Dad helped me get into the drilling business and later joined me in the business. We were partners our whole life together. That doesn't mean we always agreed or got along. We built a drilling rig together on weekends and after drilling wells together all week. As I grew older, we found it was best not to work on the same drill shift together. But we were always equal partners. If I needed money and he had $100, he would give me half and vice versa.

Likewise, Bess and I grew up with our kids, Chris and Randy. Being one of them and doing things with them. We were Cub Scouts together. Bess and I took the Cub Scout troop on camping trips. We built rockets and flew them; we built go-carts and raced them together. The whole family drilled wells together. We built drilling rigs and dune buggies and ran them together. We bought and restored an Amphicar (boat and car combination) and enjoyed it together. We went to Disney World as a family. It's not to say, we didn't have our problems. We usually traveled and moved together. Today we are still a family even though we no longer live together or close by.

When I was a teen-ager, my dad, our employees and one of our customers were discussing raising their kids. The employee lived in the country and wanted to move to town, as his kids were always going to town and getting into trouble. The customer lived in town and wanted to move to the country because his kids were always getting into trouble. Dad's advice was, be a kid with them, get into a little trouble together. I will always remember that statement.

We have all been in a little trouble sometime...when it's together, everyone wins.