Thursday, July 30, 2009

Catching Up

Wow. It's been a crazy month. A lot going on, especially with the family reunion we had last week.

Here's a super-brief look at the week. More to come later.

Maybe.


And lastly: video of the 16 grand kids getting photographed.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Un Be Lievable


Amazing Men

The fourth is way past now, but I never really mentioned it on here.

I love this country and I love the men who sacrificed so much for its birth.

Here's an email I got from my brother around the 4th:


A good history lesson. It seems that we should do all we can to preserve this great document that these wonderful men fought and died for.

4th of July

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.

Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: freedom is never free!

I loved reading 1776 and John Adams by David McCullough. I think every American should be required to read 1776. There is no denying that this country was created under the watchful eye of a generous God.

I hope everyone had a great 4th!

update: go here for more accurate information. while some of this information is true, some of it is grossly exaggerated. (thank you Matthew!)

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Friday, July 17, 2009

What the... What?

(click on it to make it readable)


original ad {here}


Maybe I should get a jeep...

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Friday, July 10, 2009

Throwing Trees



go here or here to find where to see the event.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Why I Donate Blood


1 - Because I can
I never have any problems with light-headedness, feeling sick, passing out, etc. Also, I have zero problem with needles. It's a blessing.

2 - Because I have an awesome vein in my left arm that more than makes up for the nearly invisible one in my right arm.
As the tech yesterday described it - "You have a garden hose running through your arm." Yes, it's just that awesome.

3 - Because if feels good to know that I am saving up to three lives every time I donate.
Really, try it. It does feel good.

4 - Just because.

***the time before yesterday that I went, my hemoglobin level was too low. I was close, but too low. yesterday I was .1 above where I needed to be. sheesh!***

go here for more info. on donating blood

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

It's Just One of Those Things

... where you know the likelihood of your hitting it off, going out, falling in love and getting married are, well, pretty much zero.

But what if you had done what you decided you should have done after it was too late to do it?

I know this is pretty cryptic, but if anyone knows the cute, blond guy donating blood in Orem around 3 o'clock today...

tell him I said hi.
Is it just me, or does this make the following maybe a little less funny?


There's a weird sound about 10 seconds into it (before the real thing starts) so don't worry about turning up your volume at the beginning, it's quiet at the very beginning.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Reporting Back


I did it.

Already.
(I told you it would happen faster this time.)

Good heavens, I'm coming a long way in this whole boundary-setting thing.

In some areas anyway.

I just said, "[name], I'm going to ask you to not play music while other music is already playing. It's fine if it's quiet and you want to put something, or even if sometimes we're playing something and you ask if you can listen to something else, that should be fine."

And he was fine.

I knew he would be.

He's a good person.

Besides, I like his selection of music (and I told him that too), I just go a little nuts if there are too many melodies going on.

You can go ahead and congratulate me.

I'm okay with that.

Don't Worry, It Won't Take Me As Long As Before...


I don't know what it is with the people we've hired to work here, but this is the third of four guys that have decided it's okay to play music while someone else is already playing some. Is it a guy thing? I just don't understand it.

I'm already planning the boundary-setting, non-passive-aggressive words I'm going to use as soon as no one else is around.

Don't worry.

It'll happen.

Soon.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Favorite Billboards


Another one I saw for the first time on Saturday says something like:

"Political Correctness is Killing Our Country"

Somehow it made me remember this quote: "Tolerance and apathy are the last virtues of a dying society." - Aristotle