Bulldogs Bunch.

What Took Us So Long?

2009-01-20T16:50:00.000-08:00

Let me start by saying that I am not a huge Obama guy. I did not vote for him and quite frankly disagree with a lot of his policies. I have said since he was elected that I will support him as the leader of this great nation.What I have liked is the unity that I have witnessed in our country over the last few weeks. People are excited and have a new hope. There has been a buzz in the air.

"Today is a new day." "Pick yourself up today." "From now on, " were all quotes that I heard on Innaguration Day. Why today? Why not yesterday? Why did we have to wait until Bush left office to unite and work together? Did not John F. Kennedy instruct us "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country"? While President Bush struggled why did we not unite then?

So many spoke down and criticized our President. Some even cheered as an Iraqi man threw a shoe at him. We sat back as arm chair Presidents and pointed out nothing but flaws. It was the government that let us down. It was their and his fault that so many horrible things happened. It was his problem. We had nothing to do with it.

Now Obama says that it is OUR task and we all are ready to go? Was it not always OUR task? Could we not have served and helped our neighbor? Could we not have, ourselves, been fiscally responsible? I don't care if the law and mortgage brokers tell me that I can afford a really big house. I know my personal budget and try to live within it. We all have to do our part and always have.

Another thing that I have issue with is that I heard more than 100 times, "I never saw the day that a black man would be President". I see this as a pessimistic statement. It discounts me as an American. I did think that it would happen. I also think that we will have a woman president.

What I am trying to say is that this is OUR country. No matter who the commander in chief is, it is up to us to make America great. Through good times and bad.

Books that I read in 2008.

2009-01-07T12:51:00.000-08:00

- Turn Around- Mitt Romney
A great book on leadership. It talked a lot about pulling off the 2002 Olympic games.
- Heroes of the Book of Mormon- Various General Authorities
This Book showed how various people from the Book of Mormon were heroes. And ways that we can follow.
- Into the Wild- John Krakauer
A great look into one man's journey to find himself.
- Bringing Down the House- Ben Mezerich
The movie "21" was LOOSELY based on this book. It highlights a group of MIT kids that figure out how to beat Vegas in black jack.
- The Richest Man In Babylon- George S. Clason
A classic personal finance book.
- Call of the Wild- Jack London
A classic that I had never read. So good.
- Financial Peace- Dave Ramsey
A personal finance book put in very simple terms.
- Hate Mail From Cheerleaders- Rick Reilly
A collection of a lot of articles written by Rick Reilly who wrote for ESPN for years.
- The 17 Essential Qualities Of A Team Player- John C. Maxwell
A very average book on team work.
- Ultra Marathon Man- Dean Karnazes
A crazy book on endurance running. Inspirational and funny.
- How to Win Friends and Influence People- Dale Carnegie
A must read on how not to be a jerk
- The Shack- WM. Paul Young
A christian fiction book. Interesting perspectives.
- Man Hunt- James Swanson
A VERY detailed account of the 12 day search for John Wilkes Booth. So so good.

And my 2008 Book of the Year goes to...

Man Hunt.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-19T20:36:00.001-08:00

Peace, Joy, Love, Joy and Stuff.

Some Random Thoughts.

2008-09-26T18:41:00.000-07:00

Last week Sarah and I went on a wonderful trip back East. We were able to see some wonderful American historical sights. I am inherently a very patriotic person. I loved seeing these wonderful and inspiring places.

We were able to view Ground Zero in NYC. This sight brought to memory, not the attacks of that day, but the unity that existed in our great nation. I remember that on the night of September 11th I could not sleep. I remember wanting to help so bad. In secret I wept that I was fortunate enough not to have to go through what those who were there experienced. There was a distinct feeling of love and sadness all rolled into one as we viewed the beginnings of that construction sight.

The next profound visit for me was Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Tourist destinations for sure.We spent a couple of hours at Ellis Island and researched some of those extraordinary people that made entry into this great nation. We found a log that looked something like a handwritten Excel spreadsheet. Some of the columns were; Country of origin, destination, money in possession etc. I noticed, and it had great effect on me, that the most anyone had in possession was $24 the average was $8. Think of these travel worn people coming from afar with very little to their name to "better their lives". The representation of the Statue of Liberty is profound. I was very impressed with the opportunity to see these wonderful places.

The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall in Philadelphia are must sees. I was very impressed with a video that was shown as we made our way to view the Liberty Bell. It showed clips of the bell and it's history. It also showed what the bell meant to people over the history of it's existence. It has brought courage to the discouraged and hope to those in despair. I t was inspiring to think of the boldness and audaciousness of our founding fathers. The Constitution and Declaration of Independence are simply inspired. It was profound to stand in that hall and think of the significance of the happenings there.

Washington D.C. is the hub of it all right now. The memorials brought pride in country. Those men who are memorialized have been heroes of mine since my youth. The most profound memorial to me was the new WWII memorial. My grandfather served in this war. I remember as a kid asking him if he ever killed anybody. His response was " I imagine I had a few bullets end up in somebody." The truth was that he was an Army Ranger that I believe had a lot to do with securing victory. I was taken back by how many names adorned the walls of those memorials. The price of freedom is great and I appreciate all of those who serve.

On the drive from D.C. to Jersey I met a soldier at a rest stop. I walked over to him and thanked him for his service. He took off his hat and shook my hand and thanked me for thanking him. I was grateful for this 19 or 20 year old kid who will one day put his butt on the line for me.

I am concerned about this wonderful country that I love so much. I was on the front line of the economic woes as I worked for a major player in the sub prime mortgage industry. I sat in meetings with the CEO of Argent Mortgage as he predicted all of what is happening now. It has and will continue to spiral unless major changes are made.

I am concerned with the political trash that has become our government. Nothing can be done bi-partisan. It always has to be someones fault. I hope and pray that much sooner than later we can find the middle ground and start doing what is best for the country not what is best to further a politicians career.

I am upset that it is difficult for Americans to get along and take care of our own, when there are those across the world that seek to destroy what we have.

The main idea of this post was for me to put some feelings down that I hope to not soon forget. I know that it is a little over the top and cheesy but something I felt like putting down.

NYC Trip Part One.

2008-09-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of fun on the East coast. We went and stayed with Suzy and her fam in New Jersey. NJ was base camp and we made trips to NYC, Philly and DC. We made several stops along the way. It was way fun. Thanks Suzy and fam for a great time. Happy 10th Sal, you are the best.

Sarah with the $22 sandwich. Gotta love the NY deli's

Me and my lover after "Xanadu" . A must see Broadway comedy.

Hanging in Philly the "Rocky" statue is a must.

On the way to DC stopped at CAMDEN YARDS to take some pictures and get some souvenirs for Camden.

More pics to come.

Nice Little Labor Day Near Manti

2008-09-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

Our great friends, the Tate's, invited us to their family cabin near Manti for the long weekend. The cabin is nestled into a canyon with a view that consists of Gunnison Reservoir in the foreground and the Manti Temple in the background. The view was breathtaking. It was so much fun. It was one of those "don't wanna come home" trips. We ate a lot, rode 4 wheelers, played games and totally relaxed. The Tate family is so much fun to hang out and really do a good job of making me feel like part of the family. One the way home we stopped by the Manti Temple. I had never seen it before. It was so cool looking!

Here is the cabin guarded by "Quique". She is one of the coolest animals I have ever met.

A Sweet Backyard.

2008-08-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went with Brian and Michael as they attempted to harvest a mule deer with archery tackle. We were within 20 minutes of my house in a very special/secret hunting spot. It is amazing that we have such amazing resources right in our backyard. I saw deer and watched about 20 Rocky Mountain goats play in the steep rocks above. Every now and then they would spill a rock of the high cliffs, creating a thunderous avalanche. It was an amazing sight to behold. It did not help me get any sleep. Neither did the fact that Brian and I were sharing a two man tent. Nevertheless it was a blast.

Here are some of the goats as they traversed a ledge.

Father of the Year?

2008-08-11T22:10:00.000-07:00

See that hat? Won it in the swipe your luck give away. See that ball? Bottom of the eighth Bee's homer that I caught. See those kids? Was their hero all night long. So!

We took the kids to the Bee's game on Monday night and had a great time. After the game the kids went down and got a few autographs. They were on cloud nine. They are at an age now that I can vividly remember doing and thinking what they are doing and thinking. It is a trip.

The Scare.

2008-08-07T20:36:00.001-07:00

Sarah and the kids took a trip last week to visit the Nielsen side of the fam. While they were there Sarah noticed a lump on Camden's neck. After a day of no relief she took him to an Insta Care in Denver. The doctor found lumps on the lymph nodes in his neck, underarm and in his groin. She was told to take him to our pediatrician as soon as they got back to Utah.

Thursday morning Sarah and Cam went and saw the doc. After taking a look at him, they sent him to Primary Children's to get some tests. The doctor said that they wanted to "rule out any type of cancer".

Sarah texted me at work and I ran up and met up with the both of them. Cam had x-rays and blood tests done. It would take two hours for the results. That was a long two hours. The words cancer and Camden should not be used in the same sentence. I figured that it was nothing but was uneasy none the less.

Finally the test results came back NEGATIVE. They are not sure what has caused these lumps. He will see the doctor again on Monday but having cancer ruled out is a huge relief.

Finish.

2008-07-26T16:23:00.000-07:00

On November 21st 2007 I set some big goals for myself. July 25th 2008, I realized those goals.

Physical Goals 2008:
-Complete 2008 Salt Lake City Marathon
-PR Race For The Cure 5K
-Complete 2008 Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay
-Complete 2008 SpudMan Triathlon

As you may have read in previous posts I had already finished the SL Marathon, set a personal record in a 5K at the RFTC and completed the Wasatch Back. All I had left to do was the SpudMan Triathlon.

This is an Olympic tri which consists of a mile swim a 24 mile bike and a 10K (6.2 miles). The nice thing about this particular event is that the swim takes place in the Snake River and is current aided. That being said it is still no walk in the park.

Swim first! I felt great here and have not seen my time yet but know from others times that it was in the 21 minute range. The water was warm and watching the sunrise come up over the river was priceless. A man in the 6th wave, I was in the second, unfortunately passed away during the swim. I do not know the cause of death but feel for his family who was there to cheer him on.

Bike: I felt good here until about two miles in. I thought that I may have a low tire. It indeed was low and I nursed it along while I waited for the bike repair crew to come and help. They never came. Shortly after I lost my front tire and had to spend about 30-40 minutes repairing these two down tires. I would have embarrassed the bud boys of the 9 car. Not a good pit stop. Another triathlete stopped to help me. I kept telling him that I could meet him with his pump after the race and he said that his dad raised him better than to leave someone on the side of the road. WHAT A STUD!!! I ended up using his spare tube to fully repair the damage. Thank you #998! After all repairs were done I pushed the remaining way and finished the bike strong. On to the run.

The transition here was good and I was able to get out on the road and passing a good bunch of folks. How motivating! I never felt any pain or fatigue and hammed it up with the locals that were out to cheer. Idaho people are good people. I came into the finish and was able to put a few more people down. I ended up finishing in 3:28. I can only imagine what might have been if I had not had double flats.

I did this race with Dustin Tate, Chris Hampsure and his wife Amber and they all finished with great times. Dustin's wife Jamie was a great support and did whatever we asked of her. She was a life saver.

The last mile or two I began to think back to January 1st when I first started training. I have run, ridden and swam in all conditions. I have left my family for way too many training hours. It has truly been a great year. My plans for the rest of the year are to rehab, build muscle, lose fat and hang out with my amazingly supportive family. Then we'll see what happens on November 21st this year.

Brian's Challenge

2008-07-21T13:21:00.000-07:00

This was originally posted on Brian's blog. Let me know what you think.

You should do stand up!
Seriously though.....I know we always make fun of Cathy for telling you that, and we always do it behind her back, cause that is just who we are and we care about her feelings, but there is a ton of merit in her promptings. So you have that, but you also have your critics. Some and most of which are in this family. I'm sorry, was that TOO MUCH INFORMATION?I'm thinking I might be your biggest backer at this point, and maybe that is because I just get you. You are more than a movie quote machine, you are fresh, and I have seen what you do in front of an audience. Are you wondering why this is being done on my blog? Literally millions of people in our family read this regularly. Many friends of mine check it out, not to mention the entire Utah Wildlife Network, in which this is linked. Some of these people know you are the funniest kid they have met. Others think you're a hack. Here's the challenge. Come up with an act. Put together material. I don't think you have done this ever. You haven't needed to. Well, I am now putting you in a situation where this is required. I vote that we as a network of family and friends decide on a time and place where we gather to see the comic Mark Robbins perform. Mark is on the verge of greatness. This is no joke. Mark, I think you got it in you. Maybe you don't. Only one way to find out. Help me out everybody. Definitely comment on this one and add your input. I think I am on to something here.

Joe "Freaking" Nichols!

2008-07-09T20:50:00.001-07:00

If you like country music and have never seen Joe Nichols play live shame on you. He is one of the best I have ever been to. I saw him originally with Alan Jackson. My buddy and I both said that we did not want to be blasphemous but this guy that opened for AJ was probably the better of the two.

A few years ago when he came we got tickets again. Sarah and I were going with Brian and his wife Meagan. When the time came to go to the concert Meagan was not feeling well enough to attend. She was upset and we tried to stay with her but she insisted that we go without her. On the way to the concert Brian said that we have to have Joe call Meagan.

Upon arrival we went and talked to security and met nothing but dead ends. A lady overheard me talking to the security guard and came up and asked if she could help. Her name was Kayla Turner and she worked at 101.5 The Eagle. Her and her husband talked and her husband, one of the coolest guys on the planet, gave me his back stage pass.

After a short line I was able to meet Joe and told him of Meagan who was at home fighting cancer and was not able to attend. I asked if he would mind calling her. Joe took my phone and talked with Meagan for about 3-5 minutes. He was so kind and nice. He kept calling her baby. I will always remember how she sounded a little nervous as I handed the phone to Joe.

After the amazing concert Joe came out and signed hundreds of autographs. Brian and Sarah met him and Brian thanked him for talking to Meagan.

So if Joe is ever close and you want to be totally entertained I highly recommend going and checking him out.

4th of July Camping.

2008-07-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

Brian organized, planned and scouted a new spot for a short camping trip. We went up past Fairview and ended up camping at Miller Flats reservoir. It was very pretty and a great camp site.

Some of the highlights included our view from our tent, the dozen or so fish we caught and seeing a bald eagle flying with a pot gut in talon on the 4th of July. The company that we kept was second to none. Brian, Brit and Jace accompanied Sarah, Riley, Cam, Coop and me.

We all got in the water but Riley and I were the only ones brave enough to deal with the water temperature. There was still patches of snow up there!

Here is our tent. Like I said the view was stellar.

The kids had a blast and wanted to stay forever.

Size Matters.

2008-07-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

Joe Nichols is a family favorite of ours. We were able to meet him a few years ago and he was the nicest, coolest guy there could be. We have all of his albums and make it a point to catch him in concert any time he is close.

For Cam's birthday I took him to go see Joe along with Josh Gracin and Colin Raye. We were right up front and Joe even waved to Cam a couple of times. Cam sang along to most of the songs as this kid was born with an iPod in his ears. This was one of the better concerts I have been to. Josh and Colin were both GREAT! And I believe that there are very few as good as Joe.

Slam Man and me during Josh Gracin.

15,000 at Brent Brown Ballpark at UVU.

Cam on the way home.

2008 Wasatch Back Relay

2008-06-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

The WBR is a race that involves relay teams of 12 people (6 to a van) and travels from Logan, Utah to Park City, Utah which is roughly 180 miles. It crosses and skirts the backside of the Wasatch Mountain range. It is the funnest race that we do annually.

Here is van 1 of "Hot Property"

This is me on my first leg. It traveled 7.4 miles and just under 1,300 vertical feet up and over Avon Pass

Sarah kicking butt and taking names on the longest leg of the entire race.

Beautiful scenery all 180 miles.

Tight Lines.

2008-06-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

My little fishing buddies have been experiencing some tight lines. They each had chances to reel in multiple fish. I got to realize the nightmare that my Dad had experienced my entire fishing life, keeping 3 kid's poles rigged up and in the water!

"Dad, I think I have one!"

"Dad, Riley is in the best spot can we trade?"

"Dad are there sharks in here?"

I remember asking and was asked these questions hundreds of times while sitting at the lake. Thanks for putting up with me Dad. The memories you and I have I hope are worth the hassle.

Coopiana Jones.

2008-06-05T22:43:00.001-07:00

Cooper has been wearing his Indiana Jones hat and using a belt as a whip for weeks now. His personality floods over the brim of his little body. Whenever a pout or whine pops up Sarah reminds the kids that " you get what you get and you don't throw a fit!" On Monday night Cooper responded "what will I get when I throw a tantrum?"

Not Much Action.

2008-06-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night after work Brian, Lauren (Brian's co-worker), Brian Peterson and I cruised up to Little Dell for a little impromptu fishing. We had a lot of fun. We only caught one fish but had a cool run in with a couple of moose and some gorgeous scenery.

Me working a cove.

Bullwinkle foreground, Brian Robbins background

Brian Peterson with the only catch of the night, done the old fashion way.

Ouch.

2008-06-02T15:58:00.000-07:00

Here is my hand one week post burn. Seems worse not better.

New Found Love.

2008-05-28T16:13:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Sarah and I went and ran/walked up to the top of Grandeur Peak. It was a lot of fun. We made good time and enjoyed lunch on the top. On the way down we ran the entire way. This may sound easy but it was good on the legs.

Sarah piled up a couple of times on the trail. I, being a great husband, laughed until my sides hurt. While thus running down the trail I realized that it was about the funnest time I have ever had running. ( Please note that I like to run) We ran into a trail runner and I picked his brain for a moment and determined right then and there that this is an activity that I would like to pursue.

I will be picking up my trail running shoes this weekend. If any of you are avid trail runners, let me know where some good trails are and what is the best equipment is.

P.S. I got my hand looked at and had 2nd degree burns on 4 fingers on my right hand. Should make a full recovery. (If this statement confuses you, scroll down to the next post.)

"I'm alive, only very badly burned!"

2008-05-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

Monday morning we had a scout breakfast fundraiser. I was trying to dispose of some bacon grease when I looked down and noticed that my hand was covered in a flame. I was able to quickly put it out. I had some pretty good melted skin that is now covered up by these two nice blisters.

Name the movie and character that said "I'm alive, only very badly burned!" Hint: Comedy, Sarah and I watched it everyday after work for the first two months of marriage.

Cooper's Big Week.

2008-05-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

The above picture is a year long dream realized. Last year we made the mistake of being in Heber and driving by Thomas when they were closed. Weekly for an entire year Cooper has reminded us that we promised this year we would go. I would have probably forgotten about it but Stephanie Peterson (John's Wife) hooked us up with some tix. Me, Cooper, John and two of his three boys, Logan and Lincoln, had a great guys night out with Thomas. Thanks a lot Stephanie.

Later in the week Coop graduated pre-school. Congrats big guy! Dad loves you! Not because you graduated pre-school but because you wore to your graduation a Jazz and Steelers jersey!

This Says It All !!!

2008-05-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

I came home from my softball game on Wednesday night to find this note from Riley. After I read it, I pulled her out of bed and we shared a candy bar. She is such a sweetheart. She consoled me last week when the Jazz lost. I am glad to have such a great best friend!

Child Abuse?

2008-05-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

Look at what resurfaced! Painful memories! Pure agony! My first memory of being abused! Were we too poor? Was I "not a good boy"? 28 years after my first wrestling match these questions still haunt me. (I was three when I first stepped foot to foam.)

For some reason I was the only one in the midget division that did not have a true singlet. Please understand that the down side to being a wrestler is wearing a singlet, but I yearned to have one. Why you may ask? Because my mother, God bless her precious soul, sewed an AAU wrestling patch on to a leotard. A freaking leotard!!!

I never knew 3 year olds could be so cruel. The staging area's designated for pre match pair-up's were a proverbial torture chamber for me. Needless to say, I survived but I can't help but think of what life may have been like had I been given a chance to wear a REAL singlet like a normal mat fag.

They say that abusers abuse, thus the picture of Cooper in the very leotard that I dawned in the 1979/1980 season. Good luck with your career son, no doubt you'll need it!

Found.

2008-05-15T22:31:00.000-07:00

I found some old pictures while I couldn't sleep tonight. I thought that they were too good not to share.

A rough day of cartoons.

Cooper flying a kite.

Visitors beware.

2008-05-07T15:52:00.000-07:00

We will be having some visitors from out of town for the Race for the Cure this weekend. I wanted you to see before you arrive that the boys have ,after months of nagging, MOHAWKS!!!

We are happy to report that Riley is still sugar and spice and everything nice.

Jazz-4 Rockets-2.

2008-05-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

This season has been one of the best ever for me as a Jazz fan. Not only have I watched almost every single game, I have attended more in person than any season before. I would say that I am only a few more plates of ham and eggs and a few good rides away from being a season ticket holder. Brian and I bought the post season package and have gone to all the home playoff games which are a riot.

The Jazz took care of the Rockets in game 6 in dominating fashion. After the game as is tradition we went down to cheer on the players as they leave. I know that it sounds like we are 12 years old but the main purpose is for Brian and I to entertain each other. I was wearing my Ronnie Brewer shirt jersey and when he stopped, he waved me over to his car and signed it and John John's (Greg's youngest) Ronnie Brewer jersey. He was so nice and a great guy.

Ronnie in his Range Rover rocking a Rolex.

Then the night got epic. We were driving down the street I believe that it was West Temple when I pointed out Shane Battier (Houston Rockets star) and what looked like a trainer for the Houston Rockets walking down the street. I saw him try and flag a cab to no avail. I thought they must need a ride. We pulled over and asked the former Dukie if they needed a ride. He said that they were trying to find some beer. There was a 7-11 across the street and Battier said " let me run in here and grab some stuff and you can give us a ride back the the Grand America."

While making the purchase we waited in the parking lot and made the necessary adjustments for the 6-8 203 lb.man and his buddy to get in Brian's 2004 Toyota Tacoma. Please keep in mind that we already have 4 persons in the vehicle. The debate was made to give Battier shotgun but we thought for story telling purposes it would be better that they sit in the back seat.

The manager looking fellow said that he would ride in the bed and Battier hopped in the back. Shane was so nice and really spoke highly of the Jazz. We commented on how bad we hated that he nailed those three's at bad times. He laughed and said "that's all I got man." We took a hard right and heard the cargo in the bed slide across. Brian said " oh I am so sorry, I forgot about the trainer!" Shane replied "that guy is actually the president of our organization."

After all was said and done the fact that the President of the Houston Rockets rode in the bed of Brian's Tacoma produced the most laughs.

Shane and Michael in the Taco.

The crew with Shane Battier outside the Grand America Hotel.

The Big Finish.

2008-04-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

2008 Salt Lake City Marathon.

2008-04-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

Starting line 7:00 a.m.

I have waited a long time to check this one off of my list. I think that I was 18 years old when I originally set the goal to run a marathon. I then went on my mission and got "chubby" and sort of gave up on myself.

Every year that I see the marathon take place, I get emotional and say to myself, "next year I am going to run this." Well this year really was the year. I set my 2008 goals in November of 2007. Among them was to complete the 2008 Salt Lake City Marathon.

I started "marathon training" on January 1st and followed the "Less is More" plan that was in an issue of Runners World Magazine. I ran in snow, rain, sleet and wind. My wife carried the family load on Saturdays so that I might get my distance runs in. It was literally a family affair and I cannot thank my wife enough for all of the support that she gave to me.

Going into Mile 7.

The race itself was a wild event. I started very strong and felt great. I even set a personal record through 6 miles. Then came the winds!!! The course took us South from I-80 to 6200 South the entire time running into a wind that was reported to be 45 mph. BRUTAL!!!!! I hit my wall 4 miles earlier than usual.

My support team for the day included my Wife and kids, Mother-in-law, Mother (in town from Alaska), Dad and his wife Farrah, Greg, John, Brian, Cathy & Rob and kids, John Peterson, Dustin Tate ( he went late to the U spring game, now that is devotion!), Ben Wilkinson (ran 2 marathons on crutches), La La Canada (ran next to me for a mile or two) and many more friends that sent text's and emails. My sisters even chipped in and got me an hour long massage. As you can tell, I did not do this alone.

Brian and Cathy rode their bikes around town and found me just when I needed GU or ibuprofen or water or mostly encouragement. Greg rode next to me from miles 23 to 25 telling me the whole time that I was there and that I had made it.

Sarah and the kids made me medals with special notes on the back. I have the best family!

And then came the finish. I was about 1/2 mile from the Gateway where the race ended when I started to think that I had no gas left for a celebration. I thought " oh well, at least you did it." I then turned the corner into the Gateway, the entire stretch was lined with cheering fans. Still no emotion on my part. I was at the middle intersection of the Gateway, when I looked up and saw the word written vertically FINISH.

Then the emotion came, I started to clap and let out a loud yell. I am not really sure what I even said. I looked to my right and saw my beautiful wife cheering so loud. I started to cry tears of pure joy and relief. The adrenaline kicked in and I sprinted to the line. The announcer said "Mark Robbins 1133 from Salt Lake City" (I know because I have watched the video 5 times.) I crossed the line and Brian stepped out and gave me a huge hug. I could not contain the emotion. It was an amazing feeling.

I was much slower than I wanted to be. I haven't even checked my official time. My goal was just to finish. We'll worry about my time next year. :)

The Fat Lady Sang.

2008-04-20T07:17:00.000-07:00

The marathon is over as you can see here. I finished a little slower than I would have liked but finished none the less. It was a great day!

More details soon.

What to wear???

2008-04-15T15:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been awhile. I have been ultra busy and out of town.

The marathon is this weekend and I need a little help. What shorts should I wear?

Navy Blue?

Grey?

Royal Blue?

My little "big" Jazz fan.

2008-03-29T20:12:00.001-07:00

Last Tuesday Riley and I went to the Jazz vs. Charlotte Bobcats game. I had a friend give me her tickets on the twelfth row. I have been to 6-8 Jazz games this year. I am a huge fan and follow them very closely. Every time I go, I have to answer to Riley. She loves the Jazz and especially loves DWill.

I have not forced this upon her. She has a Jazz schedule in her room. If I don't know when they play next, she usually does. Her main goal of the night was to get DWill's autograph. I am usually pretty good about hooking things like this up. Riley was not able to get DWill's but did get her picture taken with C.J. Miles. She also got Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver to sign autographs on her ticket and Jazz shirt.

During the game, the Bear came and sprayed her with silly string. I hurriedly snapped this shot.

Her highlight however was giving Kyle Korver a "high five" as he left the court. Uncle Brian called immediately after and said that KJZZ showed the exchange on live TV. Riley was in heaven! The prospects of telling all the kids at school about her big adventure kept that toothless grin shining all night.

Cooperisms.

2008-03-24T18:23:00.001-07:00

Cooper had one of those days today. The really good kind. The kind that makes you want to take him to work and show him off. When I came home from work, he ran up to me with a sun burned face, and said "welcome home partner!"

We wrestled and I tickled him. We played a game while we ate a few deviled eggs. Then for FHE we drove the marathon route. Towards the end it got a little long with traffic and red lights but Cooper was great the entire time.

When we got home I pulled him aside and said "Cooper thank you for being such a good boy today." He had a shocked look on his face, like I had really caught him by suprise. Then he said back to me "Why did you say that? Was it cause I was so Quiet?" It was really quite humorous. It reminded me of myself when a teacher complimented me, I was just so used to being told otherwise that when I was told that I was good, it caught me off guard.

I love my C Ja Diddles.

Model Children.

2008-03-23T18:20:00.001-07:00

Riley and I got a little bored on Sunday afternoon. We decided the best cure was a modeling shoot. Cooper decided to join in but wouldn't keep a straight face. I was only able to get one "normal" shot of Cooper. It was fun and a great self esteem builder for a little girl. As for Coop, he has enough self esteem for the rest of us.

Riley in the park.

Cooper on the slide.

Team Meag-A-Tuff 2008!!!

2008-03-19T15:38:00.001-07:00

It is once again time to start registration for the 2008 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Team Meag-A-Tuff has been set up so please click on the following link and sign up for Team Meag-A-Tuff 2008.

http://www.active.com/framed/event_detail.cfm?EVENT_ID=1536735&CHECKSSO=0&RESET=0

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Jeno.

2008-03-18T17:52:00.001-07:00

My brother John is a very talented poet. He has penned several very good poems. A few months ago I asked him to write me a poem about those in our family who have passed away. I have always asked myself if "I am making them proud?" John returned to me three days later with this...

Am I Making Them Proud?

To everyone a family,

And with it comes a name.

Each individual member

Brings honor or brings shame.

We honor those who came before

By whom we’ve been endowed

When we can answer with a yes,

Do I make them proud?

Am I putting for the effort

That would bring my fathers’ joy?

Am I who I said I’d grow to be

When I was still a boy?

Do I hide what I believe in?

Or do I live it loud?

And follow the trails that have been blazed

By the ones who’ve made me proud?

Now when I’m all alone

Or caught out in a crowd,

Am I doing all that I should I do

To make my loved ones proud?

Am I making them proud by passing on

The truths they’ve taught to me.

Am I teaching those next in line

To be all that they should be.

Am I making them proud

By doing the right?

Am I making them proud

With all of my might?

I hope that I am making them proud

I hope to do all I can

To help give the gift that God would give

Love to every man.

Happy Birthday Brother!

Richard Lyman Robbins.

2008-03-16T16:36:00.001-07:00

I stole the picture from Suzy's Blog. Yesterday Dad, Brian and I went on our annual Happy Birthday Dad trip to the Hunting Expo. We have done this for a lot of years. Toward the end of the expo we came to a booth that mentioned a "Mormon ghost town". Dad right on cue said "well that must be a Holy Ghost town!" I am glad that you still have it after 73 years.

I love you a lot old timer. It seems like just yesterday that we were tending a pawn shop together and all the patrons asked me if my grandpa had brought me to work.

Top 5 Richardisms:

5- "Go back you missed one." ( When driving a bumpy road)

4- "Look a 4 point duck." ( In an excited tone while hunting)

3- "Mark , Mark you DON'T have one." (In an excited tone while fishing)

2- "There's 30 deer right there! Do you know how I knew that? I just counted their legs and divided by four." (In an excited tone while scouting for deer)

1- "It comes in a box like this, comes up and around like this and comes up to a point like this" (Describing the gift that he got you before he gave it to you.)

Best Lesson:

"Never watch another man work."- Richard Robbins

Elevation.

2008-03-16T16:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Mt. Evans just outside of Denver, Colorado(14,264 feet). When we went up to Denver in October we actually drove up to where the gate was "closed for winter". The elevation where we drove to was about 11,500 feet. This road in the summer is the highest road in the lower 48.

I love hiking and the pursuit of conquering elevation. I do not have any real elevation hikes under my belt, unless you count Mt. Olympus. This is something that I want to change. I made a goal at the beginning of the year to summit the 6 peaks of the Wasatch and finish up with an August summit push of Kings Peak.

I love to read about and hear stories about Everest. I don't think that in my lifetime that I will ever seriously think about Everest. However before my life is over I would like to have a respectable summit in my trophy case.

Anybody want to join me for Kings?

Guilty Pleasure.

2008-03-10T18:08:00.001-07:00

Five years ago if you even mentioned NASCAR to me, I would have laughed at you and called you a hick or red neck or some other derogatory term.

The very thought of watching cars driving around in circles for 3 hours is ridiculous. At least that is what I thought. I had a good friend begin to explain the sport to me in great detail. As I began to understand the strategy and the underlying stories behind each race, I became intrigued. I decided that I would give it a whirl.

The first step to becoming a race fan, is picking your driver. This is a very interesting event. You pick your driver due to your favorite sponsor or something that the driver did that you liked. I was selling Dodge's at the time and my favorite number is 9.I picked a young rookie named Kasey Kahne, who drove the UAW Dodge Dealers #9 car (Now the Budweiser 9 car). I figured that I was a rookie and so was he so it was a good fit in my experiment. It is interesting to note that no matter how hard you try to cheer for another driver, it is near impossible once you pick your guy.

Kasey drove well and I was hooked. People cannot understand why I enjoy this sport. I know that it is really weird. Soon Brian was hooked. He also likes the 9 of Kasey Kahne. One of the funnest moments of my life was watching him witness a live race the first time. He could not stop laughing at the sheer noise that the cars produced. He called friend after friend holding up his cell phone to let them here all of those horses go flying by. This is normal behavior for a NASCAR virgin.

I thought that I would try and explain myself. Brian and two of our "NASCAR buddies" are headed to Phoenix next month to watch the Subway Fresh 500 under the lights on a Saturday night.

I am sorry if I have confused you. I feel that in some sort of way, I am coming out. It feels so good to have this off of my shoulders. With that said, I guess that there is only one more thing to say, BOOGITY, BOOGITY, BOOGITY, LET'S GO RACING BOYS!!!

Pretty nice little Saturday.

2008-03-03T15:31:00.001-08:00

Here I am on yet another run. These are starting to get long and frequent. Only a month and a half until marathon day. I feel that I will be ready if I can make a strong push these last 6 weeks. This run was 15 miles. The impressive part of this run is that I did it after a 4 hour rigorous service project at the home of President Boyd K. Packer.

Through a good friend I had the opportunity to go over and help the Packer family re-rock a portion of Little Cottonwood Creek, that runs through the Apostles back yard. President Packer was very grateful. We had a lot of fun including when Brian said that he wouldn't shake his hand due to his "strong grip", in which President Packer replied "okay but if a fight breaks out I want you on my side!"

After all the work was done all of the Sister's Packer had prepared a great big lunch which included the Packer family brownies. It was a very cool experience.

Back in the saddle again!

2008-02-21T17:46:00.001-08:00

3.3 miles into my 17 miles on Saturday I pulled up lame. I have a rolled tendon that has given me some pain but on Saturday, it was just too much. I went and got me some new shoes, hoping that it would help the pain. I ran 3 miles on Tuesday and felt good. So tonight I went 10 after work.

I had no leg problems. I felt strong most of the run. I am now within two months of the marathon. I have eliminated all soda from my diet. I think that I could already tell a difference a week into a pop-less life. I feel that I still have a ways to go but that I will be ready, ready, ready, ready to run.

Out with the old, in with the new.

2008-02-18T17:09:00.001-08:00

I finally traded in my old flat tires. Good bye rolled tendons and shin splints. Hello fast times and many more enjoyable miles.

Do you like my new kicks?

15 Miles of a Hillary term in office aka HELL!!!

2008-02-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

Today my run was brutal. I did it but it was hard and I am beat. I ran from Cathy's house in Sugarhouse up Immigration Canyon and back. In all it was 15 Miles of pushing myself all the way. If you have ever ran distance you have probably had one of these type of runs. Your legs hurt as you start you can't stay hydrated and you can't seem to muster up even one possitive thought.

I stuck it out the entire run and felt GOOD when I was all done.

Decision 2008

2008-02-06T21:13:00.000-08:00

Choose Wisely!!!

D Kill!!!

2008-02-06T21:02:00.001-08:00

D Will did not make the All Star game and I couldn't be happier. NBA Finals here we come!

Go Jazz!

Riley's new heroes.

2008-02-02T12:44:00.001-08:00

Last night we attended the Utah gymnastics meet against the University of Minnesota. To say the least Riley is hooked. The entire ride home she could not stop talking. "Dad do you think it will be awesome if I collect gymnastic posters?" Then she started reading Ashley Postell's stats off of the back of the poster that they hand out. Later in the night she commented on how impressed by those stats she was, "Dad can you believe Ashley Postell has won 4 straight balance beam competitions?"

I love having a girly girl.

Cleaning House.

2008-02-01T15:35:00.000-08:00

My lovely wife signed us up to clean the Conference Center Thursday night. We drove down to the CC at about 9:30 P.M. and worked until just shy of midnight. My job was to vacuum several sections of the floor in the main hall. I felt like a Ghostbuster with the handy pack vac they gave us.

While I was thus vacuuming in front of the stand they brought out an empty casket for measuring and placement practice for the funeral on Saturday. It was a really neat experience. The choir had just finished a rehearsal and they were playing it back over the speakers. It was easy work too. I think that I saw about 3 specs of dust the entire time I cleaned.

I was grateful for an opportunity to serve.

Nintendo DS.

2008-01-29T16:43:00.001-08:00

This is what Cam has looked like ever since Christmas. Messy hair and his face buried in his Nintendo DS. I have not heard what the DS stands for but I propose that it might be distant sibling.

Camden and Cooper were nearly inseparable before the DS came around. Now Cooper has to find things to do on his own. Below he is playing in the snow all by his self. He plays with cars, plays house and follows mommy everywhere. You will notice that he still has a smile on his face.

I hope the stage ends soon as it is always so fun to see these two figure out how to get in trouble.

President Gordon B. Hinckley.

2008-01-28T15:37:00.001-08:00

I had the opportunity yesterday in ward conference to sustain President Hinckley. Later in the day I would learn that he had passed away. I love this man very much. I have seen him at general conference and when serving in the bishopric, he dedicated our meetinghouse.

I remember very well a time on my mission when I was teaching a very affluent investigator. I showed him a picture of President Hinckley as I testified of divine guidance in our days. The investigator looked at the picture and was impressed that there was a prophet on earth today and that President Hinckley was that prophet.

I had an impression last night that Joseph Smith was one of the first greeters on the north side of the veil to excitedley congratulate President Hinckley for taking this work to the next level.

When President and Sister Hinckley visited us in Eagle Mountain, he stood at the pulpit and looked out at the vast congregation, made up of mostly children, and said "I look at all these little ones and I am inclined to think, what a gold mine for a Pediatrician."

I am truly grateful for this man!

Some Possitive Bulldog Thoughts...

2008-01-25T08:47:00.000-08:00

Remember Your ABC'S

Avoid negative sources, people, places, things and habits

Believe in yourself

Consider things from every angle

Don't give up and don't give in

Enjoy life today, yesterday is gone, tomorrow may never come

Family and friends are hidden treasures, seek them and enjoy their riches

Give more than you planned to

Hang on to your dreams

Ignore those who try to discourage you

Just do it

Keep trying to no matter how hard it seems, it will get easier

Love yourself first and most

Make it happen

Never lie, cheat or steal, always strike a fair deal

Open your eyes and see things as they really are

Practice makes perfect

Quitters never win and winners never quit

Read, study and learn about everything important in your life

Stop talking and start doing

Take control of your own destiny

Understand yourself in order to better understand others

Visualize your dream

Want it more than anything

Xcellerate your efforts

You are unique, nothing can replace you

Zero in on your target and go for it!

January's always bitter...

2008-01-23T16:52:00.001-08:00

I have decided that I will not be skiing much more this year. Therefore I am dying to have some spring, summer and fall weather. I do okay in November and December but January and February get long and boring.

I have the itch to go fishing and hiking and biking.(In good weather) The good news is that daylight savings comes in the beginning of March this year. That means that when I get off work at 4:00, at the mouth of the canyon, I can be hiking in 5 minutes. Just talking about it is making me excited.

Brian bought me some awesome hunting/hiking shoes that he found on sale at Cabela's. I have worn them to work the last couple of days. I might start bringing my trekking poles and packing a backpack.

I guess in the end it is always good to have something to look forward to.

Do I look like Elder Holland?

2008-01-20T14:23:00.000-08:00

Sarah and I spoke in Sacrament meeting today. It went well. Sarah did an excellent job as usual and she even cried. Which is great because Sarah never cries.

After the meeting a kind brother came up to me and said that he thought I looked like Elder Jefferey R. Holland. I have never heard that one before. I usually get Kevin James from "The King of Queens."

Let me know what you think.

Whoa we're half way there...

2008-01-19T16:54:00.001-08:00

Today's run marked the half way mark toward the big marathon. 13.1 miles! I felt great the whole time. The one question that I came up with was "do they make cortisone shots for the brain?" Sometimes the mental part of it is harder then the leg's part. Sarah was awesome and brought me out some water along the way.

I think a lot when I run, some of those thoughts are pretty random. I thought that I would pass along the top 10.

10- I wonder how many 31 year old, white, Mormon, father of three have 2 JoJo songs on their iPod.
9- If I can make it to the stop sign, I can make it the rest of the way...who moved the stop sign?!?!
8- What color scheme should I go with on marathon day?
7-I think that is Derron Williams house. I'll have to take the kids trick or treating there.
6-Top 5 robots of all time. ( No doubt that Vicki from Small Wonder is #1)
5-Allison Kraus should write a song for me and sing it in a duet with James Taylor.
4- Tried to remember all of my address's and phone numbers.
3-What do dogs do in heaven?
2-If Taylor Swift or Hannah Montana ever go off the deep end how will I explain that to Riley?
1-If Bob and Carla and Richard and Farah had a tag team wrestling match, who would win?

This is American Idol...

2008-01-15T17:52:00.001-08:00

My kids are obedient again. We had a brief layoff between Santa Claus and American Idol. I am sure you've heard it before. " You guys go to sleep right now or I will tell Santa not to come" or in our house " if your homework is not done, teeth brushed and jammies on, NO AMERICAN IDOL!"

For some reason this show is aces in our house. Riley,Camden and Cooper are Blake lovers so they are a little concerned that he will not be on from week to week. I enjoy watching because it is something that we all look forward to doing together. I get a kick out of Paula being an idiot and Simon figuring out new insults. Camden said that he will only like Simon "if he be's nice to the people."

So here's to another season of AI.

12 Miles!!!

2008-01-12T12:27:00.000-08:00

I didn't feel like flexing for a picture today. I ran 12 miles while my brain and legs had a debate that would embarrass Mitt and Hillary. I made it though. I ain't fast but I ain't no quitta.

Jazz, Braves and Steelers in the Same Year.

2008-01-11T16:58:00.000-08:00

I am putting up this post to fill in for the six month gap that I had in 07'. For those of you who know me, you know that I love sports and even more than that I love my teams. In 2007 I was able to see all 3 of my favorite teams play.

Shane Denny, one of the best friends a guy could have, turned 40 this year. His wife called me and proposed that we go catch a baseball game together. It was much cheaper to drive then to fly so Shane and I road tripped it to Phoenix to see the D-Backs vs. the Braves. Fate was smiling upon me as the Braves were in town the weekend we were to go. Even more the Braves won the game 14-0. This was a great trip.

Could a guy be anymore content?!?!

Then my dear sweet Bronco loving, Denver living, season ticket holding brother in law. Invited me up to see my Steelers take on his Broncos. I was so impressed with the amount of Steelers fans that were at the game. Vince was able to score Sarah a ticket and so we went together and cheered our ways to a last second loss on a Jason Elam fieldgoal. It was bitter. The trip was amazing. I am really blessed to have in laws that I love to be with. Even if I wanted to rip that Bronco tattoo off his chest. ( I am joking, about wanting to rip it off, not about him having it.)

The third team was our beloved Utah Jazz who I frequent usually with our beloved brother Brian. It was an amazing year for me as a fan.

Through the sight of an archer.

2008-01-10T17:16:00.000-08:00

The above picture is through the sight of Greg Robbins bow. The arrow that is currently attached to the bow will soon be dead center in the target.

Greg had his best year of hunting so far in 07 killing a nice bull and a very nice buck. Check out his harvest's and one cool story at www.hoyttoughbows.com

The best part of Greg's season was an idea he had. Details coming soon.

The 2008 SpudMan Triathlon

2008-01-09T16:03:00.001-08:00

After doing my first triathlon last year I decided that I was hooked. I love the push to the limit feeling that a tri gives you. I had talked to several people that said to try and get into the SpudMan in Burley, Idaho. This is a popular triathlon because the swim portion is down the Snake River and thus you can get good swim times.

Well at noon on Monday when registration opened, I hopped on and signed up. It is a good thing that I signed up at noon because the event sold out in 26 minutes. I am very excited to compete in this event. It is on July 26th and features a 1.5K swim a 40K bike finished up with a 10K run. The best part is that four of my good friends also got in.

Here is a picture of me in last years Yuba Man Tri.

My Gladiator Review

2008-01-08T19:31:00.001-08:00

All in all AG's was okay. It had the same events with some twist's. The trash talk seemed scripted. In the end how can you not like two humans fighting in a world of foam obstacles?!?! Sarah and I decided to spice it up.

She is going to fight Crush, seen above, for my honor.

And I am going to fight Wolf, seen below, for hers.

State Capital Tour

2008-01-07T18:32:00.001-08:00

Tonight for FHE we went to the newly refurbished Utah State Capital. I thought with it being 2008, an election year, we could teach the kids a good lesson on government.

They did a great job restoring this historic building. It is very pretty and the updates will help our elected officials be more efficient. The kids and myself wore out pretty quick. We all kept our cool but I could tell that it was not going to be as exciting as I thought. Don't get me wrong we had a great time but a dad always thinks things up in his mind to be much greater than they usually are.

The last room we visited was the Capital Board Room. I would like to call the picture below "The Capital 'Bored' Room."

American Gladiators.

2008-01-06T17:06:00.001-08:00

I am really excited to see NBC's update of one of my favorite TV shows. Above is the 1989 version of AG's. Brian and I used to sit and watch hours of this show and then act it out in the family room. On the night I graduated from High School my friends and I went to the Sports Mall and played all sorts of games. My favorite game from that night was throwing tennis and racquet balls at each other, we called this game American Graduators. I hope NBC doesn't let me down.

10 Miles!!!!

2008-01-05T11:43:00.000-08:00

Here I am arms raised in accomplishment. Today in snow, slush and staring snowplows in their grills, I ran 10 miles! I started at home (5600 South 1700 East ish) and ran up to the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon and wound my way back home.

I felt very strong the entire run. The conditions were less then desirable. I was slipping and sliding as several cars sprayed me with slush. I tackled a very big hill up 6200 South to Wasatch Blvd. I had two snow plows, who were team working on the shoulder, almost run me over. I am not kidding, why these guys would not honk or slow down has me baffled. In the end I did it.

I love running! I love the iPod in my ears and my brain on all the problems of the world. I love thinking about all of you. I love my sweet prison long john's that everyone makes fun of me for wearing. I love being less fat.

If I can do it, you can too.

It's 2008 Get Used To It.

2008-01-02T17:10:00.001-08:00

My family seen above, would like to wish you a Happy New Year. As for the title of this post, it goes back ten years to when I was a missionary.

On December 1997 my companion and I retired at 10:00 P.M. on December 31st as per mission rules. I was fast asleep when I heard fireworks, pots and pans and all manner of yelling taking place. I looked over at my companion and said "Happy New Year". All of the sudden the most white trash person I have ever seen yells in our apartment window "it's 1998 get used to it!!!" I started laughing really hard.

The next day we told one of the members about it and he laughed equally as hard. That member named Ozz Daynes or his brother Rob has called me every year since and told me to get used to the new year. It may be one of those "you had to be there" things but I still laugh.

Happy Birthday B-Bop.

2007-12-30T19:31:00.001-08:00

On December 31st 1980 a major disaster was avoided. Rosemary Raspberry Robbins had tackle and as such became Brian Christopher Robbins. I can't believe that you would have named a girl that mom. Aren't girls sensitive by nature?

Brian turns 27 this year and is doing great. He is a part owner of Summit Tile and Stone. They do an amazing job and are very competitive in price. If you ever need tile done, call these guys.

Happy Birthday Brian. I will most likely see you at a Training Table on the 31st.

Planet Earth with Coop.

2007-12-29T21:47:00.001-08:00

For Christmas Gary and Jean gave Sarah and I the complete series of Planet Earth. If you have not seen this I highly recommend it. It was filmed over 5 years and takes a look at every nook and cranny our great world has to offer. I watch it and truly appreciate the creation and all the beauty of the earth.

Tonight Sarah took Riley and Camden to go visit her cousin who is in town from Arizona. I stayed back with Coop who had a fever and a "scratchy tongue" as he put it. I wanted to watch the Jazz and he wanted to watch "channel 33" (Disney) so we compromised and put in Planet Earth. It was fun to watch how captivated he became. He kept looking over at me and saying "WOW!!!" Tonight had no prospect of fun or excitement but watching my son become so passionate about what we were watching was, to say the least, a good time. This is the part of being a dad that I truly enjoy.

Here is Coop watching a pride of Lions attack and eat an Elephant.

The Robbins Bunny Blast of 07.

2007-12-29T16:22:00.000-08:00

(Left to right: Michael, Greg, Garrett, Brian, Gavin, Camden, Grandpa Richard, John John, Gary)

As you may well know any time you check out my blog you never know what you will get. Today you get a little bit of hunting. Brian organized the Robbins Family rabbit hunt. This was a blast both literally and figuratively. We drove all the way to the southwest side of Utah Lake to one of Brian's secret bunny spots. Once to our spot we lined up and set for the sage. I was toting my 12 gauge and Camden followed step by step with his new bow that Santa brought.

All in all we blasted about 10 bunnies with Cam and I taking care of 4 or 5. Brian was shooting his bow and finished off one that I slowed down. It was so much fun to be out in the foothills with my family. A little crazy too. Thanks to Brian for putting together such a fun day. And special thanks to the Keen shoe/boot company for making the best boots a guy could have in winter conditions. My feet were toasty all day. Check these boots out at,

http://www.keenfootwear.com/product_detail.aspx?sku=1221

(Here is me and Cam with our first bunny of the day.)

The Fat Man came again.

2007-12-26T15:38:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2007 has come and gone. Holy Crap! That went by fast. I can't believe how fast time is flying by. My mom quoted in her Christmas letter that life is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer to the end, the faster it goes.

We had a great couple of days. On Christmas eve we had a feast fit for a king. Thanks to Sarah. Then kept our traditions of reading "T'was the Night Before Christmas" and Luke 2 from the Bible. Riley read Luke 2 for us this year, it was a neat thing for a dad to watch.

Here is some of our feast.

The kids spent most of Christmas eve on the NORAD site tracking Santa. It was fun to watch them stress over bed time while Santa was still in Trinidad and Tobago.

As you can see by the forensic evidence above, Santa showed up and everyone was happy. This year may have been our peak year in the Santa Claus facet of Christmas. All three kids were so excited and really enjoyed the prospects of what Santa might bring.

My Beautiful Bride!

2007-12-22T21:41:00.000-08:00

I LOVE MY WIFE!!!

Gordon's and La La's Big Day.

2007-12-22T08:37:00.001-08:00

The above picture is of Gordon Canada and his soon to be bride Lauren. They will be married today 12/22/2007 in the Salt Lake Temple. We had a lovely dinner with them and about 50 other people at Treo' (Sarah and I both had the Salmon) in Old Mill last night.

It was a great evening. I was able to sit with all of my best friends including my wife. We had a great conversation and it was truly like the good old days. I look forward to making many more good old days with my friends and their wives. Gordon spoke and did a wonderful job. He said that we get so caught up in life that we often times forget to look and see how truly blessed we are. He spoke of the blessings of friendship and talked about us as his friends. It was an amazing feeling to sit around that table and look at my best friends and realize how blessed I have been.

I often have to explain myself when people ask in shocked tones that I still hang out with my best friends from elementary and high school. I am lucky to see weekly Dustin Tate( BFF since 2ND grade), John Peterson (BFF since 5Th grade) and Gordon Canada (BFF since sophomore year, however I feel like I have known him forever). The explanation that I am inclined to give is that I have not found anyone better. These are the kind of guys that you go into battle with. I know that that sounds cliche' but that is the strongest way to drive my point home. These guys have that greater love that they would lay down their lives for their friends.

I did turn into my Dad last night. When I was asked to give a toast, I stood up and just started to cry. It was awful. I have a lot of love for my friends and the only way to get it out was through my tears.

My Daddy!!!

2007-12-17T20:47:00.000-08:00

If any of you know me you know that I cannot sing. But My dad sure can! I could never say that my dad could beat up your dad, because my dad had on makeup and sang opera. I do think that He probably could beat up your dad though.

Every year for Christmas my dad sings "O' Holy Night". He does a wonderful job. Here is a brief clip of him singing at the 1st Annual Birch Family sing along......ENJOY.

P.S. My dad is 72 years old and his voice, in my opinion, still sounds very strong.

My Favorite Picture.

2007-12-17T20:23:00.001-08:00

One major event that happened to us this year was that Riley was baptized on September 15Th. She was glowing that day and like her father she loves to be the center of attention ,although she does it much more quietly.

It was an honor for me to be able to baptize and confirm her. She is a lovely young lady that always seems to get whatever she wants from me.

This picture was taken in our backyard after her big event. She wanted to hold my hand all day. I do not like to hold hands but I found it hard to not hold hers. She is my best friend and I love her like I never knew one could love.

And we're back...

2007-12-17T15:49:00.000-08:00

It has been too long since my last post. I am aware that many of you still believe that I am on top of Grandeur peak. It has been an up and down year but a lot of fun.

So here I write to bring you back into our lives and hopefully keep better touch with all of you. I will start back up only referencing the past year when necessary. It would take to much effort to catch you up on the last few months. I enjoy writing and keeping an interactive journal so I will simply ask for forgiveness and start anew.

Riley, Cam and Coop are getting very excited for Santa to come in one short week. They are busy with ginger bread houses, school presents, songs and all else that goes along with the Christmas season. When I got home from work today I saw that Riley and Cooper had made snowmen. They stood a towering 8-12 inches high. They were very funny and so I snapped a pic and pass it along to you for your viewing pleasure.

Grandeur Peak.

2007-06-03T14:02:00.001-07:00

My oldest brother is an avid hiker. He goes on two or three hikes every week. He told me earlier this year that he is going to summit the "6 Peaks of the Wasatch". Those peaks would be in order of North to South; Grandeur, Olympus, Twin, Lone, Box Elder and Timpanogos. This sounded like a great idea to me. I drive the Wasatch front day in and day out and look at these peaks. It would be awesome to say that I have stood atop of the lot of them.

On Saturday June 2nd I was having a day that I am sure we are all familiar with. The "what do you want to do? 'I don't know what do you want to do?" type of day. I figured that if I went alone and huffed it I could summit Grandeur reasonably quick. I headed out and in a 2 1/2 hour round trip I was up and down. I have been getting in better shape and was able to keep a good pace the entire time.

I did have a quick run in with nature. As I rounded one of the many corners I ran nose to snout with a nice sized rattler positioned on the trail. We caught each other of guard and he let me know it. He hissed rattled and posed in a striking position. A couple of rock throws and he moved out of the way. All in all it was some great scenery, good tunes (thanks to iPod) and a decent sense of accomplishment stepping towards accomplishing a goal of mine.

Camden is on the board.

2007-05-28T17:34:00.000-07:00

Our family would like to introduce you to the toothless version of Camden. He is by far the most excited kid ever. I have caught him giggling all day at the prospect of a pending trip from "Twinkle" the tooth fairy.

2007 Team Meag-A-Tuff Race for the Cure.

2007-05-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

The 2007 Team was full of friends and family. We had a great turn out! Roughly 65people that ran, walked and rolled the 5K race. It was a lot of fun and we will do it again next year. The fastest of our team was Justin who finished in 20:20. My goal was to finish in 29:59 and I was able to finish in 28:38, exactly one minute behind my wife.
Sarah, Marlene and Riley. Three generations. Marlene is a breast cancer survivor and a great mother-in-law!!!
My beautiful family.

Fishin' with Bob.

2007-04-27T15:40:00.000-07:00

Friday the 27th of April brought some of the best weather of the year. A perfect day to grab the poles and head for the holes. My step dad Bob and Brian and I ran up Provo Canyon to Deer Creek Reservoir. Bob lives in Alaska and is an amazing fisherman.

I think he was disappointed in our power bait techniques. He played along with us and we all had a really good time. After no action on DCR we headed up the Wallsburg creek that inlets to DCR. It was fast action after that. We ended up catching 6-8 fish with Brian doing most of the damage.

All in all it was great weather, good fishing and great company!

Brian with the first catch of the day.

The Utah Red/White game.

2007-04-23T21:40:00.000-07:00

On Saturday April 21st we went to watch the Utes in their spring football game. It was a lot of fun and a good quencher for my football thirst. After the game they let everyone go down onto the field and get autographs and pictures with their favorite players.

All of the players were very nice including Brent "The Man of" Casteel and Steve Tate. The picture above is with Riley and Casteel and below is Cooper with Tate's helmet on. The boys played football against each other and had a really fun time.

Spring Hike.

2007-04-15T19:09:00.000-07:00

On Saturday the 14th of April, Camden and I went on a nice spring hike. We went up Butlers Fork up Big Cottonwood and then branched off towards Dog Lake. It was muddy and snowy most of the way but the temps were perfect.

Camden did pretty good but wore out just short off our destination (dog lake). We came back down and had some great post hike sandwiches and some water.

I am convinced that we live in some of the prettiest country on the face of the earth. It was a lot of fun to be up there with my boy doing something I love so much.

Cooper is funnier than me.

2007-04-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

I love this kid. He is always cracking me up.

He saw me relieve myself an thought it a good idea. Keep in mind the little guy just hiked two miles "all by his self."

Rookie YMCA'rs.

2007-04-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

Click on the little box to view some pretty funny video of Cam, Coop and John's boy Logan trying to do the YMCA dance.

Salt Lake Bees Home Opener

2007-04-05T22:09:00.000-07:00

From left to right: John, Lincoln, Logan, Cooper, Camden and the Bee guy.

Tonight we went to the Salt Lake Bees home opener. They played the Las Vegas 51's. Mark, Sarah, Cam, Coop and Grandma and Grandpa Nielsen met John Peterson and his two boys Lincoln and Logan at the park for a night of good old fashion baseball.(Riley went to Rennie's)

This night was a blast! The weather was perfect for spring baseball. We sat in the outfield area. This is the best to do with little kids. They run around and roll up and down the hill as you sit and watch the game.

There is something in the make up of a man that makes him want to take his kids to see real baseball played. There is something to be said of the crack of the bat, peanuts, cracker jacks, the seventh inning stretch and everything else that goes along with sitting in the ball park.

On a side note tonight confirmed to me what a great business man Larry H. Miller is. He bought the franchise and changed a few things. One of which was the name and uniforms of the team. This does not seem that significant. However the "Buzz" old colors were teal and yellow and navy blue and the team name was just not all that cool. He changed the name to the "Bees", which is more to the point and more relative to Utahn's, gives them better colors in black and yellow. A lot of people at the park tonight were wearing "Bees" apparel. I have gone to a lot of games over the years but tonight I saw more people at the stadium and more people wearing the team colors. All of this means $$$$$ to LHM.

The Bee's ended up winning 4-3 with a bottom of the ninth walk off double. The good game on the field was just the icing on the cake.

First Fishing Trip 07.

2007-04-02T18:54:00.000-07:00

For FHE this week, we decided to go fishing up Big Cottonwood canyon. We met Brian at the park and ride and away we went. The canyon is always pretty and the kids enjoy seeing deer and everything else I point out.

We found our desired hole and started to fish. Sarah gave me some polarized sunglasses for Christmas this year. They are awesome. I was able to watch, on my first cast of the year, a fish come and take my line. Unfortunately this was the only fish I caught all evening.

The sky was blue but it was very chilly so we called it a night early. Brian added one more fish for a total of two between all of us.

Here is a cool picture I took of Brian.

Race for the cure.

2007-03-29T20:55:00.000-07:00

On May 12th the Susan G. Komen race for the cure will be held at the Gateway in downtown Salt Lake. This race is a 5K with the proceeds going to research for breast cancer. Our family will be running it for the second year as part of Team Meag-A-Tuff. If you wish to join in on the fun email me at markjosephrobbins@yahoo.com. We will be having a sign up party on April 14th. All are invited. To register before our party go to www.komenslc.org/race/ and join exsisting Team Meag-A-Tuff.

Brian's great wrestling adventure.

2007-03-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

Brian got a little bit of a wild hair this weekend and decided to go wrestle in the local freestyle tournament. He had to cut three pound to make 145 lbs. He made weight and saw that he had two others in his weight.

As luck would have it one of the two was female. As a male wrestler it is never fun to wrestle a girl. There is always the what if factor. This girl was good (for a girl). She wrestled for a small college.

Thank goodness that Brian wrestled really good that day. In his first match, he fought back to tie up the match that he was losing and then eventually pin his guy. In his second match, against the girl, Brian won by tech fall. All in all it was pretty fun and entertaining. Here is Brian "gutting" a chick.

Brian in the first of his two wins in route to the gold medal.

Proud Brother and Sister

2007-03-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went to another one of Cam's wrestling matches. These are becoming a popular event in our household. Cam won his first match by pin, as seen above, and lost his second. He does a very good job of not getting pinned.

I learned something very neat about Cam tonight. He is driven when he sees opportunity in front of him. During the match he is very lethargic and is kind of roley poley. When the time comes that he sees his opponents back exposed, he changes gears and turns into attack mode. Everytime that happens, he quickly finishes the match.

It has been fun to have him grow into sporting age. On Saturday we went and hit a bucket of golf balls. He had a very fun time and is a delight to be with.

Below are the proud Brother and Sister of the first time medalist.

My dancing zebra.

2007-03-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

This was about 30 minutes after Cam's tough loss.

My first angry parent moment.

2007-03-16T15:48:00.000-07:00

Camden had his second night of wrestling matches on Thursday. He has had a fun time with the family attention on him. He has won a match or two and is picking up the moves and ideas pretty good. Thursday night was a definite set back.

First of all the people that do the pairings of the lil' grapplers set Cam up with a kid that was older and bigger. If you look closely at the picture above you can actually see his muscle structure. Second of all the kid had a couple more years of experience than Cam has. Needless to say, it was not Cam's shining moment.

Two things came from this little match. Anger and love. First, anger that my boy was getting tossed like a rag doll all the while the other parent is yelling right in my ear.Please note that it is against the rules to coach while they are wrestling.

Second love. Camden with all his might and will fought off of his back for three minutes. If you have ever wrestled or now someone who has, this is no easy feat. I stood on the corner of the mat as little Cam with gritted teeth and concentrated eyes would not allow himself to be pinned.
After the match he walked over to me and gave me that big old Camden smile. He had fun. I was proud of him! He didn't give up and he had fun.

From there we had to quickly run to Oakridge and watch him perform in the kindergarten opera. He played the part of the dancing zebra very well.

The Process of Aging.

2007-03-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

At the pictures first glance your immedeate thoughts must be, "looks like the Jazz lost." For purposes of comfort and relief I want you to first and foremost know that I have stopped beating my family over such simple things as the Jazz losing.

At second glance you will soon realize that my oldest daughter Riley lost her first tooth. This was a fun experience for her. Unfortunately Sarah and I were out of town when she lost it.

I know that many of you (probably my mother is the only one reading this) will laugh that little things like a daughter losing a tooth make me feel old. I know that I am still very young and have my best years ahead of me. As I watch my children grow, I can't help but feel even older. They are doing things that I remember vividly doing when I was young.

I guess that the trick is to just enjoy what you are doing while you are doing it. If you spend a lot of time looking forward to what's next and reminiscing about things past you will find little time to enjoy the present.

The tooth fairy was good to Riley and tooth number two is wiggling worse than a fish on the line.

Slam Man

2007-03-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

Many of you have seen this already and I am posting this more fro experimentive purposes. If you have not seen it enjoy. Simply click on one of the two boxes to see the video.

The great and mighty vacation.

2007-03-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I after almost nine years of marital bliss decided to take our first extended vacation without any kids. Now we have done some one and two nighters but this was the first real vacation that we had been on.

We took a Carnival cruise to Baja Mexico. Specifically Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico. It was a great and much needed break. We went kayaking in Catalina and spent our day in Ensenada bartering with the natives, getting great deals on absolute junk.

This picture above was taken in Long Beach while Sarah and I played on the beach passing time before our flight home.

Intro.

2007-03-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

I have a good friend that referred me to this site to set up a blog. Not that I am that interesting or anything, I thought that it might be a fun way to accomplish a couple of things that I have goals of doing. Purpose one: Stay in touch better with loved ones. Purpose two: Keep a better personal history. I hope that this will aid in those two criteria.

I am sure that as time progresses and I familiarize myself with "blogging" it may become more interesting and entertaining.

I hope all who view this enjoy.