"The Magical Forest @ Opportunity Village"

                                                                              Sandi, Bug and I usually go to the Opportunity Village each year to see the beautiful lights.  Bug was invited tonight by her good friend Daphne with an overnighter to boot,  so Sandi and I went out and bought a ton of Christmas gifts we have been procrastinating on so we made it a Date night and extention of my Birthday.  Daphne's father sent us these pic's on Face Book, and we wanted to share them!  Hopefully I can grab a stack of tickets from work and we can all go together in the next few days.  Although I'm not looking forward to the freezing part!

Reserved

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"One Year ago" Happy Birthday

           The Doctors gave me a clean bill of Health one year ago today! 

         Two out of three Birthdays so far!  Let's hope it stays that way!

                                     Marine Corps, Remission, and the regular one!

Me Behave?

       
                Me behave?  Seriously?  As a Child I saw Tarzan almost naked, Cinderella arrived home after midnight, Pinocchio told lies, Aladdin was a thief, Batman drove over 200 miles an hour, Snow White lived in a house with 7 men, Popeye smoked a pipe and had tattoos, Pac Man ran around to digital music while eating pills, that enhanced his performance, and Shaggy and Scooby were mystery solving hippies that always had the munchies, The fault is not mine!!!

"Veteran's Day 2011"

"Missing Man" table setting

Sandi chats with good friends and Air Force Veterans, Cecile & Rob Hoyle

Air Force Veteran Rob Hoyle and his wife Cecile and their family joined us for dinner at the V.I.P. table!

Pictures with daughter Taylor and her friends!

                                                                  Taylor and Dad


We went to Applebee's again this year for the "Veterans eat free" dinner!  It was packed as usual.  Got to visit with and eat with a bunch of my Veteran friends.  I had the House Sirloin and veggies!  Delicious!

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"Tivoli Village"

          Taylor and Sandi went shopping at the new High end shopping center that open earlier this year.  Not sure if they bought anything though!  At least not for me!

"Happy Anniversary"

Sandi, Taylor and I enjoyed dinner lastnight at the Restaurant celebrating 15 years of Marriage!  Ah, and they said it couldn't be done!  Happy Anniversary Sandi !  Your loving Husband!  Anniversary Pic's at the City Center!

"It must be in the name" UPDATE

                                                            Me, Gary, Sandi and Taylor

         Last Tuesday, Taylor surprised me and Sandi when she came home from school with the following announcement!  After finally getting used to her class schedule, Taylor notified us that she had been advanced to four out of five (Band doesn't count) accelerated classes, Science, Math, English and Writing, if I remember correctly.  We celebrated by her choosing Raising Cane's for dinner!  She spent nearly three hours at church Saturday working on Achievement day projects.  We are so very proud of her!  Keep up the good work.  Can't wait to do that Trumpet duet and have your "New" uncle Gary sit in on the Drums?  We met Gary and a good friend for dinner at P.F. Chang's and then went to the Cheese Cake factory afterwards.  We hadn't seen Gary in 13 years.   Gary is one of Sandi's first Bosses when she was 21 and managed a huge chain  Pizza Company, Peter Piper Pizza.  Gary, a former Bishop in the LDS church would leave books of Mormon on his counters at the store.  Gary, and Stan Neilson were partners and when Stan started the chain if Las Vegas, he called Sandi to transfer to Las Vegas and help run his largest store.  Stan would tease Sandi about meeting a nice LDS man and get married.  Sandi told Stan one day that if God wanted her to meet and marry a good LDS man, that he would walk right through the front doors of the Pizza Store.  Not only did we meet at Pistol Pete's Pizza, using the intercom system to call guests to pick up there orders, and in front of about 300 Pizza goers I asked Sandi to marry me, followed by a large standing ovation and cheers.  (Startled the heck out of me).  Gary baptized Sandi when she was 22 years old.

This looks good! The Joseph Smith Story!

I think we are going to go see this, it looks good, the trailors were well done.

Bye Bye Tony, (I hope)

        I have been telling my wife for five years now, Tony Romo is super overrated.  Man am I going to get it if she see's this post!  yipes!!!

It must be the name "Lane"

                                                                                    
               We received Taylor's first progress report this week.  We are so proud of her!  On top of Piano concerts, Trumpet Band and other school activities she is still an Academic master!   Although we took school pictures I managed to get this one off her school ID card.  We pondered all year as to send Taylor to "Middle School", a term some Left Wing nut job came up with no doubt.  A real esteem enhancer!  Yeah, my student is going to Middle School next year!  What is Middle School?  Somewhere between where I think I've been and where I hope I'm going?  Yeah right!  So we researched the differences.  Apparently "Middle School" is more of the Touchy-Feely atmosphere and we wanted Taylor to go to an Academic School. We were encouraged to send her to a Jr. High School as she Tested in the top percentage of Clark County Students over all.  I have had to help her in her Math classes as Sandi the normal Math standout in the Family works several nights a week at the Restaurant so I get to fill in, it's like working on the MBA all over again sometimes as I have spent hours researching how to do Six Grade Math.  No I'm not smarter than a Six Grader!  Open house was a blast this year!  I was chosen to be a Campus WatchDog!  Should be fun!  Were looking forward to Taylor's Band concerts and other achievements.  For security reasons we have hidden some of the information.  She is still getting used to the extra Security around her!  Note the Teachers comments!    We are so proud!  I'm still hoping she chooses BYU for College and Graduate school.

"Monday Night Football"

           I went out and bought dinner for the Dallas/Washington game this Monday night!  Taylor and Sandi put on their Dallas Jerseys and we made homemade Sub sandwiches!
It went down to the wire with Sandi getting harassed on Facebook but came out the winner!  It was a fun family home evening!

"Old Pic's on FB"

                    I got a hold of a really awesome slide, negative machine and have been transferring images into digital and now have finally started an "Old pic's  Album on my Facebook page.  It's in the infancy stage but is coming along well.  I've decided to add all old memories and past relationships, events and  girlfriends and other events.  Be patient!  I may just close my FB page as the site is going downhill fast!

BREAKING NEWS:       Dallas Cowboys football practice was delayed nearly two hours today after a player reported finding an unknown white powdery substance on the practice field. The coach Jason Garrett  immediately suspended practice while police were called to investigate. After a complete analysis experts determined that… the white substance unknown to players was the GOAL LINE. Practice resumed after a special agent decided the team was unlikely to encounter the substance again!

"Pat Tillman/Mike O'Callahan Hoover Dam Bridge"

      We all had time off together today and decided to have family time its been a long hard week for everyone.  I suggested the Hoover Dam Flyover Bridge.  We had gone over it for the first time last month and noticed that you could hike up to the bridge and explore and enjoy the view.  It was fun helping tourists take pictures of their group or groups. My daughter called me the Camera Guy today,  and I over heard my wife telling Taylor that I was the nicest man she has ever known,  how sweet!   It was a totally exciting experience and I recommend it to everyone.  Easy access and it is free for now!  Fun place to take the family unless you have a fear of heights!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2019451887434.2101525.1278014355&l=0bf6c1acc1&type=1

"The Jury is in!"

                    We spent last week picking out and trying instruments for Taylor to play in Band this year!  We spent a few hours at a Ward members home trying the Sax, Clarinet, Trombone, and then finally the Flute.  Taylor decided to go with the Trumpet!  Now I can brush up and do a duet in Church sometime?

Labor Day Weekend

The Girls fishing at Lake Navajo!

Taylor caught the only fish of the day, a "Minnow" 

                                                                             Taylor decided she wanted to work on her homework while waiting for the fish to bite!  No such luck!

                          We decided last minute to head up to the Utah property and meet Richard and Lori there.  We loaded up the much bragged about Durango and decided to include a battery charger and jumper cables as my sixth sense told me that the Battery was on its way to the deep six.  As I locked up the house and joined the girls for a word of prayer before going I attempted to start up the SUV and the battery decided to  take a dump right then.  We quickly transferred all the supplies into the new car of which might get 39 MPG highway but I dreaded driving it on the dirt roads to the property and to Navajo Lake.  Never the less we headed out.  It was so nice listening to Sirius radio, no fuzzy channels or finding something to listen to.  Presto, push a button and music galore.  We made it up in time to head into Cedar city for dinner at Cafe' Rio in north Cedar.  Ah, delicious.  I ate a burrito the size of a small Buffalo and bought dinner for everyone else.  We sat outside and enjoyed the cool weather, until Richard started on the Political subjects and we decided it was time to go.  The AC was loud all night and it went on and off a lot.  So we froze for awhile and was hot for awhile.  Richard brought all nine of his dogs up in his special camper and bedded them in the Garage, one in his truck cab and the little girl that was pregnant in with us.  The night flew by, I had to get up my usual two to three times so  sleep wasn't very good.  Monday morning we headed into Cedar to IHOP where we decided to eat a burly breakfast before heading up to Navajo Lake.  With the Shooting at the Carson City IHOP yesterday no one questions why take protective measures 24/7.  We headed up to Navajo lake, a 26 mile drive.  Richard and Lori had to jam back up to the Starbucks for a quick coffee and met us there at the lake.
What a beautiful drive up to the lake. When we got there is was fuller than I have ever seen it.  People were leaving. Stupid me forgot to take even a long sleeve shirt let alone a jacket.  But Vegas was 105 degrees when we left and at 10:00 PM at night it's still 100 outside.  What was I thinking.  Even the night before we sat around a beautiful fire and looked at the stars.  It was nice, cool and soft outside.  It started to sprinkle a few times at the lake and boy was it cold.  Everyone left shortly after we arrived without even a bite or nibble.  After three hours of watching everyone come and go we too packed it in.  Not a nibble!  Dang!  But as they say, even a bad day of Fishing is better than a good day at work.  It was just nice to get away.  We drove back without stopping all weekend at Pizza Factory (Closed Sunday night).  We unpacked and were too tired to even do a Jacuzzi.   It was get ready for Work and School, make sure the battery was charged enough to go get another one (completed today) and take care of the daily business.   I finished a load of Laundry but was too tired to do anymore.  I Prefer doing it and doing it right!  We didn't have the usual long weekend that we often like to take, but we have missed church a lot with all the traveling this summer and going to Mom's ward some, so we decided to go this Sunday.  Good thing as we have the opportunity to get General Conference tickets.  Can't wait! 

Welcome to Facebook

               The place where people add you as a friend, but walk past you on the street, where marriages and relationships are perfect, Affairs are started and liars believe they are telling the truth!  Your enemys visit your profile the most, yet your relatives and family block you! Where those who loved you the most, you were the happiest with, gave you the most happiness, guided you through the hardest and toughest times in your life, gave you the most, changed your life for the better, are forgotten.  Although you write what you are really thinking someone always takes it the wrong way, and people think your status is about them... Your High school and College "Best Friends" ignor your friends requests, so you can't see what failures they have really turned out to be and ignor your "Friends" requests or Messages, and your ex-girlfriend/fiances'-boyfriends/lovers or the "Love's of your life" are never mentioned, acknowledge, or included in your photo albums lest your son's/daughters/husbands/wife's dare start asking questions, why you didn't Marry the guy/girl who is more Beautiful/Handsome than their Mom/Dad and is more successful/happier than they are, but pictures of people they had bad Marriages, got divorced to,  or had bad  relationships with are always included, but captioned carefully as to not reveal the truth of that relationship. A place where "Security" is the excuse why they don't open their "Wall" or "Info" or "Photo" pages to everyone, but to ensure their own insecuritys and failures.  Facebook is a place where all your high school ex's new boyfriends will post on the same threads 20/30/40 years later, post to you directly but never send you a "Friends" request!  A place where only the best and most interesting and carefully picked photos are placed.  A place where "Never" new "friends" are made, long time grudges settled, bad relationships mended, or old friendship/relationships gone bad, healed. 
What a social network!!!   Welcome to "Facebook"

Little Child

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHZ79InLGRY&feature=related

First Day of Jr. High School

Taylor started Jr. High School this year! Wow, where does the time go? She will be taking a full load and the school is only a short distance from our home. An accomplished Pianist, Taylor is thinking about taking Trumpet in School Band. I dug out my old Old's Trumpet that was manufactured in 1959, before they rubber stamped them in a factory. I showed her how to blow the horn with the mouthpiece and then played a few old favorite "Herb Alpert and the TJ Brass songs, Reveille, and Taps. Puppy sang along and Jo Jo looked confused. Even Sandi was impressed and that's hard to do! Sandi didn't play in Band but was an All State girls Basketball player in California... We are going to let her try a flute and clarinet before we purchase an instrument. She is completely new at the school as she has been going to a Variance school in Elementary where she was a consistent "A" student.

It won't take long for her to make friends as she has that same Kinetic personality that her mother has. It's cool watching her take interest in so many things. We just don't want her to grow up too fast. It's particularly hard for me as everyday is precious to me now.

Can't wait to see her perform in concert!

I remember how much I enjoyed Jr. High and High school. We hope the same for her!

NFL Cardinal's Game/ Arizona Trip

Bighorn Sheep park.

One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready and four to go!

Taylor at the Bighorn Sheep park, clowning!

Endzone View of the Touchdown at the Cardinal's game!

Beautiful Rainbow on the way where we encountered a huge thunder and lighting storm for two hours.

"Big Surf"

Well we went to Phoenix last weekend to see the Cardinal's game, unfortunately we had already bought the tickets weeks earlier and then found out my QB cousin, Max Hall was put on the injured reserve waivers two days before the game. It was an exciting trip, the first time I have actually driven over the new Hoover Dam By-pass. It was uneventful as we were literally over it before we realized we were. It's only a few football fields across and at 65 or 70 MPH shazaam, your over it! We will stop down sometime soon and actually walk across, if possible, and gets some good pictures. On the way we got a great shot of a rainbow, The Arizonan's must have pissed off oBummer big time, the roads were horrible. It was nice finally taking a longer trip in our already one year old new car next month. It drove like a Mercedes and used less than a tank of gas down and back. Richard and Lori met us at the Cardinal's game, it was exciting to see the new stadium. I've become more of a Dallas Cowboys fan ( Sandi's favorite team) but still deep down inside follow the Oakland Raider's. We went to the "Big Surf" park in Tempe and at best calculations I hadn't been there since right after Desert Storm in 1992. It was weird, it was like going into Disneyland and the only thing you recognize is the Matterhorn. After about an hour in the wave pool I asked a few people that had been there for awhile if it was the same. They all told me that except for the wave pool itself, the entire park, was redesigned. (I took the straight jacket back to the car! Whew!) Never the less, we enjoyed the park all day, ate and snacked. Climbing up the rides wore me out in the first few hours. Do to my recent bane, I'm only at about 85% at any given time. I enjoyed the wave pool a lot. The Girl's just ran all over the park. Taylor and Sandi both are endless energy. Afterwards we went back to Sandi's mom's before the game and ate a delicious BBQ dinner. Sunday morning we followed Sandi and her mom over to Sandi's sisters house, where they had recently moved from Pioria. After about 20 miles I had T-Bug text her mom to see if we were still in Arizona. There new home was nice, small but nice and out there with the Coyote's and wild pigs and spiders et.al; but nice just the same. The ride back was nice, the girls listened to the Sirius channel that does the open reading. They read the Book "The Help" of which both have read and seen the movie. (not me) I don't do TV. I'm on the PC Most of the time, Plus I just bought a new Killer Laptop. I'm having to get new software and hardware, extra Data sticks, etc., I have been in undated with "Friends" requests on Facebook but have had to be picky. Sandi is on too but not often. I do most of the Social Networking. Lot's of fun. We stopped at the Big Horn Sheep park on the way home in Boulder City, hoping the sheep would be there (and a restroom) and they were both there! We got home and ate dinner, unloaded and did a Jacuzzi before retiring for the weekend. I took a few pic's but not many. I'm seemingly always conserving my energy. The 110 degree heat is kicking my behind. Well I had a few moments to write about this quick trip I'll catch up with everything else this weekend. Hopefully Richard and Lori will meet us up at the Property in New Harmony this weekend. Were going to hit the St. George Temple and a few other places like Sandi's favorite "Pizza Factory" on Main st. May or may not go fishing. Looking forward to a long weekend. Since they got a lot of rain I'll have to take the Durango. I wanted to pick up a new SUV but Sandi loves her Durango (even though she never drives it anymore, spoiled!!!)

More pics and entrys on the way soon! Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Relaxing Saturday!

Taylor is warning me to not get too close or else, splash!, I'm going in too, camera and all!

Chillin' on the raft!

Taylor and Daphine playing in the pool!

Sandi Multi-tasking!

Friday night, we went out with Cecile, Rob and Mihrena and her little sister to see, the Rise of the Planet of the apes. Saturday, Taylor's Friend Daphine came over for the whole day and played and swam, enjoyed Pizza and enjoyed each others company. Daphanie and Mihrena will be going to Middle schools this next year, Taylor will be attending Jr. High School so they keep in touch with each other on their cell phones, calling, texting and sharing photo's. It was a fun relaxing day. I finally figured out how to keep the pool clean from algae this summer. Finally!

4th of July 2011

This year we went to Steve's house. It was a quiet night. We didn't buy any firecrackers this year. Steve had purchased a bunch and we enjoyed the evening. It just didn't seem the same without Lauren there. We were leaving for Vail in a week so we enjoyed BBQ, fireworks and family!