9/11

As we were sitting as a family, watching Music and the Spoken Word, the special 9/11 tribute, I couldn't keep from crying as all those thoughts came back to me about that awful day.
Some of the pictures of the towers were shown.  Zane said, "Wait, is this real?"  I had to say, "Yes, Zane it is real."
I think that is what so many of us were saying on that clear, blue morning 10 years ago.  "Is this real?"

Ironic?

Does anyone else think it is a little ironic (and perhaps a lot funny) that my gDiapers order was shipped from a Mr. Bumgarner?

The Twilight Years

Too funny! Had to post.

Twilight Years from Tom on Vimeo.

Flashback Photo Friday

Today is Doris Day's birthday. Is anyone else a fan? I have always loved her movies. They are just plain FUN to watch! Plus, they are clean! My friend Spring and I used to have 'Doris Day-a-thons' when we were in college. I used to watch them with my neighbor, Kristin. And, of course, I would watch them with my mom. She us the one who introduced them to me. I miss our chick-flick nights! I used to make my brothers watch her movies while we were growing up, and they secretly enjoyed them, too. There are some great one-liners from her movies that still make me laugh today. Some of my favorite movies are:

The Glass-Bottom Boat

Pillow Talk

Move Over, Darling

Send Me No Flowers

With Six You Get Eggroll

That Touch of Mink

The Thrill of It All

This post is random, but I just couldn't let it pass without acknowledging it. :)

Sighting

While Andy and I were driving home from his parents' house for our monthly FHE, we saw a HUGE FIREBALL shoot across the sky.  It fell just like a shooting star, but it was big and red.  The only way we can describe it is if you hold your hand out as far as you can, the fireball was the size of the tip of your pinky.  (Go on, I'll wait while you estimate the size by holding your pinky out at arm's length.  That is much bigger than a shooting star, right?)

I tried calling one of our local news stations, hoping to find out any new information.  Well, it's definitely not 1-800-WGAL-TIPS because that ended up being a porno line.  (Aaaahhh, my virgin ears!)

We called Michael to get the phone number for Fox News.  His comment, "Call it in, but don't tell them you are my brother."   Thanks, Michael. :)  We wouldn't claim our crazy story, either.

We called it in, the girl didn't think it was nearly as interesting as we did, so we said, "Adieu." 

What was that ball of light?  We may never know.  But we seriously were expecting an explosion at the end.  

UPDATE!!!!!

Good ol' KSL came to the rescue.  Now Andy and I don't feel as crazy.  Here is an article posted March 30, 2009

Unusual Southeastern night sky prompts calls

March 30th, 2009 @ 10:17am

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Residents across the Southeast weren't singing when they called emergency and weather officials to report "great balls of fire' in the night sky.

Residents in Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia reported brilliant, streaking lights followed by a thunderous sound about 9:45 p.m. Sunday.

National Weather Service officials say they have no explanation for the sky lighting up in shades of yellow, white, orange and blue.

The unusual sky prompted hundreds of calls, with some saying they saw "great balls of fire."

The weather service says no damage has been reported.

(Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Return of the Blogger

Hellooooooooooooooooo!  La la la......  (Come on, I know you've seen the Seinfeld talking belly-button episode.)

I have returned to the blogging world.  To sum the past two weeks up, we ended up buying a new computer.  We bought a Mac and are loving it.  We have had a lot of wonderful visitors and the attic is almost done.  Things have been crazy, but good.  Crazy-good.  A super, big thank you to Beau & Amanda and to Gary & Mel for all of their help.

Scroll down to see the pictures of the updates, if you are interested.

Pay it Forward

It's kind of like the movie...but better because you get to ACTUALLY be involved!!

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice--for you! This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make! (I can only hope)
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It WILL be done this year.
4. You have no clue what it’s going to be … it may be cards, a bookmark, something delicious or a complete surprise to you (and me!) … who knows?
5. Most importantly, you must offer the same deal on your blog - the first 5 people to comment on your blog get something made by YOU!

Barack Obama Musical

This was on SNL the weekend before last. I couldn't resist putting it up to share because I am still singing the songs.

The time has come....

the walrus said, to talk of many things.....

I've been considering doing this for a while now and decided that now is as good of a time as any to go anonymous on my blog.  I'm going to change the site name to protect the identity of me and my family.  I'll do this in a week, so if you want to know what the new web address will be, send me an email at

jamie (at) gibbsfam (dot) net.

Thanks!

Obama vs McCain

Try the Match-O-Matic II to see which candidate you agree with!

Plethora

"Jeffe, would you say I had a plethora of flowers?"

"Yes, Guapo. You have a plethora."

I have never had so many flowers in my life! I love it! Thank you: Andy, Anya & family, Michael & family, Sis. Solter, Andy's boss & office, and Alicia.

New Additions and Late Nights

Yes, we have a new addition in our house, and No, it's not a baby. Our microwave died. Not only did it die, it burned and died. I tried to cook some green beans on Friday night. After a couple minutes the kitchen started to smell like something was on fire. I opened the microwave and was overwhelmed by the burning stench. The green beans were still frozen. Andy and I celebrated our 8 year anniversary in June, then our vacuum died. Now our microwave will also R.I.P. Are we really at the point in our marriage where all of our "wedding present appliances" are beginning to bite the dust? I guess we are entering into a new phase in life, which is a good thing. We bought a bigger microwave to support our growing family. Now, I'm just waiting for our toaster to die.We need to upgrade from the 2-slice toaster to the 4-slicer to keep up with the growing demand!As for the late nights, we have become Olympic Couch-Potatoes. Thanks to DVR, we have been able to record all of the Olympic coverage. We look forward to it every night, and even during mealtimes we will put a towel down on the rug in the living room so the boys can have a "picnic" while we watch the events. The boys are really into it, which we love. Even Ewan has learned to chant, "Go USA!"
After the boys go to bed, Andy and I have been staying up until midnight watching the games. The only bad thing about staying up until midnight, is when something exciting happens (like Michael Phelps, pictured above, winning another gold) your adrenaline is rushing and it makes sleep impossible.

A Plug for Ogden

(KSL News) The August issue of Outside Magazine lists Ogden as one of the 20 best towns to live in America.
Ogden comes in No. 3 on the list for the best the country has to offer in terms of revitalization. Washington, D.C., is first and Chattanooga, Tenn. is second.

The Top 10
Washington, D.C.
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Ogden, Utah
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Tacoma, Washington
Ithaca, New York
Louisville, Kentucky
Eureka, California
Crested Butte, Colorado
Columbia, Missouri

In an article in the Deseret News, "Outside magazine, a men's magazine aimed at promoting adventure travel, an active lifestyle, healthy living and enjoying the great outdoors, has listed Ogden as one of the best reinvented cities in the United States.

Two kayak parks have been built in Ogden, and the Junction features a climbing wall, vertical wind tunnel and a standing surf wave. Plans for Ogden's future include a year-round ice tower, aquatic centers and a velodrome, the magazine states."

I just have to say, Yay, Ogden! Every time I come back to visit, it seems like this city has changed drastically. It is truly turning into an "outdoor sports capital", as the magazine states. I love the trails for running or hiking, the mountains for rock climbing as well as the climbing gyms, etc. They even have a marathon now that Andy and I have a goal to run in one day. (Honey, I'm not planning on us moving back here, but I just had to post this about my hometown.=D )

R.I.P.

Our vacuum of 7 1/2 years has died. Charles Dickens would say that it was "dead as a doornail." I was cleaning the house in order to get ready for a showing on Thursday afternoon and, luckily, just as I had finished, the vacuum made an explosive sound, buzzed, and then a foul burning-rubber odor filled the room. (This had happened in the past, but never quite so explosively.) Ewan happened to be standing right in front of the vacuum when it happened. He looked at me in shock like, "What happened? Should I cry?" When I laughed about it, he started laughing, too.

Andy and I went vacuum shopping after dinner on our anniversary. (I know, fun! But at least we were together and we didn't have any kids to worry about.) We had tried a couple vacuums out and I wasn't even planning on trying a Dyson. I didn't want to get caught up in the whole "British voice-over adverstising that makes any item sound like it is reliable and will work splendidly" kind of trap. But when I tried the Dyson and vacuumed over the same exact spot that the first 2 vacuums had gone over and I could still hear more stuff being vacuumed up, I was sold. This vacuum literally sucked! (pun intended)

So, after doing some research on-line (e-pinions is one of my favorite websites to learn about products) and checking on prices, Andy and I bought a Dyson DC-14 Telescopic Reach Animal Vacuum on Ebay. (Having 3 boys is almost like having animals, right?)

Breathe. . .Ok, breathe. . .

So, I have finally updated my blog. This past week and a half has been crazy! My brother and sister-in-law were here for a week (which was a blast). We have had three showings on our house (keeping your house super clean with 3 kids is not a blast).
So, if you are interested in seeing the goings on of our family, you will need to scroll ALL the way down to the bottom. I have posted everything based on the dates of when they happened, just for my own personal reference.

Something's Gotta Give

Get out your violins, folks, or just don't bother reading because this is a pity post. Has anyone been on the lookout for airfares lately? I think airfare sticker shock is even worse than gas pump sticker shock right now. Look at this graph (from Kayak). It sure doesn't give me much hope in my quest for summer airfare to Utah. I have been looking for months. I even have a variety of major international airports to choose from to fly out of and I can't find anything under $400 for a deep summer airfare. (sniffle sniffle sob)

I check many airfare websites mulitiple times a day and I have been for months: Travelocity Flex Search, AirFare WatchDog, Kayak, Southwest DING fares. This is such a bummer. I have seriously started to pray for a good airfare. I really don't want to drive 4000 miles roundtrip being 6-8 months pregnant. My OB said it would be ok if I drove, I just have to stretch often and plot out all the hospitals along the way. (Not my idea of a good time.)

I know good airfares are out there. I saw a roundtrip fare from Philadelphia to Sacramento today for $160 roundtrip. That is a GREAT fare. . . if you want to go to Sacramento.

Something's just gotta give.

Ebay

I found this on my friend Sherry's blog. This is dedicated to all you Ebayers out there. (You know who you are, myself included.) Hope you get a good laugh. :-D

One more tribute

I snatched this slideshow of President Hinckley from my friend Angie's blog. I loved it so much that I wanted to pass it on. It totally made me start crying, so be prepared! Although, I am much more emotional right now. :D When I saw the "Stand a Little Taller" written on the slideshow, it made me think of my favorite quote from President Hinckley:

"Each of us can do a little better than we have been doing. We can be a little more kind. We can be a little more merciful. We can be a little more forgiving. We can put behind us our weaknesses of the past, and go forth with new energy and increased resolution to improve the world about us, in our homes, in our places of employment, in our social activities...May we go with determination to try a little harder to be a little better."

Good-bye Dear Prophet

I just received the news tonight that Gordon B. Hinckley, Prophet and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, has passed away. He was 97 years old. What bitter-sweet news for me to hear! I am happy that he can be with his wife now. Click HERE for the link to lds.org to read about one of the most amazing men to have lived during this century. Pres. Hinckley "was the 15th president in the 177-year history of the Church and had served as its president since 12 March 1995."
I will miss Pres. Hinckley's sense of humor during his talks at General Conference. He was the most energetic man and he travelled the world extensively. I know that he loved the Lord, he loved serving Him, and he loved serving the members of the Church. It is comforting for me to know that, even though Pres. Hinckley has passed on, that the Church will still remain the same. Christ is still at the head of the church and He will continue to direct it through the next Prophet who will be called from the Quorom of the Twelve Apostles.

Crankypants

I was just surfing the net and found these little pants. The website is called Crankypants and everything is handmade. Cute, huh?
Ewan has been a major "crankypants" today, so I needed some humor relief. :D