Happy Gilmores

Flowers for Sherry

2011-01-25T22:15:00.003-07:00

These are from our family. Page loves blue so she ordered a spray all in blue.

Dear friends Roger and Sina Coguill sent these beautiful birds of paradise

The Doctors and Staff of Powell Valley Clinic sent these. Yellow are her favorite type of roses.

The L.A. Temple workers that worked with Sherry surprised us with this awesome spray of flowers

Sherry always wanted a blanket of baby tears for her casket. It took Page some doing, but she was able to find somebody willing to do it.

Day at the Los Angeles Temple

2011-01-06T14:23:00.003-07:00

One of the highlights of our week in California was to take Grandma Sherry to the temple. She was feeling good that day and we took advantage of it.

Here is Page, Sean and Sherry outside the temple. What I loved was all the green grass and blooming flowers. Not in Wyoming!

I had to take a self photo of myself too

This is a special temple to us. We all were married here (me and Page, my parents, and Page's parents too).

Disneyland

2011-01-06T14:16:00.002-07:00

Sean and I drove to California the day after Christmas to be with Page. We decided to take a day to go to the Happiest Place on Earth!

We got to see Mickey and a lot of other Disney characters

Everything was decorated for Christmas. It was beautiful

Little did we know that 100,000 other people decided to come that day. The rains in California had stopped and people wanted to have some fun. They broke all time attendance records this day and actually closed the gates and stopped selling tickets by 10:30 a.m.

Here come all the people, but despite the crowds, we had a GREAT time !!!

We love Disneyland

Pirates and Ghosts

2011-01-06T14:12:00.002-07:00

Our first ride. Only had to wait about 20 minutes

New Orleans Square in the background while waiting for Pirates

Then we went to Haunted Mansion and they changed the ride to reflect "Nightmare Before Christmas". We never saw it like this before.

They decorated the Haunted Mansion

and everything had pumpkins on it

Rides

2011-01-06T14:08:00.002-07:00

Sean on the Haunted Mansion ride

Then we went on Whinnie the Pooh because it was the shortest line in the park

Eyore

Page and Sean are thrilled

yum yum honey

Day at Disneyland

2011-01-06T14:01:00.002-07:00

Our favorite ride of the day. Too bad we didn't get a fast pass. So we waiting 2 1/2 hours inline to enjoy Space Mountain for 3 minutes

But I was happy today because I got me some corn dogs. Best ones in the world are found on Main Street in Disneyland

Tigger came by to say hi

So did Minnie

Magic of Disney

2011-01-06T13:57:00.002-07:00

Finally made it to the castle

Happy Gilmores

Everything was decorated so nice for the holidays

Woody and Jesse

It's a Small Small World

2011-01-06T13:51:00.002-07:00

Waiting in line, we got to see the toy dolls come out

I use to get really excited when we caught them at the right time. Still do.

Here is Spain. Still love ESPANA

Ariel ! We took this shot because Sean said his girlfriend likes Ariel. hehe

But she like Dori probably even more, so I got this pic in the nick of time

Disnelyland Christmas Parade

2011-01-06T13:47:00.003-07:00

Let the Parade begin! They lit the Christmas Tree before the parade. We had been sitting 45 minutes on the sidewalk to secure a place to watch.

Toy soldiers

Pluto and the gang

gingerbread

goofy

Dinseyland

2011-01-06T13:42:00.003-07:00

The Princes and Princesses dancing

Ariel has legs

Ahhhh Snow White

Jimminy and Pinochio having fun

Hi Ho, Hi Ho

Disneyland at the Holidays

2011-01-06T13:38:00.004-07:00

Here is Sleeping Beauty's castle lit up at night. We had a great trip, despite the record breaking crowds. May All Your Dreams Come True!

Michael Jackson- The Experience

2010-12-25T20:34:00.003-07:00

We got a Wii game for Christmas called Michael Jackson, The Experience. The goal is to imitate Michael's dance moves from some of his videos. You can be Michael or one of his backup dancers. We had a great time tonight after dinner dancing like the King of Pop.

Here is Rhiannon and Ebin doing the dance moves. Uncle Sean is in the back for moral support.

Dance Dance Dance

Sean and Ebin show us how it is done

We had a great Christmas day together. We hope all of you also enjoyed the holiday with someone you love.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T20:25:00.002-07:00

The Gilmore family wishes all of you a very Merry Christmas

Presents were opened Christmas morning
Lacey, Ebin, Rhiannon and Sean

Me and the Grandchildren

Legos and Doll House were a hit

Ebin laying out his treasures

Family Tradition on Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T22:27:00.003-07:00

We had Christmas Eve dinner at the Rib & Chop House in Cody. It's a family tradition.

Rhiannon and Ebin smotherd Uncle Sean with kisses

We had a great evening. We had some really good steaks, crab legs and buffalo filets too

Ebin really enjoyed his chocolate milk topped with whipped cream.

After dinner we went and looked at Christmas lights then we had to drop the grandkids off at home to get ready for bed and a visit from Santa.....

Merry Christmas!!!!

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T22:19:00.003-07:00

Here is Lacey in Chris outside the Rib & Chop House in Cody

Ebin and Rhiannon wanted a picture with just Uncle Sean

The Huhnke family excited for Christmas

The kids and grandkids on Christmas Eve

The night would have been perfect if Page were here. She is in California taking care of her ill mother.

Ebin's Baptism

2010-12-19T15:22:00.004-07:00

I was honored to baptize my Grandson, Ebin, on Dec. 18th. He has learned so much about the gospel.

Grandma Page flew in from California for the baptism and got into town just an hour before the baptism since her flight had to turn around to Salt Lake Friday night and almost got canceled again on Saturday. Grandma Cindy came up from Worland. It was snowing that day and she almost wasn't able to make it. The Lord blessed us all in our travels.

The Happy Huhnke Family

Here are Elders Rogers and Seymore who taught Ebin the Missionary Lessons

Church Christmas Party

2010-12-19T12:30:00.004-07:00

This month the Church had a Christmas Dinner. After dinner the childred put on a Christmas Pageant. Here is Rhiannon getting ready to sing.

Rhiannon and Ebin were Angels

Ebin and Rhiannon have their hands in their faces. Can you see Ebin in the middle of the back row? And Rhiannon in the front.

After the Dinner and Program, Santa Claus showed up and the grandkids were able to tell him want they wanted for Christmas

They have been very good this year

Grandkids' School Holiday Program

2010-12-19T11:01:00.004-07:00

Earlier this month Ebin and Rhiannon sang in their school program.

They did a great job. The concert was very enjoyable.

Isn't the Huhnke Family cute?

Here is the proud Grandpa. Grandma Page was in California taking care of her ill Mother so was unable to attend this year. She was missed.

Seal Beach

2010-12-18T21:44:00.002-07:00

Lacey, Sean and I went out to the Seal Beach Pier during our November trip

The life of a Sea Gull

From the Pier you can see the Long Beach skyline, the City of our birth

Lacey and Sean- Seal Beach

USC - Notre Dame

2010-12-18T21:37:00.003-07:00

Sean and I went to the USC - Notre Dame game in Los Angeles this year. It rained most of the game but we still had a good time.

Notre Dame beat USC this year. I think USC had won the last 8 games, but the streak came to an end.

Nixon Library

2010-12-18T20:36:00.006-07:00

In November we were back in California and we stopped by the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda.

This is the house that President Nixon was born in

Here we are outside the Nixon home

This is the helicopter that took President Nixon from the White House after his resignation

Sean got up close to some world leaders of the day

Disneyland

2010-12-18T20:27:00.003-07:00

This last summer after Sean got home from his mission we made a trip to California and of course, spent some time at Disneyland. Here is Page, Sean and Lacey on the Jungle Cruise.

All of us in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle

We ran into Pinocchio on Main Street

Don't I look great with a Mad Hatter hat?

Page and Mike with their favorite pal, Goofy

Miniture Golf in Fountain Valley

2010-08-02T22:43:00.002-06:00

We use to play on this miniture golf course when the kids were young, so while in California we took a trip down memory lane...

Sean and Page having a good time

Page and Mike

Sean trying to figure out his next shot

Did I get a hole-in-one?

Seal Beach Pier

2010-08-02T22:35:00.003-06:00

No trip to California would be complete without a trip down to the pier.

In the background, you can make out the skyline of Long Beach- the city of my birth. Also, don't you just love my windblown hair?

Seal Beach, California meets Argentina. Wearing the Argentine national team soccer shirt, Sean was getting lots of comments from the Mexican population since Argentina beat Mexico in the World Cup.

The famous seal statue at the foot of Seal Beach Pier

Mom's Birthday at Yang Chow's

2010-08-02T22:25:00.003-06:00

We love Yang Chow in Chinatown-Los Angeles. But nobody enjoys it more than my Mom, so we took her to Yang Chows for her birthday on July 7th.

We always order the slippery shrimp. One of the best things I have ever eaten, and everytime we have it, we are never dissapointed. Sean enjoyed his meal.

Sean outside of Yang Chow in Chinatown

Me, Sean and Mom

Sean bought this hat in a shop in Chinatown and Grandma was a good sport to wear it for her birthday.

Family Dinner

2010-08-02T22:12:00.004-06:00

>Pat took us all out to dinner at the Claim Jumper near the Long Beach Harbor. We were celebrating three birthdays- Mom, Page and Taylor's. We had a really nice time

Taylor's birthday was on the 11th and Page's on the 12th

and Mom'w Birthday was on the 7th. Happy Birthday, ladies.

The Mormon Trail

2010-08-02T22:08:00.002-06:00

On our way back home from our California Trip, we crossed the Mormon Trail in southern Wyoming

We have many ancestors that were on this trail to the Salt Lake Valley

Pioneer Day Picnic

2010-08-02T22:04:00.002-06:00

Powell Tri-Ward Pioneer Day Picnic was on July 23rd at the park. We enjoyed pork sandwiches, salads and desserts. It was nice to have the whole family together.

Lacey's Birthday

2010-08-02T21:59:00.004-06:00

Lacey celebrated her birthday on July 29th. She got what she wanted- Vera Wang's "Princess"

We had a small family dinner at the Chinese Restuarant in town. Happy 24th Birthday, Lacey!

Sean returns home from Argentina

2010-06-24T21:52:00.002-06:00

After 2 years away from home serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, our son, Sean, came home on June 22nd. Here we are waiting for him to land at the Billings, Montana Airport.

Sean finally arrives in the terminal. We haven't laid eyes on him for two years!

Mom is the first to give him a big hug

Then it was Lacey's turn

Welcome home, Sean!

After the big reunion, we all went to lunch in Billings, then headed back home where he was released by the Stake President later that night.

Sean had a great experience and left part of his heart back in Argentina. But we are happy to have him home after such a long absence.

Grand Tetons

2010-06-15T22:03:00.003-06:00

The Grand Teton

I was at a conference last week at the Jackson Lake Lodge in the Grand Tetons National Park

This is a shot from on top of a hill on Elk Island at the base of the Tetons

You may not be able to tell, but I was huffing and puffing after walking up a steep trail

Took a boat ride from Colter Bay to Elk Island for a Trout and Steak dinner

I enjoyed the boat ride and BBQ on Elk Island with my friends Ray and Karen

The Tetons are amazing. At the Lodge, I saw several bull moose and lots of elk. On the way home I had to drive through Yellowstone and saw Buffalo there. But never did get to see a bear even though they are out and about now. Maybe next time.

Rhiannon's Graduation

2010-05-26T21:27:00.003-06:00

Our granddaughter, Rhiannon, graduated from Pre-school today. This is a picture of her class

Rhiannon is excited to be graduating and having her family come to the ceremony

Rhiannon got her diploma

Mom and Dad brought Rhiannon some flowers

Proud grandparents

Congratulatons Rhiannon on your special day !!!

Lacey got MARRIED !!!

2010-05-10T08:30:00.004-06:00

Lacey Megan Gilmore and Christopher Paul Huhnke

were married on Saturday, May 8, 2010

Powell, Wyoming

It was a small intimate family affair, yet very beautiful.

Lacey and Chris are planning a huge August reception when family and friends from out of state can come celebrate their union. So more is to come. We are happy for Lacey and her new little family. She became an instant mom and we became instant grandparents!!!!!

Lacey's Wedding

2010-05-10T08:26:00.004-06:00

Lacey's Wedding

2010-05-10T08:21:00.002-06:00

Lacey's Wedding

2010-05-10T08:16:00.002-06:00

Happy St.Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T20:46:00.005-06:00

St. Patrick's Day is a big deal in the Gilmore house. Tonight we had Lacey, Chris, Ebin and Rhiannon come over to help celebrate. We had corned beef and cabbage, green jello, Irish soda bread, green sour cream for the potatoes, green cream cheese stuffed in celery, pickles, and for dessert brownies with green frosting and mint n chip ice cream.

After dinner, we watched Darby O'Gill and the Little People. It is an annual tradition., Love seeing Darby try to outsmart King Brian and luckily King Brian tricks Darby at the end to save him from the Banchee. Rhiannon wasn't too fond of the Banchee.

Here is Ebin, Chris, Lacey and Rhiannon enjoying their St. Paddy's Day gifts.

HAPPY ST PATRICKS DAY

Utah Adventure

2010-02-22T20:13:00.003-07:00

Page and I planned a trip to go to Orem to do some wedding shopping and get some good ideas from Karie. We also invited Page's mom up from southern California to spend some time with us. Here is Page and her mom as we enter the Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City to hear the choir's Sunday morning broadcast.

We were able to get close and I was very excited to see the Orchestra also performing.

Great shot of Page and her Mom on Temple Square with the temple and the tabernacle in the background.

In Orem, I found an Argentine Bakery. I was very excited to go inside and try the facturas (pastries) and an empanada.

We got a car load of wedding supplies, but we also found the time to go over to see Sean's apartment that he will be staying in next year when he goes back to BYU. It is very close to campus.

Be My Valentine

2010-02-11T00:23:00.001-07:00

Page and I stopped by Chris' house tonight to drop off some Valentine goodies to him, Lacey and the kids. We will be in Utah this weekend so made our deliveries early this year. Looks like Rhiannon and Ebin like their Sees Candy.

Happy Groundhog Day

2010-02-02T07:37:00.003-07:00

Puxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning. I had a feeling that was going to happen. So we have a lot more winter ahead of us. Drats!

Billy Dean Concert

2010-01-24T09:55:00.002-07:00

Page and I went to the Billy Dean concert last night in Cody. It was really good and we had a great time listening to his music.

We had pretty good seats in the Cody Theater. I tried to take a shot with my cell phone. I should have brought my camera. He sang all his old hits and added a few new ones. He told us he had taken a few years off from doing shows to raise his kids which got a huge round of applause.

A Winter Day in Wyoming

2010-01-23T12:49:00.004-07:00

I took a little drive outside of town today and took a few photos. Lots of horses in these parts.

I ran across this herd of sheep. They were on the move looking for food.

I really liked this tree when I came upon it. It still is trying to hang on to its golden leaves in the middle of winter and it matched the golden fields in the background

I loved seeing this old wagon just sitting on the side of the road

I went down to the Shoshone River and spooked a flock of mud hens. Didn't mean to do that, just wanted to take their picture

Centennial Celebration

2010-01-16T17:52:00.006-07:00

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the completion of the Buffalo Bill Dam, west of Cody

About an hour after I took this photo, there would be hundreds of people lining up on top of the dam to be photographed for the centennial photos. I would be one of the faces in the crowd

At the time of completion in 1910, this dam was the tallest dam in the United States

This is looking east down stream from the dam as the Shoshone River works its way down into the Big Horn Basin. This dam has provided the Basin with water to sustain life in this part of Wyoming

Former US Senator, Alan Simpson, was the speaker at the event.
I was excited to be here today and to be a part of history. I doubt I will be here for the 200th anniversary....

Happy New Year

2010-01-09T14:53:00.004-07:00

Page and Mike out front with our new holiday yard decoration

We hope you all had a Merry Christmas

and

We wish you Happy New Year 2010

A New Year and A New Decade !!!

More Christmas Fun

2010-01-08T20:35:00.003-07:00

after dinner in Cody, we all came back to the house to open presents

Ebin got some Bakugan

and he flipped over this robotic bug

Rhiannon fell in love with her new doll

and couldn't wait to put on her princess jacket

Christmas Eve 2009

2010-01-06T19:17:00.002-07:00

We continued our Christmas Eve tradition this year, going to the Rib & Chop House in Cody

This year we got to bring along the future new members of our family, Chris, Ebin and Rhiannon

Enjoying our Christmas Eve Dinner

(Ebin looks really excited!)

Rhiannon too!

Chris, Lacey and Page

Winter Music Program

2009-12-17T21:28:00.003-07:00

We went to our Grandson, Ebin's Christmas Concert, errrr, I mean Winter Music Program tonight. It was probably the best school holiday program I have ever been to, including my own children's concerts when they were young. Ebin is the good looking young man in the green shirt up front.

Ebin not only sang well, he also got to dance and do choreography! I was in the back of a dark auditorium, so I am happy I got shots as good as I did.

After the program. Here is Grandpa Dave and Grandma Cindy wtih Chris, Lacey, Ebin and Rhiannon. They came all the way up from Worland to be here tonight.

Grandma Page and Grandpa Mike with Ebin and Rhiannon

Still performing after the show!

Ebin, Chris, Lacey and Rhiannon

Merry Christmas everyone !!!

Christmas is on its way

2009-12-16T19:36:00.003-07:00

We got our tree up and decorated

Rhiannon and Ebin- our grandkids (officially in 8 months)

Rhiannon, Lacey, Chris and Ebin- they are a happy family

Obama has teleprompter malfunction

2009-11-17T13:48:00.002-07:00

Obama's Home Teleprompter Malfunctions During Family Dinner

Last Chance to see Old Faithful

2009-11-12T17:36:00.002-07:00

The roads to Old Faithful in Yellowstone closed for the winter on Nov. 2nd- 8 .a.m. So I took the soon-to-be Grandkids down on Sunday afternoon, after church of course....

Here is Ebin at Yellowstone Lake. He had never seen a geyser in his whole life, in person. I couldn't have that could I? So we dashed over to the other end of the park to get to Old Faithful before it got dark.

We made it just in time. We saw the last eruption of Old Faithful before sundown. It was about 5:15 p.m. Then the roads would be closed to cars until next Spring 2010. As you can see, Rhiannon and Ebin still were enjoying the effects of Halloween from the day before.

Thumbs up as we watch Old Faithful blow its top

And then of course, a herd of Buffalo decided to camp on the road to get out. We sat for about 10 minutes until they decided it was time to move.

We had a great day in Yellowstone. I can't wait to take them again next year, when we have more time to see the waterfalls, mud pots, and maybe a bear....

Rhiannon is 5

2009-11-11T09:21:00.002-07:00

We got to go to Rhiannon's 5th Birthday party. Lacey planned it and she did such a good job. Rhiannon is going to be my granddaughter next year when Lacey marries Chris.

Pure joy in getting a Tinkerbell doll

Both my new grandchildren-to-be... Ebin and Rhiannon

Page got her lots of dress up clothes. Rhiannon is into princesses at the moment

Is this an awesome Princess cake?

Halloween Fun

2009-11-10T20:55:00.001-07:00

I dressed up as Pharoah at work and came in second place in the costume contest

Lacey was a Tigress

Don't we look great?

Yellowstone Adventure

2009-10-28T07:14:00.005-06:00

The roads in Yellowstone are about to close for the winter, so Page and I made one last quick trip into the park. Here we are at the upper falls.

This little porcupine ran out across the road right in front of our car. First porcupine I have seen in the park, close to Sylvan Pass.

We came upon this herd of buffalo near the Fishing Bridge. We got a kick out of watchting the red baby buffalo getting a meal from his Mama.

We went to the brink of the Upper Falls.

I took this shot at the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone.

The Ups and Downs of Sport

2009-09-05T21:26:00.003-06:00

Way to go, USC Trojans. They beat San Jose State 56-3. A blow out was expected and the Trojans delivered. Matt Barkley, a true Freshman, lead the team in his first college game as QB.

Huge upset. BYU outlasts the #3 Oklahoma Sooners and wins 14-13. Rise and Shout, Cougars!!! I was so excited to tell Sean, that I zipped off a quick email to him in Argentina.

And the heartbreak of the day. Andy Roddick lost to John Isner in a 5 set marathon at the US Open, 3rd round. After the way he played at Wimbledon, I was really hoping he could pull out a win here. I am really bummed about this one, but the other two big wins of the day (USC and BYU) helps a lot.

Seal Beach

2009-09-05T21:13:00.003-06:00

Vacation is almost over so had to make one last trip to the beach

Lacey arrived today to spend a week with her Grandmothers, so she came along on my last trip to see the Pacific Ocean. We went to Seal Beach Pier and got a picture with the bronze seal.

California Natives

See the smoke behind me up in the mountains? We were here during the California fires and it made the air pretty smokey. But it is great to be on the beach.

Blue Whales

2009-09-03T14:05:00.002-06:00

Page and I went Whale Watching off of Long Beach on Tuesday. First time we ever did something like this and we had a great time. We saw a few blue whales, including a Mom and her calf. I tried to take pictures, but couldn't see through the lens, so I just aimed and clicked.

Blue Whales are the larges animal on earth and largest ever in history, including bigger than any of the dinosaurs that roamed the earth.

It was wonderful watching these creatures dive and come back up

We ran into a school of dolphin too but none of the pictures turned out. Here you can see shadows of them under the water. It was a nursery pod and there were hundreds of babies. The adults were teaching them how to jump. It was another treat to see.

And of course we saw som Harbor Seals. The guide said seals are more like cats- loners and quiet. Sea Lions, which we saw later, are more like dogs. They make lots of noise are very social

A Day at Sea

2009-09-03T14:00:00.003-06:00

Lighthouse on the Los Angeles Harbor breakwall

Palos Verdes Pennisula- covered by smoke from all the fires burning

Sea Lions basking in the sun

Heading back into Long Beach after a 3 hours tour

Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach- city of our birth

Lacey's Birthday

2009-08-09T20:15:00.003-06:00

Lacey turned 23 on July 29th. Where did my baby go?

We had lemon cake and Lacey's piece was served on the Red Plate. We had homemade taquitos and homemade guacamole for dinner too. Page did a great job on dinner, it was so good!

Lacey loves Ron Weasley, so we knew this present would be a big hit

And she is really into feather jewlery this year, so she got some of that too.

Happy Birthday, Lacey. We sure had fun celebrating with you.

Mariah's Open House

2009-08-08T07:22:00.003-06:00

Page and I went up to Livingston a couple weeks ago to attend Mariah and Shad's Open House. Don't they look happy?

cutting the cake

It was good to see friends too. (It's hard to keep table clothes on tables with the Livingston wind coming through)

We stayed for the weekend and enjoyed going to church before we went home too

Pioneer Day

2009-07-24T20:29:00.004-06:00

We celebrated Pioneer Day at Washington Park today. All three family wards came together for a big BBQ/potluck. Lacey brought Chris and the kids. Here we are with Ebin and Rhiannon.

Lacey with Chris and the kids (look at all the missionaries goofing off on the merry-go-round in the background)

Page and Rhiannon

Lacey and Rhiannon

Chris, Lacey, Rhiannon and Ebin with their handcart

corn dog

2009-07-24T20:11:00.004-06:00

I wanted to show you what the best corn dog in the whole world looks like. I ended up eating 5 of them over this week since the county fair has been here. I had a Pioneer Day picnic tonight and I am going away for the weekend, so no ability to add to that number. Last year I had 7, so I fell a couple short of my record this year..... but there is always next year......

County Fair

2009-07-21T21:18:00.004-06:00

Today is opening day of the Park County Fair. Page and I went tonight, specifically because it was "free admission" day.... AND this county fair makes the best corn dogs I have ever eaten!!! Well maybe Disneyland's are better, but they are pretty close in flavor and crunchiness.

We ended up getting some sasparilla, a texas twister, corn dogs (of course), Indian taco and an Italian sausage sandwich. We didn't go away hungry.

We also met up with Lacey, Chris and the kids. We treated the kids to cotton candy and ice cream too. (hey we don't have to deal with the sugar overdose.....). They had pig wrestling tonight, but we didn't get over there to see it. We did however see a hypnotist do her thing. We had a nice evening. It wasn't too hot, in fact we had a brief thunderstorm come through.

The Fair is here all week, that means there are more corn dogs in my future!

Roddick Heartbreaker

2009-07-05T17:18:00.004-06:00

Nobody really gave him a chance. But Roddick made a lot of fans today, although he lost to Federer in a 5 set Epic match for the ages. The 5th set went to 16-14, longest in history, yet Andy was denied the prize he has wanted for most of his life. It was a heartbreaker. This one is going to hurt for awhile. Especially the second set when he was up 6-2 in the tie breaker and let Roger come back with 6 unanswered points to win the set. If he could have won just one of those points, he would have been leading 2-0 and I don't think Roger could have overcome that. Yet, Andy kept playing tough and even when down 1-2, he dug deep and one the 4th set. I thought maybe the 5th set would go on forever. I did feel Andy was at a disadvantage always having to serve to hold, and even at that disadvantage he held 10 times.

Andy had a great tournament, beating a former #1 and then his greatest match until today, he beat Murray, the #3 player in the world. Nobody expected him to do that. Nobody expected him to even when a set today, yet he almost won. I truly believe this match could have gone either way. They were both that good. I don't want to take anything away from Roger. He now holds the record for most Grand Slam titles at 15. History was made today, but I think we also saw the resurgency of Andy Roddick. I expect to see a championship or two in his future.

I'm still a huge fan of Andy Roddick.

One More, Andy

2009-07-03T16:39:00.002-06:00

Way to go Andy in the Semi-finals at Wimbledon. Impressive win over #3 Andy Murray. Murray has beat Andy the last three meetings, but not today. You do have to feel for the British people who have waited 71 years for a Brit to make it to the finals of their own tournament, but it wasn't meant to be. Now Andy has a big challenge ahead, playing #1 Roger Federrer. Enough said! Let's go, Roddick !!!

Let's Go Roddick

2009-07-02T12:30:00.003-06:00

Andy has been having a great tournament at Wimbledon this week. Awsome 5 set match against Hewitt. Now it gets harder as he plays Andy Murray, who has the full support of the British and is ranked #3. If he happens to beat the other Andy, then it is on to the final.

Go Andy Roddick !!!

Pitchfork Steak Dinner

2009-06-26T23:24:00.003-06:00

Page and I went to our first Pitchfork Steak Cook out. It was pretty good. They take steak and stick it on a pitchfork and then set it in a big vat of hot oil over a fire. The steak gets seared really fast and it is juicy and tender. They also marinated the steaks all day long so they had a wonderful flavor. We went with our friends Roger and Sina. It was a fundraiser for the local swim team. I think I'm going to have to do this again next time I hear they are pulling out the pitchforks.

Father's Day

2009-06-25T13:40:00.003-06:00

After Sacrament Meeting at Church onSunday, they passed out big bottles of Dad's Root Beer to all the Fathers. I thought that was pretty awesome. Lacey also got me a big can of honey roasted peanuts.

We took a drive to Big Horn Canyon. It's only about 30 minutes from our house. They have a wild herd of horses there that are protected. These wild mustangs were left by the Spaniards. Last year Sean and I came up here and didn't see any horses. On Sunday we saw a herd of them. I was really excited.

I love this view. I wanted to show it to Page and Lacey. We are standing above Devil's Canyon looking south on Big Horn Lake. Page surprised me with tickets to take a 2 hour excursion on this lake. So I will be down there in a boat soon.

This is looking north. I love how the canyon is long and narrow and filled in by water. Part of it is in Wyoming and the other part in Montana.

Page and Lacey making sure I have a great Father's Day.

And I did! We came home to BBQ ribs, homemade potato salad and baked beans. Page also made her famous chocolate sauce, just for me!!!, and poured it over vanilla ice cream and sliced bananas. It was so good.

Sean also sent me Happy Father's Day wishes earlier from Argentina by email. So overall I had a great day.

Another Birthday

2009-06-03T22:48:00.003-06:00

We also celebrated Sean's Birthday on the 24th. He turned 20 and is in Buenos Aires, Argentina, so we had a party without him, in his honor. Grandma Sherry, Page and I cut this beautiful cupcake into thirds and wished Sean a Happy Birthday many miles away.

Happy Birthday 76

2009-06-03T22:41:00.003-06:00

Page's Mom turned 76 on May 28th. We took her to one of her favorite places to eat, The Cheesecake Factory in Huntington Beach

Lacey had us bring her Grandma a turtle and the birthday tiara

Kim, Kathryn and Matt also joined us.

Happy Birthday !!!

Moms

2009-06-03T22:37:00.001-06:00

It was wonderful going back home to see our Moms

Seal Beach

2009-05-29T00:28:00.002-06:00

We had to go walk on the Seal Beach Pier, of course. There is something about looking out over the Pacific that makes you know you are back home.

Jacaranda

2009-05-28T10:04:00.003-06:00

Here is one of the sites I love seeing while back home on vacation in southern California. All the Jacaranda trees are in full bloom. They are beautiful and remind me of home.

Crazy Haired Girl

2009-05-14T21:54:00.004-06:00

Lacey came down to my office to show me her new hair

Well, it sure beats my boring gray hair, doesn't it?

Lacey makes me laugh. They actually found this colorful wig in her department and she had to come down to show it off. So what do you think? Good look for her?

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-10T21:12:00.004-06:00

I made this awesome chocolate cake for Page for Mother's Day.

We were excited for "the call" from our missionary, Sean, in Argentina today. He ended up calling about 2:45 p.m. our time but the calling cards didn't work out as planned. At Christmas he bought the $10 peso card, but couldn't find one this time so he bought 2 $5 peso cards. When he used the first one, it only lasted 7 minutes. When he used the second one, only 7 minutes. He tried calling collect and it didn't work either. He thought he could call back later with the help of other elders, but here it is after 9 p.m. and no call.

I did make Page a steak on the grill and we had baked potatoes, cut up fresh fruit, grilled asparagus and sauteed mushrooms... along with the chocolate cake. It was a lot of work but she was worth it. I also made some muffins and piggy pudding for breakfast.

Lacey spent most of the day with us too which was really nice. We watched a movie together also. So a movie, dinner, and 14 minutes (instead of the 40 that was allowed) with Sean. Sean sounded good, also sounded a lot older to us. Used a few words in Spanish instead of English which made us laugh. So that is how our day turned out.

Mom- I love you!

Yellowstone

2009-05-08T16:58:00.003-06:00

Page and I headed to Yellowstone National Park the first weekend the road opened to Old Faithful. We pull into the parking lot and we see through the trees that it is going off. Ugh. Would have to wait 90 minutes for the next eruption. Can you see the geyser through the trees?

Here is some geyser water making its way down to the river. I love this shot.

We saw some Big Horn Sheep leaving Gardiner for Livingston.

We always see Elk around Mammoth Hot Springs.

Buffalo, Buffalo ! We saw lots of bison in the park. We also saw a wolf. Too far away to take a good picture of it, but we had binoculars and it was awesome.

Page at Old Faithful

We came up over the ridge and saw this beautiful winter wonderland.

Right inbetween Hot and Cold

Everytime the kids see this rock formation, we call it a Nephite fortress.

and the kids call this place, "big rock in middle of river" .

We had a great day together in Yellowstone. It is one of my most favorite places in the world.

Easter

2009-04-14T21:10:00.003-06:00

How was your Easter? I spent part of mine in the Emergency Room of our hospital. (Lacey told me to look like I was in pain, but the pain wasn't really bad).

See the blood? I punctured my arm with a very sharp carving knife while helping with Easter dinner. It was in the drain board, sharp side up and I wasn't careful.... That is what I get for helping. Lacey drove me to the hospital and Page cleaned up the big mess. It hit an artery and the blood went everywhere in the kitchen. I'm sure glad they were around to help.

Despite the drama, we had a very nice ham dinner for Easter.

The Easter Bunny left a basket and gifts for Lacey. Page and I were thrilled to have Lacey attend our Ward for Easter Sunday with us. Lacey and Page got to hear me sing in the Ward Choir too. I really love singing for Easter.

We hope you all had a wonderful Easter

An Apostle's Easter Thoughts on Christ

2009-04-10T23:14:00.000-06:00

One of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so.

Birthday Dinner

2009-04-06T22:20:00.004-06:00

Today was my 47th birthday. First nice thing I did for myself is I took the day off from work. At 5 p.m. when Page got home from her job, Page, Lacey and I took off for Billings to have some Chicago style deep dish pizza. So we hopped in the car and headed north.

We got the "Magnificant 7"with sausage, pepperoni, olives, peppers, red onions, tomatoes and mozarella....

Page and Me

After dinner

We are feeling good

When we got home, I had a slice of Page's homemade Banana Cream Pie. MY FAVORITE!!! Just throw a dolop of whipped cream on that baby, and I am good to go.

I had a great Birthday.

It's Good to be Irish

2009-03-17T20:08:00.002-06:00

We celebrated St. Patrick's Day in style today. For dinner, I made a loaf of soda bread, a pot of corned beef and cabbage along with carrots and potatoes. After dinner, Page, Lacey and I sat down and watched "Darby O'Gill and the Little People" . We also heard from our laddie, Sean, by email in Argentina today. He is doing well and is very happy. You can read all about how he is doing on his blog. Our blessings definetely outnumber the shamrocks in the fields.....

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Elders Over for Dinner

2009-03-11T18:22:00.003-06:00

Elder Jensen, Elder Cook, Elder Hernandez and Elder Bautista

We had the Missionaries over for dinner on Tuesday night. We made a dinner of steak, baked potato, salad and rolls. We also made sauted mushrooms for the steak, mmmmmmm. We would have also had apple pie and ice cream, but I burnt the pie. Yep, I was so busy reading Sean's email from Argentina, I lost track of time. So Page saved the day with a chocolate cake from the market.

Here is a picture of the Elders getting ready to sing to us after the meal. Now that is truly "singing for your supper!". It is nice to have them in our home. I think of Sean and how the members in Buenos Aires are feeding him too and making him feel welcomed.

Elder Jensen is the zone leader and works in Cody. He is from the San Diego, CA area. Elder Cook is a missionary in our ward and is from Mesa, AZ. Elder Hernandez is from Guatamala and is working in Cody, and Elder Bautista is in our ward and from Aculpulco, Mexico. Elder Bautista came to this mission the same time Sean got to Argentina and he hasn't been transfered yet.

Valentine Activities

2009-02-16T14:30:00.003-07:00

I had a busy weekend. At work on Friday the 13th, I hosted the clinic's 3rd Annual "Death by Chocolate". The staff makes chocolate desserts and we have a panel of judges vote the top 3 for prizes. The last two years I have placed 3rd both times. This year I fell short, and I thought I had my best dishes ever. Yes, dishes, I made two dishes. One was a classic "Texas Sheet Cake" and then I tried a new recipe, "Chocolate "Berried Treasure" Bars. They were good but not good enough, obviously. The winner was a peanut butter/chocolate cookie. A cookie beat me out!

Saturday morning on Valentine's Day, Page and I had a nice breakfast down at Pepes. They have the best breakfasts in town, in my opinion. It was nice to go out to breakfast with my sweetheart. The rest of the day we were busy preparing for a Ward Activity. We are in charge of activies/socials at church. Saturday night we planned an Adult's only party. We had people bring either desserts or appetizers. We provided the punch, and we had dancing, party games and karaoki. Let's just say I had no idea how many wannabe singers we had a church. It was a lot of fun.

Sunday was our day of rest. We were tired and sore from all that dancing. I hope you all had a nice Valentine's Day too.

Eagle Soaring

2009-02-08T22:45:00.003-07:00

Page, Lacey and I spent the day in Billings on Saturday. On our way to the big city, we saw a beautiful Bald Eagle flying up above the road near Bridger, Montana. It was a beautiful, warm, clear day and the view of this majestic bird was awe inspiring. We also saw some beautiful hawks hunting mice in the fields. I guess we were not the only ones taking advantage of the sunshine.

Roddick knocks out Djokovic

2009-01-27T13:29:00.002-07:00

Great match last night between Roddick and Djokovic. THe #9 player beat the #3 player in the world. Way to go Andy Roddick. The Australian Open is going on right now. This win pushes Andy to the semi-finals against Roger Federrer. That is going to be a tough match. It got to 133 degrees on the court yesterday. Andy was winning the match, but Djok quit in the 4th set due to the heat. Andy looks good this year. He has lost 15 pounds this year and in great shape. I hope he can upset Roger. I am very happy for Andy.

Let it snow

2009-01-25T17:30:00.004-07:00

We had a nice snow fall Saturday evening and night and woke up to a blanket of white

of course, we had to go to church so I had to get into my winter clothes and go out and shovel the porch, walkway, driveway, and side walks. It doesn't help that we live on a corner so I have sidewalks on two sides of the house, plus a little sidewalk along the back. And to add to my fun, I decided to shovel the neighbor's driveway and stairs to her front door. I know, I am a good boy scout!

Look, and I am still smiling after all that work

Utah Getaway

2009-01-21T20:23:00.002-07:00

This past weekend, Page and I took a few days off to getaway and spend time together. We chose Utah. It is close and has fun things to do. And a chance to do some shopping in the big city. On Sunday morning we went to Salt Lake City and heard the Mormon Tabernacle Choir during their weekly live broadcast from Temple Square in the Tabernacle. We go to sit way down front. Afterwards we saw the Joseph Smith movie in the Visitor Center and the beautiful Christus statue.

Here we are in Temple Square with a view of the Salt Lake Temple.

We also stopped by to see a few of Sean's BYU friends. They let us film them talking to Sean. We sent the tape along with some messages from Page, Lacey, the Ludwigs and me. We also sent some Valentine goodies to Sean today in the mail.

Here is a picture of Sean's friends in their apartment at BYU

Back- L to R: Emily, Kitty, Natalie, Alex

Front- Page

We also had lunch one day at Tango House in Provo. It is an Argentine restuarant. We had empanadas, milanesa and gnocci. And to top it off we had flan covered with Dulce de Leche.

Here is Page with the owner of the restuarant, Andrea and her daughter Antonella. They are from Buenos Aires, Argentina. They moved to the USA when Antonella was 11. They first lived in California then moved to Utah. They were so nice and of course we told them all about Sean and they talked about Argentina. They are going back for a visit in March and offered to take anything to Sean we wanted to send him. Isn't that cool? We only met for a few minutes, but we could tell they are great people.

Our trip was a lot of fun. We had fun talking and hanging out together. I have to admit I pooped out more than Page did. By 5 p.m. everyday, I wanted to take a nap. We got to see our friends the Ludwigs, although not for very long, but they all seem to be doing very well. I finally got to eat at Cafe del Rio. For the past 5 years I have been wanting to go and every time we are in Utah we never make the time to do it. Well, finally Page and I went. I had the pork burrito and it was AWESOME. I will go back there again sometime.

We made it home safely and both of us went to work today, but we are already thinking about when we can get away together again.

I love this picture

2009-01-12T22:48:00.004-07:00

Here is a picture of Sean with Elder Sabey (who also was in his BYU ward last year and lived down the hall in his dorm). Elder Sabey isn't his companion but they are in the same zone (Catan). They are at the mission Christmas Party in Haedo, Buenos Aires, Argentina the week before Christmas. The missionaries had a white elephant gift exchange and Sean got a pair of women's sunglasses and he wore them all day.

Doesn't he look great and happy!?! And look at his hair! I can't believe he has a part in it now. Click on the picture to enlarge it so you can get a good look at him....

Crowned

2009-01-08T21:11:00.002-07:00

I finally got a crown on my tooth this afternoon. I broke off a piece of a tooth last April when Page and I were driving to Utah to pick up Sean from BYU. I remember the incident well, I was in biting into an egg mcmuffin in Lander when I thought I was chewing on some hard grisle only to discover half my tooth broke off in a couple of pieces. After that my toungue kept getting cut and I still had to get to Utah, pick up Sean then drive down to California so Sean could go through the LA Temple. When I got back, I couldn't find a dentist available to fix it. I finally got established wiht a dentist in October and now this has been the earliest I could get into to get a crown.

Anyway, I am numb, sore and tired. So much so, that I don't have any desire to watch the rest of the BCS Championship game between Florida and Oklahoma. The best team (USC) got jipped anyway......

USC and Black-eyed Peas

2009-01-01T21:33:00.005-07:00

USC 38 Penn State 24

Rose Bowl Champions: USC TROJANS

Another exciting Rose Bowl game today. The USC Trojans proved they are one of the best teams in the country. First time in history that one team won three consecutive Rose Bowl games. 7th straight BCS bowl game, 7th straight Pac-10 championship. Our QB, Mark Sanchez broke the all time completion record in a Rose Bowl game today. It was a wonderful game

For the 46th consecutive year, I had a bowl of black-eyed peas. Nobody in my family really appreciates this tradition the way I do. Growing up, my family had black-eyed peas every New Years Day since I was a baby. Now that I have my own family, it is basically me cooking black-eyed peas and everyone grumbling, so I doubt this family tradition will go beyond this link of the family tree, but as long as I draw breath, I will have my black-eyed peas on New Years Day for good luck. (My mother also called to make sure I had my black-eyed peas today)

We started out the day at the stroke of midnight with a treat. Powell is celebrating it's 100th birthday in 2009 and they started it off with a huge fireworks show. It lasted 20 minutes and we could see it right from our front window. I thought that was fantastic and it put a smile on my face.

Happy New Year !!!

South America in Snow

2008-12-29T12:33:00.003-07:00

Lacey was parked out in front of our house for Christmas and the snow on the back of her window looked exactly like South America. I swear I can see where Sean lives in Argentina.

I thought it was pretty awesome. Lacey quickly took this photo before it dissappeared.

Christmas Day

2008-12-25T23:13:00.003-07:00

We started out with a nice breakfast of cinnamon rolls, eggs and sausage. Lacey tried to wake us up early to open presents but we fought it until 8:30 a.m.

I got a few USC things today. Here is a fleece blanket from Page. We all got some nice presents, but the best of all was 40 minutes with Sean. He called us about 12:30 p.m. It was great to hear his voice and learn more about his area. He went to eat at a members house last week because the family is moving back to Peru. He said they first had some chicken, then the Dad brought out OCTOPUS!!! He said it didn't even really looked cooked. At first he was shaking his head no when offered the delight. He ended up trying it and said it was real rubbery. I guess I hogged most of the telephone time, I didn't realize I was doing it. At one point Sean had to say "let Mom ask a question". After the call, I missed him even more. It took awhile to shake off the feeling that we can't speak to him again until Mother's Day. It was also nice to find out they have air conditioning in the apartment since it's started to get real hot in Argentina. He sounded like he was doing well and a few times was using Spanish words instead of English, and when he would catch himself we would all laugh. What a special experience to talk to him.

We ended up invited a couple of the missionaries over for Christmas Dinner since nobody signed them up. One of the Elders, Elder Morris, went to BYU with Sean and they were in the same ward. We met Elder Rougeau for the first time tonight. He is from Utah but his family came from Lousiana. We have a feeling he is related to our dear friends, Frank and Lynn Rougeau from Lousiana. We will have to find out.

Here we are at the end of the day in front of our Christmas Tree. After the Elders left Lacey and I went to see the movie, Bedtime Stories, that just came out today. It is a great movie. You should go see it.

And here we had to take a picture of Elder Taylor Morris before he left the house.

¡FELIZ NAVIDAD!

Christmas Eve in Cody

2008-12-24T23:34:00.004-07:00

Lacey wants to know what will happen if she sticks her tongue on this pole when it is freezing outside.....

Lacey and Page after our Christmas Eve dinner in Cody

Every Christmas Eve since we left California we have gone out for a special dinner as a family. Tonight we ate at the Rib and Chop House in Cody. Here is a picture of us outside the Rib and Chop after we had nice steak and chicken dinners. Then we headed back home to wrap up the day and get ready for Christmas.

It will be nice to have Lacey spend the night and spend the day with us tomorrow. Also the big phone call from Argentina by Elder Sean... how great is that going to be!!!!!!

Merry Christmas

O' Christmas Tree

2008-12-22T17:33:00.003-07:00

We found this ornament of the sun that is on the Argentina flag. We added it to our tree this year in honor of Sean serving his mission in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Only three more days until Christmas, and that means a phone call from Sean. Missionaries can only call home twice a year: Christmas and Mother's Day. This will be the first time we get to talk to him since he has been in Argentina. Lacey will be coming over to share Christmas Day with us too. It's going to be a great Christmas for us this year. We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas too.

More Elf Mischief !!

2008-12-20T09:47:00.001-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas Elves

2008-12-19T22:42:00.001-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Coach Pete Carroll

2008-12-14T21:49:00.002-07:00

Watch CBS Videos Online

USC's coach, Pete Carroll, was on 60 minutes tonight. Not only is he a great coach, the winningest coach in college football, but he also has helped lower gang violence in LA. We are lucky to have him. Fight On!

Connie Jean, I miss you

2008-12-12T09:24:00.002-07:00

24 years ago today, I lost my dear Sister, Connie. She was driving to Utah from California and was involved in a tragic car accident and she did not survive. She was only 21. Connie is a great sister, and I love her so much. It's been a long time since she has been in my life, but I am comforted in knowing that families are eternal and can be together forever. That brings me much peace.

I am grateful for the great plan of happiness and the knowledge of knowing God is our Eternal Father and that Jesus Christ is my Savior and he lives! It is nice to reflect on the Savior during this Christmas season. We get so busy with all the activities of the holiday, but we all need to take time to think of the great gift we received and why we celebrate Christmas.

May you all have a more peaceful and reflective Christmas this year!

USC beats UCLA- Pac 10 Champs

2008-12-06T23:08:00.004-07:00

USC 28 UCLA 7

USC beat it's cross-town rival in the Rose Bowl today for the 8th time in 9 years. It is our 7th straight Pac 10 championship and we are going to the Rose Bowl to play Penn State. It is our 7th straight 11 win season too. This has been the greatest run for USC football.

Today we wore home jerseys. Both teams worked it out so that we both could wear our home jerseys, which used to be the tradition when we both shared the same field at the Coliseum. It was nice to see it brought back. Cost us a time out.

We were dominate over the Bruins today. It's been a great year for USC.

After the game, Lacey and I went to Subway for dinner then hit downtown to watch the annual Christmas Parade. It wasn't a very big parade this year, but was fun to see all the lights.

Stocking to Argentina

2008-11-30T21:14:00.003-07:00

Page and I had a great time shopping for and putting together this Christmas stocking for Sean. Page had the stocking made to look like Elder Gilmore. It even has a name tag in Spanish, and he is holding a Libro de Mormon (Book of Mormon).

If you click on the photo you will get to see a nice close up of the name badge. Pretty cool !

We filled it with lots of neat things for a missionary. Candy, nuts, toys, Mormon Tab tapes, CTR ring, ties.... what any 19 year old would want. We just hope it makes it safely in one piece to Buenos Aires, Argentina. We stayed away from anything chocolate since it is Summer down there and we didn't want a gooey mess.

Feliz Navidad

USC Humbles Notre Dame... Again

2008-11-29T23:29:00.002-07:00

USC 38 Notre Dame 3

We have beat Notre Dame 7 straight years. We have had a 10+ win season for 7 straight years. And we are going to another BCS bowl game. Looks like the Rose Bowl against Penn State since Oregon beat Oregon State tonight and knocked them out of the Rose Bowl if we beat UCLA next week. The game was never in doubt. The Irish didn't even get a first down until the last play of the 3rd quarter. Our defense is so awesome this year. And the offense put in a great effort tonigt too Let's do this again next week agains the UCLA bRuins.....

Kid's News

2008-11-20T20:01:00.002-07:00

Well, I thought I would just update the blog with some news from the children....

Sean wrote us from Argentina this week telling us he is going to have his first baptism on Saturday. We are so happy for him. He is going to be the one doing the baptizing too. His first time. He has been teaching a 19 year old boy the gospel for the last month and he has committed to be baptized. We are really excited and send our love down to Buenos Aires.

Lacey has been a road warrior for the last two days. She drove, with a friend, down to Shreveport, Lousiana to be a bridesmaid at her high school friend's wedding on Saturday. I personally would have rathered flown to Shreveport, but Lacey wanted to have her car with her, so she drove 24 hours (12 each day) to get there. She just got there tonight. She gets to make the two day trip back starting on Sunday, but I know she will have a great time seeing all her friends and hanging out in the Ark-La-Tex. I wish I was down there so I could eat a chocolate eclair from JulieAnnes......