Two weeks more and whaddya get?

So I guess it is time to back up a bit. The first event was something I missed and it was funny. My littlest sister turned 25 and says she doesn't feel any older except she has all the symptoms of aging. Welcome to life dear. For more info read her blog. The funny part was I called and reminded a few family members who forgot it was her birthday and told them to call her. Then I got doing something and totally forgot to call myself. Well I am just a hypocrite like everybody else. Sue me.

Friday night we went down to Lehi to provide the cake for Nolan's birthday. They all went out for steak and waited forever at a new Texas Roadhouse. We had to come late because I had to work. Then we drove all the way down to Gunnison. We got there a little after midnight and crashed. Even Levi slept a little longer than usual.

Saturday was very eventful. We sat around for most of the morning recouperating our strength from the drive down and finally decided to go shoot the .22's and the 12 guage. Lynette's brother Robert came with us and we had fun. The only thing was I had a shell explode wrong in the gun and it made my ears ring for the rest of the day. Lesson learned. Use the hearing protection that is stored with the rifle. Even Nett shot the .22 but I couldn't get a picture of her shooting. She didn't want to try the 12 guage.

Later that night we drove up Mayfield canyon to have Nett's 10 yr. high school reunion. They had a good crowd and Nett got to see some old friends and lots of familiar faces. They had barbecued pork sandwiches (which I loved and Nett didn't think they were that great), chips and of course Sodas. The really cool part was that we had a prayer to start things off. They had a little slide show and just visited. Even Levi came though he was not invited. At three months he knows how to crash parties.

The next day we were able to attend the afternoon session of the Dedication of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. Nett's mission president spoke. It was very uplifting. We had a great time. We then traveled through the middle of San Pete county and passed the Manti Temple and Snow College. Both places are dear to us. We stopped off to see Mom and Dad and then went home.

Tuesday we came back down to have our pictures taken. We decided to do the whole family as a gift to Mom and Dad for christmas since the last picture we had was right before Chris left on his mission. Now our family has grown and we had a good time at Wheeler Farm.

The only down side is I got turned down for many jobs again this week. For some reason I cannot buy and interview with anybody, even my own company. I don't know the reason or anything. I guess we will just keep plugging along.

And for the final story. Today we were sitting in the chapel durring the sacrement. Levi kept leaning over towards Nett for some reason. The second time he did I didn't correct him and he began relieving his bowels very audibly while the Young Men were passing the sacrement. Lynette and I were laughing so hard and at the same time we were trying to be reverent. In the end Nett took him out and changed his diaper. It was absolutely hilarious.

So this is the Clan Leader signing off until next time.

Crazy Week

So to begin the venting. For those of you who are having, planning to have children listen up. We have been having some issues with Levi's insurance. There is this rule/law that you have 30 days to get a copy of the birth certificate of your new bundle of joy to the insurance company so the new child will be insured from the minute of birth until whenever. We did this and are being denied because our employer runs their insuranc through another party. We don't know what their job is other than to piss off the employees. It is a real hassle and not worth the pain. We are fighting hard.

Nett is less than excited to go back to work. But we need the money and so back she goes. It should be interesting. Levi gets his first day of hang out with dad. This should be a wonderful disaster. Hopefully we won't kill each other.

We had a great time up at Christmas Meadows thursday. We went up with my grandparents and got to sit, talk, relax and enjoy good food at Dick's drive in. It was relaxing even though it only lasted for one day. Levi didn't make it the whole way. Somewhere between Huntsville and South Weber he kinda got sick. We won't be taking him for extended car rides anytime soon.

Still haven't heard anything on the job. I put in for a director position in Caldwell ID. I passed the initial screening but it is too early for anything else. Hoping still.

The trap shoot was very fun. We had 16 Elders/YM show up and we had about that many shotguns. I shot a 54/75 which isn't stellar but it isn't too bad. I just need practice. I am going again near Gunnison this weekend which should be a blast.

We are also looking forward to attending the Oquirrh Mountain Temple dedication on Sunday. It is a beautiful building and we look forward to going through it after the dedication. Hopefully the angel won't need to visit Michael Jackson's plastic surgeons anymore. Hee Hee Hee.

Another Week Another Dollar?

So another busy week for me and of course for Lynette. She and I are trying to figure out how to care for our little guy while she returns to work. Her departement has allowed her freedom to come in whenever she can, which is when I am not at work. This will help us greatly. I will get to spend more one on one time with Levi which leaves me a little bewildered. He has taken to crying when I hold him sometimes and then I get frustrated and give him to Lynette and he calms down. Atleast he knows where the food comes from.

Work is work. I got to play supervisor a couple of times and we were able to get done quickly and leave. I feel pretty good about how I did.

I am still waiting to hear from a job I applied for. I got a phone interview but was told to be patient and wait for several weeks before hearing anything. We are praying and hoping that it works out.

I got to teach the lesson in elder's quorum a week early. I traded with the other teacher because he had some kind of conflict. But it is funny. When I looked ahead to see which lesson I would be teaching I glanced at the lesson for this week entitled Relief Society: Divine Role for Women. I though to myself, I am sure glad that is not my lesson. Well folks, the good Lord had other Ideas for me and I sure learned some stuff I didn't know.

On a much less humble note, My wife and I purchased tickets to see the USA vs El Salvador soccer game in Sandy at the new Rio Tinto stadium. I am excited and have been looking forward to the game since it was announced. I am even making my own t-shirt to wear providing i can find the stuff to print on. I think I may have to give up hope and buy some new stuff.

Our Elders Quorum is going trap shooting on wednesday. I have the gun but I don't think that I will be any good. I have what my wife affectionately calls Brett Maverick syndrome. I can shoot fast but I can't hit @#$%%^&&***. Well you get the idea anyway.

And Finally we are heading up for a day of R & R in the High Uintah Mountains for a day with my grandparents. We had been toying with the idea for months and a good opportunity has presented itself and so we are going to take advantage of it.

Week of Endurance

I got to have a great time working a whole week from 5:30 a.m. till 1:30 p.m. for five straight days. It was hard. Getting up on my mission wasn't this hard that I remember. Oh well I will live I suppose. Now the next week I am working mostly afternoon shifts.

Nett is trying to stay on top of everything but little Levi can be quite demanding of her time and attention. He finally spit up on me for the first time this week. My parents would just laugh and say payback is nice isn't it but I don't think Levi is going to give it to me like I gave it to them. Atleast we hope not.

Nett had a chat with her bosses and co-workers to determine how she should come back to work if I am not hired at a new position that pays better in the next two weeks. They have been really good to her and are looking forward to her return, although her staying home would be bitter sweet due to the friendships she has made there. I might also note they are allowing her to come back part time so Levi will always have someone home with him.

Our bishopric was changed today. The stake president gave a 30+ minute housekeeping talk, boldly admonishing our ward to; stay away from gossip, observe the baptismal covenants mentioned in Mosiah 19, bear true testimony and quit giving travel/health,love,thankimony logs to the ward. He actually explained a good reason for bearing testimony and not doing those other things. It was something I had never considered. It was like a Zone Conference where the mission president gives it how it is to the missionaries. I walked away feeling that I could try harder to be a better person. He also told us to read the lessons for church and to follow the manuals. They were printed and published in this manner for a reason.

Then we got to the new bishopric. They were called of God to serve in this capacity. I am excited to see what they can do for us as a ward.

Our elder's quorum is planning a trap shooting activity. I have the shot gun and I am rearing to go. Hopefully work will cooperate and give the day off I need.

It appears that our family is in for some big changes here pretty soon. Work and with the changes in our ward and with Levi here we are going to see that goes.

I am beyond tired

This last week was very abnormal for me. Or pretty much typical. Work is letting many people go on vacations and that leaves the rest of us to fill in the gaps they create. I got stuck working in the cafeteria for the whole week. I liked having the weekend off but I am not digging the 5:00 am wake ups. And I still have one week to go.

On the topic of work, I got passed over for another promotion. I didn't even get an interview with my own bosses this time. I don't know how this other employee will work out though. Should be real interesting. I also have had a phone interview with a clinic managed by the same company I already work for. The interview went well and I am hoping they will call sometime this week and want another interview in person this time.

We also had a wonderful visit from my Aunt Karen and Uncle Val. They were in town for the week and we got to see them. We had a nice visit where the entertainment was provided by a squirrel trying to jump from the tree into the bird feeder. He kept looking and looking before he finally got the guts to go for it and he enjoyed a good meal.

We also got a visit from Lynettes brother Robert and his family. We had a great dinner and then walked to a nearby park where Spencer played on the playground and we talked. For the 24th I had to work part of the day so we ended up down at Mom and Dad's for a BBQ. It was good.

Backing up to last Sunday, it is a tradition here at Weber State to have a concert and a fireside to kick off the Ogden Pioneer days. The concert consists of a local orchestra playing classical pieces and then ending the concert with Tchikovsky's 1812 overture with cannon fire. Then at the end of the show they shoot off fireworks. I went to this event when I was a kid with my folks and then I have gone since I lived up here. Lynette and I took Levi up this year. We got good seats and enjoyed the show very much. Levi didn't like the cannons and fell asleep during the fireworks. Oh well.

Events Traditions and The American Way

Our clan has had an eventful few weeks. So I will back up and start with the good old Fourth of July. I can't recall my family having any solid traditions in our celebrating the birthday of the USA. I do know we have usually set off fireworks. That is all I remember. So with a family of my own I want to start some of my own traditions and things. So I thought that over the last two 4ths that I would do it in the American Way; steal somebody elses.

I have some great friends, who every year get together and spend the day at Layton City's celebration of the 4th of July. We all got together at the Groneman's house and had breakfast. This annual feast is incredible. This year, at my wife's suggestion, I bought Derek, Steve, and myself a T-shirt we thought was funny. And it was. We all wore them together.

The women (our wives) were talking about babies, as Lynette just had one, Tawni is going to have one and Vanessa is contemplating.

The next event happened the next day. We were able to have all of Nett's family come with most of my family and some friends to bless Levi. We were very worried because we were going to have lots of people at church and although it was a holiday weekend the place was going to be packed. It was but almost everything worked out ok. Levi started to cry during his blessing, but calmed down long enough for us to take the sacrament. Then all hell broke loose. I spent the rest of Fast and Testimony Meeting out on the church stairs trying to calm the boy down. He would finally get close to calm and then scream again. Turns out he was hungry, the one thing I couldn't help him with.

We had a great meal afterwards while the kids got to go and play on the playground. We got to visit with our relatives, take pictures (I don't have them yet) and just relax.

Shortly there after our next adventure took place. I went to work for a few days and felt really sick. I called in on wednesday and went to the doctor. Turns out I was positive for the flu. We caught it early and we were able to treat it promptly. So I didn't get to bad but it was scary for a bit. It was very contagious and with the little boy in the house we had a lot of work to do. But Nett just rolled up her sleeves so to speak and took care of us. She is great for that. Normally I help a little with Levi. But I wasn't able to be near him. I wore a mask and everything if we had to be in the same room. But by God's grace neither he nor Nett got sick.

And for the last thing. I was itching to go and buy some music. I like listening to may types and have some of almost everything. I had enough birthday money left to go and buy one cd. I went to Target and looked for a while at several different cd's. I had it narrowed down to a choice between 2 cd's and I was having trouble picking. I stumbled upon a cd that Nett wanted. I grabbed it for her and then grabbed mine. So I spent more than I should have but it was worth it. When we got home I told her I was going to put the new cd in the cd player. She asked what I had bought (for me) and I answered Led Zeppelin. When Yanni started playing instead of Led Zeppelin she was surprised and gave me a kiss.

She enjoyed the concert associated with the Yanni cd and wanted it. But concert prices are outrageous. So we opted to wait. And Nett got a surprise. I enjoyed the concert. Good music even without electric guitar.

First Month

Our first month has gone by pretty quickly. Nett and I are discovering the joys and pains of parenthood. I think it is good to see our parents laugh a little realizing that we are now in it for the long haul. Levi is now growing and being our new little guy. He is constantly smiling at us and makes wonder on occasion what he is thinking about. On second though maybe I don't want to know. We are really looking forward to his blessing on Sunday.

I have to laugh. I think as men we try so hard to get the girls to notice us. And despite our best and worst efforts it seems to us that they never do. Or so we think. My wife keeps confessing she noticed me way earlier than I thought. Now that we have Levi, he is a chick magnet. Of course the girls notice him and not my wife or myself. And I am fine with that.

He is good and sleeps during the night and doesn't cry or fuss very much unless he is being awoken by a cold wet wipe to clean him or if he gets really hungry.






My sister got some good pics of him. I only put in the two. He is very happy and I like the one where he is sneezing. He sneezes a ton and got me in the face the other day. I got of easy. He gives Nett presents and showers.

Of other note, we got to take a tour of the new temple in South Jordan. It is very pretty and is unique for me. I liked the ring motifs and also the abundance of glass to make the temple more open. The tour was wonderful. We took Levi, and he got us a free ride on a golf cart to and from the car. He slept through the baptistry but was awake for the ordinance rooms, celestial room and the bridal prep room or whatever it is called. Then we topped it off with a good fish dinner (I cooked it) and some burgers.

I have to say I hate our car. It has been nothing but problems for us for the last six months. First the fuel pump, then the air conditioner and now who knows what. Thank God for good friends and family who help us. You know who you are and I am grateful for you and not that car.

Oh to end on something a little more humorous. The other night Lynette and I decided to watch a few more episodes of the A-Team. we are watching the episodes in order from season 1 to season 5. We are about 2/3ds of the way through season 2. Anyway I had Levi and I was trying to burp him or something and I ended up lying down with him on top of my chest. He had his head turned and he was watching some of the show with us. He fell asleep to heavy machine gun fire and the famous words "I love it when a plan comes together."