Well I have officially decided that I am the coolest person in the world! I am of course totally kidding. I did however get to talk to John for the first time in a month! Yeah, I'm totally set for at least another few weeks. He's doing really well in Ranger school, and has officially passed phase one of four. He said that is is hard mentally but not nearly hard enough physically (typical John). We really appreciate all the prayers and encouragement you have given us. Please keep praying that he'll finish on time, and then I can stay sane. ;) He said that we can send him letters, so when I get his address we can all write him. HMMMM... what a great family home evening. he he he
Aussie is doing very well. All you dog owners, I have two words for you... Cesar Milan (aka The dog Whisperer). I have been making Aussie walk behind me and wait until I go through doors first and he's totally improved. I am a proud parent. Is it sad that he's considered my child? Yes, but deal with it. ;)
I went up to Logan Saturday and hung out with Shelley and Rob and Jasper. Aussie and Jasper absolutely love each other and did not stop playing the entire time we were there. It made for a great and quiet ride home and also a great night's sleep. My thanks go to Jasper and Shelley! ;)
I can only wait in anticipation for when there are four dogs in Mom and Dads house. HA HA HA!!! Can you just imagine: Aussie, Jasper, Shivers, and Barley all trying to play with eighty children running and playing with them? This is going to be good. Are you guys bringing your dogs to the wedding?
Oh well, this is getting really long. I went back to school on Monday. Let me preface this with the fact that I work at a Title 1 school... Things went well, except I found out that one of my students has, wait for it... wait for it... PINWORMS!!!!! Yuck, of all the teachers in the school, she had to be in my clean and germ free classroom? Totally contagious by the way. Life goes on, and I've dealt with it. Only four more weeks of school. Yeah!
I've rambled for long enough. I love you all and look forward to seeing you all!
Alyssa
5.28.2007
5.22.2007
Biking this evening
So I got this crazy idea that we should go mountain biking after work/school today. We pulled a seat out of the van and piled eight people and eight bikes into the van and off we went... to sit in traffic. We didn't actually get out of the house until 4pm, just in time for rush hour. I forget how bad it is here as I typically work in the morning from home to avoid the mess, and I either work late enough to avoid the worst of the traffic in the evening or come home early and finish up work after the kids go to bed. I love that aspect of my job. It took us over an hour to get up to the trails, not the usual 25 minutes. Once we got there we had to unload everyone and the bikes. It looks kind of like the clowns at the circus with people piling out and then bicycle after bicycle being pulled out of the van. I take it back, we are more entertaining than the clowns, now I know what we can do for the ward talent night. The trick will be getting the van on the stage... Anyway we got Amy's trail-a-bike out and realized we had left the connector pin on my road bike. the trail-a-bike is a one wheeled bike (ike?) that hooks up to an adult's bike so your young'un can be part of the family ride. We got a screw driver that fit in the hole and tied, then taped it in place. It worked great. I got everyone's road bikes into shape a few weeks ago for the paved bike trails around here. They've been great. I forgot to tune up the mountain bikes. I was sick for the last week, so I'll blame it on a bug-addled brain. Angela made me go to the doctor yesterday. It took them 30 minutes to find my chart, I haven't been in years. I hate going to the doctor just to be told "Yes, you're sick. I can give you an antibiotic, but it's probably a virus" so I generally just wait it out and rest. Apparently the medicine the doctor gave me wasn't the wonder drug after all. Anyway, after going out less than 2 miles we turned around and limped back to the van, playing the circus clown act in reverse. It's really something to see, I should figure out some way to charge admission to everyone who stares mouth-agape while we load up. I bet they'd pay, especially if I sic'ed the kids on them. :) Anyway, we got home in time for Angela to rush off to her concert band. I let the kids tear into any leftovers they wanted and now need to put them to bed. 'Night all.
5.20.2007
Girls Sang In Church
Today is Sunday, May 20. The girls sang with me in church. I was asked to sing a special musical number, so I wanted them to sing with me. It took awhile to persuade them to do it, but eventually it all worked out. Alyssa played the piano, and we sang an arrangement of "I Need Thee Every Hour." Kim, Heidi, Shelley and I sang, and the Spirit was there, and it was great!
Wish you were here,
Love,
Mom
Wish you were here,
Love,
Mom
Father & Son's campout
I took Michael, Andrew and Jared on the father & son's campout on Friday. I started out in a pretty bad mood while packing. Work had been less productive than I'd wanted and that never leaves me happy. Angela straightened me out on the bad mood side before we left and then I had a much better time. I didn't even take a tent, we just pulled the two middle bench seats out of the van and slept there. I didn't want to contend with the drizzle, and our tent is a pain to set up. We took Caleb with us as well. He's a boy from the ward in my 11 year old scout patrol whose parents are on vacation in Europe at the moment. Barley the dog also came. I actually had a good time there. Greg, one of the medical residents in the ward, worked his way through med school in a bike shop, so we talked about bikes for a while. I shot the breeze with the other fathers as well. It was nice. I took the traditional hike with our boys and Caleb in the woods. The boys all grabbed sticks and beat on weeds while building an elaborate fantasy about ninjas. They were having a great time. No one got poison ivy at all this year and we were all grateful.
Barley was so well behaved I took him off of his leash for most of the campout. On the hike he was casting back and forth in front of us at a perfect range for a gun dog. He comes running full tilt when we call him (It looks like he's going to smash into you, but he doesn't) and he'll heel, sit and everything. It's amazing what the right combination of treats, praise, pinch collars and e-collars can do! Barley even went on point a few times. There aren't really any game bird where we went camping, but robins and pigeons were high on his mind. Once he pointed a bumble bee. I had to laugh. He tried to catch it, but luckily it got away. I don't want him thinking that pointing will get him stung in the mouth. We were stiting at the campfire and he locked up on point at something. We all looked around and saw three robins about 20 yards away. I walked up to him, encouraged him, and he eased forward as they moved off. Perfect. When he rushed them they flew away, also perfect. I don't want him to think he can catch game birds when we hunt, just find them and hold them with a point so we can get a decent shot, then fetch them when they fall. I hope to start training him on game birds soon, and this summer we'll leave him with my friend that trains dogs professionally while we are at Shelley's wedding.
Someone brought a projector and showed "Cars" to the kids once it was dark. That seemed to hold their attention for a little while, then the kids drifted off and mostly just adults were talking while the movie played in the background. The boys all ran around playing at lightsaber battles. Jared got whacked in the jaw and wailed loudly until I asked if it was so bad that he needed to lie down. In that instant he was cured and felt fine and jumped back into the fray. There was no bruising the next day so it probably wasn't a life threatening blow. It got a bit chilly out and we crowded around the fire and talked more. It was nice. Around midnight Jared actually asked to go to bed. I think his exact phrase was "I'm tired, my legs hurt, and I WANT TO GO TO BED!" So we did. I got all the boys (and Barley) into the van and we went to sleep. I took the only remaining bench seat, everyone else just made do.
At 3:45am Andrew woke me up and wanted to go start the fire. He told me he had just checked and the ashes were still warm. He got told that he wasn't to make another sound until at least 6:00. So he stayed awake in the front seat and pushed the button on the radio every five minutes to check the time. At 6:00 he got me up, and Andrew, Michael and I got the fire going. Only one other boy was yet awake, so I had to keep the boys from whooping and hollering as they got the fire going. It didn't matter much, though, as at about 6:10 a worker at the campground fired up a blower and walked all around the camp blowing non-existent leaves off of, well, dirt. Everyone else got up soon after that. We ate breakfast and chatted some more. After a few morning sprinkles cleared the bishop launched a few model rockets that drifted into the trees. We then packed up camp, put out the fire and policed the area.
Angela came up and got Andrew, Jared and the dog. Michael, Caleb and I went with the rest of the scouts on a 15 mile bike trip to cover requirements in both the camping merit badge and the cycling merit badge. Caleb had never ridden on a bike with "gears" before. He has a BMX bike that works great for kicking around the neighborhood, but not for going 15 miles. Andrew was kind enough to let him borrow his road bike, and we attempted to give him a "crash" course in both shifting and riding a bike with skinny tires and narrow handle bars. And it did result in a few crashes, but he caught on relatively quickly. There were seven boys and two adult riders, (Greg and I) with one adult standing by at base camp with the vehicle in case of a crash (Lane). We rode around Stony creek lake three times to get in the mileage. Caleb and Michael were the youngest ones there, and they were consistently at the head of the group. I was so pleased with them. Some of the older boys had a really hard time. Especially when we wouldn't let them quit and finish another day. They could have quit, but it would have meant they'd have to do the entire distance again another time. They opted to keep going, but only barely, and one in particular whined the entire time. I hope he outgrows that particular trait while yet in his youth. Greg and I raced down a hill on the last approach to the base camp, and we clocked 32.2 mph over the stretch. I think that's the fastest I've ever gone on a bike. On the way home Michael and Caleb crashed in the back of the van. They didn't even want to stop to eat, and for growing boys, that's saying something. All in all it was a great trip, and I'm really glad Angela brought me to my senses and helped change my mood.
After we dropped off Caleb and came home Michael went off to continue his nap. Angela and I went to the movies last night to see Spiderman 3. I liked the thematic elements in their attempts to acknowledge the foibles of human nature. Angela was annoyed by some of the CGI affects and that it wasn't true enough to the comic books she read as a child. On balance it was an OK show. Now I'm off to prepare a Sunday school lesson. I'm substituting in the CTR 6 class for the next month and am looking forward to it. TTFN.
-Troy
Barley was so well behaved I took him off of his leash for most of the campout. On the hike he was casting back and forth in front of us at a perfect range for a gun dog. He comes running full tilt when we call him (It looks like he's going to smash into you, but he doesn't) and he'll heel, sit and everything. It's amazing what the right combination of treats, praise, pinch collars and e-collars can do! Barley even went on point a few times. There aren't really any game bird where we went camping, but robins and pigeons were high on his mind. Once he pointed a bumble bee. I had to laugh. He tried to catch it, but luckily it got away. I don't want him thinking that pointing will get him stung in the mouth. We were stiting at the campfire and he locked up on point at something. We all looked around and saw three robins about 20 yards away. I walked up to him, encouraged him, and he eased forward as they moved off. Perfect. When he rushed them they flew away, also perfect. I don't want him to think he can catch game birds when we hunt, just find them and hold them with a point so we can get a decent shot, then fetch them when they fall. I hope to start training him on game birds soon, and this summer we'll leave him with my friend that trains dogs professionally while we are at Shelley's wedding.
Someone brought a projector and showed "Cars" to the kids once it was dark. That seemed to hold their attention for a little while, then the kids drifted off and mostly just adults were talking while the movie played in the background. The boys all ran around playing at lightsaber battles. Jared got whacked in the jaw and wailed loudly until I asked if it was so bad that he needed to lie down. In that instant he was cured and felt fine and jumped back into the fray. There was no bruising the next day so it probably wasn't a life threatening blow. It got a bit chilly out and we crowded around the fire and talked more. It was nice. Around midnight Jared actually asked to go to bed. I think his exact phrase was "I'm tired, my legs hurt, and I WANT TO GO TO BED!" So we did. I got all the boys (and Barley) into the van and we went to sleep. I took the only remaining bench seat, everyone else just made do.
At 3:45am Andrew woke me up and wanted to go start the fire. He told me he had just checked and the ashes were still warm. He got told that he wasn't to make another sound until at least 6:00. So he stayed awake in the front seat and pushed the button on the radio every five minutes to check the time. At 6:00 he got me up, and Andrew, Michael and I got the fire going. Only one other boy was yet awake, so I had to keep the boys from whooping and hollering as they got the fire going. It didn't matter much, though, as at about 6:10 a worker at the campground fired up a blower and walked all around the camp blowing non-existent leaves off of, well, dirt. Everyone else got up soon after that. We ate breakfast and chatted some more. After a few morning sprinkles cleared the bishop launched a few model rockets that drifted into the trees. We then packed up camp, put out the fire and policed the area.
Angela came up and got Andrew, Jared and the dog. Michael, Caleb and I went with the rest of the scouts on a 15 mile bike trip to cover requirements in both the camping merit badge and the cycling merit badge. Caleb had never ridden on a bike with "gears" before. He has a BMX bike that works great for kicking around the neighborhood, but not for going 15 miles. Andrew was kind enough to let him borrow his road bike, and we attempted to give him a "crash" course in both shifting and riding a bike with skinny tires and narrow handle bars. And it did result in a few crashes, but he caught on relatively quickly. There were seven boys and two adult riders, (Greg and I) with one adult standing by at base camp with the vehicle in case of a crash (Lane). We rode around Stony creek lake three times to get in the mileage. Caleb and Michael were the youngest ones there, and they were consistently at the head of the group. I was so pleased with them. Some of the older boys had a really hard time. Especially when we wouldn't let them quit and finish another day. They could have quit, but it would have meant they'd have to do the entire distance again another time. They opted to keep going, but only barely, and one in particular whined the entire time. I hope he outgrows that particular trait while yet in his youth. Greg and I raced down a hill on the last approach to the base camp, and we clocked 32.2 mph over the stretch. I think that's the fastest I've ever gone on a bike. On the way home Michael and Caleb crashed in the back of the van. They didn't even want to stop to eat, and for growing boys, that's saying something. All in all it was a great trip, and I'm really glad Angela brought me to my senses and helped change my mood.
After we dropped off Caleb and came home Michael went off to continue his nap. Angela and I went to the movies last night to see Spiderman 3. I liked the thematic elements in their attempts to acknowledge the foibles of human nature. Angela was annoyed by some of the CGI affects and that it wasn't true enough to the comic books she read as a child. On balance it was an OK show. Now I'm off to prepare a Sunday school lesson. I'm substituting in the CTR 6 class for the next month and am looking forward to it. TTFN.
-Troy
5.18.2007
first fender bender
So, I have officially joined the ranks of rear-ending a person whom you thought was going, but really wasn't. I'm not too happy about it, but at least that's over with. I can now move on...
Lys... sound familiar?
Alyssa has some experience with this kind of verbal snafu. We were sitting down to family prayer and she started her prayer with "Thank you for calling Flying J, this is Alyssa." This link is from an email Aaron sent.
Jasper Joins the Johnsons
So last Saturday I was doing some gardening work and Kim called me. She said, "We've found your dog!" She and Lys were at Petsmart in Layton where the Humane Society was doing pet adoptions. I'd previously told her and Lys that I was interested in having an Australian Shepherd.
My immediate response was..."no, I've got to go to Chicago next week... and furthermore, I don't want to potty train a puppy." Then she sent a pix message and the first tugs started. I called Rob and he said that if I loved her, so would he. So I dropped what I was doing (still haven't planted those flowers in the window box) and drove to Layton. Kim and Lys sat with the puppy, warding off interested parties for the hour it took me to drive down.
I walked into Petsmart and saw Kim waving at me. Lys was sitting down, holding the dog formerly known as Tinkerbel on her lap. As soon as I saw her, the tears welled up (I swear, I'm not on my period) and I just knew she was my dog. Weird, eh? I was praying to help me know if she was the right dog for us. Rob and I don't have the bandwidth for a yippy, high-maintenance dog... And she's perfect. Loving, sweet, happy, and fun. She doesn't run away, but she does pee on my carpet. Thanks Lys and Wendy for telling me about Nature's Miracle.
She and Rob fell in love right away. She immediately went to him and licked everything she could get to, they started playing. She loves him and sees him as a big tall jungle gym. She has already learned to sit. One day she won't pee in my house :)
More pics of our sweet puppy.
Dog Training
Since getting Jasper, I've been looking for innovative dog training techniques. Lys has helped me a lot, but after a week, Jasper still pees on my carpet. So, I've found a new method...
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