P R E S T O N ' S Planet 2

Just some of Preston's "Peeps" - Preston and Papa spend ALOT of time outside. He is a helper out in the yard...at least as long as his attention span lasts! Preston likes to play "Super Hero", here he is with his cousin Evan - they are great friends and love to get together. Evan lives in Albuquerque (Clownshoe Cowboy is Daddy) and so they don't see each other as much as they would like, but they have a swell time when they do... Here he is with Mama, on Father's Day. She is a special playmate as well.

I am so grateful for air -conditioning. This may seem like a simple thing, but it is truly a wonderful invention!!

P R E S T O N ' S Planet

Preston is my great-nephew. He is also my next door neighbor and often my "date" for events. He lives with his Ya-Ya and his Papa (aka Jayme & Carey, his grandparents). He is 3 and 3/4 years old and will be 4 in September. He is being raised by the elderly, but he doesn't seem to mind at all. He has all of us wrapped around his little finger - including his great grandparents, Aunt OOH, and Aunt B - we all are crazy about him. I try to kiss him every morning before I go to work and every night when I get home. Sometimes he runs out of them.
Preston is pretty busy. He went to the Farmers Market on Saturday and enjoyed watching the tall clown, make a balloon sword. He loves swords and sword action... I tried to get him to watch Mulan, the Disney movie about a Chinese girl who fights the Huns and saves China. It took quite a while for him to watch it because it was about a girl. After convincing him that boys were in it and he would probably like it, he watched it, and watched it and watched it. If you know any 3-4 year olds, they can watch the same movie a million times and want to see it again... I was hoping he would want to be like Mulan.... or Chang. But NO. His favorite character is the HUN. We have had to curb the watching of Mulan... sadly. When he makes his mean face - we call it his Hun face.
Preston is making good use of my mini trampoline. I'm glad it is getting used!! He likes to remove all pillows and furniture and create a fun spot to play in. He is very busy and active. He goes and goes just like the Ever-Ready bunny!!
Fridays are going to be Preston's Planet days. I will be reporting on his shananigans and his point of view, such as it is! As Preston would say: "I'm sorry but I have to go home now..." More on Preston next week!

Tough Love

Dad and his buddy, Preston

I think the sign above Dad's head is appropriate....
Yesterday we celebrated Father's Day. I am always so grateful for my Dad, but let me tell you, he is a character. In his heyday, he was the toughest, meanest, strongest man in the neighborhood. He was the one that neighbors called if they needed a job done. He was famous at our house for doing jobs for everyone in the neighborhood but usually was too busy for chores at home. Actually this wasn't true - he had 7 kids that were there to do the work at home and work we did. Dad did check our work too, and it needed to be done right or it was re-done....When time came to play Dad was right there. We had high jump championships, brick carrying championships, timed runs, etc. The high jump championships took a dive, though, when Dad did, opening his head on a brick that was holding up the extended bars... Whoops.

On the other hand, my Dad loves to read, and to learn things. He reads the newspaper from cover to cover daily and reads novels constantly between his yardwork and babysitting duties.

He is an artisan with his masonry ability and still misses the days when his buddies all called him "Good Old". He built many of the brick and stone buildings in our city and can still work circles around me!! Dad, you may be getting older, but you will always be strong and tough, no matter what. We could count on you when we needed you. I love you, Dad. Thanks for teaching me to be tough too. It's not always a good thing but it helps to be able to pull myself up by the bootstraps (so to speak) when I need to! Thanks for teaching me my work ethic and thanks for being the shelter in my storms.

Happy Birthday Will !!! Sweet SIX...

These are a few of my favorite pictures of my first Grandson, Dennis William Johns. I was there at his birth and cut the umbilical cord. I adore him and he adores me. We have a great bond and he is my "lovey boy". I watched him come into the world and still watch him with amazement. He is a Gemini and boy oh boy does he fit the description of a dual personality. He is creative and headstrong, smart and silly, loves his super heros and always has something to say. One minute he is on top of the world and the next he is in the depths of drama. I smile when ever I think of him. He is one of my greatest joys. Happy 6th!

Top Cowboy at the Clownshoe Rodeo

This is my baby brother David. He is awesome but I would never let him know. He emails me tacky jokes that I secretly like and can pop my back - He has several "handles". Davino the Divine, Duhvino, Grunt. His mother calls him the Sap. Someone probably calls him "Sport". When he was a kid we all called him Little JC. He flies planes, builds computers and I believe he can still speak German. He is very smart, and is a smart-ass as well. He is qualified to perform wedding ceremonies if anyone is interested. He is a know -it-all, but that seems to be a Hildebrand Family Trait (HFT).

Here is another pic of the wedding. Ryan, Heather and the "Reverend" Duhvino himself. (aka David,originator of Clownshoe) - He informed me that I made a mistake. Hard to believe- but here it is. The wedding was on the Middle Fork of the Payette River in Boise National Forest. I'm pretty sure I knew I was in Boise National Forest... I stand corrected. It was beautiful wherever it was.

Love the picture of my brother and niece!

This is a picture of my darling twin brother, Clark and his lovely daughter, Heather. She was married next to the Boise River in Boise National Park on May 17th and it was a wonderful fun event. My baby brother (the Preacher from Albuquerque) performed the ceremony and we went on to celebrate and dance the night away. I just wanted to share the photo and I'll write more later about it.