Is that a new iPad2 ?

Why yes, yes it is!  :)

After months (separately) and weeks (together) of discussing the purchase of an iPad2, Karen and I "bit the bullet" and bought one today.  The true wisdom or silliness of our purchase remains to be seen, but this much I can tell you so far ... we're both digging the AngryBirds and PhotoBooth!  :)

A little backstory here:
About three months ago I got the idea to begin saving money to surprise Karen with an iPad for Christmas.  I knew they run between $500 - $800, so it was going to take a tremendous effort (and some fortunate "bonus(es)" at work to make this dream a reality.  But I wanted to do this for her because she deserves it and I know I'd get some use out of it too.
Little did I know that, around the same time, Karen was plotting something similar for me.  She knew how I had talked about the iPad that my friend (Mark M) at work has and how excited I was when I told her just a few of the things it can do.  So she began saving money and planned to get me one for my birthday.

So on my birthday our mutual "secrets" came out and we both laughed at how similar our minds were/are.  We agreed that we would let our budget get us an iPad as an early Christmas present (coupled with a little money from what each of us had saved towards its purchase).

I'm sure I'll write more about it later, especially once Mark and my sister Jaimee and anyone else with an iPad teaches us about all the really cool apps we can get and use.  Until then, here's a few pictures that really show you nothing of the new iPad ... but Karen's having fun with it.  :)

You can't really tell, but the cover is blue.  It's so tiny too !!!  :) 

Obviously Karen was looking for a VERY
challenging Disney game!  Ha ha! 

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Is that a HOLE in your suit ?

Yep.

It was a hole ... in my swimsuit!

On the very first day of our swimming in Thermopolis, I noticed that my swimsuit had a smallish hole in the "you-know-where" area.  I pointed this out to Karen and we agreed that it was small enough to be patched with needle and thread once we got back to the hotel at lunchtime.

And so I kept swimming, cautiously, and mostly by myself.  Then, just sitting there in the hot tub, I simply moved a little (so my son could sit next to me) and I noticed that the hole had gotten larger.  It was now past the point of saving, so I did my best to hold it together and get Karen's attention to discuss our options.

In the midst of talking to Karen I reached down the side of the swim trunks to shift them over and cover the "open" area a little better ... and the stitching around the pocket just ripped another huge hole!  So now I had TWO large holes in the front and side of my swimsuit!

Fortunately there were reasonably priced swim trunks (in my size too) available near the front entrance of the pool building.  But I still felt bad for needing a new swimsuit.  That is, until Karen reminded me that I have been using this same set of swim trunks for over 5 years!  Between trips to Thermopolis and dozens of visits to the local pool, I realized I had gotten more than my money's worth from those torn up trunks.

Also fortunately, the remainder of the trip included

ZERO wardrobe malfunctions!  :)

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Why WY, Part Two ?

Here are the pictures (not all, mind you, these are those worthy of showing others) of our recent family vacation to Thermopolis, WY.  In my prior blog I posted about why we drive 8 hours (each way) to the middle-of-nowhere Wyoming to these hot springs.  These pictures will support that blog and story.

The Case 6-pack in front of the Thermopolis Hot Springs
(L-R) Myra, Josh Jr, Savannah, Brooklyn, Cat, and Ben

Catalina enjoying Grandma Penny's curly fries @
the A&W Restaurant in Thermopolis, WY

I love this picture!  Mostly because it
reminds me of what Myra was doing all
along this walkway!  She was "chasing"
her siblings and refused to let me carry her!

This is a "swinging" bridge that goes over
the river that runs through Thermopolis, WY.
We'd never walked over it before ... but it
REALLY does swing!  (Grandma hated that!)

Every time we leave Thermopolis we take a scenic
drive through a nearby Bison Ranch.  It is always
a treat to see these amazing (and HUGE) animals.

This is just a picture of the Hot Springs
near the swinging bridge and terraces.
The water comes out around 135 degrees!

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Why WY, Part One ?

This past week (10/9 - 10/12), my family and I headed out to the middle-of-nowhere-Wyoming for a mini-vacation.  Accompanying us, in their own car (probably more for their sanity than ours), were Karen's parents and sister Jodie.

Many people at work or church asked me "Why are you going to the middle-of-nowhere-Wyoming?!"  And my answer, while not always this brief, was often one or two words: Thermopolis ... or ... Hot Springs.

If you don't know, then you don't KNOW.

So let me inform you ...

Thermopolis, WY is home to the world's largest mineral hot springs.  I believe they lay claim to this because the flow of water out of the hot spring(s) is the largest (by volume) of any in the world.  It is an impressive 3.6 million gallons of water a day!  That means the water used to fill (and refill) the various swimming pools in the area regenerates virtually every hour.  So the pool stays very warm and the HOT tubs stay VERY HOT !!!

Karen's family (The Lockard Clan) used to travel to Thermopolis often when she was a child.  They would visit Yellowstone, which is just a few short hours away, and then spend 1-2 days at the Star Plunge Pool.  When we got married, this was one of the family traditions that just sorta stuck with us.  Even some members of my family of origin (my mom and dad and maybe a few others) have gone with us over the years.  I don't know exactly how many times we've gone, but it has got to be closing in on 10 times by now.

Our visits usually follow a similar pattern ... Day One - drive to Thermopolis (7-8 hours depending on traffic and weather) ... Days Two and Three - Swimming @ the pool ... Day Four - Drive home.

The "swimming at the pool" usually works like this:

 - swim in the morning (until 11am or Noon)

 - take a siesta (1-3 hour break) for lunch

 - swim a few hours in the afternoon (usually 2pm - 5pm)

and then we do one of these two options:

 - swim even longer and eat a late dinner (7-8pm)

... OR ...

 - eat an early dinner (@ 5pm) and head back for swimming (7-9pm)

We've ALWAYS gone to the Star Plunge pool, even though there is another newer pool in town.  The Star Plunge pool has LOTS of activities for the kids to enjoy including:
 - a large slide that wraps around the whole tower/building
 - a smaller outdoor slide which is great for even the littlest kids (Myra LOVED it and she's only 16 months old)
 - a diving board (but no "diving" is allowed so you have to do cannonballs, etc.)
 - and a basketball hoop in the outdoor pool.
It also has LOTS of places for adults too, including:
 - a "Lobster Pot" (indoor super hot tub)
 - the "Vapor Room" (steam/sauna for 21 and older)
 - and an outdoor hot tub that is often hotter than the lobster pot!

As far as food goes ... There's a McDonald's in town, so that's usually our lunch or dinner on one day.  There used to be a Subway, which was ALWAYS lunch for one of the swimming days ... but it's now a Blimpie or something like that, which was a sad situation considering it's $5 ANY-tober @ Subway this month!  There is also an A&W Restaurant that is attached to a bowling alley (weird combination but it works) and we ALWAYS eat dinner there one of the nights we're in town.  The rootbeer is so delicious and the food is pretty good too!

The town also has several other activities besides the Hot Springs (like a Dinosaur museum, Bison Pasture, Swinging Bridge, and lots of wildlife to watch), but you'll have to read my next blog post for a little more on each of those.

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What does that Abbreviation stand for ?

While driving to Thermopolis, WY for a short family vacation in some fun hot springs, I noticed that certain abbreviations are used in many different areas and you really need a frame of reference or context to understand what they are abbreviated for.

Here are the few examples I thought of while driving, but feel free to add your own in the comments section below:
 - Dr
    -- This can signify status and a title based on education ... Doctor
    -- This can indicate a type of street or road ... Drive
 - St
    -- This is often part of an address ... Street
    -- This can be a title for a revered religious person ... Saint
    -- This also refers to a college or geographic location ... State
 - Ft
    -- This recognizes an additional, special voice on a song ... Featuring
    -- This can signify a place of strength or military establishment ... Fort
    -- This is often a term of measurement ... Foot or Feet
 - BA
    -- This is a type of degree you can earn in college ... Bachelor of the Arts
    -- This represents a hitter's prowess in baseball ... Batting Average
 - E
    -- An indication of direction relative to some fixed point ... East
    -- This can suggest the level of difficulty of a game, climb, etc. ... Easy
    -- This single letter reminds you that it's time to fill the tank ... Empty

And lastly, I have to mention (and this is for my mom!) that one abbreviation in particular has NEVER made sense to me:

How does "Pound" become Lb ?!

There's no L or B in the word anywhere!  So of course I would pronounce this as "Lib" when I was 5 years old!  :)
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What is that guy doing ?!

I am certain that was the thought of many of my fellow motorists this past Saturday afternoon as I was driving home from work.

These pictures will explain a little about why I think that.

I currently have no windshield wiper blade on the passenger side of my car.  This forced me to drive home with the "arm" in an upright position (as you see it in the pictures above).  It is most amusing when I had to actually use the windshield wiper (not wiperS 'cause I only had one!) except that it kinda looked like the arm was either waving at or flipping people off.

The wiper blade currently on the driver side is actually the one that is supposed to be on the passenger side.  Here's the story why:  I came out to my car at work and noticed (as I was wiping snow off the windshield) that the pin which holds the wiper blade on the arm was missing.  This left me with only two options: call for help, or get creative.  So I swapped the smaller wiper blade from the passenger side to the driver side (so I'd be able to at least see out of part of the windshield).  I then lifted the arm of the passenger side windshield wiper in the upright position (see the pictures if this sounds confusing).  I tested "running" the wipers and it looked like they would hold.

What an odd experience to drive cautiously over all the bumps and the road while only sporadically using the wipers, for fear that the arm would spring back down and scrape the windshield!

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Would you like to share another one ?

Today, my oldest son Josh Jr (12) received the Aaronic Priesthood and was ordained to the office of a Deacon in our ward (Oakwood) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

I am so proud of him and of his decision to enter into the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood.  It is a sacred and personal choice, which required a meeting and interview with our Bishop (that happened on the Wednesday evening shortly after we got back into town from Thermopolis).  Bishop Porter advised me after the interview that he was very impressed by Josh Jr and his knowledge of God's plan for us on this earth.  He also was impressed that Josh Jr had a good understanding of the purpose of obtaining the Priesthood (which, in it's most basic form, is to serve others).

Today at church was a whirlwind day for him (and our whole family, but obviously the biggest impact was for him).  My Blog Title Question is what the Bishop asked him at the pulpit during Sacrament Meeting.  A little background is appropriate here.  In our ward, the Bishop prefers to have any young man who is receiving the Priesthood come to the pulpit and share one of the 13 Articles of Faith.  Josh Jr knew this moment was coming and he felt prepared, but a little nervous.  He had chosen to share the 4th Article of Faith (listed at the bottom of this blog if you don't already know it or are not a "Mormon" yourself), which is longer than others but also his personal favorite.  He struggled after just the first few words ... and then the emotions set in.  He tried a second time and the words failed him yet again.  My heart was beating as hard as his and I wanted so badly to come to his aid, but I was so impressed with what happened next.  His voice trembling and filled with trepidation, he pushed through and recited, word for word, the whole thing!  I was so proud (and I think everyone in the audience was as relieved as he was).  It was after that when our wonderful Bishop eased the tension by asking Josh Jr if he wanted to share another Article of Faith.  Josh Jr was quick to reply with a loud "No!" while shaking his head.  The whole audience chuckled and the services continued on after the Bishop said a few more kind words about my great son!

Many extended family members attended his actual ordination (performed by me in the third block of church meetings in the afternoon) in the Deacon's Quorum.  It was also nice for Josh Jr to invite Brother Dave Tusler (his other scout leader and teacher in Sunday School) to join in the circle for his blessing.

I am so excited for my son to begin passing the Sacrament next week and also participate in other acts of service at church and as he grows in the scouting program right along with his Young Men's responsibilities.  He looked every bit the part of "a young man prepared" and I hope he remembers this day long after he is grown and has his own son to bless the way I was able to for him today.

(The 4th Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints ... as composed by Joseph Smith, in response to a question he had received about what the "Mormons" believe:
We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the gospel are: First, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; Second, repentance; Third, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; Fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.)

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