Brian and Makenzie's Wedding

A few months ago my family and I had the great privilege to travel down south to attend my cousin Brian's wedding down at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple down in South Jordan. And we almost didn't make it!

Originally I was going to travel to the early morning wedding that Saturday morning and Kristy and Logan were going to leave the night before with Lynn so they could attend a Girl's Night Out Party. But the weather was once again not cooperating with us. The snow came down fast and was piling up quickly and I thought it would be better to have a bad night's sleep than to have to travel through the snow in the canyon so early in the morning. So Lynn and her daughter Jessica came over and I drove them all down to Kristy's parents home. 

The drive was harrowing to say the least. The snow was coming in hard and fast and the roads were not clear at all. And it was worse driving through Logan Canyon. I could barely see the road from all the snow and to make matters worse our heater was not working. The stupid thing only blows out the front and you cannot turn it on to other places, like the windows, to help clear them up. So I could not see out my window either! I had a small space to see through and unfortunately for everyone else, I was forced to roll down the window to help clear the window up.

Logan: "It's cold in here!"
Me: "Well, you can either freeze or die."

It was horrible. We got up this huge hill and we saw this semi in the middle of the road and it didn't look like it was moving very fast. We realized that the semi was actually backing up down the hill. We decided to follow the car in front of us and pass it on the left but as we headed that way, the semi was backing right into us! And we could not get any traction and I couldn't move further away since I was so close to the median-blocks that I could touch them. Thankfully, we managed to swing around. We made it through the canyon and stopped at a gas station to clean the windows up and the thankfully the rest of the drive went normally. 

The next morning we awoke early and went to the beautiful Oquirrh Mountain Temple and it was a joy to see my aunts and uncles and cousins. The ceremony was awesome, both the groom and bride were stunning and the officiator had a fantastic sense of humor. After the wedding we hung around and chatted and went back to Kristy's home and got Logan and took him over to Renae's. Then we cruised down to Orem to meet the family again for lunch. We had a fun time killing ourselves with food and also with laughter. We then went back to Kristy's home to grab Logan and then head back down to the reception.

The reception was very nice. The food was good (I cannot believe I ate more food) and the company was great. My mom and sister came down for the reception and we all hung around the Anhder table. That is until it was time to decorate the car. And Logan was way excited to see and to participate. My cousin Kari asked Logan to come along and of course, I had to see what was going on. I only wish I had some lunch meat to stuff under the door handles. Logan was quite proud of himself that he showed everyone that he could.

Brian's sisters getting revenge.

We are so thankful that we were invited to the wedding and to hang out with my family. I appreciate my Uncle Mark and his neat family for allowing my family to attend. And a special thanks to Brian and his cool new wife Makenzie for inviting my wife and I to the wedding ceremony, that meant a lot to us. 

The drive home was a lot better than the drive down thankfully. It was worth it almost being squished by a semi in a blizzard!

Christmas 2011

My family and I had a very nice Christmas. It was loaded with food and family and was very relaxing.

Christmas Eve we had my mom come over for dinner and to play some games. We ate a ton of good food. Kristy made a cheese fondue and some meatballs and french bread to dip them in and Eggnog Bread Pudding for dessert. It was a very nice evening. After Logan went to bed, Kristy and I prepared the rest of Christmas and watched our annual tradition of Christmas Vacation.

The next morning we awoke and got ready for Church. It was only an hour and it was fantastic. I wish I could start every Christmas morning this way. We came home after visiting with a few people after the services and ate some breakfast and opened gifts. To say that Logan was excited was definitely an overstatement! We opened up our awesome gifts and then proceeded to stuff ourselves sick with candy. That evening we played games and watched the football game. Like I said, it was nice and relaxing.

I absolutely hate putting up/taking down lights from the Christmas Tree. I don't know if you can tell that from how I look.

Logan in his obligatory Christmas pic.

For Boxing Day we went over to my dad's to spend the day there. We ordered Chinese food and once again I stuffed myself with too much candy. I have a major weakness for fudge and (un)fortunately dad had a ton of it. I must have eaten a couple pounds of the stuff. We played cards and games and did our $5 Gift Card Pool. I got a K-Mart gift card which I traded for a Walmart one which I traded for an Amazon gift card. Which interestingly enough is the gift card which I purchased for the party. And I already know what I want to get!

So all in all I had a very nice Christmas. Unfortunately now that Christmas has passed, I have to get on with some New Year's Resolutions and lose the weight I gained and eat better!

Upon Further Review: Thanksgiving Edition

First off I want to thank my dad and sister for putting on one heck of a Pre-Thanksgiving meal. The ribs and salads were all wonderful. I am stuffed!

Now to some game picks. I have to crank out some more words on my novel before the end of the night so I can eat and watch football in peace tomorrow.

Green Bay at Detroit:
The Lions will play hard but unfortunately they will will not be able to come from behind against the Packers. Should be a fun game to watch.
Winner: Green Bay Packers

Miami at Dallas:
The Dolphins could play the spoiler here with Dallas looking to take control of the NFC East. Too bad that the Cowboys have way too much talent for the Phins to overcome.
Winner: Dallas Cowboys

San Francisco at Baltimore:
I like what the 49ers are doing and I think the Raven are one of the best teams in the AFC. What bugs me about the Ravens is the losses against teams they should not have lost too. But on the other hand they are beating other top teams. Gotta pull for the Ravens in this one since the 49ers are a top team.
Winner: Baltimore Ravens

Random Ramblings: *Insert Title Here*

Blogging: It seems that I just don't have enough to blog about anymore. These Random Ramblings blogs cover most of the stuff that happens to my family and I. I want to blog more, I just don't know what else to say aside from the column and my NFL-inspired blogs. I might have to resort to mission stories or comic book stuff.

Listening: For some reason the Phantom of the Opera has been calling my name. That was the first major musical I saw and from the moment I heard the music, I loved it. It also takes me back to my college days with my friend Lared where we would crank this out in the car and sing. And I usually would do Christine's part and surprisingly I could hit a lot of her notes. Now I didn't say that I sounded good but at least I could hit them!

Surveying: I know I have been pimping this out a lot lately but it really works. Since June, I have made a little over in $200 worth of Amazon gift codes. I just recently placed an order for the Queen Boxset #3, which I paid NOTHING for. It comes out in a few weeks and I am giddy with anticipation.

Singing: Speaking of singing and music, I was invited to join a community choir. They are setting up a Christmas program and they even have a baritone section! I am thrilled to be invited and I hope it is a lot of fun. It should be since we are singing Christmas music. But I hope it continues past the Christmas season.

Eating: One of the tastiest coconut-cream donuts EVER! Just thought you would all like to know.

Reading: I am plowing through my collection of spooky/horror comics and I am almost halfway through my Hellboy collection. By Yoda, I love these books. I highly recommend this set of books. The art has a spooky atmosphere and the writing is top-notch. What I really love about these books are the various folk stories from all over the world which he investigates. The strange other-worldly fairy tales and legends really make for some spooky and funny moments. If you liked the movie, you will love the books. Seriously, check them out! They are available not just in comic book form, you can also pick them up in bound tradepaperback editions and I am sure you can find them at your local library.

The Wolves of St. August, The Corpse and the Iron Shoes, the Conqueror Worm and Darkness Falls are some of my favorite Hellboy tales.

Plotting: I am getting really eager to start writing for the NaNoWriMo competition. This will be the third year in a row for me and I cannot recommend it enough. Seriously, if you have any desire to do some writing, you should check this out and try it. It is extremely rewarding. You know who I am talking to! I am meeting up with a couple of local writers this Saturday to chat and plot our novels. Should be fun!

Cheering: Logan and his football team got their first win last night in a blowout. Logan had to block against this huge kid and did really well. They definitely played like a team last night and it was fun to watch. Logan definitely like defense and he is pretty good at snatching flags. We only have two more games.

Logan and his small team. We are missing three kids. One quit, one is a bit flaky and one broke his arm.

An action shot. Not sure who that is. So let's pretend it is Logan.

Watching: I watched one of the saddest things yesterday. I watched an ESPN E:60 special on professional wrestler Scott Hall. He was always one of my favorites and it was extremely sad to see him in such condition. Have you seen the movie The Wrestler? This guy is living it. So sad, I really wish I could do something.

Watching Part II: The season premiere of the Walking Dead. Holy crap, the first thirty minutes was fantastic. I must have bitten off all my nails! I know (mostly) what is going to happen since I read the comics but seeing it in full color (the comic is in black and white) and hearing the sounds really make a huge difference in how scary it is. I am surprised at the amount of gore is allowed for this TV show but I cannot see it any other way. I look forward to the rest of the season.

Girl's Camp Part IV: The Finale

I was the first one up Friday morning and I think it was because I was a bit eager to get home. I was so eager (how eager were you?), I was so eager that I made three trips to the truck to load stuff up. I think I have reached my limit when it comes to camping and I hate packing up and trying to get out. It seemed like hours until the girls woke up and they didn't seem to eager to get packing either. But I made a couple more runs to the truck, I wanted to be ready to go right after breakfast.

The morning devotional was kinda sad. All of the girls were a little melancholy, they were excited to go home and they were sad to leave. I was feeling the same way but after using the portapotty that morning, I was really ready to come home. After the devotional we ate some cold cereal for breakfast and finished packing away our stuff. We brought all of our gear to the trailer and then we headed back to camp for one final walk through and to take a group picture of all of us.

And that was all that was left...  ...after a few hundred trips to the vehicles!

Can you tell we were ready to come home?

Then it was time to go home. I had a very nice time at Girl's Camp and I look forward to coming next year. It was nice to get away from all the bustle of life and away from distractions (both good and bad) and remember the true reason why we are on Earth. It was also nice to be with other people who desire the same thing. Aside from my family, I want to be with these people in Heaven. I am grateful that I was able to serve these Young Women.

Here is the No-Drama-Mama bracelet.

The Security Team. I really lucked out with my nickname of Dr. Pepper. Notice the funny placement of the word "dimples"?

This was our camp slogan. "We seek after these things"

We had a real beautiful song that was our camp song by Jenny Philips.

After we dropped off all the girls and gear, Kristy and I headed home to get cleaned up. We picked up Logan and got our car inspected and then in the evening we reunited with some of the leaders at Coasta Vida to grab some dinner and talk and laugh about camp.

We were going to get some ice cream afterwards but one of our tires had a different agenda. But that is for the blog tomorrow!

When we finally arrived home after the Tire Incident(tm) we found a plate of freshly made cookies from our neighbor Kara. What a sweet (pun fully intended) gesture that she would bake cookies for us so soon after returning from camp.

She also left both Kristy and I a personal note. And let me tell you, I needed that note after that long day.

Naythan's Baptism

Last Saturday, my family and I had the privilege to go down to Salt Lake and see our nephew Naythan be baptized. We were going to go down Saturday morning but we still are without a car (ugh, I don't wanna talk about it) so we went Friday evening and hitched a ride with Lynn and Darrell.

The drive down was nice and hot but it was pretty quiet since my niece Jessica fell right asleep. I luckily remembered my iPod so I just leaned back and listened to music on the trip down. I am the one that usually drives so it was kinda strange not being in the driver's seat and especially being stuck in the back seat.

We finally arrived and after we put Logan to bed, Kristy and I took a walk to the gas station and to Reams to get some refreshment. I had to get me a Mountain Dew Livewire and Kristy had to get some ice cream. We tried the new Twix Ice Cream bars and they were wonderful. I think I like them more than the Snickers which has been a favorite of mine for years.

The next day we headed out for Naythan's baptism. Seeing him all excited (I think Zade was more excited than Naythan) and all dressed in white took me back to Logan's baptism. The service was great. The baptism was good, Gregg is a better dad than I since he got his kid under the first time! Logan was so sweet, he noticed that his cousin Addy was not upfront to watch the baptism so he went and grabbed her and took her over. After the service we ran back to mom's (where Renae gave us a special assignment) and then we headed up to the Young's home to enjoy some lunch and the pool. The weather was so nice, not very hot but then not cold at all. I ate way too much food and then hopped in the pool to cool off.

We had a very nice time. It was good to see everyone and to catch up with them. I have mentioned this before but I feel like I should mention it again. I have a fantastic set of in-laws. I have a fantastic set of brother and sisters in-laws. I am lucky to have them.

After a dip in the pool and some more cookies I decided to just sit by the pool and chit-chat with everyone. And I was lucky enough to spend time and hold my newest niece Stella. I could have taken her home with me, luckily for Steve and Andrea we had a packed car and wouldn't be able to fit her in!

We then headed back to mom's for some food and I was able to witness an epic tantrum courtesy of my niece Jessica and then we headed home. It was a great trip and I was glad that I was able to see Naythan be baptized and to spend time with family.

And I did take my camera but I totally forgot to take pictures. I hate it when I do that.

Random Ramblings: July Already?

Shaking my Head: I cannot believe that we are 5 days in July already! Where did June go?

Sweating: Like I have said before, I am no fan of the heat. It has gone from cool to sweltering in only a couple of days. It got so bad that I put in my air conditioner unit so I could sleep at night. If I can see my breath at night, then I know I can sleep comfortably. Must be my Canadian training.

I totally need to watch this movie again.

Sweating Part II: I have a sweating problem. I sweat like no one's business (and I am sure you are all pleased to hear this) especially when I am exercising. I look like a NBA basketball player when I play racquetball, it just runs off my nose. But my sister came to the rescue for my birthday. She got me a new set of purple racquetballs and a sweatband (unfortunately wearing a sweatband reminds me of Lebron) and some wrist sweatbands. I tried them out last Saturday and it worked wonders.

Eating: Pez. My sister Jennifer also got me this huge Wolverine Pez Dispenser. Seriously, it is huge! It also talks as well and it says some pretty typical Wolverine stuff and then it spouted the line, "I like Pez."

Listening: It is the 40th Anniversary of Queen and to celebrate they are coming out of Deluxe Remastered versions of all their studio albums in sets of five. These re-issues have a bonus CD which contains demos, unreleased tracks, live tracks or alternate versions. I downloaded (thanks iTunes for not making me buy the whole album) the first set of bonus tracks and I have been listening to them non-stop.

Shaking my Finger: The next batch of Queen releases came out on June 27th. Except that they delayed the American releases until SEPTEMBER! Good grief that sucks. I don't want to wait until then! I highly doubt that we Americans will get the fourth and final batch before the end of the year. So I guess we Americans will celebrate the 41st Anniversary of Queen.

I am eagerly awaiting the Hot Space bonus CD. And I totally want this t-shirt ringer now!

Celebrating: I had a nice 4th of July with my sister-in-law Lynn and her family. It was also her daughter Jessica's birthday. We had a nice BBQ at their house and ate some cake and ice cream and I drank a ton of homemade Raspberry Cream Soda.

Yawning: I have been without a car since Thursday and it unfortunately looks like I won't get my car until this Thursday. All this biking has made me extra tired. I should count my blessings that I am exercising, saving money on gas and ultimately I am saving money on my car as well.

Eating Part II: I had some of the best Peach Cobbler last Sunday. My neighbor and his family invited us over Sunday evening for what he claims is the best Peach Cobbler. He is right, I have never had Peach Cobbler that was better. I have some fantastic neighbors, it was a nice evening to spend with them and another family.

Wishing: Didja know that my mother-in-law is older than Alaska? It was her birthday on the 3rd and we celebrated it by lighting all of her candles with a blowtorch.

Birthday Aftermath

Another year older and closer to death.

According to DeathClock (you can find out when you are to die by clicking on the link)

Aside from that sunny disposition, I otherwise had a fantastic day.

I really appreciate all the phonecalls, e-mails and Facebook contacts that I got throughout the day. You guys really made my birthday special.

I started by going to work and then a few hours later Kristy and Logan took me to Angie's for breakfast. Angie's is a local diner that serves some of the best food in the valley. I love going there for breakfast, I have never been disappointed in their food and service. I got a broccoli and Jack cheese omelet with hollandaise sauce (I know, surprisingly healthy right?) and then Logan told the waitress that it was my birthday and she came back with some other girls in tow and a HUGE cinnamon roll. Now I admit, the reason I went there for my birthday was to get this large free cinnamon roll but I kinda forgot that they would sing. I told them that they didn't have to sing and then they said then I wouldn't get the cinnamon roll to which I replied, "then you will get no tip." That didn't work, they sang to me anyway. But it was worth it to get that warm cinnamon bun.

I went back to work and then my dad took me out to lunch at Quizno's. I didn't have to eat for the rest of the day! After a nice lunch with my dad's I went home and decided to go out for a run. Unfortunately the run was not as great as I wanted it to be. My knee still smarts whenever I push off of it. I tried my best but the discomfort was getting to me. This knee is bumming me out. I managed to run the last two blocks when suddenly I heard this tiny girl voice yell out "Happy Birthday!" It was Hannah, one of my Primary girls. I had no idea she knew it was my birthday. Her parents saw me and wished me a happy birthday as well, my name must have been on our Church newsletter. But who remembers the birthdays?

After my run, my mom came over to surprise me. And you know what she gave me? A case of Cherry Coke. So yeah, I must have an addiction if one of my birthday gifts is soda! We had a nice visit and then Kristy and Logan came home.

That evening we took Logan over to his school for a Bike Rally put on by our scouts. I have a real great neighborhood with some fantastic neighbors. And it was nice to be wished a happy birthday by them all. One of them said it must be hard turning 32. Boy that was nice to hear. I told her my real age and she was surprised and then she made fun of me because I am older than her. The rally was a lot of fun, Logan tied for first place. Afterwards we all ate Otter Pops and Amber (our Bishop's wife) gave me a ton of Otter Pops as a  birthday gift. Hmm... this is an alarming addicting trend.

We came home after visiting and chatting and I got my birthday cake. It was not a cake exactly, it was these very yummy chocolate cream cheese cupcakes with peanut butter and chocolate chips in them. Like I said, very yummy indeed. While we were eating Kristy realized that they did not sing to our neighbor Kara for her birthday last Sunday. We had talked with her a few days ago and found that since her brother Jordan left on his mission the day before her birthday she was unfortunately left out. She didn't do anything fun and felt kinda bummed. So I thought it would be nice to grab one of my cupcakes, put a candle in it and go over. I am sure glad we did. She was there with a lot of the other Young Women and we were about to sing to her when she ran inside to light it. After we sang to her she told us that no one had sung to her this year for her birthday. And then the Young Women sang to me for my birthday.

So all in all, I had a very nice birthday.

Random Ramblings: Bottoms Up!

Eating: Our family was invited to a birthday BBQ for our neighbor yesterday. The food was wonderful, and the company was even better. My family and I are blessed to have such awesome neighbors. I thought it was cute that Kara told Logan that he needs to kick Kristy and I out so she can babysit him again.
 

This was thier backyard. The river is pretty full, last year when we were here, the water was nowhere near this level.

Drinking: Mountain Dew Livewire. Not only had it finally returned to Cache Valley, the 12-pack has also returned!

Drinking II: So I was at the store picking up some Livewire when I found another soda that I used to love. Tahitian Treat! This was one of the best fruit punch sodas ever! I thought it was only available in Canada but I did find some limited quantities in New York. But I have not had one since then. And then I found a 12-pack so I had to have it. And it tastes just like I remembered.

Listening: To a fun mix of the 80's. Bangles, Rick Springfield, the Spoons... ...I definitely grew up in the BEST decade!

Eating II: I ate way too much last Saturday. Saturday was Richmond's annual Black and White Days. So we headed up to Richmond to watch the parade. We first picked up Kristy's sister Lynn and her daughter Jessica since their jeep was on the fritz. We headed up and dropped off some chairs at my mom's house and then went to Big J's (a local burger joint) and got an early dinner. Then we headed up to watch the parade. The parade was nice but not as good as it has been in years past. Funny thing is that we see a couple of our neighbors in the parade. Logan did get a bunch of candy and it was nice to see Jennifer and her family as well. After the parade we waited for Justin to come back (he was leading the parade in his cop car) and headed back to Big J's and got some ice cream. I got a large (and I really shouldn't have) Rice Krispie Treat shake and it was awesome!

Waiting for candy...

I told Logan that he needs to wave cutely to the cute girls. Here he is awarded a candy from one of the girls. Logan should trust me on this.

Our neighbor Sister Weeks playing the bass drum.

Winning: Kara's little brother Justin has been wanting to kick my trash in Madden. Finally last Saturday we had a showdown. It was close for a little while and then I pulled away and won the game. I guess I should feel bad for beating a 10-11 year old but he was a huge Steelers fan so it was deserved. The winner had to make cookies and so he made his sister Kara make me a plate of delicious cookies. Don't worry, I will pay them both back with a batch of cookies sometime this week.

Itching: Last week Logan was at a basketball camp for three days and he came home with a case of Athlete's Foot!

Reading: I am still a kid. I just finished a comic trade paperback G.I. Joe: Cobra and it was absolutely enthralling. This is not your daddy's G.I. Joe!

His name is Chuckles. He's the Joes' top undercover agent. And he's just infiltrated a top secret, highly organized terrorist organization... one the Joes aren't familiar with... one with a snake motif. As Chuckles is pulled deeper and deeper into the dark underbelly of Cobra, where one misstep means death, can he pull off the ultimate deception and bring them down from within?

I am very surprised (and pleased) that Hasbro (the toy company that owns G.I. Joe) would allow a book like this to be published. This is a very dark book with a couple of surprising twists. This is nothing like the old cartoon, it is a much more serious look at America's top fighting force taking on a dangerous terrorist group. There are two more volumes in print that I definitely want to track down.

Kelli and Hunter's Wedding

I have had so much stuff going on lately, forgive me for not blogging the past few days. Yesterday I had the great privilege of attending my cousin Kelli's wedding down at the Mount Timpanogos Temple.

My family and I awoke very early in the morning to get down there in time for the ceremony. We were on the road at about 7:30 in the morning. The roads were very wet and it snowed/rained/snowed the whole trip down but the roads were relatively bare and traffic was at a minimum. We made it to Renae's house with plenty of time to get to the Temple. Renae and Gregg were kind enough to have Logan come over and play with their kids while Kristy and I were at the wedding.

We then hopped on the road and made our way to the Temple. The night before I used MapQuest to get directions but instead of printing out pages of useless directions, I copied down just the main turnoffs and points thinking that once we saw the large Temple we could find our way there. Well, it was real cloudy and we couldn't pinpoint where the Temple was and time was running out (we had to be there about a half an hour before). Just when we were about to hit the "panic" button, the Mount Timpanogos Temple popped into view.

What a gorgeous Temple! It was much larger than I thought it would be (I am used to the Logan Temple) and the closer you got the more impressive it became. We entered the Temple and we were greeted by my cousins Kyle and Brian (Kelli's brothers). Soon after my Uncle Kurt and his family arrived. Then we all went to one of the many Sealing Rooms and waited for Kelli and her soon-to-be husband Hunter. The Sealing Room was just so peaceful and beautiful. The reverence and silence was so thought-provoking and it made you reflect and think about life and what comes next. It reminded me of my own wedding, even though I hardly remember it. We waited for a few minutes and other guests came in. And then in walked my Aunt Julie and Uncle Jerry. I have not seen them in years and it was wonderful to see them smiling and in the Temple. As I looked around the room and looked at everyone, I felt this deep appreciation for my family and the support they give me. Soon my Uncle Mark and Aunt Barbara came in (Kelli's parents) and then shortly after that Kelli and Hunter came in. She looked unbelievable, so pretty and she was glowing. I may be biased here but I think I have the best looking cousins in any family.

The Sealing Ceremony was something you just have to see. Words cannot describe the feeling you feel there as you watch a couple be sealed for time and all eternity. For those that don't know, in the Latter Day Saint religion we believe that when you get married and if you are worthy to be married in the Temple, you can be married (sealed) together forever.

After the wedding it was great to catch up with family and chat. We waited outside (close to the Temple doors since it was cold outside) and finally the new couple came out and they looked so happy. They had a photographer to take some pictures. I felt bad for them since it was a little drizzly and cold but I remember the feeling of just being married. Kristy and I were married in the cold, cold winter and it was foggy. But it didn't matter to us since we were still on Cloud Nine.

I got all of my cousins in one shot. But minus the new guy.

Kelli had these bright green (it matched his tie) flipflops that you couldn't see because of the dress.

The Anhder Family. Brian and his wife Kari, Barbara, Mark, Kelli and Hunter, Kyle and Brian who was paying attention to someone else.

After taking pictures we were invited to attend a luncheon at Golden Corral down in Orem. There we ate a ton of food (mmm... liver*) and a ton of dessert and chatted it up with my family. I am so thankful for my aunts and uncles. It was great to sit with them and talk about family, life and pretty much everything in between (sorry Aunt Julie... I am just not a Stones guy). After killing ourselves with food, Kristy and I left to go back to Salt Lake and pick up Logan.

We visited with Renae and Gregg and the kids for a little bit and then we dropped in on Kristy's parents. Unfortunately we couldn't stay long because we had to leave already to make it to the reception. We were making good time that is until we tried to find the Bella Vista Reception Center. Funny thing is that both of Kristy's parents were there the night before at a reception. Good thing too since they told us what to look for because MapQuest sent us somewhere else. I am surprised that we actually found the place and if we weren't looking for an office building (like Kristy's mom said) we may not have found it at all. But we did! We went in and were greeted by Julie and Jerry so we sat with them and ate a ton of donuts and food. And get this, they had a lime drink. Right up my alley!

I didn't know a soul there outside of Mark and his family, Julie and Jerry.

But that changed when I met Jerry's older brother and his wife along with some other friends. I am horrible with names, I cannot remember Jerry's brother and wife's name but I remember Dave and Sue. (I think I got that right) It was fun meeting new "family". It was also nice to see my other cousin Wes too. Unfortunately I didn't get much of a chance to chat with him.

Aunt Julie was teaching Logan tricks here.

And there is the happy new couple!

Finally, it was time for us to go. We packed up our stuff and Mark made sure we got some extra donuts and we headed back to Logan. The drive was long but fortunately the weather was great. The roads were barely wet and the canyon was absolutely clear. I am so glad that I took the time to go down to the wedding and reception. I am seriously blessed with a great family. I appreciate Mark and his family for letting my family take part of the festivities and I appreciate Julie and Jerry for letting us hang out with them. Some day we will visit them in Colorado. And a special thanks to Kelli for inviting Kristy and I to the Sealing Ceremony at the Temple. We had a fantastic time and it means a lot.

What is your Bid?

Last night was the annual Young Men/Young Women Dinner and silent auction. This is a fun activity for the ward (church) that I am in. The youth make and serve a delicious dinner in a nicely decorated gym for the adults and they also provide dinner and babysitting too. At the dinner is a silent auction where the youth auction off services or baked goods.

Last year I assisted at what is called the Money Table since Kristy was helping the youth in the kitchen. I collected the money that is made off the auctions and all the donations that are made for the dinner. I volunteered to do the same job this time around as well since I was already familiar with how to do it and more importantly, I was dateless. Kristy is the Young Women President so she was basically in charge of the whole thing so she was way busy in making sure everything was running well.

I really don't mind working at the Money Table. I get to talk with a lot of people and I don't mind not being part of the main festivities. I get to people watch (one of my favorite things to do) and I get to be around some fun people who also work at the Money Table. But what impresses me the most is the generosity of my neighbors. We do not live in a well-to-do neighborhood, we don't live on a hill with very influential people. But I live among some of the most generous people I have ever met.

Kristy and I were talking about this today and I think we came to a conclusion. I think the reason that this event is so successful is because of the youth and who they are.

The other day I was walking home with Logan from school when I ran into two of the Young Women, Rossy and Taylor. They stopped me (by yelling out Dr. Pepper; my nickname)  and we spoke for a little bit. I asked teased them that one of their assignments for the silent auction was to supply me with Dr. Pepper since I would be at the table the whole night and needed it. Later that evening they dropped by our house to deliver some brownies they had made for the silent auction and they told me that they would definitely get me a Dr. Pepper. I thought it was cute that they wanted to do that for me.

I didn't think about it again until I was sitting at the table and the girls came over and delivered a nice cold Dr. Pepper. I was really thankful for it because I really needed the pick-me-up but I was more touched that they would do that for me. I know a lot of people were jealous that I had a Dr. Pepper!

This is the EXACT reason why this fundraiser works. The youth here are so great. They work hard and they don't complain. They serve with a smile. I want to be around these kids because of who they are. They are great examples for my family and I. It works both ways, the more I am around them, the more I want to serve them. And the more I serve them, the more they want to serve me. I just love these kids and especially the Young Women. I want to be a good example for them since they are a good example to me.

Okay, I am getting close to crossing over the Cheesy Border

I won quite a few things at the silent auction. I won some cheap babysitting from Kara and Brandon. I won an Indian dinner from the Singh Family (I got beat out last year with this one) and I cannot wait to finally eat some authentic Indian food. Mmmmmm.... ....curry and roti! Kristy also bid and won some homemade jewelry. I also purchased an art print from one of the girls.

I don't want to share how much I paid for this Indian dinner. But I am sure it will be worth every penny!

Logan was excited for the silent auction as well. Right before we left he ran upstairs and got some of his own money so he could buy a pie or cookies. I told him I would bid for him and after it was done he was so happy that I scored him some tasty cookies baked by Taylor.

If you ever go to a silent auction like this, make sure you use your kid. No one will want to outbid a child! Although I did have some stiff competition.

See?

Logan knows the girls and looks up to them. So he wanted to show that he loved them by buying some of their stuff. So I am right.

And they were goooood!

I am so thankful; I am so blessed for living here in this neighborhood and being surrounded by fantastic people. I am glad that I have people around me that make me want to be a better person.

Upon Further Review: Superbowl!

I cannot wait for tomorrow.

This season certainly has gone by rather quickly. It seems just like it was last month when I started this column. And that was a full EIGHT weeks before the NFL season even got under way!

I originally picked the New York Jets to win the Superbowl over the Vikings. So close and yet so far!

While I am still saddened over my Jets loss to the Steelers two weeks ago, I am comforted to know that my 2nd favorite team in the NFL is playing in the big game. And not only will I be in for a good game, I have a ton of Mountain Dew and lots of snacks and goodies to take me through the pregame, game and postgame!

Pittsburgh vs Green Bay:
This should be a great game. It could go either way, it could be all defensive or we could have an offensive explosion. The biggest key to the game will be if the Steelers can slow down the Packers fast and explosive offense. I do believe that the Packers defense can match up with the Steelers offense but I am unsure how the Steelers can control the Packers offense. If the Steelers can stop the run, I think they have a good chance and I think the Packers know that. So watch for the Packers to use the pass to setup the run. It will be close and the Steelers will take an early lead but in the 3rd quarter the Packers will take the lead for good.
Winner: Green Bay Packers

And I am pretty excited to watch the trailer for the new Captain America film. Yeah, I am still a geek.

2011 Resolutions

YAY! 2011!

I am so glad to see some of my fellow bloggers come back to their blog and I am also glad to see that some of them has used the opportunity to blog to come up with some goals and resolutions. Reading them has motivated me.

I really like the way my cousin Jeremy posted his so I am going to steal it.

I RESOLVE...

• to take the time to write more. I have three unfinished novels that are just sitting around. I also have a children's story that is just sitting in my filing cabinet. My goal is to finish at least two of them and continue the third. I will also so another round of NaNoWriMo this November and I will need to figure out what I should write. And I will participate in another round of Script Frenzy this April. I am not sure what I will do for that competition. I might continue my comic book or try something completely different like a TV episode or a musical.  And this blog will continue 5 days a week.          

                               I RESOLVE...                                 

• to take the time to read more. I really liked reading a novel/book once a month last year and I think I would like to continue that resolution for this year too. One thing I have learned by blogging daily is that I can do anything daily if I just put my mind to it. If I can blog daily, I can read something daily. So I resolve to read my scriptures daily. I also resolve to read the Ensign (a church magazine) from cover to cover every month. I also resolve to read a good book once a quarter. I have a bunch waiting.

I RESOLVE...  

• to take care of myself. I am no spring chicken and I need to watch what I do (and what I don't do) to my body. So yeah, the ugly E-word. Exercise. I have been a slacker the last month and I need to get going again. I resolve to exercise 5 days a week if possible. I have some fun walking programs that I can do (and will do!) during the cold winter months and then get back into running when the weather gets a bit warmer. And speaking of running, I also will run my first 5K race this year. I will run the Top of Utah 5K on September 17th. I will have all spring and summer to train so I have no excuse not to make it. I will also watch what I eat and try to slim down my portions.

I RESOLVE...  

• to pick up a pen and draw. I want to draw and I want to be creative. Last year I wanted to reactivate my Queen blog (Sheer Art Attack) and post some art based on Queen songs. I was going to do it once a month and I think that may have been too lofty a goal. So I will see if I can do something quarterly.

I RESOLVE...  

• to continue to the play the bass guitar. But instead of just playing it by ear, I may borrow some books from the library and really teach myself how to play. And to also continue to sing with the choir and look for some other opportunities to use these talents.

I RESOLVE...  

• I have some other things that I want to do this year but they are private or they are too mundane and boring to list them here.

That should keep my plenty busy for this new year. I will blog monthly how I am doing. I am not a huge fan of such disclosure but I think that really helped me accomplish these goals last year. I also want to wish all my fellow bloggers that have also blogged about some resolutions and goals the best and that I will do my best in supporting them.

Return of the Slacker!

It has been 3 days since I last blogged.

3 DAYS!

I have a ton of excuses and I have a ton of justifications (which you will hear later on in this blog) but it all comes down to one thing. I am a slacker. And when I slack, I slack big time!

But it has been a couple of busy days. Tuesday we went to my dad's to learn how to make some Greek food; most importantly how to make Greek Baklava. Baklava is a Greek pastry and it is wonderful. It is full of nuts and honey and butter and light filo pastry. Most of the times when you find it in stores or at restaurants, the Baklava is dry. My dad (and the rest of the Platis Clan) like it wet, dripping with butter and honey.

We were supposed to meet at my dad's house at 9:00 in the morning and we were running just a little late. My dad had asked if we stopped by the store to get some juice. We all went to the store and has I was walking back to the car I had this sinking ill feeling. I couldn't feel my keys. I searched all over and I didn't have them with me. Kristy found them. They were in the car, still in the ignition.

I cannot remember the last time I did this. We don't have a cell phone and we couldn't remember my dad's or sister's phone number. So we walked the rest of the way to my dad's home. Which took us an extra 30-45 minutes. It was a lot longer than I thought it was. But we finally arrived and my sister took me back to our apartment and we got my spare set of keys. UGH! But the day got better as we had breakfast and made some excellent Baklava. Towards the end I could feel my chest tightening up and I could feel an asthma attack coming on. We came home and I took some medication and went to bed.

The next day I was feeling a little better and we headed over to my dad's once again for a Christmas party. We ate a ton of pizza and a ton of treats and I found a new obsession. ROCK BAND!

I have never played any of the Guitar Hero type of games but Nathan and Jillian invited me to join the band so I became the drummer. And I am addicted. We got my sister to come downstairs and sing some songs and that broke the ice and we all took turns singing. I gotta get Beatles Rock Band now!

But as the evening progressed, I could feel my chest tightening up again. I think there was something at my dad's that I was having an allergic reaction to that was setting off my asthma. We came home through a huge snowstorm and made it home. And I watched some TV (SCTV Classics) and went to bed.

The next day (the 30th) was my wedding anniversary. 13 YEARS!

1313!

Christmas: The Aftermath

I like Christmas, don't get me wrong but sometimes I wish I had a more simple Christmas. Maybe that will be a goal in the future, to have a Christmas where I help out at a soup kitchen or something like that. It is not like I had a crappy Christmas because I didn't. I had a very nice, relaxing and pleasant Christmas. I just think I want to do something different. Maybe I just need to spend Christmas away from home sometime. Away from all the commercialism, away from all the drama that somehow only rears its head around the holidays, away from the stress that the holiday season can bring.

Anyway...

Christmas Eve we had my mom over for a very nice evening. We had cheese fondue with meatballs and stuffed mushrooms. We played games until it was time for Logan to go to bed. But before he went to bed he was allowed to open a gift and he was so happy that he got a cool pair of Yoda feet slippers.

After we put a very excited Logan to bed, I asked my wife if she checked our sh*tters. I don't want them to be full during the holidays. As you can tell, Kristy and I stayed up late and got everything ready for the next day and watched Christmas Vacation; as is our tradition.

The next day was very relaxing. We didn't do a darn thing but play around and eat heaps of candy. Logan woke up at 6:00 in the morning but stayed in his room until 8:00 and then came in and got us. We came downstairs and then opened our gifts. As usual Logan cleaned up but the rest of us didn't do so shabby. I got some fun gifts, I got a couple of graphic novels and some soda to drink while reading them. Santa gave me a two-liter of Vernon's Ginger Ale and now I have a new favorite soda. Ever since I tried a home brewed Ginger Ale, I have been searching for a Ginger Ale that tasted like it. Vernon's is the closest.

Aren't those slippers cool?

Santa gave us all Aggie shirts! Logan was really excited even though this pic doesn't show it.

Is he acting?

The traditional photo. Christmas 2010.

The rest of the day we snacked and ate our fondue leftovers and played games. It was nice to spend the day with my family and just relax and have fun.