Joys of Traveling?

I don't ever look forward to my work trips - it's hard not being with my wife, it's kind of hard not being with my boys - just kidding. It's REALLY hard not being able to be a family - and talking on the web cam for an hour a night just doesn't cut it, although it helps.

BUT - if you know my father in law, he relishes in traveling just for the fact that he can be somewhere different. So, I've enjoyed at least being somewhere different.

BUT - if you know me, I don't fly by the seat of my pants either. I plan and scheme to get what I want out of the inconvenience of traveling. I seek out courses, print maps to, and find extra time to get out and play disc golf - because the weather is better than in Utah. I study the roads so that I don't have to get lost - and so that I can drive the car. Anything I can prepare for, I will.

I knew that, being in Portland, I needed to get out and enjoy some seafood - fresh, close-to-the-coast, straight-from-the-sea food. As usual, I didn't just randomly go to some chain like Red Lobster or McGrath's - I could get crappy food in Utah. I researched - found a restaurant that seemed local and a little out of the way. Here's a little hit for all you travelers - if you pull up to a restaurant on a Wednesday night and the place is packed and the parking lot is full, it's for a good reason. And, if any of you are in the Portland area any time soon, I know a great restaurant where the food tastes soooooo good, you won't be able to stop eating even if you are stuffed full (even if you don't order any of the seafood) The Picture of the leftover shells from dinner (I still am a little shocked that I actually ate one of these, but I'm glad it was here and not in Utah - land of fish not tasting fresh)

The moral of the story is...I got to eat what I can't usually eat because Kristi will barf at the smell - and all because I have to travel.

Another day at the...Park?

Yep, another busy day. Ray was supposed to fly out at 3, which gave us until 1 to do something. Then he realized that he actually flies out at 5:30, so Kevin and I played 12 more holes of disc golf after the initial 18 we played in the morning. Don't worry - Ray and Jayson went to a movie so it's all good. Here's the pictures, and a couple clips, of todays outing.

Vacatio... Er, Work Trip

Here's a little story about my job. We set up an audit with a company, and tell them we need to review certian documents, and then we show up and look through their stuff. Sometimes, it takes us 5 days to look through stuff. Sometimes it takes us 5 hours.

So I'm in Portland, and so far this week we have had two audits that took 5 hours, and one audit that took 12 hours, so we've had, um, some down time. Wednesday for lunch we played some disc golf, and then today for lunch we played some disc golf at another course.

Then this afternoon I went for a 4.25 mile (I traced out my path on Google Earth) walk along the river and took some pictures - mostly because I told Tairen I would take some pictures.

You just don't see bridges in Utah that can raise a whole section of the road AND railroad tracks up 60 feet so a boat can go underneath. Luckily the weather has been in the 60's so it's been nice to get outside. Better yet, I get to come home for the weekend and be with my family before I come back next week for more potential boredom.

My Valentine

(Lance Posting)

My Valentine is wonderful at validating my many attempts to prove my love. Valentine's Day doesn't happen to be either of our strong days - but we did go to lunch together without the boys. Kristi made sure to hang up some hearts with love notes for our two boys - I'll have to spoil our little girl on Valentine's day and Kristi can continue to spoil or boys - until they don't think that is appropriate anymore. She even had plates with hearts and a red table cloth when I brought pizza home for dinner. I'd post a picture of Kristi doing something amazing, but she doesn't think the pictures of her after she births children are "attractive" so I'll forgoe those pictures.

She's a wonderful mother, a thoughtful and caring wife, and she always thinks of me first. You'll never catch her dead wearing red - unless Tony pays her off. She'll never cheer for Utah - even it it helps BYU get a national championship berth. She comes up on the mountain, even though she can't breath. She'll cook eggs for Parker, even though she wants to vomit. She'll let me play Halo - even when she can't stand it. But I can't watch Southpark - and I'm glad. I have to clean up my crap about once a month - because she can only tolerate it piling up for that long (maybe one day I'll learn to keep it picked up). She'll go places and do things she doesn't really want to, but then thanks me for "making" her go. But best of all, she makes us into family, and makes our apartment feel like home. I don't look forward to the 3-5 days she will be in the hospital again, because I could never be a dad on my own.

My Valentine

I have to do a little bragging about my hubby for Valentines Day! Everyone thinks that I don't care about the holiday, but here is someone I feel very strongly about :) I have to first say that you will never meet anyone as spoiled rotten as I am. This guy does the dishes, vacumns, folds the laundry, gets up with the boys , makes a big breakfast every weekend( I have never made breakfast since we've been married)Can fix anything, and does so for everyone. He always makes me feel like the Queen of the world. I get foot rubs and the best massages all the time. No one can make me laugh harder than he can. And still after 71/2 years of marriage I still can't wait till the end of the day when he comes home. He puts up with a lot of complaining from his pregnant wife and never says a word. He is an awesome father and an amazing husband and marrying him was the best decision I have ever made!!!!
I LOVE YOU LANCE!!!!!! Such a good Daddy!
Loves BYU Football!!!
And even though I don't love the hunting : ) I think he looks so yummy when he goes off dressed like this!

My Little ..... Lamb

(Lance Posting)

Parker got to take a bath by himself - since Tairen slept at Grandma Lisa's again (Grandma Ruth is probably jealous on some level). He even let me wash his hair without a four minute whine festival!

As you can see, he really needs a hair cut (or a scrunchie to go with his pony tail). Or we can let it keep growing until we can give him a sweet scalp to neckline mohawk!

New Beds

We finally decided to buy the boys bunk beds after a couple of long months of Parker not sleeping anywhere. They love it and have been sleeping great...so far!
We also got them each new sheets. Tai chose Ninja Turtles and it was terribly painful waiting for them to wash and dry!! He was sooo excited!
I just loved this picture, so I had to add it. I LOVE my little Cheesers!!!