new life amongst the ruins

My Nephew is going to have some great photos taken during his life but this one sets the bar pretty high. His daddy is so talented with a camera, and I know that working with such a cute subject makes his job that much easier. Tobias Aaron Rohl at 5 weeks old in a old mining town in Jerome, AZ.

family photo

This has been the summer for getting together for some family photos. While we were in Indiana we had the chance to get a picture of the extended Mcgrail family and in Arizona we got the extended Rohl family. From Left to Right we have Tobias, Kendra, Ze'nea, Beautiful, Finn, Mark, Simeon, Papa, Grandma, me, Henry, Lyric, James, and Zonda.

back to life, back to reality

It's getting late and the boys and I are heading home tomorrow with Grandma and Papa. It has been a great visit with Mark and Kendra and their baby is beautiful. Getting and opportunity to get to see the community that has fought for them and cried with them and now is celebrating with them has been a real treat. They in amongst great people and the boys and I have been lucky to get to spend some time with them. Finn has had the most fun I think. He has gotten to play with so many kids at so many different house and with so many different toys. Just tonight he was playing with Haley and they were running around eating up imaginary things. He was really great to see that huge social development of imaginative play with another kid. He was gotten a lot of that here and I think he is going to miss that when we go back home. It really underscores the need to get him into a community with more kids around his age. I'm pretty excited to get home and get started with that and now that our roommates both have 9 to 5s it will be one more little man in the group. I will be responsible for Ian as well as Finn and Henry. Luckily we have experience with 3 kids thanks to our wonderful time with Beefy. That was primarily Beautiful's responsibility so this my chance to step like she did. With no more trips on the horizon I am looking forward to getting some sense of normalcy back for the boys. Find our rhythm back in Portland before the rain comes back. Still no full time job for us but we are making it. We are hopeful and having fun and super thankful for our friends and families. You have shown us love and your prayers have helped sustain us. Thank you.

slip slide and away

finally a grandchild that looks like grandma

We are having a great time with family and friends in Arizona but the best part is getting to be with little Tobias. He is a sweet baby and well loved here in the desert. We were at church this morning and I was holding him while he was fussing a bit with some gas. I was approached by a bunch of people in the lobby asking me if I needed help. I don't think it was for the usual reason of a man with a crying baby obviously doesn't know what he is doing. I think that I was holding the much anticipated and loved Toby and they didn't know who I was. They wanted to make sure I was taking care of him, luckily Kendra was there to vouch for me. Finn has been helping with bottles in the car and holding his hand when he starts to cry. So far we haven't eaten a meal in the same house yet and with a trip to SB in the cards I don't think we soon will. It is hot but fun and Beautiful gets here tomorrow.

beauty in the midst of uncertainty

Every day is Sunday, that's the way Carly put it the other day while Beautiful and I were on the couch reading, the boys napping, Jesse at the dining room table on the computer. It was 2 in the afternoon and we were all home, seemingly without a care in the world. Looks are deceiving though. Both Beautiful and I were trying to take a break from the worry by getting lost in a good book. I think I was more successful then she was. After long periods of no response from resumes followed by the occasional 'thanks but no thanks letter', Beautiful got an interview. We were both excited knowing how winning she is but it turns out the company that scheduled the interview is just a pyramid scheme in the form of Insurance sales. Jesse had been to an interview/recruitment seminar the other week and warned her away. What was some hope in the midst of the crushing silence turned out to be mirage. Beautiful was discouraged, really discouraged for a bit. I told her she isn't unemployed she's just under-employed and for some reason that helped. She has two jobs now and is staying pretty busy. Our bank account seems to be a loaves and fishes miracle where a little has gone a long way. We are mostly in good spirits and only occasionally get pulled under by the worry. It is great being with the boys and getting to take the train to the zoo in the middle of the afternoon but there is something to be said for a bit of security and insurance. So after 2 months of unemployment for me and underemployment for Beautiful we are still hopeful and positive most of the time. We are enjoying the time together and taking advantage of the journey like Linsey advised. We have seen and spent time with lots of friends and family that we would not have to chance to if we had a full time job and for that we are thankful. Really for all of it I am thankful, this is not too much to handle. It is hard to be sure but I am thankful for the hard stuff and the beauty in the midst of uncertainty.

21 to 15 the blond one is ahead

Two years ago after a trip to New York we posted state maps that showed all of the states that we have been through. Kate is still just missing Louisiana and I am now only missing 4 states: Alaska, Michigan, Virginia, and Maine to have all of them. Above is Finn's updated map with Hawaii and our recent trip across the Northern US. He has already knocked out a lot of states for a 3 year old and Henry's map below is coming on as well. I wonder if they will get a full map before they are 18. I don't think so though. I think we need to leave a couple of them that they go to on their own but we will get pretty close I'm sure.

back home

After three long days of driving we woke up in our own beds this morning. Some woke up earlier then others but for the most part we are adjusted to the time difference. Driving across the country helps with that I think since we spent one night in each time zone. The boys did fantastic in the car considering they are 3 and 18 months. They watched a couple movies each day, took naps, read books, and played with cars. Finn would barrage us with questions every couple of hours but that would happen where ever we were. We drove from Indy to Sioux City the first day and spent a great night and morning with Kate's grandma Weezie. The boys got some Ginger cookies that were favorites of Tom Tom's so by default they loved them. They also got to play with some of Tom Tom's old toys. Kate added four bags of fabric and sewing goodies to an already over full car and after 3 solid meals in 12 hours we headed out for Billings, MT. In Billings we got a nice deal on a hotel through priceline and it was nice to sleep in soft beds and watch Sports Center in the morning. THe last day took us from Billings to Portland and we got home at 9:45 PM. The boys were asleep by 8 so they were right on track for being back on West Coast time. It was a great trip but we are glad to be home. The boys are missing grammie today something fierce, Henry pointed at a picture of her and shook his head up and down and said a long list of words that I couldn't decipher. I asked if he missed grammie and he said "Grammie!" Finn has been really whiny and needy and we asked what was wrong he said I miss grammie. It is funny that when they are there they really are all about Tom Tom but when they are not they miss Grammie. I don't know if that makes you feel better or worse Kris but the boys love you very much and miss you already. Kate and I do too!

my brother and his boy

Tobias Aaron Rohl and his daddy having a nap. I'm so happy for you Mark and Kendra. I will write more about this but for now enjoy this picture.

american family

after a hiatus

We are still in Indiana, we'll three of us are anyway but our road trip home is coming up soon. Kate flew back to Portland for a wedding and to teach her new SAT class while the boys and I tie up lose ends here and get some good time in with Grammie and Tom Tom before we head home. We cleaned up our house and fixed some glaring issues before listing it up on Craigslist. We got a lot of response on the ad and after showing it to 5 different groups we decided on a great couple. That is a huge weight of our shoulders what with little money coming in and being on the hook for rent and a mortgage. While here I have also had a chance to catch up with some great friends and the boys have had a good time with Kris and Tom. They will definitely miss us and the boys but I think they are looking forward to a quieter house. So now two months into not having a job for me and a 3 hour a week job for Beautiful we are still doing OK. Our bank account seems to be loaves and fishes miracle with some really great family members helping out where they can. We are in high spirits and having a fun time as a family. We still have no idea what the future holds but we are OK with that. Today was fun, I learned how to sand marble and install a cement counter top. I wrestled with the boys and dropped Beautiful at the airport, tomorrow? who knows....

on the tracks

We have made the 10 hour drive down from Minnesota to Indiana and are enjoying some great time at Tom and Kris's with Aunts, Uncles, grandparents and great grand parents. There are 17 total in this 3 bedroom house and it fills full but not crowded. Full houses make the best houses and it is good to see all the cousins together. They are still a couple years away from tearing each other apart but those days are coming. Jake is as beefy as ever in his Wheaton Thunder shirt that is too small around the biceps. Tom and Kris are having a great time with all grandkids, 4 boys now after having 4 daughters. We have a lot of work to do on our house this week and it looks pretty terrible. Once most of the family leaves today we will get started in earnest. We are discouraged by all the work and limited time but that is a worry for tomorrow. Today we are enveloped in family and it feels warm and comforting.

some random things

* Why is that on a road trip you are drawn to the Country and Top 40 stations. It's not just me right, this is a thing.

* Lamar Odom going to Miami might be worse news then losing my job. I think I might be taking that harder. That's not weird at all I don't think.

* The combinations of off ramps and side streets that passes for Interstate 35 W in Minneapolis is insane. The lines run right into walls and I think at one point you go through a lake. Not sure how this ever going to be a drivable road but I am pulling for them.

* I kinda love going to minor league sporting events. We saw the St. Paul Saints play and they had a coupon for free food for everyone in the stands if this one opposing player struck out. The whole crows counted down the strikes and cheered like crazy when he wiffed on strike three. He about threw his bat in the crowd but kept it together.

* If you need a little time from kids the $1.00 popcorn and two bags buys you some free time at Target, even if you don't need to buy anything. Your Welcome.

* Finn can rapid fire questions like it's the lightening round of Jeopardy and it always ends with me calling timeout. Sometimes I last 20 minutes sometimes only 5 but it always ends the same.

aunt meg, queen of the stickers

We have been having a great time with Meg and Mike and baby Milo. Yesterday we went to Farmer's market and had some mini donuts and polish sausage and went to a St. Paul Saints game where we tailgated before the game. We have been treated to a really great time so far in the twin cities and we still have more to come.

head and belly baby nose, baby nose

Henry has been talking a bunch lately though this video doesn't show that much. It does show how freaking cute he is so enjoy.