RedsDirt: September 2007

Thursday, September 20, 2007

pony rides

Last weekend, we went to a little city celebration, and there were ponies and horses to ride. I thought Nathan would be too scared, but he surprised me...

Friday, September 14, 2007

How well do you know Alex? Here's a fun way to get to know him a little better...

1. Alex was born in:
A. Missouri
B. Oklahoma
C. Wyoming
D. Yet to be determined

2. What's his middle name?
A. John
B. Jacob
C. Ray
D. Jingleheimer

3. Growing up, Alex wanted to be a:
A. Geologist
B. Marine Biologist
C. Naval architect
D. Didn't know

4. In band, Alex:
A. Played the drums
B. Played the flute
C. Played the tuba
D. Twirled baton

5. Alex grew up and graduated from High School in:
A. Bartlesville
B. Lawton
C. Tahlequah
D. Walla Walla

6. When Alex was a freshman in High School, he was:
A. 4'5"
B. 5'
C. 5'5"
D. 7'

7. In High School, Alex was voted:
A. Most likely to succeed
B. Best personality
C. Most argumentative
D. Most likely to leave his hometown

8. Alex served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in:
A. Chile
B. Salt Lake City
C. Idaho
D. A tie-dye t-shirt

9. Alex was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS:
A. When he was 8
B. Sophomore year of High School
C. Freshman year of college
D. A little too soon, since all the girls starting hitting on him shortly thereafter

10. Alex did his undergraduate in:
A. Geology
B. Biology
C. Chemistry
D. Women's Studies

11. Alex's minor in college:
A. Geography
B. Physics
C. Math
D. Fashion Design

12. Alex's nickname in college:
A. Rocky
B. Felix
C. Big Al
D. Peter Priesthood

13. What did Alex NOT do his freshman year of college?
A. Outdoor Adventure
B. Running Club
C. Marching Band
D. Ask a girl out, not knowing her name

14. Alex's Eagle Scout project involved:
A. Mapping a cemetery
B. Repainting bleachers at school
C. Repairing used science books
D. Posing as a street beggar for fundraising

15. Alex got his PhD at:
A. University of Texas
B. Rice University
C. Colorado School of Mines
D. Jack Black's School of Rock

16. Alex finished his doctorate in:
A. 3 years
B. 4 years
C. 5 years
D. Never finished, hoping no one will discover it

17. Alex has been to Antarctica:
A. once
B. twice
C. 3 times
D. once too many

18. Where has Alex not been?
A. Italy
B. Cuba
C. Egypt
D. Belize

19. Alex and Annie's first date included:
A. chips & salsa
B. pizza
C. ice cream
D. peanut butter

20. Alex and Annie were engaged for:
A. About 4 months
B. About 8 months
C. About 12 months
D. Too bad he was engaged during field camp

21. Alex has been married for:
A. 6 years
B. 7 years
C. 8 years
D. Too long

22. Where did Alex get married?
A. Denver
B. Oklahoma City
C. Houston
D. Vegas

23. His honeymoon included:
A. Backpacking in Colorado
B. Mountain Biking in Yellowstone National Park
C. Snorkeling in Key West
D. Chuck E Cheese

24. What challenging task has Alex accomplished?
A. Climbing Mt. Kilamanjaro
B. Running a marathon
C. Skydiving
D. Getting his wife to enjoy geology

25. In Alex's church responsibilities, he "aspires" to be:
A. Young Men's Leader
B. Sunday School President
C. Nursery Worker
D. On the inactive list

26. Alex's favorite singer/group:
A. Tom Petty
B. Collective Soul
C. Pink Floyd
D. Britney Spears

27. Alex's favorite game:
A. Trivial Pursuit
B. Settlers of Catan
C. Cranium
D. Dora the Explorer memory game

28. Alex's favorite pastime:
A. Watching TV
B. Backpacking
C. Mountain Biking
D. Changing Diapers

29. What Alex enjoys most about being a dad:
A. Little faces to greet him after work
B. Teaching his future geologists
C. Hugs & Kisses
D. Finding toys and dirty diapers in his bed

30. As an adult, which does Alex not collect:
A. Big fat paycheck
B. Hiking Books
C. Maps
D. Kids

Answers: 1A, 2C, 3C, 4C, 5C, 6B, 7A, 8B, 9C, 10A, 11C, 12B, 13B, 14A, 15B, 16B, 17B, 18C, 19C, 20B, 21B, 22A, 23A, 24B, 25C, 26A, 27B, 28B, 29B, 30A

Alex wasn't sure himself on what he enjoys most about being a dad, but I think he likes teaching them about geology, maps, etc. He says, "I don't care what type of geologist they want to be." On number 8, Alex did start off his mission wearing a tie-dye shirt...

Surprise!

Finally I get to tell you what I've been up to... we had a surprise 30th birthday party for Alex tonight. It was a 60/70's theme. My friend Amanda helped me build this Volkswagen bus, mostly out of cardboard. Alex loves cherry-red VW buses.

Alex was pretty surprised. He didn't have any idea about the party, but when he saw some familiar cars on the street, he started to realize something was up...

When he got there, we made him put on a tie-dye shirt and wig. He didn't recognize me!

The cake, also a VW bus.

Nathan, my sister Alison, and her roomate Andrea

the whole family

Maclain, Todd, and Martha- they hosted the party

Amanda, Emalee, Garett, and Nathan

Angela, Brady, and Josie

Alex's students

Alex and Robert

We had fun... we also did a little "Alex trivia." Surprisingly, the lady who probably has known Alex the shortest won the trivia. She got 22 out of 30. I'll post the trivia next. See how you do, or get to know Alex a little better.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Alison's "friend"

While we were gone last weekend, a "friend" of my sister Alison stayed at our house. It was good to meet Micah. He flew from in Utah for the weekend. Alison fixed dinner for us on Sunday and we had them and some friends over for a barbecue on Labor Day. Micah was really good with Nathan and Jared. Alex particularly liked that Micah is really into backpacking, and they spent a while looking at maps on Sunday evening. Micah has our stamp of approval...

Happy 30th birthday

Alex turned 30 this week! That is actually a plate of cookies, not a cake. Alex wanted M&M cookies for his birthday instead of a cake. So I made a bunch of small cookies with one giant one on top. The numbers are pieces of cookie as well. The chocolate was dripping off, but I guess it adds to the occasion- 30 is just a little bit sad... but what's 30 anyway? You're not young, you're not old... it's just a little drippy I guess.

10 year reunion

Last weekend, I went to my 10-year high school reunion. It was an interesting experience. It was a little like high school all over again. Many people were about like I remembered them, some people probably hadn't changed enough, some have really changed quite a bit.

It was fun to see everyone's kids. A few had 3-4 kids already, some had 2, and several had 1 kid. It was nice to catch up with some friends who I had lost contact with, and it was great to see some of my good friends. Here are a few pictures...