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Clicking our heels, but not for Kansas……..

Well although Dorothy clicked the heels of her ruby red slippers to get back to Kansas, in less than 12 hours we will be leaving it. It is certainly not because of anything we dislike here, Kansas is really a wonderful place. It’s that we have been gone long enough and as Dorothy said, there really is “no place like home.” And our home is Indiana.

I will not be disappointed to get there either. Our vacation has been great, but I miss things like my own bed, Viper and Puddy, the back porch, and even mowing my yard. I will enjoy getting back into the swing of things too. I have a lot to do in preparation of the ordinations next Friday, so getting back to my familiar environment will be quite helpful.

Anyway, click the heels we will, and thanks to Southwest we should be home before noon. It has been quite the time and a great trip to celebrate Steph’s graduation. I hope she has time to go with us next year when Scotty graduates and we head to the McDonald’s by our house. It will not be quite the trip we have been on this year, but at least I will get to sleep in my own bed!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

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The long way home…….

Yep, we are in Kansas, known for its flatness and weather! Even Dorothy was ejected from Kansas before returning! But we made it here just fine. Our flight, as far as any of us could tell since we were up at 3:30 and on the bus to the airport at 4:30, seemed uneventful. We landed shortly after 9am here and learned a valuable lesson……never fly that early again.

But thankfully we are here and having fun. I was ready to restart watching what I was eating, but my mother-in-law had a little birthday shindig for us all. So tomorrow I can do better, and Thursday we will be home. It is hard to eat right while traveling, and birthday/celebration cake is, in my mind, rude to turn down……and I thank God for that!

But all the activity is catching up to us. I can see everyone slowing down. It has been fun so far, and we always have a great time out here in Kansas. Tomorrow is going to be a fun day….and then sadly, we will be on the plane early again (I meant we will learn NEXT TIME) on Thursday!

Off to bed!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

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The Grand Finale…..

Tonight we spent the last part of our evening and Epcot, eating and dancing at the Biergarten again, and watching the fireworks finale from there for the second night in a row. Our flight to Kansas leaves early in the morning so our bus ride and wake up call comes quite a bit earlier….3:30 in fact. But the harder part is the realization for Ben that he is leaving Florida. He has really had the time of his short little life, and that has made it fun for us all. Sure, the trip was to celebrate Stephanie’s graduation, but Ben and Amanda had never been here and it was fun for us all watching them both. The picture is of them watching the fireworks together.

Tomorrow at this time we will be in Kansas. My mother in law is expecting us, and Ben will have her undivided attention. Of course she will be asking him all sorts of questions, and as long as they are about Disney, he may answer them. My guess is that she would do well to take him to a Biergarten to dance too. He ripped up the floor once again tonight.
So farewell to you from the Magic Kingdom. Tomorrow I will post from Kansas. We are looking forward to it. And then just two more days until my own bed!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Post 700 – Dancing the night away for Father’s Day!

Yep, my 700th post, and on Father’s Day too!

Today was busy but fun. We started off at Hollywood Studios where we ate last night for a stage show of Playhouse Disney. They had four parts really…..Mickey Mouse and friends, Handy Manny, Tigger and Pooh, and the worst show in all of Disney the snooty Einsteins, I mean little ones…..though I certainly wish there were less. But Ben thought it was marvelous and that’s what counts the most.

I will say if I would just stop eating here I would have already lost about 100 pounds. We have walked miles and miles, and quite honestly, though my legs hurt, it feels great. Oddly enough I am feeling something far more important stirring in me other than just rest and refreshment. I guess without playing a sport it is sometimes hard to see what your body craves…..this trip is giving me a much clearer picture.
At the request of the kids and I we changed our dinner from an Italian place in Epcot to return to the Biergarten. I suppose it makes sense, for before the spelling of our name was changed at the start of the last century it was Tiermann. (It is the German word for incredibly insightful and handsome priest, or something like that. I only had 4 years of German and it was over 30 years ago) But at the Beirgarten you don’t have to remember.
This time we were right by the dance floor and I let Ben out on it. Everyone was afraid to join him, so I did. I grew up in an area where it was very ethnic, and it didn’t matter….German, Polish, Slovac anything, it was Polka music and drinking songs. Neither Ben or I had anything, but I was out with him before anyone. I finally convinced Amanda out who I filmed on my phone so you could see. Steph and Scott were chicken, but in time I know they will be out there with their kids. Heritage is a big thing, and though our name is German, it’s really all about family. I would do anything for my kids, like tonight dancing with one who clearly had no rhythm. That’s a heritage I want to pass on…….and one that I have.
Gute Nacht und Gott segnen Sie!
Tommy+
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Birthday at Disney…….

Yep, today for my birthday we went to Animal Kingdom, came back for a nap, and then ate dinner at Hollywood and Vine. It was violently raining outside, so we didn’t get to see much of that park, but I did get a complimentary cupcake which Ben promptly claimed as his……yep, because it was his birthday.

It really wasn’t a bad thing, so I don’t mean to describe it as such. It was actually oddly reminiscent of about THREE DAYS AGO on Scotty’s birthday. Two year olds, like many professional athletes and movie stars, think everything is about them. But Ben will grow out of it, the others need more help. And thank God Ben’s transformation is right around the corner. That little genius will be a mature three years old in just 11 days.
But now everyone is asleep. For the oldest in this pack, I seem to have the most stamina. Steph and I just got back from the fitness center (we went there at 10) because now that she is a college athlete being coached by someone else, she apparently is completely dedicated to her workout routine. She runs like a gazelle, and I know that because I saw one this morning.
So I will type this and head to bed. Tomorrow I am not sure where we are going, because it is Father’s Day and just like on my birthday………..I am not in charge. But who cares? I am enjoying myself, and even if I wasn’t, I am just too old to really care!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Disney……2003?


Yep, we found it. I think it was back in 2003 when I brought Stephanie and Scotty here to fulfill a promise I had made to them years before. The picture was actually taken at the entrance to Epcot, two of them in fact (one with each of the kids) and they supposedly would be there for 20 years.

We wanted to take one of Ben too, but they apparently do not take them anymore. That’s too bad too. It was fun for us to find them. Scotty told me on the old mine ride on that trip that it was the best day of his life. I am not sure how it still ranks. I just retired from hearing anything like that while I was on top. It was a great time.
This time here is big too…..especially today. Today is my grandma’s birthday and tomorrow is mine. She used to live down here, and God Bless her, at midnight many years ago on Main Street, as the bell at the castle began to toll, she gave me a kiss and said “Happy Birthday Tommy, I love you.” And I kissed her and said, “Happy Birthday to you too grandma, I love you too.” I think that was 1973. But regardless, it is the fondest memory I have of us together. I thankfully can come back and remember that moment throughout my life, which I have quite a few times. Steph and Scott do not remember me tearfully telling them that story on that spot in 2003 (I think). And I did real well telling it today on that spot.
I won’t be out there at midnight tonight because Ben can’t make it to midnight and I am not sure I could either in this heat. Steph and Scott are somewhere out there, but I am sure the story doesn’t mean as much to them….particularly since my grandma (my dad’s mom) died just a few years later.
But to me it does and tonight is pretty special. I am glad to be here, and particularly glad to be here today.
Happy Birthday Grandma. I love you and I miss you too.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless.
Tommy+
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Travel day, but finally in Florida……

Yep, believe it or not, we are on vacation, something we rarely do together. But we figured this may be the last time we could all get together and take a trip. Steph leaves for college in two months to the day, and Scotty has two lacrosse camps and a busy social schedule too! (Really they both do.)

So we decided on Disney, and although we got on the plane this morning with almost zero sleep, everyone seemed to survive. We had not intended to leave or hotel except for dinner tonight, but because we purchased a meal plan as part of our vacation, we needed to hop a bus to the Magic Kingdom to get lunch. Fortunately it allowed us to get this wonderful picture of the kids in front of Cinderella’s Castle.

But it is now 8:30 and we have been in the room over an hour and are all exhausted with Steph and Ben already asleep. I will not be far behind. Our housesitters will take care of home, and Ben will continue to explode with excitement here. It is already a great time. For now however, I am calling it a day!

Goodnight from Mickey’s house my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

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Happy Birthday Scotty!

Yep, today is Scotty’s 17th birthday and to celebrate we went out to lunch at Red Robin. Sadly, he forgot that they sing there, and the smile on his face is from the balloons they delivered along with his complimentary birthday sundae. Ben, who had been a bit fussy to that point got pretty compliant, and offered to help Scott with his sundae. He also helped Scott blow out the candles on his cake tonight……he is a giver for sure.

But we are truly proud of Scotty and so pleased to share in his special day. It was pretty cool to have the kids all together for it, because I know with one heading off to college, that may no longer be the norm. But for now, we will thank God for these blessings and enjoy it.
But for now, I will call it a day. Way to go Scotty, and Happy Birthday! We love you and are proud of you!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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It must be from her genetic pool……

I really cannot see any way this is my fault. Sure, I understand the Spiderman underwear (I wear them all the time) and I understand the Spiderman boots, I just do not understand them in the middle of summer…..particularly together. This incredible fashion violation, combined with the desire to watch “Thomas the Train,” really indicate that my DNA has taken the backseat to hers. Not that she is a big fan of Thomas or bad fashion, but clearly it is just so very twisted that it could not be from me.

But in truth, I have always been suspicious of my wife…..after all, what kind of woman would really marry me? But she has always been suspect. She just has never made much sense to me. For instance, our bed has the usual four regular pillows, two for sleeping and two for apparent show (in case someone from Ladies Home Journal comes in to snap a picture of our room) and then 245 additional pillows, none of which match, that I never quite place right, but that all apparently belong on our bed. When I go to bed I stack them along one wall. They remind me of those rooms that all the families in my neighborhood had that were pristine and covered in plastic that no one EVER sat in. Let’s face it, fashion and fashion pillows in particular, are not my thing!
But tonight the pillows are on the wall, the boots are off they boy, and he and his Spiderman underpants are trying to talk to me about bats. Why I do not know. But tonight I am just thankful it is not about pillows or fabrics!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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A Big WIN

Okay, this is my first post from my MAC. I am now done migrating everything from my PC, and hopefully in time I will figure out this technology!

But for tonight, I am on the back porch (sans animals because it is a violent thunderstorm) and typing away. The back porch has so much rain washing up against the screen porch that Ben insists we are at the carwash, and who am I to argue with him. With the evidence before him, he seems pretty accurate.
So I am caught up, at least for now. In the midst of this computer fiasco, I learned that news was sent to me on June 7th (which I never received) that Deacons PT and Dan passed their tests! We are hoping to see them priested on July 2nd up in Anderson! (Stay tuned for details!)
So for tonight I am off to bed! Get to sleep while you have a win, I always say! And tonight is a BIG ONE!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+