So Much to be Thankful For

I know this is a short post but I intended it to be such for a lot of reasons that I may or may not actually get into here. All in all I wanted to just express how thankful I really am. The truth is that I, like most of us out there, have taken a lot for granted in my life. I do not mean to do it, I don't think anyone does, but I am thankful for a great many things.

First and foremost I am thankful for my family in all its varieties and combinations. I am blessed with a loving wife who puts up with me through all of my silly insane moments. She loves me unconditionally and is always patient with me and I cannot tell her enough how thankful I am for that.

I am thankful for my sweet Charity. She really is the light of our lives. We are blessed to have such a happy loving little girl and I want her to know how much her daddy loves her.

I am thankful for my puppies Harley and Lizzie. They have been so good to Charity and so good to us. They help bring a peace and comfort to us even in our hardest times and I do not know where we would be without them.

I am thankful for my parents, my brothers and sisters, Camille's parents and brothers and sisters. Camille and I really are blessed to have families that have been so supportive of us through all that we do.

I am especially thankful for my brother Marcus right now. Long story short we are glad he is with us after such a scare. He has been one of the best parts of my life and I really could not imagine my life without him. He is a brother, a friend, someone I trust and an immense example to me in my life. Our recent experiences with him have reminded me how much and all of my siblings and siblings in law really mean to us.

I love and appreciate our friends far and wide. Mark and Michelle and their family always helping us out and just being there for all of the little things as well as the big ones. Matt and Cathy Hicken and their long-lasting and far-reaching friendship and support. The girls at the salon. The wonderful people at BGM. All of our various friends and family who care enough to genuinely ask us how we are doing.

In this season of thankfulness, love and giving I want everyone that reads this to know that I am eternally thankful for all of my many blessings, especially the blessing of having such wonderful people around me to support me, guide me, and love me in spite of my failing and imperfections.

Thank you all so much and I love you.

....ok so maybe this did not end up as short as I thought it would be.

Scarecrow Festival 2008

Here are some pictures of our fun at the Scarecrow Festival at Thanksgiving Point. This was a few weeks ago but I figured it would be fun to see.

The Long Awaited... HAWAII!

I have been talking about this trip for over a year and we went several months ago and lots of people have been asking for pictures. We finally got all of our pictures digitally and I finally found a slide show program I really liked. So, long story short, here they are.

I want to tell you some of our favorite highlights too. We had a really packed week so there is a LOT to tell so I will keep it to the highlights.

Our first day in Kauai we checked into our condo and then went to one of the best places to eat on the island called The Bull Shed. It is right on the ocean front. I don't say beach because there is no beach just a rocky cove. But we got a seat right on the ocean front where the waves crashed against the window. The Bull Shed isn't much to look at but it has some of the best food on the island. Their Teriyaki Steak is amazing. (Below is a picture of me just outside the Bull Shed throwing rocks into the water. They never grow up ladies).

The next morning was our first full day in Kauai and we took off early to pick up our river kayacks. We took those up the Wailua river to a stony beach and then hiked to Secret Falls. I am sure there is a true hawaiian name for the falls but that is the only name we could find anywhere. The falls are supposedly an ancient sacred place but the Hawaiians only feel it is sacred if people continue to visit it. I will get those pictures from my mom and post them here at a later date.


On the way back from the Secret Falls we went a little further up the river and found a little cliff to dive from and a tree with a rope swing. Pretty refreshing after a long hike.


The next day we went to Kipu Falls which is a little secluded falls in the middle of an old sugar cane fields. It is more of a locals' hang out but it was awesome for Camille and I to jump off the falls and swing from the rope swing. My mom and dad played photographers since jumping off cliffs was not their cup of tea.


On the 4th we went to the Lihue soccer stadium and watched the fireworks.... right up until the tsunami hit us.


On Sunday we went to church followed by a drive up Waimea Canyon. It is amazing to climb almost to the altitude of Utah from sea level and see how quickly the scenery changes. It was also awesome to see from north to south both coasts from on point at the top of the island.


The next couple of days were spent snorkeling, going to the spouting horn, walking along beaches. We snorkeled in Poipu and ate at Brenneke's. We went to Hanalei and Ke'e Beach and snorkeled at Tunnels. There were tons of fish and reef to see. It was really refreshing to just float in the ocean and watch the life around us.


One of our favorites was the morning we took a boat along the Na'Pali coast and got to snorkel with all sorts of wildlife including Honu or Green Sea Turtles. We did not get any pictures of them sadly but it is something I will not soon forget. They really don't swim but rather fly or glide through the water. It is pretty amazing to see.


We then took a helicoptor tour around the island. We went on a helicoptor with the doors off which was amazing. We were literally hanging out over the waves. We got to see a lot of places we had already been to and talk more about them from a different angle.


Later that day we went to the Fern Grotto and the Smith Family Luau. It was a lot of good food and a lot of fun. My parents had been to Kauai a few years earlier and had been to a different Luau but said the Smith Family one had it beat hands down.


On the last day we took one more drive up Waimea Canyon to look across the island again and see everywhere we had been. It was amazing that we had nearly seen everything on the whole island in only a week. We were kind of sad to know it was all coming to an end.


It was a trip to remember and I really can't wait to go back. Until then here is another set of pictures that I took with my SLR on the trip.

The Pumpkin Patch

So I have not posted our Hawaii pictures yet and they will be coming soon. I am still waiting on a decent tool for posting multiple pictures as a slide show. I promise to get it soon.

As of today, however, I thought I would show off my sweet Charity. We went to the pumpkin patch in Springville tonight with Mark and Michelle and their kids. Here are a few good pictures for you.

This is (Starting at the top left to right) Ella, Makayla, Charity and Emmitt. They loved picking their pumpiks from the patch.

Charity found the one she wanted but dad had to tell her no. We had to get something a little more her size.

It wasn't the biggest one in the patch but I think my sweet Charity will love this one. I could not get her to do it long enough for a picture but she loves to hug her pumpkin. I think she will like it just fine.

National Talk Like a Pirate Day 2008

Once a year comes a holiday so savy that men cower in fear... it is official "Talk Like a Pirate Day". As is tradition on this day one must engage in all of activities of our swash-buckling fore-fathers. The first thing to do is get yer own pirate name:

My pirate name is:

Dread Pirate Kidd

Like the famous Dread Pirate Roberts, you have a keen head for how to make a profit. Even though you're not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

To get yer Pirate name visit: http://www.piratequiz.com/

Also be sure to visit one of our favorite "Talk Like a Pirate Day" websites for all sorts of fun and games: http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html

Don't forget to see what yer Pirate personality be:

You are The Cap'n

Some men and women are born great, some achieve greatness and some slit the throats of any scalawag who stands between them and unlimited power. You never met a man - or woman - you couldn't eviscerate. You are the definitive Man of Action, the CEO of the Seven Seas, Lee Iacocca in a blousy shirt and drawstring-fly pants. You’re mission-oriented, and if anyone gets in the way, that’s his problem, now isn’t? Your buckle was swashed long ago and you have never been so sure of anything as your ability to bend everyone to your will. You will call anyone out and cut off his head if he shows any sign of taking you on or backing down. If one of your lieutenants shows an overly developed sense of ambition he may find more suitable accommodations in Davy Jones' locker. That is, of course, IF you notice him. You tend to be self absorbed - a weakness that may keep you from seeing enemies where they are and imagining them where they are not.


What's Yer Inner Pirate?
brought to you by The Official Talk Like A Pirate Web Site. Arrrrr!

Happy Pirating me maties!

Charity is Having Fun!

Charity is having lots of fun with mom and dad. She is a really fun loving kid and always smiles. We take her out with us to dinner and movies and it does not bother her at all and she barely peeps. This is a picture of her sitting with us in our booth at Happy Sumo. I tried to convince Camille that the Buffalo Roll is good for babies but she wasn't having it. Just milk and fruity mush for Charity for a while longer yet.


Following dinner at Happy Sumo we took her to see Horton Hears a Who. She loved watching it and even was laughing with everyone else at a few parts. Come to think of it, I should get her a little stuffed Horton.


Spring has come and Camille has started playing softball with K&J Construction again. Charity and I had to miss the first game as it was way to cold but last week we got to attend the game and Charity was even blowing raspberries at the opposing team... sorry Korriane she just like's mommy's team better. Here we are at the game.



A while back our good friends Mark and Michelle Peterson gave Charity a bib that says "Future Mrs. Duritz" (referring to Adam Duritz the lead singer for the Counting Crows for those of you who dare profane). I found this picture of her that I had taken when she had first started eating. I had taken it to send to Michelle so she could see Charity's bib but I thought it belonged here too. She is getting really good at eating solid foods and I even have to take her graham crackers and banana puffs to Camille's games for Charity to munch on. She has even started drinking from Camille's glass... which has only helped reinforce our efforts to minimize our carbonated drink intake.


Charity has such a fun personality. I really get a kick out of all the silly little things she does. We love her and she is definitely keeping us very busy!

The Haderlie Birthday Cake

Since there are several birthdays in Camille's family in March and April they are doing a big party today for all of them. Camille decided to put her cake making skills to the test yet again and created a really springy cake complete with daisies. This was our first attempt at some harder flowers.

All of the cake is covered in a white fondant to make the pastel decorations stand out. The bottom tier has colored squres with the center cut out in a flower and decorated with polka dots of the same color.

This close up shows the intricate lavendar piping that Camille did to create this band around the middle tier. Additionally there are pearls of buttercream setting off each of the tiers and the second tier band. This was a really cool feature that I was really happy she came up with. You can see it from a distance in the other pics and either close up or far off it looks amazing.

The sides of the thrid tier are decorated with differently cut colored stripes. On top of the third and top tier is a collection of white and lavendar two-part daisies with yellow buttercream piped in to make the core.

All I can say is that my wife continues to impress me with her creativity and talent at this whole thing. This cake is the same size as our first one which the first time took us 12-13 hours to complete. She did this one in about half the time. We found that making the bottome tier from rice crispy treats and covering it with fondant saves a lot of time and gives a very firm and stable base for the rest of the cake... plus we have not finished all of one of these cakes yet. All I can say is that Camille is amazing.

Mardi Gras in March

My fabulous wife is incredibly creative. I am still amazed by what she comes up with. This week she made cake #3 which is designed for our friend Mark for his birthday today. Mark had told his wife and Camille that he wanted a Mardi Gras theme for his party so Camille immediately began to design his cake... without further adu, here is Camille's 3rd cake:

The thing that I want to really point out is that the masks that are on the cake are all hand-made from fondant, black sparkles and gold buttercream all done by Camille herself. I was looking at this photo and realized that the masks may look store bought so I wanted to make sure she got credit for her creativity and skill in making those so realistic.

Also, it may be hard to see from the angle I took this shot but the lower cacke slants to down to the left and the upper cake slants back the other way. This is something we have been wanting to try for some time. Let me tell you that cutting filled cakes at an angle is REALLY hard.

Another amazing creating by Camille and her Igor-like assistant.... me.

An inside joke for BGM

This will make no sense at all to most people but for those select few you will need to pull yourselves off the floor after you have seen it. Thanks to Shawn Jensen for sending us this amazing video. We miss you at Bill Good man!

Yet another confectinary work of art!

So Camille is working her hardest to get this cake thing down solid. She made another cake this week, this time for Mark and Michelle Peterson who just had their third child and first son on Monday the 10th.

Most importantly, congrats to Mark and Michelle on the birth of Emmett. He is a cute kid. No doubt he will step up and hold his own against his sisters. Welcom Emmett. We all hope that you will be blessed with the same sense of humor your sisters have been.

Camille wanted to give them something special for Emmett so here is her second cake. This one is 4 layers of coconut cream cake with cream cheese icing between each layer. It is covered in teal fondant and has brown, white and yellow fondant decorations. There is a darker teal buttercream trim along the bottom of the cake. Truly a work of art... and only cake #2 for Camille!

Camille's First Cake

Camille told me that for her birthday she wanted supplies to make cakes. I spent nearly my entire birthday budget and bought her everything both local craft stores and brought it home. She got it all out last Sunday and played with it a bit making some buttercream frosting. After that she told me that she wanted to start out with a small cake... if you know me you know what my next response was "NONESENSE!" I told her that if she was going to do it she was going to do it all the way. We started last night around 6 thinking we could do a practice run and then make a real cake for dinner with my family tomorrow. We were up until 2 in the morning just trying to get the three tiers covered in fondant. We went to bed and got up around 10ish today to decorate. Another 4-5 hours latter we have, what we feel, is a pretty good first attempt. Take a look at Camille's first cake ever.

Needless to say we are glad it is all done. If it looks packed with stuff you are right. We decided that since we have all this groovy stuff for making cakes we might as well use it all. As a result this cake is covered from top to bottom. I kept pushing her to cram more stuff onto it and use different tools.

Whether it is edible or not is yet to be seen. It is a coconut cream cake with cream cheese filling and LOADS of standard fondant for decoration. We will unleash this confection on my unsuspecting family at our dinner tomorrow night in honor of the birthday girl and master chef, Camille.

News of sugar commas to follow...

Introducing... The Faux Hawk!

Yeah I caved but I also look pretty freaking sweet (as on animated north easterner would say). I thought I would do a little homage to Steve-O and NOT get it tattooed on my back... sorry Jackass guys, a ridiculous pic is as far as I go.

EAT YOUR HEART OUT SEACREST!!

Camille's Birthday Concert

HAPPY 26TH BIRTHDAY CAMILLE!!



We went to the concert that Camille has been waiting for since she was 12. We saw Alanis Morisette live from the third row last night. Thank you Mark and Michelle for awesome tickets. In addition to the incomperable Alanis Morisette we also saw one of my new favorite bands MuteMath and a classic favorite Match Box 20. Here are a few pictures.



Happy birthday to my sweet wife and I hope she had loads of fun at our 4 hour concert event!

Charity: 3 Months and Growing

I know I am slow in posting this stuff and I am sorry. Here are a couple of new shots of my sweet Charity. We got these shots at about her 3 month date. It is getting harder and harder to believe how old she is getting.

The puppies love her and Harley is getting more interested in her all the time. He and I sit in our recliner and try to make her laugh. Harley gets as big a kick out of it as I do.

Both her grandparents are excited to see her grow and it seems like we never have enough time to parade her around to all the family and friends.

Anyway you slice it here is a little more of our dear little girl

Earth Day is Coming

Earth Day is April 22nd 2008 and I am getting excited!

I am a huge fan of all things enviornmental.... well I guess I should't say that. The truth is that I am a fan of REAL solutions to REAL problems in the world. I think that by doing small things each day we can all contribute to a cleaner healthier enviornmwent.

My personal belief is that our world is our stewardship and part of the inhertance given to us by our father. As such he expects us to "play nice" and keep it as clean and beautiful as when he created it. Additionally, it is just so much nicer to live in cities and communities with more life and trees and are clean rather than full of garbage and grafitti. As such, it really just takes small and simple efforts from everyone to have impact. Plant a tree; switch to energy efficient light bulbs, start recycling your paper and plastics; you can even just stop throwing garbage in the streets and always find an approprate waste receptical. If we do more and more little things each year it will ultimately have a more positive impact.

Earth Day is still a few months away but now is a great time to start thinking about and planning activities that you can do for Earth Day to educate yourself and do more to help keep the world around us a little bit nicer.

If you want to read more about Earth Day and some ideas for Earth Day here are some of my favorite sites:
The Earth Day Network
Enviornmental News Network
The Arbor Day foundation - Arbor Day is April 25th this year
The Story of Stuff - A look at production and consumption in the world

Hope you enjoy!