Volume 36

SUNDAY NEWS
March 21, 2010

Lori and Vayden recently enjoyed their visit to Indiana. Karl and Christian are happy to have Mom and our home’s little ray of sunshine back. Meanwhile back here in Arizona Christian and Karl what Christian called ‘some man time.’

Very Vayden
Vayden spent the past week or so in Indiana entertaining everyone. Karl and Christian are glad she is back home because they missed her. More than once while she was gone both Christian and Karl would here a baby of the same age in the store and comment that they missed her.

Completely Christian
Christian and Karl got to spend most of Christian's spring break together without the girls.

Peralta Trail Backpacking Adventure
Christian has been asking to do a backpacking trip for some time. Karl and Christian have been planning a hike for months and finally spring break and good weather combined and Christian and Karl took on the Peralta Trail in the Superstition Mountains. Surprisingly they had to cross several streams and creeks on the drive to the trailhead. Normally those washes are dry, but Arizona had had a wet year this year.

The hike was difficult with very steady elevation gain. Christian soon understood why his Dad had forced him to leave many of the things he wanted to pack at home. The years of backpacking as a boy scout had made a lasting impression on Karl. You only bring what you absolutely will need. That pack becomes heavy fast and you start wishing you hadn’t brought anything at all. The views were fantastic. Karl and Christian arrived at the saddle about an hour before sunset. The area is extremely rocky with very little flat round or dirt to stake a tent. Christian and Karl found a perfect little spot nuzzled between some big rocks and set up camp. They got done in time to watch the sunset. There wasn’t a sole for miles and it was so quiet up there under the stars. It got a little windy after dark so they did a little reading in their tent and went to sleep. The sunrise the next day was also spectacular. The views up there are worth the effort of getting up there. It was a great trip

Triathlon Training
Christian has his first triathlon coming up this week. Christian and Karl have enjoyed training together. The whole family recently signed up for Lifetime Fitness, which is a really cool facility. Karl and Christian have been working for weeks on Christian’s swimming technique. Christian can now freestyle with alternate side breathing with really good form. He typically does workouts now of around 800 to 1000 yards. That’s 40 lengths of the pool.

Christian also enjoys the steam room after a good work out. By far Karl’s weakest leg of the triathlon is the running portion. It is Christian’s strongest. Christian and Karl run on treadmills at the gym. Christian enjoys showing his Dad up by running faster and farther than Karl almost every time they jump on the treadmill. It is a pride swallowing experience for Karl but Christian is good for him because he pushes Karl to run better. Karl has tried to equal Christian, but if Christian sees Karl turning up the speed to 6.5 Christian will turn his to 7.0 and so forth. Eventually Karl just can’t compete. Yet! Karl may be fat and forty-something, but he is determined. The problem is, that as Karl is progressing, so is Christian.



Christian and Karl have also spent a lot of time on their bikes. Christian likes Lance Armstrong and has named his bike “Live Strong” His bike is black and yellow and he has decided to make his color scheme black and yellow. Black and yellow are hard to find in kids stuff. Maybe it would be easier if we lived in Pittsburg. Trying to find Christian a yellow and black bike helmet led to a story which we will cover next.

Christian loves his gear. He especially loves the arm warmers we found for him on sale. He wears them when its cold. He wears them despite being told. He wears them in the heat. He wears them in the street. He wears them to go out. He wears them or he'll pout. He wears them in the house. He wears them with a mouse. He wears them to the store. He wears wears them ever more.

The Safari
While riding in the car, Christian says, “Dad, how come we never do anything fun anymore?” Karl responded, “What are you talking about? We just went to the movies last night.” Christian explained, “No Dad, I mean something really fun like we used to do.” Karl questioned, “What do you mean? What do you consider really fun? Christian answered, “Like when we used to go on Star Wars safaris.” A little background is necessary to explain Christian’s answer. Christian and Karl both like Star Wars and semi collect Star wars action figures. Occasionally there is a limited release of a certain action figure. It is hard to find the action figure in stores. In the past and long before the days of Vayden, Karl and Christian would go on Star Wars safaris while Lori was at work. What Christian and Karl called a Star Wars safari, was when they would go to store after store and store searching for the elusive action figure. Where we live both Walmart and Target carry Star Wars figures. You can find a Walmart or Target every few miles in the Valley of the Sun. Christian and Karl would hit up every Walmart, Target and toy store they could find. Examples of such quests involved the search for Darth Revan and Darth Malak.

It surprised Karl that Christian deemed a safari to be one of the things Christian defined as “really fun.” It is pretty fun. It is the thrill of the hunt. You walk into a new store not knowing what you will find.

Christian’s bike current bike helmet does not meet USAT (USA Triathlon) standards. In order to participate in a USAT sanctioned triathlon, the rules require the athlete’s helmet to meet the CPSC’s (Consumer Product Safety Commission) standards. If your helmet does not have a CPSC sticker inside of it, you can’t compete. We have to get Christian a new helmet and he wants one that is black and yellow to match his bike and gear. Both Christian and Karl are card carrying USAT athletes now.


There are not that many choices when it comes to kid’s helmets, and for some reason finding a black and yellow had been very difficult. With a rare item in need of being found, Lori and Vayden in Indiana, and Christian on spring break, the stage was set for a safari. Karl went on the computer the night before and mapped out a route in which they could hit over 30 stores that carried bike helmets. Karl and Christian spent from 10:00 a.m. to about 7:00 p.m. looking for a black and yellow helmet for Christian. They managed to hit 26 different stores and had a lot of fun but were unsuccessful. Lori called during the day and when she learned what Karl and Christian were up to, she threatened to make an appointment for Karl with a counselor to evaluate his mental health. Lori suggested it would be easier to just go on line and order it. Where is the thrill of the hunt in that? Of course Lori was right as she always is. After 9 straight hours and 26 stores, that is exactly what Karl and Christian did. Here is the helmet they ordered.

Note from the Editors
Be sure to check out Photo Addendum 1.

Volume 36 - Photo Addendum 1

PHOTO ADDENDUM 1



There was a lot of water. We have had a very wet year. We had to cross streams and creeks about 5 or 6 times in the truck and atleast 6 or 7 times during the hike. This may not seem out of the ordinary for many of you, but this is Arizona!


Christian named this spot 'rock mountian'


Local Resident Unfortunatley, the pictures don't do it justice. You have to be there. This a view form the first day, where we camped from where we camped a top the saddle.

Volume 35

SUNDAY NEWS
March 7, 2010

We have been kept pretty busy this year so far. Karl has had a lot of work which isn’t a bad thing in this economy. Lori is has been going to physical therapy twice a week and her back is getting much stronger and doing better. We have our taxes done early this year which is nice. It has been one of the cloudiest years any of us has ever seen in Arizona. Temperatures have been pretty nice.

Valentine’s Day
For Valentine’s Day, Lori got a bike. Karl and Christian picked out a red and white beach cruiser with a basket on the front. When Lori got home from work, there was a trial of rose pedals leading to the garage where the bike was parked under a spot light with a dozen roses and a card in the basket.

Lori’s Upcoming Indiana Trip
Lori is excited about her upcoming visit to Indiana. She has been making plans for weeks. Vayden will be accompanying her while Christian and Karl have a backpacking trip planned among other things for Christian’s spring break.

Mark’s Miracle
We have made mention of Karl’s brother Mark and his battle with brain cancer. We have wonderful news to report. On February 23rd, Mark went in for a MRI which showed that the tumor is gone and there is no sign of disease. We want to thank everyone for your prayers and faith. Thank you for all the support with positive thoughts and actions. Mark truly did BEAT BEN THOMAS. Keep him in your prayers as he still has to be checked every few months to make sure the tumor does not return.

Renaissance Festival
We decided to go to the Renaissance Festival this year. The Festival is only about half an hour from our house. Everyone loved it. They have great food and entertainment. Christian was so excited to go he said he had butterflies in his stomach on the trip there. I wish we had brought the video camera. You would have to see it to appreciate Vayden watching the belly dancers and then imitating them.

Very Vayden
Vayden is such a character! There is no way to describe what a happy little blessing she is. She makes everyone laugh contstantly and she is such an affectionate little being that she melts your heart 20 times a day.

She now refers to all food as ‘CHEESE’. She absolutely shouts the work ‘BYE’ every chance she gets. She shouts it when she is leaving the room or when anyone leaves the room. She shouts it when it is time to go to bed or time to go downstairs to each. She shouts it when you throw something away. She shouts it at the T.V. when when someone drives off or walks away. She shouts it when we exit Walmart or another table leaves the restaurant.

Vayden has a baby, a doll and several monkeys that she now takes care of feeding them pretend cheese and bottles and changing their diapers. She is mastering the use of a spork when she is feeding herself some ‘cheese’. She likes to tease her Dad about ears being eyes. She knows that they are really ears but calls them eyes to get a reaction out of her Dad.

Vayden loves animals. She also loves beef jerky. The kid is a little beef jerky monster. She goes nuts whenever she sees a bag or someone has some. Karl loves to turn her into a little suck-up. When he has beef jerky Vayden will come up to him and rub her cheek against his and shower him with kisses, Anything to get her teeth on that beef jerky. It is pretty entertaining to watch.

Completely Christian
Christian comes home from school all the time these days complaining about how rough it is to go to a school where all the girls like him.

Spoiled Dog
One morning Vayden, Christian and Karl are down stairs eating breakfast and Karl notices Christian going outside with two bottles of drinking water. Karl asks Christian what he is doing and Christian replies “Giving Roxy some water.”

It is amazing how the generations have changed. Lori and Karl grew up drinking unfiltered tap water. If Karl or Lori had asked their parents for a bottle of water, their parents would have responded, “If the facet is broken, go use the hose outside.”
Kids now days take one sip of bottled water and leave the rest laying around deemed ‘stale’ because it has been open for more than five minutes. Now we are feeding the dog bottled water. Christian looked shocked when Karl told him not to use the bottled water on the dog. Christian did not see the contradiction of pouring bottled water into the dog’s dish which had various dirt sediments, floating insects and leaves in it. The thought of washing out the dog’s dish did not occur to him, but bottled water for an animal that drinking out of toilets seemed like he right thing to do.

Christian’s New Bike
Christian got a new mountain bike the same day as Lori. After all what good is a new bike if you don’t have someone to ride with who can keep up with you.

Sooooo Shelby
Shelby did very well in Poms this year and individually placed third over-all in their routine. Shelby says she is sad that poms is over now.

All Alyssa
We haven't heard much from Alyssa lately. We do know she did go to winter formal. Here is a photo we snagged off the internet:


Being Brittney
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRITTNEY !!
Can you believe it? Our Brittney is no longer a teenager. She is now a beautiful young woman in her twenties.




NOTE FROM THE EDITORS
Be sure to check out the Volume 35 Addendum of Photos of the Reniassance Festival.

Volume 35 - Photo Addendum 1

Photo Addendum 1