The other day when I was looking through some old photos I ran across these pictures of Nick and Chris. These are some of my all time favorite photos. I still laugh out loud when I see them.
The pictures were taken in 1996 up at the cabin. Nick was 8 years old and Chris had just turned 6.
The boys were playing around outside and I just happened to have my camera. I think we had just finished taking the pictures of the boys in the previous post. Nick wanted me to get a picture of him hanging from the tree branch.
Chris thought that seemed like a pretty cool idea and wanted his picture taken as well.
Okay, who remembers moon boots? Well, Chris was donning a pair of vintage 1980's moon boots when all of the sudden he ran into some trouble.
(Let me tell you, the cabin is a kid's paradise for weird and funky clothing from days gone by. Nothing ever gets thrown away at the cabin, therefore there is a plethora of various articles of clothing from several different time periods. Chris, never wanting to be slowed down by having to tie his shoes, often chose to wear the beloved moon boots. Perhaps, not a wise choice for hanging from tree limbs.)
Whoa!
One boot off in the grass...
One boot securely snagged on the tree limb...
One older brother laughing hysterically ...
while all the blood rushes to the younger brother's head.
Can you believe it has been two years since I started this blog?I really hadn't given it much thought until one of my readers sent me an email and asked for an update on our four boys. I realized the information I had on them under the little "about me" paragraph on the blog was entirely out of date.
So, let's start with the oldest, Nick. Nick ended his tour of duty in Japan last year. Is that the right wording, "tour of duty" or does that only refer to times at war? Well, in any case, he was stationed in Japan at Yakota Air Force Base for two years and we were lucky enough to be able to go to Japan over Christmas in 2009. I wrote several posts while we were in Japan and if you wnat to read them, just go to the "Blog Archive" on the left hand side of the blog and click on "2010" and then "December."
In July of 2010 Nick was then stationed at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, New Mexico and remains there today. Nick was also deployed to Germany for 6 weeks in the beginning of the year. We praise God for keeping him safe.AND... Nick has recently married!! How exciting for me to have a girl in the family!! We love Sarah! Sarah "passed the test" when they came for a visit in June and she volunteered to help process chickens! LOL! Who can't help but love their daughter-in-law when she volunteers to help with the worst job in the world?
Nick & Sarah
Photo taken by Sarahs' mom, Rita.
We also had another test for Sarah that she passed with flying colors. That test is known as the "Can You Handle A Manville Holiday Test?" I went through the same test when Danny and I were engaged. The test involves spending a holiday with Dan the Man's family at his parents cabin in the middle of nowhere in the Colorado mountains.Here is a recount of one of those holidays. Manville Family Christmas, Part One. Sarah fit in perfectly with this fun loving, crazy, loud and lovable family. I think Sarah's mom, Rita, will also fit in just fine! I hope to get her to the cabin for one of our holidays!
(Side note: Nick just wrote on my Facebook wall and said "You need to update your blog, I'm no longer in Japan...." How funny is that?
Nick & Sarah's wedding was in Clovis on October 15th. We all went down for it and it was so special having all the boys together. I am sure I will blog about it, but I must share this picture from the wedding in this post. All our boys, so grown up... now I'll have to find a picture of when they were little to post at the end.
Handsome group of men, if I do say so myself!
(Left to Right: Skyler, Nick, Chris and Colton)
Here we are at our wedding in July of 1996!
(Left to Right: Nick, me, Chris, Colton, Danny and pouty Skyler!)
So keeping in chronological order, that would bring us to Colton. Colton is in his senior year at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City, South Dakota. He will graduate this coming spring with a degree in uh... ummm... something that has to do with computers! I don't know exactly what his degree is in, but I DO know it is some technical thingy concerning computers. Geez... you'd think I'd know, but what Colton does is completely over my head. He is very intelligent and his understanding of how things work is amazing. I can't even begin to imagine what the little hamsters in his brain look like when they are busy processing data.
Colton has held internships with Microsoft in Washington State for the last two summers and more than likely will do another this coming summer. He just got back from flying to Seattle for his interview. He will continue his schooling at SDSM&T and work towards his masters.
Colton is also very active with SDSM&T InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, a student-led Christian organization on campus. He is one of the small group leaders.
Colton is going to India 2nd semester. His senior design team is working with a company in India and they are going to go visit the company. Wow! Colton as been very fortunate in visiting many places because of his chosen field. I know at Microsoft, they plan GREAT trips for their interns and give them lots of FREE stuff. A computer geeks paradise!
I stole this picture of Colton off his Facebook page!
Let's see, that brings us to Chris. Chris has since graduated from Western Nebraska Community College in Alliance with a degree in Powerline Maintenance & Construction. He is currently living in Kearney, NE where his girlfriend, Katy is attending nursing school at UNK (University of Nebraska - Kearney).
Chris & Katy at a hockey game in Kearney.
(Also stolen from Facebook.)
Chris works for Charter Communications as a locator. He is patiently waiting for a job opening as a lineman. Remember this old song by Glen Campbell? I think of it every time I talk about Chris being a lineman! LOL
Chris is enjoying his life and keeps busy with softball, working out, fishing, garage sale shopping and spending time with Katy. Chris also gets brownie points for being the child who calls his mother the most often.
Last, but not least, Skyler... Skyler is a senior this year at Morrill High School. The last one to fly the coop. He plans on going to college but is undecided as to where. He would like to get a degree in business and has been looking at the Colorado State University, the University of Wyoming and the University of Nebraska (both the Lincoln and Kearney campuses.) Dan the Man and Skyler are going to Lincoln this weekend to tour UNL. That's kind of a scarey thought... Dan the Man in Lincoln without me there to navigate... I will stay home and tend to the livestock.
Skyler did not go out for football this year so this marks the first year in the past 8 years that we did not attend a football game. That was weird. I actually missed the Friday night games, but I think I really missed the grilled hamburgers at the Morrill home games the most! Skyler is the student council president this year and is also a member of the National Honor Society. He is definitely ready to be done with high school and move on to college.
Skyler also has a girlfriend, Sara. I noticed on Facebook this morning that it's "official", Skyler changed his status from "single" to "in a relationship." Before, they were just "talking." I guess that's what they say now-a-days. I guess you are friends, then you start "talking" which includes dating and then you advance to "in a relationship" on Facebook. LOL My how times have changed.
Skyler and Sara
(once again, picture stolen from Facebook!)
Dug these pictures out of an old photo album.
I taken up at Dan the Man's mom and dad's place,
more loving known as "the cabin."
This is also where we got married.
Beautiful Autumn colors in the aspen trees.
Skyler 1996
Chris 1996
Colton 1996
Nick 1996
So, there you have it. The kids are growing up and becoming adults. We are so proud of each one of them. Dan the Man and this Country Chicken Girl have been truly blessed in the department of children. So glad God has a plan for each and everyone of us and I am so grateful that His plan for me was to married my man, Dan, and join us all together as a family in Christ.
I grew up in a small Western Nebraska town, Mitchell. My stepfather was a piano tuner and my mother was a legal secretary. I feel like I grew up under normal circumstances, what ever normal is!
I have lived several places and have held many different occupations from my first job, working at a doggie grooming salon, to fast food joints, waitressing at a country club to family diners, ski lift operator, administrative assistant, restaurant manager, piano tuner, bank teller, para for SPED kids in junior high school, construction worker, to my husband's hired hand.
My husband and I married in 1996 and have four boys. Nick who is currently stationed at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico, serving our country in the United States Airforce, Colton who is currently attending South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, Chris who lives in Kearney and works for Charter Communications and finally Skyler who is a senior at Morrill High School. We own and operate our own family run business, Open A Bar 2 Ranch, LLC which is an all natural beef operation and a pastured poultry operation.
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