Dreams Do Come True

We all have our ideas and dreams for our children. Some work out and others, not so much.
After a certain time in the child's life we can no longer control the dreams and goals we had for them. I think it's around the time they start to have future ideas of their own is when the path between yours and theirs starts to split off and go in different directions. Even with that we still try and persuade them to see it our way and to go the direction we had planned for them from the beginning. After all, we know whats best right?

I struggled with this the most. I had a plan for each one of my girls and they were going to do it come hell or high water. I almost lost one of my girls last year because of my stubbornness on this. She had her dreams and I had mine for her. The main problem was, they were no where near each other.
I dealt with it, moved on and saw it was not worth driving away a loved one just because it's not how I planned it. It never really was about who she was marring or anything of the sorts, it was all about the timing of it, he was just an excuse I guess. She needed to get her education first before starting a family, that was all. Why make yourself climb over a mountain when there is a tunnel already built for you to go through? (I know the many answers to this, I'm just making a point)
Even some of my own family has held it against me for my actions in this matter and I'm sure for other reasons as well. They don't have a dog in this fight.
     
Even though the paths of my girls my not go in the exact direction I had planned, I guess the fact of all those years with me pounding it in their heads might have done some good. In the back of their minds they all know I'm right and they also know all I want is the best for each of them, even if it's on their own terms.
Next to having all my girls with a college degree, one of my biggest dreams was to have all three of my girls going to college. That in it's self is monumental. College is not for everybody and that was an idea I would not except until here recently. As it is, dreams do come true sometimes.
   
Jessie, my oldest, left for her senior year at Texas A&M Saturday. It was a bitter-sweet moment I guess. I hated to see her go or course, but knowing this is her last year and then she will be back up here to start her career and life makes it better. This time next year I will have a College Graduate. We will be going down September 19th for her ring ceremony and from what I hear it will be one of the best days of her life. I am wondering if I should wear a suit and tie.

Hannah starts back to college this month. She had to take a semester off due to my grand baby needing to be born. I know it will hard for her because I did it. I had three young girls, two jobs and took night courses. Her mountain is a little harder to climb now, but knowing her, that's how she likes it. The harder the challenge the better the reward. I am very proud of her for continuing this journey. The scenery is prettier at the top of the mountain anyway.  

This semester will be Kylee's first in college. I know she is in for a shock about how much time and work this is going to take. I feel she thinks this is going to be as easy as high school, but she will learn, we all did. I hope she stays excited and continues to the end. I am waiting until I hear the words, "Holy crap dad, we have to write so many papers!" I know it's coming, they all say it.

I may be done with their raising, but I'm not done being their daddy. I am really liking the fact I can be more of a friend and adviser now than a strict parent. They all still need their shoulders turned in the right direction from time to time, but I guess I even need it every once and a while myself.

Thanks for your ear,
Jerry
 

Tiny House Progress

Next weekend we will be moving our trailer to the place where we are building our Tiny House.

First we had to get electricity, got that. Then we had to run the water, got that done Friday night. Then

we had to install a septic system, done Saturday and Sunday.

It looked like a war zone for most of the week, but all the ditches are now back filled, cleaned up and smoothed out.  Close to 300 feet of waterline, and 200 feet of sewer line with septic tanks were installed. We also put in a load a base for a little driveway and a pad for the camper to sit on. Plus I wired in the 30AMP plug for the camper to finish it off.
Next Saturday we will be moving the camper up here and hooking it up for the duration and get out of that RV Park.

 All that extra dirt we had from the ditches, we started making the pad for the Tiny House to sit on. Hopefully in September we will be able to move the buildings over here and get started on the build.
This is already running way over budget. I am 3,000 into a 10,000 dollar budget and we don't even have a house yet.





Much thanks to my dad for helping me out on this with his time and equipment. If it wasn't for him we would still be three weeks out.
  

That's all I got for now,
Jerry  

It Was A Long Way

We drove 5.5 hours to cook chili, now that is dedication.

Out of the 36 cooks, 20 or so were form the Great State of Texas, and Texas took home the first place trophy again this year. Among the 36 were 5 world champions and almost all of the top ten ranked cooks in the world. So saying that, me and Candy did not place, but had a great time. We did make final table and that was good enough for me, this time. All monies were donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.
We will defiantly put this one on the books for next year.     

We met some really great folks and cooked side by side with chili legends. We also had the privilege to meet a wonderful young couple from England who were traveling across the US from Chicago to LA on Old RT66. They were stopping at any place that looked interesting. They took pictures of the big Texan (me) and we talk about issues from American culture to Politics.
When we were through talking all the guy said was "Wow, who would have guessed we would have had such a deep conversation with a couple from Texas, in Missouri at a Chili Cookoff ."
I wish them the best of luck in their travels and hopefully we will meet again down the road.

I even had a news guy come by and stick a microphone in my face and ask me my opinion about the issues in the Middle East. Really? At a Chili Cookoff?
So I gave him just that. About thirty seconds of my views and he simply turned the mic off and walked away. I guess my Conservative views were not worth reporting to the liberal media.

This coming weekend we will be in East Texas cooking for another great cause. It's getting too hot for me but someone has to do it.

See ya down the road.
Jerry