holsmi80

It's Somebody's Birthday....

2009-08-31T00:00:00.001-05:00

BIRTHDAY

I Love you and hope that your day is wonderful...I'll try and make it so!

WHATAGAL

2009-07-06T22:45:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm finally breaking my bloggin' silence to wish my Holly a Happy 9th Anniversary! I could not let this day pass without telling the love of my life how much she means to me. She was, and still is, the answer to my prayers. I can honestly say that she is my best friend. I love you!!!

Memory lane...Time goes so fast, but I will always remember our first "notadate" at Whataburger and the dock. I bought us two chicken strip meals at the Whataburger on Ocean Dr. and we ate them at dock on the bay. She was still dating this pilot dude, so I told her it was not a date, but that I was just buying a good friend a meal. ;o) Hee hee hee...

Yeah, I'm a Lil Bit Old School.

2008-11-16T22:35:00.004-06:00

A while ago I downloaded the original Super Mario Brothers to our Wii. The Wii is really cool in that you can go online with it and download nearly any old or new Nintendo game.

I loved playing SMB back in the day on the original Nintendo game system. I used to be able to beat the game in about 5 minutes with one life.

Well, this weekend I was able to beat the game! OK, it took me about 5 lives and around 10 minutes, but I still got it baby! The princess is safe once again! I was so proud of myself that I had Aubrey take a picture of me. I'm such a dork, but oh well...it was fun!

Happy Veteran's Day

2008-11-11T23:36:00.003-06:00

Happy Veteran's Day to all those who have served our great country...especially my Dad! We love you Dad and are so proud of you and your service. Your stories from the battlefield have strengthened my testimony as well as many others. I know the Lord and His angels kept watch over you.

Apples to Apples...Our Style

2008-11-02T16:27:00.011-06:00

Our family loves to play the game Apples to Apples. It is a simple and fun game to play with the family. You can read about it here.

My parents are in town and we decided to play tonight. Nana won by a landslide...almost twice! We love to look at our green cards at the end of the game. We say (in jest) that the green cards describe the person who holds them. Here are the results from tonight! :o)

Tata: Hot, Sour, and Strange

Nana: Spooky, Dirty, Lumpy, Important, Rough, Helpful, and Fuzzy

Joey: Brave, Dark, Great, and Exciting

Holly: Boring and Bad

Aubrey: Pretty, Slow, and Warm

Ella: Wonderful, Hairy, and Shaggy

Cali: ZZZzzzz

We also played a little Hullabaloo...

My First Blog Award

2008-10-16T22:30:00.008-05:00

Thank you Aubrey for my first Blog Award!!!

I have to answer the following questions with one word answers and one word only!

1. Where is your cell phone? pocket
2. Where is your significant other? office
3. Your hair color? black
4. Your mother? Cyndi
5. Your father? Joe
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? weird
8. Your dream/goal? celestial
9. The room you're in? living
10. Your hobby? photography
11. Your fear? sharks
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Austin
13. Where were you last night? fireside
14. What you're not? mean
15. One of your wish-list items? car
16. Where you grew up? Laguna
17. The last thing you did? blinked
18. What are you wearing? pajamas
19. Your TV? HD
20. Your pet? fish
21. Your computer? fast
22. Your mood? OK
23. Missing someone? Dad
24. Your car? silver
25. Something you're not wearing? shoes
26. Favorite store? Frys
27. Your summer? Disneyland
28. Love someone? Holly
29. Your favorite color? brown
30. When is the last time you laughed? earlier
31. Last time you cried? testimony

My Baby is Almost Home!

2008-10-11T13:19:00.002-05:00

We can't wait to see you!!!

Duck, Duck, GOOSE!

2008-10-10T15:53:00.010-05:00

Home From School

2008-10-10T15:43:00.002-05:00

Ella went on a field trip today to the Pumpkin Patch! She got to feed cows and goats too!

Aubrey had Spirit Day today. She got to play math games and eat in class!

Cali went on a field trip today to Discount Tire! She got to look cool like Dad with shades on.

Cute Pics for Mommy

2008-10-09T17:26:00.008-05:00

Here are some pictures for my sweetheart who is away on a much deserved mini-vacation. We love you honey!

Look how cute I am....
RRRrrrrraaarrrr!!!

Happy Birthday Mama!

2008-10-07T21:58:00.009-05:00

Today is my Mom's birthday. Happy birthday Mom!

As I grow older, I realize how wonderful my parents really are; especially my Mom. She is always thinking of others and their needs. She is such an example to me of sacrifice, service, and love.

When I was in the 3rd grade I was burned really bad. My pyrotechnic apprenticeship started at a young age...pretty much once I learned how to light a match. Anyway, my shenanigans landed me in the hospital for a week with 2nd and 3rd degree burns on my face, ears, and hands.

My most vivid memory of the whole experience was having my Mom by my side during my recovery. She was my angel. In those moments with my Mom, I caught a glimpse of the love a parent has for their child. Now as a father, I can't imagine what I put her through (on more than one occasion) ;o) .

Mom, you're simply the best. I love you and thank you for ALWAYS being there for me and my sisters. It is so comforting to have the knowledge that we will be together forever.

Happy Birthday Daddy-O

2008-09-15T13:40:00.009-05:00

Today is my Dad's (a.k.a.Tata) Birthday. He is such an example of selflessness and true love of family. I am so proud of him and all that he has accomplished in life. His simple charitable acts for others has made him great in the eyes of many. He truly magnifies his priesthood and his callings in life.

I remember so many fun times spent with my Dad. He taught me how to peal-out in car! Pretty cool eh? My favorite thing to do with my Dad is fish. I also love to jam on the ukulele with him. I remember how he used to gather us around and sing, "You Are My Sunshine" and "500 Miles". I now find myself carrying on the tradition.

He also taught me how to cook these bad boys. My Dad is famous for his ribs...they are the best!

Thanks Dad for always putting up with my shenanigans. I love you and hope that you have a wonderful Birthday.

Happy Birthday Baby? Aubrey!

2008-09-10T21:01:00.006-05:00

Happy birthday Aubrey! I can't believe that you are 7 years old!! :o( When did this happen? I was a little sad watching you today walk to class. You looked so grown up with your camo bag and looking all stylish. I hope that you will still give me as many hugs in the future as you do today. Thank you for being such a wonderful daughter.

You are a huge blessing to us and we are so lucky to have you in our family.

We love you more than you'll ever know. You are the best big sister and so sweet to others.

Happy Birthday to the One I Love

2008-08-31T07:47:00.009-05:00

Happy Birthday hoLLy!!! "It's a holiday cause it's your birthday, today!" ;o)

Today is my sweetheart's birthday. Not only is she my sweetheart, but she also happens to be my best friend. She makes me want to be a better person. I couldn't imagine spending eternity with anyone else.

I cannot believe how much we've been through over the years. You are the mother and wife I always knew you would be. I love you for your righteousness and your good example to others. You are always thinking of others and you are so selfless. I love you and hope that your day is special.

Other Birthday Messages

"Happy birthday Mommy! I hope you have a wonderful daaay!" -Love, Aubrey
"Happy birthday Mom. I love you! And that's all..." -Love, Ella
"Mamba. Mom." -Love, Cali
"Weeeeeeee!!!" -Love, Baby

Little Lucy

2008-08-27T22:53:00.013-05:00

A little story from the time I spent last year with my Sister, Watson, and Lucy...

When Lucy passed away last year I flew to NY to be with my family. The time that we spent together as we mourned her death was sacred. We spent many hours inside talking, crying, and comforting each other. We even had a laugh or two-something that I don't think Lucy would mind one bit, her being a clown and all. Needless to say, that time in NY was precious.

One day Christine and I were in the living room. She was at the computer while I was strumming softly on my ukulele. Christine didn't know earlier that month I had a desire to learn the song, "Let It Be." I had been playing it at home often and had the chords memorized, but I still kept the sheet music around to learn the lyrics. As I played that song in Christine and Watson's Staten Island apartment, the words, "Let It Be" burned into my heart. I came to realize why I was learning that song. Lucy was preparing her own special little way to comfort me; something she has done for many people actually.

Lucy truly was and still is an Angel. For as the scripture says, "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ." In that moment of realization through song, I gained an even greater testimony of the comforting power of the Holy Ghost. The awareness that our Father in Heaven has for each and everyone of us is nothing short of amazing.

We lit a candle for you today Lucy, in remembrance of those you lit in our hearts. "And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me. Shine until tomorrow, let it be." Lucy, please continue to shine on all of us...especially the ones that gave you your clown feet. We love you and know that we will see you again someday.

~Uncle Joey

Daddy Duty

2008-08-17T23:42:00.006-05:00

Holly is away visiting her BFF in St. George, UT with little Cali. This was our gift to Holly for her birthday. Aubrey and Ella are here with me while Holly is away. We are surviving and having fun, but the we really miss Cali and Mommy. :o(

I have to admit, it has been a challenge picking out acceptable outfits and doing their hair. Aubrey has been really helpful in the hair department. She has become quite the hairstylist. I'm sure Melissa and Sheri will fill you in Holly on how I did. :o)

Whenever Holly is gone for any length of time we gain a greater appreciation for her. Mothers have such a great responsibility in rearing children. The job is so tough and I don't know how people can do it alone. Anyway, we really miss you Mommy and Cali and we can't wait to see you again!!

Here are some pics of the girls on Saturday at the ward's Primary Water Olympics....

Tony Hawk Sk8board Contest

2008-08-09T20:10:00.005-05:00

Check out the sk8board design I made for a Tony Hawk contest. If I win, I will receive a trip to LA to the Tony Hawk Foundation event, meet Tony Hawk and other celebrities at the party, and my design will be made into an actual skateboard!

My odds of winning are probably less than 1/9000. That's not too bad considering what I could win eh? Wish me luck!!! :)

P.S. The "holsmi80" is not part of the design. I just don't want anyone nabbing my sk8board.

Happy 8nniversary!

2008-07-06T06:09:00.001-05:00

Holly and I have now been married for 8 years! I have no idea where the time has gone. It seems like we were just at Schlitterbahn not too long ago. We are now 450 miles away from where we first met and living next to the temple where we were married eight years ago. It is neat how things have worked out.

Holly, thank you for being so supportive of me throughout our marriage. You do so much for me and our family and I'm truly grateful for you. When we were getting to know each other, I always knew that you would be the best mother. I also knew that we would end up together early on in our relationship. We've made so many memories together and here is a little quiz for you...

Docks

Chicken Strips

A Dime

Fence

Socks

Cyclone

Slides

Concrete

Broken Chair

Watts

Yellow

F, Bb, F, C7

Frank

Happy Anniversary Holly! I love you more than waves and Cadillacs.

P.S. Thanks for always making me laugh. Laughing with you is my favorite ting to do evefry daaay.

This One's For Holly

2008-07-02T22:59:00.004-05:00

Does it smell like...

in here?

This One's For Rick

2008-07-02T22:39:00.004-05:00

This one is for you Rick. I came across this and all I could think of was Taylor laughing his head off about your story...

Surfer Girls

2008-06-29T23:22:00.005-05:00

We went to Corpus Christi last week for Cali's Luau (check out Holly's blog for the pics). We had a ton of fun while we were down there. In addition to the Luau, we got to go the beach. I put Aubrey and Ella on my surfboard and they each had several good rides. Aubrey got up a few times and Ella enjoyed cruising on her tummy.

Aubrey's Ride...

Ella's Ride...

I really wish we could live on an island...humph! :(

Summer Reading

2008-06-01T21:35:00.008-05:00

It's been almost a month and I'm sure my readership has dwindled considerably. So, here's a nugget for ya...

It's summer again and time for our ward's Book of Mormon reading challenge! Our ward has started a tradition of reading the BoM over the summer months. The program started with the challenge issued to the youth and then to the entire ward. I participated last year and received so many blessings for following the council of our Bishop. We used this website last year to help keep us all on track and I loved it!

I'm excited about reading the BoM cover to cover once again. I feel an added measure of the Spirit in my life when I'm reading from the scriptures daily. I'm always amazed at how much I learn each time I read it. I know that as human beings we tend to forget and the BoM helps us remember who we really are and why we are here.

Holly and I just watched Prince Caspian the other night. What an awesome movie and book. Afterwards, Holly and I talked about how much we forgot about the book. I remembered the general story, but some of the details were lacking. One bit of detail that I did remember was the amount of time that it took the Pevensies to remember where they were; once back in Narnia. In the book, it took nearly all day/night, but in the movie it took them about 10 minutes.

The scriptures help take us back to where we came from. The scriptures help us remember why we are here and who we really are. The amazing thing about them is that we don't have to read all day and night to gain back that "feeling" of comfort and understanding. If we just take a few minutes out of our day to "remember", then we are so much the better. When we stop reading from them, we tend to drift away from our understanding that we are literal spirit sons and daughters of God; with the potential to become like Him. When that occurs, then we are more susceptible to making bad choices.

I hope you will join me in reading the Book of Mormon this summer. I know the Book of Mormon to be true. I've read it many times and receive that confirmation every time that I read it. I encourage you to do so and I know that you will be blessed.

Tops in Ops

2008-05-08T23:31:00.011-05:00

May 1st - 4th Holly and I were able to go to Miami, FL for my Tops in Ops award. We had a ton of fun as you can see from the pics. It was like a second honeymoon for us. We both were able to just kick back and relax for a few days. My favorite activity was of course golf at Doral and the coolest venue was by far Vizcaya. Both places (Doral and Vizcaya) were ridiculous. Note to self: become a pro golfer and buy a castle someday.

Anyway, I feel so blessed to have won. Here is a picture and video of me receiving my award from the head of Engineering & Operations and our Regional VP.

And last but not least, a big shout-out to my Mom and Dad! Without them Holly and I would not have been able to go on this trip. They watched the girls for us while we were in Miami. Aubrey, Ella, and Cali all had a ton of fun with their Nana and Tata.

"The Best Daddy Daughter Day Ever!"

2008-04-20T18:26:00.012-05:00

I was able to spend the entire day with my little girls yesterday and it was a blast. We wore each other out big time. We had so much planned for the day that we had to write it down to make sure that we got everything in.

Here is everything that we did yesterday:

Ate cinnamon rolls and three fresh strawberries for breakfast

Constructed Lego works of art

Went to Chuck E. Cheese for lunch, fun time, and mad dashes from the big mouse

Watched Meet the Robinsons DVD with freshly popped corn

Took a nature hike at town lake

Played air hockey at the rec. center

Had Leftovers!!!

Went bike riding at Glen Oaks Park

Gave Mom BIG hugs

Here are the highlights:

Three strawberries can go a long way when they cost $80

Legos are still my favorite toy for booby traps and hours of imagination/creativity time

Ella won the jackpot on the Deal or No Deal game (aren't you proud, Grandpa Smith?)

2 Minutes and 45 seconds for perfect popcorn

Gotta love free rec. center games

Always good to $ave some sweet mula

The girls are pros on their bikes!!?? Where does the time go?

We really missed you Mom!!!!

It was a great day that every Dad should get to enjoy. I've been wanting to give Holly a day off for a while now...she so deserves it. It also gives you such an appreciation for your wonderful wife and all the hard work she puts in every day. Aubrey and Ella ended the day with saying, "This was the best Daddy daughter day ever!!" I would have to agree...

Hola Señor!

2008-04-08T21:38:00.014-05:00

I got the promotion I was up for and I'm the newest Sr. Engineer for T-Mobile! I just want to thank all of my family members for their prayers on my behalf. I want to especially thank my sweet Holly for all of her encouragement and support. I'm so happy and humbled at all the Lord has done for me and my little family. We have come a long way and the Lord's arms are extended still. I feel so blessed to have so many opportunities and I know that I have my parents to thank for that. Thanks Mom and Dad for being such great examples to us kids and for your endless support. Now it's time to partay!

P.S. I love working in the wireless industry and especially for T-Mobile. They have taken really good care of my family and I stand 100% behind our new tag line, "stick together." What did I do when I found out the news? I called two of my faves (my wife and my mom) on my cell phone to let them know.

Spotlight: Ella

2008-04-06T00:52:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pics of my little Ella. Yeah, her hair isn't done, but this is her in her natural state. :) She said the sun was too bright while she was swinging in the backyard so I let her wear my shades.

My Real Name...

2008-04-04T00:06:00.001-05:00

OK everyone, I've been living under an alias and Aubrey cracked the code to my true identity.

Plano Balloon Festival...Say Wha?

2008-04-03T00:26:00.003-05:00

It's late once again, but I have to post some pics. I've been wanting to post some more of my photos and here are a few more of my favorites. These are from the Plano Balloon Festival that we went to back in September 2007. It was awesome.

Happy Birthday Cali Girl!

2008-03-26T23:29:00.005-05:00

It's my little Cali's birthday today!!! I can't believe she is one. These cuties grow so fast it makes me sad sometimes. She is doing so much these days. I love her smile and the way she laughs. Cali is one of my favorite subjects to photograph, but I usually have to catch her first. She is getting really fast and keeping her in one spot can prove to be difficult! :)

Here is one of my faves of her on St. Patty's Day...

HULU: Watch your favorites. Anytime. For free.

2008-03-13T10:42:00.005-05:00

Check out this new site....it is awesome for finding those episodes or shows that you missed while life was happening. :)

Hulu offers U.S. consumers a vast selection of premium video content, on demand, free and ad-supported: full episodes of TV shows, both current and classic, full-length movies, thousands of clips, and much more.

Sad News

2008-03-12T08:34:00.007-05:00

Peter Barr passed away yesterday around 4:30pm. Peter's brother, Spencer, is in our Teachers Quorum and his father serves with me in the Young Men's program in M5th Ward. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Barr family. They are such amazing people. We are comforted to know that Peter was surrounded by family during the last moments of his short, but tremendous life.

Here is the journal entry from his web site:

Dearest Friends, Family and Loved Ones,
Peter Galbreath Barr took his last earthly breath at 4:38 this afternoon and passed through the veil into the presence of his Heavenly Father. His family gathered around him for his final moments to express our love, and he is now at peace. Peter now awaits the morning of the Resurrection when his towering spirit will be gloriously reunited with his perfected, glorified, immortal body to never again be separated. His family also now anxiously awaits that wonderful day when we can renew our sweet relationship with this beautiful son of our Heavenly Father. God bless you for all of your prayers and support; we will give you details of his funeral and final resting place shortly.

High Tech Bloggin

2008-03-09T22:41:00.012-05:00

So, you think your blog's pretty good eh, why don't you find out for real. Google has a really cool tool out there and you can use it to track any web page that you have hosted. The tool is called Google Analytics. I'm using it to track my high traffic blog because I'm really popular and I need to keep tabs on my readership and what they want.

Google Analytics is intuitive enough for all of you savvy bloggers. The two tips I have are: First, copy the HTML code into a new HTML/JavaScript Page Element. Second, be patient. It takes about a day if your a blogger like myself. Now if you're Holly, shoooo, you'll have data within minutes.

For those of you who don't know me and my sense of humor, I tend to be a little sarcastic. Anyway, enjoy your new found technology...and if you knew about this already, then you wasted about five minutes of your life. Sorry, no refunds.

Parachutes Are Good For A Laugh

2008-02-27T13:44:00.003-06:00

I could not help posting this video on my lunch break. A coworker of mine sent it to me.

Happy Birthday Nikki!!!

2008-02-25T23:41:00.006-06:00

Today is my sister Nikki's birthday! I would like to wish her a very happy birthday. My sister is amazing. She has been able to accomplish so much academically and within her family. We are so proud of you Nikki and hope that your birthday is fantastic and filled with goodies. We love and miss you!!!

Mobile Blogger

2008-02-21T22:25:00.003-06:00

Check it out! I can send pics from my cell phone strait to my blog. I know, nothing new, but still pretty cool.

Look Out LPGA!

2008-02-18T19:04:00.001-06:00

I am so proud of my girls golf swing. This was after one two minute lesson (Aubrey) and a 10 second wrestle (Ella). Check out their form...superb!

holsmi80

2008-02-14T00:32:00.021-06:00

What can I say about my Holly. She is my everything. I'll always remember our first real conversation and never wanting it to end. We sat at a park for hours talking about everything. Falling in love with her was one of the easiest things that I have ever done. She was literally an answer to my prayers and I'll never forget the moment I realized that. It was... Some Kind of Wonderful ;o) .

Our friendship and love is eternal. I find such peace in living the gospel and knowing that my wife and my best friend will be with me forever. I am so grateful for the wonderful plan of happiness that our Father in Heaven has prepared for all of us. I love you Holly and will you be my Valentine?

P.S. If you will, I can give you toast, goodies, cheeps, and saallad tonight.

P.S.S. "I think that I think about you way too much."

Home Depot Darlings

2008-02-03T23:02:00.000-06:00

Aubrey and Ella have finally earned their Home Depot Kids Workshop patch! I am so proud of them! This represents 10 different projects that they have completed. They are also now certified to drive the forklift in Home Depot!

Here are all of the cool things that they've been able to build: fire truck piggy bank, butterfly box, tray, truck crayon holder, castle, super bowl foot stool, art caddy, memory box, planter, race car, and picture frame. I would have to say that my favorite project has been making memories.

Johnny Lloyd Rollins (Sundance)

2008-01-21T12:22:00.000-06:00

Our friend Johnny Lloyd Rollins will be playing the Sundance Film Festival this year. His music is awesome. Check out the full article here.

Here We Go Again!

2008-01-16T23:29:00.000-06:00

Many of you know from Holly's blog, I've taken the plunge and started my MBA. We feel really good about it and know that we will be blessed. The First Presidency has encouraged the Young Men to obtain as much education as possible. We (the Teachers Quorum) recite the purpose of the Aaronic Priesthood every week and I've really felt that continuing my education is something that I need to do. Even though I'm one of the leaders, I still consider myself "young" (although my body tells me otherwise) and I'm excited to follow their counsel.

357 Mad Dog

2008-01-15T22:21:00.000-06:00

This stuff should be outlawed...

I put about a tablespoon of this on a sandwich the other day and I about died. I can take hot, really hot, but this stuff is just plain nuts. To illustrate how hot this stuff is, I wouldn't even use it to prank someone because I think my salvation would be at stake.

You have to read some of these comments in regards to this stuff. I’m still laughing my head off at them because I can realate to them all.

Love My Sistas

2008-01-13T22:08:00.000-06:00

I've been able to talk to my sisters a bit more lately and it's been really nice. We all are all very different, but we have such a tight bond.

Growing up I put them through a gauntlet of booby traps and endless pranks...oh wait, I guess I'm still growing up because the shock pen last year was freaking awesome! Joking aside, this past year has truly brought us closer. I can tell because nowadays I don't even pull pranks on them that require electricity...I'm just going with jumping out of dark places.

Another thing about growing up....don't play with fire. Fire can burn you, be careful! Something you may not know about me was that I was severely burned on my face when I was in fourth grade. My friends and I made this really cool fireball thing that shot out huge fireballs. Well, it backfired one right into my ugly mug....result...one week in the hospital and no sun for a few years.

Anyway, one of the most poignant childhood memories that I have is how much my sisters cared for me during my imprisonment. They would put on shows for me (I was Crissie's first agent. I discovered her actually.) and just spend time with me. They showed true charity that I'll never forget. I just wanted to give them a shout-out and let them know how much I love them. I'm so proud of all three of them and their accomplishments.

Funny Pics

2008-01-10T20:49:00.000-06:00

I don't know why, but these pics cracked me up. I'm a dork...I know.

Stickin' It to the Man!

2007-12-10T18:34:00.000-06:00

For the past few weeks I've been fighting the Man. Luckily I've had some backup from my homies and familia. Needless to say, we won.

Now stickin' it to the Man is not the same thing as stickin' it to "Da Man". I'm "Da Man," so that wouldn't be cool. Anyway, it feels so good to fight for my right to party all over his face. Oh,

BTW, this post is all about those scoundrels who tried to take our sweet mula when our car broke down in CC. A special shout-out to Rick Smith for confirming some of our suspicions with those lame-Os.

P.S. We got a refund from them today thanks to my letter writing skills and the killer nunchuck skills from a close friend who will remain nameless.

P.S.S. This is what happens when I post really late at night.

Fall Fun

2007-12-01T00:03:00.000-06:00

I had to post these pics before they got too outdated. I spent the evening about three weeks ago with the girls just playing in the leaves. Aubrey was the free labor and Ella lent her services as the leave redistributor.

Zoo Pals

2007-11-11T21:24:00.000-06:00

We went to the zoo this weekend and I had to post some of my favs. Holly posted the family ones, so I decided to post pics of the other animals. Holly took the one of the white tiger (I had to force her to do so) and I think it turned out AWESOME!

Famous Buildings

2007-10-30T21:20:00.000-05:00

Here are some more photos I took on my NYC trip back in 1999. They are a bit grainy and contrasty, but I kind of like that sometimes. I have so many great memories from that trip and I love sharing them with others...

Empire: This is a nice view of The Empire State Building.

The Gug: This is one of NYCs best museums...
certainly the best museum that I've been to.

WTC: Here is World Trade. I still can't believe they are gone.

Kalaina Surprise for Aubrey

2007-10-29T13:30:00.000-05:00

Holly was really frustrated this weekend because she couldn't find these shoes for Aubrey. But today on my lunch break, I found a size 12 1/2 Cherokee Kalaina Mary Janes!!!!! I hope this brightens your day honey.

The New Rig

2007-10-28T10:41:00.000-05:00

After our scare of nearly losing our pictures, I decided to build a new system. I wanted to make sure that our data was mirrored (via RAID1) at all times. This will eliminate my bad habit of only backing up a few times a month. This is something that I've been wanting to do for a long time now.

I purchased everything at Frys, also know as the best store EVER! They always have killer deals, especially on the weekends. I chose an ASUS M2N-E motherboard with an NVIDA chipset because it has on-board RAID controllers. I've also heard a lot of good things about ASUS. I can support up to a six disk RAID array (0, 1, 0+1, 5, and JBOD) . I also purchased two 500GB SATA hard drives which were insanely cheap. I don't have a true terabyte of storage because of my RAID1 setup, but still 500GB is a lot of storage space.

I went with an AMD Athlon X2 5600+ dual-core processor along with 2GB of RAM. I can support up to 8GB of RAM (DDR2 800) but with only 2GB this thing is still smokin' ! I'm sure most everyone doesn't care or is asleep by now, but I know Rick can appreciate this tech talk. :)

Needless to say, I'm very happy with my new rig!

Who's da man??!!

2007-10-25T00:26:00.000-05:00

Well, after about a week, I've finally done it. I've rescued our pictures from the pit of despair along with our hearts for that matter. I was so crushed to think that we may have lost nearly a month's worth of pictures...and some really good ones too! Anyway, I want to tell you honey, and everyone else, I'M SO HAPPY! :) Blog away baby!!!!

Here is how I felt this past week:

Here is how I feel now:

Subway Series

2007-10-14T21:37:00.001-05:00

I've been going through my old photography portfolio and thought it would be fun to post a few of my favorites. I did a lot of fine art photography back in the day and that's what I enjoyed the most. My wedding photography portfolio is a little scarce, since I usually sold all my prints to the client.

F-Train. This is the F-Train that Crissie (my big sis) and I rode from Brooklyn to Coney Island. We were nearly mugged while I was taking this picture. Not a good idea to whip out expensive camera gear around a couple of hoodlums.

Missed It. This is a train that we just missed. I hate it when that happens...

Subway Sally. Some of you may have seen this one. It won a GoDaddy photo contest about six years ago. This grumpy old lady didn't appreciate me taking her photo.

Dads...er...Kids Workshop

2007-10-14T17:24:00.000-05:00

The girls and I attended our 8th Kids Workshop at the Home Depot. We love to do this every month and we have made this our little tradition since we've moved here. We're always bummed out when we can't make it. I'm usually the one who has the saddest face when that happens.

Ella and Aubrey have both become quite handy with their little hammers. They are also racking up the project pins for their aprons. They only need two more for the badge! This also qualifies them to operate the in-store forklift, which I'm REALLY excited about! They were especially stoked this last time because they received an additional pin. The additional pin was to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the Kids Workshops.

Holly's Gunna Kill Me

2007-09-23T22:08:00.001-05:00

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!This site is a bit racy, but I couldn't resist!

Freeze Tag

2007-09-23T20:54:00.001-05:00

Holly "tagged" me a LONG time ago and here are my extremely late and lame responses....

4 things about me you may not have known:

I've flown a stunt kite out of the back of a moving truck.
I was in a wetsuit catalog.
I was severely burned when I was about 11 and was hospitalized for a week.
I almost drowned while surfing one of the biggest swells of my life. I was only a few feet from shore in a crazy huge rip tide...very scary.

4 Jobs I've Had:

Pet Store
Warehouse guy/forklift operator
Busboy
Engineer

4 Movies I can watch over and over again:

Star Wars (1-6)
Nacho Libre
Napoleon Dynamite
Home Alone

4 Favorite TV shows:

The Office
Anything Discovery Channel (Mythbusters, Survivorman, etc.)
Seinfeld
AFV

4 Favorite Hobbies:

Surfing
Ukulele
Photography
Fixing stuff

4 Places I have lived:

The LBC
The OC
The Phil
The Lone Star State...Tejas

4 Favorite Foods:

Gisa(sp)
My Dad's Ribs
Lobster
Sushi

4 Places I would rather be right now:

Surfing in Hawaii
Surfing in California
Snowboarding in Utah
Snowboarding in Washington

4 Websites I check daily:

D Fam
Google
Frys
Hotmail

4 People I tag:

I've taken so long to respond to this that I think it has reached it's expiration point...

I Love Lucy

2007-09-09T21:37:00.001-05:00

As many of you know, we have had some very sad news in our family. In my sister's own words, here is what transpired as they anticipated the arrival of their new baby:

"We returned to the hospital next morning at 6:30 am and at that time they were no longer able to find a heart beat. More and more Doctors tried to find it and soon our room was filled with so many that we knew that things had gone very wrong. We were told that at some time during the night our precious angel's heart had stopped beating. There is no explanation that could be found at that time. "

"At 3:38pm Monday, August 27, 2007 our perfect angel arrived:

Olive Lucy Kawecki

Aug 27, 2007 3:38 PM7 lbs, 8 oz.

22 1/2 inches long

And she has great big clown feet."

I flew out Wednesday to be with my family and to attend the services for Lucy. Everything about the service was a lovely tribute to her and the impact she has in our lives. At a moment when the strings could have come loose within our family, she pulled them tight. She helped me to understand that I should call a little more, stay longer on my knees, dance and not care, and not be afraid to share my talents. As we (Me, My Dad, Noodle, and Jeff) played "You are My Sunshine" on the ukulele for her, Lucy taught me that it's okay to let her memory and laughter occupy the same space.

Thank you so much Watson and Christine for letting me be a part of the services. I truly became acquainted with Lucy as I had the honor of creating her slide show. I feel like I was able to experience "Lucy's Journey", as Watson titled it.

I know that we'll see her again and that her memory will never fade from our hearts. As Christine mentioned during the service, Lucy will continue to giggle at the fact that we can't help but say, "I Love Lucy."

Pink Ladies

2007-08-26T22:15:00.000-05:00

A few Sundays ago I had to take a picture of my Pink Ladies. They all had on cute skirts and were color coordinated with pink and white. I'm sure this wasn't planned, right honey? ;o)

I feel so honored walking into church each Sunday with this string of pearls.

I Hate Risk

2007-08-19T23:11:00.000-05:00

Ok, Holly just worked me at Risk tonight. She has reclaimed her spot at the top. That game is an emotional roller coaster for us. It has been two years since we played last, so that is an indicator of how much we get into it. Holly lost the last two times, so she vowed to never play again. I think it is actually good that she won because the game probably would have ended up in the trash.

The record is now Holly: 4, Joey: 2.

Cali Girl

2007-08-13T22:48:00.000-05:00

As promised, here is Cali's spotlight. Isn't she just adorable? I think all my girls are. I feel so blessed to have these little angels in my life.

Adobe Fun

2007-08-09T00:13:00.001-05:00

We took some pictures of the girls yesterday. It was fun, even though I'm a little rusty and I'm getting acquainted with my new toy....a Canon 30D. I love it. I was a Minolta guy for many years, but they've sold their camera division to Sony, so that ended that....sorry, I digress.

So, here are my sepia toned girls...OK only two of them, but I can't find one yet of Cali with the same orientation. She'll be spotlighted later on for sure! Anyway, enjoy the cute pics...

"Daddy Day"

2007-08-05T00:24:00.000-05:00

I spent the day with two of my little girls, Aubrey and Ella. We had breakfast together (Barbie Pop Tarts) to start the day off. We then took a trip to Home Depot for our traditional monthly workshop. We build all sorts of cool stuff on the first Saturday of every month. Today we built an "Art Caddy". I have to say, it was one of the more difficult projects. The girls did great though and didn't smash any fingers, so that was good.

After Home Depot, we drove back home rockin' out to Barbie Magic of the Rainbow (can you tell I love my girls). I have to admit, that dang CD is pretty catchy. We then ate some lunch and hung around for a bit. Later on we went to the pool. When we were at the door waiting to leave Aubrey was really cute and said, "This is a fun day...it's a Daddy Day!" That made me feel loved :o) . When we were at the pool the girls were both swimming the best ever! I was so proud.

First Day on the Blog

2007-07-29T21:13:00.000-05:00

Well, I've decided to finally claim my own little bit of cyberspace and join the blogging community. I'm sure it will not draw near as much attention as the bloggin babes, but it will give me something to do from time to time. Anyway, I hope this brings someone a bit of joy now and again...