Sunday, December 09, 2007

COLORADO CHRISTMAS

Last weekend, we participated in a tradition very new to the Bops. We cut down our own Christmas tree. For $20 (awesome), the Colorado Forest Service will let you go into certain areas that need thinning and cut down trees no larger than 6" round and no taller than 15'. The permit is a mirror tag and if you carefully follow the directions on the back, it folds into an ornament (ugly as sin). So we followed some friends to the cutting area, had a small lunch once we parked, and proceeded to hunt down the Bop's Christmas Tree 2007. After 45 minutes of looking uphill of the car, we ended up downhill of the car and found our tree in 5 minutes. Mrs. Bop's "I want to help" was helping decide on the tree, and being the historian for this expedition. Once the tree was decided on, I set to work on falling this behemoth of a tree.

The picture is a little deceiving. It took a little longer to cut it down because I was on the side of a very steep hill. But with a little perseverance, I had the family tree down and was hauling it to the car for transport to the Bop House.

After struggling to move the tree to the car, we had to document our conquest. Our friends took a picture for posterity.

The tree in the background makes ours look a little bigger than it really is. It ended up being around 7' tall, perfect fit for the Bop House. The next day, we had it set up and lit. No ornaments on it in this picture; maybe that will make it to a post in the future.

HOUSE IN OCEANSIDE


I've lived in many places during my life. The first place I have a memory of is my family's house in Oceanside, CA. We lived there while my dad was stationed at Camp Pendleton. I remember going to the beach during the summers and playing in the back yard. I have very fuzzy memories of this house because we moved from here when I was four.

Saturday, December 01, 2007

WHERE I'VE LIVED


My brother Jack Army has gone to many places during his career, and that made me think about where I've been in my life. So, I'll start with where I'm living now. The Bop's just recently moved across town into a house. This is the first time Mrs. Bop or I have lived in our own house. It's been apartments or duplexes up until now. It's a nice feeling not having to worry about being or hearing the elephants upstairs. Lil Bop can jump and dance in the house without care (sort of -- we have hardwood floors) and she finally has a yard to play in. The funny part is I live on Cherry St. now.