Picture update

 Caleb Loves to play with Ginger

 Caleb and Ginger helping daddy in the yard.  Where's Ginger?

 Caleb loves to help Mommy around the house too.  Even when we dont ask.

 Bundled up and ready to go see the lights at the Hogle Zoo.

 Ice sculpture of a snowflake

 Caleb met Santa as well at the zoo

 His first merry-go-round ride

 Debby, Carolyn, Caleb and Brandon strolling down the lanes at the zoo.

 They had 3D glasses that made the lights look like snow flakes.  You can kind of see it here.

We had a great time at the zoo.  We saw most of the cool animals strolling about.  So it is better to go at night because they are out and about instead of sleeping like they would be in the middle of the day.

Family News Letter 2011

Well what a year it has been for our little family.  We have done many things, made some big changes and had fun along the way.  Let me tell you about it all.

Brandon got a new job in March working for his old company, Tahitian Noni, taking care of the gardens and mowing the turf.  He started as a temporary employee, only being able to work till December.  But fate made it possible for him to turn into a full time employee, for one of the original full time employees decided to go a different route, and Brandon took his position.

Brandon also started school for the first time since high school.  He started with only one class, a math class, and is currently in finals week.  He should get a good grade if he studies well for his final.

Carolyn is also going to school.  She went to all three semesters this year and is so excited for a break, at least for more than a week break.  She is having a toubles deciding which direction to go in, for there are many good opportunities awaiting.  Only time will tell in which field she will go in to.

Caleb is growing up so fast.  He is now almost 1 year and 4 months old.  He has a half a set of teeth and can charm any adult that is next to him.   He has a killer smile, dashingly good looks (that comes from his mother(and father)), and dance moves that will take your breath away.  He loves to throw, bang together, steal, hide, play with, and touch anything that he can hold or carry or looks fancy and expensive.  He keeps us going and on our toes for most of the time that we are with him.  We thank all those who have watched him for us this year.

Our family has also done many activities this year.  We went to Flaming Gorge, Arizona, hikes in American Fork Canyon, Hogle Zoo, and Cowabunga Bay.  I am sure there are more but I cant think of them right now.  We have also moved for Lehi into our own house in American Fork.  It is a cute little home that needed to be fixed up.  We would like to BigTime thank our fathers who did more than what we were expecting them to do.  I am glad that they now what they are doing and had a lot more experience with this sort of stuff than we did.  I dont think that we would be in our home yet if it weren't for them.  We owe you BigTime.

We love you all and hope that your Holidays are some of the best.  Keep the cheer going till Febuary and dont let this feeling die on the 27th of December.  We are so excited to see you next year when ever that may be.

Love,

Brandon, Carolyn, Caleb (and Ginger)

December

  It is here.  The end of the end of the year.  The final month.  The last of it all.  Eleven down one to go.  Oh and what a month it is.  Good times to spend with family and celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Lets us all who do worship Him remember that this is what this Holiday is all about.  Remember, Remember, Remember.

  It is also the end of the semester for both Carolyn and me.  It is that last two weeks and all we have to do is tests.  Carolyn has one regular test tomorrow and three final tests for next week.  I have one regular test this Wednesday and my final on the 15th.  Then we are done for three weeks, WHAHOOOO!!!

Caleb is starting to say the Uh Oh's.  It is so cute!!!  He seems that he wants to copy some of the words we say but cant get the right sound out for it to be english.  Still we do understand what he is trying to say.  He is still cute as ever.  Taday he decided to go and play with a family two rows behind us in sacrament meeting.  It seemed that he was not shy at all.  He loves to play with other kids.  It is a good thing that Carolyn has some nephews around his age so that he can play with cousins.

I taught my first elders quorum lesson today.  I was shaking all the way through it out of nervousness.  I hope that it wasnt too noticeable.  I went off of the talk by Pres. Monson in the Preisthood session of General Conference.  It was called Dare To Stand Alone.  It went well and I recieved many compliments for it.  Now I just hope that I can do what I taught.

Well next week we have Stake Conference and we are getting a new Stake Presidency.  The Genereal Authority is Elder Snow from the Presidency of the Seventy.  We will tell you if I had to talk or not.  With this change stake sports might be able to start up again.  Maybe not.  If not then that is fine, I'll get my exercise somewhere else. 

So I hope that all is going well for you.  Next time I will give you the Family Letter.  Peace out.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving

So sorry for not getting on here last week.  I hope I did not ruin your week.  Just know that all is well and I am doing ok.  Thanksgiving was fantastic.  Great food, great company, great times.  I hope that all of you have had the same experience.  I just can't beleive that I have missed out on yams/sweet potatoes all this time.  This has been only the second time that I have had them and they still taste so heavenly.  I might prefer them over original mashed potatoes.

So do you know what this means, I mean it being the end of November.  It means that this semester is almost over.  I have two more tests to take, one being tomorrow and the other next week, then I have the final on one of the days between the 12th and the 15th.  Carolyn will also have her finals in those days as well.  We are so excited.

Carolyn and I have a new calling in the ward.  We are Sunday school teachers for the 12 and 13 year old YM and YW.  We taught our first lesson today and it went well.  Now considering that there are only two boys and three girls total I think that it will not be a hard class.

So far in these past few months in this ward, three different people thought that Carolyn was my daughter.  The way that they figured it out was the way we held hands and a diaper bag on Carolyn's shoulder.  It is pretty funny when they figure it out.

Now it being November we have done a little decorating to our house.  I know that it is really early but we have set up our tree and put the lights up on our house already.  We are just excited about this year because it is the first year in our own house and our own way.  We are starting our own traditions and enjoynig it.  It should be a great season for us.

Caleb is using his charms in our ward.  He seems to be known throughout the ward as the cutest kid ever.  Everyone is saying that he is so cute and handsome.  Well what can we say, HE IS!!!

Well I hope all is well with you guys and I am thankfull for you all and all that you do and say.  I learn so much from you guys.  Till next time.

The Season

Now as far as I know, the Season starts sometime in the winter. The exact date has been lost by the imperfections of men, or has it been lost at all? The day after Halloween a few radio stations started playing Christmas music. Now a few years ago I would have been frustrated that the Season is starting too soon. Thanksgiving has not passed yet! Then just the other day my dear wife said that she does not know why people get mad that it is playing already. She loves it and enjoys that it is playing. This got me thinking that she might have something there. So during the season we say to ourselves that we wish that the season would last all year round. So why is it that when they start playing music to remind us of this great Season, we get mad or frustrated. To me, the music helps me remember the good memories I have of Seasons past. This will include Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. All the music is about getting together as a family and loved ones, eating good food, buying presents to give to other people, and enjoying the weather and snow. Now Thanksgiving does include some or all of these activities right? So why get all ruffled when we hear music, why wait? I mean I'm sure that all of us have already started planning on some of the gifts that we are going to give, right?

So as for our week, it has gone pretty well. Caleb has been really shy around the ward members. But after about five minutes he is warmed up and starts meeting people too an extent. He loves music and dances to almost every song he hears. He seems so happy and is a complete joy to our lives.

At work I am putting up Christmas lights and am getting excited to see some snow falling in the valley. I am also two thirds of the way through this semester and am already registered for the next. I am going to take an English class called Intermediate Writing. That should be fun, I hope.

Carolyn is ready for this semester to be over. She is doing ok but she needs a break from school. For the next semester she is going to take a statistics class and a physics class. This is going to be a longer semester. Wish her luck.

So that is about it. I know that there is something I have forgotten but oh well. Be grateful, be smart, be clean, be humble, be prayerful, be true.

Halloween Pics

 So I was a Bull Rider, Caleb was Darth Vadar, and Carolyn was a pregnant Witch.

 This was the pumpkin I carved out.

This is the one Carolyn and Caleb carved out.  We would have had three carved out but ran out of time and daylight.

So it has been another week and not much has passed.  We were invited over to a friends house for dinner for the very first time yesterday.  It was fun to sit and talk to them and watch our kids play together.  Hopefully we are able to do this more with more people.

Caleb has been able to figure out his climbing ability.  He can now climb onto our kitchen table, our bed and anything else he can get onto.  He has no fear.  Except for when he falls.  For instance he was standing on the chair and he made it tip backwards.  Luckily his fingers werent holding onto the chair or he would have crushed them.  The only thing that hit was his head, and he now has a mark from that.  Still after it is all over, he goes and climbs on something else.  The Little Rascal.

I have two tests this coming week.  One for a chapter and another as a second mid-term test.  So that is what I got to do this week.  Work has slowed down, we are now getting ready to hang Christmas lights and for winter.  I guess this past weekend it was supposed to snow at least four inches and we only got a skiff on the grass.  I was worried that I was going to have to go in on the weekend to shovel snow but it all turned out.  I think the next one will get us good and we will start the snow shoveling days.

Carolyn is up to the same mischief.  School, Caleb, house, and me. 

We have finally decided that we need to set up a date night every week.  Any takers on watching Caleb and Ginger?

So have a great week stay warm and love life.

Well....

Well what can I say about this week. There is not much that has happened, just a couple of things that I would like to mention. First at work we finished planting all of the tulips and the daffodils and pansies. It was about time too, and just in time. The weather is jet about to get cold and there is plenty of time for the plants to get settled in for a long winter's nap. With ma in her kerchief an I in my cap...wait I got side-tracked. So after all the planting is done it is now time to get the leaves all picked up and then it is on to the Christmas lights! The season is almost upon us. Now let's not get too excited there is still a lot of time left.

Now the next thing I want to mention is of a more sad note. Carolyn's sister has become ill. They have found a tumor that is blocking her nasal passage and is growing down her neck. She is going to have surgery on Friday so I would like to ask you all to pray for her.

As for the rest of us, we are all doing great. Caleb is getting into more trouble and doing it in a cute way so it is hard to get totally mad at him. He is becoming more social at church, sharing all of his things with the people who are sitting next to us. It is so cute to watch.
Carolyn and I are doing good at school and can't wait to get this semester over. We are also excited to celebrate this Halloween. We put are first decoration up last night. A table
center piece. We went to a party last night and we dressed up. I went as a :)/m, Carolyn was a 288236 and Caleb was :3//2/:8. It was a lot of fun and everyone liked our costumes. I will get some pictures up later on this week.

Well that is all for this week. Happy holiday and may your screams be loud and your hauntings safe.

Fall time is almost done!!

So I thought that I should post a few pictures of fall here in the great state of Utah and in one of the most beautiful parts of it.  So below you will find what great sight we saw.

I cant believe that Fall is almost out of here.  Most of the leaves have changed color and those that have not will soon be.  It is such a wonderful time of the year.  A break from the heat is always a joy.  These near perfect temperatures brings back a lot of memories of past hunts, halloween outings, leaf pile wars, raking up those leaves every day cause they just keep on falling out of the tree wishing that they would just all fall at the same time, and so much more.  It is amazing how things change, you think things are beautiful now but come time they get even better.  It is a mere resemblance of how our lives are and are going to be.

So for the past week we have been getting ready for winter.  I cant remember what I have said in the past blog but we have weeded up some beds, took out the a/c unit in Caleb's room and closed that window, found out that our furnace is not working and trying to figure that out.

For school I got my results back from my first of two mid-term tests.  I got an 87.5% on it.  I thought that I would do better than that but it is ok.  Carolyn and I are taking a test tomorrow.  She is doing ok in school but is thinking of changing her major to something like IT.

Caleb is still growing and loving life.  He loves to be outside like his daddy and loves computers and phones and cameras and anything electrical.

Ginger is loving a big ham bone right now.

So if anyone can guess where we went on our hike in the pictures that I have posted below will get a special treat.

Talk to you next time

Fall 2011

The Final Look

Front Room

Dinning Room

Kitchen

Stairs in Front Room

Hallway to Bathroom and Bedroom

Bathroom

Bathroom

Calebs Room

Caleb's Room

I finally have time to write

  Wow what a process this move has been.  We have been so busy and so distracted that we lost contact with the world.  I mean literally!  We did not have internet for about three weeks now and then after we got that it didn't work properly for the next two.  It is finally running smoothly now thank goodness.  Next we did not have a home phone.  The only number that we had was my work phone.  So I had a hard time talking to Carolyn when I needed her cause I did not know where she was so could call her.  Then on top of all that I lost that phone in the Green Waste Facility out in American Fork in a pile of compost.  Luckily our home phone line got set up that day.  But it had a hard time working too since it is connected to our modem which had problems. 
  So after all of that everything seems to be fixed and we are relaxing more and more.  As a matter of fact we took a random vacation to Arizona to see Courtney and Carl/Karl get married.  It was sort of a spur-of-the- moment decision.  It was a long drive but I think it was worth it.  A chance to get away from the house and go do something else.  The temple was beautiful but smaller than what I thought it would be.  We almost did not get to go inside.  Apparently our recommends were out of date/ the old issue.  We both got them renewed in July.  I guess I grabbed the old one and threw the new one away.  OOPS! My bad.  But with a few phone calls we were able to go inside and witness the wedding.
  As for the house, everything is coming together.  We are just preparing for winter and all that jazz.  I have some pictures if you would like to see them.  They are below.
  School work is going ok for both Carolyn and I.  Luckily while the internet has been down I have been blessed to be able to work on it while at work and if the occasion calls, Mom and Dad let me use their computer.  Thanks a bunch.  One more thing why I am indebted to you.  Hopefully I can repay you someday.
  Caleb has recently been through a small case of bronchitis, cut his lip on the sidewalk, cut his lip on the kitchen floor the next day, has a few more teeth,  finds that getting into trouble is funny and enjoys it, beats up Ginger, Mommy and sometimes Daddy when he lets him, growing, changing and happy for the most part (not in the times of punishment, oh and he throws little tantrums when he doesn't get his way).  He is soo cute and cathces on to things very quickly.  He helps Mommy clean the house (then destoys it within two hours).  He is still kind of shy too around new people. 
  It has been awhile since I have written so I don't remember what I have already said.  The months are all mixing together.  I can't believe that fall is already here and it is time to plant your bulbs.  That is what we are doing at work.
  If you have any questions email me.

Love ya

House Operation Continues

Our House During the Operation

Almost Done!!!

Well we are almost done with our house.  Almost all of the repairs have been made and we are going to start painting this week.  After that we will get our base boards down carpet in and kitchen floor done.  Then after that or during that we will be getting our cupboards stained.  There is still a lot to do and we are just getting so anxious to get into our home.  It is going to look so different from when we first bought the place.  You will see when we get the final pics up.  Thanks again to all those who are helping us work on this house.  Whether you watch Caleb while we work or actually get your hands dirty you are very much appreciated.

As for Caleb he is going through another set of teeth coming in.  This time they are molars!  So this will make six and seven.  He is still happy and cute as ever.  He has been so good for us during these past few weeks.  He is such a trooper.

Carolyn is still on break from school and enjoying the free time to go and spend it on the house.  Without her we would be farther back in this process than where we are now.  Too bad she will be starting up school again next Monday the 29th.

I will be starting school on the 24th.  I will be taking one class, a math class.  Boy am I going to be busy.  I hope that I will be able to pull this off.  Just stay calm and concentrate.  Do your best and that is all that you can ask for.

Well it is late and I got work tomorrow.  Got to go so have a great day, night or afternoon, whichever for when you read this. 

PEACE

Working all day long

So I need to post something on here before the weeks go by.  It seems that the days go by slow and the weeks go by so fast, weird how that is.  Anyway, I need to report on the house.  It is coming along nicely.  In a week or two we will be ready to paint.  Then after that we will get the carpet in.  Then after that we will MOVE IN!!!!  We are so excited and can barely wait for that day.  I now know how Dad must have felt and probably still feels when you work at your job and then come home to another job that requires so much effort.  I do want to thank him so much for all that he has done for us in helping get our home ready.  We would not be where we are at now if he was not around.  THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Caleb is getting better and better at walking.  If he doesnt think about it he can go a long ways.  He also needs something in his hand for balance just like Kayda.  I dont know if I mentioned this but he has five teeth now and I think another is slowly coming in.  Oh and tomorrow is his BIRTHDAY!!!  He is going to be one year old.  He has come a long way and has changed so much in this last year, it is so cool to see.  I hope the same thing happens this next year and the "terrible two's" are not a problem. 

Carloyn is done with school for a couple of weeks.  She finished her classes and passed them both.  She got really interested in Geology and is considering about learning more on that subject.  She will continue on with her major now and we hope that it all soaks in as it gets harder and harder to understand.  With practice and repition you learn the hard stuff.

I may start school this August.  I signed on and registered a little late to get into a class but I am on the waiting list at the third position.  I was at the seventh position but they have been dropping like flies this past week so I just may get into this math class.  The class will be Math 1010 online.  Wish me luck.

Ginger has been on the sad side this past month.  This building a house thing has cut into her play time dramaticaly.  We try to play now and again but with her high energy levels she needs more than what she is getting.  We really need to get this house done so we can all be happy.

So I will literally work from sun rise to sun down to help this house along.  I will work all day long

Sealing at Mnt. Timpanogas Temple

New Home

We are HOME-OWNERS!!!

Yes it is true, the time has finally come and is upon us.  As of this past week we are the few the proud, home-owners.  Wednesday was the signing day and it only took a half hour.  They said that it was one of the easiest closing meetings that they have done.  Thursday all the paperwork and stuff was put into the computer and sent to the state and around 4 p.m. that evening we became home-owners.  Saturday was a very busy day for us, as we started to take the house apart to get it cleaned up and ready to move into.  We started with the carpet and our next move will be to the kitchen floor.  We need to sand it and finish it to make it look better.  Then we need to do some remodeling in the laundry room and painting for the entire house.  So far it looks better.  We did take some before pics so that when we finish you will be able to see the difference.  It is going to look so good when we are done.

Caleb has been sick this past week.  He came down with a cold and a runny nose.  We have been putting medicine down him and he seems to be getting better.  The only thing that is left of this cold is a runny nose and it seems that there is a bunch of mucous in his lungs so his breathing does not sound to good.  But he is still happy when he plays and still gets upset when he gets into something he shouldn't and mommy or daddy takes him away from it.  On another note, Caleb has taken his first one and a half to two steps today.  I did not see it happen but my guess is that it was accidental.  We tried to get him to do it again but he kept on sitting down.  So we will keep on working with that and see how he does.

Carolyn is really enjoying Geology.  When we went on a hike Saturday, she would stop every 10 minutes to look at some new rock that she found on the side of the trail.  I kept on telling her that she should keep her head up and look at the sky.  That way we can keep on moving.   Oh just to let you know where we hiked, we hiked up to Silver Lake which is above Silver Lake Flat which is above Tibblefork Resivoir.  It was a wonderful hike, nice and green and plenty of water and ice.

As for Ginger and I, we just hang out and do as we are told.  Fix the house, do laundry, take care of Caleb, make dinner, give e a back rub, etc.  We love doing it so dont get the wrong impression.

And that is about it.  I will try to get some pics on here soon.

Whoa

So sorry about the neglect.  When you are with most of your family you tend to forget to write in your blog.  Sorry Josh you were not here to be with us.  I dedicate this post to you.  I hope you like it.

To start things off I will talk about Caleb.  For the first time in his life he went camping and slept in a tent.  He did so amazingly well that we are planning our next trip.  Don't know when but we are going to go before winter gets here.  The only bad part about the ordeal was that someone had to carry him.  We didn't want him to get too dirty or his knees all roughed up so we carried him.  Once in awhile, when we couldn't take it anymore we just let him loose on the ground and boy did he love that.  Another thing that we found out was that he is very shy around new people.  He would hide his face in our shoulders whenever someone would come up to him and say hi.  It was very adorable.  I love my son.  Another thing that he is starting to do is stand up all by himself and without holding onto something.  He can also stand for about 30 seconds without a brace.  I know for a fact that he will be walking soon.  One last thing about Caleb is that he now has four teeth, all in the front, two on top and two on the bottom.  It is cute to see him smile.

With this camp-out, Carolyn got three days all to herself.  I took Caleb up on Tuesday and then Carolyn came up Thursday.  She got to relax, do her homework, watch movies, play the x-box and all sorts of thing.  Though she did say that she was sad and felt like something was missing.  She did miss us and we missed her too.  She had to stay home because of school.  Her schooling is going well.  With this geology class her eyes have been opened to a whole new world.  When we go hiking she is looking at the rocks instead of the trees. She is naming rocks instead of animals.  She is collecting rocks instead of bugs (ok, she has never collected bugs).  The point is she is enjoying this class to the fullest.  Except for the tests and quizzes.  She is halfway through this semester already.  Time is flying.

As for me, it is the same.  Go sun tanning all day, everyday.  Come home and play around with Caleb and Ginger.  Eat, sleep and do it again.  I hope that I can find time to study for the placement test.  I need to take that soon so that I can register before the end of August and get a decent class.  When that time comes I am going to be super busy.  My games are going to have to wait.

Now as for our house, everything is going well.  The inspections are all but done, just one more tiny one which could happen anytime.  Hopefully it does so that on Wednesday we can close the deal and finally get the house.  We are sooooo excited to get it.  Yes it is going to be a lot of work but that is fine with us.  That is what we want.  After two years of marriage we are finally about to get a place of our own that we can decorate how we want, design it how we want and play with it how we want.  It will be ours!!!!  Sadly we wont be able to move into it for about a month while we do some repairs and cleaning up.  Carpet, paint, doors, walls and other things that need to be done for it to be ready for Caleb and Ginger.  They are going to love the place too.  A lot more room and freedom.

Finally the most important news of these past few weeks.  Carolyn, Caleb and I (and Ginger) are going to become an eternal family on the 29th of July at 6:00 p.m.  YAHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!  I hope all goes well and it is not a stressful day.  I just want it to be calm and peaceful, full of the spirit.  I am sure it will be.

Ok Josh I hope you liked it.  Take it easy and we will talk soon.  

End of June....Already!!!???

Boy time keeps on going.  Wow that was a genius thing to say.  Of course time keeps on going.  It is like the energizer bunny, it never stops.  Just keeps on going and going and going and going and going and going and going.  It seems like I was at this same computer a week ago doing the same thing as what I am doing now, rambling.  Now there is something like the energizer bunny.  My rambling can keep on going and going and going and going and going and going and going.  Just lots of stuff keeps popping into my mind and I figure that I might as well put them down here so you guys can bask in my glorious geniusness of my writing skills and ways to talk to no one who is really there to hear what I have to say and can in no wise respond that instant to what stupid nonsense I have to say (now breathe so you dont faint after that long and rediculous sentence).  Better?  OK here we go.

What a week.  To start out I would like to say that I have been accepted to Salt Lake Community College and will start a class here in August.  I have to study for and take the placement test soon so I know how and where I stand.  Things will get interesting once both parents go to school.

Carolyn is coming up on the last half of this semester.  She will be taking Geology, Interpersonal Communication and CS14 (programming class).  The last two are online and the first one is at UVU on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the early morning.  Wish here luck.

Caleb is doing some amazing things now-a-days.  He can now climb up the stairs, fall down the stairs, walk while holding onto a walker, hold his own bottle when drinking and love to see daddy play Simon Says with a primary class.  He is doing well and also is kind of clingy to mommy.  Keep on growing buddy.

As of Thursday evening, my ward is the champion at the stake indoor soccer tournament.  It was a hard fought fight for all the teams that played.  We played at 8:00 and won so we had to play at 9:00 for the championship game.  It is a very good thing that I had a protein shake before each game.  I know that it gave me the energy needed to play at such high levels.  I scored around five goals a game and made some assists as well.  We have a pretty awesome team and we could not have done it without each one of us.

Speaking of shakes, our diet has come to its end.  Well if we want to continue with it, we will have to pay to get the products.  Here are the totals: Brandon- Started at 208 lbs., 39" waist and 21% body fat.  Ended at 197 lbs., 37" waist and 18% body fat.  Carolyn- Started at 135 lbs., 31.5" waist and 26% body fat.  Ended at 130 lbs., 29.5" waist and 24 % body fat.  The last month was the hardest of all.  I hope that we can keep the fat off and keep on working on loosing more fat and gaining more muscle.  We shall see.  I know it works, it just takes dedication and effort, like all things do.

Ginger is Ginger and still loves to play.  I cant believe that she is almost two years old.  We have had her for almost just as long.  Crazy!

Love you all and talk to you sooner than you think.

Father's Day

It is official!!!  Today is the first day that I am celebrating Father's Day as a father.  It is so weird to think about it.  Sometimes I can't beleive all that has happened to me in the past two years.  A wife, a dog, a child and now, possibly a home to call our own.  It is all going by so fast.  I have heard it before from those who have already experienced it before, but now I know what they are talking about.  It is a great feeling to work towards something and accomplish it.  Though I have many more goals to work for and I am still working on a bunch at the moment, life never seems to get old and boring anymore.  If it does, then we are doing something wrong with it.

So like Mother's Day I would like to make a list of those "Fathers" that have influenced my life.

Pres. Gottfredson- He saw the real me and helped me get to that point.  He never gave up on me even when I pushed him away.  You are a great leader and a great friend.

Bishop Lott, Bishop Tintle, Bishop Egan-  Being a bishop is no easy task especially when working with teens.  I thank you all for you dedication to hear me out and counsel me the way that I needed to be counseled.  Thank you for everything that you have done for me.

Brent Boulter- Of all of my leaders you were one of them.  Not only that you were my friend and a great example for me.  Thanks for the laughs and the great camping trips I had peeling gummy worms off of the floor of my tent.  You have helped make a lot of wonderful memmories for me to share with others when the time calls for it.

Kent Loveridge-  Thank you for being you.  You have qualities that no one else has.  It can't be easy keeping your family afloat while raising eight kids.  I know that no one is perfect, but it looks like you are on the right track.  You have taught me that even though tough times may never end, never lose hope in the things that matter most: wife, kids and God.  Nothing else matter but them and their well being.

Last but definetly not least my father Robert-  What can I say that I haven't said already.............I don't know.  So I'll just say it all again.  I love you.  You are so great in many ways and I hope that I can take some of those qualities and put them into practice with my kids.  I love how so alike we are.  There is a song by Keith Urban called "A little more of my father in me" (have Jessica play it for you) that expresses a lot of my feelings.  Thank you for all that you have taught me and continue to teach me.  I try to incoporate most of those teachings in sports, work, home and church.  Yes we have our differences, we can't be exactly alike, but that is what makes it all the better.  Again thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Now as Josh has said in his blog I wish to evaluate myself.  I think that I am doing the best that I can.  I try to make Caleb a priority or a blessing rather than an obligation.  It is fun to see how much he is growing.  I mean this past week he is crawling more and more on his hands and knees, rather than and army crawl.  He makes me laugh and smile every day.  I love him to peices.  As for being a husband, I try my best to do the right things.  I know that I am not perfect and I do make mistakes that get her mad at me but I try to make up for that.  I am a work in progress.  I hope that she sees that.  I love my family with all of my heart.

Ok enough of this mushy stuff and lets get to the event of last week.  As I have said before Caleb is growing fast and getting around quicker by way of crawling on his hands and knees.  He has also went out on his first little hot dog roast in American Fork canyon.  It was a lot of fun playing with the silk worms, ants, and stink bugs.  The fire was not smokeless, actually it was mostly flameless.  Luckily there was enough flames to burn out dogs and mallows. 

Friday we took a stroll down memory lane, aka. Erda Way.  We wanted to do something different that night so we decided to head out there to see what it was like.  Carolyn has never been out there so I showed her around to the best of my memories.  I am amazed at how much more fancy it looked.  I mean Tooele looked fancy Erda looked the same.  I did not know that the Miller Motor Sports Park was so close to Erda.  Although the ride was long, the talks we had were good and the memories were fond.

On a small side note I started to donate plasma.  I was a little nervous at first and I think that is what made my arm hurt after it was all done, but it wasn't that bad at all.  I will go now twice a week and hopefully be more relaxed.

Have a great week and talk to you soon.