Quinn Chaos

Jr Jazz and such

2012-01-06T19:10:00.000-08:00

Well I thought we would have a Jr. Jazz basketball game this weekend because we have pictures taken this Saturday. But no, I was wrong. It is another bye week this week. It seems like we have not played in months. I am sure going to miss having Andrew playing for our team. He is great fun to watch play, and I hope he had fun. He does get to play with us next week though. They will be here next week because Courtney is going to walk at her Nursing Graduation. Courtney Giles, RN. That sounds pretty cool. Nurse Giles. She takes her NCLEX Nursing Board exam tomorrow. Good Luck Court.
I don't know if I have mentioned that I have joined a Toastmaster group. Toastmaster's is a group where you have to give speeches every once in a while. I had to talk yesterday, and I gave my speech on the benefits of Coca-Cola. Yep, Coca-Cola. I spoofed the whole thing. It was fun and I actually won the blue ribbon for the day.
It is so nice to be at another weekend. The New years weekend went so fast. I did have a good time at Dave and Robins house for New Years. Izzy stayed awake until about 12:30 and immediately fell asleep as soon as she sat into her car seat. I think she had fun too. She played with all of the older kids. They are so good with her and she loves them all.
Courtney just sent me a video of Preston riding a bike with training wheels. AWESOME. When he was here we could not get him to figure out how to pedal a bike. He always wanted to pedal backwards. He is learning everything so fast.
Andrew is back in school and he is loving it. He said his teacher is Mrs. Billingsly (I think) he also said she is nice and that one of the kids on his street are in his class. When I asked if he had homework he said "Yes" in a very quiet depressed tone. I hope they are all well, and I am very glad they are all back together.
I am gathering a few items to send to Braden, He wanted another blanket, a folding pocket knife, and some other items. I am so dumb. In my rush to get him the knife he and I decided on I ordered the wrong one and it already had shipped by the time I realized it. Dang you Amazon. I have already ordered the correct one so in a couple of days I will need to find out how Amazon works their returns. I hope it is easy. That's what I get for trying to get things together quickly. It is good to be able to talk or trade texts with him when he can.
Jamie is going back to school and working so she is getting very busy. It is great to see her every once in a while too.
I have been listening and following some of the political mumbo jumbo going on lately. What a mess. Current congress (both parties) are like little kids (I can't say that because little kids are smarter than congress) Go Mitt!
well I gotta go. Have a great weekend everyone.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T16:10:00.000-08:00

Wow what a year. Some very BIG accomplishments (not by me)and some really cool things happened. Let's see... Braden is now in Japan. Okinawa to be specific. He is doing well. He said that the Japanese do not care for us over there.He has not been able to see much but we have been able to Skype with him which has been very nice. He wanted everyone to know that he is well and he misses everyone. Jamie is working and getting back in the school work thing. Right now she is not feeling well. Jamie and her sister are sharing an apartment.
Courtney has GRADUATED Nursing School. She is an RN! What a tough 1-1/2 years for her and their family. They are all back in Mesquite and shared Christmas together as a family in their new home. Preston is now talking and singing like crazy. He is also in the middle of potty-training. Yes, he is a BIG BOY, just ask him. Andrew is starting in his new school in Mesquite and I thing he is more than ready to get back to school. Courtney said he is bored. I am sure that all of this is also a huge adjustment to Doug. Now the house is full of noise, yep, "Joyful Noise." I am glad they are all together again. I need to find a way to get Drew here each weekend for Jr. Jazz. He is a star. It was fun to have them here.
Brooke and Tim are always at a USU game or the cabin lately. I saw them today and they said that Scofield Reservoir area does not have much snow at all but the lake is frozen over. Ice fishing time.
Whitney and Isabelle are well. It was nice to have one little one at home for Christmas. She is like the others though. Toys get attention and clothes get tossed behind you. Christmas was fun.
Stacey is well. She reads a lot and plays with Isabelle. they are joined at the hip. Well actually they are joined at the knee since Izzy is quite a bit shorter, but probably not for long. Izzy is getting tall. She is so smart and silly. She can also be very moody. Yep it's a girl, ha,ha. Just kidding girls.
I am fine and hoping for warm weather.
I hope all of you are well and that you had a great Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

October is here.

2011-10-18T19:04:00.000-07:00

Hi. Well since the last time I wrote... Andrew turned 6 years old. He had a party at the park with friends and I think he had a great time. Courtney, Stacey, and Whitney worked to put his MARIO party together. They played pin the mustache on Mario, Mario matching game, and Mario bingo. It was fun to watch the kids. Doug was able to come up for the party and it was nice to have him there. Andrew's grandma and grandpa Giles were also at the Party. In fact Grandpa Giles had to get stitches put in his cheek because the party was so much fun, but that's another story. I think the party was a big hit. Yep, BIG 6. he is loving school and had a pizza party with his teacher and a few other students last week. He should be starting Jr. Jazz in a couple of weeks. He is excited.
Preston is getting so big. He is getting to be chatty. It is fun to listen to him. He can really sing. You can't recognize all of the words but he can carry a tune. He is a tough guy. I think I might have mentioned before that he had to have his chin glued because he cut it at school. He also had strep for a while and boy was he miserable. His mouth was so sore. Even not feeling good he tells me hi everyday and gives me a hug.
Izzy is getting so tall. She is talking and talking and talking...and she LOVES "Horton Hears a Who!" But she is not obsessive about it. I only had to watch it five times on Saturday. Poor Izzy now has what Preston had, I think. She is always quick with a "HI PAPA" for me.
Courtney is working at the hospital to get her hours for school and she is in the Surgical Room performing brain surgery on African range monkeys that have made it to the U.S. by hijacking weather balloon's. Okay, not really, but I had to see if you really were reading all of this. She loves being involved in the surgeries. She is doing well but I can tell she is ready to be done.
My two little twins had their 22nd Birthdays today! Ah they grow up so fast. Awesome. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROOKE and BRADEN!!
Brooke is doing well at her job and is just go, go, go. I don't mean she is a go-go dancer she is just very busy with work and school. I didn't get to see her much. Tim is doing well and his coaching seems to be going great. His team is kicking some butt. His calling offense and doing very well at it.
Braden, was here for the weekend. That was a surprise. He looks great and seems to be doing well. He has been on training exercises out in the field for the last 10 days, I think. Jamie was here for the last week and she is doing well. they have an apartment in San Clemente, California, and I think they are just minutes from the beach. Yes, I need to visit.
Whitney is doing well chasing after Isabelle. Of course if they are here Grandma can always get Izzy's attention with a Popsicle or candy. Whitney is working, working, working. Probably just to buy more sidewalk chalk since Isabelle and I have to color pictures each day. Right now Whitney is trying to decide on a Halloween costume. I am sure it will be crazy.
Speaking of costumes, Andrew is going to be a SWAT team member.Of course if you ask him he is "Barricade" the police car from Transformers. Preston is going to be "Bumblebee" the Transformer. He is excited about that. Isabelle is going to be a pink pony. Yes, a pony. It is a crazy costume.
Well lets see...Stacey had a little surgery to remove a lump (no, not me) and she is recovering, although her arm is sore with some blood clots from the IV. It is very painful. She is very tough.
I am just working and trying to get the lawn mowed each week. Other than that I don't do much around here. I am just another pretty face. Wow, that was stretching it pretty far.
Grandpa Quinn left three pumpkins on the porch for the kids so we are good to go for our Jack-O-Lanterns.
I don't know about you but I can't believe it is almost winter. We have already had some snow, and today I had to scrape the frost off of the windshield. Yuk!
I hope everyone is doing well. I will try to write again soon. I am not sure what soon is, as you can tell. Have a great week everyone.
Remember to be thankful for our kids, whether they are 1, 2, 3, 6, or even 22, what we do without them? That's rhetorical, do not send me a list of things I could be doing. See ya later.
See ya later.

Muddy, Muddy, Weekend

2011-09-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

Well this last weekend was a little different. Stacey, Courtney, and Whitney ran in the "Dirty Dash" up in Heber. The race is at Soldier Hollow and is a 5K or a 10K race for charity. Every where on the trail are places where you are going to get wet and muddy. Doug, Andrew, Preston, Isabelle, and me went to watch them run. It was great. They did a great job. For not training, they all finished, and faster than I thought they would. Not that I thought they would be slow. The point that we were able to see them, they had to swing on a rope across a mud bog, then run up a hill (a long way) to a water slide, down the slide, then run to, and through, two 3-foot deep huge holes full of mud and water, then to the finish. They were all tired but had a great time. We had fun watching them participate. Now it's Sunday and they are all SORE! Good job girls! You did great!

End of summer

2011-09-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

Well here I am setting in a hotel room in Denver with no place to go. I have already walked about 7 miles today. Up and down the 16th street mall, to Coors Field home of the Rockies, which by the way is BEAUTIFUL, of course it is a ball field, then I Walked clear up to the other side to the Capital Building so I could be exactly 5280-feet, yep one mile high above sea level. Well enough about my boring work trip. Let me give you an update on other things. Braden is now back at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California. He did absolutely great in his training back in Virginia. He is the only person they know of to go through the training scoring 100% on every test. No-one has done it before. Awesome. He received another promotion and is a Lance Corporal now. Jamie has been out to see him and they have an apartment in San Clemente, CA. She came back for is National Guard duty. Brooke is going to school and busy, busy, busy. Tim is now calling the shots for offense at Juan Diego. Pretty big step. Courtney back in school and three days a week they have her in an med-surg (yes, surgery)at the hospital. She is liking it although she has to be there early in the morning. Andrew is in Kindergarten and he loves it. He is doing so well. He loves his teacher Mrs. Nessen. She calls them kinderbugs and he thinks that it is pretty cool. Preston had to go to the hospital today because he cut his chin open pretty good at pre-school. They were able to glue it together though. He's tough. Isabelle is getting so tall and such a talker and a singer. She absolutely loves Dora the Explorer. She is a ton of fun, and she has her grandmas sweet tooth. Speaking of Stacey, She is still playing softball for Skywest and having fun. Oh yeah, we all went to Lagoon for my work party. The kids had a ball. Preston is not too keen on the kids ladybug drop ride. Andrew likes all of the rides, and Isabelle loved Bulgy the whale. even to the point of putting her hands in the air. The kids were fun to watch. So here we are and life goes on and leaves are starting to turn. Where does all the time go? Wasn't it just yesterday we were waiting for the rain to quit in June, so we could start Summer? Pretty soon the bikes, trikes, scooters, and power wheels will be put away an replaced with the snow blower, sleds, and shovels. I can wait. I hope everyone is well. Have a good, fun, fall season. We will try to also. Remember, Halloween is just around the corner...

Thank goodness for change.

2011-06-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

Well tonight was Andrew's last T-ball game. His grandpa Giles was there to watch him play and he reminded me that I had not been writing. So here I go. Everything is changing... Soon my kids will all be married, the grandkids are getting big and doing more, and there has been a big yellow thing in the sky...I think it might be the sun.
Like I said Drew has been playing T-Ball and he is doing well. He probably throws better than anyone on any of the teams (of course I am grandpa and a Little bit one sided) seriously though he play pretty well. He can hit a pitched ball instead of from the tee (if I can toss him a pitch worth hitting) and he anticipates the ball being hit when he is in the field. It has been fun to help with the T-Ball team. BIG news... Andrew can ride a two-wheeler without training wheels. He was so excited he was jumping up and down yelling "I did it!" Preston is right behind drew all the way. He can't wait to be on the field. He is enjoying riding his power wheels four wheeler and fighting over everything with Isabelle. He and I are always teasing each other and he is always telling me "Don't Waaff" which means "don't laugh." He is so funny. Isabelle is getting taller and her features are changing. I guess that means she's growing. She is Preston's wrestling partner. They can scream and argue over everything. It's comical. Stacey is playing softball again with Skywest and a couple of weeks ago she was hit with a ball in the side and has a very nice bruise. She pitches and she plays the game well.
Braden has graduated from Boot Camp at the San Diego M.C.R.D. It was so good to see him. He looked great in his uniform. He was home for ten days (of which it rained 9 of the days) and it was good to have him around. We were able to go fishing on the only dry day. It was a lot of fun. He is now back in San Diego at Camp Pendleton for his Marine Combat Training and after that he will go to Virginia for a couple of months. It's odd to think he is in the military. Brooke and Tim are getting things together for her wedding on July 5, 2011. She has her dress, and it looks good on her. Sorry Tim I have no pictures. Things are a bit crazy, the wedding is coming up so fast. Stacey is organizing, checking on things, and doing as much as she can between flying and everything else she has going on. Courtney is back in school again. I think she is doing well. Every Saturday she works in American Fork at the Hospital. She seems to really like it, other than they are long days, and if you have not seen her lately she has been hoola-hooping, waking, and has lost weight. The problem is I keep finding it and putting it on me. Doug was up here last week. It was good to see him and you can tell the boys were glad to see him. Doug has now traveled up and back to Mesquite without any car problems. Yahoo!! I hope I did not just jinx the whole thing.
Whitney is working, working, working and doing well. Jason is flying now and stationed in Utah. Isabelle is the beauty queen. She is so fun. She is a water dog just like Preston. Those two are so much a like. She played in the water the other day until I was cold watching her. You need to see her ride her four wheeler. Thanks to Aunt Ginger she has a Pink Power Wheels 4-wheeler.
Other BIG news. Yesterday I received a text from Jayme. She is in the USA. She is in Washington. I am so glad she is in the U.S. I think she will be there for a couple of weeks and then she will be home. Is that cool or what?
Well, there has been a lot going on and I just have not had time to sit and write but I am glad I did today. Thanks for reminding me. Thank goodness for change. Braden has been home, Jayme is coming home, all of the grandkids are learning new things, Brooke and Tim are getting married.
I hope everyone has a great week. Be safe. Jayme, we can't wait to see you! Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful). Love ya.

Spring???

2011-04-30T21:39:00.000-07:00

Well we woke up to six inches of snow this morning. I did not expect that. This weather is crazy and I want to go fishing. Two more weeks and Braden's graduates as a Marine. He is doing well and seems to like what he is doing. H was the top shot in his platoon and I know he was excited about that. I can tell that he has learned a lot while he has been gone. It seems like he has been gone for a year. I am really excited to go to California and see him graduate. I was able to talk to Jayme tonight via Skype. She is doing well and trying to get things in order to come home. I am not sure when the day is but I am excited to have her back. Courtney and the boys are back in Mesquite this weekend with Doug. They went hiking and looked at some petrogliphs ( I have no idea how to spell it) today. Andrew has been on medication for about two weeks now and, knock-on-wood, he has not had another seizure. That has been great. He just attended his kindergarten orientation. He was very excited and full of information when he came home. Preston is talking like crazy and wearing big boy underwear, yep a big step. Doug just had his Birthday he is 12. Well that's what drew told me. Jason is now flying for Skywest. He is doing well. The weird thing is that he is based out of Palm Springs, CA. So he continually needs to travel to California for work. Whitney and Izzy are doing well too. Isabelle is growing up too quick. Chatter bug, Chatter bug. Izzy and Preston can't seem to be outside enough. They love the outdoors. Brooke and Tim have work school and oh ya, a wedding to keep them busy. Stacey is busy with the wedding as well, and I am just trying to stay out of the way. Things are good except for last Monday I did something to my back. My back is somehow a pain in the butt. Preston, Andrew and I built a couple of tiny birdhouses last weekend. The boys did a great job. The houses are on our fence in the front yard and they look great. Andrew had his fist tee-ball ball games. As luck would have it we played in 30 degree wet weather. I am trying to help out the coach, and it is like herding cats. There are only four kids that know that you run to first after hitting the ball, and they are Andrew and three girls. Go girls. The rest of the team manages to run to the pitchers mound, second base, or third. Drew is having fun and I noticed that he actually anticipates the Ball being when each batter is up. That's cool. Well I an going to go back and put the heating pad on my back. Have a great week everyone.

Marching, marching, marching on!!!

2011-03-17T18:48:00.000-07:00

I thought I would take a minute and let you know how Braden and Jayme are doing...Well we have received a couple of letters now from Braden who is at boot camp. First of all he wanted me to tell everyone who wrote to him THANK YOU very much. He was so glad to hear from you, and that the letters arrived at just the right time. He said that they have been practicing marching, push ups, pull ups, and running several miles each day. He said that he can climb a rope now and they have been issued their M16 rifles. He said that this week they begin swimming which he said was going to be a welcome change and he could give his feet a rest. After this week they go to the mountains for three weeks. All in all he sounds like he is doing well. He wants everyone to know that he misses loves you all. I was also able to talk to Jayme on Skype the other day. She looked great and is doing well also. It is starting to get hot in Iraq and it was already in the 70's there. She is working from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. She also wants everyone to know that she misses them and sends her love to you all. She comes home in about three months. It will be nice to have her here.
On another note, Isabelle (the really cute 1yr old redhead) has to have tubes put in her ears because she keeps getting ear infections. It will be nice to get them in and get her healthy. She is such a funny kid. Let me tell you, she runs the show. She is awesome.
Doug is in Florida at a Physical Therapy Training thing but I think it is just an excuse and he is just at Spring Training with out ME!
Brooke and Tim are going to Mesquite this weekend. She gets to take care of Daisy while she is there. I hope the drive safe and have fun.
Jason is finishing up his final weeks in ground training and I know it has been tough but he can do it. Whitney is doing a good job keeping things going while he is away.
I have not seen Andrew and Preston today but I am sure that drew is playing video games and Preston is playing with his trains. Courtney is doing well in her nursing and it has not been easy lately. I can't wait for Andrew to start T-ball. It will be nice to be out of the house. I don't know how we will keep Preston off of the field because he will want to do what his brother does. Preston is really start to talk up a storm.
Well its time to clean up and get ready for bed. Have a great weekend. Happy Fishing.

USMC - Marine Recruit Braden Quinn

2011-02-21T21:25:00.000-08:00

Hi all. Well it finally came…Time for our Marine to leave home and go to Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California. Yep, he is a “Hollywood Marine”. Our family had dinner together Sunday night and after dinner Stacey and I took Braden to the hotel that they put the recruits up at. I think they do this so they know where the recruits are at 4:45 a.m. on Monday morning. I doubt Braden slept at all on Sunday night because he had a cold. On Monday morning I called the MEPS office (Military Entrance Processing Station) they person that answered said that they would “probably” swear the Marine recruits in between 11:00 and 1400 hours. Yes it was like setting an appointment with Comcast. I was able to see him sworn into active duty and it was cool. He was ready to go. It was great to see him although I hated to say goodbye again. That was a week ago already, and last night we received a call from a member of the Bishopric who said he had seen and talked with Braden. I was so glad to hear that someone had seen him. Braden has a bad cold but is doing ok. He said that he was very impressed with Braden. He said that this group of recruits were the best he had ever seen, and he has been a Marine since 1947 (Yes, he is retired). He gave me Braden’s address and told us to write as often as we could. He said that Braden will graduate on May 13. They have a parent’s day on May 12 where I think the recruits can show their parents around and introduce them to their officers and other recruits. So I can’t wait for May to get here. I will try to keep up a little better with my blog so that everyone can see how he is doing. Thanks to all of our family who helped out with the parties for Braden before he left. You guys are awesome! Taylor and Scott, thanks for going shooting with us before he left, it meant a lot to Braden and me. Thank you also to Braden’s friends who came to see him. It was great to see and meet all of you. Semper Fi Braden. We LOVE you. ( P.S. I think I can do 10 or 8 or maybe 2 pushups)

Almost Time

2011-01-27T17:51:00.000-08:00

Well just a few more days and Braden goes into the Marines. This is really strange. We have not had anyone in the military and now we have Jayme and Braden. Braden and I spent last Friday together just goofing around at Cabela's and to a range to shoot the guns. It was nice to spend some time with him. He leaves on the 7th of February, which used to be miles away, but now is almost here. I saw Jayme on the webcam the other day and I felt so bad for her because she was sick. It was still great to see her. I am trying to find out if the Marines will let Braden fix our cars from San Diego. Maybe he could just text me how to fix them and keep them going. I hope he does well. He did get his motorcycle running and it sounds great. You know I like to ride the motorcycles, but his is so fast it scares the crap out of me. Well the Marines are lucky to be getting Braden. Love you Braden.

New Year? Where did the old one go?

2010-12-30T16:30:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. Just before Thanksgiving, yep before Thanksgiving Andrew wanted to know where our Christmas tree was. Well we found it. Of course the grandma said now that we have it it needs to be up. Our tree was up before Thanksgiving. Andrew and Preston decorated it, so all of the ornaments are at a similar height and grouped together and that's where they stayed the whole Christmas season.

Now let's talk Black Friday... We were at Walmart from 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. trying to get what we needed (or wanted). One item was on sale at midnight, and when midnight came they told us they did not have the item. What a kick in the ____ (insert body part here). We lucked out and they tried to make it right. It was a long night, but it was fun being with Stacey, Brooke and Whitney. Then as always we went to breakfast. I am surprised we did not all fall asleep in our food. Yahoo Black Friday!

Christmas was very fun. It was nice to get together with the extended family for our Christmas party. A couple of years ago Stacey started a tradition on Christmas eve at our house. She always has new pajamas for everyone. Christmas morning was very good. Everyone was over to our house to open gifts. It was nice to have little kids around. They were so excited for each gift. Preston opened up his first gift and it was a train. Big mistake. He was totally excited for the train and was OK not to open another gift. All he wanted to do was play with Thomas the Train. Andrew, on the other hand, was excited to open more and more presents. He helped grandpa pass out the gifts to everyone. I think he enjoyed it. He opened one gift and said "it's just what I've wanted my whole life." Lucky kid. Isabelle looked terrific as aways and is getting good at tearing wrapping off of presents. I hope Braden had a good Christmas. He received a gun from Santa. Christmas is always good when you get a gun. Hopefully he will not shoot his eye out! He did not get any new clothes. Just like he wanted. Brooke and Tim received new pots and pans, so could someone volunteer to teach them how to cook? It was nice to have Whitney, Jason, Courtney and Doug all here.

We did miss one person, and she is in Iraq. Jamie we all hope you had as good of a Christmas as could be. It will be nice to have you here this next year. Thanks for what you are doing in Iraq for all of us.

That reminds me... Doug had quite the trip getting here for Christmas. Doug's car broke down in Santaquin. Braden and I went to see if we could fix the car and it took us forever to get there because dad did not listen to Braden and took I-15 and they just happened to be fixing pot holes that night. We were stuck. When we finally made it to Doug, we popped the hood and could see that the idler pulley had almost come off of the car. Everything was closed so we towed the car home. I think we got home about 12:30 in the morning. The next morning, Braden took the car apart, while Doug and I ran for parts. With the help of Checker, Autozone, Pepboys, and Napa Auto we were able to get all of the parts. Pretty soon the Altima will be brand new. (At least under the hood)Stacey and I got some very cool gifts from the kids. Thanks kids. Courtney and the boys went to Mesquite for a few days and they picked just the right day to leave, because now we have a ton of snow. They had a lot of water at their house last week. I even saw their street on the news. I am glad it all worked out.

I hope all of you had a warm, safe, enjoyable Christmas and that everyone's heart grew three sizes that day. Just 360+ more days until the next one. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Another Christmas Season!

2010-12-06T19:56:00.000-08:00

Fa la la la la, la la la la. Here we are again at another Christmas season. But wait it is different this year. We have little ones around. Awesome. Isabelle is laughing and trying to talk. What a hoot. She now tells everyone she sees "Hi." She is walking, climbing, and trying to run from grandpa when he tells her he is gonna get her. The little boys Andrew and Preston have both had birthdays. Andrew has turned five and is "much" older now, and Preston turned two and is doing everything he can to keep up and be like his brother. Jamie is back in Iraq, Braden is going to Marine "pool" activities, Brooke is working and playing. Whitney and Jason are trying to keep up with their daughter who's is giving them a run for the money. We had Preston's birthday party and Andrew was most definitely more excited than Preston. Don't get me wrong, Preston enjoyed it, but Drew absolutely could not wait. It was fun watching him be so excited for his brother.

Well I don't know if anyone else or if everyone else went to the Black Friday sales, but we did. It started Thursday night. ALL NIGHT. From 10:00 p.m. until Friday at who knows what time. It was crazy but it was fun being with Brooke, Whitney, and Stacey. I hope everyone else got what they needed to get. We did OK.

Courtney is finishing up another nursing semester and it seems like she is always taking another test. She seems to be doing OK.

Thanksgiving was nice. Almost everyone was at mom and dads for dinner and it was fun. The kids always have a blast. It seems that the house just gets louder and louder with laughter.

Well not too long until Christmas so mind your P's and Q's and no crying. You better watch out, he's watching. Have a great week. See ya.

Let it SNOW!!!

2010-10-26T19:38:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? It is snowing at our house. BIG HUGE Snowflakes. Way cool.

Well, I know it has been a long time since I have written. I have been busy with the boys and other things. Andrew had his last soccer game on Saturday and believe it or not his trophy said he is the "most outstanding player"... along with 400 other kids in the league. He is proud of his trophy and we are proud of him. Andrew had a lot of fun playing and it was great to go and watch. Preston wanted to be on the field so much that he would just wander onto the field with the team. He can't wait to play. Preston is starting to say quite a few words now and he loves to see his cousin Isabelle. Brooke and Braden had their 21st birthday last week. Yep 21. I don't know how they got to 21 since I am only 28. Weird. Brooke is doing well and going to football games with Tim. Braden had a big surprise on his birthday when Jayme showed up from Iraq. It was awesome. She looks great, and is doing well. She will leave again on November 3rd. It's nice to have her here. Whitney and I went to the temple grounds last Thursday and took pictures. It was fun to be with her and Isabelle. We also took a Photoshop class a couple of weeks ago. It was a lot of fun. I am trying to figure out how I use Photoshop to make me look thinner.

My dad had a stint put in his heart last week. He is doing well and looks great. If I jump all over please forgive me. Braden and Jayme went to Vegas for a couple of days. Remember you two. What happens in Vegas stay in Vegas, except herpes that crap will come back with you!

ISABELLE is WALKING!!! She is awesome. She does patty cake, and roll it, and roll it, and toss it the oven. Stacey just got back in from a long trip but she does not go back out for a while now. She is reading a new book. I know, surprise! The surprise is that it is not a vampire book. She has been tending Isabelle quite often and they are very close. You can not pry Isabelle out of Stacey's hand most days and Isabelle feels the same. She likes to be with me as long as Stacey is not around. Otherwise, she wants Stacey. Courtney is going to school and working part time at Health South. Busy, Busy, Busy. She is doing well. I went with my dad fishing before he had surgery and we caught a couple fish at the new Sandy pond. The fish were jumping like crazy. I wonder if the state will ever finish the road work on seventh east, or the work on 13th east, or 11400 south, or, or, or... It has been a mess for too long. It really makes it hard to go anywhere when all of the major roads in Sandy are tied up with construction. Okay no more soapbox. We took the boys up to Snowbird last week to see the fall leaves. There was not a lot of color up there but we did see a coyote in the Snowbird parking lot. It was a good evening up there. Halloween is this week so don't get spooked. Andrew is going to be Bumble Bee the Transformer, Preston is going to be a dinosaur (I think) and Isabelle is going to be Tinkerbell. I hope you are all well. Have a good week and a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Summer's end

2010-09-04T20:02:00.000-07:00

Well here we are near the end of another summer. Man that went by fast. We have spent a lot of this summer building rockets and losing them. It has been a lot of fun. I guess we are not very good at judging the wind, because several trees now own our rockets. Andrew and Preston love to launch them. Jason and Whitney have joined us and so has Brooke and Tim. We have been going to Andrew's soccer games on Saturdays and it has been fun. Dejavu...it's like watching Whitney and Brooke when they were little. "Bunchball." We are working to get Andrew to be a little more aggressive. He seems to be having fun and that's what counts. No vacations this summer just staying around home. My dad and Dave C. and I went fishing yesterday and we had a great time. We left around 6:30, should have been 6:00, and we went to Currant Creek. By the way, the 7-11 on 12300 south and 700 east has no hot dogs on the grill at that time. So we did not get a Bahama Mamma before fishing. We caught somewhere around 30 fish total. The weather was great and the water was beautiful. Current creek has some Tiger Trout in it and they look cool. They are not very big yet, but they are cool. Stacey has been playing softball every Wednesday with her work and they are doing OK. Best of all she has not taken another line drive to her shin. I think her shin is finally not black, blue or green. Braden is going on the deer bow hunt with some friends and Brooke has just moved into a new apartment. Now for really BIG news...Isabelle is not only crawling she is going up the stairs! She is sooo smart. She loves her grandpa, but she loves grandma more. She can't take her eyes of Stacey (probably because she knows Stacey usually has candy or a Popsicle. Ok on to other news. Brooke's Congo hat business did not take off so she is now making contacts for near sighted homeless dogs and cats. She ha such a big heart. Now all of those animals can see where they are going and do not have to sniff everything to see what it is. We will see how this story ends. Braden has installed a stereo system in his truck that is awesome. He did a great job. The system can get loud. He is helping Brooke in her new contacts adventure by putting stereo systems in the Cat and Dog houses for the near sighted animals. They can have barking or meowing in HD Stereo. Well we can't leave out our soldier Jayme, who just gad a birthday. She is in Kuwait and will be going to Iraq in a while. I was able to talk to her the other day. It was great! She sounded good she said it is very hot 120+ over there. Jayme we love you. Be safe. Well thing are OK here, I hope everything is good for you out there. Have a good and safe Labor Day. Summer's end.

Its been a while...

2010-07-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

Well lets see. The last time I wrote was ... too long ago. What has happened so far this summer? Jamie is in Washington right now getting ready to go to Iraq. We were able to go to the airport and see her off. Don't let anyone fool you, that is tough. These people that are serving our Country are amazing. They all just pack up and go because that is what they need to do. It was tough for everyone, but also amazing to watch. I hope she is well and doing what she needs to do. It will be nice when she is back home. (Jamie we miss you and love you. Be safe) Braden has quit working for Checker and is now working with Jamie's uncle doing lawn care. No, not at my house. I still have to mow my own lawn. (What little lawn still remains) He passed the test for joining the Marines. Now he needs to decide on what he wants to do while he is in the Marines. Head cook sounds OK to me. Brooke has purchased a new car. A bright blue Mazda 6. So far she loves it. It is very quick. Everyone has been spending time throwing bean bags and trying to beat Brooke and Tim in C_r_h_l_. (See if you know what that is) They are gooood at this game. She is working again for Cold Stone so go see her. Whitney has been little miss sewing machine girl. She is learning very quick and doing a great job making things for Isabelle and everyone else. Jason is working, working, flying. he made dinner for us on Sunday. It was great. He is "Ready for a Throwdown." Isabelle is getting so big and she now has her ears pierced (against her grandpa's wishes) but they do look cute. She is absolutely gorgeous and so much fun. She will be crawling very soon. The girls all went to see the Vampire movie together. It was a late late late showing, but I think they had fun. Courtney, Andrew, and Preston are her for the next year and a half. She is finishing her nursing degree here in Draper. Yahoo! Andrew and Preston are going to Preschool for a couple of days each week. (Thank you Jenny and Paul for making this happen) It is great for the boys and Courtney gets a break too. Stacey had a lot of fun watching the World Soccer games and is still playing softball. Last weekend we went to "Draper days" at the park. It was so hot that I am sure I lost weight. Not by sweating it off,or exercising, I think I lost weight from my skin melting off and sticking to everything you bumped up against. Now that's hot. We went over to the park later and watched the fireworks until Preston tossed up his lunch onto Courtney. Oh man did that stink! Preston is learning to say more words everyday, although he has not learned to say "I don't feel well. Andrew is learning to ride his bike and getting better at it. The boys and I went to see the dinosaur museum at the U of U. It was fun. Preston would love to ride all of them. Andrew wanted to keep digging for bones. We rode Trax to the Gateway Mall and played in the fountain. Preston can not ever get wet enough and Andrew is not sure he ever wants to get wet. When we finally went back to the truck we were all ready for a nap. It was a fun day. as you can see, things have been a little crazy, and hectic, but fun. I like it when the kids get together and just talk and laugh together. That's nice. Well I have got to get to bed. Yep, I still have the sickness where I have to go to work. I am hoping they find a cure for it. Thanks to all of you who help us out each week. Especially to Don and Judy who have Courtney and the boys living in their basement. See ya later

Change is the only thing certain.

2010-04-26T20:40:00.000-07:00

Let's see, what changes have happened lately? Well, Andrew and Preston are now the proud owners of a little Shitzu puppy named Daisy. I'm sure that the poor dog has not had to walk since they got her home. I know that is not true because Preston follows her around everywhere, even to the doggie dish (maybe they are both hungry). Doug Giles is another year older and they even had a car show and a parade in Mesquite for his birthday. Courtney is able to get more sleep between working and going to school (okay that's not true but I think she would welcome that change) Isabelle changes every day. Now she giggles and laughs. Whitney is back to work and loving it. Alright not exactly loving it, but she is back to work. Jamie just got back from 2 weeks in Nebraska (that seemed to me to be 4 weeks) nice to have her back home. Braden's has been working and helping me in the basement, and we hit a bucket of balls on Saturday afternoon. Man, can he can pound the ball. He and Jamie are having a BBQ at Murray Park on May 8, if you can be there. Yes I am talking to you. - Brooke owns her own company making sun hats for people in the Congo. It keeps your head out of the sun and it carries a gallon of water, or Pepsi. "Congocaps." Kind of catchy huh? Not really, but that would be a big change. She is working and going to school. Stacey is playing softball with Skywest if the weather would get better on Wednesdays, and she gets to watch Isabelle sometimes during the day. We even watched Isabelle all night on Friday. It was a long night because Isabelle had to watch a movie, then the late show, then she wanted to watch another movie. That's when I put my foot down and said "Young lady, time to go to sleep." Yep she's rowdy like her mom. Se was great. She only got up twice during the night for a bottle. Which was nice because it was the same time I had to get for a bottle and go to the potty too. Ha ha. Well another change is the weather. It changes every day. We sometimes get all four seasons in one day. As you can see, change is good. Another great week ahead. Brooke keep working on those hats. Keep the change.

When is it going to be Spring?

2010-04-13T18:30:00.000-07:00

We have had snow, rain, sleet, hail, sun, clouds, warm, and cold, cold, cold. When is it going to be Spring? I say all that above, and yet I love Utah. No other place you can snow ski and 4 wheel on the dunes in the same day if you want.

It was nice to have Courtney and the boys up for a few days at Easter. I think they had a great time at my mom's hunting for Easter eggs. I know that Preston did not really care for what he found in them, he just liked to open them. Andrew had a ball. Being with all of the other kids was great fun for him.

It looks like we will get to see a lot of Court and the boys for a while while she finishes school here in Draper. That will be nice.

Braden and Jamie are doing well. Jamie is currently in Nebraska for some training, and Braden is at home cleaning her car. You go girl. He is just working and going to the desert to ride.

Brooke is going to school and working full time at 1-800. She likes what she does.

Stacey is home today but leaves Thursday, so if any of you are cooking, I'm will be eating alone.

Whitney, Jason, and Isabelle are doing well. Whit is back to work, which means we should be getting some interesting e-mails, or sites to see on the web.

Isabelle is always smiling (OK, just at me...no that's not gas) she is a great baby.

Jason is putting in a lot of hours at work.

I finally finished up my taxes the other day. I hate tax time. Yes, I know I do not need to leave it until the last week. all of you with kids under 18 at home count your blessings. Those exemptions used to be great!

I am working on the basement. I know, finally. It is coming along. I am moving the laundry room up a level so we don't need to go so far to do the laundry.

Is everyone ready to golf or fish? I am. Especially when we have the warmer days.

I did fertilize the lawn Saturday. I don't know why though, because I hate to mow it. I had to get some nutrients to my crabgrass farm. I think the Crabgrass is like a strawberry, you just need a start and it will grow anywhere. Anyone want a Crabgrass start? Free?

Have a great week.

Hint of Spring

2010-03-07T21:49:00.000-08:00

The other day I was just thinking how nice the weather was and the next morning I woke up to about 4 inches of snow on everything. It must be spring in Utah. The best snow we have had in a while and it comes falls in March. I just came back from Family Home Evening in Coalville and it was very good. Jennifer's family put it together and did a great job. Whitney, Brooke, Tim and I road up together. It was nice to have someone to ride with since Stacey is flying. Jayme left for San Fransisco for some military training. Braden and I drove her to the airport. I don't k now what all she took with her but if I had not rode home with Braden in the truck I would have thought he was in one of her bags because it weighed a ton. Last week I was able to go with Jayme and Braden to watch her receive a promotion. She is now an E4 or E5. Yep I have no idea what that is but I know that it is a promotion, and that is always good. Jayme is great and it is nice to have her around. Brooke is still going to school and working. She is doing well. I was lucky enough to spend some time with Whitney, Jason and ISABELLE. Isabelle is getting so big and now she smiles at you. It is awesome. I also talked to Courtney today and she is doing well and so is her family. Andrew made me a fish at preschool that I put up in my office. It is great. It looks like a fish even has scales on it. Yep talented. Stacey, I and Whitney went looking for carpet the other day. What a long evening. So many samples and everyone like something different. Of course anything better than what we have. Maybe, we will just stick a bunch of sample together and everyone can have what they like. Well I've got to go to bed. Have a great week. Remember Spring Is Coming. It smells like baseball season.

Turn around and everything changes

2010-02-12T20:49:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt like you turn around and when you turn back its all changed? well that's how the last month has been for me. A month ago Whitney had little Isabelle. She is so cute and fun to have around. Turn around and not to long ago that was Stacey and I. Two weeks ago I went to Mesquite to help Courtney and Doug move into their new home.
Last week Braden and Jamie were married, and everything keeps turning. Congratulations Braden and Jayme. Already her dog tags say "Jayme Quinn." By the way Jayme leaves for Iraq on June 22, 2010. We love having Jayme around. Braden we love you and pray for the the best things in life for you and Jayme.
Brooke has a new position at 1-800 contacts, and she loves it. She is no longer on the phones. She is a receptionist (I think that's here title)She is a hard worker and it seems weird that she is not working 3 or 4 jobs. She is going to school though because I get to see her and Tim working on their laptops all of the time.
Courtney and Doug have a beautiful home in Mesquite, right across from the Jr. High School. I had a great time being at their house and helping them get settled in. I especially had fun being able to watch Andrew and Preston one day while Courtney was at school and Doug was at work. Preston had "Hand and Foot" which is a kids illness. He had spots all over his hands, feet, and mouth. He was not feeling well but always had a smile for you. Andrew's favorite thing about the house is his new bunk bed. It is awesome. Stacey and Whitney are planning to go to Mesquite to visit soon. Congrats Court and Doug. You know it seems like it was just last week we brought her home from the hospital.

Stacey just got home from a trip and is in the living room watching the Olympics Opening Ceremonies. Doesn't it seem like the Olympics were just here? See what I mean, we just turned around and it's here again. Go USA!
Well life goes on and on. What's next? Not sure? TURN AROUND!

Name them one by one

2010-01-17T13:59:00.000-08:00

So many blessings. January 12 at almost three o-clock in the afternoon Isabelle Piper Powell made her way into the world. 7 lbs 15 oz. and 20 inches long. She is perfect! Our third grandchild, and one more blessing added to our family. She is the first girl born on my side of the family in fifteen years. Yep, she's going to be spoiled by everyone. I was sitting in the waiting room when just before three I got a text that said "It's a girl!" Stacey was in the room for this miracle and I know she loved being there. Jason was already making phone calls when saw him walk out of the room. That day seemed to go by in a flash. Isabelle was so beautiful and perfect. Just to tell you how everything works out, the nurse that helped to deliver Isabelle, helped deliver Whitney when she was born 23 years ago.
Whitney, Isabelle and I spent most of Saturday together, and it was a great day. I was able to sit in a chair and just watch her sleep. Have you noticed how good babies smell. Is it the baby lotion, or what? She has long gorgeous fingers and long feet. I told Jason and Whit, good luck finding size fifteen high heels when she is prom queen. I hope you enjoy the photos of Isabell I only have around 400 of them so call me if you want one.
Other news Courtney and Doug are closing on their house in Mesquite. It will be great for the boys to have a yard to get bumps and bruises in. Courtney, you will need to buy more bandaids because they are going to have a lot of fun at the new place. More fun with boys involves more scrapes. We love you guys and I will be down soon to help out with the house.
Well time to go, maybe I will be lucky and see Izzy tonight, you never know. Se you all later, remember to count those blessings, name them one by one. The last one is named ISABELLE.

Happy Birthday?

2010-01-12T13:13:00.000-08:00

Well here I am at Alta View Hospital waiting for Isabell to be born. Poor Whitney has been in labor now I would guess since yesterday morning so maybe 24 hours now. I just went in to the room and they were about ready to push, so I am out. Now I find out that the doctor is in surgery. So Whitney waits...and waits. She is tough. I think Jason is ready to be done too. January 12, 2010 sounds like a great birth date. The waiting room is full of people waiting for babies and everyone is frustrated. Nothing is happening fast enough. Everyone is talking on cell phones and they are not quiet. I am excited for this new little girl. It will be great. Andrew and Preston get a new cousin and she doesn't get to wear hand-me-downs. Everything is new. New room, new bed, new clothes. Come on doctor get out here, its HAPPY BIRTHDAY time. I'll let you all know what happens. Think Pink.

Getting close

2010-01-09T20:22:00.000-08:00

Well we are getting close, almost to the count down. For what? you ask... It is almost time for Isabell to be born. Whitney is doing well. The room is ready. We are ready. I hope Whitney is. I went over last week and took some pictures of Whit and the Isabell's room. It won't be long now. Another week and a half and we should have a new baby in the family.
Other big news - Braden got engaged. Yep, ENGAGED, ring and everything. His fiance is Jayme. She is a lot of fun and she can kick his butt. She has been taking karate for 12 years and Braden says she is good at it. She works with Braden and she is going to school at Weber State. She is working on a degree in forensics.
Braden has been re-building his transmission for his truck and he just finished. I don't know if I told you this but Braden bought a new MAC toolbox that is so big I think that I might park in it. If I put every tool I own(that Braden has somewhere) every tool I've lost and broken, there would still be enough room in that toolbox for a refrigerator. OK, it is big though.
Brooke is going to go to school and work. She took a new job at 1-800 Contacts and she loves it. She is no longer on the phones. She just got home from a week playing on the snow mobiles. She had a great time and came home without any broken bones.
Courtney and Doug are trying to close on a home in Mesquite. I think the tension is driving Courtney crazy. Andrew and Preston are getting so big and they always look so happy. Andrew is playing the Wii and he is getting very good. Preston is playing with and tearing apart everything. He is everywhere. Court is starting school next week, so she will go to school all day and work all night. the boys will be in daycare for most of the day. Doug is doing very well at work. Doug worked on my arm that has been sore for months (tennis elbow). He about made me wet my pants when he worked on my arm it hurt so bad. But my arm does feel a little better.
Stacey has been home quite a bit lately but had to fly out today. She is doing well. I am doing well and just working. I hope everyone had a happy new year. Hope fully we can all do things to make this new year a good one to remember back upon. Have fun and I will write for sure when we have a new little girl in the family. ISABELL POWELL. Hang in there Whitney.

Another December already?

2009-12-17T21:43:00.000-08:00

Almost over. The year is almost over. I can't believe we are at the end of another year. It seems like just a couple of months ago Preston was born and I was in Iowa making a Ginger Bread House with Andrew. Man it has gone by fast. Braden has spent the year tearing things apart and putting them back together. Going to the sand dunes and work, and now he cleaned up the garage just enough that he could put a transmission in it. Yep, he took the trans out of his truck and is re-building it in the garage. (I know it's crazy. He has a new tool box that is so big I think I could park my truck in it. It is nice. Brooke work and works. She has been going to football games and of course more work. She even works back at ColdStone once in a while. She actually took a new position at 1-800 Contacts and seems to enjoy the change. Sometimes I even get to see her at home, though not often. Whitney is looking great and getting closer to her due date. ISABELLA... does that sound great or what? IZZY, BELLA, ISABELL...way cool. I am excited. We have been working on the nursery for Isabell and it is coming along great. She already has more furniture than I own now. Lucky girl. Oh yeah, Jason and his dad just bought a twin engine plane. He had to fly it back to Utah from Florida. I just talked to Courtney on the phone and she said that Andrew and Preston had to get their shots today. OOWWWEEEE... Preston had to get 8 shots. Tough kids. Andrew is very excited for Christmas. Courtney and Doug are in the middle of buying a home and it has been very nerve racking for Courtney. They are doing well though. Stacey had a scare the other day at work when their plane hit a flock of birds. She sent me the picture of a bird smeared on a plane. She said she thought it was coming through the floor. she is doing well. I can't believe I have been in my new position at work for almost a year now. Crazy year. Well our tree is finally decorated. I got lucky and Stacey put it up and put the lights on it. she did a great job. I spent last night putting the ornaments on it. So if you look at it and they are grouped together in spots you know who to blame. I also put the lights on the house last week. I did it at 10:00 at night. It worked out great. I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas Season. Merry Christmas and thanks for reading my ramblings. See ya, I need to get ready for a new year.

Wont be long now!

2009-11-10T19:51:00.000-08:00

Just around two months now, and we all get a new little girl in the family. I am so excited. Whitney looks great! I wonder if Jason is nervous? I was, with our first (second, third and fourth). They have been working on the baby's room and it looks great! Stacey spent the other day getting a bassinet ready. It is an exciting time. Names seem to always be the topic. Abigail, Piper, Todette, etc. (Okay, Not Todette) She will be much too pretty for that. It will be very interesting having a little girl around. We need to get a new baseball glove, fishing pole, golf clubs etc. That stuff can probably wait...until summer. I was able to go golfing with Taylor, Scott and Grandpa the other day. It was a lot of fun. The day was nice and warm. I don't know how many times Taylor has golfed but he did very well. Taylor's only problem is that he thinks every drive should start with a gun blast. We had a great time. I hope Scott is planning on taking me ice fishing this year. (Do you think that last line was too forward?) Oh well, if you don't beg, you get to stay home. Winter is here and it won't be long and I will be wishing the snow was gone. I am already tired of shoveling snow and I don't even know where the shovel is. Oh well, just remember, life is always changing and no matter what...Won't Be Long Now! (Hang in there Whit)

Fall fun

2009-11-04T18:45:00.000-08:00

Well here I am watching the World Series game 6 and hoping the Yankees can win the whole thing tonight. Stacey is flying tonight, and Brooke is sitting here with me. She has applied for a new position at work and has an interview tomorrow. She is doing well and keeping very busy. Braden is in the process of replacing the intake manifold on our Blazer (big job), and going to the sand dunes as often as he can. Stacey is doing well since her appendix surgery. She has had to work a lot lately. Oh yeah, and her hair is back to blonde. Looks great. Even Brooke is blonde again. Halloween was fun. Whitney and I decided to make chili. Home made chili. We have never made chili. It turned out great. Yep, surprised both of us. It was fun spending the day with her. She is out there in more ways than one. Our pumpkin carving before Halloween was great. Brooke, Whitney, Jason, Stacey, Judy, and me spent the hole night perfecting our pumpkin carving artistry. OK, mine was not artistry, but it was fun. The leaves are almost all gone, the weather is getting colder, and it was dark when I went to work and dark when I got home from work. The nights are too long. Oh yeah,Scott, Dad, and I went fishing to Jordanelle 2 weeks ago. It was a great day. Yep the fishing was great but the catching was non-existent. Dad and Scott did catch a good case of the flu though. (Actually dad did catch a nice fish) Thanks to both of them for not sharing the flu with me. Thank you to Mark and Mallory for seeing Andrew,Preston and Doug last weekend. Andrew was very excited to see you. Whitney and Stacey are getting ready for Whitney's baby shower that takes place in the middle of the month. It would be a good day for the guys to go and do something. Guys, guys, OK girls tell the guys. Dad and I are going golfing tomorrow. It will be interesting because I have not golfed in quite a while. Well I hope everyone is enjoying the fall and remember - not enough days until Christmas. See ya.

Plans Change

2009-09-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

You know nothing ever goes as planned. Saturday, Stacey flew out for work, and on Monday morning at 2:30 a.m. I got a phone call from Stacey and she was sick, sick, sick. I tried to diagnose over the phone, (you know how we all become doctors at that time) but I just had to say "go to the Emergency Room". Since I was having a hard time making a diagnosis without all of my equipment the emergency room sounded second best. It is a good thing she went in because her appendix was broken, yep, broken. They got her into surgery while I tried to get a flight out to be with her. (Cheering Section) She is doing well, and she has some great people here helping her. She is sore and has a lot of nausea but she's doing great.
By the way, the drive from Redman, Oregon to Medford, Oregon is gorgeous. It would be a great place to camp and fish. They have a bunch of fires that all started today. I can see one fire from Stacey's hospital room window. Well I'll say goodbye for now, and see if she (and I) can get some sleep. Bye all.

A pretty good summer... but not long enough.

2009-09-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

How has everyone's summer been? You know, I wait all year for spring to get here. The smell of fresh cut grass, warm days, long nights, and BASEBALL. The problem is the next thing I know, summer is over. I do like Fall though. Nice temperatures, colored leaves, pumpkins, and great fishing. There is one thing that makes me think of fall and it is the smell of dry leaves. I know weird, and you are probably glad I shared that with you. NOT. Well we are sitting here watching BYU hang in there with Oklahoma. Oh crap, we just fumbled in the end zone.

Guess what? Dad and I went fishing to Tibble Reservoir last Wednesday and we caught a ton of trout. We were using a fly and a bubble and we knocked them dead. It was great. It has been a pretty good summer. We have fished a little, we went to St. George, went to the airshow, and now we get to go to Lagoon. Right now it looks like Stacey, Brook, Courtney, Andrew, Preston and I will be at Lagoon next week. Drew is so excited. It should be lots of fun. I was able to go to the JDRF walk at Wheeler Farm for Brenner. -By the way the Cougars just scored 7 to 7 - Back to the walk... It was fun and there was a lot of people there. The Jazz Bear and Grizz for the Grizzlies were both there. The weather was great and they also had a car show. Andrew this is for you... They had a car that looked like it was a the Transformer BARRICADE. I'll try to put a picture on the blog.

Last week I went somewhere and when I returned Braden and Brock (Braden's Buddy) had torn out all of the grass out (OK there was nit that much) from the side of the house, and they graded it out pretty well. They are pretty good with a Bobcat. That was a surprise to come home to. We had talked about it but I had no idea it would be right now. Now I have to do something with it.

Well I guess everyone is back in school and I hope things are going well for everyone.

I am just rambling so I will say goodbye. GOODBYE!

Busy week

2009-08-23T19:53:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone, Courtney started her new job at the hospital. She seems to really like it. Their family seems to be doing well in Mesquite. Preston received another haircut from his dad and instead of using a 6 or 8 setting they used a 2 or 3. He has no hair now, but he looks great! Preston, at least your hair will grow back and not fall out or turn gray. (Yet) I don't know if I told everyone but we found out that Whitney is having a girl. Yes I said a girl! All of the sudden we need to buy girls things. We are going to have a granddaughter. Wahooo!! It's going to be great. Does anyone know if they make a decent baseball glove in pink? Last week was pretty busy. I was in California all week and Stacey was all over the states. She even had to divert one of their flights because of a medical problem. She also is going to probably going to be in some of the filming for the airlines training and she is excited about that. Brooke is back from Lake Powell, and Braden is back from Bear Lake. My week in California was spent testing new Oracle software. (Forgive me for the bad pictures but they are from my cell phone. It's all I had) The testing was long each day but we did get a chance to do things after work. Monday we went to see the YANKEES play the A's. It was great. The Oakland stadium is old and cold. It sells like wet cement and stale hot dogs. We were on the bleacher section and the seats were very good. Although the Yankees lost it was very fun. The temperature must have been about 60 degrees and very foggy. We also went in to San Francisco on Wednesday. We went to Pier 39 and saw the sea lions. The smelled like a sweaty locker room with the door to the restroom open. YES they stink! We saw Giradelli square and rode a trolley car. It was fun but I wish the family was there. It is never as much fun as it could be when you don't have some close to you to share it with. San Francisco was eerie. The fog was rolling in and it was like a scene from the movie The Fog. You know when the lady in the light tower could see the fog moving into the shore... very eerie. The whole time we were in the Oakland area the temperature was in the 70's. Well now I am back home and its 90 degrees at least. What a difference.

Summer FUN

2009-08-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

Last week Doug, Courtney, Andrew and Preston were all here for the weekend. It was fun. Andrew, Preston and I went to the "Wetlands" (Duck pond) to feed our stale bread to the ducks, and whatever else was there. It was a long walk in to the "Big Pond" so Andrew through rock the whole way in and Preston could not take his eyes off of Drew. When we walk up to the pond there was about 30 birds under a tree, but when they heard us they all stood up and started walking toward us. (Fresh meat) Andrew said " look they are all walking over to see us." That was the last happy sound from him for a while. Because when he threw a piece of bread towards the crowd of birds they began running toward us. Andrew freaked out yelling "Get them away!"

Preston was calm and very intrigued by the birds. There were a bunch of duck and a few geese in the group. Well I finally get Drew settled down so he could feed the birds when a huge gray goose walked up behind Drew. Drew had no idea she was there until he turned around to get a piece of bread from the bag and there he was Face-to-Beak with the largest goose of the group and she wanted bread. Andrew screamed so loud that I thought Preston was going to cry. "Get it outta here!" he was yelling. I finally got her to leave him alone and things settled down. It was a great afternoon.

Guess what? Whitney and Jason find out real soon if it is a boy or a girl! What's your guess?

It seems like the odds are running towards the baby being a girl. We shall see.

Brooke has been working her butt off to be able to go to Lake Powell, and Braden is just working his butt off. (not really they still have their butts)

This week is the St. George trip. I don't care if I just sit, sit, sit. "Don't bug me I'm thinking."

Hope everyone has a great week.

Oh yeah, the pictures are from the airshow at HAFB.

Wow is it hot!

2009-07-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

Well here it is, the months that we wait for and now its time to complain about the heat. not really. Last week was a good one. Dad and Scott and I were able to go fishing up at Current Creek. We did however have one problem. One big problem. My boat ran terrible. Thanks goodness it was a good day, and we were able to catch some fish anyway. Scott caught the most fish. His fish count was - A few. Dad and my fish count was less than a few. (I know Scott knows how many he caught but I was trying to forget). I was able to go to one of Dallas' baseball games. In fact the day before he hit a Home Run, and it was at a very big ball park. It was a major league home run. He plays very well and even pitched the game that I watched. I can tell he is having a lot of fun playing ball, and I am sure he loves having his dad coach the team. Great job Jeff.
Well, this was a good time to write because it gets my mind off the horrible toothache I have. I broke a little piece off of my tooth while we were fishing and on Thursday night I broke a big CHUNK of the same tooth off. (Kids remember to brush and floss your teeth. Especially if you are a Quinn. Remember you probably only have 4 or 5 anyway) I am hoping tomorrow I can get in to a dentist and get them to do something about it.
We went to Draper days yesterday and watched the fireworks. They were pretty good. What is bad is that it took us almost an hour to get home because of the traffic and we only live ten minutes away.
Courtney, Doug, Andrew and Preston are doing well. It is cooler in Mesquite than here in Sandy. They have only been between 108 degrees and 125 degrees. They are in their winter coats. They are having a good time swimming in the pool. And Drew is learning how to use his swim goggles.
Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about my new calling. I am in the nursery with about 12 kids my own age. It is pretty good duty. You break up a couple of fights, tell a story, eat some fish crackers or cookies, blow some bubbles and go home.
Hope you are all doing well. See ya later.

Everyone up!

2009-07-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

Well last week was scout camp. We have been getting ready since last December when I signed our troop up and we began to plan. Just a heads up for anyone who reads this and is a Scoutmaster or might go to scout camp. If you are signing up for merit badges for your camp you need to go to another website to sign up. http://www.doubleknot.com/ The camp information on the websites do not tell you this. So don't keep clicking on the "sign up for merit badges here" button. It won't ever work. I know what you are thinking and YES I have told the BSA office and the Great Salt Lake Council. I think by now they hate me. I am their most wanted fugitive.

But enough about that (see how ticked off I was) Scout Camp was very good. The boys earned around 38 merit badges in 3 days. We even had one boy earn his shotgun shooting merit badge. Way cool. Bear Lake was beautiful and COLD! Easy for the swim check because you could almost walk on water. We did get a little rain (yes because I went camping) but it was at night after we had gone to bed. There are tons of mosquitoes and they are hungry. I ate a bunch of Tabasco so I hope the ones that bit me got heartburn. The boys were good, except for one, and the camp was a success.

I heard from Courtney today. They are in Mesquite in a condo waiting for the power to be turned on. They are sitting at the pool enjoying the sunshine.

Well I need to go mow the backyard before it rains. The grass is so tall I need to put it into bales like hay. Jeff do you still have the goat? I have the yard to feed it.

See ya later.

All is quiet again...

2009-06-30T20:23:00.000-07:00

All is quiet again...

BUT WAIT, BIG NEWS... More noise is coming! Whitney is pregnant!!! Jason and Whitney are going to have a baby. What a great Fathers Day announcement! Way cool another grand baby. Maybe a girl. (I threw that in for Paige, she said we are in a girl drought) I hope Whitney has an easy pregnancy. Of course she has already been getting sick. Hang in there Whit. Another pilot in the family.

Well we have been very luck to have Doug, Courtney, Andrew and Preston around for a while. It was nice to have the noise. It was crowded and cramped but it was nice. Preston started to crawl on Sunday. Now he really can get around. Doug was able to take his test up at the U of U on Sunday. 5-1/2 hours of testing. I am sure he breathed a big sigh of relief as he finished. Luckily for Doug I knew the answers. True, False, False, True...

Well the Giles clan left for Nevada today. Tear, sniff, tear, sniff, tear. I don't know if I am going to be able to go to sleep without a bedtime story about "Bumblebee the Transformer" told to me by Andrew. And what will I do without my shirts smelling like formula that Preston liked to shower everyone with? You know it isn't as fun playing with the matchbox cars by yourself. It's all good though, they will be back around the end of July.

Until then, Brooke can sleep in, until who knows when, in peace.

It was a great start to the summer. We ll need to go to "Cowabunga" water park before they go home in July. I hope all of you are having a good summer too.

Man, it is quiet...man am I boring...Preston! Andrew! Where are you?

I hope they have a great time in Nevada. Thanks for everything Giles clan.

What great sounds!

2009-06-17T20:58:00.000-07:00

About a month ago our grandson Andrew was able to come to our house and spend some time. Since that time we have had some great sounds. Everything from "Grandpa, Thanks for coming to my house" to "GRANDPA'S A DONUT HEAD" at the top of his lungs. Sounds from riding TRAXX to Gateway to sounds of the Thunderbirds at the Airshow...and now the sounds of a six month old giggling all day. Yep, Doug, Courtney, and Preston are here too. Preston is such a happy baby, and he loves his brother. All Andrew has to do is say "Peek-A-Boo" and Preston laughs. Doug has finally been able to schedule a day to take his boards, and Courtney is just trying to keep all of the balls in the air. It is great to have them around. I am going to miss going to Iowa just a bit. Okay that's enough, I'm over it. The extended family has been great. they are all so excited to see Doug and Courtney's family. Andrew is going to miss all of them when the move to Nevada. Well if it doesn't rain all day Saturday I need to take Andrew fishing. I bought him a fishing pole the other day and he spent 2 hours that day practicing how to cast, and chasing the next door neighbor, Ethan ,on his bike casting the bobber into the bike, and scaring the crap out of Ethan. He is getting pretty good. Well I better go, it is time for the sound machine to be coming home from Whitney's. I hope you like the Airshow pictures. See ya later.

Standy and the friendly skies.

2009-05-31T21:16:00.000-07:00

I don't know what they are talking about if they ever say that less people are flying the friendly skies, because last Thursday I was trying to fly "Standby" to get to Iowa for Doug's graduation. I started at the Delta gate at 6:00 a.m. and the flight was full. I made it clear to the airplane before they called me back. This was a sign of things to come for the rest of the day. I spent the next 11 or 12 hours trying to make a flight. I was running from one airline counter, to the next one trying to get even close to Iowa. I was finally able to fly out the next day into Omaha, Nebraska. I rented a car and finally got to the Giles home. When I walked in their house there was Preston (a great looking 5 month old future Hall of Fame great) lying on the floor talking to himself. I walked in and knelt above him and he started to giggle. He and I laughed for 20 minutes. He is such a happy camper. When Drew and Court returned to the house Drew gave me a great big hug and told me he missed me. It was worth every minute of the day before.
The next day we were all able to go to Doug's graduation. By the way Doug is now a DOCTOR. Doctor John Douglas Giles (sound pretty cool). I think he is going by "Doctor Doug." Andrew let everyone know his dad is a doctor. It was great to be there.
Courtney and Doug have done a terrific job keeping up with things and getting through school for Doug. Courtney you are awesome. You are a great mom, and you are doing a great job raising these boys. I know it hasn't been easy but my hats off to you. Doug (I didn't mean to leave you out) you have done a great job also. Drew has been able to golf, swim, go to the zoo and many other things.
Well after the graduation I was able to bring Andrew back to Utah with me. I don't think he understands that he is not going back to Iowa. It is great to be around him. He is so smart. He has already helped me fix the lawn mower, and he said we need to get the "motor scooter" running.
Today he and Brenner were playing and he got a goose egg on his fore head. He shook it off. He spent a day with Crystall, Tanner and Brenner and my dad and tomorrow Grandma and Grandpa Bleazard are going to watch him while I am at work. Every time I get home he tells me he missed me. So cool.
Well, I hope everyone is doing well. Have a great week.

Wicked Weekend

2009-05-03T21:21:00.000-07:00

Well I finally was able to see Wicked this weekend. Whitney won tickets! $25.00 seats and we were on the sixth row. Yep six. It was better than I thought it would be. Galinda (Glinda) the good witch was hilarious and reminded my of Whitney, and of Stacey when I first met her. It was a lot of fun. The story was great and the scenery was terrific. I would go again. Sunday we went to Jennifer and Joe's for Family Home Evening and they did a good job. It was about choices and consequences. Connor did a good job telling his part of the lesson. I went early and took some pictures of the Weber River and I even wet a hook. Yep I caught three very small trout. Just my size. But it was a nice start to the season. Well tomorrow is Monday and back to work. Man the weekends go by so fast it is not fair. I know it is the same for all of you so have a nice Wicked week. Love ya all.

Desert Geteway

2009-04-27T19:06:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. I have got to tell you about the cool weekend I had. Braden and I have been trying to do something together for weeks now, and last weekend we did. We went to the sand dunes, Little Sahara, Sand Mountain, whatever you want to call it. Braden took his four wheeler and I rented one. First off, it was kind of frustrating at first. I hustled home from work, picked up my four wheeler, got home, threw some clothes together and waited, and waited, and waited. Braden was in no hurry to load or put things together. He kept saying don't worry we will be fine. We don't need to be there until we get there. Well we finally left home about 9:00 pm and filled up the truck and the bikes and headed for the dunes. We arrived at Sand Mountain at around 11:00 or 11:30 pm and unloaded everything. Oh yeah, Braden's friend Greg went with us. At 11:30 PM (yep, at night) Braden said let's go for a ride. Greg's bike did not have a headlight which meant he had to stay back. But no, Super Braden to the rescue! Braden found a headlight and had it mounted and wired to Greg's machine in about 10 minutes. Awesome. We left the camp and rode the four wheelers till about 3:30 am which was great because the camp was noisy anyway until 4:00 am (that's when everyone goes to bed) So we went to bed too, and slept for at least a good 3 hours until 7:00 am when I heard the first motorcycle start up next to our camp. Well that was it, I was up. I started messing around and getting ready for the day. Braden got up and he and I went for a ride for about an hour. When we got back Greg was awake. We rode all over Sand Mountain until 3:00 in the afternoon. Then it started to rain. Let me tell you something, Braden can ride!!! He was riding across the front of the mountains (which is hard enough) but he was doing it while riding a wheelie the whole time. He was jumping and racing up Sand Mountain like he was shot out of a canon. He is very good, and as you can tell, I was very impressed. I was glad to follow along and not get hurt and not totally embarrass myself. We left about 4:00 to head for home, it started to rain. I was tired.
Sunday morning... I am in pain. I hurt everywhere and I did not even wreck. It hurt to turn the key to start the car. I've got sore muscles in places that I did not know I had muscles. Maybe it is just sore fat. At 11:00 am I sat down to put on my shoes and fell asleep until 1:30. What a great time I had. Thanks Braden. If any of you get the chance to go ride the bikes at the dunes, go. It is amazing. Well thanks for reading I hope you all are doing well. HAPPY RIDING! I am going to get into a hot shower and fall asleep again. Bye.

Time marches on... Yahoo it's Spring! (somewhere)

2009-04-15T21:26:00.000-07:00

And on and on. Here it is the middle of April and I hope everyone has their taxes filed. I keep forgetting to write. Our grandson Preston is 4 months old now and growing like a weed. Of course when you're born at 10-lbs 11-oz it is easier to grow like a really big weed. I can always hear him in the background, testing out his voice, when I talk to Courtney on the phone. Andrew is sick and I feel really bad for him. Court said he spent all last night throwing up, which meant he could not go to preschool today. He has sent me a few pictures in the mail that he has colored for me and Stacey. I will put them on the blog. He can't wait to go fishing, so I need to get out to Iowa and bring him back with me so we can go catch some fish. Brooke is trying to decide what to do about school. There are so many things she is interested in that almost everyday brings a new idea. She worries too much. She will be good at whatever she puts her mind to. Braden is constantly tearing something with a motor apart and putting it back together again. (I will never get my garage back) He now has his four-wheeler running and he has powder coated the frame to his motorcycle. It is gorgeous. It is the coolest shade of green, and it has so much metal flake in it that the color just pops. He is going to the sand dunes this weekend.
BIG NEWS... Whitney's old Taurus is no longer in the driveway. Yep, it has been sold. Yahoo! Of course Braden now has his buddy's trailer on the side of my house. I can't win. Stacey has been trying to get Wicked tickets in the lottery each night. So far she has struck out. It seems they are a little easier to get in Chicago, although she did make it onto the six-o'clock news. I spent part of Easter weekend at a monstrous cabin, thanks to Scott and April. It belongs to some friends of theirs and it is awesome. We had a great time playing pool, trying to sign karaoke, and riding the four-wheelers. It was very fun weekend. Thank you Scott and April.
Well time to go to bed. I have to be to work early tomorrow (6:00 am) and you know how badly I need my beauty sleep. I hope everyone has a great week. Enjoy every day because...Time really does march on, before I know it I'll be complaining about the snow again.

Finally feeling better. (I think)

2009-03-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would show you a picture of the New Draper Temple.

Well it's been a while since I wrote anything. Not because I did not want to but I have been sick for the last month. Yep, just like everyone else. Last Sunday I finally went into the Instacare office because I was still feeling crummy. I was only there for two hours. I know, it has to be a record. While I was there I saw a bunch of people from my ward, so I am not sure who was in church last Sunday. When all was said and done the doctor said I had Bronchitis and two other -things that end in -itis. I can't remember. But so far so good. I am starting to feel better I think. I hope everyone else is too. Well since last time I wrote Braden purchased an old non-running ATV from his buddy. I have to hand it to him because two weeks later it is running very well. Brooke is in school and Saturday she had I take home test that we all had fun with. (We are lucky we didn't make her flunk the test) She passed with flying colors. Whitney and Jason have purchased a new car. A BMW! They even let me drive and it is way cool. Jason helped me out last Wednesday with the scouts (we are working on our Aviation merit badge). He did a great job and pretty much assured the scouts that I have no idea what I am talking about when it comes to flying. It was a good night. Stacey has been flying a lot and this last trip she has been in Chicago a few times. Tonight she ends up in L.A. I talked to my grandson Andrew on the phone and I said "I love you, lots" He told me "I love you, watch too grandpa" back. So I need to speak more clearly. He is awesome. I hope you all have a great week.

2009-03-05T19:19:00.000-08:00

Well another week has gone by. Last Saturday we celebrated Dads birthday and Crystal's birthday. It was good fun at the Marriott watching the kids in the pool throwing the ball at each other and eating pizza and cake. It was nice to see everyone. I know that the kids had a blast. Brooke is working on a presentation for school. She has to explain how to do something. She is telling the class how to wash a car. I am hoping she learned something from it because our car could use a good washing. Come to think of it so could her car. Braden is working on a four wheeler that he has. It has an electric problem. I was helping him so it probably has more than an electric problem now. He will figure it out. I don't know if I mentioned it but he has been on the Atkins diet. He has lost quite a bit of weight, the only problem is that he eats enough eggs that we need to own chickens and probably a cow or two. Stacey has been flying a lot but she is home today. She went flying with Jason on Saturday and was the pilot for a while. Courtney and Doug are in Nevada looking at his new job and the city they are going to live in. Andrew is back in Iowa staying with his cousins and probably having a ball. Well I hope everyone is well and enjoying life. Talk to you later.

Just a week.

2009-02-17T19:05:00.000-08:00

What a difference a week makes. Last week we were in Iowa visiting. Everyone was doing well. Now we are back home and it seems like everyone is not feeling well. I started into a cold or whatever on Valentines Day. (I know, Happy Valentines Day to me!) I have the worst sore throat. (See my picture above) I know that Courtney and at least Preston are not feeling well either. That's what you get when you get together and someone brings a cold to the party. A cold. The gift that keeps on giving. Just great. I either have a runny nose or I can't breathe. I am looking to give this away if any one is in the market for a cold. Cheap. Stacey just got home today from all over and she is tired. So with her and I we are "Sick and Tired." I hope everyone else is doing well and that they enjoyed their Valentines Day. Okay, it's not my picture. This is a guy that was on the wharf in San Francisco. You gotta admit, its a good resemblance. What a difference a week makes. Take care.

Family Trip

2009-02-14T20:39:00.000-08:00

Are they great or what?

Well we are all back from Iowa and it was great. The blessing was great. We all got up so we could make the 9:00 Sacrament meeting and guess what? We were not only on time, but early to church. I know, another miracle. We were all surprised when Becky (Doug's mother) showed up to sacrament meeting. Pretty cool. Doug did a great job with Preston's blessing, even though at first I thought everyone in the circle was going to bounce Preston right into the back row of the chapel. There is a difference between a gentle rocking to calm the baby, and trying to toss the child into the air during the blessing. Preston spent the remainder of the blessing trying to sit up. I thought we might drop him. I know Doug was worried too because he had a great grip on the back of Preston. We got lucky and the weather was pretty good. Well we at least saw some sunshine. Braden did pretty good driving in Iowa. I went for a ride with him and he was actually able to find his way around. I think he liked Iowa. It was good to see Stacey, Whitney and Courtney together. I wish Brooke could have come. But she had to work, and sometimes that happens. Andrew wrestled with everyone and raced cars on the table with Braden. Preston looks great and he is not as big as the pictures make him look. (Remember each camera adds ten pounds). He is a good kid but of course as soon as we left he got sick. I think he just misses us. Courtney and I spent a lot of time together trying to rid her computer of a virus. We finally removed it. I hope it is still working. Everyone was able to make their flights home even though they we all full. I was lucky and sat between two Sumo Wrestlers. Not really, but there was not much seat left between them, and of course that is where my seat was. So I sat for 4 hours on the flight from Cincinnati to Salt Lake with my elbows touching each other across my chest. Yep, really comfortable, NOT!! Thanks Courtney and Doug for letting us come out and be with you guys. We had a great time. I can't wait until you are closer to us. By the way everyone Doug is almost finished with school and already has a job offer. Yahoo!! Thanks again, it was fun. Well until next time. "Keep your stick on the ice."

It's a blessing!

2009-02-04T20:26:00.000-08:00

(Are those the greatest grandsons or what?)

Yes, it is a blessing. We now have two healthy grandsons and wouldn't you know it, Preston is already 2 months old and we get to go to Iowa for his baby blessing. It seems like yesterday I was in Iowa with Andrew playing cars, crashing airplanes, building forts and watching the "Polar Express" (the best Movie of all time, as far as Drew is concerned) while Courtney and Doug were at the Hospital waiting for Preston to make his way into the family. I am excited to get out there and see everyone. I am also glad that Braden is going with us. He has not been to Iowa yet.

Andrew wanted to know if our house was still in MYtah. You know like YOUtah. Isn't he is great.

It is now Wednesday night. We leave on Friday and I have no idea when we are all coming back. Some have to be back early and some do not. I have not put one thing in a suitcase or backpack yet. I usually go to see them with only a backpack and what ever else will fit in there with my camera. Stacey said I have to take more than a backpack this time. "So it is written, so it shall be."

We had a great Superbowl Sunday at Jeff and Susan's house last weekend. Sue and Jeff did a great job with the Family Home Evening lesson. Thank you Jeff and Sue.

I hope everyone has a great time while we are gone to Iowa, because I am going to.

Yep, It's a blessing.

What a nice weekend!

2009-01-21T20:11:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. Well last weekend was pretty fun. While we had the inversion in Salt Lake and it was freezing cold. Stacey was in sunny San Francisco for a 24 hour layover. So I hopped on a flight to San Francisco to enjoy the sun with her. The weather was great and the crew that she was flying with were pretty fun. We Road the B.A.R.T. (Bay Area Rail Transit) like a subway or Traxx into San Fran. From there we walked and walked and walked. Yes pioneer children we walked. We went up to China Town so they could see how crowded it could be. It was a mess. Tons of people and cars on one-way streets. T-Shirts for sale everywhere. We even saw a corner market where they had chicken feet for sale.We walked down to the pier where we saw the dinner fleets and the harbour cruises leaving. The ocean is great! I could be on Fisherman's Wharf all day. Most of the people we were with could not stand the smell of the fish and seafood. We saw Sea Lions and Alcatraz (see picture). They are way cool. We walked over to the battleship Jeremiah O'Brien and the old submarine that are in the harbour. We even walked up to Ghirardelli Square for Stacey's sweet tooth. The chocolate was very good. We ate on the wharf , but to tell the truth the food was not that great. I was a little disappointed. We looked at a lot of things but one of the best and funniest was a black man at the pier called the "Bushman." The Bushman sits behind some branches (That he drags everywhere with him) and when unsuspecting people walk by he jumps out at them or growls at them. The people loose their mind screaming and jumping out of the way. It was fun to watch him do that. I know it does not take much to amuse me. The day was a great day away. Stacey and I really enjoyed it. Everyone needs a weekend like that once in a while. I hope your weekend was as much fun.

Reflections of Christmas

2009-01-09T20:03:00.001-08:00

Thinking back...what a strange Christmas season this one was. The day after Thanksgiving we did not get up early to fight the crowds to buy presents we could not live without. But we still made it to IHOP for breakfast! On December 2nd Courtney had "Preston" our 2nd grandson. He was very small. Only a whopping 10lbs 11 oz. What a great looking kid! I (Todd) was able to go to Iowa for Preston's birth (and to play with Drew), so the Christmas lights did not get put up on the house. (I don't need to take them down either) We built a snowman that after a while was leaning so far back it looked like he was doing the limbo. Drew also built a ginger bread house covered in candy. Most of the candy never made it to the house. I had a great time with Courtney, Doug, Drew and Preston. Stacey was able to go to Iowa the next week and be with the Giles clan and help with the new baby. She had a good time but said she almost froze to death. One of the days it was -8 degrees without the wind chill factor.

Christmas Miracle: We sent a Christmas package to Iowa for the Giles clan and it actually got there before Christmas. "Yahoo! Postal Service."

Stacey had to work on Christmas. The weather was so bad that instead of being home at 8:00 p.m. she got home around 2:00 a.m. We were glad she made it home safe.

Brooke and Braden had to work a lot of the season. It was great to have them around. Brooke and I went shopping together a couple of times. Braden had most of his shopping done fairly early. I of course did not.

Like I said "What a strange Christmas season.

Oh yeah, the picture is at Temple Square. Also, I hope I am doing this right. If not, bear with me. Courtney is teaching me to blog. Have a great 2009!

inconvenience

2008-12-16T17:53:00.001-08:00

Sorry to all you readers, but I had to change my blog address due to some technical difficulties. But all is good now.