Cat's Out of the Bag!

Well tonight the cat has been released. Cynthia's friend Paige (and kids) came over for dinner. Paige has been trying to get Cynthia to start a blog for months. I could not take the silence anymore and pulled the laptop to the table and brought up the blog. Cynthia now knows there is a blog out there that has her life on it. Well there are posts mainly about me and a few for the kids. I might have to be more family friendly from now on. I will now be pressured to add posts more often as Cynthia reads a few of the family blogs in the Ward and will want to keep up with the them. It has been a month since the last post so I was due anyway.

Bradley's Big Day

Here is the family right before Bradley's baptism. He was very nervous but ready to be done.

He wanted to aTrasnformers cake for his birthday. We got this one for the family after the baptism

This cake was for the party we had with his friends later in the day

Bradley blowing out the candle. I love this picture cause it shows how much effort he put into blowing out the candle. lol

Father and son right before baptism

Alyssa, Bradley and Isabella as we were leaving for the church

What do you think? Any Ideas?

Ok. I have been running more the last 4 or so months than i have in my life and I am enjoying it.
I would like it to mean even more. I am looking for help and support from friends and family.

Tim Cord, is a marine and works with me. He is only 24 but has been overseas three times to Iraq and Afghanistan. He has told us stories about his 'tours of duty', some funny, some not so funny.
Anyway, he and 4 other marines got together to form a band called The American Hitmen. They occassionally play at small locations as a fundraiser to buy certain items to send over to the troops he knows and does not know. There are other entities that send care packages but they send the same thing everytime. Seeing as he served he knows what our men and women would like instead of the same items over and over again. I have gone to a few of these performances and helped out when I can.
Here is where everyone else comes in. I was thinking i could have family and friends donate as well. How would this work you ask? Well for every mile i run, in an official race, a donation could be made. This could be based on either me finishing the race or an amount per mile. The races i have run so far have been 5k's or 3.1 miles. I am planning to run a half marathon (13.2 miles) in November. As you can see by this blog i have only run 2 races since July so it is not like i would be asking all the time. Plus, you would not have to donate to every race. it is purely up to you.

Example; 3 miles x $1 per mile = $3 Simple math right.

Let me know what you all think. I know times are tough and we are all stretching our dollars but after listening to Tim and his experiences and to hear it so passionate in his music i too have become passionate about this cause. Simple things like jerky and gum are appreciated more than we know.

Thanks for listening.

No Pressure

Cynthia and I were cruising along thinking we have 5 weeks until Bradley's baptism on Sat Nov 1st. Someone from the Primary Presidency dropped off the details and the date said Sat Oct 11th, which is actually Bradley's birthday. Because of General Conference the first week of Oct and Fast Sunday being the next week he will actually be baptised in just over 2 weeks. I found this out 10 minutes ago.
Ok, so now we have the baptism at 12:30pm, around the the same we were going to have a party for him and his friends. Looks like that will be pushed to later that day.
Right after cleaning up after the family leaves (as I am sure we will have food and cake after the baptism), we will have to get ready for the second party. What a lucky boy.
What a privilege to be baptised on his birthday. Not many 8 year olds can say that these days.
All I know is the next day will be truly a day of rest...well deserved and needed.

Isabella

I left work at 7:40 last night. As I pulled in the driveway Isabella came running up yelling something. As I got out I finally understand what she was saying. She was all excited cause she is able to ride her bike without the training wheels anymore. So of course she had to show me. I spent about 10 minutes outside watching her. She was so proud. The cool thing is it only took her 2 days. I was impressed.
It was fun to watch her zip down the street, until i realized she was going all the way down the street and it was getting dark. I had to call her to come back. She only knows one speed right now and that is fast. I walked beside her and tried to get her ride slowly. It lasted about 10 seconds. I think once she gets the hang of balancing she will be alot better.
To stop she would drive up onto our driveway and onto the grass and lay the bike down and she kind of fell / jumped off. Good thing our driveway is sloped. She will get the hang of braking.
It was just as impressive to hear the support from Alyssa and Bradley. They were so excited that she could ride. They all ride to the park with Cynthia so Bella can now feel free without the extra wheels. Normally she would either ride the scooter, bike with training wheels or ride on the back of Bradley's bike cause he has pegs.
Way to go Bella...although i am scared to think of what is next. lol

Oh you had to be there!

Saturday night our Ward held a daddy / daughter activity (for achievement days) with a country and western theme. Of course there was dinner involved which was not bad. They then had the dads dancing with their daughters. Seeing as most of us (well it appeared that way) did not dance that often a few lessons were in order.
First they started a line dance. It was quite funny that a lady from South Africa was teaching us a country dance. Well it was funny to me.
Anyway, there were about 15 or so dads and their daughters (all aged between 8 and 11) in 3 rows. We took it slowly and finally got through the whole dance. The song we danced to was a popular oldie 'Boot Scootin' Boogie' by Brooks and Dunn. By the time we turned the third time my feet were kind of tangled. it was quite funny to watch all the dads with their girls. We were all huffing and puffing after only 20 minutes. We then formed a large circle and we were taught how to Waltz. Poor Alyssa. Only once did I step on her toes but I messed up at least 3 times but she was a trooper and kept on going. I apologized every time but either way it did not bother her. She was just concentrating on her steps. She found it a little difficult cause she was trying to do the opposite of what i was doing. She did a better job of going backwards than I did going forward.
Those who know me well know I suck at dancing. All in all it was a great night with Alyssa and we had alot of fun.

Spanish Fork 5k Race

This past Saturday I ran my second 5k race. The race started at 8am and it was quite cool. There were about 15 people from Caselle also running in the 5k and half marathon. We used it as part of our wellness program.
I was talking to one of the guys before the race and he happened to mention that he finishes the race fast. Josh usually runs a good race and puts up a good time. I felt that if I could stay with him I could also post a good time. I lined up with him and his wife and a few others at the start. We took off. There were some of the walkers lined up at the front. This was not good as we had to run around them and not knock anyone down. I kept sight of Josh and within the first few hundred yards we were in the clear of others. I stuck about 5 feet behind him. He started out at a good pace and I decide I could stick with him. I was feeling it. The race went out 1 1/2 miles and then you turn around and run back to the start/finish. About the half way point I was breathing pretty heavy but kept on going. Josh had got no more than 20 feet ahead and then i closed back in. With less than a mile to go I decided to make a move. My thinking was I knew I did not have closing speed and would stay consistent the rest of the race. Josh said he had great closing speed so i increased my speed and got a good lead on Josh. If he passed me near the end then I would still come in with a great time. The last few hundred yards I kept looking for Josh to pass me so I could cheer him on. I got to the finish and turned around to see Josh coming in behind. We finished about 15 seconds a part. I was excited not cause i beat him but because of my time. I completed the race in 24 minutes and 34 seconds. That was over a minute better than my first race. I asked Josh what happened and he said that when I took off he didn't have the legs to go with me and it deflated him a little. I apologized but he said I ran a great race. I thanked him for pacing me.
Do i sound conceded...No! I am just excited at how well I did and look forward to more races.
They had some great raffle prizes so I stayed around in case I won something. Well I have the White curse and did not win anything. Others from work had to leave so I had their bib's but still nothing. Oh well. It was a great morning.

Alyssa

You may notice that Alyssa is always wearing a headband lately. Well she is growing out her hair and will donate it in December. So when take Christmas pictures her hair will be quite a bit shorter. This is something she wants to do. She is excited about it and we are very proud of her.

Off to School

Three cute kids ready for school. This was actually Bella's first day. Alyssa and Bradley started the week before.

This is Bradley' backpack from last year and if you look at the size of the straps it still looks too big for him. He has grown too. Alyssa went with an over the shoulder bag this year instead of a backpack.

Bella was very excited to go to school. She walked into her classroom and didn't even look back.

Any Thoughts?

As a dad I am about to face a difficult stage. Alyssa is 10 and will be 11 in February. Sunday night Cynthia went for a walk with a friend from our ward at 7:30pm. She said she would be back at 8:30. At 8:43 Alyssa came running to me with tears in her eyes saying mum is not home yet. She was very upset. She asked if she could call Cynthia and I told her it was ok. Well she did not answer. That brought on the tears even more. I called a minute later and told her to get her butt home because of an hysterical child. Apparently Alyssa could have caled Cynthia at 8:30 if she was not home. We were playing the DS so it took Alyssa's mind away from the time and the fact that Cynthia was gone.
Alyssa has also mentioned that she is worried about Bradley when he is at school. She then said she will be worried when Isabella starts school. We have tried to talk with her (calmly) to find out what is going on but she is not sure herself. Alyssa even mentioned she wanted to see the counselor at school.
All I can do is reassure her nothing is going to happen. It appears as though she has a seperation issue.
So, if anyone has any advice or idea's for me, pass them along. I think the teenage years are going to be tough.

WOW! Two Posts in One Day

I remember over 25 years ago when I bought my very own black and white tv. I was so proud that I had bought it with my own money. It lasted quite awhile.
A couple of weeks ago Alyssa had saved enough money to buy her own Nintendo DS. She was so proud and excited that she had worked hard and saved her money. She would babysit any chance she got. Not only did she watch Bradley and Isabella but also watched a few kids in our Ward.
Last weekend Bradley bought a game for Alyssa's DS. Of course there have been fights because one owns the DS and the other owns the game. Alyssa has begun saving her money again so she can get a second game. You know I have to take the game and the DS away when they cannot agree. So, I am now in world 5 of Super Mario. lol

So what does this come down too you ask? Well, I am getting old. ha ha
I have a daughter that is almost 11, earning her own money and being more responsible (not too mention more emotional). The hard thing to teach them is to take care of their toys and games.

Can I get this going on a regular basis

Hey Everyone, well it just never seems like I can sit my butt down, log in and write the haps. We have a computer at home now but I have barely touched it. Cynthia has been using it now that school has started. She already has some sub jobs lined up. Slack teachers. ha ha
Well school started this week and now we have 3 in school. Alyssa is now in 5th grade, Bradley is in 2nd and Isabella starts kindy next week. She really wanted to start this week but has to wait. We got to meet the teachers this week and Cynthia got to network. She now has more teachers to sub for. The kids got the teachers they wanted so we will see how that plays out for the year.

Last month I ran my first 5k race. I ran the ragnar relay and ran cross country in high school but this was my first official 5k race. I have to say I was quite pleased with myself. I was able to come under the time I wanted by 4 minutes. That is huge for me. The only down side is I have to maintain that time and not go slower. Well i can but would be very disappointed in myself. I plan on running 2 more races in the coming weeks. Sept 1st in Payson and Sept 6th in Spanish Fork.

It is crazy to think that it has been a month since Guy and Shannon were here. Life moves on at a fast pace. Madison and Blake will be 1 before we know it.

"Memories Of Me!"

Thanks to all of my friends who have posted this on their blogs. It is so fun reading everyones memories. I hope everyone will take time and post about memories they have, and I also want all of you to put this on your blog so I can tell my stories too.

Here's how it works: 1. As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember, good or bad but be nice please! ;)

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments

4th of July - Better Late Than Never

I am back. I have been verbally abused by a few friends for not keeping up my blog. Well hopefully I can at least add to it today and keep some of you happy. You know who you are. lol
We had a great 4th of July. The kids were so excited that we went to Stadium of Fire. I was not happy the previous Sunday when Cynthia announced she spent over $250 on tickets. I was upset for a few days but got used to the idea. I talked myself into the fact that it was for the kids. That was also the time I found out that the Blue Man Group would be there also. We left in plenty of time to find free parking (always good) and be able to walk to the stadium without being crushed or losing one of the kids. We got to our seats and were able to relax before everything got under. My sister Michele had her daughter, Marci, dancing and so she found us and visited for a few before the start.
The feeling in the stadium was electric every time they talked about the men and women serving in the armed forces. I will always call Australia home but and damn proud of those that sacrifice theirs lives. In alot of respects the USA is also my home.
The highlights of the show for all of us were the parachutes, dancing, jets flying over after the national anthem and the fireworks. I enjoyed the Blue Man Group and wished they had been on longer. Miley Cirus was terrible. She can't sing live worth a lick. Well that is my opinion. The sound system was not very good. It was not very loud at all. Isabella and Alyssa were both standing on theirs seats singing and dancing. At least they enjoyed it. They were just happy to see her live after missing the earlier concert. We were smart and left via 9th east in Provo and made it home at a reasonable time. Most of the traffic was heading West. Hate to know what time they got home.
Life has gone on since then. I do not work at Wal Mart anymore. I gave that up last week. They didn't want me to leave but understood my reasoning.
I am currently working about 50 hours a week at Caselle and that is plenty.
I have plenty of pictures to be posted. I guess that will be my next post, when I get around to it.

Start of the Relay

No Fancy Title - Just New Post

Obviously I am not good at keeping up with the blog. We don't have a computer at home so it makes it very hard to keep this going. We should have a computer by mid July. The only chance I have to write is when at work but it seems like there is no time there either. Lunch and breaks are just too short.
Most of you know by now that I quit Wal Mart. Last night was supposed to be my last night but I am working a couple of nights next week to help someone out. Then I am officially done (July 9th is it). It feels good to be working only one job again. I have the opportunity to work a little overtime at Caselle and that is part of the reason I am leaving Wal Mart.
Alyssa is not happy though. She is saving her money to buy a Nintendo DS and we won't have discount anymore. I may just make up the difference for her.
Well a week and a half ago I ran a relay race with 11 other employees from Caselle. It was a 181 mile race from Logan to Park City. Each person had to run 3 legs between Friday morning and Saturday afternoon. We had to vehicles with 6 people in each. The first would run aprox. 3 to 7 miles and then hand off the wrist band to the second person. The first person would then be able to rest while the second person would run. We would then go to the next exchange and drop off the third runner and wait for the second runner to come in. While this was going on the 6 in the other vehicle got to rest. So it is just one big long relay race. The worst part was rolling up into this small town at 2am and trying to sleep. Imagine walking into a high school gym with 400 people laying on the floor trying to sleep, after running all day. Oh it was warm when we walked into that gym. I slept off and on for 2 hours. This is what makes the race more mental than physical. I only had 3 weeks to prepare as one of the guys injured his leg. I was still too heavy to run and had a hard time on my third leg. I walked 4 of my 5.6 miles. I did run most of my second leg which was 8.5. Everyone had to run anywhere between 13 and 19 miles. Guess who got the 19 miles? I was sore for 5 days afterwards. We are already planning on running next year. We learned alot from this experience and know what we need to do next year.
I am actually running a few 5k's and a half marathon this year.
This is good for now. Work is calling. Good thing the bosses are in a meeting.
Love to all!

First Attempt!

Well, as most of you know I am not the smartest when it comes to computers. I have wanted to create this for awhile now and so here it is. Thanks to Shannon to the constant badgering, although with the twins arriving she has back off. ha ha ha
As most of you know we took our trip to Disneyland. We had a wonderful time and the kids got to do everything they wanted an more. I think we rode the teacups 4 times. Once I figure this out I will add pictures. Speaking of pictures, we took about 400 of our trip and now Cynthia wants to print about 200 of them. Yikes. I do agree that there are plenty that need to be kept, framed, scrapbooked etc. If anyone wants some of the pics let me know. I would be happy to send some to you (email or cd - depending on amount)
School is almost out for the kids. Isabella finished pre-school this week and thinks she is going to kindergarten next week. It is hard trying to an excited 5 year old that she has to wait 3 months. Alyssa will be going into 5th grade and Bradley 2nd grade. Alyssa is starting with the 'I hate school' attitude. So that will be fun later this year. Bradley is excited for 2nd grade. We just have to keep him away from Alyssa. Cynthia enjoyed substitute teaching this past school year and plans to do more now that Bella will be in school.