Boy/Girl?

I am needing some advice.  I have a fourteen-year-old son who has a great group of friends.  They are all really great boys.  So great, that lots of girls want to "hang-out" with them.  Every weekend, girls are wanting to get together with them.  My son is the only one of his friends that is opposed to this situation.  So, what should I do as a parent?  Will I raise a geek with no friends if I don't allow him to go to these boy/girl parties?  I really feel like you don't "hang-out" with girls until age 16.  If we are letting these young kids hang out together at age 14, what will they be wanting to do at age 16?  

I am wondering if I am the only person on the planet that feels this way.  I am in need of some advice from my great blogging friends.  What do you do with your kids?  

Home on the range

It's calving season at the ranch.  Now that grandpa and grandma are on their mission, we have added responsibility over at the ranch.  Blake has been going over every Thursday night, only to wake up every two hours and ride through the cattle to check for struggling newborn calves.  Fortunately, the boys have had some time off at school, allowing them to go with him.  Another bonus is being friends with a "real-life" delivery doctor, Gary Fowers.  We appreciate their help so much.  This picture is taken before they all left.  I should have taken one upon their return.  Their eyes were much more red, and the clothes a lot more dirty.  Ethan came home at 5:00pm the following day, went to bed at 5:30, and didn't wake up until 9:00am then next morning.  I publicly thank Blake for going over every Thursday without complaint.  I think he is probably wondering,  not for the first time, what he has gotten himself into marrying a Blotter girl!  

Winter Adventures

A lot of my friends and family have just returned from vacations in warm, far away places.  This year, the economy has squashed all our plans for a warm holiday adventure.  Instead, we went to our parents cabin again in Bear Lake.  We met up with cousins, and even I was surprised at the fun.  When you live in frigid Utah, I guess we just have to embrace it.  Somehow kids handle the cold much better  than me.  These little cousins were outside ALL DAY long!