Everyone's thankful Miriam's post has changed!!!

Yeah Yeah Yeah, I am so sick of people telling me that they are sick of looking at the same post. So to appease all you naggy people this will be short and to the point.

We are heading to Oregon to spend Thanksgiving with Johns sisters and Father. Wish us all the luck. Actually pray for us..

The last vacation we went on it was basically a ring around the barf circle. One threw up and then the other saw it or smelt it and they threw up and the circle finally stopped at the fourth kid. FUN TIMES!!!! Thus is why we never travel during the day anymore. Benadryl and bedtime has helped us travel.

We are leaving Wed, in the MORNING and driving straight through. I bought Costco out of all their black 30 gallon trash bags and thought I'd be safe and emptied their gallon size ziplocks also.

People say that memories fade, well guess what? Until you have been in a car with four kids barfing, with no barf bags and having to ride the rest of the trip with windows down and clorox wipes shoved up your nose to disguise the smell I have nothing to say to you.

To make matters worse, Our windows on our so dependable vehicle don't roll up..... They roll down just fine but hey, if you didn't read the last blog entry on the whole birthday car times you might want to catch up. I'm just saying, there can be no barfing in the car when the windows don't work.....

Please continue to laugh in mockery, but also say a little prayer for us. John is working graves to top it off so I can feel the fun times rolling around the corner.

So about January or February I will get around to telling you how the trip went. Kee Kee Kee

Remember the prayer thing!!!! You can stand, sit, squat, run, I don't care, just pray... I think I am going to medicate myself this time!

Time to count the little miracles!!!

So everyone goes through the thoughts of wondering who sits in a room to discuss of ways to get more money out of a car that is barely holding on, that you can't sell and you can't afford a new one.

OOOHHH yeah lets make sure that every year on the cars BIRTHDAY you not only get to pay out money to drive it, you also get to pay out a little more because they need to stick an oxygen monitor in the tail pipe to make sure that it doesn't pollute our CLEAN air. And then they check the wipers. Like we wouldn't know if the wipers didn't work. Although we do know that our windows roll down but they don't roll back up. This is a major problem.

Well we held off trying to register again like every year. Remember, the Birthday party we get to have for our non breathing, thing that you can't live without which receives more money on it's birthday than our breathing children that we can live without some days.

On with the story.... Our back tail light had a big hole in it which looked about the size of a 8 year old bike handle, not blaming anyone, but it wouldn't be so bad except this is the second time in two years that the same size hole in the same EXACT spot keeps appearing. I don't understand why no one will step to the plate and admitt that they have a problem turning into the driveway....

John orders the part. By now we are 2 weeks ahead of the birthday party and were doing good. It sits on the floor until about 2 days before the Party and then we realize the wrong part was ordered and it does'nt fit. I go to the place and explain that it doesn't fit.... He looks at me like why did your husband send you in here to do a mans job? I'm thinking it's a big PLASTIC dome light.. It fits or it doesn't. He asks me if I have the vehicle with me. "Yes, I reply, but my husband really does know how to put one on. Don't you remember us paying you out $100.00 bucks last year.?" The Expertise goes out and works on the thing for 20 minutes until he gives up and says "I've just never seen this before". WOW, did he borrow that line from my kids?

We are now 1 week over the due date of the party and the invitation is still stareing at me and I'm at the point of dodging all of the police cars that even come 1 mile away from me. I even carried the receipt of the plastic dome light so if I did by mistake get pulled over I had my whole story with tears ready to go....

Right part comes in and I set an appointment for the actual Party!!! Only no one is excited and there are black balloons hanging everywhere. Because of course you never have any money just sitting in the account for this one. I Get in there and everything seems to be going well and then it happens.... "M'am you have a burned out tail light, would you like me to put in a new one and put it on your tab". "As a matter of fact I would mind. I just bought that stupid thing. You think they put dead light bulbs in just because they looked stupid because they ordered the wrong part". What the heck!!! The young man was afraid of me by the end of the party. I put out another .83cents for a light bulb for that non breathing object. I could tell it was coming to an end when the windshield wipers worked and he decided to pull it out of the stall.

Now you remember me telling you that our windows roll down but they don't roll up.. He comes in and says okay your ready to go, but have you had any problems with your windows rolling down and up? I am now climbing over the counter and sucking all of his blood out of him.... and thinking to myself " OH Please Oh please tell me you didn't roll them down?

As calmly as possible I said, "No, we've NEVER had a problem rolling them down. They ALWAYS roll down but they NEVER go back up!!! By now I'm sure he was wondering if by chance his manager put his lunch break that day at 9:30a.m.

Looking back If I didn't have my head connected to my feelers I could have played stupid and said, "NO, but you better fix that, My husband is not gonna like that."

Needless to say I drove home with a pass on my paper in the RAIN with now another problem to face. To make a long story short. I slammed the door about 20 times. Brought my blow dryer out and tried to heat the door, for some reason in the hot weather it works fine. I'm a women and that was the next heat source... Could've used the blow torche but was afraid I would make the exterior a step worse. Ha Ha now that's funny. See how crazy we are sometimes. Of course I only had to resolve to those resources because it was raining and there was no other heat to be found. I then cussed in mormon language with only 1 bleep, and then realized this was out of my hands and I couldn't drive to pick the kids up in the rain so, I prayed.....

It was one of those prayers that you come in shame but full of faith that he can reach his almighty powerful finger down on that button and make it go up. For some reason he was mercifull and realized that the birthday party was short of anything but fun and decided that looking upon our checking account and seeing there was a shortage to cover another non human medical expense he would save us.

So there is my little miracle, I literally jumped into the air with glee with happiness. I Gave my thanks and now have Duct tape covering the window switches. Because I know those windows aren't getting another miracle.

And you can count on me back here in another year with another eventfull birthday story, and with our luck another new tail light.

Tribute

Every so often I am pleasantly surprised to find my world is a little more connected than it was the day before, and I am reminded that it is truly remarkable people in my life that make it that way. I write now about three of the most incredible women that I have ever known, women who have touched the hearts of countless individuals and have helped me reflect on how blessed I am to have known them - my sisters.
Heidi, Heather, and Stephanie live near Portland, Oregon, all within minutes of each other but hundreds of miles from me. I rarely have the opportunity to see them but lately some unique circumstances have caused them to occupy my thought ceaselessly. This past summer Heather and Heidi went to Africa with the humanitarian organization Mothers Without Borders. While there they met my next door neighbor and a young woman (now married) I taught in Sunday School many years ago. Both of these individuals went on and on about how much they loved and admired my sisters. They couldn't believe how enthusiastic my sisters were, how their smiles and laughs lifted the spirits of so many people surrounded by despair and gave them hope to go on. It's amazing to me that something that took place so many thousands of miles away could find its way home to me.
Stephanie has had the opportunity to perform with a group in the musical production Light of the World. Recently they came to B.Y.U. to finish the show at Education Week. Again my world grew smaller. Again my life was blessed. I nearly burst with pride the night I went to see her performance. Her voice was angelic, her spirit radiant. And around me hundreds listened, as hundreds had before, and were touched by the talent she shared.
My mother passed away over 15 years ago. My children will have to wait for another time to know her the way I often wish they could know her now. But in my sisters her spirit lives and is magnified in so many ways. And even though they live such incredible lives and have so many life altering experiences, I think the thing that pleases Mom the most, at what I hope my children gain from their knowing Aunt Heidi, Aunt Heather, and Aunt Stephanie, is the relationship they have with each other. In a world where family unity is becoming more and more passe, they remain one in heart, one in spirit, and one in purpose. They love each other, they love their less than perfect brothers, they care for their father, and they are their own best friends. I love you all so very much. I am honored and humbled to be your brother and I pray my actions, however insignificant they may be, reflect the deep admiration and respect I have for each of you. Thank you for everything.
John

Finally they are here!!!

Okay so they aren't freshly hatched. They are now 5 weeks old but this is how long it has taken me to get them blogged. We welcomed Max and Camri into our crazy world on June 30th. Max weighing in at 7lbs 60z. and Camri weighing in at 7lbs. Both 18inches long. If your thinking wow those are not tiny twins, imagine what my sister Becky was feeling. Our hearts broke for her every day. When she came out from the c-section the first question I asked her was how are you feeling? She said oh I feel GREAT!!!! So sometimes I guess major surgery is a walk in the park compared to the pain you were feeling before.

They are blessing them on Sunday because Max already can't fit into his shoes.... Healthy little turkeys. Love them so much!!!

If you see me walking around like a zombie. This would be ONE of the reasons. I could pull out a whole other book for my other reasons but that would have to be another blog... And so far I have way out done myself with 2 blogs already in a month. Kee Kee kee....

Johns forehead surgery!!

Okay Okay I know I am so far behind in posting that I don't even know if I can catch up. We are going to give it a try and start up again. So sorry for making every one wait for so long but it has been a very very busy month. I know, along with everyone else. Sleep deprivation and lack of time to wait for my computer to upload pictures put a delay in the enthusiasm of posting. So here goes.

John had forehead surgery a month ago and so I went into their surgical room with him and took pictures of everything. Zach was with us because it was supposed to be a quick surgery which ended up taking longer because the doctor cut a vein and had a hard time getting it to stop bleeding. ENJOY!!!!

Zach kept asking through the whole procedure "Is Daddy Dead?" They draped his head with a cloth and Zach couldn't see his face or anything so after they took the shield off John thought it would be funny to act as if he really was dead. Zach DID NOT appreciate this. We laughed though!!

John Loves that he has another battle scar wound to name. I will work hard to keep my posts forthcoming from here on out....

Mini vacation #1 - Carnival of Terror!

Since my conception 37 years (+9 months) ago I cannot remeber a year when I have not gone to San Diego, Oregon, Hawaii, Yellowstone - SOMEWHERE - for a summer vacation.  Well, thanks to OPEC and one terrific president, this summer will be a first!  That's right, no grand vacation plans for the Raddatz's this year.  We sat down with the kids about a month back (when gas was, gasp, $3.00/gallon) and let them know we just could not afford to take a big vacation anywhere it required us to drive.  So we decided to take several mini vacations instead.  Camping, fishing, carnivals, water parks - things close by that we could do in a day or two.  Fit enough of these activities in the next few months and I think the kids will have something to write about in their "What I did this Summer" essays at the beginning of school.

Today was the first of our mini vacations - the Orem City Summerfest.  Miriam is at Youth Conference and it was my job to keep the kids entertained so I decided this would be fun for all of us.  There was a carnival, helicopter, firetruck and ambulance we could get into, and of course all the over price food and garbage booths we could hope for.  I bought  $30.00 worth of tickets and set out for a good time.  As you can see from the attached pictures everyone was having a good time.

Well, things were going so smooth until the ferris wheel.  I will let the following pictures tell the story.

ugh! I don't know if you can tell, it's pretty subtle, but one of these kids was not having a good time.  The last picture was not color enhanced, Zach really was turning green!  His knuckles were white in a grip of death, and his little heart was racing. The party was over!  I guess I can count myself lucky that Zach won't be required to write one of those school essays.  I think it would become evidence against me of child abuse if he did. Our next mini vacation will be a bit easier on the stomach, I hope.  And I think I can scratch Lagoon off my to-do list.  Megan and I seem to be the only members of the family interested in anything that goes faster or higher than the Merry-go-round.  Pity...

Josh's encounter

For a fun family night, we decided to hit the wilderness and see what we could find. The picture shows the wolf that Josh encountered. It's a good thing I always carry my camera with me or I wouldn't have been able to capture the picture. Let's just say the night ended up with many tears....

Okay, so it's a good thing that Cabelas had already stuffed the poor animal. If I would have let Josh he would've been over the railing and riding the thing. As soon as we got home his older brother thought it would be a hoot to see how high he could jump the two little ones together on the tramp. They gingerly collided and Josh got the brunt of the whole chaos. Nothin like ending the night with ziplock bags of ice and a good ole trusty bottle of Motrin. Now that's quality family time. Thanks Grandpa Raddatz for coming along.

Anyone for a barbeque?

So are neighbors, Stephanie and Mark got this new barbeque grill at the end of last summer and she went out there and heard russling sounds coming out of it. She thought it was a mouse, so she wouldn't dare go near it, until she saw twigs hanging out of it. And then started to wonder.

I guess their barbeque days will be held off until they hatch. I suggested they warm their nesting area up just a couple of degrees so they would hatch faster. I don't think they appreciated that idea. Hey I wasn't trying to cook them, just speed up the incubation period. She opened it up to see THIS!!!



If anything made me spring happy this did!!! And then the rains, and the winds came. Blasting weather can't make up it's mind. NO wonder why they can't hatch. Inconsistant temperatures. Can't wait to see the final product....

Dinner with American Fork Police!

John and I allowed our son Aaron and his friend, Nathanial (change of name to protect the innocent.) to walk home from school. It is about 7-8 miles from our home, but Nathanial had already done it once and we could see no harm in a lot of exercise and great conversations. John and I proceeded to go out to enjoy a dinner on the town when my cell phone rang. I answered it trying to figure out the number that was ringing through. When a younger voice said. "Hello this is the American Fork Police Dept and we are here with your son Aaron and his friend Nathanial.

My heart STOPPED for a second I have to say. John went from smiling to trying to figure out who the heck I was talking too. I just kept saying "yes, okay, uhum, and thank you." I don't think I was thinking to clearly as I was talking to this officer, Sariah(again, change of name to protect the innocent) was trying to ring through. I actually smiled at that point because the officer had just told me that he just got off the phone with Nathanials mother, explaining the situation so all I wanted to do was get off the phone with the officer so I could talk to Sariah.

Come to find out some lady, (Unknown person to this point) saw Aaron and Nathanial leaning over the overpass with something in their hands and she thought they were going to chuck it onto the freeway. I could go on and on with this story but Aaron and Nathanial were found innocent and finally released.

When John and I got done with dinner we drove to find them. Aarons face was PRICELESS when he saw us. John's first question was did you pee your pants? Aaron said NOOOO. John's response, "Not even a little trickle?" (Aaron not smiling) NO! Nathanial was standing right next to him. What else was he going to say.

Nathanial was just ticked off that he couldn't beat his first time record. All in all it was an eventful encounter they will always remember.

Good experiences this young keep them on their toes and away from the wrong side of the world RIGHT? We'll see!!!

Almost blown Tooth Fairy!!!

So my son Josh is 7 years old and hadn't lost any of his teeth. If you know Josh and what we have been going through with him lately you will understand the fact that he is a huge worry wart.

His first tooth became loose and he was estactic about it. The estactic part wore off quickly to worrying that he would swallow it or choke on it in the middle of school or in the night. He had been calling home saying that he was sick which eventually ended up with us finding the true reason which was because he didn't want to bleed or swallow anything at school.
After three days of this I was loosing my mind. He wouldn't let me touch it and if I was able to come near it he would put his hand over mine to control the pressure that was put on the tooth. I told John about why he had been calling home and he went into action. He told Josh that he wanted to look at it. Reached in and in 1/2 of a second had the tooth pulled out. Josh was shocked at first but then releived....He was then told that he would have no reason to not go to school on monday. Which leads me to the second half of the story.

The worry of the tooth then led to:
His stomach hurting all the time.
His BRAIN hurting when he walked or ran (Whose kid knows what the brain feels like?)
A big red dot when he looked at things.
He worried about a movie that he watched 2 weeks ago
His eyes that can't see now

YES, I took him to the doctor and they think that he is a little guy that worries about everything. They Prescribed him Zantac. Which by the way cost more than my first born. But lets just focus on the eye thing for a minute....

We went to get the prescription filled when he found the grandpa reading glasses on the wheel a deal stand and put on a pair... He fell in love with them and then all of sudden he really needed glasses because he couldn't see. DO YOU SEE why I am so tired lately. So the whole ride home I had to hear him complain about how he couldn't see and how badly he needed glasses. Finally I said "Josh you give me one good example in your life where you can prove you need glasses and we will talk about it."
He sat there for a minute and then said. "Okay, you know how when I lost my tooth and you and Dad couldn't find it for a while." Which was true we had to borrow one of Aarons old teeth for the night. Shhhh. The dumb tooth wasn't even the same size or color but we threw it in a ziplock brought it up to him turned out the light and handed it to him...
I think he was feeling it wondering how in the world it grew bigger. He didn't ask questions we didn't elaborate on anything. Well John was supposed to exchange it out while Josh was sleeping and he forgot... Josh woke up looked under his pillow and saw the tooth there. He went downstairs to tell John that the tooth fairy didn't come... Somehow John got to his room before Josh found him and switched it out. When Josh found John and told him John said "Are you sure, you might want to check again," so Josh went back up and found the money. He was perplexed for a while and then went on his way. So in the van he says. "Mom thats why I need glasses because I woke up and saw the tooth and went down stairs and then went back up and there was the money. Now do you see mom my eyes are not working right, Can I have glasses now?
What the crap do you say to that!!! I only blame myself for some of his problems but truly what kid could come up with an excuse that fast for needing a pair of grandpa reading glasses. Next I'll be hearing about Josh's worries and concerns about the tooth fairy, and why she isn't doing her job right!!
All I can say is that praying for me can't hurt!!!

Flap Flaps with dinner!!

John's cousin Becky Preece came down for a convention for Scentsy, so she called and asked us to join her and her friend Theresa for dinner. We met at the Myan Restaurant and gabbed for 45 minutes while we waited to be seated. Becky's baby Addyson came with her, probably because she is only three months old but most likely because her food supply was attatched to Becky. Addyson is cute as a button too. Anyways, since it was John and three women with a baby we were definately getting some good looks. I wondered if I had FLDS written on my forehead or something.

I'm sure John was uncomfortable but he was a trooper and joined in on all the jokes and made us all feel special like a husband should. Ya done good John!!! For those who haven't been to the Myan it is set up like a 2 story jungle with a story line of guys and a girl who jump off the cliffs into the water at the bottom. We couldn't hear what Mr. Chief Master was saying but we sure got a kick out of the guys... They of course had their flap flaps on and that is all that needs to be said about that. Maybe it was more entertaining for us because Becky and Theresa were adding their own stories from their vacation to Hawaii and the flap flaps they wore there or lack of.
Memories and good times. Anyways it was fun and entertaining and we laughed a lot. It would be a fun place to go with your family though. There were kids ready to leap off and join in on the fun. I know Josh would've been right there. So a big Thank you to Becky and the entertaining night. It was great to meet and get to know Theresa. She was awesome and so easy to talk to. It's always a little uncomfortable to go out and eat with someone that you've never met before and more so for them, but I have to say that I loved the company and the night. Maybe it's because we don't get out much so we made the most out of it. Now that our lives are back to the same old thing I'm gonna have to get creative with the whole blogging thing. That should be funny in it's self!!! Signing off with Great times, Good laughs, and some funny humored stories of Flap Flaps.

Bon Appetit - or - So this is why she gets so mad when we don't eat... - by John

My sisters Heidi and her family and Heather came to Utah this week.  We had the profound honor of a brief visit on Monday night to which I will be eternally grateful.  But, alas, that short time I was able to spend with them seemed so....incomplete.  So when I was told that I was going to have the opportunity to host a Saturday breakfast for them I knew I had to go all out.  And anyone who knows me knows that when I go all out on anything I expect it to go perfect.  So my little project started at 5 in the morning.  I got dressed, made up a grocery list, and ran to Wal-Mart to do a little shopping.  Knowing that we are all trying to shape up a little for the summer I decided to do the entire breakfast Weight-Watchers friendly.  3 point omelets, 1 point muffins (the best!), lo-cal orange juice, and pancakes for the kids was the menu for this special morning.  I began preparations at 6:00 with the understanding that the guests would be arriving between 8:30 and 9:00.  I chopped the peppers, green onions, and mushrooms, cooked and crushed the bacon, mixed and seasoned the eggs, prepared the dry and wet ingredients for the (world's best) pancakes and, by 8:15, got the muffins in the oven.  At 8:40 my masterpiece was finished.  Here is a photo of my culinary opus-

The panic didn't begin to set in until 8:45. Breakfast, thus far, had gone off without a hitch.  Of course, a feast of this magnitude is even better when there is someone around to eat it. In an effort to keep cold sweat from ruining the syrup, I decided to ask Miriam if she had maybe heard differently from me with regards to the arrival time of my family. That is when the bomb dropped. Don't get me wrong, I love Heidi, but when Mirm said she thought that only Heidi would be coming at around 9:30 my reaction was, well, understandable (see photo of cat with machine gun in post below). I was devastated! If you have ever lost someone close to you, you'll understand what I went through - Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and, at last, acceptance.  These stages of grief all took place in the space of about 10 minutes.  Maybe I should clarify - The acceptance stage didn't actually happen until Heidi showed up with her kids and breakfast was served and enjoyed by all. We had a fun, albeit brief, time together.  Praises were showered upon the chef, leftovers were bagged up for another day, dishes were cleaned, and then it was over. Somehow I thought the moment would last...forever. All that is left with me - besides, perhaps, some lingering remnants in my lower intestines - is a deeper appreciation for what our dear wives go through every day of their lives. So I want to apologize to my wife for the (few) times I have complained that a meal was late/early/cold/hot/too much/not enough/yucky. I just didn't get it until now. I'm glad I have the rest of my life to get it right.
p.s. If you would like to try the 1 point muffins, the recipe is below.

1 Point Muffins - The BEST!

Low fat Bran Muffins-
2 cups 100% Bran cereal & 1-1/4 cups warm water mixed together and left to sit for 10 minutes. To that add 1/2 cup unsweetend applesauce, 1 egg, 1/3 to 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 2 tsps. cinnamon (or more to taste), 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1-1/2 tsps. baking powder, and 1 cup whole wheat flour.  Mix well and put in muffin cups or greased (pam spray works great) muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.  Makes 12 muffins.  They are best hot and don't keep very long but they make a healthy and filling snack.  Enjoy!

"Tag response" The real JOHN!- Mirm

So I guess it's up to me to respond on the whole husband tag. I don't think I really need to say much because if you have been reading the blog, you pretty much get the jist of who he is!!!!

How long have you been married? Almost 15 years..... Time has flown by. And were still finding things out about each other. Not too many, but sometimes you can open a closet you haven't been through yet.

Who does the dishes? Mostly me, but he knows how happy it makes me when I walk in the house to no dishes...

Who cooks dinner? Again, since he works grave yard shift, I do it. We would all starve if we had to wait for him. Don't get me wrong He CAN cook. He makes the meanest Chocolate Chip Cookies ever.

Who does Laundry? I DO!!!! He won't fight me on this one. This is one thing he won't do. We've had some coloring problems in the past.... Although he will IRON!!! I'll give him that job any day.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? We BOTH do? Figure that one out!!!! Since he sleeps during the day and I sleep while he's at work we've learned to SPRAWL!!! It's really quite nice. I don't know if we will ever be able to sleep together in the same bed again...

Who does the finances? That would be me!!! This one KILLS John!! He works his butt off every week to have it directly deposited into the account with no visual of any green stuff and then by the time he does see the account there is nothing left. Finances is not a happy subject at our house. We avoid debt because we can't afford debt!!!

Who wears the pants? We both do!!! It really depends on who has more sleep that day! The kids have really started figuring this one out.

How old is he? Just old enough to not be so young any more! He's 37, with 38 squealing around the corner. I will admit, I am 3 months older and boy is he so proud of that.

How long did you date? We went on ONE date and then he proposed to me!!! I think he realized that he was starting to lose his hair and it was then or never. I have never asked him how many others he asked before me. LOL. We were married three months later. Have never been happier in my life. He is truly my BEST friend!!!

Where did you meet? He lived three houses down from my house. Don't think we were lovers growing up either... That is another chapter of another book!! It's a MIRACLE that we ended up together.

What does he like to do? He just likes sitting and listening to his wife babble on and on. By the time he wakes up I have a whole day of stories waiting for him. And since I really haven't talked to any adults he gets it all.. He is very patient with me.. He really didn't do much at all until he realized that he really needed a hobby of some sort besides wife lingo. He has started fishing and loves every minute of it. That is where he energizes enough strength to come back to the home front and take more wife babble. He took me once and that was a real treat!!! He said my talent for fishing was unexplainable. He didn't even know that the trees were there until he was climbing them to get his hooks out..

I just need to let him know how much I lOVE him!!! He is truly a happy person who does all he can to provide for his family by putting in long hours and two jobs a lot of times.... He hates his job but the kids have no idea because he doesn't bring his work home with him.. Okay, sometimes, but those stories can't be left there. I can't even imagine what my life would be like without him. We have four wonderful children because of him. I was just the carrier.. Okay, one of the kids looks like me! He is truly the best thing that has ever come into my life, that has changed it for the better. I look forward to several more long and blissful years....

Proud to call him Son - John

Need a little help with this one~

On Friday we got an email from our 7 year old, Josh. Obviously his class was given the assignment to learn how to do this and he definitely gave it his best shot. Truth is, he was nearly jumping out of his skin when I mentioned to him that I got it. Now for the problem. The following image shows what he sent...

Miriam and I spent a while trying to figure this one out. We have an idea but we would love to get someone else's input simply because this sounds a lot like a desperate cry for attention and companionship to us. I think I saw an Dateline special on serial killers that mentioned letters like this as definite signs of a problem. Kidding, of course! But I must admit, we found this priceless. Josh has a cousin who is older than him by a couple months who is reading Harry Potter, another cousin a little younger than him who will probable get her PhD when she is 18, and a best friend who is exactly his age who has been reading at a third grade level since birth. I don't know if any of these kids are "normal", but I guarantee their first attempt at an email probably didn't have this much character. One day, Josh is going to write a book about his life, sell 10 million copies, and let me retire early. That'll show you. Love that kid!

Time for a Change - John

Okay, for the past 35 years (I didn't actually get hair until I was 2) I have worn basically the same hair style, only the amount of hair has been dwindling away faster than I am happy with (Thanks Grandpa Kunz!!) So I think it is time for a change. The above animation has me in several different stages of follicular presentation, including one shot sans any hair at all. Except the goatee. If I'm going to lose it all, some of it will migrate to my chin. Obviously photos 1 and 2 are the easiest and cheapest to accomplish. The rest will require several sessions with my friends at Bosely's Hair Clinic and more money than I make in a year. Donations, of course, will be warmly received. So let me know what you think! And wish me luck. Next time you see me you might not recognize me. P.S. No you did not see that first photo on America's Most Wanted and I would appreciate you not going to the F.B.I. looking for a reward. I really don't need that kind of attention.

Ever had one of those days? - John

Okay, I've been sick now for a couple of days and when I get sick my whole system seems to shut down to try and deal with whatever has taken residency within me. Needless to say, when I'm like this going to work ranks right up there with acute nausea and death as situations I look forward to mess around with. I get here tonight to the same (but different) set of problems that always seem so eager to greet me, and I realize it is going to take all of my mental and intestinal fortitude to get through this shift. Well, fate decided to add a little twist to the mix and made me miss an inch wide metal bar I was stepping on to get down from my press and instead my knee made contact with it as I fell through open space at about 90 miles per hour. The sensation that followed was...remarkable. I'll leave it at that. Of course, since then nothing and no one can go right. I am ornery, I have a thick, pasty soup of vulgarity swooshing around in my head, and this dumb cat is about the funniest thing I've ever seen. I'm afraid by now Homeland Security is tracking me down, such would only add to the complexity of the night, but at least they could give me a good excuse to leave early. If you are beginning to get the impression that I am a little dissatisfied with my employment, let me know and I will send you my resume and reference sheet. Listen to the song on the upper right of the page. Yep....that's me! Don't worry, I'm still smiling! I love every minute I spend with my wonderful wife and incredible children, and I am blessed with a job I don't have to bring home with me. Truth be told, my night hasn't been all that bad. I did mess my knee up but I saw this picture and had to create a post befitting it. Hope you are all laughing with me and not on the phone to a local shrink or my bishop to plead for help on my behalf. Remember my motto - It's Fine!

Cherish the Moment - Mirm

Much thought has been dealing with the fact that my youngest, "Zach" will be going into kindergarten this year and how weird it is to think that I am really that OLD!!!! I don't feel that old, except when I'm doing sports, getting out of bed, chasing my children, or trying to run more than 3 miles. Isn't that with everyone though? I look back at growing up and realize that I always thought my parents were so old, and now that they have hit their mid 60's I realize they are still young chickens... Which helps me in my case. Minds can play such a nasty trick on us. I realize that sometimes In my ageing years I have gotten a little more impatient. For instance, I was at the store with Zach and all he wanted to do was take his time at the .25 cent luxury three tier bright red treasure candy-junk toy selection, and all I wanted to do after finally finding everything at the store was to get the heck out of there!!! I realize that this is the only reason he comes with me and in time he will get to the point of not wanting to come with me anywhere.... We have all had those horror stories of the trips to the store, I totally understand, been there done that also, but this time he was just taking his time like we do in order to decide which ice-cream to buy or which product would be a better buy, and while they wait for US to decide I know they are thinking ."What is taking her so long, we have been down this aisle twice and you have picked up 8 different ice-creams." He has learned it all from me and all he wanted was his own time, and the respect at his happy spot, that he deserved for sticking it out at the store with me. So many things I take in a racing pace. Gotta learn to slow down and enjoy the ride.... If only I had like a shock collar on sometimes to remind me of the great moments that we usually rush through. When he finally made up his mind of what toy he wanted, he turned the knob all the way around, which took at least 2 minutes and then I watched his expression change as he opened the silver lid and pulled out his sticky creature, his eyes lit up and was giggling with delight. Saying "That's the one I wanted mom." Priceless moment. Those are the joys that help you sleep at night and make it worth getting up in the morning to start all over again.

"It's Fine"- John

For those of you who might be worried about the previous post and my (John) current state of mind - relax, it's fine. I realize that 99.9% of the world is in love with their occupation and probably doesn't get the deeply complex nature of a Dilbert cartoon, but for those of us who feel a little restless when they step into "Lucifer's Lair", this is probably the funniest cartoon ever inked. No, I am not loosing my mind, at least not that I'm aware. I just get a kick out of the man who can so eloquently express my life for at least 40 hours a week. So if you need to know - It's fine. - j

I couldn't have said it any better! - John

Saw this Dilbert comic and nearly cried as I came to the realization that somebody out there gets "it". Hope you enjoy it. - j

John Posting-
Dad stopped by today. I hope he found it to be a nice break from the framing project that brought him to Utah in the first place. We took him out to eat to Teppanyaki (Bennihana clone). The food was great, the cook was annoying. There was a boy at the table with us, though, who was in awe by everything being done. He kept me entertained, anyway. After dinner we came back to our place for games and talk. I really don't know what it is about the Raddatz drive to win, but I don't think Dad was too happy when I KICKED HIS BUTT!!! Oh, well. I had fun. Aaron and Meg played, too, and got a laugh watching Grandpa deal with his consternation. Good times. It was good talking to him, too. I know I'm a guy and incapable of any kind of emotional bond to my father, but hearing him talk about the way Heidi, Heather, and Stephanie take care of him in Portland made me want to be in a position to spend more time with him. I know the kids get a lot out of his visits, whether he thinks so or not. We had a great time!

Why not?

I have now spent the better part of my days reading the various blog's from friends and family that seem to be infecting my computer like a virus. All the while thinking to myself how wonderful it is to have such a personal and readily available source of information on everyone who is a part of my life. So I think I'll give it a shot. This may be my only post, and if it is then I guess I just wasn't cut out for this bit of internet fun. I'm certain that my life won't interest many, but for those of you who might be curious about the goings-on around here, stick around, you might be surprised.