It's been a long time...

It has been a long time since we have published to our blog.  Actually, we couldn't figure out how to get logged in for the longest time.  I had a few free moments at work today so I was browsing through some postings on Facebook.  I noticed that a cousin of mine had a blog. Not only had she kept it up, but it had some great tunes.  I felt guilty.  We had done such a great job for such long time only to let it sit on the Google server collecting dust.

Well, I will update it as asked by my mom this year.  I will put some great pictures on here. Of course I have updated the music.  No longer will you hear Josh Groban wailing Silent Night as he has been since 2009.  You will hear some of our new favorites and some old favorites.

We are New Yorkers now - not just New Yorkers, but Western New Yorkers.  We like our winters snowy, our Buffalo wings hot as hell, our hockey played hard, our summers humid, our friends close by and we welcome strangers with a warm "who the hell are you?" We didn't like it here when we first got here, but like a good beef on weck, it takes some getting used to. Not everybody likes a big salty roll with mountains of beef slices and enough horse radish to clean out the sinuses of the population within a 5 mile radius.  We welcome you for a visit.  Just remember, a visit for 4 days is 3 days too long.  : )

Watch for posts coming in the near future.

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Christmas in Heaven

Already wishing for Spring

I was going through some pictures I took in the summer and found these pictures. For my birthday last year, the boys had given me a bag of wildflower seeds. They helped me plant them and wow.. they turned out great. Lot's of Cosmo's, Aster's, Baby's Breath, Sweet William mixed with some great Coleus (one of my favorites). What a nice suprise to find these pictures on such a cold and blustery day.

Is there a Richard Simmons for Cats??

We bought this scratching post for Mercedes so she would leave our furniture alone. Whiskers has decided that it is his new orthopedic device. He lays on it night and day and it is always just like you see in the picture... only his top half. Believe it or not, he has actually lost weight since we got Mercedes - but "Fat Bastard" still has a ways to go.

#83

Austin had his first football game this past Friday. They played against Williamsville North. It was a good game, but Williamsville had a great team - the Lancaster Redskins got slaughtered 36- 6. Austin played a great game. He a great tight end and loves being on the receing end of the ball. It is really good to see him doing something he really loves. The dreams of being an NFL dad have already started dancing in my head. Just as long as he doesn't get drafted by the Buffalo Bills... The Seahawks would be a great pick. Tania just gives me that look that tells me all I need to know "Foosball players don't become doctors". Nothing wrong with dreaming... so I will keep the dream alive while I watch my little man play to his hearts content.

Japanese Beetle Extreme

My battle with the Japanese Beetle continues. Not only are they still chomping on everything in my yard, the smell of dead Japanese Beetles can only be compared to that of a rotting, decaying dead skunk. Not just a live skunk, but yes... a rotting, decaying dead skunk. Do not dump them into your garbage can... you will never get rid of the smell. Do not dump them into the gutter, the neighbors will walk by your house and give you strange looks as they are running away for fresh air. I am glad that my problem with the damned things are not nearly as bad as this guy has them!!

Habitat for Humanity

Last week I had the opportunity to work on a Habitat for Humanity project with several other Fisher-Pricer's in the north end of Buffalo. This has to be one of the poorest neighborhoods in Buffalo. The experience was incredible and humbling. We worked on siding for most of the day. The house was renovated instead of being built from scratch. The house really will be nice once it is completed sometime in September. I encourage anybody to get involved in a Habitat for Humanity project in your area. It is very rewarding knowing you are helping a family who truly deserves it. To find projects in your local area go to this link and type in your zipcode.

http://www.habitat.org/cd/local/

Datura or The Angel Trumpet

I have wanted one of these plants for years now. They are called Datura's or commonly known as Angel Trumpets. They are tough to grow from seed. I had a friend give me a bunch of the pods and I tried it. I got my first bloom tonight. Although they are not as spectacular as the Brugmansia variety, none the less - they are beautiful and smell incredible.

Under attack

Last year, we kept finding these really cool, metallic, shiny beetles floating in the pool. Before too long, I noticed that the ornamental plumb tree next to the pool was infested, within a week, there was not a leaf left on the tree. I found out later that these critters are the notorious Japanese Beetle - or commonly known in this part of the country as the Jitter Bug. I would gladly trade the slugs we had in Washington for these nasty bugs. I have never seen such destruction. It looks as if we are under attack again this year. Our shrubs and my flowers WERE swarming with them. I purchased the bug bags that attract them by using floral scent and pheromones (they think they are going to get a little action). In reality, they fall into the bag and suffocate. The bad thing is, you have to clean the bags out each day or the scent of dead Jitter Bugs will deter new ones from the trap. The pictures below are from 3 bags, in one, single, day... The boys want to collect them all summer and count how many we caught. Tania is not thrilled to say the least by the "India Bees" (she isn't too good with insect names).

Whiskers has a baby sister

Meet Mercedes. She is the newest addition to our family. She really is cute and has more energy than she needs. She does love to snuggle though. Brendon named her Mercedes. This was after several name revisions, including - Menush, Giblets, Sydney and Madeline. I liked Giblets the best, but Tania would not let me name the cat after chicken guts. The bows were Tania's idea... I think she is finally happy to have another girl in the house.

Engrish

Working in an international environment allows me to see and hear some pretty funny things. I was sent a link to a site that has had me laughing for most of the day. I hate to make fun of other's attempts at English... but these are just too good. I know Fisher-Price had some problems with lead paint, but we have moved beyond that now. We now include infections in our toys!! Enjoy!

St Louis

I recently got to take a trip to St Louis for a localization conference. It was my first time in St Louis, and I was impressed. For the most part, it is a pretty clean city with some beautiful gardens and fountains everywhere. The conference was held on the campus of St Louis Univervisty, which has to be one of the most beautiful campuses I have ever seen. I did got to the top of the Arch. The creep factor was pretty high. To get to the top, you climb into a little tiny pod with 5 other people and go to the top. It is part elevator, part carnival ride. The view was spectacular. The Mississippi River flows through the north end of the city, when I got there on Sunday night, the water level was still easily 20 feet away from the stop sign you see below.

If you don't get better grades...

My dad always warned me about not getting good grades and having to pick-up garbage of the side of the road. I thought I would pass this lesson to Austin (who by the way is getting great grades). Our Branch has an "Adopt A Highway" in Lancaster. Each quarter they clean the 2 mile stretch of road leading outside the village. Yes, it was gross. Yes, it was smelly. Did we have a good time? YES!

Junior Player Development

Austin has been very fortunate to be part of a 12 session football camp sponsered by the NFL and the Buffalo Bills. The following is taken from the NFL-JPD site.

The NFL JPD program, developed in 1998, as an instructional football camp for children age 12-14 in underserved communities. The program provides step-by-step instruction for every position on both offense and defense in a fun and engaging atmosphere. It also serves as a feeder system for high school football programs that may not have organized football in nearby junior high schools. JPD integrates on-field skills development with life skills and character development. As youngsters plan for future high school interscholastic activities, participants receive instruction from NFL-selected high school coaches, as well as counseling that focuses around a variety of life skills, such as responsibility, goal-setting, sportsmanship, self-control, smart moves, and teamwork. Each life skill addressed through the context of football allows coaches to make the connection between life skills as they are applied on the field, in school, at home and in the community.

Austin loved every minute of it and cannot wait to play on the Lancaster Middle School modified team this Fall. He makes a pretty good tight end!

Tin Grin

Most people think of Austin as that two year old kid that was a terror on two legs. There were some amazing temper tantrums, destruction of property and over all revenge on his dad for the things he did (if any of you tell him you will be sorry!).

But - in reality - Austin is a teen now. 13 years old! He is a fun loving kid who loves sports, still loves to draw and illustrate (and don't tell his Mom - has already driven a car in school parking lot). We love Austin to death, even if he can pick-up Russian radio stations with his mouth now.

Finally

The warm weather seems to finally have hit Buffalo. It was well over 90 degrees today. Of course with that warm weather comes the humidity. Last night I participated in the Chase Corporate Challenge - Buffalo. It was a 3.5 mile race through downtown Buffalo. I have not ran that distance in awhile and I felt every step. My time was not all that bad really, 37.08 minutes. There were definately faster, but I was proud I did not leave the race on a stretcher as Tania thought I might. Not too soon after the race ended - the clouds decided to give us a little shower. It was the heaviest down pour of rain I have ever seen. The lightening was striking everywhere and of course we were in a very wooded part of Buffalo. So - I stood in the monsoon vs. getting very charred. Good memories were had by all.

With the warm weather comes the time that I open the pool. The boys have been bugging me for weeks to open it. I relented and opened it on Memorial Day - but it was only 67 degrees outside. The boys jumped in and jumped right out. Today was a different story, they have been in the pool since the got home from school.

And what goes best with hot weather?? Well FROG EYE SALAD of course. After months of talking about it, I finally made big ol' batch of the heavenly treat for a friend of ours that is coming to dinner tomorrow. I am out to convert the world to the King of Mormon Salads!! I think I was missing my Mom just a bit too and making something that she knows I love helps bring her a bit closer to the heart.

Doesn't get much prettier

Spring is one of my favorite times of year. Everything comes alive in the spring. I can finally start digging in the dirt instead of shoveling pile after pile of snow. After such a rough first winter here in Buffalo, it would be hard to deny the existence of God when there is so much beauty all around us. Some would see this picture as a nice rainbow and some pretty white flowers on a tree. I see this as God loves us enough to create something so spectacular as a rainbow that arcs in the sky to create wonder and awe. I see the flowers on the tree as His promise to us that we too can be reborn.

Giant Water Bug "Toe Biter"

I was walking back from lunch today and saw one of the biggest bugs I have ever seen in my life. Naturally I had to bring it back to my office to ask people what it was (of course I knew it would scare the daylights out of people... that's part of the fun).

Nobody seemed to know what it was. I did a quick search and found out that it is called the "Giant Water Bug" or "Toe Biter" sometimes it is even referred to as a "Water Scorpion". Apparently they can deliver one of the most painful bites of any insect. I had no idea of this when I picked it up with my bare hands.

Burt is now living in a plastic container on my desk (at least until it is time to go home). Below is some of the info I found online.

The Giant Water Bug is one of the largest insects in the U.S. and Canada. Giant water bugs are approximately 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) in length. Some species grow as long as 4 inches (10 cm). Because it often turns up under street lights and porch lights, it is also one of the most asked about insects. It is commonly mistaken for a beetle or even a cockroach. Alternate names include toe biter because they can deliver a nasty bite, and electric light bug because they are attracted to lights.

Their bite is considered one of the most painful that can be inflicted by any insect, the longer the bug is allowed to inject its saliva, the worse the resulting bite, and as the saliva liquefies muscle tissue, it can in rare instances do permanent damage. Adults cannot breathe under water, and must surface periodically for air. Occasionally when encountered by a larger predator, such as a human, they have been known to "play dead" and emit a fluid from their anus. Due to this they are assumed dead by humans and others species only to later "come alive" with painful results.

Happy Birthday Whiskers

Our cat, Whiskers celebrated his 3rd birthday last month. Pierce had a full blown party for him with cake and party favors. You have to admit, he is pretty cute!

Even the ducks can't wait for Summer

I looked outside the other day and saw something out of the ordinary. We had 2 ducks taking a dip in our pool. The ice has finally melted leaving a big puddle of water on top of the pool cover. Even the ducks can't wait for Summer to come...

Hiking with the Scouts

Today we experienced a true Spring day. Since the kids are all on Spring Break, we rounded up all the Scouts from the branch and headed out to Bennington, New York for a bit of hiking and advancement requirments. Bennington is a beautiful area East of Buffalo. It is very rural with some of the oldest still growing apple orchards on the East Coast. The boys hiked along Cayuga Creek, learned how to start fires with flint and steel and cooked their lunch wrapped in foil on the fires they started. Since Tania is at school and I couldn't leave Pierce and Brendon behind, they tagged along and had a great time.