My House

A Good Night Moon and Star

Suzi's Excitied

We had dinner outside last night and loved it. It took Suz and I a good couple of hours to put this together, and we are excited to have it.

Hannah's School Work

For some reason this made both Suzi and I laugh. We thought the non-living items are perfectly Hannah answers.

Living Large

This is Patrick's old matress on it's way to the dump. Someone has taken a liking to it, and everyone is trying to make me feel guilty for getting rid of "Luke's bed."

A Letter From The Lodi Crushers

Some of you may know that Sam tried out for our Local Soccer Club team, The Lodi Crushers, and was selected to play for the team. Here is a letter from the team:

Dear Prospective Sponsor:

The Lodi Crushers 97 U11 competitive soccer team is a nonprofit community soccer team within the Lodi sports organization. The Crushers under 11 boys is a Class 1 competitive soccer team made up of 18 selected players who will represent Lodi in tournaments throughout Norther California as well as in league games within the CYSA-N District 8.

Our club's mission is to provide the very best experience for the players by promoting good sportsmanship and individual growth, while they learn new skills and enjoy the excitement and camaraderie of participation in organized sports. Our long term goal is to reach the point where most of our players continue to participate in organized soccer into their high school years. Ultimately, providing opportunities of offered soccer scholarships to may of the most well known college and universities across the country.

The Crushers depend on sponsorship donations and fundraising efforts to help defray the individual player costs of tournament entry fees, uniforms, equipment , field fees, and referee fees. Your support as a sponsor is very important. Your generous support directly benefits all of our youth players. As a charitable donation your sponsorship is 100% tax deductible. Your sponsorship is a great way for you and your business to promote our youth and further their interest in the wonderful sport of soccer.

As a way to say thank you, sponsors will be invited to attend a home soccer game followed by a reception to meet and get to know these wonderful young boys you have so generously helped. Details of the game and reception will be sent out later in the fall.

Please review , complete, and return the attached sponsorship application.

Kind Regards,

Ned Brophy- Head Coach

If you or an organization you know of is interested in making a donation let me know and I'll send the form to you with the Tax ID Number included.

Luke the Guard Dog

Last night I awoken by Luke barking at 4am. I jumped up out of bed and looked out the window. From my window I can't see my drive way, but I could see that a car with it's headlights on was parked at the end of my drive way. So I head down stairs and turned on all the outside lights to let whoever was outside know that they were being watched.

I was really to tired to give a crap if they were in either of my cars at this point. I was looking out the front window and noticed that the individual in the truck parked at the end of my drive way behind my cars was still in his truck. He turned on his cabin lights and sat there for a few minutes. After what felt like forever (because I could hear my bed calling me to come back) the individual got out of his truck walked through my sprinkers getting wet and left a note on my front porch.

It turns out I was the crook stealing water on my non-watering day and he was the water police. Luke got a little extra love for doing his job before I headed back to bed.

He's Dangerous

I had to post this picture for Patricks sake. As you'll see things take a turn for the worst. I wanted to show Puff when he was holding his own. Patrick would probably explain that he went a little easy on Chris. Chris being a guest and stuff. Good boy Puff, way to go easy on the old guy.

Chris Bowerbanks Race in the Salt Lake Tribune

I was up reading the Salt Lake Tribune here at an unreasonable hour of the night (I'm sure Chris is up too) and I saw Chris's race was part of a story in the trib. Chris puts on races for fun in his free time. See http://www.triutah.com/

Chris is pictured above. Sorry Patrick, it's the only picture of Chris I could find. At least Josh is in there trying to help you out. Trying is the key word.

Chris and Trisha Bowerbank have been friend's of ours since we all were newly weds. Chris has been mistakenly identified as Patrick and Sam's father more often than I have been correctly been identified as the father. "Where'd they get the red hair" I've been asked about a jillion times (a jillion is a lot). The answer to that question is "not from Chris."

Here's the article:
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_5940330?source=rv

You da man Chris.

Zogby polls

Here are the results of the first to primary states from Zogby polls for both partys:

http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1302

Would it suprise you that Mitt Romney is ahead in both states of all other Republicans?
Prepare to be suprised.

Someone was tired

Suzi walked by Patrick on here way to bed about a half hour after we got home from the Ports game. She said "Sean come get Patrick, he's on the stairs." So I said "Patrick go to bed" from my office not seeing what was actually going on. I had no clue, I hadn't seen him. So I sat in my office working for another 45 minutes or so before I headed up to bed and found him still on the stairs. Had to shoot this picture and post it. That boy appearently can sleep any where. I certainly won't pick him up anymore. That's a sure way to hurt myself these days. He's the big boy these days. Over 90 pounds. I save the getting a hernia for the day we have a fire or something. Instead I stood over him saying if you get up I'll help you to bed. He moved a little so I half lifted him. If I had let go of him he would have fallen down the stairs. He wasn't helping much. But he sure is cute isn't he. Still the Puff.

Feels Like Summer

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Suzi, the kids, and I caught a local ball game down in Stockton tonight. Thanks to Suzi putting the night together for us all. We had Chipolte before the game. Stockton has a new ball park right on the port of Stockton. When we arrived the outside temp was about 80, but the breeze was blowing, and right behind us was the port of Stockton. It was chilly by the 5th inning. I turned around a took a picture of a couple of boat tied up in the port. Just about every night here in the Delta area a nice wind blows in about 7pm and drops the temp quickly. We had a great time sitting on home run hill. The kids could get up and run around in between inning. There was a great fire works show after the game too! Five bucks a head to sit on home run hill. Can't beat that price.

Green

Life Is Good

I remember when mowing my lawn would mean that I would set off my allergies. NO MORE! That Patrick does a great job. He's a good boy.

Hannah's Toothbrush

Ewww. Daddy look there are black spots on my toothbrush! Honey those are called flavor, go brush you teeth.

I Love LA

Going to be here for a couple of days. Any sights you would like me to see let me know, and maybe I can catch a photo of it while I'm here. Going to try and make it to a childhood favorites of Suzi's tonight.

Seems he can slip up just like Imus.

Telsa Electric Car

That's an electric car I'd drive.

http://www.teslamotors.com/

Me too!

He told the U.'s class of 2007: "I am — and always have been — proud to say that I graduated from this university."

University of Utah

No matter what time of year it is it's always beautiful at the U!

I remember when I was a new Utah'n and working there at the U in the bookstore I use to love to get out of the bookstore and drive around campus delivering my computers to the different departments on campus. I always thought the campus was so beautiful.

I worked in computer sales in the bookstore, but I only sold to the departments on campus. My job was to fill department purchase orders in the morning, and deliver them in the afternoon.

I use to load my computers into my U of U work van and drive to whatever department had ordered new computers. I took a lot of licence with where I drove my van. Sometimes it made a lot more sense to drive down a sidewalk 100 yards, then to head out to the road drive half mile or even a couple of miles because of how the campus roads are laid out. I could avoid toll lots, and avoid traffic. I don't know if "it made a lot more sense" is the right choice of words. How about "it was shorter, and more fun." The toll lots were the biggest problem. Wherever I went I had to find a parking spot, load my computers on a cart, and haul them to where I was going. Then I had to wait in a long line to get back out of the toll lots. I was busy. Had work to do. People wanted their computers. I wanted to deliver them, today. Not tomorrow. I prided myself on my ability to fill as many PO's in a day as I could, and deliver as many as I could in a day. When I started working there, the department sales were always backed up. Departments would wait forever to get their computers. And of course the bookstore was losing money not collecting on those PO's ASAP.

If I drove on the sidewalks I could park anywhere, and usually 5 feet from the door I needed. Seems I was the only one parking on sidewalks 5 feet from any given door on campus, so I really had no problem finding parking. Traffic wasn't an issue, well car traffic wasn't an issue, pedestrians were pretty good at getting out of the way. A little honk of the horn helped at times. If I was in a good mood maybe I'd go around them on the grass.

I remember coming to work and there would be note on the cork board next to the time clock in the employee lounge that would say "whoever is driving the bookstore vans on the sidewalks, please avoid doing so unless necessary." I kept thinking "well I should tone it down a little" when I would read those notes. But then when I was out and about and I would get stuck sitting in a line to get out of a toll lot and I had a good couple of hours of deliveries I would see a nice empty sidewalk. "Avoid doing so unless NECESSARY" would pop into my mind. "NECESSARY, I've got work to do!" I could hear the sidewalk call to me "people will get out of your way, they think it's fun. Drive on me!" The curb would say "drive over me, the tires think it's fun. It's like four wheeling, hurry no one is looking!" The grass would say "don't worry I'll heal quickly. " Then before I knew it my impatience would take over, and I was off and going again. I remember thinking "I hope nobody knows who to call to complain."

I think I got paid about 5 bucks an hour to work there. It was a great job. Loved it, worked with Mike Malloy. Afterward I'd head down to the Pie for my night job.

http://www.bookstore.utah.edu/utah/home.aspx

Night

Hannah & Paige

Monkeys in my tree.

Sam

Sam ran in his first track meet. Did very well if you ask me. He raced the 50, and the 400. This photo is from the 400.

Fish

Red Fish, Blue Fish...

Sunday

My Watch

My watch broke. It lasted me a good 2-3 years. It cost me $5.97 at wal-mart. I spent $300 dollars on a watch many years ago. Saved up my birthday money. That watch lasted me 2-3 years. I use to love to say to people, "boy you've got a nice watch there." Then I'd show them mine and say "$5.97 at wal-mart." Loved to do that.

Land Beavers

I may not be the first to tell you this, but beavers have evolved to build their homes on dry land. They have been doing this here around Lodi for quite sometime now. As they continue to evolve at this high rate I expect that they will be taking over the top spot on the food chain. We monkeys have enjoyed our run.

"The Mormons" on PBS

This should be a very interesting documentary. Some Latter Day Saints are worried it won't be very friendly to the LDS church, and there are those like myself who are a much more optimistic. It is a 4 hour (2 hours on one night, and 2 hours on the next) look at the history, doctrine, culture, people, and current affairs of the LDS church. It will address the highlights of the church as well as the controversial issues in the church.

I encourage you to watch all four hours of it. If you know very little about Latter Day Saints, you will certainly learn more. If you think you know a lot about Latter Day Saints I promise you will learn more as well.

In & Out

Mmmm. Had one for the first time in months.

I had just mowed this lawn the night before. Not one leaf on the lawn. I took this picture on my way out the door the following morning. Look at all those dang leaves! All summer long. Ugh.

40 is the new 20

And 20 is the new 10 for boys, or has it always been that way.

I don't have a comment for this except why does being a girl only go up to 16.

It is interesting to me that so many people that I work with find it suprising that I have been married 15 years, have four children, and that I'm "only" 37. They say "your SO young to have so many children!" So many people I know are in their mid to late 30's who are waiting to find that special someone before they start a family. I'm glad they are trying to make a good decision. I hope they do.

I like the way I did it though.

Violence is everwhere these days

We try to make sure the kids aren't exposed to unnecessary violent images, but what can I do when the images are in the department stores that we shop in and they use the mannequins to play out the violent acts!

Clearly the stereo type of the Oakland A's fan being a violent individual is being played out here, fairly or not I don't know. I'm an A's fan and I don't go around beating down Giants fans for no reason. There is usually a very good reason for it, but I certainly wouldn't do it in front of my children!

Shameful!


Go Athletics!