The tractor has been running, until today. I was mowing when it made a horrible sound. BRRRRRRRRR*BANG* klunk silence. It sounded fatal, and so far nothing on the tractor gives any indication that it will run again.

The softball team won tonight! Our second game of the season and our first win! Usually that doesn't happen until July. But things all went so well for us tonight, that when I almost was able to run down a high fly ball, but was able to only get the top of my glove on it, the ball squirted up out of my glove and looped right back to Marshall backing me up. So I got an assist on the put-out. And I was 3-for-4 with some good solid singles, and one of the longest balls I've ever hit, which just went over the left fielder's outstretched glove as he ran toward the fence and missed leaving the field by maybe 20 feet. Planets must have aligned for me to hit it that hard.

I've replaced the spark plug in the tractor, because someone told me it sounded like the plug was shot. And I've replaced the battery, because it was old and probably needed it. I also got a new fuel filter. But I haven't replaced it yet because I did get it to start, briefly. I'm also getting the camper ready for summer. I pulled it out of the garage and checked the lights, and they work. It's the first time I've tried plugging it into the truck. They also work MUCH BETTER than they ever did with the van. I'm going to get some work done on the camper as soon as I can to get an LP tank bracket installed, replace the bent-up tongue jack (from when Beth "lost" the camper that time), and get the furnace fixed. Also, the new grass I've planted in the backyard is nice and green. We'll see how long that lasts...

The tractor is dead. Dead like fried chicken. I was clearing some brush back behind the fence when all of a sudden it made a very distinct lack of sound. It just plain old stopped running suddenly. And nothing would get it running again.

Tonight was the first game of the softball season! We lost, of course, but everyone played pretty well, I thought. I was even 3-for-3 with a couple of good solid hits through the infield.

Tues - Cub scouts taste of Ag., Beth babysit Lily. Thur - Beth Pampered Chef party, me get Missy a haircut. Fri - me haircut & church pix. sat - Alex to Jack's party w/Chuck E Cheese. then we go to MI for Julia's sleepover. Alex & me to hotel. 3rd choice due to sellout & no pool. alex gets a cold immediately.

This has been spring break week for the kids, but I didn't take any time off. However, we did do a few things we otherwise wouldn't have. Tuesday, since there was no Cub Scouts, we took the kids out to see "How to Train Your Dragon" in 3-D. Which was, I must say, awesome in ways Eragon can only dream about. Everyone loved it. And, it was the first time either kid has ever HELD IT because they didn't want to miss any of the movie. When it ended, both of them had to go really bad. It was also the first time I've ever seen a 3-D movie where I thought the 3-D actually added to the movie. In "Alice in Wonderland" it was just distracting. Wednesday, we took the kids to the mall in Fort Wayne to get some portraits taken at Picture People. They were ok, but none were really as good as we have had done there before. We only got a few poses that worked. Alex is at the age when he can't just smile naturally, and in all the pictures he looked like a goober. But we got a couple keepers, too. Friday was small group, and because we have been growing so much lately we've moved to the church building. We had a fun night as a sort of kickoff to the new location and welcome to several new couples. We had the ping pong table and video games out for the kids, and the grownups played some games (Pit was very popular and had a full table for several rounds) and ate and chatted. Alex was having a tough time for a while because Mason wasn't there and mostly there were just girls or older boys. But he made it. Saturday we took the kids bowling because they've been asking to go for quite a while now. Alex actually got a strike (bumper bowling) which made his day. Today, we went shopping after church for our World Compassion Network Family 2 Family boxes and packed them up...knowing that we forget about that sort of a thing if we don't take care of it right away...and had it delivered to church by evening

This week has been short and long at the same time. I had Good Friday off, and since the kids had school I took full advantage and worked extensively around the house while Beth rested. I got 8 feet of retaining wall in and level...seems the trick is to get the base level, and after that it's easy. Hard work though. I also saved (spent) big money for some lawn stuff, and got the front yard raked and fertilized. While I was at it, I also raked up a lot of moss in the backyard and re-seeded. I've got the straw on and the sprinkler running a lot. Saturday Beth and I had a date night, but as lousy as Beth's been feeling lately we didn't really do much. We went out to dinner (Beth couldn't eat much or anything), got the Easter basket stuff for the kids, got a haircut for me...and that was about all she could take. Early night. Today is Easter, of course, so Beth was at church early, but otherwise about all we could do is take it easy.

I got the kids off to school this morning so Beth could rest. Didn't realize it was school picture day, so they were kind of dressed like slobs. But I got them off. Beth picked up Missy, and then I decided it would be better if I drove her to FW for her doctor's appointment...good call. We dropped Missy off at the Myers' and headed out. She saw the surgeon and every other person at the center this afternoon. Seems the consensus is that the strep is down around the opening to the band, the z-pack pills were too big to swallow and scraped the tissue around the opening and the strep climbed in and made itself at home. They removed a good amount of fluid from the band and she can now swallow without gagging, but the pain will be in residence for another week or so. Note to self...next time you don't want to wait around in the office at the doctor's try passing out at the check-in desk. Really gets you a face to face with everyone really fast. We were back in town in time to get Alex from school. Beth even went to singing rehearsal tonight, against better judgement perhaps, but this weekend is Easter. No work tomorrow for me (been missing a lot lately). I thought there was no school tomorrow, but there is! I found out when Beth came home and the kids were still up. We had just gotten back from Menard's; I'm going to build a little retaining wall in the SE corner of the house.