Visiting Wisconsin

This post will highlight the part of our trip where we visited lots of friends from Madison. Another post is forthcoming about our visit with Kelli and her family.

We were able to eat lunch with my friend Cindy and her family. They are so nice and Cindy sure knows how to cook! She made the best rolls and sent two dozen with us on our trip. It's been a long time since I've had rolls that good. They are a great family and we had a nice visit.
Nicole is good friends with Sarah. They keep in touch on email and on Sarah's blog. I'm so glad they were able to spend a few hours together.
I was able to visit an old college roommate and her family. They were so nice to have us stay overnight at their place. We weren't able to spend much time visiting on the first weekend, but we stopped for a few hours and visited the next weekend. She made a delicious homemade salsa and we played Phase 10 and bowling on the Wii. It was a fun visit. It was fun to see her family and how well they're doing.
It snowed while we were in Wisconsin. We haven't seen much snow for a few years and the kids were so excited to play in it even though we didn't bring all of our snow gear. Sarah was so happy with the snowman that Riley helped her finish. She named him Bob.
We visited with some of our old neighbors and the kids had a lot of fun playing with their friends again. Two of the families who lived behind us shared yards with us. The kids would take turns going from playset to playset. Both families were able to spend a few hours with us and it was so fun to see how all the kids have grown and changed. Here's Nicole with Willie and Leah. Willie looks tough, but he's a big teddy bear and the kids all love him. He works as a security guard for the school district and the schools fight over him.
We ate lunch with the Oliphant family. Paul (center in the back) was our bishop before we moved. They have a big family and Mie (mint green shirt) made it look easy to feed 20 people. She's currently the Relief Society president and he teaches Seminary. The kids had a blast playing hide and seek in the basement. I miss having a basement.
Some other friends who used to live in Madison happened to be visiting the same day we were and the Oliphants invited them to eat over as well. They moved to England in August and it was a great surprise to see them on our visit. Here is a picture of Sarka and I. She's originally from the Czech Republic.
Sarka's oldest daughter, Misha, is good friends with Nicole. It was so good to see them again. They seem to be enjoying England and Bruce really loves his new job. He's a pilot for a large international airline. I can't remember the name right now, but he flies all over the world. It's been his dream for a long time.
For some reason we didn't get any pictures with the Kienitz family. They also had us stay overnight with them on the first weekend. We had so much fun visiting and catching up with them. We used to get together often and play games with them. We were able to visit again on our way home and we played some more games and had a Smarties war. Imagine flicking Smarties across the table at anyone who dared be there. It was crazy and fun.

As you can see, we were able to visit with so many people on this trip. We just showed up on the doorstep of some other neighbors who happened to be home and had a nice visit. We also went to church and saw so many people there and also noticed how much the ward had changed. We felt very welcome even though we've been gone for 4 1/2 years. We were sad that we didn't have time to visit with everyone and could only spend a few hours everywhere we went. We're so grateful to know such great people and that they're a part of our lives.

Fall Break Camping Trip

Since there isn't much good weather for camping in Oklahoma, we haven't done much of it this year. You're usually okay if you camp in April, May, September, and October. It's just too humid or cold the rest of the time. The schools have Fall Break in mid October, and my friend Janine and I thought it would be a great time to get together for a trip.

They had recently gone to Red Rock Canyon State Park and enjoyed it, so we tried it again. This picture is of us about 75 feet above the road and camping area. It was a fairly steep climb on slippery red sandy rocks to get up.

The way we decided to get down, was by climbing along a rock wall with a few hand and foot holds. It was only about 10 feet down, but it would hurt to jump, so we had to scale the wall over to a narrow ramp to walk down. Rocky went first and then stood below to catch people in case they fell. Riley was the next one to go. No one fell except for Oreo, the dog. I was trying to get him to go to Riley who was standing on the ground and could almost reach him. Instead of sliding a few inches to Riley's hand, he decided to make a flying leap to the ground. He hit pretty hard, but because he's under 10 pounds, he was okay. Silly dog!

This is how Julia got down and it's kind of similar to how I was trying to help Oreo get down. Thank goodness she didn't try to jump.

Here's Jared, the monkey. He had no problem scaling the wall and promptly climbed pretty high up a tree. He's my child with very little fear.

Here I am scaling the wall. It was easy except when I had to change my foot placement or try to fit both feet in one hold. It wasn't bad at all.

We cooked using dutch ovens a lot and the food was delicious! Janine found all of the recipes and none of us had ever tried them before. We made stew, cornbread, and french toast. They all were perfectly cooked and tasted great! We even talked about entering a dutch oven cooking contest next year.

The boys went fishing, but no fish were caught. Only this frog was snagged. I don't even think it was alive. It was a huge frog though. It looks really yucky to me!

Here is Nicole helping Julia. It's nice to have the older ones around to help with the little ones. Nicole is a great helper and babysitter.

We all had a really great time on the campout. I would recommend making sure you bring enough blankets to have at least two nice ones on during nights in October. Once we got Jared onto the air mattress and used his sleeping bag as an extra blanket, we were very comfortable. Janine isn't really fond of camping, so she says, but she said she really enjoyed it. She's a great camper and our families had lots of fun together!

I Was Tagged

My friend, Janine, tagged me to go to My Pictures, 4th folder, 4th picture and blog about it. This is it! It was uploaded on June 17th this year. We were in an orthodontist's office, getting professional opinions of my children's teeth. We've decided at this time, that none of them need braces badly enough to pay thousands of dollars for them, although the orthodontists probably would say otherwise. If my kids were uncomfortable with their teeth or had other issues that were problematic, then I would reconsider. What we saw were a few cosmetic things and I can live with that. Who's perfect anyway?

Why did we have a picture of this anyway? An orthodontist's office isn't usually a great picture place. I think it was simply because I was carrying the camera with me everywhere this summer and we had nothing better to do while we were waiting. Pretty boring, huh?

Well that's it. Now I tag Andrea H., Trisha R., and Lindy E. Have fun!

Summer Park Day

Thursday was set up for a playgroup at Hunter Park. It was raining mercilessly all morning and so we couldn't go. I talked to Trisha and her kids had looked forward to going and neither of us had been to that park before, so we agreed we would go if the afternoon was nice. It was and we had a good time. It's a great park with a lot of things to do.
Sarah and Faith had fun walking on these wooden pillars. They also provided train rides and went exploring in the forest and played at the splash pad.
Nicole and Marisa walked and talked a lot. They are good friends and I'm glad. Marisa's a good influence for Nicole and her reading/writing. They also kept an eye on the kids while Trisha and I took a walk. Finally, some exercise! I'm so lazy lately...
Nicole loves Gold Whale crackers, apparently. See how happy she looks since I finally let her have the box?
Now just look at her. Someone else wants some and we see this. Typical teenage attitude, I'm afraid. Sharing isn't as cool as it used to be. (JK, Nicole)
This was Jared's favorite thing at the park. He loved waiting for the buckets to dump on him. His friend, Jared, also enjoyed it.
Here are Jared and Eric coming back from the woods. The kids really liked going in there. It's really just a small grove of trees, but I think it made them feel further away from parents and more on their own or something.
Before we left, we tried out the labyrinth. It's painted lines on pavement and you have to follow the pattern to get to the center. It was starting to rain, so we hurried. You're supposed to take it slow and it's supposed to relax you. It wasn't quite like that for us, but it occupied us for about 10 minutes. This is the kids after we made it to the center.

A few Minutes of Honesty

I read a blog the other day about not sugar coating our blogs, Be "REAL". It was interesting. It's not that we ever lie, its not that we even stretch the truth. We do however, simply put our best face on, best foot forward and go from there. But, it was an interesting exercise, to be more honest.... Well. Let's be honest, on both sides... the good and the bad.


First the Bad.


Laundry - it's not just a problem... it's an adventure. We have six in our family, and with a 2:1 ratio of kids to adults, there is going to be a ton of laundry. We never catch up. Sometimes we come close, but once that day is over then there are at least two more loads that the family was wearing at the time all the other laundry was being done! It is like trying to sweep back the ocean with a broom!


Scriptures - We try, we really do, to read the scriptures. I remember as a kid only reading once or twice as a kid with my folks. Ok only once, but that single memory is a very good one. The kids don't complain, they don't gripe, they don't even mind. It's simply a matter of trying to talk myself into taking the extra 10 minutes at the end of the day to do it. I love it, the kids love it, Laura loves it. It seems we simply get lazy...(sigh... ok "I get lazy") . We have done really well in the past. We not only got through 2nd Nephi, but are about half way into Jacob. This is the "Good Stuff" for kids in the BOM. The great stories of King Benjamin, Ammon, Noah, Alma.... We just need to get going again.


Fighting - I can't tell you how much I HATE fighting among our kids! I hate the turf wars that they have. "That's mine!", "I had it first!", "You never help me!". I can't stand this. I can show several scriptures that say that Satan is the father of lies and stirs the hearts of the children of men to contend one with another... Hearts mean attitudes... And he plays with our attitudes and makes it so we get angry and fight. It is true with kids, friends, couples, neighbors and countries. I want no part of this. And yet I see my children at each other's throats! I once found myself telling one of my kids, "I have spent your entire life loving you, please don't hurt one of my other children!"



Yard - My backyard has several things that could be done to improve it. I have a fort, slide, swingset in the back and the slide is broken. Have I fixed it?... No. Have I tried? No. Have I planted any flowers? No. Have I weeded? No. (Are you seeing a pattern here?). Laura has quietly resigned herself to the fact that if she wants a pretty yard, she has to do it. I hate that. I really, really ought to be better.


Weight - I really, hate the current amount of force that gravity has on me. I won't go into details, but it isn't a little thing.


What is good?


Family Home Evening - This is a time of the week that everyone looks forward to. The kids love giving lessons, they love the time together. About 10 minutes before each FHE, either Laura or I print a shape on a piece of paper. It is usually very simple, like a line and a circle, or a squiggle and a dot. Then we call the family together and we all draw our own picture on it. Each person is allowed enough time to draw whatever they want. Then (while they are calming down) and we begin FHE, we take turns sharing what we drew. This has been a source of joy for many years! I can't tell you the laughs we get looking at "Man inside hamster ball" or "House on a tree" or any other silly, yet fun times we have shared.


Education - The kids are doing really well in school. They have friends, they have activities, they are busy and happy. Jared has found this summer the love of books. Mom can't keep enough in the house to satisify him. He zipped through the "Spiderwick" and "A Series of Unfortunate Events" series as fast as 3 - 4 per week! Sarah loves to read as well. Nicole has read a vampire series called "Twilight" twice! I love it that the kids do well in school and love reading. It is a blessing that will serve them well the rest of their lives.


No TV - Hey! The kids didn't die! When we moved back we decided that we wouldn't pay for a cable. I like some shows (all on Sci-Fi channel) the kids watched other shows simply because they were on. But we decided that we didn't want it. We don't regret even a little bit.


Church and Gospel Teaching - Even though we should read our scriptures better, the gospel is always talked about in our home. As parents we are constantly trying to teach our kids how gospel truths relate to every day activities. From fighting, loving, service, patience, forgiveness and a host of others. As a married couple, we are always talking about how different events relate to our Heavenly Father's Plan. We know that our Heavenly Father is a tutoring Father.
This means that he doesn't just give us lessons in Sunday school, but rather every day, real life stuff to work with. I can't imagine a day where we don't relate what is going on in our lives, to something that Father is trying to help us with. Even cleaning the table, making dinner, building relationships with ourselves, spouse, children, parents, friends, loving, supporting, teaching, helping, forgiving, laughing, reading, studying, crying. I read a scripture that says, "All things point to Christ". It meant it... not some, not most, but ALL. As parents, we try hard to teach our kids not only how to behave, but why. And Laura and I encourage each other to be better. She encourages me to be better in Home Teaching (another not-so-highlight in my life) and I encourage her in areas I think she can be better.


Friends - I have always lived as a hermit. Quiet, alone, and just fine with that. Friends scare me. I have never felt very comfortable with myself (childhood issues) and getting out of my comfort zone has been a really big help. Laura has gently prodded me into being social, something that is definately NOT easy for me. But the rewards have been wonderful. I enjoy so many people in our ward and I wanted to talk about a few here.
First Alex and Cindi - I can't even comprehend how much I appreciate them. We have cooked with them, played with them, cried with them. We have stayed over at each other's home just to have breakfast in the morning (and catch the early session of conference). I am proud to tell people about my friend and what he has done (think Riverwalk, think TV studio, think church DVD). I can't tell you the number of calories I have consumed with that family.... (think big numbers... with exponents...)
Next Nick and Andrea - When I was running my own business, and I needed a vehicle, Nick gave me a truck. GAVE ME A TRUCK!!!! Even now, I can't think about this without tears in my eyes. It was such a huge deal to me, to be able to continue on working and building my business. I will be grateful to that family... forever!
Now come Rocky and Janine. What a great family. They are so much fun to play with, to laugh with and to simply hang out. I will never (ever, ever) be as handy as Rocky is.... He made a picnic table for heaven's sake! He flies airplanes, and cooks Dutch oven (got me hooked on it). Janine is a teacher. (she isn't working for a school district now but she teaches her kids every day). They came and visited us in Las Vegas once. It was so nice to have friends come and be with us. When we go to the temple, we stop by to drop our kids off there. It's great when they join us.
Finally Damian and Trisha - They are our newest friends. Damian does so many things that I like, and he does them so well. Piano player, database guy, MBA, CEO, and an out-of-the-closet Babylon 5 fan! (how cool is that!). Trisha, also plays piano, laughs at our jokes, went to Ricks (BYU Idaho), keeps a cheerful smile while home schooling. From the first moment I saw this family I knew that we were going to be friends. They were on a date, and stopped by our house just to see if we wanted to come too! Yeah! It was fun, Chili's for dinner, frozen yogurt for dessert, and a piano store just to see which ones sounded better... how cool is that!


My Father in Heaven - It is funny. I really do consider Father a friend. Not a distant God somewhere far away, but rather a friend, a teacher, a helper. He is Someone who knows me and loves me and is trying to help me and my family. I have talked with Him, cried to Him, laughed with Him, yelled at Him, and each time (even during the yelling) I could feel Him simply taking the yelling, without being angry, just letting me throw my tantrum, absorbing my anger, knowing it will soon pass. He guides me, telling me to watch out for particular problems, with me and my family. He encourages me to be better, be stronger. He teaches me, not only what the commandments are but "why", and how they relate to His plan. This has brought me so much comfort. The "Whys" teach us the most wonderful parts of the gospel!!

I have felt His laughter when we have talked. For example I was troubled with a personal issue the other day...I started my prayer with "Father, I want you to know..." I could feel him say while laughing... "Robert, do you think there is something I don't know about you...?". My Father has taught me lessons about His love for me using things around me, He has given me lessons about eternity using commong things like stars, rocks, water, fish, dead birds and fallen trees, torn toe-nails, mud, scars, pregnancy, blindness, flat tires and so much more! The list never ends! My Father loves me, and I love Him. He is kind, patient, and loving and is trying to help me and my little family go back and live with Him again. He has given me promises (think about that!!!) about me and my family. Who am I, to merit even the notice of God, let alone his attention? I am his son. And I have been charged with raising a family and do all I can to bring them home to him intact. He is helping me with this duty.


Well, this was much, much more than I wanted, but, I thought it was time to share... a little more about me...

Frosting Fight!

Hi everyone. This is my friend, Cindi. Her family and ours get together quite often on Sunday afternoons for dinner and games. Here she is, calmly chopping veggies for our sub sandwiches.

Here I am. I usually don't appreciate pictures of me, but I'll be in several this post. I am calmly putting the cheese on our sandwich.

Here we are again and we're not so calm. I'll tell you that I didn't start this, but Cindi may disagree. I promise, I was standing next to her when she finished spreading the chocolate frosting on the cake. She held up the spatula right in front of my face and it looked like she was going to put it on my nose. I said something like "don't you dare" and she just looked at me and grinned and did it anyway! I knew she was a trouble-maker and I couldn't just allow her to get away with it, so I grabbed what frosting I could and got her back.

But she did her fair share of getting me too.

Of course she didn't let up at all and we kept going for a minute or two. The camera happened to be close by and Robert enjoyed getting these pictures of us.

It's amazing one of us didn't have any claw marks after this. I have really long finger nails and it looks like we could seriously injure each other in this position. Just look at the amount of frosting on my face and there's hardly any on hers. I don't know how she managed to get away with that.

After it's over, we're still friends. Although if we had been ruthless and gone for the clothes, I can't tell what might have happened. I'd call Cindi the winner of this skirmish since I can see more frosting on me than on her. Something similar to this event happened over a game of spoons once. Suffice it to say, I won that time and the spoon was very....uh....bent out of shape over it.

Temple Trip Was A Blast

Wife and I went to the Temple the other day. We left the house at around 5 pm and picked up a new friend, Trisha. I usually like to listen to books on tape when we drive, but the conversation was so good.

I don't remember much of what was said but I really enjoyed the time with my wife and a friend. The temple was, of course, wonderful. It was uncomfortably crowded, but when I thought about it, I realized that is a nice problem to have. It was calm and peaceful. Perhaps someday I will talk about why that was such a big deal, but for now, suffice it to say... it was nice. The ride home was long (as you would expect) but again, the conversation was filled with funny stories and tiny rants about the way the world "ought" to be, that the trip was over quickly. I am looking forward to going again in July.