Close Call For The Cougars

Good Grief, Bronco! That was too close for comfort!

The Cougars pulled off a 28-27 victory against the Washington Huskies this afternoon in the last 11 seconds of the game by blocking the PAT attempt after Washington scored. Whew! Duff does much better at games in person rather than watching them at home. I don't understand that, but at home he paces, paces, and has too much anxiety than when he is in the stadium. Maybe it's all the commentary and/or the instant replays where he can relive it over and over. But he doesn't get that worked up when he watches the replay on the jumbotron. Oh well.

Something to note: Our non-sports daughter, Natalie, is becoming an avid football fan. THANK YOU ROBERT! It was only a few short months ago that she would have not much to do with it at all, and now she's entertaining at their place on game day, calling us and yelling at the refs when they make a bad call, and asking a million questions. I think she gets the blitz now! Hallelujah. Who would have thought of this as another marriage perk?! Way to go Nats!

Off to the shower for tonight's stake conference. Christine is babysitting and Shaun with Darla will hold down the fort!

Happy Birthday Mikey!

Today is Mike's 30th birthday! In about 10 minutes he will be 30 years old. He was born on Wednesday, September 6 at 3:05 pm. We were in the middle of a summer storm that afternoon. It was a LONG labor for even a first baby. The little scamp was posterior and they didn't know it until delivery. Once they fixed that, out he came in two pushes! He was a tiny thing at 5 lbs. 9 oz. 18 inches long, but didn't stay that way for long! Nice for me that he was small. I have small full term babies for some reason. Not complaining!

His hospital picture. Such a little cutie. Sleeping away.

Blessing Day. Yeah--this just proves we were young once upon a time!

Grandpa Davis always had a big board for hammering at his house. Mike worked hard to get those nails in just right. Check out his determination with that tongue sticking out! He was a 'lefty' from the git-go.

All grown up now with a sweetheart of his own! A hard worker, great cook, compassionate, loyal, kind, testimony, and tender. Love you, son.

Happy Birthday Mike!

(Mike and Adrianne came over for a breakfast brunch today at noon just in time for the BYU/Washington game. We had ham and eggs, hash browns, I made some caramel apple bread, and Adrianne and Christine made some blueberry muffins, juice and bananas. We have Stake Conference tonight and tomorrow, and I have to meet Duff at the church for the customary 'dinner' at 6pm before the evening session. So they are coming over tomorrow after their meetings and we will celebrate. Adrianne is putting together a UNIQUE gift for him. She's been working on it for a couple of weeks. Shhhh. Nic and I have been helping her. It is a surprise!)

It's Deidre's Birthday!

Happy Happy Birthday Deidre, Dear
Happy Days Will Come To You All Year
If I Had One Wish Then It Would Be--
A Happy Happy Birthday To You From ME!

Have a beautiful day filled with all the things that make you happy!

We Love You--

Uncle Don, Aunt Cindy, and family~~~~

Ohhhhhh, Michael!

In the mornings when I'm making Christine's lunch for school and cleaning up breakfast, I usually have the Today Show on to catch up on things. On Fridays they have a concert series with different performers and bands. This morning it was Michael Buble! He sang one of my FAVES of his: Everything. He was in jeans and a tshirt with a jacket and had a little scruffy beard thing going on with a very casual hairstyle. Very different than his suit/tux look when he usually performs on stage. You go Michael baby! To borrow a phrase from Nic--Sweet Divine Goodness!

Duff came downstairs and we started dancing! Thanks Michael and Duff for making my morning!

ps--I wanted the other youtube video but they won't let you embed it anymore, so we just get the words with the music this time...

~Time Machine~

I got a lot of catching up done. Look backwards and see what might be there....

ATTORNEY'S ADVICE------NO CHARGE

I think this is very important and helpful. Log this one away--

A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company.


1. The next time you order checks have only your initials (instead of first name) and last name put on them If someone takes your checkbook, they will not know if you sign your checks with just your initials or your first name, but your bank will know how you sign your checks.

2. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED."

3. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For" line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check-processing channels will not have access to it.

4. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box, use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks, (DUH!). You can add it if it is necessary. However, if you have it printed, anyone can get it.

5. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. Also carry a photocopy of your passport when traveling either here or abroad. We have all heard horror stories about fraud that is committed on us in stealing a name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.

6. When you check out of a hotel that uses cards for keys (and they all seem to do that now), do not turn the "keys" in. Take them with you and destroy them. Those little cards have on them all of the information you gave the hotel, including address and credit card numbers and expiration dates. Someone with a card reader, or employee of the hotel, can access all that information with no problem whatsoever.

Unfortunately, as an attorney, I have first hand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month. Within a week, the thieves ordered an expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer and received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving record information online.

Here is some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know:

1. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. The key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.

2. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one). However, here is what is perhaps most important of all (I never even thought to do this.)

3. Call the three national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit. By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done. There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases,none of which I knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks.

Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet and contents being stolen:

1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-62852.)
Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-37423.)
TransUnion: 1-800-680-72894.)
Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271

The Eye Of God

This photo was taken by Nasa. It is a very rare occurence. It happens once every 3000 years. It was taken with the Hubbell Telescope and is titled, "The Eye Of God". It just gives me goose bumps!

AWESOME!

--Back To School--

September means back to school. Check out these numbers related to education:

7.1 million—Number of total teachers in the United States
75.2 million—Number of children and adults enrolled in school in America
$827 billion—National education budget
April 23, 1635—The day Boston Latin School, the oldest public school in America, was founded
730—Number of crayons the average child in the U.S. will have used by age ten
2 billion—Number of pencils used in the United States every year

Christine is now in 8th grade. I can't hardly believe where the time has gone! After we spent way too long in Staples yesterday (another post) we headed to Borders to get a book she needs for her English class reading. The young adult section (since when is a 13 1/2 year old considered a young adult???) to get it and the children's section was right there. While she worked with the employee to find her book I wandered into the 'wee ones' area and took a gander. Oh it transported me back! Wasn't it just yesterday I was shopping in there with her and she couldn't get there fast enough?

Gosh, I think I need a grandchild!

It's WILLIAM'S Birthday!

William, buddy! It's your birthday today! What are you going to do? What kind of cake is your mom making you? Are you having your favorite dinner? Do you have a party this year with friends?

Here is our birthday song for YOU:

Happy Birthday to YOU
Happy Birthday to YOU
Happy Birthday Dear William
Happy Birthday To YOU!

We love you. Have a really fun day!

Love, Uncle Don, Aunt Cindy, Michael David, Adrianne, Josh, Meredith, Natalie, Robert, Shaun, Christine and Darla (of course!)

Catch-Up!

We got home from Utah late Sunday night. The drive went better than expected: absolutely NO traffic through Vegas or on the other side of it. Whew. We almost stayed another day and then realized that it would be holiday traffic Monday afternoon/evening and that stretch of the road would be a parking lot. It may not seem like big news to others, but this is the WORST part of the whole drive because of the Las Vegas traffic and those of us who travel it frequently know that you plan the entire drive based on what 'time' you will hit Vegas! It's even the most asked question amongst friends and acquaintances: How was the Vegas traffic? Haha!

We spent Monday recuperating and getting back into the swing of things. Most importantly gearing up for the first day of 8th grade for Christine on Tuesday. Ohhhhh, (moan). One more year until high school. One more year off before we start early morning seminary (again). 15 months until she starts DRIVING! I feel like I'm getting older by the second. On the other hand, it is really nice to have more interactive and meaningful conversation with her. She IS growing up, and doing it nicely so far.

I was going to apologize for not blogging for the last little while. But decided I won't. I appreciate all the phone calls and emails asking if I'm okay. I am. It has just been so nice to take some time off and kind of be disconnected from cyberspace. I've been reading books, watching sunsets with my kids from the deck until the last speck of light is gone over the mountain, relaxing, pondering, walking, watched the Olympics, helping Nats and Rob move and get settled, and enjoying some down and quiet time, taking some 'time out' so to speak. We have a very hectic schedule coming home with a lot of big things again coming up and we've loved the small season to regroup.

I am going to attempt to journal the last two weeks and now that I know how to work the 'post options' I can put them all in the right place! So stay tuned!

Staples Shopping

First day of school and really the first day getting back into the swing of things after being gone for two weeks.

Since the bus doesn't come to the corner anymore we are now in a carpool for bus drop-off in the morning and pick-up in the afternoon on the other side of Dove. Today and tomorrow are my days for pick-up. Got the kids all dropped off and then Christine made a list of all the supplies she needs. Our school district does not send/print out supply lists before school starts. The kids get them on the first day. Aghhh. So off to Staples we went. Where we live, this is the most complete one stop place to get things and their prices when school starts beat out Target.

I was so proud of myself! We timed it perfectly, I thought. We went at 5pm when it is supposed to be dinner time, right? WRONG! Everyone had the same idea! I have NEVER seen the store that crowded. The check out stands are in the very front of the store. The lines went from the front all the way down the side aisle, all the way across the back, and all the way up the other side of the store! It took us 45-60 minutes to wait in line to check out.

The GOOD thing was, we got all we needed and I had a coupon for $40 off if I spent $100, so we got a really good deal. Then we were off for Borders to get a book for her English class and home for a crock pot dinner and assembling her school binders and bag for tomorrow. Duff had meetings until really late because they are feverishly working on Prop. 8 and Stake Conference this coming weekend. Nighty-night.

Kim Ridge Sweet Beans For Labor Day

Today is a slow day for Labor Day. We traveled all day yesterday and we are pooped! School starts tomorrow for Christine, so we slept in and are spending a quiet day doing some unpacking and getting back into being home. Duff had one request: Sweet Beans with the BBQ'd burgers. This recipe is many years old! When we were first married we became fast friends with our next door neighbors, Tom and Kim Ridge. They were Orem locals and newly married too. She brought these to a cook out we had and they have become our favorite baked bean recipe for the last 30 years.

The Ingredients:

1 large can Pork and Beans

1 lb. hamburger

1/2 onion, diced

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 TBSP. prepared mustard

Chop onion and brown with hamburger. If there is any grease, drain.

Combine beans and liquid, molasses, brown sugar, and mustard. Add meat mixture. Put in 1 1/2-2 quart baking dish.

Bake covered in 350* oven for 20 minutes, then uncovered for another 20 minutes, or until warmed through and slightly bubbly.

ENJOY!