Summer Time!

The joys of summer time play. Hot and Humid and Happy as can be.

And boy is Dad Chubby!

Stuck in Cincinnati

What should have been a standard flight from Philadelphia to Salt Lake for Liz and the kids turned out to be quite the ordeal.

After getting delayed for more than four hours she was offered a flight to Cincinnati connecting then onto Salt Lake. She was promised first class seats for the second leg no less. Pretty hard for them to make good on that promise when they delay that flight too and then leave her stranded.

Delta did pay for the hotel room so she and the kids could stay overnight but she didn't get much sleep in the few hours they were at the hotel since she had to be back at the airport at 6:30 AM.

The kids were in good spirits and having a grand time despite the terrible circumstances. Liz of course endured it like the trooper that she is. She got the little ones to Salt Lake safe and sound and hopefully she'll be able to get a little R&R while she is there.

I'm headed out on the 16th which isn't soon enough for me but it's the best I could do with what vacation time I have left. The family reunion should be really fun. I'm looking forward to seeing my relatives and being with my family again.

It's amazing how quiet it is with the kids gone. I overslept this morning because they weren't here to wake me. I miss them terribly and can't wait to be with them and Elizabeth again.

Jason

A really great friend of mine spent the weekend with my family and me. We had a great time and he was so good with the kids.

Jason and I met about 14 years ago, wow that was a long time ago. We both served missions in Japan and the whole time we were roommates at BYU he invited me to come visit him in Maryland.

Of course when things were looking serious with the job I now have, he was one of the first people I contacted to get the low down on the east coast. He had great advise as always, and we've really enjoyed all that Maryland and the east coast has to offer.

I'm glad that he lives as close as he does so we can do things together I wish it was a little closer so we could do things even more often.

Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere

These days I live on the East Coast but it wasn't always this way. All my life I've lived in the west. Born in Idaho, raised in Arizona and Wyoming. Summer work in sunny California, college in Wyoming and Utah. A westerner through and through yet here I am living just a few short miles from the Atlantic Ocean. I call Maryland home now and perhaps with this blog I can document the journey here. I'll try to date things when they happened and not when I'm writing them so the reader will get them in chronological order.

Madelyn's Birthday

What an awesome day for a Birthday. There will always be fireworks on Madelyn's birthday because she shares it with our Country. We got to see some pretty spectacular fireworks tonight. One of the members of our branch put on a display that rivals most county fairs. There was a light rain but it was still very enjoyable. The fireflies/lightning bugs were out in droves in the fields of Pennsylvania so their flickering added to the display in the night sky. Liz is right the fireflies are a magical thing and we love in a very beautiful part of the country.

Miss Madelyn is 3 now and lives up to her Independence day birthday. We went to Jim Halligan's house to swim this afternoon. He is such a great guy. He's our Realtor, friend, and fellow member of our church. We have a standing invitation to come use his pool and with these hot muggy days we'll be taking advantage often.

Madelyn is something else she was ready to jump right into the deep end so I watched her like a hawk. Most of the time we were on the floats drifting about the pool whilst good friend and one time roommate Jason played a variety of pool games.

Grandma Olson

Grandma Olson came to spend some time with us. She is going to help us unpack get settled in. It will be so nice having her here to see where we live. We're hoping to do a lot of fun things while she's here and I know the kids are excited to spend time with Grandma all to themselves.

Clearly she loves us a whole lot.

Valentine's Day

It was Valentine's Day 1969 that my mother was baptized. On Valentines Day 2008 the Sister Missionaries and I received a comittment to be baptized from Gale the good sister we've been teaching the gospel to. Her Brother in Law Bill has been meeting with the missionaries as well but still has lots of question and unresolved concerns however. I am certain that we'll be able to answer his questions and resolve his concerns and that he too will make a decision to be baptized.

I've seen a change in both their countenances since we started meeting with them. Alma 5:14

And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

In fact Gale's friends have asked her in recent weeks what it is that she's using on her face because she 'has a glow'. Gale has simply told them that she is reading the Book of Mormon. We encouraged her to invite those interested to her baptism and to meet with the missionaries.

It is a great feeling to be a missionary!

Associate

I accept an offer of employment as an Associate at W.L. Gore & Associates with a full relocation package. Liz and I are elated that we’ll get help selling the house and that someone else will pack our house and ship it cross country.

Carter's Golden Birthday

Carter turned 7 on the 7th so some call it his Golden Birthday. This one was hard for both of us. I was not there for this birthday and although I was there on days before and after with my travel back to visit I wasn't there on the actual day and it was sad for both of us. I won't ever be away for another birthday.