Summer 2010 has been great. Dawn and I enjoyed a fabulous vacation for nine days in South Lake Tahoe. We returned to the location of our honeymoon 30 years ago. We stayed at a Diamond Resort Time Share at the base of Ski Run Blvd. from Sunday through Saturday. Jessica and David joined us in Lake Tahoe on Friday night. On Saturday we moved to a Best Western down the street. On Sunday, July 4, my sister and her family arrived with reservations at the Marriott time share. We spent most of that holiday Sunday poolside as guests of Pamela and Gary at the Marriott . We saw a great fireworks display over the lake that evening timed to music broadcast by a local radio station. It was a wonderful week.
I also spent most of the summer taking Microsoft and Google computer courses. I learned a great deal about using a PC and Google to improve instruction in my computer literacy course. Dawn interviewed for positions as a special ed teacher at the start of the summer, as the district eliminated the position she has been in for the previous nine years. We are both looking forward to the start of school this week.

Memorial Day

We have enjoyed a wonderful holiday weekend. I am thankful to live in a nation where my children can pursue their dreams. Whether those dreams are an advanced college degree or a life working to entertain, in the USA we are free to do what we dream and aspire to become what we want. We gather freely with family from anywhere in the country, without intrusion by the government. In hard economic times even, we are still free citizens.

This is possible in no small part to the fact that so many people have served in our nation's military forces to keep our nation free. Our holiday weekend of family, food, and drink is only possible because of the sacrifices of so many others. For these things I am truly thankful!

Spring Break at last

The month of March was extraordinarily busy for us. Dawn had several shows with her business, we adopted two rescued dogs, and I worked late more days than not. I helped for five nights at the sixth grade registration at Computech to start the month. Then I was working late many days dealing with fund raisers and planning events. I need to take Dawn's suggestions and begin keeping a written calendar of my schedule.
I ended up with a Jamba Juice fund raiser (advance ticket sales for two days first), sponsored the school Spring dance (advance ticket sales for a week), and our first ever all school pep rally in the same week! It seemed like I was spending all my waking time at school for over a week. I survived, and everything went well. But I never want to be in charge of that many events in one school week again, ever.

Thank you to the Leadership students. I could not have been successful in any of these activities without your work, effort, patience, and skills. Those kids made it possible to pull all those things off.

Dawn the Dog Rescuer

This weekend Dawn took the initiative to move on something we have only talked about up to now. She accepted offers from the parents of two of her students to take unwanted dogs from their homes.

First, on Saturday, we picked up Buddy. He is a 2 and one-half year old Peek a poo. That is a mixed breed pooch with one poodle parent and the other parent a Pekinese. He is black coated and tiny. He has a great personality, and is very active, yet docile. His former master said she felt bad that she did not and could not give the dog enough atttention. She has gotten to know Dawn over the past few years while Dawn worked in her home with her son. She wanted Buddy to go to a good home where he would be cared for and loved. Well we love him already!

Dog number two comes from a different family. His heritage is unknown as the family picked him up as a stray. Now they realize that they cannot care for the dog. So instead of releasing him onto the street, Dawn adopted this unnamed pooch. He too is adorable. Tan colored, we think he is part Chihuahua and part Dachshund, but who knows. A nice lady, Debbie, at the PetsMart in Clovis guessed his age at about 3 - 4 months based on his teeth. Unfortunately, dog two has fleas. Dawn followed the tips from Debbie and bathed both dogs. They smell better, are softer to the touch and unnamed #2 has fewer fleas.

So our family has grown again. We now own two adorable dogs. They are learning to get along. It was touch and go there for awhile this afternoon. Buddy did not like the strange dog in his new home.

They both need shots and to see a vet. If you have any suggestions in that area, we would appreciate sound advice. It was a good weekend!

Party Dawn

We celebrated Dawn's birthday on Saturday night. We had a fun time with many friends, old and new, sharing fun, drink, music, and laughs. We are both so blessed to have many wonderful people as friends and family. Thank you, Jessica, David, Eric, and Scott with all the pre-party preparations. I think everyone had a good time. We got to see friends from around town and out of town. I even met a childhood friend of Dawn for the first time. People came from San Francisco, Sacramento, and Merced to the north, and Tulare and even Las Vegas to our south.

You know it was a great party because red wine was spilled on the carpet (we cleaned it up, no problem), a bottle was broken in the kitchen (a beer bottle was knocked to the tile floor), a small fire was accidentally started in the kitchen, people danced and laughed. Saturday night was a reminder that our life is good because we have people we love in our lives. Thank you all for reminding Dawn that she and I are loved and cared for by so many wonderful people.

We hope to see more of you at future gatherings for any and all reasons.

My Wife & Me

To do yours: Copy and paste to your notes/new note. Highlight these answers and replace with your own.

♥ What are your middle names?
Wesley and Denise

♥ How long have you been together?
32 years, 30 Married

♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating?
About a month.

♥ Who asked who out?
I eventually worked up the courage to ask her.

♥ How old are each of you?
52 and 51

♥ Whose siblings do/did you see the most?
We see my sister and her family regularly and Dawn's brother regularly.

♥ Do you have any children together?
Yes, a matched set. 1 daughter with her husband, and 1 son.

♥ What about pets?
Two designer dogs my wife rescued.

♥ Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Uhm, I do not know. Let's focus on the positive.

♥ Did you go to the same school?
Not the same high school. But we both went to Fresno State together.

♥ Are you from the same home town?
No. I grew up all over the world as an Air Force brat. Dawn grew up in Merced.

♥ Who is the smartest?
I think we compliment each other.

♥ Who is the most sensitive?
Probably Dawn.

♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple?
We loved Fugazzi's, but they fled town. So now we frequent Chipotle.

♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
We cruised the Volga River in Russia for 11 days.

♥ Who has the Craziest ex's?
Neither of us have X’s

♥ Who has the worst temper?
That is probably me, Arrgh!

♥ Who does the cooking?
Dawn is our master chef!

♥ Who is more social?
We both know our way around a conversation. I probably interact with new people more easily while she is better at deeper friendships.

♥ Who is the neat-freak?
Me, unless she is expecting guests.
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♥ Who is the more stubborn?
Me, " I want it my way." Although she wins more arguments.

♥ Who hogs the bed?
Share and share alike, but she is the space taker.

♥ Who wakes up earlier?
Normally me.

♥ Where was your first date?
After an difficult time asking her out, we went to a scary movie in Merced. At the time conventional 19 year old wisdom said a girl will hold your hand at a scary movie.

♥ Who has the bigger family?
My family is larger.

♥ Do you get flowers often?
I like to get Costco flowers occasionally.

♥ How do you spend the holidays?
Her brother, our kids, and the two of us go to see my sister's family in Northern California.

♥ Who is more jealous?
Neither of us are…but probably me

♥ What is "your song"?
“Wild Thing” or " Hey, Good Lookin'"

♥ How long did it take to get serious?
I knew I wanted to marry her after two dates. It took awhile to bring her around.

♥ Who eats more?
Me. Cookie!

♥ Who does/did the laundry?
Usually me, but she feels free to assist or take over.

♥ Who’s better with the computer?
I teach that stuff.

♥ Who drives when you are together?
Me. I do not make a good passenger.

THINGS I HAVE DONE DURING MY LIFETIME:

By Larry (read the bottom, it is unique)
( ) Gone on a blind date
(X ) Skipped school
(X) Watched someone die
(X) Been to Canada
(X) Been to Mexico
(X) Been to Florida
( ) Been to Hawaii
(X) Been on a plane
(X) Been on a helicopter
(X) Been lost
(X) Gone to Washington, DC
(X) Swam in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep-
(X) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
( ) Sang Karaoke
(X) Paid for a meal with coins only
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't.
(X) Made prank phone calls
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose & elsewhere
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( ) Danced in the rain-naked
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(X) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone to the movies
( ) Been deep sea fishing
(X ) Driven across the United States
(X) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Gone snowmobiling
(X) Lived in more than one country
(X) Lain down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(X) Seen a falling star and made a wish
( ) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
(X) Seen the Statue of Liberty
( ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
(X) Been on a cruise
(X) Traveled by train
(X) Traveled by motorcycle
(X) Been horse back riding
(X) Ridden on a San Francisco CABLE CAR
(X) Been to Disneyland
(X)Been to Disneyworld
(X) Truly believe in the power of prayer
(X) Been in a rain forest
(X) Seen whales in the ocean
( ) Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins
( )Swam with whale sharks
( ) Been to the Olympics
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
(X) Saw and heard a glacier calf
( ) Been spinnaker flying
(X) Been water-skiing
(X) Been snow-skiing
(X) Been to Westminster Abbey
( ) Been to the Louvre
( ) Swam in the Mediterranean
(X) Been to a Major League Baseball game
( ) Been to a National Football League game
(X) Taken a ballet class
(X) Visited Normandy
(X) Experienced love
(X) Been amazed by my children
(X) Hiked in a national park
(X) Cried while watching my kids accomplish something