The amazing G-man

G-man is at it again! He spent several days after school making this "nesting box". He gave it to his mom for an early Valentine's Day present.

G-man came up with this ingenious way to start a marble down a ramp. He hot glued a pen in to some popsickle sticks so that when the pen is "clicked" open it pushes the marble down the ramp. I am quite proud of the inginuity and imagination of this kid. I hope he keeps up this sort of thinking.

Up-Linc update

SV Sophomores 66, "Rio Verde" 48: Linc had 4 points, 2 blocks, three rebounds and tied up the ball for a jump ball. This was all in two quarters of play.

SV Junior Varsity 63, "Rio Verde" 28: Linc had 4 points, 1 block, 4 rebounds and kept the "Rio Verde" player who was 6'5" from doing much of anything. Again in only two quarters of play.

Up-linc

Linc played in the JV game today. He didn't get lots of playing time. Just a few minutes in the second quarter but he did pretty good. They are playing the Juniors more in the JV games so he isn't getting as many minutes as he did in the first of the season. They won by the way. He has a Sophomore and JV game against "Rio Verde" they played "Stone Fountains" tonight. 'Leenie found her thumb the other day. This is good and bad. Good that she keeps herself calmed, bad that it will be a fight to get her to stop in a year or so.

*Gratuitous 'Leenie photo*

Iceburg

We went to "Iceburg" to go through the temple open house. It was a very nice tour. It's a real nice temple. It's on the little side and I suspect it will be packed to the gills much of the time. I noticed that it is only about two blocks up the hill from where I lived when I was going to school there. Linc took this picture. We then did a bit of shopping then went to visit Wife's oldest sib and she fed us some yummy soup.
Here is a picture of 'Leenie for all you out there who has been looking for one.
This is a picture of a deer that is hanging out in our neighborhood. It's just below the white car.

Update

Got a new dew (hair wise) today. Wife doesn't like it this short but she is my barber so she can't complain too much. She tried to do something with my cowlick (seen in photo on my right in the front) and it didn't work so she gave it a buzz.
Here is a summery of Linc's weekend.

• Thursday night: Home, Sophomore game, lost to Rich Co., Linc good defencive work,
• Friday night: Friendly-ghost town, Sophomore game, won Natro-na, no idea how Linc did.
• Friday night: same place, Junior varsity game, lost to same, again how Linc did I don't know.
• Saturday morning: same place, Sophomore game, won Kelly W., Linc had six points.
• Saturday morning: same place, Junior varsity game, won same, two points.

I should note that the Varsity lost both their Friday and Saturday games. Linc is a really good defencive player but all he cares about is the points.

Random thoughts

OK, so this is a picture taken months ago but it is Representative of what the oldest is up to. Linc had a Sophomore (he's a Freshman remember) game Thursday night at 6:00 PM (they lost to Rich Co.). Then right after the game they got on a bus and drove to River-town and spent the night. Today they drove on to "friendly ghost town" and played one of the schools there then will stay over there and play another school there Saturday then drive back home. The chances of them winning any of the games are slight but they got to try don't they?
Today on the local news they showed how the letter carriers would put a notice in your mail box saying that they can't get to your mail box to deliver your mail if you don't shovel your walk.
A week or so ago I was shoveling my driveway (totally unrelated to the last item) when I noticed the trash man was picking up the trash on our street. We have elderly neighbors across the street. I watched the guy who emptied the cans take the neighbors can to their porch instead of just leaving it by the road. I'm glad to live in a town where people take care of each other and do acts of kindness just because they can.
It has been a very tough week for one ward at the South end of the valley. They had three men die in an avalanche last Saturday and a high school girl woke up dead Monday. This ward will have had funerals for four days in a row.
Update: We called Linc and they won the Sophomore game (he had six points) and lost their JV game.

top 10 list

Hillbilly Sister posted her top 10 favorite and least favorite things about winter. I couldn't come up with any favorite things but Wife and Holl came up with their top 10 favorite things and here it is.

• 10) Not hot
• 9) New Year Eve parties (at home with family)
• 8) Shoveling others driveways
• 7) Hot chocolate
• 6) Snow Shoeing and skiing
• 5) Sledding
• 4) Bundling up in coats
• 3) Romantic nights by the fireplace (Wife) - Cozy nights watching TV (Holl)
• 2) Oranges
• 1) Christmas

Now my top ten things I don't like about winter.

• 10) Blizzards
• 9) Avalanches
• 8) Slick shoes
• 7) Heating bills
• 6) Kids stuck in the house
• 5) Slick roads
• 4) Shoveling
• 3) Snow
• 2) Cold
• 1) Darkness

Three men were killed in an avalanche yesterday: Scott Bennett, Alan Jensen, and Kim Steed. They were all from the same town/ward and well known by many. It seems that every year someone in the valley is killed by an avalanche.

Instapantry

Wife decided to get "organized" so today has been a day of dig out, move around, sort and throw. Part of that is a new pantry courtesy of the local department store. Wife, Holl and G-man put it together with minimal help from myself.
Linc had a game today in Idaho. He called and said that the Freshman won (he didn't play in that one), the Sophomores/Junior Varsity lost (he played in that one), the Junior Varsity/Varsity lost a really close one (he played four minutes in that one). He sounded really positive and it sounded like he had some good games even though it was in a loosing effort.

Reunion

I went to Linc's JV game tonight. He did well but didn't play as much as I have grown used to. He had a good defencive game but wasn't able to get any points in the time he was in the game. They won by the way. The big news is that I met an old friend that I haven't seen for more than 30 years. Kenny R. was a good friend from next to next door. He had a son (Senior) playing varsity for the opposition (The Countyseat Rangers). We had a nice little talk, much of it superficial but it was good to see him.

Late but on the way

They are on their way.

Weak-end

Linc traveled to River-town to play basketball Friday. He played in the Sophomore and junior varsity games. The Sophomores lost but the JV won (varsity lost but Linc didn't play in that one). They stayed overnight then played Sheri-town Saturday in River-town. All the teams won their games. It was about 12:45 AM Sunday when he got home. I don't know any stats on the games because Linc doesn't keep track.

We start church at 9:00 AM this year which is somewhat better than 1:00 PM.

I spent the weak-end shoveling snow and babysitting. I figure we got around 6" of snow over the course of the last few days.

The family calendars are at the printers. When I left it with them on Wednesday they put A.S.A.P. on it but since there is only one print shop in town now that they bought out the other one, I think that A.S.A.P. stands for As Slow As Possible. They aren't open on Saturdays (because that's how S.V. businesses work).

G-mazing

G-man, totally on his own came up with this. This is a model of a cave with stalagmites and stalactites. He took a plastic tub and cut it not quite in half and the lid too. then he glued screws on to the lid and on the floor of the tub. After the glue dried he put the lid on the tub and walla... a cave with stalagmites and stalactites. He did this on his own and during his Christmas break just for something to do. I am amazed by things kids think up. I think that we should ask kids how to solve our problems and would probably get them solved. "Hey, G-man, what should we do about global warming?"

H.B.L.S.D.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG SISTER!

The year in rear view

January: Cold, dreary, long. Holl was still fighting the blockage of a duct in her neck. The doc at PCH in SLC told her to go home and pray. On the way home Wife was driving the Derango up Parley's when the engine became a sculpture. A new engine cost $5000. With the car and medical expenses we went in the hole another $12,000. Happy New Year! (Wife just informed me that all this happened in November and December of 2006)

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February: Long, long, long.... I feel that February is the longest month of the year. I got a 10% raise at work which brought me up to lame instead of pathetic.

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March: We found out that we were expecting a baby in October. Wife started track at the middle school and took her test to be eligible to study for a masters degree. The pace picked up.

April: Easter and track, The tradition of having family up for Easter continued with an Easter egg hunt in "the library". Holl and Linc were in track with their mom being the head coach. Spring showed up.

May: G-man and Sparky had baseball. G-man, though one of the youngest on the team, was their clean up man and batted fourth most of the time. My niece "Lizard" gave birth to her first, a son. Wife and I went on our seventeenth honeymoon to Logan.

June: Baby sister-in-law gave birth to her first, a son. my "nephew" got married. Wife went to "UW town" for her school for three weeks. Linc and Holl went back in time to Martins' Cove for three days. "the boys and I went fishing. Holl stopped biting her nails and got a cat.

July: Mom turned 80 on 7-7-7. We all went to "Palerock" to continue the tradition of visiting this neighboring national park whenever Wife is with child.

August: Very sad, dark, terrible month. My dear sweet sister 'Leenie died.

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September: School starts with Sparky in Kindergarten in town, G-man in fourth grade in "Donny and Marie-ville", Holl in eighth grade in middle school, and Linc in ninth grade in high school. Four kids-four different schools. Linc starts football.

October: I turn 45. Baby 'Leenie is born! 9 lbs. 13 oz. 22 in. long. Longest and heaviest of the five kids.

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November: Tall bro-in-law has second child, first son. Tooele boys come up for Thanksgiving. Bless 'Leenie. Learned of a new "puppy's" impending arrival. My second mother died.

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December: Linc, a Freshman is asked to play junior varsity basketball for the high school. Christmas comes and goes. Seven S's enter a new year.

Here's to a better year than the last and not as good a year as the next. We have gained much and lost much. Cried tears of sadness and of joy.

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Over all I am glad that 2007 is over and look forward with hope to a year in which this nation will pick a leader with enough intelligence to see the world for what it is and uphold the ideals and principles that this great nation is founded upon. May you all "live long and prosper".