Rolling on to New Firsts

As we bid farewell to what has been a reliable headache the negative aspects of Andrea's old Trooper fade away and we have cause to reminisce about all of the great things that we experienced in that car that we muttered and grumbled so much about over the last few years.  So springs up a list of firsts that that tough old rig brought our way.

What a beauty:)

• Andrea's first vehicle purchase.
• By virtue of the trooper I was delivered to one of God's greatest creations, the West Fork of the Blacks Fork River.
• By virtue of the same I did some mad wheeling and was the last to drive to the second crossing a great first.
• The first car I drove as a married man, also the first and only car I have ever driven that was covered in Oreos shoe polish and other unspeakables.
• Lucy's first car ride ever, hospital to home, as well as many crazy car rides with many a meltdown from our little girl.
• Will's first car ride.
• The first car I ever tampered with the air-intake so that I could nearly bury the fenders crossing a river. OH YEAH!!!
• James's first car ride.

With many more firsts in between it is interesting to recall how much of our life is connected to the car we use to get from point A to point B

• Oh yeah the first car I ever had to fill up on a regular basis that got worse that 15 MPG.  Now I feel a bit better;) 

Preschool & Postpartum

NOT depression, well that is not postpartum at any rate (there is a level of depression previously discussed in association with the growing up of our sweet children) so get your negative heads out of the clouds and come along for the story of our week.

77777...........

It was a whirlwind trip to say the least with little James Christian coming along on his due-date with no more complications than taking his sweet time to exit the watery abyss (14 hrs).  Mom was a trooper and did the whole thing unmedicated.  I must say that I am impressed having recently participated in my first endurance type race, this was so much more mentally and physically demanding and truly an amazing experience (for you ladies who have done this do not in any way take the preceding sentence in any way that would indicate that me, a mere man, now has any idea what it is really like.  I don't)  What I am getting at is that at 7:57 a little 7lb. 7oz. boy was born to our family, and we couldn't be more thrilled.  So as our nurse wisely pointed out if he goes to Vegas we know his lucky number. 

He's in there I promise

On top of all that our sweet Lucy started preschool this week.  Who knew that getting a kid to school at 9:00 actually requires planing?  She is very keen on the whole school thing which we hope sticks:)

and not a bit excited either

All in all it will be a long remembered week for us with two substantial mile markers, our life is moving forward with or without us and we are doing our best to enjoy all of it.

8:45!!!

Oh yea!!

 8:45!!!  Is the rousing cheer we hear every evening as the fated time befalls us.  I have no idea where it started but there is no doubt that 8:45 is Lucy's favorite time of day.  Every night she makes us watch it change from 8:44 to 8:45 which then results in convulsive jumping and wiggling that is what we now refer to as "The 8:45 Party".  So while sleep is on the schedule this time of night more often than not she is in bed alert and waiting, and should she fall asleep, the fact that 12 hours await the next turn of the magical number causes a fair amount of distress.  One funny side note is that Lucy often will abscond with Andrea's phone and type the number 845 over and over so that what we find looks something like this

84584584584

58458458458

4584584584.

Yep that's our kid and we love the whole package even 8:45 yelled at the top of her lungs in our tired ears:)  Not to be missed is the bedtime ritual of "snugging all the way to her feet" and "Can I say my things"? Yes. "Don't lock the door and close the door, I love you , good night , see you in the morning, mwwwa (a blown kiss)".  So that's tucking time at our house.

ReRailled

  After a rather long stretch of working every feasible Saturday in effort to please the pied piper we have parted ways as I now dance to a different tune. To celebrate this momentous departure we loaded into the Trooper and made tracks to Moab. My first trip to Moab was last year and it was fantastic.

He hawwww

  Highlights of the last trip centered on Arches National Park with myself being the two kid pack mule (I insisted, a manly display of machismo) to get to delicate arch, a truly magnificent work of nature.

Beyond expectations

  So this time in preparation for new things I decided to get the old mission bike back on its feet. This resulted in the purchase of a used but excellent wheelset with a proper rear cassette.This unfortunately resulted in the complete dismemberment of my old rear derailleur.

Aww XT you were good to me

  Which then led to the procurement of a vastly better derailleur that finally put a great old bike back on the trail. The result, I road Slickrock trail Saturday May seventh for the first time in my life (and I'm paying for it today) truly intense about sums it up. Sorry no pictures I was far to busy hanging on for dear life=)


  Other highlights were the attempted uni. ride down the sand hill. Which was unsuccessful in terms of full length, yet exciting in short bursts of craziness.

Good thing the sand is soft

  Then of course while at the sand hill the kids had the time of their life. Dirty is an understatement, yet they seemed even happier than they were dirty

Seriously sweet sand, seriously sweet kid

Loved it so much he even took a bite

  All in all a fine way to spend a weekend with the fam.

Documentation Of Youth

SAY CHEESE!!

So it seams that not only are our young truants unwilling to listen to their parents these days, they feel the need to salt the wound by documenting it. In the following video filmed by the young Lucy who is NOT allowed to use the camera, the young Will is dipping his digger in the dog water that he is forbidden to touch. If they weren't so cute I'd turn them in.
Note the devious nature of this adolescent director. Lucy only turns it off after you hear Andrea inquire as to their whereabouts. 

  

Two Weeks, Notice ME!!!!!!!

The days of hanging suspended over a 30 ft drop are over.

So it would seem that the most essential part of submitting your two weeks notice is the part where people are thereby inflicted with the exuberant attitude that screams NOTICE ME!!  If you haven't come around to the precise angle I am getting at, I am now seeking more notice by declaring my intended departure from the arduous world of construction.  Long I have dreamed of severing the bonds of the blue-collar worker to apply my education to more challenging things, and the final countdown has arrived.  So here I stand on the tail end of two weeks notice and call for the world to notice me.  Do you care?  Who knows, but I can scarcely contain myself because as I sit here typing I can hear Lucy singing "I've got a dream" from Tangled and I, like the ugly thugs, have a dream.   

Easter Reading

Awww cute, here's to her loving Easter for better reasons some day!

Many years ago as a young missionary I read the remarkable work of James E. Talmage Jesus The Christ, and in my exuberant youth I resolved to read it every year around Easter to reflect on our Savior's most magnificent life.  The reality of that overzealous commitment is that about ten years latter I finally read it again.  While I failed in my resolve I do declare that this volume of inspired writing will surly impress on anyone who reads it a profound and wonderful feeling of love for the greatest man to ever walk the face of this earth.  Happy Easter to that!   

Fulfilling One's Purpose

Used and abused 

 The intent of the duplex (or double headed) nail is to temporarily fasten an object in place.  Such is the case with this poor contorted nail, it's job completed it was wrenched from a rather secure place yet so tenacious was it's grasp that this warped object was all that remained.  In looking upon this poor fella I wondered do we sometimes hold on too tightly to what was only meant to be temporary.  Am I being melodramatic about a nail?  I think so, but hey I construct therefore I deconstruct to give my mind something to do, therefore you suffer.

SPENT!!

Where is Love?

For nearing seven years now there has been always present the knowledge that in some secret place a token of the affection Andrea and I share.  What I am trying to say is that early on in our marriage Andrea made a note of love for me and I in turn hid it in a place I knew she would find and so the game started.  Over the years the note grew wrinkled then replaced by a sign that simply says "Love" the original note was framed and the game continued... Then I purchased a corny but useful love necklace that replaced the sign, so now it is here in this virtual world waiting to be found along with it's predecessors to never be forgotten.  So while love was found years ago still I am always on guard that I might find it once more. 

There you have it!!

It's a...

Oh have we neglected to inform you that we are expecting a package of wonder!  Well if we did it was intentional so deal with it eh.  If you are not picking up what I'm laying down we are having a baby boy!  Due August 17th!

little baby boy feet

Trouble Dyeing

One time a fella was headed home from work and all was well when he conversed with the home front... 20 minutes later the mood had changed.  As it turns out two children who claim me as their father found that in an all to accessible drawer there was a plethora of food coloring dyes that did some amazing things to items one would never eat, such as finger, toes, stairs and clothes.  But me thinks when I find kids this sweet, let them dye things I can't eat!

Seriously love it.

Smurf toes

Just a little squeeze

Notable Firsts

Inasmuch as parents (referring to Andrea and myself, of course, as I cant speak for the rest of the world) love their children, the process of growth brings much joy coupled with the desire to apply the brakes at times to slow things down.  In the spirit of these feelings we bring to you two little ones embarking on adventures of growth.  So here you witness the wonders of Lucy's first day of primary and Will's first day of nursery. SOOOO cute I can hardly believe they are mine!

So I Was Sniffing...

As sniping season is over I find myself sniffing much more than sniping and I thought I would inject this fantastic sniffing tidbit into history.  The mass consumption of fresh blueberries seems to provoke the most extraordinary phenomenon in the sniffing department, namely a very peculiar scent akin to burning which generally results in the discovery of a rather black substance in the old diaper, if you catch my drift.  Horrible I know but noteworthy as well...

Ha, what can I say its my life!

Kids and Christmas

Little man and his truck!

The bliss of receiving.

IT'S SNOWING!!

Ah the joy of giving, particularly when it is to your own children.  These little ones truly do make life sweeter.  Then there is of course the gingerbread house build off, started by this kid-at-heart, it has become a fun family tradition.  

I Had To Say It

Just a quick blurb for a real winner, if you were to cast your eyes upon my recently read section you will find written therein the completion of the great Les Misérables.  I am the proud first time reader of this fantastic book and I can not get over how incredible it is.  Now I know that many have waxed eloquent with regards to this book in ways that put me to shame, yet I must say I loved it.  Wow, can't stop thinking about it. 

4 Wheels, 4 Months, 4 Better or 4 Worse

Just look at those kiddos

I would be remiss if I failed to recognize the endeavor that brought a neglected 4-wheeler and boat into my possession.  Initially the intent was to flip the recreational vehicles and turn a recreational dollar.  As it turns out the boat grew on us and pending its revival it is now slated to remain a part of our family.  The catch was the sell of the wheeler to offset the retention of the boat.  So in the spirit of the D.I.Y. guy that I am I tore into the carb and had this beauty running in a few hours.  Sounds good eh?  Well it ran but not particularly well so I continued to try to improve the performance over what became four months when I had hoped for four days.  Lucy and Will loved the test drives.  In the end we were able to get it running well enough to sell it and maintain possession of the boat, where that will take us no one knows... In the end it was a project with several head aches, a couple of wheelies and generally a fond memory.  Made more fond by the lack of the wheeler =)   

Sweet little angel. (this appears to be in the road, but in fact it is on our front lawn,safety first!)

WARNING: You Break IT You Buy IT

Norton 601

You may ask what a Norton 601 is, or you may simply not care.  I on the other-hand know what it is and care immensely.  Recently this little beauty became the cause of much concern to this self proclaimed do-it-yourselfer.  Follow along, our heater has been giving us fits and so with more confidence than knowledge I launched in to a counter offensive to right the wrong.  (Let me here point out that in the process of the D.I.Y. project the economic advantage is compromised at about the precise instant you you think to yourself was it this one or that one?)  So it is that I picked that one and as quick as that the ignitor for our furnace was out of commission.  This was altogether awful particularly as it was 9:30 p.m. and help was not available.  This fantastic decision of mine led to the wonderful opportunity of arising every two hours to light the heater with a match, risky business to say the least.  A late night search online produced the part but the next day air was horrendous so the next morning I located the part through a helpful heating co. as I worked late Andrea picked up the part.  The helpful fella turned out to have a listening problem as I returned home after business hours to find that the part was not the requested 4" model, yea! another sleepless night.  So two days later it turns out the online find would have arrived sooner, with less running around and five dollars cheaper.  The good news; in the end I only paid $65 and although there was a moment when my heart sank to my toes this D.I.Y. guy fixed his furnace for less than the service visit would have been.  As they say, you win some you loose some.