"Santa Claus is Coming to Town" as a parenting tool

Why are my kids so wild? Why do other kids their age seem so well behaved? December, excess sugar, no naps, and the craziness of the Christmas season had turned Aja & Anna into demons...then I discovered the manipulative lyrics of...

"You better watch out,
you better not cry,
you better not pout,
I'm telling you why,
Santa Claus is coming to town.
He's makin' a list,
He's checkin' it twice,
Gonna find out who's naughts and who's nice,
Santa Claus is coming to town.
He see's you when you're sleeping,
He knows when you're awake,
He know if you've been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake."

I want to publicly thank the stressed out parent who penned these lyrics. They have been a godsend this last week. What parenting trickery can I rely on when January rolls around?

(thanks to our friend Matt Molen for the great photo)

A reason to live in NYC

This high-rise under construction in NYC was designed by the same firm that did the "Bird's Nest" in Beijing. If we were trust-fund heirs this would be one of our residences in 2010. Very cool video below.

Project: Herzog & de Meuron - 56 Leonard Street, NYC
Location: 56 Leonard Street, Tribeca Historic District of Manhattan, New York City
Construction Commences: Fall 2008
Projected Occupancy: Fall 2010
Design Architect: Herzog & de Meuron, Basel, Switzerland


56 Leonard Street from david basulto on Vimeo.

60 Dollar Fireplace Makeover

I wasn't feeling the love from our gas fireplace.

Problem #1: We went for the supposedly groovy glass-chips fireplace look. It's a contemporary alternative to fake logs. Yet, the glass chips I selected we're purple and they looked like a pile of crushed coal. Hardly eco-friendly chic.

Solution #1: Cover the glass-chips with Mexican River Rock. These gray, monocrome, uniform disks look super cool with blue flames shooting out. Our groovy English friend Dominic Green gave us this idea. It's a good look. I'm pleased.

Problem #2: The hearth was a cheesy piece of gray specked marble from 1989 (when the house was built). It even had a few chipped corners. Aside from the look, I'm not a huge fan of marble, because it is so cold...figuratively and literally.

Solution #2: I ripped out the marble slab. We replaced it with a red, shiny, translucent 1/2 inch resin panel. In honor of the BCS bound Utah Utes (just joking, but it's fun to get a reaction from die-hard BYU fans). Because the panel is translucent, we put a birch vaneer scrap I got free from Lowes under it...so you can see the wood grain through the red panel. We fastened the panel with star-drive finishing screws to give it a rivited, industrial look.

The panel is made from recycled plastics from a company called 3-form from my home state of Utah. We have a couple other 3-form installations in the house. We love the stuff. It's from their "reclaim" or scraps department. It's much less expensive than marble, and in my opinion much more visually interesting...not to mention it's not cold to the touch.

How to score cheap hotel rooms!

Everyone loves a good bargain. Here are some tips and websites that I use to stretch my travel dollar. The picture is of the Grand Hotel in Florence, Italy. Carmen and I stayed in this room in 2003. We felt like royalty!

A better way to use Priceline. Before I found biddingfortravel.com, I always wondered if I had overbid for the rooms I booked on Priceline. Biddingfortravel is a message board on which people post their winning Priceline bids for hotels in cities around the world. This helps you get closer to the lowest price that Priceline will accept. The site also has great advice for how to get multiple re-bids in the same cities & hotel class without having to wait 72 hours. Pretty tricky. Check it out.

If you must stay at a Marriott. Use their "look no further guarantee". If you find a Marriott room cheaper somewhere else, they will beat that price by 25%. Here's what you do to get the best deal:

a) book your room by calling Marriott telephone reservations (888 236 2427);
b) place your reservation on a 24hr hold (no need to give a credit card number);
c) meanwhile look for the same hotel room on a hotel aggregator site like Mobissimo or Kayak...you will probally find a better deal than what Marriott offered;
d) finally fill out the claim form and within 24 hours Marriott will beat the rate by 25%.

I just did this an scored a room in Vancouver BC for $70 rather than the $170 that Marriott initially offered. Now I can spend that $100 I saved on gelato and dim-sum.

Bonus section - Airfare. Farecast.com is a great site that uses an advanced algorithm to accurately tell consumers when they should book in order to get the best deal. Just put in the date and the route you want to fly, and it will tell you to either buy now or wait for a better deal. If you hate seeing a better deal come along after you've already booked as much as I do...then you'll love this site! Happy travels!

Funny sidenote: I stole the happy travels phrase from the travel guru Rick Steves, who I saw in-the-flesh in Bath, England ordering a Whopper at Burger King. Pretty ironic based on the "get to know the locals" approach he espouses. I have pictures to prove it!

Joseph, Emma & Politics

I went as Joseph Smith this Halloween. Carmen masqueraded as Emma. It's a great American love story. Honestly, as Carmen and I have learned more about them this year we have been impressed for the love, trust, & perseverance that they exhibited to each other in the midst of severe persecution.

I know the wig is a bit goofy. It's the best I could find. It's a mullet wig that we chopped the back off. Most people were able to guess that I was dressed as Joseph though. Some thought I was Thomas Jefferson and someone even said I looked like the Beast from Beauty and the Beast.

Joseph was a candidate from Illinois for the President of the United States who ran on a platform of change & tolerance. Sound familiar?

My political preferences are difficult to pin down. This is because I have been unable to fully associate with either party on all issues. I do my best to align my votes with my faith and common sense. The elephants don't have a monopoly on either of those, neither do the donkeys.

The two party system baffles me. Here are a few examples:

• Why does someone who generally prefers free market economics have to align his/her vote with those how advocate for AK47s for 12 year olds?
  

• Why does someone who is passionate about environmental protection have to also believe that abortion is a woman's choice?

• Does the fact that one doesn't support broadening the definition of marriage mean that they are intolerant and don't support equal benefits?

• I could give many, many more

Answers: No, no and NO!

I've thought about this quite a bit today, because protesters jeered us outside church today. They were fighting the victory of Prop 8 in California. It concerned me to think that some protesters must consider me narrow-minded because I was in favor of this proposition. Don't they know that I'm a super cool, progressive, environmentally active, social conservative?

Full-sized Candy Bar Neighborhood

The Haul: Darn right. Out of the 30 or so houses we visited, about 10 gave full-sized candy bars. I always thought rich families gave less (e.g. their frugality is what made them rich in the first place). Not so in our neighborhood. Costco must have had some killer deals on boxes of full-sized bars.
The Conditions: Halloween night was ideal in every way. 60 degrees, clear, kids racing too and fro, great decorations, parents not hovering too close. It was like Mayberry. A good time was had by all.

The Costumes: Aja and Anna spent the entire year deciding what to dress up as. Every two weeks they'd change their minds. Throughout the year they had some pretty cool ideas (cob or corn, a shoe, hunk of cheese). Yet, when forced to choose the real thing, they chose they safe classics of Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. Naturally, I was disappointed I was hoping for something a bit more edgy. That said, Carmen sewed the costumes and they turned out great.

I was "Al" the gas pumper. It was easy and authentic. People couldn't figure out if it was a costume, or if I'd just got off work. At the church party on Tuesday Carmen & I went as Joseph & Emma. I'll post some shots of the pioneer couple when I get them.



















The Fairy: Rather than let the girls chow down on their candy as they please, the Halloween Fairy visits our house on 11/1. Aside from a couple pieces, the candy is traded for a gift. This year it was My Little Ponies. The girls have been running around singing "Pony, pony, pony, pony" to a tune they made up themselves. They are psyched.

In case you're wondering, the fairy is a Socialist (Gobama!) who redistributes the candy for the common good of the Jensen's...in our 72 hour emergency kits, M&Ms and chocolate get saved for cookie ingredients, some in my work bag, and some gets trashed.

Lame Auction Booty & Observations on Honey Crisp Apples

Carmen has been psyched for weeks to go to the Relief Society (the women's org) Charity Auction at Church. This is an annual event. At the auction, would-be bidders earn points for everything from being on time to the event to the number of stitches make on the quilts for the needy. Those points can buy some pretty cool stuff.

Each participant donates a few items & then the bidding begins. I understand it gets pretty crazy...you know how cheapskates like us get when there's free-stuff. This year Carmen donated a pizza dinner at our house and one of her amazing chocolate ganache cakes. The winners are in for a yum-fest.

Apparently Carmen bid and lost on a Korean BBQ dinner, which I am still bummed about. She also missed out on a morning of water skiing and a weekend at a cabin on a lake. However, she didn't really try too hard win those super-cool items...she was holding out for a dress-up tutu. Yes, you heard right Carmen, being the devoted mother that she is, was sure that the tutu would fulfill Aja & Anna's ballet fantasies. I applaud Carmen for her devotion to our girls, yet sadly the tutu was recieved with big frowns and some crying. This is because it was it was blue and not pink or purple.

I have to say that Honey Crisp Apples totally live up to the hype. They are so darn tasty. If you haven't tried one, stop what you are doing right now and go get one. Let me know what you think.

Pumpkin Door

One of the benefits of having an orange door (yes, there are other benefits)...is that it can easily be transformed into a jack-o-lantern. All it takes is some black construction paper and a small scrap of orange to cover the peep hole, otherwise it looks like a zit.

This year we decided to go with a happy looking face. I've had enough gloom-and-doom for 2008 already, thank you very much. So this jovial pumpkin is greeting all who drive or walk by our house.

It has now been 2 years since we moved-in, remodeled, and repainted this place. We selected the trendy green color to give this neighborhood a bit of an edge. At first a few neighbors didn't like it (our sinister objective), but most actually did. Now, the green color has become more mainstream and people no longer associate it with a grandma's house in the 70's.

I guess we'll have to pick a new color to replace the green over the next couple years. I plan to keep the brown part, but I'm right now I'm thinking some glossy gray/blue. With a glossy white iPod looking door that I could make into a groovy ghost for Halloween of 2010.

Update on Jer

Many of you may have seen the headlines about Wamu. I could write a book about what has happened over the past 6 months in economy, what has been written in the media, & what actually happened. But I won't. I'd rather move on & play with my girls during my free time.

That's not to say I'm not frustrated. I'm proud of the work that I've been a part of over the past 5 years at Wamu. I have been a part of arguably the best branch banking team in the industry. This is not the mortgage division. We have regularly been #1 in customer satisfaction and on "most admired" company lists. Not only have a grown & learned significantly at Wamu, but our team has also delivered amazing results. JP Morgan Chase is thrilled to combine the with Retail Bank that I'm a part of.

I still have a job. Things could change in next 3-6 months. I don't know what will happen right now, it's too early. I could either stay with the bank or move on to something else. I do know that I have:

• a solid education,
  
• a track-record professional success,
• no debt (except part of our home),
  
• a kick-butt attitude (like my man, Usain Bolt), &
  
• family/friends that love & care about me.

Thank you for all of your concern. I'll keep you updated as things become clearer. Expect good things...

Home-made Granola

As any self-respecting Jensen knows, there is always solace to be found in a bowl of cereal. This past week I've been momentarily escaping the financial market nuttiness with some nutty granola goodness of my own making.

Over the years, cereal was the standard after school snack for my brother Jon and me. In fact, one afternoon I recall a crazy lady from our neighborhood walking by us mid-bowl saying, "cold cereal for a snack...I LOVE it!" I couldn't agree more.

Here are my top 5 cereals at the moment:

1. Home-made Granola
2. Frosted Mini-Wheats (with frozen raspberries)
3. Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch
4. Froot Loops
5. Wheat Chex

Here's the granola recipe if you're interested. What cereal's do you like?

8 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup nuts (almonds, walnuts or pecans)
1/4 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup veg oil
1/4 cup ground flax seed (optional, but great for Omega-3s)
Ground cinnamon and/or nutmeg to taste (optional too)

Classic Carpenters

I've really been enjoying the sweet harmonies of the Carpenters lately. Part of it is pure nostalgia...I'm suddenly whisked away to my mom's 1970's sewing room and these sounds are coming from the AM radio (thanks Mom!!). The other part is the great music...genius arrangements, tight harmonies, and Karen's unmistakable/smoky voice.

Yeah, I know they're cheesy. There is a difference between bad cheesy (think Kenny G) and hip cheesy (Walter Wanderley, Burt Bacharach, etc). The older I get, the more I love hip cheesy music. It's the cycle of life, I guess.

Anyway check out this clip of "We've Only Just Begun." If it doesn't give you chills or tears, you're hardened and past-feeling. Get in touch with your inner cheesy-ness. Enjoy.

First Day of Kindergarten

Aja started Kindergarten this week. She's a Sunset Sockeye. Everyone asked if Carmen cried. Tears of joy perhaps. Both mother and daughter were psyched. The highlight so far has been riding the bus.

Anna started pre-school at Sunset too. She's a "peer model" at the early childhood education program. 70% of the kids have learning or physical disabilities. Aja did it last year and it was so great for her to learn how to interact with and appreciate differences. Anna is a "wild-child" compared to Aja though (see photo). So it'll be interesting to see how good of a "model" she turns out to be. Time will tell. I have to say, so far I'm already seeing her mature.

On so many levels, this picture is an instant classic!

Latin America Adventures

My good old buddy Gary Clark flew in from Houston this weekend for the BYU - UW game. Not only did we have a great time at the crazy game, but we also enjoyed reminiscing about our travel adventures together in Latin America.

Gary is responsible for kindling my love for travel in that part of the world. He has worked for Continental Airlines for the past 15 years. When we lived in Salt Lake, we spent extended weekends away in Belize, Guatamala, Mexico, and Equador. Flying on standby is not without emotional risks. We've been stranded in some crazy places on the verge of tears. I'm reminded of the time when we hopped on a 6 seat Aero Mexico plane trying to get to Cancun, because the Belize City airport was virtually shut down. They put Gary in the co-pilot seat and they let him fly! He's an liscenced amature pilot & speaks Spanish so the pilot said he "trusted" him.

Here are some "greatest hits" photos. Tikal in Guatamala is utterly amazing. Everyone must visit this place at least once in their lifetime.
This is the on-the-roof train ride from the Andes in Ecuador down toward the jungle. I love countries w/o safety rules written by lawyers.

3 Sildin' Girls

We just got back from Vancouver, BC, a favorite destination of ours. Typically, we indulge in good chocolate, swim in the pool, eat amazing Asian food, and go to Stanley Park. This trip was no different, except we were able to see the progress on the Vancouver Temple that is under construction. We had a great time.

The girls go bonkers for staying in a hotel. I guess it's not so much about the hotel as it is watching TV, jumping on the bed, and going swimming as much as possible. I remember those days with my dad too. It's a thrill to be 5 years old and staying in a hotel. Good, good times.

I snapped a few good pictures. Here's a super action shot of the gals...
I dig Carmen's new hair-do.

Denny's Daddy Daughter Date

Carmen had a night out with some friends last night, so I had Aja, Anna & Liv all to myself. I asked them what they wanted to do. They said they wanted to go to "The Pancake Place" (aka Denny's).

So I fearlessly went with the kids in tow. It's funny, when Carmen goes out with the girls she gets lots of comments from strangers. The general theme is a somewhat distainful "you've got your hands full!" Uh, yeah.

Yet when I go out, I get lots of positive comments like "SUPERDAD!" or (talking to the girls) "Your dad looks like he is lot's of fun!" The bias is apparent, but I'll take it.

Anyway at Denny's on Tuesday and Saturday nights kids eat free. So, each girl got their own grand slam breakfast and the bill & tip came to $10 (now you know why we're debt free). The best part of the meal for Aja & Anna was the 5 or 6 sugar packets that they poured into their open mouths. For now, dad is a pretty cool guy.

We're Debt Free!

Except for our mortgage, for now.

Yes, Carmen--the Jensen family CFO--has helped us achieve this goal. Over the past 4 years we have eliminated our $140,000+ in student loan debt (my grad school, some of Carmen's undergrad & grad). We made our last payment on Friday.

We own our cars and have no credit card, no home equity, or any other consumer debt. It feels great.

Yeah, I know people say "why pay of student loans?...it's cheap debt & you can go into forbearance in the case of emergency." For us, we decided wanted to be fully debt free. We wanted the flexibility, we wanted the peace of mind.

So, after contributing to:
1. my 401(k) (enough to get the employer match)
2. fully funding both of our Roth IRAs (in the years we qualify), and
3. funding the girl's 529 college savings plans...
...we payed as much as we could into our student loans.

We're on a pretty strict budget. We rarely spend for frivolous wants, only needs. We have found that the best things in life are free. Sounds cliche, but I believe it's true. Walks, hikes, free days at the museum, swimming in the lake, playing low-tech games with the kids.

I'm having fun entertaining crazy ideas like giving up the rat race and moving the family to Ecuador and working as a river guide. Although Carmen would actually support it, it's not very likely. At least we can dream now.

Nature's Bounty

We've been having fun with our deck garden that we built this summer. Not only has it produced some good veggies, but it also adds lush quality to the area right outside our bedroom. looks great. Our biggest hit crops have been carrots, spinach, sage, butter leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, and green beans. Right now the tomatoes are looking promising. We've had a few flops...broccoli, cauliflower, and cilantro. One other cool thing about it has been that Aja and Anna have really enjoyed helping out.




Here are some other photos from the summer. I realize many of you haven't seen Livee lately. Here she is. She's so super cute. She's now making animal noises and saying "mom", "dad", "Aja" and "diaper". She's a happy kid that is all over the place.

Here's a picture that I like of me and my two siblings that live in Utah right now--Rich and Heidi. They are some of my favorite people in the whole world.

TV Binge

We've been TV free for 3+ years. We got tired of our kids begging us to watch Elmo. We've found that we spend more time outdoors, interacting with friends/neighbors, reading, working on the house/yard, and actually talking to each other. We have Nexflix, so we watch a movie or TV show on DVD every now and again. It's been a great arrangement for us.

I realize most people can simultaneously have TV and a life...but I can't. It's this crazy personality trait I have to get my money's worth despite what's best for me. All-you-can-eat buffets are bad for me. I eat myself sick. Having cable TV is the same. I feel like I have to watch it to get my money's worth. Lame, I know.

Anyway, after missing major events of the last 3 years (e.g Hurricane Katrina)--we decided to get Cable for the Beijing Olympics. We plan to cancel it when they are over.

So, we got hooked up this week. It's ridiculous. Carmen and I are so distracted. We can't have a decent conversation when it's on. I watched this 3 hour countdown of the 100 greatest teen stars on VH1. I was happy to see that John Francis Daley from my favorite show Freaks and Geeks was one of the commentators. Right now we're watching a Trading Spaces marathon. We're pathetic. Bring on the Olympics!

Backpacking Date with Carmen

Carmen and I just returned from the best overnight date. We went backpacking in North Cascades National Park. We camped at the Sahale Glacier Camp--it's the highest camp spot in the park at 7,600 ft. I think it's one of the best camping spots in the world!

The hike is 5.7 miles and about 3,800 vertical feet up. It was absolutely gorgeous--the views, the wildlife (marmots, mountain goats, ptarmigans) the wildflowers (we counted over 51 different varieties!).

It was also great to be alone with Carmen for 36 straight hours. We had a nice time catching up, planning, talking about our girls & laughing about memories from the past. I've been on this hike a few times in the past without Carmen. It was especially nice to have her with me this time--so she could experience what I've been raving about. She really loved it and did a great job. It reminded us of our summer in Ecuador & Peru 7 years ago.

The South View from Camp

East View from Camp--The North Cascades

North View from Camp - Mt Sahale & the glacier

Glad to be a Homeboy

We spent half of the last month on vacation. It's good to be home again!

First, we spent 8 fabulous days in Colorado with all 33 members of my immediate family. I'm the baby of 7. It was great to be with all my family again. I have to say that at 35, I'm finally outgrowing the "baby" image.

We had some great family time sharing memories. My brother Jon reminded me of the summer when I was 6 years old, when I took peeing in the pool to the next level. I started peeing my pants before I got to the pool, because I figured I'd be swimming later that day. Sounds logical for a 6 year old right?

The Jensen reunion was filled with good food & luxurious surroundings (I gotta get me one of those steam showers!). Also, I rediscovered how much I like mountain biking (I gotta get me one of those too!).

We arrived home at 11:30 on a Sunday night to a 88 degree house and I had to go to work in the morning. After 4 days of work, we were off to the Rocky Mountains again to another family reunion. Yet, this time it was the Harts (Carmen's family) and we were in Montana. A tiny mountain town at the Norteastern entrance of Yellowstone--Cooke City.

Cooke City was a riot. It's probably what Jackson Hole was like 75 years ago. A 1 room schoolhouse, 1 general store, 1 gas station, 3 restaurants, and 4 bars. The mosquitoes outnumbered humans a million to 1. I got to swim in 33F water (probably only slightly warmer) . I love that stuff. I'm always looking for a thrill that makes me feel like a 13 year old kid. We went to Yellowstone. The girls loved the animals. At one point when a buffalo was really close to our car Anna said,"Dad-roll down my window so I can say 'hi' to this buck-a-low." Classic line. We've quoted it many times since.

Toward the end, we were seriously jonesing for home. That fact, coupled with Aja & my advancing sickness, made us decide to drive the entire 13.5 hours home last Friday. We normally stop in Spokane at our friends the Rawlins. In case you're wondering, I don't recommend driving 13+ hours with 3 kids crammed in the back of a Nissan Altima. Needless to say, I was quite ill when we arrived home. In fact, actually blew chunks for the first time since 1990. My 18 year streak was broken!

So now, we're all psyched to be back home in the beautiful Northwest. Summer is perfect here and the water in Lake Sammamish is divine. I've gone for a swim almost everyday this week. Oh and just when I was thinking life couldn't get any better--we discovered that McDonalds has their soft-serve on sale for 50 cents this summer. Even 15 month old Livie got her own cone. Life is good.

Here are some of my favorite shots from the last month.

Learning about Yellowstone

Hartlings in the Beartooths

Sweetheart Aja turns 5!

Hart-Olympics Winners. Sugar high!

Yellowstone Gate: "For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People"

Kandoo Pudd'n

I love being a dad of goofy preschoolers. Here are a couple things that have made me smile lately.

We scored some groovy girl bikes at our neighborhood garage sale. Anna's is called "The Pudd'n". What a perfect name for the first bike of a chunky 3 year old.

Also, Aja & Anna always have skidmarks in their panties. They just aren't good wipers. So we bought them these special Kandoo wetwipes so they can do it themselves. Aja was so excited about them that she came home and produced a Pudd'n immediately so she could try 'em out. Check out the funny pict of the froggie showing how it's done. The girls think this is hilarious. So do I.

The Bishopric

Isn't this painting great? The Bishopric was painted by my sister Jenny in 2002. It's an interpretation of a circa mid-70's photo of Pete Nielson, Bob Tingey (the Bishop) & Dwight Jensen (redish-pink jacket, my father). Together they served the Holliday, Utah 9th Ward. My family has had many, many good times with the Nielson's & Tingey's over the years.

It's a fun painting with a bit of an eccentric edge. Beyond that, the symbolism is rich.

• Initially, it's hard to ignore the wild jackets worn by the counselors. Symbolizing the carefree nature of a counselor's role compared to the much heaver burden that a bishop or auxiliary/quorum president bears.

• The big smiles show that there is joy in selfless service. Each of these men were busy fathers (5 or 7 kids each) with important jobs (Pete was a Doctor and Bob & Dwight were business leaders). Yet, these guys show there is always time for service and that it can be fun too.

• Finally, my father & Pete passed on over a decade ago, Bishop Tingey is still with us. As I see these smiling guys while walking around the house, I'm reminded that my father's spirit is close by. That comforts me, especially as I think about him on this Father's Day.

Blue Darts

I had a fun weekend in Utah to celebrate the wedding of my ole buddy Ryan Isakson. He married a fab gal, Jackie Morse. The whole gang of Davis Darts was there...Tosh, Derek, Spencer, Jordan, Ben (not pictured), Allison Perry Holland (not pictured), Lisa Lependu (not pictured). We had some great laughs reminiscing and catching up.

It's amazing that after 20 years so much as stayed the same. Lot's of potty humor...blue darts. Even each person's profession isn't shocking: Ryan - Econ Prof, Spencer - HR Manager, Tosh - Ad Agency Creative Director, Ben - Music Director at School of Rock, Derek - Mining Equipment Sales, Jeff - Financial Planning/Sales, Jordan - Lawyer, Lisa - Nurse, Allison - mom of twins, me - Banker.

It was great to be with these old guys. They are practically family.

Lake Sammamish

Here are some pictures from our time on Lake Sammamish last weekend with our friends, Mike and Steffany Wood. For those of you not familiar w/ the area, this lake is the defining feature of the neighborhood. It is 100yds from our house.

I especially like the picture of Carmen. She is such a beautiful person...inside and out.

Yesterday morning, I ran over to the beach to watch a triathalon being staged there. My buddy from work, Stephen Taylor, was there with his two kids to cheer on his wife, Tracy. Tracy is a world-class tri-athlete and a very cool human being. She won the event. Afterward they came over for home-made granola and fresh strawberries. Next weekend she is competing in the world championships in Vancouver, BC. Good luck Tracy!

I'm off to Atlanta for business this week. I'm hoping to heist the secret formula for Coke that is stored in a secret bank vault somewhere in the city. Kidding. Yet, I will be touring Wamu's bank branches in the city and working with our leaders there. Should be fun.

New Trampoline from George W Bush

We fulfilled our civic duty to stimulate the economy by purchasing a trampoline. Never mind the fact that it was made in China...I suppose the Chinese need economic stimulation too. Right?

Anyway, it's funny the types of comments you get from people when you tell them you bought a tramp. Most of them deal with the potential for gruesome injuries (see picture below...by the way we have broke most of these rules already). My standard reply is,"well, you have to embrace a certain amount of danger to have some fun." To which most people agree. Nothing in life is a thrill or really rewarding without the possibility of carnage.

So far, so good. No injuries and we're 5 days into this tramp thing. Last night after the we put the girls to bed, Carmen and I went out on the tramp and jumped our hearts out. It was darn fun. Parents should play like children more often. Afterward, we laid on the tramp and looked up in the trees and watched bats swooping in the darkening sky.

In addition to the tramp, we have had a super fabulous start to summer this weekend. On Friday we went to a wedding reception for the daughter of good friends in the ward--The Balkmans. The value of the food we consumed easily exceeded the value of our gift to the bride and groom. It was quite a spread. They also gave us 25 Dalia tubers that we planted the weekend. They are my favorite flower. So beautiful. See the picture.

Oh we also, went boating with some other good friends out on Lake Sammamish on Saturday. So fun. The water and the houses are beautiful and so fun to see. I got to get pulled around on a tube. I love doing things that make we feel like I'm 15 again. Carmen asked me to carry her to shore as we dismounted the boat. She caught me off balance and I went face first into the 58 degree water along with her. She was so good natured about it...not mad at all. I was embarrassed, but I'm beginning to see the good humor in it. Anna thought it was hilarious and continues to bring it up.

Today on Memorial Day I've been thinking about all those how have passed on to the next life who have made my life better. Those who fought for freedom from tyranny, or for freedom to worship. Especially, my father, Dwight, he was amazing. He overcame so much. As I read and reflected on his life this weekend, I found it remarkable that he faced so much sorrow and was able to achieve so much. He lost his mother at the age of 5 and his father at 18. He wore cardboard into the soles of his shoes. Within 20 years he was a successful businessman with a comfortable house in the suburbs, a fancy car, and a jet boat...only to lose most of it again later in his life. The hardships and sorrows that many have passed through are difficult to comprehend from our relatively cushy lives of today. Well, I gotta go jump on my trampoline now.