The holidays just aren't the same without a little John Williams...

Mission memories & hopeful holidays...

Sister-in-law spoke in church today, reminding at least one author of this blog of a few similar mission stories.

I equate Rose's story somewhat with Jose's story - my first baptism from a part-member family referral.  Jose, years later, was married and sealed and found to be employed as a security guard for one of the most important buildings in Merida.

I also reminisced in dealing with one of my last companions, who was not a very rule-abiding missionary.  So much that we missed a whole zone conference in just riding busses back and forth for a few hours to change my companion's pants - since khakis were not allowed as a mission rule (they made us look more like vacationing tourists, and not a serious business-like image).

Visiting friends and family and eating yummy food this Thanksgiving was a real treat.  Seeing relatives we hadn't seen for quite some time, and playing games was particularly eventful (Mom & Aunt L).  We hope Grandpa gets to feeling better, and look forward to a fun Christmas re-visit.

iCON, Star Wars Reads Day, and Halloween, oh my!

Friday & Saturday we took time off work to enjoy some board game playing with each other and with the friends we made at iCON over the past few years.

We got to play a new game called Splendor - a jewelry themed strategy game where you pick up diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, or topazes to buy mines and refineries to win and impress high class nobles.

About mid-day Saturday, Russ went to Star Wars Reads Day at Barnes & Noble to participate and assist the 501st again.  Vader got to borrow his Lightsaber.  Not surprisingly, Russ came home with a Vader sippie cup, as drinks were on the house for those in costume.

All Vaders on deck!

Even big Fanboys get their foto op!

Halloween is fast approaching.  Time to put the last minute touches onto this year's newest costume.

Yes, THAT time of year, it is again...

 

 and brought a friend, i have...

How to beat the heat this weekend...

see?  last year it was boarded up too!

Step 1 - dig out your old 5000 btu AC unit from 7-8 years ago.
Step 2 - demolish your bedroom window.  It was all boarded up anyways after the last remodeling project for the master bath.

Step 3 - buy power tools for said demolishing.  Ugh, argh.  Power tools!  Uargh.
Step 4 - discover hidden stash of particle board presswood in garage from leftover home projects.
Step 5 - clip coupons to purchase other tools that may be handy during another project.
Step 6 - purchase overabundance of 2x4s from local lumber yard.  More money spent, more do stuff.  That's the power of making a man feel like he's got it all together worked out in his head. 
Step 7 - Measure 16 times, cut 4 times.  Trim it if it still doesn't fit.  Whack it with a hammer if it still doesn't fit.  Use up all the spare nails just to get it in place.  Hey, functionality is king.
Step 8 - board up the biggest holes, stuff in plastic shopping bags for temporary weather stripping and to keep the bugs out.  Call it a night.  Find the remote control after leaving it on for 3 hours, only to realize that the battery is now dead and the temperature can't change.
Step 9 - turn on the fans and suffer 2 more nights of humidity until you can get a replacement battery on monday.

And, lastly have a sense of humor.  If you can't laugh at your own incompetence, how are you gonna laugh at a sitcom?

Chillaxing...

Ahh, its that time of year again.  When the stress of work melts away, the summer temperature rises, virgin swamp water is made to quench the thirst, and these two kids head off into the sunset to get wet and wild at the closest theme park only our budget can afford!

ITS laGOon TIME!

Tips for next year:
1 - make sure the car is tuned up before travelling lengthy distances
2 - make sure Temple recommends are up to date before arriving at the temple, and go on a day that is less chaotic than a weekend with all the sealings happening over summer breaks.
3 - pack plenty of favorite hydration methods, including Aloe water!
4 - make sure Russ has an appropriate length and comfortable white dress shirt to wear for Sunday with the heat in mind.
5 - potentially melty candy always gets left in the travel cooler, thus avoiding sticky messes elsewhere.

one of Russ's new favorite fruity drinks

6 - food on the go should never go. Icecream on a stick is also considered this topic.
7 - always take advantage of the local flavor
8 - although the camelbacks were a great idea, most ride attendants told us NO BACKPACKS ALLOWED!  We ended up renting a locker to put our stuff in, and buying cold drinks anyways.
9 - exploring & going to some of the exhibits earlier in the day proved a cooling factor.
10 - Naps are always nice, essential in the heat.  Take a siesta.

Sarah found a stuffed TAMA!

11 - bring along stronger cloth/plastic re-usable shopping bags to pack wet clothing, instead of the normal plastic variety that can tear

2 drowned mice

12 - the best souvenirs are memories, pics, suntans or blisters, and maybe the occasional water bottle or keychain.  Unless a collector's item is involved.
13 - camping and season passes might be worth investigating for stricter budgets.
14 - tether all loose articles on any velocity rides.  Consider leaving any valuable items with a trusted non-participant or in a locker.
15 - sunblock is ALWAYS necessary, except in one's eyes.  Ow, ow, ow!
16 - road trip music is a must, as well as a soundtrack to any summer activity like swimming!

Last of all but certainly not least - take a vacation, after the vacation!

Happy Father's day!

Just HAD to get this, Sarah did.

Legacy in a lesson

Had an inspiration during a Sunday school lesson today.

Words I want to be remembered or described as:

Epic, comedic, playful, youthful, hardworking, imaginative, loving, outdoorsy.

Star Wars AND Bob Newhart???

Whoah.  Mind.  Blown....

the-big-bang-theory kunal-on-the-star-wars-episode (preview)

full episode: the-big-bang-theory the-proton-transmogrification

Happy Mom's day...

Well, my mom taught me about talking animals, wizards, & closets, the elves who made the rings, and a huge peach.  Dad was the one who showed me how to use a whip to cross a trap pit and all about the force!

Good thing I married a nerd too!

Happy Mom's day, to all moms out there.

Especially, my mommy!

This virtual tee-shirt I got on X-box says it all...

May the 4th be with you!

Interesting sunday talk...

Remember the conference talk from Dallin H. Oaks on "Good, better, best"?

Well, we heard a new one today on that line from a high councilor, that his kids or grandkids have a new scale to measure things: Good, Better, Best, Awesome, and Epic!

Yeah, I think I know where that came from.  (I think I like it too!)

Kind of reminds me that if I'm not doing awesomely epic things, then I may just be wasting time.  Something to ponder.

Star Wars X-wing event @ Gameopolis

So a good friend of ours - Marc - invited us over to play a session of a tabletop strategy game that Russ started collecting, after he had seen it demonstrated at ICON over a year ago.  Russ, of course, dressed the part of the X-wing pilot.  Along with 4 other gamesters, we played a 50 point 4-on-3 team skirmish, it was the Rebels vs the Empire.  Luke Skywalker and an unnamed A-wing pilot got destroyed almost immediately by Darth Vader and his two TIE-wing cohort escorts.  Mark and Russ came back as a Y-wing hotshot and a rookie A-wing pilot to defend their B-wing compatriot.  Unfortunately, the Imperials won in the end, but not before Russ avenged Luke with his Ion cannon on Darth Vader.

Maybe next time we play, Russ will wear his TIE-fighter shadowtrooper suit!

Plus a Star Wars joke:
Did ya hear?  After Padme's death, Lord Vader remarried a girl named Ellie.  But that relationship was a real up-and-down one.
     - not mine but I wish I had come up with it

Hoppy Eastah...

Hooooooohh... purrrrrrrr...

Yup... those are Carrot cake M&M's!

Post-game-day brain mush

After 48 hours of almost non-stop gaming, the mental faculties get to a point where the mind has taken the place of a bowl of oatmeal.  Or perhaps in this instance, re-constituted potato-pearls.

To her credit, Sarah did make up a song on the second day of Icon.

(To the tune of "Let's go fly a kite!" made popular in Mary Poppins and Saving Mr. Banks.)

Let's go play a game
one that won't tax my brain.
Let's go play a game
that's not so boring -
One that is lots of fun
enjoyed by everyone.
Oh let's go play a game!

It's that time of year again...

Everybody polish your dice now!
Everybody game!  Ahhhhh...

We've been waiting so long
Just can't hold it back no more
Tumbling our dice now
It's time for me to let them roll!
If you really wanna see
What we can roll for you now
Roll those 20's and those 6's
Crit hit! Ahhh!

Game on, cause we got tickets!
Come on, now everybody
We're going to ICON, oh yeah!

Game on, cause we got tickets!
Come on, now everybody
We're going to ICON, oh yeah!

We're going to ICON, again!

We're going to ICON, again!

Well I gotta play in that tourney

Gotta play that new released game

Gotta teach someone how to play this
And play in the midnight Werewolf game
Almost done with all my achievements
Then I'm in for that new game drawing
What I wanna do is play this card game
or maybe barter for that new huge board game, oh!

If you really wanna see
What we can roll for you now
Roll those 20's and those 6's
Crit hit! Ahhh!

Game on, cause we got tickets!
Come on, now everybody
We're going to ICON, oh yeah!

Game on, cause we got tickets!

Come on, now everybody

We're going to ICON, oh yeah!

We're going to ICON, again!

We're going to ICON, again!

We've been waiting so long
Just can't hold it back no more (Just can't hold them back no more!)
Tumbling our dice now
It's time for me to let them roll!

It's time for me to let them roll!

Everybody tumble your dice now!
Everybody game!

Everybody tumble your dice now!
Everybody game!

Everybody... Game on, cause we got tickets!
tumble your dice now! Come on, now everybody
Everybody game! We're going to ICON, oh yeah!

Everybody... Game on, cause we got tickets!

tumble your dice now! Come on, now everybody
Everybody game! We're going to ICON, oh yeah!

We're going to ICON!

Fluffy Snow... at the end of March!

I know... this is Idaho.... but I couldn't resist posting this...

Turn your volume up for the last 15 seconds...

This is the Spring for home improvement projects...

Since our foodstores were quite adequate for the next few weeks, we decided that our grocery budget could afford a bit of a house makeover.  Over the last few months we have been compiling a list of things we want to change and fix up around the house and categorizing them into small, medium, and larger projects.  For example, a few of the smaller projects include putting non-slip rubber strips in the tubs, replacing our rare-earth metal magnetized curtains with actual hanging curtains that match some of the other deco around the house, and replacing a broken outside dryer vent.  And get some frames for our family photos.

Since our budget could afford it, we decided to do several of the smaller household projects.  While Sarah was at work yesterday, Russ spent some time hemming up and replacing the front door and kitchen curtains.

After work, we went over to a friend's house and spent some fun times playing one of our favorite past-time games of fantasy role-play.  Had a great supper of pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage, and lots of fruit and cream-filled puffs for dessert.  Despite stuffing ourselves, we had lots of leftovers!  All in all, a great end to a great day!

Worst. Refund. Ever.

I'm glad our taxes are done for last year.  Finally.

But I'm a bit disappointed.  I've been using an online tax filer for a few years now that claims to "find your biggest refund".  I also thought we'd qualify for a break because of buying our new home.  But to no avail.

Maybe its this Obama admin that's spending so much of our hard-earned money and not letting us keep it.  I don't know who or what to blame.  Maybe I'm just ranting.

Let me know if you've seen a similar trend in your taxes this year, or if you have another better suggestion for online filing.

Happy Saint Paddys Day!

Here's your obligatory ShamRock... er.

May all your drops be green!

@ the last minute... Reuse, Recycle, Re-invent!

The wife (like most of us) began to prepare her Primary Sharing time lesson the night before her presentation.  Little did she know that she would need 3 volunteers to portray characters from the past in proclaiming their testimony of the resurrection and visitation of Jesus.

Much to the chagrin of her hubby, he valiantly volunteered to be a robed Nephite, donning on his jedi robe and the bamboo staff from prior costumes (along with a wild-colored necktie for a headband), which were again re-used and re-invented into a new character... Jacob the Nephite!  She, herself, chose to be Mary Magdalene using lace for a head-scarf, a newly acquired dress from D-I, and an off-white long sleeve shirt as a belt and sash.  She also managed to coerce our home teacher to play the part of "doubting" apostle Thomas who used a spare bedsheet for a robe.

Scriptures were shared, ad-libbing commenced, and the kids were impressed.  I think the spirit was there too.

Ahh, the stuff we enjoy doing for our geeky-ness!

"Winter" 2014 Rexburg Fan Faire

Yes.  It snowed.  Again.

Took off to BYU-Idaho to attend the "Winter" semester 2014 Fan Faire.  A little slick on the roads, but survivable.  Geeks & Nerds unite!

The 501st Legion was invited to dress up in costume, and we had a pretty good turnout of supporters.  Lots of students and other faculty came dressed as well.  There was Geeky Trivia, retro-videos, contests, games, raffle drawings, and lots and lots of pictures to be taken.  A good time had by all participants.

Here's a few snapshots I managed to get.  Waiting for more, hopefully from the host at http://www.theclosetgeek.net