Finally

I now have a desk in my office. It is the wrong one, but I am going to live with it, because it looks ok. I got everything umpacked (will work on organizing later) and it looks nice to be pretty much moved in. Everyone is wanting to move in, but the computer and phone jacks are not even wired, let alone half the cubicles are not done. I just keep telling people no, but I think they don't care, as I am see more and more stuff appear over here. All that is left in my old office is a chair, a couple of computers and my old desk, which I am missing very much. (I wish it fit in my new office, oh well)

Hello from Mesa!

Hello...we are having a fun time down here at Dad's house. We have had a big group visiting (well, I guess we are really the big group, but...), my brothers Mike and Bryan have been here everyday with their wives Erin and Dena, and of course, my little buddy, Ashton. We have been having a ton of fun playing games and being entertained by the girls.

Yesterday, we had a big birthday party for Anje...she just turned 4 on Dec. 23rd. Anissa filled the whole living room with balloons and the girls and Ashton had a great time playing in them. We got some great pictures. Later, Uncle Mike and Aunt Erin took Taylor and Anje for a big surprise...they got to go to Build-A-Bear. The girls got to stuff and accessorize their own stuffed animals. They both picked out the very same orange tabby kitten to stuff without knowing about the other. That was pretty interesting! They are the cutest things. They had fun doing it too!

Today is Christmas Too! We are going to open up presents as soon as everyone arrives. There are almost as many presents as Christmas the original! If that is possible...

On a sadder note, both Shaylie and I and Anissa are sick now. The germs must have been running rampant in the car on the way down here! I am feeling pretty miserable but I think I have finally got the right medicine after three different trips to the drug store. (Sorry Scott!) Hopefully, we will all be feeling better soon and won't end up infecting all of Arizona while we are here.

We miss Scott terribly! It's going to be the first New Years' that we have ever been apart (that's over 10 years worth!) Somehow, I ended up telling the story last night of how Scott and I met, the whole dating story, and it made me very homesick and nostalgic for my sweetie.

But, we will have the camera going that night so we can check in with each other. I don't know if it will be on all night but definitely at midnight, so we can say Happy New Years!

Well, I am just checking in....We'll let you know how things are going in another day or two. Love you all! Tonya, Shay and Tay...

Rainy Day

It rained all day today here in St. George. It was kind of appropriate since it felt like a dreary day at work. First, they couldn't bring my desk so I still have computers on the floor. Next, I saw that since State ITS removed IPX that day, my server couldn't see any other servers, so we will see how it works on Monday. Also, we are now moving on the second, and Howard expects us to be ready to work on the 3rd. If everything works, I deserve a medal (and a lot of money)

Tonya is in Mesa with the family. Shaylie is under the weather, which can't be fun. Well, I hope this will be the last New Year's that I spend away from my family.

Tonya's Gone...

Tonya, Taylor, and Shaylie left for New Year's down in Mesa. It is going to be a very quiet time at the house, if I am ever there. I am so busy at work that I might not be home enough to see anyone anyway.

In other news, the movers are not moving any furnishings in until after the cubicles are build, so I am still without my desk, hopefully they will be done soon.

Ready to go...

Don't worry Rose! I got the car's oil and tires checked yesterday...everything was AOK. I even went to the doctor and got my eyes checked...(Just call me four-eyes)...new glasses were ready in about an hour...Now, we are just getting packed and ready to head out...

Scott may have a car while we are gone. I am going to see if Anissa wants to leave her car here for Scott to use. She and Chad & Krissy are driving down with us in their car so she won't need hers...I don't think...

We are excited to see everyone down south. It's going to be fun...we'll see you all online! Bye.

Merry Christmas...

Well, Christmas is over! What a great day! Everybody got more than they wished for...Santa brought Taylor a Barbie Sing-with-me Karaoke Machine with lots of Britany and Backstreet Boys music and some great new stuff to fix her bicycle....Shaylie got a Magic Learning Screen Activity Center, it's a mini-computer that does it all, just like Daddy's and a new Ride-on Bike. She loves them.

Besides Santa, everyone else spoiled the girls too...we had card games, blocks, dolls, video and music tapes, coloring books and crayons, see and says, shape sorters, music makers, markers, lots of ballerina stuff, puppies, barbies, and computer games, not to mention clothes, socks, underwear and jammies (thanks to Grmama J.)

Scott and I were spoiled as well. He loves his Backyard Baseball game & his new computer, and I love my new Kitchen Table/Chairs and I will love my new digital camera when it comes. I hope I get it before I leave for Mesa tomorrow....but if not, I will have a great New Years' present when I get home.

We were so happy to have Rose here this year. We love spending time with her and we were very sad to see her leave this morning. There were more than a few tears shed when she left. She got a Massaging/Heating chair pad, and a gold heart/rose pendant and a terry robe. Taylor also picked out some soaps and lotions for her. It wasn't much, but I hope she enjoys it. Mostly, we just love spending time with her! Thanks Grmama J.

Now we are busy getting ready to leave for Mesa tomorrow. We are celebrating Christmas Two at dad's as well as Anje's birthday as well as New Year's Eve. It will just be one never ending party! I can't wait. Dad says the food is all zero points while I'm there too, so that will be nice.

We had a blast seeing and talking to everyone on the internet yesterday! I can't believe the technology these days....plus it will only be getting better and better! What a hoot!

Well, Merry Christmas to everyone! Hope your holidays were exceptional...and your New Year starts with a bang! See you in Mesa...We will be online this year (since Scott is going to be alone in Saint George, he can tune in and join us "virtually")....Bye.

Got my new server running!

My new server is now working!!!! Through much hard work and a lot of praying, it came up and everything worked. I had a few hiccups, but everything appears to be running well now. We will see Wednesday.

Christmas Eve went very well, I got the socks I needed. Taylor got me a great baseball game for my computer, and Tonya got me a watch that doubles as the TV Remote Control. Now I will not have to search for remote when I come home. I will let everyone else write what they got when they come to the site.

Christmas Picture

We took Taylor and Shaylie to the mall today to see Santa and here is the picture we got:

The second after the picture, Shaylie got a HUGE smile on her face, so that was kind of sad, but the look on Santa's face is awesome.

Darwin Award Nominee

We were driving home from seeing Santa at the Mall and Taylor saw a guy sitting on his bike on the roof of his house. We pulled around the corner to see what was going on. He was going to jump off the roof of his house! He had several false alarms and was taking so long that we thought that he must have figured out how stupid this stunt was. He then finally went and got to the ground, but the grass was wet and he wiped out onto the sidewalk. He got up all mad and threw the bike. We left after watching and drove through the new subdivision. Taylor looked back and said "He's back on the roof with his bike again!" We looked back, and there he was, shaking his arm as though it was hurt.

This is some of the great entertainment that we have here to offer here in Saint George, and I am glad grandma was here to see it. :-)

Grandma is here!!!!

My mom made it here at about 1:15 today. I took her around town to show her my new building and new office. We went out to dinner at Applebee's and then went out to Tuachan and saw the live nativity and lights.

Unfortunately, I am now at work updating a file server so that I can have it ready for work Monday morning.

It works!

It works Scott! I love you.

Grandma is coming!!

Tomorrow Grandma J is coming to visit us for Christmas! Taylor is really excited! We have been watching the weather and were worried about a storm today, but the weatherman says that it is weaking and shouldn't cause any problems.

Almost completely moved to my new office, however, my new desk isn't available until the 27th, so I will have to put my computer on the floor for now. That is ok, brand new carpet!!! I love my new office, even if it is smaller.

Tonya made some treats for my co-workers, I really appreciate her for that.

My camera is still in my old office, not exactly sure when I will get that moved.

Today I start

My new office is almost finished, so tonight I am starting to move stuff over. I hope I can get my neighbor to help! It will be nice to get into the new office, even though it is smaller than my current office. Hopefully it will only take me a couple of days to move. In other news, I am just about done with the setup for the first move to the new building, unfortunately, someone already messed up their computer. I am starting working on the new file server for my building, should hopefully have that done sometime next week.

I am pretty sure that I will not be able to leave for New Year's. Believe me, there is nothing I would rather do than go to Mesa and relax, but as it stands, I am already too far behind to even think about getting out of here.

Winter Wonderland

Well, It happens once evey three years, and our three years were up, so of course, it is snowing down here in Sunny St. George. We have about a half-inch on the ground and it is still coming down. As I was driving in this morning, I did notice blue sky so the storm will probably be ending soon. Hopefully our new palm trees in front of the DWS Building make it. The last time we had this much snow down here, they cancelled school, good thing this happened on a Saturday!!!!

Chad's Birthday Party!

I wanted to thank Chad and Krissy for inviting us to Chad's party last night! We had a fun time. Chad turned 24 and he had all his friends over to help him celebrate. We got to eat birthday cake and pizza, and visit Aunt Anissa's and Anje's new apartment. It's fun to have some of my family so close. The girls had fun playing together...and even though I missed the end of the Amazing Race, I was glad we could celebrate with them.

Chad and Krissy are leaving on Saturday for their Honeymoon in California. He will be dropping off their computer on the way down so Scott can do a rehaul...it's part of his birthday present. Happy Birthday Chad! And Happy Honeymoon, too! Love you both...

Shaylie's Hand...

I guess Grmama J missed the story about Shay's hand. I posted it on Dec. 3rd so you could go to the archives and look it up, but it is easier to just tell you again.

Shaylie grabbed my curling iron while it was hot. I heard her rattling around in my bathroom and was on my way in to shoo her out when she started screaming. When I got there, I grabbed her up and ran her hand under cold water for a few minutes...but I could tell it wasn't helping. We took her down to the InstaCare on River Road and they hurried us in (because poor Shaylie was screaming so badly, I'm sure). They put some cream that seemed to relieve the pain and wrapped her little hand just like a mitten. They also gave her some pain killer and gave me a prescription for Tylenol with Codeine. She had a big bandage on her hand for a few days, even though she hated it and was trying to get it off almost every second.

Her hand is almost completely healed now, but it is still very red. I'm afraid it will be scarred for quite some time. I was just glad that she is too little to really remember the pain. I'm sure we'll be telling her the story for some time though too. I've learned my lesson too. My curling iron is hanging securely on the wall where, even if I forget to turn it off (which I don't), Shaylie can't pull it down anymore.

So that's that. Today is a very gray and gloomy day. It was sprinkling a little rain earlier, and they say that it may turn to snow later this evening. That would be fun. It won't stay around long though. The only good thing about the winter weather is that it really does make it feel more like Christmas! Only 11 days and counting....Can't wait.

Fall is in the air

Yesterday was the first day that leaves were falling from the trees en masse. It was pretty fun to run through all the leaves as I was walking home. People had their lawnmowers out mulching leaves and getting that last mow of the lawn in. The winter storms are here also, we had a couple of rain showers in the past week. All these signs point to one inescapable fact, Spring is only a month or so away!

Now, I'm really all done...

I was done shopping a few days ago, but the packages just arrived in the mail yesterday. So I got everything wrapped and under the tree just waiting to be opened by their rightful owners. You know, I get so excited at Christmas time giving gifts to all the people that I love that I don't even think about gifts for myself. Luckily, I have people who love me too! I know I frustrate them because I don't give out ideas, but Scott has some good ideas about what I like and some I didn't know I wanted too...like the great kitchen table and chairs that I had to approve of before he would even think about buying it. Whatever I get, I will be happy. I just love to be with my family and see their faces as they open their gifts. It is so much fun! I can't wait....

Anyway, Shaylie is still struggling with this cold....her cough is getting pretty bad and she always has a runny nose. I tried to call the doctor today to get her an appointment but no one answered the phone...isn't that weird? I'll try again tomorrow. Hopefully, someone will actually be there.

Taylor is still doing really well in school. Every day she brings home the work she does and we hang it on the fridge. The previous days work goes in the box in the cupboard. We have been talking about how important it is to do her BEST work, so she has been hanging the things she thinks are the best on the fridge too. It is fun to see her enjoying school so much. I hope she always does.

One last little note, Shaylie's latest word is Thank You. It sounds more like Ank Oooo when she says it but it is so cute. Whenever we hand her something that she wanted, she says it. I get a big kick out of it everytime! Her other words are Mommy (of course), Daddy, Hi, Bye, Thank You and I think she is saying Please sometimes but it's hard to tell. I'm sure she has other words that I just haven't picked up yet since she is always talking, but time will tell. She sure is cute, I just wish she felt better, poor baby.

Well, I've prattled on long enough. Love to everyone. Hope your holidays are going well!

Tonya's done, I'm starting

Tonya may have finished her shopping, but I am just starting. Went around town this weekend seeing what stuff was nice and what she liked (she always knows exactly what she is getting, since I always ask her if she likes it). Took Taylor to my new building and explained to her how computer networks work. I don't know what is scarier, the fact that I was teaching her basic networking, or the fact that she understood what I was saying. She was asking me questions that made me sure that she knew what I was telling her. In the end she told, "It seems like it is really hard to network computers, you must be really smart." I have to agree with her :-)

Shaylie's hand still looks pretty bad, although it doesn't seem to bother her anymore. She was sick this weekend and had the sniffles. She walks around with her toy cell phone saying "Hello", really cute. She still likes to pull out the presents from under the tree, but she is getting better at not doing it.

My new building is completely gutted. They are painting this week and laying carpet next week, so I hope I can start moving stuff over next friday. Looks like Health Department is not moving until the 11th of January, so hopefully no more moves until January 3rd. We'll see.

Shopping is done!

Yea! My Christmas shopping is done, with the minor exception of some last minute items....Scott is very glad. He cringes every time I go out the door, check book in hand! Anyway, it has been fun. I ordered the bulk of it on-line so I have yet to see some things. I'll be glad to have everything wrapped and under the tree!

Sad news though...Scott says that with all the moves and everything, he may not be able to come to Arizona for New Years'...I am very disappointed but still holding on to some hope. Who knows what could happen, right?

Anyway, we are still excited about Grandma J coming. Taylor is counting down the days until Christmas. She is begging me everyday to let her open some presents. But no luck. I'm such a meanie.

Happy Holidays....

Starting to get back to normal

Today is the first day that I am not going to the new building to start off the day. Yesterday I added all the tweaks to my new server and it seems to be running great. I am knocking on wood as I am saying that. Soon I have to start on my new building's server. Fortunately, I have not had any problems at home with my new computer, so that has been nice. It has also been great communicating with everyone on Yahoo, it is fun to talk to people on the computer. Shaylie and Taylor are very excited for Christmas, Shaylie sits at the tree playing with the presents.

We are going to decorate the house this weekend. It is the lastest in the year that I have ever done it.

Phew!!!

I finally got the email working at the new building so now things will slow down a little. No more long hour days. I worked 16 hours a day on Saturday and Sunday and 10-12 hours the rest of the days. The only consolation is that my paycheck should be huge! That will be nice right before Christmas. Felt like I had to reintroduce myself to my family. I still have the training room to set up, but I am going to do that at a more leisurely pace. Still a lot of work to do though....

Yee haw!

I did great at WW this week, but you'll have to visit the forums to find out how great!

We got to see Scott last night at last!! It was so good to have our family together again for a little bit. We had dinner then tucked Scott in about 7 pm. He slept the whole night! Poor guy...he's been working so hard for us!

I also got busy wrapping up some Christmas presents last night after the girls went to bed. Taylor noticed first thing this morning! What a cutie! Bobbie called while I was wrapping and we chatted for a bit...She and Tiff are doing well on WW too! It is good to have a friend to share it with! I just wish Anissa would join with me!

Also, talked with Dad the other night! He has some job interviews this week! I hope everything works out for him. We are excited to visit over the holidays! Both with Dad, and with Rose who is coming for Christmas. Dad wanted to know if we wanted to re-instate Christmas 2 at his house and I said yes! Who wouldn't want to have two christmases? It is a fun tradition! Plus it saves postage! If the other kids say yes then we'll do it!

Hope you are all having a fun holiday season! Get that shopping done! Time is running out!
Love to everyone!

We are here...

Sorry we haven't posted in a while. It's been pretty crazy around here. Scott has been gone a lot with the move to the new building so it's left us a little lonely and busy at home. He has been working long hours trying to get ready for today! He got home after midnight last night and took off before I woke up this morning. I hope everything is going okay! We haven't talked much so I don't know how it's all working out. If you read this Scott, we love you and we miss you! Come home soon!

We had to take Shaylie to the InstaCare on Saturday night! She grabbed my curling iron and burned her hand pretty badly! I ran some cold water over it for a minute then we ran down to the InstaCare. Shaylie was screaming very loudly so they got us in right away. She is fine now, but she does have some BIG blisters on her right hand and fingers. The doctor called us the next morning to see how she was doing, I was glad for that...We just have to watch for infection now, if the blisters break. My poor baby! She'll have a scar on her hand, and I think I'll have one on my heart...

We are trying our best to get ready for the holidays...We are usually the first ones on the street to have our Christmas lights up..in fact I always have to hold Scott off until after Thanksgiving, but this year he has been so busy that we haven't even had a chance. We do have our tree and stockings up, but nothing outside. Hopefully, it will slow down so Scott has a chance to breathe...then I can put him to work. :)

I finally had my shot. It was not fun! But it seems to be helping a little, although now I feel more achy up by my shoulders. (If it's not one thing....) I may need to have up to two more every two weeks if they don't completely relieve the pain. If nothing helps, I may need surgery...but I pray not.

Hope everyone else is doing well...post a note and let us know. LOve you all!

Tomorrow's the big day

Although we have been putting a few things over there already, the big move starts tomorrow. Everything is either going to the new building or to whatever agency begged the most. The nice thing about this move is the fact that I can see the floor again in my office, I was able to move out the 20 or so computers that I have been storing for the past two months. Yesterday was a bad day, but good things so far have been happening, so I am feeling a little better. Still have to get everything to work by Monday which could be the hardest part of the job. Oh well, this paycheck is going to be HUGE! I went over 40 hours for the week thes morning at 9!

Another big thing happens tomorrow, the doctor hopefully fixes Tonya's back. It was supposed to happen Wednesday, but the doctor put us off. She goes in at 4. I hope this helps her and makes her feel better.

Off to setup another thing.....

Hello

Since I am not sure that anyone really reads the FORUMS, which is unfortunate because they are fun, I am going to post my good news here!

I went to my WW meeting today. I met my Thanksgiving goal which was to maintain. I stayed at exactly the same weight as last week....I'd already decided that if I wasn't going to lose weight I at least wouldn't gain any...and it worked. I even got to eat my favorite things so I didn't feel deprived.

Plus, I got to talk to Bob (who got me into this) and share some experiences and ideas. It is nice to have someone to go through this with. If only Anissa would join with me....hint, hint....

Well, better go...baby is calling....love to everyone!

Building almost done

Went over to the new building this morning. The first floor is done and ready to go, however, there is still a little work to be done on the second floor. If I wasn't moving in Friday, I wouldn't be worried, but we are moving in Friday. The cubicles need to be put in and the wiring needs to be finished. The DSL line is not in yet so I can't work on getting the server running over there. It is going to be a very long week.

We're home

We made it back! We unpacked a little, and then I went to work. I was able to get done what I wanted to in about two hours and then spent a little time with my family. It might be the last time this week. I hope not, however.

This is going to be a very busy week.

Winter Wonderland

I woke up this morning to see about 4 inches of snow on the car. with more still coming down. I can't wait to see what Shaylie does in the snow. Hopefully though it will stop soon so that the roads can be cleared so that we can get home easily.

Happy Holidays!!

We had a terrific Thanksgiving! We came to Mom's house on Wednesday night and tried to help her with the Feast preparations but she had done so much already, there wasn't too much to be done! I wrenched my back right before we left St. George, so I wasn't much help anyway!

The food was great and I totally blew my diet, but it was only one day and I had planned for it by saving up some points to splurge. Taylor had a great time visiting with Grmama, cousin Anje, Aunt Krissy and Uncle Chad, Great and Poppa.

We all had a fun time after dinner playing Phase 10, even Scott... then Aunt Krissy introduced us to one of her family's traditions...we all wrote letters to Santa then then we watched the chimney outside as they were burned one by one in the fireplace. If a lot of sparks came out of the chimney then you were a really good girl/boy. The elves then gather the ashes and whisk the letters off to Santa Claus. It was fun!

Today there are a few snow flurries coming down. We are hoping for a full blown storm, since it has been a long time since any of us have seen snow....let alone a snow storm.. We'll keep watching.

Our love to everyone. Hope you all had a terrific holiday!

Here come the Holidays!

Wow! I can't believe it is almost Thanksgiving! It is shocking to think that another whole year has almost passed us by. It is going to be a challenge making it through the next few weeks of food and fun. I am going to try my best to stick with my diet...I'm pretty sure I can if I try my best.

The girls are doing great! Taylor's kindergarten is having a feast tomorrow. Everyone is to bring their favorite snack to share. She is pretty excited about that. Then we are heading to my mom's house for Thanksgiving. Hopefully, we will be able to make it out of St. George before the traffic and the weather get too bad. Personally, I am hoping for Snow, but I don't want to drive in it.

I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!! I am very grateful for a terrific family, great friends, and so many other blessings in my life!

Almost forgot

Saturday Night we went to Harry Potter. We got there an hour early and were about 12th in line. However, as we are going in, the four people in front of us were in the 8:45 line, so they had to go to the back of 8:45 line (ha-ha, sorry). I felt the movie was very good, even though I am one of the twelve people in America that hasn't read the story. The special-effects were special and the movie didn't seem as long as it was. Tonya liked it, too. All-in-all, two computer chips initialized!

Work Fast week

The new building is almost done so I have to hurry to get things ready, on top of that, it is a short week, I am going to be burning the late night oil on this one. Almost recovered from my cold, but I have felt a lot better than I do right now, so even more fun stuff to deal with. It looks like we are moving the first weekend in December, so I must have the server and all the images set up by then.

Taylor and Shaylie were fun last night, they played tag and I flew Shaylie around the house, she wouldn't stop laughing. Taylor and her seem to get along really well, which is a relief.

Finished installing the software I had on the new computer, plus I got it to download the TV listings, so now we can use it like a TIVO and record our favorite shows. Maybe that 40 gig hard drive should have been an 80, but the nice thing about building your own computer is that you can add stuff like that later. See ya.

Saturday with the Girls

Tonya is off at a Cub Scout training so I am alone with the girls till 2:00 today. We are having fun, although it is hard to pull them away from Nick Jr. so I am letting them watch. I hooked up a cable line to my computer so I now can watch TV on my computer. Now you will never get me away from my computer. We are all recovering from colds. Tonya was so sick last night that she said the unthinkable, "If I feel like this tomorrow, I'm not going to Harry Potter!" I almost passed out when I heard that. But amazingly, she feels better today. I found out that the Utah-BYU game is during the time we are at Harry Potter, so I guess I will just have to miss it. Oh well.
Tonya's appointment for her back is not for TWO WEEKS! so she is suffering through. It is way too long.

My Bad Back!

Well, the doctor called yesterday. Yes, you heard me, he called! He says I have, not one, but two bulging discs. He was going to fax my MRI results to an anesthesiologist today and call me back with an appointment...for shots. I haven't heard from him yet, though. So, I will probably call tomorrow. I am hoping we can get it done before Thanksgiving. I will be thankful if this pain goes away.

Anyway, other than that news...Shaylie has cut all her molars but one. So she is only missing her lower right incisor and one molar....not too bad. She's been chomping away lately....no wonder.

Taylor and I are sharing a cold. Hopefully, Scott and Shaylie will be spared, but it is unlikely. Tay stayed home from school today, but I'm sure she'll be well enough to go tomorrow. Even if she doesn't, it is a short day and they have computers...which Taylor really needs...not.

Saturday, Scott and I are going to see Harry Potter. I am so excited!!! I haven't been this excited about a movie since...well, since ever. I bought the tickets yesterday..so they are in my purse, ready to go. All we need is a babysitter (since Uncle Chad declined) but Scott is taking care of that...so I'm raring to go myself. We'll let you know how the weekend goes. Love ya!

No news is Bad News.

Hi everyone! No news yet on the results of my MRI. Not even a note in the mail. It's very frustrating! I am calling my Doctor's office today to see what I can find out. I like this Doctor so it's hard for me to get too mad, but I'm about to get pushy. I hope they can satisfy me, because I really don't want to find another Dr. Oh well!

I am getting in the Holiday Spirit! It's not even Thanksgiving yet, so this is early for me! I'm having a hard time with Taylor though...everytime I ask her what she wants Santa to bring her, she changes her mind. I've heard everything from a new bike, to a remote control snake (?), to a Barbie Dollhouse, to computer singing machine. So, maybe Santa will be surprising our little ones this year.

If you are looking for ways to share your Christmas Wish Lists....remember to go to the FORUMS. There you can post the gifts of your dreams....whether or not anyone gets them is not guaranteed.

Love you all! Bye...

Computer Upgrade

I was looking through all the stuff that I bought for my new computer and noticed that I bought the Athlon XP 1600 when I thought I had bought the 1500. I went to my computer and updated the BIOS and guess what?! My computer is now 100 Mhz faster and the RAM is 33 Mhz faster. Only had the computer working for a week and it already feels like I got an even newer machine!

Back to work...

I can already tell it's a Montues. There is nothing in the world worse than a Monday happening on a Tuesday. I sit down at my computer and the first thing I do is read my email. In it, there is a message that says the mainframe will be down until 1:00pm. Fortunately, that has nothing to do with me, but everyone that I work with uses it, so I can tell it is going to be a fun morning.

Home Today

I have the day off from work today, so I walked Taylor to school today. My new computer is now complete, so I was converting my Fresh Aire Christmas albums to MP3 format so that I could put them on my computers. Shaylie sat on my lap listening for the music for over an hour without even moving, she was so interested! Shaylie and mommy are sitting in the living room watching Shaylie's favorite show, Rolie Polie Olie, although it looks like both of them are 9/10's asleep. I have to mow the lawn today and clean up the garage, so my day is pretty much filled. E ya later...

Big Surprise!

Scott came home last night! I thought he wouldn't be home until this morning! It was a fun surprise! It was good to see him after the long week. He had a good training though; now he is home working on his computer! We just bought a monitor and modem for his "baby." It will be much fun!

My Little Girls Are Growing Up!

A couple of milestones tonight....First, Taylor is sleeping over at Heather's house tonight. She just lives next door, but it is a big step. She has only called me on the phone about 7 times, and come over about 3 times, but it is only 8:30 now. Hope she makes it through the night! I'm sure she will have fun!

Then, Shaylie, my little baby, has learned how to pucker up. Now instead of giving big wet open mouth sloppy kisses. She is sucking in her lips and cheeks (think fishface) and smacking. It is so cute! I love it!

We'll let you know the highlights of the sleepover next time! Bye.

Hat Day and Other Stuff

Today was Hat Day at Tay's school. She got to wear her Dad's bucket hat to school this morning and she won a prize. She wanted to wear her Diamondbacks batting helmet, but I wouldn't let her. So she wore her next favorite.

Shaylie found her binky this morning! It really was lost; it was hidden in her little shape sorter barn that Poppa & Grmama Pam gave her for her birthday. She was trying to stick her hand in the little circle shape and screaming in frustration because something was stuck in there. I helped her get the thing out and it was her pacifier. Dang! Now, I will be tempted to give in to her again. But I won't! I will be strong! She is getting much better at going to bed without it anyway. She is down to about 10 minutes of crying before she falls asleep. If I give in now...it's back to square one. I can't be that cruel! So I'm throwing it out...I just decided. :P

Scott comes home tomorrow. We will be very happy to see him. (It's too bad about the Pioneerzz, hon. But at least you have the D-backs to keep you satisfied, you just have to find out how you can write their webpage now...Love you! See you tomorrow!)

No more Pioneerzz

I just found an article in the Deseret News that says that the Pioneerzz are not coming back next year. It was not completely unexpected, but it still hurts that they are gone. It was quite a ride. From missing the playoffs by a tiebreaker rule the first year, to winning the championship on a two-run home run by Robert Muro the second year, to the managerial and players changes that occurred almost daily the third season, it was a fun three years sitting in the stands.

I will miss the Smith's, Rod McCall, the Grebeck's. I hope they find good careers elsewhere. I guess now I will just cheer on teams from a distance.

Forums

Don't forget about the forums page. Click on the forum link over on the left side of the page to get to them so that you can send and receive messages.

No more binky!

Shaylie is having a hard time today...I lost her binky and I figured rather than buy her a new one...we will just get rid of it. She only uses it to go to sleep and unfortunately, she screamed herself to sleep last night and today for her nap. I know it will get easier each time, but it still breaks my heart!

We went to WW meeting today and I have lost 6 pounds over the last week. So, I guess it must be working. I have been trying very hard to be good and stick with the program. I got a gold star in the meeting today. It is very nice!

Anyway, we are missing Scott...but otherwise doing well. Shaylie is still crying herself to sleep so I better go check on her....bye.

Training....

I am taking Microsoft Server Training over in West Valley City. The training is much more interesting than the last training we had and we get a lot more computer time to work with the subject matter. However, since we are not in a state building, I do not have my laptop with me to chat on yahoo messenger. I do however, have the ability to check my email so that will be the best way to contact me during the day.

World Champions!!!!

Wow! The Arizona Diamondbacks defeated to the New York Yankees 3-2 in game seven to win the World Series! My mom thinks that I am nuts for all of my jumping around and screaming. Taylor called and asked me if I was doing my little happy dance and I told her that I did a REAL BIG happy dance. It was very exciting to see my favorite player Mark Grace start off the magical ninth inning. Midre Cumming scored the tying run. He is the player that threw me the ball at the Stingers-Sidewinders game this year in Salt Lake. So you know that ball has even greater meaning to me. Tonya was happy that I was in Salt Lake so that she would not have to deal with me tonight!

Well, I have to go and watch sportscenter several times so that I can soak it all in. E ya later....

In Salt Lake

I've made it to Salt Lake. Mom was working at the spaghetti dinner over at the church, so we had dinner over there. I dropped off the bed in Holden and helped them a little with their computer. I am downloading Yahoo Messenger for mom so that she can communicate with us better.

Series tied 3-3

No two-run home run would tie tonight's game as the Diamondbacks routed the Yankees 15-2 in Arizona. Randy Johnson pitched seven innings (only 102 pitches) in the victory. After the game, Randy was rather shy about answering whether or not he would be available to pitch tomorrow night. Curt Schilling is the starting pitcher tomorrow night. I hope, I hope, I hope the D-Backs win.

In other news, Taylor's bed gets taken apart tomorrow and I take it back to Holden, I then travel on to Salt Lake for a week of training on windows 2000.

My first entry from my new computer

This is the first time I have ever connected to the internet from my new machine. It still has a couple of quirks, but it is running well enough to do most of its tasks. The DVD output on the computer is incredible, and the computer seems to run really fast. It's too bad that I have to leave it alone for a week with it not being completely setup. Oh well. I do love my new computer.

My new computer

Last night, my new motherboard and processor arrived. After about an hour of reading to make sure I didn't mess anything up, I was able to put the computer together in about an hour. I was a great experience to hit the power button and have it turn on! I need another cable to get my DVD drive and CD-RW Drive to work, and then all I need to do is install the operating system! All the lights work, the drive doors open. Yea!!! I'm glad that I built it myself.

Five thumbs up, but...

Well, all of us liked the movie! Shaylie had a little bit of trouble adjusting but it wasn't really her fault. The previews started with a cool Peter Pan sequel, full of songs and animation and then the screen went blank for about 30 seconds. Shaylie didn't want it to end, so she started crying. I told her the next one was coming, but the next one was a preview for the upcoming Star Wars: Episode Two which was kind of scary and intense for her. It had scary music and Darth Vader breathing in the background so she didn't like that either. Then there was a cute short animation at the beginning of the movie but she didn't know what to think of that. The beginning of Monsters was of course a kid being scared by the monster in his closet so she didn't like that either, but then she finally settled in....

She was good for most of the movie, but it was a little long for her and about 2/3 of the way in she started wiggling and singing Itsy Bitsy Spider, and turning around to see the projection room and otherwise fidgeting. She was on my lap, so I didn't like this. She loved the music during the credits and she was dancing in her seat! Overall, it was a good time.

Taylor and Anje really like it! So did the moms. I probably need to see it again. I totally missed the Star Wars preview. And I would like to see it again just for the fun of it. It was really good.

Monsters, INC.

We are heading out to the thea-tah! Anissa and I are taking the girls to Monsters, INC. today. It is going to be fun. Shaylie liked her first movie (Shrek) even though she slept through half of it. I don't think she'll sleep today, however, since she has been requiring fewer nap hours lately, but...it will be nice for me if she does. I won't have to worry about her fussing, or running around, or spilling everyone's popcorn, or screaming when the monsters scare her or...oh, wait. I was letting my imagination run away with me. It will be fun! ;)

Guess who blew a lead AGAIN!

I'm not even waiting for the game to end. The Diamondbacks blew another two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth. The D-Backs are now down 3-2 with the series heading back to Phoenix. If Kim even gets to wear a Diamondbacks uniform again I will be mad. The D-Backs owner can save some money and just leave Kim in New York, no reason to bring him back.

New Pictures!!!

I have put online pictures from Taylor's Reflections Assembly and from this year's Halloween. Check them out!!

Diamondbacks blow it

Arizona blew a three-one lead to lose a well-pitched game for Curt Shilling. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and two outs in the bottom of the tenth, Kim gave up home runs to tie up and lose the game. Curt pitched seven innings and gave up only two hits. The series is now tied 2-2 with game five tomorrow night. Randy doesn't pitch till game 6, so we will see what happens. As you can guess, Scott is not in a good mood.

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween Everybody! Happy Birthday to GrMama J and Cousin Ashton Strong! We love you all!

Today is always a fun day at our house. It is one of my favorite holidays and each year I try to go all out decorating the house and getting ready for tricks and treats. This year Shaylie is going trick-or-treating with us. She is dressing as a ladybug (or Shayliebug) and she loves her costume. This morning Taylor wore her Dracula costume to school. On the way there, she was nervous about anyone seeing her. She hid behind me until we came across the first person on the way to school. The lady walking her dog told her she looked great! After that, you should have seen her strut her stuff. She was out in front, waving her cape and wishing everyone we passed Happy Halloween! It was great!

Tonight, Anje is coming down to trick-or-treat with us! We are excited. This afternoon we are carving pumpkins and napping so we will be ready for the night's festivities. (I will just be dreaming of all the candy I could be eating if I had waited until tomorrow to join Weight Watchers. What was I thinking?)

Anyway, Happy Halloween!

D-Backs drop one

The Arizona Diamondbacks lost game three of the World Series. They maintain a 2 games to 1 advantage over the Yankees. Tomorrow night Curt Schilling pitches game 4 on three days rest. I hope it is enough. The Diamondbacks had three errors on the night, one of which led to the winning run scoring.

In other news, my case for my new computer came. It is a very neat shade of purple. I can't wait to get it all set up.

Big Step!

Well, today I joined Weight Watchers. (Aaaagh!) I know it is way past time for me to do something about my weight, and when my friend Bobbie called to tell me she had joined, I decided to give it a try! I am going to post my successes and or failures in our new Forums, so if you are willing you can give me some much needed encouragement and support. I hope this will work for me! I have never really tried to diet before, but I am ready to make the committment. (Besides, I already paid for it--I better get something out of it!) So....check out the forums often to see how I'm doing! Love ya!

D-Backs up 2-0 in Series!!!

The Arizona Diamondbacks, behind the pitching of Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson, have taken a 2-0 lead against the New York Yankees in the World Series. Now the teams travel to New York for Game 3 on Tuesday. I was in a good mood last night, I am in a GREAT mood tonight!!!!!

D-Backs win game 1

I was in a very good mood last night as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Yankees in the first game of the World Series. Hopefully Randy Johnson can have the same luck so that the D-Backs can leave Arizona 2-0.

Taylor and I did the dishes together last night. She says that she wants to do big girl chores, we are more than happy to let her.

New Pictures!!!!

I promised new pictures on the web site today, and at 11:00pm tonight, I have delivered. So if you want to view them, click on the photos link over to the left and check them out!

Also, I am going to put together a new computer. I ordered some parts today, hopefully I am getting the right things and I pray that it will all work. Wish me luck!

Watch Out World, Here She Comes....

Taylor is growing up. Today she told me that she wanted to do some Big Girls chores, "like wash the dishes, load the dishwasher, and mop or sweep the floor." So I showed her how to load up the dishwasher and she did a load. Then she swept and mopped my kitchen floor, including shaking out the rugs, and rearranging the furniture. It was a huge job and she did it so well! Good job Taylor! Plus it is a nice break for Mom!

I'm home

I am back from Salt Lake. It was fun visiting my mom and seeing co-workers, but the training was near worthless. I felt it was mostly a sales pitch for what IBM can do for you. Well, I don't know if I will ever use the stuff I did learn.

Oh well, at least I found a good Mongolian BBQ place and a great Italian sandwich shop.

Today has been busy!

Today is Thursday. As usual, Thursdays are very busy around our house. I volunteer at Taylor's school every week and this morning I nearly forgot about it. It was a mad rush to get there on time. I dropped Shaylie off at the babysitter, made it to school, and brought Taylor home after school was out. I had fun teaching the kids about shape, color, and size matrices. (Although, it took me a while to remember what a matrix is!)

We spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready for scouts! It always takes a ton of planning for just one hour of FUN! We made Halloween masks today! Taylor and Shaylie had fun playing in the nursery room while I tried to keep the boys from climbing the walls. By the time it was over, and I finally had a minute to pick up Shaylie...she wouldn't let me go! She was clinging to my shirt and starting to cry so, what could I do? I had to hug her for a while!

Well, I am hoping that Scott will be home tonight. I don't know if he is on his way or not. I guess I'll find out sooner or later. If it were me, I'd wait til tomorrow, so I wouldn't have to go into work. Although, Scott would go in anyway!

One more quick note, I had fun talking to Bryan, Anissa and Mom today on the Instant messagers. Bry is on Yahoo, which I didn't know before. I didn't have Anissa's screen name, so I never knew when she was online. But all is in order now. It was fun talking to everyone. See you all soon!

Welcome!

Hi...Welcome to the TechFamily Webpage. I just sent out an email to all my family and friends...so hopefully you will be checking us out in response to that. If you want to post a message just click on the link below. This will let you see any replies, and post a new message as well. OR...you can click on the Forums link at the left, register, and post a new topic on the Message Board.

Have fun!

A busy night for the site!

I decided I wanted different colors for my website, so i decided to redo all my graphics. I also redid my calendar and archives. I still have to do my links and photos, but that can wait. Remember, check out our new discussion forums; there is a poll in there now. Sign up and vote and send a message. I better go to bed or I will never make it tomorrow. I am going to another day of training, and then I am going home!

falling behind on photos

I know i have not updated pictures for a while, I will get them updated tomorrow, I promise!!!! ;-)

Taylor's Winning Essay

Here is the Reflections Essay. I am posting it here and on the new Message Board that Scott has added. Check it out... The theme was "I hold in my hands...."

Taylor Jesienouski--Age 5
PTA Reflections Contest Essay
Mrs. Tracy Stewart

A Kitten Wish

I want a kitten to hold in my hands. I want a cat for my family. I know that kittens don?t like water. How can I clean my kitten if it doesn?t like water?
I know how to take care of kittens but my dad is allergic to them.
When I went to the park, I saw some kids with a tiny kitten at their house. I would like a kitten that is stripey.
If I had a kitten, I would hold it in my hands because I love it.
I would also like a dog but my dad is allergic to those too.

A new feature!

The Techfamily.com website is growing! We have added a bulletin Board system to our website. You are able to post messages and have discussions right here at our web site. Create yourself a user, log in, and send us messages! You can access the board by clicking the board button over to the left in the menu choices or you can click here

Crazy Hair Day!

Today was Crazy Hair Day at Taylor's school. She wore her hair in pigtails that we pointed straight up in the air with a wire coat hanger. She was excited to get to school and see if she would be sent to the office for a prize! I hope she does.

We attended the Reflections assembly on Monday. She got to receive her reward in front of the whole school....A red tee shirt with Reflections Winner embroidered on the front. It was pretty cool. Shaylie must have been jealous, because she kept escapiing and running up onto the amphitheater stage. Luckily we were outside and nobody noticed too much!

Anyway, we are missing Scott...again. He will be home tomorrow though. So we will hang in there! Love you all.

In Salt Lake

Made it to Salt Lake at about 4:30 today. Have meetings tomorrow at the DWS South Admin Building. The building it set up for wireless so I am going to see how well it works. Should be interesting.

Went to Taylor's reflections assembly today. She won an award for her essay. It was great to see her win. Now her essay goes onto district competition. They think that she will do very well. I hope so too.

Finally!!!

After a month of waiting for the RAID array card to arrive and 4 days of waiting for someone at ITS to give me the correct rights, I have finally set up the new file server for my new building. It should have taken me one hour to do all of that.

Today is my last day in St. George for a week. On Monday, I drive to Salt Lake for more imaging training and to find out why the State CIO wants to mess with my job. Oh well.

I am staying for the reflections assembly at Taylor's school. I don't ever want to miss a time when Taylor wins an award. The assembly starts at 10:30.

Lots of News today!

Some good, some not so good!

First, the good news... I got a phone call today from the PTA Reflections Contest coordinator. She called to tell me that Taylor's essay about kittens won, and will be moving to district competition. (It was a cute essay. I should post it here so you can read it...I'll ask Scott how.) The awards assembly is on Monday at 10:30. We will all go to see Taylor get her first award ever! We are so proud of her! Way to go Tay!

And now, the not so good news...I found out today, by way of a check-marked box on a lab results paper in the mail, that my lower back pain has been diagnosed as ADVANCED DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE AND ARTHRITIS. I was in for x-rays last week and I hadn't heard from the doctor, so last night I left a message on the clinic machine. Today, Amber called from the office and told me that the doctor had mailed a letter with the results and to continue with the medication he gave me. If it is still bothering me in a few weeks, I should call back. Well, I won't go into a big rant here, but.....I was not happy to hear this. (If you are interested in my rantings, give me a call and I will do it in person.) I still really have no idea what is going on. It's hard to ask questions of a checklist in the mail, but...I looked it up on the internet and found out that the terminology is used to describe a myriad of conditions. So, of course, I still know nothing. I will be calling in a few days to make another appointment. Hopefully, I will get some answers then.

Anyway, we are really happy for Taylor. She is getting ready to enter another couple of contests at her school. She is ready to win some more "medals" she says. I'm sure she will.

New quote I need to remember

"When you can't figure it out, read the manual. In fact, read the manual BEFORE you try to figure it out!!!"

Lots of Fun at the Carnivals!

We have had a fun couple of days. Yesterday was Taylor's Rodeo Round-up at her school. It is a carnival and dance that the school PTA puts on each year. Taylor dressed up like a cowgirl for her Pony dance. She's been really excited about it since they have been working on it in class for a while. Then she got to go play games and win prizes at the various classrooms they had set up. It was fun!

Tonight we went to the carnival that has been set up at the old Wal-mart parking lot. Taylor was so excited, we could barely keep her with us. We bought her an all-day pass even though we got there about 6:00 tonight. It was a good thing though, since I'm sure she rode everything at least twice. We ran out of tickets (for Mom and Dad) pretty quick. Shaylie got to ride on one of the twirly rides too, but I'm not too sure she enjoyed it. I'm sure she will when she is older. She did enjoy the people and the lights though. Shaylie and I came home about 8:00, while Tay and Dad stayed to enjoy it longer. As I am writing this (9:00), they are still there. It's late for her, but hey...how often do you have a Carnival this close to your home?

Thanks everyone for ordering from Taylor's fund raiser too! She sold about $168.00 worth of stuff for her school. That means she earned about $80.00 for her school and she won a prize. She got to choose between a touch light, a stop watch and a candy dispenser in the shape of a rocket. She chose the stop watch. She also gets three books and an All-star key chain. Thanks for helping her reach her goal. It's been a good experience for her.

Well, I better go! I always write a long epistle, since I don't get online very often. We love you all! We're especially thinking of you, GrMama J, today! We love you very much...talk to you soon!

Taylor is excited!!!!

The old Wal-mart parking lot at the mall has been tranformed into a fair grounds area with several rides including a ferris wheel, a merry-go-round, bumper cars, and a looper. Taylor, Shaylie and I walked by as they were setting up and you can just see Taylor glow! "I never thought that there would be a fair so close to my house, We can walk here!!!!!" So you know what we are doing this weekend!

Fun Night

Last night, we all went to Pioneer Park and hiked around on the rocks. Taylor told mommy that the Pioneers lived up here way before they started playing baseball. I tried to explain the difference between the original Pioneers and the St. George Pioneerzz, but I thought it was so funny that I decided to just leave it be.

For the first time, I carried Shaylie on my shoulders. She seemed to like it; she didn't cry. I didn't want to carry Shaylie up onto Dixie Rock, so Tonya and Shaylie stayed low while Taylor and I went up onto the rock. Shaylie waived at us once she figured out where we were.

Afterwards we went to Artic Circle for Taylor and Tonya and Shaylie to have ice cream, I had french fries. We all had a fun evening.

Show your support!

Grandma's, Grandpa's, Aunt's and Uncle's.....show your support for Taylor and order from her School Fundraiser. She is competing to earn a prize and she is really excited to hear from you!

Go to http://www.innisbrook.com. Check out the cool stuff. It is mostly Wrapping paper, and some gift items. There is some pretty great stuff. (I especially like the reversible denim wrapping paper. I am ordering two rolls.) If you see something you like, either call me or email me with the order and put your check in the mail. Taylor has to turn in her order form on Wednesday, October 10th. So hurry and check it out!

Love you all! Hope to hear from you soon!

Scanners set up

We got the scanners set up for the imaging project. We also set up the imaging server. Now all that is left is take them down and pack them up to move to the new building!

Now the fun begins....

It looks like I am going to be busy the rest of the year. Health will be getting new computers and is trying to move before February. ORS, DSPD, and DAAS are moving to a new building before February and they are all updating their software. And of course, DWS is moving into a new building and moving us into their old one and expanding. I have found out that I have "way too much" job security. Oh I forgot, I start taking over Cedar City at the end of the year as well.

Today I have to set up two computers that will not be used until after we move, so in other words, I will set them up today, and take them down in a month or so. Also we are having a computer training, but they are not using the computer training room, so I had to set up a computer for the training. I just have to remember, "I love my job, I love my job, etc."

In happier news, Taylor seems to be doing really well in school. I helped with her homework last night, she is getting very good with the sounds different letters make. Shaylie walked to the mail with me last night, and she is very good at getting us to give her stuff. Uh-oh.

When is vacation again?!

Today was not the funnest of days. Get back and try to do the things I need to get done and boom, problems, problems, problems. Then I had a meeting to go to that lasted from 8:30 to 3:30, then more problems. I finally gave up on getting anything done and will try again tomorrow, because tomorrow is another day!

We're back

We made it home about 10:30pm. We carried the girls in and put them in bed. We had a good time, but it is sure nice to get back home. Pictures to come later.

Fun so far

Yesterday, Taylor and I got in the pool early in the morning. That was rather refreshing and woke us up. We went swimming later and this time Tonya and Shaylie joined us. Shaylie has no fear of the water whatsoever and at one point just started walking and walked straight in the pool without even thinking about it. Fortunately, Erin was there to save her.

That night Taylor and I went to the baseball game. It was really neat. Right before the game started, they opened the roof. It is a pretty big production. Music playing, scoreboards flashing, laser lights. They make the roof opening a pretty big experience. The game was good too, with the D-Backs winning in extra innings off of a Gonzo home run.

We're in Mesa

We got to Mesa about 3:30 last night. Everything is fine and we are here having fun. I am especially enjoying Roger's brand new Gateway Computer.

We are off to Mesa

We're packed, we're ready. We're leaving for Mesa

I'm about to go on my way

The teacher said we are almost done so I am packing up and getting ready to go. Next stop, St. George.

The last day in Salt Lake

I am finally going home today. I have been in Salt Lake for a week now. It has been nice to get away, but it will be even nicer to get back to my family. I won't be staying home for long however, as we are driving to Mesa tonight to visit Tonya's dad.

Training has been ok. Nice to actually learn something that we will use at work, instead of plodding our way through it.

Can't wait to see how many messages are on my office phone.

New design

Updated the front page of the web site. What do you think? Add some comments.

At the capital

As usual, I am early for training, I am sitting in the training room by myself. I have never been to the state capital building, except for prom. Security stops you at the door if you do not have a badge, which I do not. They have a really nice training room, once again proving that St. George does not have very good stuff. More later...

Hello...

The girls and I had fun today. Although, it got off to a slow start. I have been begging Taylor to clean her room for about three days now and this morning I told her we weren't doing, eating, playing, watching anything until her room was picked up. She finally got it and even though it took half the morning..her room is now clean! Hurray. After that ordeal, we all deserved a break so we went to McDonald's (my favorite place, not) so she could play on the play land. Shaylie ate about two whole chicken nuggets, and most of Taylor's root beer. (She is a Root Beer addict.) And Taylor said she was glad that we FINALLY got to go play at McD's. I was glad that she FINALLY cleaned her room, so I guess we all win!

We miss you Scott! We love you and hope you are having a fun time visiting! Our love to everybody....good night!

Fun day with mom

Mom and I went all over town today. First, we went to the Murray city park where they have a farmer's market every Friday. Got lots of corn, and other fruits and vegatables. Then she had some errands to run. Then we decided to go downtown and she had never ridden Trax so that is the way we went. We got off at Crossroads Mall and had lunch. We then roamed the mall. We next went to the Conference center but the roof was closed. We then went to the Church park on main street and then rode Trax back. We then went to Fashion Place mall and mom bought christmas presents for Taylor and Shaylie. All in all, a pretty good day.

The conference

Well the conference ended up being ok. I really didn't need a new laptop, as I got a new one a few months ago. What I did end up getting was a light-up pen and, a wireless optical mouse!!!!! I have always wanted one, but didn't want to pay for it. So I am very happy. My boss also got me the SCSI cards and cables for the scanners and a 56k modem to try and speed up my dialups. We also learned about an antenna that can bend the signal up and over a mountain, so maybe I can still get high-speed internet. I am hoping.

Sorry that you feel sick Tonya.

I'm sick..

I think it is the beginning of the school year germs Taylor is bringing home, but I definitely have a bug of some kind. It is no fun. Especially since Scott is not here. But the girls are good to me. Taylor is a little nuturer-er (?). Unlike some others in our family who shall remain nameless...Scott. Anyway, I will feel better soon, I hope.

My mom and Anissa and Anje are coming down tomorrow. Taylor answered the phone when she called so I didn't talk to her....I don't know if they are staying or passing through...I guess I'll find out tomorrow. I haven't seen them since the Open House in Holden last month, so I'm glad to have them visit.

We are going to do some visiting of our own next week. We are planning on going down to Mesa to visit Dad & Pam et al during UEA. We didn't get a good chance to visit last month when they were up...everything was so busy. So we will have a good time with them too.

Well, better go. I didn't cry as much today, so maybe things are getting better. I am interested in hearing what the President has to say. I'm sure I'll cry some more before the night is over. It's strange feeling like someone I know has died. My grief has no focus. I'm just sad for everyone, for the U.S. But, I know that things will go on better than before...that is the nature of humanity. Thank heaven!

At the Conference

I drove up to Ogden at 6:00 and arrived at our conference. Found out that Salt Lake bought nice new laptops (oh well, I'm used to that now). I sat next to the only phone line in the room, so I am pretty popular right now. More about the conference later.

Update

Hi Everybody! Just wanted to let you all know that everything is great with us. The kids are all well. Taylor is feeling better and back in school. She is loving every minute of it. We had homework yesterday. She had to find pictures in magazines of words starting with the letter A and write their names....she insisted that I spell them and she knew all of the letters except three. She's sooo good.

Shaylie is also having a great time. She is almost running and her favorite thing is to come just within reach of you and then take off running the other way. We had a good walk this morning. She saw her stroller and started crying until I put her in it. She is learning how to get her way very early.

Well, our love and prayers are with everyone. It's been a tough week. I, for one, have been crying a lot lately. Everything I see makes me so thankful that my family and friends are safe and happy. I am so proud to be an American. The flags decorating our city are beautiful and they make me believe that no matter what, we will go on, be strong and make our lives better than ever. I love you all. Until next time....

On my way

I left for Salt Lake at about 9:00 this morning. Said goodbye to everyone and I hope and pray that the computers will work for a week without me there.

What a day!

I have a lot to do today. I will not be to work for two weeks and the computers seem to know it. Everything seems to be going wrong. I need to set up 5 computers today and prepare for a conference (not the one I am going to). Then I need to go home and pack to travel to Salt Lake tomorrow. Oh the joy of it all!

added new stuff

I added a new random quote generator to this web page. It is full of motivational quotes. Tell me what you think.

Back to work and other stuff

Back to work for a very short week. Wednesday I leave for Salt Lake for a LAN conference and will stay there for next weeks imaging training. Putting out the last of the computers (for this round, still have lots to do).

Shaylie is very good at the word "NO." We can say no to her and she will repeat it "noooo, noooo" and then do what we didn't want her to do. Taylor is going back to school today after missing friday.

A new graphic

Tonya made this graphic to help remember what happened on September 11, 2001.

Taylor stayed home from school today

Taylor once again was very sick during the night. She wanted to go to school and got all dressed, but then said that her tummy hurt. Tonya called the school to let them know. However, Taylor seems to be feeling better now.

Not much news

Not much is happening at our house of late. We do have one problem however. Our front lawn has pretty much died. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to bring it back?

Trying to get back to family news

Taylor's friend Brooke came for a visit last night. Her mom is (was) going to fly to Thailand today for two weeks, so she was visiting with our neighbors who are going with her.

Tonya and Taylor cleaned up her room and put away most of her old baby toys. Taylor was sad, until we told her to clean her room for bedtime and it only took her 30 seconds to do it.

Just to tell you how world news affects us, Taylor and her friend Jake (age 5) were talking about the planes flying into the buildings and blowing up.

I still can't believe it

Yesterday will be a day that we will remember where we were, what we were doing. We watched in horror the events of yesterday. Seeing that plane come in and slam into the building is just incredible. How can anyone do this? You want the United States attention? Well you got it and you also are hopefully going to feel its full wrath.

What is happening?

The world is going crazy today. How can anyone do this? New York and Washington are under attack and the World Trade Center has been completely destroyed. It has been said that this is because of U.S. policy towards the middle east. What do they think, that the policy is going to be nicer to them?!

A full day

Today I am setting up a lot of computers. Hopefully I will get through all 19. I have 10 more to set up after that, and then 10 more are coming for a different department. It is going to be a busy week.

In other news, today is black and white day at Taylor's class. Everyday since the start of school has been a different color day. On the day, one student must bring a treat that is the same color as the day. Taylor's day is today, so she is taking Zebra cakes.

WBL Playoffs

Long Beach, the team that had the worst record in the league but turned it on the last two weeks of the season, beat Chico 3 games to 2 to win the Western Baseball League championship. Getting those three Pioneerzz players seemed to help the team very much.

Back to the World

After taking the day off for sickness, I am back at work. Taylor developed a fever last night so she again did not go to school. I hope she gets well soon.

We're all sick

We are spending some forced family time together today as we are all sick. Taylor was up all night and Tonya has been feeling sick for a couple of days. I started feeling bad last night. So no visitors please!

Taylor is really sad. Today was supposed to be her day for show-and-tell. Also Tonya goes to school on Thursday's so that was out too. Hopefully tomorrow we will all feel better.

Argggh!

Yes it evens happens to the best of us. I turned on my computer at work last night and it came up with "Terminal error" and I couldn't fix it, so it was time for a redo. So I am spending most of my day fixing my computer so that I can work. Fortunately, I have 5 other computers running in my office, so it is not a complete loss. :-)

Labor Day

For our labor day celebration, we packed up some sandwiches and headed for Worthen Park. We played at the park for a couple of hours. We found out that Shaylie does not like swings, at least she doesn't like them right now. Tonya put her in two different swings and she started crying almost immediately. Taylor played on the piano and ran around. Shaylie went for the longest walk of her life, (so far) she walked from the tree that we were under over to the swings, about 80 yards. She turned around, saw how far away mom was, laughed and almost ran back.

Swimming

Taylor and I went to Sand Hollow Aquatic Center to go swimming. Taylor is doing pretty well with her swimming, and she is now tall enough that she can keep her head above water in pretty much the whole pool. We had a pretty fun time.

Pioneerzz swept

The season and playoffs did not end well for the Pioneerzz. Lost 51 games in the season, and then swept out of the playoffs by the team with the worst record in the league. It looks like it will be Brian Grebeck vs. Mike Smith (or Long Beach vs. Chico) for the championship.

There were not many people at the game tonight. I have a very bad feeling that was the last baseball game to ever be played by the St. George Pioneerzz.

Tonya helps out at school today

Not only does Taylor go to school today, Tonya will be going in at 10:30 to volunteer for 1 hour. She plans on doing this every Thursday. Shaylie will be going over to the Browns.

Pioneerzz lose again

The pioneerzz have to win the rest of the games this week or they are done. For the second game in a row, Brian Grebeck (our former manager/player) had a breakout game with 3 doubles and 2 key RBI's. Tonight they come home, so you can guess where I will be.

In the other series, Mike Smith, our former pitcher, lived up to form and pitched six-innings of shut-out baseball to help Chico to a 3-0 victory and a 2-0 series lead.

Pioneerzz lose game 1

The Pioneerzz lost game 1 of the playoffs to Long Beach. They were shutout until the 8th inning. Hopefully tomorrow night will be better.

Today is the day!

Taylor finally starts going to school on a regular basis this morning. Now she will go to school from 8:30 to 11:30 everyday. She is very excited to go. Or neighbors are going to go to her school, so soon she will be able to walk to school, which she wants to, but we are not sure about.

Taylor's friend Nick moved away last night. It was fun to talk to them before they left. Taylor has already promised to write and said that she will come for visits. Maybe she will even bring us along :-)

It's a Sad Day!

We just got back from a nice visit with our neighbors, the Henrie's. We are sad because tomorrow they are moving to Orem. Todd got transferred to the KMart store on University in Provo and it is a good change for their family, but we will miss them. Especially Nick. Taylor and he have been such good friends for the last three years. We were looking forward to sending the kids to school together this year, but now they are looking forward to being pen pals.

We have exchanged addresses and hopefully we won't lose touch. We are going to try to make it a point to visit each other.

We made it!

We made it through the first official week of school. Taylor loved her first day. We went back for the Kindergarten Pre-assessment on Wednesday. Mrs. Stewart asked Taylor all about reading and writing. She had Taylor write her name and tell her about her favorite story. I had to explain that we make up our own stories when Taylor started telling her favorite about "a girl named Taylor Lyn." She starts back to school everyday on Tuesday at 8:30. I think it is going to be a great year. Scott went to Back-to-School night last night. (I was sick, so unfortunately I didn't get to go.) He got a lot of information on the classroom and the school. Including a pamphlet to join PTA!

Tonight we leave for Holden and Chad & Krissy's open house. They made it back from their Honeymoon on Tuesday and started school on Thursday. Hopefully, they will have a nice turn-out. We won't be able to stay long because Scott is in charge of Sharing Time in Primary this Sunday. He's going to do his take-off on Millionaire called, "Who wants to be Really Blessed?" The kids loved it the last time!

New Photos Added....

I have loaded the pictures from Chad and Krissy's wedding breakfast and Taylor's first day of school. Check them out!

Taylor's first day...

Taylor had a good first day of school. Mom and I drove her to class, walked her to the door, then helped her find her name on the desk. She will now be known as Taylor J as there is another Taylor in class with her. She likes her new teacher and has already made a friend in class. I picked her up after her day was over. She told us about everything that she did and that she had a really great time and is looking forward to going again.

New pictures online

I have put the pictures for the Shakespearean Festival and for Chad and Krissy Wedding. Check them out!

First day of School

Today it the day! Taylor goes to kindergarden! It is only for one hour, but she is very excited. Mom put her hair in curlers last night so that she is cute for school and they picked out the clothes that she will wear. She then goes back to school again on Wednesday for testing. She doesn't attend school on a regular basis until next Monday.

The Wedding...

Chad and Krissy's wedding finally came. First there was the practice at 11:00 in the morning. That went ok, except for the fact that Tonya's dad couldn't find the houseand didn't show up till about 1:00. We then went to Chad's house where we stayed and got ready. Unfortunately, everyone in the family came to Chad's house and it felt like it was 100 degrees there, so we left and went to Roger's hotel room to change for the wedding. Taylor wore curlers all day and her hair was very cute. The wedding was very nice. The backyard was very beautifully done up and everything went off very well. Taylor was a very cute flower girl. Taylor stayed with grandma for the night, as we are going back for a breakfast tomorrow morning. More later.....

Long Day!

We had a pretty long but fun day. We got to sleep in, which was nice. Then we traveled to Cedar City to meet up with Tonya's relatives at her brother Chad's apartment. Taylor played at a school next to Chad's and was invited to go see some new-born kittens. We went to the house and Taylor had fun. Next we all went to the Shakespeare Festival. We dropped the kids off at daycare and went to see the play "The Pirates of Penzance." It was a great play and our classmate, Brian Vaugh was the Pirate King. Next we had dinner at the Pizza Factory. Lastly, we took the kids to swim at Grandpa Strong's hotel. Afterwards the kids fell asleep and we drove home. Another long day tomorrow! More later.....

Getting Ready for School....

Taylor, Shaylie and I walked down to the school today to meet Taylor's new teacher and check out the classroom. We explained that we would not be able to meet with her at the open house because Taylor is going to be a flower girl in Uncle Chad's wedding this weekend. She understood. Taylor was a little shy, but she loved seeing her new classroom and meeting Mrs. Stewart.

Mrs. Stewart told us some of the procedures in her class, like where the kids come in and where they play and stuff like that. I think Taylor will have a good time in her room. I didn't recognize any other names on the class list, but Taylor makes friends so easily that it won't matter that she doesn't know anyone the first day. We'll find out more about everything next week after Taylor's testing is done...

Late Night at the Ballpark

I think I have found my limit on baseball for the night. It is four hours of losing baseball. Taylor and I went to the double-header last night for the Pioneerzz. They fell behind in the first inning and lost the game. The second game started at 8:50. They fell behind in the four inning and Taylor said "Let's go home," I agreed with her and went. At home, Taylor asked me to stay up with her for a while until she fell asleep. I did, although I fell asleep with her. I woke up at 11:30 and went to my room and turned on the alarm, AND THE GAME WAS STILL ON! The Pioneerzz won, I just wonder if there was anyone there to see it.

The Party Continues...

Well, Shaylie opened her presents tonight. She got some Mega Blocks in a Tug Boat and a Roll Along Turtle that says ABCD and plays music. She also got a cute little one year old collectible, so she can start her collection from Grandma J. After all the excitement, she had to take a nap. But as soon as she was up again, we had dinner and cake. All in all, it's good to be a one-year-old!!

The Birthday Queen

Shaylie really knows how to get into this birthday thing! Taylor and I decorated the house with some streamers and balloons this morning and Shaylie was having a blast. She was kicking those balloons around, and rolling on the floor with them. When we hung the streamers, she just kept saying, "ohhh!" I think she likes it. Just wait until we have presents and cake. Oh boy!

Shaylie's Birthday

Today is Shaylie's first birthday!!!!! We are going to have a small family party today but we we have a big family party Friday morning. I have made a new Shaylie homepage, check it out!

Now Taylor's Sick

It seems to be spreading. Taylor has been having trouble since about 4 this morning keeping things down. Hopefully it will only last for 24 hours like me. Unfortunately, that will mean that Shaylie will be sick tomorrow and Tonya Wednesday. This cannot be good.

Back from camp

Got back from camping out and immediately got sick. Had a fun time at camp. Be were at Baker Dam and have to say that it was one of the prettier camp sites I have ever seen. The food was great and all the boys were very careful to not throw dinosaur tracks into the lake :-)

Busy Week Ahead!

This week, we are going to be very busy...Tuesday is Shaylie's Birthday. She will be one year old! I can't believe how quickly this year has flown by. Wednesday, Taylor and I are heading to her new elementary school to meet her teacher and scope out the new classroom. She is almost as excited about starting school as I am! Thursday is Grandma Dawn's birthday (I won't say how old...) and the whole family is coming in for Chad and Krissy's wedding on Saturday.
The wedding festivities are really taking off starting Friday. We are planning a little b-day party for Shay on Friday morning for the fam, and then that afternoon, we are all heading to the Shakespearean Festival to see Pirates of Penzance.
(You know, in all the times I've been to the festival, I don't think I've ever seen an actual Shakespearean play... oh well). Friday night, all of Chad and Krissy's family are meeting for dinner at the Pasta Factory. Yum! Saturday, we have the rehearsal for the girls...Taylor and Anje are flower girls. And then at 6:00 p.m., the wedding! The reception lasts until 9:30 at the Richardsons and then Sunday morning, Chad and Krissy have invited us to come to a Gift Opening Breakfast.
Monday, then, is Taylor's first official day of school. Whew! Hope we survive! If we do, it should be a blast. See you all there or somewhere!

Going Camping

Tonight I am taking my Boy Scout troop camping. We are going to the Baker Dam area. This is the first time that I have been camping since before I got married. I dug through all my stuff that my mom sent down and found my old mess kit, canteens, hackets, knives that I used when I was a scout. Only thing I am worried about is the rain clouds looming above.

Our Anniversary

We went to Mesquite for our anniversary. Tonya's mom came and babysat the kids. We had fun there. First we went to see Jurassic Park III, but the power went out half-way through the movie, so we got our money back. We put .25 cents towards gambling on the slot machines, and we came back with over 60 dollars!!!!! It was great to get away.

Lagoon trip pictures online

We now how our trip to lagoon pictures on the website. You can access them by clicking here.

X -zz's kill Pioneerzz

Three former Pioneerzz players took it to St. George over the weekend. Rich Linares won game 1 against Long Beach, Brian Grebeck hit the game winning RBI in game 2, and Jason Sena shut out the Pioneerzz in Game 3, to be swept for the first time by the Breakers. I am glad that I was out of town for the weekend so that I couldn't listen to the games!

We're baaaccckkk!

We had a great time at Lagoon. Taylor rode a lot of rides, including: the Roller Coaster, The Fire Dragon, Wild Mouse, Screamer, Musik Express, Flying Aces, basically everything. She only rode two kids' rides. Shaylie had a great day with Grandma J. Tonya and I found out the importance of Sunscreen.

Going on a trip

The whole fam damily is going to Lagoon tomorrow. Just about everyone we know. We are traveling up to Holden tonight and staying in Salt Lake Saturday night. In other words, if the computers crash, I'll fix it Monday. Shaylie is spending Saturday with Grandma J.

Updated Home Page

After letting my hompage grow cob-webs for about a year, I have finally updated my personal homepage. I finally put up a ballparks section and updated my sports links. My other links I will incorporate into the links section on the techfamily. Most importantly, I updated my resume! You can go to my homepage by clicking here

Shaylie's walking

I just watched my daughter walk across the living room from Taylor's room to the kitchen. Time to baby proof at a higher level!

Now what?!?

I just found out that both Mike Smith and Brian Grebeck have been released by the Pioneerzz. So much for the team's two most popular and long-lasting players. I have to say that I did not know them very well, but I did know their families, and I will miss seeing them at the games. Taylor is going to miss Ashlee Smith a lot.
Considering the problems the Pioneerzz have with pitching this year, losing their best starting pitcher is going to hurt.
I think I understand why the Pioneerzz played like they did last night, it felt uninspired. I hope they can turn it around for the fans.

New Pioneerzz Manager

The Pioneerzz have a new manager, same as an old manager. They have brought back Mike Littlewood, last years' Manager of the Year of the championship team. The team won his first game back by exploding for 13 runs.

What a day

I found out that the meeting that I was "Invited" to go to tomorrow is a REQUIRED meeting. As it was given only 2 days notice, I figured that I would not go. So much for those plans. The state was going fly me up there, but then they found out how much it cost to fly, so they told me to get a state car. I told them that no state car was available, so they gave me a good option, teleconference. So instead of worrying about travel and missing ballgames, I get to sit in my office and ignore everyone! I plan on getting a lot done.

All by ourselves again

Mom went home after spending the weekend with us. A good time was had by all. We went to church as a family today and Shaylie made it all the way through the 3 hours!

Went out to Dinner

Grandma J took us out to dinner at the Chinese Buffet. We then went to the Pioneerzz game afterwards, with her kicking and screaming. We all had a good time, as the Pioneerzz hit five home runs and won the game!

Change in strike zones

Wow! In the last game against Sonoma, the umpire would only call a strike if the batter swung and missed. Then last night in the game against Chico, the umpire would call a strike if the catcher caught the ball. We also had 4 umpires for the first time this season, no surprise that it came against the team that has the league office in their town.

My mom's coming

My mom is coming down to visit for the weekend. Little does she know that there are home Pioneerzz games all weekend, so she is going to get to experience baseball in St. George. She will be going kicking and screaming, but since Taylor will be the one dragging her, I'm sure she will at least pretend to enjoy it:-)

Rained Out?

Last night's Pioneerzz game was cancelled due to the field being too wet from a rainstorm. The rainstorm occurred at about noon and lasted about 15-20 minutes. The rest of the day it was over 90 degrees, so I could not understand why. Later, I heard that the sprinklers were left on over night. Sounds like someone was watching Bull Durham.

New building taking shape

The new building that the St. George Dept. of WorkForce Services is moving into has the first floor framed. The take occupancy day is supposed to be December 1st, so I hope they are on track. It will be nice to get out of our current building.

Pioneer(zz) Day

I had the day off from work, although I ended up going in for a while anyway to try and install ZENworks (try being the key word). Pretty much had a lazy day, and then went to the ballgame as a family. Pioneerzz got crushed (pun intended) by Sonoma, but there was fireworks after the game, so it was not a total waste. The loss ended a 4-game winning streak, of which, 3 of those games were on the road.

Everyone's Moving!!!

We are going to have a big change on our block. The Henry's are moving to Provo, so Taylor is going to lose her best friend Nick. Vi, our next-door neighbor, is moving to Payson. And some of the houses that were hidden by "the desert" are now building backyard walls. Big changes are happening!

Tonya's back

Tonya returned home with her family last night. Shaylie hugged her for about 5 minutes straight (pretty impressive for a 11 month old). Taylor was very happy to see mom, then she got sick.

Saturday without Mom

Shaylie set a personal record for length of nap today. I put her down at 9:30 and she is got up at 1:00. Even Taylor took a nap today. Jake and Cameron came over today and Nick and Alex were here, Shaylie was able to sleep through even that. Shaylie had meat sticks and carrots for lunch and Taylor had a hot dog. We then went to Mathis Park and played for a couple of hours. Taylor and Shaylie had a great time.

Shorts day at work

For the second time this month, our suddenly ultra-kind director has allowed us to wear shorts today. Our local boss doesn't like it. But it sure makes my job easier when I am carrying around computers and furniture.

Weekend with the Girls!!

This weekend, I will be visiting my friends, Bobbie Wood and Tiffany Blakeley in Orem, UT. Anissa and I have been invited up north for a weekend of fun and frolic. We plan to barbeque, visit the Thanksgiving Point gardens, and Jordan Commons for dinner at the Mayan and a Movie. Special thanks to my hubby for taking the girls and letting me have this fun time with my friends.

Development by our house

Taylor's "Desert" is now gone. The bulldozers came and took out all the trees and paths. We saw some of the rabbits running around, I wonder where they are going to go. However, it will be nice to not have sagebrush blowing into our yard, but I will miss the openness of the area.

A new web site

I have written a new web site for a company here in town. The web address is http://www.southernutahbaseballacademy.com/

Here we go

This is the first official entry onto our new webdesign. It will make it much easier for us to enter information on the web site, so we will be updating more often, so the news will always be more current. Shaylie can take about 3 steps on her own now. She hit her head on a seat at the ballpark and has a little cut over her eye, but it is healing up nicely. Taylor spends nearly all day with her friends. She now knows baseball better than many of my Scouts. Pretty impressive for a five-year old.

3rd test

again

2nd Entry

Here we go again

My First Entry

This is my first entry onto my Blog. I hope it works right.