Midway Fun

Today I drove up to Midway to do some bike riding. It was raining and windy when I got up there so we ate dinner and hung around hoping the weather would blow over. Attley and Kennedy were so fun to watch as they played together. Immediately they had Attley's brush out and Kennedy was brushing her hair and applying chap stick to Attley's lips. It was so funny. We got in a nice water fight and I got drenched of course. We can blame Andy and Emily for that one. What started as a simple joke in the kitchen turned into a water fight inside and outside. Cooper thought it was sure fun, and well Kennedy and Attley cried. Attley was pretty funny about it. She was ok being involved in the water fight as long as she was holding the water gun. Once the water was out she would freak out.

While Emily and I went on a bike ride the Kids and Andy headed over to the Seare's. We stopped by their house to see the kids playing around.



Cooper's motorcycle with the trainer wheels. It is awesome.


Andy's new razor all pimped out


Ryan, Calvin, and Kennedy riding the dirt bike around.


Kennedy and Attley pushing their strollers around. They are so cute together.
(Thanks Em for the picture)


Bike ride was good... We did some climbing, which is exactly what I need more of. It is always a joy riding with Em.

The Bird... The Mow

Today I got a lot accomplished around the house. I finished the fire pit (pictures later). In order to mow the lawn I had to clean up all Millie's toys.... I didn't realize there were so many hidden in the grass. So when I finally got them all out this is is what I ended up with.

Millie had been hanging around the base of the tree and when I finally went over to see what it was there was a little bird running around... I made Millie stay away and I started up the lawn mower. After my first pass around the tree I noticed the little birdie was down for the count but still breathing. My heart broke. I couldn't just sit there and watch it suffer, but I was so afraid to touch it. So I finished mowing the lawn and by the time I was done it wasn't breathing. Poor little one!

Ticket

I got a ticket today... not for speeding, running a stop sign or anything dealing with a car for that matter. So how is that possible? Good questions. As I was leaving for work this morning I was greeted at the door by a Provo City Police officer. She was coming by to give me a ticket for Millie running around the neighborhood. That is right... Apparently yesterday while on a bike ride, Millie got out and was running around the neighborhood. The conversation with the police officer went as followed

Police: "Your dog isn't very smart. I chased her for an hour yesterday and she ran back home"
Me: I just gave her a weird look.... I mean sounds like a smart dog to me.
Police: "You really need to train your dog"
Me:"Right... You don't know my dog... she jumps over my 6 foot fence, she climbs my backyard tree, she jumps out my bedroom window. I have tried."
Police: "Well did you know about the Provo City leash laws?"
Me: "Yes, but I didn't know my dog was going to run away.. hence no lease."

Citation: Running at LARGE.. (are you kidding me) $50 dollars later and I wonder why I have a dog!

Millie is a unique dog and I feel am like Marley and Me. She always is causing trouble. The other night while laying in the hammock outside she was going crazy for her ball in the ball thrower on the BBQ. She was so close to pawing if off, but she just could not reach it. So she just jumped up on the BBQ. Then she was stuck and could not turn around... So she just sat down. It was pretty funny. She couldn't even turn around to get her ball once she got up there. Silly dog





Anyway after she was tired and just layed in the chair and relaxed as it poured rain outside.

The Paradox Of Our Time

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in you mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Dr. Bob Moorehead

SLC Century

Saturday was the SLC Century and I finished all 107 miles. I road it with my two sister-in-laws Emily and Karen. I am so proud of Emily, she just started riding and she finished the whole thing. She was amazing. We laughed, chatted, we were silent, we shed tears, and we had fun!

When Emily emailed me this picture the title was Mile 67 and still smiling. Andy and the kids were so great to bring us snacks, drinks and lunch. It was good motivation seeing them and getting off the bike for a few minutes.

The century starts at the fair grounds in SLC and heads north, around antelope island and back. When we got out on the causeway the bugs and smell were so bad. I have never experienced anything like it before. We all were having such a hard time biking through it.

I feel really good after the bike ride. By butt is sore and my left knee was bothering me a little, but overall my muscles feel good. I woke up Sunday morning at five in the morning starving... Literally felt sick I was so hungry. So I ate and drank two glasses of chocolate milk and went back to bed.... at nine I woke up again starving. I had cereal, waffles, and three more glasses of chocolate milk. Then I headed back to bed to lay down. I was awake but still tired. I woke up an hour later (yes I fell back to sleep) and was again hungry, so more chocolate milk. So why the reason for the starvation.. Probably had something to do with burning 4,671 calories on the ride. (After I finally recovered and hydrated I realized I drank almost an entire half gallon of chocolate milk)

Good ride, good times and getting a lot of miles on the saddle for the ride to St. George in June.

Mothers Day Fun

For Mothers Day all my Mom wanted to do was go out to Promontory Point and the Spiral Jetty. So my Dad packed up an lunch and the three of us headed out there. Having lived in Utah my whole life I have never been out there so I had no idea what to expect. As we pulled up to the visitor center we were surprised at how many people were out there. Little did we know that it was the 140th Anniversary of the actual trains meeting at Promontory Point. What are the chances the day we picked. That is right May 10th the Jupiter and the No 119 train met at Promontory Point. So to celebrate they had free admission and a reenactment ceremony. It was pretty funny. Anyway the trains were awesome and it was fun to see them actually move.

We went out and saw the Spiral Jetty. I had heard about it, but to be honest had no clue what it was. It was pretty awesome to be out there. I had never really been out to the Great Salt Lake so that was a new experience as well. There is so much salt it is truly amazing. Everything was just covered in what looked like snow... nope just salt.

My dad found this dead bird. It was only bone and feathers, but due to the salt it was solid as a rock. So we snapped a few pictures.

This lady bug was just hanging out on an old pier out on the lake.

This butterfly and moth were preserved in the water. It was pretty awesome.

Anyway if you are ever looking for something fun to do in Utah go spend the afternoon seeing these two places.

Tired, Happy, Sore and Richer

Saturday was biking day. Tony, Karen, My dad, Craig, Amber and I headed out for a nice long ride. I think as torture they picked the route we went on solely for me. I am not a very good climber when it comes to biking so whenever I ride with my dad he is always pushing me to climb. So Saturday was no different. They decided to do Emigration Canyon. The whole bike ride was 50 miles including Emigration Canyon. So by the time we got done I was exhausted. The worst part about it all was that my thighs were burning. They were like jello. I felt like this.....

After the ride I raced down for my work Summer Kickoff Party. I was pretty out of it from the ride, but I did get to get in the CASH CAGE. It was a lot harder catching the money then it seemed, but who can complain about free money.

Long Time...

So I haven't posted in forever... Life, work and everything else has been crazy busy, plus just lack of actually sitting down and taking the time to write a post. Needless to say I am going to try and do better. So I am sure the next few posts will be catching up. So I went on a cruise (not to Mexico), but to Catalina. It was a lot of fun and I will post about it later.

Last night my Nephew was in the Freedom Festival concert at the Marriott Center at BYU. Prior to the show we took Kennedy to the park and I lost my camera... Bummer about the whole thing is that it had all my cruise pictures on it that I hadn't save to my laptop yet. So I am sad.
Anyway the Concert was so cute and I was so glad I went. All the kids wore color shirt that made up the flag. It was really impressive.




Lately Millie has had allergies and it has made her really tired. She sleeps all the time (Poor Pup). Anyway the other day in the car she was so tired...

One night while the roomies and I headed out for dinner we were driving to eat and I turned around to see Chels like this... Cracked me up. She was just chillin in the back with a cat woman mask.