This Was Fun..Sorry Kids.

This was one of the nice ones…..

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This was how I spent my lunch hour today…

Vacation Video Montage

Some video clips from vacation. To large, had to break them up into two files. And you might want to stop the audio at the bottom of the page before you play them.

Vacation 2009

(Mountains across the valley from Jim’s yard)

Where to start, long vacation.  It’s was nice to get away from the job and just relax but after you’ve been gone for 2 weeks your really glad to get back home.  Not back to work, just home.

We began our adventure on April 9th around 2pm.  I skipped out of week a couple hours early so we could hit the road.  Michelle had been backed for over a week and was really ready to get out of town.  The drive from Sioux Falls to Utah was a long 18 hours and the weather didn’t help much.  For most of the night I had to drive in fog first, then snow followed by icy roads.  Not much fun but not much different than we had been driving on all winter.

 

We stayed in Utah until Tuesday morning with Jim and his family.  The best part of stopping in Utah was getting to spend some time with Michelle’s cousin.  We haven’t been back to AL for awhile and I know she really enjoyed spending the day with her.  We also spent a day with Teri and Preston, man oh man Kellen  is a bundle of energy and so much fun.

Tuesday morning we headed for SoCal with mom.   She was going to stay in Utah until the following week but we talked her into driving back to CA with us so she would have more time to spend with the kids.  A nice short 12 hour drive to mom and dad’s.  Doesn't that sound sick, 12 hours short.   We had thought about staying in Vegas with the kids but ended up just stopping for buffet dinner at the Luxor.  And of course Brittney and Sean had to stop in and check out Chris Angels store.

The stay in Cali was fantastic.  Took the kids to the beach a couple time, hit the Hansen Planetarium and just basically took it easy and did a lot of relaxing.  And we can’t forget the shopping.  Michelle and Brittney wanted to hit the outlet malls there in Camarillo so while we shopped Sean and Dad went fishing.  You know, he asked to go fishing with Dad so many time while in Cali.  I guess i’m just going to have to get a license this year and take him more.  It’s something he loves doing and something I can do with him.   Which was the point of the whole trip, right.  I didn’t really take many still pictures in Cali, more video than stills.  But being the photographer that I am Brittney and I

still managed to get some really kewl pictures while there.   Besides, I need to add some landscape images to my photography website.

We ended our vacation by spending two fantastic, HOT days playing in Disneyland and California Adventures.  I think we picked a perfect time of year to go.  I don’t think we waited longer than 30 minutes in line and that was for splash mountain.   Most of the rides we just about walked on.  The kids had an amazing time and will remember it for a long time.

We headed for home Wednesday morning after getting up with Dad at 4am to say goodbye.  With a couple 2 hour stops on the way home we finally arrived at around 2pm on Thursday.  Yes, do the math… 30+ hours of travelling.  Not much fun.

It was an amazing trip that I wish we could do more often but I keep telling myself when it comes to driving that far.  “It’s nice to make that trip every now and again to remind yourself why you don’t make that trip.”

Thanks to everyone that took time out of there schedules to spend time with us.  We love you all.

 

Band Competition

Well Sean has been after me for a few days now to get “His” video posted to the blog. So here it is. I got the chance this last weekend to attend the annual Sioux Falls Elementary Band Competition at Washington High School. Band classes from all across the district put together groups or solos and perform them for professional conductors or instructors. After each performs the judge gives them a few pointers and grades them. Sean should find out today what the judge thought of them and what grade he gave them. I would have to say the best part of the whole day was to watch how excited my son was to perform. It was only a 10 minute drive to the school but he must have asked 20 times, “Are we there yet?”, and “Dad, are you sure this is the fastest way there.” I had to keep reminding him that I knew where I was going and I prmoised that it was the fastest way possible.

The Potter’s Great Adventure

We are planning a visit to the West coast in just over a month so I figured I would get some cool things in place for those of you that would like to track what we are going.  On the top left, under Internet Hotspots you’ll find a link for cell phone uploads.  The site will scroll our last 25 images uploaded and video’s.  I thought about adding it to Brittney’s phone as well but who knows what she would upload.

Catching Wild Pigs

This was sent to me this morning and I thought it was a pretty good analogy.

Catching Wild Pigs

A chemistry professor in a large college had some exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab the Professor noticed one young man (exchange student) who kept rubbing his back, and stretching as if his back hurt.

The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist government.

In the midst of his story he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked, 'Do you know how to catch wild pigs?'

The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke. 'You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in The last side. The pigs, who are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat, you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd.

Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.

The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America . The government keeps pushing us toward socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc.. While we continually lose our freedoms -- just a little at a time.

One should always remember: There is no such thing as a free lunch! Also, a politician will never provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it yourself.

Also, if you see that all of this wonderful government 'help' is a problem confronting the future of democracy in America , you might want to send this on to your friends. If you think the free ride is essential to your way of life then you will probably delete this email, but God help you when the gate slams shut!

Keep your eyes on the newly elected politicians who are about to slam the gate on America .

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have."

Thomas Jefferson

Public Safety Notice

W A R N I N G !!!

The South Dakota department of public safety has issued a travel advisory for the entire state of South Dakota with special effaces the city of Sioux Falls. They expect this warning to be extended to the upper midwest soon. Due to State legislation and currently standing laws on the books. The great state of South Dakota has seen fit to license my 14 year old daughter to drive. On Tuesday, February 10th 2009 she received her learners permit. They are contributing to my never ending supply of grey hair. Consider yourself warned that should you cross state lines you are taking your own person safety in your hands.

She didn’t find this funny….lol. Being Dad is great !!