Another great year!
Twas the morning before
Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was
stirring, not even a mouse;
Mismatched socks were
scattered all over the floor,
Why so impossible to
situate them into a drawer?
The boys were nestled all
snug in their beds,
Expanders and headgear
attached to their heads.
Jack in his boxers, dimming
the lights and loading ipad,
I slip in my mouth guard,
prepared to watch Breaking Bad.
Then, in my ear, was an ear
piercing ring
I sprang to answer the
phone and began listening.
“Hi! How are you guys? I
miss you and hope you can come!
To Boot Camp graduation!”
Zach shouted over the phone.
“I called Mom, but she
couldn’t answer. Please tell her ‘I love her!’
Emphatically, I received
orders and confirmed with a “Sir! Yes
Sir!”
It will always be a vividly
clear moment in time,
When we all first laid eyes
on Zach marching in line.
Away to the flat screen I
flew like a flash,
Tore open the Doritos and threw
the bag in the trash
The rave green on the
breast of the jersey’s below
Meant a day of torture for
each Denver Bronco.
So rapid, those Seahawks, while
Wilson’s coursers they came
He whistled and shouted and
called them by name,
Now Sherman! And Smith! Let’s
Go Baldwin!” shouted each fan
Let’s Go Golden Tate! This
one’s for the 12th man!
To the top of the table, to
the top of the wall!
Seattle Seahawks fans are
Super Bowl Champs one and all!
As wet leaves surround us with grey northwest sky
Grandpa Stanley and Jack hopped on a plane to fly.
To England to see relatives, enjoy a lukewarm brew
The thrill seeker, fun hog, pilot and motorcycling brother,
Managed to crash and
send both father and mother
To North Carolina to help
as Mark's rib cage as body was flung
Into traffic with broken
shoulder and punctured lung.
I guess Dad was feeling
lonely with Mark getting attention
Ended up in the E.R. with
his bladder’s distention.
With bladder bleeding and
ready to burst
I actually think it was Mom
who had it the worst.
Both guys with nurses and
drugs as they were stitched
While mom navigated 2
hospitals with 2 loved ones, without a glitch.
Lesle making us morning
green drinks with crap, I mean kale and flax
Ben blaring the trombone,
Nick accompanying on bari sax.
A few weeks before Spring Break the boys are set on their mission.
“C’mon Mom! We did it last
year that makes it “Tradition!”
So off to Aunt Mary Beth’s they fly with their friend, Sol in tow.
And it is party central
with Aunt Mary Beth and her dog Willow!
Only a sister would take 3 rowdy boys,
For a week full of amusement parks, candy and toys!
Only a sister would take 3 rowdy boys,
For a week full of amusement parks, candy and toys!
As I drew in my head and was turning around
Down the zip line they
laughed and came down with a bound!
Hiked Glacier National Park
with the Byrds, and chipmunks
Jack anxious with heights
on the verge of blowing chunks.
He was in his Blue Dress Uniform, from head to each foot,
As for Elhiany, Lance
Corporal Gallimore was in hot pursuit.
Back home to Seattle Zach
quickly flew,
Before heading to Okinawa,
he and Elhiany said “I do.”
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| Bride, Groom and Co. |
Nick and Ben enjoying the
true meaning of sports!
Great teammates, great
hustle, and extra baggie shorts!
Soccer, baseball and tennis
keep them busy with both feet and hands,
Nana and Papa, are simply the best you could ask for as fans.
Her eyes are suspicious restarting
the computer to surf,
The wide world of the web
and Googles “Synthetic Turf”
NBC does a small story and
it creates quite a stir,
Reporters, lawyers, doctors and
scientists are all calling her.
How is your research? Where
is your lab? What is your approach?
Honestly everyone, I am just
a college goalkeeper coach!
His eyebrows they are
perfect, his goatee is so merry
But Ben noticed a black dot
smaller than the pit of a cherry.
Right smack dab in the
middle of Toby’s belly,
Jack watching football,
eyes glued to the telly.
Les' took a closer look and
exclaimed. “Good God! It’s a Tick!”
Get a flashlight! Get the
matches! Get the tweezers! Hurry Nick!
He gathered the equipment
as quick as he could race!
Nick is a teenager, so he moved at a snail’s pace.
The stump of the flashlight she held in her teeth,
Tugging on the tick, shaving off hair,
digging beneath.
Toby, so loyal, so steadfast, his eyes looked supportively
true,
As we burned and we tugged and made a vet appointment, too.
Jack drew the short straw and took Toby to the vet
No matter how hard we tried, that tick, we just could not
get.
Cautiously and professionally he took in our dog as if he
were cripple,
Inquiring curiously, “Why did you try to remove Toby’s
nipple?”
A wink of an eye and a nod of their heads,
Soon gave us to knowhow we had nothing to dread.
They spoke and they listened, and they went straight to work
When the Huskies weren’t ranked, they just gave it a smirk.
Laying perfectly placed passes, and scoring more goals,
Slowly but surely, up the rankings they rose.
“To the Death!” they defended. “Imperfectly Perfect” was a
theme.
They loved one another; and, in turn, loved their team.
They sprang off the bench, to cheer and to whistle,
With each bone crushing tackle and shot like a missile.
We heard them exclaim as they flew back that night,
Sweet 16 was fun, but a Final Four is where have set our
sights!
So it “Twas the morning before Christmas, but now it’s afternoon.
The socks are somewhat picked up, and no longer strewn.
Packages are wrapped, music is on, Jack is shopping online,
Les protects the prime rib in horseradish; simply sublime
Loving home, loving peace, loving the Christmas mood.
God is gracious, God is good, let us thank him for this food
We are so thankful for friends and for family, … and for
caffeine.
We love you, and will continue to well past two thousand and fifteen!
Much Love,
The Griffins!
We love you, and will continue to well past two thousand and fifteen!
Much Love,
The Griffins!
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"selfie" lessons with Mom
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