Machine Pitch

Eric playing ball.  The team is comprised of all Eric's buddies. I help out with the coaching.

 

Eric on First Base

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shed

 

I'm going to build a shed right on top of our garden this year.  But I'm having a hard time deciding how big to build.  Eventually I want a two car garage but am not ready to do that now.  So do I pour concrete now, or build something that I will be tearing down in five years. I keep going back and forth but I'm looking forward to building something.  

 

Eric and Dad

 

 

Me practicing to hit a bowling-ball pin at around 40 feet.  It is kind of a hard shot.

 

 

Wendy enrolled Eric in Little League. I have been practicing with him and yesterday I threw the ball to him under-handed and it hit him square in the forehead.  Eric likes to play the piano. He is talented at it, and I'm sure if we still lived in Florida he would be the assistant piano player in primary.  He can play a lot of the primary songs and is good at it.  But I don't want him sitting around playing the piano all day.  I was asking around if people thought I should force Eric to play baseball and most everyone said yes.  My Dad forced me to play.  I'm glad he did because growing up it was part of my identity.  (along with several other things)

 

Anniversary was fun.  Went to Las Vegas for 4 days.  Wendy liked the defensive handgun class more than I thought she would.  This last week she has been trying to convince me to purchase a certain handgun. 

Super Bowl 47

it's ok if this is not great it's frist time bloging. friday night me ,my dad, and david went to harmons. we got pop, chips, olmost cake mics, and we got cookies. when we got home i took pickshrs with my camra i got from chrismas. wen my mom got home she sa all of the food she was  saprisd!

So I went overboard with the treats.  Wendy already had a Super Bowl food assignment and none of the stuff I purchased was on that list.  All the treats are now part of the year supply. 

Treats for the Superbowl:

Wendy made my favorite con-queso dip using my Dad's secret recipe that he only served on Christmas or New Years Eve. Interesting side note-- One New Years Wendy committed espionage and stole the recipe while my Dad was making the dip.  We make it on special occasions.  Wendy also made these chocolate-peanut butter bars and she made brownies.   Julie made some Delicious smoked barbecue  (it was so good I got the run down on how to make it),  this cranberry punch that was just great, and this chocolate cake that had a unique flavor that was really good.  She said the unique flavor was ground up almonds.  The Food was great.

The game was great too. 

A funny thing that happened that night--the girl friends of the Heer boys were making such a fuss with David.  These girls were cute and it was funny watching them flirt with David.  David had us all laughing. David was going after Stockton, sitting on the laps of the girl friends, talking to everyone, telling them how old he is, asking him if he wants more cake, drinking his bowl with the cake, and everything else that he does.  He likes the attention.  Julie is a great hostess and she is so nice to our family.

Also David was highlighted in primary today. Two things I thought were funny:

"I think a monkey would make a good pet"
"I'd like to serve my mission in hiking"


I let David watch 20 minutes of Home Improvement in my bed. Wendy doesn't allow kids in our bed so it's a big deal if I let them get in.  Notice how he makes himself at home and kind of takes over.  He looks grouchy but he sure is huggable.

Typical conversation at our home at 6:30 AM every morning.  Usually ends in a fight about Darth Vader.

Goals

Some possibilities for 2013 Goals:

1) Keep posting on blog.

2) Dad did a good job of teaching me how to work.  I'm lazy but he was a good teacher.  Growing up I had friends that never had any money, and I had friends with parents that would spoil them.  Neither is good.  The real world values work.  So I thought it would be a good idea to encourage the kids to work by coming up with some ideas that may help build a work ethic.  I thought it might be fun for Lisa and Eric to earn money to buy a family gift.  An idea for a gift might be a trampoline.

Ideas to earn money:

a. Weed (our house)  Would be good for Eric.

b. Grandma Judy -  Farmington/Centerville apartments
           Raking leaves 
           Maybe mowing the lawn

c. See if Grandma Saundra can have kids dig up sprinklers or something else I'm not aware of.

3) Studying scriptures

4) Studying something I want

5)


The first thing that pops in my mind right now as I think of the family:

Lisa- Very cute personality; Likes to ride to church with me.
Eric- Talked me into playing checkers with him today.
David- Attended sunbeams for the first time.
Scott-  Had a good day at church.
Wendy- 2nd thing that comes to my mind - Has her shit together.

Misc

Missionaries-  I was thoroughly entertained when Wendy came home from Ward Council yesterday and told several stories I had not heard.  My favorite-  JC called to invite the missionaries over for dinner. Missionary: "I'm not sure if we are available because we already have a dinner appointment, but I'm not sure. What is on the menu at your house?"

Wendy and I had a sleep over with the kids downstairs last night.  They were so excited. The two boys fell asleep while watching a movie. We let Lisa stay up and have dessert with us.   Lisa kept saying "It sure is quiet without the boys."  The "boys" just drive me crazy.  They "talk" non-stop.  And it's impossible to get them to be quiet.

Chickens-  Wendy and I both never really wanted pets. (except one day I want a golden lab or golden retriever)  I think the only people I know that do not have pets of any kind are Heather and Shannon. It's just the way we were raised. Well, we decided to get chickens a few months ago.  I can't hear them or smell them;  they don't get my house dirty; and we get eggs.  I like it!

Sunday School

We had a really great Sunday school lesson given by Isaacson today.  I regard Isaacson very highly and I'm lucky that I have known him and that I get to listen to his Sunday school lessons. 

What specific scripture is found in all four standard works?

D&C 2
Malachi 4:5-6
3 Nephi 25 5-6
JSH 1 38-39

It must be important.

During Stake Conference I babysit the kids so Wendy can attend conference by herself.  She was saying that last week at conference, one of the speakers, the Temple President's wife, was talking about the importance of the temple. Somehow she got on a tangent of how we hype up missionary work and going on missions, but it is only in temples we can find saving ordinances for exaltation.


Had snowball fight with Lisa and then buried her in the snow.

Lisa next to my favorite tree in back corner by chickens and garden. 

We all had yummy home made salsa after playing in the snow.  Even David loves this stuff.

Halloween 2012

We had a fun time tick-or-treating this year.  We stayed in the ward boundaries which is fun becasue everyone knows everyone.


Eric's Stash

Lisa's Stash

David could not wait to get into this chocolate pudding.

David had to work very hard to walk all the way up to the doors and then to ring the door bells.  It was fun watching him.

Dracula, Mummy, and Pooh

 Lisa, Eric, and David trick or treated with Ethan and Ollie.  Then David started to slow down and I went D the rest of the night.  We all worked our way back home and Lisa and Eric went with Mom and D and I answered the door.

David gaurding our pumpkins.