The Pauga Family - Dallas, TX

States I've Traveled by Masina

2011-07-01T13:26:00.000-05:00

Keil's creative writing :)

2010-12-07T15:55:00.001-06:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

A fun Story by Masina

2010-11-12T10:37:00.001-06:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Masina's Artwork

2010-11-12T10:36:00.001-06:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Masina's reply to "What is a Scientist?"

2010-08-25T16:48:00.001-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Final 2009 Report Card, Mina

2010-06-04T16:41:00.000-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Final 2009 Report Card, Keil

2010-06-04T16:40:00.000-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Final 2009 Report Card, Keilani

2010-06-04T16:39:00.000-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Masina's Artwork

2010-05-20T14:33:00.000-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Masina's Report Card

2010-05-20T14:32:00.000-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Keilani's Report Card

2010-05-13T12:38:00.000-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Masina's Artwork

2010-05-06T11:01:00.000-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Report Cards - Keil

2010-04-30T13:47:00.000-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Masina showing her inner Colors

2010-04-28T13:21:00.000-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Masina's Artwork 4-8-10

2010-04-09T16:27:00.000-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Masina's Artwork 4-5-10

2010-04-06T15:38:00.000-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Masina's Book

2010-04-06T15:37:00.000-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Masina's Art Portfolio 4

2010-03-29T15:32:00.000-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Masina's Art Portfolio 3

2010-03-29T15:31:00.002-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Masina's Art Portfolio 2

2010-03-29T15:31:00.001-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Masina's Art Portfolio 1

2010-03-29T15:31:00.000-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Masina Artwork

2010-03-26T15:55:00.000-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

kwp

2010-03-25T12:36:00.000-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

mep-rpt

2010-03-25T12:35:00.001-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

kjp-rpt

2010-03-25T12:35:00.000-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

kjp

2010-03-25T12:34:00.000-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

mep

2010-03-25T12:33:00.000-05:00

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Jumping Rope

2010-02-18T22:20:00.000-06:00

Tonight was MST's PE program and I captured this of Pablo and Keil doing their jump rope exercise.

Letter to Santa

2010-01-04T13:12:00.003-06:00

Wanted to show this fun letter from Keil to Santa:

Masina's Schoolwork

2009-12-21T00:25:00.001-06:00

See if you can understand Masina's short story!

Honor Society

2009-12-21T00:20:00.001-06:00

This is from November but Keilani was recognized for making the Honor Society. See if you can spot her name in the "ACM NEWS" below.

Masina's Schoolwork

2009-12-15T14:20:00.002-06:00

A Book by Masina...

Masina's Schoolwork

2009-12-13T21:52:00.000-06:00

Masina prepares for the TAKS test.

Keil's Schoolwork

2009-12-11T00:29:00.001-06:00

I wanted to share Keil's short story below. Quite fun to read.

Masina's Artwork

2009-12-11T00:20:00.001-06:00

Masina is now painting, not just coloring! :) hehehe

Masina's Artwork

2009-12-09T23:14:00.000-06:00

Keil's Schoolwork

2009-12-09T00:15:00.001-06:00

Some of Keil's school work from Nov.

Keilani's Artwork

2009-12-09T00:12:00.002-06:00

Keilani's abstract art. I'm still trying to figure out what it is. Then again, she said it's abstract! :)

Masina

2009-12-08T14:14:00.003-06:00

Just some of Masina's writing

The word here is "thankful"

In this, she's discussing spiders.

Keil's Scientist Book from 2G

2009-12-01T16:25:00.002-06:00

This was from Keil's Science book from 2G.

[Do NOT reply to this email, this system does not have a Inbox] This document was digitally sent to you using an HP Digital Sending device.

Masina

2009-11-16T17:38:00.003-06:00

Keil's Reading Comprehension

2009-11-06T16:35:00.001-06:00

Keil's Schoolwork

2009-11-06T16:34:00.002-06:00

Keil's Vocab

2009-11-06T16:33:00.002-06:00

Keil's Math

2009-11-06T16:31:00.002-06:00

Masina's Schoolwork from Last Week

2009-11-05T12:06:00.010-06:00

Masina's Artwork

2009-11-02T11:55:00.005-06:00

Masina just likes to draw and be creative. I gave her a set of stickers that I would have otherwise thrown away and she created an art piece with it. She wants me to post her artwork so she puts it on my desk and everyday I always get something new. I've been saving them but thought I should just keep posting them from now on.

Masina's Schoolwork

2009-11-02T11:53:00.008-06:00

Masina's schoolwork from last week.

Masina's Artwork

2009-10-29T11:38:00.003-05:00

Masina's First Week of School Book-- And a great Laugh!

2009-09-10T21:49:00.004-05:00

Okay I had to capture this moment. Masina loves to draw and she enjoys giving me her pictures. I told her she can save all her pix if she gives them to me to scan. She enjoys seeing them online.

So yesterday, she gave me a book she made from her first week of school. I looked through and enjoyed her colors. She showed off to me that she's beginning to stay within the lines. I admired that portion as I went through each day.

Then I got to Wednesday and it took me a minute to figure out what she wrote. I smiled. But then I moved on toThursday and I busted out laughing! It's especially funny the way the sentence is worded. I love it!

Holler back any comments so I can pass it on to her :)

Tools to keep your kids safe online

2009-09-02T12:52:00.000-05:00

I liked this and wanted to share it with everyone. I'm an avid internet user and my kids are too. My two oldest have twitter, facebook and gmail accounts and though I don't worry too much, it's always good to know that other software out there are helping the cause of keeping them safe.

Tools to keep your kids safe online: "

Although some of us remember life before computers and the Internet, there's a new generation of children who don't. From an early age, they're on PCs, playing games, and in many cases, learning about the Internet.

That's why it's so important to safeguard your children while they're surfing the Web. The Internet can be a scary place, but these resources will help keep the bad stuff away:

Glubble Glubble bills itself as a family 'social network' and browser. Although I'm not entirely convinced that it's a social network, it does do a fine job of ensuring your kids stay safe online.

Glubble lets you upload content like photos, videos, or special moments for your family to see. But where it shines is in controlling what your kids can do on the Web. All the sites they can browse are approved by you. Whenever they go to different sites, it's recorded so you can see what your kids are up to when they use the computer. Glubble provides your kids with several activities, including games and puzzles. It's a nice app for both the family and the children.

Set up your kids in Glubble.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Kido'z Kido'z is an Adobe AIR application that safeguards your children as they browse the Web. But unlike normal browsers, Kido'z determines what your kids can and cannot view.

After you download Kido'z, you'll be brought to a page showing icons for a handful of popular franchises for children, including Mickey Mouse, Dora the Explorer, and others. When you click on one of those options, you'll be brought to the subject's respective Web page within the app. You can click around as you would if you were using Firefox. Kido'z works well and it will help keep your kids safe from some of the Web's dangers.

Choose between these services to help keep your kids safe.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

KidZui KidZui is a safe Web browser for kids. Once the extension is activated by a parent, the child will be locked-down to specific, KidZui-approved Web sites. It also takes up the entire screen, so kids can't go wandering on your PC and mess things up. Only the password, which is chosen by the parent, will remove KidZui from the screen. Overall, KidZui is a great way to keep your kids safe and entertained while on the Web. (For our full review, click here.)

Kids can browse the Web, see photos, and more with KidZui.

(Credit: KidZui)

LinkExtend LinkExtend is a Firefox add-on that's designed to keep anyone, not just kids, safe online by analyzing Web sites and alerting you when there are potentially dangerous issues with the site.

But where LinkExtend comes in handy for parents is through its KidSafe feature. That simple feature tells you whether or not a site is suitable for children, based on several considerations, including vulgar terms, the site's content, and more. The feature uses a variety of services to help it determine the site's child-safety rating, including Google SafeSearch and Web of Trust, another well-respected Firefox extension. LinkExtend's KidSafe option is perfect for any parent who wants to make sure a site is suitable for their children.

LinkExtend has some great features for parents.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

PikLuk PikLuk is designed to keep your kids safe both online and with their e-mail accounts. It does that by requiring you to decide all the sites your children will be able to access. You can also decide who they can correspond with over e-mail.

When you first get to PikLuk, you'll need to create a parent account. From that dashboard, you can pick all the Web sites your kids will be allowed to see. You can also create a PikLuk e-mail address and block access to and from that address to everyone but the white-listed users you assign. It works well. And since you have total control over what your kids can do on the Web, you'll have some peace of mind with PikLuk.

Pikluk lets you manage and monitor your child's access to the Web.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Totlol Totlol is an online video site that's powered by YouTube, but is moderated to provide a fun, educational video environment for children.

After you sign up for the site (you can't view videos without registering), you can let your children take over the mouse and start picking videos they want to view. All the videos come from YouTube, but thanks to moderators, you won't need to worry about anything adult-oriented slipping through. I found that the majority of videos stick to animals, but there is some educational content on the site. In either case, it's a fine alternative to YouTube. Just beware that TotLOL doesn't have nearly as many videos as the popular social video site. In fact, its list of clips is a little small for my liking. I should also note that it charges a membership fee for access to videos. The fees were first instituted back in July as a way for the company to stay afloat, rather than close shop.

Totlol features several videos for kids to watch.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

ZuiTube ZuiTube, which is owned by the aforementioned KidZui, is essentially a child-friendly YouTube.

When you get to ZuiTube, you'll notice that you can view videos without registering for the site. It's one of the biggest problems with Totlol and it makes ZuiTube far more appealing than its main competitor. Overall, I was impressed with ZuiTube's selection of clips. It gathers them from YouTube. They include movies, television shows, music videos, and more. They all provide outstanding quality. If you want your kids to enjoy online videos without worrying about them finding inappropriate content, ZuiTube is for them.

ZuiTube is the best child-friendly video site tested.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

My top 3

1. KidZui: If you want a great browsing experience, KidZui is for you.

2. Kido'Z: The Adobe AIR application is outstanding.

3. ZuiTube: If you want your kids to be entertained, ZuiTube is the site to check out.

First Day of School

2009-08-30T09:32:00.005-05:00

This past Monday, Aug 24th, was the first day of school for the kids. They were excited to get back to the swing of things and Jennifer was excited to get her quiet time back.

Avatar Moves

2009-07-23T17:55:00.003-05:00

Here are our Avatar moves. In honor of our show and the movie coming out in November!

Fourth of July 2009

2009-07-05T01:10:00.003-05:00

Our 4th of July 2009 was another fun one. We started the day with our Ward breakfast at Terrace Park. Then we took time swimming like crazy. In between those, we had to post and collect the Scout flags.

Then we capped the day off with another trip to Breckenridge Park where we enjoyed the fireworks from our usual slope.

Masina's Birthday

2009-07-02T00:42:00.001-05:00

These are just a few pictures from Masina's birthday on Saturday.

Masina's Artwork

2009-05-22T00:30:00.002-05:00

Showcasing more of Masina's artwork. She likes to draw and puts her work on my laptop. When she does that it means she wants me to scan them and blog them. If I blogged every artwork she gives me it'll be majority of my posts.

Nevertheless, I personally think it's good as it helps you guys out there in New Zealand, Samoa, Australia, San Diego, Arizona, Utah and South Carolina get acquianted with the kids; Whether it be their school work, artwork or just special projects.

Well, enjoy. Oh and as of today, there are exactly 2 weeks left of school. Nice!

New Moon

2009-05-19T00:51:00.000-05:00

Keilani and Jennifer are happy that a "New Moon" is arriving. Their new moon arrives later this year while the quarter's new moon is May 24th.

Masina School Pic

2009-05-05T01:06:00.003-05:00

The only thing Masina said was "I took my picture before I lost my teeth". LOL!

New Pictures

2009-04-15T00:11:00.003-05:00

Since you're all on facebook and I didn't want to upload twice, here are just two pictures to let you know that I uploaded all our zoo pictures and the rest of Keil's presentation pictures on facebook.

And Action...

2009-04-08T13:18:00.005-05:00

Earlier this morning, Keil presented on his REACH project. He presented on Steven Spielberg. Jennifer and I were both there and we think he did a fine job. He had great posture, good voice, eye contact and was confident.

Included here are some of the pictures from his presentation and we'll post several more another time including the prep work that went into doing everything.

He had fun with his project and it inspired the girls to do a similar project on someone they'd like to know more about.

The teacher thought it was cool how he came and presented as Steven Spielberg and not just "tell" about his person. The best part was when he ended with "I'd like to thank the Academy..." as he held up his Oscar Award. Credit to Jennifer for working on his speech with him and for the ingenious way she came up with the Oscar. You can see the picture here of him spray painting his gold Oscar :)

LDS Techies = Online Missionary Work

2009-04-04T14:24:00.005-05:00

During the first session of conference today the lds twitter community came alive. For almost 2 hours, the keyword "ldsconf" was the buzz on twitter. That is amazing from my standpoint. As an interactive marketer, this drove a lot of "visits" and interactions and "buzz" about the church. But from an lds member perspective, what a tool for missionary work.

During the same time, lds.org (see screenshot) was the #1 trend on google.com/trends. But looking even closer, one will see that numbers 4 and 8 are also attributed to the lds church. We might look and say, we are only 13 million. But I choose to say, we are 13 million STRONG with influence. One of my fellow twitterers said "lds are techy people" and I totally agree. Why?

If one breaks down the 13 million, one will see that that's not a big number to begin with but to carry the trends and sway worldwide (6 billion) analytics and tools (e.g. twitter and google) is a feat. We tried to accomplish that in the Oct 08 Conference but didn't. Amazingly, in just 6 months, more LDS folks have embraced twitter.

Last Summer, I created twitter accounts for Keilani and Keil for their summer journal project and they've been enjoying it. Now they are part of the twitter and ldstwitterers.

Masina's Artwork

2009-04-02T22:23:00.003-05:00

Masina loves to draw so I wanted to showcase some of her artwork. She wanted to ensure everyone sees it.

TAKS Results

2009-03-28T00:50:00.002-05:00

On Wednesday, we were notified that Keilani was commended on her Reading TAKS test. For those of you who don't know, the TAKS test is the State-wide exam for Texas.

To be commended is a big deal, it means a student only misses 3 questions or less in the test. Now that was awesome! And yes, Keilani only missed 3 questions in the exam...which mind you, is an all day exam. So the reading score there to your left is for her entire school and that 94% has Keilani in the mix. Go Nani!

Keil Cooks

2009-03-28T00:39:00.000-05:00

Part of Scouting and Faith in God, Keil needs to prepare 3 meals. So a few Sundays ago, he cooked breakfast for the family. He was quite pleased with him accomplishments. Here's him cooking...or does making tortillas count? I'll have to consult the book :)

Emergency Room Visit

2009-03-28T00:35:00.000-05:00

Masina and I made a dash to the Emergency Room last weekend when her ear ache wouldn't go away after 3 hours of monitoring. But we weren't there long as opposed to when I went. So it was good. By the time we left, she was feeling a lot better and the antibiotics prescribed cleared things up already.

Straight A Student

2009-02-18T23:27:00.000-06:00

Progress reports came out yesterday for Keilani and she's doing quite well. Don't hesitate to holler at her for her accomplishments. Her major exams are coming up for Reading and Math next month and April respectively. And her Science project is due tomorrow. She's rolling and having fun.

Different Storm Types

2009-02-10T22:58:00.000-06:00

So two weeks ago, we had an Ice Storm that closed down schools on Jan 28th. My vehicle temperature was reading 19 degrees. And you can see from the pictures that thick ice collected on the trampoline. We had icicles on the vehicles and ice all over the roads.

Then tonight as I drove home I watched a Lightning Storm preceed a major Thunder Storm that eventually brought heavy rain, hail and tornadic activity. Three people died from the storm and I sit in amazement. Before the storm, it was 74 degrees.

I just enjoy watching the weather that Jennifer thinks I'm a weatherman stalker! I think I should change careers and become a weatherman. I even follow the weatherman on twitter, how cool is that? :)

The last picture is from tonight's storm.

Saturday Projects

2009-02-10T00:26:00.004-06:00

On Friday, a co-worker told me about a class at HD on Saturday. We looked it up and it looked interesting. When I told the kids about it that evening, they were excited. So, and because I had to coach two games, Jennifer took them. They were so excited they got to go. Furthermore, it fulfilled a Scoute requirement for Keil as well as a Faith in God Award.

After they got the trinket boxes done, we went to Michaels and got paint, then they spent the rest of the afternoon painting. And here they are....

Dang!!!

2009-01-23T20:18:00.000-06:00

So my co-workers and I were going to lunch when we passed by this set of cubes...we couldn't help notice this name. We just burst out laughing I had to take a picture of it. Well if you can't tell which name I'm talking about, it's the second from the top. The one below "Open"!

From Mechanic to Plumber Joe!

2009-01-10T17:08:00.000-06:00

That's right, last week I was a mechanic and put in the Alternator to Jennifer's van, today was the toilet. Yeah it was clogged. The toilet paper dispenser fell in and was wedged inside the toilet. So guess who had to take the thing apart and get it out? That's right, yours truly. But I must say I had a good assistant...my lovely wife! :)

It was the stinkiest project I've worked on...literally! hahahaha. We got some tips from Jesse (my brother-in-law) and then the rest was just pure luck...I mean brains. I will say it was an easy project but there were just a few things I didn't like about it especially the smell. And when we finally got the dispenser dislodged, we had a few other "things" come out as well. I'll let your imaginations do the rest.

Needless to say it is a working toilet again. So right after I needed to have someone "send some mail" through it and Keil happily volunteered. He even let me check out the package he was about to send through to ensure it was "testable material". I told him I needed some fat donuts to send through and he produced the right size. So after I approved the package size, we let 'er rip! And she ripped alright. She spiraled down like a good package should and yes we are back in business.

The next project is finding out where the leak is for the van's power steering fluid. Oh and I still need to put in a new windshield for her vehicle. Man, we are just moving along!

Ice-cream, Burgers, Ice-cream...and Quality Time

2009-01-09T21:33:00.002-06:00

Jennifer had to wait for a someone to come over so she could help them so unfortunately she was unable to come with us.

So we went out by ourselves. We started at MacDonalds where we enjoyed some McFluries and ice-cream cones because it topped out at 81 degrees today...another warm one.

Then afterwards we went to Braums for some burgers. As we were eating, Keil reckoned that Mom would have really enjoyed it with us. Sometimes callings come first!

So as we got up to leave, we went to get some ice-create to bring home. And true to his love for his Mom, Keil strongly suggested we get Mint Chocolate-chip ice-cream for his mom. So we got a 3-pint for Jennifer and another for them. So we're home now and finishing off our video-game faceoff before heading to bed. A good start to the weekend.

From 84 to 31 Degrees...All in a Days Work!

2009-01-08T23:25:00.000-06:00

So Saturday was 84 degrees and set a record then Sunday we dropped to 44 and by Monday the high here in NE Dallas (Richardson) was 31 degrees. And as a result, we had icicles on the trees. Moreover, the poor Hot Dog guy wasn't so hot. As you can see, his momos were ice. He's normally happier than that but it must have been hard to push out that ice after drinking it all :)

Well, that's Bid D weather for you....hot again cold again. Then it warmed up today to 76 degrees again. Tomorrow is slated to drop a little but then we might be either in the teens or single digits next week. Love it!

Mechanic Joe in 84 Degree Temp on a January Day

2009-01-03T23:43:00.001-06:00

Another nice warm day in Dallas and guess what I got to do? I was able to do all the following to the van:
* Replace the alternator
* Fix a broken windshield wiper
* Do a tire rotation
* Washed and dried it

Amidst that, I was also able to move a couch and deliver it to the family in need and still had time to start our fast on time. It was awesome!

It took me 47 minutes to take out the alternator and took me 55 minutes to put it back in. Even with dropping two bolts and having to jack up the vehicle to retrieve them and having to reroute the serpentine belt because it completely fell out of its track, it still only took me 55 minutes. I'm so excited about that. After 55 minutes, Jennifer's van was back running and she was driving it around.

I'm please with that accomplishment. Well, it was a record breaker today at 84 degrees and how awesome that we were able to do our yard work.

The kids and I even took advantage and camped outside last night. Just in time because the low tonight will be 33 and the high tomorrow will be 47. So last night we slept outside in 67 degrees: we call it "tramp camp" because we camp on the trampoline.

...and Hot Again

2009-01-02T23:41:00.001-06:00

So just two weeks ago we were down to 21 degrees with 7 degree windchill and light snow on the trampoline. Well today was 70 degrees and as you can see we were making the most of the nice warm day on January 2nd 2009. Very nice.

I'm in the Governor's Cirlce of Friends

2008-12-19T14:11:00.000-06:00

So how many of you can say you got a Christmas Card from the Governor of your State? Well check this out, I got a Christmas Card from Governor Perry, Texas Governor and his family. Oh yeah, I'm in Governor's circle of friends. :)

I'm still trying to decide if it's my substiantial contribution to the GOP or the fact that I was a Republican Delegate for Precinct 1719 and got a seat at the District Convention. Nevertheless, I got a card from Governor Perry! I'm feelin' special!

St. Mary's Uniform

2008-12-18T23:29:00.000-06:00

Guys, I wanted to show this picture...this is Masina's school uniform today. Isn't it crazy that this is the same as school uniforms for girls in Samoa? And the color...that's St. Mary's school uniform colors--white blouse with navy blue dress/skirt. Crazy huh?

Two Days Below Freezing

2008-12-16T21:23:00.000-06:00

Two days of below freezing, today's high was 31 degrees F while yesterday was 32. It snowed a little but lots more freezing rain. On the way to take the kids to school, lots of patchy ice and our vehicle slid a bit. Nevertheless, we traveled to and fro safely.

What Tribe Are You From?

2008-12-02T21:36:00.002-06:00

Jennifer and I just got back from Forth Worth where we attended a Native American Council annual gathering. It was fun. It took an hour to drive, then took another 30 mins to locate the place but when we sat down, they were just about to bless the food. Better yet, we sat right next to the food, the only place available. Since there were 1100 people there, sitting next to the food was the best!

So then the people we sat with asked what tribe we were with and Jennifer answered Choctaw. The guy said he was with the Yawa tribe. They then turned to me and I said I was from the tribe of Lehi.

Rightfully so, the poor lady was confused as she mentioned that she's never heard of that tribe before. Well, I think she hasn't read that part of the Book of Mormon yet. What an amazing thing when the American Indians finally see that they are descendants of Lehi and the Book of Mormon people.

Elder Wirthlin dies at 91

2008-12-02T11:40:00.001-06:00

SALT LAKE CITY 2 Dec 2008 Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, the oldest living apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died last night, age 91. Elder Wirthlin had gone to bed at his Salt Lake City home, and died peacefully at about 11:30 pm of causes incident to age.

Mouse in the kitchen

2008-12-01T21:06:00.001-06:00

Yup, we caught it! Poor guy, Keil and I had to give him a proper burial. And since Keil couldn't see "his thing sticking out" he reckons it's a "femail" mouse (note the spelling)!

Keilani's Schoolwork

2008-11-26T00:49:00.000-06:00

Here are just a few of Keilani's schoolwork to share. Next post...report cards again.

Keil's Math Mid-Term

2008-11-23T02:41:00.000-06:00

We got Keil's Math Benchmark exam back and he did alright. I told him I'm happy for him doing okay but he wanted a 100%. Well, he knows exactly what he needs to do to do better and it's always good to aim higher. Keilani set a goal to be commended two years ago after her first benchmark and by years end, she was commended.

Masina's Coloring

2008-11-20T21:05:00.000-06:00

Masina wanted to ensure these were posted so Gramma and Grampa (both sets) would see them. She drew a picture of her family and a picture of her in bed. There are more to come but she wanted to start with these.

Slumber Party

2008-11-08T01:19:00.000-06:00

A quick snapshot of the kids in their slumber party downstairs. Keil is waving to us as Masina's legs cross over him. Keilani is sleeping calmly. Enjoy!

I Got Tagged

2008-11-04T22:51:00.001-06:00

8 Things About Me

I'm not one to do these things but I'm playing along. So y'all have to play along too. Jill Baker tagged me so here is my post. Enjoy!

RULES

1) Post rules on your blog
2) Answer the six "8" items
3) Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving them a comment

8 Favorite TV shows
Hmm...I don't really watch TV and when I do, it's either a game, the News or the History and/or Science Channel. So these are what I've caught in the past that I enjoy.

1. Decoding the Past (History Channel)
2. MonsterQuest (History Channel)
3. Decoding Mega Disasters (History Channel)
4. The Weather (WFAA)
5. NightLine (ABC)
6. Ancient Discoveries (History Channel)
7. ESPN News
8. BYU Football

8 Things I did Yesterday
1. Rode my bike to work
2. Family Home Evening
3. Cleaned up the house
4. Practiced Piano with the kids
5. Took the boys to school
6. Did the dishes
7. Cracked my back
8. Tied Masina’s shoes

8 Things I look forward to
1. Riding my bike anywhere (in the cold)
2. Playing Ultimate Frisbee on Saturday mornings
3. Playing football on Thanksgiving
4. Weekends and Sundays
5. Going to church on Sundays
6. Practicing basketball with my children
7. Playing Acquire with my wife and children
8. The day I can run everything on a computer

8 Favorite Restaurants
1. IHOP
2. The Thai Place
3. The Mediterranean Place
4. Panda Express
5. Outback Steakhouse
6. Dennys
7. Rock Bottom
8. MacDonalds

8 Things on my wish list
1. That we were out of debt now
2. To make lots of money on the stock market
3. To travel with my wife, or serve a mission together
4. To have Eternal Life
5. Start my own company
6. That my friend Wade would accept the gospel someday
7. I could eat MacDonald’s breakfast everyday
8. That my children would all marry in the Temple and stay active in the gospel

8 People to tag
1. Mike Woodward
2. Stephanie Collao
3. Juanita Velazquez
4. Tonia Phillips
5. Wade Anderson
6. Lindsay Maas
7. Mary Tuihalagigi
8. Jake Hinckley

Halloween People

2008-11-03T19:40:00.001-06:00

From last Friday...Keilani went as Cleopatra, Keil was a vampire and Masina was a horse. We went with a few families in our ward and it was a fun evening. We walked around and did the TorT thang and then came home and took it easy.

We had some of my YM spend the night and we had a fun night playing Balderdash eating chocolate, candy and chips. Well, it was a good night.
Here is the Vampire minus the fangs and although you can't really tell, Masina is a horse but it was quite hot here so she wanted the horse-head off as it was a warm costume.

Wanna See My BooBees?

2008-11-02T23:45:00.001-06:00

Yeah, it caught my attention too.

Okay here's the story, I was in the middle of a presentation and up pops my email notification with a "WANNA SEE MY BOOBEES?" It caught me off guard and I thought, "What the heck?" I was so caught off guard I half stared at the subject line amazed!

This was from a good friend from BYUH, not SPAM that somehow made its way into my mailbox. I was stunned. I swear if I could blush I would have. I was mortified! I thought, what is she (my friend) doing?

I hoped the people in my presentation didn't notice; yeah, wishful thinking. Well, luckily a few made jokes about it and then moved passed it.

Well when we got to my desk, my coworkers and I carefully checked the email (the whole time I'm thinking, hoping really, "surely this cannot be something bad from Lisha--it's Lisha!!!") PHEW!!! it was safe! When it was safe, I finally said to my coworker, "this is an LDS friend of mine from BYUH so it couldn't have been bad." Well I was really hoping and glad it was safe.

And yes, that's the picture above; they were just Bees as ghosts saying "Booo!"

Detention!

2008-10-30T23:16:00.000-05:00

Well, I've been tossing this up to see if I should post it or not. Well, I decided what the heck, it's a happening albeit a 'mishap' for Keilani. So my Keilani got detention--I thought the reason was funny but nevertheless, I'll support the teacher.

The funny thing is I got thinking and thought well, we've all been in detention at least once. But wouldn't it be funny to know if Gramma Wilson got into Detention? Actually, all the old guys like my folks! It would be funny to see a member of the Temple Presidency and think, hey he was in detention once! Or to see Mom Noonan and say, hey you served 4 detentions? That would be funny if I get comments from you guys that you were in Detention. What did you do? Dang!!! :)

Even funnier, I told Keilani to take pictures of the "thing" so I can post them later and she said, "Dad, you want me to have more detention?" I was just thinking of making a fun "thang" out of it. Alas, I could how they wont like it if Keilani took pictures.

Oh well, she served her time and got out okay :)

Report Cards are Out

2008-10-20T23:19:00.002-05:00

Well, the first six weeks of school has ended and the report cards are out. This is the kid's first report cards from their new schools. Nothing too alarming or out of the ordinary. They both seem to score the same way they did in their previous schools.

Okay, just wanted to share their report cards. I don't know if Masina had one but if she did, it didn't make it our way. Anyway, the first one is Keil's and the second is Keilani's. Enjoy.

Exploring Duck Creek, Garland TX

2008-10-19T21:43:00.000-05:00

Every city we've lived we have a tradition with my children that we go exploring. We've hiked many places, swam in funky smelling water, watched the sunrise from various locations and have even tumbled down hills. We've encountered protected birds, snapping turtles, and crossed paths with many snakes and water snakes.

Yesterday was no different, except this time we encountered a homeless person under the Shiloh Rd bridge. It was a first for us. The other thing we did was I conducted the kid's interviews while we were out exploring. I normally conduct monthly interviews with the children at home on Sundays but yesterday I did it while we were out exploring. It was fun!
So these are just two pictures from when we stopped for a quick break and when we reached the end of the creek where it is dammed. That's where we stopped and hung out and took it easy, ate our lunch and even heard some animal growl at us. Well, enjoy and have a good one.

Piano Practice

2008-10-18T00:30:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to capture Keilani practicing her piano. We go to the church every morning at 6:40 so Keilani and Keil could practice their piano. Sister Hapeman from our ward is their teacher and we're greatful for Sis. Hapeman for donating her talent to the children. They are both getting better with their piano it amazes me.

I'll capture some pictures of Keil another time. Because Sister Velazquez picks up Keil first, he was already gone this morning when I took these pictures. Well, enjoy!

Just Hanging Out

2008-10-13T21:49:00.000-05:00

Well, just before Malaela returned to Utah, we took it easy with the kids and snapped up a few photos. Ta went back today and here we are, beginning a new fun week.

Keil Gets Baptized

2008-10-11T19:48:00.000-05:00

The Day Keil had been waiting for arrived with a bang! Faaliga and his family arrived late last night (Friday) and we all hoorahed and hung out. Then we all started the new day with Ultimate Frisbee and because the YM had a Volleyball game, we ended up having Keil and Keilani play. So that was a fun thing for them too.

Then we all came home cleaned up a bit, helped out at home, all the boys got haircuts and then we showered and then Keil and I headed to the church. We ensured the font was being filled, passed out the programs and then Keil had his interview with Bishop. It was a very spiritual event and Keil thoroughly enjoyed his day. After his baptismal, he told me he felt very good and he was excited. I was excited for him too.

It was an awesome event and here are just a few pictures prior to his baptism. In addition, here is the web album of the pictures of the after-function.

Thank you to all you guys that came and made Keil's day extra special.

Birthday People

2008-10-09T23:28:00.001-05:00

Well, today was Jennifer and Keil's birthday and we had fun. It started by Jennifer and the kids going to the airport to get Uncle Ta. Then after they picked him up, the kids got Fastfood with Uncle Ta while Jennifer and Joey went out to dinner.

Later, everyone celebrated the two birthdays with chocolate cake. It was fun and especially funny when Keilani and Masina pushed Keil's face into the cake. He enjoyed it thoroughly.

So now next up, Keil's baptism Saturday. Tomorrow though, the Filimaua's should be arriving from AZ. They fly in tomorrow night and we look forward to receiving them.

Okay have fun!

How Low Can You Go?

2008-10-09T15:01:00.002-05:00

Wow, below 9000? Apart from a little correction point in 2003, the last time I saw the DJ fall below 9000 was around 10 years ago. Can we say amazing?!!! Worst yet, it's still a live market, we are still trading. My Yahoo shares fell $7 since I bought them a week ago. At least I can say I can affort Ford now, at $2.10, Yikes!!!

I'm still waiting for Google and those big guys to come down more so I can afford them. My eyes are on WMT, TGT, NKE, XOM, PG, IBM. When those guys are at my level, I'll ping you rich guys to go get some.

Birthday Party

2008-10-04T13:34:00.000-05:00

Masina was invited to Kylie Powell's birthday party today. Here are a few pictures from the party. I saw how much fun they had when I arrived to pick her up. On our way home we chatted about how they made drums and play music and an orchestra. Well, enjoy. Just in between sessions of conference right now.

Rat Face

2008-10-03T21:00:00.000-05:00

This is Keil's funny rat face he likes to make. He wanted to share with everyone as he prepares to be baptized next Saturday.

All Red no Green

2008-09-29T14:46:00.003-05:00

Here is a screen shot of just some of the stocks I like to follow, do you see any green here? All Red, no Green, WOW! Even Google lost 38 points! Check out Wachovia, my children's Bank, the 4th largest in the US, and the latest bank to fail, lost 82% to trade at a buck! My amazement never ceases.

But now look at Citigroup who agreed to buy Wachovia, it too is going down. Even BAC is down 13%. The world is coming to an end, k, just kidding. Just very interesting to watch. Scary and interesting.

The Market Cuts Deep

2008-09-29T14:38:00.003-05:00

What an interesting day, a few minutes ago, the DJIA was down 734, the only time it has hit that low befor was on 9-11-01 when it fell to 722. This is scary. Thought I'd capture this headline from my Yahoo! Finance ticker.

Some Fun Pictures

2008-09-16T21:04:00.001-05:00

Well, as the financial world looks gloomier each day and gets scarier by the minute, I took the time to stop and enjoy what I have and what makes me happy. I was going through some pictures and decided to post some fun pictures of the children.

Tonight Keilani and Keil started piano lessons and they are both excited for it. But because of our evenings (and the fact that we don't have a piano at home), we're going to be practicing at the church which is a quick walk from our house. So we will be going to the church early mornings everyday after they get ready to practice their piano lessons.

Things at home are fun and busy as ever. Nothing major to share and no major news. Just taking it easy and thought to share.