The Week In Review

Camping Practice

2011-04-23T12:44:00.000-07:00

We went camping in our pop-up trailer for the first time in over three years. We were sure we had everything when we left.

But when we got to the camp, I couldn't find the keys. Oops. Notice the ball on the front of the hitch. We had to pull out the hitch from the back of the Tahoe. I thought of that after destroying the padlock and still not freeing it from the hitch.

And then we found that the key to the trailer door was left home too. Oops. We had to climb over this half door every time we wanted into the trailer. Friday morning, Ben put the door down to make the trailer look secure. Then he slipped out from the front tent cover. He reversed the path when we came back.

I thought maybe we should load the propane into the Tahoe just in case. But then I thought that would be a waste of time. Here Spencer is cooking bacon over briquettes instead of propane. Everyone had plenty to eat and the briquettes made sure that we had plenty of time between courses of bacon and blueberry pancakes.

Vicki planned our menu's and we had roasted hot dogs on Thursday and tin foil dinners for Friday night. You know, I really like hot dogs in tinfoil dinners because they cook faster that hamburgers anyway. We can have hamburgers tonight because they were safe in the freezer.

Ben didn't forget his homework. IB will keep him going everyday until June 9th. Even Spring break is not a break for him.

We had a great hike where we couldn't find the trail to this peak so we went down first and then up. Toasty found a little mountain goat blood hidden inside of him. and made a lot of the hike himself.

After the hike and the climb and the campout, we headed home and found that we were all tired out. Including Toasty the red dirt covered dog.

The Leonids

2010-11-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

I read that a meteor shower would be happening in the early morning in the east sky tomorrow morning (Nov 18). Meteor showers are named after the constellation from which it appears that the shower originates. Word has it that you may see 10 or more an hour if you have a dark sky and look east early in the morning in Leo.

On a similar morning, ten or eleven years ago, I was up early one morning to walk around our neighborhood in Kingman, AZ for a little exercise. I looked up and saw several shooting stars in just a few minutes.

I immediately headed home and wanting to share it with someone and recognizing that Vicki valued sleep more than shooting stars, I woke Katherine and asked her if she wanted to she some meteors. She said "sure" so I pulled out the Levi quilt, laid it out on the ground like a sleeping bag and we crawled in to stay warm and count shooting stars.

In less than 20 minutes we counted over 100. We saw most of them at the same time but I missed one that Katherine didn't. I had glanced down at the quilt when suddenly the sky lit up. I could easily see the ties on the quilt. "Oooo" Katherine exclaimed. I looked up, but all I could see was the smoke left from the meteor.

What a pleasant memory that was.

Moving Mountains

2010-10-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

April of 1995 I accepted a position with General Cable Company in Kingman, Arizona. As I drove down to start the job, I had the highlight of seeing Hoover Dam. Upon arriving at the dam, I parked and got out and walked the dam enjoying all the plaques and construction displays.The spillway walls were up and the dam was near to overflowing. My how things have changed.

It wasn't long before my friends at General Cable told me that preliminary work was ongoing to construct a bypass bridge. It would be built in about ten years. I have crossed the dam probably 100 times or more since that first trip. A memorable crossing was the second Saturday after 9/11 when we took our youth to the LasVegas temple to do baptisms for the dead. Some parents didn't want their children to go and I can appreciate that. But it was interesting to see the security changes that took place so quickly.The government was quick to install a check point on either side of the dam. The first 6 months, they were very thorough with their searches of every vehicle. Then I learned some expediting tricks. If your vehicle has tinted windows, roll them all down so that they can see in side. Always have your driver side window down for communication purposes. Act like your not hiding anything. And always say thank you just in case they remember you the next time. You will sail right through 99% of the time.

Driving from Kingman it was about 60 miles from the detour route around the dam to the check point. There were lots of signs warning people that all vehicles except for cars would be turned back. As we approached the dam that day, we saw a yellow 16 foot moving van which was occupied by a couple of men who appeared to be of middle eastern descent. Sure enough, they were turned around and had to travel back 60 miles to the detour and then another 100 miles to get to LasVegas.

Over the years, I watched the construction with anticipation of the bypass bridge completion. I have waited in traffic for construction work; at other times for movies being made on the dam and of course for tourists. I got pretty good at knowing when to take the detour because of bad traffic. Friday nights and Saturday afternoons into LasVegas were the worst. Saturday from noon to 4 going to Kingman were just as bad.

As the preliminary work was being completed and the design was taking shape, I started to follow the progress on hooverdambypass.org. I was on the website when the hits were in the low 100,000. Today the count was 14,591,800. I have followed every step of the way since they contemplated the style of bridge to build including polling the web site visitors; (I voted for a cable stay bridge. I like wires. I lost.) the location of the bridge; the construction of the approaches and ultimately the construction of the bridge.

The highlight of the bridge construction for me was this past Saturday when I got to walk the bridge with 20,000 of my closest friends. Some souvenirs were given out. I have saved them in their original form. Maybe in 50 years, my children can get $25 for the set.

Here is a link which will take you to a video tribute I made to show the bridge and some of the work involved in building the bridge. I hope that you can get a feel for what is was like.

TTFN
-Ron

Unseen Passengers

2010-10-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

We may have some unseen passengers riding with us in the Tahoe from now on.

Now that may sound strange but we are coming up on Halloween and after you hear what happened it may not be so far fetched.

The brakes on the Tahoe had gotten real bad. No chirping or squeaking, just flat out grinding. So Wednesday about Noon, the Tahoe was taken to our mechanic for an inspection.

We trust our mechanic. He has treated us fairly and like family and he is ASE certified. He knows his stuff. He had done so much to extend the life of other car parts that we knew he was a straight shooter.

The results of his inspection:

Front Brake pads? Gone
Front rotors? Too thin to turn. Replace
Back brake pads? Gone
Back drum rotors? Too thin to turn. Replace
springs, seals, fluids everything but the master cylinder? Replace all of it.

Upon his report, I told him to fix it up. Usually, he is really fast in getting things done. I thought we may get a call Wednesday evening but no such luck. It seemed real weird that I didn't hear from him on Thursday. Today when I didn't get a call at all from him, I decided that I better give him a call.

The call went something like this.

Me: Hey hows it going.
Mechanic: Great. I'm just taking your Tahoe out for a test drive.
Me: Glad to hear it. When can I pick it up.
Mechanic: Anytime this afternoon. (pause) I think there is something you should know.
Me: O.K?
Mechanic: Everything is fine with your car. But . . . We had a fire at the business in the far end of the building Wednesday night about 8:30 and the fire department came into the shop and cut holes in the back roll-up doors and and the roof to make sure we didn't have any fire in our section.
Me: Isn't the far end business a pet crematory.
Mechanic: No, It's a human crematory.

When we picked up the Tahoe this afternoon, there was a definite "camp fire smell". We just couldn't tell if it was Douglas Fir or Alder that we could smell.

The next time you ride with us don't be surprised if we introduce you to Doug or Alder. Don't worry though. They are just wafting through.

Stairs

2010-09-26T23:19:00.000-07:00

Stairs are ubiquitous but unique. Some are strictly functional while others are primarily artistic. Sometimes, stairs are a nuisance. When in a hurry, it isn’t uncommon to see someone jump to the floor, skipping the last stair or two. To a home with a family, stairs can be entertainment for the children and fearsome to the parents as the stairs serve as potential energy inviting all sorts of experiments.

What goes down stairs alone and in pairs and makes that slinkety sound? A spring, a spring, a marvelous thing, everyone knows it’s a slinky.

I was raised in a home with stairs. I played all sorts of games on stairs. I would run up stairs skipping every other one. I would run funny patterns on stairs going up against the wall on the right or jumping from the right side to the left side never stepping in the middle. When playing ball, I found that the stairs were the best teammate ever. They could give you grounder practice if you were playing with a baseball or return a pass when you were playing basketball. My stairs were consistent, always passing the ball back and I didn’t ever need to chase a bad pass. I would practice my basketball passes to the first stair, the second stair, the third stair, all the way up to the top step; except when I messed up and passed to the seventh stair before the sixth stair. Then I would have to start over.

I remember the day a new upright freezer was delivered to the house. The only place where we had room for the freezer was in a remote corner of the basement. Once the freezer was in place, the movers were preparing to remove the box. I didn’t want them to take the box away. I begged for the box to stay, I pleaded for the box to stay. I recruited my sister to join the groveling. Mom relented and with the box fitting snuggly between the walls, the stairs suddenly became a slippery slide and a steep mountain slope to climb.

Stairs have always been slides. My children figured out that slippery nylon sleeping bags increase the speed and enhance the thrill of going down stairs. They slid down the stairs feet first, and head first. They slid solo in the bag and teamed up with each other. Each ride down elicited the giggles of glee and screams of joy with changing pitches of little voices as each step bump was crossed.

Stairs have so much excitement about them with new and unique opportunities to the creative. Or the bored. Boredom was my problem one day. I was seven or eight years old and I don’t remember any of my other seven siblings being in the house to play with me. I was at the bottom of the stairs trying to figure out what to do. I stood on the bottom step and jumped down. Then I climbed to the second step and jumped to the bottom again. An idea struck like a flash of lighting. My mind discovered a new game. Climbing one step at a time, I would jump from each successively higher step to the bottom, until I had jumped from the top step.

To make this new game official, I would have to start over. Back to the first step. Jump. Land.

Second step. Jump. Land.

Third step. Jump. Land. “Oof. That almost hurt. I need something to soften my landing.” I searched the basement and found a mattress cushion from a baby crib. “That will do.” I drug it over to the base of the stairs.

Fourth Step. Jump. Land. “Soft. That’s better. But truthfully this is getting boring. I’ll just go to the top step and jump and be done with this game.”

My father was an architectural engineer. The architect title meant that he could design buildings. The engineer title meant that his designs were more functional and less form. More functional describes the house in which I was raised. The house was a rectangular box. Everything was divided along the centerline and no room crossed the center line. The front of the house had a living room with two bedrooms connected by a hall. The hall had cabinets and drawers for storage which was right in line with the closets of the two bedrooms. Function demands storage.

The back of the house had a dining room, kitchen and master bedroom. Squeezed in between the kitchen and master bedroom were stairs and a master bathroom. The stairs led down to the basement in one direction and out the door to the back yard in the other. The master bathroom had two doors; one by the bedroom and one by the back door. This facilitated the bathroom being shared by all the neighbor kids who came to play in the back yard. Once again, function over form.

Rooms and storage in our house were fit together so tight that I now believe that dad used a shoe horn when he drew up the plans. I didn’t believe that when I was small however. I thought we had a big house. We could fit ten people around our dining room table. Of course the first one in had to go to the far end and couldn't escape once everyone else was seated.

The upstairs had a couple more rooms. Coming off the backside wall of the hall was a second entry to the master bedroom, the hall bathroom and the hall closet. The hall closet was maybe three and a half feet wide and two and a half feet deep. A shelf about six feet high extended to the ceiling for storage and the floor was sloped. The sloped floor could hold shoes because narrow boards running lengthwise had been nailed into the floor so it would catch the shoe heels. The hall closet was my favorite place to hide when playing hide and seek. I would scooch up to the top of the sloping floor and hide behind the coats. You really had to look to find me there.

Perhaps the one flourish in the home design was the redwood paneling that covered the living room walls and served as a veneer around a support beam which the vaulted ceiling rested on, providing an open space between the dining and living room. Actually, all the rooms upstairs had vaulted ceilings, a nice feature for sure, but truthfully the home was just a long rectangular box so the vault went right down the center of the house. Function won out again.

Of course, I really didn’t care about form or function that day. I had a goal. I started climbing to the top of the stairs. Unbeknownst to me a slight problem was arising. Being eight, I was not a very observant tyke. I had failed to notice the pertinent architectural features of the house. As I had mentioned, the stairs had a very tall vaulted ceiling that made the stairway seem very open. At the top of the stairs was a four foot by four foot landing. As I reached the landing, I turned around, placed my toes at the top step’s edge and focused on the cushion at the bottom of the stairs. Swinging my arms back I crouched down and for just a split second I held the mounting energy in my stance; my energy suddenly reversing my arms thrown forward and legs springing I was on my way. It was a long ways to that cushion. I had to clear 11 stairs.

As my feet left that top step, I looked up for the first time. I noticed that the back wall from the hall closet was coming towards me while I was in mid-flight. I surveyed the situation and made a snap judgment which perhaps only an eight year old could appreciate the simplistic beauty and novelty of the choice. With the wall getting closer and closer, I shut my eyes.

I don’t know how it happened but I’ll tell you that I sure am grateful for function. Someplace between Newton’s law of gravity, my falling with style, and the functionality of a sloped floor of a hall closet that precisely matched the sloped ceiling of the last four steps of the stairway, I managed to hit the cushion at the bottom of the stairs without hitting the wall.

I grew in wisdom that day. As I stood up from the cushion, I distinctly remember my first thoughts. “That was stupid. I’ll never do that again” And I haven’t.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

2010-08-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the anti-slavery book Uncle Tom's Cabin in 1852. Since reading that book last year, I have thought about Uncle Tom and slavery today. I found that the thing that kept Uncle Tom a slave was his loyalty to his master, his fear of the unknown and his unwillingness to remove himself for that which enslaved him.

Of whom are we the slave? What keeps us from reaching our potential. Benjamin Franklin said:

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759

Who is our master today? Why are we unwilling to break the bands that enslave us. As those to whom we, as a republic, gave authority to govern try to increase our collective "safety", we will find that we are losing our freedom of self governance and self determination.

Warning. Nauvoo Posts are About to Start

2010-07-12T19:15:00.000-07:00

We will start posting on Friday about our Nauvoo experience. Feel free to follow and comment if you like.

TTFN
-Ron

Did you guess???

2010-06-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

So here's the difference between every Ivy league school and BYU.

Ben has received letters of inquiry from every Ivy league school inviting him to consider attending there.

BYU?? I guess they just aren't interested.

One of These Things is Not Like the Other

2010-06-21T17:37:00.000-07:00

It's official. Today I can ask the question and Friday I'll give you the answer. I will have a prize for the first person to correctly identify what my answer will be Friday. I won't change the answer. I promise.

What is the difference between:

Princeton, Dartmouth, Brown, Cornell, Columbia, Penn, Yale, Harvard

AND

BYU?

. . . And now you know . . . the rest of the story.

2010-05-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

On March 30th I entered what appeared as an innocuous post titled "Whew". Vicki completed her refresher course to get her nursing license back. Feedback showed people as being excited and happy for Vicki but no one asked why she went back. As Hugh Nibley said in "Leaders and Managers, the Fatal Shift." regarding a controversial prayer he had said at a graduation, "Well, some knew the answer already, and as for the rest, we do not question things at 'the BYU'." In the article, Nibley was relieved that he could explain himself and likewise I am too.

Vicki has been trying, for the past four years, to get her RN license activated. This past year she has felt especially impressed to complete this. She has known ever since we were married that someday she wanted to go back to school but never pursued it because of the family situation. This past fall, she received answers to her prayer that now was the time. I usually respond with something like "That's nice. Whatever you want Honey."

Since that time little miracles have occurred. Vicki was called before the Nursing Board in June 2009 to discuss her issue. After she laid out her case as to why her license lapsed, the board told her that they would grant her a temporary license as soon as College of Southern Nevada's (CSN) admitted her into their refresher course. Upon completion of the course they would issue a license without stipulations.

Vicki had applied to CSN in 2008 and they told her they had a four year waiting period. Suddenly, in August 2009, they had a spot open up. After she passed the challenging paper course in early December, she had to wait for a preceptor so that she could work for 120 hours free in some hospital to prove her competence. All the age 30 something nurses were placed quickly and we watched week after week as nothing came up for the "senior" nurses.

In early March Vicki got a call to go to work. She had said before that there was no way she could work a graveyard shift and no matter how unsavory, would be willing to work any Sundays just to get it over. She figured that it would take 15 days to finish. When CSN called, they told her she was assigned to a 12 hour shift. Her preceptor did not work any graveyards and they didn't have any Sundays scheduled and she would be done in 10 days.

In January and February, Vicki started investigating on-line universities. She was very thorough as she looked for a school that provided a masters degree in nursing. The further she looked the more she determined that she wanted a program that would offer specialties in Nursing Education and Leadership and Management. Also, she was adamant that the school be accredited by an appropriate accrediting institution.

Vicki had about 6 schools that were close to what she wanted but bit by bit, each school fell out for one reason or another. It was then that in my mind one of the biggest miracles happened. Although very frugal, Vicki has a knack of walking into a store to buy something and when she finds the perfect item it is always the most expensive. Doesn't matter, shoes, dresses, china, fabric whatever, she always like the priciest. But this time, she chose the best university to meet her needs and it was the most reasonably priced. A two year program at just $9,000 a year. Others ran $14,000 to $18,000 per year.

Now I didn't know how we are going to swing $9k but it's better than $18k. She has continued to get all her transcripts and paper work together and submitted to Walden University. Once everything was in place, they called her last week to congratulate her for her acceptance into Walden University.

And now you know the rest of the story!

Almost.

Back in late February Vicki saw that Walden had a full scholarship that they offered to a person. The scholarship was based on an essay with the topic of How my Walden education has made a difference. Vicki wrote a very nice essay and sent it in. Then she looked at what the past winners had written about. She saw the divorced and abused women who were helped and the women who had overcome cancer and how the education provided an unanticipated opportunity to progress. At that point, we wrote off any chance of the scholarship.

But, you remember that in an earlier paragraph, I said "one of the biggest miracles." I didn't say the biggest miracle. That happened Wednesday when Vicki got a phone call from a Walden administrator congratulating her on being awarded the "Project Working Mom" FULL scholarship.

And now you really know the rest of the story.
Really!

Nice Friends

2010-05-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

Vicki developed a friendship with a scouter during our recent scout-expo experience. As they were talking, she happened to find out that he does repelling trips. Vicki mentioned that Spencer needed to repel 30 feet to fill one of his camping merit badge reqirements and of course our new friend invited us along the next time he went.

This morning we got to his house and he was covered a few things regarding safety and the area to which we were going and then said "So you need to repel 30 feet. 30 feet; 150 feet what's the difference?"

Ben was already a pro from previous experience.

Spencer got to be quite the pro.

And Vicki? What a mom!

I made it down a couple of times myself but camera duty called and I made sure that objective evidence for the merit badge counselor was recorded.

I hope that we can be nice friends like Loren is to us.

Aussie Style. FAIR DINKUM!

TTFN
-Ron

Gehry's Revenge

2010-05-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

Frank Gehry said he would NEVER design a building to be built in Las Vegas. Well as the old saying goes, never say never.

Visitors walking into the Lou Ruvo Cleveland Clinic from the parking lot are greeted by this inviting bench made from rock, but driving up from the opposite corner of the property Da da duhm....

GEHRY's Revenge

Now living in LasVegas, there is a whole new world of lingo one must learn.
LasVegas doesn't have gambling, it has gaming.
LasVegas doesn't have alcohol it has spirits.

The bank role behind this building is a man who has spirit, has spirits, sells spirits and makes a lot of money from spirits. The reason behind this building was that his father passed away from the affects of Alzheimer's. Larry Ruvo had a dream to find a cure to the disease by attracting a prestigious national medical research facility to study neurocognitive disorders a group to Las Vegas. Ruvo arranged a meeting with Frank Gehry. Gehry had previously vowed to never design a building for LasVegas because Las Vegas has a ". . . cacophony of high-rise casinos and condos forming the spine of Sin City's sprawl." but Ruvo pressed on because of his dream

Ruvo was able to get Gehry to renounce his vow "Vegas Vow" because Gehry's pet cause of curing Huntington's disease fell under the umbrella of the clinic. Working with Gehry's name he was able to attract the Cleveland Clinic.

Ruvo and Gehry came up with the concept of having a building with two distinct parts. Part one is the fund raising wing and part two is the clinic. The fund raising wing is why Ruvo sought out Gehry. Ruvo a distributor of "spirits" had an aha moment when he was thinking about the building he wanted to have. It is said that one day he was thinking of his building when he realized that although he had over 100 different types of Vodka in his warehouse, four of them make up 90% of his sales. Now I am told that all Vodka tastes a like so the only difference is the packaging. Ruvo wanted a package that would attract fund raising dollars. The main eye catching portion of the design is a 9000 square foot open structure where activities can be scheduled. The room rents for $5,000 per night on weekdays and $10,000 per night on the weekends.

The clinic portion of the building has no lobby's for waiting rooms. People as they come in are either escorted up to the medical imaging section or upstairs straight to one of 27 examining rooms. Each examination room is different. All design is based on research done on patients who are in varying stages of the disease with the primary goal of making them as comfortable as possible. Ruvo's whole purpose is to "keep memory alive".

So there you have it. Gehry's revenge is not the building in Las Vegas but the means to find a cure against neurocognitive disorders.

P.S. I chose not to mention the irony of alcohol use to brain function because the potential affects of Alzheimer's is all to real to me. And, I am grateful for what this may mean to my family.

FHE proves viability of Evolution

2010-04-27T06:05:00.000-07:00

Vicki made some cookies last night for the family home evening treat while Ben was preparing his lesson. For once, Vicki didn't make these cookies from scratch. She used a Krusteaz chocolate chunk cookie mix.

Ben then headed into the kitchen and, without a recipe, made chocolate chip cookies from scratch.

We sang, we prayed, and we had a scripture. It was time for the lesson.

"Here are two different cookies. Mom made cookies from a mix that had exact measurements. The cookies I made without a recipe. Take a bite of each cookie and tell me what you think."

Honestly, Ben's cookies were superior. They looked more appetizing, had a much better texture, and the flavor was excellent (including my favorite parts of the bitterness of the chocolate and the hint of baking soda.).

From there, it was hard to make the point that the world was put together with a plan of exacting steps. On this night, the haphazard boom beat the intelligent design.

PS. Before I start getting comments, Ben has been making cookies since he was eight. He even took a cooking class as a freshman in high school. He pretty much has a chocolate chip cookie recipe memorized.

Whew!

2010-03-30T07:09:00.000-07:00

Last night we celebrated. We whooped. We hollered. And balloons rained down.

Vicki had just completed her tenth 13 hour day marking the end of the clinical portion of Nevada's requirements for re-licensing. Soon she will have her license to be a practicing RN in the state of Nevada. Then she can go back to school to work on a master's degree and be the boy scout camp nurse.

That was a long five years.

Spring Break

2010-03-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

Ben and Spencer had the great idea to go camping the first night of spring break. Now this isn't the official boy scouts camping, its more like "Dad" camping. They loaded the 4" thick foam cushions from the futon into the back of the Tahoe and Ben drove them up to the mountains.

I was sitting in the family room the next morning when they came in about 8:30.

A reliable source stated that when they got ready to go to bed, they discovered that Spencer forgot his sleeping bag. Ben unzipped his bag and laid it over them like a blanket. That was nice but, Spencer with about 0.2% body fat still got cold. He would get as close as he could to a heat source (Ben) and his heat source would push him away; all night long. When they got up and saw how cold it was in the morning, they climbed over the front seat, started the car up and headed home.

Like all true "Disciple of Dads" campers, they stopped at McDonald's to get a breakfast of soft serve ice cream cones.

Yep! The apple doesn't fall to far from the tree.

Winter time

2010-03-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

Oh what do you do in the winter time

When all the world is brown

Do you swim in a pool

and scream like a fool

While your temperature drops to 5?

Is that what you do?

Not I.

But Ben did, today. You have to admire his courage.

Another Angel Got His Wings

2010-03-13T16:46:00.000-08:00

Ben had an appointment at 10:30 this morning to take his driver's test. We showed up at 10 to start the paper work portion. After 60 minutes of testing, verifying, talking, picture taking and paying; he had his license. That's right the process took 60 minutes.

That would have been great I just didn't mention that we waited another 4 hours in between all the testing, verifying, talking, picture taking, and paying.

Ben used the time to finish up some homework. I read about the pilgrims. Did you know their trip took them 5-1/2 months. I figure it took them 3-1/2 months just to get the Mayflower licensed at the DMV.

I just can't wait for the government to get their hands on health care. We'll have a bunch more angels.

Get a Life

2010-03-08T17:41:00.000-08:00

It wasn't as embarrassing as I thought it would be. Some people may not have even noticed, but I got to play Mom for a weekend including all the good and bad that comes with that.

Vicki went up to Provo with a friend from Kingman to celebrate her daughter's birthday. Lucky for Vicki, Katherine was the roommate so Vicki and Katherine got to spend time together.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we had a court of honor. This wasn't just any court of honor, it was the court of honor when Spencer received his Life rank advancement. And I got the mother's pin. ;-)

Yikes.

2010-02-06T19:50:00.000-08:00

13 years ago today February 6th, Spencer was born.

Do you know what that means?!? For the next 52 days, Vicki and I are the parents of 3 teenagers. Come on March 30th. Then we'll be back down to two.

Actually, our children have their moments but we have been blessed with good hearted children who listen to their mother. (And sometimes they listen to Dad as well.)

Pay Day

2010-02-06T19:42:00.000-08:00

January 16th, Ben performed in his recital. This past year, he has been taking voice lessons and loving his weekly lesson. I believe that this day was a pay day for Mom and Dad.

Pleasant Dreams

2010-01-12T17:57:00.000-08:00

About a week ago, Vicki asked me one morning if I had had a good night's sleep. Vicki never asks me that question so, I started to think why would she ask that. Then it dawned on me.

The previous night, I had a dream that was so funny that I started laughing, out loud. I laughed so hard that it took me to that semi-conscious state where you know your awake but you hope your asleep. I kept on laughing but tried to stifle the laugh so much so that I thought to myself, it sounds like I'm crying. I really didn't care and kept on laughing until I settled down and got back into a deep sleep.

The worst part of the experience is that I not only forgot about laughing, I forgot what was so funny as to make me start laughing in the first place.

Thump! Rumble, Stumble, Rumble .....

2009-12-08T18:28:00.000-08:00

Saturday night about 10:30 I was waiting for Ben to get home from an activity with his friends. Spencer and Vicki were upstairs asleep and I was downstairs in the family room. The night was quiet and peaceful.

When suddenly I heard over my head; THUMP, RUMBLE, RUMBLE, STUMBLE. I took off running to see if Vicki was OK. I got upstairs and flipped on the light to see this ponderous look on her face. We looked down and found that dental floss had been tied to our door hinge, and around a table leg. Seems that Vicki was headed back to the bathroom in the dark when she found it.

When we interrogated Spencer the next morning, it didn't take long for a smile to break out on his face that rendered the culprits verdict. Guilty. Funny, but Guilty.

Moving Over to The Trek East

2009-07-09T06:03:00.000-07:00

For the next three weeks, all the blogs will be on the Trek East web site. We are taking Katherine's computer and she will be writing with me.

EASTWARD HO!

Summer Camp Highlights

2009-06-27T21:02:00.000-07:00

Here are the highlights of Spencer's summer camp with his troop at Camp Potosi in Las Vegas.

Scout Camp 2009 - Pinnacle

2009-06-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

Spencer participated as a member of "honor guard". Here he helps retire an American flag.

To my Siblings (except Sylvia)

2009-05-19T18:24:00.000-07:00

I dedicate this post to my siblings, except for Sylvia because she is too young to appreciate it.

I hope you enjoy the video clip and in case you were wondering, I was not a teenager during the 60's so I can remember at least the last half. But don't ask me to remember what I had for dinner last week.

LOOKING FOR MY WALLET

TTFN
-Ron

Why?

2009-05-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

Why do funny things happen when they shouldn't?

One of our sister's at church has a set of twins that are 4, nearly 5. These two are a handful and schemers always trying to find a way out of the chapel, but for the most part she wins at keeping them well behaved.

However, today at church right after the sacrament water passed by me, one of the twins in his normal "everyone can hear voice" said:

"Mom, I need to go to the bathroom."

Pause.

"I can't wait mom."

Pause.

"Mom, if I don't go right now, I'm going to BURP!"

TTFN
-Ron

Gamma

2009-05-06T18:44:00.000-07:00

Sunday after church as we were getting ready to walk home, a toddler started running to Vicki yelling, Gamma, Gamma. I asked Vicki what secrets she had. Seems that innocently, Vicki strikes an amazing resemblance to the little boy's grandmother. It's not out of the realm of possibility age wise. After all Friday is the 18th anniversary of her 29th birthday.

TTFN
-Ron

Need pictures of Dad

2009-04-28T20:47:00.000-07:00

I have gone through 110 pictures of Dad. Please email any others you may have so that I can add them to the video I am trying to put together.

Dave, can you scan slides to digital? It would be great if you can scan the slides Dad took.

-Ron

We Can Do Hard Things.

2009-04-19T17:40:00.000-07:00

I should have known. I really should have known. When a priesthood leader starts off an activity with all of us saying together "We can do hard things!" I really, really should have known. But, I didn't.

I always wanted to hike the trail to the top of the mountain above the temple, Frenchman's Peak. What a rugged and beautiful mountain. Our stake planned an activity for the Aaronic Priesthood Young Men to hike the mountains with their quorums and their fathers. Spencer and I were going to do this together. Ben claimed to be sleepy from late nights of doing homework and performing in Savior of the World. I think he had already hiked the mountain and knew the truth.

We gathered at the stake center for a kick off. We gathered at the church by the temple and talked again about the goal. We gathered at the trailhead to start the hike. Each time we talked of the importance of gathering, the importance of working as quorums, and the importance of serving each other.

The hike was made in sections. Each section was lead by a priesthood key holder, a deacons quorum president, a teacher's quorum president or a bishop with a yellow bandana and a hiking stick. We made eight stops along the way. At each rest stop, an Aaronic priesthood holder talked on a purpose of the Aaronic priesthood.

Please dear reader, understand that this is a hard thing, (except for Mark who would have yawned and been bored at our grueling pace.) This hike is 4.5 miles round trip. The elevation climb is 1632 feet which is an average grade of 14%. Highway in the mountain passes are typically a 6 or 7% grade.

I remember being at one point and looking up to the saddle just a few switchbacks up and feeling exhausted. I was so excited to be so close to the top. As I reached the saddle, I realized that the trail moved on. It dropped down 300 feet and then right back up another 730 feet in elevation to climb to the summit. (At the top of the saddle behind us is an H1 rescue vehicle)

Today at church Spencer reported on the hike in priesthood meeting. He mentioned how our leader said that the vistas were wonderful and we looked back at our cars and we had come a long way. The base of the mountain had been used as a dump and looked a lot like the Telestial Kingdom. The saddle we had just reached was the Terrestrial kingdom and then we looked up at the summit which was the Celestial kingdom and we hiked on.

When we reached our goal, we could see the whole Las Vegas Valley on the west and Lake mead on the right. ( You can see the temple right at Spencer's left shoulder.) The Lake Mead side probably resembled a lot what the Salt Lake valley looked like when the pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley. We Talked about the Ensign that was raised to the world, A yellow handkerchief on a walking stick. We talked of the word being sent out to all the world from that point. We talked of young men preparing to serve missions. We sang:

High on the mountain top
A banner is unfurled.
Ye nations, now look up;
It waves to all the world.
In Deseret’s sweet, peaceful land,
On Zion’s mount behold it stand!

For God remembers still
His promise made of old
That he on Zion’s hill
Truth’s standard would unfold!
Her light should there attract the gaze
Of all the world in latter days.

His house shall there be reared,
His glory to display,
And people shall be heard
In distant lands to say:
We’ll now go up and serve the Lord,
Obey his truth, and learn his word.

For there we shall be taught
The law that will go forth,
With truth and wisdom fraught,
To govern all the earth.
Forever there his ways we’ll tread,
And save ourselves with all our dead.

We did hard things.

Spring Break and Easter

2009-04-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

A full week off and boy did Vicki and the boys take advantage. One night camping, two days hiking and Ben with play practice every night.

Monday, Vicki and the boys went to Red Rock National Conservation Area. Ben had his first freeway driving experience and did just great. However, Vicki noted that when he made it to the campsite his fingers were really stiff when he tried to take them off the steering wheel.

Once camp was set up, they went on a small hike and we found out that Toasty likes water that the can actually reach the bottom. I made it up for a dinner of hot dogs and potato chips and family home evening. Vicki actually ate her second hot dog of the year, both times she was camping. I headed home because of work the next day. When Vicki and the boys made it home, I heard more adventures of hikes and Ben's safe driving. Toasty was one pooped pup from all the bouldering and hiking and took on a light shade of pink from the red dirt in his white fur.

Thursday they headed east instead of west on an adventure to St. Thomas, the under water city. Saint Thomas was flooded when the water behind Hoover Dam filled in about 75 years ago. Again Ben drove getting experience this time on dirt roads with wash boards. After a short 2 mile hike, their exploration began.

Most of what they found included concrete foundations of old homes. Not the Indiana Jones type of archaeological dig but, lots of fun for a spring hike.

For Easter this year we continued our tradition from last year. Vicki and I hid Easter eggs with coins and a special message that the boys had to cooperate to earn a special treat. The rules were explained the boundaries were set.

After the start, all bets were off. Eggs were flying from their hiding spots to the baskets. The Easter Bunny has gotten more clever in hiding as the boys have gotten older. Look up high in the left corner of the picture below.

Hidden behind Ben's knee is an orange egg in the Ornamental Easter tree. They didn't find that one 'til much later.

Spencer and Ben must have spent a good 30 minutes looking in 8 rooms. We were convinced that they had found all the eggs. Because the Bunny couldn't remember where any more eggs were. We gathered in the music room where Spencer and Ben opened their eggs. They were counting money and finding pieces to the puzzle for the big treat. Once all the found eggs were opened, money was counted and puzzle pieces organized, we found that they were still short some puzzle piece eggs. Off they went to hunt again.

They found several more eggs filled with money and a few more clues. Each time they found money, they were frustrated. They wanted to solve the puzzle.

We pulled them together again and found that we were still short two puzzle clues. Off they went to find more eggs more money and one puzzle clue. No surprise without finding the whole puzzle. Ben and Spencer searched and searched. We had been in this hunt for over an hour. More money was found but no more puzzle pieces.

We called a truce and went on to do Sylvia's Empty Tomb activity. As we boys were reading and mixing ingredients together, we heard a gasp. Vicki remembered where the Easter bunny had hid another egg. "Ben your leg is burning up," a reference to the hot and cold game that we had used previously to help the boys find the eggs. He looked on a shelf under the table top and there he found the last puzzle piece. All the eggs were found. The last piece was put to the puzzle. The earned treat was a gift certificate for each of us to Cold Stone Ice Cream. (Shhh, don't tell Katherine. We want her to be surprised when she gets home.) What a relief to find all the eggs.

This morning we woke up and were downstairs waiting to open "the tomb" for our empty tomb cookies. I looked outside and saw Toasty eating a plastic Easter egg. I headed out talking to him so that I could get the 2 halves of the egg. He was laying down and I was able to get the pieces. Then something shiny right by Toasty caught my eye. Sure enough, it was two dimes. It seems that during yesterday's Easter egg hunt, Toasty caught on and finding an egg Vicki put in his bowl, he raced outside and opened it up by chewing on it.

Ben finally made it down all ready for church. We opened the oven, and found that ours cookies were a flop. It seems that our new oven has an oven cooling feature. Once the oven heat is shut off, a fan that blows until the inside of the oven is cool. We had crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside somewhat empty Empty Tomb cookies.

TTFN
-Ron

Our Circus Dog

2009-03-17T19:23:00.000-07:00

Toasty is in training to be a circus dog. As a matter of fact he has graduated beginner doggie training. We even have the picture to prove it. Here's Toasty running around a hoop .

Mormon Blogger/Mormon Messages

2009-03-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

Click on the title to check out a neat website. The website contains all sorts of video's that answer all sorts of questions. Why with "Home Box Office" treading where angels fear to tread, perhaps presenting "Why Mormons Build Temples" is an indirect way to respond to to an explicit breach of implicit promise.

TTFN
-Ron

Blood and Communism

2009-03-07T13:30:00.000-08:00

I'm in the habit of donating blood. I have donated over 5 gallons in my life. When you go to the refrigerator to get a gallon of milk, remember that.

Today's experience was a little different. United Bloods Services asked me to donate platelets. Platelets can be donated every other week if you want. Well, I agreed since I don't do much on Saturday mornings. The phlebotomist was a very nice lady and had an interesting accent which I couldn't peg. I asked her where she was from and she said Cuba and then unsolicited, she said "Castro has ruined our country. Communism is a very bad thing. Kids today don't understand how bad communism is. It is scary. But where am going to move? Mars? Well I'm safe here, for now."

She immigrated to the US in 1993 and is very proud that she and her husband working together can make their mortgage payment of $800. Now that is humbling.

TTFN
-Ron

Oh to be a Texan!

2009-02-23T19:15:00.000-08:00

When you are in Texas you will find that some people are born Texan; some people are Texan by choice; but you can always tell that one person in a group who is neither a chosen or a born Texan. They are the tourist.

A Referral

2009-02-16T16:29:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you have noticed the blog I follow on the right is a blog that I maintain regarding the preparations and experiences we as a family are having as we prepare and participate in the Nauvoo Pageant.

Unlike the Promised Valley song "We're Going West", our theme "Eastward HO!" Today, we got an email from support staff in charge of pre-show keeping an un-official web site emailed a link that provides a personalized invitation from us. You can see the link by clicking on the title above or by entering The Trek East and clicking on the visible URL.

I hope that you will enjoy reading of our preparation for this pageant as much as we hope to enjoy doing it.

TTFN
-Ron

Tricks and Treats and Valentine Romances

2009-02-11T17:03:00.000-08:00

Vicki has been taking Toasty to doggie school and he is the teacher's pet. We'll actually he's Ben's pet but the teacher uses treats to get Toasty to perform and Toasty likes treats so he performs well and the teacher likes how well he performs.

So far Toasty knows sit, stay, spin and sit, come, crawl, shake, and high five. Vicki decided to try a whole knew trick. She started making a kissing sound and low and behold, you've got to see this.

Toasty has done a good job of training us. He suddenly quit jumping for the kissing sound. However . . . if you put a treat up by your lips, he's game to keep kissing till the treats are gone.

TTFN
-Ron

Plays and Birthday's

2009-02-07T20:53:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I feel like Ben doesn't have enough to keep him busy. Why with early morning seminary starting at 6:00 am, marching band practices from 7:00 to 8:00 (that finally concluded with the parade in Washington D.C., on January 20th) and just your typical humdrum class schedule with American Literature, Honors Spanish, Honors Algebra II and Trig, AP World History, Advanced Band, and Honors Chemistry; he decided that he wasn't busy enough. Of course that was while he was completing over 100 hours of volunteer service at a hospital and was on the Dean's list academically.

So what does Ben do? He decides that he wants to be in a play. Actually the school musical, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Ben played the part of one of the kids who chased the Candyman around and sang and danced. It was a scrumdiliumptuos part and he did a great job playing it. He wasn't front and center but he has a great smile in this cell phone picture and enjoyed performing and being around his friends

Vicki brought a tradition of birthday celebrations into our family where the birthday gift receiver sits in a chair and the giver stands behind. The giver chants a little incantation and the receiver is thinking the whole time. The chant goes something like this:

Heavy heavy hang over thy poor head . . .
What do you wish this person
with a bump on the head?

Now if the giver is kind and trustworthy, the receiver is thinking about nice things to wish the giver of the gift. But, if the giver is mean and ferocious, the receiver is thinking how bad this bump (or more like a smash) on the head is going to hurt and after the bump usually has to think up some wish quickly that isn't as nice. As you noticed, the receiver never gets to see what is going on behind him with the giver.

So now that you see Vicki playing Heavy Heavy Hangover, what do you think Spencer wished for her. In spite of images, the bump was a nice soft one and he wished for his mom that she could get her nursing license back soon.

And Spencer got a nice warm sleeping bag to start his camping collection for scouts.

TTFN
-Ron

A Bridge Over the River Colorado

2009-01-20T19:00:00.000-08:00

While Ben was away marching and playing Viva LasVegas for the President of the United States of America, Vicki and I got a taste of what it will be like when both Ben and Katherine are gone for extended periods.

Monday, we took Spencer to the Hoover Dam to see up close and personal the bridge they were making to by-pass the road on the dam. Sometimes I wonder if kids ever grow out of the "I'm bored" "This is stupid" "Let's do something else" phase.

There were times Spencer pretended to have fun, like when he was with Mom and when he was in Arizona. He was born in AZ and loves AZ. Vicki enjoyed the bridge, and I really really enjoyed the bridge.

TTFN
-Ron

Break-out the Biscuits

2009-01-06T20:25:00.000-08:00

Last Friday morning, Vicki and I were talking with Mom as she was putting together another delicious breakfast. Bacon was sizzling and she was getting ready to open up a can of biscuits. Holding the end of the can she asked "Is this how you do it?" bringing the can down hard on the edge of the counter at the sink.

We didn't have a chance to say anything as three biscuits went shooting out of the end of the can. One biscuit actually made it to the window over the sink and then fell into her shamrock plant.

No Mom, that's not how you do it. Please unwrap the paper around the can first.

TTFN
-Ron

New News! Read all about it!

2009-01-01T19:34:00.000-08:00

We just had a family council to read an email that we have been waiting for over two months to receive. Spencer took the driver seat, opened and read the email. It is official now and we can talk to the entire family about it. We have been invited to participate in the Nauvoo Pageant this summer as part of the family cast. We practice during the days from July 13th to July 18th and mingle with the crowds at night and then sight see during the days and perform during the nights from the 20th through the 25th.

We are so excited to go and be a part of this. Your all invited to come and see us but won't be disappointed if we don't see you there. I'm sure we will have emails and pictures to share.

TTFN

-Ron

New Year 2009

2009-01-01T17:19:00.000-08:00

People think that we have quite the life living in Las Vegas where the people come to celebrate the New Year. Last night the family was at Mom's home in Murray and we were watching the events in Las Vegas including Robbie Knievel's jump over the Volcano at the Mirage. Go Figure. My next door neighbor Joe who works at The Paris Casino was telling me of preparations they had for motorcycle jump to rival Robbie Knievel's.

As I was watching the crazy things in Las Vegas happening it reminded me last year of driving to the mesa above our house to watch the fireworks along the strip. All the kids had decided not to go and so I went by myself. Come to find out, the Mesa was a popular spot. As I walked along trying to find a spot to watch the fireworks, I was passing drinking party after drinking party. It dawned on me that I was not in the safest place, not that these people were mean or combative but at some point they would be drunk and driving home.

With the last boom of the last firework, I was in the car and headed home. Glad to be safely there, I decided not to go out in Las Vegas for the new year celebration again. Then last night I had those same flash backs and what was up with New York? Did you see the people penned up in holding pens at time square to celebrate the New Year. I think I will enjoy the freedom of my front room from now on.

TTFN

Ron

Christmas Traditions

2008-12-24T21:25:00.000-08:00

What better way to celebrate our Christmas Traditions than to have SNOW! This fell on the 17th. You can see Spencer's snowman close to the house just to the right of the front window. Ben did a great job setting up the Christmas lights this year and even found a use for the satellite dish that the previous owners installed but that we haven't used. (Remember, you can click on a picture for a larger view.)

Vicki's family always spent Christmas Eve at Temple Square looking at the lights and then they would head to Grandma's house for soup, potato chips and egg nog with Sprite.

This year we didn't have Temple Square so we just had to do the best we could looking at lights.

Here we are on a little detour through France.

Remember when Vedel pulled faces during the pictures? I love Spencer's solution!

And for our Grand finale, The Hallelujah Chorus.

TTFN
-Ron

Merry Christmas

2008-12-23T05:34:00.000-08:00

Good News / Bad News

2008-12-10T21:25:00.000-08:00

(double click on photo for a closeup)

We've got some good news and some bad news.

The good news is that Green Valley High School Marching Band is going to march and play in the Presidential Inaugural Parade on 20 January 2009.

The bad news is Barack Obama will be the president.

The good news is that Ben is in the band.

The bad news is the band has to raise $120,000 to cover costs.

The good news is that the band has 120 student to split the cost between.

The bad news is that Ben needs to raise another $750.

The good news Ben can go on street corners and play his french horn. (This is Las Vegas)

The bad news is that Ben really doesn't like to play his french horn.

The good new is we will find a way and let him be a part of history.

Make sure you watch your Televisions on January 20th. Ben plays the mellowphone in the marching band. It looks sort of like a trumpet with encephalitis. (The bell on the horn is really big but the rest of the tubing is not.)

TTFN
-Ron

Game Night

2008-12-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

Sunday evening we decided to have game night. I chose to play Rumicube and in spite of being the last one to lay down any tiles, I was the third first place winner. Vicki had gone first and she was the first first-place winner. Ben went out on the same turn and he was the second first-place winner and then I went out on the same turn followed by Spencer.

Spencer chose the next game and it was Twister. Now do you think that that is a sabbath appropriate game? Ben asked Vicki if she was going to change out of her dress and she said no. You see Vicki always does the spinner and calls the moves but, this time Spencer wouldn't let her. Spencer was the caller.

The game started with Vicki and Ben at the far ends and I was on the side in the middle. "Right foot green." I stepped across the mat.

"Left foot yellow." I moved my left foot by my right foot, Ben move his right foot up behind my right foot and Vicki took the spot right in front of her.

"Right Hand Yellow." Much like musical chairs you have to get to the empty spot quickly. I took the one yellow vacant spot between Vicki and me. Ben grabbed the spot behind his left foot leaving the only yellow spot available at the far end of the mat.

I looked back at the spot, smiling and wondering how Vicki was going to get there. Just then I heard a roar and felt myself rolling backwards into Ben sending him (and me) sprawling off the mat. Vicki demurely put her right hand down on the yellow spot and said. "I win."

TTFN

Ron

Ron's list

2008-11-28T16:49:00.000-08:00

Just in time for Christmas for those of you who don't have enough stuff already.
Antelope Skin - Gray and Blue Tony Llama cowboy boots.
Size 9-1/2 B but fit tightly on my 11C feet.
Yours for the shipping but act now. In one week they're off to DI.
I just can't stand to see them unhappily ignored in my closet any longer.

I Lived My Mom's Dream

2008-11-07T21:28:00.000-08:00

Dad loved going to BYU football games and frequently dragged Mom along. It all started in 1965 when Karen was the "Big Time Twirling Star" with the marching band. (She can post her comments as to the official title if she wants.) Dad would watch the games with intensity and Mom would patiently sit in the stands knitting something while the game happened around her. About midway through the game, lots of people got up and went different places while mom put down her knitting to enjoy the Halftime show. At the end of the show, she would pick up her knitting and continue while everyone else cheered the football game. This procedure continued long past Karen's twirling and graduation and raising 5 kids. Dad would watch the football game and mom would knit.

Well if justice were ever to be served and Mom were to live her dream, it would have happened last night in Sam Boyd Stadium where UNLV plays their home football games. Starting at 1:00 pm and continuing until 8:30, high school marching band after high school marching band from Clark County Nevada performed their halftime show. They didn't even have a football game break out between groups. Mom would have loved it.

Vicki, Spencer and I watched the show from 6:30 to 8:30. Ben Performed in the last group. I still have enough Dad in me that I missed the football game, but the show was nice.

TTFN
-Ron

Thanks for the prayers

2008-11-07T21:25:00.000-08:00

I met a couple coming around drumming up support for McCain on the Sunday before the elections. The had moved in from California. Very nice couple and I mentioned to them that our church members we were fasting and praying that their California Friends would Vote to protect Marriage. They responded, I'm not feeling so hungry either. I think I'll fast tomorrow.

TTFN
-Ron

Stand for Something! Stand for Truth and Righteousness!

2008-10-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

California is having a moral battle in defining Marriage. Proposition 8 is on the ballot of this November's election. I have embeded a video that may take some time to download or you can click on the title "Stand For Something" for a link to "Preserving the Divine Institution of Marriage" where you can also see the video,

then join me.

Isa. 5: 20
20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
23 Which the wicked for reward, and away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

FYI - I will not update my blog until this election if over.
This will be my lead in blog post. Join me!

TTFN
-Ron

Anemia?

2008-10-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

I remember Nana once saying that a craving to chew on ice was a sign of anemia. Well, we better have some blood work done on Toasty. He must eat 10-15 ice cubes a day.

TTFN
-Ron

Fencing

2008-10-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

Ben and Spencer had a neat opportunity to go to a fencing gym. This is not the kind of digging posts and stringing barbed wire. Instead, its akin to poking someone in the eye with a sharp stick. Hope you enjoy the videos.

Student of the Month

2008-10-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

We received a letter from Thurman White Middle School notifying us that Spencer had been selected as September's Student of the month in Sixth grade science. The whole family got a good laugh out of that because we withdrew Spencer from school the last week of September.

Spencer was so frustrated with the kids in general and his science lab partners in particular. His lab partners didn't want to do science labs at all. What's more, Spencer was being bullied only like Jr. High School kids can do so well so that teachers aren't aware. Since we weren't in favor of that kind of socialization, we have now moved him to the virtual academy. He has his own computer for school work, he will work from home, have a regular teacher, attend all sorts of field trips with his virtual classmates. Vicki becomes the person responsible to record his time and help with school work. This should be a good experience.

A Short Break

2008-10-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

Clark County School District Staff Development day provided the opportunity for us to get out of town for a day. We escaped to Mount Charleston on Thursday night and set up the trailer.

Oh how nice to be up in the mountains with trees and the cool breezes. The leaves were starting to change colors and the air was crisp. After dinner, Vicki pulled out a surprise. Huge marshmallows for roasting. Words cannot describe but pictures can. Spencer had two. The second was his Abrahamic marshmallow that he tried lighting on fire. These big marshmallows don't burn like the smaller ones.

One experience that we didn't anticipate was that camping near Las Vegas brings in the Vegas element. Our camping neighbors were up most of the night. Chopping wood for there fire, drinking and talking loudly including vulgarity laced rants. About 3:45 am I went over to there camp and asked them to go to bed that their noise was keeping us awake. They were clueless as they asked if it was there talking or the radio. I said it was the talking. When I talked with Vicki the next morning, she was surprised to hear that they even had a radio. We'll another 15 minutes and they settled down.

We finally woke up in the morning and started to get breakfast, only to find out that the last of the propane was used in keeping the trailer warm. With options running low we decided to have lunch for breakfast and then we headed out for a hike. The plan was to finish the hike head home and have breakfast for dinner. We choose a beautiful hike and with Toasty leading the way we found butterflies, log bridges, Christmas tree shaped pines and shear limestone cliffs.

As we headed home, ignoring the night time antics of neighbors, we felt refreshed by the experience and ready for more time in Las Vegas.

My Summer Vacation by Ben Welch

2008-09-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

(As told through the eyes of his Great Aunt De who lives in Cincinnati.)

Ben Spent ten days in Cincinnati this past summer. Yesterday his Great Aunt De sent some pictures and reminisced of the time they spent together.

Tom and I have enjoyed a special summer this year. The weather has been extraordinary, less humid, not as hot as last year. Tom's great-nephew (Gail's grandson) Ben Welch came out to see us for a couple of weeks in July. We took him to see many of Cincinnati's points of interest, including the Krohn Conservatory, lunch on a B.B. Riverboat, The mechanical Pied Piper clock in Newport Kentucky, Cincinnati Museum Center at Union terminal, The Contemporary Art Center, the Cathedral Basilica in Newport, the Eden Park lookout, and the view from the top of the Carew Tower. I have included a few shots to share with you. I am sending the pictures in three e-mails.

The first set will include pictures taken on the river- The B.B. riverboat; the USS Nightmare (a decommissioned riverboat that is used as a floating spook alley at Halloween; the Big Mac/Daniel Carter Beard Bridge. In the picture taken from the top of the Carew Tower. The Carew housed Cincinnati's first television station WKRC. It remains one of Cincinnati's tallest buildings. You get to the last floor via the original elevator. That old elevator is a bit of a thrill in itself. We also attended a pig roast in rural Bethel Ohio, given by a friend of mine from work. Her husband's band entertained us and about a hundred guests. On the way back we stopped at East Fork/Harsha Lake State Park, and took Ben to see a pre-Civil War cemetery. The adjacent one-room church was last used in 1847. It is still standing and in reasonably good repair.

As some of you may know, the Cincinnati Contemporary Art Center museum has a long and somewhat controversial history. When it originally opened in 1939, it was one of the nation's first museums dedicated to Modern Art. Tom and I were at the museum in 1988, when Sheriff Simon Leis temporarily closed it because he believed that Robert Mapplethorpe's photography exhibition was inappropriate for public viewing. The case was taken to court. A jury of average Cincinnatians disagreed with him. The exhibition reopened and continued. To tell the truth, it was kind of fun to be there that day. Simon Leis had all the officers dress up in their best and fanciest uniforms, because he knew it would be a big media event. We knew that he was threatening to close the show, so we went down to see what all the controversy was about before he did. By chance it all happened after we got there. Looking back, it was much ado about nothing.

The new CAC building opened in 2002 and was designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid. This museum contains a museum for children called The "UNMUSEUME." Designed for children, it is a hit with the adults as well. Tom and Ben took turns conducting an imaginary orchestra. As they waved their arms, the music played. They also had fun poking through a most unusual chest of drawers. Each drawer had a unique surprise inside. A full size 1950's style vacation trailer, allows visitors to get quite rambunctious. By running from one side of the trailer to the other. You can really "rock-out." Thanks to funding from Lois and Richard Rosenthal, the CAC museum admission is free on Monday nights.

Just outside the museum is Fountain Square, where most nights you can watch a big screen TV showing the Reds games, and listen to impromptu street performers.

We also took Ben to see the Cincinnati Museum of Art. This is a conventional art museum located in Mt. Adams/Eden Park. The Rosenthal's have also made it possible to see the Cincinnati Museum of Art admission free every day of the week. Thanks to everyone who buys their magazines, including The Artist magazine and The Writer etc. unfortunately that museum does not allow photographs so we have none to share.

Lastly, I have included a few shots from the Cathedral Basilica, in Newport Kentucky just across the river. This is one of America's most beautiful churches. It was built by European artisans who stopped in Newport and Covington Kentucky as they made their way across the United States in the 1800's. My own great-grandfather Welch stopped here for a couple of years on his way to Utah. Just a short distance from the Basilica, is the Pied Piper clock. This is a mechanical clock that tells the entire story of the Pied Piper acted out by little carved characters, once an hour. This was a favorite stop of grandpa Ross Wilhelmsen whenever he was in Cincinnati.

Inside the Basilica

Ben and De on the Riverboat

Ben and Tom looking through a dresser at the CAC

Ben and Tom in front of Union Terminal

Roebling Bridge and The Ascent

TTFN

A Family Milestone

2008-08-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

18 years and 5 months ago, the last thought that crossed my mind would be the day that Katherine would move away from home to go to college. Vicki and I typically hung with the older people in our wards. They would always talk about how these times go by so quickly. I acknowledged their sentiments while thinking to myself that they were a bit dramatic. No more.

Yesterday, Katherine packed all her worldly belongings. When she had finished boxing everything, Ben made the observation that Katherine had less stuff than we had Christmas decorations. Vicki asked if he thought we should get rid of the Christmas decorations. That was a silly thing to say. He thought we should get Katherine more "stuff". She liked that.

Early this morning, with the car full of gas and "stuff", Katherine and Vicki were ready to make the trip to Provo. Ben sneaked outside and waited. Katherine came out a few minutes later and when she looked at him, he waved his hankie and sang "God be with you till we meet again." They laughed, they hugged, and they lipped some secrets word to each other that they didn't want the parents to hear. Katherine climbed in the car, Vicki started it up and they drove off, leaving me at home to deal with mixed emotions of joy for her decisions and emptiness for the loss of her stories given in great detail, her laughter and music.

School is finally out.

2008-08-10T17:33:00.000-07:00

Spencer is finally out of school. Two weeks of vacation and then he is back in school and starting middle School.

I had a conference in Salt Lake last week and missed his participation in a talent show and his promotion ceremony. Thanks to the marvels of video camera's (or camera's that act like video camera's) I was able to participate. Spencer gave his authorization for me to share these.

By the way, the movie files are large 20 & 24 meg's respectively.

TTFN
-Ron

Spencer's Ponderings

2008-07-24T20:50:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I returned home from meetings and found Spencer feverishly working on a math problem. He continued to work as the rest of us discussed other things. Suddenly, he hit us with his findings.

"There is no way that Santa Claus could hand out all his gifts!" How did you come to that conclusion we asked. "Well, if Santa traveled at Mach 3, he could go around the world twice in 22.962962 repeat hours. Santa has to travel in a zig zag path to get around the world and he would have to travel around it more than twice. Also, he is stopping then going, stopping then going it's not like traveling around the world twice in a straight pattern."

Then he really let us have it. "Traveling that fast in an open sleigh, he wouldn't be able to breathe because of the force of the wind so he couldn't survive the trip."

I was flabbergasted, I asked Spencer what he was trying to tell us but before he could reach any conclusion Vicki asked Spencer, "As long as he brings the presents to your house, does it really matter?"

That's why she's the mom!

01 June 2008

2008-06-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

Year end activities (as measured by the school calendar) are always full. Katherine performed in her senior recital, Benjamin won an award as voted by the students for best ________. (Go ahead and take a guess then look at the end of the email for the answer). Spencer is on track break and loving it. The first day he woke up at 6:00 am when he typically wakes about 7:15 - 7:30. I guess there is always something about wasting such valuable break time. However, the most interesting activity of the week came as a band fund raiser.

Green Valley Band parents and students serve as vault security helpers for the annual JCK jewelry show in Las Vegas. Wholesalers from all over the world bring in watches, pearls, diamonds and all sorts of other high priced special jewelry. Each morning, the wholesalers check out there jewels from a "vault" and each evening, they deposit it back in the vault. This show has several vaults. When the jewelry is inside, so are the armed guards. They sleep with these jewels all night. The armed guards are from several metropolitan police forces.

We got to work with Bobby and Mark from New Orleans. These guys were characters and had a million stories of NO and Mardi Gras. For example, Mardi Gras lasts two weeks. If you are a family person do the first week. The second week is too decadent.

Vicki, Ben and I moved bags from the corridor to the vault. As things were slowing down,
I asked Bobby and Mark what they thought the value of the bags would be. With 145 tickets issued, they calculated the value at approximately $1 billion. Funny thing is that you would see these types of bags and boxes in an airport or Fed-ex drop-off and not give it a second thought. One guy had a soft sided briefcase that was filled with nothing but loose diamonds. Another group had taped together five card board boxes on a dolly and another group didn't even bother to put the cardboard boxes on a dolly. We saw plastic containers from home depot with the fold over lids like we all store our Christmas stuff in. These just had a pad lock on them. Seems like a person would go through the plastic instead of the steel.

When we were all finished, Vicki Ben and I went to return our vests. As we walked through the Venetian, I had thought of an older Jewish man and his wife were conflicted because they chose to sell goods on their sabbath. But with a good day of sales, they justified that God would be okay with it because "they had to feed their children."

As we walked, we watched thousands of people inside the casino. The artwork and construction was exceeding fine. As Vicki and I looked at eachother, we felt that we were in "the large and spacious building." We felt that billions and billions of dollars of jewels were brought in so that people could impress other people. Honestly, the amount of jewels had no value to me.

Then I had another interesting thought. If we were to take the volume of jewels in that building, and replace it with water and that was all the water available in the world, What would the value of the jewels be then when compared to the water?

I guess it helps me to understand what really is important. Now if I can just live it.

-Ron

Tribute to Katherine for her Graduation & Sylvia

2008-05-25T14:25:00.000-07:00

For those old enough to remember Dragnet, I blog like Joe Friday. Just the facts M'am. Sylvia blogs like Elizabeth Barret Browning with emphasis on Barrett. Nothing is left to the imagination for all the details are bared and shared in her stories. With that in mind and as a tribute, today I'll blog like Sylvia.

I woke up early on May's fast Sunday 1990. I was feeling anxious as this was the day that I would take my "infant daughter into my arms to give her a name and a blessing". The naming was easy. Years earlier as Vicki and I were cuddling in our Sandy apartment; we talked of our dreams and aspirations, our family and our future. I was sharing how I envisioned our family and telling stories of our family yet to come. I talked of our first child, a daughter. Her name would be Katherine Anne. It seemed natural that her name would be such, because she should have a royal name. Katherine fit so well. Anne would be after her mother.

Katherine's name, already being determined, moved the stress that weighed heavily on my mind to what should I bless her with. I wanted her to have the all blessings of world but they were not mine to give. As I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, I pondered what would be appropriate for me to say, and would it align with what God wished for her. Ideas slowly started to creep into my mind much the way that the sun crept around the earth and over the mountains turning the sky from black to blue to brilliant yellows. And through this progression of thoughts, I felt confident of what I would say, but why were there so few things and why was there not more for me to add to the blessing.

Vicki and I chose to bless Katherine at our new ward in Ogden, Utah. Perhaps with that small act, we would quickly fit in. A new job gave us the opportunity of new adventures and developing a new ward family was one of them. We soon discovered that we had moved into a ward of great diversity, not of ethnicity but of years. Blue hairs and screaming babies seemed to be the ward demographic. The screaming would have been less intense if Sacrament meeting had not been scheduled at infant nap time. But thus it was and those with blue hair really did try to be accepting and not judgmental of the screaming members. However, it just seemed difficult to pay attention to a meeting participant when the pitch of the infant scream was more readily received by the hearing aids than the message of the speaker.

Always a comfort, family members came to support us at Katherine's blessing. At the appointed time I took Katherine to the front of the chapel. She was dressed in the Wilhelmsen baby blessing gown which was a long flowing white dress that was slicker than a greased pig at the county fair. (Sorry for the simile) I secured Katherine in my hands held her out just like I had practiced with her at home. Those around me each placed one hand under her to give her total support and one hand on the shoulder of the brother to their left. I held her steady as I felt her weight being lifted as hands joined mine. I relaxed my arm to allow others to feel the weight. I don't know from whence it came, I fought the tradition but from somewhere deep down, one hand started "the priesthood bounce." I tried to stop the bounce and concentrate on the prayer at the same time but to no avail. Stopping the priesthood bounce was like trying to turn the Queen Mary Ocean Liner around in a bathtub. It just wasn't going to happen and I had more important things to do.

In earlier years I became convinced that the priesthood bounce was not an authorized part of a baby blessing so I didn't practice that with Katherine prior to her blessing. After years of pondering, I have come to understand that the shock of the bounce on Katherine was so distressing that she started to scream on the first down motion much like we all do when riding down the first hill of a rollercoaster. I was flustered by this sudden turn of events. I panicked. I got through the naming part without much trouble and went on to the blessing. The persistent bounce now resembled a great tsunami in an futile attempt by the brethren to calm her, while her the screaming matched the swells and dips with the force of a hurricane wind. I knew I had to get this blessing done and return Katherine to the safe shores of her mother's arms to stop the screaming. Speaking from practiced memory, I blessed her to have the ability to love God and to love her neighbor. She would need no other blessings to get her through this life. The blessing ended, the bouncing stopped and as Katherine was raised (much like Pumba) in an exhibit of fatherly pride (is that a sin?) and of course tradition to show the ward members, they too were able to witness her beautiful black hair, her gorgeous dress and the rosy pink tonsils from whence the screaming origniated.

Katherine has always loved her neighbors. Since the day of her blessings, I have witnessed this love and share the following as a sample.

Early one spring morning in Alabama, I drove from the end of the cul-de-sac where our English Tudor home sat, the brilliant pink and white azaleas lining the east side of the home and the dew gently resting on the grass. The sun was a red orb rising through the humidity induced mist that hugged the earth. Little did I know what the day would bring. When I left for work, the family was asleep. Vicki being "great with Ben" was sleeping restlessly and Katherine was by herself in her upstairs bedroom that overlooked Wellington Court. Later that morning, I received a call from Vicki. She reported that she was awakened by the touch of wet feet. It seems that Katherine had awoken and choose to visit our neighbors and their dog instead of waking her mother. So she ventured off in her silk nighty and binky. After returning from her visit she climbed into bed to snuggle with her mom who received a rude awakening to the pitter patter of tiny feet on her back.

Katherine loved to stay up with Mom and Dad. Her nightly ritual included hearing a story and a song sometimes with impromptu lyrics of her favorite bible stories. Then she would kneel by her bed and say her prayers. The bedding parent had to lie with her until right before she fell asleep which for me was 10 minutes after I had fallen asleep. Failure to follow this procedure would result in the recommencement of the ritual. Better to be patient and do it once than impatient and repeat it multiple times.

One evening after work, Vicki and I had talked of one of my employee's husband who had some spots show up on x-rays of his lungs. My employee, Pat, was concerned because her husband had worked in insulation plants most of his life and this spot would most likely be a precursor to a report of cancer. That evening at bed time, I was the official bedder. Katherine and I walked up the stairway to her room. She climbed into her twin size princess bed with a pink floral canopy and laid down resting her head on the pillow. I read her a story, I sang the "Daniel in the lion's den" song and then Katherine knelt down to pray. She prayed for all the standard things and then suddenly she said "Someone is sick." This caught me by surprise and I had to think why she would say such a thing. I recalled our discussion earlier that evening, and simply said Pat's husband. Katherine offered up: "Please bless Pat's husband" and then concluded her prayer. Oh the faith of a child who loves her neighbor and pleads for a woman who doesn't know all of her friends.

Two years passed and Katherine, now five, was visiting with us at Nana and Grandpa's home. While her parents visited with the adults indoors, Katherine was outside with the children on the driveway. One neighbor child, who couldn't be a stranger because Katherine knew her name, had fallen on the driveway while roller blading. Another neighbor child was following closely behind and her roller blades ran over the fingers of the first. I happened to be watching just at this precise moment and witnessed the poor child letting out a scream of pain. One of Katherine's cousins looked on in shock, frozen in fear, with a terrified look on her face. Katherine raced to the child's side, knelt down and put her arm around her. Gently patting her back, Katherine comforted her. The young child settled and together, they discovered that the pain was more perceived than real.

At age twelve, Katherine loved to sew. She won a drawer full of county and state fair awards demonstrated primarily by blue ribbons but interspersed with "best of class", "best of show" and a few red and white ribbons thrown in for good measure. As a new young woman, Katherine wanted to perform a service project filled with good works. She had been with her younger brothers to the local library and witnessed Children's Hour Performances that sometimes included puppet shows. Witnessing a cardboard box for a puppet stage and poorly made puppets, Katherine was inspired as to how she would serve. Working with her father, they designed a puppet stage. Katherine wanted the construction to be her work. She wouldn't let her father make a cut to the PVC pipe or connect a joint. She built the stage herself and sewed the coverings with a fabric that looked like a night blue sky with yellow stars. After sewing multiple felt bodies of orange, yellow. blue and green, Katherine showed a talent for attention to detail by attaching yarn for hair, googley's for eyes, and specially made props for each puppet character for the puppet show. After performing a show for the family, Katherine delivered the stage and puppets to the library. Such a gift was a thrill for the librarians.

A young woman moved into the boundaries of our ward. Because she didn't have friends in the ward, she didn't come to church. As Beehive class president Katherine selected this young woman as one with whom she wanted to be friends. Katherine planned activities to encourage her friend to come. She called and talked with her. She would visit at her home. On mutual night, we would drive to her home in hopes that the new friend would be there and follow through on her commitment to come to the activities. This continued each week despite the results of the previous week until Katherine's friend moved.

Katherine continues to make friends that seek her out. Feelings are shared and advice is sought. Katheirne does not gossip, mock, or condemn, but invites them to join her, especially as she goes to seminary. She laughs with them and helps them find the high road in having fun and playing practical jokes without malice. Her friends love her and defend her. Even when someone jokingly gossips about Katherine being mean to another, no classmate will believe them. Her love for her friends is returned to her and such a love as she shows to her friends segues into how I have seen Katherine exhibit her love for God.

While living in Bountiful, one of Katherine's and my favorite things to do was to walk over to the school and play on the playground equipment. This school had swings, monkey bars, and a large slide for a four year old. Katherine loved this playground and especially climbing the ladder to the top of the slide and sliding down. After several trips down the slide, Katherine became somewhat more adventuresome. She tried other ways to slide down the slide. Though the details escape me, I remember seeing Katherine sliding down on her belly. I was thinking this cannot be good. As I was running over, she shot off of the slide, into the air and landed on her belly with a thump. "Are you alright?" I questioned. Her pride damaged, she gasped "I'm OK." I watched her slowly lift herself up, walk over to a bench and sit on it backwards resting her head on the backrest. I sat down at the far side of the bench and watched her. Slowly she lifted her head and noticed the Bountiful Temple mostly complete in its construction. Then softly she sang to herself, "I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday . . ." My heart melted as I looked into her heart and found how she found comfort in a time of pain.

Katherine was always frustrated by people who swore and particularly those who took the Lord's name in vain. While in sixth grade in Kingman, Arizona boys in Katherine's class would try to tease her by swearing in front of her. Katherine would sneak up behind them, grab the fleshy part of the underarm, pinch it, twist it and tell them not to swear. Once during a test, a boy sitting next to her in class forgot about Katherine not liking to hear swearing and he let out some cuss words in frustration. Katherine reached over to his desk and took his test and slid it under hers. Mrs. Gilbert walked by and asked the young man where his test was. "Katherine took it!" he said accusingly. "Well he swore" defended Katherine "and I warned him not to swear." Mrs. Gilbert reported the events to us and in a way, I think that she admired Katherine's willingness to take a stand but, taking another's test could be construed as cheating no matter the circumstances. Mom and Dad had to have a talk about appropriate behavior and although she has never taken another person's test for swearing, I am sure that she has found other ways to protect her ears and mind from profanity.

Not many people can say that they have had a current temple recommend since they were twelve. Katherine has. She has performed baptisms in Bountiful, Salt Lake, Jordan River, Mount Timpanogos, Provo, Manti, St. George, Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, Oakland and others that I am sure that I am not privy to. This opportunity came about due to the diligence of her Grandfather Heber's genealogy and her parents willingness to camp and travel to out of the way places. I have performed the baptisms at several of these places. It has been a special bond to share.

We were awed at the beauty of the interior of the San Diego Temple. Inspired by the building skills of the pioneers in the Manti Temple. Baptizing Katherine in the Salt Lake Temple brought back wonderful memories of being baptized as a boy and watching one of my friends being baptized for James Welch born July 21, 18XX. I never begrudge that it wasn't I that was baptized for James because I never would have seen that there was a person with whom I shared the same christian name, last name and birthdate. Oakland was an open baptismal font area with echoes of water splashing (including the showers). The font had a stainless steel chair above the water by the stairs where the person being baptized could then move too so they could be confirmed at the water's edge. The Mount Timpanogos temple took Katherine's recommend and cut it down and put it in a plastic sleeve like the regular patrons receive. At the St. George temple, we met some friends from Kingman who were at a wedding. The memories go on and on.

With all of those experiences, I can still truthfully say that the greatest example of Katherine's love for God, that I have seen, is the way she lives her life. God's prophet talks of the need of modest women. Katherine is fastidious in her modest dress even by choosing not to wear clothing that, although perfectly covering a body, draws attention to body parts through printed words or pictures that shouldn't have attention drawn to. The prophets say study the scriptures. Katherine studies the scriptures. Her goal is to read the Book of Mormon once for every year old that she is. She is catching up. However, Katherine doesn't read the Book of Mormon, she studies it. She has read the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. She is the one who stops us in family scripture study to say, "I don't get this." I don't have the courage to admit "I've never thought of this." And so we think and converse and search for answers to her questions.

One of Katherine's least favorite things to do is perform and have attention brought to her. I will pay when she finds out about this blog that I have written. However, Katherine understands that when she is in the service of her fellowman, she is only in the service of her God. She will perform if she feels that God's glory will be exhibited through her playing. But don't effusively praise her ability for playing, simply say "Thank you. I felt something special when you played." No other reward is so sweet to her.

The unknown side of Katherine. I had a friend in college who was very quiet. I once asked some underclassmen if they knew my friend and what they thought of him. They said he seems to be very quiet. Not much fun, a sober sort of guy. Well, still waters run deep. I didn't have a better or more fun friend and so it is with Katherine. Her demeanor is not the splash and show and excitement of the rapids. She is not the flirty, noisy, "notice me" type. Katherine is still water; quiet and reserved. She watches and observes. But under that calm water runs a deep sense of humor that is worth the wait to discover. It is the depth of the humor and her love of laughter that not many see. But this laughter, which because of her talent to observe and her capacity of empathy towards others, is without guile or harm and it will fill a lifetime with joy and happiness.

And now at the end, I want to quote Theodor Geisel who said, "Oh the places you'll go . . ." and so, Katherine will go places and lift people because she loves God and she loves her neighbor.

Happy Graduation Katherine and remember that the root of the word commencement is commence, "to start", and graduation from high school is merely a start of great things you will do in the service of your God and His children

Love,
Dad

P.S. How did I do Sylvia? (I only embellished an little bit.)

26 April 2008

2008-04-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

The school year is winding down for Katherine and Ben. Spencer, being a year round student this year, is just going strong. K&B have finished their last PE credit. They finished their BYU tennis class. Katherine has been officially accepted at BYU, has her class schedule, her housing, and her club. Now all she needs is money. Wal-mart contributed $1000 dollars. (Thanks Sam.) She should have half tuition from BYU, is looking for a full-time summer job and a part time job while at BYU. Hopefully she will see some funds from the A E Hinckley family scholarship and then she should be able to make it.

Spencer's school had its fund raising carnival. Our family hung out at the raffle booth since that is what Vicki volunteered to run. It was 1-1/2 hours of peace followed by 30 minutes of chaotic greed. We saw some people their with five rolls of tickets that they had purchased in hopes of winning the Grand Prize which was a Wii. After all the prizes were drawn, the winner of the Wii was a seven year old little boy whose Grandma had bought 5 tickets. It had that Charlie Bucket feel to it.

Vicki has started making Christmas presents. I could tell you what they are but then I'd have to kill you. I am amazed at how she can start these things in April but she is a planner.

I was going through some more pictures and wanted to share one more from Death Valley. I'll tell you what, when our family sees a sign that says "Sea Level" we get excited!

TTFN
-Ron

13 April 2008

2008-04-16T05:16:00.000-07:00

Our Children are Angels

Last week Katherine and Ben performed in the Henderson Nevada Anthem stake's presentation of Savior of the World. My favorite part was in the balcony of the set where actors represented angels. Every now and again, you would see an angel reach out when some character on stage was struggling. Ben seemed to be especially kind in his reaching out. Katherine was probably a little more leary about getting to close to the edge. In an earlier practice, she had dropped her sandal (from 15 feet up) onto the stage. The overall performance was wonderful.

Katherine and Ben have finished up their BYU Tennis course. When the kids signed up for BYU PE credits, they thought it would be easier than doing it at high school. They were wrong. I drive by high schools and watch kids walking around a track. BYU tennis required performing skills at higher and higher levels for the grade desired. For swimming, they had to swim multiple times each week for 3 months. That got tough in October.

Spencer was one of ten students from his school chosen to sing with 100 other students at a staff developmental day. He really enjoyed it, once it was over.

TTFN
-Ron

23 March 2008

2008-03-24T18:26:00.000-07:00

Some busy weeks have kept me from up dating but I will try to get things back in place.

23 March 2008

This week includes activities from the previous week since we went to Death Valley on Friday 14 March. It was a great time to go since the temperature was moderate and the spring flowers were blooming.

We left Friday afternoon. The kids spring break started with the last school bell of the day and our trip started as soon as I got home from work. Death Valley is only 2-1/2 hours away and we made decent time. We got the trailer set up and Spencer's tent set-up so he could start earning camping days for his camping merit badge. I was banished to the Tahoe because my CPAP wouldn't work off the battery in the trailer. I was able to use a converter and make the CPAP work in the Tahoe.

Saturday morning, there were lots of complaints of the the wind blowing. I never noticed. After a quick breakfast of syrup-less pancakes, we went to Mosaic canyon, the sand dunes and Scotty's Castle which really wasn't Scotty's Castle but you'll have to go on the tour to figure that out. The elevation difference between the dunes and scotty's castle was 3000' We didn't notice the difference much while in the car but with a cold front developing at the same time as we were changing elevations, it felt like we had lost 30 degrees.

As you look at the pictures, you can see how Ben jumps the dunes, Katherine has a difficult time navigating the busy streets of Death Valley and Spencer hikes on slick rock.

Sunday we went to church in Beatty, NV. The branch had about 40 people attending. Spencer was the 6th child in primary. The Elder's quorum was the young mens group because they had no young men. Katherine went with Vicki to RS because they had one girl in YW and Katherine is so close to turning 18 (March 30 greetings can be sent to 12smile4 at mstar dot net) she figured she would just go with her this time. I liked what they learned in RS. The canning leader was talking about food storage and encouraged the women to can wheat with the reminder "The whiter your bread, the sooner your dead!" Share that quote if you like.

Sunday afternoon, Vicki and Katherine headed back to Las Vegas because of a previous commitment to perform in a Women's fireside with a promise that they would be back at 11pm. 11pm came and went. 7 am came and went, and we marked each passing hour. Finally, I hiked to a pay phone to call Vicki (no cell service in Death Valley). She told me that they had developed a radiator leak 20 miles outside of Death Valley and were just finishing getting the radiator replaced.

Vicki and Katherine made it back by 3:30pm and we were off again. We visited the lowest point in North America called Badwater Basin, the Devil's golf course, and Artistic loop.
We made it back to the campground and had baked potatoes, dutch oven pork chops and freshly baked dutch oven rolls. As night turned into really dark, the kids made smores and marshmallow torches.

Tuesday we went to see how borax was mined and processed got the Boys their Jr. Ranger badges and went to see the Pup fish which are only in Death Valley. With that we were headed home.

16 March 2008

Spencer went on his first official boy scout camp-out. He told me in no uncertain terms that I was not sleeping in his tent. Amazing how a four man tent can barely fit two 11 year-old boys and all their gear. This camp was organized to help the 11 year-old scout progress towards rank advancements. They did orienteering, first aid, indigenous plants and animals and knots and lashings.

Spencer's scoutmaster was having trouble making a shear lashing look like the finished illustration in the book. Meanwhile, independently, Spencer was tying the lash and making it in look exactly like the finished illustration in the book. Come to find out, Spencer had found that the book had a wrong illustration for an intermediate step. We encouraged Spencer to write the national scout office to inform them of the error, but he's not interested.

TTFN
-Ron

2 March 2008

2008-03-02T18:39:00.000-08:00

Spencer started his track break by getting the flu. Talk about wasting a good vacation. He was so sick on Monday and Tuesday that he just laid around and didn't even get out of his jammies. By Wednesday he started feeling better and Katherine got the same sickness on Thursday. With school pressing in on her, she could only afford one sick day and then back to school on Friday. Spencer will be out of school until the Monday after Easter. So he still has some time to play.

Katherine and Ben continue their practices in Savior of the World. They will perform on April 10, 11, and 12 at the Henderson outdoor Pavilion. We printed off our tickets today.

Vicki was prepping the soil yesterday to plant our garden. She asked Ben for help and Spencer for help but Toasty was the only one to volunteer. I guess we shouldn't be mad when he harvests the garden even if he only waited one day to start pulling up the strawberry plants.

Today, Vicki, Katherine and Benjamin had gone to choir practice. Spencer was working on making a game on the computer and the dog was asleep on his pillow. I thought the dog had a great idea so I lied down on the couch in the family room. I hadn't even dozed off and the dog came up and started licking me on my eyes and nose and mouth. Yuck. It reminded me of when Katherine was small and would lift my eyelids up to see if I was a sleep. Well I wasn't asleep anymore. Either time.

TTFN

-Ron

24 Febraury 2008

2008-02-24T17:17:00.000-08:00

A week of visitors. Vedel spent the night with us Thursday evening. Friends from Kingman spent Friday night and Vicki's Aunt Ruth, Uncle Ray their son Eric, his wife and four children spent Sunday morning and afternoon.

Vedel had a conference in town Friday morning and we always love having him join us.

The friends from Kingman came to hear Katherine play her keyboard in Cats' Las Vegas. What a spectacular performance. We had a pancake breakfast Saturday morning and the friends were off by 10:30.

Sabin's come down on occasion when their grandson, Mark has a gymnastic competition in St. George. Eric works in Las Vegas in doing contracting documentation for Big D, and heads home most weekends but on these occasions, he stays here and we enjoy having them over.

Last night (Saturday) as part of my High Council duties, Vicki and I went to a appreciation dinner for a group called Friends in the Desert. Started by St. Timothy's Episcopal Church 15 years ago, volunteers from Henderson provide approximately 30,000 meals each year to homeless people or struggling families. This has become a multi-faith outreach program. Our stake participates by providing 80-100 meals on the first Tuesday of every month. What a wonderful opportunity to meet such neat people who are so kind in reaching out.

Today at church, we had the new family search program introduced to us. This will be a very cool program that takes the work of doing a family name in the temple from 16 to 5 steps. In the process, people who have a strong desire to not do repeat work will have an easier time finding duplicates and also know which names are already in the queue. The part Vicki really liked was that when you first sign on, the family search program will automatically show what your pedigree chart looks like and as you focus on one person, you can open a "google" world map that will show you all the important spots on the earth for your life or the life of the person you are researching.

The program is being rolled out one temple at a time and our temple is supposed to be live on February 26. There have been delays. The rumor is that there is so much interest in this new method that the system has been overloaded and additional servers are needed. Makes you kind of wish you lived in Las Vegas, doesn't it?

TTFN
-Ron

17 February 2008 (Happy Birthday Mom!)

2008-02-17T13:47:00.000-08:00

We found out this week that we have a dog that's a digger. Vicki was upstairs working on a sewing project when she heard toasty barking downstairs. When she came downsairs, she found that the windows needed a wash job. Toasty had found his way into a flower bed when the drip system (which has turned into a full fledged shower since he has chewed all the tubes) was running. Water plus dirt plus puppy equals dirty windows.

We started planting the replacement plants this week-end and will finish up tomorrow. We have included a couple of pictures for you to review. One of the cool things is that now we have our own Brady Bunch fake grass back yard. I never thought I would see the day but with the concrete about 6 inches under the "grass" it had to happen. Should be good for the water bill.

Katherine and Ben continue practicing for the "Savior of the world presentation on April 10th 11th and 12th. They are really enjoying the time spent in preparation. We are looking forward to the presentation.

TTFN
-Ron

10 February 2008

2008-02-10T19:58:00.000-08:00

This week reminds me of a talk when President Hinckley quoted Jenkins Lloyd Jones:

“Life is like an old-time rail journey—delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed.

“The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride” (“Big Rock Candy Mountains,” Deseret News, 12 June 1973, A4).

And though most weeks seem to be filled with delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust cinders and jolts, we have seen some of the beautiful vistas this week.

Katherine is playing the piano in her high school's (LVA) Broadway version of Cats. The royalty company has encouraged different locations to use indigenous settings. The setting LVA chose was the Las Vegas neon sign graveyard. (If you haven't seen it, it really is something.) They have done further adaptations with the different cats taking on Las Vegas personalities including Sigfield and Roy, Liberace, The Rat pack and current Mayor Oscar Goodman. Vicki and I have our tickets for the 22nd of February. Katherine told us it took three nights to finally get good. I have seen these kids production. If Katherine says it finally is good, it's great. These kids live for the arts. The newspaper said that production costs are close to $100,000 (a good portion for royalties) but that is what the theater department puts into it to make a great production.

Ben turned in a biology project that included a DNA Model with a select portion that was supposed to represent a protein within the DNA. He found a way to build the model using items we had in the house including a coat hanger, clothes pins, corks, small spools, wire, paint and hot glue. It is amazing what he did.

Spencer celebrated his eleventh birthday. Although he loved the gifts from his Grandparents and siblings, he we crazy for the "electronics learning lab" circuit board from his parents. He is now learning of transistors, resistors, capacitors, wires, diodes, batteries and STUFF. He has spent every last minute moving wires and pieces around to learn how they interact. He even found that different family members generate a different pitch when the complete a circuit di to the amount of water in each system. (Spencer has the highest pitch.)

Vicki and I continue to facilitate the learning. Its great to have a family.

03 February 2008 "Y" my Daughter

2008-02-03T18:24:00.000-08:00

Well now we know why Nana always makes Swedish Pancakes when we come to visit. With a full 60% of the votes, our favorite dish that Nana makes is Swedish Pancakes!

"Y" my daughter? That was the conversation Vicki and I were having this past Friday. Since Katherine was accepted into BYU, she now had to find a way to pay for her college. That included writing three 300 word essays. Once those were completed, we had about 20 minutes before the deadline to look for additional money's that were available in the BYU comprehensive scholarship fund. It was reminiscent of when she completed the early admission filing deadline by 15 minutes and she remarked, "I was 15 minute early." Well for scholarship applications, she was four minutes early.

Spencer "crossed over" from cub scouts to boy scouts on Tuesday night. Wouldn't you know that on his final night they had a pine wood derby race. That was Spencer's fourth pine wood derby race in cub scouts and one too many as far as I am concerned. This year, he did the majority of the work so the car was much more his than Dad's or Mom's. His average speed of 4 races was 61.7 mph and he took fourth overall. The grand prize winner was 62.8 MPH. To give an idea of how close the race was, the close up picture shows Spencer's car in the 2nd from right lane and the winner in the 4th lane. The other second and third place cars were clocked at 62.8 and 62.7 MPH respectively. Spencer's car was second fastest in the ward and he got a very nice 2nd place trophy.

The video shows Spencer's Car in lane one and the grand champion in lane 3.

TTFN
-Ron

27 January 2008

2008-01-27T14:44:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who voted for their favorite comfort food that Nana makes. You can encourage your children to cast their votes as well. Remember, voting ends on January 31st.

I asked Vicki last week if she would let me post a picture of a quilt that she designed and made for Ben's room. She said she didn't need it posted that she would be satisfied for her mom and Nana to see it. When Gail saw the picture of the quilt, she asked Vicki why I didn't post that on the blog and move away from the wall dribble. With that kind of support, today I brag on Vicki and we will do one more wall post next week and be done with the wall. Hallelujah.

Vicki has been absolutely swamped with goodness activities. She teaches early morning seminary, which is like being a Sunday school teacher every day of the week. Each day when she returns she preps for her next lesson while baby sitting a dog and trying to do all the parental service activities at school.

In the midst of all of that, she has a goal to do one service project each month. This month the service was for Ben's room to get a quilt. I have especially enjoyed the quilt because it breaks up the overwhelmingness of Ben's room. Each child when we moved here was allowed to design and paint their own room. Ben like's green. His room is three shades of green. I like green too but Ben's room is so green that it makes me blue.

Vicki has refinished the bed in the picture which is a beautiful piece of solid wood furniture left over from when her mother was a little girl. The nightstand was completed by Ben for one of his merit badge requirements but supervised by Vicki. Add to that, a black Papa San chair that Ben got for Christmas last year and now the room is pleasant to be in. It needed the quilt to top it off.

Since moving here, each child has recieved a bed spread that Vicki has quilted for them. She does a great job of keeping them warm physically and mentally.

TTFN
-Ron

20 January 2008

2008-01-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

Caucus week in Nevada. Our family did our part. We went to a Romney rally on Thursday; Made sure our Romney sign stood out at night on Friday, participated in the caucus on Saturday and Katherine volunteered at caucus central on Saturday afternoon.

We in Nevada did our part for Mitt. And remember, chewsy puppies chews Mitt!

TWIR Returns 13 January 2008

2008-01-13T15:59:00.000-08:00

No great and monumental occasion. I just decided to do a TWIR and whomever want to read it can without the email.

Ben has a new puppy that was delivered on January 4, 2008. He had a tough time coming up with a name but decided because the dog is so sweet and is white with just a touch of golden on his head that he would call him Toasted Marshmallow and Toasty for short. The puppy lounges in the house and races when he is outside. He loves Ben and Katherine and Spencer. He likes Vicki and he tolerates me. Sometimes. Thats OK. I don't have to clean up after his messes and take him out to the bathroom. Ben is training him to go potty.

Our falling wall has been replaced. The family has worked diligently to take the grade down 4" so we can extend our driveway and get rid of the dirt. With the removal and rebuild of the wall and the concrete pour complete, we now have a 16' wide side yard.

Spencer is on the cusp of receiving all 20 of his Webelos activity pins. He has just a few more activities to complete.

Katherine continues to be heavily involved at school. She is defacto leader of the key club (even though she isn't president) and treasurer of the Conservative Civics Club at the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies and Visual and performing Arts High School. She says the civics club is the smallest club on campus because they just don't have that many conservatives at that arts school. She will be involved in counting returns from our caucus this Saturday.

Our neighbor across the street put up an OBAMA 08 sign yesterday. I guess they are trying to counter act the "Romney for President" sign we have in our yard. I turned our sign around after I saw him put up his sign. The other side says "Romney, True Strength for America's Future"

Sweet Vicki, Is feeling like a new mom all over again with a baby puppy. In addition to the million things she has on her plate, she now runs after and plays with the dog during the day. Sometimes I wonder how she gets it all done.

Well that about sums up the week.