We had some pictures of Stella opening her birthday presents that I did not get off of the camera until now. Stella was pretty happy with her new drum. This was the week that we had everything at once. It was James 10th birthday, Stella’s 1st birthday, and a bunch of redecorating at the house. We had a great time and everyone made out like bandits.
Thursday was another big day this week. Kayleigh “graduated” from pre-school, James submitted his diorama project on white alligators and we took delivery of our new TV. Melissa and James made the objects for his diorama from some kind of clay or putty and then they baked them in the oven. It turned out really nice. I particularly liked the alligators.
Kayleigh got up on stage to sing a song she had made up about God. She experienced a little stage fright and Ms. Debbie (her teacher and pal) came up to help her through it.
The TV is a 58″ plasma that we got a great deal on. I bought a new AV receiver, a new “up-converting” DVD player and a really neat Logitech Harmony universal remote control. I made some good deals on those as well. We all liked the way the table, the mounting and general installation turned out.
I found a deal on a 2004 BMW R1150RT and through powers of persuasion (and bargaining and begging) was able to talk Melissa into letting me buy it. I wanted a bike that I could take on longer trips, that had a more upright riding position and that had some lockable luggage. I have always liked the BMW touring bikes and know several people who swear by the horizontally opposed twin “boxer” engine that has been a BMW signature. The windshield is electrically adjustable. It has heated handgrips. It has a plush aftermarket seat and aftermarket exhaust. It has an AM/FM radio and cassette player. I can get an adapter for the cassette player that will allow me to plug in an MP3 player. It has antilock brakes. The plan is to ride the new bike to Vegas for our annual sales meeting this August. I would like to ride through the Rockies and then drop down through the Sierra Nevadas into Vegas. I was toying with the idea of taking the old route 66 path on the way home. Either way, I see me and this bike covering a lot of ground together.
Yesterday we had another big day. Our new carpeting installation was finished up and we had a new addition to the family. Melissa had me take some pictures of the new paint in the girl’s rooms and of the new carpet. Next we need to buy some new furniture for Kayleigh and Sharon. We all like the new carpet and we are hoping that the color will hold up to the kids better than what we had before.
Stella turned one year old on Tuesday. The house was a wreck as we were getting it recarpeted. I also didn’t get any pictures of her eating her cake because I recorded it on video and could not manage two cameras. I did get some pictures of her opening her birthday card from Dick and Diana. Diana made her a beautiful cake and we ate it and did candles on Wednesday – the day after her actual birthday. Stella has been growing like a weed.
James turned 10 today. Tonight his final golf lesson of the current class culminated in the class playing 9 holes at Eagle Creek Golf Course. Sharon is in the class too so they both played the course along with one of the children in the neighborhood that James is friends with. After golf, Melissa brought his birthday cake to the clubhouse and we shared his birthday with the other kids in the class. Earlier in the day we let him open his gifts.