Heard on the radio this morning that because of the Hurricane Katrina, that gas prices were supposed to jump from between 10 to 20 cents today. On the way in to work, I looked at Maverick across from Novell, it was already $2.51. I went to Sam's and it was only $2.38. Of course, I stopped and filled up the tank in my Tacoma.
I called Deni to let her know about the gas prices. Later that day, I went by Sam's and it had gone up to $2.61 - 43 cents!!!! Amazing.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a deadly and devastating tropical cyclone that was the cause of catastrophic damage in the southeastern United States and will likely become the worst natural disaster ever to hit the United States with major global economic consequences caused by the severe disruption of oil supplies, exports, and imports.
Disaster relief plans are in operation in the affected communities. Some experts predict one million people could become homeless as a result of the storm. Currently five million people are without power in the Gulf Coast region, and it may be two months before all power is restored.
The aftermath of the storm compounded problems. In particular, the breaching of some the levees protecting New Orleans caused water to flow unabated into the city. There was also widespread looting, many people stranded due to flooding, and an ever present threat of contagious disease in affected areas.
Katrina may be the deadliest hurricane in the United States of America since the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, which killed around 8,000 (possibly up to 12,000) people. The death toll of Katrina so far is "in the thousands", stated by the New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin on August 31, but it will take weeks before accurate numbers are known. Katrina is also expected to be the costliest natural disaster in United States history, exceeding the 1992 Hurricane Andrew.
Disaster relief plans are in operation in the affected communities. Some experts predict one million people could become homeless as a result of the storm. Currently five million people are without power in the Gulf Coast region, and it may be two months before all power is restored.
The aftermath of the storm compounded problems. In particular, the breaching of some the levees protecting New Orleans caused water to flow unabated into the city. There was also widespread looting, many people stranded due to flooding, and an ever present threat of contagious disease in affected areas.
Katrina may be the deadliest hurricane in the United States of America since the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, which killed around 8,000 (possibly up to 12,000) people. The death toll of Katrina so far is "in the thousands", stated by the New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin on August 31, but it will take weeks before accurate numbers are known. Katrina is also expected to be the costliest natural disaster in United States history, exceeding the 1992 Hurricane Andrew.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
"My shoe fits"
At the dinner table tonight, Deni looked at Sydney and told her to "Tell dad - "My shoe fits"
Sydney looked at me and said "Daddy, my shoe shits"
We laughed and laughed and laughed. Sydney likes to pronounce her "F's" like "sh's"
Naughty Deni.
Sydney looked at me and said "Daddy, my shoe shits"
We laughed and laughed and laughed. Sydney likes to pronounce her "F's" like "sh's"
Naughty Deni.
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Family Gathering at Mom and Dad's
Went fishing as a family today up at Spanish Oaks Reservoir. We went in the middle of the day, so we didn't catch anything. However it was a fun time. Sydney fell in the water. I was only 3 feet away from her, and she had her life jacket on, so I wasn't that concerned. But the water was so cold, it scared her, as it took her breathe away. Both kids liked to play in the freezing cold water. Ryan held on to the outside of canoe, while I paddled over to the sandy beach from one of the sides.
We came home and put Sydney to bed for a nap. I worked on the garage a little bit. We can get both cars in the garage now, however, there is still work to do, as it is a very tight fit.
Stefanie and family came to see the house around 5:00pm. It was the first time that they had seen the house. We gave them the grand tour, then headed to Mom and Dad's for a BBQ with the whole family.
Our whole family was there, except Shane. Uncle Ken and two of his girls, Kara and Shannon were also there. It was fun to have almost the whole family together to visit. As always it gets crazy when all of us are there. With Teresa's 5, Stefanie's 4 and our 2, it makes for a crazy, noisy night. However the time flew by. It was 10pm before I knew it.
We came home and put Sydney to bed for a nap. I worked on the garage a little bit. We can get both cars in the garage now, however, there is still work to do, as it is a very tight fit.
Stefanie and family came to see the house around 5:00pm. It was the first time that they had seen the house. We gave them the grand tour, then headed to Mom and Dad's for a BBQ with the whole family.
Our whole family was there, except Shane. Uncle Ken and two of his girls, Kara and Shannon were also there. It was fun to have almost the whole family together to visit. As always it gets crazy when all of us are there. With Teresa's 5, Stefanie's 4 and our 2, it makes for a crazy, noisy night. However the time flew by. It was 10pm before I knew it.
Friday, August 26, 2005
Boring Friday
Not much happened today. At work, I finished up reinstalling my laptop but work was slow.
When I got home, we work on getting the computer room cleaned up. It is at least workable now. Still lots to do, but is usable.
We took Ryan and Sydney to the park for a bit tonight. With the park so close, it is hard to say no to the kids. Ryan loves the monkey bars and is getting better and better each time.
It was Deni's turn to help put Linda to bed. Linda lives in our old neighborhood and is paralyzed from the neck down.
Tonight was our ward campout. However I'm on call this week, so we decided to not go as I wouldn't be able to get cell coverage, while up Spanish Fork Canyon.
When I got home, we work on getting the computer room cleaned up. It is at least workable now. Still lots to do, but is usable.
We took Ryan and Sydney to the park for a bit tonight. With the park so close, it is hard to say no to the kids. Ryan loves the monkey bars and is getting better and better each time.
It was Deni's turn to help put Linda to bed. Linda lives in our old neighborhood and is paralyzed from the neck down.
Tonight was our ward campout. However I'm on call this week, so we decided to not go as I wouldn't be able to get cell coverage, while up Spanish Fork Canyon.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Two words.... Two Wheeler
Today was a frustrating day at work. I didn't really accomplish anything other than invalidating what I had done the last 2 days, as I had to start all over. Very frustrating.
Deni met me for lunch and we went to Sam's and walked around.
We ate the fish we caught yeseterday and the day before. Fresh trout. Hmmm. After dinner, dad came over to watch the kids for a second while Deni and I ran to the parents night at Ryan's school. We were a few minutes late, and it only lasted 12 minutes. Wasn't that informative, but oh well. I hope Ryan has a good year and enjoys his class.
Two words.... Two Wheeler. Ryan learned to ride his bike tonight.
We went to the park by our house. There is a basketball court, where I taught him to ride. When I first let go, he road in a circle, almost twice. Then we had to run back to the house to tell Deni (Ryan couldn't wait for Deni to show up.) Then we went back as a family. Other than starting by himself, he can ride pretty darn good. He favors turning to his left for some reason, but we can work on turning later. He rode home from the park, the street way. I ran behind him. Stopped him once from going straight into a parked truck. Ryan told Sydney, "Sydney, when you get big like me, I need to ride a 2 wheeler, like me." 
Click here to see all pics taken of Ryan learning to ride his bike.
Deni met me for lunch and we went to Sam's and walked around.
We ate the fish we caught yeseterday and the day before. Fresh trout. Hmmm. After dinner, dad came over to watch the kids for a second while Deni and I ran to the parents night at Ryan's school. We were a few minutes late, and it only lasted 12 minutes. Wasn't that informative, but oh well. I hope Ryan has a good year and enjoys his class.
Two words.... Two Wheeler. Ryan learned to ride his bike tonight.
We went to the park by our house. There is a basketball court, where I taught him to ride. When I first let go, he road in a circle, almost twice. Then we had to run back to the house to tell Deni (Ryan couldn't wait for Deni to show up.) Then we went back as a family. Other than starting by himself, he can ride pretty darn good. He favors turning to his left for some reason, but we can work on turning later. He rode home from the park, the street way. I ran behind him. Stopped him once from going straight into a parked truck. Ryan told Sydney, "Sydney, when you get big like me, I need to ride a 2 wheeler, like me." 
Click here to see all pics taken of Ryan learning to ride his bike.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Deni caught fish too....
Deni went fishing with Ryan and caught 2 fish tonight. I stayed home with Sydney as she had a high fever. Hopefully Sydney will get better and the whole family can go fishing.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Fishing and mowing
There are 2 things that I enjoy immensely. Fishing (and catching fish) and mowing my own lawn. Weird eh? Tonight I got to do them both.
I told Ryan I would take him fishing last night, but couldn't because the back of the truck was full of things. So I told him it I would take him today. We took the canoe and went up to Spanish Oak Reservoir. Within about 15 minutes of getting on the water, I had hooked the first fish. I made sure it was on the hook good and then handed my pole to Ryan to let him reel it in. It was a smaller fish, about 10-11 inches, but we kept it. Before I left, I told Deni were were coming home with 4 fish, so I wasn't about to come home with nothing.
A few minutes later I had caught the second fish that was a little bit bigger and fatter. About that time, it started getting darker and darker with rain clouds. I was getting a little worried about lightening sitting out on the Reservoir by ourselves, so I decided it was time to get off the water. Ryan played on the sandy beach, while I cast a few times. It started sprinkling so we packed up and came home. There is a fish cleaning place at the reservoir, so we cleaned the fish and came home.
The bishop came over to meet us tonight. I was downstair, according to Deni, "singing at the top of my lungs" while she let them in, so they heard me. Embarrassing.
Finally, I mowed the lawn. There is something about seeing the angled stipes in a freshly mowed lawn. This is the first time I have mowed my new lawn. We have a big yard. Wow. I mowed till dark. After mowing the lawn, Deni and I watched the reality tv show - Rock Star INXS
I told Ryan I would take him fishing last night, but couldn't because the back of the truck was full of things. So I told him it I would take him today. We took the canoe and went up to Spanish Oak Reservoir. Within about 15 minutes of getting on the water, I had hooked the first fish. I made sure it was on the hook good and then handed my pole to Ryan to let him reel it in. It was a smaller fish, about 10-11 inches, but we kept it. Before I left, I told Deni were were coming home with 4 fish, so I wasn't about to come home with nothing.
A few minutes later I had caught the second fish that was a little bit bigger and fatter. About that time, it started getting darker and darker with rain clouds. I was getting a little worried about lightening sitting out on the Reservoir by ourselves, so I decided it was time to get off the water. Ryan played on the sandy beach, while I cast a few times. It started sprinkling so we packed up and came home. There is a fish cleaning place at the reservoir, so we cleaned the fish and came home.
The bishop came over to meet us tonight. I was downstair, according to Deni, "singing at the top of my lungs" while she let them in, so they heard me. Embarrassing.
Finally, I mowed the lawn. There is something about seeing the angled stipes in a freshly mowed lawn. This is the first time I have mowed my new lawn. We have a big yard. Wow. I mowed till dark. After mowing the lawn, Deni and I watched the reality tv show - Rock Star INXS
Monday, August 22, 2005
Meet Miss Matthews
I spent the majority of the day today, backing up my work laptop to DVD and then fdisking. I had it dual booted with Windows XP and Novell Linux Desktop 9 (NLD9). I decided it was finally time to ditch Micrsoft and single boot with NLD9. I'm still in the process of getting everything configured, but am making progress. Since I still support products on Windows, I will probably create a Windows XP VMware image.
I left work around 2:15pm today to go with Deni, Sydney and Ryan to meet Ryan's first grade teacher. Her name is Miss Matthews. She really didn't talk to us much, but she showed Ryan around the room and where his name was, where he would put his backpack,etc. I guess the meet the parents night is later on. It looks like there are 20 kids in Ryan's Kindergarten class. I figured there would be more kids, so it is good that there are only 20. However twenty 5 yr olds can be very overwhelming, I'm sure. As we walked through the school, the teachers had their pictures on the doors. Most of them looked like High Schoolers, but I guess they are at least 21, to have a 4 yr degree. Kinda odd that the teachers are quite a bit younger than Deni and I.
After meeting Ryan's teacher, Ryan and I went to drop off some boxes at a friends, to my parents to pick up a few things, then to the dump to take some large trash. We werer going to go fishing, till I remember the back of the truck was loaded with trash. After going to the dump, Ryan and I drove up to Spanish Oaks reservoir. That is a nice place. We are planning on going swimming and fishing up there tomorrow. It is only 10 minutes from the house.
Tonight for FHE, we talked to Ryan about our fire alarms. I pushed the button on one, so he knew what they sounded like. Apparently, all our fire alarms are connected, as when I set one off, the rest of them went off too. It was good. We showed him how to feel the door to see if it was hot, and if it was, to go to his window, open it, climb out and then start yelling for help. Obviously we hope we never have to have a fire, but thought it would be smart to walk through what we would do if it happened.
Finally tonight, I downloaded DVD Shrink, which is a free utility that allows you to back up your own DVD's. I'm going to back up all my DVD's, and keep the orginals out of the kids hands. That way if they get scratched or cracked, then we will burn another one. It takes about an hour a DVD, so I will do it slowly, since we have lots of DVD's.
I left work around 2:15pm today to go with Deni, Sydney and Ryan to meet Ryan's first grade teacher. Her name is Miss Matthews. She really didn't talk to us much, but she showed Ryan around the room and where his name was, where he would put his backpack,etc. I guess the meet the parents night is later on. It looks like there are 20 kids in Ryan's Kindergarten class. I figured there would be more kids, so it is good that there are only 20. However twenty 5 yr olds can be very overwhelming, I'm sure. As we walked through the school, the teachers had their pictures on the doors. Most of them looked like High Schoolers, but I guess they are at least 21, to have a 4 yr degree. Kinda odd that the teachers are quite a bit younger than Deni and I.
After meeting Ryan's teacher, Ryan and I went to drop off some boxes at a friends, to my parents to pick up a few things, then to the dump to take some large trash. We werer going to go fishing, till I remember the back of the truck was loaded with trash. After going to the dump, Ryan and I drove up to Spanish Oaks reservoir. That is a nice place. We are planning on going swimming and fishing up there tomorrow. It is only 10 minutes from the house.
Tonight for FHE, we talked to Ryan about our fire alarms. I pushed the button on one, so he knew what they sounded like. Apparently, all our fire alarms are connected, as when I set one off, the rest of them went off too. It was good. We showed him how to feel the door to see if it was hot, and if it was, to go to his window, open it, climb out and then start yelling for help. Obviously we hope we never have to have a fire, but thought it would be smart to walk through what we would do if it happened.
Finally tonight, I downloaded DVD Shrink, which is a free utility that allows you to back up your own DVD's. I'm going to back up all my DVD's, and keep the orginals out of the kids hands. That way if they get scratched or cracked, then we will burn another one. It takes about an hour a DVD, so I will do it slowly, since we have lots of DVD's.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Found my book...
Before we moved, I had bought a book called "Leadership" by Rudolph W. Giuliani and started reading it. Well it got lost in the move in April. But I'm glad to say that I just found it. Since it has been so long, I decided to start at the beginning again. It is a good book. In the Preface, there is a pretty cool quote. Giuliani is talking about the principles he uses.
The book covers the events of 911. Having lived in NYC and been on top of the World Trade Center towers in 1995, the book is very interesting to me.
Surround yourself with great people. Have beliefs and communicate them. See things for yourself. Set an example. Stand up to bullies. Deal with first things first. Loyality is the vital virtue. Prepare relentlessly. Underpromise and overdeliever. Don't assume a damn thing.
The book covers the events of 911. Having lived in NYC and been on top of the World Trade Center towers in 1995, the book is very interesting to me.
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Ryan's Birthday Party
We were a little late planning Ryan's birthday party, so we decided to postpone his party till today. Ryan was so excited writing his name on the invatations that were sent out last week. He invited 2 old friends and 2 new friends (from our new neighborhood). Only one of his old friends could come, which was Nick. Nick spent the night as his family is also in the process of moving and they were at our house last night for games.
This year, Ryan wanted a "The Incredibles" birthday party.
Deni went to town making that dream come true. Deni sewed them capes as well as bought them "identity masks". The kids really seemed to love it. Deni even made gift bags for all the kids that came. Ryan has been so excited about the gift bags that Deni made to give to his attendees. He even made me promise not to tell any of his friends what was in them. Since they have been given out, I think it is ok to say now. The had candy, a slinky, a ball, and a toy bug. This picture is of Austin, Ryan, Braden and Nick.
Deni made an Incredibles birthday cake too. Not a bad looking cake if you ask me. Can't wait to see what they look like when Ryan is 14, we might have to start a bakery.
Over all, Ryan had a great birthday party. The kids had fun and I think Deni did too.
Click here, to see the rest of Ryan's Birthday Pics.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Ever feel like this?
Today was a hard day to be at work. At noon, I wanted to leave and go fishing. But ended up staying at work till 3:30pm. Tonight we had some friends from our old neighborhood come over. We played games while the kids played in the playroom. It was fun.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
"Smell my armpit"
Read an interesting article about Start on your first $1 million at age 16 - Well worth the read at MSN Money web site , espically those that have kids.
So our new house was wired for Surround Sound. Guess the guy didn't want to take his speakers, so he left the 5 speakers and a subwoofer. Problem is, I need a receiver. So I borrowed one from a co-worker. It is fun to make the floor shake. Up till today, I had just listened to some old music of mine with the new surround sound speakers. However today I decided to watch Star Wars IV with the kids, since Deni was gone to Enrichment this evening. Kids seemed to like it. I had to call Chewbaca a monkey to keep Sydney in the room a few times.
While we were watching Star Wars. Ryan looks at me and says "Smell my armpit", so without hesitation, I smelled his armpit. I said, "Hmmm, smells good." Ryan said, "I put on Deodorant." Must have found mine today and put it on.
So our new house was wired for Surround Sound. Guess the guy didn't want to take his speakers, so he left the 5 speakers and a subwoofer. Problem is, I need a receiver. So I borrowed one from a co-worker. It is fun to make the floor shake. Up till today, I had just listened to some old music of mine with the new surround sound speakers. However today I decided to watch Star Wars IV with the kids, since Deni was gone to Enrichment this evening. Kids seemed to like it. I had to call Chewbaca a monkey to keep Sydney in the room a few times.
While we were watching Star Wars. Ryan looks at me and says "Smell my armpit", so without hesitation, I smelled his armpit. I said, "Hmmm, smells good." Ryan said, "I put on Deodorant." Must have found mine today and put it on.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Joys of having kids
This is a conversation I had with Deni today during work:
Tonight we went to the Park. Ryan met a little girl there and she asked where his dad was. Ryan's reply was - "He's right there and he's 50." I immediately corrected him and told him I was 21.
Deni says:
It's my lucky day - I can get a $1500 gift card for K Mart
Brett says:
sweet
Deni says:
All I have to do is give all of my information, plus a small fee and it's mine
Brett says:
do it, awesome, do they want a 2 yr old too....
Deni says:
Ahh, if they would've wanted her a little earlier before her nap - she would have been THEIRS!
Brett says:
ha
Deni says:
I lost her today. Couldn't find her anywhere. Finally decided to look in the cold storage and what do ya know, she was there - biting open unfrozen popsicles. Ahh, the juices were all over the carpet and everything
Deni says:
She has also learned that she can get eggs out of the refrigerator and one small - OOPS and they crack all over the floor
Deni says:
oh, and what else, she managed to take all of the spools of thread off of my serger and tangle them, then put them back on their holders
Deni says:
I need a tether and chain
Deni says:
I will be grey before my time with Sydney
Brett says:
the joys of having kids... right?
Tonight we went to the Park. Ryan met a little girl there and she asked where his dad was. Ryan's reply was - "He's right there and he's 50." I immediately corrected him and told him I was 21.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Severe Weather in Spanish Fork
Tonight about 6:30PM a terrible rain/hail/wind storm hit Spanish Fork. The hail was almost dime size. The streets immediately filled, even though it only rained/hailed for about 15 minutes. It was gone as fast as it came.
Monday, August 15, 2005
First day back at work after 7 days off
Learned a new word/phrase today. Mea culpa
Work was work. Had about 130 emails to catch up on for being gone for the last 7 business days, with moving and going on the Uinta trip, it has been a while since I have seen my office.
I returned Ryan's birthday gift (the fishing pole) as the tip was broken. Wal-wart returned it and I got a different pole. It was a little bigger than I had wanted but I wanted to have it so we could go fishing this week.
Ryan and I did the dishes tonight after dinner. It was the first time that he stood by me and helped me wash dishes. Maybe it is because he is tall enough now.
I brought another load of things from Mom and Dad's house to our house. We almost have all our stuff xfered to our house. I got Ryan's sandbox turtle, his digger toy, his computer and other misc stuff.
I guess we are having friends from our old ward over on Friday evening for games.
We found out who will be Ryan's Kindergarten teacher will be. He will have morning Kindergarten too. He offically starts on Aug 31st, but has testing before that.
The expression "mea culpa" has acquired a more direct meaning, in which, by doing or performing a "mea culpa", someone admits to have made a mistake by one's own fault (meaning that it could have been avoided if that person had been more diligent). It may be used even in trivial situations: if a football player, for instance, admits that his team lost a match because he missed a penalty kick, this may be called a "mea culpa", meaning that he admited his mistake, which he could have avoided (at least in theory), and that resulted in a subsequent evil.
Work was work. Had about 130 emails to catch up on for being gone for the last 7 business days, with moving and going on the Uinta trip, it has been a while since I have seen my office.
I returned Ryan's birthday gift (the fishing pole) as the tip was broken. Wal-wart returned it and I got a different pole. It was a little bigger than I had wanted but I wanted to have it so we could go fishing this week.
Ryan and I did the dishes tonight after dinner. It was the first time that he stood by me and helped me wash dishes. Maybe it is because he is tall enough now.
I brought another load of things from Mom and Dad's house to our house. We almost have all our stuff xfered to our house. I got Ryan's sandbox turtle, his digger toy, his computer and other misc stuff.
I guess we are having friends from our old ward over on Friday evening for games.
We found out who will be Ryan's Kindergarten teacher will be. He will have morning Kindergarten too. He offically starts on Aug 31st, but has testing before that.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Happy 5th Birthday Ryan
It is amazing that I have a 5 yr old. Lots of things have happened in Ryan's five years, lots more than most have in a lifetime. Ryan is a very special child to me. He has overcome much more than a 5 yr old should have to. Here are a few thoughts about Ryan.
I can remember when Ryan was born wondering if I would be a good father and if I could provide everything that he needed. I remember changing his diaper and being so scared that I would hurt him. They are so tiny when they come out. Luckily, he has a great mom and she filled in where I fell short.
Ryan appeared to be a cranky baby, however being new parents, we didn't know any different. Knowing what we know now, he was trying to tell us something. At 3 months of age, Ryan developed very large sores in his mouth and throat. Deni took him to the Dr, the Dr gave some medicine and when the medicine didn't work, Deni took him back the next week. This went on for about 6 weeks and finally the Dr decided to do a blood test, as he was stumped. Despite Ryan's sores/etc he was thriving and gaining weight. When the results were in, the Dr called to have us come in again, as the results were not normal. We eventually were referred to a specialist in SLC, UT. This Dr. did the same tests and told us that Ryan had a disease called SCIDS, or Severe Combined Immunodeficiency. To be honest, we didn't care what it was called, we just wanted the medicine that fixed it so we could be on our way. We didn't quite understand. The Dr. told us that Ryan needed a Bone Marrow Transplant, again, we thought "Great, we will get him a transplant and then take him home." Little did we know, what it took to find a donor and then get a transplant. Once we knew what he had, we isolated Ryan and didn't allow anyone to be around him, other than Deni and my parents (for babysitting).
After waiting for the Dr's to find a donor (we waited about 2 months) we got a call one day stating that Deni was going to be the donor and that we could travel to Los Angeles, CA or Durham, NC. We choose LA, since it was closer. As we drove to the Hospital, we were quite uneasy. The route we took to the hospital was quite scary, even during the middle of the day.
Once in LA, we put Ryan in his room, where he stayed for 3 months straight. Night and day. Of course, we had to wear complete protective gear, including gloves, gowns, and masks when we entered his room, and we were unable to sleep in his room. For 3 months, we never were able to feel the touch of his skin. It is amazing how different it is to wear gloves, gowns and masks and touch your child vs touching with out those on. During this time, Ryan endured about 2 weeks of Chemo and finally a bone marrow transplant from his loving mother.
Deni gave about 36 oz of Bone Marrow. After giving the marrow, late that night, I remember the Dr's coming in and telling us that it appeared that her marrow was not going to be enough and that most likely I would have to go through the same procedure to donate my marrow the following day. Since Ryan had been given chemo, he had a very small window of opportunity to receive a BMT. That night, with Deni laying in her bed in pain, I knelt beside her bed and she offered a prayer that a miracle might happen and that our son would be cured and that the marrow would be sufficient. A few hours later, the Dr came back in to tell us that there would be plenty of marrow to give Ryan.
Deni was in so much pain from giving her marrow, she was only able to be wheeled into the front of Ryan's room for a few minutes while he was actually being infused with the mighty bone marrow cells that would cure him. A few months of recovery in the hospital and we were able to bring Ryan home.
Ryan was still in isolation for about a year to a year and a half. During this time, Ryan received monthly IV's to boost his immune system (b-cells). Going to SLC was probably the only time he left the house. My poor little child had to be poked each month, however we knew it was to help him, however it was still hard when we held him while the nurses and Dr's poked his little arm each month. During this isolation time, his only interaction with others, outside of Deni and I and my parents was through a sliding glass window. Friends and family would come and see him through the window. He was always happy to see someone on the otherside of the glass.
After Ryan's 2nd Birthday, he was given a clean bill of health and could be around others, including kids his age. He wasn't sure what to do. For the first 2 years of his life, he always had a glass window between him and any one else his size.
Ryan has a tender heart. He is a also a very loving child. He loves his Mom and sister (and Dad when Mom's not around). Ryan has grown from a small baby without an immune system, to an great 5 yr old that has no fears. Ryan also loves the word "actually" and uses it quite frequently in conversation.
Last year Ryan attended Pre-school and loved it. He learned his letters and how to count to 100 and in just a few weeks, he will be starting kindergarten.
I am truly blessed to have Ryan as my son. Over the years he has become my lawn mowing buddy, bike riding buddy, and even my canoe and fishing buddy now. I hope that I can continue to be a good father to Ryan and that we will remain close throughout his life. He is a wonderful child and I love him.
Happy 5th Birthday Ryan.
I can remember when Ryan was born wondering if I would be a good father and if I could provide everything that he needed. I remember changing his diaper and being so scared that I would hurt him. They are so tiny when they come out. Luckily, he has a great mom and she filled in where I fell short.
Ryan appeared to be a cranky baby, however being new parents, we didn't know any different. Knowing what we know now, he was trying to tell us something. At 3 months of age, Ryan developed very large sores in his mouth and throat. Deni took him to the Dr, the Dr gave some medicine and when the medicine didn't work, Deni took him back the next week. This went on for about 6 weeks and finally the Dr decided to do a blood test, as he was stumped. Despite Ryan's sores/etc he was thriving and gaining weight. When the results were in, the Dr called to have us come in again, as the results were not normal. We eventually were referred to a specialist in SLC, UT. This Dr. did the same tests and told us that Ryan had a disease called SCIDS, or Severe Combined Immunodeficiency. To be honest, we didn't care what it was called, we just wanted the medicine that fixed it so we could be on our way. We didn't quite understand. The Dr. told us that Ryan needed a Bone Marrow Transplant, again, we thought "Great, we will get him a transplant and then take him home." Little did we know, what it took to find a donor and then get a transplant. Once we knew what he had, we isolated Ryan and didn't allow anyone to be around him, other than Deni and my parents (for babysitting).
After waiting for the Dr's to find a donor (we waited about 2 months) we got a call one day stating that Deni was going to be the donor and that we could travel to Los Angeles, CA or Durham, NC. We choose LA, since it was closer. As we drove to the Hospital, we were quite uneasy. The route we took to the hospital was quite scary, even during the middle of the day.
Once in LA, we put Ryan in his room, where he stayed for 3 months straight. Night and day. Of course, we had to wear complete protective gear, including gloves, gowns, and masks when we entered his room, and we were unable to sleep in his room. For 3 months, we never were able to feel the touch of his skin. It is amazing how different it is to wear gloves, gowns and masks and touch your child vs touching with out those on. During this time, Ryan endured about 2 weeks of Chemo and finally a bone marrow transplant from his loving mother.
Deni gave about 36 oz of Bone Marrow. After giving the marrow, late that night, I remember the Dr's coming in and telling us that it appeared that her marrow was not going to be enough and that most likely I would have to go through the same procedure to donate my marrow the following day. Since Ryan had been given chemo, he had a very small window of opportunity to receive a BMT. That night, with Deni laying in her bed in pain, I knelt beside her bed and she offered a prayer that a miracle might happen and that our son would be cured and that the marrow would be sufficient. A few hours later, the Dr came back in to tell us that there would be plenty of marrow to give Ryan.
Deni was in so much pain from giving her marrow, she was only able to be wheeled into the front of Ryan's room for a few minutes while he was actually being infused with the mighty bone marrow cells that would cure him. A few months of recovery in the hospital and we were able to bring Ryan home.
Ryan was still in isolation for about a year to a year and a half. During this time, Ryan received monthly IV's to boost his immune system (b-cells). Going to SLC was probably the only time he left the house. My poor little child had to be poked each month, however we knew it was to help him, however it was still hard when we held him while the nurses and Dr's poked his little arm each month. During this isolation time, his only interaction with others, outside of Deni and I and my parents was through a sliding glass window. Friends and family would come and see him through the window. He was always happy to see someone on the otherside of the glass.
After Ryan's 2nd Birthday, he was given a clean bill of health and could be around others, including kids his age. He wasn't sure what to do. For the first 2 years of his life, he always had a glass window between him and any one else his size.
Ryan has a tender heart. He is a also a very loving child. He loves his Mom and sister (and Dad when Mom's not around). Ryan has grown from a small baby without an immune system, to an great 5 yr old that has no fears. Ryan also loves the word "actually" and uses it quite frequently in conversation.
Last year Ryan attended Pre-school and loved it. He learned his letters and how to count to 100 and in just a few weeks, he will be starting kindergarten.
I am truly blessed to have Ryan as my son. Over the years he has become my lawn mowing buddy, bike riding buddy, and even my canoe and fishing buddy now. I hope that I can continue to be a good father to Ryan and that we will remain close throughout his life. He is a wonderful child and I love him.
Happy 5th Birthday Ryan.
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Home at last....
It is nice to be at home with my family, as well as take a bath and sleep in a real bed. It had been 5 nights of sleeping in a tent without a single shower. I am so glad I am home. I think the kids missed me a little bit too.
We celebrated Ryan's birthday today, even though it is tomorrow. It was easier to celebrate it on a Saturday than a Sunday.Ryan wanted his presents, so we wrapped them and gave them to him. He got a new shirt and a car transformer. 
He appeared to love both of them.Grandma and Grandpa Berger gave him some money, which we bought Ryan his "very own tackle box (Spongebob) and fishing pole." Ryan went with me to run some errands, one of which was to buy him the fishing pole. Anyway, we were at the mall and I gave him a penny to throw into the wishing pond. I told him to make a wish, then throw the penny into the pond and he might have his wish come true. He thought about it for a second and said, "hmmm, A bannana?" I looked at him and said "You want to wish for a bananna?, no why don't you wish for something else." Of course, his next wish was for an apple. He must have been hungry. I told him an apple wasn't a good choice either, but he should wish for something he really wanted. Finally he said, "Ohhhh, a fishing pole." then threw in his penny. Funny kid.
Grandma and Grandpa Bigler came last week and gave Ryan his birthday present - 2 teenage mutant ninja turtles. It is funny that I played with both Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Uinta Trip - Day 2
We slept at Rasmussen Lake last night. I woke up late, about 8am (when the sun hit my tent). I got up and immediately went fishing. Jake, Chad, Jordan and myself walked up around the upper lake to where a stream came into the lake. Chad and Mark were fishing the inlet, but left right as I got there. I switched to my spinning rod and used a Jake's Lure On my second cast, I caught a nice 12 inch trout. I decided to keep it and eat it for breakfast. After a few more casts, I had another on my line, but I didn't set the hook good enough and it got away about 10 feet from the shore. It was just like the one I had. I fished for a few more minutes while I waited for my fish to die, then I cleaned it and headed back to camp.
When I got to camp, the fire was out and tried to start another one. Finally after 30 minutes, I got it started. Up in the Uintas it rains almost every day, so not only was all the wood wet from rain, but it was a very moist from the dewy morning. I cooked and ate my fish, instead of the oatmeal I had brought. (Fish is way better than oatmeal, anyday.) After breakfast, we packed up and left around 11:20am for Queant Lake. We bush wacked for about an hour. We even had to build a bridge across a stream that was about 8-10 feet wide. Shortly after crossing the bridge across the stream, we found the real trail. After getting on the real trail, we hiked for about 45 minutes till the weather turned bad. We all stopped to put on our rain gear, 5 minutes later, it was hailing and lightening/thundering. We immediately got off the trail and headed up in the trees for cover. The hail was about twice the size of a pea and was beginning to hurt, even up in the trees, we weren't that protected, but it did help some. Jake couldn't find his rain gear, so I took my poncho off and we both huddled under it for about 30-45 minutes while it hailed. After the storm blew through, there was at least an inch of hail on the whole valley.
As soon as the storm left up, we headed on our way to Queant Lake looking for the rest of our crew (we lost 3 of them during the storm). We finally got them on our radio. They had stopped for a few minutes, but had pushed through the storm in and attempt to get to Queant. While we were up in the trees, the a few of the lightening struck right above us. Usually you can count the time between when you see lightening and heard the thunder, in this case, they were simultaneous. It was pretty scary for a few minutes, as Jake had a relative die up in the Uinta's from a lightening strike, as did a Boy Scout last week.
After we got to Queant Lake, we immediately started fires, as we were all soaked and freezing. When the storm came in, the temperature dropped a good 20 degrees, plus we were all wet from the rain/hail. I was wearing a short sleeved shirt that was pretty much soaked. Getting the fire started was hard as the rain had just passed through, plus all the other rain it had gotten, every other day. The rain let up and we got 2 fires going. Something about having a fire going when you are freezing and wet that just makes you feel good.
Next we got camp set up and around 4:30pm, I ate lunch. Then Jake and I went fly fishing on the stream leaving Queant Lake. I caught 2 fish, while Jake caught about 15. We stopped fishing when it got too dark to see our flys and went back to camp. We sat by the fires till about 11pm, then finally went to bed.
When I got to camp, the fire was out and tried to start another one. Finally after 30 minutes, I got it started. Up in the Uintas it rains almost every day, so not only was all the wood wet from rain, but it was a very moist from the dewy morning. I cooked and ate my fish, instead of the oatmeal I had brought. (Fish is way better than oatmeal, anyday.) After breakfast, we packed up and left around 11:20am for Queant Lake. We bush wacked for about an hour. We even had to build a bridge across a stream that was about 8-10 feet wide. Shortly after crossing the bridge across the stream, we found the real trail. After getting on the real trail, we hiked for about 45 minutes till the weather turned bad. We all stopped to put on our rain gear, 5 minutes later, it was hailing and lightening/thundering. We immediately got off the trail and headed up in the trees for cover. The hail was about twice the size of a pea and was beginning to hurt, even up in the trees, we weren't that protected, but it did help some. Jake couldn't find his rain gear, so I took my poncho off and we both huddled under it for about 30-45 minutes while it hailed. After the storm blew through, there was at least an inch of hail on the whole valley.
As soon as the storm left up, we headed on our way to Queant Lake looking for the rest of our crew (we lost 3 of them during the storm). We finally got them on our radio. They had stopped for a few minutes, but had pushed through the storm in and attempt to get to Queant. While we were up in the trees, the a few of the lightening struck right above us. Usually you can count the time between when you see lightening and heard the thunder, in this case, they were simultaneous. It was pretty scary for a few minutes, as Jake had a relative die up in the Uinta's from a lightening strike, as did a Boy Scout last week.
After we got to Queant Lake, we immediately started fires, as we were all soaked and freezing. When the storm came in, the temperature dropped a good 20 degrees, plus we were all wet from the rain/hail. I was wearing a short sleeved shirt that was pretty much soaked. Getting the fire started was hard as the rain had just passed through, plus all the other rain it had gotten, every other day. The rain let up and we got 2 fires going. Something about having a fire going when you are freezing and wet that just makes you feel good.
Next we got camp set up and around 4:30pm, I ate lunch. Then Jake and I went fly fishing on the stream leaving Queant Lake. I caught 2 fish, while Jake caught about 15. We stopped fishing when it got too dark to see our flys and went back to camp. We sat by the fires till about 11pm, then finally went to bed.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Uinta Trip - Day 1
We left for the Uinta trip, which is in the Ashley National Forest. There is a total of 9 people on this trip. Jake Woodland, Chad Wright, Cary Hylton, Mark Middlebrook, Jordan Middlebrook, Johnathan Gay, Drew Daybell, James Hylton and myself. Left Springville around 7am and got to our starting point around noon.
We ate lunch while the cars were being shuttled to our ending point, Chepta Lake. Our starting point was the road to Rasmussen Lakes. The hike was pretty steep. About 650 Ft in about 2.5 miles, which took us about 2 hrs to complete. We got to Rasmussen Lake but took the wrong way, so we ended up walking completely around the lake. Once we got to our site, we got fire going, then went fishing. I decided to put on a mosquito Fly on my fly rod and to fish the stream coming out of the lake. I caught the first fish out of our group. It was only an 8 inch trout, but was fun to catch it on the fly rod.
Dinner was a tin foil dinner, it was good. I brought a heavy frozen tin foil dinner, as I knew that was going to be the only really good food I had the whole week. After dinner, I went fishing again and caught a larger 2nd fish, that was about 12 inches, which I released. After fishing we sat around and talked while the kids played in the fire. It is amazing how many more stars you can see when you are away from the city. Tomorrow we have another 2-3 miles.
We ate lunch while the cars were being shuttled to our ending point, Chepta Lake. Our starting point was the road to Rasmussen Lakes. The hike was pretty steep. About 650 Ft in about 2.5 miles, which took us about 2 hrs to complete. We got to Rasmussen Lake but took the wrong way, so we ended up walking completely around the lake. Once we got to our site, we got fire going, then went fishing. I decided to put on a mosquito Fly on my fly rod and to fish the stream coming out of the lake. I caught the first fish out of our group. It was only an 8 inch trout, but was fun to catch it on the fly rod.
Dinner was a tin foil dinner, it was good. I brought a heavy frozen tin foil dinner, as I knew that was going to be the only really good food I had the whole week. After dinner, I went fishing again and caught a larger 2nd fish, that was about 12 inches, which I released. After fishing we sat around and talked while the kids played in the fire. It is amazing how many more stars you can see when you are away from the city. Tomorrow we have another 2-3 miles.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Leaving tomorrow......
We got our new kitchen table today. Deni's parents drove all the way from AZ to bring it up to us. Thanks Donna and Keith! Over the 4th of July weekend, while we were in AZ, we saw this table and really wanted it. As you can see, we ended up with it. We like it because it is different and beautiful. Right now, we have the leaf folded in, so it extends even bigger. We got 6 chairs along with this, so we will put 2 by the bar and have 4 for the table.
I got packed for my week long trip to the Uintas. I don't have a scale so I don't know how much my pack weighs, but I think it is over 50 lbs. I don't have any water in my pack, but bought a Katadyn Hiker Pro water filter, so I will pump as I go to cut down on weight.
Tonight I put the kids to bed. I asked Ryan to be "the dad" while I was gone. He said "ok, I will watch Sydney and Mom...."
I guess I will be coming back on Friday night, instead of Saturday. It will be hard to be away from the kids and Deni for so long. But I know Ryan will be a good "dad" while I'm away. Plus Deni's parents are here till Wed. Ryan's birthday is Sunday and I really wanted to do something on Saturday anyways, so it will work out great.
Saturday, August 06, 2005
My first fish on a fly rod
Today was an odd day for me. I lost my wallet (had a good amount of cash in it) I had my debit card and Discover card for some reason, so I started out in the morning with Ryan to finish up my shopping for my camping trip but came back as some friends showed up to see the house. I didn't get back out till about noon, or so. I went to Mom and Dad's to get the rest of my gear and got stuck there for about 45 minutes as someone parked behind me and I couldn't get out. I then went to Jake Woodland's house to show him my new fly rod and reel and to ask for a few pointers on fly fishing, since that is what I'm going to be doing for the next week. After getting things under control, I mentioned that it was too bad that I was just getting my fly reel and it would have been nice to have done some fly fishing before I went on this trip. Jake's reply was "Walmart is open 24/7, you have plenty of time to finish your shopping before midnight (Sunday), let's go fishing up Hobblecreek Canyon." I called Deni and asked if I could go fishing for a little while, she agreed, so I went. I thought we were going to be up there for an hour max, but that isn't how things went.
We to go fishing around 4pm, drove up the canyon about 4 miles and pulled off the side of the road. Hobblecreek is a little creek at this point, not too much water, but enough. We started walking up stream, fishing as we went. There were places where we had to get out of the stream and walk around because of trees and overgrowth. Anyway, I lost site of Jake and started fishing a little pocket. I cast a few times and as I was about to pull my line back to recast and I felt a pull on my line. Since there were so many trees, I thought I had snagged a tree, but to my surprise, a fish darted up stream with my line following behind. After I realized I had a fish on my line, I began reeling him in. Since fly rods are so long (mine is only 7 feet) it feels alot different. When I got the fish to me, it was a tiny German Brown Trout with beautiful orange spots. I quickly got the hook out and held it in the water till it swam away. My first fish on a fly rod. Not bad for having fly fished for all of about 45 minutes before catching it. After a while, I decided it was getting time to go but I couldn't find Jake. I drove up and down the creek honking my horn and yelling but I didn't find him. I ended up waiting by the car. About 30 minutes later, Jake came walking down the road with a nice 12 inch trout. It was now about 6pm and I knew that I had lots to do still. I took Jake home then went out and bought the rest of the things that I needed for the trip.
I called Deni. She had gone to a ward potluck dinner with the kids, without me. She had asked me earlier in the day if we had planned on going but I dind't think she would go alone. I sure felt dumb. However it sounded like she enjoyed it and met some nice people.
Tomorrow will be interesting for me, I guess we will see how it goes.
We to go fishing around 4pm, drove up the canyon about 4 miles and pulled off the side of the road. Hobblecreek is a little creek at this point, not too much water, but enough. We started walking up stream, fishing as we went. There were places where we had to get out of the stream and walk around because of trees and overgrowth. Anyway, I lost site of Jake and started fishing a little pocket. I cast a few times and as I was about to pull my line back to recast and I felt a pull on my line. Since there were so many trees, I thought I had snagged a tree, but to my surprise, a fish darted up stream with my line following behind. After I realized I had a fish on my line, I began reeling him in. Since fly rods are so long (mine is only 7 feet) it feels alot different. When I got the fish to me, it was a tiny German Brown Trout with beautiful orange spots. I quickly got the hook out and held it in the water till it swam away. My first fish on a fly rod. Not bad for having fly fished for all of about 45 minutes before catching it. After a while, I decided it was getting time to go but I couldn't find Jake. I drove up and down the creek honking my horn and yelling but I didn't find him. I ended up waiting by the car. About 30 minutes later, Jake came walking down the road with a nice 12 inch trout. It was now about 6pm and I knew that I had lots to do still. I took Jake home then went out and bought the rest of the things that I needed for the trip.
I called Deni. She had gone to a ward potluck dinner with the kids, without me. She had asked me earlier in the day if we had planned on going but I dind't think she would go alone. I sure felt dumb. However it sounded like she enjoyed it and met some nice people.
Tomorrow will be interesting for me, I guess we will see how it goes.
Friday, August 05, 2005
Moving ......Part 3
Well we really didn't move anything today. Mainily unpacked things. Most of our things are unpacked, at least enough for us to live.
Nothing too exciting while unpacking. I do have to say that we actually have things up on the walls already. Our last home, it took us (me) about 3 yrs before I tried to put things up on the walls. Deni has done lots today to make this house our home. It is really starting to look good.
Tonight around 4:30pm, a friend and old co-worker, Chris Kline, from Colorado called me to tell me he was in town and wanted to visit. I made a few calls to Kevin and Josh and we all met at Pizza Factory to eat. 32 bucks and some change later, we were full. As Chris said during dinner, "I think the days of going into Wendy's and only spending $8 bucks is over." After eating, we all came back to our house for the grand tour and to visit. It was good getting everyone together, even though we were almost out numbered by kids. I think we end up chasing kids more than talking, bu it was a good time.
Tomorrow is the last day I have to get packed for my Uinta trip, so I will be quite busy.
Nothing too exciting while unpacking. I do have to say that we actually have things up on the walls already. Our last home, it took us (me) about 3 yrs before I tried to put things up on the walls. Deni has done lots today to make this house our home. It is really starting to look good.
Tonight around 4:30pm, a friend and old co-worker, Chris Kline, from Colorado called me to tell me he was in town and wanted to visit. I made a few calls to Kevin and Josh and we all met at Pizza Factory to eat. 32 bucks and some change later, we were full. As Chris said during dinner, "I think the days of going into Wendy's and only spending $8 bucks is over." After eating, we all came back to our house for the grand tour and to visit. It was good getting everyone together, even though we were almost out numbered by kids. I think we end up chasing kids more than talking, bu it was a good time.
Tomorrow is the last day I have to get packed for my Uinta trip, so I will be quite busy.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Moving ..... Part 2
Well other than a few small things, we are moved and I am going to be sore tomorrow. Michael Olsen, dad, Deni and I started about 9am and worked till about 9pm. We got all the big things moved, Washer and Dryer, couches, beds, 95% of our boxes and most of our clothes.
We are sleeping at our new house tonight. Ryan loves his new room and ths house. Yesterday while we were moving, I thought Ryan was with Deni and Deni thought he was with me... when I aksed Deni where he was, we got worried and started running around looking for him. I found him downstairs playing in the playroom. He opened a few boxes of toys we had packed 3 months ago. Just happy as a clam with our new house.
Since not too much is unpacked yet, I thought we might want to sleep at my parents one more night. When we asked Ryan if he wanted to sleep and Grandma and Grandpa Bergers house, he was sad. He has wanted to stay here at the house and not leave. We are happy that Ryan likes it so much.
We are sleeping at our new house tonight. Ryan loves his new room and ths house. Yesterday while we were moving, I thought Ryan was with Deni and Deni thought he was with me... when I aksed Deni where he was, we got worried and started running around looking for him. I found him downstairs playing in the playroom. He opened a few boxes of toys we had packed 3 months ago. Just happy as a clam with our new house.
Since not too much is unpacked yet, I thought we might want to sleep at my parents one more night. When we asked Ryan if he wanted to sleep and Grandma and Grandpa Bergers house, he was sad. He has wanted to stay here at the house and not leave. We are happy that Ryan likes it so much.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Moving.......
I had planned on moving tomorrow and Friday, but I talked to Deni today and she was already taking boxes over.
After dinner, we took another trip over to the house. Just about 5 more trips.....
Ryan asked us tonight if he could change his name to Brian. We asked him why and he said because Sydney hit him in the throat. Not sure if I followed the logic there.
After dinner, we took another trip over to the house. Just about 5 more trips.....
Ryan asked us tonight if he could change his name to Brian. We asked him why and he said because Sydney hit him in the throat. Not sure if I followed the logic there.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Survival Kits
I finished up my "Survival" kit for the Uinta trip tonight with about 15 minutes to spare. (before Young Men's) The kit has things like matches, fishing line and hooks, compass, whistle, etc. Ryan came with me to Young Men's, where we went through our survival kits to make sure the boys had everything they need. After going through our kits we went to Sportsmans Warehouse where I bought the necessary fishing gear I will need for the week. I spent just over $47 on fishing gear. I bought a fly/spinning combo reel, a fly reel, 10 flies (at .99 a piece) and some spinners.
I'm excited to learn to fly fish and even more excited to catch lots of fish up in the Uintas. All I need to do is get my food together and I will be ready to go. I have less than a week, so I'm getting a little nervous, but am excited about the oppurtunity. This trip has cost me a lot, but hopefully I will be able to take Deni on a 2-3day trip next year into the mountains to do the same thing.
I'm excited to learn to fly fish and even more excited to catch lots of fish up in the Uintas. All I need to do is get my food together and I will be ready to go. I have less than a week, so I'm getting a little nervous, but am excited about the oppurtunity. This trip has cost me a lot, but hopefully I will be able to take Deni on a 2-3day trip next year into the mountains to do the same thing.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Grandpa Crowley
My Grandpa Crowley died before my 2nd birthday, but according to the pictures and stories I have seen, he used to draw faces around scraped up knees and cuts. The kids don't have cuts or scrapes, but wanted faces on their tummy. Ryan's - on the top, did it himself. Sydney's is on the bottom, Deni drew the face for her. I'm sure my Grandpa Crowley would be happy at this site.
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