Anyone up for a trip?

SO just thought I would throw it out there - I think we will try and do a trip to Yellowstone trip sometime this summer (2011) . I am thinking maybe a long weekend with a night or two at Colter Bay Cabins. Let me know if it is something that you think you would want to do this as a group. Not a big deal if no one wants to do it. I am thinking maybe in August, but nothing set in stone

Another Hunting Entry - ELK HUNT

Well not much to report - just went on an elk hunt this weekend and got back this afternoon. Had a good time, went with my buddy from work and his 2 kids, another buddy of his and his father-in-law. We went to an area east of Strawberry Res. about 2 hours from SLC. We were an dirt roads for about 45 minutes. We had to drive through 2 ponds that had water about 2-3 feet of water and slid around in the mud, but made it there safely. Woke up early and rode 4 wheelers to the area were were going to hunt and then walked down and up the valley where we were going to hunt. It was a though hike. The weather was cold, but nice. The three pictures are what I looked at for a day and a half looking for elk to shoot. This was a spike hunt which means you can only shoot bull elk that there antlers have not forked yet. I only saw one that I could have shot, but he was moving really fast, and by the time and put a scope on him he was in the trees. I did see a few cow elks and a big bull elk, but couldn't shoot them. All in all it was a cold fun weekend - can't wait to do it again. Anyways with that much spare time I did some carving. I know it's not nice and destructive, but I've always wanted to do that in an aspen tree.

Just an update of Landon, last weekend he had an urinary tract infection, which is not supposed to really happen with boys - a few years ago he had issues with this and they ran some test, x-rays, ultrasounds, etc. Anyways he has an apt, with a urologist on Tues. to make sure everything is OK, but the antibiotics kicked in and his pee-tail is doing better. He told Nicole this morning that "it doesn't feel like there is a needle in my pee-pee when I go to the bathroom anymore"

DUCK!!!!

Well the duck season is here in Utah. Saturday was the opener and me and a guy from work went out with 400-500 hundred other nutheads for the opener. It was a good time. There was a lot of ducks flying and they started a half hour early this year, so we had a lot of chances to shoot ducks. We probably shot 10-12 ducks and went through 2 boxes of shells. There was some guys shooting close to us and they winged a couple that we finished off. After we searched for a while in the 10 ft. weeds, we ended up finding 4 of the ducks. It was a fun few hours. Hopefully I will be able to get out a few times in the morning before work and get some more. We will see how that goes. this weekend I am going on an elk hunt with a buddy, so we will see how that goes.

We had a good conference weekend and watched most of conference. We had yummy stuffed french toast instead of postum cake.

Things seem to be going good with our baby. Nicole has an apt. on Weds. to see how things are going, but so far, things are good. We are still working on names - any suggestions?

The boys are doing really good in school and love to come home and ride their bikes around the neighborhood. Afton misses the boys when they are not home, but seems to find trouble to get in most days.

G and an O, O and a D, T and an I with a M and an E"

So Landon had his first pinewood derby on Saturday. Other than the guy that they brought in to run it was a grandson of Adolf Hitler, we had a good time - I guess the guy that ran it has reasons, he was a little strict. there was about 12-14 cars, Landon ran pretty good and ended up in the finals and overall ended up in 5th place. We had a fun time cheering him on. Carter was a little green with envy and can't wait till he is old enough. Landon woke up Saturday morning at 6:30 as I was getting ready for work and the first thing he said was "Dad what time is the race today?"

Fall is in the air in Utah and the trees in the Mtns are starting to turn all kinds of pretty colors - for those stuck in an area where they don't have 4 seasons (Texas) you are welcome to see a pretty fall any time in the next few weeks. If you live somewhere where there are 4 seasons (Minnesota) come see where they are prettier in the mountains.

That's about the only news from around here. Baby seems to be getting bigger and healthier, Afton seems to keep finding trouble to get into with the boys at school, and the boys are doing great in school. Hunting season is around the corner and am getting excited about that, hopefully it will be productive.

Been a while

This is Dad answering the question "Are we doing this again next year?"

Well its been a while since I put anything up - mostly because Nicole does a better job of telling whats going on with our family. We got our family reunion pictures and had a blast looking at those and reliving those days. It seems like every week there is a point where one of the boys will start talking about one of the things that we did.
So this weekend was the scrapbook convention and so I got to hang out with the kids. On Saturday morning there was a youth water fowl hunting expo at Farmington Bay put on by the Delta Waterfowl Association. It was all morning and when you got there you registered for a drawing at the end of the event and they gave every kid a duck call, and then there were classes on how to use the duck call, air boat rides, booths on retriever dogs, etc. At one point I noticed that the reed in Afton's duck call was taped down, so I took it to the main table and told them. They told me to take it to the guy that was teaching the duck calling class, and he took it apart and said Oh this is a special one and took the tape off that had a slip of paper and said you just one a duck call that's worth about $100.00. This call is one that is used by callers in competitions. Anyways the kids had a good time and they got a couple of decoys and a call out of the gig. I took the kids to entertain them, but I also went as a rookie to the sport trying to learn some things myself.

It was fun to go to the Dr.s and see that we are having another boy. I am excited about that and so now it's waiting until January until he gets here. Any suggestions on names?

That's about the only thing I have to share right now, maybe in a few weeks I'll have some more news depending on how the hunts go, but for now, that's about it.

Howdy

I am getting excited about getting together with everyone in a few weeks. Things have been going pretty good for us. We have been busy with all kinds of odds and ends and trying to stay cool as we are starting to get into summer in the desert. The other night I took the canoe out by myself and went to a little reservoir about 1 1/2 hours away. I did some fishing it was really relaxing and just what I needed after doing a few projects around the house last weekend. I have been building the kids a fort in the backyard - nothing like Michael has made or like what we had in our yard, but it has been a project. Anyways the other night after working pretty hard Carter came up and said "Dad when I get to be as big as you I hope my kids never ask me to build a fort because it is hard work and I don't want to do it." Anyways it was sort of funny. I will try and get a picture of it in a little bit. I don't know if it has been in the news or if you will see it in the church news but FYI Arnold Friberg died. I was talking to one of the guys at work today and i said - just imagine - he is up there saying "Wow Nephi - I was way off you are a scrawny little guy - and Moroni - you don't look like Arnold Schwarzenegger on steroids" Or maybe just the opposite Anyways I thought it was sort of funny.

Blasst from the past

So today we pulled up to church (we have been going to a new building for a few weeks with a new sister ward) and there was a brother teaching his primary class outside on some steps. I told Nicole that looked like Jeremy Barton. I got out of the car and he looked at me and said "Brandon?" - sure enough it was Jeremy Barton. He lives 5 or 6 streets away from me and so we are going to try and get together. As if that wasn't enough - he said "Oh you won't believe this, but Robbie Franklin just moved into our ward and I just saw him today. Sure enough taking Afton to change her diaper during sacrament meeting I run into Robbie in the hall and they just moved into a house right by Carter's school. Sort of crazy.

I was talking to mom tonight and you know I am still amazed at knowing Jeremy's history and past that he is now active in the church and doing good. I know that over the years several of our family members have been involved in the Barton family - from taking Jeremy's brothers to scouts and other church activities, and and having Jeremy at scout camp, etc or dating his cousin. Anyways just amazing that he is now totally active in the church and all of the time that was spent with their family paid off. Sort of neat.

Anyways we are getting excited with the talk about the family reunion and it is going to be good to be together.