Where Are My Sisters ?

My youngest son, Spencer, just turned two around Thanksgiving.  He IS the last child for my wife and I - this is a certainty!

Spencer hates to be alone or without his siblings (or his mommy).  At church, he is now old enough to attend Nursery, where he can play and eat snacks with other toddlers his age.  Today I am especially thankful for sweet Sisters in the Church who are trying to help him learn how to cope with these short separations from family (it will be hard for him to learn anything at school if he cannot be separated from siblings or family members for more than a few minutes).  His separation anxiety screaming today caused me to reflect on some pictures I took of him over the last few months.  I hope you find them as heartwarming as I do.

The Case girls were sleeping in the Movie Room ...
and Spencer didn't want to miss out.
So he was very sneaky and made his way into the room,
falling asleep next to his 'favorite' sister (Myra, age 4 here).

Myra helped make Spencer a mini-bed (in his bedroom)
out of the chair cushion and his handmade-by-mommy blanket.
His smile HAS TO make you smile!

One evening, while Karen and I were chatting,
we noticed that Spencer had wandered off.
A quick search revealed that he had gone to the basement
and had fallen asleep outside his sister's bedroom
(he obviously couldn't get the door open or he'd be inside).
The hallway was completely dark when I found him -
and he hates the dark - but not as much as he missed his sisters!

Song Of The Day:
Sundays are great for a capella music and probably my favorite a capella group is the one my cousin sings Bass for: Eclipse 6.  One of their Christmas CDs includes the song "Lullaby" and it is a beautiful tune any time of year - but I can also imagine Mary singing this to the baby Jesus and it warms my heart in a different way.  I hope you like it.

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What If ... ?

I know we all find ourselves thinking deeply about life at some point.  As we age, we are tempted to ponder on life's choices and where they have led us.  It is equal parts amazing and confusing to consider the path we've trod and answer the question "How did I get here?!"  There are infinite possibilities.  Scenario after scenario that, if it had played out differently, may have fundamentally altered the very place you are sitting or standing at this moment.  'What if ...' becomes a daydream where you can imagine an endless parade of outcomes.  But it could be a dangerous daydream if you're not cautious.

The biggest potential downside if engaging in this mental activity too often or for too long is that it can mislead you into believing your current situation isn't already the BEST CASE SCENARIO.  I think, for most of us anyway, life is pretty amazing as is.  Strong relationships with close family and friends, steady and challenging work, sufficient time to engage in hobbies or other activities, excellent health and wealth (especially as compared with most of this world), three squares a day (and most likely snacks in between whenever we want), shelter over our heads when the weather isn't gorgeous (and it really is most of the time isn't it?!), transportation to and from wherever we need or want to go, entertainment literally at our fingertips, and so on.

I'm not decrying a little fun in asking 'What if ...' but make sure you come back and end with 'I'm so glad that ...' so you remain grateful for all you have.  Remember, life is what you make it and unless you've consistently chosen horribly, you've likely made a GREAT life for yourself and your loved ones.


Song Of The Day:
Every situation we encounter provides us with "Chances" to make decisions that will define our future.  I love this tune by the a Capella group Tonic Sol Fa, including the music and the lyrics.  If you're ever feeling down, think about that one chance in a lifetime that came true.  Odds are you'll find there are many more than just one 'What if ...' that turned out amazingly!

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Did Anyone Bring A Ball ?

Few things in this life are as frustrating to me personally as what happened just about 30 minutes prior to me writing this post.

There is a process and commitment involved in getting ready to play basketball.  You need the right shoes and attire if you plan to play vigorously, leading to a good sweat.  Then you have to drive to the court with the hope and expectation that others will be there to play.

It is upsetting enough when you don't have even teams, or if no one else shows up to play ... but nothing is more bothersome than this: nobody brought a basketball.

Sigh.

Looks like it's ice cream and some Big Bang Theory on DVD to console myself.


Song Of The Day:
When disappointment happens, it is important to move past it quickly.  Good music, like "No More Running Away" by the a capella group The Pitchforks can help this happen.
My apologies that the audio of this song is so poor in the link above ... search for it on Spotify and you won't be disappointed!


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What's Wrong With Stability ?

Asking her on a date.  Going on that first date.  A first kiss.  Contemplating a more "serious" relationship.  Picking, purchasing, and eventually paying off "the ring."  The proposal.  The wedding.  The honeymoon.  That first night together in your small apartment.  Decorating your first space together.  That first Sunday in your new ward.  That first positive pregnancy test.  That first pregnancy.  The first childbirth.  Holding your first newborn child.  Contemplating purchasing that first home.  Signing ALL those papers when you "buy" that first house.  That first night in your new home.

There are lots of firsts that may also be lasts if you think about it.  In fact, in many ways related to finding "the one" isn't your very hope that this could be the last first whatever-it-is?

When you are as fortunate as I am to have shared so many of life's firsts with your true love, gratitude for that person and all the blessings they have brought you in your amazing life is the only reasonable reaction.

I fear that in the world today, so many people of all ages are seeking for the new and the exciting.  The freshest experiences, the latest fads and trends, the recently created concoctions are all so important and perhaps, finally, happiness and joy will come with whatever it is.  But people ... you are totally missing it!  The real joy, the real peace, happiness, and contentment in this life comes from something so many people seem terrified of finding, even as they desperately seek after it: STABILITY.

Firsts are fun, but firsts are fleeting.  Euphoric energy quickly dissipates to neediness for the next high.  This is true for more than substances or beverages, as it can be applied to anything that anyone desires.  There is untold value and comfort in consistency, familiarity, and stability.  I hope everyone can learn this and find theirs.  I am forever grateful that I did!


Song Of The Day:
Today is the 16th anniversary of my wedding to the best blessing in my life.  I am so grateful that she agreed to be my eternal companion.  She is proof that it's "Not A Bad Thing" to fall in love.  This recent song by Justin Timberlake (presumably about his wife) feels perfect for today's post.  And here's a cover of that same song by the great a Capella artist Mike Tompkins.  The video is worth your 5 minutes of time too!

Karen, I love you so much!  Happy anniversary!  Thanks for everything!

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When Did This Happen ?

Yesterday my oldest son was joking around with my wife and he climbed up in her lap, as if to act like a little baby.
Only he's clearly not so "little" any longer!
I think Karen quickly regretted his decision to effectively squish her, but I know she remembers holding him shortly after giving birth to him as though it were yesterday.

I am quite proud of the young man my oldest son is becoming / has turned out to be.  Sure he has his moments of malice or moodiness, but overall he is a very good example of what a young man and future adult should be.
In fact, the oldest daughter from one of our "friend families" recently commented that she could tell he was being raised up right ... if he were a few years older ... and then they commentary trailed off (but you could tell it was a reference to his dateability).


Song Of The Day:
It only seems appropriate for a Boyz II Men tune, since my oldest is clearly making that progression very quickly.  Their earliest BIG hit was titled "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday" and seemed to be played at every high school graduation for years after its release.  It has also become a standard of a Capella music.  Great tune for a great young man!

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Is There No Other Way ?

This is a picture post.

Sadly, there is no "before" picture, so you'll just have to imagine one.

My car is a 1997 model year, which means she's old.  Over the years, whatever glue was used to originally affix the gray cloth to the foam backing on the ceiling of my car has lost the ability to keep it together.  Thus, I began employing several taping techniques to prolong the inevitable.

This is the "inevitable" ...
a short while back I had to cut and peel the cloth
off my car's ceiling.  And yes, those stickers were
collected over several years.  Thanks kids!

Song Of The Day:
Oddly enough, it was just the front and back of the cloth that came loose.
The fabric on the sides of the car stayed strong.
This is my weak tie in to the song "On The Wing" by MeninDrag a capella (from the University of Chicago).  What's the tie in you ask?  I don't rightly know.  But I like the song and it sounds a little wind related.

I said it was a weak tie in!

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Why Do We Fast ?

Last Sunday I taught the combined lesson for our Young Men.  The subject was fasting and the reasons we fast, as well as the benefits that come from this.  The Spirit was very strong during the lesson, which was almost assuredly due to the comments made from the young men and some of the adult leaders.  I am hopeful that my personal testimony helped convey my belief to these boys about the power of fasting when coupled with prayer and done properly.  For my blog post today, I wanted to capture my initial testimony-building experience with fasting.  I recounted another experience with the class, but this was the precursor I didn't have time to share.

While serving as a missionary in Los Angeles, CA for The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, I was assigned a companion (missionaries always serve in pairs and these are called companionships) who had limited mental capacity.  He was book smart and capable of taking care of himself just fine, but his street smarts and social capacity were minimal at best.  I was apprehensive about working with this young man, but the Sunday before he came to my area I fasted and prayed for help in knowing how to work with him and utilize his unique strengths.  My efforts were rewarded with an overwhelming feeling of just be his friend.  So I did.  And as our first few weeks went on together I received other promptings at appropriate times.
 - Assign him a task he will be challenged to complete, but nothing too complicated.  I put him in charge of mapping our bus routes to various appointments.  This led to missing a few appointments initially, but the smile on his face as he got better and better was such a blessing!
 - Assign him specific portions of lessons to teach investigators.  He had a great understanding of the Gospel, but putting that into words in any orderly fashion was nearly impossible.  So I assigned him specific parts of lessons ahead of time and asked him to share his thoughts.  He stumbled a lot to begin with but eventually got comfortable enough to cover whole sections of the lessons.
 - Do acts of service for him.  I helped him shine his shoes.  I gave him a haircut.  I made breakfast for him a few times (he mostly at plain oatmeal because he didn't know how to cook).  I taught him how to make other simple meals.  We played chess on our P-day (personal day) instead of basketball or soccer with the other companionships (he was not big into sports).  Eventually, we started seeking extra service for others in the ward and other missionaries.  He loved that!

The follow-up to this story was a meeting I had with our Mission President about 6 weeks into my time with this Elder.  Most one-on-one meetings with President Lebaron followed a similar business-like format.  But this one was different and it will always stick with me.  I walked into his makeshift office (a room in the local church) prepared to shake his hand, sit down, and answer a series of very direct, interrogative-type questions.  Instead, he got up, walked around his temporary desk and just grabbed me in the biggest bear hug I'd ever had.  He was sobbing.  He just kept repeating "Thank you.  Thank you so much.  You have no idea what you've done.  Thank you."  It was a little awkward but felt great.  After a few minutes, he released me and asked me to sit down.  There were no questions.  There was no let's talk about your accountability and personal progess.  In fact, I said almost nothing for the next 5 minutes as he recounted for me why he was so emotional.

Apparently, this Elder had really been struggling.  In his previous conversations with our Mission President he had begun to question if he should be serving a mission in the first place.  He knew he was incapable of doing much of what missionaries were asked to do.  He felt like a burden on his companions.  He was not feeling loved or worthy of his calling.  President Lebaron went on to say that he had just met with this Elder before inviting me in.  His whole countenance had changed.  Typically quiet and looking at the floor during these meetings, this Elder was looking the President straight in the eye and would not stop talking about all the great things we were doing as a companionship.  He recounted dozens of acts of service I had done for him, including things I did not consider to be service but just common courtesy.  He told the President that he was teaching lessons and that he was responsible for our bus routes.  All President could do was sit and listen, holding back tears of gratitude.  He thanked the Elder for his service and ushered him out.  He then took a few minutes to try and compose himself before inviting me in.

One addendum to this story ... I was only able to work with this Elder for a few more weeks.  At the next transfer, I was called to serve as a District Leader in another part of the mission.  And this Elder was called to be a Senior Companion in our area.  This may not seem like much, but this Elder had not been given the responsibility of being the Senior Companion in his nearly 20 months on his mission.  I still remember the phone call when he found out.  His face went white with fear.  He told me he didn't think this was a good idea and that he was certain he would mess up.  We talked about it and then agreed to pray and fast the coming Sunday, to ask for him to have strength to lead his new companion.  I will never forget that feeling or experience.  He finished his mission as a Senior Companion and President Lebaron always filled me in on his success whenever I saw him.

So why do we fast?  Because our Heavenly Father wants to help us.  And sometimes, He just needs to see how much we are willing to do to earn His help.  Believe me though, when we put forth the effort, He will return that tenfold!  I will forever be grateful for this experience with fasting!


Song Of The Day:
Here is a great missionary-themed video and song by InsideOut acapella.  The tune is "Army Of Helaman" and I apologize for the poor audio quality.
For non-Mormons out there, a little clarity on the song title reference may be useful.  In the Book Of Mormon there is a story of young men who went to war in place of their fathers because their parents had made an oath not to fight ever again.  This army, led by a man named Helaman, fought more bravely than any other army, and because of their faith in God to protect them, none of these 2,000 young men died in any of the battles they fought in.

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Why Are You Following Me ?

James N is an accomplished attorney,
and a good friend of our family.

So there we (myself, my oldest son, and Aaron B) were, almost home from our return trip** to Camp Cris Dobbins, when we spied our Young Men's President, James N, just a little ways up the street.  So we drove up next to him and chatted with him for a little bit.  He was out jogging and had stopped in to say hi to his sister, but she wasn't at her house so he was just going to head back home.  And off he went.  **(it was a make-up day for the scouts to finish the merit badges they had started at camp a month ago before we were evacuated due to the Black Forest fire).

I started to turn the car around when Aaron joked and said "You should totally follow him all the way home, like we're stalking him."  We all laughed ... and then I did EXACTLY THAT!

I drove a little ways up the street.  James heard us coming and, thinking we were joking about running him over, he ran off at a sprinter's pace.  I quickly pulled to the side of the road and instructed the boys to pretend like we were looking at something in the neighbor's yard.  And off he went.  The boys were giggling.

After he turned the corner, I sped up the street and slowly rounded the corner.  He was alittle ways down the street but must have felt our presence somehow because he turned around to look back at us.  By that time I had pulled over next to another house, and the boys were dutifully looking at the sidewalk.  James shook his head ... And off he went.  Now the boys were laughing loudly.

I drove a little further down the street and James turned around, running backwards, with his arms stretched outward while giving us a "What is going on?!" kind of look.  I stopped the van in the middle of the street and just looked down.  When I looked up, James had stopped too, but he just shook his head again ... And off he went.  This time, quite rapidly.  I was worried about the boys' ability to breath as they were gasping for air between bouts of roaring laughter.

I came around the curve in the road to see him run around another corner, so I sped up trying to catch him before he got too far up the next street.  I flew around the corner and quickly came to a stop sign.  Several things happened all at once:
 - I looked up and down that street but James was no where to be seen.
 - Aaron shouted from the back seat "Oh no!  He's in the tree!"
 - Josh shouted "Ahhh!  Here he comes!  Drive!  DRIVE!!!"
 - And James started banging on the passenger side window while shouting the title of this blog post.

I rolled the window down and we all enjoyed a good laugh about the experience.  James expressed his changing thoughts and emotions, while I recounted the hilarious laughter coming from these two young men.  We said good bye to James ... And off he went.  The boys chuckled and did that long sigh you get after laughing very hard.

But, I decided, that it wasn't over YET!

I raced off in the opposite direction of James and took a back way to the next major intersection he would be crossing.  The boys were literally begging me to stop.  I pulled the car to the side of the road (in a turn lane) and put my hazard lights on.  And there we sat for about 3 minutes until we saw James come to the light at the corner.  The boys started laughing even louder and then James looked toward our vehicle.  The look on his face was a mix of shock, fear, amusement, and maybe a little despair.  He stretched his arms outward again giving us a "Seriously guys?!" kind of look ... And off he went.

I have never heard these boys laugh so long, so loudly, or so hard in the years I have spent at various activities with them.  It was pure joy and a memory that none of us will likely ever forget.  Thanks James for being a willing(?) victim of our harmless stalking.


Song Of The Day:
I have several CDs by an a capella group that goes by the name InsideOut.  I love their harmonies but also appreciate the humor of some of their songs.  What a perfect post to use "The Stalking Song" which is set to the tune of Happy Together by the Turtles.

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How Weird Is That ?

Humans are funny sometimes.

Have you ever thought about the food we eat and how that all started?  Think about some of the things we take into our bodies and consider how that came about for a minute and you'll likely find some things very odd.

Who first decided that anything that comes out of a cow (or the cow itself) was a good thing to drink or eat?  Milk, cheese, cream, anything "beef" related.

Are we kidding ourselves when we eat an egg?  That's rooster semen mixed with undeveloped "egg" of a chicken!

And when did we learn to peel certain fruit (bananas, kiwi, oranges) but just eat the whole thing for other types (apples, pears, peaches)?

The weirdest for me though, is our tendency to put the same kinds of food on top of themselves to enhance the eating experience.
We put meat on our meat (bacon on hamburgers), dairy on dairy (parmesan cheese on cheese - on pizza), and vegetable products on vegetables (ketchup on french fries).

Song Of the Day:
Because this is a post about food-related stuff, and it made me a little hungry for something sweet, today's song is "Sweet Disposition" by the Temper Trap.  Here is a LINK to another version (a capella of course) by the James Madison University's Low Key singers.

I figured I'd double up since we do that with our food.  :)

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Who Said You're Uninvited?

This will be a cryptically short post, because I am at great risk of offending someone I love with my comments.  That said, anyone can choose to be offended or not and that is actually the topic for this post.

Truth is, we've all been wronged at some point in our life.  Someone has taken advantage of each one of us in some way.  Whether it be as simple as a 'little white lie' or something grandiose like stealing money or criminal deception, everyone gets treated unfairly at some point.

But NO ONE can decide for you how YOU react to the situation.  YOU choose for yourself how you approach future situations as a result of this lost trust ... and YOU are the one who must accept whatever consequences come from those decisions.

I do not mean for this to sound harsh, but sometimes the truth is hard to hear (or read) and accept.  No one has to take away your free agency, but free agency doesn't mean you get to choose your decision AND the outcomes that follow.

Ultimately, if your choices separate you from other people, YOU have to be willing to accept that, or forgive.  You cannot choose to hold a grudge and expect others to just accept that.  It is wrong to judge someone for their decision to forgive another person.  It is even more wrong to suggest that that person is the cause of your separation from other people ... especially if they personally invited you to join them somewhere.  It is fine to decline that invitation, but you DO NOT get to play the martyr.  Remember, YOU decided not to join.  No one else forced that upon you.

Song Of The Day:
A few weeks ago I heard an a capella version of Alanis Morrisette's song "Uninvited" which was performed on the 2012 BOCA CD (best of college a capella) by the Rutgers University Shockwave women's choir.  This youtube version from the fall of 2011 isn't quite as good as the CD version, but it still fits perfectly with this post.

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Can Angry Birds Make You Less Angry ?

I am a very impatient person much of the time.  Don't believe me?  Ask my wife or my kids.

I hate waiting.

I hate having 'nothing' to do.  Even when I'm supposed to be relaxing, I want to be involved in doing something.

A scene from Angry Birds Rio,
which has LOTS of added levels
and bonus challenges to complete

The other day, while sitting at a typically long stoplight, I pulled out my phone and played a round or two of Angry Birds on my iPhone.  No wifi needed.  No data used.  Just flinging birds against bricks, crates, and piggies.  A few minutes later the light changed and it was time to drive off.  I was actually more bothered at having to put the game away than I was troubled at how long I was stuck waiting at this stop light.

And since I almost always have my phone with me, I realized that I don't have to let short waiting periods bother me any more.  Not only can I play a mindless game to pass the time, but I can read scriptures, make notes and to do lists for the future, or look through photos in my gallery.

It's like a life-changing situation brought about by technology ... and I'm very grateful for it!


Song Of The Day:
Even better than regular a capella music, is a capella music that finds popularity on mainstream radio.  "The Longest Time" by Billy Joel was one of my first introductions into a capella music and it's success as a single led to much radio play when I was an easy-to-influence youth.  That song is another example of technology having a profound affect on my life forever after.  Without the radio and pop music, I doubt if I'd ever have found such love for a capella music.

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Remember Pen Pals ?

I remember having a 'Pen Pal' back in the 3rd or 4th grade.  I do not remember much about the experience, but a few things stand out.
 - It was cool to get a letter from your pen pal
 - It was enjoyable to learn how you were similar to your pen pal
 - It was interesting to learn about someone else's life
 - Most of the time, it was fun to write these letters ... even if you hated writing



I am sure Jeremy will never
forgive me for using this picture
from our Disneyland trip in 2008.

Without any intention to do so, I have become "Pen Pals" with a good friend of mine, whom I have not seen but once in the last 10 years or so.
I got to know him through church because our wives were friends and we sorta started hanging out as small families (we each had just 1-2 kids at that time).  His job took him to AZ and then recently to TX, but we have kept in contact through email all this time.

We sometimes go several months without having time to write one another back.  We haven't "hung out" in a long time.  Our families have grown quite a bit (7 and 4 kids, respectively) and perhaps our stomachs too.  :(  But we are still connected and each email is just like a compilation of conversations we would have had if we still saw each other more often.

Through it all, the same things I remember about my grade school pen pal experience are still true now.  It's great to hear from him, no matter how long it's been.  We still share so many similarities and it is fun to hear how things are going for him and his family.  And I always love writing him back, especially because he doesn't care about punctuation or rambling sentences and thoughts or even when I randomly jump from one subject to the next.  Thanks for being my pen pal Jeremy!

Song Of The Day:
One of my recent favorite songs is "Heaven's Highest Hill" by Blue Jupiter.  The song is actually about a husband/father who is grieving the loss of his wife.  But the bigger message of 'love don't stop' is why I'm using it in this post.  I look forward (in no hurry though) to the day when I'll be surrounded by loved ones in heaven, enjoying each other's company and what I'm sure will be some amazing views!

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What's A Peep S'more ?

I'm sure pretty much everyone knows what s'mores are.  If not, educate yourself (like Smalls had to do in the Sandlot) before reading the rest of this post.

Okay ... so a standard s'more has two pieces of graham cracker with chocolate bar mushed between one or two marshmallows (personal preferences include many variations on this basic theme).

Well ... Peep S'mores simply replace the plain marshmallow with a roasted Peep.  And they are delicious!

Our friends, the Summers' family, introduced us to these a while back ... and we have passed on the tasty tradition to several other families along the way.


It might look burnt, but
trust me, that is just the
sugar crystallized.  Tasty!

There is just something that happens when the sugary surface of the Peep crystallizes over the coals of the camp fire ... it's like a creme brulee sort of juxtaposition between the gooey soft marshmallow in the center and the nearly rock-hard Peep shell on the outside.  Then when you smash that between two graham crackers around some chocolate (that should melt fully and quickly if you've done it right) ... oh it's just soooo good!

And as a side note you should know that I hate marshmallows.  I don't eat them plain.  I don't like them in my hot chocolate.  I often avoid candies that include marshmallow.  But I like s'mores ... and I LOVE Peep S'mores!

Song Of The Day:
Okay ... stick with me on this because it's a stretch for the song today.  I am going with "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" by my cousin's a capella group Eclipse.  This is a beautifully spiritual song, so please don't think I am being sacrilegious by using it in this context.  But Peeps are often shaped like birds and you have to keep your eye on them very closely while toasting them or they will fall off into the fire and your s'more will just never be the same.  :)

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A Capella Anyone ?

I love acapella music (but then I've said that many times before).  I listen to acapella stations on virtually any of the iPhone/iPad music apps I've ever downloaded (Songza, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, etc.)

In fact, it was from one of those apps (I forget which one specifically) that I came across the group "On The Rocks" which is an acapella group for a college I cannot remember at this moment.  I've enjoyed many of their songs on youtube as well as those that come up on these acapella stations on my iPad.  And one of those songs is, of course, the ...

Song Of The Day:
Often the non-studio versions of acapella songs lack something from the polished radio-ready versions ... but this one might be a very good exception.  Sure the studio version is great too, but this rendition of "The Moment" is one of my favorites ... especially just before the 4-minute mark when everyone joins the lead singer on the strong chorus line.  Chills every time!

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Is The Baby Asleep ?

As the father of seven children (ranging from 13 years old down to less than two months old - at the time of this posting) I have plenty of stories about my kids and more than enough experiences that have been repeated time after time after time after time after ... well, you get the idea.

I only share a tiny fraction of these experiences with others for two main reasons:
 - First, they are personal and I hold many of them as too special to share.
 - Second, most people don't want to hear stories about other people's kids!

So this won't be a story, but rather my commentary on an experience that I think many parents have had.

Spencer Joseph (Baby #7) sleeping

I'm terrified of little babies.  Not like "Oooh that kid is scary" but more of a "I hope I don't break him/her by holding him wrong, etc."  That said, I love to look at them and hold them when they are sleeping or right near that point of falling asleep.  I think this is when they look the most peaceful and give us a glimpse of heaven.  Don't you agree ?

Song Of The Day:
It goes without saying that I love a capella music.  I have nothing against instruments, but there is something so exciting about hearing a song comprised of just the human voice.  I came across the Christian group A Capella and one of their songs is "Hush" which I love!  It makes me think of a litle child about to go to sleep ... and that always makes me happy!

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You Really Shaved It ?!

A curse upon all ye who wished for the Denver Broncos to lose yesterday, if only because you really wanted me to shave my awful (and magnificent) beard.
(I'm talking directly to YOU, Kevin and Amy Amsden!)  :)

So below are links to the videotaped demolition of my beloved Bronco Beard.

Bronco Beard Removal - Part 1

Bronco Beard Removal - Part 2

If you don't have time to watch the 3-4 minutes of videos, here are some pictures taken at various stages during the process.
Me personally?  I'd skip the videos.



The Final Bronco Beard

My version of "Mutton Chops"

How YOU Doin' ?! ... Ladies!

I hope you're happy!  (Sarcastic tone is hard to type!)

Song Of The Day
Today's song of the day is on the spiritual side and it's not related to the beard-shaving at all.  Instead it is related to a great musical number that was performed by Lou and Jared Burton in Oakwood Sacrament Meeting today.
They did not sing "All Creatures Of Our God And King" but this version by Eclipse (an a capella group my cousin James Case sings bass for) reminds me of the awesome sound and uplifting spirit their (Lou and Jared) singing of "Be Still My Soul" brought me today.