So there we were,

walking through the Wal-Mart minding our own business, buying diapers and paper towels, enjoying our time together, contemplating the wisdom of perhaps also purchasing some shampoo or something, when lo and behold-

an almost life-sized version of Indiana Jones made completely of Legos. (The whip and the scull were not Legos, just for the record.)

So Cool!!!!

Here's my list-(by Michelle)

Five favorite sounds-

-Andrew laughing in his sleep

-ice in soda in a glass

-the sound of a can of soda opening

-the sound of Jello being scooped out of the bowl

-the timer on the stove

Five favorite places-

-Park City, Utah

-Washington D.C.

-my house

-anywhere that I can be alone for a few minutes

-anywhere Mike is

Five favorite smells-

-paper

-clean babies

-chocolate

-bakeries

-rain

Five things that make me laugh-

-Aaron

-right now the stick joke (what's brown and sticky? a stick)(think of it being told by Christopher Walken. It makes it even funnier!)

-ducks running (if I didn't think it would be a mean thing to do, I would go to the pond by our house and chase them all day)

-I can't think of anything else right now

Five favorite things to eat-

-brocolli

-fresh from the garden tomatoes

-fresh from the garden anything

-chicken cordon bleu

-Dr. Pepper

Five favorite things to do-

-read

-watch sappy movies

-listen to my kids read to me

-paint

-play with paper

Five favorite movies-(these aren't my all-time favorites, just some of them)

-Sweet Home Alabama

-Just Like Heaven

-Always

-Italian Job

-The Lake House

Five favorite authors-

-Betsy Brannon Green

-Mary Higgins Clark

-Sheri Dew

-Dr. Seuss

-Anita Stansfield

Five favorite words-

-fantastic

-fabulous

-mesmerize

-waffle

-ecstatic

A favorite color-

-chartreuse

A favorite breakfast cereal-

-Honey Bunches of Oats with almonds

My secret fantasy-

-living in Newport, Oregon and making a living by selling something I make

My favorite saying-

-Live well, Laugh often, Love much

2 in a Row - Mike is a Bloggin' Fiend!

Belle tagged me so here it goes! I hope these questions are not used in blackmail.
List your 5 favorite sounds:
-Running water in a stream
-The sound of power tools
-My wife snoring
-The ding from timer
- The general din of silence

List your five favorite places:
- Park City, UT
- The Wisconsin State Capital
- Driving on a golf Course
- The top of any large skyscraper
- Milwaukee County Stadium (tear, it is gone)

Five Favorite Smells:
- My chocolate chip cookies cooking
- Fresh cut grass, it makes me tear and choke up
- Belle's perfume
- The sizzle of fresh cooked onions
- The minute after a rainstorm

Five things that make me laugh:
- My kids - Isn't that six
- My wife's humor after 11:00pm
- A really good pun
- A really good commercial on TV
- Calvin and Hobbes comic strips

Five favorite things to eat:
- Cookie dough
- Pecan Pie
- Large Hamburger
- Shrimp
- Large Salad with Winger's Creamy Amazing Dressing on it
- BONUS - COCA-COLA REALLY COLD!!!

Five favorite things to do:
- Watch a good movie with my wife - She will always fall asleep
- Going to a really cool museum
- I love playing sports - even though I hurt myself every time
- Building with my hands
- Reading

Five Favorite Movies:
- Field of Dreams
- That Thing You Do
- Star Wars Movies
- Lord of the Rings Movies
- Big Fish

Five Favorite Authors:
- Clive Cussler
- John Grishom
- JRR Tolkien
- Arthur Conan Doyle
- God - Going for a scripture reference

Favorite Color: Blue

Favorite Breakfast Cereal: Honey nut Cherrios

Secret Occupational Fanasty - Movie Director

Five Favorite Words:
- Plethora
- Chief
- Dude
- Crackin'
- Dynamic
- Caliber

Favorite Saying: "You are only limited by your own thoughts."
"Holy Crap" - Frank Ramano from Everybody Loves Raymond

A Post From Mike - Yes Mike! I know. it is a Miracle!

So I got home from Houston, TX on Wednesday night. I have to say I had forgotten what humidity feels like. I got in on Sunday night and got off the plane and was instantly sweating buckets. I also got off the plane, which had propellers on it, and walking down the stairs I wrenched by right leg something painful. I hobbled myself through the Houston airport and then had to wait for an hour for the shuttle to get there because the guy forgot about me. I found out Houston has over 5 million people. It was amazing to see the different parts of this city. They have 3 major downtown areas, Houston Downtown, the Galleria where I stayed, and then the new developing area that has a lot of their technology and big oil companies. I went and had dinner at Willey G's because the gal at the hotel said it was close. Close turned out to be about a mile walk on a bum leg. I had dinner with an oil executive who pulled out a wad of bills bigger than my fist. He was a great talk and he want to tell me how unfair it is that BYU gets to play the older return missionaries.

My meetings went well and I was very impressed with our new Corporate Sales President Kristi Kennedy. She is a no non-sense lady and it restored a lot of my faith in the company.

I continued to wreck my knee so that Saturday and Sunday have been nothing but laziness and Tylenol. My hay fever has also exploded so if any of you are in need of a sneezing sound effect, I got you covered.

Yesterday was dad is mean day and you will clean your rooms and mop the floor. As you can see, the kids were excited for the opportunity. They did a great job scrubbing the floor and getting it to shine.

My Uncle John and Aunt Jackie came by to take a look at the new house, and to see me because I am super incredible. It is always great to see John and Jackie. They are the world travelers and we don't get to see them very often. It is great when they come and take my parents all over the state. I think if we could just harness the energy Jackie has we would be able to power the State of Utah. She is always on the move and she gives you her undivided attention. Jackie sat and talked to Kim for about 20 minutes. John is always someone who listens to what you are saying, even if it is the stupidest thing in the universe. I think they come so see our kids and then make a hasty retreat when they have had their fill. I love these guys to death and would love to have them closer.

Aaron was having a dance party weekend and you can see he has the moves.

I do have to mention the grass. I never thought it would happen. I have to thank all the people who helped us with this project: Dan Tyler - Michelle's cousin's husband is a total rockstar and he is the main reason I didn't just bury a lot of pipe in my yard. It is so cool to see the system work. I wish I had the Olympic music playing when the sprinklers come up. Thanks to Dad Lalliss for his four wheeler and all of his tools that I take from him. Thanks to the Lomax family who gave us 800 feet of their leftover sod, Alex Smith who brought it over and helped us get it in. The Maxfield, Carvers, Kempe, Sloans, Holmes, and the Kings who let us walk on their yard. We laid 25oo feet of sod in 1.5 hours. I know there is still a ton to do, but it is nice to get a large chunk of it finished.

Concerning Father's Day. It sucks when you have to travel, but my kids had their things ready for me in the morning. Kim and Emma helped me make eggs, hashbrowns, and toast. It was a good morning until I had to leave.

Lastly, to Belle. You still rock my world. I still feel my heart race when I see you. I am whipped like non-dairy whipped topping.

So this is my post. Hope you liked it. If not, leave a comment and Belle will let me know. Ciao!

Today I am playing catch up-

(from when our computer was being un-cooperative)

The next child star in the making!

This is the new Oquirrh Hills Temple that is being built in South Salt Lake in the Daybreak Development. (picture taken May 31, 2008)

The kids decided one day to make all these replicas of Stonehenge with odd things around the house. Kimi made one with dinosaurs and dolls and things, but the picture didn't turn out.

The thought for the day:

In the end, you're measured not by how much you undertake, but by what you finally accomplish.

-Donald Trump

This is what we did today-

At 8:00 this morning this truck pulled up and unloaded 5 pallets of sod.

At about 8:30am we had between 12 and 15 people from the ward show up.

(Look how buff my cute guy is!)

This is what our yard looked like by 9:50am. We now have full front yard of grass. We also have grass all up the west side of the house and halfway up the east side. Both parts of the parking strip are done, and we have a lovely planter in the middle of the lawn. Now if we can just keep people off it for a couple of weeks.

On the other hand-

This is what Kim and Emma were supposed to do this morning. They had two baskets of clothes to fold. It has been sitting in the middle of their floor for longer than I care to say. They moaned and griped all day about it. I went up and put Emma's clothes in one pile and Kimi's in another. It took me about five minutes. Then it took them about ten minutes after that to fold and put away. They complained for SEVEN AND A HALF HOURS about something that took fifteen minutes to do. Too bad they missed out on all that prime playing time.

Hurray!

We just got a visit from the Sod Fairy!

All his helpers came too!

We got a call from a neighbor saying they ordered too much sod and did we want it. Mike went over to load it up at 8:15pm, and when I went outside at 8:25pm Mike and ten other guys had the front yard half way covered with cool, thick, wonderful grass. By 8:35pm it was all done. It covers just about half of the front yard. We are so grateful to be blessed with such wonderful neighbors and friends!

I just found this cool quote. Thought I'd share -

To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury; and refinement rather than fashion;
to be worthy, not respectable; and wealthy, not rich;
to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly;
to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart;
to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasion, hurry never;
in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony.

-William Henry Channing

I'd like to be like that.

Random Thoughts

So, we have had some technical difficulties. The problem is not fixed, but my computer is letting me post so I guess I had better while it is being so nice.

Howdy Pardner! Whas Up?!

Well, at least one of the children is willing to help out around here.

Hey! Look how cute I am! I sure wish Mom would stop taking pictures of me, though. I'm going to go blind from the flash soon!

So, I have to drive past this house close to our neighborhood once in a while. Just a few weeks ago I noticed that the trees in the parking strip aren't trees at all. They are lilac bushes cut to look like trees. I thought it was very interesting. Pretty while they are in bloom and when the flowers are gone and it's just leaves, but not so much when the flowers are past their prime and dead.

You looking at me?

A cute nephew...

and a cute niece!

If you go to http://www.redbox.com/ you can get a free movie code every Monday. They also send you free codes every now and then. They have one for Father's Day. It expires at midnight on Monday, June 16. It is FLAGIT . If you want a free movie this weekend, here you go.

Happy Father's Day this weekend. Especially to my husband. We'll miss you while you are out of town!