I have come to the conclusion that you try to figure out who you are until you get married. Once you get married you have to be an adult and be
responsible and kind of put yourself on the back burner as you raise your kids. Then when all your kids are gone you get to try and find yourself again.
This is the case with my Dad. He was a normal dad...went to work everyday to provide for his family...taught us life lessons so we could survive...never went shopping...never missed church. I never remember him having a hobby except for playing basketball.
Oh, how things have changed now that all the kids are gone!!
I don't know if I can
categorize his new love on life or hobby in one category so I thought I would show photographic proof.
He bought this 10 foot dolphin to put by the side of the pool and was so proud of the deal he got. I did not know there was a huge competition on 10 foot dolphins except with sea-world.
We call this the bingo turner. He said it husked some sort of nuts.
He planted a cactus garden. Nothing says grandchildren friendly than a cactus garden. We now know the best way to get out cactus pokers is duct tape...FYI
This is his Indian
burial ground. The only thing buried here is a dog. He has scared the
grandchildren by telling them if they knock any of the rocks over the
Indian spirits will come out. My sisters kids won't step foot down there. Every single one of these rocks have been taken from the side of freeways or roads. It has taken years to collect but if we drive with him we try ti distract him if we see a good rock he might want to stop and see. Isn't it sad I know what a good rock is.
This is the before picture...
This is the after...We all said trash the basketball hoop when it broke. He had this vision. He said no one probably has this in their backyard.
We went on a family vacation where we played horse shoes and my mom and him beat us all. Next time we came over he built a
horseshoe pit.
I don't know...decoration.
Still don't know about this latest purchase. Maybe when the world comes to an end we will need these old machines to live.
My favorite thing in the whole backyard is his green rock. This is a $1000.00 rock he had to have
craned over the pool. He calls it the dive rock and the
grand kids love it. I told him when he dies I am going to have it
craned out and put as his headstone.
Why does my dad do all this? Because he CAN... I think all these creative outlets have been bottled up for years while he had to be a normal dad. I think he is finding himself. We know each time we go to grandpas we will say "What is that?"
My favorite moment came when we were explaining how we wanted to try to be out of the house if we had to evacuate in under an hour. We talked about what we would grab and where we would go. I finally looked over at Sydney and she was crying...What is wrong Sydney? "I will never be able to clean my room in an hour, so I can't come." I told her I promise she won't have to clean her room before she can evacuate. Huge relief crossed her face. Honestly, I bet if I made them clean their room before they could evacuate...I bet they would clean their room in world record time. Something for me to think about. 
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