Farewell to Summer



Sunday we hopped in the van and drove up Millcreek Canyon to see the fall leaves.  Melinda and I had gone up the previous week just by ourselves but we wanted the kids to see the colors.

 

 

It's hard to believe summer is over already.  Two weeks ago it was pleasantly cool in the canyon, but last week it was almost freezing; it was only 1 degree Celsius (33 degrees Fahrenheit).  There was ice forming on rocks in the stream already.

 

 

Ian is in the 11 year old scouts this year.  I've really enjoyed going camping with him this year.  We camped in this same canyon just last month.  Earlier in the summer we camped in Big Cottonwood Canyon and in East Canyon.  We also had fun hiking.  We also did 9 hikes together during our weekly father and son hiking club.



 

Saffy braved the cold and although she had a warm coat she somehow came only in flip-flops.  Saffron started going to Liberty Girls club this year.  She really likes doing crafts and activities with the other girls.

 

Miles and Lisette are both doing chemistry this year with some of their friends with Melinda teaching.  Lisette is really enjoying her AP English class and somewhat tolerating her math class.  She has gotten very good at crocheting and she now has a head of natty dreadlocks. 

 

 



Things have been busy and I haven't done any blog posts for a while.  In September I started a new job.  It's hard to adjust, but I'm really glad to be working as part of a team and to be able to work with a lot of new technologies.  Plus the commute is under 10 minutes, so I've been able to come home for lunch most days, which is nice.

 

Melinda is sporting the latest in headwear fashion (it's actually a pair of Nigel's pants).  Melinda is staying busy homeschooling the kids.  She works really hard at their weekly chemistry class and their history and book club groups.  

 

 

What a handsome group! Just this year both Miles and Lisette have grown taller than their Mom.  Miles seems to have grown an inch just this past month.

Speaking of Miles, he just turned fourteen last month.  We had a fun birthday with him.  He planned what he wanted to do.  We went to Bruges Waffles and Frites and had real Belgian waffles and frites.  He wanted cookies instead of cake, so we made rose water cookies, which were very tasty.

 

He's been really busy working on making his own 3-D printer. There is an open source community that has plans, but you have to get all your own parts.  He's been working hard saving his money for well over a year and now he's buying all the parts and putting it together.  He has the frame already done, and he'll have more done soon as soon as the parts arrive by mail.  Here's a picture of a completed printer.

 

 

OK, that's all for now.  Maybe I won't wait as long for my next post, but I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you. 

Harry Potter and the Out-of Control Remodel

Tuesday we were all enthused about the next cinematic installment of the Boy-Who-Lived chronicles.  Connie bought a big section of seats for the midnight premier, and Melinda, Lisette and Miles were excited to go.  I however got bragging rights because Ian and I got to go see it at 9:00 because a software vendor with too much money on their hands invited me to go (customer appreciation.)  It was really cool to just stroll past the people camped out waiting for the midnight showing.  Plus, they had an open snack bar which was way cool.

The movie was fun and exciting movie and it had quite a few funny scenes in it as well: it didn’t disappoint.  However, I had the sneaky feeling that watching movies in the morning was not quite as fun as in the evening. Though, I had to admit it was better than being at work.

Looks like besides the replacing all of the plumbing, electrical, upstairs heating and cooling, we will also be replacing the main wastewater line out to the sewer.  It has several small breaks and one big one. We thought we were just making a small snowball, but somehow it has rolled down the mountain and turned into a veritable avalanche.

But we’ve made great progress and things are moving along very well.  Our pile of refuse was reaching epic proportions (if you notice it literally has everything AND the kitchen sink). Melinda loaded it all into the dumpster with a little help from Saffy.

Digging.  Filling.

Carrying.  Dumpling.

   

Scott and I got the window wells installled.

Arden and Kevin raised the threshold at the bottom of the stairs so I don’t have to duck anymore.  In case anyone wonders, sawzall saws do cut through galvanized pipes.  Ian took all these pictures in case you couldn’t tell.

Our formerly finished basement is unfinished again, but we are taking some space out of the furnace room to expand the living room.  Here is the installation of one of the windows. 

 

Arden and Scott have worked really hard this week getting these projects done, and I just try to keep up.  Kevin helped us one night and Lorraine cooked us yummy food, too.  Thank goodness for families!

The bee’s knees

Today is the three week anniversary of my monumental ski flub-up.  The moral of the story being don’t follow your 10 year old son into the trees and over ski jumps.  Even through it’s really cool to come down the mountain in a toboggan, it’s not really worth it.

I do have the consolation of knowing that I’m special, because when I hurt myself, I don’t do any run-of-the-mill ordinary injury; I do the unusual.  No sir, no straight-forward ACL knee injury for me; I went for the gusto and ripped by PCL (along with my MCL).  My injury is uncommon enough that the first doctor I went to doesn’t even treat them.  So I had to make an appointment with a more experienced specialist.

I do have to admit that after 2 weeks of having an immobilized leg without having any end in sight I was starting to feel mighty discouraged.  Luckily, on Wednesday I met with an orthopedic surgeon who is much more knowledgeable, and now I’m scheduled for surgery in a week and a half.  I also got a brace that allows me to bend my leg more, and I went to physical therapy to help me increase my range of motion.  I can actually walk on it now, though I still use crutch for support.

The downsize is I after surgery I will be in pain again and have 2 more weeks of an immobilized leg.  Sigh.  Then I will have to have intensive physical therapy, and 9 months of recovery.  However, I am really grateful right now that I work for a physical therapy company; I know lots of great therapists!  They’ve also been really great about letting me work from home.

The kids have been really helpful and patient with me.  They haven’t complained about having to fetch me water refills or any of the extra work they’ve had to do.  It’s been a hard adjustment for everyone, but we’re all doing well.

Melinda has been really great about the whole thing.  Everyone in the ward was very impressed with her because on Sunday when I was scheduled to give my talk, Melinda just walked up and gave it for me.  While we were driving up to the ski resort on Saturday she read it to me while I drove and she told me all things that I should change.  So she took my talk and got to make the changes she wanted from the pulpit.  Several people told me what a great job she did.  She’s been so good about driving me to appointments and taking me to work and doing all the stuff that I can’t do right now.  I always knew that Melinda was a great catch.  She really is the bee’s knees.

I still like skiing

Yesterday I went skiing for the first time this season.  December was too cold and we were busy, then in January I was focused on going to Disneyland, so I didn’t go then either.   But since I’m the one who got Melinda into skiing, she wasn’t going to let me give it up.  We got up to Brighton around 4:30 or 5:00 and it wasn’t cold at all.  The day was beautiful and the snow was great.  I love skiing on nice packed powder.

I remembered to tighten my boots up a little more and I had great fun skiing down the mountain.  Going down the slope I was thinking how much I really like skiing.  I was really enjoying making turns and gliding down the mountain in the cool air. I was impressed watching Miles and Melinda zoom past me making some great turns.  It was so beautiful on the mountain with the all the snow and the green pines and the clean, clear air.

I regrettably cut our skiing day short by twisting my knee when I caught my ski on a bump.  On the bright side, I got a nice ride off the mountain on one of those cool ski toboggans.  Plus, I think I might have a lot of down time for the next couple of weeks, sitting here in bed with my knee brace and ice pack.

Here I am in the Brighton ski resort clinic on the gurney with my leg splinted.

Melinda said I did it just so I could get out of the talk I was supposed to give in church today.  She took my talk, made some notes, changed some stuff around, and added some other stuff, and gave it for me.  What a woman!  She has actually been so nice and patient with me.  I am a very lucky man to have her. 

Hanging around in bed isn’t so hot, but I still like skiing.

Disneyland morning – day two

Today (Tuesday February 3rd) we woke up bright and early and crossed the drawbridge, passed through Sleeping Beauty’s Castle to Fantasyland.

Saffy refused to go on Peter Pan’s Flight once she saw King Arthur’s Carousel, so I went with our eager equestrian while everyone else flew over the rooftops of London to Neverland. Saffy and I had the whole carousel to ourselves, so she selected the special stallion the princesses always ride.

We all met up again and took our magic feathers and soared in the sky with Dumbo. Wendy and Ian led the way and Miles and Melinda followed.

Saffron and Ian knocked on the White Rabbit’s cottage, but he was late for something. Ian and I spun madly out of control at the hatter’s party, while the girls took a more relaxing cup of tea.

Wendy and Karen took Lisette, Miles, and Ian through the Storybook Canal and enjoyed the Lilliputian villages. Melinda, Saffy and took a ride on “the little train who could”; Casey Junior’s Circus Train.

After a wild ride with Toad we headed to Toon Town for a crazy spin with Roger Rabbit.

After exploring Mickey Mouse’s house and Donald Duck’s Boat we took the train over to New Orleans Square to catch some hot jazz, and then we made our way to Adventureland to brave the dangers of the Jungle Cruise.

Whew! What a morning! Back to the hotel for some chow and a little R&R.

Twilight, snow, friends and Barbies

Christmas afternoon I started to get tired and I took a nap. Melinda woke me and before I was fully and awake and in my right mind, I somehow consented to go see 'Twilight' with everyone. There was a group of about 9 of us so being in a crowd of family made it fun to laugh at all the super sappy romantic bits. The movie was an over-the-top chick flick. My favorite part was when the vampire hero Edward went into the sun and instead of disintegrating like any respectable historic vampire would, he "sparkled." It looked like he had a fight with some glitter glue and tragically lost. Yet, I have to say now I will feel more informed when I hear all of the Twilight references from my DW and DD. They have now both seen it 4 times now, but Connie and Wendy have seen it so many times that they've stopped counting.

It was snowing when we left the theater. The white blanket of snow covering everything, and the gently falling snowflakes illuminated in the amber street lights looked sublime. The roads were quite slick, but traffic was light and we had snow tires.

Saffron was very happy to play in the snow the next day. Here she is helping shovel the snow.

Ian and I did most of the heavy lifting.

Yesterday Melinda went out to dinner with her old high school pals, Jen and Amy to Paradise Bakery. I can't imagine how they managed to get out of their with only 1 cookie. Last time I was there I bought 2 dozen. Well I did give them away as gifts, but I swear, those cookies are like heroin!

After dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's tonight, Saffron brought me downstairs to play Barbies. I didn't really want to but she asked me so cutely and sweetly that I couldn't say no.

New camera and Chinese food

I got an early Christmas present today; a new camera! We ordered a Canon PowerShot SX10. All I can say that it is fabulous! I still haven't got the hang of all the features, but so far it has performed admirably. I'm especially impressed with how well it's done indoors at night with bad lighting.

Our intrepid intelligent instructor
My evil twin; aka 'skinface'


Our reluctant blossoming math genius

Our future video game designer


Mr. publicly taciturn privately loquacious
Shirley Temple has nothing on Saffron

Melinda went with her parents and most of her siblings to the temple this evening while I stayed home with the kids. They dropped by after with Chinese food and we had a little impromptu party.

Wendy and Arden
Karen, Kevin and Lisette

Colorful Brian, Dejah, and Saffron Ian, Scott, and Miles play Blokus
Lisette and Marsha