Christmas Light Tour

Hey kids,
Daddy here. One of my favorite things to do every year is drive around Redding and look at the Christmas lights. This year the Mansfield clan finally decided to try something new, a Christmas tree light tour in a limo with our friends the Reagans and the Larsons. We met up at the Reagan's house and had some appetizers and then loaded everybody onto the limo. We drove all around Redding and even met Santa!

 After the tour was over, we headed back to the Mansfield abode and had some dessert. There was a lot of eating, talking, playing and laughing. Just another great adventure in our lives. I'm glad to have been able to share it with the Reagans and the Larsons. I love you guys,

Daddy

STAR WARS!!

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Ever since I was a kid, the Star Wars saga have been some of my favorite movies of all time and when I heard they were adding on to that saga with Star Wars Episode VII:The Force Awakens, I was totally excited albeit a little cautious. After watching a preview I became totally hooked and you guys did too. We started talking about when we would have the possibility to go see it knowing that it would be hard if not impossible to get tickets the day of or even the weekend of. 

A few months ago, Cagle had the bright idea to rent out an entire theater and give tickets away on the radio to be a part of this massive event. The theater agreed and decided to sell us an entire showing at 7 p.m. the night before the movie was to be released. I asked Cagle then if there was any possibility that I could get in to see the showing and he said only if I agreed to work it. Which of course I did. I began to beg more and more for tickets so you guys could join me, but Cagle said the tickets were very limited and I probably wouldn't be able to bring anyone let alone two other people. On Monday of this week that rule was still in effect, but Cagle said I could have one extra ticket. With the impossible choice of having to pick between Alex and Jacob I couldn't choose one of you over the other so I decided to take Mom. However, after a major plot twist, Cagle  came up with a third ticket so that all three of us could go.

I was so excited, I couldn't wait to get home and tell you guys and your reaction was everything I thought it would be.

So, Alex had to get through one day of finals and Jake had to get through one day at school. Last night, after I got off work I headed home and pick you up and we turned right back around and headed to the theater, tickets in hand excitement in head and ready to go.  When we got there, we saw a huge, gigantic long line leading out of the theater Alex asked me, "Dad do we have to wait in that line?" I said, "No, we're with the radio station." We walked right up to the ticket counter and Emily, our promotions director, walked us right into the theater.  We got some great seats. Before the movie, Billy and Patrick, Jake Easy and I all got up in front of the crowd to thank them for joining us and I did my stupid Wookie roar. I sat down with you guys and we prepared ourselves for episode VII.

It was awesome! It was epic! It was, dare I say, legendary! Too much to recap in the blog and by the time you read this you probably will have seen it 246 times. But never forget the first time: in the theater with me. I know I won't. It was a tremendous experience and I love that we all got to see it together for the first time. I love you guys,

Daddy

Madrigal

Hey kids,
Daddy here. As Alex is in High School now, he's had an awesome opportunity to take part in the Shasta High presentation of Madrigal. Since Al made it in as a freshman, I sure hope that he'll do it all four years. There are four performances during the week, but Mom and I decided the best for us was to go on Friday. So, we sent Jake and Iz to the Reagans and met Grammie, Papa, Tia, Uncle PP, and Great grandma Dorthy at the event. I was the last to get there, so when I entered they asked me how I wanted to be introduced and I said, "Uhh, Mr. Mansfield." They asked, "Lord Mansfield?" to which I was all, "ABSOLUTELY!!" That has a nice ring to it, don't ya think?! Anyway, I had the privilege to enter with Duchess Moty so there was a big fanfare when we walked in. I sat down next to Mom and the night got under way.
I'm not usually a fan of dinner theater type of stuff, but this was outstanding! I mean, I don't think I can even express how proud, impressed, and flat out blown away I was by the presentation, charisma, and overall professionalism of the entire thing. Al, Arjan and our other table servers were helpful, charming, funny and kept us entertained during the times when the performance was not happening.

When it was, the singing was awesome, I loved how the voices melded beautifully together. I loved how they'd sing strong, then soft and back and forth. The different bands sounded great & the dancers were majestic. The actors were all very impressive. My favorite was the Jester, she was incredible. Mertinsire was also very funny and really sold his part. The Wassail was tasty and the gummie worms in our salad was funny (and tasty). The Cornish game hen was cooked perfectly and was delicious. When the figgy pudding came, I was told to wait for the caramel sauce. I'm glad I did, as OMG that sauce! Per Al's instruction, I HAD to put it on a roll and try that too. I actually thought it was better on the figgy pudding, but that darn sauce would make packing peanuts taste good so it was still good. Mom got an after dinner tea, and I got a coffee.
The Jester's story changes from night to night, so she had to be good at improv, which she was. So our story called for her to rap and she killed it! When the story had concluded I was a bit sad, as everything was done so well, I didn't want the night to end. But eventually, they bid us all adieu and we had to head home. We all took a few moments to thank the different people we thought did such a great job.
Our family headed out and Mom went to get Jake and Iz from the Reagan's. I took Al home and I hope I was able to convey my immense pride. I was completely astounded by how good it was. I told Mom later that if we had paid $100 for that and gone to see grown adults do it, that's the kind of quality I'd expect. I'm so proud of you Alex. I know how hard you worked the last month with all the practices and having to stay up late to get all you homework done. I hope you feel like it was all worth it, because that was a very special night for Mom and I to see you involved in something that great. I love you guys,

Daddy

Thanksgiving

Hey kids,
Daddy here. This year, I decided to take a long Thanksgiving break, so I was off Wednesday thru Sunday. Five days off for me is like a mini vacation. Al was off all week, and Jake and Iz had two half days Monday and Tuesday. Jake went down to the Clickner's on Monday after school, so it was pretty scattered for the first part of the week.
Wednesday, Alex and I had to go out and get some last minute things for Thanksgiving. We were almost done with our errands when I got the call. GG has been sick for a few months now and at 95 years old, I had a feeling she would not be going back home. I try to prepare you guys the best I can for the hard times in life, and I hope that I have. However, no matter how much preparation you have and no matter how much your logical mind knows what can and probably will happen, getting that call is always hard. Angie told me though tearful words that GG had passed on. She waited for Angie to get there and the Chaplain played "Somewhere over the Rainbow" on the ukulele. From what she described, it was a very calm and peaceful passing. I started to get choked up and thanked her for calling to let us know. I hung up the phone and started crying. Alex gave me a big hug and we just sat there for bit, hugging and crying. It was an awful, beautiful moment for me. While sad that GG was gone, I was so glad that I had Al there to literally be a shoulder to cry on. That would have been very hard to go though alone. Al suggested we skip our last errand and just head home. We got home and told Mom and we all just kind of sat there and cried a bit. I know it's dumb to say, but she's been there for me my whole life. When I was a younger man and I was going though hard times, I could always call and talk to her. She'd give me advice, send money, and sometimes just listen. Even if she wasn't my grandmother, she'd still be my friend. I love her so much, and I'm just sad that I won't be able to tell her all the great stuff you guys do. When someone we love passes away, we're only sad for ourselves. GG's knees don't hurt anymore, her hands don't hurt anymore. She's with her husband, her parents, her brothers, her son, and her grand daughter. I'm so happy that she had such a wonderful place to go but I'm a little sad for us, as our lives are a little less colorful without her.
Thursday, we all got up early for the Mansfield tradition of going to the Turkey Trot. Last year I had to miss it because our water heater had blown up the day before and Papa generously offered to help me put the new one in. This year, I was all in, but Jake was sick and didn't feel like going! So, Mom, Al, Iz and I all put on our 30th anniversary sweatshirts and headed out. It was quite a chilly morning so I'm glad we all bundled up.

Afterward, we headed home and got all our stuff together for Thanksgiving and headed to Grammie and Papa's. I always love hangin out with the family. We watched some football, Al and I checked out Uncle J's RAD drone and snacked a bit. When it was time to eat, we all gathered around the kitchen island and I said Grace for us all. We sat down at the table and enjoyed out Thanksgiving meal as a family. We have so many wonderful things to be thankful for this year. Our lives, our family, our home, that GG is not suffering, that we live is such a great state and nation. Too many to count. I am so glad I get to spend the holidays with you guys and Mom. I never get tired of just being around you. I love you so much.
Saturday, we went to Turtle Bay to check out the Get Animated exhibit. Mom and I got a coffee before we went in, so we took a little walk first. After coffee we headed in to Get Animated.

Sometimes I wish we could spend a little more time reading some of the neat information they have written on the cards and such, but Jake and Iz get bored when there's not stuff to do. We we hung out and played some of the games and had some fun.

Afterwards we walked over the bridge and went below to throw rocks. Al and Jake had some awesome skippers and we just enjoyed our time together.

 I love you guys,

Daddy

Weekend Recap

Hey kids,
Daddy here. This weekend we went to Chico to celebrate Yayas 40th birthday on Saturday. I first met Yaya when she was a freshman in high school and I was a sophomore. She was in a few of my classes and she sat next to me in Pre-Calculus. I used to copy off her all the time and she'd slide her paper over so i could see her answers. When Doc first told me he wanted to ask her out, I told him I'd put in a good word with her if he promised not to screw it up, as I needed her to pass. Well, they've been together ever since and I passed Pre-Calc so all is well, lol. When I first met Mom and was telling Doc and Yaya about her, Yaya said, "Oh, I know her. She's in my English class. She's super sweet, you should ask her out!" Well, you guys know how that's worked out so nedless to say Yaya's been around my life for a long time. We all headed to Chico and Mom got Yaya out of the house so we could decorate. We got everything set, gave her a big surprise, and had a really fun time. I love that they live so close that we can just go for the day and still make it home by a reasonable hour.
We've been busy as of late, so we opted for a lazy Sunday this week and went to the 5:30 Mass and the guest priest was from Buffalo. Afterward, Mom had an idea that we'd go to Mod Pizza. You guys and Mom have been there but I had not. It's like a build your won pizza place and they even have a few beers on tap. Izzy loves the Marionberry iced tea and there are lot of stickers on the wall of people who've been there. We saw a few people we know. It was totally awesome and we made plans to definitely come back to this awesome place. The circus starts again tomorrow. I love you guys,
Daddy

Weekend Recap

Hey kids,
Daddy here. A few years ago,  I took Alex to a church sponsored Father/Son program in Chico.  This time around we were fortunate to have the talk in the St Joseph gym. A few of your friends were there to get to talk as well. Mr Watkins hosted the event and hopefully you guys learned something. The birds and the bees talk is something I think every father dreads, but one that is sponsored by the church and taught by men we respect is about as good as it can get. It is my job to raise you guys to become men. So far, so good.
Saturday, after an awesome sleep in we had to get some chores done around the house while Mom got her nails done. After Mom got home, she took Izzy to Natalie's birthday party at the gymnastics place and the boys and I got to chill and watch Flash. We wrapped up our day by having our standard Cap'n Chad pizza and watching a movie. One of my favorite things to do in the whole wide world.
Sunday morning, the Mansfield men were scheduled to read at the 9 o'clock mass. I was Lector 1 and Alex was Lector 2. Starting at this Mass, Lector 2 was supposed to read the opening prayer. I have to tell you Al, seeing you stand up there with your shirt and tie and getting ready to lead us all in prayer made me very proud. I'm so proud of the man you're growing up to be, son. After Mass, it was time for the Knights of Columbus breakfast. A great way for us to help out the Knights and get a totally filling breakfast at the same time. I love you guys,

Daddy

Halloween

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Halloween this year so we participated in another Mansfield family tradition which is going over to the Fig's neighborhood to trick or treat there because they give out stock options and full candy bars and such. I brought some Not your Father's root beer for people to try and sat down to watch the World Series game with Dr Fig only to be informed by Mom that I would need to take the kids out. So Mr Palmer, Mr Medina and I took you guys out trick or treating.

Hammy!

After what seemed like forever and many bags overflowing with candy we headed back to the Figs. It was another successful Halloween. We have enough candy to last us the next two months although I expect it will last less than a week. I love you guys,

Daddy

Weekend Recap

Hey Kids,

Daddy here. Mom was out of town this weekend at Sara's 40th birthday party, so it was Daddy in charge (which is always a fun time). Friday night, we got the Mansfield standard, Cap'n Chad pizza from Papa Murphy's. We watched some of Edge of Tomorrow and after Jake and Iz went to bed, Al and I watched Mad Max. IT WAS AWESOME!!

On Saturday morning we went to pray the Rosary with some members of our church outside because father George always says public prayer is more powerful than private. We prayed the joyful mysteries and then the sorrowful mysteries and Jake even led us on one of the decades. I was so proud of you, SteveO. Leading all of us in prayer was very powerful for me and for others. At the end, Father George thanked us all for coming, especially the young and the old whom are the closest to God. I was glad to be considered part of the first group, lol.

We left St Joes and headed to Target to pick up a few things we needed. I owed Alex and Jake a Starbucks for an A they had gotten and Izzy agreed to keep her room clean so she got one too.

Later in the afternoon, we went to see Goosebumps the movie. On our way out the door, Izzy asked me if she looked good in her big sunglasses. I said, "You look like Audrey Hepburn." She spun around and yelled, "I'M NOT AUDREY HEPBURN!!" I told her that Audrey Hepburn was very pretty. She smiled, "I'm Audrey Hepburn."

The movie was good and we had a great time. We headed home to get all ready for the annual Fall Festival at school. We took a quick stop by the Reagan's house so Kristin could do Izzy's makeup first. Izzy went as a kitty cat, Jake went as Spider-man and Al went as the most terrifying thing of all, A TRUE 49ER FAN!!


 As I was not in the mood to get all the Halloween stuff down from the garage, I let you guys bring the recyclable grocery bags for candy bags, thinking they'd be waaay to big. Nope! I did not consider Al, who filled his almost a quarter of the way full and Jake and Iz had nearly as much as well. All told, we made it home with like 8 pounds of candy! It's not even Halloween yet! As the night drew to a close, we grabbed Mackenzie and swung into Little Caesars for some to go dinner and headed back home with the Reagans to hang for a bit. Alex fell asleep in our bed in about 5 minutes, Izzy and Mack played in her room, Cory fell asleep on the couch in 5 minutes and Kristin, Andrew and I watched the Nightmare Before Christmas. Once sleep started to get the better of all of us, I sent Jake and Al to their beds and Izzy to my bed, the Reagans headed home and I conked out finally after a long, awesome day.

Sunday morning the boys alter served and for the first time in a long time, I was able to just observe the Mass. Father George talked about the blind man Bartamaeus and his struck a chord with me as Father George often does. After Mass, we headed down to Chico to party with the Clickner's for Lily's 3rd birthday. Mom was supposed to meet us there, but she wasn't feeling well so she said she'd just meet us at home. Later in the day, Doc, Al, and I took a man break and went to the Graduate to grab a beer and chat for a few. I love, Al, that you come and hang with the men now. We stayed till about 7 and finally headed home. We got home and told mom all about our weekend and she told us about hers. We all crashed and prepared for another busy week the Mansfield house. I love you guys,

Daddy

Weekend Recap and River Bowl!

Hey Kids,

Daddy here. RIVER BOWL XIII!!! Every year Shasta High School and Enterprise High have a football game that for that last 23 years has been called the River Bowl. Mom and I have been talking about going for years, and now that we have a high school kid, we have to go. Fearing they would sell out, I went to Shasta on Friday and got our tickets.

There were 637532689 people at the game so there was nowhere for the 5 of us to sit so we stood. We saw Jessica and Jake and Iz sat with her for a bit. Alex went to sit with some of his friends and Mom and I talked to Kelly, the alter server. Izzy did not have too much interest in the game so she watched Netflix on Mom's phone while the game was going on.

Shasta had not won the River Bowl since 2011 so Al and I were a bit nervous after spending $24 for our shirts.

Oh, nm, lol. Final score 63-21. They let the 4th quarter run continuously due to the blowout. I can't wait till next years event which will be at Shasta.

Saturday, Mom, the Reagans, and I had tickets to see Zac Brown in Wheatland. I was totally excited! We stopped in Chico for dinner at Tres Hombres and had a fantastic meal. We had a laughter filled ride to the show and took our seats on the grass.

 Cory and I rented lawn chairs for all of us and paid $11.50 for one tall can. $11.50?! Well, I guess that's concert prices for ya. It was still a great show. We got back late, dropped the Reagans off and headed home to bed.

Sunday morning brings Mass. After which we headed home for a little football, a few cold ones and trying to wrap our head around next week. I love you guys.

Daddy

Communion Practice

Hey kids,

Daddy here. Tonight we had to go to church on a Tuesday because Izzy and the first Eucharist class had a practice and meeting for the parents. We sat with the Reagans and ate dinner in the basement. After dinner, the kids headed upstairs and Father George talked about how important the sacrament of Baptism is to us Catholics. I'm so glad we have such a strong faith family in our church. I'm also very thankful that we live in a country that we can freely celebrate our faith. After dinner, we headed upstairs and the kids sang us a few songs they had learned.

Father George showed us what a baptism would look like for the kids that are not baptized.

We had a nice prayer and headed home. I'm proud of you Izzy and I'm so glad to be taking this faith journey with you. I love you.

Daddy

Weekend Recap

Hey kids,
Daddy here. This weekends fun began Friday night. It was our annual trip to Red Bluff for the West Coast Monster Truck Nationals. We once again got VIP tickets.

We decided to keep it simple this year and just have us Mansfield boys.

 Although, when we got to the event, we saw Jake Mangas and Mrs. Woodfill's son, Brian, so we sat with them.  It was kind of weird for me, as I know that Mom used to babysit Brian when he was a little boy and now there's this grown man with his own daughter sitting next to me. Alex had a brief conversation with a drunk man next to us. Rather, he had a conversation with Alex, hahaha.  After a bit, the finally served the food witch this year was on a ticketed system, boo! We got our cheap burgers and settled in for some monster mayhem. Jake and Brian had little kids so they left earlier than we did. When it was time for the freestyle part of the event, I suggested we leave so we could beat the crowd. Jake asked if we could stay and watch a few of the trucks, so we did. The first was LAME, so we decided to stay to end on a high note. The second was better, but still not too thrilling, The third was out of control! After a few rad jumps around the track, we got what we had been waiting all night to see, IT FLIPPED OVER!!!

Finally satisfied, we headed out. You guys both fell asleep, Jake before we got out of Red Bluff and Alex about 15 minutes later. I love going to the Monster Trucks, obviously, but I just love spending time with you guys. I hope when you have kids of your own you'll have your silly traditions that you love doing too.

Saturday, we had to go to JC Penny because Alex needed a tuxedo shirt for his Madrigal performance and shoes for his pop concert next week. While we were there I looked for a new Star Wars shirt and Jake found this....

Sunday, we went to Church and headed home to watch football and have a few Not Your Father's Root Beers, Mom and my new obsession. I love you guys,

Daddy

VII

Hey kids,
Daddy here. In 2001 a terrible tragedy occurred on September 11th. In 2008, the sadness  of that day would forever be changed by the arrival of Izzy. Before you were born Iz, I didn't think our family was missing anything. However, it wasn't until after you arrived, that I realized you were the perfect thing that our family needed to balance us out. I always thought raising little boys and little girls would be very similar, how wrong I was. In the seven years since you've come into our family, I've learned so much. Which is to say, I've only just begun to realize how little I actually know. You are so very loved Isabella, by all of us. Your Mommy's little clone with just the right amount of Jake Alex and me and there too. Happy birthday you dang. I love you,

Daddy

First day of High School

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Today was Alex's first day at Shasta High school, the first day of 6th grade for Jake and the first day of 2nd grade for Iz.

For the first time in 9 years we had to change up our morning routine. Now, Alex goes to Shasta and then I take Jake and Iz  to St Joe's. So, since it was the first day of school, we decided to get there a little early. I asked Alex beforehand if we could walk up with him and after a long pause he said OK. We got there before the gym opened, so there were about 5426 kids out front. I don't know if I've ever seen so many people in one place at one time other than major sporting event but wow! Also keep in mind that because we were up in Canada during the freshmen orientation Alex had no idea what his class schedule was or where any of the classes were located. So, we walked up to the gym and Alex stared out at the sea of humans and kind of looked like Nemo when he first saw the open water. I asked him if he wanted us to wait with him and like the big, grown up boy that he is said, "No dad. I'll be OK." I asked if we could give him a hug and he said, "No, I don't think so." We didnt want to embarrass him so we respected his wishes.We turned to leave and walked about 10 steps and ran into Gabe Palmer who had a similarly terrified look on his face, I showed him where Alex was and they headed toward the gym together. Not quite sure I can fully describe my feelings for watching my son start high school: nervous, anxious, excited and so many more come to mind. I can tell you this though, the feeling I feel more than any of those is pride. Good luck in high school, son I know you'll do awesome.
Jake and Iz began the next stage in their journey as well. Jake is now eligible for the $100 for straight A's as per standard in the Mansfield family. Good luck SteveO! Isabella is now in the sedonc grade with one of the new teachers this year Mrs S. As long as she can control her mouth, she'll to great too.
I love you guys,

Daddy

Final Final

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Today was the last day before for all the chaos starts again. As per standard, we started our Sunday at the 9am Mass. We stayed and visited with the Palmers for a bit, then it was off to Target to pick up some last minute school supplies. We came home and Mom had to go grocery shopping while we got everything ready for school tomorrow. Not all of these blog posts are filled with exciting fun-filled adventures. Sometimes it's just everyday life, haha. You guys all made your lunches and got everything packed up and ready for school. We set the alarms for 6 a.m. and settled in. We all went to bed early in preparation for the calm before the storm. Good luck to you all. I love you guys,

Daddy

The Readers

Hey kids.
Daddy here. I've been reading at church for a few years now and it's something I really enjoy doing. I  enjoy doing it because it gives me the opportunity to preach the word of our Lord which is a tremendous gift. I've been watching you guys alter serve so long, I forget sometimes that you're growing up and as you get older you'll want to do more grown up things. This Sunday marks the first Sunday where the two readers are both the Mansfield men. I will be doing reading one and Alex will be doing reading two. We both studied our readings a lot to get the words down and our pace and rhythm and everything right. I feel confident that I did a good job but I can tell you Alex did an outstanding job. I say this often in this blog, but every time it's true: I'm so proud of you Al. What a wonderful young man you are becoming. I certainly hope you stick with the readings and anything else your faith family may ask of you. Great job dude, I love you,

Daddy

Alex's Party

Hey kids. Daddy here. Alex's party at,Grammie and Papa's.

Summer Vacation Day 11

Hey kids. Daddy here. Last ferry ride and the drive.

Summer Vacation Day 10

Hey kids. Daddy here. ferry to the island. Butchart. Fancy hotel! Fancy dinner.

Summer Vacation Day 9

Hey kids. Daddy here. Vancouver Aquarium.

Summer Vacation Day 8

Hey kids. Daddy here. CANADA. Asian lady tried to kill us. Kph and what not. Capilano.

Summer Vacation Day 7

Hey kids. Daddy here. Swimming and relaxing.

Summer Vacation Day 6

Hey kids. Daddy here. Church and b dub.

Summer Vacation Day 5

Hey kids. Daddy here. Seattle and Als bday. Drove to Bellingham

Summer vacation day 4

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Portland zoo.

Summer Vacation Day 3

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Portland Oregon. Multnomah falls and big ass sandwiches.

Summer Vacation Day 2

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Waterslides!

Summer Vacation Day 1

Hey kids,
Daddy here. We camped

Rogue river

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Today, Al left  for the Rogue River with the Boy Scouts.

He'll be gone until next Sunday July 26. On this trip, he should complete his 50 miler badge. We will miss you when you're gone, Al, but we hope you have a great, awesome time. I'm so proud of all the hard work you put into your scout work, Al. I can't wait to hear about this trip when you get back. I love you guys,

Daddy

Weekend Recap

Hey kids,
Daddy here.  The craziness started on Friday which was houseboat weekend for the radio station. I decided this year to not go, which turned out to be an excellent decision because when I got home Mom told me there was a DC Comics event at Barnes and Noble. The boys and I played a trivia contest that was very hard. What is the name of Aquaman's sidekick octopus? Who knows that? Also, the answer is Topo. Anyway, since there were not too many people playing Alex and I tied for first place and got a Batman toy. Izzy and Serena Palmer got their faces painted and we all had fun.

Saturday, we headed down to the Clickners in Chico. Mom had a lunch date with Sarah, so you guys and I went to the graduate for lunch. Alex and I got Philly cheese steak sandwiches, Jake got a hot pastrami sandwich and Iz got chicken nuggets. While we waited for our food we played pool and air hockey. Lunch was awesome!

 After picking up Mom, Doc, Yaya, Greg, Brenda and I all went out to dinner at the Sierra Nevada brewery. Before our table was ready, we did a little shopping. I got a new hat at a slap koozie. Dinner was spectacular! We had appetizers and some really good beers. It was a great night out for the adults. I sure wish Greg and Brenda lived around here so we could see them more often, but I'm glad to see them when we can. We headed back to Doc and Yaya's and played a new game called logo beer or logo master or something. We ended up staying later than expected, as per usual but we only have an hour to drive home so we headed home everybody went to bed.

Sunday morning, we all got up and went to 9am Mass since daddy had to read. After church, we headed home and I put some stuff in a bag and headed back to Chico for a quick Man Days experience with Doc and Greg. We went to Wing Stop, we played Final Fantasy and had a great time Saturday. Sunday we headed to the river. When I say "the river" there's only one place I'm referring to. You guys know by now, where the river is. I haven't made that hike in a few years and it was pretty brutal, but totally worth it. Hiking down there with those two guys at my side and swimming in that water totally reminded me of what it was like to be a kid again. We jumped off some cliffs, we stood behind the waterfall, and had a great day as teenagers even though we're in our 40's. We headed back to Chico and went to Burger hut for lunch. Then, back to Doc's to pack up our stuff and head home. Doc and I said our goodbyes to Greg and he, Brenda and Jordan headed out to fly out back to Virginia Tuesday morning. After Greg left, I packed up my stuff and headed home it was a long, totally awesome weekend. I can't wait for our next adventure. I love you guys,
Daddy

4th of July weekend

Hey kids,
Daddy here. 239 years ago America declared itself an independent country from Britain. Today, we commemorate that momentous occasion by eating hot dogs and watching fireworks. Our founding fathers wanted a better life for future generations. It's important to remember all that they have given and all our military men and women have given over the years to build this great nation for us. So, in traditional Mansfield style, we headed to Dan and Janice's house in Oroville for our celebration of the 4th of July with the Clickners in the Orricks. This year, there would be a burger making competition. As a contestant, mom wanted to brush up on her skills so she made us a test burger on Friday night. It was out of this world fantastic. On Saturday, we had to pick up a few quick things before we left and Izzy and I went to the store.


As much as I love spending time with you guys sometimes it sure is nice to have alone time with one of you. I love it when we get to go places together Izzy. I love spending time with, just you and I. So we loaded up Moya and headed down the road to Oroville. All in all, we had a great time. There was the incident where Nathan was spitting at Alex in the pool. Alex asked him to stop. He did not. So, Alex put him in a headlock, and dunked his head under water a few times to teach him a lesson. At which point, Nathan freaked out and threw a giant hissy fit like a little girl. That kid has got to learn to toughen up. Mom and I thought it was hilarious. For the burger judging contest, the judges were Doc, Dan, and Alex. When all was said and done, Mom decimated the competition! Brenda came in second and Nathan 3rd. I had a hunch that Mom would win. We had some burgers, we flew some sparklers and visited with our friends. It was a great time. Although, Jake does owe me a game of pool. As per standard, we ended up staying longer than expected and didn't get home till after 1 o'clock in the morning. Alex and Jacob had to alter serve on Sunday at 9 a.m. As you can imagine, we were all pretty tired. Nonetheless, we still made it to Mass on time and you guys did a great job serving. After Mass we came home, and had a nice relaxing easy Sunday. There's something about a nice long three day weekend that doesn't make the sting of going back to work on Monday nearly as bad. I look forward to our next adventure. I love you guys, daddy

Coast Trip

Hey kids,
Daddy here. This is what our forecast looks like for the week.

Pictured:Hell

Having seen that, Mom decided to take you guys to the coast for a few days with the Clickners and the Orricks. On Tuesday, when I got off of work, I got an invitation to go to the Redding Colt 45 game with Kristen, Cory, Mackenzie and Andrew. It was hot as hell but I decided a hot night out at the baseball park is still a pretty darn good night. 

We said we weren't going to stay for the whole game as it was hot and the kids were a little rowdy. Spoiler alert: We stayed for the whole baseball game. The Colt 45's managed to win the game and at one point got back to back homeruns! I had a great time even in the hot weather. I'm glad to have great friends like the Reagans. Wednesday, after work, I went to Walmart to pick up Alex's money and bought a steak while I was there. I had a nice, quiet evening of playing Batman. I do love the quiet but after a day or two I actually miss the chaos. I look forward to seeing you guys when you get home tomorrow. I love you guys,

Daddy

Weekend Recap

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Summer vacation is now is full swing and the late nights, video games and sleepovers are in effect. Thursday night, Izzy spent the night with the Warrens. Friday night, Jake spent the night at Sage's house while Alex and I watched Arrow. On Saturday, Mom and I got up and got to work on our construction project, a stand up cooler. I know I've mentioned it before, but I sure do love spending time with Mom building stuff and just generally being together. Later in the day we had a ton of errands to run. We had to take Rudy to get a haircut and a bath, we had lunch at Shasta burger, we had to pick up Thomas and a gift card for Tyler before his birthday party. We did manage to get it all done and even got Thomas and Al to Tyler's birthday party on time. Then, Mom Jake Iz and I headed to Waterworks park with the Warrens. We rode some slides, Jake got an ice cream cone the size of his head, and we had a great time.

On Sunday, we had a very special Mass at church. One of our seminarians from a few years ago had become ordained and delivered his first Mass at Saint Joseph. Also, Alex Estrella was back as a Deacon. I always think it's very neat when we see a young priest like Father Michael. It makes me very excited for the future of the priesthood to see a young guy so excited about the faith. After Mass, we headed across the street for a little reception where everyone could talk to father Michael and get a nice family blessing. When it was our turn, Father Michael talked to us for a few minutes and then said to gather around for a blessing. After a blessing as we started to walk away he touched Jake on the shoulder and said "Stay out of trouble." Jake looked at me, shocked and said, "Dad, how did he know?" I said, "He's closer to God, he just knows". Lol. We headed back home and after an exhausting few days had a nice relaxing easy lazy Sunday. Love, love, love the lazy Sunday. It really does wonders to charge my battery and get me ready for the next week of work. I love you guys and I love spending time with you,

Daddy

Daddy's Day

Hey kids,
Daddy here. It's Father's Day again. I'm hoping not to have a recap of the amputation of finger last year. Grammie and Papa invited us out to the houseboat so Saturday morning we got up, got all of our stuff together, and headed out to the lake. I'm so very glad that we live in an area that has a lake and that Grammie and Papa have a houseboat. It was a whole weekend of kicking back, relaxing, and having fun. I'm pleased to announce that my losing streak at bolo is over as I won all the games I played this weekend!!

Sunday was Father's Day and Papa, Uncle Seth, Uncle J, and I and all of our kids celebrated at the lake. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. So often, we're running around and so busy with our time that a nice lazy weekend out on the lake is the perfect cure. I love swimming with you guys, playing bolo, sitting by the fire, and just talking. We're very lucky to have such a wonderful opportunity to be together with our family. Mama made Papa and I a beer cake. Which sounds like a cake made out of beer but it isn't it's just three levels of Bud Light cans, lol. I got a gift card fom Mom and I'm going to use it to get a Hulk t-shirt and a Ravager t-shirt! The reason I get to celebrate Father's Day it's because of you guys. I love you guys,
Daddy

Weekend recap

Hey kids,
Daddy here. We had another great weekend with the Mansclan. Friday, Alex Jake and I all went to Chico to spend the night at the Clickners. I love that they live close enough for us to be able to drive down to hang on a Friday. It was a short trip, but a good trip. We hung out for a little bit on Saturday, had some lunch and headed home.  Izzy had a ballet performance on Saturday evening, so we had to be home in time for that. Al and Jake stayed home and I went to pick up Cory. We met Mom, Kristen, Izzy and Mackenzie at the event.

When it was time for is Iz and Mackenzie's part of the show I got very excited to watch her dance. I'm so proud of you for your dancing Iz, you do such a great job and I always love watching you.

  After the recital, I was starving and wanted to go get a cheeseburger. We dropped the girls off at home and went to CR Gibbs. Cory knew the manager so we got a big discount on a bill, which is always awesome. We stopped and got ice cream for you guys on the way home because the girls put on such a great performance. We got Al his very own pint of Ben and Jerry's for watching all the kids.

We decided it had been too long since we watch the movie Top Gun, so we fired up Netflix and watched. It's still just as awesome. The next day was the Taste of Redding, so Mom and I went to do a remote and enjoy some food and some beer.  Scott Schoffner was there so needless to say there was plenty of laughter. After a few hours in the hot sun, Mom and I decided we had enough. We lazed around the house until bedtime and it was awesome. A great way to finish the weekend. I love you guys,
Daddy

Craziness

Hey kids.
Daddy here. I don't think I've enjoyed a Monday as much as I do today in a long time. This weekend was insane!. Friday night, Alex, Jake, Doc, Nathan, & I all went to the XRyderz1 motocross event in Red Bluff. I love that we can hang out with those guys on such short notice now because they live so close. It was great.

The next morning, Jake's first soccer game in the tournament was scheduled for 8 a.m. at the Soccer Park. The game ended up being a tie. A tie is the most unsuccessful feeling ever. A tie is like kissing your sister. No closure, can't move on, a stinking tie. Anyway, after the game we headed home to clean the house since it was ransacked. After a bit, Alex and I had to head to Corpus Cristi practice at church. As it turned out, there was not a practice because the priests were in Sacramento watching the ordination of the new priests. Grrr. We went to get a cheeseburger and then headed home. A few hours later, we headed back to the Soccer Park for Jake's second game. They ended up losing, but Jake did very good as goalie. We then headed to Chico to visit my cousin Nancy, whom we hadn't seen in about 10 years. We met her and her husband Jeff at the racetrack and visited few minutes before heading to Chili's for lunch. Jake did not want to go to Chili's but we realized why when we got there. He thought you had to order chili. LOL.

We had an awesome visit with Nancy and took her back to the racetrack and headed out of town. On our way, we had to drive right by the street where the Clickners live, so we decided to stop in for an impromptu visit. Izzy went to the door, rang the doorbell and said,  "Girl Scout cookies for sale." Nathan stared at her with his mouth open and couldn't believe we had stopped in for a visit. We stayed for about an hour and then finally headed home. We got coverage for the 11:00 Mass since we had too much to do in the morning. By the time we got home, everyone was exhausted and crashed as soon as we got there.

Sunday morning started with Alex's canoe practice at 7:30 a.m. Jake's final soccer game of the tournament was at 10:30 and we had someone coming to look at the house at 10. Good thing we cleaned yesterday. I dropped Mom and Jake off at the Soccer Park and Izzy and I went to go get Alex. We picked up Alex at the boat ramp and headed back to the Soccer Park. The game that was to follow was the most epic goalie performance I have ever seen! Jacob, son, you blew me away with your skills and dedication. You are awesome! Unfortunately, your team scored exactly 0 goals and ended up losing 1-0. It was still pretty awesome to watch though. We got back to the van, and Moya wouldn't start. Mom and Jake got a ride home from Miss Mara and brought the red car back and picked us up. We went home and relaxed for about an hour before Mom had to take Jake and Iz to Sean's birthday party at Rare Air trampoline park. After the party, it was back home, showering, and getting dressed for church at 5:30. After church, we all went downstairs and had dinner with the youth group. Father George and  Father Lawrence also came down and have dinner with us. With our bellies full, we headed home. Everyone went to bed, wiped out from exhausting weekend. We'll see what adventures the following week brings. As Alex starts swim classes in the morning. Even with all this craziness and insanity, I'm glad to share my life with Mom and you guys. It'll all work out okay, I'm confident. I love you guys,

Daddy

Graduation?!

Hey kids,
Daddy here. The time has come for a day I've been dreading for 9 years. Alex's graduation from St Joseph School. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago when Mom and I sat in the cafeteria at the ice cream social for new parents with students entering kindergarten. Yet here we are. Nine years later and Al is getting ready to graduate. It was an entire week of celebrations starting on Tuesday. We had graduation Mass at church and all the 8th graders were there in their cap and gown.

 Almost all the kids in the graduating class have been together since kindergarten. Will came in 5th grade, Grace came in 4th grade and I can't remember when Daisy arrived. But Alex, Adam, Ana, Ashley, Mary Smith, Mary Claire, Nancy, Skylar, Gabe, and Joe have been together the whole time. Lately, we've had excellent opportunities to hang out with a good portion of the class including our awesome trip to Great America. This group of kids and their parents are far and away my favorite class. Some of them still have younger siblings at St. Joe's so we'll get to see them for the next few years. But some we will only see at church from now on. As happy as I am and proud of Alex and all the graduates, I wish we would have had more time together with these kids and their families.  After Mass, it was time for the actual graduation ceremony and Alex got an award from the altar servers society. I love so much, Al, that you love serving so much. You make mom and I so proud and do such a great job up there. Academically speaking, I told Alex starting in the 6th grade that if he ever got a report card with straight A's he would get $100. I'm proud to say he's finished St Joe's with straight A's. Great job son. You earned it. With the ceremony complete and mom in tears, we headed over to the gym at the school for the 8th grade slideshow. Each one of the 8th graders had a placard with their name on it where people could write things about them. We were one of the first people there so none of them had any writing yet, but I noticed that Alex's had. It said, "Alex, you're the best brother anyone could wish for. I love you, Jacob" You guys just seem to fight so much and disagree and bicker so much, but when it really comes down to it Jacob loves you so much, Al. I'm proud of Jake for having the courage to be the first one to write and to write that on Alex's name sign. I sat down, and we began the slide show. For Alex's music, he picked Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" (the best music of the entire slideshow). Alex and I picked out a bunch of photos for him to have in the slideshow and it was great. During the slideshow, Papa tried to tickle Jake and he lurched forward and face planted on the table, cutting his eye and giving him a black eye. There always has to be something, doesn't there? It was about time to go until Alex and Jake wanted to ride with me and it Iz rode with mom. As we were walking to the car, we saw Mrs. Figueroa and she asked if we wanted to go to Red Lobster. Before I could even answer Alex, Jake, Ana and Abeni all started screaming "YES YES YES!" So I caved and said okay. We texted mom and Iz and they met the us and the Figs at Red Lobster. We had a giant dinner and I showed Alyssa Ellington how to crack crab. With our bellies full we headed home with our new graduate. People say all the time how fast the time seems to go watching your kids grow up and I'm here to tell you that it's totally true. The time itself didn't seem to go by very fast at the time, but the years just flew by. Whatever happened to my little guy who fell asleep with Spider-man? This wonderful, thoughtful, intelligent, caring, funny, young man has taken his place. I hope Alex that you and I will stay as close as we are today, forever. I love you son. so much. I'm proud of you and I can't wait to embark on the next stage of your journey with you. I love you guys,
 Daddy

Memorial Day

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Memorial Day weekend is upon us again. The Pros & Joes on Saturday was awesome, but I think I'm even more excited for what we did after church on Sunday, which was to head out to the houseboat! The weather wasn't too hot or too cold, it was just perfect. We did some swimming, we played some bolo (I lost every game I played), we ate some great houseboat food. It was awesome. I'm so glad Grammie and Papa have a houseboat that we get to enjoy too.

The next day was Memorial Day Monday and me and Mom were both off work. Memorial Day is a special holiday for us here in America. It's a day we celebrate all of our brothers and sisters in uniform that have paid the ultimate price for America's freedom. I hope you guys grow to appreciate the great sacrifice that so many men and women have given so that we can play bolo and enjoy burgers and hot dogs. They deserve our respect and our thanks. We had a nice long day at the houseboat, but eventually had to head home. At least the coming week will be a short week. Although there'll be a lot to accomplish this week, but we'll get to that later. I love you guys,

Daddy

Pros & Joes

Hey kids,

Daddy here. Every year, there's a BBQ competition in downtown Redding, called the Pro's and Joe's. The last few years, the boys have started to come with me and a new tradition has been born. It's a great opportunity for us to hang and have some great BBQ. Our favorite dish this year was the "Pig Shot" from the Grill-billy's.

They also had a "Moink" which is a bacon wrapped meatball and we got a koozie too. We had pork sliders, ribs, chicken and a bunch of combinations of all of those things and more. It was  awesome to hang out and have some great BBQ. We took a photo at the photo booth, and got a funnel cake to take home for Mom. I'm proud to say it made it all the way home intact!. I love you guys,

Daddy

Grouchy Ladybug

Hey kids,

Daddy here. In addition to the awesome musical that the school puts on each year, the individual classes also put on a little musicals and celebrations. Mrs. Thornton's class has been performing the Grouchy Ladybug for many years. I believe when Alex did it he was the stag beetle and his friend Luis was the grouchy ladybug. When Jake did it, HE was the grouchy ladybug and stole the show. Now it's Izzy's turn and she is the Sun and Moon and one of the times on the clock, I can't remember which. Her best friend Mackenzie is the friendly ladybug and Ben Richards was the grouchy ladybug.

It was a great presentation, We all loved it. I'm always so proud of your ability to be up in front of people and act and sing. It takes a real courage to do that and you guys always do it so well. I love you guys,

Daddy

Pancake Breakfast

Hey kids,

Daddy here. After the rodeo last night, we were all pretty tired this morning. But, tired couldn't mask our excitement for the annual pancake breakfast. They close off the streets in downtown Redding and serve about 10,000 people breakfast.

It's been said that this is the largest outdoor pancake breakfast in the world! The lines are crazy long, but usually move pretty fast considering how many people they serve. We stood in line got our pancakes and sausage got some milk and ate up.

We always see a bunch of people we know at the pancake breakfast as practically the whole town is there. Jake and Izzy had a chance to pet a Clydesdale and we all had a great time. I love you guys,

Daddy

Redding Rodeo

Hey kids,


Daddy here.There a lot of great events we do here in Redding every year and one of my ultimate favorites is the Redding rodeo. This year, the radio station got a box, so Jake and Izzy sat in the box and Cagle, Alex and I sat behind.

Cagle went and got some garlic fries and shared them with us. However, it was not enough and we needed some real dinner. Luckily for us, I knew a lady at the Famous Dave's booth and she gave us a full rack of ribs for half price! We had to also get some Kettle Corn for us and enough to take home for Mom.

There were some great bull rides and great calf roping but my favorite thing that happened all night was when a barrel rider rode around a barrel and knocked it over but before it fell to the ground she caught it with her hand and tipped it back up right as she rode around it! It was unreal and we all screamed. We ended up staying till almost 10 p.m. It was another great night hanging out with you guys, I love you guys,

Daddy