This fall, Dad and I were exploring the trails of Nebraska National Forest at Halsey. You had plans to go there with us last September. At that time I did not have my 4-wheeler yet. So, this fall I had many a thoughts as we were on the trails that this is what it would have been like for you your first time out there.
I had the GoPro strapped on my chest at times, which made me think of Nick Vision. Dad leads the way. You and Nate watch his every move and pick up on what he's seeing, doing, and sensing. Dad watches out for you. So many years of this very thing as you two grew up on those 4-wheelers. You all love to ride, and I am so thankful you introduced me. I love it, too. I have from the first time I rode with you down in Oklahoma.
We also placed the GoPro on Dad's back for a while. Well, then you get to watch me follow. Just like you and Nate would have been.
By the way, Dad and I have a new toy you may have seen flying around. The day it arrived, he said "Nick would think this is the coolest thing." With the quad copter we have captured some surreal footage of the place we've been exploring. I think of this as Nick Watching Over Us Vision. There were moments where I really felt you riding there with us, catching my heart and breath. We love you boys so much.
Dad and I had such a great time we decided to go back for a few more extended weekends out there this fall. Thank you for leaving tracks in the sky, and I may have even seen you start to write your name after I left it in the sand for you one day.
Dad and I will keep riding on together and get your brothers out there with us, too. Our plan is to take them to Little Sahara soon.
All smiles after hours of riding
Beautiful light from beyond
Our shadows - together
It was a great pleasure for me to put together these video compilations. A two minute video takes me almost two hours to put together. I sure hope you like them.
Did you see Dad and I took your truck up to school Wednesday morning and
let it sit in the parking lot all day like it should? I stopped over there at
lunch to visit Grandma. As I pulled in I noticed Darek’s truck parked right
next to yours. It was empty on either side of you at the time. That was pretty
cool. Dad agreed. Riding buddies. Best friends. Brothers.
As we posted the letter to you on Wednesday, we mentioned
going to the lake with your brothers seemed like the right thing to do for the
day. I picked up some Domino’s pizza (just like old times), Darek grabbed some
cookies (Did someone say cookies? – more on that later), and we all met up at
the lake. Dad and I, your brothers – Nate and Darek, and a few friends – Alicia
and Toni, Kamie and Andrew.
The boys put the boat in and I was standing on the dock
waiting for Dad to pull up and grab on. I was the last to climb in the boat,
and I was looking up in the sky right away. We were just taking off, and I heard
Nate say “Look, paddle tire tracks.” We smiled. There you were. I knew you
wouldn’t want to miss out on tonight. Ride on. So glad your big brother noticed
this not long after I did and pointed it out to everyone.
The girls crawled on the tubes first, laughing, smiling, and screeching as they went.
“Alright, Nate and Darek next,” Dad said. The boys climbed
on and were quite the hoot. Bouncing, jumping, laughing, open-mouthed ‘aaaack’
faces, smiling, and laughing. Dad was smiling, too, as he loves to spin us
around out there. I know… you already know this.
Did you get a kick out of the look on their faces?
Toni crawled back on as Andrew was ready for a go, and then
I took a few spins next to Alicia. We all took at least one tumble except Darek
this time, but this usually instigates more laughs before crawling back on.
As the sun was dropping, the full moon was quite a sight
that night. As we stood along the shore after pulling the boat back out, Darek
was talking about how Dad used to toss you and him around back there. Usually
two times a week. Even nights after you two had detassled all day and had to
get up early the next morning. You drew up some energy for a night at the lake.
Work hard. Play harder. A bit of a Kroeger motto around here. Dad was always
teaching you boys that after we got our work done, we could go play. Darek told
us before the end of the night, “This was the most fun I have had all summer.”
Dad pulled you and Nate around behind that thing many a
times, too. You would watch your dad, pick up on skills and tricks, and simply
have a ball.
you, Dad, and Nate
our group Wednesday night
We decided to send off a floating lantern before heading
home. Hope you heard me when I said, “We love you buddy” as it floated away. We
stood and watched until we couldn’t see it anymore. Did you catch it?
Dad said, “I’m smiling, but
I’m not.” “I know what you mean,” I replied. Our night with the kids was really
good for us, but of course part of us was somewhere else. Our minds wander to
you. Glad you could join us the other night, but what we wouldn’t give to be sitting
next to you, driving side by side, hearing you laugh, and watching you eat
cookies...
Cookies? Did someone say cookies? Nick, I have heard you
called the cookie monster before, by more than one person.
Dad told me he heard you would show up at Darek’s house, dig
in the cupboards until you found where the Oreo’s were hidden, eat the whole
batch, and then put the empty container back in the cupboard.
The day we held on tight and had to say goodbye last year we
all eventually ended up in this little sitting room in the hospital floor
lobby. Someone started sharing a story about you. This led to another and many
more with some laughs. The way Dad recounted a story you had told him about
baking cookies around 3am cracked us all up.
The story went something like this…
You told Dad that you had woke up in the middle of the night
and wanted some cookies really bad. After determining that they were not any
cookies to be found in the house and not old enough to drive yet, your only
option was to bake some. Of course that’s when Dad said to you, “What? You
don’t know how to bake.” You retorted, “I know! But I used my phone and found a
recipe on the Internet.” Dad: “Then what?” You: “Then, I baked them in the
oven.” Dad: “You don’t know how to run an oven.” You: “I know, but I searched
the oven until I found the serial number and googled it. I found the
instruction manual for the oven.” After they were done you walked into your
mom’sbedroom and stuck some right under
her nose whispering “Mom…. You want some cookies?”
You even posted about it on your Facebook at the time.
Interestingly enough as I had started this post the other day, I left it at a point after the tubing and Dad said he'd think about what to add. Well the story continued in my head and led me to the cookies. Ironically enough Dad comes home and says I think we should share that Oreo video and mention cookies at Darek's house. "Oh my gosh," I said, "that's exactly what I was thinking," and we added to the stories.
So here’s a snippet from a gem of a video I found that Dad has
titled “The Beginning of the Cookie Monster”.
