Polling Answers

Well, I figure I better let you know what the true answers are to the recent polling questions that I have posted on the blog. The first question was: "Which Bear is Best?" The answer is: the Black Bear. If this question confused you, then you should join the rest of the civilized world and watch the Office. The next two questions were about mine and Jessica's favorite TV shows. Jessica's is of course The Office, and mine is Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. So there you have it. Be sure to answer the next questions, which will be about our favorite movies.

Happy Birthday Jessica and Chase!

We had my family over on sunday (all the locals) to have a little BBQ for Jessica and Chase's birthdays.  It was great to see everyone and to watch our little 2 bedroom apartment suddenly shrink with the addition of so many bodies. But it was great to have everyone over.  We miss Jared and Jake and their families but are glad we have this way to show them what is going on back west.  Happy Birthday Jess and Chase!

BYU vs Utah State

Last Friday night, I went up to Logan with father-in-law Kevin, my sister-in-law Melissa, and my two brothers-in-law Justin and Brandt for the BYU vs. Utah State.  It was a fun trip and my first "away game" experience.  Here is a video of one a Harvey Unga touchdown where he carries about 4 defenders into the enzone with him.

BYU vs UCLA

Well, last Saturday Tim and I went to the BYU vs UCLA football game. It's always fun to watch a good close game, but it's nice to have a blow out every once in a while.  The Cougars crushed the Bruins 59-0!  We have pretty good seats in the east bleachers.  They are pretty high up, only about 15 rows from the top, but the seats are about on the 40 yard line on the south side of the east bleachers, not a bad view.

September 11......Seven Years Later

I can hardly believe it's been seven years since the tragedy of September 11, 2001 that shook our nation.  I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing.... as does everyone.  That was a day where everyone's sense of security and safety was destroyed for a moment.  It's a moment when a lot of us learned that we have real enemies in this world.  Enemies who hate the freedoms that we have and take for granted.  Today I am especially grateful for the corpsmen, the pilots, the infantry, all those who put themselves in harms way to protect the freedoms that we enjoy.  I think the best way to sum it up is by quoting the 4th and not often sung verse of our nations anthem.  Yes this is the verse that the left wing nutjobs want taken out of our national anthem:

"And thus be it e'er, when free men shall stand

 between their loved homes, and the war's desolation

 Blessed with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land

 praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation;

 Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just

 and this be our motto: In God Is Our Trust,

 And the star spangled banner in triumph shall wave

 O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.

"Star Spangled Banner, verse 4." 

B.M.

Jessica's New Toy

As many of you know, Jessica loves to play the piano, and she has been wanting one for a long time.  We got a great deal on this one-year-old Hamilton (made by Baldwin) at a music store in Salt Lake.  Que la musique resonne!!

Chicago and Scandinavia Trip

This has been a really eventful summer, but things have calmed down quite a bit now that we're back from vacation and all moved into our apartment.  We had a great trip back in July, where we were able to spend the July 4th weekend in the Chicago area with Jared and Jake and their families.  We went to Lake Michigan, Taste of Chicago, Sears Tower, Six Flags, and watched fire works over Lake Michigan in Chicago, IL and in Kenosha, WI.  It was so great to see everybody.  

We then headed off to Sweden and Norway to spend some time with some of Jessica's family that lives there.  We spent some time in and around Stockholm, Sweden visiting Jessica's Grandma, and some of her aunts and uncles.  Then we went and spent several days at the family cabin near Trysil, Norway.  All in all we had a great trip and it was so nice to be reunited with family that we do

n't get to see very often.

Brady's New Toy

Well, we broke down and bought a motorcycle for Brady's commute from Pleasant Grove to Flex Tech to BYU. It gets about 60 miles to the gallon! It's a 2002 Honda Shadow 600, and Brady loves it!

Labor Day in Levan with the McMillans

We decided to take advantage of our day off of school and work on Labor Day.  So, we went down to Levan and went on a ride up Chicken Creek Canyon with Tim and Tracy.  It just so happens that it was the first cold, wet, windy day of the year, but we had a good time anyways. 

Peer Pressure

Well, I guess we'll finally give in to the peer pressure and start a blog. Lots of exciting stuff has been going on in our lives and I guess this is the best way to keep in contact with everyone.

We have recently moved to Pleasant Grove, and it is nice to be so much closer to work and school. For the last year we have been living down in Levan housesitting for Jess's grandparents. Jessica is just starting her fourth year of teaching kindergarten at American Leadership Academy, a charter school in Spanish Fork, Utah. Brady has been running a press at Flex Tech since we got married and is a junior at BYU studying manufacturing engineering. So, here we go...