KITCHEN PAINTING

When we bought our house in June of 2005. I said that the ugly kitchen wallpaper was the first thing to go! Flash forward 3 years and it is now gone! The entire kitchen was wallpapered to the drywall and Liz has worked hard at removing it all, repairing and prepping the walls. For a added bonus we were able to get the help of our wonderful friends, John and Carly Goode. Last night they helped Liz paint while I ordered pizza, played with the kids and mowed the backyard lawn. See, I don't paint. When I paint more paint gets on me and on other stuff instead of what I am actually painting. As Clint Eastwood once said "A man has got to know his limitations". While we worked the kids enjoyed pizza and playing outside and inside jumping on the beds! Our new kitchen will be a Tabasco theme and we are looking forward to finding fun Tabasco stuff to decorate our walls.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Today was the first day of school and our kids were so excited! Our little girl is now in 2nd grade and our son is in 1st grade. We are looking forward to a fun school year full of learning new and exciting things and seeing old friends and making new ones. On a side note Dad started back at Ford Middle School as a Cafeteria Monitor.

WHAT EVERY MAN NEEDS....

This 5' x 8' ultimate tailgating trailer features a 47" Vizio LCD HDTV, 5.1 Sony Sound System and tongue mounted grill with pivot arm. Rear and side doors allow easy access, and interior cabinets provide organized storage. The trailer also features electrical outlets w/ 30 amp breaker box & 25' shore cord, internal E-tracks for secure hauling, internal lighting, smooth aluminum exterior and aluminum wheels w/ spare tire and wheel.

PAUL MCCARTNEY AT THE NEW COWBOYS STADIUM

Last night I saw Paul McCartney at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium and The show was great! I am so glad that I was able to be there! Paul play for about 3 hours for his last show of his mini summer tour. He band is always top notch and Paul is always willing to not only play the hits but to throw in a few odd tunes here and there. The new Cowboys Stadium is awesome but the parking is a bit pricey! The only bad part was the bad signage that lead me to be lost in Arlington for a hour after the show!

Thursday, Aug 20, 2009
Posted on Thu, Aug. 20, 2009
Paul McCartney delights North Texas fans with classics at Cowboys Stadium
By PRESTON JONESpjones@star-telegram.com
ARLINGTON — Not every rock star can pause midshow, casually reminiscing about the time Jimi Hendrix played one of his songs just days after its initial release. For Paul McCartney, it was an aside about a night out a few decades back. For everyone else in attendance at Cowboys Stadium on Wednesday night, the final night of his 10-date U.S. summer tour and McCartney’s first North Texas appearance in four years, it was the first of many goose-bump moments. At age 67, McCartney could very easily rest on his laurels — he and his pals in The Beatles accomplished more in a decade than most bands manage in a lifetime — but continues to relish a challenge, restlessly pursuing new, eclectic sounds. What’s even more impressive is that he performs classics like Back in the U.S.S.R. or Eleanor Rigby with as much enthusiasm as his brand-new, vaguely avant-garde material. McCartney projects an air of vitality, not finality; if this is Macca’s last jaunt around the U.S. (as has been rumored), he’s going out on a high. The sold-out crowd — promoters estimated 38,000 people turned out to see the Cute One in action — sang and danced in the aisles, basking in the evening’s nostalgic glow. The audience reaction was almost as powerful as the tunes emanating from the stage. McCartney is one of those precious few remaining artists with the capacity to move young and old alike. For more than two hours, McCartney, backed by a crack quartet, wheeled through his catalog and doled out plenty of Beatles hits, stopping along the way to pay tribute to his fallen friends and lovers. George Harrison’s Something was particularly poignant, as was his interpolation of John Lennon’s Give Peace a Chance in the middle of A Day in the Life. He saved the biggest hits — and an eye-popping pyro display during Live and Let Die — for the evening’s end, punching through one indelible hit after another, making pop brilliance seem utterly effortless.

Paul McCartney conjures up decades of memories at Cowboys Stadium concert
08:48 AM CDT on Thursday, August 20, 2009
By MARIO TARRADELL / The Dallas Morning Newsmtarradell@dallasnews.com
TOM FOX/DMN Paul McCartney performs Wednesday at Cowboys Stadium.
ARLINGTON — Paul McCartney's career spans more than just decades – it travels through lifetimes. His work with the Beatles, which is the most influential band of all time, and then with Wings, his solo output and even his side projects as the Fireman could each be separate books detailing the creative existence of different artists. So when you witness him in concert offering songs from those varied phases, as he did Wednesday night before a packed audience at Cowboys Stadium, they conjure up a vast assortment of memories. McCartney's music is the soundtrack for life's stages. For slightly more than 2½ hours, the 67-year-old lad from Liverpool performed 36 songs backed by a super-tight four-man band. He looked remarkably youthful and had the energy and spry musicianship of somebody half his age. His voice remained strong if a tad lower in register thanks to the passing of time. McCartney did concentrate on the Beatles output. We're talking classics such as "Drive My Car," "Got to Get You Into My Life," "The Long and Winding Road," "Eleanor Rigby," Let It Be" and "Hey Jude," to name a few. The latter prompted a jovial sing-along of "na, na, nas" from the audience. Yet a few lesser known numbers and a couple of tributes deserve special mention. The bluesy "Let Me Roll It" and the bouncy "Mrs. Vanderbilt," both from 1973's seminal Band On the Run, were outstanding. As was, of course, "Band On the Run," which featured video footage of the album's iconic cover photo shoot. Also of note were touching homages to the late John Lennon during the bittersweet "Here Today," which McCartney said he wrote after Lennon's death as an imaginary conversation with him, and George Harrison as he offered a wistful rendition of "Something." So much more could be said about McCartney onstage, such as the fact that for a man who's a popular music legend he comes off easygoing and approachable behind the microphone. And clearly, this man could play two more long shows of well-known hits without a bit of repetition. He'd have a full house for those gigs, too.

Set List for the Dallas show

1. Drive My Car 2. Jet 3. Only Mama Knows 4. Flaming Pie 5. Got To Get You Into My Life 6. Let Me Roll It 7. Foxy Lady 8. Highway 9. All My Loving 10. The Long And Winding Road 11. My Love 12. Blackbird 13. Here Today 14. Dance Tonight 15. Calico Skies 16. Mrs Vanderbilt 17. It's So Easy 18. Eleanor Rigby 19. Sing The Changes 20. Band On The Run 21. Back In The USSR 22. I'm Down 23. Something 24. I've Got A Feeling 25. Paperback Writer 26. A Day In The Life 27.Give Peace A Chance 28. Let It Be 29. Live And Let Die 30. Hey 31. Day Tripper 32. Lady Madonna 33. I Saw Her Standing 34. Yesterday 35. Helter Skelter 36. Get Back 37. Sgt. Pepper Reprise 38.The End

A LOVING HUSBAND

THE LOVING HUSBAND
A man had two of the best tickets for the FA Cup Final. As he sits down another man comes along and asks if anyone is sitting in the seat next to him."No", he says, "the seat is empty.""This is incredible!" said the man, "who in their right mind would have a seat like this for the Final, the biggest sporting event of the year and not use it? "He says, "Well, actually, the seat belongs to me. My wife was supposed to come with me but she passed away. This is the first final we haven't been to together since we got married.""Oh... Gees .I'm sorry to hear that. That's terrible. I guess you couldn't find someone else, a friend or relative or even a neighbour to take the seat?"The man shakes his head... "No. They're all at the funeral."

RENO

Liz went for a quick trip to Reno, NV to do some training at one of her company's hospitals. While there she went to Mel's Dinner, Lake Tahoe (home of the Ponderosa from the TV show Bonanza) and In-n-Out burger! She did sneak in some training while she was there too!

A DAY AT SIX FLAGS

After 4 years of living in Texas we finally made it to Six Flags of Arlington. We got free tickets for the kids so off we went! We started off at Krystal Burger where the hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches are all smaller and the kids loved it! At Six Flags it was hot, crowded and the parking was bad. All of the scary people from the DFW area were there that day! The employees did not really enjoy their jobs and it showed! We wanted to go to the only Texas location of Johnny Rockets but it was a bit busy and over priced! The kids did have fun in the kids area so that is what matters. At the end of the day we had sore feet and were ready to go home! We will be back someday when our son is not afraid of the people in the costumes, it is not so hot and I am a bit skinner!

AT 67 PAUL MCCARTNEY IS JUST LETTING IT BE

At 67, Paul McCartney is just letting it be

By Paul Farhi
WASHINGTON POST
Updated: August 09, 2009, 9:33 AM /
NEW YORK—Paul McCartney likes to get out of the Beatle bubble he has lived in since he was 21 and just be a regular bloke. So he does. No disguises, no bodyguards. Just Paul. Sometimes he goes bowling. Or grocery shopping. Or to the movies with his girlfriend and gets shushed by strangers for talking too much. A couple of years ago, he recalls, he found himself on a New York City bus. Or rather, New Yorkers found him on the bus. Everyone stared as the famous passenger took his seat, but no one said a word. Finally, someone—“It was the African-American lady”— spoke up. “ ‘Hey!’ ” McCartney imitates, his delight at the memory evident. “ ‘Is you Paul McCartney?’ ” “ ‘Yeah, I am!,’ ” Sir Paul answered. “I’m in their face. I don’t shrink away. No point. I’m from Liverpool, you’ve just got to get with it. “So I said, ‘Look, honey. Don’t shout across the bus. Come and sit here!’ ” The woman accepted and the unlikely couple had a merry chat for several blocks. And then the world’s most celebrated songwriter reached his stop and melted into midtown Manhattan. McCartney is currently on a summer mini-tour, playing stadiums in large cities around the country. On this tour, he is surrounded by the usual rock-god trappings and airtight security. But he says he savors encounters like the one on the bus because they remind him of who he was before he and a few of his friends got together and revolutionized popular music. “It grounds you, you know,” Mc-Cartney says. “It’s a balance thing. I’m just one of the people on the bus. I’m the famous one, but I’m behaving normally. ... Really, it’s important.” McCartney is telling this story a few hours before a sold-out show at Citi Field, the gleaming new home of the New York Mets, ensconced in the ballpark’s visitors’ clubhouse. For an official senior citizen—impossibly, he’s now 67—McCartney looks remarkably youthful. He’s slim, almost slight, and truth be told, could even stand a few more pounds. The famously cherubic face is fleshier and lined just enough to remind you that McCartney isn’t 21 anymore. The tousled hair is a flat brown. This is reassuring; who wants a Beatle, particularly the doe-eyed, ever-boyish Paul, to seem old or even to age at all? The even better news is that Mc-Cartney’s voice remains strong and supple in his 50th year of performing. Critics generally applauded the vocals and writing on his last album, “Electric Arguments,” released last year under his Fireman alter ego. But McCartney is a revelation in concert. He plays straight through for about 2ø hours each night, offering more than 30 tunes from his vast catalog. The set list ranges from such sweetly sung classics as “Blackbird” and the inevitable “Yesterday” to the frantic, voice-shredding chestnut “I’m Down.” There are several nods to souls departed; “My Love” is dedicated to his late wife Linda, “Give Peace a Chance” goes out to John Lennon, and “Something” is sung in honor of its creator, George Harrison. Mc-Cartney plays the latter song on a ukulele that Harrison gave him. McCartney says the emphasis on vintage is calculated to please. “It’s always difficult to do new songs,” he says. “You know, I look at myself and think, ‘OK, I’m coming to see this show, I’m just an ordinary audience member, what do I want to hear him do?’ And you know, a lot of it is hits. If I went to see Prince, I know the songs I want. I want ‘Purple Rain,’ please. You know if he doesn’t do it, someone says how was it and you have to answer, ‘Well, he didn’t do ‘Purple Rain.’ ... I don’t want (fans) to go home thinking ‘Oh, I would have liked to have heard ‘Hey Jude.’ ” McCartney sees it as something akin to giving back to people the things that made them love him in the first place. “Oh, I want to do” the old songs, he says. “We made hits so people would like them. And so it’s gratifying that people do.” As genial as McCartney is, interviewing him can be slightly disconcerting. His career has been so varied and rich that the potential questions are endless. What’s more, each time you look up, you’re conscious of a little out-of-body voice reminding you of just whom you’re sitting next to. McCartney himself doesn’t seem all that impressed by his own legend. “The whole point about it, the Beatles, Wings and me now, is that I’m too busy living it to think about it or reminisce.” Well, perhaps he can clear up at least one tiny mystery of several decades: What exactly is McCartney’s maddening lyric in “Live and Let Die”? Is it, “In this ever-changing world in which we live in”? Or “in which we’re living”?
McCartney seems genuinely puzzled. “Yeah, good question,” he says. “It’s kind of ambivalent, isn’t it? ... Um ... I think it’s ‘in which we’re living.’ ” He starts to sing: “In this ever changing world. ... ‘ It’s funny. There’s too many ‘ins.’ I’m not sure. I’d have to have actually look. I don’t think about the lyric when I sing it. I think it’s ‘in which we’re living.’ ‘In which we’re living.’ Or it could be ‘in which we live in.’ And that’s kind of, sort of, wronger but cuter. That’s kind of interesting. ‘In which we live in.’ In which we live in! I think it’s ‘In which we’re living.’ ” Ah, thanks, mate. Clears things right up.
The larger mystery may be this: Why, after all these years, is he still showing up at all? After so much— the frenzied adulation of the Beatles years, the money and fame and personal tragedies, the tabloid divorce —what could he possibly want? McCartney brightens at this. “I like what I do,” he answers instantly. “Also, I’m very darn lucky to get this job. I’ve had others that weren’t as good as this. Second man on a lorry—it was not the greatest job. “And then you get the relationship with your audience, which sort of grows as you do shows. There’s great warmth there (and) it’s sort of healing . ... It’s what I wanted to do since I was a kid. Only now the amps are bigger.” Including a well-received April performance at the Coachella Music Festival in April and a memorable appearance in July atop the Ed Sullivan Theater’s marquee on the David Letterman show, McCartney will play in only eight cities; the current tour winds up Aug. 19. The limited touring is a lifestyle choice. “My personal situation at the moment with my little 5-year-old daughter (Beatrice, with ex-wife Heather Mills) gives me certain periods of time when I can do what I want. Which is the strange thing about divorce. On the one hand, you become a single parent suddenly. But the upside of that is that it’s changed the way I tour now. So this, we call it Summer Live, is a little series of dates that are fitted in the gaps when I’m not being a dad. I love the balance. It’s really nice. The other few days, I go home and I’m Dad, and when that period is over, I come back.” He has thought about retirement, but not seriously and certainly not soon. “It’s what everyone else does, and that thought has to occur to you,” he says. “But strange things happen in music. You look at people like Tony Bennett, B. B. King—people who are as good if not better than they were. And you sort of think, oh! And you look at that as your beacon kind of thing. ... I certainly couldn’t just give it up like that. I like it too much.” Which suggests that the once unimaginable is now not just possible but highly likely: a Beatle, rocking out at 70, even 75. Paul McCartney is almost there, and it doesn’t seem odd at all. In this ever-changing world in which we live in, it even seems kind of normal, like riding the bus.

10 BEST 80'S SONGS

10 Best '80s Songs
The '80s were all about big hair, big attitude and big songs.

10) Def Leppard: 'Pour Some Sugar on Me'
Producer Mutt Lange wanted a song that would make the band more accessible to mainstream audiences. Joe Elliott was messing around with a riff when Lange told him to take it further.
9) Cyndi Lauper: 'Time After Time'
Many of the lyrics refer to things that were going on in the studio while Lauper and Rob Hymen wrote the song. The line "the second hand unwinds" refers to music producer Rick Chertoff's watch winding backwards.
8) Bon Jovi: 'Livin' on a Prayer'
The band was not satisfied with the original recording of the song. However, guitarist Richie Sambora convinced Bon Jovi that the song was great. They reworked it, and it spent four weeks on the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The original track recording can be found as a hidden track on the album '100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong.'
7) Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: 'If you Leave'
The song was recorded for the John Hughes film Pretty in Pink and gained notoriety in the U.S. reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, in the band's native England the song had minimal success reaching only No. 48.
6) The Police: 'Every Breath you Take'
Despite the possessive lyrics and overall negative tone singer Sting wrote the song in, many perceive it to be a positive love anthem. Sting insists that the song is about control and dominance. He was going through a divorce at the time and continues to tell fans that it is not a love song, but a song about stalking.
5) Prince & the Revolution: 'When Doves Cry'
The director of Purple Rain told Prince to write a song to fit a certain scene of the movie dealing with both parental stress and a love affair. The next morning Prince had two songs written, one of them was 'When Doves Cry.'
4) Michael Jackson: 'Thriller'
Released as a single in 1984 , this is one of Jackson's signature pieces. For more of Michael Jackson's hits.
3) A-Ha: 'Take on Me'
Lead singer Morten Harket demonstrates the use of his gifted vocals tremendously in 'Take on Me' by hitting notes within a range of 2 and 1/2 octaves, just in the chorus!
2) Simple Minds: 'Don't You (Forget about Me)'
Billy Idol was approached by the authors of the song to record it for the cult classic movie The Breakfast Club. Idol refused, but in 2001 he recorded his own version for his 2001 Greatest Hits album.
1) Journey: 'Don't Stop Believin''
This '80s favorite has an interesting song structure with the chorus playing only once at the end. The song regained popularity in 2007 after being featured in the finale for the HBO drama 'The Sopranos.' Since then it has been featured in the 'Rock Band' video games, the musical Rock of Ages and Fox sitcom 'Glee.' This quintessential rock song of the '80s just won't stop.

IN-N-OUT BURGER SECRET MENU DECODED

The Secret Menu Decoded

Animal Style: Mustard cooked beef patty, extra pickles, extra sauce with grilled onions.
The Flying Dutchman: Two patties, two slices of cheese. No lettuce, no onions, no bun.
Grilled Cheese: Cheese burger without the "burger."
Protein Style: Any burger wrapped in lettuce, with no bun.
Fries, Animal Style: French fries with secret sauce, onions, and cheese on top.

COUPONS

We have been working hard at coupon shopping and we have a great coupon clipper!

A WONDERFUL STORY...

I really enjoyed this story and weather or not you are LDS, interested in the LDS faith or just wanting to grow closer to our Heavenly Father this is a must read story!

Stephanie Smith received an MPA at Harvard University and worked her way up in the CIA to become Director of Support, managing the largest directorate in the organization. For 25 years she was at the highest level of the senior executive cadre managing intelligence, public diplomacy and defense —but for Stephanie, something was missing.

Before Conversion (BC)

So let’s go back in time a bit – to the period I’ll call “BC” – Before conversion. Let me begin with a clear view of my “before” picture. I had been raised by tremendous, faithful Catholic parents who scrimped and saved to send me to a Catholic school. I believed in God, in Jesus Christ, and in the Catholic notion of the trinity. I understood the Ten Commandments. I knew very clearly what sin was. I went to mass every Sunday. That was a 45-minute ritual for me. It was part of my routine, like going to the gym, except it took less time and required nothing of me but attendance. I never read the scriptures independently; I never volunteered for my church; I never fully tithed; and in fact, I didn’t know the names of more than 2 parishioners at St. Michael’s in Annandale, where I went to church for 20 years. And I only knew those names because I worked with them. Given this remarkably weak spiritual foundation, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that in my adult years, I transgressed very far from the commandments of my Heavenly Father. Now if you looked at my adult years from a secular perspective – sort of like looking at my resume – you might be impressed. But you should not be fooled. To be sure, I’ve achieved a fair measure of secular success, but with it came a very coarse way of life. I was a very hard-driving person, I believed in achieving my goals at all costs. And I did what it took to get there first: if it meant working 7 days a week, up to 18 hours a day, I did so. If it meant immersing myself in professional ambitions at the expense of my husband, I did so. If it meant adopting the language of a blasphemer, I did so. If it meant trampling on the feelings of others, I did so. If it meant breaking promises, I often did so. If it meant engaging in gossip, plotting, and office politics I did that too. And the results were actually pretty astounding: I was often the “first” woman in my field to achieve something; I was promoted at a speed that astounded even me. And in the process, I came to live by a standard that is really pretty troubling when I look back on it and see it clearly now: Get there first, and clean up your road-kill later. Along the way, I committed sins of pride, arrogance, ego, envy, greed, and great, greatvanity. I took up the worst ways of the world. To make matters worse, I rationalized my sins. I reasoned that some of what I did really wasn’t a sin, because others did it too. Or it wasn’t a sin because I faced unique pressures and temptations. Brothers and sisters, among Satan’s arsenal of weapons of mass destruction, I can tell you that rationalization is the most powerful.
Every once in a while, I told myself I would change and do better. But always that improvement was put on the back-burner until the next career goal was achieved. My disturbing logic might well remind you of the passage in Alma, Chapter 5, verse 37: O ye workers of iniquity; ye that are puffed up in the vain things of the world, ye that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness nevertheless have gone astray, as sheep having no shepherd, notwithstanding a shepherd hath called after you and is still calling after you, but ye will not hearken unto his voice!
Let me assure you that if you had observed me during a typical work day, you would never have been able to tell I was a Christian. By 2005, riding a wave of success that was built on compromised values and sheer exhaustion, I’m not sure I recognized myself as a Christian, either.
In that year, I began the pinnacle job of my career at CIA, as Director for Support. I was the first woman to hold that job. It was the biggest leadership job of my life. I had the best office at CIA Hqs, with all due respect to Director Panetta. And I worked very, very hard. Yet even as I was enjoying tremendous secular success, my world was starting to crack. Within 2 months of taking that job, I landed in the hospital for 4 days with a nasty gastric problem and severe exhaustion, after working nearly 20 hours a day for far too many days in a row. But things got worse from there.
By the spring of 2006, CIA was embroiled in the usual stew of lurid headlines, and I found myself for the first time ever near the center of that storm – as two of my esteemed colleagues – men of enormous worldly achievement – fell into personal crises that resulted in their firings, a huge amount of media glare, and the beginning of a three-year criminal investigation that would require me to serve as a Government witness, and that resulted in a jail term for one of these colleagues.
Their crises were horrifying for me. But when God gives us a crisis, He also grants us an opportunity. And so it was with me. I began to inspect my own life pretty thoroughly, and I saw that I had fallen far from grace. I was forced to acknowledge that I was not simply a person who gave into sin every now and again. I had become a profoundly sinful person. I no longer knew what I believed or who I believed in. But I knew my life was shattering into a million jagged pieces.

Calling a Colleague

Then, and only then, did I turn to God. Feeling quite uncertain, I called a colleague I very much admired who was a member of the Church. Looking back, I believe that one of the reasons I called him – rather than dialing a Catholic priest -- had a lot to do with who he was as a person, but it also had a bit to do with Gordon B. Hinckley. Let me digress to explain: several years earlier, during the Salt Lake Olympics, I was on a night flight overseas, and I picked up a news magazine that had the Olympics splashed across its front pages. My husband will tell you I am no fan of the Olympics, but I was prompted to pick up the magazine for some reason and read a story about the Mormons. I’m sure it explained Mormon doctrine, but the only thing I really remember is that the President of the church, this fellow Gordon B. Hinckley, was asked why so many people were turning to the LDS faith after 9/11, and President Hinckley said it was because they were looking for something “solid, strong, and true.” I’m not quite sure why those three words made such an impression on me back then, but I wrote them down on a scrap of paper and stuffed them into my wallet, where they remained in 2006. So in 2006, in a state of crisis, I reached out to my Mormon colleague. His response to me consisted of two simple messages: first, he told me that my Heavenly Father knows me by name and loves me for who I am. And second, he told me that Heavenly Father has a plan for my success – but not success as I had come to define it. The next day he sent me hand-drawn directions to the DC Temple Visitors Center. I share this with you because he did not teach me the gospel, he didn’t explain what Mormons believe, he didn’t ask a single question of me. Instead, he gave me two clear messages about Heavenly Father’s love for me, and he drew me a map. Looking back on it, I’d say those were pretty much the only things I needed to take on this journey.

Missionary Visit

Soon after I went to the Visitor’s Center, two missionaries visited my home. Several people in this room know that the first time Sister McDonald and Sister Clark landed on my doorstep, I was mortified. They were so young and innocent I had no idea how I would explain my troubled and headstrong life. I figured they would never be able to relate. They began our meeting by asking me if they could sing for me. They sang “I Am a Child of God.” From that moment on I was captivated. It became irrelevant whether they could relate to me. I began relating to them, and to the profoundly joyful message they shared. I took lessons throughout the summer and fall of 2006. At first, my husband Bill had no knowledge of this and I was afraid he and my entire family would think I was crazy if I even mentioned it. I was running a covert operation. When he finally met the good sisters, he was immediately captivated as well. He is an investigator of this church, and a true friend to every missionary. The good sisters paired with me several Saints at Annandale Ward who studied with me for the next 6 months. I struggled mightily to accept what they were telling me. I struggled to believe the Book of Mormon was an authentic testament of Jesus Christ. I struggled with the seemingly fantastical account of Joseph Smith’s vision. Everyone patiently answered my questions and encouraged me to read and pray and know for myself. There was no pressure, no coercion, no hard sell. I cannot tell you for certain the first time I actually came to know that these teachings were true, but I recall one early clear moment that crystallizes so much. One evening I was hurriedly reading my missionary homework when I was stopped cold by Amulek’s great exhortation on prayer that can be found in Alma 34, and in particular, verse 26: … “Ye must

pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.” I realized then that Amulek was speaking directly to me, because I was definitely in a wilderness and I definitely needed to pour my heart out. From that simple passage, I came to know for certain the Book of Mormon was true. I knew it was of God. My testimony of the Book of Mormon was so strong that my other questions fell away. If you ever doubt that members and missionaries can change a life, let me offer my testimony. I could not have made it this far – in fact, I do not believe I could have survived the summer of 2006 -- without those young missionaries. But it was important for me to also learn and fellowship with members. I saw by their example that this was a faith that could be practiced. It could be lived each day, in the world as it is -- in a world of work, commercialism, temptations, and distractions. Of course a part of the journey I needed to take on my own. That part was repentance. That is the hardest part of the journey, as you know. It is also a continuing journey. My first prayers as an investigator were awkward and child-like, and began something like this, “Heavenly Father, I know you already know that I’ve made a mess of everything, but let me just tell you about all of it anyway.” There were times – and there still are – when my prayers amount to pleading for forgiveness, for guidance, and to be restored to a “clean heart and right spirit,” as Psalm 51 describes. I was baptized in January 2007, supported by my entire family, who were happy that I found peace. My baptism was joyful and comforting beyond measure.But conversion is a process. The Bible dictionary tells us that conversion is a conscious acceptance of the will of God. I also find the secular dictionary definition illuminating: it tells us that to convert is to change or to turn around. I like to think conversion is not simply about turning your life around but turning toward something more powerful than you – literally, the will of God. So now let me tell you a little bit of what has happened “AC” – after conversion.

After Conversion

Let me say clearly: I did not magically change after conversion and baptism. I still struggle with vanity, pride, and ego. My conversion was not like the flipping of a miraculous light switch.
In truth, it has been better than that. For me, conversion has been more like an incandescent light that began slowly, almost imperceptibly, deep within me. The light gave off warmth, but I had to recognize it. Sometimes that feeling of warmth comes unexpectedly; at other times, it comes when I feel stressed, panicked, uncertain. I have come to know that this light is the Holy Ghost, and that I must fuel the light with prayer, scripture reading, and obedience. Fueling that light has not been easy, however. A central irony of my life, brothers and sisters, is that my post-conversion years have been the least successful chapter of my life thus far, if you judge only by conventional measures. Ironically, when I was living a faithless life, I was immensely successful – at the top of my professional game, with more friends and associates than hours in a day. That changed abruptly. A new leadership team came into power at CIA in late 2006, and my tenure came to an end. Because of my seniority, I had no next job at CIA, so I sat jobless in an isolated office for 5 months, trying to figure out what to do next. I had to rebuild my life brick by brick, precept by precept – aided by the gospel and a wonderful community of believers and doers. I found work in two other government agencies – State Department and the mighty US Navy -- and started fresh – without credentials, friends, or peers. This experience turned out to be a tremendous blessing. I also came to realize that Heavenly Father cleared my calendar for another kind of mission: His work. Heavenly Father needed to get my attention by silencing some of the noise in my life, so that I could finally hearing him calling to me. I should also share that many colleagues whom I thought to be friends no longer speak with me. Perhaps for some it is because I am no longer in a position of seniority. But in some cases, I came to understand they were struggling to fathom my conversion to this church. I can understand this, because I was the most unlikely Mormon in the world—at 10 cups of coffee a day! I’ve actually heard 3 explanations for my conversion: First, and most obvious, I am having a midlife crisis. Then I heard I ran off with a Mormon guy and he forced me to convert. This will come as news to Bill! A third explanation – and this one is really priceless – is that somehow, back in 2006 when I first began investigating the church, I figured out that Mitt Romney would run for President in 2008, so I became a Mormon as a way to jockey for a key place in his Administration. You can see that people ascribe great predictive powers to me! So it’sfair to say that a lot of the people around me believe I have LOST IT. But it is my pleasure, my joy, and my duty to tell them that I HAVE FOUND IT. So what have I found? I have found the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. A gospel of pure love and abiding hope. I have found the blessing, the peace and the safety of the temple. I have found my place in a vibrant community of believers – brothers and sisters who nurture and inspire me and move me to tears on a regular basis. I have found that repentance is hard, but it is possible and miraculous. I have found that when we are serving others, we are healing ourselves. I have found a living faith that compels more of its members than attendance….a faith that is solid, strong, and true. It is fair to say that every conversion journey is unique. But for some converts, like me, that journey includes a fair amount of internal churning and turbulence. We do not join the church because the choice is easy or obvious. It is the most important decision we will make, and many, like me, make the decision without family members joining us. So the decision can be isolating. Ultimately, I joined the church because I could no longer deny the truth of the restored gospel and I could no longer sustain the dead weight of my old self. In my mind, that is the deepest definition of true conversion: the undeniable reality that we must abandon the old self and give birth to the new self. And with that birth, most assuredly, comes labor pains. Those pains are like the process by which a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. That metamorphosis takes place almost invisibly to the human eye, so it can seem quite natural, seamless, and graceful. But in truth, that process is highly tumultuous. The caterpillar’s structure is basically broken down – reduced only to its basic nutrients -- all else is stripped away. But from that difficult process – and only as a result of that process -- a butterfly emerges. Today I know that the work of the gospel -- the goal of aspiring to Christ-like obedience and service -- is a work for all of us. We are all called to this life. A life of faith, obedience, and service is rarely convenient, however. But it a life aglow – literally incandescent – with purpose. So, my first ascent took me to the top of an organizational chart, and that view was not all that it was cracked up to be. My second ascent, which has only just begun, gives me an even better view -- of eternity. There are no organization charts, offices, or parking spaces with this ascent. We travel much lighter when we travel with Heavenly Father. If you are investigating this church, I humbly encourage you to pray to know the truth. Search the scriptures. I bear you my testimony that you will come to know for yourself. If you are a member, please take the time to understand, and embrace, the evolving butterflies among you. The impacts of their metamorphosis may not be fully visible to you, but believe me, they need you. Now that you know more about me than you wanted to know, it is my turn – as a trained intelligence professional -- to ask you: What is your conversion story? Have you thought deeply about your own journey of faith? What do you believe, and why do you believe it? f you have not yet begun this journey, what are you waiting for? If you are not turning to the will of God, what are you turning to instead? If you are not seeking to live eternally with Heavenly Father and your families, what are you seeking instead? As we account for our days, it really is true that some things are simply more important than others. Brothers and sisters, my heart is joyful as I declare to you that I know this gospel is true and this church is true. I know our Savior died for me, and his Atonement is powerful enough for all of us. THIS IS WHY I BELIEVE.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGIE!!!

Our friend Angie Malouf turned 27 last Sunday and we had fun celebrating her special day! We had the Garvins, van der Upwiches, Wrights and Angie and her kids over for taco salad and a wonderful birthday cake made by Keri Garvin! We appreciate everyone for bring food to share that made the taco salad a feast! We appreciate everyone for coming over for Angie's special day and for Angie's wonderful friendship. Happy birthday Angie!

VEGETABLES

by Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks

I'm gonna be round my vegetables

I'm gonna chow down my vegetables

I love you most of all

My favorite vege-table

If you brought a big brown bag of them home

I'd jump up and down and hope you'd toss me a carrot

I'm gonna keep well my vegetables

Cart off and sell my vegetables

I love you most of all

My favorite vege-table

Oh oh taba vega vegel

I tried to kick the ball but my tenny flew right off

I'm red as a beet 'cause I'm so embarassed

Oh oh dum do dum de dooby do

Oh oh dum do dum de dooby doOh oh dum do dum de dooby dooh yeah

Oh badumday oh dum do dum de dooby do

Oh badumday oh dum do dum de dooby do

Chomp chomp chomp chomp do-do-do do-do-do

Bop bop bop bop do-do-do do-do-doI know that you'll feel better

When you send us in Your letter an

'Tell us the name of your Your favorite vege-table

I know that you'll feel better

When you send us in Your letter an

'Tell us the name of yourYour favorite vege-table

NUTS....

A tour bus driver is driving with a bus load of seniors down a highwaywhen he is tapped on his shoulder by a little old lady. She offers him a handful of peanuts,which he gratefully munches up. After about 15 minutes, she taps him on his shoulder again and she hands him another handful of peanuts. She repeats this gesture about five more times. When she is about to hand him another batch again ....he asks the little old lady, 'Why don't you eat the peanuts yourself! 'We can't chew them because we've no teeth', she replied. The puzzled driver asks, 'Why do you buy them then?' The old lady replied, 'We just love the chocolate around them.'

IT'S YOUR MONEY!!!!

NEW SERIES OF HOT WHEELS CARS TO FEATURE ALLEN PD AND FD LOGOS

New series of Hot Wheels cars to feature Allen PD and FD logos

By Heather M. Smith, Staff writer(Created: Thursday, July 30, 2009 10:50 AM CDT)
Beginning in the fall, Allen residents will be able to bring home a classic toy featuring their fire and police department logos.The toy manufacturer, Mattel, selected Allen and the city’s public safety departments to be represented in the 2009 series of Hot Wheels Cop Rods and Fire Rods. Mattel used the Allen Police Department and Allen Fire Department logos on production of a select vehicle within each Hot Wheels series.“Mattel called out of the blue and asked if we were interested,” said Teresa Warren, public and media relations officer. “Originally, they looked at 40 different cities. We all got a kick out of being featured as a Hot Wheels car.”Only 26 cities across the United States were selected to participate in the project. The vehicles have been produced and packaged and will be available to purchase in stores this fall. Hot Wheels “Rescue Ranger” will feature the Police Department logo. According to the Hot Wheels Collectors Web site, the “Rescue Ranger” will available to purchase at Target.“I played with Hot Wheels when I was younger,” said Bill Rushing, Allen police chief. “It’s cool to see our logo on the cars. My grandkids are excited to play with the cars.”The Allen Fire Department logo is represented on the Phaeton. According to the Hot Wheels Collectors Web site, this vehicle will be available to purchase at Toys“R”Us.Allen Fire Chief Bill Hawley said when he was younger he played cops and robbers with his Hot Wheels cars. Now his two sons will have the chance to play cops and robbers with the Allen Hot Wheels cars.“If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Allen firefighters are humbled to know that kids across the country will be playing with these Hot Wheels cars and imaging themselves as Allen firefighters,” Hawley said. “This puts out a good image for the city. We want to bring the community together and let kids know that the Police and Fire Department are their friends and we’re here for them.”Warren said one of the city’s goals is to represent Allen’s positive image to people and to put the city in the spotlight.“This fit in our goal of strategic planning. There was no monetary exchange between the city and Mattel, it was just a good move for Allen,” Warren said. “Mattel selected the body type of the vehicle, but we did get to approve the artwork and how the logo looked on the cars.”For a preview of the entire series, visit the Hot Wheels Web site at www.hotwheelscollectors.com.Contact Heather Smith at HSmith@acnpapers.com