La Jolla Shores - San Diego

Today we took the kids down to La Jolla Shores to play on the beach. This was Landon's first beach adventure and he couldn't get enough. He kept going straight for the water and had no fear whatsoever. He kept trying to figure out the sand on his hands and feet. When all was said and done, his clothes were soaked and all sandy. We got some great pictures! Skye and Alexa had a blast looking for sea shells in the sand and watching Landon go crazy.

Christmas Day - 2007

Christmas day has come and gone once again. We always look forward to Christmas day because it is a day that we sit around and do pretty much nothing other than hang out with the family. The cousins had a great time together and Christmas morning was a blast, like it always is. Skye loved her presents and Landon was in heaven crawling around looking at everyone's new stuff. Stacy got a macro lense for her Nikon D70 digital camera and she is loving being able to take close up pictures of the kids. Todd bought his own present this year (snowboarding jacket) which is a great way to do Christmas. We hope all of our family and friends had a great Christmas day!

Climate Change Consensus? Not Exactly.......

Well, no matter what Al Gore preaches at the pulpit in the Church of Global Warming, there IS NOT a consensus amongst the scientific community that man-made global warming is a reality and that you need to feel guilty for driving a SUV. A report from the US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee outlines 400 prominent scientists from 2 dozen countries in the field of global atmospheric research that debunk the idea that there is a "consensus" like the GW followers claim. These people are from obviously non-reputable institutions such as Harvard University, Princeton, MIT, Hebrew University, NOAA, EPA, NASA and I could go on and on. Additionally, those that do have the guts to speak out against the idea of a "consensus" report that there are scores of colleauges that share the opinion that GW is a figment in the imagination of Al Gore and are afraid to speak out. Read these scientist's comments at the following link:

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.SenateReport#report

Christmas - - - 2007

Last year on New Year’s Eve, we had some friends over to celebrate with us. As the kids played upstairs, the big people sat around the table talking as we were accustomed to. As the topic of blessings came up, our friend Matt said, “2007 is going to the year of miracles!” As we sit here at the end of 2007 reflecting back over the year, we have realized just how truly blessed our families have been. It was about 1 year ago when our family found out that we were chosen to be the adoptive family of our little Landon. When we actually found out that we had been chosen on Christmas Eve last year, we could have ended Christmas right there and then because we couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas gift. The following months contained events that were truly inspired because we don’t have any other way to explain them. Landon was born the third week of January and our lives have been even busier and happier ever since. This year, we each wanted to list a few things that we are most grateful for as we look back over the year.

Todd: “I am grateful for a wife and mother who is the most dedicated and hard working person I have ever met. She cares for our kids, works from home, teaches Skye, changes diapers, drives all over town to dance and PE classes, and a myriad of other things. I am thankful to have such a wonderfully perfect mother for my kids.”

Stacy: “I am grateful for a husband who is thoughtful to say such nice things about me, especially on those days that you doubt yourself. I am grateful for two healthy, happy, energetic, unique children that because of them I can be called a mom. I am grateful for another mother that I call our family’s hero, that showed our family what true love and selflessness is.

Skye: “I am grateful for Landon’s birthmom because she gave us Landon.” (now after she said this we had to ask her to tell us more things she was grateful for because she stopped at this one…after wiping our tears away, this is what else she said) “I am grateful for my family, playing tag with Landon, jumping on the trampoline, my dance class, our house.” (parent side note…we are especially thankful for a warm home at this time of year because it is so cold here in Palmdale…we had snow last night!)

Landon: We’re just sure he would say: “Balls that I can throw and chase around the house, Desitin Cream, Cheerios, binkies, wooden chairs that I like to gnaw on (we call him our little beaver), and lots of and friends and family that loved me even before I came home.”

As a family we are so grateful for each one of you that kept our family in your prayers and thoughts as we went through the adoption process and the encouragement through conversations, phone calls and emails. Thank you!

We acknowledge our Heavenly Father’s hand in our lives and we are grateful to Him for a year of miracles.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love,

Todd, Stacy, Skye, and Landon

Disneyland....December 2007

We like to go to Disneyland at Christmas-time every year mostly so we can ride "It's a Small World" which is Stacy's favorite ride. :) Anyway, Disneyland is great at Christmas and we had a blast. I didn't think there would be too many people there because it was a Friday in the middle of December, but apparently everyone in Southern California had the same idea as us.

We got to ride the new Nemo submarine ride for the first time, so that was cool. Landon liked the water and bubbles so much that it made him pee on my leg (his diaper leaked). So, that was pretty nice. Enjoy the pics!

1st Year With Santa

.....what kid likes Santa the first time they sit on his lap? Landon was apprehensive, that's for sure.......

Global "Carbon Tax"......

Al Gore and his cast of idiots are at it again in Bali.

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.Blogs&ContentRecord_id=d5c3c93f-802a-23ad-4f29-fe59494b48a6&Issue_id=

Now the IPCC and the nations retarded enough to buy into The Church of Global Warming are proposing that a global Carbon Tax be established to raise 10-40 billion dollars a year to "combat global warming". One more step down the road of a global government. And guess what, they want to redistribute wealth too! They want to take your money and my money and redistribute it to poorer nations just because they can.

Not to worry, though. A group of 100 scientists and former members of the communist IPCC gathered to try to talk some sense into the group of politicians that flew their corporate jets to Bali to complain about the United States. As more and more evidence is gathered that the earths atmosphere goes through natural heating and cooling cycles, more and more real scientists are jeopardizing their grant funding by going public with their apprehensions about global warming because they actually have a shred of intellectual honesty left in them. I say good for them.

On a final note, isn't it ironic that while Al Gore and his pals are stroking each others egos in Bali that half of the United States is under a blanket of ice and snow? I wonder how many people in Oklahoma have global warming on their minds this week?

photo source: www.drudgereport.com

CHRISTmas Tree Tradition

We love the CHRISTmas season in our house. In fact, CHRISTmas season officially starts for us about November 1 when Stacy breaks out the CHRISTmas music. One tradition that Stacy and I started while we lived in Utah was to get a CHRISTmas Tree permit, take off in the Bronco (the only time of the year she would be seen in it) and go CHRISTmas tree hunting in the local mountains. We certainly had some good times :) Living in the State of Commiefornia, where the trees have more rights than the humans, the only place we can get a fresh cut CHRISTmas is in a CHRISTmas Tree farm. So, we take what we can get! Last Saturday, we headed up to Tehachapi, which is a little mountain town in the foothills of the Sierras, and hunted a CHRISTmas Tree. We had a great time, although it was pretty chilly. We picked a nice tree, which turned out to be terribly lopsided. We stuffed it inside the Yukon and headed home. On Sunday evening, we broke out the CHRISTmas decorations and made our house nice and festive. Enjoy the pics and enjoy the CHRISTmas season.

HALLOWEEN - 2007

Today is obviously Halloween and we wanted to throw up some pictures. I had to miss the festivities, unfortunately, because I had to spend the evening in class. Bummer! Stacy got the kiddos dressed up and took them to the mall to trick or treat. Skye was "Ariel" from Little Mermaid.....and now for the stinker.....Landon! Landon was obviously a "stinky skunk" and now we have matching pictures of Skye and Landon from when they were under 1 yr old! Everyone loved his costume!

Monday night, for Family Home Evening, we did the usual pumpkin carving. The face on the pumpkin was all Skye's idea and she even carved most of it. She refused to pull out the pumpkin guts, which is one of the things in the year that dad gets (read "has") to do as a dad. I HATE the smell of raw pumkin.....OK, pumpkin anything makes me nauseous (except for Kym's pumpkin/chocolate chip pancakes!!!).

Then on Tues, I met Stacy and the kiddos at the local pumpkin patch at lunchtime. Landon loved to feel the pumpkins but we actually had a hard time getting a good picture cause he couldn't figure out the straw on his feet! Oh yeah, did I mention we paid 10 bucks for our pumpkin? That's like paying 60 bucks for a dead tree to put in your living room for a few weeks. You are paying "for the experience"!!!!!!

We love the trampoline......

After working all day on chores and primary activities, we took some time to play outside like we normally do in the evenings. I usually take Skye outside and jump for a few minutes before it is bedtime. Tonight, Landon pretty much went beserk when he saw me take Skye outside onto the trampoline. He was squirming every which way in his booster seat to turn around to see what all the ruckus was about in the backyard. When he saw us on the trampoline, he figured out how to turn around and stand up in his booster seat. He was looking at us like "oh come on guys, I want to play too". So, we took him out to play and he went crazy on the trampoline. He giggles and laughs non-stop. Check out the attached video.

California Fires

Just wanted to give an update on the fires in our area. Luckily, sand and Joshua Trees don't burn too well, so our family has been spared any direct effect from the fires. We are close to the Santa Clarita area, but we are far enough away that we are safe and sound. Mom and Dad in Poway were evacuated but are back home now. Brad and Button are still displaced for the time being and hanging out at Darren and Kym's in Irvine.

I thought it was kinda interesting that Michael Chertoff, Director of Homeland Security, had his mug all over the news today talking about the fires. My only question is why is Homeland Security involved at all? Is an environmental disaster all of the sudden a homeland security issue or is he all of the sudden concerned about those to the south of us making a mad dash through the flames to "immigrate" to the US? Isn't the main mission of Homeland Security to protect America from terrorist attacks?

On a related note.....does anyone else think that 17 fires all pretty much starting within 24 hours of each other on a day that powerful Santa Ana winds are forecast is a little bit suspicious? I mean, there are already reports of arson on more than one of these fires, but I find it interesting that these fires all spring up on the same day overtaxing our emergency services. Could any of this have been coordinated? I don't know. Just asking some questions. Stay tuned.........

Shaver Lake - Oct. 20-21, 2007

We had a great weekend! We jumped in the car on friday afternoon and drove to Chad and Lyndsay's new house in Clovis, CA and spend the evening with them and grandma and grandpa McCollum. Their house is GREAT! Then, on Saturday we drove up to Shaver Lake which is in the Sierra Mountains outside of Fresno/Clovis. If you have ever been in the Sierra-Nevada mountains, I think you will agree that it is a spectacular place. We stayed in Lyndsay's parent's cabin in the woods a few miles away from the town of Shaver Lake and the lake itself. We spent the rest of Saturday hanging out at the cabin, watching the blue jays take peanuts off the back porch, hiking around a development of "cabins" and playing on a rope swing. When we were driving home today, we asked Skye what her favorite part of the weekend was and she said the rope swing......hands down! She couldn't get enough of it.

The weather was absolutely perfect with day temps in the 50-60's and night temps of around 30.

This morning, after sleeping in a little bit, we got up and made breakfast and then headed out for a walk. We saw some beautiful cabins and it was just great to be outside in the clean air. Landon loved riding in the kid backpack and he had a great time watching everything around him. After our walk, we cleaned up the cabin and headed back to Clovis. After eating a late lunch, we drove home to Palmdale only to find most of southern California on fire from the Mexico border to just south of us in Santa Clarita. Yikes!!!!

Sailing Symposium - Oct. 13, 2007

Yesterday, I took 6 of my Scouts (ages 14-18) to Marina Del Ray to a Sailing Symposium that the Western Los Angeles County Council of the Boy Scouts of America puts on every year in partnership with the San Fernando Yacht Club. This was the 39th consecutive year that they have done this event. There were about 10 boats and skippers that took the kids out and let them sail the boats. They raced pylons just outside the breakwater of Marina Del Ray on the Ocean. The only incident was two boats colliding and two of my young men were on the boat that got hit. One boat cut inside of another one but didn't turn tight enought and clobbered another boat with the anchor hanging off the front. It did some serious damage but they were able to motor back to the harbor and put the boat on a trailer. I am sure it will be an experience that Tyler and Chris will never forget!

What is a "Carbon Footprint".....

[rant on]
According to the treehuggers, everyone has a carbon footprint. You do and I do. In order to make them feel better about their treehugger hypocrisy, some genious came up with the idea to guilt the public into buying "carbon offset credits" which means you atone for your evil CO2 emissions by paying money to "emission reduction projects (ie. treehugger organizations or "them")". This is supposed to make you feel warm inside that you are doing your part to combat climate change if you drive a SUV or you are zooming around the world in a Gulfstream V burning ridiculous amounts of Jet A. The practice of indulgences comes to mind here for some reason. Anyway, then they take your offset credit money and continue to lie to the world about this extreme climate crisis that we are supposedly in.

Speaking of climate change......have you noticed that the earth worshippers have changed the name of their pet crisis yet again?

1970's: Global Cooling
1980's-1990's: Global Warming
2000's: Global Climate Change

Now they have realized that their precious predictions that the earth would be sweltering by now were wrong and they have also realized that while some parts of the earth are warming while others are cooling, their previous description of "Global Warming" wasn't exactly accurate. Their current crisis is now called "Climate Change". I suspect in another 10 years we will be back to "get your parka ready cause we are all going to freeze to death."

The Global Climate change crisis that Al Gore has been promoting over the last few years is simply a political issue, not a climate issue at all. The globalist politicians want to be able to tax the general population even more and this is a new way to tax people. Think about it. If all of the sudden the "experts" say there is no climate crisis, guess what dries up? Their research funding. So, they have manufactured crisis after crisis and the research dollars keep pouring in as they continue to try to pull the wool over the eyes of the ignorant general population.

Climate change is cyclical and has been going on since the beginning of time. The inconvenient truth is that there is mountains of evidence to support the cyclic nature of climate change. Leave it to arrogant humans to think that we are significant enough to monkey with mother nature. We are insignificant beings and mother nature reminds us of that from time to time.

Here is a good story from just today about Dr. William Gray denouncing the ridiculous idea that humans have a significant impact on the overall global temperature:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/gore-gets-a-cold-shoulder/2007/10/13/1191696238792.html

yes, I like my carbon footprint :)
[/rant off]

Skye on the Trampoline

I don't know how Icaught this picture because I am not a good photographer at all, but this is what Skye loves to do everyday. Button once said that the trampoline is the best babysitter ever invented and its true!!! Skye doesn't like to jump too much by herself but we do jump together almost everyday.

First Post

OK. We got it. We need to have a blog and here it is. We'll try to post pictures, what's going on in our lives and maybe some political rantings as well. We hope you'll stop by often to see if there are any updates.....