Just a few more Conversations from the kids.

Hudson asked my mom if she knew somefing dangerous. No, Hudson she replied, well Memaw if you jump off a building that is somefing dangerous.

They are been told no tackle fighting on the bed. We have lost two teeth this way and I hate when they do it. But Josh does it anyway with Hudson. If I walk in, Hudson will just throw is hands up and say Nofing, me not doing nofing.

Memaw, Hudson, and Hannah were all laying in bed trying to go to sleep. Oh course Hudson was being silly. Memaw told him to hush and go to bed and he replied something funny. Hannah told memaw, Don't listen to him, he is just trying to control your brain by being funny.

Conversations with Hudson

Oh Hudson! Where do I start with you. He is probably one of the funniest kids I have ever met. Hannah was pretty funny at his age but did not know she was funny. Hudson is funny on purpose. He is always trying to pull a joke on someone and is full of questions theses days. Here are a list of some of them.

Hey mom, have you ever been to Las Vegas?

Mom, when you were born did you have a glass eye ball?

Hey mom, has a car ever runned over your foot?

Mom, if you plant a popcorn seed will you grow a popcorn tree?

Mom, is the titty (kiddy) pool for titty tats( kitty cats) to take a bath?

Dad, can you untie your shoes( dress shoes), I want to be a man.

Mom I only save my kisses for Dad. Why Hudson, because you have to tackle fight for kisses.

Mom did you know that your heart has blood in it to make it work? Me... How do you know that? Hannah told me all about it.

Hudson, stop you are going to get hurt!!! Mom, if I get hurt I can go live with God and he will fix me right up.

The list goes on and on. He cracks me up all the time.

You Got the Nice One

Did I mention we were given cars to drive while we are here in Rimini? Well let me tell you mine is a real beauty. I do not know its age but it has lived a tough life, the odometer reads 168,000 kilometers. There is a hole in the dash were the radio belongs; all the service lights in the instrument panel stay continually lit. I'm not sure if this is a malfunction or the battery, engine, oil, and radiator are all shot. My guess it's a little of both. It does have functioning air conditioning, somethings just don't add up. The white exterior hasn't been washed in years and it has been involved in an accident in the recent past. Now the rear passenger door takes a little extra effort to shut. Pretty it is not, but it does drive...

The Squatter

I have been spoiled. In my fifteen years as a professional baseball player I have seen countless ballparks and locker rooms. I have seen the lowliest clubhouses of Medicine Hat Alberta and Nashville, Tennessee.(two of the all time worst) As well as the luxuries and comforts of the major league stadiums. I was shocked at my discovery here in Rimini in our own locker room. The locker room is pretty standard in a low level kind of way, I was not expecting luxury in the first place. I have had locker rooms that have been worse. Nothing prepared me for what I was to find when I pulled open the door to the bathroom stall. I let out a burst of laughter as I stared at the ceramic treaded footplacements that are strategically placed in the basin with a hole. They call it the squatter. No need for reading material now.

Trip across the pond!

Our first flight was to London and it was an 8 hour flight!! Yikes!! It was not bad at all as far as the kids were concerned. They both were able to sleep the last 5hours....... on their parents. Needless to say Josh and I pretty much got no sleep maybe 30 minutes here or there. Well we land in London and are stuck here for 7 hours. At least they speak English though.....right? The kids did well again, the parents not so much. We are both so tired and cranky(mostly Josh, me just in response to him). We ate breakfast at 2 in the morning our time and then off to the kids play area. They had a tv and like 2 toys. Seriously, an airport that size should have at least more than 2 toys. All in all London layover was a success. Next flight we are heading to Bolongna, Italy. The flight was 2 hours. Josh and the kids slept the whole flight. It was an easy one after 8 hours thats for sure. Finally we have arrived in Italy. Next was a 2 hour drive to Rimini. The kids slept the whole trip. We arrive at our apartment and it is really nice. We have hardwood floors, two bedrooms, two balconies, and a bidet in both bathrooms. Hannah and Hudson thought the bidet was hilarious after they figured out that no it was not a drinking fountain or a sink for kids to wash their hands. I walked in the bathroom and found Hudson trying to drink out of it. EEEEEWWWWWEEEEIIII Now Hudson has to use it every time he goes to the potty. We are trying to settle in and learn some Italian because boy are we going to have to. Not many people at all speak English. This is going to be an adventure for sure. Wish us luck!

Josh's paper for English 101

I did not ask him if it was ok to post this but it is so awesome. Casey is not the only talented author in the family.

A wave goodbye
This visit was going to be different…As I drove that familiar stretch of highway through the frozen Idaho landscape, I could sense it coming. I had made this drive literally hundreds of times in my life. As a child, I used to spend my summers exploring the wonders of her five acres in the foothills that overlooked the prairie. Now as an adult I only got to visit sporadically, and today I was going to have to say goodbye.

We had always called her Oma, never anything else. She was my grandmother, my mother’s mom, my Oma. Her health had been failing. Age and Cancer had been taking their toll. I wanted one more visit; one more visit so she could look at my babies the way I’m sure she looked at me at that age, with pride and amusement. Her grandchildren had always given her enjoyment and she felt that her great-grandchildren were blessings and riches given to her from God. They were her gifts for a life well lived, one without monetary wealth and privilege.
This visit wasn’t just for my children; it was for my own selfish purposes too. I wanted to see her again. I had just visited a few days earlier, but knowing my career I would not be able to return for nine months. These things ran through my mind as I drove mindlessly on autopilot, somehow blocking out the kids’ relentless chatter from the backseat. Reality came racing back as I pulled off the gravel road, started down the wooded drive and crossed under the timbered gates. It was still cold and the patchy snow crackled and snapped under the tires. The house hadn’t changed in years and its familiar sun-faded barn red siding welcomed us into view. The smoke wispily snaked from the chimney into crisp morning air as I unloaded kids from the car with last-minute instructions. They had to be careful; Oma wasn’t as strong as she used to be. I wanted them to be their vibrant joyous selves for her, just not on her.

As we came in the door, the faint smell of wood smoke and hotcakes tingled in the air. The warmth was encompassing; it engulfed us. They had always kept the house warm in the winter; now the heat was vital to keep her comfortable. She must have been feeling better, her silver hair had been brushed and there was a slight rose to her cheeks. It must have taken energy she didn’t have for that. I hugged her frail body--swallowing her in my arms. It broke my heart to feel her old bones just under her clothes. We talked about the weather like old folks like to do and moved onto the kids and their little lives. It was hard for her to speak for long; her lungs now had to fight for air. It wasn’t long before she had to go to her couch and put on the oxygen. The clear plastic tube draping over her ears and resting in her nose made her look small, frail, and vulnerable. She was just a fragile shell of the proud little woman who helped raise me.
Her faltering strength was the signal to gather the kids. Let them kiss goodbye only the way toddlers can. I hoped they warmed her heart the way those baby kisses made mine flutter. I knew the visit would be short and I was okay with that. I wasn’t there for the small talk. I wanted my chance to say goodbye. It was an unspoken understanding; I mustered all the strength I had to say goodbye and I love you without breaking. I wanted to scoop her into my arms and cradle her the same way she had done with me as a child and tell her everything would be okay…To wrap her up and not let go, not for her, but for me. She didn’t have the strength to stand to walk us out. I was grasping for enough poise to restrain my lips from openly quivering when I told her I loved her one more time. They used to walk us out every time, waiting on the top steps to wave as we pulled away. It made me smile to think of it as I buckled the little ones in. I tentatively gripped the steering wheel and readied myself to drive. We were prepared to wave at what I expected to be empty steps when I realized she was there. Tired and weak, clinging to grandpa’s arm, she forced herself to the steps to wave goodbye. We all waved one last time as we pulled away with that unspoken understanding. This time it was the sound of my heart cracking and snapping instead of the snow and ice as we left.