Goodbye

Mr. Otis Shortz

August 1997-September 23, 2012

 

 

Thank you Otis,
for being the
best
dog
ever

 

 

SFMH (or sometimes SMHF, or MHSF, or FMSH.....but always BFFs)

Dirt bike riding, dirt scooping, dirt digging, dirt throwing.   

4 dirty little boys= love.

Yes, I've been quite remiss on the ol' blogging updates lately.  Apparently "upgrades" to a computer system means making things that worked just fine not work at all.  So once again I'm snagging Mandi pictures to fill in the space that is the Deming experience.  Below is a really cool video that Mandi compiled (that's videographer talk for those in the "know"....) of Elijah and his bestie Matilda's first snowboard lesson.     

                                 

His cool factor just went up about 20 points......

Click Here to Watch

Mandi "Warren Miller" Etheridge

I have the best bunch of girlfriends- who are cool and talented, and who do really cool things for MY kids!  Check out this rockin' ski video from last weekend. 

http://hampandsam.blogspot.com/

Thanks Mandi- I'm so glad you always have a camera at the ready!!!

1000 words

A picture is worth a 1000 words.... in this case though, my heart is full and my mind (in this case fingers...) are speechless.  My Dad sent me these photographs this morning, and I have been grinning since.  Good thing my chubby cheeks were invented to withstand the pressure.



Mama Bruce (looking kind of fly I must say) Me, Gary, Suzi, Jim & Mike  (youngest to oldest)

 

Suzi (loving the do-rag), Aunt Charlene & Me, Mike & Jim, and Gary standing with a super cool T-shirt




Mom (wowza), Gary, Mike, Suzi (ahem, pants=awesome!) Jim, and Me



Me & Suzi and some nuclear power plant in the backgound


 

Jim, Me, Mike, Gary & Suzi



Me, Jim, Gary, Mike & Suzi (again with the sweet pants! jealous!)

I have got to work on dressing my kids so that they can either be competely embarrassed by their pictures, or loving them.  Right now I'm wishing all these clothes were still in circulation. 

We have been blessed.  period.

Home

Thank you Mandi for these wonderful shots that I think epitomize our boys at this age-- totally into their friends and the experiences they have with them.  This past weekend Elijah and Liam spent every moment with their peeps.  Basketball games on Friday night, Broncos watching with friends on Saturday night, skiing on Sunday, and birthday partying with John Hampton on Monday.  I love that this little town has produced what will become my children's memories. 

When we moved here, Obie and I (and a sugar sweet blonde 6 month old Elijah & a sugar sweet blondish Otis) made a promise to stay in one place for at least 3 years, and really, really give Meeker a shot.  We would attend spaghetti feeds, HS games, garage sales, rodeos, bingo nights, church functions, any community event that would allow us to really get to know this town and the people that lived here.  To give Meeker a little slice of us.

That was 9 1/2 years ago, and we still attend almost every function we can (Obie is usually solo on the garage sale front though- he's a shopper)  And I look back at Obie and I's desire to make this place home.  Our feeling that we could ingrain ourselves to this town- while in truth this town ingrained itself to us.  We have become Meeker.  Our pace, our opinion, our priorities.  When I watch the boys with their friends I am convinced that by living here we are providing them with the most comforting and secure childhood possible.  We (but even moreso this town) have provided them with what they will forever reference as "home". 

Multiplication

The Bruce Clan:  top row: Papa Bruce, biggest brother Mike and Obie (sucker!- married in...)  Middle row: sister Suzi and baby Owen (4), next biggest brother Jim, me and Finley (4), brother Gary and wife Tanya- and their daughter in front of them Ashley (14), Mike's wife Marie, Suzi's husband Ken, Mama Bruce.  Next row (on floor) Suzi's oldest Jakey (14), Mike's oldest Amanda (12), Mike's daughter Kayla (10), Suzi's daughter Mackenzie (11), Mike's girls Kimberly and Nicole (both 7), Jim's wife Trinity, and front and center, Liam (7) and Elijah (10)

Here's what having 5 kids will do to you!!  This is just a start (of the holiday pics, not of the Grandkids....) more to come.