A day in the life...

New Blog Direction...

2006-07-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

Since I wont be posting much specifics about the family anymore, I thought it would be good to return to posting on other activities. I will include movie reviews, game reviews, activities, etc. I'll start later today with a review of a movie and maybe some XBOX360 games. Hopefully I will be able to maintain it for a while and make it worth the read...

What's New?

2006-06-06T14:12:00.000-07:00

I have avoided the blog line at the request of the boss. No more mention of the family, just my interests and ideas.

Last week I passed a memorable milestone (40), and ended having one of the best weekends ever, culminating in a visit to Amazing Jakes. One of the other cool things I received was an XBOX 360, and I will shortly get a Garmin 76CSx gps. Besides spending a lot of family fun time. I certainly have no room to complain.

I plan to use this forum to keep tabs on some of my hobbies and activities. I will start by trying to add my GamerCard from XBOX LIVE to the blog site. Either way, I plan to include some reviews of games, activities and the like. Look for more soon.

Books on CD

2006-02-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

Oops, I have let the time slip by again. Time for an update.

Life continues to cruise by, but I have been able to change a dreary part of my day into something to look forward to. I am listening to books on CD during my commute. So far it has been great. I listened to the last two books of the Harry Potter series, and now can't wait for the last one to come out. Currently I am listening to 'The Da Vinci Code' and enjoying the suspense. (Not so sure about all the stretches Dan Brown takes, but interesting none the less). It sure makes the drive a lot more bearable.

I spent a week in Las Vegas at a training class on Microsoft SharePoint software and enjoyed the time. I was able to get a video transfer project done in the evenings, along with a visit with Dwight Harris, the one guy I went to Grade 1-12 with. I'm hoping his family will come visit us for the Mesa Temple Easter pageant.

Because I was gone from work for a week, I had a few things back up at work, and then the past few days, including Saturday, I have put in extra time, but working on phone problems. Hence I am even further behind. Makes for some good job security! This evening we got the issues resolved, so I am happy and can start moving forward on other items. :-)

The kids are all doing well with school and activities. It is hard to keep up and work out all the different commitments, but at least we can't get ourselves in trouble. Mostly we just have a good time together and the kids get along.

Saturday night JoLynn and I enjoyed a very good adult session of Stake Conference, then Sunday we enjoyed the Arizona-wide regional conference at the Stake Centers from Salt Lake. President Monson, Elder Bednar, and Elder Didier spoke. All were very good. President Monson said the best Stakes for attendance have always been in Arizona and Southern Alberta. It must be our family influence! (just kidding).

I watched the Superbowl with Thomas. It was fun to spend some time together, and I wont bother commenting on the game, since it doesn't really matter. Good for the Steelers! Now we look forward to Spring Football where we can start to think the Cougars will be unbeatable [only if we outscore them...]

Another update??

2006-01-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is true. I am doing more than one update this week!

I'll admit I was much more into it last year, especially last Fall. That could have something to do with the amount of extra time I had available at work... Now I am trying to get more organized, so I can take five minutes during my lunch break to give a quick update.

At work I have been trying to crank out several PC's in conjunction with a site move. It has allowed me to reload about 10 PC's from scratch in the past week. I enjoy it, but it is a bit time consuming (I do the full reload instead of doing copies; I'm a bit anal that way...) I now have the routine down and can easily do 2 at a time on the workbench. I also got my office all cleaned up and put away, so it actually looks like I have nothing to do (not sure how wise that is). Part of that stems from the need to have a clean appearance, since I have a window that goes to the front entrance. When I first moved in, they had the window covered (probably because I just had to drop all my 'stuff' in to the office. Last week they had the agency logo put onto the window, so I took down my cover. It is nice to be able to see out, of course others can see in. It is a good motivator to keep everything tidy.

Last night for Scouts, we met with all the young men/young women, and played a couple of games of capture the flag. It turned out pretty well. We play in the park near the Church. It has a large running path around the outside and we use part of the field inside. Anyway, at the start of the second game, I had this great idea to run around the track and come in from the back to get the flag. I took off and headed out. It took a few minutes to get around to the back. It was set up perfectly for me to come in, grab the flag and take off right in front of the 'guards'. They were all looking the other way. Just as I was ready to make my break, one of the boys (who had played on my side the previous game), noticed me on the track and put a quick end to my wonderful plans!! Next time I'm going to solicit some help to create a diversion. I had to wait out the game in jail. It was bogus.

The last few weeks I have been working on pulling some video from the camcorder. I'm trying to get it all pulled off to the computer so I can then make some DVDs. It has been fun to see the video. It has also inspired me to do more recording. It is always interesting to see the fun things the kids do, a year or two down the road.

Try it again...

2006-01-11T12:16:00.000-07:00

This is my second try at a post in the new year. For some reason, every time I write a long post, it always gets deleted before it can post. Anyway....

Christmas and New Year were really good, other than a little stomach flu (everyone took a turn, but Reece only seemed to have the effects for about an hour). We spent a lot of time doing things as a family and had a very fun time. The weather was ideal and we had a nice break from work and school.

With the start of the new year, we are continuing some good habits, and trying to start a few more. I have begun an exercise program and can already feel some of the positive effects after just a couple of weeks. Maybe now I can lose the last five pounds to reach my goal. We are also continuing our scripture study. Having finished the Book of Mormon on December 31st, we are now reading the Pearl of Great Price, then we will read some highlights from the Old Testament. It has been great to read with the kids and teach them the great stories from the scriptures.

One of my favorite things at Christmas is to get the many cards and letters from all of our family and friends. We have our fridge covered in pictures. It is great to see how everyone is doing. Since we can't see everyone very often, this is certainly the next best thing.

Now I'm trying to get all the yard and outside house projects lined up so I can complete them in the next few weeks while the temperatures are still really nice. JoLynn added painting the trim on the house, so I'm really excited about that!! :-(

Christmas Prep

2005-12-22T09:27:00.000-07:00

We started early this year and it has paid off in our Christmas prep. We pretty much had everything done with a week to go before Christmas. About the only item left to finish is the annual Christmas letter. JoLynn should be working on that today, and then we will be all set! Our ward does an annual Christmas in Bethlehem, so JoLynn made up some costumes this year. We used that to take a picture of the kids to send out with the Christmas letter. Reece wasn't too excited until I told him he was dressing up like a Jedi! That did the trick, until he needed his 'star wars' (what he calls the light saber). We did get a good shot without it, but a lot more with. This picture should give you an idea of what we were up against. Have I mentioned how much Reece talks about Star Wars? Not really sure where it all comes from, but he is a real fan. I think he will have a good Christmas!

Tonight is the BYU Bowl game against Cal. I really hope we can play well and have a good showing. Our past bowl record is pretty lousy, but I don't have a lot of hope with the young coaching staff. I am encouraged that they have made some positive changes, and I think we are clearly headed in the right direction. I'm planning to watch with Harry, while JoLynn take her Mom out for dinner to celebrate her birthday. It's kind of a win-win evening for the guys and gals.

Christmas is coming!

2005-12-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

OK, no excuses for the drought of posts. Life is always busy, I just haven't taken the time to post. So here is a little update.
I'm really enjoying the cooler weather, while being glad it isn't cold! I like to wear a coat and need a blanket to sleep. But no one likes being cold. Our weather has been just right for enjoying change in seasons.
Of course, this is the best time of any year! I have felt especially sentimental this Christmas season. Perhaps it is the regular reading we have done in the Book of Mormon. It does hurt that we just recently finished the savior's visit to the people in America. That is such a great part of the scripture.
I have been concerned about my Dad's health. He hasn't been very good since getting really sick in July. We thought he was on the mend, but last weeks visit to the doctor seems to indicate otherwise. He is still having problems with his kidneys, but it doesn't seem like he is getting much quality care. All they want to do is run tests. Anyway, I was trying to think of something I could do to help cheer him up this Christmas. The best idea I could come up with was to give him a DVD of things we have videod. We have quite a bit and I have never taken the time to get it put to disc. I started yesterday. The first thing I thought I would do is last Christmas at Steve Young's "cabin" in Park City. It was fun to watch it. The kids heard me watching it and had a great time reliving the memories. Hopefully I will be able to get it to turn out like I envision. Either way, I'm sure they will still enjoy it. I just need to get it done and in the mail.
I am looking forward to Christmas with the kids. We aren't doing too much, but it should still be fun spending time together. We have a good time doing games and activities, as long as we can keep the snipping between siblings down. I also have a couple of movies I want to watch with the kids.
Speaking of movies, we went to see "Chronicles of Narnia" on Saturday. Excellent movie with some outstanding special effects. I really enjoyed it. It sure is nice to see some quality shows make it to the theatre. I hope this trend will continue for religiously based stories to be featured. And I have always thought C.S. Lewis's other famous story "The Screwtape Letters" would make a good movie as well.

New Car

2005-11-16T12:20:00.000-07:00

It has taken a while to work out, and lots of discussion, but I have gotten a new car. This is the picture from the lot where we bought it. As you can see it is a PT Cruiser. The GT (Turbo) model with leather seats and sunroof. I am really happy with it! JoLynn did all the work to get us a good deal. I'll have to let her drive it some! :-)
We have already changed the spinner rims back to the original 5-spoke chrome rims. It looks much better!

Life continues to be hectic, but fun. We have had a few birthday parties the past couple of weeks. And the kids are always having activities with school and other programs. Cami had her first MYS concert of the year. In the past they have been held in the auditorium of one of the High Schools, but this year they are having them in the new Mesa Arts Center. It made the concert all the more enjoyable (plus we left Reece at home with a babysitter!)

With the purchase of the new car, I have put my plans to get the new XBOX 360 on hold. Thomas is planning to get one when it comes out next week, so I am still looking forward to playing it. I've been saving all my extra money, so hopefully it wont take too long. Now I just need to find some time to be able to play it, once I can buy it....

Monday night we took our annual trip to ToysRUs for the kids to get ideas for their Christmas wish list. They got a lot of good ideas, but I think Reece will end up with something Star Wars. He is always talking about it and singing the Darth Vader theme. I guess we shouldn't have let him watch the original shows. It is pretty funny to hear him singing "da da da ..." He has it down.

Back from Mexico

2005-10-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

We spent the end of the kids Fall Break at Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), Mexico. The weather was perfect and we had a really fun time.Besides all the normal things (swimming, finding shells, digging in the sand, girls getting their hair braided, shopping at the vendors), we also did some extras because Cami had her birthday while there. Her Aunt Pam took her out to swim with the sea lions, and apparently that was pretty cool. The rest of us put together a pinata and bought some fireworks. That evening we let all the kids take a couple whacks at the pinata. I finally had to just drop it from the balcony to really break it up. There was plenty to go around. Later, we went down to the beach for fireworks. I spent a small fortune, but got a really good variety. We had tried to use the 'click-stick' lighters a couple nights before, but with the breeze on the beach, it made it very difficult to get things lit (and I nearly lost my head with some very quick explosions!). So I wised up and bought a soldering torch at the hardware store. This let us line-up the fireworks and I could just walk down the line and shoot them off in sequence. It made for a really good show. Nathan helped me with the setup and had a great time. We had a good group of families and it made it very enjoyable for everyone. Hopefully more can join us next year.

We have been doing really well at reading the Book of Mormon as a family. It has been great to have everyone look forward to reading. The kids don't let us miss a night. I don't remember that as a kid....

So I'm trying to figure out if I was just dumb as a kid, or if they just teach less these days. Or maybe my kids really are that smart! I am amazed at how much they know. Whenever Nathan comes up with something new, I try to compare what I was learning in the first, second, third grades. Especially in math he is nearly two grades ahead. I remember being pretty good with the times tables in third grade. He just started first grade and can figure out most of his basic times calculations. I'm sure I had no idea what it was in first grade. Of course, I didn't get a chance to have kindergarten, so I probably made up for it in the later years... It's amazing how smart they are and how well they do at their activities.

New Braces

2005-09-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took the plunge and had braces put on. I have always wanted to fix my top teeth. The incisors on the front corners have always looked bad. So Pam agreed she could make some improvements and started the process. I actually only have the top teeth done. The bottom will be added in three weeks.

Anyway, it wasn't too bad yesterday, but since this morning, my teeth have been really sore, especially when I try to eat something! That stinks, since I really like to eat. Hopefully it will fix up all my cosmetic problems and I'll end up being even better looking than now. :-) Of course I put in Blue and White bands to support the BYU Cougars. I'm hopeful they have finally turned the corner and will begin a return to the 'good old days' of the 80s.

The kids are doing well and enjoying school and friends. After a long drought of close friends, LeAnn now has a bossom buddy. They want to be together ALL the time (but not at our house - JoLynn must be too mean, just kidding.) It is nice for her to have a playmate.

This week we start to get more of the activities. Cami starts up with MYS (Metropolitan Youth Symphony), and Nathan starts soccer. We are still doing well on keeping up our Book of Mormon reading and staying on track to finish by the end of the year. We are reading about the battles near the end of the Book of Alma. It is pretty exciting and the kids have lots of questions. It's fun to have them learn these great stories. It sure makes you greatful to live in this day and age and not in the days of sword battles. I'll play that role on the XBOX, but I surely would not want to do it for real!

Holiday Weekend

2005-09-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

We spent most of the holiday weekend in Strawberry enjoying the great weather. Luckily we had the Ramada to keep us dry as it rained each afternoon. Saturday we got over an inch, and also got flooded in the tent, so we ended up coming home Sunday. It was still a great time. We drove the four-wheelers and had fun playing around. The Ramada made the weekend very enjoyable. Now that the fireplace is in, we are thinking of just going up without a tent and sleeping in the Ramada with a fire. It would sure make it easier to setup.

Becuase I was in Straawberry on Saturday, I missed the BYU football game against Boston College. I did use my phone to follow the score on the Internet, and then I did watch it when we got back. They lost 20-3. It was quite disappointing, considering all the talk about how the offense was going to be back to the glory days. Obviously they still have some work to do. Boston College has a good team, but they were beatable. Hopefully the team can figure out how to win again. They don't really act like they know how. But it is nice to be back in football season again.

After dragging my feet a bit, Thomas got me to do a Fantasy Football league for this year. We had to struggle to get 10 people, but at least we will be in it. I'm not as much up on the current happenings as in years past, but it is always fun to play. I ended up getting a pretty decent team in the auto-draft. As long as I can beat JoLynn's brothers, I'll be happy. :-)

This week the girls start back with harp practice, then next week Cami starts the Youth Symphony, so Wednesdays are going to get busy again. I'm hoping to adjust my work schedule so I can be around more. It is also really helpful to have Jarom involved so Pam trades off driving. It is nice that the kids have so many great opportunities.

Another month gone by...

2005-08-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe how fast the time goes by. Of course we just seem to move from one activity to the next, so there isn't much 'free' time to think about it.

As a family we have taken President Hinckley's challenge to read the Book of Mormon to heart. We are doing really well at reading each night, and this past Sunday we had our first read-a-than. It is fun to read with the kids and have them learn the many lessons from the scriptures. We have already started to see some of the benefits in the kids!

JoLynn had a successful garage sale last Saturday. We didn't get rid of everything we had, but it made a good dent and we got a little money back. Now I just need to get the rest of it hauled away. It always seems like there is something else hanging over us.

Yesterday I took JoLynn to the local Chrysler dealer to look at a PT Cruiser. I have always wanted to drive one. I got the chance to drive the GT model with it's 220 HP turbo engine. It definitely has some punch and blows away my Geo Prizm. I was really hoping the back seat was a bit bigger, but it does give you a very nice ride position, much more upright than other cars. I don't think it is anything I will get too excited about, but I am starting to look, anticipating I can make a vehicle change in the not too distant future. I will have had the Prizm for 11 years at Thanksgiving. I set the family (Anderson) record for longevity several years ago, so I can safely switch any time now.... :-)

I went and picked up a few items at the store tonight and took Reece along. He had a great time. He was singing to himself and just enjoying being out. We went into a PetSmart so he could see some animals. He enjoyed the fish and birds. There wasn't much else to see. He is a fun boy and has a large vocabulary of responses. I'm amazed at how he routinely uses three plus word sentences. It's always nice when you can brag on your kids...

This weekend is the first game of the season for BYU. After the past three bad years, I really hope they can turn things around. I'm not expecting a perfect season, but I think they will be improved. They have been capable of better results the past few years, and now I think the philosophy has returned to one where more results are likely. I look forward to seeing the game. At this point, anything is still possible. If nothing else, we have a good streak going in home openers. And we have good seats for the UNLV game in November!

2005-08-23T22:47:00.000-07:00

LeAnn starts preschool!

Time For Preschool

2005-08-23T21:43:00.000-07:00

LeAnn has been anxiously awaiting her turn for school and the day has finally arrived. JoLynn had four other girls over today to start preschool with LeAnn. She couldn't be more excited! The girls had a good first day and look forward to Thursday for their next get-together. The Mom's are each taking a turn doing a week. They have a lot of fun activities planned.

We have suspected there may be a leak in our dishwasher, and confirmed it tonight. Now we have to figure out if it is something we can fix or if we have to go out for a new unit. Our house seems to be getting at that point where items are starting to wear out. Hopefully we will be able to spread things out a bit so it doesn't all hit at once.

We are gearing up for a garage sale this weekend. I had planned to be available to help move all the items out of the garage, but I just found out we are having a scout camp this weekend. Hopefully we can get everything put together before I go. The scout camp should be fun. We are preparing for next months Stake encampment where the boys will get the Wilderness Survival merit badge. This campout will let the boys practice building fires with a fire bow, and building a lean-to for sleeping quarters (two of the merit badge requirements). It should be interesting. Hopefully the weather will be good. We are going up to Strawberry, so I will get a chance to see the new fireplace/barbeque at Gould's property.

2005-08-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

Sara catching the waves

2005-08-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

LeAnn and Rosie (Underwood)

2005-08-12T20:19:00.000-07:00

Fun at the beach...

2005-08-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

Family with Bowen's at the Newport Beach, CA Temple

2005-08-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

The kids like using Grandpa's lift.

2005-08-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

He really does like Fun Dip!

2005-08-11T07:33:00.001-07:00

Nathan - First day in 1st Grade!

2005-08-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

Sara starts 4th grade.

2005-08-11T07:32:00.000-07:00

Starting 6th Grade

Back to school

2005-08-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

The kids started back to school this morning. Now life can return to a normal schedule. :-)

All three are still at the elementary school, with Nathan starting 1st grade. They all looked good in their new outfits and new backpacks. I did the official walk to school. They all should have really good classes with many other good kids. Nathan especially has a good group of boys that he has played with. We'll see how he does in the behaviour department.

Reece has discovered movies and loves the Pixar and Shrek movies. Regular cartoons aren't quite as appealing as the computer animated. He is way too smart, though, and can say pretty much anything the other kids say. It is a bit un-nerving to have him tell you things that you don't expect him to know, let alone pronounce the words mostly right. Last night I was putting together some shelves. The kids were in bed, so I put on Phantom of the Opera to listen to. I guess I had it too loud, because a few minutes into the show, he stood up in his bed and started saying 'Opera, Opera'. He recognized the music. I didn't even know he had heard it before...

Family to Return

2005-08-03T17:28:00.000-07:00

Well, my family decided to come back to me. :-) They are on their way back from California, after spending ten days playing with friends and enjoying the cooler temperatures. It has been pretty quiet while they were gone, but I somehow survived. It will be nice to see everyone again.

One of the many items JoLynn left on my 'honey-do' list was to finish putting together a book on my mission for the Cherish Bound publishing. I wanted to add a little more than I had, so I went to the bookcase to get my mission journals. I thought I might read a little and jog a few memories (it did work). Anyway, when I first went in, I grabbed what I thought was my last mission journal. Turns out it was actually JoLynn's journal from the start of her junior year in college. This journal started the first day we met in Accounting orientation at BYU. Needless to say, I have spent several nights reading through her journal, and comparing with mine. It has been a fascinating look back at our courtship. I can't think of an activity that could have been more invigorating for my perspective on our marriage. It is amazing to see how much some things have changed, and the things that haven't. My biggest regret is that i didn't write nearly as much detail as she did. I can't wait to read it with JoLynn when she gets back. It is great. Of course I'm sure that means I should still be doing the same thing. I need to repent and write more. My blog track record wouldn't indicate I have much chance....

My dad is doing better all the time. He is getting better, but it will take a while. We may need to plan a trip up to visit with them. I doubt he will make it down to see us very soon.

I'll post some pictures from the vacation my family had. Hopefully they took a lot.

Work has been going great. I love the technology I get to work with and the people are great. It has been a bit extra hectic the past few days, as three outstanding projects all came together at the same time (just as we had predicted). But at least they will all be wrapped up soon. :-)