Tis the Season

I was leaving Wal Mart a day or two ago when a homeless man asked me for money. I told him I don't carry cash (which is true). When I got to my car I thought about the season, checked my glove box, found $3.00, and drove to the front of the store to find him. I did not see him at the front of the Wal Mart, but I saw him walking across the parking lot to another store. I drove up beside him and as I rolled down my window I said "Hey I found $3.00 in my glove box, here." As he turned towards me I realized IT WAS SOME OTHER GUY!!! Some other dude in a black jacket and jeans who thought I was out of my mind!!

St. George Marathon

Quite some time ago my good friend Chris Jolley told me about the Utah Runner's Series. You sign up and then commit to run at least two runs in Utah over the course of a year, and if you complete the runs you are automatically entered into the St. George Marathon. Chris and I signed up and completed the Ivan's 10K and the Hurricane Half Marathon earlier this year.

Yesterday was the St. George Marathon. We left Friday at 4:00 p.m. and drove to Utah. Once we got there I checked in and our family enjoyed a spaghetti dinner sponsored by a local restaurant for the runners. We checked into our hotel and I asked for a wake-up call for 3:15 a.m (which is 2:15 a.m. Vegas time). We then all tucked in at 8:30 p.m. Utah time. My daughters fell asleep pretty well, but Tiff wanted to stay up and watch the BYU football game.

The wake up call came and I got dressed and met Chris and his friend Jason to drive to the race. The race had buses shuttle the runners to the starting line. The race starts near Pine Valley and the runners run from there into St. George. At the starting line, which I got to at at 4:30 a.m., there was a DJ playing tunes (Eye of the Tiger and such) to get the runners amped up. There was water, coffee, hot chocolate, and bon fires to keep the runners comfortable in the 39 degree weather before the sun came up.

Once the gun fired Chris and I stayed together for about 7 miles. When we started the climb up the hill after Veyo Chris pulled away from me. I spent the next few miles trying to catch him but I could not see him. As I hit the climb just past "The Ledges" (around mile 15) Chris caught me. Turned out he stopped off the side of the road for a pit stop and I went passed him without knowing. We ran together for a little bit but as the hill continued Chris passed me again.

After "The Ledges" it was mostly downhill into St. George. I hit the city limits with about 4-5 miles left. It was nice because the streets were lined on both sides with spectators cheering everyone on. Lots of kids wanting high 5's, lots of signs cheering the runners on, and everyone yelling words of congratulations and encouragement.

The last three miles were extremely difficult, but I was able to gut it out and finish in 4:13:58 officially. After the run there was a misting shower for those who just finished, then I got my finisher's medal, which is made of what looks like shellacked sandstone.

All in all it was a great experience. Despite the pain in my legs I can't wait to get up tomorrow morning and register for the Runner's Series for 2010.

Making out!

This week in seminary we covered 1 Nephi 16, which includes the story of Nephi breaking his bow. So we get to 1 Nephi 23 and one of my students reads "And is came to pass that I, Nephi, did make out of wood a bow". The smartalec stops and says "Oh, Nephi made out!!" I responded that he needed to go back several verses to verse 7 and read what it said. So smarty pants reads verse 7 and says, "Nephi got married." I said "YES! First he got married, and THEN he made out!!" I told them "There's a lesson to be learned there. Don't get those mixed up!!"

So at this point one of my other students asks "Brother Sampson, do you make out?" I responded "All the time dude." The kid FREAKED. He said "Oh no, no way." I then asked, "haven't you SEEN Sister Sampson?" All my students then erupted with sounds of utter disgust. One of them said "Ah MAN, come on, I didn't think old people made out." I told him I did not think I was old. One of the other students said "he's not old, he's middle aged." I told them I didn't think I was middle aged either. As the groans continued I told them "Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answers to."

When they did not quiet down I told them "No, Sister Sampson and I stay up late every night studying the Book of Mormon, and THAT's how we got four kids!" They all lost it. I had kids covering their ears and yelling "la la la la, I can't hear you". Others put their heads on the desk and covered their heads with their arms and started groaning. One kid had a blanket with him (it's cold in our classroom) that he put over his head and then put his hands on the outside of the blanket to cover his ears.

I did finally manage to settle things down and get the lesson concluded. After everyone left Brother Bunker came by my room (he walks the halls and makes sure the students get to class) and asked me how the lesson was. When I told him it was great he responded "it sounded like some of them were in pain there for a while."

So far seminary has been a joy. My students for the most part are learning quite a bit and having fun in the process. We start Isaiah and Second Nephi this week which I have not been looking forward to. Stay tuned!

Seminary

Just a quick note. On Tuesday I was called to be a seminary teacher for Bonanza High School. In Las Vegas the kids go to early morning seminary from 5:50 to 6:40 a.m. each day, and a teacher is called for each class. I have been thinking about how this calling will impact my life, my law practice, my St. George marathon training schedule, and most importantly, my family. After praying and pondering for the last two days I have come to a realization:

Life is a buffet of blessings. Like any other buffet, if you want to get the most out of it you can't be afraid to put a lot on your plate!

Scary moments can teach the most valuable of lessons.

Last Thursday my wife asked me take our new puppy to the groomer for her first trim. The groomer is right next to my office so it makes it easy for me to take the dog in when I go to work in the morning, and Tiff can pick her up in the late morning or early afternoon.

As I was getting ready to go to work Thursday my daughters were telling our dog how much fun it is at dad's work. My daughters often ask to accompany me to work and as long as I don't have a hearing or depostion I love to have them come with me. As my daughters were telling our dog how much fun she was going to have one of my girls got the idea that it would be even more fun if they came along as well. Unfortunately my older two girls had swim practice so they could not come. My younger two however were able to accompany me. The plan was to drop the dog at the groomers then take the girls to my office, and have Tiff come get my girls and the dog at around 11:00.

The morning was fun. My daughters drew on the dry erase board in my office, and played "lawyer" on the telephone. They also enjoy scavenging the office for paper clips, and making braclets out of what they found.

At about 10:45 I went over to my legal assistant's desk to review a document with her. I could not have been gone more than a few minutes. As I came back into my office my youngest was standing in the doorway crying softly. I thought she had pinched her finger in a door the way she was acting, but as I took her into my office my second youngest pointed to the wall and this is what I saw:



Turns out my youngest had stuck a paper clip in the wall socket. At our home we have covers over all the plugs, and apparently or discussions about the dangers of the wall sockets had not sunk in with my four year old. Through nothing short of the grace of our Lord my youngest had only singed the tip of the index finger on her left hand, and the tip of her right thumb. After getting her hands in cold water I took a look at the socket and saw that the paper clip was sticking out of the socket and that a portion of the paper clip had welded to the screw that was holding the plate cover to the wall. Clearly the damage could have been much more severe.

The experience reminded me of times in my life where those close to me have had experiences that could have caused them to suffer death or a very serious injury. It also reminded me that incidences like this are only the circumstances I know about, and that the Lord's hand protects us from such harm far more often than we will ever know. It also reminded me that every day I have with the ones I love is a gift from God. An experience with my second oldest several years ago helped me to understand that every day with her was a bonus as she could have been taken from me at that time if it had been the Lord's will. My experience Thursday helped me to again realize how temporary our lives really are. Every morning we wake up, every meal we enjoy, every second spent with our children, are gifts from a loving Creator. How anyone could ever waste an opportunity to enjoy their gifts is beyond me.

I clearly have many other lessons to learn from my expereicence (be more careful when you are supposed to be watching your children is a BIG one) and I hope the wisdom to be gained from this experience does not escape me, but for now I will make it a top priority to make sure I never squander any of the precious, and LIMITED, opportunities I have to spend time with the ones I love.

What a wonderful weekend.

Tiffany had to go on a Girls' Camp pre-hike this weekend so I had my angels all to myself. Things got started on Friday morning when I took my girls with me to work. They always enjoy seeing the courthouse. The marshals and other employees, including the judges, always treat them like royalty.

When my work day ended I told my girls they had been WONDERFUL all day and had earned dinner wherever they wanted. Their choice . . . McDonald's!! I stayed true to my word and it was McDonald's take-out for 5.

After we got home and had dinner I asked my girls where they wanted to sleep. They often like to swap rooms, or sleep all together on the floor in one of their rooms, or even in the living room. Their choice . . . the trampoline!! It was remarkably cold and I thought they would not last, so I put a pile of blankets, sleeping bags, and pillows on the trampoline and set up my laptop so they could watch Kung Fu Panda. As they tucked in I served them popcorn and made sure they were comfortable. I would have bet the house they would have come in before the movie ended complaining it was too cold. Instead the younger two fell asleep before the movie ended, and the older two came in when the movie was over and asked me to join them for the sleepover. This was what it looked like with the seven of us (me, my four girls, and our two dogs) on the trampoline.



The trampoline was, surprisingly, very comfortable. I slept soundly and woke up at 5:00 a.m. when the sun came up. Unfortunately the rising sun woke my daughters up as well and none of them went back to sleep. I made them hot chocolate and we started our day. We had breakfast, got the house straightened up, and my girls played in the backyard while I took care of our pool and did some yard work.

In the late morning I went for a run. I took my four-year-old in the stroller. About a half mile in she asked to get out and run with me. It was a neat experience to run through the park with my little girl by my side. She got in and out of the stroller several times throughout the first part of the run. She logged at least 3/4 of a mile total. The second time she got out of the stroller she she asked that I hold her hand while we run. So there I was in the park, pushing the stroller with one hand, holding my angel's hand with my other hand, jogging along. It may well have been one of my favourite runs of all time. After the first few miles my daughter climbed into the stroller, turned on to her side and fell asleep. She slept for at least three miles, which I was thankful for given she woke up with the sun.

After my run I played outside with my girls and our dogs. I made chicken fajitas for lunch while we waited for Tiff to get back. Tiff got home around 3:00 and we all went swimming. It is now 8:00 and everyone, including Tiff, has fallen asleep. The house is silent and I am more relaxed than I remember being in quite a while. I absolutely live for weekends like this!!

New Addition

Tiffany and I have always wanted a large dog. Tiff will not have one that sheds so it has made it very difficult to select one. She was looking at the Portuguese Water dogs, but after Obama brought one to the White House demand has shot through the roof and Tiffany does not want to have the same dog that everyone else has.

Over the last few months she narrowed the field down to another breed. She had told me about it but I didn't pay attention (I forget to do that every now and then).

Last night I had our daughters out looking for Mother's Day cards and flowers. The pet store on the strip mall had a sign that said a "big sale" so we stopped in for a look. They had a Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier that intrigued me. I asked the sales rep if the dog shed and he said "no, they have hair and not fur." I then told him we were looking for a larger dog that would not shed, and that would make a good running partner. He said that the Terrier was perfect for what I had described.

We then went home and the girls told Tiff they found a dog they wanted. As my girls said "we found a Soft, no wait, yea, a Soft Coat, no a Wet, no . . ." Tiff interrupted and said "You found a Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier!!??" They said yes and Tiff told us that was exactly the dog she wanted, but that they are very hard to find.

Our daughters begged us to go back to the store to buy it, and we told them if the dog was meant to be a part of our family it would still be there on Monday. They were pretty upset, but made it to sleep eventually. After they went to sleep Tiff went to the store to check the dog out. Long story short(er than it could have been), we brought the dog home, our girls awoke this morning to the wonderful surprise of a new addition to our family, and Tiffany loves her Mother's Day present.

Dragons and Little Girls

Thursday night I had a dream that a dragon lived on the outskirts of our town. My seven-year-old came to me and told me "Daddy, I am going to go slay the dragon!" I said "ok, have fun". My dream then switched to a scene where people were telling the dragon that my seven-year-old daughter was coming to slay him and the dragon said (yes, a talking dragon in my dream) "well when she comes I will burn her to a crisp." My dream then jumped to my daughter walking up the the dragon to slay him. The dragon stood up to his full 20 feet height and took in a deep breath. My daughter screamed and turned to run away. The dragon breathed out a huge ball of fire and burned my daughter up on the spot.

I woke up in a cold sweat with my heart racing. I jumped out of bed and went into my seven-year-old's room to make sure she was ok. She was sleeping peacefully. I kissed her on the cheek and whispered "I love you" in her ear and then I went back to bed.

As I lay in bed I could not stop thinking about the dream I had just had. The thought finally came to me that perhaps the dream had some meaning. As I thought about that I believe the answer finally came to me.

In the morning I sat my girls down over breakfast and told them about my dream. I then asked them if I was a good father in the dream. They said no. I asked why not and they said my little girl wanted to do something that I knew she should not do, and that had a high likelihood of hurting her, and even though I knew what she wanted to do was very bad for her, I said go ahead and do whatever you want. I asked my girls "Well, I wanted to be a cool dad, I wanted to let her do what she wanted, isn't that good?" My girls said it was not good and that as the dad I had to make sure she did not do things that I knew were bad for her. I jumped for joy!!! I told them that was exactly right and that as the dad (or parent) if I saw that my children wanted to do something that I knew they should not do I have the responsibility to stop them. They all AGREED!!!

I then asked them what kind of "dragons" they may face as they grow up. My nine-year-old said rip tides in the ocean and when we tell her to not swim out so far she needs to listen. I told her that was a good example, and that other examples include friends they may want to have, movies they may want to see, parties they may want to go to, and those types of things. I told them that when they get older and want to do these things that some of them might not be good for them. I told them their mother and I have lived a longer life and have gained experience and wisdom about right and wrong. Tiffany added that we are blessed with the Spirit of our Father in Heaven to direct us as to what our children should and should not do. I added that because we have wisdom and experience we have a duty to make sure our children do not do things that we know are bad for them, and that when we say they cannot hang out with a certain friend, or group, or see a certain movie, or go to a certain party it is because we are protecting them from going after dragons. They all seemed to understand and even commented that they would not ever want me to let them do something if I thought they should not do it.

Seizing on this very rare opportunity, and given the attitudes my girls had at the moment, I asked them who they think knows more about what is right and wrong, and good and bad for them, them or their mother and I. They all said their mother and I knew more about right and wrong and good and bad than they did. I told them that was true, but that as they grew into teenagers they would not believe it. I told them that if we had a sign on the walls of our home that said "Parents know more than their children about what their children should and should not do" and if we read it very morning together as a family, they would happily agree today that it is true, but that when they turned 13 years old they would look at it and say "bologna!!" My girls said "no way dad!" It then dawned on me that I should have been video taping this entire conversation.

I told my girls that from age 13-20 children stop thinking that their parents know what is best. Just like babies get older and grow teeth, some babies get older and grow hair, children become teenagers and their brains stop working and they forget that their parents know what is best. I told them that when those days come they need to remember the story of the dragon and remember that parents do not do a good job when they just let their children do whatever they want.

My nine-year-old then said she would never think that way, and I jokingly told her I should have her sign a contract. She said that was fine with her and she went and got a piece pf paper and wrote the following:

"CONTRACT FOREVER (Until I'm 3,050,000,000,000)
I, by the City of Las Vegas and the State of Nevada, I declare that ...
Parents are smarter than children and when they say no we the kids go with that! And that is that!"
She then signed her name to the bottom and asked Tiffany and I to sign it with her.

My oldest then drew up her own contract that said:

"My parents know more and I will listen to them always. I know that when I am a teenager I will want to do things with my friends and my parents will say that it is not a good idea. My parents have lived a longer life and know more. I should listen to them, whenever I ask them to do something. I promise to listen to them and take their advice."

She then printed and signed her name at the bottom.

It is neat to have such great children. It is also wonderful to have a Heavenly Father who leads and directs me (even through dreams at times) as to how to teach my daughters.

Spectrum 10K

I tried to sign up for the St. George Marathon last year and did not get in. If you are not a Washington County resident, there are very few options other than putting in for the lottery which gives you a 50% chance of being selected for entry. One of the options is the Utah Runner's Series, where you have to participate in 2 Utah runs during the year, and if you do then you get automatic entry in the St. George Marathon.

I entered the Runner's Series and the first run I needed to complete was this morning. It was the Spectrum 10K, which was held in Ivan's Utah, which is right outside of St. George. I drove up last night with my second oldest and we stayed in a hotel. Amazingly, this was the artwork on the hotel wall.



My friend Chris Jolly has in-laws who live in St. George. They were gracious enough to watch my daughter while I ran the race. The race directors bussed the participants to the starting line in the canyon. We ran through the canyon, into Ivans, through the neighborhoods of the town, and ended up finishing at the Church on Main Street (how small town is that?). I set a goal for 50 minutes, which would require 8-minute miles for the entire 6.2 miles. Chris' 11-year-old son ran with us. They set a goal of 56 minutes. I crossed the finish line at 47:46, and Chris and his son came in at 53:30. Chris' son (who again is only 11) took 3rd in the 11-14 age division. He could not have been more happy. Everyone was very pleased with the times they turned in. Chris says he is going to enter the Spectrum every year. After today I think I may join him.

Here we are soaking up the glory after the finish.



After the run I went back to the hotel and changed. Then ate at my favourite place in St. George, a little Mongolian BBQ spot. After that I took my daughter to "Fiesta Fun" for a ride on the bumper boats and a round of miniature golf. I think my daughter will drive Tiffany crazy with requests to go there every time we pass through St. George (which is something we do several times a year).

Too Easy

It is so ridiculously easy to forget how blessed our family is. I am making this note more as a journal entry for myself than anything else. Yesterday morning I woke up after a night of about three hours of sleep and left my house headed for court for day three of the trial I have been up to my ears in all week. I was stressed to the hilt about whether the jury was with my client and I or not, and was extremely worried about how I would possibly keep up with the rest of my cases while I was spending 10-14 hours a day on my trial.

Yesterday afternoon my legal assistant called me and told me that she got a call from a defense attorney on a case I have been particularly concerned about (as if there was not enough already on my plate). At the close of yesterday both parties had rested their cases in my trial and we were to start closing arguments at 9:45 this morning. I went home last night and had to compile my Power Point presentation for my closing argument, and also had to finalize the jury instructions and email them to the Judge, all in addition to attending a Court of Honor for my scouts who were getting their advancement badges.

I managed to get everything done by about 9:30 p.m. and then practiced giving my closing argument to the mirror. I went to bed at midninght and did not go to sleep. I don't mean I had a tough time getting to sleep, I mean I did not go to sleep. I lay in bed until about 3:00 a.m. reviewing in my mind what had gone on throughout the trial, and considering what I would do and how my closing argument would go. At 3:00 a.m. the other case my assisstant had called me about entered by brain and I found myself stressing about that as well. I finally told myself I was going to lay there with my eyes closed until the alarm clock went off. I have heard that if you cannot sleep, laying still with your eyes closed gives you 80% of the benefit of actual sleep. I don't know if that is true or not, but it got me through the night.

When the alarm went off I got up, got dressed, kissed my girls (all 5 of them) and headed to the courthouse. On the way I called the attorney in that other case and dreaded what she would have to say. When she answered she told me that her client had decided to accept the settlement proposal I had made on Monday. It was the best possible news I could have received on that particular case.

Trial started a little late and the closing arguments went well, even though I had not been to sleep since I woke up Wednesday. The jury took the case at 1:00 p.m. and came back at 3:15 p.m. I drove to the courthouse worried and second guessing myself, and wondering how I could possibly deal with things if the jury shafted my client (it certainly did not take long for me to forget the amazing blessing I had just received in that other case just a few hours before).

As I entered the courtroom I saw my client and told him I hoped for the best but that you never know what jury will do. He told me "Don't worry David, you did a great job, if we don't win it's not your fault. I got the Lord on my side, and whatever happens is what He wants to happen, and I will be fine." The jury came in and read a verdict that awarded my client more than twice what we had offered to settle for. It was a home run in any park. My client was thrilled. The defense attorney shook my hand, congratulated me, and told me "State Farm will write you a check." Again, if I had written the script for the day myself I don't know that I would have ever imagined asking for more.

The Lord is in control. He is on my side (and yours). Whatever happens is what He wants to happen, and I will be fine (and so will you). It never ceases to amaze me no matter how good things get, I always find an excuse to worry about something. It is just way too easy to forget our blessings, no matter how much the Lord slathers on us. Today was living proof that the Lord is mindful of His children, and that everything that happens is part of His plan for us. I am sure I will sleep well tonight, and after I do I hope my client's words to me today echo in my ears when I wake up tomorrow, and every day after that.

Tiff's old friends from Indiana drop in

When Tiff was young and living in Indiana the family that lived behind her included Efford and Sarah Hamilton. I don't think I have ever heard of anyone named Efford other than this guy.

A few days ago Sarah called my office and told me that she and Efford were in town having fun in Vegas and that they wanted to get together with us one evening this week. I called Tiffany and told her that Sarah Hamilton just called me, to which Tiffany responded "Oh, Efford died." I told her no, Efford had not died, he was alive and well and in Vegas for the week.

We got together this evening and Tiffany was able to catch up with them. Efford and Sarah got a big kick out of hanging out with our daughters (which I completely believe was the only real reason they came to see us in the first place). They then insisted on taking us to dinner. We went to Lindo Michocan, which is a place I highly recommend to anyone visiting Vegas. Tiffany chided Efford by making a half-hearted attempt to pay when the check came. Efford had none of it. Right now Tiff is taking them back to their hotel. They fly out tomorrow.

Date with my daughter

Tiffany and I went out Friday evening and had a family in our Ward watch our children, and then Saturday evening we watched their children so they could go out. And as luck would have it I scored tickets to the UNLV game against Colorado State, and my wife was good enough to met me take my second youngest. She went to a game with me a few weeks back and discovered the REALLY likes UNLV basketball. Here she is at the game.



She had a lot of fun, First I bought a rose to take with her, then we went out for dinner before heading to the stadium. She had lots of fun cheering for her Rebels. It was neat to see her get excited when the Rebles scored, and to watch her get mad when the referee's calls did not go the Rebles way.

After the game I put the top down in my car and drove her on the Vegas strip. She was very impressed. Her favorite was the Eifel Tower.

Home Depot

The first Saturday of each month Home Depot has a workshop for kids to put together wooden projects. HD provides (free of charge) the kits, tools, glue, paint, and everything needed to make tool boxes, small planters, picture frames, and all other kinds of things.

I took my daughters down this morning and they made jewelry boxes. The kits were pretty cool, and very easy to assemble. They had to adhere a velour to the inside parts of the frame, and then glue the sides together. My oldest decided she did not need a jewelry box and put a bird house together instead. I bought paint for my angels to decorate their boxes once the glue dries.

It was a really fun experience I would highly recommend to anyone with children. Contact your local store and find out when they hold the workshops. They are definitely worth it.

Great Weekend

Our family took our annual retreat this year to Disneyland. The Sampsons have not been to the mouse house for two full years, which is a record for our family we hope to never beat again.

Everyone in our family filled out our handouts which ask everyone to list things they liked and disliked about last year, and what they think we can do to make this year great. Most of what is said is too personal to share here, but I will let you in on our youngest daughter's suggestion on how our family can improve in 2009. She recommended "we need a new mom." I asked her "a new what" to which she answered (this is word for word what she said) "a new MOM, not Tiffany, blonde hair."

Tiffany has made it clear to me that our daughter's idea is a bad one that we will not implement.

Part of our experience in taking a retreat to recharge and set goals as a family is to get away and have some fun together. We spent last Friday at Disneyland and had the most fun we have ever had as a family there. I got up early and ran a figure 8 from our hotel, through the center entry area of the parks, around Disneyland, through the entry area again, around California Adventure and back to the hotel (5.6 miles in all).

Once we got into the park everyone rode everything and nobody chickened out of any of the rides. Even our three-year-old was excited to ride Splash Mountain, Big Thunder, the Matterhorn, and even Space Mountain. The park was pretty empty for most of the day. I don't know if it was the rain, the economy, the fact that it was a Friday in January, or all of the above, but we really felt like we had the park to ourselves. We did not stand in any lines at all until after 4:00 p.m. It was a blast.

My three oldest and I rode Indiana Jones and it broke down on us. We were stopped just after the first turn when the lights came on and we were asked to wait to see if the ride would start up again. A few minutes later the ride began with the lights on. We took another corner and everything stopped again. This time we were stopped for good and eventually had to unload from the car and walk out of the ride. While we were in the rise we saw that one of the skeletons on the ride is wearing sunglasses, and another one has Mickey Mouse ears on. I am kicking myself that I did not think to take pictures.

We rode the Buzz Lightear ride. Here is the pic of Tiffany shooting at aliens.



Saturday we woke up, went swimming in the hotel pool, and then drove to Hollywood. We had lunch at Pinks on LaBrea, and then drove home. It was a really fun weekend for all of us.

Great way to end 2008

Our family had blast ending our 2008. The day after Christmas we trucked down to Arizona to a little vacation rental in Queen Creek. From Friday through Wednesday we hung out with Tiffany's family. All of Tiff's siblings, together with all of their children, met together for the weekend. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday we had a get together with Tiff's aunts, uncles, cousins, and lots of other family. It was wonderful to hang out with everyone. As each day came more family arrived. The Saturday and Sunday gatherings were at Tiff's cousin Jeff's place. Here is a picture of all of Tiffany's siblings with their respective spouses, and all of their children together at one time.



On Monday we met at a park in Mesa. The kids got to feed the ducks and play basketball, wiffleball, and soccer.



On Sunday I attended my home ward from when I was 13-18 years old. It was almost 20 years since I had been in that building. I talked to my old Bishop and got the chance to thank him for all the time he spent helping me learn how to be a husband and father. I also got to see my High School Speech and Debate coach, who had moved into my old ward several years ago. In Priesthood I was asked to introduce myself. After I sat down the guy next to me said he knew my father. He introduced himself as "Brother Smith" and I asked him "are you Karla's dad?" He said yes and I told him that he and I used to be home teaching companions.

We were having so much fun I suggested we stay an extra day. The drive home Thursday took a long time because the Hoover Dam traffic was backed up over two miles with California folk heading to Vegas for New Years.

Once we got home I took two of my neices to "Partyland" to get New Years party favors. We also picked up a bunch of "over the hill" decorations for Tiffany's sister (my neices' mother) Janelle. We gave Janelle an inflatable walker, a sash that said "40 and fabulous", an "over the hill" pin that had flashing lights, and a couple of books (we had to throw in a few real gifts). Janelle was a good sport and wore the gear all night. When midnight came we toasted with apple cider and we watched the fireworks on TV. It was a fun ending to a neat year for our family.