the feckless father: 2017 in Review

Wow! The entirety of 2017 has nearly slipped through our fingers without so much as a single post. I kind of blame facebook; I actually started using it since our Beautiful Daughters acquired Facebook accounts, but frankly, that platform doesn't lend itself to me posting long, thoughtful posts.

These two; jeez...

And these three got piercings at the top of their ears.

Isaiah and I caught around a dozen "Varmits" and tanned their hides, did other creative stuff with them. Isaiah made a great Coon-Skin Cap that we think the cats absconded with.

Allergy season. Ugh.

Can't really see it, but this was the Great American Eclipse.

2017 was a big year for "Dabbing." Thanks to Isaiah, even lego-droids dabbed!

A good friend of ours gave or "traded for labor" his old boat that he didn't use anymore. It took some work, but we got it running and in the water over the summer.

This is the 4th annual Grace Bible Church Men's Canoe trip that the boys and I have gone on. Very fun!

Money was a little tight this year, so we didn't ever take a "proper vacation," we just took 2 days and went exploring Wichita. There is actually quite a lot to see right nearby.

Hundreds of years old...

Yikes!

The Asian Market is really fun!

...And maybe just a little scary sometimes

Hat-Man Jack's! Steampunk Emma...

Stu-Jack!

She's a clown...

We were saddened by our very good friends the Goerings' decision to move back to Dallas, but we at least got to play Putt-Putt with them before they left...

Yes, that is sod and turf on her head. They obviously get it from their Mother...

So, this year I just put it out there on Facebook: "Open invitation to all; we're having a BBQ, and if enough people show up, I'll do a Whole Hog..." As it turned out, a LOT of people RSVP'ed, and when I went out back to look at the hogs, I realized they were a lot bigger than I thought! I didn't have cooker big enough to cook it in. Soooo, there's only one thing to do. Make one. (See above)

And, yes, perhaps I spent a little too much time on the aesthetics of things that no one would appreciate but me...

That is a "Whole Hog..." He weighed about 250 pounds on the hoof.

This was what was left! It was a hungry crowd!

Giant Jenga game that Isaiah made. The Nathers came that same weekend and helped out tremendously!

OK, we are all about the new experiences. Yes, we ate Racoon. It actually wasn't bad, even Herself tried it and said: "It just tastes like very red meat; it tastes beefier than beef."

Herself used our Credit Card Points and took the girls for an overnight trip to K.C.

This was a first for us; we extracted honey with our friends.

Liquid Gold!!!

This was one the last pictures of my father in law; he died just about a week after his 84th birthday.

It seems funerals are mostly the reason we get together anymore, unfortunately...

This is me and my very good friend Seth Nininger during a very fun time with Clifford and Lacey.

These guys are soooo much fun!

The Donkey got into the pie!

Me trying to look skinny. It's not working very well...

Then, on my birthday, we rented a cabin up at Kanopolis Lake and did a bunch of hiking, exploring, and fishing. It was supposed to be a time of relaxation for me, but between all that, I barely had time to sit down...

Isaiah wanted me to teach him to get really good at poker so that he could win the Foster Poker Championship over Thanksgiving. His hard work paid off; he won!!!