Good Read

The link http://lds.org/ensign/2011/04/faith-and-infertility?lang=eng listed here is to a great article on the challenges of infertility and how faith works with it.
It is a good read and really expresses how some feel.
It is also a good read since we know the 4 couples that are interviewed. We spent several years in our adoption journey serving with these great people.
I am so grateful for the time we got to know them and the friendship they represent

Literati an ereader

I have thought long and hard on if I wanted to get an iPad. My dilemma, besides the cost, is that I don’t really need it. I love my net book and my itouch and can do everything with those 2 items. The one thing I really would like to use the ipad for is as a ereader. (Now people will say that if I had an ipad I would only have to pack one device…yes I know that)

Well, as we were walking through TJMax the other day I spotted this literati for $59.99. I read the box, looked at it, came back several times while in the store. We then went home. I looked at the reviews on the internet, some good some bad. I talked to Nat about it and she told me to go back and get it if I really wanted. So I did.

I brought it home, charged it up and started the update process. It synched wireless with no problem. I then did several updates that totally changed the look of the screen (for the better)

The controls are small and it took some actual use to get the hang of it.
The color display is nice and the larger screen makes it an easy to read format.
After a few days of using this I can say that I am very happy with my purchase. Here is my thoughts:
Con First-
• Battery life is approx 4 hours
• It does not have a touch screen
• Controls are a small dpad with the page turners on the side(you swipe your finger)
• Sometimes it is slow to respond but not a problem if you remember what you are doing

Pros-
• I love the larger screen
• Color display, will also go night vision white text on black background
• Has SD card slot for more storage
• Books easy to add or delete
• Will read epub, pdf books also converts word docs to it. (Talks for Church)
• With the Kobo bookstore it is easy to get titles for free if not really cheap (New titles are normal price)
• $59.99 compares to $150 for the kindle or higher for Nook or the ipad

Basically it does what it says it does. It is an ereader and that is it.

Film about Joseph Smith Now Available Online

http://newsroom.lds.org/article/film-about-joseph-smith-now-available-online

So grateful for the courage and faith of those that went before

I Hate Running

So it might seem weird to name a post "I Hate" on a grateful blog, but bear with me it might make sense by the end.
Nat has been a regular exercise person for several years, I have not. In January we joined a group of 40 other people here in Bountiful to do a Biggest Loser type competition. Paid our money and started to really watch food and I started to exercise. Yes i really did start...anything was better than what I had been doing.
We were lucky that my sister had an old tread mill she no longer wanted so we set it up in the basement and I "try" to use it regularly.
Well I hate jogging, running, walking fast or any type of exercise...but if I want to live long enough so that Boo's children will know me, then I have to change.
I will say that I am proud of myself and the amount of water I drink everyday. Still have my diet soda but not near as much, (most days anyway)

I am proud of Nat and the effort and success she has had in this contest. I have done ok as well. The final weigh in is April 2 so I guess it will be salads till then..(still have a glimmer of hope to win some of the money)
I am grateful that I can exercise. I am grateful that I do not Have to go hungry or watch my children go hungry.
I am mostly grateful for a wise and loving spouse who with a simple look can make me do something I hate and know it is good for me.
(She says she wants me around for a long time to come, since she doesn't want to go back to work.)

PaPa Time

Spent a great night at Josh and Jo's. Got to spend time with my two little men J and I.
What a fun night. Good food (Thanks Jo)
Playing with J was a ball, he has such the great facial expressions.
I am so grateful to be a grandpa and have my youngest be close in age to her nephews.

Why Ethics?

So this morning I had to get on a "Worldwide Conference Call" with the company I work for.
It was our quarterly business meeting. The topic this morning was ethics...
I spent the next hour listening to examples where ethics were not really followed.
I am lucky and very grateful on several points with this subject.
First off I am lucky and thankful that my group at work that reports to me really do not cause me a problem. I am glad for that.
I am glad for a core belief that I must answer that ever unclear question. "Are you honest in your dealings with your fellow man?" I always answer 'I try to be."

I was talking to my new boss (well, sort of boss) and he said to be careful on ethics and expenses etc. I laughed, pointed to my 2 cell phones I carry and said "I carry two cell phones...work pays for one and I am supposed to only use it for that and since I never use many minutes I did not think it that big a deal. But since I noticed on the billing that it is a shared plan with everyone else in the company I have been packing my personal cell. (Before I had it forwarded to my work one.)
He said, "Well still be careful." I smiled and told him thank you for the concern and I would be careful. (in fact I have even canceled the forwarding of my GMail account to my work one so I do not have to worry about mixing the two.)

SO why ethics? I firmly believe that if everyone would just treat people with the love and respect they expect people to treat their grandmother with that the world would be a better place.

PS I am watching Les Mis 25th anniversary again and loving it!!!!!

Elder L Tom Perry ROCKS!

I was able to watch the following fireside online and loved it.

I am so grateful to have a Church where the leaders do not shy away from truth and where i can get continued inspiration.
Check it out. (At least listen to the first few minutes as he talks about having a slide ruler and an iPod

http://lds.org/video/ces/index.html?lang=english&bcpid=659345007001&bckey=AQ~~,AAAAmBrDwtE~,_58lK-P1xvLW10GEp7PS4hxYDnumMZVs&bclid=742132806001&bctid=810050595001

Or the written version:
LDS.org - CES Fireside - We Were the Greatest Generation

A Cell Phone Did What?

Today was suppose to be a normal Sunday...it wasn't. I guess it started Friday night when I got  call at 7pm from a Bishop asking how to turn the sound on in the gym at one of the Church buildings. I told him, a few minutes later he called back saying that it worked for a split second then the power went out to the whole sound system. He was in a bit of a panic since they had a wedding dinner scheduled and needed the sound. I said sorry but was out to dinner with Nat and Boo. He said he would struggle trough the dinner part but really needed it the next day for the reception and the wedding itself. (We don't get those much). He also said By the way there is no hot water as well.
So when I got home I went up to the Church. After an hour checking all the fuses and everything else I could think of. Including running power from an outlet in the hallway. Nothing worked. I called the Regional expert who took care of it early Saturday morning...what a guy. Also got the hot water working. The mother of the groom or bride should be happy, Friday night she was a bit worried...
Well Saturday went without problems. Until I got home late.. I had a call on the machine from a neighbor asking if I could teach her Sunday School Class. (she found someone else) and a call from the Stake YW President wanting to talk about items needed for Sunday nights fireside for the youth. Since it was after 10 pm I did not call either one back.
So off to bed knowing that I would lose an hour sleep and when the alarm went off at 6 it would really be like it was 5 am
Went to High Council, the meeting had just started when Elder Hillman our mission prep teacher poked his head in and asked if there was a secret in getting the heat to work in that part of the building. I went down and found that someone had gotten into the main work closet where the furnace is and thrown the main power switch off.
Back to meeting then on to 9am Church. It was  a bit hot in that building so I turned down the heat and turned on the ceiling fans.
After the meeting I went up to the Stake House for my 11am meeting there. As I walked in I could smell smoke and thought "What the heck"
Then my cell phone rang, it was a member of the Stake Presidency telling me that in the 9am meeting there that a cell phone had basically blew up and caught on fire. It burned part of the bench as well as melted the carpet under the bench and spots under 3 other bench's where parts fell.
I taped up the burnt parts so they would not tear then taped a piece of cardboard onto the bench so someone would not sit in it and get their good clothes all sooty.
I then learned that the pulpit also had broke and would not raise any more. I went up and looked at it to find that the motor was working but it looked like the cog had slipped.
Sat through the 11 am meeting then looked more closely at it. I did have several "Engineers" offer to help but told them no I was afraid that if we got too deep in it then we would lose all sound.
The 1pm meeting was coming up fast and we knew that a member of the 12 would be visiting for a baby blessing of a great grandchild.
I caught up with the Stake President and told him the pupil broke and to just talk loud or stoop to be heard and to tell the visiting authority the same...he just smiled.
I then went to a 1pm Ward conference. Then went home to see that Cody had come out. At 4 I went up to help the YM and YW  presidents setup for their fireside. Got the projector and sound working for them then went to Ma's
While at Ma's I got a text from the other member of the Stake Presidency telling me that the sound at the first building, from Friday night, had gone out in the gym and also that people were saying that it was really hot in the building.

I am grateful that tomorrow (well I should say today since it is now almost 2am and I can't sleep) I have to only look forward to work

Shakespeare On my Mind

So I have been having a thought keep running through my head all day. It started last night and has kept up till now. So I guess I better write about it and maybe it will go away.

I even had to pull out one of my old CD's to make sure I was getting the words right.  (This only made it worse since the reading of it on this CD is my favorite one I have ever heard.)

The words are Shakespeare sonnet 29.

I love this one. It reminds me of how lucky I am to have the wonderful life (and wife) I have. The cd I pulled out was from the old TV show Beauty and the Beast with voice work by Ron Perlman (I still love this show and this character) check out the details if you don't remember this: http://www.tv.com/beauty-and-the-beast/show/297/summary.html

Oh well here are the words...Nat you are the one whose "sweet love remember'd" rocks my world.

SONNET 29

When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,

I all alone beweep my outcast state

And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries

And look upon myself and curse my fate,

Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,

Featured like him, like him with friends possess'd,

Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,

With what I most enjoy contented least;

Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,

Haply I think on thee, and then my state,

Like to the lark at break of day arising

From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;

For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings


That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

William Shakespeare



Got to smile don't yuh

 The reason I have to smile on a daily basis, these two
<----------



My 2 "lil Men"



 and the rest of the bunch.

Sorry Josh and Misty I do not have a good picture of you but I still count you in the reasons my life rocks, (you make perfect spouses to the nuts you are married too.)



The orginal 3 (smile)



Les Mis 25th Anniversary concert

Les Mis 25th Anniversary concert is on PBS tonight. I am recording it and plan on cutting out all the pledge breaks.
I love this show. I am so grateful for good theatre and Les Mis is one of my favorite.

In fact we are planning on taking Boo to her first play this week or next. It will be the local High school production of Scarlet Pimpernel, (Another favorite of mine) this is the best way to start her we think.
My mom also gave me her tickets to Civil War (Another favorite) for this summer since she has seen it enough.
Now if only Suessical would pop up somewhere, then Jekyll and Hyde followed by Aida, then my dream season would be complete.
I am excited that they are working on creating Newsies for the stage, that would be the icing on top for sure (love that movie)

Some great voices to listen to.

I love audio books. I am always listening to one it seems. I have heard some pretty plain voices (mainly form the free ones).
I have just finished 2 books that the reader had me fall in love with audios books all over again. (Check out my reading blog for details on the last 2 books)
The voices were from Simon Vance (his website http://simonvance.com/)
And from Stephen Perring (his website: http://www.stephenperring.com/cv.html)

I find it odd that they are both British but I know I have listened to some great American voices as well.
Any way, I am grateful for the tech know how that allows me to listen to a book while driving, working on boring reports, or just relaxing in my favorite reading chair.
I am also grateful for a loving understanding wife that let me have one ear in while driving the 10 hours down to Disneyland as well as coming back. (not to mention the time we spent sitting waiting for Fantasmic and other things)

Back from Vacation

Well it is now the 2nd day back to work from our trip to Disneyland. I am grateful that I have a job to return too.
It goes without saying that Disneyland is our favorite place to visit. We drove down, and back, without any trouble.
I am grateful for Nat's family and their love of the happiest place on earth. It is also nice that we all don't mind being together.
Boo was the highlight of the trip. She is such a great toddler to travel with. Doesn't mind the car ride or the ride in the stroller. (well most of the time on the latter)
I will be posting pictures later.
Boo wanted to go a Thunder mountain and I said you are too small.
She replied I am big see. As she arched her neck and held her head up.
She did go on the Matterhorn. Not quite sure at first but after it she wanted to go again.
Disney will take on a whole new meaning as she gets bigger.