Getting Garden Ready

Yesterday it was such a good day that I left work early to do some things in the yard.


I was able to finish weeding the garden area and till it up.

Now to level it all out, rebuild the rock wall on the edge, buy and spread out the ground cover. Then on to building the boxes, putting them in place, put the soil mix in add the strings and poof…square foot gardening starts up once more.

I am so grateful to be able to have the room to do a good size garden not to mention the process of square foot gardening. It works so well.

Baseball, Bee, Foam,Fireworks, Family fun

Last night we went with Nat's family to the Bee's game. (I know, me at a sporting event without being forced)
But Boo had a ball and even though it was very cold it was great fun. (Thanks Eric )

Prayer of a 3 year old.

As you can tell from my last post, work has been a bit of a challenge. This morning during family prayer, Boo gave the prayer with help from her mom. In the prayer she asked that daddy be helped at work to do what he needs to do. Well it is such a blessing to have 2 great people praying for you.

I have been faced with a problem at work without a good solution for a few days. After that prayer, I came into work and as I drove in, it hit me as to what the solution should be. Provided I could get the details to work out with 3 other people.

The details fell smoothly into place and my problem, while not completely solved, has been diminished greatly and I am smiling at the thought of the weeks ahead.

I am so grateful for the simple faith and power of a mother teaching her 3 year old how to pray and a loving Father in Heaven that smiles as He listens in.

Just a sort of bad day and being ornery

So is ornery really a word? I guess it is since it pops up in my Microsoft word program as one...isn't that a better source than Webster?

Even so I went home yesterday and told Nat I was in a bad mood, she smiled and said why. I told her because I have to work at work…I know poor baby right?.

Well today was no better. Here I sit and the only word that fits is ornery. Here it is late Thurs afternoon, I have to give a talk this Sunday and have no idea on how to approach it. I have tons of yard work and it is all wet and cold, I have a section of my latest story stuck in my head, and not sure how to fix it, I can’t seem to turn around at work without someone having a new personal problem that impacts the job and I am old and feeling it today…ok I fell better now, thanks for listening!

Up in the Sky!!!

I had planned to work in the yard today and finish some of what I started yesterday. (Mowing, spraying, weeding maybe chopping up some bushes.)
I was hanging out with Boo this morning since Nat had a meeting. We fixed the jogging stroller, picked up sticks, played on the swing set, then Mom got home and we got ready to run to the store.
Just as we were getting ready to walk out the door the phone rings, it's my brother seeing if I could give him a hand at my parents on a project he was doing.
I changed and we went over.
He was ripping down the siding at the top of the garage and replacing them with nice new will not rot plastic type boards.
I went up the ladder to rip off the old rotted wood. The first one came easy (except when it was too easy and smacked me in the head as it fell away from the wall)
The next section was going ok until the very last bit when I pulled it off and exposed 2 large wasp nests.
Now those of you who know me and my history know that wasps have it out for me. Ever since I killed the giant killer wasp that made be stumble in the drive way and break my wrist. It was huge and deadly.
I swung the crowbar at them and jumped off the top of the ladder. I had the sense to jump to the side instead of straight back so I would avoid the cement.
The ladder fell down with a crash, I tucked and rolled as I hit the ground, protecting my wrists of course and popped up ready to fight. Ok I tired to tuck and roll but did more kind of a belly flop on grass.
My brother shouted from around the corner as I lay on the grass playing dead, just in case they were getting ready to attack, to see if I was alright. I said I was.
I asked my dad for some spray, he gave me a can but it didn't seem to work well. I had found 3 more nests over by the wall corner. I then looked at the can, It was for flying insects, flies and mosquito's,
I went into the garage and came back armed with a can of starter fluid spray, my dad is not suppose to have this stuff ever sense he blew up the snow blower and almost burned the garage down. but I know where he hides it.
A few quick bursts and the evil bugs were dead. I was feeling happy as well, kind of light headed you might say.
Well today I am grateful to help my brother but also grateful that whatever angel was assigned to me this morning was not taking a nap or too involved in reading to help my landing go smoothly.

Early Morning pitter patter sound of feet

This morning (as well as several in the past week) I have been pleasantly surprised in the morning to the sound of little feet coming out of the bedroom, down the hall. They slow for a moment by the T that leads into the kitchen or the front room. Not really stopping, just a slight slow as Boo decides where i am at. I am usually in the chair (more on that in another post, I love that chair) reading. She come into the room, sees me then starts a full tilt run into my lap. I get the pleasure of one of her massive hugs and a kiss, then she settles in my lap for a few moments and we just sit there.
I have learned that once I hear the feet I need to put down whatever i am reading and get ready for her charge.

I love her hugs, I love the hugs, laughs, giggles and smiles I get from her as well as my grandsons. I do believe that only a grandpa (Jack this includes you) can get the large special smile. At least it looks extra special to me.

I am very grateful for the chance I have to be a dad and a papa with kids so close together in age.
I do not know what other 50 something people do when they come home from work but i know I will have a hug and the rest of the evening planned out for me by a very energy filled 3 year old.
I know I will smile, laugh and maybe even tear up a little before I finally go to sleep.

For this I am grateful!

No Worries

Today I am grateful for family and all that I have...but I want to talk in this post about my son in law.
(I love all my kids but Josh gets today's nod)
Today we had the honor of attending my newest grandsons blessing. His father, (My son in law) did a great job.
I often worried, (Still do on my two unmarried kids) about the spouse they would choose.
Josh fits Jo perfectly. They truly are one together. (as do Randall and Misty)
I love the growth I have seen in both of them over the years that they have been together.
They truly complement each other.
To have a son in law that honors his priesthood and his family is fantastic.
I do not worry about my daughter and my grandsons with a hubby and dad like Josh.

Thanks for letting us be part of this great day.

Snow means no yard work

So it is spring in Utah which means snow! I had planned on working a half day yesterday and come home and work in the yard for the afternoon and all day today.
Too bad I can't due to the inch of snow on the ground.
I am grateful I do not have to do yard work, but not happy that we have snow for my grandsons blessing tomorrow.
The other problem with snow is that I will be that much behind on what I want to do in the yard and I know that i will not be able to just sit and read today...Boo and Nat will make sure that doesn't happen.
But I am grateful to have them to interrupt my day

Goals Update

At work each "quarter" (every 3 months) I get to review my work and how I was able to meet or not meet the goals I set.

Well I thought I would do that for my personal stuff as well.
I set the following goals
1. Read more
2. Get up early study more
3. Lose some weight
4. Make my study stay more.

I have others but no need to talk about them here. So how have I done?
1. So far I have read (some listen to on my ipod) 29 books since January 1st. Go to my reading blog to see a list and review of each one if you are interested. http://scottiesbooks.blogspot.com/

2. I can honestly say that most days I am up at 6-6:30 and doing reading/study.  I start with a thought of the day, then read a section out of Preach my gospel, then a section from the new Handbook. Then some time in my Book of Mormon. I then try to read a chapter in my latest read. I then wake Nat up before I go to work for Family Scripture study. If I miss this I really feel it the rest of the day.

3. Lose some weight...well I can happily report that I have and am on the way to lose a lot more. One side note. Nat lost more than me and I am so proud of her.
Pictures to come shortly

4. Out of the 29 books 22 (19 books and 2 on CD) have been LDS "Church" Books. I sit with my highlighter and pen and mark as I read. Once the book is done I will go through it and take all that i have highlighted and marked and put it into a document I call "Thoughts I've read." So far I have 32 typed pages of thoughts that cover 75 topics.

This is a selfish post since I am sure you don't really care but it helps me to be more accountable for my goals.
For that indulgence I am grateful

Local Library a Blessing

 In between conference sessions I ran to the local library to pick up two items I had requested.

The first being a extremely hard to find book by one of my favorite authors.

I am excited to devour this book come Monday.
 
 
The 2nd was a newer novel by Stephen King. I knew it was large but when I saw the 30 CD's I thought, it will take me a long time to get through this one. I have not read Mr King for quite awhile.

I am so grateful for my library card. Not only to my local one but the large downtown one in Salt Lake (Thanks Randall).
As much as I want to read the special Sharpe book I could not bring myself to buy it off the Internet. As for the massive 30 disc set I would not buy that ether and am glad I do not have to wait until Christmas.

Most of all i really do not buy audio books, I love the library for that. I do not need too, they work just fine.

Most of all I am grateful that I can pick up a variety of books to read whatever suites my mood.