I don't blog much anymore, but for some reason I have the itch to do so. For some reason the Lord thought we needed some trials this year. Fortunately we have a great job and house and the kids are good. We have run into a couple of trials that we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
At the end of spring break the two older boys received chemical burns as a result of coming into contact with limes and being in the sun. Stone on the back of his hands and Rusty on his love handles (where he often itches). It is a very rare condition called phitophotodermatitis. None of the pediatricians, nurses, or doctors knew what it was until we took him to the ER and were blessed to have a doctor with 15 years on a burn unit. The result is large blisters on every exposed piece of skin that had exposure to sunlight.
Stone ended up in the hospital for potential infection; he had streaks down his forearms that had the appearance of infection. He ended up being transported from one hospital to another via ambulance and was kept overnight at Childrens. It was a precautionary stay, but unfortunately the bills are not precautionary. Luckily we were inspired to set up a HSA account a year or so ago and because of that and good employment we are in a position to be okay.
We were very frustrated at how our boys were treated by the nurse at the school. The manner in which she conducted her job in a position of trust was truly distasteful. We love our kids and would do anything for them. Cherry Creek School District isn't as lovely as people think. The experience has me looking into charter schools in the area.
Just before Spring Break we received news that my Grandpa Lee passed away. His health had been fading for some time and I had feared the time was close. I received a call early one March morning from my mom that he was gone. While losing someone can be extremely sad, I rejoice in the knowledge that I can see him again. Grandma has been gone for 8 years now and I know the reunion between them had to be a great sight to see. I miss them both very much, sometimes more often than I realize. My boys got to know "Grandpa Leo" quite well and it was surprising how hard it was on Stone to say goodbye. We love Grandpa and will miss his bear hugs and 'hubba-hubba' and quotes when parting.
I learned many things from Grandpa and feel so grateful that we were able to live two doors from he and Grandma during my high school years. Most of my auto mechanic, plumbing, framing, and hundreds of other skills I learned from Grandpa. I can't wait to see him again.
On a brighter note, because of the generous donation of the US Federal gov't returning our taxes to us, we have been able to afford to finish a portion of our basement this spring. I haven't taken many pictures, but we are to the point now where we have carpet ordered and are putting on a 2nd coat of paint. I have doors ready to be hung and will be prepping for the carpet this weekend.
We started framing it over a year ago and it got put on hold for a while, but now we are to the point where we have very limited room and need the space. The kids will have somewhere to play and make things hopefully a little quieter during the day upstairs. Janna is probably more excited than any of us.
More good news, Janna's oldest sister moved to Colorado a couple of months ago. She and her family moved to Longmont and are about an hour away. It has been nice to see them every couple of weeks and not just once a year. Their kids are all getting so big. The boys finally have cousins close by that they can play with.
Janna's other older sister Carin is also moving soon to Denver. Her husband Trent was offered and accepted a job with a company here in Denver. We are especially grateful as he had been unemployed for 17 months. He will arrive in a couple of weeks and will be staying with us until the family moves out and we can get them set up with a place. We are very excited to have more family migrating to Colorado; who would have thought we were starting a migration?
Personally I am doing ok. I really love my calling as an Assistant Priest Quorum Advisor. I enjoy the comraderie with the boys, I don't really feel like I am that much older than them. Sometimes I wonder if they are really getting anything from me as a leader, but if nothing else I guess I can share with them how a lanky redhead stumbled his way through high school, a mission, and college and ended up here with a great family. I often feel like I am the one being taught and am just lucky to be put in a position to be surrounded by the other great leaders.
I went turkey hunting a few weeks ago with Rusty and a good friend of ours. We were lucky enough to call in a couple of Toms Friday night and get them both. It made for an uneventful Saturday, but gave us a chance to sleep in a little later than we would have otherwise. It was nice to get away from the city and hear myself think a little bit. It was fun to have Rusty experience the success we did. It was his first time hunting and he was a riot. He has several funny expressions, he just loved being there.
I am excited to take Van, Rusty, and Stone camping soon. Stone had soccer and was unable to go hunting with us. We have the Father & Sons campout coming up in a couple of weeks so we will get a chance to camp soon.
Sawyer is almost 2. She is more than a handful. Her hair is getting long and is still strawberry blonde. She tries to keep up with her brothers and isn't afraid to get what she wants. We're hoping she will start to take a liking to her more docile brothers soon and want to become more like them.
Janna and I celebrated our 10th anniversary this past year. I love her and am grateful for all she does to make our life together what it is. It just keeps getting better with her by my side.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Friday, June 12, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
The Treatment of Bush Has Been A Disgrace
I read this a few weeks ago in the Wall Street Journal. I agree wholeheartedly.
The Treatment of Bush Has Been A Disgrace
Earlier this year, 12,000 people in San Francisco signed a petition in support of a proposition on a local ballot to rename an Oceanside sewage plant after George W. Bush. The proposition is only one example of the classless disrespect many Americans have shown the president.
According to recent Gallup polls, the president's average approval rating is below 30% -- down from his 90% approval in the wake of 9/11. Mr. Bush has endured relentless attacks from the left while facing abandonment from the right.
This is the price Mr. Bush is paying for trying to work with both Democrats and Republicans. During his 2004 victory speech, the president reached out to voters who supported his opponent, John Kerry, and said, "Today, I want to speak to every person who voted for my opponent. To make this nation stronger and better, I will need your support, and I will work to earn it. I will do all I can do to deserve your trust."
Those bipartisan efforts have been met with crushing resistance from both political parties.
The president's original Supreme Court choice of Harriet Miers alarmed Republicans, while his final nomination of Samuel Alito angered Democrats. His solutions to reform the immigration system alienated traditional conservatives, while his refusal to retreat in Iraq has enraged liberals who have unrealistic expectations about the challenges we face there.
It seems that no matter what Mr. Bush does, he is blamed for everything. He remains despised by the left while continuously disappointing the right.
Yet it should seem obvious that many of our country's current problems either existed long before Mr. Bush ever came to office, or are beyond his control. Perhaps if Americans stopped being so divisive, and congressional leaders came together to work with the president on some of these problems, he would actually have had a fighting chance of solving them.
Like the president said in his 2004 victory speech, "We have one country, one Constitution and one future that binds us. And when we come together and work together, there is no limit to the greatness of America."
To be sure, Mr. Bush is not completely alone. His low approval ratings put him in the good company of former Democratic President Harry S. Truman, whose own approval rating sank to 22% shortly before he left office. Despite Mr. Truman's low numbers, a 2005 Wall Street Journal poll found that he was ranked the seventh most popular president in history.
Just as Americans have gained perspective on how challenging Truman's presidency was in the wake of World War II, our country will recognize the hardship President Bush faced these past eight years -- and how extraordinary it was that he accomplished what he did in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
The treatment President Bush has received from this country is nothing less than a disgrace. The attacks launched against him have been cruel and slanderous, proving to the world what little character and resolve we have. The president is not to blame for all these problems. He never lost faith in America or her people, and has tried his hardest to continue leading our nation during a very difficult time.
Our failure to stand by the one person who continued to stand by us has not gone unnoticed by our enemies. It has shown to the world how disloyal we can be when our president needed loyalty -- a shameful display of arrogance and weakness that will haunt this nation long after Mr. Bush has left the White House.
Mr. Shapiro is an investigative reporter and lawyer who previously interned with John F. Kerry's legal team during the presidential election in 2004.
The Treatment of Bush Has Been A Disgrace
Earlier this year, 12,000 people in San Francisco signed a petition in support of a proposition on a local ballot to rename an Oceanside sewage plant after George W. Bush. The proposition is only one example of the classless disrespect many Americans have shown the president.
According to recent Gallup polls, the president's average approval rating is below 30% -- down from his 90% approval in the wake of 9/11. Mr. Bush has endured relentless attacks from the left while facing abandonment from the right.
This is the price Mr. Bush is paying for trying to work with both Democrats and Republicans. During his 2004 victory speech, the president reached out to voters who supported his opponent, John Kerry, and said, "Today, I want to speak to every person who voted for my opponent. To make this nation stronger and better, I will need your support, and I will work to earn it. I will do all I can do to deserve your trust."
Those bipartisan efforts have been met with crushing resistance from both political parties.
The president's original Supreme Court choice of Harriet Miers alarmed Republicans, while his final nomination of Samuel Alito angered Democrats. His solutions to reform the immigration system alienated traditional conservatives, while his refusal to retreat in Iraq has enraged liberals who have unrealistic expectations about the challenges we face there.
It seems that no matter what Mr. Bush does, he is blamed for everything. He remains despised by the left while continuously disappointing the right.
Yet it should seem obvious that many of our country's current problems either existed long before Mr. Bush ever came to office, or are beyond his control. Perhaps if Americans stopped being so divisive, and congressional leaders came together to work with the president on some of these problems, he would actually have had a fighting chance of solving them.
Like the president said in his 2004 victory speech, "We have one country, one Constitution and one future that binds us. And when we come together and work together, there is no limit to the greatness of America."
To be sure, Mr. Bush is not completely alone. His low approval ratings put him in the good company of former Democratic President Harry S. Truman, whose own approval rating sank to 22% shortly before he left office. Despite Mr. Truman's low numbers, a 2005 Wall Street Journal poll found that he was ranked the seventh most popular president in history.
Just as Americans have gained perspective on how challenging Truman's presidency was in the wake of World War II, our country will recognize the hardship President Bush faced these past eight years -- and how extraordinary it was that he accomplished what he did in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
The treatment President Bush has received from this country is nothing less than a disgrace. The attacks launched against him have been cruel and slanderous, proving to the world what little character and resolve we have. The president is not to blame for all these problems. He never lost faith in America or her people, and has tried his hardest to continue leading our nation during a very difficult time.
Our failure to stand by the one person who continued to stand by us has not gone unnoticed by our enemies. It has shown to the world how disloyal we can be when our president needed loyalty -- a shameful display of arrogance and weakness that will haunt this nation long after Mr. Bush has left the White House.
Mr. Shapiro is an investigative reporter and lawyer who previously interned with John F. Kerry's legal team during the presidential election in 2004.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Top 30 Signs You Are Addicted to Jiu-Jitsu...
Top 30 Signs You're Addicted to Jiu Jitsu
You know you're addicted if...
1. On your way home after Jiu Jitsu class you always stop to go shopping so you can show off your kimono and belt.
2. All of your enemies "gotta big mouth!"
3. You begin pronouncing the word Jiu-Jitsu (jew-jit-su) as "zhuzhitsu."
4. You are constantly thinking up a new setup or move that no one has discovered just so you "can put your name on it."
5. When in bed with your wife, husband, girlfriend, or boyfriend you are doing jiu-jitsu reversals to maneuver him/her into the position you want.
6. When talking with friends, bosses, or relatives you eye them up and down to see which would be easier to get on them: the armbar or the choke.
7. You are constantly staring at other people's ears while at bars and clubs to see who is a grappler.
8. ONLY when you are explaining a move to a friend do you develop a SLIGHT Brazilian accent.
9. Waiters, waitresses, and the cable guy are all now "my friend, my friend."
10. When you turn over in bed at night you are posting your foot and sliding your hips to turn instead of just rolling over.
11. You spend hours on end looking at BJJ sites trying to think of things you can say.
12. You try to get grandma to do a footlock on you.
13. When your family members begin to lose feeling in their joints.
14. Last night you dreamt that Royce Gracie put you in an armbar, and when you woke up your arm was caught between your desk and the edge of your bed.
15. When asked how BJJ deals with multiple attackers, you say "I don't know, I've never found more than one person dumb enough to try."
16. You find it fun putting house pets (e.g. dogs and cats) into locks, chokes, and holds.
17. When you start wanting to test your BJJ skills against big guys at bars and clubs.
18. It becomes increasingly difficult to say "so your a black belt in Tae kwon do-- that very impressive," with a straight face.
19. You catch yourself attempting to pass your girlfriend's/boyfriend's guard.
20. You talk in broken English, even though you're a college graduate.
21. You practice chokes on anyone that turns his/her back to you.
22. When someone tries to give you a hug you immediately drop into base and execute a hip throw.
23. When your girlfriend/boyfriend comes over and you greet her/him with an open guard instead of a hug.
24. When you find yourself twisting and mangling your ears trying to get the cauliflower to look cool.
25. You start teaching your 10-month-old baby the mount, the side mount, and the guard.
26. When breaking joints becomes an everyday thing.
27. When nobody is around, you start doing submissions to your pillow.
28. Your Gi has more patches on it than a whole company of Girl Scout uniforms.
29. During the winter you wear your Gi top around the house instead of a sweater or turning on the heat.
30. You're trying to get your friends to the BJJ dojo just to show them what a great Lion-Killer you have.
You know you're addicted if...
1. On your way home after Jiu Jitsu class you always stop to go shopping so you can show off your kimono and belt.
2. All of your enemies "gotta big mouth!"
3. You begin pronouncing the word Jiu-Jitsu (jew-jit-su) as "zhuzhitsu."
4. You are constantly thinking up a new setup or move that no one has discovered just so you "can put your name on it."
5. When in bed with your wife, husband, girlfriend, or boyfriend you are doing jiu-jitsu reversals to maneuver him/her into the position you want.
6. When talking with friends, bosses, or relatives you eye them up and down to see which would be easier to get on them: the armbar or the choke.
7. You are constantly staring at other people's ears while at bars and clubs to see who is a grappler.
8. ONLY when you are explaining a move to a friend do you develop a SLIGHT Brazilian accent.
9. Waiters, waitresses, and the cable guy are all now "my friend, my friend."
10. When you turn over in bed at night you are posting your foot and sliding your hips to turn instead of just rolling over.
11. You spend hours on end looking at BJJ sites trying to think of things you can say.
12. You try to get grandma to do a footlock on you.
13. When your family members begin to lose feeling in their joints.
14. Last night you dreamt that Royce Gracie put you in an armbar, and when you woke up your arm was caught between your desk and the edge of your bed.
15. When asked how BJJ deals with multiple attackers, you say "I don't know, I've never found more than one person dumb enough to try."
16. You find it fun putting house pets (e.g. dogs and cats) into locks, chokes, and holds.
17. When you start wanting to test your BJJ skills against big guys at bars and clubs.
18. It becomes increasingly difficult to say "so your a black belt in Tae kwon do-- that very impressive," with a straight face.
19. You catch yourself attempting to pass your girlfriend's/boyfriend's guard.
20. You talk in broken English, even though you're a college graduate.
21. You practice chokes on anyone that turns his/her back to you.
22. When someone tries to give you a hug you immediately drop into base and execute a hip throw.
23. When your girlfriend/boyfriend comes over and you greet her/him with an open guard instead of a hug.
24. When you find yourself twisting and mangling your ears trying to get the cauliflower to look cool.
25. You start teaching your 10-month-old baby the mount, the side mount, and the guard.
26. When breaking joints becomes an everyday thing.
27. When nobody is around, you start doing submissions to your pillow.
28. Your Gi has more patches on it than a whole company of Girl Scout uniforms.
29. During the winter you wear your Gi top around the house instead of a sweater or turning on the heat.
30. You're trying to get your friends to the BJJ dojo just to show them what a great Lion-Killer you have.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Royal Bliss
Last week I was able to see one of my favorite bands, Royal Bliss, two nights in a row. My friend Bryce and I went down and saw them Wednesday night and up in Lakewood on Thursday. They put on a great show. Their drummer, Jake, put us on the list the 2nd night. Such a great show.
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