Somersaults

This kids were having so much fun tonight that I let them stay up a little late. Emily was helping Laurie do somersaults and amazingly enough Laurie really loved it.

First Loose Tooth

Last night before bed Emily was eating an apple. All of a sudden she came running over and said her tooth was loose. Sure enough she has her first loose tooth. She was very excited and started talking about the tooth fairy and quarters.

Turning Lemons Into Lemonade

I don't wax political much, but I saw this on a relatives blog & loved it!

As many of you know our new president, Barack Obama, is very pro-choice and could possibly turn the tables on the pro-life legislation that was put into place under George W. Bush.

A catholic organization that is obviously VERY pro-life put together a 41 second ad that took the "pro-choice" lemon in office and turned it into "lemonade".

Very nicely done!

Check it out!


More details on the ad here...
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/obama_prolife_ad/2009/01/22/174304.html

Man I love that ad!
-Graydon

Fly Lady Rocks!

Fly Lady Is Incredible!

Valerie has started something called FlyLady and it's incredible! So what's FlyLady?
It's a system for keeping your house clean that teaches you how to clean your house in baby steps and then KEEP it that way! It's just incredible!

She started it probably about 3 weeks ago (I think, I'm sure she'll chime in & say for sure) and it's done amazing things to our house!

The first thing you do is Shine Your Sink. I know, kind of dumb, but it works. She shined the crap out of our sink. Comet, Sponges, the works...she made the sucker shine!

Next came another step and from there each day (or week, can't remember), there's a new step that you add to the routine.

The coolest part is that this isn't like some other House Cleaning Systems where they give you a massive list of stuff you should be doing & wish you luck (ie. Queen of Clean, Don whats-his-name Aslett?), instead this is a life system approach where you slowly integrate something new to your routine each day that helps you keep the house clean.

Not only that but there's just plain good sense ides in there too like going to bed on time, getting up on time, exercising, getting completely dressed every morning & quick clean ups at night.

For example, every morning there's this thing called Swish & Swipe (I think that's what it is anyway). You basically do a micro cleaning session in the bathroom after you've showered & gotten dressed. We've all gotten into it too. In the basement bathroom she has some paper towels and windex cleaner and every morning after I shower, I wipe down the sink & mirror. Emily now wipes down the toilet every other day too.

The upstairs bathroom is the same way. Every morning after Val's completely dressed it gets a "swish & swipe" too. I gotta tell ya, it's amazing how much cleaner the bathrooms stay. They are MUCH cleaner! Granted, they don't always stay that way, but every morning they get put back into shape & pretty much stay that way most of the day.

It's so nice to use a super clean bathroom. My thought is that it's just good for the psyche, but I must be weird that way.

The cool part about all of this is that it's starting to become a habit around here. I get a kick out of cleaning the bathroom every day because of how nice it looks the rest of the day (the basement bathroom is right outside my office so it's what I use throughout the day if I need to. It's also the bathroom any of my customers use if I have any "stop by" customers so it's nice that it stays nice & clean all the time.

The other cool part about all of this is that we've started to go to bed on time and wake up on time every day. At 12 at night one of us drags the other to bed & we then get a pretty good nights sleep (we were going to bed at 1 or 2 am before pretty much every night & then were kind of groggy throughout the day). We're also now up at 7am every morning, bed gets made, & away we go!

It must be sinking in because for the first time in my life I'm finally starting to exercise on a regular basis (trust me, it ain't much. I get on the treadmill & walk for about 15-20 minutes, but it's a start). We're all starting to feel a lot better from it too, myself included.

Once you master the routine there's these things called Zones. About once a week you have a big project to work on (last week was the master bedroom). The kicker is you're only supposed to spend 15 minutes a day on it (Val even bought a cheap timer at Wal-mart that counts down) so you don't get caught up in the project & then not get anything else done.

Last week included gutting the closet (you take everything out, & get rid of stuff you don't need) and cleaning under the bed (my gosh! I never knew how many dust bunnies could live under a bed!)

Anyway, the point of it is that it's working! And working well! Is it perfect? Well, no, we still fall off the wagon occasionally (Saturdays & Sunday's can really knock us out of schedule), but the fact is it's working & all of us are loving it!

You can learn more about this cool system here:
http://www.flylady.net

They even have a Yahoo group you can join where you can read through encouraging emails (Val say's they're kind of overwhelming at times though if you let em), but if you get a chance, check it out. It may just save your house too!

Graydon
Livin' in a much cleaner house...

Cabin Fever

Being in business for yourself is extremely fulfilling, but there can be a few downsides to it. Especially if you run the business out of your own home, down in an office in the basement...away from sunlight.

You can get Cabin Fever!

I've noticed that since I took the business full time I occasionally will get Cabin Fever. The reason? Well, there can be days on end where I don't leave the house (seriously, I have no reason to. I can do everything I need to run the business right from my home office).

To show how little I actually travel now, my new-to-me truck that I bought in Jan of last year only has 9,000 more miles on it since I bought it. 3,000 of those miles were from driving it home from Virginia, so I've only put 6,000 miles on it in a whole year!

To combat the Cabin Fever, every now & then for the heck of it I'll come up with some excuse to drive to Walmart to get something. Mainly it's just to leave the house & actually walk around where there's other people (and to see that there still is that big bright ball in the sky).

It's funny, it's a side effect I guess I never thought of when I started the business, but it really does happen & I really can go a little stir-crazy if I don't get out once in a while.

In fact, Valerie get's out more than I do most of the time (she drives Emily to school, goes to aerobics, goes shopping, to the library, etc). I can be at home & not drive anywhere for weeks on end (it's amazing how long a tank of gas will last in my truck--major benefit!--It's well over a month if anyone's wondering).

I didn't realize how little I "get out" until I started tracking it one week. It was extremely little. Basically, church & a run to the corner store or Walmart or the post office every now & then. Yep. Pretty pathetic...

So, aside from all the great perks that come from working from home, my advice to anyone thinking of doing it is to be sure you schedule some time in there to get away from the house; your psyche will thank you for it!

-Graydon

Laurie's Measurements

Laurie went to the doctor for her one year checkup. She came in really well on length and head circ. but her weight was not so good. Since her last checkup three months ago she lost one ounce.

Height: 29.2 inches (73%)
Weight: 18.1 pounds (10%)
Head Circ: 18.1 Inches (75%)

So we are not able to face her forward in the van yet and we are under strict instruction to help her gain weight. Being allergic to milk won't make that easy.

She is doing great in all other areas. She can walk very well, crawl up and down stairs, but chooses not to, and I think she finally knows what Ma-Ma means. She loves to play with her siblings and fights with Josh. She is very vocal and lets you know when she is upset with a toy being taken as she screams and tries to get it back. She is so cute and still follows Daddy everywhere.

Welcome To The "Obama" era...the power has transferred...

I just finished watching the inauguration....

Regardless of what your political views are, you have to admit that in the US of A it's truly amazing to watch how peaceful the changing of the power is. It's somewhat of a miracle and a spectacle to behold...

In many countries, power is still shifted by riots, wars, killings, cover-ups, corruption, or other means to wield power over their fellow countrymen. Or in the case of a strip of land in the Middle East it's "Whoever can bomb the hell out of the other one the most"....ok, 'nuff said on that one...back to the US of A.

Anyway, it was awe inspiring to see just how peaceful the transfer of power here really is. Regardless of how any of us feel about the transfer or who sits in the oval office for a given period of time, the fact that every 4 years we collectively get to vote who sits there is just true democracy at it's greatest.

Someone put it well...in our country, politics are simple.
It's either we vote for "another 4 years of the same" or "throw the bums out & try something new". We just happen to be on the "try something new" cycle this time.

The funny thing is that for well over 200 years now, this system has been going on and for the most part all of the transferring of power from one president & part to the next has gone on fairly peacefully (I didn't go back & "Google search it", but I can't remember a time when there was a fight for the office besides the political campaigns fought for up to the election.)

Will this presidency do well? Who knows. They're up against some of the toughest times since Reagan and Roosevelt. They have some pretty big shoes to fill to live up to either of those presidencies and things just seem to be getting worse economically, politically, and internationally.

As with all things though, time will tell. Today is a celebration of democracy if nothing else and I'm happy to see that it's still working. Sure, there's a lot that's wrong with government, but as many have said and I echo, "I still wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the world. It's still the best out there."

I was amazed at how simple the oath of office was. Just a couple sentences and BAM! He's been sworn in. I kind of like it that way. Sure, there's a lot of Pomp & Circumstance that goes with the inauguration (I'd sure hate to have to try & get around Washington DC today or tomorrow), but for the most part, it was simple, to the point, and efficient.

Long live Democracy!

Graydon
Waxing patriotic today..

What Kind of Camera Do You Have?

I picked up a new Nikon D40 in November and I really don't like it.
It won't focus very well, the pictures have been really grainy, and it's not at all as good as my old Olympus C-5050 was....

The Nikon will be going up for sale soon.
I'm extremely UNIMPRESSED!

Here's why....

Now look at the bottles...see how softened they came out?
I tried 5000K CFL's, changed white balance, and a whole host of things.
I can't get that darn camera to shoot a sharp picture!

So....since you all seem to be posting such nice looking pictures, I figured I'd see what kind of camera you all have. And, if you want, tell me what you like or don't like about it.

I've been looking at:
1) Canon Rebel XSI DSLR
2) Canon SX10 IS
or some other Canon product
Leaning pretty heavily toward the SX10 IS because you can tether it to a computer on a tripod & control it (perfect for product photography for my business).

Soon to be saying goodbye to the Nikon!
-Graydon

Laurie's 1st Birthday

Our little Laurie is now 1 year old. I think the Ducky party was a lot of fun. The cake looked great, and with the help of her sister she blew out the candle without even trying. Laurie received mostly clothes and was very excited about it. She even tried to put them on.

The kids loved the pinata and enjoyed popping all the balloons before going home. Sorry I didn't get pictures of all the kids taking turns with the pinata or all the adults in attendance, but it was nice to have you there.

AAAAAHHHHH!!!

I had to post this picture. My brother-in-law, Tim, is deployed on a ship until July. They are now in the Persian gulf, just outside of Dubai. Tim got the chance to go ashore in Tailand and visited a local Zoo. Apparently they let you get very up close and personal with the animals. A ONE ARMED Zoo keeper encouraged Tim to sit, as shown, next to this tiger. If that wasn't scary enough, with out warning the man hit the tiger with a stick causing the shown reaction from both man and cat. This was not a posed face. Tim was TERRIFIED!!

MacLove!

Ok, so I admit it, I've become someone of a Mac nut!

These things are just soo dang cool!

Here's some of the cool stuff that I've done with it lately (besides typing this post with it too).


Christmas 2009
My sister, Michelle, now lives in SC and wasn't able to come home for Christmas.

It just so happens that her husband, Collin, also shares the "Mac Love" and has a MacBook.

So, because they work so well together, we just fired up a video chat & Michelle was able to be a part of the whole Blair Family Christmas Party at my folks.

HD Videos
A few months back I bought a Video Camera for my business.

The first thing I tried to do was import HD footage onto my PC, which is a really nice, top of the line Dell XPS w/ lots of RAM (it even glows!..seriously!) and, the darn thing kept crashing. Adobe Premier Elements just didn't like it...argh!

So, out came the Mac, popped in the Firewire cable, and iMovie picked it up on the first try and it's been Movie Lovin' ever since!

I can whip out a video so dang quick with iMovie! I love the thing!
Granted, they're promotional videos, but hey, that's what I got it for!
http://www.youtube.com/user/UtahBiodiesel

And, it's now become my "computer of choice" for browsing the web "after hours" from the business. Because the Mac hardly weighs anything, it's a breeze to haul around the house & "veg" on the net with. And, at night, I can sit on my bed & type on the thing without it digging into me or being overly weighty.

It Just Works!
One of the things I really like about it is that it just works....all the time!

When you shut the lid down, it goes right into "sleep mode". When you lift the lid up, it comes right out of sleep mode. It doesn't make you reboot the thing just to get it out of Hibernate or Stand By like my Dell does and it brings stuff up right where you left off....and it doesn't hang like it's been sleeping or something, it just works....and I love it!

So, if your up for a new laptop, you gotta give this thing a try.
Stop by a mac store & just play with one. They're a ton of fun!

And VM Ware w/ Windows works great! I can still fire up Windows for the stuff the Mac can't do and it's not a problem at all.

Anyway, if you haven't tried a Mac yet, give it a try....

-Graydon
Still lovin' his Mac!

What we've been up to lately

I haven't posted for a while, tag excluded. I have been working on several different things and haven't had the time or desire to blog. I have been working on two different books; a photo book for the year 2008 on winkflash.com, and now that they are having a sale I can order it, and a book about my mom. This one has been the most fun. It's almost done and when it is I would like to make it available to my family to print.

My third project will surprise anyone who really knows me. I have been trying to develope a habitual routine that will help me get more organized and keep my house clean. This has never been a strong point with me, but my sister told me about the Fly Lady and she has helped me to keep my house clean for almost two weeks now. The key to my success has been her 31 baby steps. She slowly works you into a routine over a month's time and gets you doing all the little things that are required to keep you organized and happy. I have only been doing it for a week and a half, but we are already seeing a difference. Graydon is delighted!! I'll keep you posted about my progress. You will never believe what her main instruction is...Shine your sink. She teaches you how to get your kitchen sink sparkling clean and then tells you to shine it every night before going to bed. I am now to the point where I can't go to sleep if my sink isn't shining.

Well, that is what I have been doing. Emily is anxious to get back to school, but that won't happen until th 20th. Josh is having trouble sleeping and burned his hand on the stove on Wednesday and Laurie is showing more signs of milk intolerance and cut two more teeth. Needless to say we have had some very whiney days...so here are a few pictures of the kids having fun on sunday night.

Tagged by Kris

I've been tagged, hope you like it.

1-Where did you meet your husband?
We met at a young single adult dance out at Saltair. I was working that night and my roommate convinced me to leave early and go. We met with a group of people from Weber State. My roommate's childhood friend was in that group and so was he. We really hit it off.

2- How long did you date before you got married?
We dated for two months and then got engaged, but our engagement was six months.

3- How long have you been married?
7 years 11 months.

4- What does he do that surprises you?
yes, every once in a while he will start dancing with me in the kitchen.

5- What is your favorite feature of his?
His smile. It was one of the first things I noticed about him.

6- What is his best quality?
He is very good with people, a hard worker, and he knows so much about a lot of different things.

7- Does he have a nickname for you?
Val

8- What is his favorite food?
PIZZA, but Carl's Jr. is a close second.

9- What is his favorite sport?
Can you believe that he doesn't have one? I thought for sure that every man was crazy about sports (my five brothers were), but I have only seen him watch limited NASCAR. I don't mind.

10- When and Where did you first kiss?
In his car after his quartet practice. He was such a gentleman, he waited until the fourth date.

11- What is your favorite thing to do as a couple?
Go to dinner without kids, but we also like to drive around and look at houses. We talk about what we like and what we don't like. We also watch youtube.

12- Do you have any children?
Yes! Emily is 5, Josh is 3, and Laurie will be a year in a week and a half.

13- Does he have any hidden talents?
He can really entertain children. He is so good at telling stories and singing songs in a way that they just love.

14- How old his he?
He can never remember, but he is 35.

15- Who said I Love You first?
He did, and he was patient while I became sure of my feelings before saying it myself.

16- What is his favorite music?
Country, Big Band, Jazz

17- What do you admire most about him?
He is a hard worker, his ability to plan ahead, and his tolerance of my shortcomings. He is very supportive of my projects. Also, he can fall asleep anytime anywhere no matter what is going on around him; he has fallen asleep on the kitchen floor after finishing his dinner one night.

18- What is his favorite color?
Blue

19- Will he read this?
Yes.

20- I tag eveyone who wants to.



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