Tee Shirt

Should I buy this tee shirt for Isaac...??

Please comment...

Downtown Pittsburgh

Amy took a bunch of great pictures of downtown Pittsburgh, PA this weekend:

There are some neat buildings.

Our First NHL Game

So being in Pittsburgh for the weekend we wanted to do something fun out side of the ice skating competition. We figured out that there was both a Pirates and a Penguins game on Saturday night. Well, with Isaac getting into hockey that was a obvious choice. Trouble was the Penguins are so generous that they gave all 18,000 seats to the local kids hockey clubs for free. No tickets were sold. So.... We check the ticket exchanges, nope, none. We checked eBay, found only one pair. We checked CraigsList, found several folks trying to sell pairs of free tickets for $50 to $100 each, but couldn't find 4. We decided to try to get scalped onsite and drove down to the Consol Center telling the kids the whole way, "There is no grantee that we will get it, we will be luck if we can find some tickets." Amy did laps around the building for 20 minutes looking for anyone selling. None. We were about to give up when she texted me, "Yes". We found her talking to a group guys near one of then entrances. She only had $120 cash, but I didn't want to volunteer more to the guys. Turns out... he gave us 4 tickets for free. He was one of the coaches from the Wheeling, WV program and had handed out 180 tickets. Score for us. And, they were great seats, about 13 to 14 rows off the glass near the goal where the Pens shot twice. How lucky are we...!!!!???

Amy had the camera and took some sweet shots. This one has the Penguins star Sidney Crosby (#87) and the Blue Jackets star Rick Nash (#61). Good picture babe.
There's Isaac and I enjoying the game...Lexy had a bunch of fun, she is showing off her freebie towel that we all got. Her's went into her Zuca so she can use it to wipe off her skates.

Penguins won 3-1, great for the home team. Isaac is definitely and Penguins fan now and his favorite player is Kris Letang (#58) who spent 15:00 minutes in the penalty box for fighting.

Pittsburgh Figure Skating

Lexy skated in Pittsburgh, PA today at their competition. She did quite well. She got first place, out of one. We do it for the experience and character building, and she loves to skate. She skated to the Little Mermaid's Under the Sea. If I can get the video loaded up I'll post it.

Here she is on the podium. Lexy and Ms Mischa after she skated.
Lexy and her flowers just as she came off the ice.

Lexy got a new jacket with a skating bunny, super cute.

Fire

The kids had soooo much fun playing Dragon Ball Avitar PokEman at Grandma Becky's house. Those fighting cartoons are all the same. They ran around in the dark on the grass, jumped off of the retaining wall, and fought each other for over an hour. This rock was where they would go to get more power levels... The pictures are pretty cool over the fire.

Family Tree

We had dinner at the Family Tree Restaurant in Santaquin, UT with my day on the Sunday before we came home. Kind of funny, family tree picture in front of the the Family Tree. I think that Isaac's eyes are close because he is sleeping after eating soooo much salmon and giant scones with honey butter.

Amy sent me this picture with the caption of 'So Cute', she is right.

Southwest Gets It

So, on our trip to Utah we flew, of course, takes to long to drive it. Amy spent a while trying to find the best deal for flying the next day. She found that Southwest would be the best. I don't like lining up to fight for seats by each other, but we went with them anyway. We lucked out on the young kids deal and loaded after the first 50 or so people were on each of the 4 legs of the out and back trip.

So, Southwest Airlines gets it. Bags fly for free, change of plans is free, people were nice at the ticket counter, and they have charging stations in the concourse. All things that the other airlines SUCK at.

• Bags fly free must have saved us $300 on the trip.
• Amy accidentally scheduled us to come back Sunday and Monday was cheaper. Right after she booked online she got the email and realized her mistake. She called them right away and they changed the flights and refunded the extra couple of hundred dollars.
• People being nice and the ticket counter? Unheard of, but they were. Strange at the airport.
• CHARGING STATIONS...!!! It seems like most places have the wall outlets turned off so people can't charge phones, computers, mp3 players, etc. Look at the pictures below, what an amazing set up. Plenty of places to plug in both 110v and USB, and boy where they getting used.
  

There is Amy, Isaac, and Lexy on the comfy chairs in the back, but look at how nice the little counter is with both 110v and USB outlets.

Southwest Airlines gets it...!!!

Charleston Distance Run Photos

I finally found a few pictures of us running during the Charleston Distance Run. Buying them is a little spendy. So, I can live with them reposted with the copyright on the photo.

Isaac signed up for the 5k Walk, but once he saw the finish line he wanted to run the end of the course. He looks pretty good run there. This first one I have shown twice because it shows up twice on there site. I walked the end of the course with Amy and Isaac. I took the stroller from Amy and push Lexy for the last half mile or so.

Here is my tubby a$$ running at the finish line. Yes, I do look spent in the photo, cause I was spent. But I gotta keep running. I am more tired of being fat than I am of running.

Lexy's Birthday Party

Lexy had to cancel her birthday party here in West Virginia when we went to Utah for Granny's Funeral. She is soooo lucky that her Mommy could through together a party for her in Payson. She had her cousins Kamry, Sarah and Adrie, new cousins Zoey and Shandra, and a friend Bailey that all came to Lexy's Barbie party. Amy sure made a nice cake, I helped a little.

More fun to follow.

We're Back

We are back to West Virginia.

A week in Utah and my desk is a mess. My email inbox is overflowing and all of my voicemails are full. I HATE the day after a week of being gone. Now I need to find the motivation to jump into the pile.

I have a ton of pictures to get up here. I just gotta wait and post them from home in the evening.

My toes.. Aaaa.. Amy's Toes

Amy went to have her toes done with her best friend growing up, Lori. They had a lot of fun. Amy got silly and wanted to do someting fun from me, Haha... Look....

Pretty cool... Thanks Babe and GO BRONCO's...!!!

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More Granny

I stole this from the news paper...

Betty Jean Christensen "Granny"

1932 ~ 2010

Our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, sister, and friend, Betty Jean Peterson Christensen passed away Friday, September 10th surrounded by her family and friends. Affectionately known as "Granny" to all those who were fortunate enough to know her and be touched by her love and friendship, she leaves behind a rich posterity which includes 9 living children, 46 grandchildren, 45 great-grandchildren and her first great-great grand-daughter who was born just days before her passing.

Betty was born on August 26, 1932 in Salt Lake City to Lorenzo Stowell and Ida Mae Turley Peterson. She married Grant A Christensen on March 16, 1951 in the Manti Temple. He died on December 19, 1964. She has one living sister, Deloise (Norm) Lamb of Caldwell, Idaho. Her surviving children include Jean (John) Burkart of Highland, MI, Grant (Brenda) Christensen, Russell (Joyce) Christensen, Gloria (Rick) Young, all of Payson, Kathy (Milt) Daley, Manteca, CA, Joe (Laura) Christensen, Santaquin, Gordon (Griselle) Christensen, Vicenza, Italy, Evan (Raelyn) Christensen, Salina, Brent (Tammy) Christensen, Elk Ridge. She was greeted in heaven by many family members who went before her including her husband, two children, Joan and Raymond, her parents, seven sisters and three brothers.

Betty grew up in Blanding and moved to Oak City as a young bride. The family moved to Payson in 1963 where Betty raised her family before moving to Elk Ridge where she had a beautiful apartment built for her by her youngest son Brent and his wife Tammy. As Betty's health failed, she spent her last few years at Parkway Health Center. She made friends with everyone and had many wonderful adventures with her friend and roommate Maxine. The family would like to thank the staff who provided loving care to Betty in the last years of her life. Betty worked in education for many years as a teacher and central office staff for Mountainland Headstart. She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Betty was a gifted seamstress and quilter. She was very creative and loved to share her talents with others.

Left as a young widow in 1964 to raise her ten children, Betty dedicated her life to her family. Despite the numerous challenges she faced in life, she was an example of love, faith, resilience, dedication, and service to others. She loved not only her own children but countless others who crossed her path whether it be nieces, nephews, friends or any acquaintance who just happened to stop by, everyone was made to feel welcome and a part of Granny's family. She touched thousands of lives through her years working in the Mountainland Headstart Program in Utah County. Granny taught us all how to love unconditionally and without judgement. She taught us that happiness comes not from what we get in life but from serving and loving others. She was proud of her family and their many accomplishments and loved getting the family together as often as she could. We will miss the Granny Christmas Party, Easter Egg Hunts, and the famous Granny Birthday Party where Granny would give gifts and prizes to all the children. Betty leaves a legacy of love and faith and we know she was welcomed into the arms of a loving Heavenly Father who said "Well done, my good and faithful servant".

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, September 16th at 11:00 am at the Elk Ridge 4th Ward, 450 North Elk Ridge Drive in Elk Ridge. A viewing will be held on Wednesday, September 15th from 6 to 8 pm at Walker Mortuary 587 South 100 West in Payson and Thursday morning from 9:45 to 10:45 at the church. Interment Payson City Cemetery.

Condolences may be sent to the family at: www.walkerfamilymortuary.com

Granny

Amy's Granny is having trouble. They think that she may have had a stroke. All the folks that can get there to Payson have, others have been talking to her on the phone. There is a pretty good chance that this will be the end for her.

She has lived a pretty rough life. It has been some 40+ years since her husband died. He was a Korean War Vet. Yes, Granny was home with kids while he was over there. She has lost two children over the years. She is an amazing woman. Amy loves her soooo much. Granny has been her North Star. It is sad to see Amy's heart breaking.

It looks like we will be headed to Utah soon to take care of this business. I will try to keep an update posted as we find out what is going on.

Space Odyssey Camp at SCMIA

This is a video of part of the Space Odyssey skate camp that both Lexy and Isaac attended the first week of August. It was a camp that they attended from 9am to noon for a week. It was put on by the same coaches that do learn to skate, power skating, and half of the private lessons. A great bunch of people.

Little Lexy is in the pink skating dress. This clip is just the girls that CAN skate.

Poor Isaac got stuck with the kids that "have skated before" because he doesn't do the spins and such that the girls do. He looked like a penned up tiger skating behind those kids.

Bugatti at Indy Speedway

Here is a picture from our trip in July that I have been needing to get loaded up on the blog. It is of Isaac at the Indianapolis International Speedway in from of a Bugatti. He was soooo excited to see one. He likes the newer Bugatti Veyron, in his Road and Track Magazine he read an article that said that the Veyron at top speed will burn through the 25 gallon tank of gas in 12.5 minutes. It is pretty much a huge engine with a shell of car wrapped around it.

Charleston Distance Run

This morning we participated in the Charleston Distance Run. Well, I did the shortest part, the 5K... Amy and Isaac did the 5K walk. It was pretty fun. We went down to the Capital Building on Friday night to get our packets and shirts. Then on Saturday morning we got up loaded the kids up and off we went. We got to the start line with just enough time to get our stretches done. I bailed on the family and took off running once the cannon when off. I was a nice flat course. We started in front of the Capital Building and ran north along the river. Then we cut one block to the east and doubled back, worked our way through the blocks and ended in the University of Charleston's football stadium. Once I got across the finish line I backtracked to finish the walk with Amy and Isaac, pushing Lexy in a stroller. Isaac was having a great time. He has been walking in the evening to train for this and his training paid off.

Here is my tubby butt after we finished. Here is our walking team.

We've got the bug now, we are looking for another 5K in the next few weeks.

Lexy's Hospital Stay

So, Lexy ended up being admitted to the hospital the other night. Pretty sad. She had a head cold, that turned into an asthma attack. An asthma attack that we couldn't get on top of at home. Amy took her to the ER on Wednesday night. After a few hours in there on an albuterol nebulizer continuously they moved her upstairs to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). They put here in there because they wanted to be able to keep the albuterol on all the time. She then tested positive for MRSA infection. Scary.

Lexy and I were having fun with silly picture effects.

Amy was able to get out of school for a few days and stayed at the hospital with Lexy. I popped in when I could, Isaac and I were both fighting the head cold too. He hasn't been to school since Wednesday either.

On Friday Lexy was released from the hospital and we all when home. She had a good night and is doing even better today. She is starting to bounce around the house. I seem to no be slowing her now anymore.

Here she is with her balloons, flowers and stuffed animals that she was sent. She also got gift bags from the neighbors and Amy's study buddy.Thanks for all the thoughts, gifts, phone calls, and prayers.

Lexy in the Hospital

Lexy's head cold turned into more that we could deal with at home...

Travis B Walbeck, PE
Triad Engineering, Inc.
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