a family vehicle. With just the regular cab, there's people who will not be coming along for the ride. I promised Stephan the truck after he finished with boot camp to drive to his first duty station - he may be getting it a little earlier if I find what I want.

Mom's in Phoenix this week catching up with a good friend, George, who used to live in the area! George is a great guy. Mom met him after dad passed away and mom was making a new group of friends. I guess George couldn't handle the cold any longer and decided to make Phoenix his new home. Mom's doing well and I know she enjoys the travel.

The home we were looking at has a contract on it now. Our Realtor is coming by tomorrow to check out the house, give us some ideas and try to sell us on his marketing approach. We got the new carpet in and are finishing the trim painting - we are very close to listing. Steph and I talked last night; if we sell the house and have nothing to go to, we may have to rent for a little while. That actually may work out better...then we won't need the contingency when we find something. Keep us in your prayers as we begin this process to find "OUR" place!

Happy Valentines Day to everyone out there! Love and cherish those who God has placed in your path and life for a reason. Just know, God has a plan!

Tuesday Morning!

We finally got some rain yesterday after about a month in a half - my yard is very thankful (the flowers in front have already started to bloom)! It came down pretty hard for about 30 minutes with a strong wind behind it...you know, the kind of rain that seems to be going sideways!

It's been awhile since I blogged...oh so much has happened! I got all the carpet torn out of the house and yesterday they laid new carpet. I've never built a home or had new carpet put down - it's kind of a cool experience. To go from a pine shell to a fully carpeted house in just a couple hours (about 6) is very interesting. Before the carpet went down, we spent the week cleaning and painting baseboards - the place looks immaculate (now lets see if we can keep it that way)!

I watched the MU vs. KU game last night - very good game. MU looked very nervous in the first half - their movements were very jerky. They seemed to settle down as the game progressed. They battled back very well and took the game in the final seconds.

Last Saturday night, Steph and I went to a party at my former Commanding Officer's house - it was exactly to the day that he entered boot camp...30 years ago! There were a number of old friends I'd made through the past eight years and new ones I made that evening. I spoke for quite a while to a S.E.A.L. named Bill Irwin about Stephan. We're all three going to get together and put Stephan on the competitive road to boot camp then off to SEAL Basic Training. There is a SEAL Motivator in the area that we will get together with in the next week or so - he can help Stephan to focus on the right areas to be successful. All in all, the party was a lot of fun and Scott (my former CO) had a great time with old friends.

We expect to put the house on the market in about a week or so. We are having a new couch and chair delivered from Nebraska Furniture Mart next Monday - we should be good to go right after that. I'm ready for a couple of very busy weeks in front of me. Have a great Tuesday!

Now, where did I leave off...

Sorry for the long delay to get back to the blog...it's been a busy week in the tax world!

Last Sunday, we started painting the Rec room. Steph went along and painted up against the ceiling and against the baseboards and I came back with a roller and put the first coat on. By about 3pm, we had the room done with the first coat and it turned out pretty nice. We plan to get the carpet shampoo'd this weekend and the 2nd coat on the walls - then the Rec room is finished!

Last night, after work, I started taking the carpet off the stairs going to the living room. We plan on replacing the carpet in the bedrooms, hall, stairs and the living room. As a matter of fact, I need to call the installer today and schedule the install in about a week - that should give me enough time to pull up all the carpet and pad, pull out all 10,000 staples that are holding the pad in place and paint the baseboards before the new carpet goes down! Please say a little prayer for Steph and I as we tackle this project after work and on the weekends.

Since Stephan is carless for awhile, I let him drive my truck back home and have it for the week - it's so fun teasing your own kids. He's going to come over on Sunday (he has the Courtwarming dance on Saturday night and wants to use the truck to impress his date) and bring the truck back.

Stephan has exactly one year left (he plans to graduate at mid-term next year...his Senior year) before he's out of school! He already has senioritice and needs to finish this year strong so he can graduate when he wants to - please pray for him to stay focused and on-track!

Speaking of senioritice, Shallen's got it BAD! She is sooooo ready to be out of school (we get a daily notice of the number of days left before she graduates)! She'll be going to MU in the fall unless a miracle happens (her grandmother is an alum from KU and wrote a letter to the Administration about letting Shallen receive in-state tuition)! Shallen would rather attend KU but is happy to go to MU as a secondary choice!

That's it for now! Take care and I'll talk to you all very soon!

Active Weekend

Have you ever had one of those weekends where you couldn't wait to get back to work on Monday morning just to get a little rest - it was one of those weekends for me.

I woke up Saturday morning to thoughts of filling holes in the walls and sanding before we went to look at a couple houses. I was up at 6am mudding walls and generally preping the walls for paint later in the day. Once I was finished, I sat back with a cup of coffee and looked over my work...on to the next agenda item!

Thursday, I called a couple of realtors who had listed homes and asked for a showing on Saturday morning. Steph and I were up early, had breakfast, then off to a couple of houses. The first was a Repo. Very nice shape, clean and about twice the size of our current home, for about $20K less. The 2nd house was smaller, not as nice and $50K more expensive. It doesn't take a brain specialist to figure out which was the better deal...we're looking into the Repo.

I spoke to Stephan during the week and his truck was parked over at his grandparents in Independence. His starter was bad - he had the old one tested and it was fried! It was just starting to snow when I left Steph at the house to paint while I went to get Stephan and get the truck running. We picked up the starter, got a little lunch and Stephan hooked up the new starter. With one turn of the key, the truck was running and he was back in buiness. We left his grandparents with me following. About 20 minutes into the drive I told him I needed to get some gas, so let's stop at Quik Trip on the way. As I was filling up, he came over to me with a dejected look on his face. He tells me after he shut off his truck and tried to restart it, he got nothing. After about 35 minutes of trying, I called a tow truck. We got the truck parked and he came home with me.

Sorry to cut this short, but Stephan's got a Dr. appt - I'll finish this a little later! Talk to everyone soon!

Steve

Spring in the Midst of Winter

Today in KC, we are to experience a heat wave (atleast it will feel like one after temperatures in the teens and 20's). I think we're suppose to get up to 61 or 62 degrees. This past weekend, after a short warm spell (1 day), I noticed the crochus' in the front yard were already pushing up through the ground preparing for bloom. I tried pushing them back down explaining it was too early, but they just wouldn't have it.

After work today, I plan on a 6-8 mile run. I hate the cold when it comes to running. Now, with that said, running when the temperature is in the 50's is great. You don't get overheated and it's perfect because your body warms up just enough to make it comfortable.

I've got to get myself motivated and out running on a regular basis to be ready for the race in Nashville. With getting the house ready to sell, looking at other homes (the one we were looking at had a contract written on it this last weekend) and being in the midst of the tax season with H&R Block, things are pretty busy right now. None of the items mentioned are good excuses for not preparing for the race. I'll get there, just a little slower than usual.

Today is my mom's birthday! Sandy Elkins is 68 today. For Christmas, Steph and I got her a Digital picture frame loaded with pictures of family that I had (and I have a lot). For her birthday, she has asked Caron, Jeff & Derek for additional family pictures to add to her already time-consuming array of pictures. She's going to have so many pictures on the thumbdrive, she's not going to be able to leave her house if she wants to see all of them! Happy Birthday Mom!

The 44th Inauguration

What a historic time...an incredible time to be living! I'm not talking about our first black president, I'm talking about the historical legacy of this great country.

On my way into work this morning, I decided to turn off the radio for a change and turn my thoughts toward this great country of ours. For over 200 years, we have been changing from party to party and shifting the power of the most powerful position in our country without bloodshed. Today, the out going president (Republican) will hand over the keys and the controlling power of the presidency to the incoming president (Democrat). Where else in the world is this done with such gala, formality and backing by the country's people without the thought of bloodshed.

I also thought of my own position as I stood in the election booth last Fall. I may not have voted for the incoming president, but I will do everything in my power to support him and his administration as he leads our country for the next four years. He is not only OUR President, but OUR Commander in Chief. It is now time for us all to rally around the leader of our great country and support his direction and passion for a strong United States once again.

I have no idea what the next four years will bring from an economic standpoint, but this is the time to stand together as one nation, under God, and throw our support behind the man who was voted President of the United States of America.

My Friend Paul

I know I've spoken quite a bit about my friend Paul. I grew up with Paul, he was the Best Man at my first wedding and we've maintained a good friendship through the years.

On my way home, over the past month, I've seen a digital billboard displayed. I just wanted to put a face with a name! Actually, this is not the Paul Turner I often speak of, luckily! So, if any of you are expecting to make a fast buck off this, I'm afraid you'll need to come up with another scheme. I finally stopped along side the road last night and caught a picture. I know my ol' buddy Paul will get a kick out of this!

This has been a very trying week for me. Early in the week, I felt a cold coming on. Right now, it's really kicking my butt. I'm hoping with the weekend upon us, it'll give me a chance to shake it. We're also trying to get the house put together to sell. Man, it seems like there's so much to do. We're also trying to sell the Xterra and have luckily had a bid...I think the guy is coming in from St. Louis on Monday to take a look at it - Steph listed it on Craig's List.

Shallen had a tire blow out on the way home from a swim meet earlier this week and I ended up having to put two new tires on her 1997 Acura. I should be getting a "Thank You" card any day from Sam's Club for what they cost me.

Today, Stephan called me and informed me that his truck just quit running. Smoke was coming out from under the hood and it wouldn't even turn over. His truck, if any of you have seen it, seemed to be on it's last leg for a very long time. 1989 Ford F-150 - just an old farm truck. I'm ready to do taxes so maybe I can get a little money back to help cover some of these expenses.

One nice thing; we found Steph a 2002 Honda Accord in excellent condition. She really enjoys driving it to work now that she's getting about 30 MPG and only puts in about half the gas she was putting in when filling up the Xterra. Once the Xterra sells, we'll put all that money back into the Money Market and it won't feel like everythings going out and nothings coming in!

Have a nice weekend everyone...you'll be hearing from me soon!

Busy Year Ahead!

This plans to be a very busy year for the Elkins' household. So much is going on:

• I already have plans to run in the Country Music Marathon in April (Steph will be running the half-marathon) followed by Hospital Hill half-marathon in June (I think Shallen plans to train and run in that one as well)
• We are currently in the process of doing a few things to our house to get it on the market for sale by the end of this month (January). We already have another house in mind and hope to be in it by March (that's Shallen's timeframe)
• Steph and I plan to make a trip to St. Louis in the early Spring and see Mary Elizabeth Elkins (my grandfather's cousin) again just to check on her and catch up
• In April, after completing 8 years in the Navy Reserve with two tours-of-duty, I plan to leave the military and return to 100% civilian life
• Stephan goes into work with a friend of his doing yard service - Stephan's going to like this, he's an incredibly hard worker and enjoys paying his own way!
• Shallen graduates from Platte County High School in May - big party just waiting to break loose!
• Steph, Shallen, Stephan and I plan to take a trip to Albuquerque, NM for a week following Stephan's school letting out - probably the first week in June
• Steph and I plan to go to Illinois to visit a few more relatives (Betsy and Virginia) that are cousin's of my grandfather. We met Betsy a couple of years ago when she came into town for a medical exam.
• Shallen starts her Freshman year of college at MU in the Fall (swishhhhh...that was the money leaving my wallet)
• Stephan starts his Senior year at Oak Grove High School in the fall
• Steph and I have all our family over to our new house for Thanksgiving this year
• Stephan graduates mid-term from Oak Grove and enlists in the military to join the ranks with other S.E.A.L. pups

As you can see, these are just the things I know about - many more will come. I will keep all of you up to date on what's going on and be sure to share many pictures and personal stories along the way. Have a great Thursday!

It's That Time of Year...Tax Season

Sorry for the long delay in updating folks on what's going on in my life and the lives of those I touch. Working at H&R Block Corp. has it's good points...and bad points. Tax season begins inOctober as we begin to ramp up. I have been on a couple of very large projects that take up a great deal of my time...including nights, weekends and time over the holidays.

Holiday break for the kids has been very good. Both Shallen & Stephan enjoyed their time away from school and spending time with friends. They both returned to school this week. Shallen has two weeks of first semester to finish up (school started late for Platte County so they extended the semester - wierd, I know)! Stephan started back on Tuesday at Oak Grove. He spent a great deal of his time playing paintball in the woods with his buddies - make sure you're looking around behind you if you walk out in the woods around Oak Grove, MO.

Steph's been incredibly busy the last couple of days at Applebee's. She works in the Accounting Dept and they are in the midst of year end - I expect to see her in a couple of days! :o)

Colby stopped by with Addison on Saturday to do Shallen & Steph's hair. Addison and I ate marshmellows, played on the floor and just had a good time. Shallen's hair was so messed up from the last time she changed the color (herself), it took Colby most of the time to do hers, so Steph only got her hair cut - I guess the color will have to wait until this Sunday.

Being four months into a new position with a new company can be very stressful. I've learned a lot since starting here in early September. As with any new position, you can usually find better/smarter ways to do things - that has become my challenge.