Samantha Adams does it again

Samantha Adams has been putting out some good work lately and I can't wait for her career to really take off. Way to go Samantha! If you like it let us know and we will pass the word on to Samantha. Thanks for lookin!

Halloween art by Mike

I also had fun making some finger paints also.

Samantha Adams

Samantha Adams did this beautiful piece on my phone and we would be
willing to take $39 for the original copy. :-) LOL Just wait and more
will be coming.

My sleeping rock star

Cassie worked really hard today and I think she is amazing for all of
the things she has done. First she made this amazing pillow that looks
like it came from a high class store. She picked up the materials to
make it this morning and it looks really good. It matches our bedding
and everything. She also worked on a couple very difficult art
projects and they are looking good so far as I can tell. She also
managed to get some laundry done also. Cassie also took me to a suit
shop here in town after she had already stopped there earlier. She had
stopped there eelier so she could find the ones that looked good and
then had them set aside so she could come get me and I could try on
the few an pick one. What a sweet heart! She also watched the general
relief society broadcast with her mom this afternoon. I am really
blessed and gratefull to have such a beautiful, hard working, and all
around amazing woman as my wife. I know Cassie will probably be not to
happy with me for sharing this picture but I think the hair flair is
really cute. It shows how hard she has worked today. I love you Cas!

Procrastination doesn't pay

After a long hard day of building web pages for about 10 hours I am
ready to give it a break. Last year I should have learned how to make
web pages better with CSS and make them XHTML 1.0 strict, and I did,
just not well enough. I also was playing catch up with one of the
pages that should have been done already. It took a lot of time and
wasn't easy but it was a great learning experience. My knowledge of
CSS has grown, my XHTML skills are growing and my pages are looking
better than they have ever looked before. I have done reports on how
to create FAVICONS for a website, how to optimize a site for speed,
and I will be working next on how to set up alternative formating for
mobile devices and printers. I am really excited to be able to put all
of my knowledge to good use in the future. If you are interested in
taking a look at the website that I am building for my class
assignments you can check it out at http://mydigitalgaragesale.com
I am hoping that by the end of the semester or the year that I will
have enough knowledge to put together a nice website for Cassie so she
can show off her awsome artwork and use it to showcase her portfolio.
I really love the work that she does and I would love to share it with
the world. In the meantime she is sharing her art through http://casgrace.blogspot.com

Cute baby, darling eyes

Now that Cassie and I are married it seems like we just can't get away from cute babies. They are everywhere! :-) Well, this cute baby is compliments of Brent and Orendia.

Sassy Cassie!

My sassy Cassie is just too much fun! I love it when she gets a little crazy.

Samantha Adams

Samantha Adams took this picture in Rexburg, Idaho

Cool parents

When it comes to parents I got the cream of the crop! Not only do
rumors say that I turned out somewhat OK but my parents are a ton of
fun to be with. Cassie and I really had a fun time being able to spend
some food quality time with them. I always miss them when I am away
and look forward to the next time we get to hang out. I hope that some
day Cassie and I will be as cute as my parents are together. In the
mean time we will just have to settle for second place.

Wireless N review

We recently got a Linksys WRT150 wireless router and we love it! It is
slim, sexy, and it works flawlessly. I was honestly shocked when I
pulled the wireless router out of the box because of how thin and
small it is. Set up was a breeze with the automated setup software
that it came with and I was also able to make some more detailed
changes later by logging into the router through my Internet browser.
Overall I am very very happy with this device and the range compared
to my wireless g router is jaw droppingly good! This router is well
worth the money I gave Wal-Mart for it. If you don't have a wireless n
router yet you are missing out!

Cure for balding

I didn't think I would say this but as I have been growing my hair
back out in preparation for the winter I miss having my baby butt
smooth bald head. I still have thought every now and then of running
to the bathroom, grabing the can of shaving cream and the razor and
smoothing out my head again. I guess this means I have found the cure
for male balding. Learn to love being bald and you will be excited for
the day when it doesn't take so much shaving cream to take care of
your hair every morning. :-)

Cassie's hair cut

Cassie got her hair cut today and she looks absolutely unequivocally
and undeniably cute! He is one of my candid glamour shots of Cassie in
action. I married the most amazingly wonderful woman that is the best
match for me ever! This kind of compatibility is only possible through
the intervention of a supreme being.

Halloween cat 2

I think we make a good pair. Don't you think we look good together?
Unfortunatly for this cat Cassie is way cuter and a lot more fun to
live with.

Hallowen cat

HALLOWEEN CAT AND ME
I totally fell in love with this black halloween cat the moment I saw
it. I think the cat looks absolutely adorable. If only other cats were
as easy going as this one. :-) LOL

Tea cup planter

TEA CUP PLANTER PART 3
So Cassie and I found the tea cup planter pot again but this time in
the Rexburg, Idaho Wal-Mart so it was my turn to get my picture taken
with the planter pot. I love shopping with Cassie, it is just so much
fun.

The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know - Einstien

I am amazed every day at how much there is to learn about the world
around us. I think I am beginning to understand why the brilliant Albert
Einstein once said, " The more I learn, the more I realize I don't
know." as I continue to expand my knowledge through study and
experience my eyes are opened even more to all the thing that I didn't
know that I could know. So does this idea substantiate the saying that
ignorance is bliss? In a way I would say that it does. But, I also
have to say that I am very glad that I have learned the things I have
and I hope to continue to learn the things that I am going to need to
know. This bring me to another quote that is a favorite of mine by
Daniel J. Boorstin. Daniel Boorstin said, "The greatest obstacle to
discovery is no ignorance - it is the illusion of knowledge." when we
think that we know something and become unteachable we are doomed to
being stuck with our limited and possibly incorrect or incomplete
knowledge.

It's Heartbreaking when a good man is killed (Paul Lusk, Sugar City Idaho)

It has been a mournful day as I have found out that a good man, that I knew personally, died yesterday on September 24, 2008. I had the opportunity of getting to know the Lusk family about 2 years ago. I made a video slide show for my cousins beauty pageant and Sister Lusk approached me about doing the same thing for a family members birthday. Paul Lusk was also my wife's boss for a short time while she worked in the BYU Idaho library. It is hard to think that just a year ago I was sitting behind Brother Lusk in a Priesthood meeting. KIDK reports that Brother Lusk and his wife were out taking a walk when an 18 year old man hit Brother Lusk, killing him. What isn't told in the article is how the young man was speeding, passing another car, and talking on his cell phone. A witness reports that the driver appeared to also be preoccupied with some other task that could not be made out by the witness. (This is the same witness that tried reviving Brother Lusk at the scene of the accident) The car accident occurred in Sugar City, Idaho where the Lusk family currently resides.

Paul Lusk was an employee at Brigham Young University - Idaho in Rexburg, Idaho.

I could very easily go on ranting like I did the other day for education but I am not going to... at least not today. I will say this though, Please don't be stupid! When you are driving, please only drive. That is the way it is supposed to be. The Germans had that figured out a long time ago when they outlawed cup holders in their cars. Here in the US, on the other hand, some people decide which car to buy based on where and how many cup holders there are in the car. If you decide to be stupid then most likely it is others who will have to bear the burden of your stupidity, like the lusk family now living without a husband and dad. Also, here is something to think about... just because it is not illegal to do something does not, I repeat does not mean that doing such an action is OK. My prayers go out to the Lusk family at this very difficult time, the young man who is dealing with the killing of a good father and a husband, and all the other people like me who are dealing with the loss of a friend and college.

9:36 Update - Local News 8 reports that the police are not releasing what type of vehicle he was hit by. Paul Lusk was hit by a pickup truck passing another vehicle while on a cell phone.

09/26/08 - No updates from the news wire just yet as to what is going on with the prosecution of the young man that hit Paul Lusk or about the funeral arrangements.

P.S. I don't think KIDK has a very good picture of Brother Lusk. He looked better than the picture shows, but maybe the picture got warped when put on the web.

Schwendiman celebration of a great man!

On Sunday the Schwendiman's got together to celebrate grandpa
Schwendiman's 98th birthday. I had a great time being there and being
part of the celebration. I am really grateful for such a kind and
loving great grandfather. All my years growing up I can remember
visiting great grandpa Schwendiman's with my family and talking and
learning. Grandpa was always really excited to see us and we were
excited to see him and finally be out of the car. I remember many
times seeing the garden in the back yard that grandpa kept tending to
and thinking that it was impressive that at his age he was still
working as hard, physically, as he was.

Since I have come back to Rexburg I have been thinking more and more
about the generation of youth that are growing up today. I am
concerned about several things in particular. One, the lack of respect
and acquiescence towards authority and elders.

Two, the desire to learn and the respect for learning seems to be
becoming a thing of the past. I wonder why the desire to discover and
learn and progress is disappearing as fast as some say the ozone is. It
is truly saddening to learn that so many children are not only wasting
their time at school but also distracting others who really do want to
learn. Maybe our policy shouldn't be "No child left behind" but
instead be "let's get everyone excited about learning because real
learning is exciting". I remember back in high school wanting to go to
the local community college because at high school I was getting very
frustrated with students impeding real learning. Instead of the
teachers directing the class onto a path of learning and discovery the
teachers were spending most of the class time policing and babysitting
and dealing with problems that should have been taken care of by the
parents. Another thing that really infuriates me is that we pay our
teachers dreadfully low wages. Is it any wonder why we have a hard
time finding good teachers for our children?! It really irks me that
our government is willing to kick out $80 BILLION to bail out a major
company in a decidedly capitalistic country and yet our teachers are
still working two jobs or still driving beat up cars from the 80's. (no
offense to the 80's because I am a huge fan of the 80's) our teachers
deserve better! Our kids deserve better! Don't you think your
children's teacher would try a little harder if they got to drive to
and from work in a nice BMW or didn't have to work a second job? We
pay our doctors, who take care of us, well enough that they have nice
cars and large homes, why not pay our teachers the same since they are
shaping not only our children future but the future of the country.
What in the world is it going to take to get America to wake up and
realize that our beloved country is only as good as the people in it?!
And what is it going to tale to get people to understand that people
are usually only as good as the family and education they get?
What is it going to take for all of us to start putting more time and
money into our education than we put into television, our cars, the
latest and greatest (put your favorite thing that you love to spend
money on here)? Politicians talk about what they are going to do to
improve America but how much do we hear them talk about our education
system?

So how does this all relate to my great grandfathers 98th birthday?
(and you thought I was going off on a crazy unrelated tangent) My
great grandpa Schwendiman is an incredible man! A man who spent his
humble days upon this earth working diligently in eastern Idaho to
raise his family and do right. Grandpa learned to work hard in his
life and I believe he has a great respect for the truth, learning, and
hard work. Grandpa has done a wonderful job at raising good children
who know how to work hard and love their family. I know because they
are my grandparents now who raised my parents. :-) In a day when the
world seems to be spinning out of control and is in major turmoil
great grandpa Schwendiman is a shining example of what we need to
strive to be like in order to bring peace back into this world. I am
very blessed indeed to have such an example in my life. I only wish
that I could have had the chance to get to know him when he was
younger. I pray that we can try a little harder to be the kind of
person that our family and our country so desperately needs.

- Michael Grace

Hot pavement!

The other day I parked my motorcycle at school and when I came back at
the end of the day my kickstand had penitrated the blacktops surface.
As the day got warmer so did the blacktop. I am blessed that my bike
didn't fall over. It is funny that we think of cement being really
hard but black top compaired to most cement is actually really soft. I
have really really enjoyed risig my motorcycle around Rexburg. I am
also really greatful to Tammy Sluder at State Farm Insurance for
getting me great coverage on my bike at such a low cost. I pay less
than $10 a month to insure my motorcycle. I am really not looking
forward to the snow and ice that will soon disable me from being able
to ride my motorcycle.

Bowflex time!

Cassie and I have started to utalize the Stott's Bowflex and I am
really enjoying it. I am thinking that maybe if I work really hard I
could look like mr clean and sell some kind of cleaning agent on
television if I can get my head to shine like mr clean's. :-) LOL I
don't really want to be as bulky as mr clean because then I would have
to maintain all of that muscle but I really do want to get into better
shape so Cassie and I are both going to work hard to improve our health.

Thor statue

I took this picture of the ricks college Thor statue at the beginung
of the semester. I thought it was wierd to see mister Thor on his side
like that. I think they were fixing the floor around him and that is
why they had to move him. For anyone who has spent some time at ricks
college or BYU Idaho they know that Thor is a popular land mark for
meeting up with other people. This is a great school and this is one
of great landmarks. P.S. If you looks really carefully you Might be
able to see my reflection in the glass behind Thor.

Cool websites

• http://www.text-image.com/
• http://www.degraeve.com/
  

Rexburg Unplugged

We had a great time at the Rexburg unplugged street event. We were
able to meet a lot of really cool people and answer a lot of
questions. Tammy Sluder is really good with people and everyone that
has worked with her so far has nothing but good things to say about
her. State Farm and Rexburg are a great mix. No word yet on who the
winner of the movie basket was. I think we will know on Monday. Go
State Farm and Rexburg.
www.tammysluder.com

Ryan shupe and the rubber band

Cassie and I had a really fun time attending Ryan shupe and the rubber
band a few days ago and it was a lot of fun. They were a lot funnier
than I thought they would be. I am glad Cassie got me to go.

State farm

Hey look! I am a good neigh bear! LOL
I think this bear is confusing his bear sounds with that of a horse.
Go date farm! A big congratulations to Tammy Sluder on her recent
achievements of helping protect the lives of the people of rexburg.

Most Beautiful eyes

For our 195th blog post I would like to share with the world my wife's beautiful eyes. I took this picture late at night with almost no light so I am glad that the picture is blurry from shake. I would like to take more pictures like this one but try it with better lighting and see what I can come up with. I would love to hear what you think and if you have any suggestions please let me know. This is the only time you will ever hear me say it... ... "thanks for checkin out my wife." :-)

Configuring Mac OS X as an Oracle Client

I am taking a Database class from Michael McLaughlin and he has a blog post on how to configure Mac OS X as an Oracle Client.

Sunday fun 2

My sweet Cassie also had fun with the kids on Sunday. Cassie is such
a hottie!!!!! :-)

Sunday fun!

Cas and I enjoyed our first Sunday back in Idaho. We are in the Salem
3rd ward and we like the people. We went to Sunday school taught by
Dusty and had a few laughs the first few minutes and then got called
out of class to help with the nursery kids. We had a great time with
the kids. Thy are a really fun group to be with. The Salem ward also
has a good stock of toys including this beautiful green piece
showcased by yours truely. We had a great time with these kids and
look forward to the many other adventures that are ominously looming
ahead.

Back to school frenzy

Coming back to school... Zoo exciting. The byui bookstore has been
moved. The new one is really nice.

Almost to rexburg

We are almost there!

Adams masks

Me havin fun with some masks at the Adams house.

Safe in homedale

Cas and I made it safely to homedale without any problems with the
truck or our cargo. We enjoyed visiting with the Adams and now it is
off to bed. I did get pulled over by a nice police officer when we
were about 15 miles outside of homedale. I was coming down off of a
hill and got going 77 in a 65 zone so he pulled me over. Then I
couldn't find the insurance card for the truck so my face started
turning red as I was searching the glove box for the card. The nice
police officer gave me a warning and then fallowed us for the next 10
minutes. All in all it was a great day!

Day 6 of San Fransisco

We continue to have a great time as our trip comes to a close. The pictures are a lot of fun to look at. The photo index and the slide show are at flikr.com