Hero

Boys love Halloween.  For a month now they have been excited to dress up and solicit free candy from neighbors.  It was about a month ago that Jill and I made the execute decision to buy costumes this year rather than make them.  In years past Jill spends hours with her Mother sewing costumes that are amazing.  While the costumes weren't nearly as nice, it sure was less stressful for Jill, and with a newborn baby, it was the perfect year to take time off from sewing.

Lately the boys have loved Super Hero Squad. It's a weekly series on the cartoon network that has Hulk,  Iron Man, Thor, Spiderman, 

Captain America

and Wolverine.

One of our neighbor girls dressed up like Super-girl, it seemed like a good idea for a picture.

We've had a long standing tradition of going to Grandma Bryant's house on Halloween and eating amazing homemade soup, breadsticks, and cinnamon rolls. We like to stop at a few of my old neighbors to say hi and trick or treat with the kids.  This year we also helped Dad swap refrigerators from Grandma's house to his.

I've had so many birthday parties with family it was finally time to celebrate my actual birthday.  Jill wrapped some new running shoes for me, bought me picture frames so I can frame my marathon bibs.  Then she got me the ultimate gift.  Drumroll....... I am now the proud owner of an iphone!  I like all things mac,  and have missed out on the luxury of owning an iphone.  It's amazing and I can't thank you enough Jill.  Thank you!

Today was final judgment of the beard growing contest.  I did have 4 less days than my brother-in-laws, and it hurt me in the final voting.  Brett was crowned the winner, then Aaron, and I received 1 token vote!  It was fun, but tonight the beard comes off.

Lastly tonight was Grandma Bryant's viewing.  I was touched at the people who came to support the family in this time of our loss.  I was able to catch up with so many neighbors from my parents neighborhood.  Monday is the funeral and I'll post more details next week. 

Joyce Marie Hortt Bryant 9/18/1930 - 10/28/2010

Today, October 28, 2010 the day before my 37th birthday, my dear Grandmother slipped away from this life to join my Grandfather.  Grandpa passed away in January of 1996, so Grandma has lived 14+ years without him by her side.

The last month of her life she was living in a home where she could be cared for.  She went in walking and up until only a few days ago she was walking on her own.  When the doctor told her that she wouldn't be getting any better, Tuesday she announced she wouldn't be doing dialysis any longer, and Thursday she passed away.

Today I spent a few hours by her side although I'm not sure she knew I was there.  I told Jill to visit as soon as possible, and with Jill, my kids, my father, and her other sons at her side she stopped breathing.

Reviewing the digital pictures I have of Grandma, I wanted to post them to remember her.

At Dad's retirement from the Highway Patrol.

Her 80th Birthday Party. 

 With her sister-in-law Arlene Bryant.

With my family at her birthday celebration.

With her brother and sister Marge and Bud at her birthday party.

 Holding her great granddaughter Alyssa Ellen Bryant.

 At Alyssa's blessing Grandma came to our house afterwards for dinner.

 One of the visits to her house.

 With her granddaughter JaKayla at one of Mom's elaborate Christmas dinners.

 One of my favorite pictures of Grandma at Christmas with her great grandchildren from Ken Bryant

 Another Christmas dinner.

Halloween

 Holding Logan.

Joyce Marie Hortt Bryant was born in Las Vegas Nevada September 18, 1930.  Her father was Dewey Arthur Hortt and mother Bessie Marie Bowler.  Grandma was baptized October 2, 1938.  Grandma had 5 sons Kenneth H, James Robert, Gary Ward, George H., and Michael H. however Jimmy passed away at only 3 months old.  

I am the oldest of her grandchildren and have many memories of Grandma visiting us while we lived in St. George, visiting her almost every weekend when we lived in Wendover, and riding my bicycle to her house when I was a teenager.  Grandma will always be remembered for her generosity.  Each Christmas she would give her sons and married grandchildren a "Christmas box".  It was literally a cardboard box that was always filled with an assortment of items including, ketchup, homemade mustard pickle, homemade chocolate confections (my favorite was a fudge like candy called pinoche), Avon chap-stick, a crocheted hot pad, and cookies.  Everyone looked forward to getting a Christmas box. 

For as many years as I knew Grandma and Grandpa they would listen to the weather on the news and they would write the high and the low temperature on their calendar.  Somewhere she must have decades worth of calendars with the high and low written on each day.  

Today the high was 59 and the low was 34.  I'll miss you Grandma.

Man Camp 2010

It's been a long standing tradition to celebrate the deer hunt opening weekend by going up to our cabin for man camp.  In recent years I have taken my boys and my dad and we have a terrific time. 

Some years its 70 degrees, and other times like this trip, we get snow.  

My boys love riding the 4 wheeler at the cabin. Wearing coats is something Mom would insist on, so of course at man camp coats were optional. 

I know this picture looks like I photo shopped the boys in, but I promise this is authentic.  We usually have a terrific view of Cedar Breaks from our deck, but because of the weather, you can't see the beautiful red rocks.  Fall is a terrific time at our cabin, the leaves and colors are beautiful. 

We spent a lot of time by the fire this trip.  When we got into the cabin it was about 50 degrees, and after we got the stove going it warmed up to a cozy 75 degrees.  Of course hot chocolate warmed up our insides.

We were able to visit with family from my dad's side who also go up on the opening of deer hunting weekend.  We rode the ATV's up to the top of the property so we could walk down the fence line and drop the fence.  By the time we got to the top, Landon was cold and wouldn't make the trip, so Logan and Dad dropped the fence from the top corner down to our cabin.  Landon was cold and he reminded me that he doesn't like snow.  After we warmed him up, he and I dropped the fence from our cabin down past Mike and Gary's.

We finished early and Ronald and I decided to drop the rest of the fence line from the other corner down through the "holler" and finish by the potato patch.  The weather moved in again and we were wet and muddy by the time we finished.  Thanks Dad for watching the boys while Ronald and I got the rest of the fence down.  

The boys love man camp.  They love riding 4 wheelers, drinking sugar drinks, eating chocolate muffins for breakfast... and lunch, peeing outside, and using words Grandpa taught them like "grumpy butt".  After man camp we go back to normalcy and use the bathroom, eat healthy vegetables, and would never use words like "grumpy butt." 

One of my favorite memories of this trip is watching for letters on the side of the mountain and thinking of words that start with the letter "P" (for Parowan).  Even dad got involved and loved thinking of "P" words.

It was a short overnight trip but with the weather there wasn't much else we could do so it worked out well.  I am already looking forward to man camp 2011.

This week Alyssa went to the doctor and came in at 26 inches long which is 95% of her height.  She weighed 15 pounds which is 76% of her weight.  She hated her shots and screamed and screamed when the doctor injected her.  

The Bunkall family celebrated my birthday this Sunday. We had a delicious chicken and rice dinner with the Ritz cracker topping.  For dessert Judy had gotten a coconut cream pie from Marie Calenders.  It was delicious. 

Family was sparse as Addison wasn't feeling well so the Roundy's weren't able to come, Brett was in California, and of course Dave and Jenn were in Omaha.  Rob organized a fantastic birthday present, something I've wanted since Dave got one for his birthday in August.  It's a 50 pound kettle bell!  incorporating kettle bell lifting with my running, should help me burn those calories so I can loose the weight I need for the Ogden marathon.  

The last big event of the week was my talk in sacrament meeting.  I was assigned to speak on "Tender Mercies."  It was the same subject I was assigned the last time I got to speak in church.  My talk centered around moving into my new house and into the new ward and compared it to the "other ward" I moved from.  Of course we only moved a few houses away so my schtick was talking about the "other ward", all the while meaning the very people I was talking too.  Speaking is always a bit scary, but it seemed to go over well.  Now I should have another couple years before I have to speak again. 

Looking Through My Window

Warren Buffet once said, "when hamburger is on sale, in the Buffet house, we eat Hamburgers."  The Oracle of Omaha obviously knows what he is talking about, so with a $1,500 tax credit for energy efficient windows, we bought windows.

New windows is something we knew we wanted to buy, so with the tax credit expiring at the end of the year, we bought them a year ahead of schedule. 

We are really pleased and love our new Mil-guard windows.  I don't have a picture of the house after the work was done, but we do love the new windows.  We are hoping to keep our energy costs down this year with the bigger house.  We love our new windows. 

Sleeping In

As the camera-man for our family it's always a treat to upload my weekly photo's and see surprises pictures like this. 

The boys look silly and poor Alyssa doesn't know what's going on. She has had a rough week showing early signs of her first cold, she got out of her routines that Jill was loving so much. Jill went over 4 years without sleeping through the night because by the time Logan figured out how to sleep, Landon was born.  Landon also took two years before he could figure out how to make it through the night without waking up.  

Alyssa has been a pretty good sleeper waking up only 1 time each night.  That was until this week.  She woke up as many as 4 times a night.  It's been a rough week, because if Mom and Dad don't get enough sleep, there seems to be an extra level of stress in the house.  Jill carries the bulk of the burden of waking up with baby duty, but I've been trying to help her as best I can to give her some relief. 

We had a pretty quiet weekend where we went to Logan's last soccer game of the season (he will miss the final game).   He did score another goal, but it was to a loosing effort.  He sure has fun at soccer and feels so big out there with his friends.  Now Landon has begun an intro to soccer class and hopes to follow in his brothers shoes. 

The joke in my family is that I care so much for my birthday that I won't share my special day with other family members birthdays.  Kandis' birthday is a few days after mine, and Becky Jo's birthday is shortly after that.  Since we meet every other week, we could combine all of our birthday's, or stagger them.  Because we stagger birthday's, we usually celebrate my birthday Sunday dinner a few weeks before my actual birthday.  It was fun to spend time with the family and my kids loved to "help" me open presents. 

Everyone was so generous and it was nice to spend time with them (minus Shanel because she wasn't feeling well).  Part of celebrating your birthday dinner is you get to choose the menu.  For probably 15 years I've always chosen chicken cordon bleu.  Served with country gravy, rice, green beans, a roll and fruit you've got a delicious birthday dinner.    

I did break from my decade plus routine for dessert.  Rather than the typical carrot cake (which I love), Becky Jo found the most amazing recipe from the Pearson Family Cookbook.  It's called fruit pizza and it's one of the most amazing combinations of flavor ever.  It's a sugar cookie crust, topped with a cream cheese "sauce", and random fruit.  I ate until I couldn't eat any more.  Because I was the birthday boy, I got to take home the leftovers and I can't wait to eat it tomorrow for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  

Next week Logan goes back to school, and Landon gets back to his homeschooling.

Babyface

"When in Rome, do as the Romans."  That translates to our day as, "When in Utah in October, grow a beard like all of the other hunters, despite the fact you don't hunt."

Years ago I used to grow out as much facial hair as I could during hunting season, if for the only reason to change my image.  Aaron invited Brett and I to participate in an October beard growing contest.  While this picture doesn't begin to do justice to ALL of the hair on MY face, but this picture shows us 5 days in.  Of course it's only 5 days for me and 9 days for Aaron and Brett.  Sure I'm falling behind early in this contest, but I'll have a strong finish and I will be sure to include another photo at the end of the month.

Fall is in the air and it's certainly gotten colder this week.  Logan is off track from school and Landon has enjoyed having his brother around full time.  This years company fall picnic was at Hogal Zoo.  It was fun to go to the zoo in the later afternoon when it wasn't 105 degrees outside with tens of thousands of people.  It was nice and cool and there are very few people at the zoo in the evening.

Here is one of the few animals we saw.

Mostly we rode the carousel.  The boys rode it 4 times!  We also did the train ride, and had a delicious dinner all sponsored by EnerBank.

Face-painting was available and Logan loved having his face painted.  Landon was a little to shy to go through with it.

Our family has been very blessed this year.  It's been an amazing year, and the best is coming.  Our boys are so excited for the holidays and their birthdays.

Rollin'

Here is baby Alyssa's first trick..... or at least one of them.