Wow Pics

Fountain Fun!

Allan learns to ride

Monday night fun

The view outside my door.

More artwork.

Old unfinished artwork.

I'm the type of guy that if I don't finish something while I'm into the drawing then I usually don't finish it. This was a piece that I started for a friend. Make superman bald and it actually looked like my friend (hence why I called it Pete Defeat lol). His wife is supposed to be WonderWoman. This picture is a copy from a comic book, I can't recall what is happening to her arms but its something. I guess. :D I toyed with some coloring with photoshop, so ignore the ugly parts and focus just on the drawing itself.

Grammy Ruffie's house!

Old Artwork

An old picture of my son Allan and I. (Originally it was supposed to be a woman, hence the earring but its supposed to be my likeness.)

Swimming on vacation

Jazz playoffs! Game 5

That Ol' apple tree

Yes, I climbed it many times when I was a kid. Great tree, it gave tons of apples. Although I never eat apples I really enjoyed throwing them. Just ask the neighbor's window. Oh noes!! :)

Pics!

Allan making Easter eggs.



The kids being cute. Allan was soo proud of his bunny ears he pulled on Liz.
Brayden crooks his lower jaw alot when he smiles now. Kinda weird.


Liz...what more can I say?

The weekend rollercoaster

Ya know, sometimes Mondays are a welcome sight. And its not like the weekend was bad, oh no it was wonderful. But really, by the time Sunday night comes rolling over im pooped. I think thats why in part I enjoy Monday's so much. I know thats sick of me to even say but its true. I enjoy monday's (I'm sure thats affect because I love my job)
This weekend was conference weekend, which is always nice. An excuse to not do anything but play computer with the TV on loud in the background while kids enjoy skipping out on chores. The funny thing is when the 10:00 session gets out, utah roads become packed with people hurrying to get some saturday shopping in before 2:00. Well at least in my neighborhood. Rewinding to the beginning though, we had Pete & Heidi's (my inlaws) kids over for the night. Pretty cute kids, and my kids were thrilled for them to come over. Friday night we all went over to a family Easter party. The baby stayed home with Jen, while Liz, Allan, Brayden, Mel & Alina all went for some majoy egg hunt fun. I took the guitar along to show Austin (nephew) some things. Just to be showed up by my cool bro in law Chris (he grew up in a guitar family lol) The party was fun, a million kids, chatting with my brothers n sisters is always great for me. All I had to do at that point was find a way to get my kids and the sleepover to actually fall asleep. 11:00 and job accomplished! phew. Then its time to cook Jen a meal, relax and pick up for the next day to start. Saturday of course, conference, chores, computer games, cooking and the like. We usually have preisthood session at my fathers Stake, my mom will make homemade fudge and everyone has a nice time. But this time around, my kids were sooooo freaking tired from their prev. night. They were fighting and just crying over the smallest things, i figured I had to bad any more outings and get them to bed early. (Of course, that didn't happen but at least the outside world see how bratty my k ids are when they are tired lol). Sunday was nice, but I witnessed my sons saddess day ever. His iguana died. I knew it was coming, it had gotten ill and wasn't eating, even force feeding didn't help. I wrapped my arms around Allan and gave him the news. He just sobbed and sobbed. Oh it broke my heart. Poor kid. As I dug a hole in the back to bury ol' Henry, Allan asked to go see it. I knew it was a mistake to let him but he went anyways only to return crying even harder. Oh 2nd heart break. We buried him, while Liz, Allan, Bray and I all stood over the grave, offered some words and had a quiet moment. Brayden started to cry and turned to me and said "I know he's in heaven but he'll live again." oh from the mouth of babes right? Allan was really distraught over the whole day and night over it. So I tried to just cater to his feelings and we all had comfort food and treats for the rest of the day. Sunday evening was spent getting the kids clean, laying out on our new trampoline, throwing the balls around and just being together. Getting the kids to bed, I finally get some time with Jen. We watched some new Henry the 8th show and just did our usual. Allan kept poking his head out cause he couldn't sleep.

Funny story from the weekend. Earlier in the week, Allan has lost his ball over the fence to the nieghbors yard. This older lady had just recently had her entire backyard fenced in with those white vinyl fences. Now picture me inside the house when Brayden comes busting in a panic. "Dad! Dad! Onion is stuck!!" (he calls his brother onion lol) . Allan had climbed ourside of the fence, which has a half sized chainlink fence so he was able to get over to her side to get his ball, but not back. He was stuck, in an unknown yard , worried he was gonna get busted. So I helped pull him up. Later that same day the ball went into the yard again! So this time, Allan and I walked to the front door of the womans home and asked to get the ball back. She's a nice lady, but I know she values her quiet time and privacy. So I tell that story to tell this one: we were sitting on the tramp last night, when a ball comes flying over the fence from the old lady yard. Then another, then another, then another and yet one more ball. Brayden yells "THANKS!" the old woman just says "no problem, try to be more careful" lol. My kids had just let their balls go to no-mans-land, cause they were too afraid to get them. I wonder how many we could have lost to the abyss lol.

Allan's Babtism

It was a wonderful day. Allan was just beaming the whole day!

And of course, Brayden living up to his name sake.... Sharp dressed man! :D

Louisa Hale Bush

Louisa Hale Bush 10/10/21 ~ 03/07/07 Louisa Hale Bush has joined her eternal companion Milton Easler Bush. They were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on March 22, 1938. Born in Oakley, Idaho to Edward H. and Gertrude Bates Hale. She loved the hymns and shared her testimony of the Savior by singing them to her family up to her last breath. Louisa enjoyed serving in the Salt Lake Temple and working at Hotel Utah where she loved serving the Prophets and Apostles. A special thanks to all her caregivers throughout the years. We look forward to seeing your beautiful smile in Heaven. Louise is the mother of Dennis (Ione), Linda DeAx (Randy), Edward J. (Terry Johnson), Ruth Maynes (Russ), Robert (Margaret). Preceded in death by sisters, Viola Johnson, Blanche Lundquist; brothers, Clane, McKay, Jack, and Ervin. Survived by her children, 33 grand-children and 59 great-grand-children; sisters, Ruth Larsen (Ralph) and Emily Barber; brothers, Ellsworth (Dorothy) and Edward (Dorothy). Friends may visit family on Mon. March 12, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Deseret Mortuary at 36 East 700 S. Salt Lake City. Funeral services will be held at the Ridgedale Ward LDS Chapel at 3400 S. 1100 East, Salt Lake City, beginning at 12 noon, Tues., March 13th, with a viewing from 11:00 to 11:45 a.m. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.memorialutah.com

Sunday afternoon play time

Throwing a blanket over the bunk bed makes for a perfect base from "Space invaders". Sending each kid out for fun missions, like...camera retrieval from the evil clutches of mom's lair.

Then things went downhill and just turned down right ugly!!!!

Making bad choices

Making bad choices just to prove you can make your own choices is childish. So why are young adults and adults are the biggest offenders? Sure it takes a big boy/girl to do what you want right? Its your life, you aren't hurting anybody. ...right?

I had recently been talking with a friend of mine over the issue of going to church. They said: "I think you should do whatever you want to. If you like church then go, but if not then you should not be forced to do something that you don't want to do. " And of course, I agree. But who's forcing a middle aged newly divorced man to go to church? His parents? perhaps...but if that's the case I'm sure the issues run deeper than just the problem of choice. Personally I've been a big proponent of choice. After all its what started this whole thing. God sided with Christ's plan of choice leaving Satan's idea of forced control on the outs. And even at that moment God honored our choices to either be cast out with Satan or remain and be able to come here to this earth. Of course, did we know at that time the repercussions of that choice?

How often do we see teenagers, in the attempt to prove how adult they are, make awful choices? I really don't see much different from a teenager and a child in their thought processes. Its just that as we get older we are able to make even dumber mistakes. Of course we all know what brings wisdom. Knowledge applied.... of course the curve for figuring things out is up to each individual.

Cops, filmed on location

We were getting ready for a fun day of sledding at the park. While I was getting out I notice a police officer next to me loading 2 shopping errant carts into the back of his truck. We looked at each other and I said "I guess you never figured you'd be pushing carts as a cop huh"

I laughed....he did not. At least the day was gorgeous