Happy Birthday My Rosie!

Last weekend was Rosie's "25th" birthday again and we decided to take some time and head out of town for the weekend. The idea was to head for a long weekend but plans were gladly changed when we learned that paisley was going to be bless on Sunday.  (I know it's Easley but I like to wind up Kendra a bit)

We headed to sedona and I had hoped to get a hot air ballon ride on Saturday morning but soon learned together one I had to book it by 5pm.  Rosie had to settle for a helicopter ride.  Being a bit afraid of heights she was a real trooper through the whole thing until she realized they were putting herin the front seat and the pilot got in.  When it was only glass, and a few thousand feet of air between her and they ground it got to her a little.  The pilot suggested she take a seat in the back with me and surprisingly that was all it took.  We were off into the wild blue yonder.  Maybe a little exaggerated,we got to fly around one of the mountainous views of Sedona.  It was a great time.

When we got home Saturday evening we found that some of Rosie's YW had been busy Friday night.



This year is going to be a BIG one!!!  Love you Babe!

Catching up!---Hunting Dog

Quite often John will take Buddy down to the church and let him run around the softball field there.  Since the field is surrounded by open land there are a number of groundhogs that go to the field and apparently buddy got wind of one that had just dug a hole.  He loves chasing and decided to start digging to find the critter. 

It was interesting to watch how long he stayed motivated to get one.  A while back he caught one in our backyard and must have really been impressed with himself because he wasn't about to give up until John grabbed him by the collar and drug him back to the car.

In Memory...

There are a lot of things that I have regrets about in life and many of them could have been avoided had I adhered to the things that my dad taught me. And the rest could have been avoided if I had listened to the things people taught me that my dad helped (planned or not) place in my life. Many I still consider freinds though I may not have much contact with.
During my opportunity to memorialize him during his funeral there was much I intended to share but for one reason or another left out.  One very important part that has bugged me a little ever since. It may have been best that I didn't share this at that time becuase I'm sure I would have left someone out and I don't ever want to offend anyone. Heavens know that I do that enough in life without doing it in front of a hall of people, but I wanted to take a little time and address it now. Please bare with the length as I'm sure it will be long just based on what keeps popping into my head while thinking of it.

Dad put me in such a wonderful place in my life. My paternal gradnmother I never knew, but I do remember Sunday afternoons with my grandpa while he was living in a rental behind Aunt Jeanne and Unlce Jerrys place. I had Aunts and Uncles (especially Harold and Donald) that I know loved me not becuase they told me, but becuase they showed me. Whether it came becuase they were teaching me to fish and/or hunt or if it was just them playing with me (important to note that one uncle I grew up with becuase he is my age). They taught me life lessons that I carry with me still today like a work ethic that was extremely important to my dad. I'm not sure that it was instilled as deeply as he would have liked, but all those Saturdays mowing lawns (Unlce Jerry's back 40 with a push mower. At least it felt that big) I'm sure went a long way. And then there were cousins, whom I still look up to like when I was a kid. Kevin was extremely patient with his younger and annoying cousins. The tickles from Anita, Lynda, Kathy, and Michelle.

Some of the people that he placed in my life are the people in the neighborhood that nearly raised me as much as my own parents (Dewitts, Goodmans, Jensens, Reeds, Knotts, & Browns just to name a few). There wasn't much we could get away with that someone wasn't going to catch us, but boy did we try. Also, friends from those families that we would have sleep overs with and summer days and nights playing sports, games, and hide & seek. You know who you are. Of particular mention here has to be Matt Sanchez and Ben Coley. What examples they were to me and how they molded my life. To this day, again, I look up to them in much the same way I did as a kid and enjoy the occasional Risk game and I appreciate their influence in my life.

Church leaders! I had many and while Dad can't take a lot of the credit here he put me in a very special ward growing up as most people are, but I was in the place I needed to be. Bishops (Watson, Brown, O'Loughlin, Hansen, & Bang) that saw me from primary to a mission and beyond. Teachers like Bro. Jensen who taught me how, or at least tried, to lead a meeting and lead in the church. It was he who prompted me to bare my testimony on Fast Sunday for the first time as a Teacher. Bro. Ellsworth who in hindsight wasn't all that much older than me, but imparted so much wisdom and fun. Other teachers many of whom I can think of only by face now.

Lastly, and most certainly not least, are my family! Never did a brother have a more loving and supportive brother and sisters. While I am sure that Dad wondered where our relationships would end up later in life (especially on Sunday afternoons when somebody was going to end up fighting), he put us in a place where we would all end up freinds for the most part into adulthood. I am ever grateful for the love and support of my siblings. And how do I go without mentioning a Mom that for the better part of my first 14 years raised as many as 6 kids nearly singlehandedly.

I wanted to show that you are appreciated (lds.org President Monsons message)
I love you all!

I love and miss Dad. I appreciate his example of what kind of father my Heavenly Father must be. Gives me a glimpse.

-John

Catching up!---Halloween

Halloween Day was spent with family at Mom's house passing out candy on the driveway with Todd, Kendra, Hollie, and their families.  It was a good time.  We had a fire going in the firepit and had hot dogs and roasted marshmellows for S'mores.
We intended to go to a haunted house that John's nephew, Codey, and niece, Hayli, are in on the Saturday previous to halloween, but John overate at the Indian Restaurant Buffet (really didn't eat a lot but had gone without food most of the day in anticipation of the buffet.  Big mistake) and made himself sick.  So after a fair amount of time spent with family we headed to downtown Mesa and met Hayli to be guided through the haunt.

Rosie and I outside the Haunt with a statue

It was a really good attraction and even being old enough to know there would be no harm there were some pretty eerie moments that really put you out of your comfort zone.  The most memorable part of this being near the end when a guy with a chain saw comes after you in the basement and you have to hurry up the stairs.  Rosie couldn't get up the stairs fast enough and pushed me out of the way to make sure if anyone was getting caught it wasn't her.  As much as I tried to play the macho guy and casually walk up the stairs, I have to admit there was part of me that wanted to run up with Rosie.
The whole event half made me want to start up doing the haunted house in the garage again with all the fancy toys that were in this haunt.  Maybe someday when we have unlimited money. ;)
THANKS HAYLI FOR THE FREE TICKETS TO ATTEND!!!  And thanks to Codey for not scaring us too bad when we ran into you unexpectedly during the walkthrough.

Catching up!---A House Divided

Last year we offered to dogsit for a friend (8 weeks while he did an assignment in China) and got a little (needy) beagle, Bob, and a huge (teddy bear) Rottie named Attie, which is short for Attila.  Everything was great except for one issue.  Buddy.  He is extremely jealous and does not get along well with dogs bigger than him.  He likes to be the Alpha and he wants everyone to know.  As you might imagine, Attie was not going to put up with that.  He was actually a lot more patient with Buddy than I thought he should need to be.

So, as you can see, the Biggs household was divided to keep the two of them apart.  There was actually another gate at the hallway so the two of them couldn't even see each other while they were both in the house.

One morning John decided that it was okay to have them in the backyard together because for the most part Buddy will pester Attie and then run.  Being much faster Attie will give chase but can't catch Buddy.  Unfortunately, Buddy decided after some time that he was bigger than he is and went after Attie full force and bit at him twice before Attie decided to lay down the law.  Attie had him pinned to the ground in 2 seconds and the fight was on.  John ended up on the ground in the wet grass (keep in mind John has the ritual of getting ready for work and then going out for some gardening before heading to work every morning) between the two dogs holding them by their collars to keep them apart, his fingers pinched in Buddy's choke chain.

Not knowing what to do to get Buddy into the house without letting go of Attie who was pretty well irate by this time and ready to have another go at Buddy, he started yelling (or is screaming a better word?) for Rosie, who was in the house with Everett to come out and grab Buddy.  After some time she made her way out with Everett and then had to go back in to ensure his safety and then come back out and grab Buddy by the collar and take him in.

Great Fun!

Attie & Bob



We're not sure where the misunderstanding arose but apparently when our friend came back from China he didn't really get in a hurry to get his dogs back.  Later we found out that his daughter is very allergic to dogs and he was hoping that we would keep the dogs.  Even had we understood we wouldn't have been able to keep them though we both liked both dogs we really fell in love with Attie.  He was a great dog and very well behaved; though he shed fur like no other.  John would go out back daily when he got home from work and Attie would sit in front of him and let him brush him for 20-30 minutes.  Attie loved the ritual of the brush.  It was only later that we found out that our friend gave the dogs away.

Interestingly, 2 weeks after the dogsitting experience and just prior to finding out that they had been given away, John was at work and saw this Jeep (notice the license plate).  It made him pine a little for the big ol' teddy bear.

Catching up!---4th of July

Todd and Christina picked THE best house to move into.  At least that's what I would think if i were a kid on the fourth of July.  They live about a mile from Schnepf Farms and they have a fireworks show there quite often with Independence Day obviously being one of those days.  So we kicked off the night after some good eats lighting some of our own "Arizona Fireworks" which to be really honest are really lame.

Apparently, politicians don't think the average citizen can be trusted with fireworks so for years they have said absolutely no fireworks, except for professionals, in AZ.  Recently they loosened the laws to say we can have them but they can't be anything that can be launched.  Hence fireworks like that directly below:

AZ Fireworks

Fireworks seen from Schnepf

 

Catching up!---Haboob

What can we say?  Arizona summers while hot offer some interesting storms.  Attached are a couple of pictures one of a few storms we got last year.  You can see the haboob rolling in from just south and east of our house as i drove home from work one day.  They quite often look more intimidating than they actually turn out to be but can dump a lot of dust on everything and often leave us just dusting the house for the next few days.

Haboob I was driving straight into on the way home.

Same storm out the passenger window. I'm not sure why the pole looks bent. I suppose just from my rate of travel it makes it look that way in the picture.