George turns 1

A couple of days ago George turned one year old. Unfortunately, we were not able to be with him. Fortunately, we received some fun George action photos.

While George apparently gets this birthday present thing, I'm not sure he gets this birthday cake thing.

Happy Birthday to sweet George.

Tony and Jamie visit

While in college, Samantha made friends with Tony

when they worked together on FLiCKS ... the Sunday night movie shown at Stanford's Memorial Auditorium. They have been good buds ever since. In fact, Tony has become a de facto member of our family. We get together with Tony whenever we can. Raft trip in Colorado. Golf & baseball trip in Omaha. Basketball game in Boulder. Multiple 4th of July celebrations in Topeka. And oh yes ... Samantha's and Jake's wedding.

I can't even count all the times we've gotten together with Tony. Whatever the number ... it is not enough. So, this weekend was special when Tony came from Denver to visit and brought Jamie, who carries the official title of "girlfriend." 

Jamie is so cool. Besides being beautiful and charming, she is fun and interesting. Besides that, she is an engineer ... just like Tony. Beside that ... she loves to play golf. Score!

It was great fun to hang out with Jamie and Tony.

Good job, Tony. You just hit the perfect Trifecta.

Dan goes to Scotland

I recently returned from Scotland where I joined some friends for a 6 day golfing vacation. Generally regarded as the home of golf, Scotland is rich in links-style golf courses. We stayed in a cottage overlooking the Firth of Forth on the North Sea

in the small village of Pittenweem in the Kingdom of Fife.

From there, we traveled to several (7 total) scenic golf courses ... like the Castle Course in the lowlands 

and Pitlochry in the Scottish Highlands.

We also went to the Scottish Open at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club.  Best of all, we were able to play the historic and world famous courses of Carnoustie

and The Old Course at St Andrews ... the Home of Golf.


I spent a fair amount of time doing this ...

and this ...

but felt lucky to be able to do it. 

Mega thanks to my friends for being such good travel companions and to the wonderful people of Scotland for being such gracious hosts. 

Cheers.

4th of July weekend

The 4th of July is always a big deal around here. This year it was especially huge. After spending several weeks touring Canada, Claus, Steffi and Samuel came to spend the 4th with us.

Samantha, Jake and sleepy George joined us as well.

Andy, Donna and Hope came from Springfield

as did brother Sam, who hung with the Gs. 

With Claus' and Mark's help, we blew up balloons.

Lots of balloons.

Heidi and Aunt Nancy handed them out at the parade.

Friends stopped by.

There was swimming ... of sorts 

and golf ... of sorts.

There was also an awful lot of walking around, and around, and around, and around.

Family events were remembered ...

and recreated by grandchildren a mere 60 years later.

Good friendships were confirmed.

(1998)

(2014)

And bedtime stories were read.

Thanks to all who joined us in making this Independence Day weekend a very special one.

Happy 4th of July.

Mother - Eisenhower - Dad

SAC II and Cheryl came to town Friday to help celebrate Mother's 89th birthday. We gathered Nancy and invaded TCC for a fun birthday party.

We ate cake.

The next day was June 14th ... Flag Day ... and the perfect day to drive to Abilene to visit the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum.

We saw Ike's boyhood home

and burial site and stuff.

After all ... WE LIKE IKE. 

Hanging out with the Gs is an adventure. You start with leftover birthday cake for breakfast ...

eat peanuts and popcorn on the way to Abilene, then eat lunch in Abilene, then snarf down some Skittles and a Hershey's bar for an afternoon snack and then stop for an ice cream cone before heading home for dinner.

Today is Father's Day. A Father's Day lunch brought us together again.

Oh yes ... there was pie.

Thanks to my wonderful family for an extra fun weekend full of love, adventure and ... multiple desserts. 

And, Happy Father's Day to the best Father ever.

Dan goes to Arkansas

Northwestern Arkansas is beautiful this time of year.

Maybe that's why Wal-Mart chooses to hold its annual meeting there about now. It is certainly why ... for the last 19 years ... the 8 members of my golfing group have chosen to gather there this time of year for our annual meeting.

(These guys are really getting old.) 

This year we set a new golf endurance record. In the 5 days we were there, some of us played 180 holes of golf. (27+36+45+36+36) 

We also enjoyed the beautiful evening weather when we watched the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (the Double A team for the Kansas City Royals) lose to the Tulsa Drillers (the Double A team for the Colorado Rockies) in nearby Springdale.

Even a gentle morning rain added to the beautiful weather.

Mega thanks to Mother Nature for making our world so beautiful. Thanks also to good friends who make life so special.

Mother's Day - Jonas visit

Last Sunday was Mother's Day. We gathered up a rowdy mob of mothers and hugged them.

It was the 63rd Mother's Day for my dear mother.

It was the 62nd Mother's Day for the sweet Oma. 

It was the very 1st Mother's Day for the cute and adorable Samantha.

Samantha is such a great mother. Happy 1st Mother's Day to her.

As you might have noticed, Jonas is with us again.

He is visiting after a 5 month adventure throughout Southeast Asia. Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia - but not necessarily in that order. His stories are captivating. His photos are compelling. 

(Malaysia - No clean drinking water but ample wi-fi and fancy satellite dish.)

Jonas was last here in the summer of 2011. While we got to see him in Germany and France during the summer of 2012, it is fun to have him with us again. I'm thinking that Jonas might enjoy the peaceful spirit - and clean drinking water - of good old Topeka, Kansas ... his home away from home.