Merry Chirstmas to all

During this very special time of year, I want to stop for just a minute from chasing my kids around the house, to wish all my family and friends a Merry CHRISTmas. (not happy holidays)From my family to each of you with much love.

Begining to look a lot like Christmas

I am normally not a huge Holiday go getter, by any means. I am not a huge bah humbug either, just something in between. This year, I started off a little better then most. I got the Christmas card done, started listening to Christmas music, and Mandy even got the tree up and the house decorated. I guess we are just trying to get into the mood a little bit better then usual. Here are just a few pics to get started with.

Some random thoughts

I am not sure if I have ever really just sat down to put down some of the many random thoughts that I have. They are there, those random thoughts are there. So tonight, I share just a few. I need just a bit of levity in my day. Sometimes things get a bit too serious. Which for me, in my life is never a good thing. I hate that feeling of being too serious, too much of the time. Yet that is just what life gives us at times. Serious things to deal with. My Job though fun at times, is full of serious moments. The type of things that I have to deal with, and help kids with, is serious not so good, types of things. Hurt kids, with rough homes, or no homes. Hurt kids with issues feeling different, and acting different. Boys in girl pants, is a phrase we use. I have always tried my best to not bring work home. I keep them separate as much as possible. Abused kids, kids making very bad choices, yucky stuff. Stuff that my family does not need to be surrounded by. That is not always an easy task however. Things linger on the mind. Worries about those kids sometimes stay, even after that drive home. I don't want them too, but they do. So tonight, random thoughts not dealing with school. What I want from you, is simple. Add to it. Give me something to laugh at.
1. Why is it.... Why is it, that when you are driving down the road, you see empty beer boxes as often as you do. Is it that only people who drink beer litter. How come you don't see empty Pepsi boxes, or coke boxes. While out on a hike with my son last week we saw several empty beer cans even. Not coke, not Pepsi, not even Mt. Dew, but beer. Now I don't mean to be mean, but is it just a coincidence, or are beer drinkers just that much trashier?
2. So I take pictures. I have even been know to get some of those pictures developed. Not all the time. Usually the photos just stay on the memory card, played with on the computer, put on a blog. stuff like that. SO, Why is it..... Why is it that all the local photo labs can do either 1 hour, or 5 days. Really, 1 hour or 5 days, and the 1 hour is more then double the price. What the heck. With all the technology we have, we can't make prints in two hours, or three hours, or maybe in 1 day. Why does it have to be all or nothing. 1 hour or 5 days. Come on already. I can't afford the type of printer that I really want, or the ink that it would take, so I am stuck using WalMart. Good old Walmart. And the worse part is I am too dang cheap most of the time to do one hour, so I am left waiting for days. And I hate waiting for days.
3. Why is it...... Why is it that I really don't feel so bad that my five year old tells me the other day...."Dad, I know that Santa is not real", " I know that it is just Aunts and Uncle's and Moms and Dads". At first I felt bad, but really, I don't mind.

SO those are mine for the night, what are yours, come on and share, I need it.

Party Pajamas

Good old family traditions.

Pretty cool

So, just for the fun of it a few weeks ago I decided to to enter our local newspapers Fall photo contest. Just for fun. Well a few days ago I am minding my own business when people started coming up to me and congratulating me on my photos. I had no idea that they were in that days newspaper. I did not get first place, but I did get second place and first runner up, or honorable mention or something like that. The one with the horse was the second place one. I have already posted these, but thought they deserved a second look.

Punished with a baby

As spoken by Glen Beck, but uttered by so many others.

"A warning, America: Don't you see because we have tried to make life easier for our kids, we have bought into the lie that there is a free lunch; that you can have it all; that there is no right and wrong. We have destroyed ourselves and we are about to destroy our kids' future by teaching them that losers get a trophy just like winners do. We have taught them that no matter if you win or lose or if you play the game, all outcomes are equal.

It's a lie, but mark my words, all of society has reinforced this lie and when we yank that reality away, those who think they deserve the corner office, the prettiest girl, the biggest house and the Nobel Peace Prize for doing nothing, will not accept no for an answer — even if that means taking it from others.

When we as parents went into their schools and said: "not my child, it is somebody else," when we accepted their cheating or stealing or lying and gave them a reward instead of a punishment we taught them they are above everything, even the rules — they will have no compassion on those that they will perceive destroyed what they had coming."

This is said in regard to some of his thoughts on health care. I, however find this very interesting in regards to understanding generational questions. These are thoughts that I have had, and questions that I have raised. I felt there were well expressed.

I thought my mom would like this

We have had a busy couple of weeks. SO, with that busy time comes lots of pictures. here are a few. I thought my family would like the one of the kids. Mandy has had her sister her for the last little while visiting. My little girl and her cousin are only three days apart. It has been so fun to watch them play and fight, and learn things from each other. We have also had some pretty cool places that we have been to that helped give a nice backdrop to some of the pictures. From Zions to Gardner Village and everywhere in between. Hopefully there will be some more pictures soon. For now, this is a good start.

Quick survey.....

So I need some help, really just wondering. Which one do you like better?

First family trip to Zions

Gratefully this weekend gets to be a long weekend for me. This is something I am learning to appreciate and enjoy. I planned a family trip down to Zions Canyon. I had only been there once, and the rest of my family not at all. That was something that needed to be fixed. The idea of living this close to such beautiful places and not going, well just about kills me.

A small sampling

I had put a small sampling together of some newer photos. I thought I could actually make a real post of some of those photos. So here you go, hope you enjoy, because I sure did.

The Game

I make it readily known that I enjoy sports. By that I mean, I enjoy watching sports. My physical abilities would not lend to me the opportunity to be an active participant in those sports that I love to the extent that I would have liked. unfortunately for me, I was born, short, stocky(with extra put on by myself) and very white. Not the ideal makeup of an athlete (Bowling does not count in this case). Thanks to my father however, I grew to enjoy watching sports. Especially Football. I have found memories of Sunday afternoons, sunflower seeds in one hand, and a glass of ice cold Diet Pepsi in the other. My dad and I would watch football on Sunday afternoons in this particular position often during my teen years. He inevitable would fall asleep in his big chair, while I continued to watch and rest. An enjoyable side note was witnessing my mother sneak a peek at the game that was on. She would never admit to my father that she too enjoyed those games. I believe she enjoyed the term, "tight end". For her, Jerry rice was known as "the guy with sticky hands". While Jordan was know as "that guy who can fly". Somehow I always knew what she meant. Those were moments that I enjoyed. I always considered myself an appreciator of the game, not so much a fan, and especially not a fanatic. In fact there is so much to sports that I sometimes just don't get, and frankly don't want to get. In fact my wife is and probably always will be much more competitive than I am. For me, it was enjoyable, sitting there watching and being impressed at some of the amazing things those athletes would do, thank you Barry Sanders. So why do I share this tid bit of information? The other day I was watching just a bit of a game. Since being married, and having kids, the thought of being able to watch an entire game is long since been tossed out the window. Yet there I sat trying to enjoy just a bit, when all the sudden I realized that there was something definitely missing from our modern football experience. Something that I truly miss about the game. the memories that I have include tough, burly, manly men, with dirt, and stains, and pieces of grass and turf hanging off of their helmets. Memories of mud on field and guys sliding all over the place to make a tackle, or trying to throw the ball with a hand full of sloppy mud. Memories of the fields that were shared by both baseball and football with the middle of the field being the diamond. That part in a good storm would be an absolute mess. I can still remember some of the players shown with stuff all over them, and you could hardly tell if it was grass stains, or blood, or a good combination of the two. As I sat watching the other day I realized, NONE of the players had the least bit of a stain on there uniforms. They were all pristine and clean, and neat an tidy. It just looked wrong. There were all packaged up for a good viewing, just like a neat commercial. It just seemed fake. I don't know how many stadiums are fake now, I am sure I could look it up. It just seems like all the games that I see, are done in a dome, or on the new style of turf. I know it is amazing stuff, and looks and feels like grass, But it Ain't. The sad part is, I know high school are now playing on the same stuff. FAKE GRASS. A sad truth. Long gone are those days of muddy, bloody football players. Now we have clean, neat, and tidy, entertainers and guys whining if they don't get all the millions they think they deserve. Well I miss it. I miss that part of the game.

My need to repent....no, not what you think.

I am going to take a moment to acknowledge that I had to learn a valuable, but somewhat dumb lesson. It is on of those things that I "knew", but had not realized. I went for a drive with my boys "up the mountain" the other day to see the colors. It was beautiful. The colors were great, the drive was great. We stopped at a small lake for just a few minutes. I took some pictures and the kids played. After just a short while, I told the boys it was time to go. They whined and complained, and did not want to leave. But it was time to go. I wanted to keep driving to find some other places that we had not been to yet. I loaded them up, and kept driving. After the drive, I thought a lot about what had happened. Ah hah, I realized that what I want is not what they want. They just wanted to play, and throw rocks, and quack like ducks, and be boys. I wanted to drive, and look and take pictures. I thought back about all of our trips. We would drive up the mountain, but with only the amount of time that it would take to get there, and then have to leave and come back. I never make time for us to stop, and play, and enjoy. So my new goal, and this one I will make happen, is to make time to enjoy. I want to give my kids the chance to play, and just be kids. Without having their dad load them back up, and keep on driving.

A healthy dialog

I must admit, I like the responses that I have gotten. That is exactly what I wanted. My intention really was, this time, not to just stand on a soap box and spew out ideas. That was a real question that I was asking. I know only what I feel, and what I think. There is still inside of me, that person who just wants to keep learning. I am willing to listen to any side of an argument, and hope that I can ask real questions, and truly listen. That is my hope, and my declaring of my own weakness. You see, it was my opinion as I asked that question about permits and building a shed, that the rights of the individual are being depleted. My dear friend gave a great example of cutting into a pipe and almost killing ourselves. My question is, is it "governments" job to save me from my own stupidity? Do we have too many laws, too many ordinances? Are we over regulated? I openly admit my naive attitude towards political and social issues. I live in a small town, in a small community, with much less social problems that can be found in big cities. The only thing is, I like it that way. I like my small community. I like the feeling of living in the place that I do. I want to build a shed in my backyard, if that is what I want to do. If it falls down, and hurts me because I did not do a good job, or get a bonded contractor to do it, well isn't that my own dang fault. Mostly I just want to thank those that read what I wrote, and those that posted comments. I want a chance to talk, and to listen. Thank you.

Loss of Freedom or not?

I want to make this a rather quick post. There is something that has been on my mind over the last week or so. I recently had a conversation with an old acquaintance of mine. This old friend had some objections to my voicing my political opinions online as much as I do. I feel that is the reason I even use online sites, to network with friends, and to give my voice a forum. For me, it is fun. My hope is that it is not too overwhelmingly annoying. Then again, part of me does not care. Maybe just a little. I sincerely wanted to understand his objections which led us to a pretty interesting political conversation. In which he questions my intelligence, and education, which I found to be humorous to say the least. In the end, however, I left him with one final question as we discussed the issue of freedom. You see my opinion is that we have over time lost so much of our personal freedom due to our desires to be taken care of by our government. We have as a nation allowed those freedoms to be taken away, in the name of comfort and laziness. There are rules and laws, that we think are needed and necessary to "Protect us" from everything. We have lost the ability to govern ourselves in any way, and expect others to govern every aspect of our lives. To me this came down to one, simple, silly question. I ask that of you here in this forum at this time. Really just think about this one for just a minute. I would even ask that if you have the ability look it up, and let me know the answer.
SO here goes, my question is......
In you city, or you town, or your county, how many permits, and how hard is it to build or have built a shed in your back yard? Really, I know this sounds silly, but how many permits do you have to acquire to build anything on your own property? Is it one, two, with inspections? Can anyone tell me why? If it is my property, why would I have to have "governments permission to build"? Go ahead and let me know what you think, pass it on if you have to. I really want to know. Do you think this is freedom, or the lack of freedom?

Accountability

I am not a lawyer. I have never studied law. Maybe someday, just not yet. Yet there is one thing that keeps bugging me. I see it almost everyday on TV. Okay, maybe two things that bug me. The First one is the word allegedly. I know, I know, innocent until proven guilty. I get it. But by golly, when they find the girl that has been missing for 18 years in your backyard, and you and your wife match the description of the witnesses... So much for allegedly. Why in the world wold it take years to figure that one out. My main thought however is not about that, rather about accountability. Like I said I am not a lawyer, so I don't exactly understand (please teach me if you do). My question is why does the legal system the way it seems to be, favor those who plead "Not Guilty". Now first I must admit that I get my limited knowledge from the new, and watching TV, cause well I have never been to court, or in front of a judge. It seems To me from what I have learned that almost everybody, even the guilty plead "Not guilty". It is as if it is just part of the game. Plead not guilty, get the lawyer, go to court, drag it out, and lie, lie, lie. Maybe I just don't get it. Perhaps this comes from the fact that I spend so much of my time everyday, trying to teach young kids the meaning of accountability. I try so hard to teach them that it is better to be honest first and own up to what you have done. Then all they see is people pleading "Not guilty", and getting away with what they have done. Like I said, I don't know the law, but it just seems to me, that those who plead not guilty usually get a smaller punishment, plea deal, and advantages then those who plead guilty. I know it is not similar, but I remember getting pulled over, and the cop says "do you know what you were doing"? What is so wrong with saying, yeah, I was speeding officer, I am sorry. Perhaps if there were more accountability, then maybe, just maybe there would be more shame in doing. Just maybe all that I do means nothing, and all of us are better off never admitting the wrongs that we have done. But I choose to believe, that we can still live in a world where our personal honesty means something. I want to live in that place, that time, where we can be accountable. Maybe I am just more of an optimist, then a realist.

My weakness is her strength

In marriage, there are things that you both have the opportunity to learn early on in that getting to know each other better phase. You see for me, I thought I knew myself pretty well, and then after meeting and dating My wife for two years, I thought I knew her pretty well also. Well sometimes, once in a while something comes to light, that you were not quite expecting. I knew that my wife was much better then I was at reading instructions. In fact when anything is bought that needs to be assembled it required both of us to put it together. Me, well I do the manual work, and she is there simple to read the instructions to me. This is truly where my main "ADD" symptom comes out. I cannot for the life of me read instructions. It just does not work. My instinct is to start putting whatever it is together and hope that it all works out. That needless to say drives her up the wall crazy. So shortly after our marriage this was something that had to be discovered. I never knew to what extent this little dynamic of our relationship played a part. Well, not until tonight. My wife bested me at something that wives are not supposed to best their husbands at. But she did, and my pride was a bit hurt.


Zack Received a Lego set for his birthday as was very excited to get into it. His mother with great patience helped him build this great truck. She actually sat there and read the instructions, one at a time, helping him put it together, not doing it for him out of frustration, but actually helping, as HE put it together. Bit by bit, instruction by instruction they got it done, and it looked great. I could have never, in this life got that done. I would have ended up with something completely different, only sharing the same parts and colors. That is what I learned today, that my weakness in this case is by far her strength, and I love her for it.

More and more Housework

As it should be, it is one thing, then another. This is, what I asked for. My wife reminds me daily. She says, "you are the one who wanted to do this stuff". She's right, I am. The only hard part are those days, when all of the work to be done seems so overwhelming. I made a list, and have checked a few off. The items left far outnumber the ones that are done. I moved some rocks, and pulled some weeds, and felt like that story of the man who threw the starfishes back, you know that story with the millions of starfish lining the beach, dying. So that is how I feel most every day, except one huge exception. In the story, his actions made a difference to each individual starfish. In my story, there is no entity in which to make a difference. I guarantee the weeds don't care. Our home is coming along though. Every day is one more project down. As of right now, I have a half finished painted bathroom, and a few fixtures left to be put back up. Like I said, we are getting there.
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Today has been one of those days. Things actually went well at work.
......
The realization of missing certain friends at work did hit with a bang. Somehow it is just not the same.
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Read some interesting articles in the news today. Getting really tired of the Utah "Mormon" bashing. It gets kind of old.
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More to come. I have just one little problem. Every day I think of something that I want to write, I need to write, but the frustration overcomes me, and I struggle to want to let that voice out. I miss taking pictures. soon, very soon.

Another update

Here are a few more pictures that I have been working on.

and then there were more

About time I edit

Here are a few that I have worked on lately.

So, once again

SO once again it has been such a long time since I have posted anything. The sad truth is that I have plenty that I want to say. Just not the patience to sit down and say it. So, my new goal is, no new rants, No thoughts about the destruction of our society. No thoughts about the social ills, or moral judgments. None of it. Not now at least. I have come to realize one very important thing. I too have fallen into a very common trap. The trap of the blog world, you know the trap. The one where so many people are struggling with the need to be heard. We write, and write, hoping that somehow what we have to say might, just might have an impact on some part of our little world. We write, thinking, who could be reading this, who is going to see what I have to say. So many of us sit at a computer only wanting to be heard. We want to think that our thoughts, our voice can be heard. We want to feel important. So for today, I am done. My goal, for a while at least, is to post only pictures. So there.

Dear Mr. President, Please remember.

Preamble

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

old one but a good one,

These are some of my favorite engagement pictures that I have taken. Before digital, oh yeah baby. the third one is my favorite.

Easter Weekend

We had a pretty large group over for Easter weekend, and for Blessing the baby. We had a really good time with our family and friends. The baby looked absolutely beautiful in her little blessing dress. I am overwhelmed with appreciation for my family who traveled to be here with us. Plus my wife looked HOT!!!

Easter Weekend

Well it is going to be a busy weekend. Kind of crazy in fact. I did get a few good pictures of the grandparents with some of the many kids of the family. Grandpa loves to be around his grandkids. Grandma is very proud of the fact that she delivered all the kids in the picture. It made for good times.

Isn't she lovely?

Mandy has been bugging me for ages to take some pictures of our little girl. I guess she thinks that since I have the camera, I should use it. Maybe she is right. Especially since I usually like what comes out. Okay, maybe that should be sometimes, not usually.

Soccer Time For Z

Today was the first day of Soccer camp for Zack. He was soooo. excited. We have been talking about it for a week. He was quick to get dressed this morning, and was anxious to go. We were hoping he would like it. HE DID. In fact when he was finished the first thing he said was, "Dad, can we go to the park and practice soccer". It was great to sit out there and watch him play. Jackson had a little bit of fun to. He always wants to be like his big brother.

Soccer time

It is always nice when the things you feel are explained so well.

9 Principles
1. America Is Good.
2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.
God “The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the external rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.” from George Washington’s first Inaugural address.
3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
Honesty “I hope that I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider to be the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.” George Washington
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
Marriage/Family “It is in the love of one’s family only that heartfelt happiness is known. By a law of our nature, we cannot be happy without the endearing connections of a family.” Thomas Jefferson
5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
Justice “I deem one of the essential principles of our government… equal and exact justice to all men of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political.” Thomas Jefferson
6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
Life, Liberty, & The Pursuit of Happiness “Everyone has a natural right to choose that vocation in life which he thinks most likely to give him comfortable subsistence.” Thomas Jefferson
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
Charity “It is not everyone who asketh that deserveth charity; all however, are worth of the inquiry or the deserving may suffer.” George Washington
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
On your right to disagree “In a free and republican government, you cannot restrain the voice of the multitude; every man will speak as he thinks, or more properly without thinking.” George Washington
9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.
Who works for whom? “I consider the people who constitute a society or a nation as the source of all authority in that nation.” Thomas Jefferson

Happy St. Patricks Day

Ah, what a wonderful day it is. Yes I wore green. I work at a middle school. I would have been in a world of trouble had I not. Speaking of Middle School children, I must admit how funny it was seeing the kids today. There was a few distinct groups of students. 1. Those who wore green with pride. 2. those who wore green out of fear of pinching. 3. Those who really went out of their way to not wear green, as to receive all the attention of the green wearing kids and to say, look at me I am not wearing green, but don't notice, and ESPECIALLY DON'T pinch me. I have to say it was amusing. There was one student in particular that I heard all the way down the hall saying "ow, ow, stop". The only thing is, as I saw him walk by, he had the biggest smile on his face and was loving every minute of it. Then of course there is the Vice Principal, whole different ball game. She did not wear green either. However, hers was more of a, go ahead, and pinch me, I dare ya.
In the end, I made a new resolution. Out of fun, and just because, I swear that next year, I am wearing orange on St. Patricks day. That's right, orange. It is an Irish color too, is it not. Maybe the other side of the island, but an Irish color non the less.

long time coming

Yes, it has been quite a long time since I have taken the opportunity to stop and write something in my blog. What I find interesting is that, I often do have the time to stop and read with others are writing on their blogs. Yes Laura that includes you. The sad honest truth comes from the some of the reasons why I have not written in such a long time. The word for the month is "Frustration". After the inauguration, I wanted to write so many of the thoughts that I was having. I wanted so badly to share what I was thinking that day, watching the "peaceful transition of power". From that do to this, every day has brought me a brain full of thoughts and ideas, but mostly just frustration. So for now, my political thoughts are a jumbles mess. Then there is the Photos, that I do love taking. Oh yeah, where is the time. The funny part is I know there are a bunch of fun family pics just sitting patiently on my memory card. Just sitting there waiting for me to do something with them. Pictures of Jackson, at his birthday party, cute pictures of Gabby. there are even some of a beautiful Cedar sunrise, somewhere. So, here it is, my first post in over a month. My idea is that if I just write something, anything, perhaps there is a small chance that tomorrow, or the next day, I might get back to writing the type of post that I like to write, and uploading a few of the pictures that I have taken that I actually like. Baby steps, right. That is what I am hoping for, baby steps.

finally finished-pictures to come

For Christmas, I wanted to make a bed for Mandy. We had a nice bed frame with our old Queen size bed, but when we bought the new king mattress, we did not have the money to buy a bed frame with it. I should interject, that I have never really built anything before. Not like this. It was a daunting project, but for some reason I have in my head that I can do anything, or build anything. I think, I don't need a pattern, I can just make it up. Well that is what I did. BUT, it was hard, and difficult, and well I ran out of time(the baby coming two days earlier then I had planned did not help).But today. with some major hiccups, I finished it. By major hiccups, I mean some things that I will need to fix, but it is put together, without the use of duct tape. I am just hoping that it will make it through the first night of sleeping. I can always fix it later. Looking at it now, I am pretty excited that it turned out as well as it did. I think it looks great, and I think Mandy likes it. All worth it.