Benjamin Cruzan

O-o-o-OH-Klahoma!! Part 5 of 5

2011-04-16T23:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was such a windy day! But everywhere to the north and the east there was pretty bad weather - rain, tornados. Of them came the way of Enid. But we stayed inside all day.
THE question. Probably the most asked question on this trip is... What do you want to eat? Where I live in California, the nearest Sonic is like 4 hrs away. So, I requested we eat Sonic hotdog before I went home. So yesterday was the big day.

After picking up some Sonic, we played Monopoly and Skipbo for the rest of the evening.

I lost at both games of Monopoly... I even had Boardwalk... But I won at Skipbo!

Today we went to Arlington, TX to go to Six Flags! On the drive, we went through Moore, OK. Home of Toby Keith.

It was alot of fun! Among the several rides we went on, we rode The Titan....

And Mr. Freeze.

Then this crazy one where the chairs spin around...

Stopped by Red Robin on the way home. It was a VERY good day.

And that wraps up my trip to Oklahoma. Tomorrow I leave to go home to California. It was such a great trip. Thanks Josh and Shaleese to show me all there was to do in Enid. I love you guys!

O-o-o-OH-Klahoma!! Part 4 of 5

2011-04-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

Today was VERY filled. It was a fun day in Oklahoma City.
First stop was at the Oklahoma City Temple.

It was a windy day.

Next was Lunch time at.......... Leo's!

What the video DOESN'T show is that it is in a pretty run-down part of the city.

Next stop was the Science Museum Oklahoma.

This was in a part that taught how invesigators solve crimes.

Me in a F-16 display.

Josh tried out a different plane display.

"Is this thing broken?"

Even Shaleese had fun.

This was interesting. On one side the coil was warm, and on the other side the coil was cold. But in the middle the coil was interlinked, so it felt like a 'shock' - atleast it did to me.

Josh in the Gemini Display.... He's about to go into outerspace.

'Um... Houston? We have a problem...'

Yes.... just like.....

And... Shaleese was such a good sport to do it too!

This was the only shot I have of the worker. He got very into the whole experience. ALOT of energy.

Shaleese was really looking forward to this one...

Alright kids... sit up for dinner...

Here's a look at the main area.

Upon returning home we had Fh'zookies.(Shaleese, I stole this spelling from your blog on Feb 5th)

Josh had been looking forward to this all week, we finally got'em.

SO yummy.

Look, my brother think he's a funny guy......

... until he introduced me to THIS game.

O-o-o-OH-Klahoma!! Part 3 of 5

2011-04-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

Today was pretty fun too. First off, Shaleese has to work the first half of the day - so me and Josh took off and did a little golfing (you know... a guy thing). With how small Enid is, it has quite a few golf courses to choose from. We went to the Pheasant Run Golf Club. The wind was REALLY strong, but it was fun. We both had some really good shots. We only played the front 9. MY best hole was #7. It was a Par 3. First shot went over the lake and landed on the green. And two-putted to save for par. It was fun.

After golf, Shaleese was off work, and we decided to get lunch at Subway. We took our sandwiches to a nearby park, and fly kites.
Here, Josh was having a little trouble keeping his kite up in the air.

THERE you go!

We even brought Belle out to enjoy some of the nice weather.

Attaching the kites to the fence seemed to be the best way to keep the kite in the air.

"Belle, you wanna try?"

.... not too bad....

While we were flying kites, here a shot I got of some of the training going on at Vance AFB.

One of the things I have come to enjoy when I take a trip, is to look up what restaurants off of the food network channel - will be in the area I am visiting. 45 min from Enid is a place called Eischen's.

Old school.

O-o-o-OH-Klahoma!! Part 2 of 5

2011-04-12T20:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first full day in Enid, OK was fun. We woke up - did a round of P90X with Josh - which was NOT a good idea after running the Half marathon the previous day.
For lunch we went to Katy's Pantry. One of the best kept secrets in Enid. It is a little place that serves sandwiches and salads. I got a BLT.

That afternoon, I was introduced to one of the best places ever! Its called Little Bit of Seattle. Serving fresh Frozen Yogurt and Gelato. Located in little Wuakomis, OK.

Later that night we went to the local bowling ally on Vance and played a few games. All three of us didn't do to bad though.
Today we had to go back to the Oklahoma City Airport to pick up my military ID card. It fell out of my pocket on one of the planes. United finally got around to routing it to me here.
On the way down, we went through Kingfisher, OK. The town where Sam Walton (founder of Walmart) was born.

Oh, this is what its like to be a tourist in Oklahoma. :)

Also passed through Yukon, OK. Home of Garth Brooks. Ever heard of him?

After going to the airport, we headed out on Route 66. Just outside of Oklahoma City (in Arcadia, OK) is a restaurant called Pops. Hopefully the large soda bottle gives it away - what they are known for.

Yummy burgers.

Pops is known for have ALOT, and when I say ALOT - I mean ALOT of different flavors of soda.

I really liked this Honey Cream one.

Tried to expand my horizon and got a pomegranite berry soda.

Verdict: I would not advise anyone to give this one a try.

Just a little further down Route 66 is this big barn called..... (wait for it)... The Round Barn.

Other than it being really old....

There was some cool stuff inside.

Hey!! I know those two!

The upstairs is turned in to a dance floor/wedding hall.

Seems a little scary to have a dance or alot of people on that floor. It made alot of noises. Careful Josh...

Then we headed back in to Oklahoma City to do more TOURIST things. Next stop was the Oklahoma City National Memorial.

Next Tuesday(Apr 19) will be the 16 yr Anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. On that day, Timothy McVeigh along with others attacked the Alfred Murrah Federal Building with a bomb attack that claimed 168 lives to include 19 children under the age of 6.

In 1995, I was 13 yrs old. I only remember seeing pictures. Not really knowing the effects of the whole thing. But I have since - learned alot about it. I finally got to visit the site. If you haven't been there, it is a very solemn place in downtown Oklahoma City.
There is a reflection pool. A large wall on one side have a 9:01 on it - which represents the time BEFORE the attack happened - when things were normal for many people.

Its not a cemetery, but they have a chair to represent each person that died from this attack. Large chairs for adults, and small chairs for children. At night they light up.

Just outside the Museum's door is a children's mural.

Outside of the fence, people still leave flowers and different things, to remember what happened.

Doing a little more waking downtown, there is Sonic's Headquarters!!!

After realizing that most places close at 5 during the week, we headed back to Enid. Josh and Shaleese took a turn to go to a portion of downtown, and we saw this sign outside the town's ballpark - it said, "Game Today". So we went to check it out. We didn't have to pay to get in. Northern Oklahoma College (The Jets - probably named because of Vance AFB) played Pratt Community College (The Beavers from Wichita, KS).

We really didn't have a team we were going for. But the Enid team was awfully noisy, which kind of made us want to go for the team from Kansas.

After about 30 min, we decided that was enough baseball, and went back home. Shaleese and Josh showed me a new way of making pizzas.

It was a pretty fun day.

O-o-o-OH-Klahoma!! Part 1 of 5

2011-04-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

So, last Christmas I had plans to go out to visit Josh and Shaleese in Oklahoma. But those plans fell through, and yesterday I finally made it out here!

After I got picked up from the airport, we hit the road to head out to Fayetteville, Arkansas to run a half marathon.
About dinner time, we decided to stop at a Subway just off the highway. After taking an exit and going into the little town there, what did we find in little Checotah, Oklahoma??

That was kinda fun!
Just a look at a Oklahoma sunset.

The today was the 35th Annual Hogeye Half-Marathon.

It was an early morning, but here we are getting ready! Picked up our packets, pinned on our bibs - Josh wants to know where to put his timing chip...

All stretched and ready to go.

Waving to our personal photographer! See ya later Shaleese!

Part of the running route took us on the University of Arkansas campus. We ran past the Razorbacks Football Stadium.

Josh was getting pretty serious about the whole thing.

Shaleese strategically waited for us to pass by so she could get some more pics. Thanks, Shaleese!

It was quite an adventure. We got to run in several tunnels. (A little blurry, but that's Josh)

We did really good for the first 8 miles. Then we started to struggle. Miles 11 & 12 was REALLY rough. Yes, we walked a little.

Push it!! The last stretch! OH THE PAIN!

Here we COME!!!

2 Hrs and 35 Min later...

Finishing ... together! I'm so proud of you Josh!

Here is where they cut the timing chips off our shoes... all we had to do was put our foot up on the bucket... some people can't even do THAT though.

Awesome medal!!

We're like rock stars!

Want to meet our personal photographer?? Here we all are! Yep, she even took THIS one also!

What a great finisher's medal.

After heading back to the hotel to shower/bathe and change, we needed a good meal after the run. Where else to stop besides .....

Its almost become a tradition. Josh and Shaleese go to Waffle House more often than I. But with the previous trip I saw them was in Colorado, and we went to a Waffle House together on THAT trip too. So... its a tradition NOW right?
Time to hit the road again, so we could get back to Enid at a decent time.

Crossing the state line BACK in to Oklahoma.

A Hard Rock Casino in Tulsa, OK.

And Toby Keith's. There are actually quite a few of these restaurants in Oklahoma.

Just over 3 1/2 hrs later, we make it to Enid, OK.

Yeah... whoever Sen Patrick Anderson is... I've never heard of him.

Vance.. Home of Excellence AND my Brother and Sister-in-law!

Trip to San Francisco!

2011-04-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

My roommate got tickets to a Golden State Warriors game(thats professional basketball). So, we decided to head to San Francisco and make a day trip of it.

Driving in that city is CRAZY!!!

Gas prices are OUTRAGEOUS!!

We tried lunch at Taqueria La Cumbre, because of something we(and probably everyone else) saw on TV. Home of the Mission tortillas... or something like that.

It was a pretty good burrito.
Then we were off to see the Golden Gate Bridge.

Joseph Strauss was the chief engineer for the bridge.

A look across the bay toward Oakland.

Alcatraz Island. Didn't go out to it, but got a pretty good picture!

Down below the bridge there were about 15 surfers trying to catch some waves.

Across the Oakland Bridge....

The Golden State Warriors play at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. We had pretty good seats, buts it just fun to go to a event like that. The Warriors were playing the Dallas Mavs.

The Warriors even ended up winning!

Special Day Alert!!

2011-03-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

Can you believe its already been a year?? Its Josh and Shaleese's Anniversary!! Happy Anniversary, guys! I hope you have fun in San Antonio. And.... guess what?? In...... 14 days (thats 2 weeks from today)... I'll be getting on a plane to come visit you!! I am SO EXCITED! Love you!

Modesto Marathon 2010

2011-03-20T10:23:00.000-07:00

First Marathon of 2011 , for me! It was in Sunny...(or this weekend it happened to be NOT so sunny) Modesto, CA.

Drove 4 hrs on Saturday, to get there. The only thing that slowed me down was the water that trucks would kick up off the road... but I got there in pretty good time.

First stop was to meet up with some of the guys and pick up our bibs and goody bags.

After that I went to go check in to my hotel. It wasn't too bad. If anyone is passing through Modesto, I would recommend the Best Western Town House Lodge on 16th Street.

After check in, I met up with the fella's and one of the guys, Jeff, his family lives there. So had this spaghetti dinner. It was really good. And they were so nice to make and invite us. A good way to carb up before the big race the next day. The next morning....

The rain wasn't looking like it was going to be giving way.... little did I know how much of a factor it was going to be.

But, still I was preparing... Put on the temp tattoo I got at the expo (thanks Jacob for the idea).

But little did I ALSO know that I wouldn't be finishing in the 4:20 target time.

And then its 7:00... oh, no - we were late. Thought the starting line was somewhere else. But we caught up to where the line was, and only started like 6 mins late. No biggy. Not life Jeff though.. HE got to the race, and forgot his Bib at his family's place, so HE started like 30 min late.

A few pics from the run. This is me and Efren.

And Chris ... and Efren....

They were both running the half.

Me and Jeff....

But, I was a little disappointed at the ONLY, yes, I repeat ONLY professional photo they got of me...

When I see this picture... all that goes through my mind is 'What are you looking at?'

After a LONG 5 hrs and 30 min... I finally crossed the finish line. So, yeah - a little off the 4:20 goal. But just to let you know... it was windy, and snowy, and uphill both ways... did I mention I didn't have any shoes?? Ok, not quite like that. But it did rain quite a bit on the second half, and the wind was VERY bad. Made it feel like the temperature was in the 40s.

I even put myself in for the Clydesdale Division (200 lbs +). And believe you me, I was training to JUST meet that 200 lbs mark. And I STILL didn't do as well as I thought. Came in 17 out of 21 people.. WHAT?? I can't even beat half in the 'fat guy' club? Oh, well...

After a brief stretch, I figured I should hit the rode - so I could get some resting in at home. But I found it was very interesting. That part of California is usually in a water crisis. It was weird how you would drive past all these fields, and there would be orchards. But then all of a sudden, a huge field with NOTHING.

My only concluding thought to this is, maybe if they could NOT limit the amount of water these farmers can use... then MAYBE they could use ALL the fields for agriculture.. then I don't... maybe that would help California with their fiscal problems... maybe a little bit?

Yeah. But overall this Marathon was a good experience, and I am looking forward to the next one in September - the Air Force Marathon 2011!!

Special Day Alert!!

2011-03-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

Today is a special day for some of most favorite people in the whole world!! Its Jacob and Camille's Anniversary!! Happy Anniversary you guys! You both have blessed my life and taught me so much! I can't wait till I get to come out to visit! Love you!

Special Day Alert!!

2011-03-15T10:04:00.000-07:00

Today is my lil' sister's Birthday!! Happy Birthday Becky! And guess what? Not only HER birthday, but also her daughter (my niece) Alysea!! I hope it was a good day for you both. Best wishes in the coming year! I love you both!

Special Day Alert!!

2011-03-09T10:09:00.000-08:00

Today is Grandma Woodbury's Birthday!! Happy Birthday Grandma! I hope you have a great day, and great times ahead of you this year. I'll see you soon!

Surprise Appearance CMSgt Narofsky

2011-03-08T14:25:00.000-08:00

Today I was selected to meet the Senior Enlisted Leader for US Strategic Command, Command Chief Master Sergeant, Chief Master Sgt. Thomas S. Narofsky.

I explained to him what I do here at Vandenberg. After taking about 2 minutes explaining it, he congratulated me on my previous awards from over the past year(2010). He even coined me!!

Fun California Adventures (not the place next to Disneyland)

2011-03-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

I figure its time to record some of the fun things I do here (sometimes). Today I spent the early afternoon with some co-wokers. Over the past few months some of them that go to San Diego quite often talk about these carne asada fries that they get when they go to San Diego. So, we heard of this place that has them around here. We went to Rancho Nipomo Deli & BBQ where we could get these carna asada fries.

They were really good. Not so healthy, but WAY yummy. Pieces of steak, cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream. I split one with someone else, and we both couldn't finish ONE plate. I also got a brisket sandwich which was pretty good too.

Next we decided to head over to Boomers to take on a mini golf challenge followed by a round of go-karts.

As you can see I started off strong, but ended up NOT being my day. And as for the go-karts... the karts really weren't that powerful, so unless you slowed down on purpose, it wasn't really fun. We are gonna have to go to a REAL track in L.A.

Next it was off to Yogurt Creations. A great way to cure that ice cream itch. I love to get the chocolate ice cream, topped off with LOTS of strawberries, chocolate syrup, and heath bar crumbs. Yummy!

Dont let my face fool you, it was really good.

Fun on a Friday Night!!

2011-03-04T21:10:00.000-08:00

It was fun to learn that a preseason MLS(Major League Soccer) game was going to be played just 45 min from here. So, I went with two of my friends - Kayle and Lindsay. The Colorado Rapids were playing the San Jose Earthquakes. I had only been to 1 pro soccer game before, so I was excited for this.

They were playing at Cal Poly Stadium in San Luis Obispo. And tickets were way cheap!!! Only $15.

Players warming up.

Scoreboard... this is before the game.

Introducing the starters.

Game Time!!!

Foul in the goalie box led to this free kick. This would be the only goal of the game.

It was interesting to note that San Jose was the home team, but near the end of the game - it seemed like the fans in the stands were getting excited for either team when they were close to scoring. The Rapids lost 0-1.

2010 Vandenberg AFB Annual Awards

2011-02-18T10:29:00.000-08:00

Tonight was the Annual Awards Banquet. There was over 300 people there, and it was alot of fun. The food was good. It was a great thing to be a part of.

First I got a medallian for being nominated. This is me with Col Boltz, and Chief Johnson

This is me going through the Arch of Swords (I know that the name Arch of Swords can be part of a wedding ceremony, but for this purpose that is what I am going to call it till I find out the real name.)

I got the Vandenberg AFB Associate Unit Airman of the Year!!

And this is all of the award winners!!

Special Day Alert!!

2011-02-14T09:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Anniversary, Gerald and Jess!!

I hope you have a great day celebrating. And best wished in the coming years. I miss you guys!!

Institute Fun!!

2011-02-11T10:03:00.000-08:00

Tonight was the Institute opening social. It was fun. with food...

friends.....

and games.... Minute to Win It games!!!

I did one where I had a minute to move through all the cups. Taking one from the bottom of the stack and placing it on the top of the stack - all the way through the stack. I did it with 3 seconds to spare. I was a little difficult, because when the timer is going, and people are yelling - it makes you nervous, and start to fumble. So its a test of composure. :)

And there were other games... I'm sure if you've seen the show, you are familiar with this one.

It was a great night. Lots of fun!! Nice work!

Special Day Alert!!

2011-02-10T09:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Grandma Waite!!

Today my Grandma turns 82! I'm so glad to have you in my life, and I hope things are going well for you! Have a great birthday, Grandma!

3-2-1... liftoff!!

2011-01-20T18:04:00.000-08:00

Another launch today. But atleast for this one, I happened to have my camera in the car. So I got to take a few shots of it.
The Delta IV Heavy rocket, the tallest ever (23 stories) to be launched from Vandenberg.
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123239254
(click on the photo to make it larger, so you can see the rocket)

Special Day Alert!!

2011-01-08T19:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Abbi!!

Today my niece Abbi Cruzan is celebrating her birthday! I hope you have a great day! You are the cutest! I miss you!!

Special Day Alert!!

2011-01-01T19:40:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, America!!

Today my niece America Falcon is celebrating her birthday! I love you!!

Special Day Alert!!

2011-01-01T19:34:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Rachel!!

Today is my big sister, Rachel's Birthday!! I hope it is a great day for you!! I love you!

Merry Christmas!! 2010

2010-12-25T11:34:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas, everyone! I always love this time of year. The happiness in the air, the lovely food, the gathering of families. Unfortunately this year I was unable to travel to be with family. But I am making the most of it. I am grateful for the gifts I recieved.
Thakns, Dad!

Camille, Jacob and family - thank you so much!! This is something I will definately cherish. What was the Risk for? Are you trying to tell me something?? :)

Yummy mint Chocolate Chip cookies and 2 High School Musical ornaments - Thanks Desi.

Santa even found the time to stop by. I got a new set of calf sleeves for my running, along with an ear warmer band. Oh!! And a IOU for the Air Force Marathon in September. How did he know?

Oh, and one more thing. Santa left me a ticket to Disneyland. YES!!!

I hope everyone else's Christmas is wonderful!! I miss you all!

Congrats Little Bro!!

2010-12-22T11:50:00.000-08:00

Today I found out that Josh was selected for promotion to Senior Airman (Below the Zone). To get selected for promotion 6 months before the rest of his peers is a great achievement. I know you have worked hard for this, and I am so proud of you!!

Surprise @ work...

2010-12-21T11:21:00.000-08:00

Today at work we had several Commander Calls (That is basically where our leadership gets everyone together and gives awards, gives safety briefings, they say a few words, and then there is food.- This one in particular highlighted some things we have done over the past year).

Well, I was called up and my Commander 'coined' me for getting the Levitow Award at ALS early this summer.

When we are 'coined' it just means that the Commander gave me one of HIS coins. Here's what it looks like.

Special Day Alert!!

2010-12-18T20:12:00.000-08:00

Today my oldest sister, Rachel is graduating from Regis Univeristy. I am very proud of you sis! I wish I could be there to celebrate this great achievement with you. This has been quite the year. Running in a Marathon, and now Graduating from college. Good job, Rachel!

Special Day Alert!!

2010-11-27T10:18:00.000-08:00

Today my nephew Nathan(my sister, Rachel's son) was baptized. I am very proud of you. You are becoming a great young man. I wished I could be there to join with you are your family in this decision you've made.

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Thanksgiving Day 2010!!

2010-11-25T23:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!
I have so many things to be grateful for. I have a great family, a great job, and a strong faith.
What more could I ask for?

This year I spent Thanksgiving in New Hampshire. First thing we did was go run in a 5K Turkey Trott in Derry, New Hampshire. It was VERY cold. But I am glad that all 9 of us got out and ran.
The starting line.

And we're off!!

I finished in a little over 30 minutes. Wasn't too bad. But I don't think I stressed how cold it was.... it was VERY VERY cold.

Here's Anni, Jake and Marty crossing the finish line.

And Camille, Abbi, and Jacob crossing the finish line.

After the race.... they had chilli, and yummy treats.

Hey, SOMEONE's gotta make this look good. Haha.

Dad taking pictures.

Trying to stay warm after the run.

Post-race picture time!!

And... the results are in. We can be proud of ALL of us... its a great thing to get involved in. Running can be alot of fun if you are doing it with others. Now to train for my marathon in March.

That afternoon we went to the local bowling alley. But this wasn't any old bowling alley. THIS is canddlestick bowling.

The pins are thin, so it is more difficult to make them bounce off the other pins to knock'um down. And, and forget about trying to put a spin on the ball, it doesn't help.

The "bowling balls" are about the same size at a skeeball ball.

Our scorekeepers... not really. This bowling alley keeps score on its own... its not THAT old.

The results of the first game.

And the results of the second game.... Anni and me tied.

After bowling, he headed back to Dad's. Food was being made for a Thanksgiving dinner. While that was going on. We took the BB gun out back and played around. Jake really liked that. And I think we were all pretty good. But as I remember it correctly, Jacob was the sharpshooter for the day.

For dinner?? Yummy!! Ham!!

Did I mention how much I love being with my family!! You are all so very awesome!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Almost Thanksgiving....

2010-11-24T22:49:00.000-08:00

After visiting Palmyra, New York yesterday, we woke up early to drive to Vermont to see the Joseph Smith Birthplace, then on to New Hampshire to stay with Dad.

But our first stop before leaving Palmyra - going by the temple.

It was a chilly morning, but worth seeing.

The stain glass windows were nice!

From looking out of the temple windows on the side toward the Smith Farm, you would see a clearing in the trees so you would be able to see the Sacred Grove from the temple.

After driving for several hours... watching movies, playing hangman with Jake - we finally arrived at the Joseph Smith birthplace in Vermont.

It was really cold HERE too, but it was nice to see.

We stopped in the visitor's center to take a look around. The missionaries said that there weren't alot of visitor's today. So, they were pretty happy that someone stopped by.

Justice and Anni standing in front of the fireplace. The significance of the fireplace, is the stone in front of the fireplace is the same stones that were used in the house that Joseph Smith was born in.

What a long day..... Haha. :)

We stopped by Derry, New Hampshire to pick up our shirts and bibs for the 5k Turkey Trot tomorrow morning. Then we got to Dad's that evening.

Palmyra, New York

2010-11-23T20:59:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving, I made a trip out to the East Coast. I flew into Maryland, and the plan was to take a trip through New York over to Vermont, and finally to Dad's in New Hampshire.

Early this morning, I rode with Jacob and Camille and the family form Odenton, MD to Palmyra, NY. It took all morning to get there....6-7 hrs - something like that.

Our first stop was at the Hill Cumorah. We went in to the Visitor's Center to look around.

There was a Christus statue.

The Christus and my niece, Justice.

It was a chilly and windy day, but after the vistor's center we made the hike up to the top of the hill. For more information on the Hill Cumorah... go to: http://josephsmith.net/josephsmith/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=014968f0374f1010VgnVCM1000001f5e340aRCRD&locale=0

This is my niece Abbi.

Walking up the hill....

At the top is a monument.

And a view from the top of the hill.

Abbi has a flower.

Pictures of some of the sides of the monument.

By the waving of the flag, it was VERY windy...

Then we were off to the Smith Family farm house. This is the first house they lived in when they first arrived in Palmyra, before moving into a bigger, nicer home just a little walk away.

The Sister missionary, liekd telling us stories of the Smith Family. I like this picture because of the sun breaking through the clouds.

From the area where the Smith Farm is, you can see the Palmyra Temple. The trees are trimmed back, so you can see the Farm/Sacred Grove from the Temple.

This is the second home that the Smith family lived in. Which was nicer than the other one.

Just across the path from the second home, is a large barn. And also a little shed where the Smiths would make barrels. Barrel making, and Maple sugar was how they made a majority of their money.

And just a little down the path was the Sacred Grove. Even though it is brown, and we are approaching the wonter months, it was still very peaceful.

This is my niece, Anni. In the Sacred Grove.

As the story goes... Joseph Smith awoke one morning in the Spring of 1820, and walked to the Sacred Grove. This is how far it was from the grove to the back of the Smith farm house.

During a quick bathroom break, waiting to go find some lunch, my niece Justice found some caterpillers.

She wanted to see if they would be 'friends' but they just rolled up into balls, and eventually blew away in the wind.

We went to neardby Newark, NY and found a good resturaunt called Tom Wahl's. They had really good burgers... you know... the kind that hang off the egde cause the buns aren't that big?? Yeah... it was good.

Our next stop was the Grandin Building, where The Book of Mormon was first published back in 1830.

Once the sheets were printed, they had to be folded in a certain way, so when it was cut, the pages would be front and back... like a book. :)

My nephew Jake, liked learning how to fold the BIG page, into what would be little pages.

This is a panoramic view of the third floor, where the book was actually printed.

After that we headed to the Palmyra Inn. We played games, and with eating a big lunch - some of us weren't that hungry.

The night was interesting... I didn't mind sleeping on the floor though.... thats all I'm going to say about that :)

What a fun day. Tomorrow is going to be a "early start" day too.

October Trip to Maryland

2010-10-31T02:28:00.000-07:00

I got to take a trip out to Washington, D.C. for a class for work. Which means... I got to spend some time with my brother Jacob, and his wife Camille, and their family. It was fun! I got to be out there for 2 weeks. After being in class all day, I would usually head over to their place for the evening. I got to practice my soccer skills with Jacob, in his team practice. To help prepare them for their semi-final game. (there are several pictures of the game)

I was also able to be around for their Ward's Trunk or Treating activity. It was also a Chilli cook off. Camille made some yummy white chilli. There was this candy guessing game - you know the one where you guess how many are in the jar. Abbi was standing next to me when we walked by the table, and she told me how to spell her name... and I asked how many she thought we in the jar. '3.' she said. Alright - so I added 2 zeros on to that. And she actually almost won. There was like 298 or 299 in the candy jar. Jacob introduced me to the t-shirt and dyed-hair look. He was a pumpkin... with an orange shirt and green hair. And he loaned me a yellow shirt that looked like a firefighter, and I used red gel in my hair...(but I had VERY short hair).

It was fun to see all the costumes though.

The Friday before I left, we went to the Green Meadows Farm (well - Jacob, Camillle, Abbi, and Me). It was a farm with animals and you got a free pumpkin after paying for your ticket... so more like a $12 pumpkin. It was a little windy which made it chilly.

Jacob and Abbi went through the maze. Abbi looked out under the wall to see us on the outside.

This poor guy didn't get alot of attention. No, not Jacob - the pig! :)

Abbi made a great horse!

I LOVE the fall colors.

And then it was time to go home. It was fun - even after spending two days being sick. Didn't win any of the games of Risk. Won plenty of Wii Smash Brothers though.

On the way home, after taking off from Dallas, we flew over Texas Stadium - thats where the Dallas Cowboys play.

And Jacob and Camille, for all the meals, and fun times. I'll see you in November!

October fun!!

2010-10-03T16:02:00.000-07:00

So, it was the beginning of October, and General Conference weekend was coming up. I decided that I would make a trip out to Utah over the weekend to visit.

I got to see Becky and Tray and their kids and Mom and Layne. It was fun!

We went out to.......(drum roll)... Golden Corral.

This is me with Emily

Becky and Troy.

Mom and Layne

And my niece Aly.

What? No, I'm not ALWAYS on my phone...

Alright, putthing these pictures one right after another doesn't help my case for not being on the phone all the time. But Aly was laughing really hard when this picture was taken.

We stopped by a water fountain to take some pictures.

Then a quick stop by Grandpa and Grandma Waite's. We even played Gotcha!

And I couldn't leave without seeing Grandma Woodbury.

I even took some time to meet up with a few friends from California. Will and Laura are in Utah going to school. They are silly.

We also went to Toads, and played laser tag, and go karts.

What a fun trip! I'll have to do this again sometime.

Air Force Marathon September 2010 part 2

2010-09-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

Continued from the previous post!
I've mixed in some of the professional photos in here.

Me and Rachel runnin'.

Here we go - goin' through the town.

Can it really be true?? Mile marker 25? Almost there!

One last turn... mile marker 26!! Now for the run through the planes!

6 hr 56 min and 7 secs later... we finish. Yep thats right - ALL of us finished together!

And this is what our medals look like.

After we finished the marathon - we parted ways. Rachel stayed one more night, but me and Jacob took off to get back to Maryland. Not such a good idea. We were so sore, and tired. Won't do THAT part again. But we finally made it home at like 3 AM... something like that. And it was nice to see that Jacob's family had decorated the living room with streamers and a banner, and some cards. Went to church the that morning, then I was off to the airport. It is sad to leave, but I would be back in a littl eover a month for a class.

Once I touched down in San Luis Obispo airport, first thing I did was put my marathon magnet on my car. I will surely drive this thing around with pride now. So if anyone sees a sticker with a '26.2' on it. It means they completed a marathon.

Two weeks after the marathon, I finally get my shadowbox. This was such a great experience. Thanks Rachel and Jacob for going, and making it fun - and we didn't let each other quit.

Air Force Marathon September 2010 Part 1

2010-09-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

The time has finally come to make the trip out to Maryland.

From there me and my brother Jacob drove out to Ohio to run in the Air Force Marathon.
The drive was nice for the most part. We did run into a little rain and some construction.
Jacob caught some good shots of the clouds.

Rachel met up with us too. We all went to the first ever Director's Breakfast. It was good.

They had some great guests, and speakers.

One of the guests was Mr. Bob Schul. He won the Gold Medal in the 1964 Olympics in the 5,000 meters.

At the civic center we attended the Chi-Running clinic. We got some great tips, and ideas on how to improve our running techniques.

And then that night we went to the pasta dinner. Definately good. And being in the Air Force museum was good too.

Well, we went back to the hotel room, and prepared for the next day - charging ipods, writing on arms... this was Rachel's arm. One thing we were told at the Breakfast is that it is a good thing to write down reasons to inspire you while you run. Unfortunately Rachel's 5&6 mile didn't work out. They ran out of Chick-fil-A by the time we finished the marathon.

Jacob was excited that he got his bib.

And a little silly...

September 18th. MARATHON DAY!! I've been planning and semi-preparing for this day since January.

We had to be there early. And we can't forget the parking mess we went through. It was crazy.

After the B-52 fly-over, it was almost time to start.

Are we ready?? Well, its a little late for that - isn't it.

No way!! The Balloon Classic is this weekend??

2010-09-05T20:19:00.000-07:00

The last day in Colorado started if with getting up really early, and heading out to the Balloon Classic. I remember getting up early as a kids and going to this. It was so nice to see the balloons, and feel the nice cool morning air.

There were some huge hampster balls, and you could get in and run around in.

Huh?? You say somethin Josh?

Hey - its the 'when pigs fly' balloon.

Ah... look at these two.

After a quick stop by Waffle House, we went by the ol' house on Branding Iron.... wait -what is that? That is a new building/home across the street.

And for dinner? Josh and Shaleese seem so happy to partake in our tradition, thats not an official tradition of going to Golden Corral.

Then Me, Josh, Shaleese, and Gerald headed up to the Air Force Academy.

Now, this display in the visitor's center. I don't know why this looked weird - but if anyone can tell me WHY the scientist is smiling as he is touching the rat...

Ah-ha! I caught Gerald checkin' out the Air Force stuff.... could we get him to by some Air Force stuff from the Gift Shop?? How could he object - everything said 'Falcons' on it.

A quick stop by the Cadet Chapel.

And oh - from yesterday. Josh and Shaleese had a great idea to get something for Jessica and Gerald and family something nice for the sealing. We up with this. It was a GREAT idea. They loved it!

A Wonderful, Filled Saturday!!

2010-09-04T18:52:00.000-07:00

Ah... Its already Saturday?? That means my vacation is almost over :(
Well, the day was bound to be really busy.
First Josh needed to practice the piano... wait... whats that? Are you using an iPad?? Huh, what a coincidence.

America, just as happy as can be while everyone else gets ready.

First thing was Anni's (and her cousin, Anna's) baptism. She was so pretty.

It was a wonderful baptism. And I am so proud that Anni decided to be baptized. The cake was wonderful...

Ethan being mischievous...

I like this picture of Mom and Grandpa.

All, well MOST of my nieces and all my nephews. (wish you could have been here Becky)

They are so silly. I love it!

The only time we all were together to get a full picture.

And as soon as the pictures are taken, every thing goes back to chaos.

Ha - Justice and Ethan... actually Justice was posing for me, and Ethan jumped in there...

You know those times that you wished you had a camera?? This is one of those moments. America was against a glass door. This is hilarious!

Then we headed to the Denver Temple for Jess's and Gerald's Sealing.

We passed the Air Force Academy - it was their first home game. The stadium looked pretty packed.

And then pictures at the temple, before we went in. It was such a beautiful Colorado day!! Oh, how I miss this.

Boys will still be boys.

The newly formed eternal family!! Yay!

This one is for Shaleese. Remember this girl??

But this lady looks familiar :)

Haha. Rachel, so funny. I'll see you in a few weeks when we run the marathon!!

Oh, Hi Josh!

Their missionary came!

Hey - where's America's shoes....

Shaleese......

Almost done with with pictures... oh, wait. One more picture... anyone wanna guess what it is?

And of course what would the Falcon-Reza family be with out a muscle picture??

After we were in Denver, we went back to Jess's for some dinner, and just to be together one last time before we all went our seperate ways.

This has been a wonderful weekend!!

Vacation Day # III

2010-09-03T05:55:00.000-07:00

Today was a pretty relaxing day. Played a little Rockband on the Wii, trying to unlock songs. Jacob and family arrived for the weekend. I only took pictures of the Denver Temple though. It was the first time for Gerald!

Josh:'Hey Ben, look no buttons...'

Gerald: 'Hey this is my day...'

Ah... come on Mom.

Afterwards we went to Chili's. It was alright, I guess. But the two-hr dinner made us get back to The Springs really late. Oh, and just FYI - the Chili's near the Denver Temple does NOT give a military discount.

Vacation: Day NUMERO DOS!!

2010-09-03T05:42:00.001-07:00

Well, it was a pretty fun-filled day. Josh, Shaleese and Me headed out to Rudy's to meet up with Eli, Kira and Avey(friends from High School and their daughter). We also met up with two of my coworker that were in Colorado Springs. It was a fun lunch. Texas BBQ is AWESOME!!

Sold at Rudy's Country Store. Never seen this before.... White Trash? Must be good!

Me and Eli... Shaleese what are ya doin?? Silly.

The we headed off to Manitou Springs. After driving down some streets we saw this castle, and decided to go check it out. It is the Miramont Castle. It was free for Active Duty Military, so naturally we couldn't let that go by.

Josh, dress up like a firefighter!!

Here is the room with the 14-kt Gold ceiling.

More of the rooms.

This was interesting....

Back to the random room pictures.

Shaleese has dubbed these the "Perfect Prom Stairs"

This is another interesting fact: "The symbol at the top of picture, is not a Nazi Swastika, but the Navajo Symbol for rolling log."

A room with two VERY small beds.

The castle is bolted to the side of the mountain.

As you look out the top of the fourth floor out the front of the castle, pretty high up, however if you turn around the window behind you is ground level - that would be the street.

And of course, how can you go to Manitou Springs and NOT go to the Indian for some natural mineral water.

However no water coming out of the Indian today!! We will just have to walk around town until we find one of the other 7 water wells in town.
Found one!! Go for it Josh!

Shaleese, your turn!! Ha! Classic reaction!

And then finally, the Penny arcade in Manitou Springs. But it more turned out to be a quarter arcade. It was a fun time though. From putting entirely TOO much money in the pinball machine(enough to play 12 games worth), and having a 3-way race, we got a bunch of tickets!!

When turning in the tickets - Ticket Lady(T.L): You have 51 more tickets left. Josh: I think I want to get the same thing as her. Ben: Josh, that costs 55 tickets. Josh: Oh... um... T.L: Do you REALLY want it? Josh: Um..... Yeah. T.L: Haha, here you go! (Juat as a side note... Josh, it was ONLY a sucker)

The youngest brother gets his way AGAIN!!

And then a quick stop at BJ's Velvet Freeze for a nice afternoon snack!

First day of vacation!

2010-09-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

Its great to finally be back in Colorado for a few days and this weekend. It was an alright flight. But I am happy to be around family.

Of course, we know where to find Gerald. Fixing some really good burrito stuff for naked burritos. What is that? 'Kiss me I'm...' what?

Grandpa Waite and Ethan and Gerald out on the deck. Grandpa is always making sure we know how to do the alphebet backwards.

Grandma Cook likes playing with the kids too.

And then some lovely sights from where Jessica and Gerald live. It was a great sunset.

Summer Slam!!! Oh-yeah!!

2010-08-15T23:00:00.000-07:00

So, I was talking with my roommate the other day, and he mentioned how he was going to LA this weekend for WWE Wrestling's Summer Slam. I kinda started to make fun of him, then I asked who he had going with him. He said he was still trying to find someone. Later on that day, he said he couldn't find anyone and if I wanted to go. Summer Slam? Me? I'm not into Pro Wrestling... but sure - why not. So, we head down to the Staples Center in LA.

No, I had never seen Pro Wrestling, nor have I been to the Staples Center before. So, this was going to be two new things for me.

So, I'll go through and say who is wrestling in these pictures...

Shamus vs. Randy Orton.

Rey Mysterio vs. Kane

With a suprise appearance from The Undertaker.

The Nexus vs. a group of others.

John Cena

Edge

John Morrison

A special appearnace from Bret 'The Hitman' Hart.

And some others. It was suppose to be a tag-team match... it started off more like brawl though.

John Cena - 'You Can't See Me'

I tried to get a picture of the Lakers' World Champion Banners, but they were covered up. But, I got a picture of the ESPN L.A. Building.

Overall it just an interesting experience, that I can check off the 'ol list. Thanks Travis for inviting me.... and your welcome for driving.

Vandenberg AFB Qaurterly Awards

2010-07-29T22:49:00.000-07:00

Today there was an Awards banquet for being put in for Airman of the Quarter.

Well, it was a nice ceremony. The food was... well nothing to write home about. In the end I won the Airman of the Quarter Award for the Associate Unit. But I didn't win it for Team Vandenberg. I got this nice hardware though.

I am so grateful to be recognized in this way. I have some great bosses that really want to recognize things we do.

4th of July Weekend!! 2010.

2010-07-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

First off, I just want to say how grateful I am to live in this country, and enjoy the freedoms that I do. It is my pleasure to serve in the military and help stand up and protect our freedoms. I am also grateful for my family. Now on to the weekend! Happy Independence Day everyone!!!

My 4-day weekend started out great. I played a round of golf - for not playing for 2 months, I think I did pretty average. But it was fun nonetheless. The next day I headed out to Valencia, CA where Six Flags Magic Mountain is. It was a blast!! But I didn't get any pictures while I was there. :(

It was a long day, and i only got to ride 3 rides. But they were the biggest and most intense ones. I rode on Goliath (85mph, 225ft drop), then X2 (76mph, 360 degree rotating seats, head first face drops, world's first 4th dimentional ride - the newest ride at Six Flags), and finally I wrapped up the day with going on Tatsu (62 mph, seats in 90 degree position - sensation of flying, 124 ft loop). Definately wished we had more time. It was fun - with the exception of legs and feet hurting.
The 4th of July was pretty fun too. I went to an LA Galaxy game. It was alot of fun. It was the first time that Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle played since the US lost in the World Cup. I got a Galaxy jersey.

A view of the Home Depot Center.
I have alot of pictures of the game. We sat up in the second level... I've got a long shot, and a close up...If you look across on the second level...

Thats where we sat.

Then the view from our seats. Not to bad actually.

So they brought a huge flag out for the National Anthem...

Nice, nice...

Hey wait a sec... is there something wrong with this??

After turning in circles a few times, they finally realized that they were holding it upside down.

After they got it all sorted - everyone cheered. Then the teams came out.

All set for the National Anthem...

"... And the rockets' red glare,"

"... the bombs bursting in air."

The coin toss...

On the north end of the stadium there was one of the fan clubs... made a mess...

Another fan club!! They were so noisy and were always singing or yelling...

And the kickoff.

This was one of Landon Donovan's corner kicks that led to a goal.

After halftime, they switched sides, and I got some better shots.

The Galaxy ended up beating the Seattle Sounders 3-1.

The plan was to stay after the game and watch the fireworks, but decided to get ahead of the crowd and head home. So, the only fireworks I saw were the ones off the freeway. But it was a very fun time!!

Newest Niece!!

2010-07-01T20:59:00.000-07:00

Today my sister, Becky, had her baby. Little Emily came in at 6:08pm weighing 6 lbs. 1 oz. And 18in. Yeah!! I'm an Uncle Ben to another beautiful child! Congrat Becky and Troy and Aly! I love you guys!

Airman Leadership School

2010-06-16T09:12:00.000-07:00

Over the past 5 weeks, I have been in Airman Leadership School. It was here at Vandenberg AFB. We learned alot about being supervisers, keeping standards, and enforcing the standards with discipline. Well, last night - it all came to an end with our graduation.

I was chosen to give the speech at the graduation. That was fun.

I got coined by the Wing Commander, and my 1st Sergeant, and then there is the ALS coin. And we also got a cool ALS medallion.

The biggest part of the night was the awards. I wasn't sure how it would all turn out. I had tried my best - I didn't get the best test scores, but I did really good at everything else. But I DID get the Levitow Award.

Just to give you an idea of how big of deal this is... the John L. Levitow Award is..."the highest award presented at the Airman Leadership School, it is presented to the student demonstrating outstanding leadership and scholastic qualities. This award selection is based on overall performance evaluation, academic ranking, and peer and staff ratings." It is ranked the top award, ahead of the Distinguished Graduate Award, and the Acedemic Achievement Award. I am very surprised that I was chosen for this award. But, I did work hard during this class.

Happy Mother's Day!!

2010-05-09T06:13:00.000-07:00

Heppy Mother's Day! To all the mothers out there! As I take this day to honor and celebrate the importance of mothers, I just want to thank my mother for all she's done for me. She has raised my, and brought me up - teaching me righteous principles to base my life off of. And I am what I am today - because of it. Thanks for all you do for me, Mama!

Can't forget a great Step-Mom!! Marty thanks for joining the family! Your continued faith, strength, and prayers are always appreciated. Thanks for all you do!

YAY FOR MOMS!!

Update: Its been a while.

2010-05-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

This week was pretty busy. I took Tuesday and Wednesday off so I could study for my WAPS Test on Thursday.

The WAPS (Weighted Airman Promotion System) test is every year - well almost every year - to determine if you will get promoted. So, Thursday came and went, and I feel like I did pretty good on the test. Now, is the waiting game. I have to wait till August to see if I made it this year.

On Wednesday night, I got the news that Dad was going to be going into surgery on Thursday to have his appendix taken out. And I was so grateful to get that followup phone call on Thursday saying everything went ok.

Other than that - I've been keeping up with the Spurs games - even though they will likely be knocked out of the playoffs by the Suns. It can be frustrating to watch - but I keep up with'em.

And then last night, I went with a few friends from work to see Iron Man 2. It was awesome! I highly recommend it!

And that was how my week went. I get to start ALS next week. It is a 6 week course that teaches all about Air Force Heritage, Customs and Courtisies, and how to be an Airman Leader - thus it is Airman Leadership School. That should be fun.

Wedding Bells!!

2010-03-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

Nope, not for me.... My little brother, Josh. Josh and Shaleese were married this weekend. It was a great trip, and I am so honored that I asked to participate in the ways I did. From going with them to the court house to get the marriage liscense, to going to the mall to figure out their rings, to being in the Bountiful Temple to see them get sealed forever.

Congrats guys! I know you will be happy!

Christmas Vacation (part2)

2010-01-24T10:22:00.001-08:00

After spending those few days with Dad and Marty. I made my way south to visit Jacob and Camille and family. We spent one day going to some of the Smithsonians. It was alot of walking. And plenty cold.

Spent Christmas morning with them. It was a fun time.

And New Year's Eve party.

Another fun trip completed. Until next time....

Christmas Vacation (part 1)

2009-12-24T10:07:00.000-08:00

I headed out to the east coast on Dec 22nd, with my first stop being Nashua, New Hampshire.
On the 23rd Dad & Marty took me to Boston, but not before making a stop at the Riverview Restaurant. It was a good little restaurant, it probably had the best breakfast sausage I've ever tasted.

On the way to Boston, we went along the trail that Paul Revere rode. This is the monument where William Dawes, Paul Revere, and Samuel Prescott were captured by the British. But Prescott got away and finished the ride.

A little taste of the east coast, Moxie. It tastes like a mix of Dr. Pepper & Rootbeer.

Heading into Boston, the Temple is right off the freeway. Looks very nice, doesn't it?

We went along the Freedom Trail, with the first stop being Faneuil Hall. Here is a statue of Samuel Adams in front.

This is the Massachusetts State House.

It was fun learning about all the history. This is artwork about the Boston Massacre.

The whole day was really cold. We went on one of those tour buses that went around the city, and the driver talked about all the sites. That night we ate at Cheers... you know... "Where everyone knows your name"?

I thought this looked nice. In Boston, we walked through a park that had an outdoor ice skating rink.

The next day, I had to leave that afternoon, but before that Dad & Marty took me for a drive along the country side. It was very nice to see different things. A covered walk bridge, and a frozen lake. I was a little skeptical.

Trying New Things

2009-12-02T03:47:00.001-08:00

At work yesterday, we were deciding what to do for lunch - and someone suggested we go out for Sushi. I've never tried it. I have only smelt it, and thought it smelt gross enough not to try it, and I was totally content with that. But, lo and behold I went along with it. A group of us from work went to Sushi Teri - in downtown Lompoc. I tried the Philadelphia roll. It was made of Salmon, Avocado, and cream cheese(yeah, I know - sounds good, right?). So, I built it up in my mind, and then put one of those things in my mouth. It was pretty gross. But I wasn't spitting it out (It cost me $5.95!!). That was all I ate off THAT plate, and moved on to the rest of my food. The sushi was just to mushee for me. Later I found out that the Philadelphia Roll is something for the "more experienced" sushi eater would get. So, maybe in a few months, I will get the strength to try other kinds of sushi. So, I can neither recommend it, nor not recommend it. But on another happy note - Happy December!! I LOVE this time of year. Only 22 more days till I get to be with family!!

An Update to Thanksgiving 2009!

2009-11-28T09:53:00.000-08:00

An update to the Jay Leno show I went to on Thanksgiving.

I even got to shake his hand!

Thanksgiving Day at the Jay Leno Show.

2009-11-27T16:57:00.000-08:00

This year's Thanksgiving was definitely was a different experience. I got to go to the Jay Leno Show. It was a special Military show - where the whole audience was made of military member. Well, first thing was to meet, and take the bus to NBC Studios in Burbank(northern LA).

We got to the studio, and then had to wait for 2 hours before they let us in to our seats.

I was a little disappointed they wouldn't let us take inside the studio, so I didn't get any actual pictures of Jay Leno, but after the taping he go pictures with the military members, divided into which location we were from. Hopefully I will get a copy of that picture soon so I can post it.

A little more about the show - Megan Fox was his special guest. And for the rest of the show, it was a competition between the 5 branches of the military. And - oh yeah... AIR FORCE won!!

And then after the taping of the show, Jay Leno had a bunch of tables and stuff set up and fed us a Thanksgiving dinner. It was pretty good, considering they cooked for several hundred people(which doesn't usually turn out the best). Yes, I got to shake Jay's hand. No, not everyone got to shake his hand. No, I did not shake Megan Fox's hand. Did I get on TV?? Maybe. I couldn't tell. I thought it was interesting to see what was shown, and what was edited out of the show. Also, all the prep-ing he does, the makeup. I thought it was interesting to see all of the stuff that goes on in the background.

Good Stuff...

2009-11-18T17:20:00.000-08:00

I just learned that I will be made another Uncle. My sister Becky is expecting. Congrats Becky & Troy!! I hope everything goes well over the next year!

Knott's Berry Farm Weekend.

2009-11-16T18:33:00.000-08:00

This weekend I got to go to Knott's Berry Farm in LA. I met some nice people, and had lots of fun.

John, Me, Mike, and Allison.

Allison, Mike and Me takin' a look at a map of the place. Where to go first??

John, Stephanie, and Me. This was after we went on Bigfoot Rapids.

Oh man, what was I thinking?? Just about to ride Supreme Scream...

254 ft up, and fall up to 50 mph. I've never though of myself to have a fear of heights, but this ride was definately nerve-racking.

A quick photo as we waited for the Knott's Fools Gold Stunt Show to start. There was Stephanie, Mike, Allison, Heather, and John. John is pointing to where I have to sit..... which is located in......

The splash zone!! It wasn't too bad though. I only got a few drops on my face.

The reason for the splash zone... right in front is a water well, and anytime one of the stuntmen would fall in, it would shoot out water.

That night we ate at Wahoo's Fish Taco place. They make one of the best beef avocado sandwiches I've EVER tasted.

Then we went out on the Huntingtong Beach Pier. It was a little chilly.

Me, Stephanie, Mike, Allison, Heather and John.
After a fun day on Sunday with a nice breakfast, church, and lunch - it was time to return home.

It was a great weekend.

Vandenberg AFB POW/MIA Memorial

2009-11-14T04:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday on Vandenberg at the Veteran's Memorial - there was a name reading. All of the names of soldiers that have fallen in the World Wars, and perhaps even Vietnam. But, it was to go on for 24 hrs straight. I was in the 11:00pm group through midnight. Each person read names for 15 minutes. What a great experience to honor those POWs/MIAs.

Disneyland Fun!!

2009-10-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

This past weekend (October 24th) I got to go to Disneyland. I went with some people from work - and it was alot of fun!!

Just inside the front gate...

I went with Ray and Jen. Thanks alot guys.

Disneyland is ready for Halloween...

California Adventures was fun too:

Ray and Jen doin some thinking - or whatever...

Turkey legs!! So yummy.

Kind of blurry... trying to get Walt Disney, Mickey and the Castle together.

The fireworks display was great. And we also saw a show called Fantasmic!! This is a small clip (5 1/2 mins) from the show Fantasmic(has been performed since 1992) ...

Happiness in Colorado.

2009-10-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

I got to spend almost a full week in Colorado!! I arrived on Oct 13th, and left on the 18th. I hope to return for good someday. But I was there for my nephew's baptisms. Jake Jr. and Antonio got baptized.

It was the first time the whole family has been together in almost a year and a half. The week mainly consisted of a few main events. There was Jessica's baby shower, Jake & Antonio's baptisms, and the after baptism events. Here's the pictures:

Some of the family went on a little nature walk.

An early start with an omelette from The Omelette Parlor. Yummy... Josh - what are ya doin?

Family pictures:
Siblings

Siblings and families:

Everyone with Mom and Grandpa and Grandma Waite

Everyone with Dad and Marty:

Egbert Family:

Cruzan Family:

Falcon/Reza Family:

Me with the nieces and nephews - maybe my most favorite picture!!!

Campos Family:

And finally - soon to be Cruzan Family:

Me with Trenton and little Ben Schlosser:

Then on to Mr. Biggs for some fun!! Mr. Biggs is an entertainment place - where they have mini-golf, laser tag, go karts, just a whole bunch of fun!!

Here there were foam balls that were suppose to be shot by air pressured cannons - but we decided to for-go the cannon part and just throw the foam balls at each other.... FUN!!

I am so grateful for being part of the family that I am. They are very supportive and fun to be around. And I look forward to the time that I can spend more time with you all. I love you all very much.

Oh yeah - I almost forgot. We went on our first Cruzan Boys Golf outing. It was really fun. I won't mention who won - but there were a lot of factors. Including a last minute wardrobe malfunction. But we will see how much practice everyone gets before our next golf game.

Meet Me In St. Louis...

2009-07-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

I got to spend a little time in the midwest. I went to attend a class at Scott AFB, Illinois.

Not a whole lot to show for it. Enjoying the humidity, and fireflies(but only for one night). Played golf several times. But we did get to go visit the tallest memorial in the nation (650 ft) - the Gateway Arch, in St. Louis, Missouri.

Just a few pictures of that part of my trip.

There is a small park just north of the momument. It was a nice to just walk around.

The Mississippi River to the east. And a picture of St. Louis to the west.

Then, of course, the arch...

Then the ride to the top.

Sheesh, Bobby get out of the way!!...

We took a tram cart all the way to the top.

No, its not a glorified toliet.... The is just to show how close the seats were to each other. ....and the doors....

When you get to the top... this what the inside looks like... notice that you have to lean out to actually get a look out the windows. Kinda nerve racking....

And out to the east - the Mississippi River, and to the west - downtown St. Louis.

I can't complain - the view was spactacular.

And then the plane ride home gave some great views.

I don't know where this is - but it was interesting to look at.

And then there was a break in the clouds to get a great shot of the Grand Canyon.

Fun in the Springs!!

2009-06-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

So, I've been in Colorado Springs for about 2 weeks now, and I figured it was time for me to give a little update with some pics!!

First off it was so much fun to be picked up by my sister Jessica and her two boys. I was the only one with a welcoming party!!

I was put up at the Embassy Suites, which is great!!

I've got to spend some time with family. On Saturday, the 13th, I got to go golfing with some cousins, which was fun. I hadn't been golfing for about 6 years. But, I guess I wasn't too bad. Later that evening my sister Rachel hosted a dinner for everyone. It was great fun. After dinner there was a bunch of playing at the Wii. My niece Sydney is amazing, and it is a good challenge. I got a great picture of her. :)

Here is a picture of my nephew Preston and his cast.

Then during the next week I we got out of class a little early, so a few of us went to the Acedemy to play a little golf. It was absolutely beautiful. With the mountains in the background. It was wonderful - makes me NOT want to leave.

Something else I can't believe - I hadn't played golf in 6 years, and here I've played twice in the past week!!
Then, also with our class we get to take a few field trips. One this week was to Denver.

To Buckley AFB. The photo - no I didn't take it... I got it off the internet.

It was lots of fun. I am learning alot. I love being in the Springs. I just a short time left, so I am hoping to make the most of it.

Yeah for Memorial Day!!

2009-05-26T22:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day to all who are serving and who have served. I am priviladged to come from a family who have been in service to our country for generations.

To celebrate the holiday... besides finally having a day off, and sleeping in until... well 8ish. That night I met up with some friends from church for a bonfire on the beach - in Arroyo Grande, CA.

It was really windy which made it cold. But it was fun to be out with friends.

Now the countdown till I get to go back to The Springs for a little while.... 2 more weeks... yeah!!

My First Launch.

2009-05-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday when I got to work - I was informed that there was a launch, and we could go see it if we wanted to. So, on my lunch break I ran home and grabbed my camera. Then the time finally came. We went out to the gathering place for the launch, and as we pulled up we saw it shoot off - and, well... the video shows what I saw.

A Nice Day For a Hike

2009-02-01T20:55:00.000-08:00

We had a three-day weekend, and I've been visiting with Jacob and his family. On Friday, I drove up the highway that runs along the coast. It was a beautiful day.

On Saturday we went for a hike in the Big Basin Redwood State Park. This is the California's oldest state park. We hiked for several hours, covering over 3 miles.

It was fun. We saw a waterfall, hiked up a huge rock, saw many HUGE Redwood trees, and hade a picnic along the way. We were all very tired. Jake was a tropper!!

And then Sunday was the Super Bowl. Jacob threw a great party! I would have to say my favoriate part was - well the food. A close second would be the antenna laying on the ladder... what was that for again?

Trip to California

2009-01-23T19:30:00.000-08:00

It was a long 20 hours. I started off on Wednesday, and drove all day to Colorado. When I got to Colorado Springs, I made a quick stop at Jess's place. I was a nice break to get out and stretch. It was nice to see her and my nephews too. Then I was off to Utah. I made it to my mother's house the next morning. This was where I finally got some sleep. Layne and Mom was so nice for putting me up for the day. After I got some sleep, and they got home from work - we went out to dinner @ Golden Corral.

And Becky and Troy joined us.

And a few hours later, I was back on the road. My next destination? Jacob and Camille's place in California. The worst part about this section of the trip was the fog that seemed to spread the whole length of Nevada.

I think the visibility got down to about 50 ft in front of me. I had to slow down to about 35 mph for a few hours.

But I finally made it to Jacob's today. This has been an exhuasting trip.

California here I come....

2009-01-20T07:03:00.000-08:00

Today I graduated my course, here at Goodfellow. We had one of the bigger classes - about 30 of us.

I will be off to Vandenberg AFB in California tomorrow.

Also something great thing happened this week. Josh joined the Air Force. I wish him well at Basic Training.

Christmas 2008!

2008-12-31T05:03:00.000-08:00

I made a trip to Utah to spend Christmas with some of the family. I drove to New Mexico, and flew the rest of the way. It was lots of fun. I made a stop in Odessa, TX - just to take a look at where I served a part of my mission in 2001. I liked seeing the town, it brought back memories. I stayed in a little Econo Lodge there in Albuquerque. Especially being able to spend time with my little bro before he joins the Air Force(when ever that may be - he is shooting for sometime in February). Some of the pictures from the trip....

Mmmm. Jack Jordan's BBQ (Odessa, TX) - still as good as ever!!

There was a new church building too(Odessa, TX)

And the apartment complex I stayed in.(Odessa, TX)

Free continential breakfast at the Econo Lodge in Alb. New Mexico.. I'm wondering if its really worth it... donuts and juice?? Cheepo place..

A fun filled DOUBLE Zarahemle game....

And Layne trying to make green eggs and ham. It turned out alright.

More to come...

Thanksgiving Trip!!

2008-11-30T12:28:00.000-08:00

It was a great Thanksgiving holiday. I made a trip to Colorado Springs to spend a few days with some family. It was so much fun! Thanks Rachel and Brian for having us over for Thanksgiving dinner, and thanks Jessica for putting up her little bro!!

Preparing the food...

Marty, you would have been so proud of Jessica, the sweet potato pie came out perfect.

Heading over to the Egberts place, we find Brian busy carving the turkey, and Rachel playing a game with the kids.

Along with it being Thanksgiving, it was also Nathan's birthday. There was alot of fun with the balloons...

Just some randon movies that I took.

Then Friday I helped Jessica put up her Christmas tree with her boys.

SOMEONE liked their cheesestick...

And after that, I was so into the Christmas spirit, that I went out and got my first Christmas tree - ever. The past few years, I've lived in dorms, where there wasn't much room for anything. I put up lights, but never enough room for a tree.

Yes!! Bring on the Christmas Season!!!