"I've been Boo-Mooed"

Baby Sam

2010-12-19T00:34:00.002-06:00

Baby Sam walks for the first time!!

Baby Sam walks to momma!!

Baby Sam dances!!

Yikes, LOL

2010-02-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

so, things have been crazy

lots of sick people around my house

just colds, but still enough to really sap all energy and patience

for instance, nat fell asleep on the couch the other day. when she woke up, boo and monkey-moo had cleaned out the fridge. and dumped it on the floor.

eggs

chocolate milk

butter

salad dressings

strawberries

fun, right?

and it seems that making a mess is a common pass time when they are bored.

booboo found nat's supply of "feminine products"

I understand that tampons were designed with utility in mind... but didn't anyone ever consider how much fun those things would be to a 4 yr old?

anyway, after he helped me pick up and throw away a LOT of them, we had a talk about not playing with those again, because when mommy needs them they are important.

And the days dragged on, and people seemed to get better, but then they got sicker again...

and a friend from church stops by to see how we're doing.

"ugg" we tell him.

"How can I help?" he says, and we stare blankly at each other. "What do you need from the store? I'll go get it."

So we make him a list of things like bread, kleenex, gatorade, coke... you know, the essentials.

What an angel. Thanks Jeff. that allows us to get to sleep closer to 10 than midnight.

But then this morning, nat realizes something.

"did boo really waste all the big tampons? the ones i needed today? hmmm..where is the humor in that?"

you see, laughing at ourselves has always been a tradition when it comes to getting through tough times. and yes, the humor can be a bit dark at times.

But I'm ready for this one:

"We could have put them on the list for jeff......."

And nat says "ok, theres....the humor :-)"

i'm pretty sure we'll be ok

Step by Step Instruction for Brownies (adapted for cooking with pre-schoolers)

2010-01-10T19:58:00.002-06:00

dump the mix into a bowl
wipe all the mix from the counter that missed the bowl
crack two eggs into the mix
remove all the egg shells from the bowl
add the oil and water
start to stir
don't eat the batter
continue stirring
still don't eat the batter
finish stirring
still don't eat the batter
pour the batter into the pan
still don't eat the batter
spread the batter out evenly in the pan and put it in the oven
take the bowl into the kitchen and smear the remaining batter all over your face in an attempt to eat it

Christmas Song of the Day, Mary Did You Know

2009-12-23T08:00:00.001-06:00

I had never heard this song until a friend of mine asked me to sing it in an octet at our Christmas Service several years ago. The men I got to sing with were extremely talented, and the song was quite amazing.

I heard it again on the radio this morning, and I was mesmerized and overwhelmed. It is such a powerful song, and now listening to it as a parent it takes on some new meaning. In fact, just two nights ago Nat was talking about her new found appreciation for Mary. Mary knew that her little man was not for her, but for the world, and she gave bore him for us. How hard that would be for a mother.

Watch both versions. Musically, I like Clay's better, and the video is excellently edited and full of emotion. But I love the artwork in Donny's version, and the images of Mary holding her baby Jesus escape adequate description.

I looked for a men's chorus, but none of them were as good as these two guys. We should have recorded our version, I bet it would have been one of the best out there :-)

Love you, and thanks for reading :-)

Christmas Song of the Day 12-22-09

2009-12-22T12:15:00.000-06:00

This is an awesome song, and this is one of the best versions I’ve ever heard :-)

I’ve also mentioned I like non-traditional covers, so here this one, by the punk-ish alternative band Weezer.

Oh, and Corilee, you asked about Mannheim Steamroller. There is no chance. I cannot stand Mannheim or TSO. Only way you’ll see them on my blog is if I get hacked :-)

Christmas Song of the Day 12-21-09

2009-12-21T10:00:00.000-06:00

In honor of the Winter Solstice, a winter song.

Christmas Song of the Day, 12-15-09

2009-12-15T23:05:00.002-06:00

I've loved this song since I saw Claymation Christmas as a kid. But I've always preferred orchestral arrangements with no vocals. After searching for a few hours, I found this one, and it is the perfect version :-) Who knew? Thanks MoTab!!

Christmas Song of the Day, 12-14-09

2009-12-14T18:28:00.000-06:00

Christmas Song of the Day, 12-12-09

2009-12-12T09:00:00.000-06:00

And now a swing back to non-traditional :-)

First, The Nightmare Before Christmas is definatley a Christmas movie. It's all about Jack finding the magic of Christmas and him wanting to participate in it. And this song is definately the most Christmas-y of them all :-)

AND WHY HAS NO ONE EVER MENTIONED THAT FALL OUT BOY COVERED THIS SONG??!!??!!

I love covers and new twists to songs, and I love this song. It's a perfect combo!! If anyone knows of any other Nightmare covers, lmk!! I'd love to hear them.

Christmas Song of the Day, 12-11-09

2009-12-11T09:00:00.000-06:00

Ever since I heard Taylor Momsen sing this in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," I have liked this song. I originally was gonna choose a clip of her singing it, but Faith Hill really does have a powerful voice :-)

Christmas Song of the Day, 12-10-09

2009-12-10T09:00:00.000-06:00

First of all, I love Tchaikovsky. I mean LOVE!!! His music always moves me, and usually it moves me deeply.

Combine his talent for composition with Christmas, and you have one of the most beautiful pieces ever written. This song is on my 5-star playlist all year long, and I never get tired of hearing it.

In fact, I have seen the second act of The Nutcracker at least 50 times, and heard the music many more times over that. Still, each time I hear it I get goosebumps, and each time I see it danced the goosebumps are that much more intense :-)

Enjoy

Christmas Song of the Day, 12-09-09

2009-12-09T09:00:00.000-06:00

Who hasn't sung this under their breath at least once at a family holiday gathering :-)

The video is kind of lame, so just listen to this one :-)

Christmas Song of the Day, 12-08-09

2009-12-08T09:00:00.001-06:00

Sorry for the bad quality, but this is the only version by Dru Hill I found on youtube. I like this song because it is fast and fun :-)

Christmas Song of the Day, 12-07-09

2009-12-07T09:00:00.002-06:00

I chose this version by Haley Westerna. I prefer ones without the choir. My favorite used to be one by Charlotte Church, but I've heard lots of criticisms of her voice. After listening to Sarah Brightman and Haley sing it, I'd have to agree that her voice is pretty immature. I still like it, but there are better :-)

Pie Jesu, Pie Jesu, (Kind Jesus,)

Pie Jesu, Pie Jesu,

Qui tollis peccata mundi; (Who takes away the sins of the world)

Dona eis requiem, (Grant them rest.)

Dona eis requiem.

Agnus Dei, Agnus Dei, (Lamb of God,)

Agnus Dei, Agnus Dei,

Qui tollis peccata mundi; (Who takes away the sins of the world)

Dona eis requiem, (Grant them rest.)

Dona eis requiem.

Sempiternam, sempiternam requiem. (Everlasting, everlasting rest.)

TEAM ALICE!!!!

2009-11-24T07:29:00.000-06:00

Halloween 2009

2009-11-20T09:04:00.000-06:00

I stole all these pictures straight from Jenny. Cause when you have an awesome photographer like Josh around, bringing your own camera is almost pointless. :-)

We had a crazy fun time at the Solars. Josh is the one in the robot mask. He LOVES robots. (Transformers)

He also loves Max’s Wolverine claw. If Optimus Prime would have had one of those in the movie, it would have been over in like 30 minutes.

Baby Sam did what he does best. Look cute, and sleep :-)

You have probably noticed that there aren’t many pictures of Eli on here. There are a couple of reasons for that. The main one is, every time he sees a camera, he wants to take a picture. And, if you don’t give him the camera, he runs away and pouts.

Also, at these parties he is still very shy. He spends most of his time playing alone. With the trains. (big surprise there :-) )

So Eli, it’s not that we love you less. It’s only that you are really hard to photograph right now. They’ll be more pictures for you soon :-)

Us

2009-11-18T22:08:00.000-06:00

We love to wrestle.

And sometimes it means getting poked in the eye.

Eli.

Loves.

His.

Trains.

Josh loves his baby Sam. (Eli does too. He’s just not as.. exuberant.. at showing it)

Eli does love his bike.

And his drop-dead gorgeous mama.

And we all think Baby Sam is incredibly cute.

And here is all of us, probably as calm as you will ever see us. Unless you sneak into our house to watch us sleep. Creeper.

A HUGE thanks to Josh Solar for these amazing pictures. Go give him some love :-)

The Primary Program

2009-11-17T22:01:00.001-06:00

I tell you what, nothing swells your heart with pride like looking up and seeing 3 Sunbeams, sitting quietly and reverently on the stand, and seeing two feet sticking up in the air where your kid is supposed to be sitting.

And nothing is sweeter than hearing your sweet little boy, who can be a little shy, and has trouble speaking, go to the mike to say his line. It was supposed to be “I Love Jesus.” I’m not sure what he actually said, but Nat and I agree that we heard “Jesus” very distinctly. Twice.

And I am very grateful that he did not get his shirt all the way off.

The Most Sincere Pumpkin Patch in KC

2009-10-25T16:23:00.001-05:00

Today we went to the best pumpkin patch in the world.

We had such a great time. This patch has always been cool, and this year it got even cooler :-)

I’ll start with the fun we had just playing. New this year was big pillow bounce. They also have a big straw barn, which was home to an “Epic Straw War” this year :-)

View Full Album

Boo playing on the Pillow Bounce

I wanted to play on the pillow bounce too, but I was was on baby duty. I figured he wouldn’t like it, and leaving him in the stroller while I went would be met with “disapproval.”

"I Like Pumpkins"

They also had a pretty sweet pumpkin chomping dragon.

There is a pumpkin cannon too. I was just about to video a pumpkin get launched into the lake when Boo freaked out, and took off running and screaming “No gun, No gun!!!”

So, no video of that for you :-(

Another cool new thing this year was the addition of three old trucks you could just climb around on and play on. The guys had quite a bit of fun on these. I was pretty surprised by Monkey-Moo though. He wouldn’t go near the fire truck, and those are usually his favorite.

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Finally, the guys always enjoy the animals. They always have at least one batch of baby chickens, and this year they had young pigs AND baby pigs. How cute is that?

I’ll leave you with some cute animal videos, featuring some very noisy eaters, up close and personal with a very large pig, a pig race, some cute baby chickens, and then the coup de grâce is a video of my two little guys riding the ponies.

Noisy Eaters

Big Pig

Pig Race

Baby Chickens

Boo-Boo’s Birthday

2009-10-25T00:44:00.001-05:00

View Full Album

Boo celebrating with his school mates, opening his presents, and the friends that came over for his birthday. I’d like you to note a few things.

School has the coolest birthday hat ever. I’m gonna ask to borrow it next year on my birthday.
Boo isn’t wearing pants. We made him put a shirt on after the guests arrived, but we let the pants go as a special birthday privilege.
You may want to stay out of our house on my birthday, now that no pants, even when company is over, is a special birthday privilege.
We got shots of all our guests but Max, who spent a LOT of time with the “cool toys” in Boo’s room. Sorry Max :-)

And now, because Josh loves singing “Happy Birthday to You” sooooo much, here is not one, but two versions of it so he can enjoy it at will!!

Why calendars are important

2009-10-23T14:29:00.000-05:00

Health Care Reform

2009-10-20T07:20:00.000-05:00

The CEO of our company wrote this article regarding Health Care Reform. I enjoyed it, and I thought others may as well. It helps cut through some of the crap the media is saying about it.

How True is This?

2009-10-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

see more Funny Graphs

Baby poop photos: What's normal, what's not

2009-10-07T07:04:00.000-05:00

One of the benefits of subscribing to BabyCenter.com is emails like this:

Wondering if what's in your baby's diaper is normal – or a red flag? Find out now.

Compare your baby's poop to our photos

Click if you dare, but it's for real :-)

a joke

2009-09-30T12:38:00.001-05:00

a string walks into a bar, and the bartender says "HEY, we don't serve your kind here."

he goes down the street, and the next bar the bartender says "NO STRINGS ALLOWED in here."

so he goes in the alley, twists himself up, rolls around in the dirt, and ends up looking very haphazard.

At the next bar, the bartender eyes him suspiciously and says "Aren't you a string?"

"Nope. I'm a frayed knot."

A Quick Check-Up

2009-09-15T19:00:00.001-05:00

Temperature = 97.3

Hemoglobin = 16.8

Blood Pressure = 110/80

Pulse = 52

Yes, I am bragging a little. God has blessed me with phenomenal health, and I am working hard to stretch that out for a while :-)

My Clint Black Story

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

I was driving Clint Black to the airport, and it was a little rainy. and he said "Driver, would you back up please? I think you are too close to that car ahead of you." So now I am irritated at Clint Black. I waffle from day to day on how irritated I am. I mean, "Driver"?

On one hand, yeah, he meets a ton of people in a day.

But on the other hand, I had been driving him around all day, got his coffee and Chipotle, and setting up his CD signing.

How hard is it to remember "Dave"?

And the other thing. Don't tell me how to drive. I know what I am doing. I've been driving for a long time now.

On the other hand, he is trusting me with his life. Does it hurt me to listen to him and drive in a manner that makes him feel comfortable?

Apparently, yes. It does hurt me :-) Cause I still don't like him, even 5 years later.

I guess the moral of this story is don't tell me how to drive.

Or, if you do, call me "Dave" when you do it :-)

God Bless

2009-09-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

from a chat sent by nat

God bless the tree over our driveway that protects us from the rain with sleeping babies

God bless the emergency brake that worked when Boo put car in reverse while i was nursing sam

God bless me
for being a mom to these three boys

i need some chocolate

and
God bless Tricia and her chocolate treats, yum

Our You-Tube Obsession

2009-09-04T00:05:00.002-05:00

I don't know if it's more awesome that The Little Prince has watched this like 50 times in the last 3 days, or that he sings along with Dschinghis Khan.

Here are a few others that he has wathced almost as obsessively. Can I just say that Boo has a pretty good sense of humor :-)

7 Days

2009-09-02T07:58:00.003-05:00

Our Littlest Prince, aka "The Frog", turned one week old yesterday. And it was a Big Day :-)

Most importantly, Nat's spinal headache is officially gone. She was up all day on Tuesday, and we ran several errands in the afternoon. She felt great all day!! YAY!! It's sooo good to see mommy feeling better.

Secondly, his cord fell off late Monday, so it was officially time for his first bath!!

I love how chill he looks in that second one. I can just hear him saying "AHHHHH!!!"

Then it was time to get him all dressed for the day!! It was his first doctor appointment. He weighed 8 lb 7 oz, which is 5 oz over his birth weight. Doc said he was doing great!!

Doesn't Nat look smokin' hot? Well, I may be partial. I'll settle from a "GREAT" from you guys :-)

The guys that wrote the Curious Case of Benjamin Button have made a good observation. Babies look like old men :-)

Here's his old man scowl. When you look at this picture, imagine him saying "You kids get off my lawn!!"

Here is his old man hair.

And his old man butt.

And finally, The Littler Prince. A week ago, he was soooo small. Now, he's sooo big :-)

Samuel, the photo story

2009-08-26T00:49:00.003-05:00

PLEASE visit here

http://joshsolarphoto.blogspot.com/2009/08/born-samuel.html

to see the amazingly awesome photos that tells the beautiful story of today.

And bring a hankie :-)

Thanks Josh, for being an amazing friend who happens to be an amazing photographer.

Samuel Davidson

2009-08-25T23:47:00.005-05:00

8 pounds, 2 ozs of happy little baby boy. He is 20.5 inches long, and has male pattern baldness :-)

Why do I make smiling look so painful? I promise I am VERY happy right here.

MeeMaw gets to hold him.

And Boo-boo meets him for the first time :-)

He <3 s his little brother, and this makes me :'-)

So, this next series gives you an idea of what we are in for. The goal here is to take a family photo.

And finally, the boys love taking pictures too. I'll leave you with 2 photos from Monkey-Moo's perspective.

The awesome photos will be coming soon. Keep an eye open for another post soon :-)

Leeeeeee-vin', for the hospital

2009-08-22T12:11:00.000-05:00

All our bags are packed

We're ready to go

The baby is coming fast (we hope lol)

it's off to the hospital..

So kiss us and smile for us

Tell us that youll wait for us

Hold us like youll never let us go

cause We're leavin for delivery

Dont know when we'll be back again

but when we are, there'll be one more....

Memory

2009-08-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

Have you ever turned off the water in the shower, and then realized you forgot to rinse off your armpits?

Oh, you haven't...

Well, neither have I. And I certainly haven't done that three times this week.

But more importantly, I've never turned the water back on, rinsed one off, then turned the water off, only to realize the other one was still soapy.

The First Day of School

2009-08-19T22:37:00.003-05:00

Here is the essential "next to the car" photo from the first day of school.

And here is his awesome backpack. He LOVES Optimus Prime.

Monkey moo was excited too, the first day. But today, when he and Nat left the school, he cried for his Boo-Boo. How incredibly sweet/sad is that? He really does appreciate his Monkey/Mommy one on one time though :-)

Boo is walking through the parking lot...

And before you know it, his teacher Mrs. Marty is whisking him away to class. Mrs. Marty sent me an email telling us how his first day was. That was a reply to an email regarding a seperate issue though. I don't expect an email everyday, but she does send notes home daily in his folder :-) How cool is she?

Three short hours later, and they are loading him up in the car. I love that smile :-)

Nat had a special "First Day of School" treat for him when he got out :-)

Nat asked him if he had fun at school.

"Yeah"

She asked if he wanted to go back tomorrow.

"YEAH"

First Day Report

2009-08-19T08:11:00.002-05:00

Joshua had an awesome day!!! He liked being with the other boys, playing on the playground, with the cars in the classroom, doing music and movement with us and having snack. He wasn't so thrilled about the part of the day he was asked to sit in a chair, but he managed. I'm glad to have him in my class.

Ms. Marty

Hello, growing up. Are you sure you couldn't wait?

2009-08-18T01:20:00.000-05:00

I thought I had a few more years before I worte about this. I remember last fall reading this type of post and tearing up.

I told myself it was good I had time. I wasn't ready. But.

My sweet little man starts school today.

It came on pretty suddenly. After all, he is only three. He has always been a talented mover and doer. But his speech has been hard to follow sometimes. His vocabulary seemed to lag behind his peers. Last spring, we had him screened for his Language Development.

He easily qualified for the Early Childhood Development Program. It's a program run by the school district. It is 4 days a week, from 9 to noon.

So, last summer, we were faced with a decision. We hadn't even decided on public schools vs home schooling. But now we only had a few months.

We registered him for school. "We can change our mind later and not go," we said. Because our little man is really just a little boy, and we weren't sure we could let him go.

Did I mention he is three (3) ?

Then the school supply list came in the mail. We took him "Back to School" shopping. It began to get very very real.

THEN I went up to school and dropped of some paper work. The lady in the office asked who my kid was. I started to say his name, and she finished it for me.

"I haven't met you yet. It's always your wife coming in with the two boys. She didn't have the baby yet, did she?"

I learned later from Nat that the "always" she referred to was once. Who are these people that care so much about my family they remember so much detail from one meeting? I have trouble remembering the names of people in the other wing at work.

And then I met his teacher. Mrs Marty. Who loves what she does, and does such a good job of it.

Yeah, I am a little sad.

Yeah, tomorrow I will prolly post a few tear stained photos of his first day.

Yeah, I'm proud of my little man.

Yeah.

Anyways, one thing I've grown to love about the blogging world is that there are people out there who can say exactly what I feel, exactly what I want to say. But, they do it so much better. I'll leave you with this post, which I originally read last summer.

Why no, I don't tear up every time I read Nicki's post. Why do you ask?

And no, I haven't read this at least once a month since it was published, ~~dreading~~ anticipating this day in my life.

The author has since made it private, but here is the link in case she ever opens it again.

How Will I Bear It?

Kindergarten. What I thought would be my best friend has turned out to be my worst enemy.

This year begins the journey I will take as a mother of school-aged children. I can’t believe it’s here already! I’ve looked forward to next week for six years! They’ll be going to school someday! One less child will alleviate some of the daily destructiveness that is my life with three small boys.

And now, he’s going to be gone all day. All day.

Why does my heart clench up and do my eyes fill with water? The thought of him being away for so long…it hurts me!

The idea that others may not always be kind to him, and that his pure, innocent mind will encounter evils that I can’t protect him from…I can hardly stand it.

The sweet face…the little white teeth. Oh, my aching heart, look at the face!

I met his teacher today. She is beyond fantastic. I honestly could not have dreamed of a better first teacher for him, and it’s easing the pain…a little. I couldn’t hold back the tears when she spoke. “Kindergarten is my passion”, she said. “The end of the year when we have “pets” like goldfish, worms and water snails is my favorite. It’s disgusting and fantastic. The kids love it.” (sigh) She is wonderful.

This woman is taking over for me. She’ll be the one leading him through this adventure, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous. I’m saddened by the fact that she’s better qualified than I am to be his teacher. And she is. She’s going to do a beautiful job of transitioning my boy into his school career. I never thought I would find myself jealous of a kindergarten teacher…isn’t this strange?

I know this is the way it should be. I’m just going to miss him.

He has become my constant companion, my tiny hero. He fetches diapers, runs after his brothers, tells me I’m beautiful. He opens my door for me and says, “After you, my lady.”

You can hear the heartbreaking sadness in his voice as he asks, ”Why did Jesus have to die, mom? I don’t want him to die…I love him.” He cries for the Savior.

I cherish this child. I adore him, and so often lately I find myself admiring his strength of character and honesty. Everything about him makes me proud to be his mother.

How can I bear to part with him?

[by Nicki]

MJ in the Square

2009-08-15T23:12:00.000-05:00

This is... (get ready for an understatement) cool

Names

2009-08-14T01:02:00.002-05:00

Elijah is Hebrew. It means the Lord is my God.

The Bible says Elijah will turn the hearts of the children to the fathers, and the hearts of the fathers to the children.

I believe this means that Elijah the prophet holds the keys to the sealing power, which allows families to be eternal.

Reflection

2009-08-13T22:26:00.001-05:00

Do you ever watch your family drive away in the car and think...

"There goes my whole world"

Are we human, or are we jumpers?

2009-08-08T21:33:00.000-05:00

The One and Only Official Baby Pool

2009-08-07T01:21:00.002-05:00

Well, nat's due date is Sep 1st. I think that is close enough to start the baby pool. So pick your date, and post it in the comments.

The Rules:

No picking a taken date. They are first come first serve.
Only comments here will count. FB friends, that means you'll need to come here to vote. (It's easy. Just click on the name/url option and leave the url field blank.)
Closest to the actual birthdate wins a Wonderful I've Been Boo-Mooed No Prize.
Pick the date spot on and I'll get Al Gore to throw a internet just for you.

Some Hints:

Boo-Boo was born pretty much on his due date
Monkey Moo was almost 4 weeks early
Nat is very ready for our sweet baby to join us out here, so he won't torment her bladder further

They may be a little dirty, but they sure are cute

2009-08-05T23:11:00.004-05:00

After all, they are the stars :-)

Boo came up with this outfit all by himself... no help from me, this time.

RANDI DON'T LOOK AT THIS POST!!1!

2009-08-04T01:15:00.003-05:00

I dislike spiders as much as the next (normal) guy, but they don't really scare me. Except one. And I don't know what it looks like.

The Brown Recluse. It's bite has caused lots of trouble for people I know. They are extremely prevelant in Missouri and Arkansas. And I couldn't ID one if my life depended on it. And it might, one day :-o

When I hear Brown Recluse, I get a picture in my head of a spider I see all the time. And that spider just happened to be in my basement last night. So here he is.

Tell me experts. What kind of spider is this? I really want to know. Plz.

And Randi, if you have ignored me so far, please leave now. Trust me.

Consequences

2009-07-31T18:00:00.000-05:00

Recently, I taught Boo-boo a new trick. When I was teaching him, I didn't really consider all the ramifications of my (somewhat obsessive) little guy learning this trick.

You see, we were outside playing, and he had to go pee-pee. And he wanted me to take him in.

(inside my head) "Why should I take him all the way inside? He can just pee outside, it'll be fine."

(out loud, without enough time between the previous line and this one)"Boo, why don't you just pee-pee in the grass?"

He looked at me, and then gave it a try. After all was said and done, he seemed pretty delighted, and I was proud to introduce him to the simplicity of outdoor urination.

Of course, I didn't think this all the way through.

I first realized this one day after work. Nat had a Dr appt, so the boys and I were playing in the very nice lawn around my office. You have probably already guessed what happened :-) Boo felt the need, so he stopped right there and did his business. I looked around, very grateful that most of my co-workers had left for the day, and that the offices of the owners were on the other side of the building.

The next stop in the downhill spiral came back at out house. Both boys were running around like crazy, when Boo screeched to a stop and whizzed in the grass. I said "No, Boo, not where you and Monkey-moo are pla..." just as Mr monkey runs right through the fresh puddle. "Well, " I thought, "I'll just have to teach him about picking the right location."

But boo, not one to rest on his laurels, upped the ante. One day in the middle of the park, right by the pond, he decides to "water the grass."

"Oh no," I said, "This is getting too bad." I quickly checked for potential observers, silently willing him to hurry. Once again we had gotten lucky. No one seemed to notice our little self-contained sprinkler system.

But, every story (around our house anyway) has a humiliating ending, and this one is no different. Our ship crashed and burned in the Taco Bell Drive-thru. The Taco Bell that has an average 30 min wait, and normally 6 to 8 cars in line at any point in time. Boo made his announcement. "Go pee-pee, mama." You have to understand, this statement was met with an initial wave of euphoria. Potty training has been hit or miss, and his vocallization of the desire to go was an important step.

However, and Nat unbuckled him and started inside, he brought us out of that euphoria pretty quickly. "No inside mama. Go pee-pee grass." If you don't know our Boo, he can be... insistent. And it's tough to argue with an insistent ticking pee-pee bomb. So, as I tried my best to ignore the icy stares from Nat, everyone else at the Taco Bell that day learned that Boo likes to go pee pee in the grass.

Let me tell you, that was one of the longest 3 minute rides home EVER.

So the moral of the story is, moms and dads don't always think the same things are cute. I think it is because moms have the ability to see the future and know where they are going to end up.

(I mean, was I really supposed to forsee this would result in Public Unrination at Taco Bell?)

(The answer is yes. Yes, I was supposed to forsee that.)

3 things Tavin doesn't know much about

2009-07-25T15:43:00.001-05:00

NCS Tribute Wrap-Up

2009-07-24T23:33:00.001-05:00

Well, this wraps up my silly phase. I'll certanily not refrain from more amusing posts, but you prolly won't get so much in a row again :-)

So to wrap things up, I give you

teh best of silly saturday :-)

(at least according to me)

(considering the limited # of posts i had time to review)

no galaxy is really better than another

2009-07-24T10:36:00.000-05:00

see more Lol Celebs

A New Way

2009-07-24T05:00:00.001-05:00

Watching this is a great way to start the weekend!!

Thanks Tiff, for the link :-)

Homerism Day!!!

2009-07-23T11:58:00.002-05:00

Thanks Nat, for that awesome calendar all those years ago!!

Stuff I Saw Part Too

2009-07-22T12:00:00.000-05:00

Stuff I Saw (on my computer)

2009-07-22T07:00:00.001-05:00

Dave's iPod Tips

2009-07-21T19:00:00.003-05:00

If you keep your iPod in your shirt pocket, when you adjust the volume it looks like you are playing with your nipple.

clickety for a iPod demo (go to 0m 27s if the link doesn't do it automatically)

lolcat-zilla

2009-07-21T17:00:00.000-05:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

The Sad Story of a Lonely Lolrus and his Bukkit

2009-07-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

NCS Tribute Week

2009-07-20T20:00:00.000-05:00

Things have been a little serious around here lately. And so, in order to bring balance to the force, I wish to channel my online friend NCS, of Mas Cowbell notoriety.

so, to kick off teh festivities, here is a celebratory dance that will have you saying "plz, vadar, don't hurt 'em"

for funny please click here

Continuing Revelation

2009-07-18T23:50:00.002-05:00

Out of the 12 people that read this blog, I think that maybe two of them are not LDS. So for their benefit, I'll explain a bit before I ask my question. Because this post is about a question.

One of the distiguishing characteristics of my religion is that I believe there is a prophet on the Earth today, guiding the church with continuing revelation from God.

This means that sometimes things that have been constant for years, or even decades, can change, and in the past that has been disconcerting for some people.

So my question is this:

After almost 200 years of only males holding the priesthood, how would you feel if our leaders announced that women could now hold the priesthood?

How would you react?

What would it take for you to accept it?

I want everyone who reads this to answer in the comments. Do it anonymously, use 2 words, use 2 pages, I don't care. Even if you're not LDS, try to imagine what you might think and let me know.

And one final request. Send it to your friends, and tell them to comment. I am sure that almost EVERYONE will have an opinion. I want to hear it.

On Compassion; or, A Glass Castle Shattered

2009-07-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

When I finished "The Glass Castle" by Jeanette Walls, I was mad. How could parents so completely betray their kids? The parents' selfishness was so rampant, and their disregard for their stewardship over their family was so disturbing that I had trouble remembering this was a memoir, and not a work of sick fiction.

I thought, yeah, I could see where some abused kids could get a lot of hope out of this story, but it really does nothing for me.

When I finished, all I could think about was the judgement the parents would have to face. I was thinking about how lucky they were that the kids turned out ok, and the kids sins wouldn't be compound on those of the parents.

Then I thought about it. Well, the parent's taught them lots of good lessons along the way. That allowed the kids to make it ok. But still, that feels like rationalization. It's like saying, "God, I know you don't want me to skip church on Sunday, but I think I'm gonna do it anyway. So I'll pay some extra tithing, and how about we call that even." It doesn't fly. You can't do a halfway job of something, and then get a pass when it (luckily) turns out ok.

Then I thought some more. Why am I judging this man and this woman? Yes, they made horrible mistakes. Yes, the punishment for the forsaking of their kids will probably be severe. But the kids forgave them. Why can't I?

How does Heavenly Father look at these parents? Is he sitting up there, tapping his finger tips and saying "Just you wait..." No.

Is Jesus looking at them and saying "Why did I waste the gift of my Atonement on these two rubbish heaps?" No.

They are both looking at them with love and compassion. They KNOW what the parents were doing and thinking, and what limits and pressures they faced. They KNOW what the parents tried to do, or wanted to do.

If Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and even the children are not offended, then how can I be? Will I be able to take this lesson, and never judge? Always show compassion? Most importantly, always love?

I hope so.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.

I truly hated reading the suffering in the story in "The Glass Castle." But I truly am grateful for what it has taught me about myself.

A Map of the US

2009-07-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

If you're LDS and live in Missouri, this will probably be funny.

If you're LDS anywhere else, this might be funny.

If you're not LDS, you will probably shake your head and say "Those Mormons have a strange sense of humor."

I just love the picture for Missouri on this map.

Gnostic Theism

2009-07-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

The following was posted by a good friend of mine. I enjoy some of his ideas. I don't agree with all of them, but a lot are closer than you might think. He calls his world view "Gnostic Theism," and everything after this is his:

I believe the fundamentals of Gnostic Theism are as follows:

The universe is vast and infinite, and one of an infinite number of vast and infinite universes.

The Grand Creator exists outside and independent of these universes, and outside of time and space. This being is the author and architect of all things, and can not be known in any way at the human level of consciousness.

The Grand Creator has given Divine Mind dominion over this entire universe, which it interpenetrates in all ways and at all times. This Divine Mind is 'God' as it is conceived of by most people.

Divine Mind is everywhere at all times, overseeing and animating everything in existence from the tiniest of particles to the planets and the universe itself; this Mind oversees. Divine Mind is not limited by time and space as we understand them, and it aware of all occurrences in all dimensions simultaneously.

The Universe is designed and run like a tremendous machine, or individual functions delegated to conscious beings to perform. These beings, pending the scope of their activities are the angels, gods, and spirits of common experience.

Everything exists. It is easier to assume any given being, god, entity, alien, etc is real or based on something that was real, than not. It is impossible to say if a a given deity, Apollo for instance, exists because he was created to serve a purpose, or centuries of veneration and belief have given him a conscious existence.

Mankind is a microcosm of the macrocosm; any and everything that exists outside of us exists inside of us. Our outer experiences constantly reflect our inner state in an attempt to reach equilibrium; the easiest way to enact outer change it to enact inner change. As the Hermeticists say: As Above, So Below; As Within, So Without.

Each individual human being is infinitely powerful. You literally have all the power of the universe at your disposal, if you would just dedicate your self to it's mastery.

Science is king, for it's purposes, and religion is king, for it's purposes. Science can tell us how, religion can tell us why. Using science in an attempt to disprove the existence of God is like trying to use a knowledge of music to disprove the existence of Beethoven.

Memory Lane, MTV Style

2009-07-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

When I was 14 I was really into music videos. I had a VHS tape that I kept close to the tv, and when a great video would come on, I'd tape it. Then, when sucky videos were on, I'd watch my tape.

I realized that I missed my tape the other day, so here I've atempted to recreate it.

Take some time and watch each one. They are all cool, and I bet it will take you baack to a time. (when MTV actually played music videos)

Life is a Highway -- Tom Cochrane
(sorry I couldn't embed this one)

Losing My Relgion -- R.E.M.

R.E.M. - New Music - More Music Videos

November Rain -- Guns-n-Roses

Tears in Heaven -- Eric Clapton

Smells Like Teen Spirit -- Nirvana

Nirvana - New Music - More Music Videos

Into The Great Wide Open -- Tom Petty
(sorry I couldn't embed this one)

Silent Lucidity -- Queensryche
(sorry I couldn't embed this one)

Summertime -- DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

Love Will Never Do Without You -- Janet Jackson

Another video I liked was Nuthin’ But a G Thang -- Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg
... but I have repented of that and will not post the video here :-O

Who is that really commenting on your blog?

2009-07-11T23:28:00.000-05:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Lucifer's Role in the Plan of Salvation

2009-07-08T18:00:00.000-05:00

Was Lucifer's rebellion necessary for our Father's Plan of Salvation?

People say that Lucifer had to Fall to introduce Evil to the Earth. If that is true, that means his alternate plan had to be introduced, and God created at least one Spirit to Fail. And by fail I mean that spirit would never have any chance at redemption, and would have to be predestined to Outer Darkness.

I believe Truth transcends God, our Heavenly Father. I believe He is subject to Truth, and that He derives his knowledge and power from adherence to Truth. I interpret Alma 42:13 in a similar light. God is subject to the Law of Justice, and the consequence of failing to observe this law is the loss of his knowledge and power. I am not sure of the mechanics that govern Truth, nor am I sure of its origins. I think that Truth is universal law that ultimately must be yielded to.

If Truth transcends God, then Evil must transcend Lucifer. Lucifer was tempted in the Pre-Existence. In fact, he was probably only doing that which has been done before. In our world, Lucifer's pride caused him to give in to that temptation. However, if he had resisted, then Evil would have found another way to introduce temptation into our world. Even if EVERY spirit child of our Heavenly Father chose to follow God's Plan of Salvation, God's Plan would not have been interrupted. Evil would have tempted Adam and Eve, they would have Fallen, and we would all have the choice to return to God. Evil had to be present in our world to tempt us. If it were not so, then we never would have had the chance to choose Truth, and therefore choose our Heavenly Father.

By recognizing that sin would have entered our world regardless of Lucifer's (or any other's) actions, I find comfort that God didn't create us with one (or many) automatically consigned to an eternity of separation. I think that saying Lucifer's fall was necessary for the Plan of Salvation limits his Free Agency. If God limited Lucifer's Free Agency, then that means our own Free Agency is limited. Free Agency is one of those concepts that must apply to everyone. It is a constant gift. If God were to limit anyone's Free Agency, then none of us could count on receiving it either.

A friend pointed out that this theory still doesn't answer why God doesn't "miracle [Satan] out of existence?" unless he serves a purpose. God does have the ability to use those that fight against Him for His purpose. I am not saying that God causes those who fight against Him to act that way, or that He wants them to. I just think that regardless of each individuals decisions, God can (and does) use the results in the best way possible for all his children.

A reality show contestant I could really support

2009-07-06T08:17:00.001-05:00

see more Lol Celebs

Another First

2009-07-03T13:08:00.002-05:00

Little Monkey Moo got his first bloody nose today. Wouldn't you know it would have to be while I'm watching him?

Despite the minor nature of this injury, Mommy is not gonna be thrilled.

Goodbye Grandma

2009-07-01T06:00:00.001-05:00

You are not dead yet, but it is time to start saying goodbye. The sun has been slowly setting on your memory for a long time, and now it has slipped below the horizon. It is so sad to see you, and to realize that you have no idea who I am.

But I love how your face lights up when you see my family, especially my two little boys. Did you know that Nat was one of the last people you stopped remembering. She always loved that. You'd look at me and say "Who's that fellow?" But when Nat walked in, you'd say "Oh, It's Nat!!"

I like to think that the boys, in their nearness to God, got to know you a little better than I think. I hope they got to commune with your spirit closely, both to give you comfort and to learn what a wonderful Grandma you were.

I'll never forget how you teared up the first time you saw me in my Navy uniform.

I'll always remember how fun it was to spend the night, and play guess the animal. To a little boy, it seemed like we'd stay up all night talking and playing.

I remember Sunday dinners at your house. For some reason, the biggest treat for me there was to get a roll with butter and sugar on it. I'm not sure I've done that combination anywhere else.

You also made the best carrot cakes I think I'll ever taste.

Your house has so many fond memories, and I hope my boys will have fond memories of it with their Oma. The awesome rock out front, the great backyard and the perfect hallway for hallway soccer are things about your house I always enjoyed.

I spent an awesome week with you. I don't remember how old I was, but it was mid-teens at least. You were going through a bunch of old stuff, trying to clear out junk. I couldn't believe how much silly stuff you saved. I'd look at you and say "Really, you need to keep this?" You will be glad to know, (or maybe sad) that I did inherit the pack rat gene. We had a great time going through your stuff, and I heard a lot of great stories and memories.

I love you Grandma. I hope you are happy and peaceful. Thank you for so many wonderful times.

An Alarming Prediction

2009-06-30T07:27:00.000-05:00

I just found this disturbing graph concerning Global Climate Change.

I think we need to take action NOW!!

Thanks, Freddy 4.5

The Day I Bought My First Toby Keith Album

2009-06-26T10:17:00.001-05:00

It. Was. Amazing!

When awesome takes a nap

2009-06-17T12:02:00.000-05:00

I'll only be asleep for a few minutes. What could go wrong?

Reason I Love Nat #1,632,951

2009-06-15T06:35:00.000-05:00

This reason was discovered last night.

Monkey Moo was walking around yelling "MINE"

Nat says, with an awesome panache

"I don't think that word means what you think it means."

Did I marry an amazing woman or what?

good instincts mark

2009-06-11T10:31:00.001-05:00

see more Lol Celebs

A Day Out With Thomas

2009-06-07T22:21:00.003-05:00

This was an awesome day. The boys had so much fun riding on Thomas the Train!!!

There were so many things to do, I couldn't even fit them all in the Slideshow.

(There is a link on there to see the pictures on Picasa if you want)

Nat's day at the Zoo

2009-06-06T22:15:00.000-05:00

A chat with Nat after a zoo trip alone with the boys. The echo cave she mentions is a man made cave, about 30 square feet and about 4 feet high. The entrance is around 3 feet tall and about 2 feet across.

Also, when Boo refuses to come, our technique has been to fake leave, and he comes along so he won't get "left." Of course, we'd never leave him...

Nat

oh yeah
get this
boo wouldnt leave the stupid echo cave
so i told him like after 10 mins had to go cuz no shade for me to sit in
he said no
i told him bye after counting to 3
and left around corner but could still see
i was situating moo-moo
waiting
for boo-boo who didnt care
and then i see a crowd of adults around the cave
omg
boo told them his mommy left him!!!!
no crying
just she left me
getting me in trouble
i was there whole time i explained to people
ws trying to get him to leave
one guy had zoo on phone explaining location
omg
omg
omg
im an idiot
i wanted to beat his butt
but already had alot of attention on me so didnt

me: well, i guess that tactic won't work any more

Nat

NOT AT ALL
ur probably laughing
i wasnt
so embarrassed
a trip i guess i wont forget for a very long damn time

Two helpings of youtube awesomeness

2009-06-06T15:55:00.001-05:00

Wrong video indeed...

Daddy = Po?

2009-05-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Have you seen this section from Kung Fu Panda?

That is the sound Boo-boo makes when he punches me in the belly.

He is hilarious.

Breakfast cookies

2009-05-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

booboo has always been a difficult eater. Sometimes picky, but usually he just won't eat.

Once, during one of his extended fasts, Nat got desperate and bought him some pop-tarts.

He wouldn't even look at them, so nat said the magic words.

"Boo-boo, this is a breakfast cookie!"

And his love for pop-tarts began. I wonder what will happen when we try to give him a different flavor?

More Monkey Moo

2009-05-03T23:00:00.000-05:00

:'-)

2009-04-19T23:40:00.002-05:00

Boo-boo started primary this year. There were a few problems with the transition, but he always seems to have had a good time when we pick him up. :-)

Today, we went into church just after the sacrament. I kind of half-heard Bishop explain that this week, due to stake conference last week, we are celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus. Then I noticed the primary moving to the front and start a song. We got settled in, and I heard Boo-boo singing along. Nat figured it out first, and said "Should he be up there?"

I looked and saw his buddies up there, and realized that Josh was missing out on his first Sacrament song. He rushed up there with Nat, and I was really overcome by how sweet and special his little voice was as he sang about our Savior.

I wish I could describe the wonderful feeling I experienced today. I never have been very good at expressing myself in writing, so I hope that when I read this 20 years from now, I will be able to relive the whole experience.

What am I gonna do at his first sacrament program? His first primary activity is coming up on Sat. wow.

Charlie the Unicorn

2009-03-31T18:30:00.000-05:00

because i need a :-)

2009-03-12T13:34:00.002-05:00

lawlz

2009-03-09T11:45:00.000-05:00

Today's been rough. And it's not yet noon. So here's a cheer-me-up.

I made the first three. The last two I found.

In case you don't get the next one try this.

Married Life - one of those silly facebook quizzes

2009-03-06T14:58:00.002-06:00

How long have you been together? 15 years or so

How long did you know each other before you started dating? about 5 months

Who asked whom out? I asked her.

How old are each of you? 31

Whose siblings do/did you see the most? hers, I think.

When was your "engagement anniversary": no idea. sometime in the summer of 97. I remember that I asked her to be my girlfriend on 11-23-1994

When is your marriage anniversary: 12-31-97

How long have you known your spouse: 15 years or so

How long did you date before you were engaged: about 2 years

Where did you meet your spouse for the first time? in a little chateau in the Bavarian Alps outside of OberAmmerGau

What is your spouse's full name: Natalie, but I call her Nat

Do you have any children?: Yes

How many: 2.75

Did you go to the same school? Same High School, and I went to her college for a few years, but not at the same time

Are you from the same hometown? Yes, about two blocks from each other

Who is the smartest? I am in some things, she is in others

Do you have any house pets? dog and cat. I usually call them 'Dog' and 'Cat'

Do you live in the country or town/city? City

What is one of your favorite activities together? Watch Lost and Office

Who is more sensitive? She is

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? Florida. We went once to Disneyland and once to Tampa Bay.

Who has the craziest exes? Toss up.

Who has the worst temper? me, probably

Who does the cooking? Mostly Nat

Who is more social? Me

Who is the neat-freak? Nat is, but I'm closing in on her

Who is more stubborn? Me

Who hogs the bed? the baby

Who wakes up earlier? I do, for work

Where was your first date? Not sure. We hung out so much before and after we began 'dating' that the line is really blurry

Who has the bigger family? Me

Do you have a favorite vacation spot? Hawaii is the dream one

How many siblings (including in-laws)? I have 5 siblings and 3 in-laws, and Nat has 2 siblings and 1 in-law

What church do you attend: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

What town is your current address? Kansas City, MO

Do you work outside the home, or stay at home? Outside the home

Where did you honeymoon? didn't really have one, we spent the day after our wedding moving my crap to KC

How do you spend the holidays? Most are here, but we go to Little Rock for most Christmases.

Who is more jealous? She is.

How long did it take to get serious? a year or so

Who eats more? Me, usually

Who does/did the laundry? Split

Who's better with the computer? Me

Who drives when you are together? Nat. She can't stand my driving.

Leave a piece of marriage advice: No big changes or decisions in the first few years. Spend some time getting to know each other. This includes house buying, children, moving, etc.

mmmm... butter

2009-03-02T23:51:00.002-06:00

Boo-boo was digging in the fridge, and we just assumed he was looking for something to eat.

We were right. You see that? Those are teeth marks. Once I saw that he was peeling the paper off of the butter, I tried to talk him out of it. In the end, I just had to say

"Ok, you can have it, but I don't think you are going to like it."

I think I was right. I hope he remembers this lesson next time he feels snacky.

And since I haven't posted any pictures in a while, here are some recent ones.

This one is Mr Moo snuggling the snake.

These last few days, he has grown very attached to it. He's really cute how he wraps it around him and holds it tight.

Every now and again they will wear each other out.

These next scenes show the result of Mommy trying to rest for a few minutes. IT doesn't take long, does it?

Nat took these pictures when she discovered the "artwork." They are working very hard to scrub the walls clean.

BTW, these walls are now wonderfully clean thanks solely to Raytown Ward RS and YW!!! Thanks guys, <3 u so much, and look for your own post soon!!

our monkey moo

2009-03-02T11:59:00.001-06:00

Mr sweet monkey moo, I don't write about you here very often. I think I know why. When your big brother does something, we get excited because it's new. When you do something, we get excited because it's new for you, but unfortunately it's not new for us. And that means we may not talk about it as much :-(

So, with your second birthday being very recent, I thought I'd take a few minutes to tell you about some of the things that make you unique, special and cute to us.

You love watching movies. But you call them 'avis.' You can be sobbing, really upset, but when we ask if you want a movie, you'll usually calm down enough to repeat it back to us. 'Avi'

You think it is hilarious to bite. It's a game to you. We don't tell you this now, but it is pretty funny to watch you lunge at mommy with your mouth open. She usually has to stiff arm her forehead to protect herself. Sometimes she calls you her little piranha.

You totally have some mad jumping skillz. We were pretty impressed, but it didn't even hit me until I got a baby center bulletin one day. It told me that we might start seeing you jump for real, with both feet off the ground. You had been jumping flat-footed of the floor with like a 3 inch leap at that point, and on the bed you were a monster. In fact your two favorite games are to climb on the arm of the couch and jump out onto the couch (I've seen you travel about 3 to 4 feet doing this), and jump like crazy on the bed for a long time (like nonstop for 10 minutes).

When you want us to pick you up, you tell us "hold you," over and over again until we pick you up.

You love our cat, but you hate for her to be inside. If she tries to get in, you yell "OUT CAT!!", and try ti kick her until she leaves. But when you see her outside, it's all snuggles and pets and kisses. And if the cat is hungry, you love to get her bowl and feed her. It is quite cute watching you be such a good helper.

You love water. Bath time, your new water table, the kitchen sink, or a hose... It doesn't matter to you, you just love playing in it. You can splash for hours. The only problem is, you hate having wet clothes. If water gets on your shirt or pants, you fuss about it.

I hope this gives you some idea about your life right now. And mr monkey moo, we love you, very much.

Tree climbing

2009-03-01T22:45:00.001-06:00

Originally written on 8-26-2008
Finished thanks to a challenge from JustRandi

Here are Randi's follow-up posts to the game.
GamePlay
Mayo Clinic

We are all eating dinner, and Josh decides to go outside to play. That's fine by us, he can't get in a lot of trouble out there.

A few minutes later, he comes to the door and shuts it as he goes back outside. Nat and I look at each other, and say, "He's up to something." A few minutes later, I step out on the porch to see what he is hiding from us.

"Boo-Boo?" I call out. I hear a soft little reply.

"Help."

Not panicked, not fearful, just saying, Hey, get over here. So I walk over to the dogwood, and there he is. He's only about 5 feet off the ground, but perched in a way that makes it quite difficult to climb down. I reach over and help him down.

"Thanks, dada." He turns around, and climbs right back in. My sweet little boy.

EDITOR'S NOTE: When this occurred, Boo-boo was 2 months shy of 3. That makes his tree climbing skills a little more remarkable (to me).
He also was not talking that much, which made his little "help" about 25% of the words he spoke on a typical day.

The reason this took so long to post is that I wanted to post some pictures of him climbing the tree. I don't think I can even get to those pictures now, so rather than cheat, I deleted this paragraph.

Here are some pictures of him climbing that dogwood. These were not taken at the time of this incident. Also please note that we don't normally let him run around naked in the front. That is only allowed on special occasions.

New Product Ideas

2009-02-27T08:59:00.003-06:00

If I were to market a new line of odorants, I think I would go with

Moldy Mac and Cheese
Aged Sippy Cup Milk
Summertime Diaper Pail

In that order.

What are your ideas?

(Becky, I'm sorry that you are left out of this discussion) :-)

A precious moment

2009-02-24T23:57:00.005-06:00

Nat needed a blessing the other day. Nothing serious, just this cold is combining with her pregnancy to really make life difficult.

I called my buddy, who sounds surprisingly chipper for 11 pm, and he comes right over (with his brother). I pull a chair out in the middle of the room so we can all stand around, and commence with the blessing.

After we're done, we sit for a minute, mainly so they can make sure there's nothing else we need. While we are visiting, boo-boo pulls one of his chairs up next to where Nat's chair is. I just kind of noticed it, but wasn't really paying close attention.

Then, as our friends left, boo-boo sits down in his chair, and makes nat sit down next to him. He grabbed her hands and said "Boo-boo's turn."

An incredibly sweet feeling immediately filled me. I was so happy that he would want me to give him a blessing. Maybe he was just being a copycat, but maybe he recognized the Spirit's touch as I gave gave Nat a blessing.

I knelt down behind him and laid my hands on his head, and gave him a simple Father's blessing. I blessed him with compassion, love and the desire to help mommy and his little sibling(s). I also thanked him for being such a wonderful, sweet miracle to us. He didn't move a muscle through the entire thing. And talk about a hug when we were finished.

These types of moments wipe out hours of frustration, chores, work, etc... These are the moments I hope to experience for years, and eternities, to come.

Quiz time

2009-02-16T21:53:00.002-06:00

I'll make it multiple choice so it's easier.

What did my baby pour all over the floor?

a) the $3 bottle of baby lotion
b) the $30 bottle of Arbonne sunblock
c) none of the above. Because he would never make a mess, causing me to do extra work
d) both a and b, but much more b than a

**In the interest of full disclosure, c doesn't really apply, because I haven't actually done the work to clean it up yet

Scary Healthcare News

2009-02-13T10:31:00.003-06:00

This is NOT change we can believe in.

Please pass this on and let your reps know it is WRONG.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_mccaughey&sid=aLzfDxfbwhzs

If you care? Here's where you can get the email addresses you need. You can still make a difference, and every single email really does count.

(totally stole that paragraph from justrandi. I don't care. I don't have the time or ability to say it better.)

I guess it was inevitable... 25 random things

2009-02-09T13:30:00.001-06:00

1. I met my wife in Germany.

2. Some people say they have no regrets, and wouldn't change anything. Not me. I have several things I would do differently if given the chance.

3. I used to work at a drop zone, packing parachutes. I have 26 jumps in my skydiving log book.

4. I am a very low maintenance friend. I could go 10 years without seeing you, and then pick up right were we left off. (Right Big Dave, Sylvia, DeNae, etc...)

5. My employer pays me to sit and do all day what I used to do at night and on the weekends for fun.

6. Even though I am a programmer, I am really not that good with computers.

7. I have not bought into Hollywood's and society's definition of beauty.

8. I <3 my Jeep.

9. I am not a writer by nature.

10. I love discussing controversial topics and passionately held beliefs.

11. I have an easier time talking to women than men. Therefore, most of my friends tend to be female. However, my best friend is a d00d. (Hi Ben!!)

12. I spent between 1 and 2 years with no desire to go to church. (Us mormons call it "going inactive") I started going back because Nat told me: "I fell in love with you because you had such a great love for God. I want that back in you."

13. I was married on December 31, 1997 on a gazebo over a lake outside a library. At night. It took Nat longer to walk from the library to me than it did for the Bishop to marry us.

14. I have never smoked anything. However, I have been subjected to various types of second-hand smoke.

15. The first 10 or 15 times I watched Armageddon, I cried like a baby. The first time, which was in the theatre, I didn't leave until 10 minutes after it was over so no one would see how red and puffy my eyes were.

16. I can obsessively read. The last 3 Harry Potter books took me, on average, 2-3 days to finish. The longest it ever took me to read a (fictional) book was Stephen King's The Stand, at 2 weeks.

17. I can tell you things about Lost that you probably feel like you would never need to know.

18. I have never ridden in a helicopter, and that is one thing I'd really love to do.

19. I have never broken a bone, which is a good thing because I do not handle pain well.

20. My favorite computer game is the Civilization Series.

21. I played the trombone in band.

22. I had the most awesome convertible VW Beetle that I totaled by rolling it on the way home from Kansas City.

23. I am one of those guys that really enjoys playing almost every sport, but really isn't any good at any of them.

24. I really love No Doubt and Norah Jones.

25. i made u a intertube meme, but i eated it.

26. My sense of humor can be self-deprecating, somewhat dark, and sometimes borderline blasphemous.

The privileges of pregnancy

2009-02-06T01:30:00.003-06:00

I'm not saying that being pregnant is easy. Far from it. But, when you're pregnant, you get a certain amount of grace that perhaps you wouldn't get otherwise.

Tonight, I was trying to get some dishes washed. I am NOT an efficient dish washer. When Nat is feeling good, she can do the same amount of dishes in 25 to 33 percent of the time it takes me.

I am also a procrastinator. It can take me a long time to get going on a job. But once I get going, and start building momentum, I hate to stop. Because I know that it might be a while before I get back to it. (Darn that procrastinator in me to heck.)

So, back to me washing dishes. I am working hard to get certain dishes done before I quit. Nat is in the living room, kind of watching TV, and mostly trying to keep the boys from climbing on her back. I hear her call from the living room, "Daddy, I think it's almost bath time."

"Ok, just a few minutes honey." I look at what I have left in my 'wish list,' and get cracking. A few minutes later she says "Daddy, I think the boys should be in the bath in 3 minutes."

"Okay" I say, and it hits me. What would happen if (non-preg) Nat was the one washing dishes, and I was watching TV? Can you see me calling out to her that it's time for bath? Not that I'm scared of her or anything, but man, the idea makes me shake in my boots. I would definitley have to dodge something.

That would rank right up there with me coming home from work, looking around, and saying "So... what did you do all day?"

Or "What was on Oprah?"

Or "Are there any bon-bons left?"

Anyways, I realize that didn't even occur to me at first when Nat did it. I'm a little glad for that, because it means I am getting better at giving myself for whatever she needs.

But it does bother me that I felt a little resentful. Not about doing the dishes or baths, but about her being able to say that when I never could. I wish I had more grace inside for her. It is so easy to see the things I think she is doing wrong, and forget how much she works and struggles for our family.

So, Nat, if you ever read this, I love you.
Thank you. I am truly grateful for the sacrifices you make for all of us. <3

Oh, and by the way, I finished my mental list of dishes to complete, and only a few seconds after Nat's desired bath time start. A good compromise, I think.

Feed My Sheep

2009-01-30T01:12:00.002-06:00

Jesus told Peter to "Feed his sheep." If we love Him, that is our charge. So what does this mean? How do we feed His sheep?

I don't think that there is any doubt who His sheep are. It is every one, every where.

I am pretty certain, however, that each sheep needs something different to 'eat'. One cookie cutter answer will not provide the necessary nourishment for His sheep. That is why, I think, we are each individually given this commandment. We each have something individual to offer. What is the best way to determine how to feed them? And can we trust the sheep to know what food would be best for them?

(I'll confess, I'm preparing a talk on the subject. I'd love ALL insight and comments, because dialogue is really where my thoughts get going!!)

Worst Case Scenario

2009-01-30T01:00:00.000-06:00

Last time we went to the zoo, Josh started climbing the wall around the tiger exhibit.

So all of the adults got into this discussion about how to deal with that situation.

We decided that if a baby went in to an animal exhibit, all the adults would jump in at once, except Grandma. That way, at some could distract the tiger while the others could try to throw the baby out to safety. Good plan, right?

We were surveying the area, looking for hiding places, and other things we could use as distractions, barriers, etc. Pretty fanciful, but I seriously felt better knowing that we had a plan.

I'm sure there is a gospel lesson in here. Right now all I can think of is a pretty basic, macro level plan of salvation application. I know I receive a lot of comfort from knowing who I am, where I came from, and where I want to go. I guess there are a lot of micro applications as well. I mean, I feel best in most situations when I have a plan.

So what crazy events have you planned for that you never expect to happen?

Is there anything that you have given up on trying to plan because it feels futile?

Need some used electronics? Check my Ebay

2009-01-24T12:03:00.001-06:00

Broken HP Pavilion dv1000 Laptop

Used LinkSys Wireless-G Broadband Router WRT54G V2.2

2009 goals

2009-01-22T11:13:00.004-06:00

My friend Big Dave (the original one, not the one in KC) asked what my
#1 five year goal is. My reply was simply "get out of debt."
I think it is achievable. But I have short term goals this year, and
I figured I need to state them publicly. That way, you can encourage
me on my progress, or heckle me on my lack thereof ;-)

Here are 2009 goals:

->Read all chapters of the Bible before 2010
->Read all chapters of the Doctrine and Covenants before June 2009
->Read all chapters of the Book of Mormon before 2010
->Write at least twice a week in a "journal" (this blog counts, so I'm already
working on this one!!)
->Plant and care for a garden that yields edible food this year
->Listen (this one is generic on purpose because it covers a lot of things and is a perpetual work in progress)
->Learn to really help around the house by doing clothes and laundry and keeping them caught up(this one is important with baby #3 on the way)

What about you? Do you have any goals, long or short term? Let me know in the comments section! After all blog comments are one of the five love languages :-)

Apple Pie for Michael

2009-01-21T08:52:00.002-06:00

Here's a (extra) sugar free apple pie recipe. In addition to being
diabetic friendly, it is also the best apple pie I have ever tasted.
(Sorry Grandma Blair.)

I'm posting it for my little brother. He was recently hospitalized
with a blood sugar count of 600+. It went down rapidly, but now he
has to adjust to being insulin dependent for the rest of his life.
All prayers for him as he figures this out and learns how to deal with
it are very appreciated.

His condition is somewhat emotionally harder because he is on his
mission in Idaho. I know it is hard on mom not being able to be there
and make sure he's ok, but there are a lot of people there that are
taking good care of him.

The recipe was typed as Dan spouted off his process of baking it. I
have all the essential steps, but if you are a beginner you may want
to practice a few times before you serve it to someone :-)

Apple Pie a la Dan

6 apples golden delicious, granny smith

saute lightly with 1 tbs of butter

6oz apple juice concentrate
3 tbs tapioca
1 tsp cinnamon
dash salt

cook until it thickens, minute or two

pour into a tubed pie crust

350 for 40 min

sprinkle cinnamon on top

Compassion is beautiful

2009-01-20T13:43:00.002-06:00

Nat is a better writer than I am, especially when she is not trying. I got this message from her the other day.

so started crying
boo asked if i was ok
so i sat down to snuggle him and explain i was ok
he sat in my lap hugged me patted my back and embraced my face
said "right back"
came back with a wipe to wipe my face
when done he threw it away
practically took my breath away
how sweet and caring he is

My Friend Needs Your Help

2009-01-16T10:36:00.002-06:00

My friend Rachael, Justin and their baby James need your prayers. Rachael and Justin buried their stillborn little girl in April. Here is their current story, as told by Rachael's sister.

http://rachaelsupdateblog.blogspot.com/

A typical day as a mother of boys

2009-01-12T09:49:00.004-06:00

A recent chat transcript. I really don't know how anything gets done all day.

9:17 AM Natalie: oh dear playing in kitchen with sink sprayer

lord help us all

ok just me

9:21 AM me: sounds fun

9:23 AM Natalie: oh my heavens!!!

josh is naked giving himself a bath in kitchen sink with hose and i turn around

he is peeing all over the kitchen sink

9:24 AM trying hard to aim but not so much

oh lord i dont know if i can handle another boy?

9:27 AM omh

i quit

9:30 AM me: u just wrote the next blog post

congrats

9:31 AM Natalie: great

josh will appreciate that someday

i have practically mopped the floor with water he has sprayed out and dirty towels, great

tried to take a video but they were behaving

9:32 AM me: of course

9:33 AM Natalie: ok just sitting on couch

ignoring for now

me: good plan

PS Nat is convinced the next baby is gonna be a boy. I hope it's a girl, but it'll take a while to find out.

Pizza!!

2008-12-02T07:22:00.004-06:00

We decided to cook pizza recently. They boys had a great time. I was impressed on eli's rolling ability. I'm not real sure where he learned that.

Josh also really got into it. Who knows, maybe we have a couple of chefs living with us right now?

They sure do love to help cook, and it is always a lot of fun.

For a bonus picture, here's what a box of donuts looks like after it has been "boo-mooed."