We have another new granddaughter. Yes, you can congratulate us and that would be fine. Becky and Hyrum  now have Ellie in their family. She is just as cute as she could possibly be, and brought a piece of Heaven with her. WELCOME to the family.

Miah says that it is really cold in Anderson, he said "Saturday we continued our exchange, tracting in 5 degree weather. i almost froze to death, but i survived! (i hope i have a hat or earmuffs or something coming in the mail soon, heh."

He also had some nice things to say about those who have written him. And offered encouragement for those who have yet e to experience the joy of writing a missionary (subtle hint).

Thanksgiving  will be a little different this year without several of our family close by.  The Gales, and Zach both won't be able to make it. Schedules are brutal this year. Joyce and I are both working on Thanksgiving day so tomorrow is the official celebration for this fine American tradition.  Joyce has been making the basting and marinade for the bird all day long and it SMELLS GREAT!!!!    So I can only imagine how it is going to taste. yum...

One other thought for those of you who had to suffer through Twilight,  there is still the weekend to see the best CG movie Disney/Pixar has produced to date. BOLT.

Good story, good clean humor, great animation, and you leave the theater feeling like you actually did something worthy of the time you spent there. No wasted time ,no wasted money, as the adults as well as the kids will love it.  Do yourselves a favor and see it.

finally, an update !

I really am alive, and doing well. Here's an update on the world according to Ken. Since Joyce hasn't yet been wholly infected with bloggitis, the I reserve the right to post in her behalf. So here I go. First of all we are officially empty nesters (again). Christy and Adam have moved to Utah county, and should even as I write this be setting up their new home, headquarters, and point of operations. We are excited for them, it is hard to be newly wed and live with in-laws. I NEVER once heard a complaint from either Adam,or Christy. Each pitched in and helped where they could, shared their lives with us, and did without a lot of privacy I am sure they would have liked to have. I learned a lot about Adam, and am thankful for the chance to get to know my son-in-law better. Thanks for sharing your life with me, and not complain when I (and I am fairly certain that I did) got overbearing or opinionated. You are a good man, and I am confident that you will take good care of Christy. We had some good discussions, and some real fun. It was nice to have someone in the house who could see into my humor, or attempts at it.

I tried my hand at pumpkin carving again, and had a little better success this year than I have had in the past. I have posted pics of the final outcome of this year's creative efforts. Please feel free to shamefully tell me what a good job I did!!!! (hahaha). I have to work on Halloween this year, so I won't get to see the kids in costume, but I think I will see good postings on respective blogs.

On to more serious matters. This year across the nation there are several very important and gravely significant issues that are being addressed by the voters. I urge you each to carefully assess what you are being asked to decide, consider the consequence of your decisions, look past the the emotional hype and rhetoric, and prayerfully cast your vote. The decisions we make next week will determine what kind of America our children, and our children's children will inherit. We owe it to them to leave a land as favored of God as our parents left us. The Book of Mormon is very direct in addressing our responsibility to keep this a nation of honorable, obedient, and a religious people who follow God's commandments. The "pride cycle" wasn't a uniquely Nephite phenomena. We are just as venerable to it's consequences as our ancient predecessors.

Study the issues, and VOTE. It isn't over until it's over. Despite what the liberal media would have you believe, you vote counts, and the election is not decided in polls. It is decided by your vote. So DO IT next Tuesday without fail. Enough said.

And after looking at this Jack-o-Lantern, you can see shy it took so long to post.?!

an ittybitty (and it ain't the whole world) in her hands.....

OK so its been a while but there is life outside blogging, otherwise there would be nothing to blog. I finally got to scrub in on a total joint replacement at work. They really do things while everyone's backs are to the circulator. It was COOL to help in the process, up close and personal like.

Kendra & Golden's kids caught this itty bitty snake, and brought it over for us to enjoy this afternoon. Here are some pictures:

                                    these are Shaunie's hands 

you can get an idea of the lack of size,   the ring is an 8 1/2







so there it is... a real live in your hands, heart warming, (scream generating) ittybittysnake....

On the last trip out to California, which has been a little while, we had some great fun with all the grandkids. Gage and Dewy got an early jump on Halloween, or something like that. Each one is a real joy to be around, double the kids, and HOLD ON FOR THE RIDE.

The rock wall is at weeping rock in Zion, when the Osmonds made the trip here. We hiked all the way up to weeping rock, and on the way back down played in the water. Dewy unleashed a full on water fight with Mamba.  I am not sure he understands the consequence.

Any way enjoy the pictures. I tried twice to upload the giraffe in the LA Zoo tring to eat the palm trees, but I got error codes. If you guys know how to get around it. I will post it here.                           (there is a reason Giraffes don't kiss)   Kendad

my thoughts on a controversial subject

I have been reading comments from numerous people about the Church's stance against gay marriage.  We have been told that there will be a sifting in the Church the wheat from the chaff, or  a gathering of the wheat from the tares.  It looks like the sifting is getting under way in earnest.  A member of the church in good standing , who wishes to remain in good standing, must decide now whose voice they will hear, and "be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works"(Mosiah 5:15).  There  is no room for hypocrisy in this matter. Our position has been set forth years prior to this attempt to destroy that  which is ordained of God from the foundations of this world. Do not be deceived, there is no substitute for a marriage as defined in the Proclamation. 

    We have been told by a Prophet of God what is an appropriate marriage relationship. No amount of rhetoric or diatribe despite the emotional fervor, or caustic vocabulary can change what is truth. The responsibility  remains with each individual to choose to listen and obey, or to not.  I urge all in my family to read and re-read the Family Proclamation, pray to have an unshakeable testimony of it and prepare to walk the way the Lord would have us. It will not be popular, it will not be praised outside the circle of those who know the voice of the Good Shepherd , and likely you will be ridiculed for standing for what is right. What is right will remain right regardless of worldly opinion.

    Argumentation with contention will not change the hearts and minds of anyone, and will destroy the Spirit's chance to testify. Choose you words thoughtfully, and with prayer when discussing this matter. Do not be ashamed, or excusatory.  Testimony is a powerful tool, and your  words will stand.  

The world is rapidly becoming a wicked place, and you cannot avoid exposure it. But you do not have to swim in the sewers of degradation and immorality just because they run through the streets of our lives. Recognize immorality for what it is, and the source from which it oozes.

Find sanctuary in good works, wholesome entertainment, and clean lives. Live worthy of the Temple blessings. Live worthy to be a family bound strongly by Eternal covenants. 

Be strong, recognize who you each are, and what God had given you and has promised to give you if you remain true and faithful to the covenants you have made, and will yet make.

 I  love each of you, rather family by birth or by covenant. There is no difference. I cannot bear the thought of  having any of you missing from the table in the Eternities. All are precious, all are dear.   Be strong, have faith and doubt not,  your mother knows it (as does your father). 

The battle lines are being drawn, and Truth will prevail.  Doubt not, fear not.   Kendad

what's new?

We were empty nesters for about 23 minutes this past week. Zach moved back up to Utah county, and Christy and Adam moved down here with us for the time being. Both moves happened the same day, same truck and trailer, same driver... you get it.  Don't get me wrong, I am glad to have the Gale's here, but I will miss Zach. But life goes on, and we all need a chance to grow more.

I had a nice video of the giraffe and his lunch quest from the LA Zoo but it is hiding from me. I will keep looking, and post it when it reappears.  Don't give up on me yet.

Here are a few pics from a trip to Zion  we took last summer. enjoy. (yeah, i know some of the really have people in them).  Kendad

Vacation!

i
I think this does it for the summer vacation thing. Maybe one more left in me. But it was fun. I never realized that I have dolphins for daughters! They took to boogie boarding like walking. Kendra made several runs all the way into the beach, and Becky was not far behind. Go little mama to be (again)!
Thanks to Becky and Hyrum for sharing their home with sharing their home with us again, and being the great host and hostess they always are. AND thanks to Golden for letting us take his family to California with us so he could go fishing. THE SALMON TASTES GREAT. Joyce cooked some for dinner this afternoon.
The drive back got long with the traffic being stop and go most of the way to the I-15. One on the 15 we made pretty good time even through Sodom and Gomorrah. Too bad there is not a quicker way home.
Got back and rested enough to work a 12 at the OR. Did I ever mention that i am developing a great dislike for 4 wheelers. My Saturdays are filled with putting broken bodies back together as a result of crashes. Old, young, man woman, it doesn't matter. Sooner or later something happens and wham 2 or 3 hours in the OR to fix a sad ending to a day of "fun". I suppose there are careful riders out there, and good for them.
We went to Huntington Beach (which is where the photo was taken), Oceanside beach, the LA Zoo, and Disney Animation Studios, ate pizza from papa johns, cooked, slept in, stayed up late, laughed, talked, and occasionally s took a nap. All in all a good time was had by all.
Well anyway I had fun, and I hope that the rest of the crew did too. Let me know. (Keep me posted has a whole new meaning, doesn't it?) - KenDad