Ramblings of Joseph...

Well, Windy said I needed to make my contribution to this family journal of sorts, so I reach to the very depths of my creative conscience in a meager attempt to convey a portion of the myriad of activities that occupy our lives at this point in time. Unfortunately, such depths are only about ankle deep...

I am sitting in the home of my sister, Megyn, enjoying a grilled turkey, cheddar, and gouda panini. Megyn lives in L.A., and I came here in between a two-week stint of work up in Menlo Park, CA. I was surprised last night at the arrival of my mother and my Uncle Bill! My family... even my dear, sweet wife... all conspired to surprise me! It was so nice. Today we went to the farmer's market and found some fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. Yummy! I just wish we had some more time together. I have to leave this evening to fly back up to Menlo Park.

Hmmm, let's see... what should I talk about first? Well, I noticed Windy already posted pictures of the sock hop. You can see Isaac and I had quite a bit of fun. Isaac was cutting a rug! That kid got down on the floor and was shaking what his mother gave him! He has also made a new friend recently at karate. Her name is Elizabeth. Yes, my son... the one who proclaims as often as he can, "No girls allowed!" Yes, that son! He has a girl friend... that is to say: he has a friend who is a girl. Oh brother...

Aaron's latest favorite thing to do is come up looking all serious, grab your face in his hands, and say, "Mom (or dad)... I just love ya' (sic)." Immediately following this, he gives you a big hug and pats you on the back. Oh my goodness, the boy could probably talk his mother into buying him a Porsche! Good thing he is too young to drive. :)

Andrew is doing quite well in second grade. He is turning in consistently excellent grades, and he is already excited for third grade. Andrew has recently started one 30-minute private lesson for karate each week. This is helping immensely to augment his regular training schedule. There are so many kids in his regular karate class! It's difficult to learn with so many distractions, so the extra lesson has been a great boost for him.

We have been planning our vacation for this summer! We are all very excited. The grand event will start with a trip to Norman to see my niece, Amanda, get married. Following that, (in fact, immediately after the wedding reception) we will be driving to Cimarron, NM, home of Philmont Scout Ranch. There, I will attend a week-long adult training conference for my position as a Cubmaster. While I'm in the class, the whole family has a full program of things to do. We also get to go hiking together around the area. It should be a blast!

Following that, we will drive up to Helena, MT, to visit with Windy's family (John, Sharon, Ken, Mark, Hillary, and Quentin) for a few weeks. Andrew, Isaac, and Aaron are ecstatic at the thought of seeing their cousins Morgan, Kobe, and the as yet to be named sibling of Kobe. I think Windy's sister, Ashley, will also drive in for part of the time.

After about a week there, I will be heading home for a couple weeks of work while the rest of the family hangs out in Helena. If I can work it, I am going to try to leave the Whitfield house a couple days early and go see my sister and other relatives in the Seattle area. However, that's not set in stone yet. It is also dependent on my sister, Sue, completing her nursing program without going postal in the middle of downtown Poulsbo! ;) Seriously, Sue is finishing her nursing program on 13 Jun 08, and I am hoping she has a little breathing room before work starts kicking her bootie again like school has. It would be great to see Kathryn, Brandon, Arthur, and Calista too!

After my time back in San Antonio, I will fly back to Helena and drive the whole gang to Sandy, UT, to see my sister, Gwyneth, and her family for a couple days (and my niece, Rachel, and her family if we can swing it). Then, we make the long haul back to San Antonio. Whew! It will be quite an experience for sure!

Well, I have rambled long enough. There is more to pass along, but I need to go pack for my trip back to the north...