A garage sale oversight

Hitting the weekly garage sale events as a family has been a huge success and fun activity -- over all. On Saturday, however, I noticed an embarrassing oversight in our garage sale activities.

A couple of weeks ago, Aliece purchased a little pink purse that she has been carrying with her everywhere. She had also purchased a plastic cell phone which she put inside of it. This little purse goes with her everywhere.

Yesterday, while we were at the church for the Cub Scout Olympics event, Aliece was walking around the gym with her purse. If you know Aliece, you know that if she is proud of something she is not discrete at all. She was flashing her little purse in front of all of our friends to show it off. When she brought her purse up close to my face, I just happened to catch a glimpse of four was written on the purse. I realized that this was no child's purse. In fact, it was a creative little shopping bag from the Victoria's Secret lingerie boutique. I nearly died!

Amber laughed and said to one of our neighbors, well I guess at Victoria's secret they don't need bags much bigger than that!

So far, Amber and I have not decided to take Aliece's new purse away from her. We just don't have the heart. I am going to have to keep a much better I on her purchases at garage sales in the future.

Wiiiiii!!!!!

As most of you know the kids have been working hard earning Wii points since last November in order to be able to buy a Wii console with four remotes. They have been very helpful around the house, be reverent at church, quiet at the dinner table, and staying in their rooms at bedtime in order to score small number of Wii points each day.

On Friday night, the kids earned their goal of 5000 Wii points. In anticipation of this event, Amber and I purchased a Wii console a couple of weeks ago. On Saturday, after Johnathan's Cub Scout Olympics and my Father's Day activities, we broke out the Wii and got all set up and even played a couple of games. The kids are really excited to be up to the latest and greatest with respect to video games.

We have talked to the kids and shows some of the first games that they want to buy. The Wii points system has worked so well that we are going to continue earning Wii points for games and controllers. Hopefully we can continue to do this without breaking the bank. The kids have responded so well to the system that Amber and I don't dare give up!

An Early Father's Day

Amber had decided that since she will just be coming back from the hospital just before Father's Day that we would hold our own Father's Day yesterday (Saturday). Amber made some yummy cinnamon rolls for breakfast. The kids then took turns giving me a variety of gifts. I loved reading their very creative cards.

For dinner Amber made me some ribs and mashed potatoes -- my favorite! We topped it off with some delicious brown sugar frosting cake with homemade ice cream.

My biggest Father's Day gift was a small refrigerator for me to put in my office at work.  Lately, I have been having a problem keeping my food in the refrigerator is at the break room. It must be the economic uncertainties of our times, because I will buy a $10 bag of string chees and find it totally gone within a few days. I have had other food disappear similarly. Amber was on the ball and realized that I needed a refrigerator that I could keep in my office so as to preserve my food. I am really excited to try it out!

It was a fun day for me. It was nice of Amber to think ahead and prepare everything for this unofficial Father's Day.

Cub Scout Olympics

On Saturday, Johnathan had a Cub Scout Olympics event. We took the whole family to the church to watch Johnathan participate in a variety of sporting events kind of like the track and field events.

Johnathan did a good job doing the standing long jump, situps, push-ups,  the 50 yard dash, etc.

The good with the bad

As you all know the kids consistently ask to have a dog at our home as a pet. However, Amber and I have refused because we just cannot see ourselves owning a dog in the city. I have always told them that if we were ever to move out to Arbon or a similar place with lots of land that we could have a dog.

The other day we had some interesting dinner table discussions. With five kids all wanting to talk it once the topic is often a creative one. Anyway, this particular night, the kids were asking what would happen if one of either Amber or I were to die. Amber explained that if I were to die she would probably move to Spokane to be closer to family they can help her support the kids. I then explained that Amber were to die I would probably move closer to Arbon to have the help of my family with the kids.

The kids thought of this for just a minute and then someone pointed out, "well, at least if mom died we could have a dog!"

Perfect Push-ups Club

The other day we received a package on our doorstep from Amazon.com. I wasn't expecting anything and neither was Amber. So, once we decided that neither one of us had ordered anything, I got out a knife and started to open the box.

I was quite surprised to find that the contents of the box contained "perfect push-up" devices. I knew  that Jake and Joe both used the perfect push-ups. I then looked on the packing slip and saw that it was from Joe.

I gave Joe a call and he confirmed that he had ordered them for me. I am really excited to get good at doing some push-ups. My back has really been hurting me lately and so I have eased up on the exercise routine. My muscles have been atrophying because of this. Now I will be able to at least do some push-ups without straining anything.

Next time you all see me I will be totally ripped and studley!

Cub scout olympics

Our family had a fun morning with John at the cub scout olympics at our church.

John did a great job on the standing long jump, sit ups, push ups, 50 meter dash, and softball throw.

Birthday Celebrations

Jake and Shantell met up with us for dinner last night at the Red Lobster restaurant.  We had a great time visiting over dinner.

After dinner they had invited Amber and I to their house for some traditional coconut frosting cake.  Shantell did a great job on the cake and we each had a nice thick slice! 

It was fun visiting with Jake and Shantell.  It has been a while since the four of us have gotten together.  It was nice of them to let us be part of their birthday celebrations.

Happy 29th birthday Jake!

Mosquito Bait

We went to the park for lunch a couple of days ago.  The mosquitoes were so bad that the kids were nearly eaten alive.

Jace was playing with the kids and then wanted to come get a drink, so he wandered over to Amber and I.  The sight was pretty freaky.  Jace had about 10 mosquitoes all over his body -- four of which were all over his little head.  We smacked them for Jace, but it left lots of blood everywhere.

Jace didn't understand what was going on and started crying thinking that we were smacking him -- not the mosquitoes.  Poor kid was heart broken.

After the mosquito attack, we packed up and left the park.

Finding Nemo

As you all probably know we got a pet goldfish witch we named Nemo. His adoption day was 6-7-8. Well on Sunday it was Nemo's adoption day Birthday. Three days after his adoption day Birthday (today) the "everlasting" fish is no more. Dad found Nemo floating belly-up in his tank. No one was exactly happy or sad. One more goldfish dead.

Meeting up with my old RA

Recently, I hooked up with my old Residence Assistant (RA) from my freshman year at BYU.  We found each other through Facebook and have corresponded here and there. He currently lives in Texas and has been running several marathons.

A few weeks ago, he notified me through Facebook that he would be coming to Salt Lake City for the week. We arranged for a date to get together for lunch and to catch up on each other over the past 16 years. Wow! As I write this I didn't realize that it had been so long since I started college!

He shared with me his memories of mom and dad dropping me off at the dorm rooms. He said that he saw their tears and he promised them that he would take care of me that first year. During that year, we became good friends and he always called me his "little brother".

He had some health problems that year, in fact he died on a treadmill during a routine doctor's visit. They revived him and decided to put a pacemaker in his heart. I was there and help him out through that trying time.

He also came out to Arbon when I gave my missionary talk there at the branch just before my mission. He loves our family and asked lots of questions about mom and dad. I was surprised that he remembered so much of our family from those few interactions that we had together.

It was a fun visit, and interesting to see where life has taken him over these years.

Curbside Drop-off

A young man that I used to home teach several years ago went into the MTC this week. He and his family moved to Ohio several years ago. His mom flew him out here this week to take him to the MTC. On the Sunday before they left for Utah, they received a phone call from the MTC notifying them that their are three cases of the swine flu at the MTC and therefore they would not be inviting family and friends to come into the MTC to drop off their missionaries. Instead, the MTC was creating a curbside drop-off arrangement for all newly arriving missionaries.

Since our friends had already purchased the ticket the mom still came out to drop her son off on his mission. She stayed at our house that night before flying back to Ohio the next morning. It was fun to catch up with her to find out all the news of her family.

As I went home teaching today, I was discussing the situation with a brother that works at the MTC. He was telling me that this new curbside drop-off arrangement would likely be the official way for accepting new missionaries at the MTC from now on. He said that the MTC has been preparing for this type of drop-off scenario for some time now. The introduction of the swine flu only brought this arrangement sooner than was expected.

Chances are, any future missionary drop-offs will be without the 45 minute orientation for the entire family. Goodbyes will be said either at a nearby parking lot or a home before the missionary leaves for the MTC.

The Garage Sale Scout

Amber and I have been fairly faithful at using garage sales this spring to look for a variety of items that we have needed around the house. Most of these items have been furniture needs.

However, we have often found that when we take the entire family we move a little slower through the garage sales. The types of things that we have been looking for are also the types of things that go pretty quickly at a garage sale. You have to be there as one of the first people in order to get it.

This Saturday, Amber and I changed our tactics a little bit. She worked on getting the kids ready and I hopped on the motorcycle and started on the garage sale route. I stopped at several garage sales quite quickly. Once I found a place that had an item that we needed, I would call Amber and she would drive to that location to pick it up in the suburban.

The results were phenomenal! We were able to pick up a porch table to go with our rocking chairs for only three dollars. We also got a nice little dresser for our new arrival for only $10. And finally, we got a second umbrella stroller for only one dollar.

Of course, our kids got their fair share of junk. We had a great time together and we were done within 90 minutes of our start time. We are so excited for our newfound "treasures".

Andersen's Take over Testimony Meeting

A few weeks ago, Johnathan gave a family home evening lesson on the topic of bearing testimonies. Aylee and Aliece have been very faithful in bearing their testimonies in a variety of church meetings. Johnathan, on the other hand, has been pretty nervous and has refrained from airing his testimony publicly very often.

During his lesson, in his hopes to break his reluctance to bear his testimony, he challenged our entire family to bear our testimony at the next fast and testimony meeting at church.

Today was the big day! It was so important to the family, that I skipped out of going to the Spanish branch and went to our Ward instead. We waited until the testimony meeting was halfway over. The kids were eager to get up there to bear the testimony -- it was all we could do to keep them reverent and hold them back until was the right time.

Johnathan started up the aisle with Amber. As they walked up, Aliece took off behind him. Aylee didn't want to be left behind and so she got up and went up. Alayna begged me to let her go and finally I told her to go ahead. I sat in the congregation with Jace while the rest of our family sat on the rostrum. After each one of them bore short, simple, and reverent testimonies they headed back to our bench and I got up and went and bore my testimony.

I hope the Ward didn't feel like we hijacked their testimony meeting. I don't think they got that impression. It was a wonderful experience for our family to do that together this time. I am grateful to Johnathan for wanting to improve himself and overcome a fear that he has experienced in the past.

Amber's Ingenious Summer System

Can I just tell you that I have a very creative wife! She is truly an amazing person.

You would think the woman that is preparing for a sixth child would be stressed out about having all the kids out of school for the summer. The opposite is true. Amber has been very excited for the kids to get out of school.

To help ensure at least some level of sanity and to help reduce complaints of boredom, Amber has devised an ingenious system that has tested out very well this first week of summer vacation.

When the kids get up in the morning, they each have a checklist of all of their chores for the day. As they go through their chores they can check each one off of their checklist. The goal is to get all of their chores done, plus a sack lunch made all before noon.

If all the kids are able to accomplish their chores and prepare their own lunches, then they are rewarded by being able to pick a number. Amber has a hidden chart of all of the parks in Provo. Each park has been given an ID by Amber. When the kids choose a number, that will be the Park that they visit for lunch.

Amber sends me an e-mail or gives me a phone call to let me know where they will be for lunch. At noon, I hop on the motorcycle and visit them at the park that they are at. Went to the park, we sit down together for a picnic lunch. The kids then go play and check out the Park. The kids get to rate various aspects of the Park for future reference. They give a rating on the bathroom facilities, the playground areas, and other factors.

By the end of the summer the goal is to have visited every park in Provo. On the days that I am not able to have lunch with them, they go to a park in a nearby city to extend their "research".

When they get home from the park, Jace goes down for a nap. The kids have an hour of quiet time where they read and work on summertime workbooks to help them prepare for school in the fall.

After that, it is free play time. We purchased a bunch of water toys that they rotate through during the week. They are welcome to play together or invite a friend to come over. So far, the kids had such a great time out in the water together that they haven't needed to have very many friends over at the house.

Of course, this is only the first week of a long summer, but at least it has worked very smoothly this week. It gives us high hopes that we can maintain some sanity in our home during the summer vacation!

Trampoline Fun

I got out of work early on Friday because we were celebrating the shipment our latest product. 

When I got into the house, Alayna asked if I would go and play with water balloons on the trampoline with her.  She had such a hopeful and sweet voice that I couldn't turn her down.

I quickly donned my swimming suit and we went outside to make a bunch of water balloons.  We played several games on the trampoline with the water balloons and had a great time.  I was glad that I agreed to go out and get wet with her on the trampoline.  Alayna is quite the sweetie.

Porch Shots - take 2

Amber wanted me to resend some of the pictures of our columns and rocking chairs that we have recently installed as a way to beautify our front porch area.  These pictures are much better than the ones I sent out last week.

Fit Kids

Aylee and Johnathan both participated in fitness events with the schools.  Aylee got the Presidential Fitness Award - the highest fitness award given in the public school system. 
Johnathan received the second tier award - the National Fitness Award. 

I never was able to get the Presidential Fitness Award.  I never could do the touching of hands behind the back trick.  Plus, I think I was way to slow on the shuttle run.  It is fun to see the kids doing the same activities we participated in when we were that age.

Deserted

Amber and Aylee had to go to choir a hour before church yesterday.  I was entrusted with getting the kids the rest of the way ready for church and to deliver them to the appropriate pew just before the first meeting was to start. 

About 30 minutes before church started I ran up to our bedroom bathroom to take care of some business.  When I came out of the bathroom and headed downstairs, I noticed that the house was unnervingly quiet. I called out for some of the kids but received no response.  I went to the front door and opened it to see if the kids were playing in the yard - only to see Jace rounding a street corner holding onto Aliece's hand - quickly disappearing from my sight.

I hopped onto the motorcycle and rode on over to the church.  Sure enough, I found all of the kids heading hand in hand off to church.  The little buggers had left me!  We ended up getting to church about 20 minutes early, but they were all well behaved, so no harm was done. 

Next time I'm going to have to handle my bathroom business when Amber is around :-)

I've always wondered!

Yesterday I was in the kitchen whipping up a batch of yummy granola bars when Alayna, came up to me out of the blue and said, "Dad, I know why you are not smart."

Surprised, I asked her how she knew that.

She replied, "Because you don't know how to build a rocking chair."

Hmm...I guess that sums it up!