May 26, 2014

A Memorial Day Weekend Visit to Waverly, Iowa


A Memorial Day Weekend Visit to Waverly, Iowa
Todd Swank's Diary Entry for May 26, 2014


Our week started off on a bit of a stressful note.  We went to see Luke's cardiologist and he had some concerns that we need to follow-up on.  Although it's been awhile since we've had to deal with anything, when Luke was born he had a very serious heart defect that required multiple surgeries to correct.  He now has what is known as a Fontan correction.  I found a couple videos on YouTube that shows what this is all about:



Luke's doctor wants to get a better look at what's going on with him so we're planning on having a heart cath done some time soon so he can investigate further.  Luke is taking this news like a real trooper and is confident everything is just fine, but naturally mom and dad are nervous.  Luke has been through so much in his life and he certainly doesn't deserve to have to deal with any more crap.  But we have really good doctors and we do what they say needs to be done.  In any case, if you happen to see Luke, he doesn't really like to talk about this kind of stuff, so it's probably best not to mention it to him.  But Miss Sheri and I would certainly appreciate it if you would keep him in your prayers or send some positive thoughts his way if you have the chance.  We'll keep you posted how things are going for him as we find out additional news.  


Luke has had his blood drawn countless times in his life and there's usually been a lot of drama involved in the process.  But this week, Luke was so brave and dealt with the situation all by himself and instructed the nurse on the ways that work best for him.  We're just so proud of him.


On a positive note, the boys had a great week of celebrating accomplishments!  On Monday night, they both earned their Life Scout ranks in Boy Scouts so they get to finally start working on becoming full fledged Eagle Scouts.  On Tuesday night, they received their first high school letters in Band.


On Wednesday night, they received some awards from the high school robotics team and eventually received letters in that activity as well.  All in all, it was a full week of opportunities for us to be proud of our kids!  I guess all those hours spent hollering at them to stay busy with their activities is finally starting to pay off!


The robotics banquet was a lot of fun.  Especially when we were able to get in line to eat!


On Thursday night, we took a break from organized activities to put the fear of God into the boys.  That's always a fun activity.


On Friday night we drove down to Waverly, Iowa to visit my buddy, Ron.  He recently was named Deputy Sheriff and we're real proud of him.  Even if he won't let me actually drive his car.


 Ron and his wife, Kristi, have four beautiful children aged 2 to 9.  Needless to say, they're a bundle of energy and keep mom and dad on their toes at all times.  Lucky for all of them, their mom makes incredible cookies which probably make for a pretty good incentive to follow the rules.  I know those cookies would make me follow the rules any ways.


On Friday night, Ron and I went outside from 1-1:30am to watch the supposed meteor shower that was going to swoop by the earth.  Needless to say, the black sky in this picture is a pretty good representation of the meteors we saw while we waited out there.


Ever since our last visit to see Ron and his collection of weapons, my sons have been enamored with the concept of going back to visit him and going to the gun range.   Since the boys will be hitting their fifteenth birthday soon, we thought it was a good time for them to learn the proper lessons of gun safety and the proper way to handle a firearm.


Although I was less excited about my wife learning how to use a gun.  I'm really hoping this doesn't bite me in the butt some day.


Avery was a natural at firing the weapons.  He fired about 40 rounds of the rifle and about 80% of them were in the black part of the target.  I guess all those hours on the XBOX are really starting to pay off for him.  This further cemented my confidence in the fact that if society is ever overwhelmed by the zombie apocalypse, I'm standing behind my boys to lead me out of town.


Luke tried the big gun, but seemed to prefer the 22.  He was a little nervous to try it at first, but once he gained his confidence he was doing a great job.  Here's a video of the whole family as we learned the lessons of gun safety.




On Saturday afternoon, Krazy Kory joined us for a round of golf.   Lately, whenever Kory comes around, Ron spends a lot of his time trying to get him to do the wave with him.  It's kind of an unusual thing to watch, but rather enjoyable when Kory actually starts joining him.

  
The boys had a great time playing golf.  They really perked up every time the beverage cart came by, although I don't know why.  They weren't even really drinking anything.

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