Harolds Page

A Wedding, Tee Party & Luncheon

2011-07-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

On Sunday after church, Ruth and I loaded up the car and headed to her parents house for a few days. On Monday we visited Storm Mountain at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon. We got there in the late afternoon/early evening so we could get a better picnic site, and it was a good thing we did, because the place was practically empty when we got there but when we left it was really crowded. After we got our area all staked out, we strolled around the raging river that was running through all the picnic areas. The pictures won't really do it justice, but it was awesome to see how powerful the rushing water was. Then we started making our awesome dinner, which consisted of salad, watermelon, a dutch oven main course (that consisted of potatoes, carrots, onions, kielbasa sausage, and seasoning), and some rolls cooked in another dutch oven. Once we got all the food going we enjoyed some more of the scenery and played a few card games while we waited for the food and the rest of the crew to make it to the canyon. All the food turned out great, and we got to top it all off by making some s'mores over a campfire.

On Tuesday morning Ruth and I had to do some shopping, then we took off on an unexpected adventure. The only bad thing about having this surprise adventure, was the lack of a camera. Since we didn't plan on going anywhere special, we didn't have the camera. Anyway, we drove into downtown Salt Lake and visited Temple Square. We enjoyed the beauty of the temple, the grounds, and even had lunch at the Lion House Pantry. It was my first time to eat there, and all the good things I had heard about it were true. As I said before, it was completely unplanned, and wound a being one of the highlights of our trip. Sometimes life gets unintentionally too structured and we need those sporadic moments to remind us that its alright to let life take us where it will sometimes.

With Wednesday came the biggest reason we made the trip up north. We were fortunate enough to go to the Draper Temple and see Ruth's cousin get married. It is always a joy to be in the temple, but it was special for us to go to a sealing so recently after our own. It gave us a chance to admire the sealing ordinance again, and not be so lost in the bliss of the moment that came at our own sealing. I think I can speak for Ruth and myself when I say it made us even more appreciative of one another. After enjoying the beautiful ceremony, we took part in the first phase of pictures and then headed to where the luncheon was to be held. The luncheon was going to be held at the clubhouse of a golf course and we had about an hour before it started, so we took advantage of the situation. So we grabbed a few buckets of balls, a couple sets of rented clubs (and my clubs which just happened to be in my trunk ;) ) and headed for the driving range. We must have been quite the sight, a whole group of golfers in either shirts and ties, or dresses. I don't think anybody got to serious, so we all had a blast waiting for the rest of the wedding party to arrive at the luncheon. The luncheon had excellent food, and it was a good way to spend just a little more quality time with Ruth's family before we had to head home. We would have stayed for the reception, but we both had to get back to be to work that night. Anyway, it turned out to be a fantastic trip, we always enjoy the chance to be around family. Here are a few pictures from the weeks adventures:

Big Cottonwood Canyon:

You will have to excuse the goofy commentators, but I think this

gives a better idea of how cool the water really was!

Looking good......

But it needs one more thing....

The SAUSAGE!

The Wedding Day:

The happy newlyweds.

Random:

Ug ready to pounce.

A rainbow we saw on the way home.

Free National Park Day

2011-07-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday the 21st, to celebrate the first day of summer, all national parks had a free admission day. Ruth and I had planned to drive down to Zions to drive through the tunnel, but decided to go somewhere a little closer since I had to be back to work in the evening. So we decided to take a drive to Kolob Canyon and enjoy the scenery. I am guessing I had been there with my family when I was little, but it was my first time that I can remember driving through it. The drive provided some great sights, and we got to enjoy a little hike while we were there too. We had even packed a lunch to eat on the trail, but it turned out to be too hot, and the bugs were having a Skyler buffet, so we just ate in the car. Here are a few pictures of the beautiful scenery we got to see:

From Finding An Angel to Visiting Angel's Landing

2011-05-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

Exactly one week ago today, I had the blessed opportunity of taking my sweetheart to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple to be sealed for time and all eternity. Words honestly cannot describe the extreme feelings of joy that were felt on that special day. To make a sacred event even more special, we were surrounded by family and friends, and that added another special spirit to it all. After being sealed on the afternoon of the 20th, we joined everyone at the C.R. Hamilton Indoor Pavilion in Riverton to enjoy a great lunch. Shortly after the luncheon we had a reception at the same location. It was so much fun to see so many familiar faces come to wish Ruth and I good luck on our new endeavors together. The next day we journeyed to Blanding for another reception. Do to a few bumps in the road we weren't able to make it to our own reception on time, so sorry to those who left before we could make it. Once again it was great to have so many people come and wish us well. We were so blessed at all the festivities of the weekend to have so many people that sacrificed their time to make it special for Ruth and I, so a big thank you to all those who contributed in any way. The weekend would have been special just given the fact that I was able to marry the greatest girl in the world, but all the volunteers helped make it memorable for everyone.

After all the festivities of the weekend were over, Ruth and I headed to Zions for our honeymoon. We had a great time of hiking, eating some first class food, relaxing, and just plain enjoying our time together. We stayed at a place called Flanigan's Inn, and it was a great choice. We were right by a shuttle stop that could take us into the park, there was a very nice restaurant on the property, and the grounds were very nice too. As far as the hiking went, we got to do a couple of fun hikes while we were there. The first day we hiked to all three of the Emerald Pools. I hate to say it, but my camera was dead on that first day, so sadly we didn't get any pictures from that. The best part of that hike though, was the awesome waterfalls. The falls at the first pool come almost right down on the trail itself, so it gives you a very refreshing boost to move onward and upward. At the second pool, we found a bunch of frogs that were cool to watch and listen too. They were really hard to spot unless you were looking really hard to find them. Ruth was great at spotting them, she had to find and point them all out to me. The third pool was nice because it had a big enough area to rest for a while and enjoy the scenery before heading back down the trail. After a fun day in the park we had a very delicious and fancy dinner at the hotel restaurant called the Spotted Dog. Hopefully Ruth won't kill me for saying this, but toward the end of our meal, we got joking around and for some reason we decided it was a good idea for me to eat the flower that was garnishing Ruths plate. As if that weren't random enough, Ruth then proceeded to ask the waiter what kind of flowers they used to garnish her plate. After learning it was an orchid, she calmly suggested that they consider using a daisy because the orchid didn't taste that good. The poor waiter didn't quite know what to say, so he sort half smiled and kindly said they were mostly just for decoration and walked away awkwardly. It was a weird but memorable way to end our "elegant" meal.
On the second day, we didn't go into the park. We stayed closer to home and explored our hotel more and the surrounding area. One of the cool aspects of our hotel was all the lizards we found, they were everywhere. After spending a really relaxing day together, we had dinner at Zions Pizza and Noodle Company. It was very good food once again, and the setting was pretty unique too. We read that the building it was in was once a mormon church. I kept wondering about the history of the building because it seemed like it would have been a very historic site, and I couldn't figure out how it changed hands and wound up being a restaurant and store. I guess if there are any readers who are history gurus, you will have to let me know about that one.
On our third and final day, we got checked out of our room and headed into the park for one last hike before heading home. We had been really trying hard to decide what we would do with our final hours in the park, and I'm still trying to figure out who stole all of our reasoning and logic, but we decided to hike Angels Landing. For those who have never heard of, or are not familiar with Angels Landing, here are a few interesting points about it. Just looking at the trail information before the hike wouldn't make it seem too difficult because it is a 5.4 mile round trip hike that should take about 4 hours. Then would learn that in about a 2.5 mile stretch, the trail rises approximately 1,500 feet, that bugger was steep. If that wasn't enough to deter us, we learned on the shuttle ride to the trail head that it was named Angels Landing by a minister because he thought it could only be accessible to angels. He could have been right. Finally, we were told by several people that this particular trail had one of the highest mortality rates. I never heard weather it was one of the highest in Utah, among national parks, in the nation, or whatever, but still.......gulp! So the first two miles of the hike consists mostly of very steep switchbacks. Sadly though, that is the easy part of the trail. The last half mile or so you have to venture out on to a very narrow ridge to reach the landing. There are chains a good portion of the way to help you either pull yourself up rock faces, or help you slide down them. Even though there were chains, it was still really nerve racking. At some points, the ridge gets down to only a few feet wide, the phrase "don't look down" took on a whole new meaning that day. We did eventually make it to the landing. I was glad we did it, and now we have the bragging rights, and we NEVER have to do that again! The only problem at that point was getting back down the trail. I was hoping for a giant escalator or an elevator once you reached the top, but there was no such luck. By this time, my nerves were shot, and my knees weren't far behind, so it took us a little longer to get down. I have decided that Ruth is part mountain goat though. If it hadn't been for me slowing her down, she would have finished the trail in half the time it took me to do it. As always after I have blabbed on for long enough, I get to the part that most people are interested in, the pictures. Enjoy:

The Grounds / Hotel

Our hotel had a cement labyrinth on top of the lookout point.

The prettiest thing I saw the whole trip, and the flower looks good too!

Home Sweet Home

Zions / Angels Landing

The blissful ignorance before the hike.

Some of the switchbacks we had to climb.

Only half a mile, that should be a piece of cake.....

THATS THE LAST HALF MILE!??!

Don't look down

Seriously, don't look down!

One view from Angels Landing

The conquerors pose!

The survivors pose.

Oops.... The Victory Kiss.... How did that get in here?

Almost halfway down...... if only we could... reach!

A proud onlooker.

Neither myself or the bagel can believe what we just endured.

Can you believe it????

One last note, today happens to be the birthday of my beautiful wife. She is so awesome and I love her very much! Thanks for being so great babe, love ya!

RING out the bells on Christmas Day

2010-12-26T17:24:00.000-08:00

This holiday season was definitely a different, but exciting one. I was unable to go home for Christmas due to my work schedule at walmart, but I still managed to spread a little Christmas cheer. I had to work the morning of the 24th, but after my shift was over, I hopped in my car and headed north. After driving for a few hours in some pretty intense fog, I made it to the Salt Lake valley. I spent Christmas eve with Kathy. We went to dinner at Applebees, which was having a Hawaiian night. Then we went to a movie, which was surprisingly packed for a Christmas Eve. I spent the night at Kathys (Thanks again Kath) and then made my way over to the Allred home in South Jordan. There I set up a surprise scavenger hunt for Ruth with the help of her mom. Here is a picture of most of the items from the hunt.

At the final stage of the hunt, Ruth had to follow a trail of roses to the Christmas tree in her living room.

When she arrived, a very surprised Ruth found me waiting next to the tree to give her another gift.

Thats right everyone, Ruth and I are now engaged!!! Before we get too many questions about it, we know it will be in May, but we aren't sure about the exact date yet. We will let you know soon though! Here are a couple more pictures of the ring. Enjoy!

Also, here is us spreading the news!

California Getaway

2010-11-14T14:57:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I had the opportunity of going to California with the Allred's. After tackling two tests on Friday morning, Ruth and I got in the car and headed for the airport in Las Vegas. We made pretty good time in getting to Vegas, so we had a while to wait in the airport. We were flying standby on JetBlue, so we were a little worried about making it on to the plane. Unfortunately we didn't get to sit by each other, but we both made it on the plane to Long Beach. Shortly after landing we met up with Ruth's family and enjoyed the evening with them. We got up bright and early the next morning and headed for Disneyland! Our hotel provided a shuttle to the park, so we got there just after the park opened, and it was a blast. The crowds were pretty small all morning, so we could just walk straight up to any ride and get on. It was so nice, especially considering the last time I went to Disney, we had to wait in really long lines all day. The only bump in the morning plans was that Ruth's parents weren't able to be in the park with us because they wound up going to a funeral for an uncle of Ruth's mom. They weren't planning on going, but since they were in the area when it happened, they figured they had better go. They did meet up with us in the afternoon for lunch, and then we revisited all the rides we went on in the morning and hit up a few we missed. We stayed in the park until 10:30 that night. We all had a lot of fun, but by the end of the day we were ready for some quality time with a pillow. We got up on Sunday morning with intentions of attending church, but after running into a laundry list of problems, we were too late to get there. So after getting checked out of the hotel we spent a couple of hours at the beach. Ruth's dad had to take off for a while to take Betsy and Chris to the airport, but he made it back in time to enjoy a nap on the beach. We went for a really nice mexican dinner before heading to the airport. This time the worry came for the crew heading back to Salt Lake. Their plane was really full so it was very up in the air for a while if they would make it home or not. Luckily, everyone made it on to the plane and left Ruth and I to wait for our flight back to Vegas. Our airplane had almost nobody on it, so we actually got to sit by each other on the way back. We didn't get back into Cedar City until about 2:00 in the morning. It was a short and busy trip, but it was definitely worth it. I had a blast being with Ruth away from the pressures of work and school. It was also fun getting to know Ruth's family a little better. As always, her are a few pictures. Enjoy!

Ruth at the "phone bank" at the airport.

The Allred girls at the entrance of Disneyland.

Ruth and I entering the magic kingdom.

Betsy and Chris psyched for a day with Mickey.

Taking a spin on the tea cups.

Could this be where I am from?

Ruth getting ready for Autopia.

Ruth behind the wheel.

I think Ruth may have had a little road rage?

Rachel and Hannah approach the finish line.

Chris and Betsy stuck in traffic. Crazy California drivers!

Making a big splash!

Space mountain survivors.

You never know what kind of beach bums you will find in Cali.

Watching the tide roll in.

A game or a bird trap?

It isn't a trip to the beach without making a sand castle.

So sad to head back to the real world.

Our near empty plane on the way back.

At least we got to sit by each other this time!

Targeted at Work

2010-10-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

To the excited surprise of many walmart employees, we were given the green light to dress up for Halloween on Saturday and Sunday of this week. Not wanting to pass up on the opportunity to be my sarcastic self, I decided to dress up as a target employee. I don't think the majority of the customers I helped today even noticed, but it got a lot of good laughs out of my co-workers. I was a little worried that management might not be too excited about my idea, but I couldn't pass up the idea. So I altered my walmart badge to look like a target badge, and to make it an even bigger shot to the ribs I still left the walmart slogan on the bottom of the badge. Then I just added in a red polo to complete the look, and it made for a fun day at work. Here are a couple of pictures to show what it looked like. I thought the badge looked ok, but several people asked if it was real, so I must have done a pretty good job.

Weekend Visit

2010-09-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

This last weekend, Ruth got to come back to Cedar City for the first time since moving home. I was super excited to be able to be with her again. Sadly, I had to work quite a bit while she was here, but we did get to spend some time together, and we did get to go on a couple adventures. Thursday night we went out to Three Peaks to roast marshmallows with some old friends. It was fun getting the crew back together to hang out for a bit. Then on Friday afternoon Ruth and I took a drive up the canyon to go to Cedar Breaks. We had been up there once before with some friends, but it was night and we couldn't really see anything. I was really glad we went back up there, because it had some really nice scenery. The view was really nice, and we even saw a little wildlife. We watched a little chipmunk for about five minutes that was just below the lookout point. Then as we were driving back down the canyon we decided to take a side road to see where it went. Just as we turned off the main road, there was just a single lamb laying on the side of the road. We knew that there were a lot of sheep raised in the area, but it was really surprising to see one all by itself that high up in the canyon. The side road adventure didn't last too long because the road dead ended at some type of utilities plant. It was a lot of fun just to get out and go enjoy some more of the area around Cedar City, and it was all made better because Ruth was with me! Well, here are a few pictures from Cedar Breaks. Enjoy!

The Long Overdue Trip

2010-08-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

After experiencing a super long period of separation from the beloved city of Blanding I was finally able to go home this last Thursday. On Thursday morning Ruth and I set out for home. It was a long drive, as always, but it was worth it to be with my family again. That night, we drove over to Monticello for the Charley Jenkins and Aaron Tippin concert. I was really excited to see Charley again because I enjoyed the last time I saw him so much. Aaron Tippin did a good job too, and he had a ton of energy. On Friday morning we went golfing with my dad and two of his co-workers. I hadn't played a round of golf in a year, but it was still fun to go. I am pretty sure Ruth would have kicked my butt had we been really keeping score. I was surprised that we both got burned pretty bad. I thought we wouldn't have got that red after all the hiking and stuff we have done this summer. Anyway, later on in the evening we got to hang out with Kyle and Dany. It was a blast to be with them again. We made an awesome pizza and some spam musibi. On Saturday afternoon we went and shot skeets with my dad and Farley. We didn't put on much of a show, but we had a lot of fun. It was Ruths first time shooting a gun, and she did pretty well. She took care of a can of pepsi on her second shot. That evening we went to the cabin for dinner. We played frisbee before dinner and bocce after dinner. It was lots of good food, including some amazing pecan pie, and lots of fun. On Sunday we stayed around long enough to go to church and have dinner with the family. Then on the way back to Cedar City we met up with Ruths dad so he could take her back home. It was really hard to let her go like that, but hopefully we will see each other again soon. Here are a couple pictures from the weekend. Enjoy!

Wild Flowers To Wild Broncs

2010-07-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

This last weekend Ruth and I went to visit her family in South Jordon for a few days. We headed out as soon as I got off work on Friday night, and stayed there until Monday afternoon. On Saturday morning we (Me, Ruth, Mom & Dad Allred, Betsy & Chris, Hannah, and Rachel) went for a hike in the Snowbird area. We hiked a couple of miles up to a place called Cecret Lake. It was fun getting to hike around in the mountains like that. There were a ton of wildflowers everywhere, which added a lot to the scenery. While it was a fun hike, we were all pretty drained, I think that was due more to all the sun we got, than the difficulty of the hike. After the hike we all ate lunch and then Ruth, Her Mom, and I did another small walk down closer to the Snowbird resort. After that we drove to La Caille to walk the grounds. It had been a while since I had been there, so it was fun to see it all again. They had the grounds looking very nice that day too, because they were getting ready for a wedding. After visiting La Caille, we went back home to take a break and eat dinner before heading off to see the Days of '47 Rodeo at the Maverik Center. It was a lot of fun to be there, and we had excellent seats too! We were able to spend the rest of the weekend just hanging out with Ruth's family. It was a lot of fun to get to know them all a little better. Here are a few pictures from the adventure. Enjoy!

4th of July Adventures

2010-07-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I was unable to get back to the best spot on earth for the 4th, Blanding, but I was still able to have a couple fun adventures. The first adventure started after I got off work on Saturday. Ruth, Barry, and I hopped in my car and headed for Nevada. We had been invited by Ruth's roommate Lyndsay to go and celebrate the 4th in her hometown of Logandale, Nevada. So after the two hour drive to Logandale, we picked up Lyndsay and went to our other friend Alicia's house. We spent a couple hours at Alicia's house playing in her pool. We had a couple pretty intense (and I am sure hilarious to watch) games of volleyball. After enjoying the pool for a few hours we all went to the Logandale fairgrounds for the community celebration. They had a free dinner of bbq beef sandwiches, baked beans, chips, pie, ice cream and drinks. After dinner there was a small awards ceremony and then a fireworks show. After all the festivities, Ruth and I went back to Lyndsay's house. It was very nice of them to put us up for the night. The next morning we went to the singles ward down there, and then went back to Alicia's for her birthday lunch. So that was pretty much the end of the first adventure. Unfortunately I didn't really get pictures from the trip to Nevada, so you will just have to settle for the story. The other adventure though, will have plenty of pictures. On Monday after work Tara, Ruth, and I went to hike Kanaraville Falls. Ruth and I had attempted this hike in early May, but the water was just too high and too cold to finish it then. I was really glad we could actually get up to the falls this time though, because it was a very beautiful hike. So here are a few pictures and videos from the adventure.

Bryce Canyon

2010-06-14T23:42:00.000-07:00

At about 1:30 this afternoon (I guess it's technically yesterday afternoon now), Ruth and I headed out of Cedar City and made our way over to Bryce Canyon. We went and hiked to a few different spots. We hiked to Sunrise Point and Sunset Point, just so we could say we hiked from sunrise to sunset! We also hiked down into the Queens Garden, which was fun because of all the switchbacks and mini tunnels you had to go through. Then we took a drive to the more southern parts of the park. We decided after pulling over at one lookout point that we liked the scenery up in the northern part of the park better. So we went back up to Bryce Point, and then hiked around the rim to Inspiration Point. By the time we reached Inspiration Point, we were kind of regretting our last hike because we were now about 35-40 minutes from the car. Lucky for us we came across a couple from Houston Texas that were willing to give us a ride back to our starting point. After getting out of the park we got to meet up with some of my family, which was the real reason we were in the Bryce Canyon area. My Grandma Crofts is turning 90, so they were having a reunion/birthday party in her honor. So, right after leaving the park, we went to dinner with Farley, Tina and Colee. I could not believe it when I saw Colee walking. She is growing up so fast. After dinner we headed out to the campground where most of the families were staying. I was very excited to see my Mom and Dad, Hilary, and Camden. I wish Zeb and Jason could have been there too, but you can't win them all. I also got to see Grandma Crofts, Aunt Sue and a couple of her kids, and a few other relatives. I was so excited to see everyone again, but it was a short lived event for me as I had to get back on the road to Cedar City so I could be to work on time. It was definitely a fun day, and I can't wait until I can see my family again. Here are some pictures from Bryce Canyon. Hope you enjoy!

Update / Vegas Trip

2010-04-19T15:14:00.001-07:00

It has been a super long time since I have posted anything, but I am alive and well here in Cedar City. I am on the brink of finishing my second semester at SUU, and am really looking forward to taking a break from classes for the summer. The most recent news for me was being accepted into Beta Gamma Sigma, which is an honors organization for students in business programs. I was pretty surprised when I got the invitation which only goes out to those who are in the top 10% of their classes. Anyway, on to the fun stuff, this last weekend I got to take a trip down to Vegas with a few friends. We went down as kind of a belated birthday celebration for my friend Amy. So at a little after 6:00 on Saturday night me, Amy, Val, Dave, and Dani drove to Vegas. We went and ate at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville in the Pink Flamingo. After dinner we walked around on the strip for a while. We tried to go and watch the show outside of Treasure Island, but we got there part-way through and it was too crowded to really see anything. So we headed for the Stratosphere so we could go and ride the Big Shot! It was pretty sweet just checking out the view from on top of the Stratosphere. I tried to get some pictures of the city, but they just didn't turn out very well. The Big Shot was a blast though, and I would recommend it to anyone who hasn't tried it. After the ride, we headed back down to the Bellagio. We hung out in the casino for a bit and wasted a little money. I think it would have been a loss for everyone, but Dave won $5 at the very end on some video poker. After we finished with that we made our way back to Cedar City. We didn't get back until 5:15, so it made it a little tough to get up for church the next day, but I still made it. I would definitely say it was worth the trip just to get away for a little and have some fun with friends.

Val, Amy, and me waiting in line for the big shot!

Dave and Dani on top of the Stratosphere.

Snowy Update

2009-12-24T09:07:00.000-08:00

Since it has been forever and a day since I have posted, I will hit a few highlights and share a couple of photos. This last month I finished my first semester at SUU. I was very excited to see that I made it through with a 3.83. After all the finals were over I made my way back home to Blanding on the 11th. I was super excited to see family and friends again. I was also excited to come back to work at the hardware store for a couple of weeks. One very pleasant surprise about returning hime for the christmas break has been all the snow. I thought Cedar City would have been getting a lot more this year, but Blanding has got a lot more! I got home just after the first storm which dumped about a foot on us. The last storm brought about another foot after snowing almost all day. While I really don't like trying to get around in the snow, I love the effect it has on the holiday season. I was really hoping that we would get a fresh blanket of white down before Christmas, and that wish definitely came true. I know they won't do it justice, but here are a couple of pictures of how awesome the snow has made things look.

Thanksgiving In Flagstaff

2009-11-26T21:01:00.000-08:00

Instead of enjoying a turkey day feast at the cabin in the Blue Mountains, I was gorging on great food amidst the San Francisco Peaks of Flagstaff Arizona. It was a little weird being away from home for Thanksgiving, but I am greatful that I got to shave a little off my travel time. I missed getting to be with Farley, Tina, Colee, and the rest of the usual crew, but it was really fun getting to be with my parents, Zeb, Hil, and Camden. This was Hilary's first time to host a Thanksgiving dinner, and although she won't take any credit, she did an excellent job. We had way more food than the 5 of us could handle (wohoo for left-overs!). It really just blows my mind that Thanksgiving has come and gone, and that Christmas if quickly approaching. I am so excited to go back to Cedar and finish off the semester so I can go back to Blanding for the Christmas break!!!

2009-10-06T22:39:00.000-07:00

I'm a Believer

THE RULES: Put your iPod on shuffle and push next to get your answer for each question.For each question, push the next button to get your answer. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.

If someone says "are you ok?" you say? More Than Words (Extreme)

How would you describe yourself? Secret (Howie Day)

What do you like in a girl? When Love Comes Around (Alan Jackson)

How do you feel today? People of the South Wind (Kansas)

What is you're life's purpose? She's Got It All (Kenny Chesney)

What is your motto? The Way I Are (Timbaland)

What do your friends think of you? Scenario (A Tribe Called Quest)

What do your parents think of you? More Than A Feeling (Boston)

What do you think about very often? Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (Good Charlotte)

What is 2+2? Paralyzer (Finger Eleven)

What do you think of your best friend? Waiting for a Girl Like You (Foreigner)

What is your life story? If You Could See (Tonic)

What do you want to be when you grow up? Ride the Wind (Poison)

What do you think when you see the person you like? Unfaithful (Rihanna)

What will you dance to at your wedding? My Baby Loves Me (Martina McBride)

What will they play at your funeral? Saviors of Avikan (Stan Bronson)

What is your hobby/interest? From My Head to My Heart (Evan & Jaron)

What is your biggest fear? Now and Forever (Air Supply)

What is your biggest secret? Christmas Eve (Celine Dion)

What do you want right now? White Christmas (Kenny G)

What do you think of your friends? Just 'N' Image (Ace of Base)

What will you post this as? I'm a Believer (Smash Mouth)

Big Update

2009-09-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

Well if your only contact with me was through my blog, I might be considered dead, but I have just been more "well hidden" than dead the past month and a half. Since moving to Cedar City, I haven't really had too much to blog about until the last couple of weeks. Homework and classes, just didn't seem blog worthy. Luckily I have had some fun come in the past couple of weeks. The first big adventure of the month was going back to Blanding for my dad's birthday. I think it was a pretty exciting week for my dad because Jason come home from Florida on Wednesday of that week. Then on Thursday, Zeb, Hil and Camden come home from flagstaff. Finally I made the drive home on Friday night. I suprised my dad by calling him around my normal time on friday night, but little did he know, I was only in the next room for half of our conversation. It was really fun to have the whole family together again. It was the first time since I came home from DC that we had all been together, and it was the first time we had ALL been together if you count the newest additions to the family. The weekend after that all went down, Kyle and Dany came to St. George / Mesquite for Sheena's baby shower. So on Saturday I got to spend most of Saturday with them. We hit up Panda Express, did some shopping, watched The Proposal ( I know this is a chick-flick, but it was still pretty funny), and then ate dinner at Red Lobster! Finally this last weekend, I made a trip down to La Verkin to see my Aunt Sue and Grandma Crofts. We met up at Aunt Miriam's house and had dinner together. It was nice getting to see them again. I hadn't seen Grandma Crofts since I came home from DC, and I hadn't seen anybody else on my dads side since Zeb got married. Also on Sunday, I got to go to Cannonville to see Janice and Cole's baby, Kagen, get blessed. It was really cool because I also got to stand in on the blessing. Once again, it was fun just to see some more familiar faces and get to visit with them. It was actually kind of funny, because I was debating on whether or not I was going to go to the blessing, and I just felt like I should. It turned out that my buddy Kade, who happens to be related to Janice, is in my singles ward. So I was asking him about what time their meeting was and trying to get some directions, and I got invited to go with them. So it all just worked out really well. The only bad thing about all of this was I didn't do so well on getting pictures. I did get a couple from Cannonville, so here they are.

Moving Day

2009-08-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we went down to Flagstaff AZ to help Zeb and Hilary move into their new house. Their new house is in what seems to be a really nice neighborhood, but there was one downfall to their new home. The driveway to the house is super steep, and it was impossible to get either of their cars up the driveway. The mountainside like driveway also made it a bit more challenging to get all their stuff moved into their house. After we got the moving truck unloaded though, we built a little contraption to make it so they could use their driveway. I didn't think there was any way that we would be able to fix it, but my dad came up with an idea that worked extremely well. Even after we got it built and into place I didn't think it would make that much difference, but it did the job. I was glad that we were able to go help Zeb and Hil out. I am also very excited that it will no longer take 7 hours to get to their house now!!!

The Stork Rides Again

2009-07-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

Well after all the build up and anticipation Zeb and Hilary have a brand new baby boy! When we arrived in Mesa last night we headed straight for the hospital. Both Zeb and Hil were looking a little tired, but excited. Before we left the hospital for the night we all guessed what time we thought the baby would arrive. My guess (5:20) happened to be the closest, even by the Price is Right standard (closest bid without going over). So after a long night for mom and dad, at 5:18 this morning, Camden Zeb Crofts arrived weighing in at 7lbs 14 oz and measuring 20 1/2 inches long. We were all very excited to meet the newest member of the family, and here he is:

The Last Straw!!!

2009-07-07T19:21:00.001-07:00

So just about two weeks ago Farley, Tina, and Colee moved to Blanding. We were all very excited to have them come. They will be living with us until they can get their house built. As a result of their living with us we have had to make a few adjustments to make them feel welcome. I let them use my room for Colee's crib (I really don't mind because I like sleeping on the couch better anyway). Even though we had been enjoying their company with all the little adjustments, I was pushed to the last straw the other day. I came home to find out that Colee had even taken over the TV remote! Hopefully Farley, Tina, and Colee will know that I am only kidding about the whole last straw business, but it sure made for a fun way to blog about this funny picture!

UB Has come and gone!

2009-06-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

For the past month I have been working at CEU as a counselor for the Upward Bound program. The UB program takes first generation college students and gives them a chance to take some condensed college courses to start their higher education, or some extra high school classes to help out with a few more class credits. So we started out with a group of about 56 students, and took them through four weeks of classes. Along with the classes we also provided nightly activities for the students. I was in the program when I was in high school, and I got a very different view of the program being on the employed side of things. It was a lot of fun getting to work with the kids, but at times it was also one of the most frustrating things I have ever done. During the last week of classes we had UB spirit week, which mostly meant having lots of dress up days and competitions. On the last night we had skits, and my group actually won that competition. I was so proud of them. I was really impressed at how they finally pulled together. Go Tiguins! (My group was the tiguins, half tiger, half penguin) Then after all the classes were over we all got to go on a trip to San Diego! We left on Sunday morning and drove to Pheonix. That night we went to a WNBA game. I know they are pros, but it was still girls basketball. On Monday we left Pheonix and headed straight for the beach in San Diego. Tuesday we got to tour the USS Midway which is a decomissioned air craft carrier that is now a museum. We also got to take a city tour and a harbor tour that day. Wednesday we went to the zoo. They had some really cool animals there. After the zoo we went and stood in line for a couple of hours to watch the new transformers movie in IMAX! It was so cool getting to see it with such amazing video and audio quality. The theater we saw it in had just done an upgrade that took it from 50 speakers to 96 speakers. So needless to say, we heard every little detail. Thursday we got a later start and drove back to pheonix. Finally we made our way home on friday. I was really suprised at how fast the program went. Well, here are a few random pictures of the program and the trip.

Oops, My Bad

2009-05-19T14:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought I was doing Farley and Tina a favor by doing a post right after Colee was born, but then it was pointed out that I said she was born on April 15th, when I should have said May 15th. I guess in my defense I was still really excited, and it was pretty late! Also I was told that I needed to post these extra pictures because there were some people who wouldn't believe that I was actually holding the baby. So sorry about the oops, and here is the proof.

Colee is HERE!!!!!

2009-05-15T23:32:00.000-07:00

By the time I get this post finished, this will probably be old news, but at about 10:20 pm on the 15th of April Farley and Tina Welcomed their little girl into the world. Colee S. Crofts weighed in at 8 lbs. 15 oz. and was 19 1/2 inches long. We anxiously awaited her coming, and we are very excited that she made it safe and healthy. Both Colee, Tina, and Farley are worn out, but everyone is happy. I'm sure Farley and Tina will have more pictures on their blog in a few days. We didn't have any real close ups of the baby because we were worried about the flash bothering her.

Graduation

2009-05-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

Today my time at the College of Eastern Utah - San Juan Campus came to an end! After what has seemed like forever, I finally have something to show for my time there, an Associates of Science. The graduation ceremony was nice, but that stage was just too hot, so that made the ceremony seem like it lasted forever. I did end up graduating with high honors, and I was recognized as the oustanding business student and the outstanding math student. I have to admit, I was a little more than shocked about the math award. I don't mean to sound arrogant about the business award, that was a pleasant suprise too, but honestly..... MATH? All that aside though, I am very greatful to have been able to earn my degree, and am looking forward to moving on to Cedar City and SUU this fall.

FORE!!!!

2009-04-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a long time since my last post, and I figured I had better say something before people start trying to figure which mine shaft I had fallen into. This last week I purchased a set of new golf clubs! I haven't been able to play a round of golf with them yet, but I did get to go to the driving range in Monticello with Kyle on Friday. I got a really good deal on the set, and I am really pleased with it. I hope to get a round in on them this week sometime!

Start Your Engines?

2009-02-24T18:13:00.000-08:00

This upcoming Thursday the institute is holding a pinewood derby. I have been looking forward to this for a while because the last pinewood derby I got to be involved with was over 10 years ago. Just as in my last pinewood derby, my dad did most of the work. He has a very creative nack for this type of thing and seems to really enjoy it. I did get to contribute with the sanding and painting though, so we really got to work on it together. Anyway, here is a preview of the racers from the Crofts family.

Shirleys Coca-Cola Cruiser

Skylers YSA Short Bus

Forrests Farming Family Truckster

King and Queen James come to Utah

2009-01-26T14:16:00.000-08:00

This last weekend my dad and I got to make a trip up to Orem to visit Farley and Tina. My mom had gone to Vegas with Kali, Mal, Lynnie, so we thought we had better go and enjoy some vacation time too. We drove up to Orem on Friday morning. When we met up with Far and Tina, we went and enjoyed a great dinner at Outback. Then we went and watched Mall Cop, and it was hilarious, I would really recommend that everyone go and see that one. On Saturday we just took it easy and relaxed for most of the day. In the later afternoon we picked up Bruce and went to Cabela's. After that we went and ate some chinese food on our way up to the Jazz game. I was really excited about going to the game because the last Jazz game I got to go to was when Zeb took me to the game that they retired Stocktons jersey. So it was cool to see the changes around the Energy Solutions Arena, especially their new intros. It was a little disappointing to see all the sell-out Jazz fans who were cheering for Lebron all night though. The Jazz played a good game, but couldn't quite pull it out. I think a lot of our loss can be attributed to Queen James (the female ref who made horrible calls all night long). Even though the Jazz lost I was still reallyglad I got to see them play again. When we got ready to leave on Sunday morning, it was snowing really hard. I was amazed at how big the flakes were. It was like having wet silver dollars falling from the sky. It was really cool to see, but it was a little bit of a worry too considering we had to drive home through it. It was a really good trip, and I was glad to see Farley and Tina, and the Arthurs again.

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out

2008-12-27T20:09:00.000-08:00

It has been a great Christmas holiday. I think my favorite part of this Christmas was just being home with my family. Last year, I just had to talk to them all on the phone from DC. Anyway, Zeb and Hil came up from Mesa on Tuesday night. I hadn't seen them since we took a trip down for Zebs white coat ceremony. On Wednesday night we had our traditional family dinner. This year it was over at Kedrics house. On Christmas morning we were awakened by a call from UDOT. It was a call for my dad to go out and plow snow. We were hoping he wouldn't get called out until later in the day, but we just watched a movie while he was gone to pass the time. When he got back we had a blast openeing our gifts. My big present this year was a Glock 9mm! I was way excited about it. Of course, just after I opened it, someone had to say the classic line from A Christmas Story, "You'll shoot your eye out." Unfortunately, it has been way cold outside, and I haven't even had the chance to try it out yet. On Friday afternoon Farley and Tina made it into town. They spent Christmas in Tabiona with Tinas family. It was great being together again. We were just wishing that Jason would have been here with us. It's weird to think that Christmas has already come and gone. It is such a great time of year for families and service. I guess the challenge now is just to try and maintain the good spirit of Christmas throughout the rest of the year!

How the X-terra Saved Christmas

2008-12-16T14:37:00.000-08:00

Earlier today I had decided that since my car was snowed in, that I was going to have a snow day, aka not leave the house all day. So I was out shoveling some snow off of our driveway when Kyle pulled up in the x-terra. So after I finished shoveling all the snow off the driveway Kyle and I went for some breakfast at OldTymer. Ir was actually my first time eating breakfast there and it was pretty good. Anyway, when we finished with breakfast, Kyle and I decided to go on a little drive into the wilderness. Considering that it has been snowing for the last day, it might not have been the best idea, but we went anyway. We saw some great scenery thanks to the snow, and it was a fun little drive for the most part. We went down into Browns Canyon, and took of on a side road that leads back to a little place that we have cooked out at before. Anyway, we got all the way in there and were on the exit part of the loop and we got stuck. At first I didn't think it was that bad, but considering how long it took us to get out, my initial thoughts were way off. At one point, I didn't think we were going to get out, but luckily we did. So it has been a very eventful snow day.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland!

2008-12-16T08:12:00.000-08:00

So for most of yesterday and itno the night, Blanding was hit with an awesome snow storm. It just kept on coming and coming. When I measured how deep it was this morning, we had a foot of snow on the ground. This was exciting to me for a couple of reasons. One because it meant that I didn't have to drive into work today. Second, and more importantly, it reminded me of the good old days when we used to get snow like this all the time. I haven't experienced snow in Blanding like this for a long time. Plus I never saw this much snow for the two years that I was in DC. So I am very greatful for all the great snow.

The Weekends After Thanksgiving

2008-12-08T17:23:00.000-08:00

Just after turkey day, we took a long ride to Muley Point to check out the scenery. I was a little unsure if it would be worth the drive, but I wound up really enjoying it. After we took some pictures we drove down Moki Dugway, because Tina had never been there before, and it had been a long time for the rest of us. Everytime I go there I can't help but think to myself, what were they thinking. Fast-forwarding to this last weekend I went over to Grand Junction with my mom and Kali. Now those of you who know how much Kali and Shirley can shop when they are together would think I was crazy for going with them, but I was going along for the ride so I could hang out with one of my room mates from the mission. I had to endure way to much time in the mall, before my friend got off work and could come and bail me out, but it was worth it. We got to watch Kung Fu Panda, which is awesome for anyone who hasn't seen it. We also got to watch the Florida and Alabama game which was a great game. I am hoping that Florida will win the BCS championship against Oklahoma now. Well here are some pics from Muley Point.

I'm Dreaming of a White.....THANKSGIVING!

2008-11-28T08:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday turned out to be a fun and exciting holiday. We went up to the cabin to for our turkey dinner, and it was snowing, making for some awesome scenery on the mountain. As we got going down the hill going into the guest ranch, we saw a car off in the ditch. As it turns out, it was Meikos Jetta. We follwed her footprints all the way into the cabin after that. So we ate a quick turkey dinner, and then headed out to pull Meikos car out of the ditch. It took some manuvering, and some expert driving from my dad, but we got it out. So after we took care of the car we headed back to the cabin to enjoy some of Shirleys home-made pies, and they were amazing! We got to enjoy the great snowstorm, and the beauty of a mountain covered in fresh snow.

A Literate Chicken Herder

2008-11-26T18:38:00.000-08:00

Well, as you can tell, it has been a long time since I have done anything with my blog, so I figured it was time for a couple of updates. I have been really busy with school, finals are coming up fast, so it has been scramble time. I have been spending a ton of time just trying to keep my head above water in my math class. I was so happy because I finished my last math homework assignment on Monday! Since all of our homework is done online, there is a little tacking device that shows how much time you have spent working. According to the tracker, I spent 66 hours and 35 minutes doing homework this semester. Needless to say I am glad thats over with. Now I just have to get through the final and its over. This last week I took a test to see if I could skip the computer literacy class that is required for an asociates degree, and I got the results on Tuesday. They require a score of 80% to test out of the class, and I wound up getting a 97%. It wasn't a hard test, but I think its sad that we have to take a class or pass a test to be dubbed computer literate. So that explains the first part of my odd title, and the second half comes from what happened tonight. I was in my basement playing some hoops on my PS2, and my mom yells down, "Harold come help us catch the chickens." So I run upstairs, and looked in the backyard, and the door to the coop was wide open. So me, mom, and Tina went to round up all the chickens. I was suprised because it only took us like 20 minutes to get them all back in.

Funny Little Things

2008-10-16T13:13:00.000-07:00

So I found an old magazine when I was cleaning my room the other day. I started reading it, and found some funny little articles that I thought some of you might enjoy. The first was an article that gave a list of things that parents would discover from having boys. Since our family is all boys I'm sure we caused our fair share of trouble, but some of these were pretty funny.

1. A king size waterbed holds enough water to will a 2000 sq. ft. house 4" deep.
2. If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run them over with roller blades, they can ignite.
3. A 3-year old Boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaraunt.
4. If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 lb. Boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20x20 ft. room.
5. You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.
6. The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.
7. When you hear the toilet flush and the words, "uh oh", it's already too late.
8. Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.
9. A six-year old Boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36-year old Man says they can only do it in the movies.
10. Certain Lego's will pass through the digestive tract of a 4-year old Boy.
11. Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.
12. Super glue is forever.
13. No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still can't walk on water.
14. Pool filters do not like Jell-O.
15. VCR's do not eject "PB & J" sandwiches even though TV commercials show they do.
16. Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.
17. You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.
18. Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.
19. Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not like ovens.
20. The fire department in Austin, TX has a 5-minute response time.
21. The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.
22. It will, however, make cats dizzy.
23. Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.
24. 80% of women who read this will pass this on to their friends with or without kids.
25. 80% of men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake fluid.

The other article that I thought was pretty funny was one on getting old. Hope you enjoy.

AGING IS.......
-Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.
-The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting for.
-Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know "why" I look this way. I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved.
-When you are dissatisified and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra.
-You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks.
-I don't know how I got iver the hill without getting to the top.
-One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young.
-Ah, being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.
-Old age is when former classmates are so gray and wrinkled and bald, they don't recognize you.
-If you don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have anything to laugh at when you are old.
-First you forget names, then you forget faces. Then you forget to pull up your zipper. It's worse when you forget to pull it down.
-Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today it's called golf.

The Finished Product

2008-10-13T17:19:00.000-07:00

Well, after months of construction the project is finally finished. We now have a working bathroom, and a sleepable bedroom again. It was a long process, but I think you will all agree that it was worth it. Hope you enjoy the pics, they don't really do it justice, so everyone will have to come and check it out!

Blast From the Past

2008-10-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I got to travel to Draper for a mission reunion. On Friday right after class I was all ready to take off by myself, and I got a call from Meiko saying she wanted a ride, so she rode up with me. I was glad she came along because it was nice to have some company. Anyway, we drove up to Sandy so I could drop Meiko off at Kathy's house, then I made my way down to a chapel in Draper to the reunion. It was really fun to see some familiar faces and good friends. It was a little weird seeing everybody away from a mission setting. I think almost more than anything I was glad to see President and Sister Price again. We just all visited and reminised about our time in the mission field. When the reunion was over I drove down to Orem to Farley and Tina's apartment where I spent the rest of my weekend. It was fun to just be with them for a relaxing weekend. We got to watch conference together, and just hang out. We were going to go to the driving range on Saturday, but it literally rained all day on Saturday. After the Priesthood session of conference we ordered pizza and watched the movie Leatherheads. It was kind of a boring movie, so I slept through most of the second half of that. This afternoon, after the first session of conference we went to Bruce & Patty Arthurs house for lunch. Bruce made us an excellent meal of french toast, ham, bacon, and eggs. It was great just to see the Arthurs again. After lunch I met back up with Meiko and we headed for home. It was a lot of driving for the weekend, but it was well worth it. Well here are a few pictures of friends from the reunion.

Elder Castillo and Elder Hamblen

Elder Kasparian aka The Phoenix

Elder Larson and Elder Seaver

Elder Belnap aka Chino

Elder Ellsworth just two days off the mission!

Elder Cullimore trying to look disgusted

Elder Olson aka Nater Bug

Elder Coppel all the way from France!

Fall Colors, Rugby, and the Opera

2008-09-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

This last weekend my parents and I took a trip over to St. George. The journey over was one of the longer drives I have ever been on. We decided to take the "scenic route" and so it took us twice as long to get there. We left Blanding and went up through Hanksville, then to Capitol Reef, then we made our way over Boulder Mountain. I was starting to get burned out with this long drive, but that is when we hit some great fall colors. The higher we climbed on Boulder Mountain, the brighter and more vibrant the colors became. We stopped at a rest stop near the top and took a few pictures of the scenery. After coming down off the mountain we wound up at Cannonville and went to see Janice. We had never been to her new house, so we stopped in to see her. It was nice to talk to her for a bit. I was really suprised at how big her house was though, that thing was huge. After visiting with Jan for almost an hour we hit the road again. A little farther down the road we made it to Panguitch. This was a particularly exciting for my dad, because it is where he grew up. We drove around town for a few minutes while my dad checked out a few familiar spots. When we got going again we made it to Parowan, which was our stopping place for the night. We met up with Farley and Tina in Parowan and spent the evening together. We went to dinner then went and played pool in the lobby of our hotel. After that Farley, Tina, and I went swimming. It was supposed to be a heated pool, but the water was pretty chilly. It was a lot harded getting in that water than it was hopping in the pool in Mesquite two weeks ago.

The next morning we got up and finished our journey to St. George. We spent most of the day just hanging out and taking it easy. We did a little shopping, and got to see a movie. We went and saw Forever Strong. It is a movie about the Highland Rugby team. I didn't think I was going to like it, but it was a really good movie. After the movie we went and ate at Texas Roadhouse. We had a great meal, and I had one of the most tender steaks I have ever eaten. It was amazing! After dinner we went to the hotel and relaxed for about an hour before heading to Les Miserable at the Tuacahn Theatre. It was really neat seeing it out in the open with the canyons as a backdrop. It was a little different than the last time I saw it, but it was still well done. We got back to the hotel around midnight, then Farley and I headed for Mesquite to try our luck on the slots. It was a lot of fun to just hang out with Farley, plus I won $3o! By the time we got home it was like 3:00, so we were both really tired. The next day we had breakfast together and then headed for home. It was another long drive, but it was worth it. Well, here are a few pictures to enjoy.

Construction Updates

2008-09-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

Well for the past couple of months, our house has been a construction zone. We have had our upstairs hallway, Farleys old bedroom, and the bathroom torn apart and getting remodeled at a slow pace. I had actually intended to do more pictures to show a progression, but you all know how the saying goes, I think it is something to the effect of "the pathway to hell is lined with good intentions." Anyway, we are getting pretty close to the finished product now, so I thought you might enjoy these pictures.

The re-designed closet in Fars room

Another view from Fars room

There is a ton of tile in our bathroom now

The new cabinet and sink.

The carpet on the left is in Farleys room, and the carpet on the right is in the hallway

The Trip That Almost Wasn't

2008-09-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I got to go down to Mesquite with my friend Kyle to pick up his wife and his mother-in-law. Dany and Carrie had been there babysitting for Danys sister Clea, so Kyle and I went to pick them up, and to celebrate Kyles 21st birthday. We actually had planned on going to Vegas while we were down there, but it didn't really work out. Anyway, a few days before the trip I got a call from Kyle saying that the trip was off because Clea and her husband were going to be stranded in New York for a couple extra days because their flight got cancelled. A couple days later we found out that they had managed to get a flight for Saturday night, so the trip was back on. So I spent the next day and a half getting all my school work lined up so I could leave. Then on Wednesday night I got really sick, and was suffering through work the next morning, so I was ready to back out of the trip, but I was able to get over it on time. So long story short, it worked out in the end and we had a great trip.

So we left Blanding on Thursday night at 6:30 after I got done with all my school stuff. It was a very long drive to get to Mesquite. I could barely stay awake towards the end of the trip. We got to the house around 1:00 in the morning. The next morning we got to have a pretty quite morning. In the afternoon we drove over to St. George and did a little shopping and had lunch. Then we went back to Mesquite for the rest of the evening. We actually wound up going to the tailgate party for the high school. It was really weird being there because we didn't know anybody, but we went because we provided beans for navajo tacos. I guess the party was sponsored by Clea and her husbands business. After that we went back to the house and opened up the pool. It was really fun to have that nice of a pool all to ourselves. After swimming we went back inside and fired up the Wii. We played tennis on that for a couple of hours. I never knew you could get sore arms from playing video games. The next day was a little more challgnging. Dany and Carrie had been there all week babysitting 4 kids, and we had been able to kind of avoid them for the most part up to that point. Since they were out of schhol on Saturday, we couldn't really avoid them too much. So we had to fight and deal with them almost all day. They were CRAZY! We still managed to have some fun throughout the day. We went swimming that afternoon for a couple more hours. That evening we went to the Eurika Casino for the prime rib and crab legs buffet. It was a lot of really good food. After that we went back to the house and wtached Baby Mamma, and it was a pretty funny movie. Then we had another tennis tourney on the Wii. We had a little early birthday celebration for Kyle. Then at 12:01, when Kyle was officially 21, we headed back to the Eurika Casino to play the slots for a while. I won $30 like right off the bat, but ended out breaking even. I walked into the casino with $20 and walked out with $20, so I walked out feeling alright. Finally today we made the long journey home. It is never any easy drive, but we had Kyles Kia loaded to the brim. We were very weighed down. It was well worth it to just get away and have some fun for a weekend.

Where we spent the majority of our free time.

Emma, Kyle, and Mandy

Kyle reading his home made birthday cards.

Kyles cake!

Ready to blow out the candles.

The New hp!

2008-08-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

Well after struggling to make a decision on a new computer I finally broke down and got a new laptop. I had Farley help me find a good deal on this little hp. I figured that I needed to have one for school, and I can use it for a lot of other good things too, so now was just as good a time as any. If all else fails, I will have another means to keep my blog up to date.

The new machine!

A Late Report

2008-08-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

So this last weekend I took a trip to Mesa Arizona with my parents so we could visit Zeb and Hil. We wanted to go check out their new apartment, which was very nice, and to attend Zebs White Coat Ceremony. So we left Blanding on wednesday evening and drove to Flagstaff and spent the night. Then we took on the rest of the traveling to Mesa on Thursday morning. It was so nice to take the trip down in two stages, it made the trip a lot more tolerable. Anyway, we just spent most of our weekend relaxing, watching movies, swimming, and eating too much. On Friday morning we got to go to the White Coat Ceremony. It was pretty cool to witness that becasue it is an outward symbol of Zeb actually hitting the home stretch to becoming a doctor. I know he would disagree with that statement because he still has a long way to go before he finishes (you can check out the official countdown on his blog). So we had a really good time down in Arizona there were only two negatives in the whole trip, the heat, and the drive home. We took a route home that we were told was faster, but it took FOREVER! I was so ready to be home by the time we pulled up to our garage. Anyway, here are a couple of pictures from the ceremony.

Every wonder what Santa does during the summer?

Waiting in line to receive the honors

Making his introduction

Putting on THE White Coat

The proud parents

All About Me!!

2008-08-07T07:48:00.000-07:00

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? The airport, coming home
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Roast Beef
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Hope not
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I'd like to think so.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM? No...yes, gets em every time
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Yes
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? It depends on the pair of shoes.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? That is a loaded question
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Demeanor
15. RED OR PINK? Red
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Being 21 with the body problems of a 90 year old
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Grandpa Redd
18. WHO DO YOU WANT TO TAG? Micah
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? levi shorts and blue reeboks
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Beef Broccoli
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Tina reading me the questions of this tag
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Lime Green
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? sage brush, fresh baked anything, and rain
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? A guy from Italy at work
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO TAGGED YOU? She is pretty much awesome!
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Football, basketball, and Olympic events
27. HAIR COLOR? Dark brown
28. EYE COLOR? Blueish Green
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Supposed to
30. FAVORITE FOOD? any grilled meat, pasta, cheesecake
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? happy endings
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? The Bucket List
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Blue
34. FAVORITE SEASON? Fall
35. HUGS OR KISSES? hugs
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? hot fudge brownie sundae
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND TO TAG? Well, Tina has already done it
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND TO TAG? Carson
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? healthyutah.org
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? CSI: NY
42. FAVORITE SOUND? a light rain storm
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Crofton, Maryland
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? impersonations
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Almost in my aunt's car
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? Oh, reading what Tina hasn't already told me...and Hilary!!

Transcribed by Tina

The X-Adventure

2008-07-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

So Kyle and I decided to go for a little drive the other day, and it turned out to be quite the journey. We took the x-terra out towards mustang because Kyle wanted to get some cool pictures of wheeling in his x. So we were messing around on some fairly rocky roads to set up some nice photos, and we wound up running into an unforseen problem. We were heading down a hill that had been washed out on one side. So we tried to avoid the big trench, but it didn't work so well. The dirt on the edge of the trench was extremely loose and right as we hit it, the x started to slide and tip. We stopped and got out to check out the situation, and we were definitely sliding into trouble. So after several minutes of trying to figure out our best option, we started piling all the rocks we could into the trench. eventually we got it built up enough to get ourselves out. I must admit that I thought we were actually going to roll the x for a while, but we made it out alive and well. Kyle and I almost had to change our shorts after that one. Enjoy the pics of us not being stuck.

4th of July

2008-07-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

Well it was another great 4th of July holiday in Blanding Utah. It was great just having Zeb, Hil, Far, and Tina around again. This was actuslly kind of a big pit stop for Zeb and Hil because they came down with a moving truck with all their stuff so they could move down to Mesa Arizona. Anyway, on Thursday night we all got to go to the annual melodrama at CEU. That has always been a 4th of July tradition for our family (even though we didn't go on the 4th). This years show was a little shorter than most, but it was still full of little laughs and funny scenes. I always think everyone has more fun throwing popcorn at the villain than anything else. On the morning of the 4th we enjoyed a pancake breakfast before heading off to the parade. We went to our usual spot in front of Redds TrueValue. Our family has sat there for every parade I have ever been to. Anyway, It was a good parade with some good entries. It was just good to be around for annother small town 4th of July. Right after the parade I had to go to work, so that was kind of a bummer, but I guess someone had to do it. Later that night we headed to the park for dinner, a concert, and the best part of the evening, the fireworks show. This year we had the best show I ahve ever seen in Blanding. The grand finale was very impressive. Of course, this holiday was also a good time to reflect and be greatful for all the freedoms we enjoy living in this country. A lot of sacrifice has gone into what we have today, and I am very greatful for all those who work to make America great. It makes time with family even better because we are free to enjoy more fun activities together.

The Melodrama:

The Parade:

The Fireworks:

HEY TIFF!

2008-07-01T17:06:00.000-07:00

You are in TROUBLE! Debo came over to our house to do some electrical work, and something bad happened. Shirley got hold of your son, and now she wants to keep him. She wants to withdraw a "little Cash" from your family. I even think the dog likes cash!

I've Been Tagged

2008-06-18T07:06:00.000-07:00

After reading through several of these entries I just realized that a few people had tagged me, so I guess I better get to it.

20 Years ago...

1. I was one and a half years old.
2. I was almost always sick, and I wouldn't really eat unless it was ramen noodles, string cheese, or resses.
3. My mom claims I was a very early talker, and could "talk up a storm."

10 Years ago...

1. I was in the fifth grade in Mr. Bates class.
2. After graduating from elementary school, I went to Lagoon with the Flannerys for D.A.R.E. day. We rode up in the D.A.R.E. car, and we had a blast.
3. Me and Chase would practice wrestling moves out on his trampoline for hours at a time. (We were retarded)

5 Years ago...

1. I had just turned 16 and was a Sophomore in high school. DRIVERS LICENSE!
2. I got to go to San Francisco for a week with the Upward Bound program. It was a sweet trip because we got to go to an A's - Mariners game, got to see Alcatraz, the golden gate bridge, and of course all the crazies that live in San Fran that make you point and laugh.
3. I was working at Redds TrueValue, not really earning the big bucks, but having fun with all my co-workers.

3 Years ago...

1. I was the sterling scholar in business and marketing for San Juan High School. (I know I am a big nerd.)
2. I graduated from high school. Go class of 2005!
3. I had 3 jobs. I worked at TrueValue, Vision Communications, and I worked for Coke.

1 Year ago...

1. I was serving as a missionary in the Washington DC North Mission! This was by far the greatest experience of my life up to this point. I wouldn't trade my mission for anything!
2. Exactly a year ago I was serving in the College Park Ward.
3. I got my last phone call home as a missionary.

So far this year I...

1. I was joyously reunited with my family at the Salt Lake Airport after returning from DC. It was so great to see them all again, and to see friends and familiar faces too.
2. I worked as a substitute teacher until the end of the school year, and I am now working at the Gateway Inn.
3. I was recently called as a
Sunday School teacher for the 17-18 year olds. I still feel like I should be in that class, not teaching it.

Yesterday I...

1. Worked the graveyard shift at the hotel.
2. Tried to win an i-pod on ebay.
3. Watched the Celtics spank the Lakers in the championship game!!!

Today I...

1. Will go to institute.
2. Will go to the bank and deposit my paycheck.
3. Get a tigersblood snowcone.

Tomorrow I...

1. Will work another graveyard shift at the hotel.
2. Get a haircut.
3. Clean my car.

In the next year I...

1. Will finish my associates degree at CEU-SJC
2. Will hopefully figure out what I am going to be when I grow up.
3. Will go back to DC with my family and go through another session in the DC Temple.

I tag anyone who stumbles across this!

Fathers Day Weekend

2008-06-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

This last Thursday night after my dad got off work we drove up to Orem to meet up with my mom at Farley and Tina's apartment. After spending the night with them my dad and I drove to Sandy to the Hyundai dealership to pick out my new car. PSYCH! We went to the dealership to get my transmission flushed. When the car was finished we had a little bit of time before we planned to meet up with everyone else, so we went to the This Is The Place Monument. It was fun getting to see that. Then we met up with all the family at Hogle Zoo. It had been a really long time since I had been there, so it was fun to see it again. Sadly, the Hogle Zoo has the same problem that all others zoos have, all the animals are either asleep or behind the scenes somewhere. We did get to see a few fun animals though, so I guess I shouldn't complain. That night we got to go to another Salt Lake Bees game. We didn't get as lucky as the last game though, because the Bees lost 4-6 to the Las Vegas 51s. On Saturday morning all the boys got to go play a round of golf at a course called The Barn. It was a really nice course, and I think everyone had a good time. I spent more time chasing crazy hits than anything else, but I still had a blast. That afternoon we met back up with the rest of the family and went to the arcade and watched the new Indiana Jones movie. We all spent that evening just kind of relaxing because we were all kind of spent. It was a lot of fun just getting to be with everyone again. It was also kind of a weird trip though, because it was our last trip to Ogden before Zeb and Hil move to Arizona. Anyway, I'm glad that things turned out a little better this go around. Last time I was with Zeb and Hil I was sick the whole time, so it was a good last hoorah in Ogden.

A tribute to the pioners as they reached the valley

This Is The Place Monument

Waiting for Zeb & Hil in front of Hogle Zoo

The famous white alligator

A monkey making its get-away

Now I see how we are so closely related

We found Pumba, but where is Timone?

Come on, just let me in already

All smiles at the Bees game

Well, almost all smiles

Gettin ready for a big hit

Throwin some heat

The only things safe from my drives are the fairway and the green

Leaving Zeb & Hils house for the last time

Cook Out at the Ranch

2008-06-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got to go with Kyle and his family to their ranch for a cook out, and it was a lot of fun. Kyle and I took our shotguns so we could shoot a few skeets while we were there. He hand one of the hand throwers, and he did good with that, but I struggled with it. After messing around for a bit we got cooking. Kyles dad maned the grill with the burgers and potatoes, and Kyle and I got put on onion ring duty. It was kind of weird deep frying in a duth oven, but it worked. Just as we were finishing up cooking, the oil popped on got all around my left eye. I'm lucky it didn't actually get into my eye, but it still didn't feel very good. After all the food was prepared we had a great meal. Then we just relaxed for a while and enjoyed the great scenery and weather.

The great GREEN scenery at the ranch

Ellis tending the fire

Clayton working the grill

Kim learning to shoot her bow

Memorial Day

2008-05-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Well, it was a little too windy here in Blanding for it to be a great Memorial Day, but it was still a decent day. We had planned on going for a ride down south to look for some more petrified wood for my moms garden, but because of the wind, we backed out on that one. So we spent most of our day at home relaxing. We did go to the cemetery and look at a few of the graves. We visited my Grandpa Redds grave, he died when I was only 5 years old. We also visited the grave of my Great Grandma Palmer. I hadn't seen her grave because I was in DC when she passed away. After paying our respects to those who have gone on, we came home for a little more fun activity. We started making up some sweet kabobs and fired up the grill. It was fun putting them together, and cookin them up. I also made a cake while the kabobs were on the grill, so we had a good feast for the night. So it wasn't the most exciting holiday, but we still had a good time.

My Great Grandmas grave

The flags set up to honor the veterans of Blanding

The flag for Grandpa Redd, who was a WWII veteran

Making some Kabobs

Dad helping with the kabobs too

The finished product, and they were great

Trip to La Caille

2008-05-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

Well, due to much encouraging from my sister-in-law Tina, I have decided to join the blogging world, so here we go. This last week my parents and I traveled to Salt Lake with the French Club from San Juan High to go on their anual trip to La Caille. We left Blanding on Monday morning and took the long trip up to Salt Lake. It felt pretty weird being on a school bus again. Anyway, we got to go to a Salt Lake Bees game that night, which was a lot of fun. It was really weird because it was actually pretty cold at the game, and usually cold weather and baseball don't go together. So we sat behind home plate huddled in blankets and hoodies and watched the Bees beat Round Rock 8-3! The next morning/afternoon we left our hotel and drove to the La Caille Restaraunt. We got to walk the grounds for about a half an hour before we sat down to a good meal. Shortly after the meal I left the rest of the group because I had planned to stay with my brother Zeb for a few days. We had planned to do a few activities, but I wound up getting sick on Tuesday night, and was pretty much in bed until late on Wednesday. So that threw a huge wrench into our plans. We did manage to go see Iron Man while we were in Ogden, but that was about it. Hopefully the next trip will be a little more fun!

The Stands were kind of empty because of the cold weather

The Bees layin down a sweet bunt

Walking up to La Caille

The grounds of La Caille