NEWS FLASH!
HEALTHY LINDE BABY ARRIVES AT 10:09 on Thursday, 31 July 08. Congratulations to Jamie and Ladon! Mom and baby are doing great after an all-night labor.
She is 7 lbs, 14 ounces.
21 and a half inches long.
Lots of dark hair.
Awake, with a sweet nature.
One dimple.
And already we love her!
We'll have pictures and a full report soon.
Love GrandBill
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Some Catch-up Videos
The Roys have been moving fast these days, so it's been difficult to keep the blog updated--sorry!
You might enjoy some of these videos:
--Our river cabin in Nauvoo.
--A seal on the beach of Shelter Cove yelling at us.
--Some tall trees in the Redwoods.
--Krista running up the side of a tree (sort of).
Enjoy! Love, Dad
You might enjoy some of these videos:
--Our river cabin in Nauvoo.
--A seal on the beach of Shelter Cove yelling at us.
--Some tall trees in the Redwoods.
--Krista running up the side of a tree (sort of).
Enjoy! Love, Dad
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Suprise, Mom!
Perhaps you all can recall the incident with my glow in the dark basketball? Its slow motion and unexpected disappearance to the wallowing depths of the tunnel/ditch? My desparation for it to return? The providencial chance that mom drove up just as Charina lowered me face first into the ditch to retrieve said ball, and everyone was then present to watch me stare death in the face? And of course, our victory in successfully retrieving the ball? Yes, indeed, a story worth repeating throughout the ages, and one I never thought I'd wish to relive in any way.
Switch gears with me for a second.
What kind of things would come to your mind if I said...
Sydney?
Hmm.. Gross, maybe, fat, ugly, old, hairy, dirty, opera house, lazy, undesirable, suprisingly obese, and because I feel cruel being truthful, maybe cute or nice.
But mostly just gross, right?
(That's even a flattering picture)
Well, Mom, the hero non-bottom feeder of this family, decided to take some good initiative and bathe the poor beast. We were all impressed with her bravery and skill, and a... cleaner Sydney (she's pretty much stained) was a welcome sight. One hair covered lawn, broken hair brush and hose down later, Mom wiped her hands and leashed Syd to the door, calling Bum and I to watch her and make sure she didn't return miserably to her little niche under the deck. Sorry, Mom....
We took too long to get downstairs, and arrived only to see Syd's fluffy tail disappearing to DirtLand beneath the deck.
Well, of course, we had to devise some way to get her out of there and rewash her before Mom came home and saw her hard work gone away. But there was no getting Sydney out, even after we sprayed some water down where she might have been laying. The only choice, my patient audience, was for me to call upon my basketball retrieving skills and slither back to the wretched creature.
Adamantly, she remained where she was, but Summer ingeniously crafted a long stick with a cigar pretzel duck taped to the end, and I was able to tempt Sydney inch by inch- meaning of course- I had to stare her snarling, upset, grouchy, growling snout (synonomous with death) in the face. What a fright! Never before have I actually seen hatred glow in someone's eyes, but my dirt covered body shivered in fear from the gleam in Sydney's. Doug helped by actually grabbing Sydney's leash and dragging her out for the last four feet or so.
We rebathed her and innocently smiled when Mom came home, not mentioning the incident. Little did she know I had crawled underneath the deck and got Sydney,so suprise, mom! it was a fine adventure, but my stomach got scratched up-at least I wasn't nine months pregnant!(oh, wait, people in that situation just climb 10 ft. fences. Good one, Jame!)
Switch gears with me for a second.
What kind of things would come to your mind if I said...
Sydney?
Hmm.. Gross, maybe, fat, ugly, old, hairy, dirty, opera house, lazy, undesirable, suprisingly obese, and because I feel cruel being truthful, maybe cute or nice.
But mostly just gross, right?
(That's even a flattering picture)
Well, Mom, the hero non-bottom feeder of this family, decided to take some good initiative and bathe the poor beast. We were all impressed with her bravery and skill, and a... cleaner Sydney (she's pretty much stained) was a welcome sight. One hair covered lawn, broken hair brush and hose down later, Mom wiped her hands and leashed Syd to the door, calling Bum and I to watch her and make sure she didn't return miserably to her little niche under the deck. Sorry, Mom....
We took too long to get downstairs, and arrived only to see Syd's fluffy tail disappearing to DirtLand beneath the deck.
Well, of course, we had to devise some way to get her out of there and rewash her before Mom came home and saw her hard work gone away. But there was no getting Sydney out, even after we sprayed some water down where she might have been laying. The only choice, my patient audience, was for me to call upon my basketball retrieving skills and slither back to the wretched creature.
Adamantly, she remained where she was, but Summer ingeniously crafted a long stick with a cigar pretzel duck taped to the end, and I was able to tempt Sydney inch by inch- meaning of course- I had to stare her snarling, upset, grouchy, growling snout (synonomous with death) in the face. What a fright! Never before have I actually seen hatred glow in someone's eyes, but my dirt covered body shivered in fear from the gleam in Sydney's. Doug helped by actually grabbing Sydney's leash and dragging her out for the last four feet or so.
We rebathed her and innocently smiled when Mom came home, not mentioning the incident. Little did she know I had crawled underneath the deck and got Sydney,so suprise, mom! it was a fine adventure, but my stomach got scratched up-at least I wasn't nine months pregnant!(oh, wait, people in that situation just climb 10 ft. fences. Good one, Jame!)
Monday, July 21, 2008
Another Great Week!
Greetings All:
We had another memorable week! We went to see the Palmyra Pageant, then Vick and the girls went to Kirtland (I had to fly home to give a speech), and then we went to the Nauvoo Pageant. It was all wonderful. Here are some highlights:
--We stayed at the Palmyra Inn, just a half mile from the Smith family farmhouse and Sacred Grove. If you walk to the grove from the Inn, you'll pass the Stake center and Temple. Gorgeous!
--After sitting in the Sacred Grove for a spell, we could all testify that Joseph Smith did indeed see a vision there.
--We met the Merrills at Palmyra, and enjoyed some touring and the AMAZING PAGEANT. We'd sure like to be part of the cast next summer--we'll see how it goes. The pageant is quite a production, and a wonderful summary of the Book of Mormon. It's hard to believe that a group of volunteer church members pull it off so magnificently well . . . .
--The girls saw the Kirtland temple, the school of the prophets, etc. No pics here, but they have lots of good memories.
--I flew home to give a speech (tribute to the retiring Olympic coach).
--Nauvoo was great. Just being in that rich midwest farmland was enough to recharge me for another year. We saw the pageant, which is a great story of the Saints in Nauvoo. The closing number is stunning (spoiler: President Hinckley speaks. It's breathtaking!)
--We toured Old Nauvoo the next day: The bakery, tin shop, brickmaker, BLACKSMITH (the best), and other interesting sites. I could spend several days there, no prob. We also toured John Browning's home and gun shop, quite interesting. Lots of fun!
--We stayed in a small "cabin" home on the river. Quaint and gorgeous. We loved it!
--We came home saturday evening at about 8:40 PM, and Summer was at the dance at the Broadmoor building 45 minutes later. Wow!
--This week we're off to the Redwoods in California, then I start work on Friday at my new job. Haven't heard about my new job? That will be in another blog . . . .
Until then, have a great summer!
PS: Jamie is in her last stages of pregnancy, so that baby could arrive at any time. Keep her in your prayers!
Love,
Dad
PS: Remember that if you click on the picture collage, it will expand to full screen.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Cool Pics from Our Visit with Jamie
Greetings All:
First, you can pretty much skip this blog and go right down to the one posted by Krista--her's is much funnier and informtive.
If you'd like to see some great pics of our trip, go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Skeet200/JamieInCaliforniaVisitJuly08
(You may have to cut and past that link)
Here's a brief summary of our two-day visit:
--Flew to see Jamie Tuesday morning:
--Visited Chinatown, had a great lunch there (chopstick are hard!)
--Went to see the Hollywood Walk-of-Fame. Who knows, maybe one of our girls' names will be on there someday!
--Went to the La Brea Tar Pits. Such an interesting visit!
--Drove around Beverly Hills and Bel Air drive, pretty much in awe of the extreme opulance in that little patch of ground.
--Went to the Santa Monica beach, had dinner with Ladon and Jamie at the California Pizza Kitchen. Yummy!
--On Wednesday we drove to Thousand Oaks, our old stomping grounds. Vick and I grew up and met there. We saw our old homes, schools, haunts. Fun!
--We stopped at the LA Pet Cemetery. So interesting.
--We sent to the Santa Monica pier and the beach, and the kids got some cool posters with their names written with interesting creatures and figures.
--We generally had a great time, as usual! We were home in our own beds not long after midnight on Wednesday. A whirlwind trip, but amazingly fun every minute. Thanks for such a good time, Jamie and Ladon!
Love, Dad (Again, be sure to check out the pics in the link above)
This is a short video of the name drawing experience.
First, you can pretty much skip this blog and go right down to the one posted by Krista--her's is much funnier and informtive.
If you'd like to see some great pics of our trip, go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Skeet200/JamieInCaliforniaVisitJuly08
(You may have to cut and past that link)
Here's a brief summary of our two-day visit:
--Flew to see Jamie Tuesday morning:
--Visited Chinatown, had a great lunch there (chopstick are hard!)
--Went to see the Hollywood Walk-of-Fame. Who knows, maybe one of our girls' names will be on there someday!
--Went to the La Brea Tar Pits. Such an interesting visit!
--Drove around Beverly Hills and Bel Air drive, pretty much in awe of the extreme opulance in that little patch of ground.
--Went to the Santa Monica beach, had dinner with Ladon and Jamie at the California Pizza Kitchen. Yummy!
--On Wednesday we drove to Thousand Oaks, our old stomping grounds. Vick and I grew up and met there. We saw our old homes, schools, haunts. Fun!
--We stopped at the LA Pet Cemetery. So interesting.
--We sent to the Santa Monica pier and the beach, and the kids got some cool posters with their names written with interesting creatures and figures.
--We generally had a great time, as usual! We were home in our own beds not long after midnight on Wednesday. A whirlwind trip, but amazingly fun every minute. Thanks for such a good time, Jamie and Ladon!
Love, Dad (Again, be sure to check out the pics in the link above)
This is a short video of the name drawing experience.
Work x Force + Fun = Fatigue
This fine summer day, Summer and I aroused ourselves early in the morning from a midnight arrival back in the springs from California visiting Jamie. We looked nice. Especially Bum. 
The two of us had a nice time at "Summernary", where Summer was no longer deprived of her social life and we had a lovely time. We then arrived back home and chilled for awhile while Mom and Dad worked. Then we went to a nice picnic in the park.
Summer stayed at the park and played with her other friends while I went home and played with mine and Mom and Dad worked. Then dad went running, breathing hot air balloon style and sweating naturally. Summer folded laundry like a guru and Mom took care of Sis Peele. I went running, breathing naturally and sweating hot air balloon style. Mom also cooked us bottom feeders a nice dinner.
In order to do our part, Bum cleared the table and I rinsed the dishes. Summer scurried around, packing for her exciting camp coming up, and I continued to rinse the dishes. After a few bowls and a couple of cups, it occured to me to wonder where Mom and Dad were. It sure was quiet outside of my sink and soap concentration zone, and yet, I didn't recall hearing them ever leave the table. Looking over, I realized,
They hadn't!
What a summer we're having! I wish I could add these pictures to CJ's of Viana and Brooke sleeping strangely. Perhaps traveling the country is not as confusing as moving, but that doesn't prevent the surface of our dinner table from providing a welcome and comfortable pillow! Summer and I still feel great....
But I hope there's a little extra room on that table for me to lay my head down on before we leave to play a little Ultimate tonight!
The two of us had a nice time at "Summernary", where Summer was no longer deprived of her social life and we had a lovely time. We then arrived back home and chilled for awhile while Mom and Dad worked. Then we went to a nice picnic in the park.
Summer stayed at the park and played with her other friends while I went home and played with mine and Mom and Dad worked. Then dad went running, breathing hot air balloon style and sweating naturally. Summer folded laundry like a guru and Mom took care of Sis Peele. I went running, breathing naturally and sweating hot air balloon style. Mom also cooked us bottom feeders a nice dinner.
In order to do our part, Bum cleared the table and I rinsed the dishes. Summer scurried around, packing for her exciting camp coming up, and I continued to rinse the dishes. After a few bowls and a couple of cups, it occured to me to wonder where Mom and Dad were. It sure was quiet outside of my sink and soap concentration zone, and yet, I didn't recall hearing them ever leave the table. Looking over, I realized,
They hadn't!
What a summer we're having! I wish I could add these pictures to CJ's of Viana and Brooke sleeping strangely. Perhaps traveling the country is not as confusing as moving, but that doesn't prevent the surface of our dinner table from providing a welcome and comfortable pillow! Summer and I still feel great....
But I hope there's a little extra room on that table for me to lay my head down on before we leave to play a little Ultimate tonight!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Yellow. Stone. Trip.
We're back from a marvelous trip to Yellowstone! We saw all the sights of Yellowstone park, including some elk, buffalo, bear, snake, and summer's favorite--gophers. Here are some pics:
We camped in the Madison campground for two nights . . . on the morning of the third day, Vick woke up to a visitor in camp--a massively huge buffalo.
We saw the Old Faithful geyser and several others, along with hot pools, mud pots, the Dragon's Mouth, and lots of other breathtaking scenery.
Here's a video of the Beehive geyser:
On July 3rd we traveled to Cody, Wyoming to visit the awesome museum there (ya gotta go, it's one of the best museums in the country), and then on to Lander, Wyoming, where we watched an amazing fireworks display and enjoyed a breezy night camping in the Sink state park. The next morning we got up early and watched Krista run a half-marathon. She did great! She was second in her age group (10 - 19), with a time of 1:45:10. That's an 8:00 minute/mile pace for 13.1 miles. Crazy!
Oh, check out the picture in the upper left-hand corner. That's a random biker we decided to invite to be in our picture as a cool Wyoming memory. Ride on, dude!
Then we camped in the Wyoming wilderness between Cheyenne and Laramie. It was the highlight of the trip, spending some serene moments as a family in God's gorgeous green earth. Lovely, peaceful, fun, refreshing.
We arrived home at noon on July 5th, Vickie's 29th birthday . . . or at least that how she seems to me!
It was a great trip with many fond memories, bug bites, M&Ms (I jumped off my sugar-free diet while on vacation), and highway miles. The Roys are having a marvelous summer experience. Next stop: Los Angeles to see Jamie and Ladon. Love, Dad
We camped in the Madison campground for two nights . . . on the morning of the third day, Vick woke up to a visitor in camp--a massively huge buffalo.
We saw the Old Faithful geyser and several others, along with hot pools, mud pots, the Dragon's Mouth, and lots of other breathtaking scenery.
Here's a video of the Beehive geyser:
On July 3rd we traveled to Cody, Wyoming to visit the awesome museum there (ya gotta go, it's one of the best museums in the country), and then on to Lander, Wyoming, where we watched an amazing fireworks display and enjoyed a breezy night camping in the Sink state park. The next morning we got up early and watched Krista run a half-marathon. She did great! She was second in her age group (10 - 19), with a time of 1:45:10. That's an 8:00 minute/mile pace for 13.1 miles. Crazy!
Oh, check out the picture in the upper left-hand corner. That's a random biker we decided to invite to be in our picture as a cool Wyoming memory. Ride on, dude!
Then we camped in the Wyoming wilderness between Cheyenne and Laramie. It was the highlight of the trip, spending some serene moments as a family in God's gorgeous green earth. Lovely, peaceful, fun, refreshing.
We arrived home at noon on July 5th, Vickie's 29th birthday . . . or at least that how she seems to me!
It was a great trip with many fond memories, bug bites, M&Ms (I jumped off my sugar-free diet while on vacation), and highway miles. The Roys are having a marvelous summer experience. Next stop: Los Angeles to see Jamie and Ladon. Love, Dad
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