Cole's First Soccer Game

Here is a picture of Cole with his future wife Olivia after the game. On the field they are fierce rivals, but afterwards they are great friends!

Here is a picture of Olivia with her tasty post-game snack, string cheese. I had to post this because of how cute Olivia looks, and always looks.

Getting ready to resume the game.

Post game hand slaps...a timeless tradition of good sportsmanship.

Sacramento Zoo - Family Pictures

This weekend we went to the Sacramento Zoo. Here are a couple pictures from the trip.

Morgan getting a kiss from mom.

Mogan exhausted after a long day of fun.

Carson and Morgan playing with a leaf.

Morgan getting ready to take a nap.

True love! Cole, for some reason, wanted to kiss the monkey.

Morgan enjoying a cool refreshing beverage.

Carson loves animals and couldn't wait to ride the horse.

Stud Muffin!

Another home invasion - Be Prepared!

SEATTLE, Washington (CNN) -- Raul Flores thought federal agents had barged with guns drawn into his home in Arivaca, Arizona, in the middle of the night.


The woman and two men wore uniforms and identified themselves as U.S. Marshals. They claimed the house was surrounded. They said they were looking for an escaped prisoner, Flores' wife told a 911 dispatcher.

But there was no backup waiting outside, and no fugitive. The marshals were imposters.
They had targeted Flores because they suspected he was a drug trafficker and they wanted to rob and kill him, according to the Pima County Sheriff's Department.
As the intruders searched his home, Flores asked one of the men why his handgun was taped. The man responded by shooting and killing Flores.

"Someone just came in and shot my daughter and husband," Flores' wife frantically told 911. She tells the police operator that she was shot and left for dead with her husband, Raul Flores, 29, and daughter Brisenia, 9, who were both shot in the head.

Police are not releasing the woman's name to protect her identity. But her 911 call, released to the media by the Pima County Sheriff's Department, tells the story of a deadly home invasion by a rogue band of impostors. As she describes the initial attack, the intruders return to the house. The door can be heard opening. "They are coming back in! They are coming back in!" the caller screams. She has armed herself with her husband's handgun.

"Get out," she barks. The order is followed by the explosive sound of gunfire traded as the wounded woman and her would-be killers fire on each other. A man -- one of the intruders -- is hit and groans loudly. The attackers retreat and leave the woman alive and alone with her slain family.



I kind of like the ole' saying - "Normal people learn from their mistakes, smart people learn from other people mistakes." I would have to agree. How much less painful is it, if you see someone touch the fire and get burned vs. you touching it and getting burned. I would see that and learn from their mistake. The same thing applies to this headline above. How many people have to die from home invaders before they will learn that the world is not gettin any nicer. Please learn from the mistakes above and make sure you have a gun, and that it is ready to use in a moments notice...your life or that of your family's will depend on it.

Long Time, No Post.

Well, its been quite some time since Ive posted anything on my blog. I had a wonderful experience last week wherein I was able to go to St. George UT for work. At the end of the day when my work was complete, I was able to vist a couple of locations with special meaning to me. I was able to see and do a session in the St. George Temple where I havent been in about 15 years. I was able to see Brigham Young's house and take a tour, and one that was really special, was an opportunity to see my Great, Great, Great, Grandfathers house, Jacob Hamblin. Jacob was instrumental in settling the indians in the areas of Southern Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. He worked under the direction of Brigham Young in being a Peacemaker among them and forging friendships with them and the members that were making and setting up homes in the Southern Utah area. Below are some pictures and explanations of each.

A couple of interesting facts I learned from my visit, was that this temple is the oldest LDS temple in existance, and the very first one to perform work for the dead. Also, it was another area in church history where the Saints were commanded to build on a swampy area. This location had to be drained quite well , for them to even be able to start buidling.


Front of Brigham's House

Office in his bedroom
His bed which was custom made for him. The cane and kneeling stool are his, the hat is a replica.


His actual chair

Housekeepers sewing machine...foot pedal driven and other things. His journals state that he always treated his hired help as if they were part of the family. His housekeepers room was upstairs with him and his wife's rooms.


Wife's bed in her room.

Wife's drawers and chest. A side not on the chest, is that his wife had them custom made with rounded tops. In those days, they would stack chests in the back of the wagons for transport. Knowing that you cant stack anthing on top of a rounded top, she had hers made this way so they would be the last on, and the first off of the wagon as to ensure no damage to her belongings and to have her possessions removed quickly.

This is Jacob's saddle. According to the missionaries at his home, they say is the most well ridden saddle know; ridden over 6,000 miles. Hanging next to it is a genuine horsehair rope given to him by some Indians.



This last picture is of a rock that was found up in the mountains of Santa Clara UT behind his house. The rock was removed by workers from the Church when it was discovered by a hunter years ago. It has a rock engraving of an Indian sign representing sadness and mourning. Above it is his name, Jacob Hamblin and a date in June of 1865. You cant read the date here, but you could in person. The day is the same day his wife died, and the missionary giving the tour said that in his journal he talks about his extreme sadness on this day, due to the death of his wife. He also talked about how he went for a ride on his horse up in the mountains behind his house after her death to be alone. He must have written this while up there.

My Sweetheart!

I would like to introduce you to someone who means the world to me. Let me tell you a little about our history. We met some time back, in a time when I needed her. My life was a little crazy and I needed some security. Although when I met her, she came across pretty expensive, and definitely not a cheap date. Now, some years later, we are together and I consider her one the best investments I’ve ever made, and one of my best friends.

When we travel, it’s comforting to know she is sitting there next to me. Having her there makes any trip more enjoyable. I can go into any situation, and feel comfortable and safe. I must admit, I’ve become kind of soft over the years, and I definitely need companionship. I feel kind of weird admitting this, but when I was single, I could sleep like a baby. Now, however, if I lie down at night and if she is not there by my side, sleep comes a little tougher, and my mind is constantly racing. It’s nice to be able to wake up in the middle of the night, reach out my hand, and fill her there next to me. When there is a bump in the night, she is the first thing I think of, and want to hold tight.

It’s very comforting to know she is at home with my children while I’m away at work every day. I know she will protect them with every ounce of her being. Not to get crazy on this blog, but she is beautiful. Slim and trim, with curves in all the right places. She fits in my arms very comfortably and we make a great pair. Don’t get me wrong, if you upset her, she definitely has a kick. She is powerful, bold and can be a little loud and obnoxious at times, but I wouldn’t want her any other way.

Please allow me to share a poem I wrote that sums up how I feel:

Roses are red, violets are blue
Let me say, how much I appreciate you.
You are my friend, my safety, and my favorite among the rest
Let me just say, you are absolutely the best!

Oh how I love my Tactical Shotgun!

Adolf Hitler was a genius!

"This year will go down in history! For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration! Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future!" - Adolf Hitler

There is a lot of controversy over this quote. Some say it was stated by Hitler in the early 1930's and some say he never said it. The important thing, however, is that we realize that one of Hitler's tactics to rule over the people was to dis-arm them. - Now more than ever is the time to stand up for your beliefs and values concerning The Second Amendment. When our forefathers penned The Bill of Rights, they did so with experience coming from a nation that was ruled by evil men. They knew that if we were to grow to be a successful nation, we would need to follow certain rules. (The people and the government alike) The first amendment is the freedom of religion, speech etc. How ironic is it that the amendment right after the one giving men and women the rights to believe how they will, is one concerning the right to protect yourself. I would have to say their direction was no less than inspired by a divine power and being. Below are a couple quotes by a couple of those wise men:

George Washington: "Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the people's liberty teeth (and) keystone... the rifle and the pistol are equally indispensable... more than 99% of them [guns] by their silence indicate that they are in safe and sane hands. The very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil interference [crime]. When firearms go, all goes, we need them every hour." (Address to 1st session of Congress)

Thomas Jefferson: "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."

John Adams: "Arms in the hands of citizens may be used at individual discretion in private self defense."

Thomas Jefferson: "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms...disarm only those who are neither inclined or determined to commit crimes. Such laws only make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assassins; they serve to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."

....and quite possibly one of my favorites:

Benjamin Franklin: Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

We have all heard the rumors of the beloved rock star president, that he is anti-gun and anti-second amendment. With his appointment of Eric Holder as Attorney General, one of Clinton's right hand men in instituting new gun legislation, show that Obama is to follow the path of Mr. Hitler. Just read the quote by Barack in his book, "The Audacity of Hope": "When the worlds sole superpower willing restrains from its powers and abides by internationally agreed upon standards of conduct, it sends a message that these rules are worth following." Wayne LaPierre sums it up best by saying, "Those words are sufficient to instill fear in Americans who believe in the supremacy of our constitution." Its the typical Obama routine, lets lay down our beliefs , principals, and values to cater to those of other countries. If they were doing it right, why do they have some of the most corrupt and deadly governments, financial failures and an all out exodus of their citizens by jumping fences, swimming rivers, and crossing boarders to get here. Why do we want to be like them?

Here are a couple of confirmed quotes by Hitler himself:

"Only force rules. Force is the first law" - (Kind of reminds me of the stimulus package)

"When an opponent declares, "I will not come over to your side," I calmly say, "Your child belongs to us already... What are you? You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community." - (Socialism at its finest - let us get slowly tricked into it, and our kids will know no different)

"There must be no majority decisions, but only responsible persons, and the word 'council' must be restored to its original meaning. Surely every man will have advisers by his side, but the decision will be made by one man." - (Stimulus package again....)

"The doom of a nation can be averted only by a storm of flowing passion, but only those who are passionate themselves can arouse passion in others." - (Remember rock star Obama, and the people comparing him to "the Savior". - Remember the people who voted for him because he spoke well)

....and another that goes hand in hand with the quote above:

"How fortunate for leaders that men do not think." - (Remember how Obama was going to make it so we would not have to pay our mortgages or pay for our own gas)

In case you don't know, the battle over guns and gun control has begun and will be even more apparent soon. Obama is smart. He will not come out and ban guns directly, but he will do it slowly and deliberately. He will tax ammunition to the fullest. If a person cant afford to buy bullets for their guns, they are worthless. He will put restrictions on them in the name of safety for the public and individual. He will restrict guns, gun stores, and gun shows from certain areas. One of his ways for this was to make it where you couldn't possess a gun, hold a gun show, or have a gun store in a 5-10 mile radius of a school, post office, or public building. When was the last time you saw a 5-10 mile distance between one of these buildings...you don't, that's the point.

If a persons rights and means are stripped whereby he can protect himself, it will be the end of peace and civilization as we know it. Just ask one of these guys!

I'm not saying everyone needs to run out and join the NRA, (however I think it would be the best move you can make to help protect your second amendment right. Not to mention the benefits alone in savings for rental cars, hotels, insurance, etc are amazing). I do feel, however, that we have to pay attention to this and many other issues of this administration. Your life, freedoms, well-being and those of your children will depend on it.

What Are You Thankful For?

How often do we get out of bed and forget to hit our knees, thanking our Heavenly Father for what we have? How many times do we pass a man or woman in the military and not thank them for their service and sacrifice? I cant help but feel greatful for the opportunity we have have as Americans to live in this country. I had the chance to speak with a gentleman recently who has fought in multiple wars and flown into many life threatening situations all for the sake of protecting us and insuring our freedoms. I was able to personally thank him for his service and his only words were, "Thank you for your support." I know my thanks may seem insignificant to a person who has risked life and limb, trained many hours in uncomfortable circumstances, been away from home for extended periods of time, missed the birth or birthday of their children, missed the sweet embrace of their spouse after a tough day, was left alone to celebrate holidays such as Christmas or Thanksgiving, or worse yet, either suffered a terrible injury or even death. As I look at the picture above, I cant help but hope we are all praying for our military brothers and sisters who are doing what we dont have to. I hope that we are praying for their safe return so more kids dont have to be faced with growing up in a home without their mother or father.

I was fortunate not to have to enlist in the military, but would have done so it I were called to. Instead, I have a home that is full of warmth, love, dis-obedient footsteps that should be in bed, laughter, the sweet aroma of homemade bread, a wifes voice that calms me, and the Spirit of the Lord that comforts in times of need. - - I often compare that to a cot that is filled with sand, a barrack that is cramped and uncomfortable, a vehicle that is being constanlty shot as as it moves supplies or troops around an area, a hole that is filled with water or mud awaiting the next attack, or a home that has not a dad or mom because they were protecting other Americans and died doing so.

As you look at the picture above, please offer up a special prayer for all of our brave service men and women who do daily what we dont have to. Please thank a soldier next time you pass one in the grocery store or in a parking lot. Those protecting us need to know we appreciate what they are doing. The need to see and hear the respect they deserve. As the bumper sticker reads that we see so often, "If you enjoy your freedom, thank a vet."