FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTY

Every year as part of our family Christmas party we do the annual exchange of "dweebie" gifts, there really just white elephants but years ago when Tracey was a kid he dubbed them "dweebies" and they have been that ever since.
This was my contribution this year the "joker baby", I had a vision about it on the way to work one day, stopped at DI and got a doll for $1.00, add a little paint and presto, Dweebie. It kind of creeped Drake out a bit when he saw it (Michelle was the recipient).
Of course we had the return of the fruit cake that has been back every year for about 4 years now.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I LOVE CHRISTMAS

I love the crazy way Americans have made the simple miracle of the birth of our Savior into the most commercial enterprise in the history of earth. But we all love to do it.
I love that the simple tradition of giving gifts that represent the gifts that the kings brought as they visited the child, has grown into a monster that cannot be stopped even by recession.
I love the music of Christmas, those wonderful songs that we are only allowed to listen to for one monthe out of the year. Well except that some of the radio stations start just a little earlier each year. I was reminded of this in the wee hours of the morning on November 1st when my clock radio woke me up to the "sounds of the season"
I love that on Halloween we go door to door collecting candy and then at Christmas we go door to door and give it back. But be careful that you don't re-gift to the same people that gave it to you, they might recognize it.
I love decorating for Christmas with all sorts of junk and lights and nic nacs. we even have one decoration that I made the first year we were married and it still hangs in our home every year. It is a little worse for wear but still looks half good if not a little tacky. But I do not like putting lights on the house. I only do that for Karen.
I love the opportunity of being with family and enjoying grandchildren. It is so true that as you get older you begin to enjoy Christmas through the eyes of the young. It fills you with great joy and is so rewarding to see the little ones and how excited they are at everything about Christmas.
I love the way everyone tries to be just a little more kind at Christmas time, as we perhaps try to be just a little more like He who's birthday we celebrate.
So as we enter this last week before the big day I hope we can all take a moment or two, or three, or as many as we can scrape together, to remember what it is all about.

MESA PROJECT

On top of trying to get tithing settlement going and busy Christmas schedule, I spent part of last week in the Mesa temple.
I went down with a couple of colleagues from work to get digital files of all the murals and original art that hangs in the temple. This is a project that my department has been working on for several years. We go into various temples during the time that they are closed for cleaning, set up our equipment and take high resolution shots for printing. Some of the murals, like the ones here have to be taken in pieces and then put together as one image using photoshop. These two murals were taken in 6 shots each with a Hassleblad camera (No real person could afford this camera)
While the boys are busy with the "big" camera I shot these with my phone. Very high tech quality I know.
It was a great experience and the spirit was there even if we were dodging plumbers that are redoing the sewer lines and jumping over carpet layers and painters. It is amazing the amount of work that can be done with the Lord's guidance , in a very short time. In this case the temple will be closed for two weeks, during which time they are completely replacing the sewer system, laying new carpet in all the main hallways and repainting and gold leafing many areas in the temple.

DRAKE'S TURN ON THE FRONTRUNNER

Saturday was Drake's day with Grandma and Gramps. So he got his turn to go on the "big train" or 'Frontrunner" as some know it. We rode the train to Ogden and went to the train museum in the old Union station. Drake had a blast and talked about it all the way back home. Or at least that's what I think he was talking about, when he gets excited he has a rapid fire half sentence method of communication that is not entirely English.

PICTURE DAY AT THE GSL

We had Tracey and Kristy's 5 kids for the weekend, what a riot (literally) but we had fun with all of them. On Saturday Jana wanted me to take some pictures of her family so they could use them for a Christmas card. So while Karen stayed home with Aaron and Matthew I took the older kids and met Jana at the Great Salt Lake. It is almost a garbage dump out there but it has some cool places to take pictures and they look better in pictures than the place does in reality. Here are a few examples of what we got.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

What does that mean? "corn maze for blondes" Well just for the blondes reading this, let me explain how a corn maze works. So you take a huge field of corn and cut pathways with lots of turns and twists and it creates a maze,
if you follow the maze and make all the correct turns you make it to the middle of the maze or corn field.
This "corn maze for blondes" has no paths all you have to do is look out into the field and walk to the lone corn stock.
Now I know that there are still a few true blondes out there that look at this picture and say.........
Ahhhhhh, I don't get it?

TRAIN RIDE FOR AARON

On Saturday it was Aaron's turn for a weekend with Gramps and Grandma. We got up early on Saturday and drove into Salt Lake, took the light rail to the train hub, were Aaron found some cool "Flintstone" luggage that was decorating the station plaza area. We then rode the Front Runner to Ogden. at the station in Ogden there is a Utah train museum that really made Aaron's day. Watching the trains run around the tracks and disapear into the wall gave him more than a few minutes of running time. Then it was back on the train for the one hour ride back to Salt Lake. We all had a good time and it was a long day.

THE 3 ?

After serving as bishop for three years, our ward has been split again.
Dar is now in the new ward awaiting a call to serve (short rest).
"Q" was also released from the bishopric because the Lord wants him somewhere else.
I have come to love these two men as brothers, maybe more, after all I am not that close to my real brothers. Quinton and Dar have really made being a bishop a lot easier than it would have been otherwise. I never needed to actually delegate anything, because these two just did what needed to be done and I did not have to worry.
With new counselors in place as well as a new ward clerk we are now reorganizing the ward. Much work to do, but the Lord's hand is in it and the work is easy to bare.
My new counselors are; Chad Jarvis (was the ward clerk) and Rob Tripp (demoted from the YM presidency).
So I look forward to a few more years as bishop of one of the greatest wards in the church. Thanks to everyone.

HOT DOGS

Do you ever get a craving for one of those crappy hot dogs from the wienerschnitzel? Even though Costco or Sam's Club has better dogs at a cheaper price. Sometimes there is nothing like a good hot dog to satisfy the carnivore in all of us.
This is the funniest commercial I have seen for a long time. But we will probably not be seeing it anytime soon on US Television.
This commercial alone makes me want to run down and get one of those wiener guys to put on the antennae of my car!!

COKE IS BACK

After living in our home for 4 years now, the basement is finally at a point that I could bring out some of my Coke collection and put it on display.
I have some stuff that I had forgotten all about. Some that went to the DI and some that went back in boxes.
The wooden boxes that are attached to the wall are made of oak and I picked them up at a surplus sale at work for next to nothing, well actually it was nothing. they even had Plexiglas covers so all I had to do was ad the shelves to each one and fasten them to the wall.

THE OFFICE

It's Thursday and time again for The Office.
Enough said.

THE BIG HOLE

So across the street from my office is the major building project that will replace the old ZCMI and Crossroad malls. as well as some new construction on Social Hall Ave. Right now all it is, is a huge hole that goes about 5 stories underground.
Next week they will finish demolition of the Deseret Book building and the ZCMI food court. (no more down town eating)
If you want to see a pretty well done action rendering of what the project will look like when it is done here is the link: City Creek Conceptual Tour. the whole project is messing up down town generally but it will beat the heck out of the gateway when it is done.

GIVE ME A STRAW

This is a major tragedy, if I came upon this mess on my way to work, I would have to get a straw out of the glove box, and take the day off.

KAREN'S BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday Karen.
So I did not post it on her birthday but that is because we were out. We took two days off work and left town. It was fun. we drove up Ogden canyon and then over to Bear Lake and down into Logan. We went to the Logan temple on Tuesday to witness the sealing of some kids in our ward, and then spent the night in Logan.
So Happy Birthday, to the best wife, mother and grandmother there is anywhere.

DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING

I read an article today in a magazine about digital scrapbooking. So here is my first attempt.
I know I have a long way to go before it looks like a real scrapbook page, but it was fun and did not really take very long.

SUNSET ON THE GREAT SALT LAKE

All the girls and Maddi all entered scrapbook pages in the State Fair and got all kinds of ribbons and accolades galore. I am so proud of all of them.
I was going to enter some photos but of course never go around to it. This one I took of Sarah last summer.

CAMPAIGNIN' TIME

I know that the whole family is ferociously political so I knew you would love this one:
Time for some Campaignin'
And turn up your sound, you have to hear it......

I MISS THESE GUYS

I really miss seeing these guys each week. It has been a long dry summer and even before that ,with the writers strike and all, it seems like it's been a long time.
FYI The new season starts on September 25.
and season 4 comes out on DVD on September 2

DANG

Dang......... just after I finally decide on a new car, along comes something better. If I had only waited.

TREE HUGGER

So now I am a true "tree hugger" we just bought a new car, and decided on a Honda Hybrid. So now I guess we join the ranks of the true environmentalist wakos.
Actually I just decided I would rather have a car payment again than to keep giving money to the big oil company's
So, happy day I have a new car.....

BLIND SERVICE PROJECT

So this may be one of those "you had to be there" stories but last night when I was telling the family it sure did seem funny.
We have a blind guy in our neighborhood. At least he is legally blind, so he can see shadows etc.
Well one day last week he drove his riding lawn mower down the street and around the corner to mow the lawn of a single lady that needed help. Then when he finished he is driving back home and a policeman drives by and thinks, "hey that guy looks like he's blind" so said blind man gets pulled over on his lawnmower by the local cops and questioned about the sanity of driving around blind on a lawnmower. After all you could run over an animal and not even know it.
A couple of years ago I saw this same guy riding a bike down the street with his white cane setting across the handlebars of the bike.

JOSEPH SMITH CABIN

I guess since everyone else is posting scrapbook stuff, then it is not to obnoxious of me to post some of my drawings.
This is a sketch I did of the Joseph Smith Sr. cabin in Palmyra New York. this is looking at the back side of the cabin, or the view that Joseph would have been seeing as he came out of the sacred grove after he had his first vision of the Father and Son.

LAUGHTER

"LAUGHTER IS GOD'S HAND ON A TROUBLED WORLD"

So go ahead and laugh!

LITTLE GUY WITH A BIG HEART

I can not pass up the need to blog a few words about this tough little guy.
3 weeks ago Zane (grandson) had open heart surgery. after one day in ICU and 2 days in a regular room, he came home. I am so thankful for his tough little spirit and for the faith and prayers that were offered in his behalf. He is not only better than new but doing great.
I have to recognize not only the authority of the priesthood that we have but the absolute power of faith. I believe that without the demonstration of faith from family and friends that the blessings of the priesthood cannot be fully realized.
So thanks to everyone who offered prayers of faith and hope for our little Zane.

SETTLING IN, sort of

Well after being in my new location for a couple of weeks, things are feeling like they belong to me. One upside to my new office is that I actually have enough wall space to add a picture or 2. This one is the creation of the world by Walter Rane. He is one of my favorite LDS painters. So I now have one of his works hanging in my office.
On Wednesday I went and had a "procedure" done to help my Barret's esophagus, the purpose is to burn off any bad tissue so they will be replaced by good cells. I am not so sure it helped much, right now it hurts like the very flames of hell.
If you want to take a look at what they did check out: http://www.barrettsadvice.com/?p=34
this is a somewhat graphic video of someone else (not me) having the procedure

"REASSIGNED"

After many years of working at the Printing Center, I have be "reassigned" to a new location. Still working for the Printing Division but my office is now on the 23rd floor of the COB. So that means no raise in pay, buy more gas, wear suits everyday and leave all the great employees and friends that I had at the Printing Center.
Now when I look out my windows instead of watching great people working I see people I don't know working.
It is much quieter here and I will make the best of it.
I am now managing the electronic prepress group, the Document Center and the office supply store.
Up sides? I have covered parking so I don't have to scrap snow or get into a blazing hot car.

MAKIN' MONEY ON THE DEAD

While visiting Boston on business I took some time to walk the "freedom trail" visited the Old North Church of Paul Revere fame. Also saw the SS Constitution "Old Iron Sides" one of the first fighting ships in the US Navy.
Just down from the North Church I saw this cool grave yard. If you notice the head stones are 2 deep, sometimes 3.
Apparently the sexton of the cemetery was reselling grave sites of some of the old graves and then stashing the headstones in the basement of a nearby church. While renovating the church they found the headstones and have tried to restore them to their rightful places.

PROOF

This post is to prove to someone that would not believe I liked this Christmas gift. I hung it up in our computer room (very prominent location) anyone coming in our house can see it.
Thanks a bunch for the gift and to everyone for a great Christmas