As one life ends, another begins...

I'm gonna take a quick break in my quest for catchin' up to deliver some family news...

Some bad news came down the pipe on Tuesday with the passin' of my girl's grandfather, Red. I've only known him a few short years, but it didn't take me long to like him. He was a gentle ol' farm boy, a veteran and overall good man who could usually pull a good story out of his hat with minimal proddin'. My girl and I have been blessed to have all four of our respective grandparents in our lives up until now. I have a pretty realistic outlook on death in general, so while I don't necessarily look forward to the services, I'm glad to celebrate the full and adventurous life that Red enjoyed.

Yet, the world doesn't miss a beat and the "circle of life" continues.

Jesse and my sister-in-law welcomed their second kid into the world on Tuesday afternoon. My little nephew Alex will now have to compete with a cute lil' sister for all the attention. I do pity my brother... that cute lil' Lydia will spend 12 years just a-wrappin' him all around her little finger, and then... who knows. All I know is that I'll do my best to be the cool uncle that steers her towards the wonders of the great outdoors and away from them sly little boys:)  I'm really happy for my brother and sister... they've got a nice little family goin', which I'm just a wee bit jealous of.

Not to be outdone, my good buddy Wade's wife gave birth to their first-born yesterday evenin'... a big ol' boy, just like his daddy. Of the three non-related clowns that I consider my closest friends and huntin' buddies, Wade's the first to pull the trigger on the whole procreation deal. Somethin' tells me that young Luke will be takin' to the great outdoors like a duck to water in just a few short years.