I know who I'm voting for!

Reliving Renaissance

Yes - he is my night and shining armor. I kissed a frog and this is what I got. (Better luck next time)
Eating some good grub! I'm digging into a smoked turkey leg - it was as tough to eat as it looks.

Melissa's family has a huge themed party each year. This year the theme was "Renaissance." The day was filled with good grub, great company and incredible entertainment. Stay tuned for the pictures from next years party - "Old Western."

I'm a slacker and I know it!

It's obvious that it's been a really long time since I've done this - so long that I couldn't even remember how to log in - I had to search back to Stephen's original e-mail with instructions - pathetic, I know. Anyway, I'm here now and I've got a few hours to write :) I have a couple of pictures from the paulina plunge that I'll post and I am updating my blog tonight so take a peek - www.keepin-upwithup.blogspot.com.
Things are good here. It's been really nice to get back on a schedule again and start exercising regularly again. The kids love their teachers - I'm so glad! Evan and I are having fun bonding. Becca got her last stitch out and is still healing - she is trying to practice walking normal instead of stiff legged - she'll be back to soccer this week. Evan is potty trained - yeah!! Because of the Jones nighttime genes, he does wear a pull up to bed at night and nap time - but he's been dry a few times when he's woken up, so maybe he's got more Robbins than Jones? We are enjoying the 100 degree weather :) If anyone wants to come for one last summer trip to the beach - good boogie boarding weather thru September?? We love you all - take care. love, Dawn

In the line of DUTY

I thought this picture would really be more effective if you take a close look at codys eye. How fitting to look like you've been beat then dress up like a cop! So news from the burgess family dustin is calling it quits in the jail on august 24th and moving to patrol. He starts at the police academy on august 27th in salem and will be abandoning the children and I till the end of december. He may need to be picking me up in salem on his way home in the mental hospital with the metal bars! Cody has started school as of today! We have been enjoying the shreve's pool this summer and enjoying our free time that is nearing an end. That's about all the new news here. Hope everyone is well. BLOG IT UP ROBBINS FAMILY.

WHAT THE...????

Sorry I am technically challenged so to view this picture turn your head sideways look at deyce's hot outfit and garrick's reaction. That pretty much explains it all. I think something along the lines of do I really have to take her out looking like this? YEAH you do

what's UP????

To be or not to be

This is Braden in Brittney's wedding as the ring bearer. This is the flower girl who asked Braden if he would marry her. He said no way! And really didn't want much to do with her after that. So GO BRADEN!!!!

Less Angry Sounding

I posted something yesterday, but I don't think I was very effective in getting my intended point across. Let's see if I have better luck this time.

First of all, I got an awesome call from Dawn today telling me how much everyone loves and supports me no matter what. It was very touching and I appreciated the call a lot. I've also gotten a couple calls lately from Deena which has been cool too. Sometimes I forget how many cool sisters I have.

Anyways, my point in saying what I said yesterday (and my apologies if you didn't get a chance to read it) was a backwards attempt to get you guys to stand up for me when the rumors start flying about my non-temple wedding.

A quick story: When I got home from my mission I found out that Bob Carelson and his family had left the church. I talked to lots of members about their departure, and most of them didn't have anything good to say about Bob and his family. The general consensus was that they had been offended by something and left.

A few months later I decided to actually talk to Bob himself (what an idea, right?) to see what had motivated him to take those steps. Turned out it wasn't the bishop, or something offensive that had happened. Bob had good reasons for doing what he did, and he and his family seemed happy for doing so.

I know my family doesn't sit around and talk about me, but at the same time I know that in the LDS community certain assumptions are made about apostates or inactives. Today in Sunday school for example (yes, I went to Sunday school!) we decided to make a list of reasons why people harden their hearts, or leave the church. The list looked something like this:

1. They get offended
2. They are too proud
3. They stop reading their scriptures
4. etc.

I felt like raising my hand and saying, "Maybe after years of prayer and study they simply no longer felt like the claims of the church held much water?" but I decided it was too long to write out on the board.

If you look at the list though, you'll see that they all reflect poorly on the apostate. Sometimes I feel like Bob though. I feel like I have good personal reasons for believing and thinking what I do, and that I reached those conclusions the same way an LDS person reaches theirs; through study and prayer.

I know you guys love and support me, and I feel really lucky to have you all in my life. I also know there are a lot of people who might be unfamiliar with the situation who are going to jump to conclusions about my decisions. I hope you'll stand up for me, and not try to categorize me into one of the convenient apostate groups. If someone wants to know why I'm not getting married in the temple, give them my number and tell them to ask me themselves! :-)

And I guess I'd challenge you all to stand up for people like me next time you're in a meeting like the one I was in today. Raise you hand and say something like, "My brother/son has changed the way he feels about the church, but he's still a good person and we still love him no matter what." Maybe your comment will go against the grain a little bit, but sometimes the truth does that. :-)

When a garden is not a garden.

Ok, enough is enough.


This morning at 3:00 am I managed to catch racoons # 9 and 10 at the same time.

(Aren't they cute?)

They have been eating at our house for about a week. I only suspected there were two beccause of the amount of cat food they were putting away.

I managed to pinpoint the time period a couple of days ago. So last night I sat my alarm for 3:00 am. I got up and went to check it out. To my surprise. one racoon was under the trap eating away. The other one was snooping around the patio. After about 5 minutes of this he decided it was time to join the other one at the dining table. (under the trap)

I pulled the pin and caught both of them at the same time. John (next door) thinks I might be the Home Run King of racoon trappers after this one. I told him it was easy when you run a racoon diner. ha ha ha.


So, in case you haven't guessed the new name of the Garden by now it is:



The food must be good because they sure do tell their friends about it. We don't advertise. Just word of mouth. Business has been good.

Dad
My friends just call me Boone. Daniel that is.

News . . .

First of all, I'm going to rename this blog the "Stephen Posts and Kelly Comments" blog, since that seems to be the pattern lately (that was meant to serve as a guilt trip for all you non-participating family members).

Oh, by the way, I'm engaged.

Stephen

Treat Your Mother Right

NOW ACCEPTING DONATIONS TO THE "HELP YOUR BROTHER/SON NOT LIVE WITH A SERIAL KILLER FUND"

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