Balboa

I just went through all of our photos from Balboa. We got a ton of fabulous shots and here are a few of them.

This is William playing dead. He really disliked the sand at the beginning of the week, but you can see that he got over his aversion.



Pure joy- tea cups at Disneyland

Burke- what a face!

Nathan- really growing up

G-Man walking home from our beach. I love this picture

Love you all!
Wendy

Bastille Day

Just wanted to post a couple of pics from our whirlwind Europe trip. We've had a great time, we are exhausted and most of all we're ready to see the kids again. Bless Anna for watching them. Paris is our last stop and tomorrow is our last day in Paris. We didn't know it before but today is Bastille day in France (basically their 4th of July). They had the Eiffel tower lit up in Blue and had an amazing fireworks show set to some amazing classical and Opera music. Simply breathtaking. Bad video of a great show is below.

Viva La France!

Crummy sample of a great fireworks show for Bastille day in Paris France.

book club :)

I am reading this book "Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America" by James Webb and it is an excellent read. It goes back in history, starting with Roman days progressing all the way to modern day America and shows how the Scottish/Irish culture developed and how their values helped shape America.

I was just reading the renaissance section, with "BraveHeart" and noticed the Dunlap crest is in the area in which Braveheart was located. Also it shows how the Scottish migrated to Ulster Ireland (Belfast today) and it is these Calvinist and Presbyterian Scottish/Irish that were the bulk of peoples that moved to America and fought in the Revolution. I also noticed that the Burke family married many a maiden from Ulster.

The book is great. I know all of you would enjoy it. It also shows how Andrew Jackson's value system was shaped very much by his cultural history as Scots-Irish. The Scots-Irish were much more populist then the English-whose society was more feudalism based. With the Scottish religions they had local elected priests (as opposed to appointed like the Anglican church) and town leaders who shared the values of their communities as opposed to Landowners that decided the rules of the land. James Webb shows how this value system came with them to America and of course America has politics on a very local level--house of representative, state vs. federal, etc. The English were more of federalists--monarchy etc. While the Scots-Irish would have been state rights. James Webb is a great writer and it is fascinating to see how values developed in 1000 AD have stayed and helped shape the minds and values of present day.

Check it out!

Lower Oneonta Falls

Ann and I went with the youth from our ward, here in Portland, last night on an activity to Lower Oneonta Falls. Oneonta Falls is along the Columbia River a few miles east of Multnomah Falls. The only way to access the lower falls is by wading through the creek because there is no trail or path to the falls. During the year the level of the creek varies but last night it was typically about knee deep but got up past my waist at times. It was probably less than a mile trek to the falls and would be absolutely a great time in warmer weather. Enjoy the pictures.

Happy 25th Birthday to Joe

Joe turns 25 today!
I love Joe because
he is so thoughtful of others.
he is well read.
he is a gentleman.
he is a hard worker.
he is a great brother and son.
he is THERE for his siblings - rides to airport, moving in and out of apartments, rummaging through storage units to find papers for D & A.
he is willing to learn and to change.
he has integrity and is brave enough to maintain it.
he is technologically capable and has helped many a friend with his expertise.
he is creative.
he is dependable.
he is good at not worrying too much about the latest and coolest styles or what the latest and coolest people think of him.
he loves to have fun.

Happy Birthday, Dear Linda !!!

I like Linda because:
She is now as old as me :)
She is more beautiful than ever :)
She is my best friend, my most trusted advisor, and life with her is my most excellent adventure :)
She is always happy, - well almost always :)
She is quick to forgive and always looks for and sees the best.
She has a fine mind and is always, always fun to be with!!!
We have just finished watching John Adams and she is my Abigail.
XOX,
Richard