TBT - 2005

Tonight's Throw-Back Thursday picture is from late September, 2005.  From left to right is Preston, Eli, me, Caleb, and my dad.

Preston (PJ) was a friend of Caleb's from gymnastics.  Caleb and PJ and been in gymnastics class together from the time PJ was 4 and Caleb was 3 until both boys retired from the sport due to injury in high school.  PJ and Caleb were more like brothers, and PJ was another member of our family.  He was around so much that he even called my dad Grandpa!

This particular crew did many things together!  In this instance, we had just finished a weekend at the Tulsa State Fair.  We always got ride passes and spent Friday/Saturday/Sunday at the fair doing all the fun fair things.  Fried foods on a stick, pineapple whip, the hypnotist, Zingo, Phantasmagoria, the Ice Capades, ring toss, free concerts, the butter sculpture, exhibitions, animal showings, the horse races, dancing chickens, carnies, and much, much more!

We went to the fair every year until they pulled down Bells.  We'd pick the kiddos all up from their various schools (WC and Joplin) on Friday and head straight to the fair, where we met my dad.  He'd usually be sitting on a bench inside the gate, eating a corndog.  We'd stay and ride rides until midnight, when they shut down.  Saturday morning meant the Fair Parade, followed by donuts, then off to the fair to spend the whole day, again, not leaving until they shut it all down.  Sunday we'd  stay until around 5-ish, then head head for Long John Silver by my dad's house for dinner before heading home.

You can tell we'd just been to LJS in this picture, we're all in our hats!  We're dropping Dad back home before we head back to Missouri.  This is the same house I lived in from age 3 until I got married in 1987.  My brother, Paul, lives there now.


 PJ is in college at Rolla,

Eli is married, graduated from college, and on his way to Dallas for the Army,

Caleb is in college at NEO,

and Grandpa died in 2007.


I really miss this group.     :::le sigh:::