Our Bigga Family

It's vacation time for the Youngbergs!

2009-07-17T10:00:00.005-07:00

Each year, David, Denise and family take a trip to Bass Lake in the Western Sierra Mountains for fun, rest and relaxation. This year they included Yosemite into their vacation plans. During their stay, the family enjoyed horseback riding. Love the pink riding helmets! For some, it was their first time on a horse, but luckily no one sustained any injuries or were too sore for fun on the lake.

Several days of boating, swimming, tubing and tanning were enjoyed by all.

Stay tuned. More information to follow!

10-day European vacation...yay!

2009-07-08T08:05:00.019-07:00

Today begins a day-by-day post of our 10-day European vacation, and I'm already behind one day. Here goes!

DAY 1

07/06/09. We flew today from Phoenix to Chicago on American Airlines. We arrived in Chicago at 9:45 p.m., headed straight to the hotel (due to a layover), and we're going to sleep.

DAY 2

07/07/09. We got up after a restful evening and headed for the Sears Tower, which is now called something else, which sucks. How do you rename a monument anyway? We stood in line for over 2 hours to get to the top, and then had a Clark Griswold moment at the Grand Canyon where we stood high in the sky overlooking the City of Chicago for mere seconds before we said, "Well, let's go!" On our way out, we found the glass observation decks (there are three of them). No matter how disappointing (I thought they would extend more than three feet out), I layed down on my belly and Chris snapped a picture for my mom. Hi mom! Then I took a picture of the view below, adding in my toes for effect. Chris had a "Ferris Bueller" moment. We had a good time, but that was all we could do within our time allowance. We took the train back to the hotel and navigated our way back to the airport where we boarded our American Airlines flight for Brussels. Our first class seats were very cozy and the staff absolutely delightful. They catered to our every need and I felt very spoiled. We left Chicago at 5:05 p.m. The flight took 9 hours, and with the 9 hour time difference from Phoenix, we will arrive in Brussels at 8:00 a.m. Wednesday morning.

DAY 3

07/08/09. We arrived in Brussels safely at about 8:10 a.m. (Brussels time). I slept (maybe) three hours on the plane, while Chris snored like he was in the most comfortable place on earth. I guess you get used to sleeping on planes when you travel as much as he does. We arrived at our hotel around 9:30 a.m., checked in our bags, and went outside to figure out what to do for the next few hours until our room was ready. It was raining, and cold, and neither of us brought a jacket, so we went looking for shops. So Chris says, "Let's go this way." Two miles later, after walking through a beautiful park, with no shops, we arrived at a building that looks much like a palace, but we haven't identified it because all the signs around it were in French and we haven't asked. Then we jumped on the Metro (after we figured out how to get back to the hotel). We exited at the proper place across the street from our hotel and guess what we found there? A shopping mall! Across the street! So we walked around the mall, without success in finding an inexpensive light-weight jacket, because the mall is an upscale "Scottsdale Fashion Square" type mall and I refuse to pay 69EU for a sweater. We finally walked back to the hotel, checked in and took a three hour nap. Our room reminds me of something out of an Ikea catalog. Very cool. At first, we walked around the room like idiots for at least 10 minutes trying to figure out how to turn on the lights until Chris noticed a key card slot by the front door. When he put our key card into it, the lights turned on. The room is very eco-friendly and energy conservative. After our nap we took the Metro to the Grand Place, which is actually the Town Hall & Square. The branching streets contain many chocolate shops (I think we stopped in almost every one), souvenier shops, and lace shops. We had dinner in a cozy cafe where we ate spaghetti, because that was the only thing we could read on the menu. Lol. Then we walked to the legendary Manneken-Pis, which is a fountain of a little boy pissing. It was created in the 17th century and apparently embodies the irreverent spirit of Brussels. We're glad we brought umbrellas because it rained most of the day. Now we are back in our hotel where it is 10:00 p.m. Brussels time, and still a tad-bit light outside. Will write more tomorrow.

DAY 4

07/09/09. The day began with a sightseeing bus tour through the city. It was absolutely beautiful for the first half of the tour until the bus literally turned a corner and drove into a down pour of rain which lasted almost five hours. It started that quickly. We saw many amazing sites like St. Michael's Cathedral, the King's Royal Palace, the Japanese Tower and Chinese Pavillon, the Triumph Arch and the Atomium (which was built in 1958 for the World's Fair). We toured the Flemish part of the city, as well as the areas where the European Union meet. The Palace of Justice was spectacular. There is a lot of construction in Brussels right now. After the tour, we walked back to the Grand Place where we had our first Belgian waffle and couldn't help but notice the many beer stores (we took a picture just for Ben!). While we were walking about, Chris and I walked past a hobby store and guess what they had...yes, you got it...Marklin trains! He bought a freight car for 10EU and it will be a nice addition to his collection. Won't have internet Friday because we check out of our hotel at noon and head for Munich at 3:00 p.m. My next post will be on either Saturday or Sunday depending on whether our hotel outside of Munich has internet. I hope the weather is better! Chris and I decided that if he gets a chance to work abroad for a year, Brussels is definately a place we wouldn't mind living. It's clean, most people speak English, and everyone we came in contact with was very nice.

DAY 5

07/10/09. I didn't think we would have internet today, because it's so expensive over here. However, dinner was free at the hotel so we went ahead and spent the money on the internet so I could chat with my girls. They miss me and I miss them! Today we got up early and left the hotel to further explore some places in Belgium that we saw on the bus tour yesterday. We went to Automium, St. Michael's Cathedral and the King's Royal Palace. I finally purchased a lightweight jacket because I have been freezing since we arrived. We also noticed cool bicycles that people can pay to ride around the city. They have them everywhere so you pay a few euros to ride and return them when you're done. I don't know how they keep people from stealing them. We then grabbed a cab back to the airport where we boarded a very small commercial plane for Munich. We arrived in Munich safely about an hour later. The weather here is a little warmer than Brussels. We took a train to the hotel, passing many farm fields on the way. Once we arrived at the hotel, we grabbed a bite to eat in the Executive Lounge and went on a walk for a mile or two. I chatted with Cheyenne, Sarah and even Lauren. Tomorrow we are renting a car and driving S/E to a little town called Berchtesgaden.

DAY 6

07/11/09. We rented a car this morning and drove from Munich to a little southern town called Berchtesgaden. The drive should have only taken about an hour and a half, but two things kept that from happening: 1) contruction, which caused horrible traffic delays, and 2) Neverlost independently routing us on the back roads and off the main highway. On the way, we stopped at a store to get some water. We bought a six-pack thinking we could keep it in the car, but when we got on the road and opened one of the bottles, we realized we bought sparking water. Yuk! So while driving up the mountain, we see this fountain of spring water. So we stopped, poured out all the sparkling water and filled all the bottles with the spring water. It was pretty cool. Four hours later we arrived in Berchtesgaden and then drove to Lake Konigsee to take a tour of the lake. However, since we didn't know where to go, a local souvenier shop owner (who spoke a little English) told us to get on a bus that then took us into town, AWAY from the lake. So we paid 4.8EU to hang around in town for 30 minutes and then paid 4.8EU to catch the bus back to the lake. By the time we figured out where the dock was, the last boat had left for the day. So we grabbed a bratwurst (which was so good), walked around a little, and headed to our hotel. The hotel is amazing and has the greatest view of the city. The mountains in front of us are gorgeous and have snow on the caps. We ran into a black cat tonight on our walk; cute little thing and very friendly. Looking forward to tomorrow.

DAY 7

07/12/09. We got up this morning and made a great decision. You see, there was only one church service in the area, at 10:50 a.m. However, if we went to church, we wouldn't have time to tour Lake Konigsee and then get to the Neuschwanstein Castle before it closed. So we made the decision to our day around church. We had to drive into Salzburg, Austria to attend church because that was the closest building to our hotel - about a 20 minute drive. When we arrived, we were greeted by Elder Adams (from Utah) who asked if we would like an English translation of the sacrament meeting. Of course we said yes, and he handed us two portable headphones. Sacrament was great because Elder Adams translated the meeting for us by speaking into a microphone that was picked up by our headsets. During the meeting, the congregation was addressed by Sister Maughan from Prescott, AZ. She and her husband were recently called to serve in Austria. After the service, we were talking with Elder Adams and Sister Maughan when another couple from Winslow, AZ introduced themselves. It was great! After church we enjoyed an amazing boat ride across Lake Konigsee. The water is so clear you can see to the bottom of the lake. At one point, the boat stopped in the canyon, and one of the shipmates got out his trumpet and played. The echo in the canyon was in perfect pitch with the trumpet! When we got back on shore, we grabbed a bratwurst (with mustard, of course) and a big pretzel and headed to the Neuschwanstein Castle. The drive was beautiful. The countryside was amazing, and we were blessed to see many little towns along the way. We arrived about 7:30 p.m. and spent about an hour walking around enjoying the view and visiting the local shops. The castle was amazing! We decided not to take the 20-40 minute hike to the top of the hill because the hike is through a forest and we didn't want to be up there after dark disturbing the pixies. Then we drove back into Munich arriving about 9:30 p.m back to our hotel.

DAY 8

07/13/09. Today we spent the morning walking the streets of Munich. We first arrived at the market place and enjoyed looking at all the homemade jams, jellies, and fresh fruits and vegetables. If I lived in Munich, I would go there every week! Next we visited Marienplatz, where we grabbed a cafe table about 11:30 a.m., ordered two Coka Colas and Apelstrudel and waited for the Glockenspiel to dance at noon. It was truly outstanding! It's the biggest cookoo clock I have ever seen! We strolled along the plaza, window shopping and enjoying the beautiful architecture. We then walked to the legendary Hofbrau Haus and saw the biggest beer mugs ever! I swear they held at least 2 liters of beer and EVERYONE had one...at 1:00 p.m. in the afternoon! We enjoyed a delicious lunch of roast pork and potato dumplings with gravy, and two Coka Colas! Lol. We stopped by a bakery on the way back to the hotel to grab a few large pretzels and then visited a local grocery store to load up on German candy to bring home to the kids (they always have really cool candy in other countries). We checked out of the hotel and took the train to Munich Airport where we caught our flight back to Brussels. We are now in Brussels for another night until we leave tomorrow morning for Las Vegas. When we get home, we're going to need a vacation from our vacation.

DAY 9

07/14/09. Today was a day of endless flights. Since our trip was booked with flyer-miles, we were at the mercy of American Airlines to "fit us in" where they could. We left Brussels at about 11:00 a.m. and arrived in Chicago at 12:30 p.m. From there we flew from Chicago to Miami, the Miami to Vegas. Once in Vegas we checked into a suite at the Luxor (which was super big and nice) and blew $80 on roulette and penny slots (we're not big gamblers, as you can tell), before turning in for the night. Tomorrow we fly back to Phoenix. I'm looking forward to going home.

DAY 10

07/15/09. We got up this morning, ordered room service, and read the paper...it was very relaxing. We boarded our Southwest flight to Phoenix at 1:00 p.m., but before that, I won $20 on the penny slots in the airport. Cheyenne picked us up from the airport and then we drove to the bus depot to pick up Collin (he stayed in Flagstaff with Ben and Bre while we were gone). Once home, we enjoyed a great welcome from our children and then sat around the table talking for an hour while we all had our fill of Belgian biscuits and chocolate. It's good to be home! Chris and I are already talking about an Alaskan cruise next summer...

Family Day - July 2009

2009-07-04T22:07:00.001-07:00

Two times annually (July and December), our family and close friends gather to spend time with one another enjoying good food and company. It has been a tradition in our family since I was very small (I will have to ask my mom when it actually began). Our July gathering for the past few years has been hosted by David and Denise (because they have a pool - Lol). Although this year's group was smaller than usual, we had a great time swimming, eating steak from the grill, conversing, playing video games, watching movies and playing water games. These gatherings are one of my favorite times during the year because I get to visit with cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, my parents, brother, sister-in-law and family friends. I'm so thankful for my parents and David and Denise for the efforts they make to bring us all together and keep the tradition alive. Families are forever!

Happy Birthday Breanne!

2009-07-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

Today, Breanne celebrated her 25th birthday at Disneyland with Ben, John (Bre's brother-in-law), Julia (Bre's sister-in-law) and Angelo (Bre's nephew). She had a great time riding the rides, eating the food and enjoying the fun-loving atmosphere that only Disney can provide. The best part of the visit, however, was getting in for free! Happy Birthday Bre!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T11:00:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers in our family! Dad, David, Chris and Arthur had a wonderful and relaxing day celebrating with the men and women that love them.

The Tea Party

2009-05-24T18:39:00.009-07:00

On Saturday, the Youngberg Trott Keller women gathered for a tea party in Nicole's English garden in Reseda, California. The gathering was the perfect event for all of us to socialize and enjoy a beautiful afternoon among friends and family. The menu (appropriately designed for this special day) consisted of Bibb Lettuce Avocado and Green Apple Salad with Sesame Green Tea Vinaigrette, Scones with Devonshire Cream and Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Various Sandwiches (Goat Cheese Dates and Prosciutto, Tomato with Seasoned Salt, Chicken Salad with Cashews, Smoked Salmon and Chive Cream Cheese, Cucumber with Herb Aioli, Peanut Butter and Jelly for those with delicate pallets **cough, Lauren, cough**), and an assortment of Pastries, Petite Fours, and White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake. We had an amazing time and are very grateful for Nicole and Jamie's efforts to put together such a relaxing, enjoyable and cherished event.

Happy 2nd Birthday Branson!

2009-05-09T20:43:00.015-07:00

Today, family and friends celebrated Branson's 2nd birthday. Hard to believe that little bundle of joyous energy has already blessed our lives for two whole years! Branson enjoyed lots of swimming (and jumping off the water fall), water balloon fights (wait...that was Art and Dawn), and playtime on his new tricycle, mini trampoline, slide and in the sandbox. Let's say it all together now...1...2...3...SPOILED! Grandma April even got into the trampoline for a few jumps with Branson. After playtime, Branson enjoyed yummy cake and opened many gifts before he fell asleep for his afternoon nap.

Congratulations Breanne! The Master has arrived!

2009-05-08T20:16:00.000-07:00

Today we spent the day in Flagstaff to attend Breanne's graduation from NAU. Breanne earned a Master of Science in Biology (with distinction). Getting there took a lot of hard work, some sleepness nights, a few trips to Phoenix to test ground water contamination, dealing with undergrads, "occasional" periods of drinking, and spending much time in various labs both at NAU and home-constructed in our garage in Gilbert. After the graduation, family and friends enjoyed a delicious BBQ buffet of pulled pork, baked beans and sweet mashed potatoes. Hats off to our graduate. We are so proud of YOU!

A day for repelling!

2009-05-03T23:33:00.004-07:00

On Saturday, Sarah went repelling with friends who taught her the ropes. Cheyenne and I had a bet going; Cheyenne bet Sarah would chicken out and not go down, but I know Sarah's strength and that she would overcome the fear and hit the challenge head on. I WON! Who's your momma? A little birdie told me that Sarah was screaming for her mother as she crawled over the ledge and began the 100+ foot descent to the bottom (check out the view!), but soon became comfortable enough to jump a few times, climb back up and do it all over again. They had a really great time and were disappointed when they had to pack up and return home. My little outdoor adventurist made it home safely without a scratch.

Happy Birthday Chris!

2009-04-05T11:23:00.005-07:00

Thursday, April 2nd, we celebrated Chris' 48th birthday. The family treated him to Mexican cuisine at Nando's and then returned to the house for presents and an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins decorated like a train. He received a Tommy Bahama t-shirt, a gift card to Best Buy, three movies (Indiana Jones Temple of Doom, Last Crusade and Iron man), and a set of large print scriptures so his failing eyesight can read the words on the pages. I have never seen someone so excited about a set of scriptures before...look at that smile! Of course, the birthday wouldn't be complete without the dark and disturbing birthday cake picture of doom. We all had a great time.

Introducing the newest star to High School Musical...Lauren!

2009-04-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

On March 20th, Wilson Elementary School performed High School Musical before a captive audience at Santiago High in Corona. Lauren played the part of Jackie Scott, the Wildcats' announcer. I had an opportunity to sit down with this up and coming star to ask her a few questions about her debut performance.

Me: What was the hardest part about being in this production?

Lauren: The hardest part would be having to accept the fact that you didn't get a callback for something you really wanted or not getting the part of something you worked really hard for.

Me: How often did you practice?

Lauren: We practiced every Tuesday and Thursday of each week. On the show week, we practiced every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (show day), and Friday (also show day).

Me: What did you like most about it?

Lauren: I liked having the part of Jackie Scott, the Wildcats' Announcer.

The show was a big hit and Lauren had much fun in the spotlight. Next stop...Hollywood!

The ducks are back!

2009-03-10T22:28:00.003-07:00

Because we live in a lakeside development, we are blessed this time each year with the pitter patter of wittle webbed feet in our backyard. Of course, where mommy duck goes, daddy duck follows. We don't know where they retire to during the evening hours, but each day from 3:00 p.m. to sunset they enjoy the cool water of our swimming pool and an endless supply of duck food that Dawn leaves in the backyard for them to nibble on. Remember, mommy duck is eating for 3 or 4 or 5...

Happy 20th Birthday Katelyn!

2009-03-08T17:19:00.003-07:00

Katelyn celebrated her 20th birthday at home with family and friends. She enjoyed a barbeque dinner of seasoned salmon, steak kabobs, long grain wild rice and salad. I must admit it was the healthiest birthday dinner we have ever eaten. Katelyn received lots of money, clothes and Disney movies, which were watched into the early morning hours. Those joining the festivities included Chris and Dawn, Cheyenne, Branson, Sarah, Alyssia, Mahala, Cassie, and Collin. Of course, I have added the creepy birthday picture. Everyone had a great time!

The bathroom remodel is complete!

2009-03-01T23:17:00.003-07:00

After a week, our upstairs bathroom remodel is complete and looks absolutely fabulous! A slow toilet leak caused water to flow under the existing wood laminate in the upstairs bathroom which caused damage to the sub-floor. Because the contractors had to remove everything from the bathroom, we decided to take advantage of the situation and remodel. Silly me forgot to take the "before" pic so I include for view one "during" pic and two "after" pics.

A big WELCOME to our new borders. The Keller House B&B has no vacancies!

2009-03-01T22:46:00.005-07:00

Devin and Laura Fletcher moved in with us at the end of December. They are an amazing young married couple with lots of energy and personality. Laura is completing her Bachelor's degree at ASU in May. Devin is a junior at ASU and working full-time for Charles Schwab in Phoenix. Both are planning to attend law school together. Larissa White is single and loving it! She's a modern day hippie (without the locks and the smell) and works full-time performing respite and rehabilitation to autistic children. Alyssia Galvez is also single and works full-time at Power Nissan. She has a vibrant personality with lots of spunk. Larissa and Alyssia moved in at the end of January. Owen Skousen is Eric's best friend and has actually been living at the house for over a year and assumed Eric's room when he left for his mission. Owen is single and very entertaining. There is never a dull moment when he's around. He also works full-time performing respite and rehabilitiation to autistic children and part-time for Apple Dumpling in Queen Creek. Our B&B is full, and we love it!

"I can't decide if I have a cat or a cat has me" ~ Esther Marton

2009-03-01T00:18:00.006-07:00

This post is to remember two members of our family, who made us laugh, entertained us and brought much joy to our lives. In our family, cats are royalty and often treated as such. Our schedules revolve around the cats. We buy more things for our cats than we sometimes buy for ourselves. We spend hundreds of dollars a year purchasing various flavors of cat food hoping one will please their palates. We try dozens of different and unique litters. We purchase jeweled collars, bells, furry mice, scratching posts, bed tents, furniture covers and more...and we never regret it for one minute. Cats have always had a special place in our hearts, and we are willing to give them whatever they need to make them happy, because they make us happy. Samantha and Sid brought sunshine into our lives and made the world a better place. We will miss them. "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." ~ Anatole France.

Socks dies at the age of 18

2009-02-22T13:41:00.012-07:00

The feline pride of the Trott-Keller house wish to offer their sympathies to the Clintons on the death of their beloved cat, Socks. Upon hearing the news, Opus, Teeny, Kate, and Lizzy each took a moment of silence to reflect upon the recent loss. Opus is taking it the hardest because he always felt especially close to Socks since they looked so much alike; "brothers from another mother" he once told me. Due to Teeny's young age, the death caused a mixture of emotions. After taking her moment of silence, she scratched Kate in the face, puked, and then ate it. Kate didn't even attack back, she was too depressed and walked in the garage to take a dump on the floor. Lizzy has done nothing but sleep since the news arrived. The smell of fresh tuna only elicited a glance in the direction of the camera. I'm sure they will be back to racing us down the stairs, batting fuzzy mice under the entertainment center and clawing the furniture in no time. Meow!

In Memory of Kay

2009-02-14T22:43:00.004-07:00

Tonight in Hesperia, California, family and friends gathered to celebrate the life of my aunt, Kay Blackburn, who left this earth on January 30, 2009. Kay was born on December 21, 1945. She was one of my sweetest aunts - always offering hugs and kisses, always smiling, and genuinely interested in anything you said. She had a tender, sensitive spirit, but she was strong and possessed great courage as she battled breast cancer. She loved living in the upper desert of Apple Valley. She also had a great love of potluck dinners...so family and friends gathered tonight for one last potluck dinner in her honor. We'll miss you Aunt Kay, until we meet again.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T22:14:00.004-07:00

On February 14, 1996, before we were married, my husband Chris asked me out to dinner. He planned to propose that evening and wanted everything to be just right. He picked me up at my house and the conversation went like this: Chris - "So...where would you like to go for dinner?" Dawn - "You mean you don't have reservations anywhere?" Chris - "No. I just thought we would go wherever you want to go." Dawn - "It's Valentine's Day. Every restaurant will have a two hour wait!" Chris - "I'm sure it won't be that bad. Let's go." After visiting three restaurants without success, we had the ingenious idea to order Olive Garden to go and returned to my house to eat a quiet, candlelit dinner (just the two of us) where Chris proposed. Since then our family has a tradition of ordering Olive Garden to go every Valentine's Day and eating at home together by candlelight. In attendance this year was Chris, Collin, Katelyn, Arthur, Cheyenne, me, Sarah, and Branson. We were also blessed to have Laura, Devin and Annie join us for dinner. We had a great time enjoying delicious food in good company.

Happy 23rd Birthday Chris and Kat!

2009-02-03T22:47:00.005-07:00

Christopher and Kathryn celebrated their 23rd birthday with a family dinner at Outback Steakhouse. Celebrating their special day with them was Mom and Dad, Grandpa Bill and Grandma Anne, Lauren, Kayla, Justin, Josh, Brian, and Marissa. Unfortunately Travis (Kathryn's boyfriend) was ill and could not be present for the event. You were missed Travis! All had a wonderful time, especially the birthday twins, who couldn't have looked better.

Happy 19 years David and Denise!

2009-02-03T22:09:00.003-07:00

On January 27, 2009, David and Denise celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary by spending the day together at Disneyland. They had fun being kids for a day (at least Denise did since David acts like a kid everyday). They visited Fantasyland where they took a spin on the teacups at the Mad Tea Party. Please enlighten us with, at your age, how you managed to ride it without becoming ill. Then it was off to the 19th century King Arthur Carrousel for a ride on one of many hand-carved horses. Then David, adorned with fitting "Goofy" attire, took Denise by the hand and they skipped through the remainder of the park enjoying attraction after attraction, each hand in hand with their true love....and they lived happily ever after!

It's fresh-squeezed lemonade time!

2009-01-26T08:10:00.010-07:00

In Arizona, January is the time when the fruit on the citrus trees is ready to pick. We planted a lemon tree in the backyard several years ago so we could have fresh-squeezed lemonade throughout the year. This year's crop has given us so many lemons, we should have enough juice to make 2-3 gallons of fresh lemonade every month. The difference between last year and this year is my little grandson, Branson, was such a big help in the lemonade-making process. From start to finish Branson picked the lemons, processed the juice, added the sugar and enjoyed the product. Stop by for a glass if you're in the area! Happy squeezing!

Introducing Mr. Benjamin Espen, Philosopher Extraordinaire

2009-01-25T10:33:00.003-07:00

Let me introduce you to my son-in-law, Ben, who is one of the most intelligent persons I know. Ben is currently enrolled in Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, CT where he is pursuing an M.A. in Philosophy. By day, he is employed as a medical device engineer. He considers himself a Thomist; that is to say he follows the interpretations of the philosophy of science described by St. Thomas Aquinas, whose capital theses are to be considered as the foundations upon which the whole science of natural and divine things is based - a magnanimous pursuit might I add. Ben recently organized a website at http://www.benespen.com/ named "With Both Hands" where he maintains a journal, talks, book reviews, and philosophical and scientific primers he has written. Go ahead, take a look, but make sure when you fall asleep you don't drool on your keyboard. JK. Seriously, Ben has posted on his website some interesting information we can all benefit from. Thanks Ben! "Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after." - Henry David Thoreau.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-01-24T23:17:00.009-07:00

Several years ago, our family started a tradition of taking one creepy birthday picture in front of the birthday candles, so I feel compelled to share it just for fun. Today is my birthday and it's been a great day. What made it so great, you ask? Because I spent it with family, and those that weren't able to be with me either called or texted. I received a variety of wonderful things: scrapbook punches, the book Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote, Versace parfume, Godiva truffles, tulips from Eric, azaleas in an adorable polka-dot pot and a scrapbook embellishment center to hang on the wall. I'm so blessed that my parents didn't murder me when I was a child so I could live to enjoy this day. Thanks dad and mom! We had Sonic for dinner (I love the 1000 island burger with a cherry limeaid) and enjoyed a french silk pie for dessert. I was thankful Branson was available to help me blow out my candles. As this day comes to a close, I'm sorry to see it go but look forward to what this new year brings. Happy day to all!

A day at the park with Branson

2009-01-23T08:46:00.007-07:00

Cheyenne, Branson and I went to the park to play. Branson became so excited when he realized we were going to the park, he began clapping and shouting "Yay!" So, Cheyenne took him out of his car seat, put him down on the pavement and said, "Go Branson!" Branson's feet were actually moving before they hit the ground, like one of those wind up cars. However, his coordination isn't that refined yet so when he hit the ground running, he tripped and scraped his knee. He allowed Cheyenne to hold him long enough to clean his boo-boo and pose for a picture before he squirmed out of her grip and headed for the slide - his favorite thing to do at the park.

Arizona has three new motorcycle operators!

2009-01-21T19:08:00.012-07:00

Cheyenne, Sarah and I went to the AZ Motor Vehicle Division and completed our skills test. It wasn't as easy as we thought it would be, but we all passed and kept our examiner mildly entertained. The biggest test challenge was weaving in and out of cones. Cheyenne hit one and I put my foot down, but Sarah aced it like a pro. Before the test, we were brainstorming comebacks if we failed that section. Here's a few: "Do-over!", "We weren't supposed to hit them?", "Just kidding!" and "Just wanted to see if they bend". We can now ride with passengers (except that our big butts only allow for a passenger weighing less than 150 pounds because the scooter has a weight limit - Branson maybe?), and we can ride at night (which I'm not really sure I want to do anyway). The past few days have been in the high 70's, low 80's - perfect scooter riding weather, but it's supposed to rain the next couple of days - not so perfect scooter riding weather. We'll be seeing you on the road!

A little fender-bender, but nothing serious

2009-01-18T16:04:00.005-07:00

On January 16, 2009, Cheyenne was driving my car when she was rear-ended by a woman too busy talking on her cell phone to watch where she was going. To add insult to injury, the culprit denied she hit Cheyenne. The conversation went something like this: (Liar) "I didn't hit your car." (Cheyenne) "I think I would know if someone rear-ended me." (Liar) It could have happened anywhere. Maybe it happened at Walmart." (Cheyenne) "It didn't happen at Walmart. You hit me!" The Gilbert Police Department was called for investigation. A thorough investigation was conducted (including measurements) which concluded that she did hit my car. Imagine that! She then received a ticket. Haha! I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of that! I reported the claim to her insurance carrier and felt relief when I was told they are going to fully cover all my repairs.

Lauren drives the Zamboni!

2009-01-14T09:21:00.013-07:00

Lauren's first day to shine in the New Year occurred when she attended an L.A. King's hockey game and had the awesome, once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity to drive the famous Zamboni. For those of you that don't know what a Zamboni is, it is a huge machine that resurfaces the ice at hockey games. Outfitted in her team's jersey and adorned with like-colored beads and beanie, Lauren beamed on the ice. Congratulations chica!

In Memory of Jen "Tykie" and Colleen

2009-01-13T08:35:00.011-07:00

This is the first post to our family blog, and I wanted to begin with a small tribute to two family members that passed away this holiday season. Words cannot express how their beautiful spirits brightened and enriched my life. My cousin Colleen was born on October 10, 1967 and passed away in the early morning hours of December 2, 2008. She possessed the gift of charity, which she used to bless the lives of others. I have many fond memories of our time as children in the upper desert of California, building horny-toad colonies, naming them and painting them with nail polish so they could be easily recognized when we gathered them again. My aunt Tykie (Jen) was born on January 14, 1946 and passed away the morning of December 23, 2008. She was a constant beacon of joy and laughter. She was an accomplished seamstress, always sewing for others and rarely for herself. I cherish the vacations we took together and our motorcycle trips. By the time they left this earth, they had completed all that our Father in Heaven had required of them to do. To us, their time here was short. To God their time here was well spent. Memories of these family members will stay with me until I leave this life; then we'll meet and catch up on times old and new. Aunt Tykie...Colleen...I love you! Goodbye for a time. God be with you until we meet again.