A Day In The Life Of Kahomada

Sign me up!

2011-05-05T21:42:00.000-06:00

Mike told me a few months ago that it was now my duty to update the blog. Since he did the laundry this week I better update his blog!
As we were walking Kalli to school a few weeks ago, her friend who walks with us, told us that he had finally finished reading 100 books and was so excited to turn in the paper that he had recorded the titles on. I had totally forgotten about that assignment. Kalli had started it and was faithful and writing down every book she read. Then one day it was lost, and I never thought of it again until now. When Kal got home from school we made a contract together. If she could read 100 different books to Mike and I in one week, then I would take her to the store and let her choose any shoes she wanted. The deal was signed right away.
Megan was not going to miss out on this deal. She has wanted a 'pillow pet' since January. I agreed to sign a contract with her too. She needed to read 25 different books in one week.
It was a great week. When ever Meg and I had a spare minute, we got a book and she read it to me. It was a little more challenging with Kalli since the school steals her from me for 6 1/2 hours every day. We had a lot of late nights, but they were all worth it!

Where did time go?

2011-01-10T21:46:00.001-07:00

Tonight as I was looking through photos, I couldn't help but wonder who stole the last 9 months from me?

Huzzzaaaah!

2010-12-31T15:28:00.000-07:00

For those of you who keep asking - Yes, the dust has settled and life has returned back to normal. Finally! It spent 4 1/2 years in the wishing/planning stages, and 2 sho...loooong months in the making stage. But it's finally done. We now have a kitchen where all the stuff works. Huzzzaaaah! Here's some pics for those who haven't seen the 'show' live and in person.

So, um, there it is. A kitchen. I think my favorite part is the bar where the kids sit to eat their breakfast. Super easy to clean up and nice to have them all lined up for scripture time! It would have been really nice to do this 4 years ago - or before we moved in - but.... that's the way it goes when people won't give out free samples of cabinets. I keep looking for 'em at Costco, but all they ever give me is soup, chicken nuggets, and the occasional chocolate chip cookie. I'll keep my eyes open for free toilet and tile samples - cuz the bathroom's next! (in 2015)

Wanna Play?

2010-10-24T08:29:00.000-06:00

Is it time for a new post?

Absopositivolutely!

Waiting 2 months in between posts is the norm, right? Good. Well, I'd like to talk about all the happenings-on around here in the last little bit, but rather than bore you with all the details, I decided to let you play a game. It's one of those "what's different between these two pictures." Our kids love these games - so we hope you will too.

The differences are pretty subtle - but I have faith in you. You can DO it!

11 Years

2010-08-08T21:16:00.002-06:00

11 years ago today, I gave my "farewell" talk just prior to entering the MTC. In sacrament meeting today a young man gave his talk, and will be entering the MTC on Wednesday. A number of emotions and memories flooded my mind as I thought about a 19 year old kid with curly hair (I had hair!) black-rimmed glasses and a new suit share his testimony with family and friends - with no clue of what was before him, with no idea that the world was so big.

During my 2 Years, I visited with people from almost every culture imaginable (or so it seemed), ate food I didn't know we 'could' eat, saw things I don't want to see again (embalming shout NOT take place in a garage!) and shared some of the most wonderful moments with complete strangers. It was an experience I'll never forget.

As I think about the 9 years that have passed since returning home, I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for all of the blessings in my life. From my wife and children, to opportunities for learning and guidance in my career - it has all fallen into place. President Eyring challenged us a while back to make a daily record and list a way in which the Lord had blessed us that day. Today he blessed me with a remembrance of the blessings he had already given me.

Here's to 11 more years. (Jodie just reminded me that I'll be in my 40's - doh! - 41 years young, and driving a 2500 HD. Yea baby)

The Cabin!

2010-07-10T19:58:00.000-06:00

We had tons of fun in the Uinta Mountains this last week. It was a MUCH needed break.

Provo River Falls

Up the south face of Mount Baldy. The kids did AWEsome. We'll make it all the way to the top one of these years, although I think we did pretty good.

My sweetie pies, at the falls.

Our first day hike on the Pass Lake trail. We made it all the way to Scout Lake, and got eaten alive while we ate lunch.

All in all, it was an awesome trip and I can't wait to go back.

Pancakes!

2010-06-17T07:04:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I decided to try something new - coooool pancakes! The kids loved it so I'm pretty sure that's what we're having for breakfast today.

Each of the girls started out with a flower...

This is our flower and bumblebee - it had a house, but somebody ate it.

This is Ryan's Monster Truck! He had it off-roading through the mud.

Happy Anniversary!

2010-05-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

OK, I'm a little late - but better late than never, right? Two days ago Jodie and I celebrated our 8 year wedding anniversary. At first we thought that 8 years wasn't that long because it had gone by so fast, but then we started to think about what we were doing 8 years before we got married, and that's when it got interesting. 8 years before our marriage I was in the deacons quorum and Jodie was in.... primary! Holy cow! Life happens fast, my friend.

Every time I think about our wedding day I wade through a flood of emotions. They all sum up one thing - Wow! Basically, when I think about our wedding day, I think about:

Enough said.

Happy Anniversary, Jo! Here's to 8 more years, and 8 more years after that, and 8 mo....

This Just In...

2010-05-05T14:15:00.003-06:00

WASHINGTON - The National Guard, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently announced plans to equip riot personnel with state-of-the-art technology that utilizes a well-known ubiquitous plant. This new technology will be the latest enhancement in riot gear since the armed forces implemented tear gas in the early 1900’s. Although specific details regarding the functionality of the new weaponry are currently classified, reporters are being told that the recent increase in marijuana farms across the country have played a key role in developing the technology. “This new technology will allow us to utilize the numerous pot farms around the country,” said renowned counter-terrorism expert Guy Francis at a press conference Wednesday. “Once we realized that local law enforcement simply destroyed the evidence, we thought we could put that to better use.” Then citing recent statistics that showed a dramatic decline in the overall stress level of law enforcement personnel involved in these operations, Francis further stated “it just isn’t fair that they get to do that. We’re stressed out too, and we want in. Please don’t write that down. This is all off the record.”

After ushering Francis off the stage, Sgt. Samuel Thompson of Utah’s 432nd battalion further clarified, “What Mr. Francis meant to say is that we’re realizing people don’t want to be shot with bean bags or sprayed with high-pressure hoses – and we’re responding as best we know how. It isn’t easy to look into the eyes of a mean person. It’s no picnic. We just hope this helps them all chill out.”

The new technology purportedly converts the marijuana plant into a harmless fog that, when dissipated over large crowds, has a calming effect on those present. The theory being that riot goers will turn from blood-thirsty maniacs into amiable friends with little desire to do anything productive.

“I mean, really,” Thompson added. “nobody wants to attend a riot thinking that big guys with shields are going to show up. Who wants that?”

Critics of the new technology warn of possible economic side effects, including the strain on the nation’s snack food industry. “I’m just sayin’ there’s no evidence to support the notion that our snack food industry could support such an increase in demand. It’s clearly unsustainable,” claims Alec Halstrom, a self-proclaimed expert on food economics. “You have Cheetos, Twinkies, Fritos, all the basics. If demand suddenly goes up, then I know my prices will go up. I’ve been to school. I know how this works. It can’t work.”

Critics also cite the probability that this new tactic will simply increase attendance at riots and other unauthorized gatherings. “People are going to realize that riots are no fun. They’re hot and boring, and it’s not like we’re providing porta-potties or anything. We think kids these days are mostly just bored,” said Cpl. Joseph Ball. “The real problem is education. The general public is simply unaware of other fun activities like foosball and Rummikub. Once they catch on, we’ll all be OK.”

When asked why trials for the new devices will begin this Saturday at the 10th Annual Reggae Summerfest, Sgt. Thompson added “if it works there, then we’re confident it’ll work on anyone.”

Welcome Home, Trevor!

2010-04-14T06:16:00.007-06:00

Trevor, my man, it's good to have you back in our lives. Long time, no see! As you can already tell, you have some excellent mothers - 3 to be exact. They're all great, but I'm sure you have your favorite picked out by now. You're one lucky man. I'm sure you can also tell that you'll be playing plenty of sports around the house - and, yes, that football that is currently the size of your entire body IS indeed "throwable." You'll see what I mean in a couple years. In the mean time... enjoy sleeping 18 hours a day - eating whenever you feel like it - and having servants wipe yer bum. Just don't get too used to it!

We had to find that thumb sooner or later.

Proud brother, or successful hunter?

Bath time!

Dr. Pardey was the pediatrician. Sure hope that name isn't an omen of things to come. Pardey!!!

Can you feel the love?!

For those who like specs, he was 8lbs. 21" runs a mile in 3 min. 51 sec. and can bench 285. That's my boy!

Ham & Cheese, Please

2010-03-16T11:23:00.006-06:00

After waking up and trying my best not to fall back into one of the more interesting dreams I've had in a while, I decided it was time to make my ritual 2-eggs-ham-and cheese sandwich on honey whole wheat. De-lish! Cereal must have been invented before eggs. Surely people wouldn't invent something to replace the incredible edible - or would they? I digress...

So, after preparing 'the ritual' and mixing up a tall glass of chocolate milk, I sat down to enjoy the spoils of my 4 minutes of hard labor. As usual I had Megan flanking the left, and Ryan on my right. Kalli would have been on the table in front of me, but she had an appointment with her stylist in the bathroom (got to prep for school!). After a few "small bites" and passing around my chocolate milk like a Tongan Kava ritual, Ryan handed me my glass and said "here dad it's your turn." (finally!) G. Thanks, Ryan.

Yes. It was full. I wasn't too mad. The behemoth tub of Nestle that only Costco can bring awaited my second visit of the morning after I was confident the culinary combatants had fled the scene. Not to worry. All was well.

Paint a Picture for Me

2010-02-03T08:07:00.007-07:00

Last night I couldn't sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about my sweet grandma and what an example she has been to me throughout my life. She passed away last night, just after 8 o'clock, surrounded by those she loves. She has lived an amazing life and helped countless individuals realize their potential and become closer to their Heavenly Father. Grandma is a poet - in the truest sense of the word. Everything about her life was a masterpiece, reflecting the love she felt for those around her. She was also an excellent artist - creating hundreds of paintings that depicted everything in life. The smell of oil paints will always bring back childhood memories of visiting grandma. As I reminisced about her life I felt that it would be fitting to put my thoughts down in a poem - because that's how grandma rolls.

Paint A Picture

It's now your turn to venture down

and see what you can see

So take this time to and teach and grow

and then come back to me

A world in need is where you'll go

to share your talents dear

to lift, to heal, to bring them up

for I will always be near

The world will see me through your eyes

and know what I can do

I'll mold and shape, and teach them well

to change them through and through

They'll see my hand in everything

in paintings brought through you,

they'll see the beauty of this world

of life, of love, and truth

So paint a picture of the beauties of life

of all that it can bring

of joys, of pain and suffering

and of the renewing hope of Spring

Paint a picture of mountains

tall, majestic, and strong

that reach toward heaven and seem to say

the waters will be calm

Paint a picture of endless love

an example burning bright -

for all to see and emulate

and become a guiding light

The life you live, your gentleness

your legacy of love

will be the painting of your life

when you return above

In my arms you now will rest

An example for all to see

the world is now a better place

because you painted a picture for me

Woo Hoo #2

2010-01-19T11:33:00.001-07:00

Kalli gave this note to Jodie on Sunday night. :-)

Yes, Kalli. You are sweet.

Fohgiveness, please

2010-01-12T15:55:00.002-07:00

OK - Has it been 2 months already!? My, my, how time passes like dryer sheets in a hurricane.

I've wanted to post so many times over the last couple months. Really. I mean we had all sorts of fun stuff goin' on like.... Thanksgiving, Christmas tree cutting, parties, presents, Christmas, New Years, me eating dinner, brushing my teeth.... I mean the list goes on and on. The only reason why I haven't posted is, well, because I always forget, and when I remember to post I don't have any pictures handy (that's a clever way of saying I'm at work and I don't have my home computer near by). Today I thought that I would post 'something' in spite of my lack of pictures (which may or may not mean that I'm at work).

It's been a pretty surreal couple months I'd say - packed with the excitement of Christmas morning when Megan, while eating strawberry waffles for breakfast, said "This is the best Christmas, EVER!" It's also been drug down by the lull of being told to find a new job (a saga that, um, is sure fun stuff) Those were good times. Good times, Indeeeeeeeed.

So, my New Years resolution for you? Put up a blog post more than once every 2 months. Some of you I will never catch up with. Some of you I may even surpass with my patent bi-weekly to monthly posts. All in all, I think 2010 is going to be an excellent year. Just remember to wear your sunscreen.

Pics to follow - as soon as I remember to post when I'm home. Cheers!

We Know You Kids Likes 'em Sloppy!

2009-11-19T13:54:00.003-07:00

Today I ate school lunch - voluntarily. I know I know, why on earth would anybody DO that? It was for a good cause, I promise. Today was Kalli's very firstest school lunch - and there weren't no way I wuz gona be missn' that. The food was acceptable (fantastic, by school standards) and the company was even better.

Mmmmmm... Pumpkin pie.

Happy Birthday, RyGuy!

2009-11-12T05:05:00.007-07:00

OK - I admit - I'm "Dad of the year" on this one. Ryan's actual birthday was a week ago, but I figured he wouldn't be too mad at me for posting this late. (Thanks for not minding too much, Ryan! You're the best!)

When we brought Ryan home, we knew how special he was, and how lucky we were to have him in our family. Two years later he's STILL special, and we're still lucky to have him in our family! We became pregnant with Ryan shortly before my brother Jeff passed away from cancer, back in the Spring of 2007. I think what's special about Ryan in my mind is that I know that he and Jeff are best friends - even though they never met here on earth. In my minds eye I can envision Jeff talking to Ryan about all the cool cousins he's going to have, and the family he's about to join on earth. I can envision Jeff giving Ryan every bit of advice he can think of - including tips on how to avoid the never-allusive "pooncha" - or as I like to call it, the "poooOOOOooooonchaaaaaaaaa!!!" (I like to stretch it out for effect)

Although Ryan has his "moments" when he wishes to remind us that he's two years old... we still feel so blessed to have him in our home. Happy Birthday, Ryan!

He got a little scrape next to his eye - but he was a tough dude. (scared the bajeebers outta dad though)

Showing off his tux that grandma made - my handsome man.

Little toothless smile for the ladies.

Batman never made me laugh so much. This is Ryan right after his "Race!" began. "on your mark, get set.... RACE!!"

We love you, Ryan!

Happy Birthday, Meggie B!

2009-10-24T06:46:00.005-06:00

I can't believe it's been 4 years since the nurse placed you in my arms. Wrapped up tight, you were the perfect size - my little burrito.

From the minute you were born, you brought so much sunshine into our lives!

The years have flown by WAY too fast.

But now that you're 4 years old, and all grown up.... I'll still call you my little Meggie B.

Happy Birthday, Megaroo!

I'm In Love

2009-10-18T14:29:00.004-06:00

I have a new favorite gun. Too bad it isn't mine.

You see, I went shooting - for the first time in about a decade. I decided that as a reward for graduating I'd get my first rifle; so I bought my friend's .223. It's a "varmint" rifle. People call it that because it's a popular rifle to go bunny smokin' - or coyote smokin'. Me? I use it for target practice, so far. My buddy and I went up to the range here in Bountiful. He's the complete opposite of me, and when I say that, I mean... he actually knows what he's talking about when it comes to guns and hunting.

We put up our targets at 100 yards and headed back for some good old fashion paper smokin. I put 12 or so rounds through my .223 until it was time to go home. The first few shots were nice, and then it kind of went downhill from there. I couldn't get the scope to focus for me - either that or my contacts are junk. Probably the latter. Well, see for yourself:

Before we went home, John let me put 3 rounds through his 7MM-08. I'm in love.

Now I just need to repeat this over, and over, and ov........

Time To Catch Up

2009-10-16T09:30:00.005-06:00

What? A new post?! Could it be? Oh yes, my friend. It Be-ith.

Its been a crazy month - Not sure what to write about, but I figured that there'd be an all-out mutiny if I didn't put SOMEthing up. So... here's some tasty pics we've taken in the last couple weeks...

We'll start off this ensemble of visual pleasantries with... Ryan (and what looks half of President Uchdorf's head). Jodie just asked Ryan where his belly button is :-) He's a searchin'

He found it! Oh, the joy of success!

Our little Megaroo is getting bigger and bigger every time I turn around. A couple weeks ago she read her first book. And you know what THAT means.... her own library card! Woot woot! She is SO big. She's our "sounder" - meaning she's a pro at sounding out words and spelling them. Kalli even asks her for help sometimes. For example:

Kalli: "how do you spell grandma?"
Meg: "It starts with g-g-g-g-g-g G"
Kalli: Then?
Meg: "r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r a-a-a-a-a-a A!"

I love it.

One thing I'm NOT looking forward to is the cold weather. I know I know, we can still go outside to play, but it's just not the same. I'm a Spring/Fall kinda guy - Here's why:

The Wave

2009-09-21T20:48:00.003-06:00

I don't usually (well, ever) put stuff on my blog that isn't family related, but I saw this video and had to stick it up. This will change the way we collaborate. It's worth the 10 minutes.

Wahoo!

2009-09-19T14:42:00.004-06:00

Today Jodie and I did something that we don't do - pretty much ever. Organized the closet? Well, yes, we did do that, but we do that all the ti.... um, wait - make that TWO things today that we hardly ever do. The first being the closet (wow, I really don't have any clothes) and the second? Well, we decided to take a trip to Sandy and check out a sale. In all honesty, we were kind of skeptical. When I say 'we' I mean 'I' because I didn't think Jodie would let me buy something. Buuuut she did - AND I didn't even have to get on my knees... for too long.

I love it. Absolutely love it. I think the biggest reason why I love it is because Jodie loves it. I've been wanting to get her a piano ever since we were married. The sound is awesome, but the package isn't complete unless Jodie's playing.

Kalli and Meg are VERY excited to start lessons.

This is Ryan, just after Jodie told him that he couldn't eat his cookie while sitting at the piano. Sorry, dude. Rules are rules.

So, if you ever have a second, come on by and check it out. We maaaay even let you sit at it - but only if you promise to eat your cookie first.

Sweet Crossword Puzzle

2009-09-04T08:55:00.005-06:00

I came across an awesome crossword puzzle the other day. Check it out. It isn't hard - I promise.

Park It Up

2009-09-03T09:27:00.005-06:00

The other day we decided to pack up dinner and head off to the park. It was awesome. I love this park. I'd tell you which one it is, but then you just might tell others and then it would get crowded and I'd be forced to get a park of my own.

This park has a covered eating area, lighting, plenty of grass, trees (and tables under the trees, if you are so inclined), flushing toilets, running water, soap, and a little device that sprays a welcoming scent of freshness upon opening the restroom door. It's a treat to behold!

All of those amenities are all well and good - but it isn't the best part about the park. The best part about it is..... you ready? The rubber. Oh ya, baby! You see, I'm tired of all the sand that gets in my shoes - and all the wood slivers, er, I mean, wood chips that never seem to fit the bill. This park has one big rubber chip mat to run on. It doesn't chip off, break, get in your shoes or socks, and it's perfect for gripping those tight corners when you're playing "chase daddy around the park." We love it. This is one of daddy's favorite climbing towers that he thought he could use to get away from being tagged. Kalli proved him wrong.

Dear Kiddies,

2009-09-02T13:10:00.002-06:00

Dear Kiddies,

Your mom and I wanted to write a few things down to let you know how much we love you. We wanted to let you know that:

We’ll always be there for you – even when you won’t want us around.
Even the smallest promptings will pay huge dividends.

Always listen to those promptings.
Recognizing them will be the hard part – at first.
Every time you get one – act – that will make them easier to recognize in the future.

Preparing yourself is what this life is all about.
Right when you want to give up is the time when you need to ask for help the most.
Every time you need help, we’ll be there.
Gaining your respect might be the hardest thing we’ll ever have to do.
Never give up on that which is most important.
All of the people that came before you have prepared the way for you to succeed.
Never at any time in the history of the world has there been so much opportunity.
This is your time.

We sure do love you,
Mom & Dad

A Lesson In Snow White

2009-08-29T13:14:00.002-06:00

Dad: "Look, there's the evil Queen. She hates Snow White"

Kalli: "No, Dad. She doesn't hate Snow White. She loves her. She just wants to kill her."

2 Thumbs Up!

2009-08-18T19:53:00.003-06:00

Last night during family home evening we taught the girls about the word of wisdom. Not an easy topic for 5 and 3 year-old kiddies. Jodie and I thought that it was time for them to learn about it from the 'horses mouth' - and since I'm the one that's always horse'n around, it was my turn to teach the lesson. (baaaaad joke. Sorry, everybody) We played games that showed us all the cool things we could do with our bodies, and talked about how Heavenly Father wants us to keep our bodies healthy and strong. We then played "thumbs up." Basically, someone shouts out a food, and if it's good for you then you give it 2 thumbs up - if it's bad, it gets the classic 2 thumbs down. Pretty basic, eh?

The game begins:
"watermelon!" - 2 thumbs WAY up
"vegetables!" - 2 thumbs up (but only after coersion from daddo)
"cigarettes!" - *insert booo, and hisssss* - "ew, gross" - 2 thumbs down

They LOVED it. Family night Suuuuuccesssss!

So, tonight at dinner, Megan decided that it was time to play the game. "Showa" says dad. "How abooooouuuut...," "No, Dad, I'm the boss. I get to say it" - "well, alrighty then"

Watermelon! - Woot Woot! - 2 thumbs up
Daddy cooks dinner! - 2 thumbs way UP. Then Meg pipes up... "no way, that's 2 thumbs down!"

Thanks, Megan. Don't ever change, sweetie.

Freeee-beeee Bots - A Survival Story

2009-08-15T22:10:00.008-06:00

So today - amidst my cranial exercises of sorts - we decided to head out to the grocery store and pick up some sundry items, er, I mean, some ingredients for an AWEsome dessert that Jodie wanted to make. WalMart or Smiths? Hmmm... Smiths. Why not. It's closer and all we're getting is groceries - Plus I hate WalMart (I'm supposed to say that, right? Because they drive away all the mom & pop stores trying to peddle Sure deoderant and Suave shampoo. WalMart's become even more worthless after they discontinued White Cloud diapers - but that's a WHOLE nother blog)

So, off to Smiths we go!

We walked in the door, being the unsuspecting tourists of all things edible that we were - having no preminitions of wonderous free-dom to come, and were suddenly bombarded by a crowd of mindless freebee-bots. You could almost read their minds: "Freeee-bee Freeeee-bee! Free..."It was horrific. The employees were giving everything away as fast as it could be put on a plate or garnished with a napkin; glasses of orange juice, cake (both on the same table; gross), fruit, ice cream, shrimp (I steer clear of warm shrimp that's been manhandled by every snot-nosed kid that happens to pass by thinking "mommy, what's this thing?"), muffins, and... some other stuff, I'm sure. Oh ya, Cheese. They had cheese as well - in little cute cubes, no less; complete with toothpicks! It was an experience never to be forgotten. Well, at least not until my next trip to the store. We made our way past the 'drones' and started doing whatever it is we came there to do - what DID we come there to do? Oh ya! We came to buy stuff. So, off to buy things we went, when suddenly... "alrighty shoppers, it's time again for another drawing where one lucky customer will win a chance to spin the wheeeel... of.... grooooceriiiies!" "It's NEVER me" I thought, as I tugged on the half-bent tickets in my linty pocket. "Well, just to make sure, let me memorize my numbers - just in case. OK, 424. Got it." "Alrighty shoppers, let's here it for number.... 424! That's number 424. Present your ticket for a spin of the wheel, at the east entrance" "Is that us?!" Jodie perked up. "um, I think so!" *insert winners dance here*

I'd explain it all - but I figured that a story book with pictures would be much more effective.

"Huh?! Did they just say 424?"

"Jeepers!! I think they just said 4...2....4!"

"They did! They did! That's US! We get to spin The Wheeeeeelll!"

*Then we walked down to the winners circle - i.e. the East Entrance, and took our spot as future heirs and heirises of something free*

*Amidst mild trepidation, Mike takes hold of the wheel, and with a flick of his hand sets forth a destiny that can only be guided by Lady Luck herself.*

"huh, they only have colors on this wheel. No pictures? I need pictures. I wonder what color is good. Sure hope I don't win something stupid"

"Yellow! I got Yellow! Hmm... what does Yellow get me? Ice Cream! 48 oz. of Ice Cream! YEEEEEEsssss! I didn't spin for something lame like bunion cream!"

"Now - What to choose? What toooo choooose"

Good choice, young Padawon. Your queen would be proud.

That's right. "Private" AND "Premium" ice cream - all in the same container. I think they made it just for me, but I'm not too sure on that one. I figured it was worthy of a crown.

Mmmm..... Cheesy

2009-07-29T15:37:00.003-06:00

So, we had spaghetti for lunch today. Mmmmmm.... spaghetti. Right? Right.

Well, Megan is a fan of the cheese. And when I say that Megan is a fan of the cheese, I mean she's a FAN. While Jodie and I were over at the sink I caught Meg with the entire block of cheese - eating it like, well.... here's what she got down in 4 seconds:

Did you notice the teeth marks? Mmmmmm... teethmarks.

Me So Old

2009-07-23T13:06:00.003-06:00

Ever since I've been told that now is the time I'm supposed to have my mid-life-crisis, I've been feeling like I need to buy a new car. Well, I always feel like that. Does that mean I'm in a perpetual state of crisiseseses? (Pronounced Criseeeeeeseses)

Then I read this article:

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/07/100-things-your-kids-may-never-know-about?npu=1&mbid=yhp

It didn't help my perpetual state of crisiseseses.

Basically, however many 'bring you back,' the older you are :-O

I hope you all enjoy feeling as old as I did while reading this! I especially loved "Blowing the dust out of a NES cartridge in the hopes that it’ll load this time." Good Times. Gooooood times.

Audio-Visual Entertainment
Inserting a VHS tape into a VCR to watch a movie or to record something.
Super-8 movies and cine film of all kinds.
Playing music on an audio tape using a personal stereo. See what happens when you give a Walkman to todays teenager.
The number of TV channels being a single digit. I remember it being a massive event when Britain got its fourth channel.
Standard-definition, CRT TVs filling up half your living room.
Rotary dial televisions with no remote control. You know, the ones where the kids were the remote control.
High-speed dubbing.
8-track cartridges.
Vinyl records. Even today’s DJs are going laptop or CD.
Betamax tapes.
MiniDisc.
Laserdisc: the LP of DVD.
Scanning the radio dial and hearing static between stations. (Digital tuners + HD radio bork this concept.)
Shortwave radio.
3-D movies meaning red-and-green glasses.
Watching TV when the networks say you should. Tivo and Sky+ are slowing killing this one.
That there was a time before ‘reality TV.’

Computers and Videogaming
Wires. OK, so they’re not gone yet, but it won’t be long
The scream of a modem connecting.
The buzz of a dot-matrix printer
5- and 3-inch floppies, Zip Discs and countless other forms of data storage.
Using jumpers to set IRQs.
DOS.
Terminals accessing the mainframe.
Screens being just green (or orange) on black.
Tweaking the volume setting on your tape deck to get a computer game to load, and waiting ages for it to actually do it.
Daisy chaining your SCSI devices and making sure they’ve all got a different ID.
Counting in kilobytes.
Wondering if you can afford to buy a RAM upgrade.
Blowing the dust out of a NES cartridge in the hopes that it’ll load this time.
Turning a PlayStation on its end to try and get a game to load.
Joysticks.
Having to delete something to make room on your hard drive.
Booting your computer off of a floppy disk.
Recording a song in a studio.

The Internet
NCSA Mosaic.
Finding out information from an encyclopedia.
Using a road atlas to get from A to B.
Doing bank business only when the bank is open.
Shopping only during the day, Monday to Saturday.
Phone books and Yellow Pages.
Newspapers and magazines made from dead trees.
Actually being able to get a domain name consisting of real words.
Filling out an order form by hand, putting it in an envelope and posting it.
Not knowing exactly what all of your friends are doing and thinking at every moment.
Carrying on a correspondence with real letters, especially the handwritten kind.
Archie searches.
Gopher searches.
Concatenating and UUDecoding binaries from Usenet.
Privacy.
The fact that words generally don’t have num8er5 in them.
Correct spelling of phrases, rather than TLAs.
Waiting several minutes (or even hours!) to download something.
The time before botnets/security vulnerabilities due to always-on and always-connected PCs
The time before PC networks.
When Spam was just a meat product — or even a Monty Python sketch.

Gadgets
Typewriters.
Putting film in your camera: 35mm may have some life still, but what about APS or disk?
Sending that film away to be processed.
Having physical prints of photographs come back to you.
CB radios.
Getting lost. With GPS coming to more and more phones, your location is only a click away.
Rotary-dial telephones.
Answering machines.
Using a stick to point at information on a wallchart
Pay phones.
Phones with actual bells in them.
Fax machines.
Vacuum cleaners with bags in them.

Everything Else
Taking turns picking a radio station, or selecting a tape, for everyone to listen to during a long drive.
Remembering someone’s phone number.
Not knowing who was calling you on the phone.
Actually going down to a Blockbuster store to rent a movie.
Toys actually being suitable for the under-3s.
LEGO just being square blocks of various sizes, with the odd wheel, window or door.
Waiting for the television-network premiere to watch a movie after its run at the theater.
Relying on the 5-minute sport segment on the nightly news for baseball highlights.
Neat handwriting.
The days before the nanny state.
Starbuck being a man.
Han shoots first.
“Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.” But they’ve already seen episode III, so it’s no big surprise.
Kentucky Fried Chicken, as opposed to KFC.
Trig tables and log tables.
“Don’t know what a slide rule is for …”
Finding books in a card catalog at the library.
Swimming pools with diving boards.
Hershey bars in silver wrappers.
Sliding the paper outer wrapper off a Kit-Kat, placing it on the palm of your hand and clapping to make it bang loudly. Then sliding your finger down the silver foil of break off the first finger
A Marathon bar (what a Snickers used to be called in Britain).
Having to manually unlock a car door.
Writing a check.
Looking out the window during a long drive.
Roller skates, as opposed to blades.
Cash.
Libraries as a place to get books rather than a place to use the internet.
Spending your entire allowance at the arcade in the mall.
Omni Magazine
A physical dictionary — either for spelling or definitions.
When a ‘geek’ and a ‘nerd’ were one and the same.

Happy Birthday, to ME!

2009-07-17T13:23:00.004-06:00

Well, I swear I wasn't going to blog about my own birthday - besides, who blogs about themselves? I mean, what do you take me for anyway?

Last night Jodie put on a nice dinner and had my family come over - it rocked. I'm a sucker for social gatherings, especially when they involve lasagna, my house, good conversation, and people I like. Thanks, Jo! You rock. I'll post a picture of my birthday cake. It was the best ever. Jodie covered it in green coconut - and fashioned a lawnmower out of TWO snickers bars. It was a sight to see - in all of its mowery gooey deliciousness.

Just when I thought that all the birthday festivities were over... I came into work. I was a little confused because THIS was on the door:

"That's CRAZY. Who would put this on the do... wait! wha?! is that MY face? What the..." Then I proceed to my desk and realize that the entire office is plastered with Mike Memorabilia from days gone past- I'm having a hard time remembering all of these events, but they have the photographic PROOF. How DID they get these pictures of me?

And then the birthday wishing monkey...

Mmmm... Sanity

2009-07-06T15:37:00.007-06:00

One roll of clear stickie tape: $1

30 Gallon Trash Bag: $0.10

One Genius Wife: Priceless

Having your kiddies sleep in until 7:45 A.M. : Well, it's worth WAY more than $1.10.

Who would have thought that this picture was taken at 8:30 in the morning. BooYA! Me so excited to try it again!

I feel so sneaky - so parentalish

44 cents

2009-06-12T09:26:00.003-06:00

The nicest thing happened to me yesterday. A lady gave me 44 cents. I know, I know - I can hear it now "wow, Mike - 44 cents. Perhaps it's time you increased your expectations juuuuust a little bit." Believe me, my expectations are high (abnormally high). I don't need any help in that department.

Lemme splain:
Yesterday after work I headed off to the post office to mail a letter. Just one letter. Nothing huge. After going back and forth - and back and forth - trying to decide whether or not it was worth it to wait for 15 people in line (at the 'Reno 911' of post offices) I gave in and took my place. After standing there for about 3 minutes I had a thought come over me "hmm, I bet I can buy a whole BOOK of stamps at that machine around the corner - see ya later, chumps!" Juuust as I was getting out of line, one of the nicest ladies in the world stopped me and said "are you just mailing that ONE letter?! All you want is ONE stamp?!" - "uh, ya" - "Well, here ya go." Then she proceeds to fish through her purse, pull out a book of Simpson stamps, and peel off a Homer. WOW! I know it might sound lame, but that totally made my day.

Even if I had the stamps, and was in her position, I don't think I'd have the guts to approach a scary lookin guy and offer him a stamp. Not sure why though. Just cuz. I'm heartless I guess - either that or just scared. So, the next time you see old Homer's face - don't picture him choking his son (all in good humor, of course) picture a nice lady making my day.

Mmmmm.... Bread

2009-06-10T19:58:00.006-06:00

Last week a good friend of ours asked Jodie if making our own bread really saves us any money. I've always thought so - but I think that could be due to the fact that I would never want to admit that we've been wasting our hard-earned money instead of saving it AND letting someone else do all the work! (as if I do any of the work... but I digress)

SO, when Jodie said "do you think we're really saving any money?" I said "let's find out!"

It wasn't hard really - all we had to do was figure out the cost of each of the ingredients, divide out the part we used to make a batch of bread, and voila! And because I'm picky, I had to figure out how much it cost us to power our oven for 30 minutes (I love Google). All in all, we estimated that it costs us a shmidgen over $3 to mix and bake 6 loaves of bread. Not too shabby! I will admit that they aren't the biggest loaves of bread - I call em half-loaves, baby-bakes, snack cakes...etc. Yummy!

Soooo, I guess that means we'll be making a lot more of these:

Oh ya - THIS is what happens when you don't cut your children a slice fast enough.

Never leave a freshly-baked loaf of bread unattended.

The Numbers Guy

2009-06-02T19:43:00.003-06:00

For a while now, I've wanted to start a blog. Not just ANY blog - but a blog where people could go and LEeeearn stuff. Useful stuff. Stuff that could actually help them in their lives. I don't have many of "those" skills - so I decided to write about the skills I DO have, and see how it goes. I decided to try the impossible: make Finances INTERESTING. Yea Baby! I just started it today - so don't expect anything huge. Pretty much everything about it will change in the coming months. I just thought I'd get the word out - cuz nobody likes to post posts for nobody!

The Numbers Guy
http://www.thenumbersguy.blogspot.com

Which One Are You?

2009-05-29T10:48:00.004-06:00

Last night as Jodie and I were talking, I could only sum up my feelings in one phrase: I feel like I'm just spinning my wheels. Then it occurred to me - spinning wheels isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just depends on the circumstance. So, then I thought to myself, which one am I?

You see, both of these cars are spinning their wheels - but both will have completely different outcomes.

(Now, don't take this analogy too far. Cuz then you'd say "I don't want to be the Funny Car that's going to go 100 mph in .8 seconds and then crash in a fire ball of death. I'd rather be the person receiving loving assistance from kind bystanders" Bla ba Bla ba BLA....

Life is short - It'll be over before we know it - you might as well live in the fast lane. Besides, I like to think that we all have 7,000 horsepower under the hood.

Graduation 2009

2009-05-27T22:00:00.004-06:00

Since Mike is not going to blog about his own accomplishment, I will do it for him. Three weeks ago Mike got in his "costume" and graduated with his MBA. Way to go Mikey!!! Getting a masters is not an easy thing to do. But getting a masters with a full time job and a wife and three kids is even harder. Thanks for working so hard for all of us Mike.

Can you tell that we are really excited!

Aaaaand, Yes. We're too cheap to spend $200 on this actual photo. So, we'll settle for the 'Proof'

I can't make this stuff up.

2009-05-26T16:38:00.003-06:00

Mom: Megan! How many times do I have to yell at you before you'll stop running around?!
Megan: 15

Mom: Megan, can you say 'extinct'?
Megan: Exshteenkt
Mom: Do you know what it means?
Megan: It means that the animals smell really bad now.

Mom: I am a child of
Ryan: Daaaaaa

Dad: I'm hoooooome
Kalli: Dad! Mommy bought you a surprise and it's hidden. Come with me and I'll show you where she put it!

Dad: What do you want to play?
Kalli: I'll be Super Problem Solver Girl. You just yell if you need a problem solved. I'll just be walking up the street till I hear you yell, OK?

Paki

2009-05-15T08:53:00.003-06:00

A long time ago, in a land not so far away from my current home (my parents house), Kalli and her cousin Paige came up with a recipe called Paki (pronounced: Pah'Kie). The gist of the recipe was: Eggs, Broccoli, Water, and other stuff. Well, I don't know if it was subliminal or not, but Jodie and I have since started to make "Vegetable Eggs" in the morning. We don't make it all the time - in fact we haven't made it in a while. Essentially you take a bunch of vegetables, boil them in shallow water, and then add eggs when all of the water is gone. I couldn't stand the thought of just eating vegetables and eggs for breakfast, so I decided to add a bunch of ham and cheese to mine (it seems to help - a lot). We fixed it this morning, because its become one of Megans favorites.

All in all, I'd have to say I'm quite pleased. Now to figure out how to get Kalli to eat her own recipe...

Yum

2009-05-06T09:04:00.002-06:00

A little while ago I was searching through AllRecipes.com - looking for a new twist on the classic pancake breakfast. We don't eat pancakes that often at our house - and I figured that wasn't because we weren't pancake people, we were just tired of the recipe we had (where did that come from, anyway?). I found this most delicious Oatmeal Pancake recipe. Did I mention that it's most delicious? Cuz it is. And the best part? It's easy. It uses stuff you most likely have in your cupboard anyway. I hate those recipes that sound so good - then you read through the list and feel like you have to take a foreign language class just to pronounce half the ingredients. This ain't one of em.

1 Cup all-purpose flour
1 Cup oatmeal (grind it up in the blender till it's a powder - like flour)
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar (it calls for white sugar. Brown is better)
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1 1/2 Cup Milk (it calls for buttermilk, but who has that? I guess you could always make your own with vinegar - but I'm too lazy for that - plus regular milk does the job nicely)
2 tsp Vanilla extract
4 Tbs vegetable oil (I sometimes just put a tiny bit in - or leave it out - up to you)
2 Eggs

That's it. It's going to seem really runny. Trust me. Reeeeally runny. Just let the baking soda do it's work on the griddle and you won't be dissapointed. Don't try it without the baking soda. That stuff really works.

I can't believe I just blogged about a recipe. I feel like I need to put a loud muffler on my car, burp, go hunting for something and eat its liver, and watch football.

Happy Birthday, My Love.

2009-04-30T14:26:00.007-06:00

Two days ago, the love of my life celebrated her 26th birthday. 26. Holy Moly. Don’t worry – she won’t kill me for telling you that she’s 26 – because everyone reading this post already knows. Right? Besides, we all know that light travels faster than a Chinese midget can say “Woot Woot!” So, if you didn’t know, then it’s all good anyway.

Moving along… So…, in honor of this momentous occasion, I thought it would be fitting for me to list my Top 10 Favorite Things About Jodie… in no particular order.
Who else can jog 5 miles, eat breakfast, read books to the kiddies, AND send her husband off to work – all before 8:30?

Her advice is priceless. Like one of them Faberge eggs from that foreign country with all the jewels and shiny stuff. No, wait – we eat eggs like that for BREAKfast!

Have you SEEN her smile?! Nuff said.

The fact that her genes are stronger than mine; that way our kids at least have a chance. (They DO have the Terry nose – so I know the genes are a workin’)

She bakes the best bread. I asked Kalli what she loves about mom, and her first thing was “mom makes the best bread” – number two was “mom makes the best muffins” – and the third thing was “mom makes the best bread. It’s soooo good” There you have it; can’t argue with Kalli (no, really. You CAN’T argue with Kalli. It’s futile)

She can put her hair in a ponytail and be ready for anything.

She’s the perfect mom for Kalli, Megan, and Ryan. No father or husband could ask for better.

When I have my bad days – she’s having a good day. She’s always there to pull me up and help me see how nice the view really is.

She’s the best leader that our Young Women could ask for. It’s like she was born for her calling. She’d say otherwise. So modest.

She isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. No faux nails here. “Auweee Euweee, I chipped a nail! Waaaa Waaa!” Ya, Right.

She learns from her mistakes. She does an awesome job of analyzing a situation and an outcome and then determining if things went the way they should, and if not – why? Not even the CEO of GM can do THAT. (“Hmmm, maybe we should focus our business on not having any focus at all on any particular market and hope that something just sticks. Hey, I wonder why we’re bleeding $16 billion a quarter… Oh well.” But I digress)

She doesn’t mind if I totally waste her in a game of Mario Kart. In fact, she’ll even play me again, after a few weeks. I think my whole ‘in your FACE!’ dance might have been a little over-the-top that one time.

She said I could buy a motorcycle! Just as soon as we can afford one. And, as long as I don’t drive it down any street upon which cars may be present. I’ll take it!

Did I mention that she’s an amazing cook?

Welp – I think that’s about 10. Plus I need to get back to work – or whatever you call that stuff that I was doing before I started typing.

Happy Birthday, Jodie! We love you!

Can this picture get ANY better?!

Our Little Version...

2009-04-27T11:58:00.004-06:00

I love spring. I love it for so many reasons. Seeing the earth come back alive seems to give me hope - plus, I love mowing the lawn. I also love my yard - for so many reasons. One of those reasons is, what I call the Youngberg version of the Tree of Life. It blooms every Spring - for about a week or so. I made sure this time to snap a photo before the flowers fell off. It needs a little trimming - but you get the picture.

Thank You

2009-04-22T11:32:00.004-06:00

Dear Friend,

Thank you for the wonderful dish towels you gave us at our wedding. We loved em. They were so great. For the past 7 years we have thought of your generosity each and every time we took them out to dry the dishes or clean the table. They have not only been a welcome addition to our kitchen, but have also been a welcome addition to our lives. They've been with us through the highs of birthday celebrations, graduations, our first home, and the lows of Tina Turner's "Comeback" tour, Carl's Jr. raising the price on the Big Burger to $1.39, and WalMart discontinuing the sale of White Cloud diapers. It's been quite the roller coaster ride.

Before we bade farewell to our long-time friend, we took a snapshot for memory sake. We just thought you might want a copy to help you obtain some closure.

Use it up - Wear it out - Make it do - Or do without.

How To Send An Apology

2009-04-16T15:06:00.004-06:00

We're trying out a new program at work so we can make some "instructional videos" - So..... I thought I'd try it out and make one of my own...

Yum!

2009-04-15T16:59:00.001-06:00

I stopped by Costco on the way to work this morning - thought I'd get me one of them super-sized cuppie cakes. Delish!

I'm a Genius!

2009-04-02T16:16:00.003-06:00

I had a mission companion who, back in high school, thought it would be cool to make up a new word and see how long it took for people to start using it. He claims it took about 3 weeks until it was common-place in the school. He asked people where they had heard it, and their comment was "it's been around forever" :-) Well, I decided to come up with my OWN new slang term;

Will you be my FBF?

(FaceBookFriend)

Aaaaaaah Ya! It's the new thing. Start usin it - tell all your friends! Soon I'll be hearing the fruits of all my mindless past time. Don't thank me now - thank me when all your FBF's start usin it too - then you can say you were one of the first. Like a pioneer - except without all the mud and walking.

Good Morning

2009-04-01T10:58:00.000-06:00

Last night as I went to bed I decided that in the morning I’d wake up early, head up to the temple and get a little more direction on what I should do with my life. I’m not one for turning down free direction. That’s right, folks – direction regarding life’s toughest issues for the low low price of only $0.00! We’ll even break it down into three EEeeaasY payments of only $0.00! And if you call within the next 15 minutes, we’ll throw in peace of mind AND a dose of serotonin that comes when serving others!

Anyway, I woke up as planned, ate breakfast, came in my bedroom to give Jo a kiss goodbye and heard a thump downstairs. I’m not sure how to describe it really. I couldn’t decide if someone shut a door too loudly, if something fell off a shelf – I wasn’t sure. A thought crossed my mind that I should go down the stairs and see if everything was OK. I went into the front entry way, put on my coat and was about to leave when I heard Sharon downstairs – yelling for my help. Pretty much everyone reading this knows that my cousin Jesse and his wife Marissa live in our basement. We’ve had a few scares with Jesse and his diabetes – but nothing like this. I came downstairs to Jesse on the floor, next to his bed, with a distorted face and a stiff body – completely unresponsive. I pulled out my phone and called 911. 10 seconds into my conversation, the iPhone strikes again and drops the call. I seriously hate that thing. What a piece. What an honest piece of… Anyway… All I got out was “we’re having an attack, a diabetic attack” I don’t think she heard the “diabetic attack” part before the call dropped – so I was half worried that the house was going to get surrounded by action-hungry cops. (wouldn’t be the first time – I’ll blog about that later) So, I called them back on a REAL phone and got medical personnel on the way. For anyone who has ever called 911, you know what I mean when I say that it felt like an eternity for them to get there. It was probably 3 minutes – but felt like 300. Long story short: The guys came – they helped Jesse. They answered all my questions and helped further my edumacation in the ways of diabetes and what I can do to help if this happens again.

Looking back on the whole experience, I feel that I learned what I needed to learn this morning. It isn’t really anything I can put into words – or anything that would make sense, unless of course you’ve been living in my head for the last few years. One lesson I did learn, however, was that if someone you know has a disease – you may not have to “live” with it, but that disease is now part of your life and you need to learn how to manage it. Now, if this ever happens again, I’m in a better position to handle the situation. I don’t know everything about it – but I know more than I used to; and that’s the way we learn.

Piffle-Be-Gone

2009-03-26T16:12:00.001-06:00

We've all done it before - too many times, perhaps. Unless you've lived under a rock for the last 20 years, you're more familiar than you'd like to be with the ever unpopular Ctrl+Alt+Del. We've all done it, and we'll all continue to do it.

Why do we engage in this ritualistic right of passage on such a continual basis? Well, we're forced to... sometimes. The only alternative would be to shut the whole computer down and restart - but that could take minutes; so why not just shut down the bad process and move on.

I couldn't help but think that Bill Gates wanted to teach us all an important life lesson when he made the Windows operating system so unstable and prone to attack. It's essentially designed with a big banner that begs programmers to create a vast array of code and pray that it all works together. However, out of all the well-meaning programmers in the world, there's always someone that likes to program something that has only one purpose; to frustrate, destroy, and otherwise take up valuable resources.

Life is the same way. Each of us is born into this life with a clean hard disk and applications designed specifically for us so that we might have the best life possible. These applications are also designed to work flawlessly with other operating systems and their related programs, exponentially increasing our collective chance of success. It's a No-Lose situation, right? Right?!

Well, just like in "real life," sometimes we purposely or inadvertently download corrupt files to our hard drive which destroys previously written data, frustrates the user, and takes up valuable processing power. Each of us is our own personal computer with a specific amount of processing power - for now. It's that way by design. I couldn't help but think of all the processes running on my system; processes such as: apprehension.exe, worry.exe, mindlesspasttime.exe, etc...

I guess my point is - we shouldn't be afraid to perform a Ctrl+Alt+Del on the processes that are taking up valuable resources and slowing us down. I think we'd be surprised how many awesome applications we can handle when we aren't spinning our wheels with all the piffle out there.

Oh ya, And for all you Apple fans that think you're too good for Ctrl+Alt+Del - think again; Mr. Jobs just renamed it to "force quit." Same thang. See how universal this principle is?!

Home Home Home

2009-03-16T16:10:00.004-06:00

Over the last week I've conjured up at least a million different topics I could write about - well, almost a million. More like 15 or 20 - but when you're in the teens, you might as well be in the millions. I learned that in elementary school. So, judging by that logic, I'm a quadrazillionaire!

Jodie and I just got back from a much needed, and highly anticipated romp in the cavernous jungles of southern California - aka, Disneyland! It was AWEsome. Couldn't have been better. Well, maybe if the park was open just for us and we were chauffeured from ride to ride and given free slushies - but I digress. The funny thing about our trip is that it almost didn't happen. We AAAAAlllmost chickened out. Almost. You see, Jodie and I ain't the most spontaneous filanderin branches on the tree. No blowin around with the wind for us. We like things nice and thought out - nice and comfy - nice and, well, with our kids.

You see, we decided that we're plain addicted to our kiddies. We actually went through the stages of withdrawal: the denial, the sadness, the embracing, the shakes, the wall, etc... It wasn't because they weren't in good hands. They were in the best care possible - Grandma T and Grandma Y. Doesn't get any better than THAT! Naturally, they had a blast - aside from the occasional (or so I'm told) spout of missing their mommy. I never did get told of any bouts of them missing their daddy, but I'm sure that was in there somewhere - right?

Well, as it always does, the time came for us to go home. It was the first time I've been excited to fly home from a vacation. It was almost like coming home from a mission - minus the banners and screaming and the expectation of not talking about the last 2 years of your life (because thats just SO not cool - can't you talk about your life from 0-19?). I almost got a little verklempt walkin out of the terminal. Good stuff.

Then we got home, woke up the next day, and wondered why on earth we ever missed em. Juuuuuust Kidding. Well, sorta. All in all, I'd have to say that I'm all for doing it again. We'll probably wait for a long long long long long time (or as Kalli would say "dad, that's 5 longs in the future") before we do it again - but we'll do it again. Next time, Singapore.

We bleed PURPLE!

2009-02-22T20:51:00.003-07:00

Four more days and counting until "that boy is mine!" Way to go Mike!!!

My Bucket List

2009-02-13T09:49:00.003-07:00

A "Bucket List" went around my office the other day. (For those of you who haven't seen The Bucket List, I highly recommend it. Anyway. ) A Bucket List is a list of things that you're supposed to do before you die - I guess. Luckily I haven't done everything on this list, or else I'd get all nervous. I tweeked a few of the items, because I didn't like leaving so many things left out. Poor left out things.

Welp - Enjoy. Don't ask tooooo many questions.

( x ) Made a date go blind
( x ) Skipped school (with my best friends girl friend. We caught him sunbathing in the backyard. Life’s tough when you’re sick)
( ) Watched someone die (but I went to a Cemetery once)
( x ) Been to Canada. Eh. Long story.
( ) Been to Mexico (it’s pronounced “me`HeeCo”)
( x ) Been to Florida
( x ) Been on a plane (duh. I’ve been to Florida. You can’t drive to an island!)
( x ) Been lost (all my life)
( x ) Been on the opposite side of the country (anywhere outside Utah is the “opposite side of the country”)
( x ) Gone to Washington , DC (During Clinton’s impeachment hearings. It. Was. Awesome.)
( x ) Swam in the ocean
( x ) Cried yourself to sleep (Kalli ate my last Snickers bar)
( x ) Played cops, chefs, and robbers. I cook to make friends. Then I steal their guns and kill em.
( x ) Recently colored with crayons (All the time)
( x ) Karaoke Genius
( x ) Played chess for a meal
( x ) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't (5 1/2 years and counting)
( x ) Laughed until some kind of meat product came out of your nose
( x ) Destroyed a snowflake (with my bare hands)
( x ) Showered in the rain (for reals – good times)
( x ) Beaten up Santa Claus
( x ) Made out under the mistletoe
( x ) Ordered the sun to rise (works every time)
( x ) Toyed with Hydrogen and Oxygen atoms in a playful fashion (Blown bubbles)
( x ) Gone ice-skating (hence the bad back)
( x ) Been skinny dippin outdoors / indoors / it’s aaaalllll gooood
( x ) Been in the movies
( x ) Watched a marathon on TV once
( x ) Pie-dived (way too fun)
( ) Bungee Jumped – no, but I did fly a plane solo
( x ) Been so happy you cried (found my emergency Snickers bar)

1. Any nickname? I would tell you, but this is sent over a company email system.
2. Mother's maiden name? You WISH

3. Favorite drink? The Dr. is IN

4. Body Piercings? Only a few - :-)
5. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you love your job? See question #1

6. Birthplace? Zion, er, Bountiful
7. Favorite vacation spot? Vacation? Oh ya, that. Well, let’s go with the cabin
8. Ever been to Africa ? In my mind (and on Google Earth)

9. Ever eaten just cookies for dinner? Don’t tell Kalli

10. Ever been on TV? Who hasn’t?
11. Ever steal any traffic signs? No. That’s illegal. I only do Legal mischief

12. Ever been in a car accident? Yuppers. They stink.
13. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4 door mass of madness
14. Can you drive a standard car? What’s a standard car? Is there really a standard for cars?

15. Favorite pie? Peach Dreamyliscious (me and Beyonce made it up)
16. Favorite number? 69 Dudes (um, probably 7, or 17 – cuz it’s my birthday)

17. Favorite movie? Bourne Trilogy. Matt Damon and I go WAY back.
18. Favorite holiday? 4th of July (who doesn’t like blowing stuff up?)

19. Favorite dessert? Nielson's Concrete (I side with Aaron on this one)

20. Favorite food? Mexineseian (you figure it out)

21. Favorite day of the week? Any day I actually wake up. One more chance to get it right!

22. Favorite brand of body wash? I’m intrigued by this “body wash” of which you speak

23. Favorite toothpaste? I have this little rhyme (Jen knows ALL about my little memory things) it goes like this: Crest is NOT the best. I can’t stand their twisty cap. I need Colgate’s flip top. I neeeeed it!

24. Favorite smell? Burning Feathers (or Chinese food)

25. How do you relax? See Question #1
26. How do you see yourself in 10 years? With a magic mirror, duh. How else would I see myself in the future?

27. Furthest place you will send this message? I’ve outsourced the sending of the message to my computer. I will simply give the command.

28. Who will respond to this the fastest? Definitely not me.

29. What is your favorite breed of dog? Shouldn’t this question be before #28? #28 seems kinda like a “closer” if you ask me.

Wake Up, Ryan!

2009-02-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

Ryan stayed out way too late with his buddies.

2009-02-03T21:27:00.004-07:00

Have you ever seen Snow White? If you've ever had that blessed opportunity, then you KNOW how high that woman can sing. It's like Disney captured the voice-over in a helium cocoon. Anyhow - Meg and Kalli watched it the other day and Megan decided that she would like to try her hand at being Snow White. This is the result...

Disclaimer

2009-02-02T13:43:00.004-07:00

Whenever Kalli walks through the kitchen, she ALWAYS checks the garbage can. She'll look for clues that would tell her what treats mom and dad ate last night - what toys we were planning on getting rid of - and most of all, what drawings accidentally got thrown in the trash. (how DOES that happen?)

Well, I guess Kalli got tired of lecturing mom and dad on not throwing away any of her creations, because she put a disclaimer on her latest work of art...

She's learning that this whole "Reading & Spelling" thing has its benefits. Oh ya, you do NOT want to be cross-examined by Kalli after she finds a Twix wrapper in the garbage. There's NO skirting around when candy's involved. I'm planning on her retiring me and Jodie when she's 25. I hear that expert lawyers don't come cheap!

Whoa!

2009-01-16T15:34:00.003-07:00

As I sat at my desk, wondering how long its been since the Makarena destroyed society's collective mental capacity - I couldn't help but think that it's been a whole week since my last post.

The other night - against all reason - I told Jodie to go check out Kohl's "sweet 90% off sales" because a friend at work had raved so much about it. On a normal day I can't stand 'that store' but this was no normal day. Who passes up a 90% off sale anyway? So, I sent her off on this witch hunt of a shopping trip, only to get a phone call 15 minutes later informing me that there was only 'granny' stuff left. (Chalk it up Kohls! Keep proving my theory! Anyway...) So, in a ditch effort to salvage a poorly thought out shopping trip, I told Jodie to stop by WalMart and pick up a few sundries :-)

She TOTALLY scored! You see, when a store has a sale for 10 cents a pound on bananas - you pony up and buy as many as your ego will let you. Why? Because there's freezers, baby!

26 Pounds - Read em and weep. We're havin' shakes for weeks!

Little Ryan Man

2009-01-09T13:27:00.000-07:00

Little 'bout us

2009-01-05T22:36:00.002-07:00

We’ve had an awesome year as a family. Indulge me for a moment while I partake in a bit of shameless family promotion – instead of the traditional shameless self-promotion you're all used to reading.

Ryan (1) – our little man – is getting bigger and bigger every day. His new-found hobby is climbing. He pretty much climbs anything in the house. I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that he’ll probably be doing most of the things I did as a kid. For instance, he likes to plug “stuff” into electrical outlets. His favorite thing to plug in is the Christmas tree. The other day he noticed that we had covered the outlet, so he grabbed the lights and proceeded to walk into the front entryway where another outlet was located. It took some quick thinking on Jodie’s part to keep the tree from meeting its early demise. Let's hope that Ryan doesn't figure out that knives fit easily into outlets. I don't want to find out if he's as lucky as his old man.

Megan (3) – our Megaroo – is learning her ABC’s better and better every day. She’s becoming quite the resident expert on the letters and their sounds. She is the sweetest little girl a dad could ask for. She’s at the stage in her life where sleeping on a hard floor next to mom and dad is better than a soft, warm, cozy bed. She just started Sunbeams and is pretty excited – but all the excitement is stirring up the emotions. Change is always rough. Megan loves to color and do crafts with her older sister.

Kalli (16 or 4 – take your pick) – our Kallibug – is turning into quite the young woman. I swear I heard her ask me for the car keys the other day. I think she even said something about brining it home with a full tank. Kalli is very independent. She isn’t a fan of taking any sort of direction. Not sure where she got THAT from. She loves pre-school up at Hannah Holbrook Elementary. I think it’s the independent side of her that loves just getting out of the house and onto doing stuff at the big-kid school; although she’s still at the stage where she loves to have mom come and volunteer at class. That should end soon J. Before we know it we’ll be dropping her off a block away from the door just so we don’t cramp her style. Kalli is reading – yes, reading. And no, it isn’t anything I’ve done, nor is it my amazing edumacational skills contained somewhere in my DNA. She just has that gift, and it’s a load of fun to watch her teach Megan the sounds of all the letters as she reads to her at night.

Jodie (??) – Mommo! – is completely awesome in every way. Somehow she manages to manage all of our kids, and me. Jodie loves to run and even competed in her first 10K this past summer! She did awesome! It was pretty neat stuff to see her after the race and take pictures at the end. She does such an amazing job with the young women in our ward as the Beehive advisor. They love her. Jodie thinks that she’ll get released soon. I say that 2 years is just enough time to get warmed up!

Mike (??) – Daddo! – is working hard to finish up his MBA. He’s been whittling away at that thing for about 2 years now and will be all finished in February. Woo Hoo! When he’s finished with his formal education, he’ll actually have to think about what he wants to do with his life; but before that, he’s going to Disneyland! Why not? Isn’t that what all people do after they do stuff? We would write about Mike’s hobbies, but he doesn’t have any. Why? re-read this letter, starting at “Mike (??)….” and the answer will come. Stay tuned for next years letter when you get to see what he decided to do with his career. Should be exciting!

Stay tuned for more shameless self promotion and mindless dribble in the coming weeks ahead!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T22:14:00.004-07:00

I caved in. Yup, my will power only took me so far. I decided to go along with the rest of the lemmings and set some goals for 2009. I usually shy away from setting any goals on January 1st, because I don't like doing things just because others are doing them. It's not cool if everyone does it. I think that's why Paris Hilton has a pink Bentley. It's just not the same as a white Civic.

So, here you have it. Ladies and Gentlemen, these are my goals for 2009:

Make Kalli feel like the most important 5 year old that there ever was
Finish my MBA without senioritis
Go on a trip with Jodie to celebrate being done with school
Put sod in our backyard
Lay sprinkler pipe before I lay sod
Enjoy feeling the newly adopted blades of grass as they brush through my toes
Plant a garden, and water it this time
Plant a few more peach trees
Give Jodie the coolest birthday party she's ever had
Have a party to celebrate being done with school
Enjoy the sights and sounds of the 4th of July, as I remember my freedom and all those that have sacrificed so much to preserve it
Enjoy the 24th of July celebrations as I remember all those who gave up so much so that we all might have so much
Enjoy central air on a hot August afternoon
4-wheel up to Lily Lake from the cabin as fast as I can
Throw a party just because
Play my drums with the band
Play my trumpet again
Give Megan a party worthy enough for a 4 year old, cuz 4 years is HUGE
Have fun throwing Ryan his 2nd birthday party. Teach him how to blow out candles this time.
Have friends over for a fire, and have a football game on our new grass
Listen to the crunch of freshly fallen leaves under my feet as I hike up Mueller Park with my sweetheart
Scare the pants of a couple teenagers when they beg for candy on Halloween
Enjoy good company and good food on Thanksgiving
Have a snowball fight
Build a sledding hill and jump combo in our backyard worthy enough to be called Thunder and Lightning
Invite friends and neighbors over to celebrate the Holidays
Be around to celebrate New Years 2010 with my wife and kids (all of em)

These Things I Have Learnded

2008-12-30T11:37:00.009-07:00

So last night I got to thinking that my life's about to change - a lot. Why? you might ask. Well, in 8 short weeks I will finish up what started as a desire to play my trumpet and take meaningless "generals" and what ended up being nearly a decade of 'formal' education. If you knew me as a kid then you'd be floored that I even went to college - let alone graduate school. It definately wasn't in MY plans. I also wasn't going to be an accountant. NO WAY would I do that.

It's all Jodie and I have known throughout our entire lives together. The safe, secure, predictable blanket of Weber State has always been a part of our family. We've never NOT known school. So the thought of being "free" to do whatever we want to do is really something new to me. What do we do? Where do we go? What next? - All tough questions.... any suggestions?

I decided to list the top 10 things I learned from my edumacation. I'll try to put them in order of importance, but the list is subject to change.

10) Signing up for classes as a freshman or sophmore is half the battle; especially when your last name starts with "Y"

9) It's pretty fun to take a test on the proper way to score a game of bowling when sitting next to some guy busting his brains out on a chemistry test. (glad I'm not THAT guy!) Bowling gives you 3 phys. ed. credits and Running gives you 3 phys. ed. credits. Hmmmm. Tough choice.

8) Playing in the marching band takes up a ton of time. I figured that it's the equivalent of being paid aboooouuuut $2.50 an hour. No Shanks.

7) They give you donuts in your first business class to get you hooked. It's all business after that.

6) Working in Excel is not acceptable - because everyone knows that real professionals use calculators on important stuff.

5) Rounding to 6 digits is not only required, it's essential in helping the earth stay in orbit.

4) Professors who teach Statistics are those who majored in it and then looked for jobs - only to realize that all they could do was jot down every meaningless action taken by an athlete during a game, or teach stats to someone else. (no offense to Dan Jones and his totally unstatistical polls)

3) An equation is only as good as it's inputs. Garbage in - Garbage out.

2) The economy in general is based on expectations and perception - not reality. (really)

1) Those who can't 'do', teach!

Oh ya - apparently my blood is purple. Eat THAT science. You thought it was either blue or red, depending on its oxygen content. Wrong you are. Apparently you missed out in PRE-school when you were taught that you could MIX colors. These things I know.

Who up for another degree? Ph.D? J.D.? M.D.? A.E.I.O.U.? And sometimes Y?

Mr. Brightside vs. Mr. Cynicalside

2008-12-22T14:00:00.008-07:00

Showing our thankfulness.
"More like showing our thankfulness through gluttony! We get together once a year to eat a ton of food and be thankful. Don't all Americans already eat a ton of food everyday? Are we only thankful once a year? Or do we just have to set aside a time of year to remind ourselves to be thankful?" - Sincerely, Mr. Cynicalside

"Now hold on a second Mr. Cynicalside. Don't be so hard on everyone. It isn't that easy for everyone to get together all the time and Thanksgiving allows us that opportunity. Getting together with good family and enjoying good food is what life is all about. Don't be too quick to judge; true, there are those who aren't thankful for what they have but most people are mindful of what they have and are thankful all year long." Sincerely, Mr. Brightside

The True Spirit of Christmas.
"Every year it's the same thing: we talk about celebrating the true spirit of Christmas in remembering the Saviors birth - and then we over-extend ourselves financially under the ever-increasing pressures of merchants all around us that bank on our addiction to spend. Families that can only spend $50 on their families Christmas presents are pitied by charities who hand out donated cash like it's candy. Every news story is about how much more or less consumers are spending as compared to last year. Companies vie for our children's attention in hopes that they'll badger their parents into buying the latest overpriced toy. We have more talks and songs about the true meaning of Christmas - and then the only question everyone asks on Christmas day is "what did you get for Christmas?" Everything we hear, see, or eat is brought to us by people just in it to make a quick buck around the holidays. Take people like Neil Diamond for instance. Here we have a total Jew who, for a quick buck is willing to sing about Christ being the Savior of the world. Wow! Would any of us be so low as to sing about Christ NOT being the Savior if it meant that we sell a few records? Hypocracy knows no bounds. And don't even get me started on this whole 'Santa' thing! Who does he think he is?" Sincerely, Mr. Cynicalside

"Mr. Cynicalside, I think you're taking this whole commercialization thing way out of proportion. True, there are those who overspend year after year and who focus on getting the latest and greatest, but they are the exception more than the rule. From my perspective, most people are very giving and generous around the holidays because they feel an extra sense of kinship not found at other times during the year. Music, movies, food... they all bring us together and help us celebrate what matters most in life. Don't worry too much about the commercial side of Christmas and just enjoy those things that matter most in life." Sincerely Mr. Brightside

Happy New Year!
"Every year people think that some magical button will be pressed on January 1st that will somehow supplement their willpower and transform them into the most efficient, time saving, consistently helpful, always kind, and ever-knowledgeable person. Maybe it's the whole staying up till midnight thing that does it to people. Then these people walk around the first 2 weeks of every year in denial - wondering why they just can't seem to stay on their grapefruit diet or run the 3 miles a day like they had planned. People need to get a life and realize that a new day starts every 24 hours - not every 365 days. I can't wait till late January when everything gets back to normal. Everything that is, except all those pesky credit card bills that help us all remember the true spirit of Christmas." Sincerely, Mr. Cynicalside

"Mr. Cynicalside, altough I agree that there are many people who love putting off till tomorrow that which should be done today - there are those who consistenly try to make today better than yesterday. Changing habits isn't easy. We need all the encouragement we can get. Every year we get a fresh start and encouragement from everyone around us. So I couldn't think of a better time to rekindle those desires to change our lives for the better." Sincerely, Mr. Brightside

Super Star!

2008-12-14T19:47:00.005-07:00

So, tomorrow is my work's Christmas party. It's a fun time of year, when we get to mingle and enjoy each others company while our spouses look on and wonder who the heck they married. A lot of bonding goes on at these parties. Click's are formed. Alliances created. Tis the season!

This year the "white elephant" is not really a white elephant. They're calling it a "gift exchange." In other words - bring something you wouldn't mind taking home. I'm totally cool with that. Just as long as somebody do

esn't try and pawn off garage junk. I decided to go all out this year - ya know, actually put some thought into my gifts. We bought a box of oranges and a hand juicer. Not too shabby, I thought. I'd love to take it home.

I bet you're asking yourself - why the heck would a box of oranges make Mike a Super Star? They wouldn't - but THIS would!

That's right. It took a bit of shopping, but I managed to find a mug with a picture of my mug! Love it. LOVE. IT.

It came as part of a set.

Sorry - I bought the last one. I guess you'll have to come to my party tomorrow and see if you're lucky enough to walk away with these bad boys.

Kalli Bug

2008-12-02T22:02:00.006-07:00

This morning Kalli drew a picture for Jodie (I'd say it was for ME but Jodie will read this :-) Kalli said that this is a picture of "mom as a baby and then she grows up and here she is in the sunshine"

May I point out (yes you may) that Kalli even went to the trouble to draw a PUPIL and an IRIS for each eye - holy smokin' cows, Batman! I don't think I figured that part out till, um, well, that's not important.

America, The Beautiful - er somethin

2008-11-28T11:43:00.002-07:00

Sooooo, does this seem messed up to anyone else? I got this from an AP article entitled "Black Friday shoppers out in force, but cautious."

"Even for the growing number of parents who were limiting their gift buying to just their children this year, financial troubles were forcing them to be stingy.

"I have never slept here before to save a few bucks, but with the economy so bad I thought that even a few dollars helps," said Analita Garcia of Falls Church, Va., who arrived at a local Best Buy store at 7 a.m. Thursday with 10 family members. She bought a 32-inch LCD TV for $400, slashed from $500, along with an iPod and several DVDs.

"This year a lot of people I know won't be getting Christmas presents. I have to pay the rent and bills, and I have two little ones at home to think of," Garcia added."

What The?! Poor Analita. I'm sure she wanted the 42-inch. My heart goes out to this woman struggling to get by on the scraps thrown from the tables of the rich and heartless.

Who needs diapers anyway?!

2008-11-22T19:49:00.002-07:00

Today I put Ryan down for his nap the normal way. 15 minutes after I had left the room he was still singing, so I went in to check on him. He had taken off his socks, pants and then diaper. Yep, he was thrilled with himself (you can see by the big smile on his face).

2008-11-22T19:24:00.003-07:00

This summer Kalli learned how to ride her bike without training wheels and Meg learned how to pedal a big bike with training wheels. We had lots of fun rides together. Last Saturday we took Mike on our favorite ride, the Lagoon trail. We packed a picnic for us and some rotten bread for the ducks. These are the days when we feel real joy. Families are so great!

So?

2008-11-14T15:19:00.002-07:00

So there's been a lot of talk lately about Barack Obama and this historic election.

People won't vote for him just because he's black (racist)
People will vote for him just because he's black (equally racist)
People say they won't vote for him just because he's black (and then vote for him in the privacy of their own booth)
People say they will vote for him and then don't (in the privacy of their own booth) - because he's black.

Remind me again what the critical issues were in this election?

I guess I just don't "get it" - I've been fortunate enough to grow up around pretty cool people. I wasn't raised to look at someone's race as a determining factor as to what that person will be like. Bottom line - there's a lot of lazy/industrious/crazy/stupid/smart black's (african-american), white's (I prefer swedish-american), asians, latino's, etc...

I hope President (elect) Obama does a great job - and wish him all the best. Just don't raise taxes on ammo - that's all I ask.

The Big 1!

2008-11-05T11:35:00.002-07:00

Ryan's 1 year old today! He's all growed up. Its been an amazing year with him. He went from a little bundle that was fun to just cuddle, to a curious little man that is fun to play with and then cuddle when he gets tired. But soon the cuddling will stop. And that's where it gets kind of depressing. Does he really have to grow up?

Lately he's taken an afinity to basketball, football, big screen televisions, and grunting (well, it's more like "hoo hoo" instead of, um, [insert grunting sound here]) so it's not totally depressing to see him grow up.

Although I have to say that it's nice to know that, no matter how big he gets, he's still my little man.

How Does Your Portfolio Look?

2008-10-13T22:38:00.005-06:00

So, here I am studying economics and I say to myself, "self, aside from semi-understanding the current global economic crisis that is now upon us, there's GOT to be some real-world application to all this stuff I'm learning." Welp. I think I found a pretty cool correllation. You see, it's the theory of expectations. If the market THINKS that the price of something will go up, they buy it - which increases demand for that item which then increases the price. Vwalla! They thought the price would go up... and it did. Do you see where I'm going with this yet?! If you think that your kids will never amount to anything - they won't. Think about it. I was lucky enough to have parents that purchased lots and lots of stock in Mike Incorporated when I went public about 28 years ago. They haven't sold any of it. They're in it for the long term. No day-traders in this business!

As a dad, I'm happy to say that my portfolio has never looked better.

Pumpkin Fun!

2008-10-03T14:08:00.005-06:00

Happy Halloween!

Flash From The Past

2008-08-30T20:57:00.003-06:00

You ever wonder what our kids will think of the way we dress right now and think to themselves, "What were they thinking?!" I know I've thought that same thing a time or two. about my parents. Welp. It's about time I tried to put myself in their shoes and see what it's like to be a handsome devil from 1980. Whadaya think?

What a catch. If I do say so myself. Or as Jodie would say, "Ow OWWW!!"

What Could Be Better?!

2008-08-27T15:34:00.005-06:00

Do you remember those days as a child when you held a tasty snack in one hand and another tasty snack in the other hand? And the only thing better than two hands full of yummy food would be to combine them for the ultimate taste sensation? Now, let me clarify here; these aren't things like raisins and chocolate, or peanut butter and apples. No way. This would be stuff like... say... Peanut butter and grapes..... on top of raisin bread.

Doesn't that look AWEsome?! Kalli surprised us with this little gem. It's like a little grape Stone Henge on bread.

That looks like one tasty grape doohickie.

Maybe I'll try me one of them things. I'll put it on my bucket list, right next to raiding an ant hill.

At least she left off the parmesan cheese.

Where'd They Go?

2008-08-10T21:35:00.008-06:00

The other morning I woke up and couldn't find anything in the kitchen. Were Kalli and Meg up to their tricks again? Did they decide that their plastic kitchen stuff wasn't cutting it anymore? Sure seemed like it. Bowls, forks, plates, spoons, cups - "it all gone," as they would say in Singapore.

This is right where they all go - right on that cloth!

I swear I put em on the counter. That's where they ALWAYS are! If it ain't in the drawer, they be on the counter. And if they ain't on the counter - then Kal and Meg have commandeered them for a good pupose, I'm sure.

There's that empty cloth again.

Then I remembered.....

That's RIGHT! It only took us 6 years of marriage - but we got ourselves a DISHWASHER! The sippy cups were even cleaned to Megan's approval. (did you all catch Kalli's outfit? LOVE... IT)

You're It!

2008-05-19T13:04:00.003-06:00

Well well well. I've been tagged. It's about time!

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people and post a comment to the person who tagged you once you've posted your three sentences.

"A study conducted by Industrial Engineer, a professional magazine, indicated that the average interruption sustained by a manager was only six to nine minutes. Amazingly, the study also revealed that the average time it took such managers to recover from such interruptions was anywhere from 3 to 23 minutes. So, if the average interruption is 6 to 9 minutes with a midpoint of 7.5 minutes, and the average recovery time is 3 to 23 minutes, with a midpoint of 13 minutes, that means that the typical interruption results in 20.5 minutes of lost work."

That means it only takes a few posts to really trash that hour of work I do every day. Bummer

What if I don't know five people to tag?

Wha?!?!

2008-04-22T13:52:00.007-06:00

"I didn't know you were gona be giving me electric shocks!" Or, at least that's what I SHOULD have said to the 'nurse' lady at the voodo doctors "clinic." You see, they have these little paddles (not like the ones from pre-school when you've been bad, but sorta) and these little paddles are plugged into the WALL. Yes. The Wall. Now, WHY would something need to be plugged into the wall? I'll tell you why - so it can SHOCK me. That's why.

As I waltzed into the "therapy" room I had no idea of what was awaiting me. I laid down on the massaging table (a good sign) and rested my head on the little head rest thingy covered with non-germy paper stuff (you know what I'm talking about). I can feel the warmth of the freshly sanitized paddles being placed all over by back. They had them all over. (did I mention it was warm?) Then came the ice. ICE? Why ice? I like warm - not ice. Oh well... Now came the fun part... "just tell me 'when' " said the nurse lady. "When?!" I said. "oh ya, tell me when it gets too painful." Wha?!? I came to these people out of the naieveness of my heart and here they are doing things that will cause me pain? Hmmmm

Suddenly I felt my arms doing things that I had not previously instructed them to do. Whooom to the right, and twitch to the left. "Who's doing this?" I thought to myself. That's when I realized that I forgot to say "when" and had to have the nurse back off on the juice a little. She then ramped up my lower back in the same fashion and said "OK, now just relax" and left me in the room ALL BY MYSELF, hooked up to the shocker machine. It wasn't too bad actually. I kind of enjoyed that 12 minutes of involuntary movement as I pondered the complexities of the universe and wondered how bad the red mark on my face would be from laying down face first.

That was last week

I went in this morning - a pro in the ways of the voodoo witchery. I knew what to expect and I was ready for it. She hooked me up - I said "when" and we were off. A few minutes into the 'therapy' I got curious. I usually get curious - just not with things that are currently plugged into the wall. I decided to gently lift one of these little paddles off my back 'just to see what would happen.' YeeeeeAAwwwww! Holy sweet mother. That's when the little thing arced a shock to that tender skin at the bottom of my back right before I quickly placed it firmly on my skin. After that little "gem" of an experience I wondered why I put it right back on me if it was shocking me. Is it like when you have your hands wrapped around a snake's head and you don't want to let go because it'll just bite you? I hate it when I find myself with a snake in my hands.

Voodoo.... Whoodoo?

2008-04-18T22:00:00.005-06:00

So, yesterday I broke down and decided to visit the local witch/voodoo doctor. Some people call them "chiropractors." I've never seen one of these people in their 'element' so I thought I'd give it a shot. Maybe it'd be like Animal Planet. Besides, that's what you do when you hit your "out of pocket maximum" and really really want an x-ray of your spinal column, right? Right?!

Well, about 6 x-rays later and a couple visits, I'm well entrenched into their 'pay a co-pay everytime we say "hello" ' scheme. I can see where this is going already. I'm trying to convince Jodie to get an in-house massage therapist, but she hasn't gone for it yet. Just trying to be economical. I'll keep you posted.

So we had a nice visit this morning in front of the x-ray thing that holds up the x-ray things. Those things are nice and bright, but not too bright. Fascinating stuff, really. Anyway, this is where the gibberish began. I was told that my 아이들이 친구 사촌 개 had an 작업 and that it would take lots of $$내 영혼을 in order for it to be fixed. Or something like that. I think I understood that last part a little better than the first bit. Apparently the bones in my neck aren't supposed to look like an "S." Who knew?! I thought S's were stylish. WAY better than a lame C shape like other boring peeps.

So, we're going to give this guy a shot and see where the chips fall, or at least where the vertebrae lie. Is that how you spell that? Crazy.

The Hunt

2008-03-22T18:04:00.004-06:00

This morning, I gathered my family into the minivan and set off on a journey that would take us to fields of wonder, awe, and ultimately to a pack of wild, ferocious, chicks. It's Easter, and as is the custom in many parts of the land we participated in an egg "hunt," or two egg hunts to be exact. We braved the 40 degree weather and waited in Founders Park for 20 minutes till the nice policeman blew his horn, beginning the most intense 30 seconds of most childrens lives. Vast whords of children swarmed the "no-zone" as parents shouted instructions: "Kick him in the legs!," "Push her over and take the booty!" OK, it wasn't THAT bad, but it sure seemed like it. I actually heard a mom instruct her husband to continue 'coaching' their son while she looked for a better spot. It was pretty sureal.

Not having coached my children in the ways of egg poaching, we were left behind when the "wall of destruction" decended on the field of eggs. Luckily the kiddies ran right by a few eggs, which allowed my kiddies to swipe 'em up and not leave empty handed. After 20 seconds it was all over. The fields were stripped like a turkey on Thanksgiving. There wasn't anything left - except grass, of course. We decided that we needed more than just a few eggs, so we headed off to Woods Cross.

At Woods Cross Elementary they had another egg 'brawl' but this time the people in charge tried to make it a little more fair. They had the little kids go first and told them to get 3 eggs, then come back to their parents. Some kids (and their parents) had a tough time counting to 3 - and only to 3. We got our 3 eggs and then headed into the gym to get stickers, bags, and tatoos (stickers!). The girls had an awesome time, and so did mom and dad. We finished off the morning by going to see the chickies. At least there wer no crazy parents there. :-) We LOVE chickies!

Give Me A Break

2008-03-14T15:25:00.002-06:00

So yesterday I read an article in the newspaper about a lady who was arrested for leaving her child in the car. "Not another one of these ladies" I thought. But I kept reading. She has 3 children (the sympathy should start there) and the older 2 kids wanted to donate their money to the Salvation Army. As they were driving to the store the littlest of the bunch, just 2 years old, fell asleep in her car seat. Because it was sleeting outside, the mom decided that it would be OK to park the car, lock the car, ALARM the car and walk the 30 feet to the kettle with her older kids, leaving the 2 year old in the car. On her way back to the car she got arrested from a loser cop on charges of child abandonment.

Holy Crap!

She now faces an entire year in prison and a $2,500 fine if convicted. Is this how our tax dollars are spent everyday?!

Sorry, not a funny post - just had to get it off my mind. Put the people in prison who squeeze baby's to death and dumb stuff like that. Put em in a hole. Throw away any keys or ladders. Just don't imprison the mother of 3 who isn't any different than any mother out there.

30 FEET?!!!?

More funny posts to follow!

No Contest

2008-02-15T11:10:00.002-07:00

So, this morning I found myself reading the enchanting story of a young lady who sacrifices her freedom so her over-curious father can get lost in the woods on his way home only to find himself a candidate for the luny-bin while his daughter is held hostage by a crazed human-animal thing. Other people know this little gem as Beauty and the Beast.

This storytime was a special request from my eldest daughter who normally is transfixed when a book is being read. All was going well - we were cuddled on the comfy couch in Ryan's room, wrapped in blankets. Nothing could disturb this little slice of heaven we'd created. Then, Kal and Meg heard the siren sound of "who wants a gumball?!" That was the end of story time.

Don't mess with a gumball. You just won't win.

My Little Hero

2008-01-29T05:19:00.000-07:00

I've always known that my little girl was 3 going on 17, but the last few days have just solidified my feelings. Late Sunday night my sweetie and I decided that it'd be best if we took our Kalli bug to the ER because of some breathing problems. We showed up and got shuffled right to the front of the line, infront of all those suckers waiting to get in! Suckers! ?? Doh!

Kalli then proceded to go through a night full of IV's, X-Rays, creepy doctors and their creepy questions about how old you are and if you're allergic to anything, vacuum tubes in her nose, and that stinkin oxygen tube that has to stay right near the tickly part of your nose. She was amazing.

When they checked us in to the hospital they gave her a stuffed moose, and her very own pink blanket. This place is like the Ritz Carlton! Room service, free stuff, movies, people come to see you when you push the enticing orange button (the very enticing orange button) "No, we're fine, just seeing if this orange button still works. Yup, still works!"

When I thought of writing this blog I debated on what the subject matter should be about. I could have entitled it "Disneyland or the ER - we choose the fun one" or "there goes our treadmill" or "I'll get my computer sometime, right?!" or "Being seperated from your wife and kids really stinks" or "Is this what you call a french fry?!" or "I'll have another root beer slushy, please." But, above all the feelings I've had in the last couple days, the one that stands out far and obove anything else is how grown up my little girl is, and how proud I am of her.

It's That Season Again

2008-01-24T11:13:00.001-07:00

So, here I sit. Once again I find myself at the beginning of another year, making promises to myself that I'll never keep, cleaning up the holiday trinkets, and sending out thousands of 1099's to all the wonderful companies we've paid more than $600 during the fiscal year 2007. Why does the IRS do this to us?! I'm convinced that it's all Bush's fault. It's always his fault. Dang Bush.

After about an hour of tearing off "Detach Before Mailing" stubs on about 1,000 sheets of paper, I couldn't help but think "This is why I'm getting my MBA, so I don't have to do stuff like this."

Then I realized that I thought the EXACT same thing about my job duties when I was studying for my Bachelors. I'm sure it'll be different. Right? RIGHT?!?!

Be Yourself

2008-01-17T14:20:00.001-07:00

The other day I was in a meeting at work where a high-powered Harvard MBA was charging us too much to bless us with his presence. During this blessed 3 hours of my life I let my mind wander a little and think about all the business greats in the world. I thought of how cool it would be to have the experiences that Sir Richard Branson has had, or Steve Jobs, or even Bill Gates (even though he reall messed up with Vista - In my opinion). I have to admit I was feeling a bit envious of all the experiences they've had throughout their lives. Pretty neat stuff.

Then I realized that today is just the beginning. I need to be myself. I may not have the same experiences of these business greats, but I have a LONG existence ahead of me and I can make anything I want of it. So, I guess the moral of my experience is - Be yourself, even if being yourself means you wear an outfit that should be illegal, like this guy....

Just Average

2008-01-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I get to feeling that the only time I've ever been 'above average' was in Jr. High, when I looked myself up on the Body Mass index charts. Those were days never to be forgotten, unfortunately.

I suppose it's not uncommon to feel that way sometimes - it's just not good to feel that way ALL the time.

So, next time you're feeling a bit down - like nothing is going how you planned it - just remember that tomorrow is another day. And be glad you aren't this mouse.

He Was Blessed

2007-12-31T09:34:00.000-07:00

I had the priviledge of joining with a few family members and blessing my son yesterday in Church. What an experience! Jodie's mom sewed Ryan a tuxedo on Saturday, as he had grown out of the other tux she had for him. She is amazing. We blessed little Ryan Michael and then had family over to the house for a little lunch. It was an awesome day!

A Bit of Pixie Dust

2007-12-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

I for one and not the biggest fan of the Christmas season. It has always baffled me why people, including myself, would feel so much pressure to buy stuff just for the sake of buying stuff. "What did you get?" is a question I dread to hear after Christmas, but find myself asking all the same. What is it with this season?! Perhaps asking "What did you get?" is just another way of saying "Merry Christmas. Hope you had a good vacation away from this black hole you call work" Ha!

This season was different. This season helped me remember the excitement of giving in the very act of receiving. I was truly humbled and amazed as we had our very own Pixie (Elf just isn't as fun to say when you're 2 or 3). It all started just over 2 weeks before Christmas when I was at school and got a phone call from my sweet wife: "Weeee have a Pixie! A good one too!" Boy, was it an awesome 12 Days of Christmas. Every morning our kids would wake up and say, "Dad! Let's go see if the Pixie came!!!" The Pixie left everything from santa hats to stuffed animals to flowers, to movies and a night out on the town. That Pixie spent more money on us during those 12 days than we spent on our entire Christmas for our family. Or, at least it sure seemed like it. Whew! It was so cool that I even got excited :-)

Hopefully this next Christmas we'll be in a position to return the favor to someone else and spread the Pixie dust a little.

Thank You, Pixie

You've Got Comments

2007-12-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

WooHoo! My first day on the blog and I've already got comments. BooYA.

Have you ever noticed how we're all addicted to instant messages and texting? I've witnessed people send a text message and literally stare at their phone - waiting for the phone to buzz, indicating they've received that blessed response.

Too bad my computer doesn't buzz. This staring at my screen is killing me. But it'll be all worth it when that comment shows up!

FINE

2007-12-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

Has anyone ever asked you how you were doing and you gave a lame response like: fine, doin' good, or great? I know I have, I always say that even when I'm having the worst day of my life. Why are we like that? I tell you, it's only in America. Everywhere else in the world if you ask someone how they are doing, they'll say, "Horrible. I woke up constipated and this fungus on my left foot just won't go away." That, my friend, is a classic Malaysian response to the age-old, very innocent, question: "how are you?"

Now, when anybody asks me how I'm doin, I try to say "Fine." That way if I'm really OK, then I'm not lying, but if I'm:

Freaked out,
Insecure,
Neurotic, or
Emotional

then I'm not lying either.

In The Beginning

2007-12-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

Ya know, I've seen people's blogs throughout the years and never really got into them, until recently. You see, my big sister started a blog earlier this year and ever since then I've found myself checking almost daily to see if she has put up a new post. Can blogs really be THAT interesting? Apparently so :-)

I've decided to start a blog - just for kicks. Not sure what I'll put on it - but it's started. So watch out world - Kahomada has landed!

-PeaCe oUt