Whew! Did June really disappear so soon! I just read my Dad's blog, and subsequently Amy's and Chrissy's. (Not to worry other siblings, I'll catch up with yours as well), and had to start 'write away'. My June geek hours were consumed with a website I created for my Bountiful class of 1991 through
NING. It was really easy, and went from 3 members, to 85 in one month!!! I'm suddenly with all my high school friends, and many that I didn't know then that I am getting to know now! It's a TON of fun! Now that I know how to edit and publish my videos (editing through Pinnacle software couldn't be easier), I have posted several home videos that I will post here as well. I also started creating a version of Gus that is intended for my class website, and
YouTube, made from
slideshows of chipmunks, a few of them as flat as pancakes.
LOL!!!!! Lisa made me edit out the guts with
Photoshop to keep it G-rated.
LOLOL!!! Is it a sin that I myself up? It isn't really ME ing myself up, it's Gus! Poor little buddy. Matt posted "Gus the Chipmunk" on
YouTube, which is a little sad, since the version is old, and we didn't know the song very well, but it opened my eyes to what I can do with it today.
Yesterday we bought a membership to
Riverchase, a city-owned fitness resort that stands at the top of a big hill. It's like the temple to fitness and fun. I can't believe we've lived in
Fenton for 3 years and are JUST NOW becoming members. Never mind though, we love it. So far we've only been swimming. They have one of those pools that is like a kids playground surrounded by water. Tommy and Scott couldn't get over the water slides, while Parker took more fondly to the lazy river. Scott is over 4 feet now, and is able to take the big water slide. Watching him speed walking (running slow enough to not be whistled at by a lifeguard) over and over and over reminded me so much of Joey and myself at
Trafalga so many years ago. It was a hilarious site, since he had florescent green goggles on, and a huge grin on his face. He went down 18 times. I think that was how many times we could go down the
Trafalga slide for $5.00. Remember that Joey? What a up. Tommy was just as happy to do a short slide (with water and all), but not with the intensity of Scott. One of the times Tommy had turned sideways somehow, and came out somewhat upside-down-
kiddy-
wampus (
sp). He couldn't get his feet for a moment, which scared him for about 15 seconds, after which he wiped his face, got a big grin on his face, and started running for the slide again.
On the way home, Parker made up his own version of the silly sign I told him about which reads: "Notice there is no 'P' in our 'OOL' ". He said "Welcome to our 'L', notice there in no 'POO' in our 'L'. Please keep it that way!" That is the epitome of Parker. He loves to be witty, and loves to share funny, clever phrases. He's been telling jokes since he was 2, only they didn't make any sense back then.
June was the month we discovered how much fun biking as a family can be. We are lucky enough to live a block from a HUGE park, second only to Central Park (j/k). It is large though, and has a well kept bike trail that we LOVE to ride. It is enough exercise that our kids have fun, yet get pink in the cheeks when they are through. For the past several F.H.E.s, we have ridden to one of the
pavilions, had our lesson, then played on the swings and slides afterwards. For all the unfortunate parts about the
mid-west, the green trees, beautiful parks, and gorgeous weather from March through mid-July, then September and October make up for so much.
Right now the sun is starting to rise behind me, painting patterns of leaves on the study walls and wood floors. We found and purchased this home in November, not fully knowing how much we would appreciate the surrounding land, and the favorable orientation and design for bringing light and green beauty into the home, until Spring. I wast finally able to download
picasa2, which will make posting some pictures easy. They are posted at the request of Dad, who has been dieing to see it.
A missionary in our area has ambition to become a concert pianist. We have spent many happy hours listening to his incredible talent, as he has spent many hours enjoying our Kawai. He plays 95% classical music, most of which I am familiar, but am not used to hearing live. As the floors are wood in most of our home, the music can be heard very clearly from any room. His ability has inspired me to focus on building my skills, as I have so much desire, and seeming potential, yet am limited to "Maple Leaf Rag" and church Hymns.
We spent a weekend in Joplin with the Tucker's and Lisa's mom for 'Check to Radiator Day' on June 21st. While in town we watched "Kung-Fu Panda" or whatever it is called. It was funny, but didn't have 1/10th of the impact on me as WALL-E, which I watched with my wife and family the following week. What a wonderful, heart warming film. I never imagined I could fall in love with a film about two little robots. His little collection reminded me of my Grandpa Reimschussel. I was pulled to memories of high school by all the clips of "Hello Dolly" that WALL-E watched from a VCR he found among the trash he was built to clean-up on earth. The little robot also reminded me of Scott, who loves to collect and make use of just about anything in the house. If you are missing something, just ask Scott. It may take some time to extricate the item from the tape and wires, with which the item is now enveloped, but he'll show you where to start the process. One day in June we was working away in the rather hot garage at his workbench, , as he typically is, when I opened the door to see what he was up to. After a few moments he asked me to please close the door, as he was starting to get cold! When I asked him "Scott, why do you like to build things so much" he told me that he likes to imagine that he in an inventor, and that everything he creates becomes what it is designed to be. Oh, I just love the smile that shines out of our little Scotty sunshine when we is talking about one of his passions. Yesterday he sang a new version of a song I learned at about 5 or 6 from Vickie Pratt or Becky Butler: "I had a little Teddy Bear, it's name was ....???, I put it in the bathtub, to see what it would do...etc." His face was so cute while he was singing, that I had to kiss it twenty times after he sang it for me.
Well, there's more, but I'm tired. Man, why did I wake up so early? At least I got my blog in. Finally! Now for the pictures!