Lonnie's 25 Random Things

25 Random Things About ME.
1. I hate talking on phones but ironically I spent two years in a job talking on phones.
2. I love reading about pirate history.
3. I love Yo Gabba Gabba. I know that it's a kid's show.
4. I used to drag race in the NHRA Jr. Dragster program, and I won every race.
5. Sometimes people ask me if I know there was a famous soccer player that has the same name as my son Beckham.
6. I once tried to impress a girl I liked by drinking salt.
7. My middle name is Earl.
8. I love eastern Europe.
9. I have enough Samoan blood to claim pacific Islander on legal documents. My grandmother still lives with my clan the Galeai (pronounced Nally (like Wally) I) on Pago Pago.
10. I used to play in a metal band.
11. I actually write and play electronic music but as soon as I finish a song I delete it.
12. I hate needles and spiders.
13. I daydream about space.
14. I like to run in circles while listening to music...... it helps me think.
15. My daughter wishes she had a tail and frequently asks if she can have one.
16. My favorite animal is the duckbilled platapus.
17. I own every season of Alf, Dinosaurs, and Planet of the Apes the T.V. series.
18. I am related to the drummer of the 80's band the Jets.
19. I want to be a professor.
20. Growing up I had a crush on Helen Hunt.
21. I always had crushes on red heads but never dated one.
22. Futbol is my favorite sport.
23. My very first kiss was on a Disney ride.
24. My wife is a year and a half older than me.
25. My wife is the most beautiful girl in the world, that means all you other girls can only be................. did you guess? Yep 2nd best.

A little snow in Rexburg

So, Saturday it snowed a lot here and after getting dressed for the day (and doing my hair), I decided to take my kids outside. Once we all had our boots, gloves, hats, coats and snowpants on (at least 30 minutes later) we went out into the cold. I attached a bungee cord to our little green sled and pulled the kids through the parking lot. It was hilarious to watch my kids. I was laughing so hard I could hardly see. I wish I could have taken some pictures. Luckily I did pull out my camera to get a shot of McKayla's snowman. I think he's pretty cute. It was a fun morning.

This is me feeling really exhausted after running through the parking lot!

Beckham was very excited to go back inside where it was warm. He liked the sled the first time around the parking lot but then he became wary of it.

Notice McKayla doesn't even have her coat on anymore. Hey, at least I got her back out there to take the picture!

2009

Well, this is my first official post of the New Year. I'm not keeping up very well. Actually, I am just starting to feel like my life is getting back in order after the last 6 months of bouncing from place to place. We have gotten rid of a lot of excess stuff and as a result actually fit in our apartment. I guess less really is more. I think the kids are starting to feel at home here as well. They are both sleeping better and that is a blessing better than all the money in the world. Lonnie is studying like crazy and working for one of his professors. I am babysitting in the afternoon in my own apartment to earn a little extra cash. I much prefer this to working at the gym. It's nice to get my laundry done and fix dinner while playing with a few extra kids. I don't feel so stressed out babysitting like I did at the gym. McKayla will be starting preschool next week and she is very excited . . . so am I! Beckham is his happy-go-lucky self, but I can sense he is quickly changing. He is discovering his agency and doesn't always listen to mommy any more. For example, he thinks it's fun to eat things out of the garbage and hide McKayla's binki. They make each other laugh constantly . . . especially at the dinner table while throwing food on the floor. I could give the karate kid a run for his money with my washcloth and my wax on and wax off cleaning up the mess. Oh, well. Gotta run for now. More to come soon!

A few pics from the delinquent blogger . . .

So, I haven't written anything for several weeks . . . actually, I haven't written the entire time we've been in WA. It's difficult to get much screen time in this house. Oh, well. I thought I'd post a few pics for tonight. Hopefully, I'll get to Beckham's first birthday and Christmas in the next few days before we head back to Rexburg . . . brrr!

11-28-08 Kids sleeping in the back seat. They kept holding hands. It was so cute!

12-10-08 Beckham loves spaghetti!

12-6-08 Beckham was sleeping in the room where McKayla's coat was hanging so we improvised with my sweatshirt. It was just a tad too big!

12-4-08 McKayla celebrated getting earrings with a big fat chocolate sundae from Dairy Queen. She thought she was pretty hot stuff. Later that day she took one of the earrings out and I had to repierce it myself. Ew. She wasn't too happy about that either. Since then she's been good about keeping them in.

Flickr

I just added a TON of pictures to our flickr account. Feel free to check 'em out at the link to the right. I think I've maxed out on the number of pictures I can add and I still have a bunch more. Oh, well. That'll give me something to do next month, right?

Proposition 8 - Marriage

My thoughts about Prop 8 have been rolling around in my mind for several days now. I’m not the type of person who usually gets involved in this kind of issue. I’d rather sit on the sidelines and let the world go by. I’ve always been afraid of offending others or being labeled judgmental. I’ve been trying to get my thoughts about gay marriage written out as politically correct as possible, but I’ve finally decided to write this the way I actually feel about it. I apologize in advance to those who choose to be offended. With that said, I am glad that traditional marriage passed. I only wish it would have passed by a larger margin. For me, marriage was instituted by God and defined as a union between a man and a woman for the purpose of companionship and populating the earth. The need for companionship can be filled in a lot of different ways but creating life requires a male and a female. Not only that, sexual powers are God given and only to be used within the bonds of marriage. I realize that the majority of people don’t live that way, but God’s laws don’t change just because we don’t follow them. I say leave marriage alone; it’s sacred and not ours to change. I have many homosexual friends and they are some of the kindest, funniest and most loving people I know. It’s not my place to tell them how to live. I can love them without agreeing with their lifestyle. If they choose to fulfill their need for companionship with someone of their own sex, so be it. Give them the legal rights concerning insurance, taxes, death, etc. that they seek but don’t change the definition of marriage.

I see that our country is completely divided on this issue, but I would hope that people will cast their minds to the future. If gay marriage does pass someday, what comes next? Will we legalize threesomes, polygamy, incest, bestiality? With the door open to gay marriage, how could we then say no to these other types of unification? This thought leaves me feeling sick. We live in a society that would rather embrace immoral practices than stand up for what they believe to be true. People are so afraid of saying the wrong thing or being politically incorrect that they have lost the courage to stand up for what they believe in. Most people who live by moral principles are labeled as judgmental. However, the ability to make judgment is crucial to our well-being. We use our judgment every moment of our day as we choose what to eat, what to wear, who to associate with and all the other things we will or will not do. I am grateful to have judgment, to think, to reason, to act – to stand up for what I believe in. I’m tired of being labeled as hateful because I feel no hate. I just want to know that my right to believe in traditional marriage is protected. I don’t think my little letter will change the world, and I didn’t write it to start a fight. I just hope it makes people think.

Doggies and Goats

Beckham is obsessed with the doggie bed. Basically, the doggie bed is a giant, stinky pillow that's covered in dog hair. Often after giving him a bath, he crawls to the pillow and rolls all over it . . .YUCK! Oh, well. No matter how many times I pull him off, he crawls right back. He is also very fond of sneaking into the laundry room to eat the dog food. Friday night we went to our ward Halloween party. Beckham decided he needed a little pre-party appetizer. No matter how cute this picture is . . . imagine the smell of fish. Ew.

10-24-08 Yummy
10-24-08 Rrroar!

McKayla's favorite thing to do in California is visit the neighbors goats. The first thing she says when she wakes up is, "Goats . . . outside?" Translated that's a request to go feed the goats. She could stand by the fence and feed them all day if I let her. She squeals with delight when they bleat, butt heads and put their hooves on the fence. Thankfully, the goats seem to love her as much as she loves them. As soon as a goat catches a glimpse of her, it starts bleating and runs across the field. That seems to signal all the others to stop whatever they are doing and join the race to get the first leaf. She giggles and laughs and slurs through her bink, "Goats . . . funny". I wish I could squeeze so much happiness out of something so simple.

10-20-08 Beckham, McKayla and Mama feeding the goats.

10-20-08 Daddy and McKayla feed "Lamby" the white goat.

10-20-08 Cute!