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GUESS WHAT,

WE WENT TO THE MANTI

'MORMON MIRACLE PAGEANT'

ON THURSDAY EVENING

It was somewhat cold but not so cold our butts stuck to the chairs. I think it has been about twelve years since we last went and I think Simon and Jetaime went with us (pre-Savannah years). The main thing I remember about going that time was that Simon and I started to shine our laser pens on the side of the Manti Temple before the show started. I'm just saying.

When we arrived there it was about 6:30 and it was overcast with a chance of rain.

Just before the show began, it cleared up and remained that way throughout the production. The actors did not slide around on the hill, thank goodness for dry grass.

As you can see, the Temple was well lighted.

We got home about 1:30am and the whole experience was worth the time it took to make the trip.

Now it is your turn to go see the pageant, it is wonderful.
But if you go be sure to blog about it.
We do love to see those pictures.

DANG IT ALL TO HECK!!

WE LOST EVERYTHING ON OUR COMPUTER TODAY AND I AM STILL MAD, CAN YOU TELL.
WHEN I TURNED ON THE COMPUTER THIS MORNING I GOT THE DREADED MESSAGE

'BOOTMGR IS MISSING'

AND BOY WAS IT MISSING.

IT WAS A GOOD THING I JUST BACKED UP THE MAIN FILES SO AT LEAST WE HAVE ALL OF OUR PICTURES, WORD PROCESSING FILES, AND PAF, BUT THE BACKUP FILES FOR QUICKEN, MOZELLA , WINDOWS, EXCEL, OUTLOOK, AND ALL OUR INTERNET FILES AND PASSWORDS, WERE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. I EVEN HAD TO RE-INSTALL WINDOWS 7 AND ALL THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT, WE ARE TALKING STARTING FROM SCRATCH HERE.

I HAVE BEEN RE-INSTALLING ALL OF THE MAIN PROGRAMS WE USE MOST OFTEN IN A FEEBLE ATTEMPT TO GET US BACK WHERE WE WERE YESTERDAY. I'LL SAY IT RIGHT NOW, IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN.

I WAS SO UPSET THAT I EVEN WENT OUT AND WORKED ON THE GARDEN.

IF YOU CAN NOT GET HOLD OF US ON HOTMAIL IN THE NEXT DAY OR SO, IT MAY MEAN I SHOT THE COMPUTER FOR BEING SO EXASPERATING.

ONLY TWO THING GOOD CAME OUT OF THIS CATASTROPHE:

1. THE COMPUTER IS RUNNING FASTER NOW
2. I HAVE BEEN HOLDING IT TOGETHER AND HAVE NOT CRIED YET

I HEAR THAT BRITTANY HAS HAD SOME COMPUTER WOE'S OF HER OWN AS OF LATE. ALL I CAN SAY IS, TALKING NICE TO THE COMPUTER APPEARS TO DO NOTHING AS FAR AS HELPING IT TO BE MORE COOPERATIVE.

HERE'S TO TECHNOLOGY:

YOU CRAZY (*%(&# MACHINE. DANG IT ALL TO HECK,

JUST ONE MORE TIME.

TODAY IS FEBRUARY 21, 2011
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL PAST AND PRESENT
U.S. PRESIDENTS.

To all past Presidents: Enjoy the rest, you deserve it.
To all living Presidents: We thank you for
a job well done.

WE'RE BACK AND READY TO GET BACK
TO SOME AWESOME HOME WORK
BECAUSE WE ARE THOSE FANTASTIC BYU GRAND-KIDS



Perhaps the same exact planes that took you home for the Holidays in December were the same ones that returned you to Utah in January?
Thanks Oh Mighty Pilots of the Delta and Delta Connection persuasion for making our loved ones feel safe in the skies over America, you are the great ones.

These and many more questions were being asked by Luana and I as we picked up our grand kids at the Salt Lake International Airport the weekend of the 1st of January. I bet the kids just wanted to eat and sleep after their long flight back to Utah instead of the relentless interrogation they received with those unstoppable questions from their grand parents like: did you see many of your old friends, did you eat lots of food for Christmas, were your Parents glad to see you when they picked you up and equally glad to see you go back to BYU at the end of the Holidays, did you go on any dates, what did you get for Christmas, did it seem strange attending your old Ward?

As with most flights, these flights were without major problems. As in the past, we tend to worry about the crazy people that fly the friendly skies when our family members take to the Wild Blue Yonder, but thank goodness our fears are not founded.

WELCOME BACK TO YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME
ANNA, LAURA AND JARON.

We are glad you had a fun time with your families for Christmas.

FUN FACTS ABOUT OUR BYU GRANDKIDS.

Anna likes to make cookies for her roomies and any boys that show up at her apartment.

Laura likes to cook, and she will just about make anything you ask her to.

Jaron likes to cook, and he is not afraid to tell you about it.

Do you see a trend here.

When Anna and Laura was getting ready to go home for the holidays they decided to take their dirty clothing home in their suitcases so they could wash it at home.

Now Jaron had other issues. When we got to the airport I pulled his big old fat suitcase out of the trunk of the car and he headed for the check-in line. He asked his grandmother to go in with him and I drove to the Park-N-Wait, to guess what, you got it, wait. Even before I got parked Luana called me and told me I needed to came back because Jaron's suitcase was 12lbs over weight and it was going to cost him $97 for the extra weight so she told the ticket clerk we will be right back and they headed back out side and I headed back to the drop-off area where they were waiting for me.

We opened his suitcase and he started pulling everything out, let see, he had two pairs of slippers, lots of pants, shirts, sweat shirts, and etc. He had decided he was going to take just about every single thing in his dorm closet back home so he could sort everything out and bring back only things he really needed.

Now when we got to the bottom of the suitcase, right there in the middle of everything was something Luana and I could hardly believe, his Sunday go-to-meeting ties, every last one of them and the best part is this, he told us he needed all of this ties, so he grabbed the entire tie rack with every tie still on it and threw the whole kit-and-kaboodle in with all his clothes. You say What?

So we removed all of the superfluous articles of clothing, all his ties but one, tie-rack, extra slippers, about ten plastic hangers(the big fat clear ones that you get in the clothing stores), his scriptures, and a few other things and deposited them in the trunk of our car. Jaron proceeded to repacked his suitcase, this time with only things he really needed to take, and we sent him and grandma back into the terminal and I headed for the Park-N-Wait for the second time.

Again I drove all the way around the south side of the Airport to wait, and I did not even get a chance to park when again Luana called me back to the drop-off area. So away I went again.

At least this time it was good news, Jaron had check in and this time his bag was only 48lbs(max is 50) and he was on his way through security and to the Sky West concourse, with no more problems.

I guess we should not pick on Jaron because he was a little spacey that night because I remember the time when Luana and I had our own funny experience. You see we sent a pair of battery operated heated socks to Jon Paul to wear on those cold cold days in England while he was on his mission. Boy was he surprised when he tried them out the first time and found that when we packed them somehow we left the batteries turned on. I guess you could say the socks made it to England all nice and toasty warm, that is until the batteries ran out of juice.

It is just a good thing we love our children and our grand kids and that they love us too because with all the crazy things we do to each other, life could get a little strange.

I can hear you thinking about that last statement.

THIS IS WHAT OUR GARDEN LOOKS LIKE WHILE
WAITING FOR THE WINTER WEATHER TO SET IN.
SO EMPTY. SO ALONE. SO NOT GREEN. SO SAD.

By the way, our HOA charges us $50 if we don't totally clean up our garden spots by November 12, plus we would not be able to rent a spot for next year as a bonus.
Most of us cleaned up our garden areas by the due date but I counted 6 or 7 plots that were not cleared, and these families will not be with us next year to try their hands in the community gardens. Too much work to finish the job I guess.

One thing I noticed this year was the number of people who went to the effort to rent, clear, fertilize, plant and water all spring long, and then just as the plants start to show their little green faces through the soil, the work stopped, the weeds took over the garden, and everything died, such a waste of time and effort to just give up like that.

It does give me pause to think about all of the farmers of the World and for all they do for each one of us each day. It may be just a job for many of them, but it gives us a chance to partake of their bounty.

THANK YOU FARMERS EVERYWHERE.

AND THIS IS WHAT WE ARE ALL WAITING FOR?
BRING IT ON NOVEMBER

OCTOBER IS A MONTH WITH LOTS OF BIRTHDAYS

Lincoln: October 10th.
Jay: October 11th.
Ben: October 15th.
Jon: October 31.

• Our family members celebrate lots of birthdays

• Have lots of parties

• Wait in anticipation for the first snow of the year

• Get out of school for UEA

• Hand out lots of candy for Halloween

and

• Listen to wonderful conference talks by General Authorities.

Is this a great Month or what?

EVOLUTION OF AN IDEA!

From time to time in the life of every individual who has ever lived it becomes necessary to re-invent ones self, to deviate from ones past, and yet be important enough to make a commitment to change ones self in a way that can give the individual an new sense of accomplishment, that time was this year, 2009, for me.
In the fall of 2008, members of my family decided to give up something in their lives they had always taken for granted and cherished, they decided to go under the knife and have much of their hair cut off so it could be given to groups like Locks-of-love. These groups take bundled hair, 8" or more in length, and create wigs for children who have lost their own hair because of chemotherapy. I was so impressed with these wonderful organizations and with the members of my family who wanted to give, I too decided to grow out my hair, though it was quite thin and grey, I wanted to be a donor too. To give of ones self for the sake of others is a very worthy cause indeed.
From April 2009 through October, I endured the stares, insults, innuendoes, jokes, and intimidation directed at me because of my long hair and beard. I had been called such names as Jerry Garcia, a Hippy, a polygamist, and of course Santa Clause(mainly by little children). I was even asked on many occasions if I had lost my razor, and some wanted to know if I had just gone stark raving mad, or if I had lost my Mind completely. Through it all, I generally maintained my dignity and composure because I though it was fun. Only one draw back was the mustache, I did so hate getting food in it.
Finally a couple weeks ago, Luana told me I was looking scruffy, and because my hair was a little over 8" long now, I decided I needed to make a decision, cut or quit. I again went out on the internet and searched for the locks-of-love groups to find out what I must do to donate my hair. From April when I started growing my hair out for the program until October there had been a change in the policy on hair, the groups were no longer taking grey hair because it could not be dyed properly. So it became apparent I had to make a decision one that would make Luana happy. And so here I am, again, almost bald, and looking like a normal guy again. Goodbye long hair, adieu to the endless mustashe combings, and so long scruffy beard.
In light of events of the past few days I wanted to give a chronological overview of my hairy transformation.

A. May, 2008 (Britt's Wedding)
B. Feb, 2009 (Chuck-e-Cheese and Jaybens' Birthday party).
C. Apr, 2009 (After four weeks)
D. Jun, 2009 (Laura's Graduation)
E. Jun, 2009 (Tye's Graduation)
F. May, 2009 (Our Home)
G. Jul, 2009 (Chick-Fil-A dress up)
H. Oct, 2009 (Halloween week)
I. Nov, 2009 (After the big clip)

One note, Luana and I spoke at Church the end of July and I looked pretty much like I did in Picture 'H'. I had quite a few people tell me the subject and my looks went well together. We talked about 'THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS". Eat your heart out Brigham Young.
All I can say is:

IT WAS FUN WHILE IT LASTED

Grandpa and Santa, who would have thought there was a resemblance.

It is almost the end of May and summer is just around the corner, but the long hair and beard is staying. At least until Christmas. Who knows, maybe I can get a job at one of the Malls as a Santa. The look is almost there, only 212 shopping days until Christmas, and by the end of October I will either be ready for the task, or I will be clean shaven, only time will tell.

I have been told the 'LOCKS-OF-LOVE' program is looking for a few good men, by then I should qualify don't you think. Last year, Janessa, Brittany, and a few of their friends cut their hair for the program and I thought at the time it was a very good idea.

WELL ON TO GROWING THINGS THAT ARE GREEN

As you can see by my appearance, I am heading out to the garden to work for the morning. Today the results of all my hard work (see our last gardening blog) is quite exciting (see below).


I am a little sad though, some of the other lots in the community garden are making my efforts seem insignificant by comparison. I would show you a picture of some of theirs, but I don't want to make you laugh at me.

In the end, Luana and I will have lots of goodies for our efforts and then I won't care that my garden is not the best. Luana has always told me she may have a green thumb, maybe I am the one with the brown thumb. You know, PLANT IT AND WATCH IT DIE. Perhaps I love my garden to death.

If you have any suggestions on how to make a good garden into a great garden I would like to hear some suggestions. I know in Austin, Jaelyn and John had lots of tomatoes from their little garden in their back yard, AND THE HARVEST WAS EXCELLENT TO THE TASTE.

Trying to look like my grandpa Brigham Y.