Watering the snow

Four inches of snow on the ground this morning and well I should probably winterize my sprinkler system. So far I've got the control panel set to OFF and I've quarter turned the main sprinkler shutoff valve to OFF as well. So I've got questions on the next two steps.

Setting the back flow things to the correct winter position is the first part that I'm not sure about. I'm going to turn the big arm thing (1. in picture) 45 degrees clockwise and try to do the same with the other one (2. in picture) that is all busted up.

I'm not sure how to tell when or if the little valves (3. in picture) are in the right winter position. Any ideas?

Do you see anything that I might be missing or that I am doing wrong?

Setting the valves to the right winter position is the next step. Here I've seen instructions stating to turn the bleed screw counter-clockwise to flush the valve. I've also read that the solenoid needs to be in the open position in winter. Should I do both A and C or just A or just C?

Also do I need to open the solenoid and sponge out any water?

Lastly if you would like to make mention of any other steps that I didn't mention that you think I should complete. Should I insulate the main shut off valve and the control boxes? Thanks!

Silver Lake

So this was back on August 22nd but some great pics of the girls on our walk about the lake.

Corpus Christi

Some photos including a great one of Pearl.

Bu Bye Spring Summer share

I should have posted this yesterday for the Ascension.

News at 11

Pearl can walk! She was so excited (okay so were we) about it that she wore herself out going to the kitchen and back. I don’t know what the over under was but start collecting or paying up.

Half biblical

We were sick for what seemed like the month of October.
I think that we're coming out if it now.

Rainy days and Mondays

It rained the other day. About time.

Suzy played and Pearl watched.

Defa's Dude Ranch

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We left for a one night camping (cabining) adventure in Ashley National Forest. Very nice time but Suzy was not into sleeping in the strange cabin unlike Pearl.

Suzy also isn't a big fan of marshmellow and grass hands.

We're back

Back by popular demand our little Irish twins Suzy and Pearl.
Man they are so cute! So we're not really back. We didn't go anywhere (Bear Lake). It's just that well it is a Saturday morning and since it is already 113 degrees outside I thought I'd find an excuse to sit near the air-conditioning. Becky is reading over my shoulder right now so I'll have to wait until later to tell you what I really wanted to say. Until then...

Santa Catalina Island

So we've been on vacation a bit from any blog posting. Becky and I have been on the Channel Islands. Not the whole time, just a couple of days but as you can see it has had a real effect on the frequency of blog posts. It's too hot to post. Maybe when we get back from Bear Lake. It's not like I don't have thousand of pictures of the girls but the time, the time.


Don't you feel like you should get a refund? Two months of no posting and when I finally do it isn't even one of Suzy and Pearl!

Sugarhouse Park

Has another month gone by already!? Well we did make it to the park...

Park yuck!

Hey All :)

Ok, ok..Don’t feel bad I haven’t told you yet that SUZY BROKE HER ARM! Don’t worry she is doing great and feeling wild as ever. She actually broke her arm on Mon. but I didn’t take her in until Weds. (don’t call DCFS yet…the dr. said most people come in a week later) Here is the full story of why we hate the park…

Monday afternoon Suzy was going crazy and wanted to go play outside. I loaded Pearl in the stroller and Suzy on my shoulders because we haven’t picked out our double stroller yet. Even though the school is next door I was definitely “feeling the burn” and sweating trying to keep a 17 month old balanced with one hand and pushing a 45 lbs stroller with the other….and no she didn’t fall off my shoulders and break her arm. Wheeew, we finally got to the playground and were ready to play! Slide first of course, so as I waited at the bottom for Suzy, I wiped the water puddle off that had accumulated at the bottom. “Wait a sec”… I thought, “it hasn’t rained….” Sure enough, I smelled my hand and that is right it wasn’t water it was PEE! I know what you are asking yourselves, I asked myself as well. “WHO’S PEE IS IT?!” Kid pee? Dog pee? Teenager pee? All good questions but I was not sticking around to find out, we were out of there. One walk over the bridge back to the stroller and we were on our , I was holding Suzy’s left hand and she started to slip face first on the bridge incline. I tried to hold her up but she still fell and hit her head and caught herself with her right hand. She cried for a minute as I assessed the bump on her head. She held her arm and I looked it over and felt for any broken bones but it seemed okay. I gave her some Tylenol and she seemed great. She only cried once on Thurs when she fell out of her rocker onto her arm (she is 17 months so she falls a lot) but kids are tough so I still thought maybe she had sprained her wrist and it was still sore. Fri she fell again and held her arm so in to the Dr. we went.

It is a compressed break on her right arm (right above her wrist). They used to cast these breaks a few years ago but figured they heal just as fast in a splint. So try to get a toddler to 1. wear a splint and 2. keep it on. It is pretty much just as likely for them to start doing their own dishes, it just isn’t going to happen. So she is cast and splint free and feeling great. You get more sympathy when you have a cast but she would be miserable and feels great without it! You would never know her arm is broken unless we told you.

Sorry about the late news, she really is feeling and doing great! We love you all!

Becky :)

Drowsiness is Red Alert!

If you are driving and you start to feel drowsy, get off the road. A quick nap may be all you need. Drowsiness is Red Alert is a phrase coined my William C. Dement Phd., M.D.

Oh the weather outside...

Suzy and Mom clear the snow while Pearl and Dad stay inside, where it's warm.

Immaculate delivery

Pearl is born!

One Year Party

So I've two birthdays to report and I'm going to start with the one I missed posting on in October. Suzy had her first birthday party at our house to celebrate the age of one. I think that she loved almost as much as the rest of us.












Some much fun that it even carried over into the next day...

Lagoon Day

Visit to Abbey of Our Lady of The Holy Trinity

It's in Huntsville Utah.
It has the best honey and even better monks.

It also has Father Patrick.
Thank God for men like Father Patrick.

Timeshare time at Snowbird

I've been away from the blogging for a couple of months, update time! We stayed over at Snowbird in August and Suzy got to get in some pool time. She loves the water.

Lake of the BEAR!

Every year in July we go to Bear Lake. This year was the first for Suzy to get to spash around in the water.

No sun for little Sue without a thick layer of sun block first.

Little sister

We've know for some months that Suzy was a big sister. What we just found out was that Suzy's has a little sister. Right now she's living the easy life at Motel Mother. She is doing great with a due date in early December. No names as of yet. Any ideas?

We had some shots where you could see more of her but I liked her foot photo the best.

Why sleep when you can stand?

Suzy has learned to sit, scoot, crawl and stand. All of which are much more fun then sleeping.

Scout Jamboree

Suzy makes use of the crafts booth with the greatest of moms, Becky. Yes folks I am one very luck man.

Notice the last shot where Suzy takes control of the situation with Lanie.

The lower picture shows what cousin Caden was up to at his booth - Tikki place mats in offical scout colors. Suzy seemed to enjoy their taste as well.

Tea and crumpets with marmalade

As you can see Suzy is a big fan of tea time. Thanks to cousin Gabby she can have a tea party any time that she wants. Some people might think it uncouth to have tea on tile but I say nay, nay I say.

Grandpa time

This picture is just cute. Its our own Suebear with Grandpa Dick. I was thinking we could start a caption contest with the pictures. Yeah, I know so original.

For this one how about "Grandpa, hold me up to the camera."

OK so it's early in the morning and I'm not feeling very funny ha ha.

Any given day

First comes play time.









Then comes sleep time.

No bike equals more time for my creative side

Now that I'm no longer on the bike one might ask if I've got a little to much free time. I keep busy enough. I know, I know what does this have to do with little Suzy? Well she and Mom are on the audio portion of the video enjoying the show so...

Spring time in the front yard

OK so Summer is almost here as well but I had to get some pictures out of Suzy from April. It has been a month since the last post so I've got some work to do. Suzy is a big fan of outsides.

My cousin's cousin cousin's cousin

Suzy got a visit from Dale and Dorothy. They are our local connection to everyone back east and live just two hours south of us. Dorothy is my Dad's cousin and my sister's Godmother. These two are the cutest couple and very sweet for taking some time before their drive home to visit. As Becky would say - We love you guys!

Stewart Rebecca

We have a cat. If Suzy hadn't come along this would be his blog.

Suzy has a play date

Haddie stopped by for a visit. Her and Suzy as just about a week apart. Can you tell which one is the older? Mom is pretty excited about holding two babies at once. Suzy is one lucky daughter to have a mom like our Becky.

Green Bay Represent

Suzy has a wonderful wardrobe and smells great after a bath thanks to the shower that was thrown for her via mail. Many great gifts from the family back (mid)east. Suzy just has one question, when are the Packers going to get Brett some receiver support?

Suzy [snake] Charmer

We found a snake in our yard. A snake in our yard in January. Suzy's not afraid.

(Grandma Alert: Toy snake bought at store, put the phone down.)

Suzy is also a dad and mom charmer.

"Do you want a pony?"