Gravity Slashers

Brian had a birthday earlier this month (Happy Belated Birthday Bri - I love ya!), and my brothers gave him tickets to an upcoming Motocross competition, aka Gravity Slashers. We made a night of it by first taking the kiddos to dinner at the Spaghetti Factory and then we headed to the Energy Solutions Arena.

I think the most entertaining part of the night was watching Trent "head bang" to the beat of the (very loud) music. I haven't ever seen him do it, probably because I don't normally listen to heavy metal :o) We got a kick out of it and so did the folks in the row behind us, and I really wish I had been able to capture it on video. Sorry, no video recorders allowed. But, Brian did snap a few photos of the daredevils on their bikes (and one on a snow mobile) and their crazy stunts.

It was fun to watch, but I couldn't help but wonder what their mothers think of their career choice. I really hope Trent doesn't go down that path!

Just To Be Clear

Yes, we had our ultrasound today.

No, we did not find out the sex of the baby. Never have, never will.

Yes, Ashlyn is 100% certain, without a doubt, that the baby is a girl.

No, we haven't decided on any names.

Yes, Ashlyn has decided on a name for us, "Marshmallow Heart"- inspired by these:


No, I don't think we are going to go with that choice...maybe if we lived in Hollywood.

Yes, we showed the ultrasound pictures to our kids. Ashlyn's response? "She is so ugly!" "Is she going to be black and white?"

No, the baby won't be black and white, although I can see how the picture is deceiving.

Yes, the baby is healthy, and that is all that really matters.

A Good Read

I finished "Henry" tonight and had a good cry. The final chapter brought back a flood of memories. After finishing, I wished I could have given my Grandpa a call to have a good long talk about his life, his inventions, his unwavering faith. There are so many things I would talk to him about, so many questions I'd ask, so many things I'd say. He was a such an interesting/colorful person and he chose a very fascinating lifestyle, a hard lifestyle. But for me, I only saw my Grandpa as a happy, fun-loving person who always had a smile on his face and who laughed often.

I knew "Henry" had a hard life and I grew up listening to stories of my Dad's childhood. But even though they struggled financially, my Dad's recollections always had a positive spin and he told his stories as we sat around the dinner table with a smile on his face. I guess I didn't really understand (and I probably will never fully understand) how hard my Grandpa's life was until I read this book. And knowing more fully all that he went through, I am even more amazed that I only knew my grandpa as a happy guy.

When I was 14, I had the lucky opportunity to spend a month with my grandparents in Montana. I didn't get to spend a lot of one-on-one time with Grandpa but I do have many fond memories of that summer and of him. The only time I spent in his shop was when he took me down there to "cut out" a sliver in my hand - I still have a small scar on my palm. I also experienced a little "blood shed" playing the hand-slap game with him when one of his finger nails cut the top of my hand. Good times.

Even though my Grandpa, by modern standards, lived in poverty for the majority of his life and did not have success in business, he was successful in so many other ways. He left a great legacy and I am so proud to be a member of the Lifferth family.

I have told Brian many times that I wish he could have met him. They could have talked "guns", and Grandpa probably would have gotten a kick out of the fact that Brian shot himself in the knee!

I am so very excited for others to read "Henry" and I highly recommend it. Two thumbs up! Five stars! Way to go Dad, you are amazing. Thank you for your years of research and writing to preserve the life and memory of this very unique man. I miss him.

Well...

we are officially under contract for the purchase of our 2nd home. You'd think I would be ecstatic, but Brian and I both have mixed feelings. Don't get me wrong, I am happy knowing that we will be in our own place in a few months, but I guess it's just not quite what we were expecting to buy. And, you know how people say that as soon as they walked into a home they "just knew"? Well, I didn't get that and Brian didn't either.

Man, this is starting to sound terrible.

But then we walked through a second time, after we had given it some thought and we both felt better about it. Part of the problem is that when we sold our first home, our dreams for our next home were slightly unrealistic. This isn't our dream home, but it is the next leg of our journey. It is what we can afford - we won't be house-poor. It is big enough for our small but growing family. In fact, it is almost twice as big as our first home. And it will be our home once the granny decor is gone and I can put in my own personal touches. Just give me some paint, carpet and a few other upgrades (as much as our savings will allow) and it will be ours. And I will love it.

Once I told Ashlyn the news, she was a little hesitant until I told her we would still be close to Grandmom's house and we would paint her new room blue - her favorite color. She even gave Brian and I a Chuck E. Cheese coin to help pay for the new house :o)