Even though he is a Democrat....

I love the music of Bon Jovi. I decided this back when I was about 15 years old and I got various albums through the mail, not Columbia House, but the other one... BMG? Anyway, buy one get 10 free or something like that. I got the Keep the Faith Album and I remember sitting at my moms computer playing some civilization game I got from Kent. For hours I would play while the music was on repeat. I memorized every song on the Album and loved them all. One song that I particularly loved/love was 'Dry County.'

I loved the guitar solo, just everything about the song. It wasn't until moved to this little oil town that I was looking for coorelation between the town and the song.

Across the border they turn
Water into wine
Some say it's the devil's blood
They're squeezing from the vine

For many of the people in Vernal, the opportunities to work in the oil industry is a blessing. They all come here for jobs when they may not have the education, or have the criminal record that makes it hard to get another high paying job.

Some say it's a saviour
In these hard and desperate times
For me it helps me to forget
That we're just born to die

Even though I did not come for the oil, I came to Vernal for opportunity. I came here like many did, to find a better life. I couldn't use my degree in the land of 100,000 students and 100 history teachers applying for the same position at any given school. I got two interviews and was stuck working overnights at a hospital. I enjoyed the job, but felt that I could do better.

I came here like so many did
To find the better life
To find my piece of easy street
To finally be alive
And I know nothing good comes easy
And all good things take some time
I made my bed I'll lie in it
To die in it's the crime

It was a leap of faith to move to this 'in the middle of nowhere' town. It was a town that didn't have any places to live, let alone AFFORDABLE places. It was a leap I so wanted to take. In Provo, I had promises of a morning show at a station 'someday,' and I had no prospects for teaching. Hardly anything to stay there for.

You can't help but prosper
Where the streets are paved with gold
They say the oil wells ran deeper here
than anybody's known
I packed up on my wife and kid
And left them back at home

Now, I didn't pack up on my wife and kids, but I know plenty in this town who have, because the oils wells (or future wells) are supposedly full and deep. In 2007, it really was hard not to prosper. I had a teaching job and a wonderful (at the time) radio job that paid the bills and made life seem steady for ONCE!

Now there's nothing in this paydirt
The ghosts are all I know
Now the oil's gone
The money's gone
And the jobs are gone
Still we're hangin' on

Thanks to Ken Salazar, Interior Secretary under Barack Obama, and other policies, the oil wells have somewhat been shut down. This caused another crash of sorts in this oil town. The money started to go, the families that once prospered and accumulated large truck and house payments lost their huge paychecks. Some families, still do, worried about how they were going to be fed. In our Condo Complex alone we were once at about 30% occupancy because owners abandoned their properties and others moved out. One lady lost 10 units alone because they were unhealthy and the payments were late. Things are looking up, but not like they were in 2007.

Down in dry county
They're swimming in the sand
Praying for some holy water
To wash the sins from off our hand
Here in dry county
The promise has run dry
Where nobody cries
And no one's getting out of here alive

Anyone that graduates high school in Vernal has two options: (1) to stay in Vernal and work at Big O Tires or in the oil/gas field somewhere or (2) leave to get an education at the U of U, UVU, BYU, Utah State, etc. Although Vernal does have a great USU campus and a tech, it just isn't the same to go there for these students as it is to leave home and experience college in 'the city.'

In the blessed name of Jesus
I heard a preacher say
That we are God's children
And He'd be back someday
And I hoped that he knew
Something as he drank his cup of wine
I didn't have too good of a feeling
As I head out to the night

Vernal has seen its ups and downs. The Old timers here will tell you about the crash of 1981 or so, and how the city was left to the native Veranlites to resurrect it. Now that we have had the crash of 2008-09 no one knows exactly what the future holds. Will a new president in 2012 give us a new chance? Will a lawsuit against Ken Salazar change anything? A lot of people are out a lot of money because of the down turn in the economy. But, on the other hand, do we want uneducated oil rig workers storming around town in big trucks, tats, and scary beards having more money than those with Degrees? Do we want the crime that comes with the rough population? Vernal has been doing some spending on a new jail, new city and police headquarters, and advanced city planning in preparation for another spike in population. More hotels have been built in Vernal in the last three years than I have stayed at in my life. If we are prepared, will we prosper?

I cursed the sky to open
I begged the clouds for rain
I prayed to God for water
For this burning in my veins
It was like my soul's on fire
And I had to watch the flames
All my dreams went up in ashes
And my future blew away

I am lucky enough to have two wonderful jobs that moderately depend on the economy. I will have a job no matter what. What about those kids who I have coached and taught in one way or another whose lives and existence depend on their family thriving off of the oil and gas industry? Just like the Reds, Bengals, Jazz... I pray for the hometown team. I hope that this town begins to thrive again.

Now the oil's gone
And the money's gone
And the jobs are gone
Still we're hangin' on

We are hangin' on. We have a wonderful core in this town. We have a temple and a few tourist attractions with the dinosaurs. We have farmers and ranchers nearby. We have other mining, we have travelers come through town. We have some of the most beautiful scenary in the high Uintas including Flaming Gorge and other reservoirs nearby.

Down in dry county
They're swimming in the sand
Praying for some holy water
To wash the sins from off our hand
Here in dry county
The promise has run dry
Where nobody cries
And no one's getting out of here alive

I for one know that I am not getting out this house! I have a mortgage that is about twice what my home is worth. I am stuck here, until the demand is back.

Men spend their whole lives
Waiting praying for their big reward
But it seems sometimes
The payoff leaves you feeling
Like a dirty whore
If I could choose the way I'll die
Make it by the gun or knife
'Cause the other way there's too much pain
Night after night after night

I don't know many people in this town currently suffering, but I am aware that people are. I know that some parents are frustrated because they cannot find a job. I know some parents take it out on their children. And I know that there are other horrible effects of this bust. For those who are suffering, I pray for their big reward. Whether it be oil or not, I hope that Uintah County is not Dry County.

Down in dry county
They're swimming in the sand
Praying for some holy water
To wash the sins from off our hand
Here in dry county
The promise has run dry
Where nobody cries
And no one's getting out of here alive

About a boy and his binky

Last night we could not find Quinten's binky before bed. We hadn't discussed much when we should say goodbye to his Binks but at this point it was looking like he would just go cold turkey without one. He pretty much only has his binky while he sleeps but he is I admit a Binkaholic. To make it worse we've lost any masculine looking binky ties and for a few months I've used pink ribbons to attach the binky to his jammies. While I didn't really worry about it(as if Quinten cared) I had a friend inform me she would never under any condition shame her son with the color pink. So I'd been contemplating when we should say goodbye to the binkys since I didn't plan on spending any more money on new ones or accessories.

Well, I didn't know what to expect with the cold turkey but not surprisingly he was a ball of fury. After about an hour Brian started searching and found a binky and we gave it to him. Yes, we caved. Sleep was far more important to us at that point. We are weak. Well, I read online today about how to ease a toddler away from the binky without going cold turkey. It said if you cut the tip off the binky then the child will still use it but it won't be the same and eventually they will not want a binky. Sounded good to me. Before I could think about it I got out the scissors and cut the tips off the 2 remaining binkys. I think you'll agree that by Quinten's definition that was a murder of the worst kind. I think he makes it through the first stages of grief in the next couple videos. Be prepared for a seriously runny nose - poor kid was emotional!
                                              
                                           Video 1: Disbelief

Video 2: Confusion/Panic

Video 3: Mourning - he is saying "BROKEN!"

We'll see if he(or anyone else for that matter) ever sleeps again....

Cracks Me Up

Last weekend our next door neighbors moved to Denver and it just hasn't been the same without hearing them walking up and down the stairs. I'm sure they miss hearing screaming kids next door too. Well before they left we had a little get together- out for ice cream and then they brought their Wii over to play games at our house. Shayla and I used to get together and play once in a while so we thought we'd have one last hurrah. My waistline won't miss the Brinkerhoffs(Shayla is famous for baking amazing gourmet cakes to share) but the rest of us sure do! Anyway, in the videos they are all playing Mario Cart and Ryanna is Baby Peach which is why she talks the way she does in it. Quinten and Ryanna totally crack me up in these videos. In fact, today at church Quinten was trying to do a similar tackle move on Brian and I and thought he was being hilarious. Are we ready for him to be 2 in a few weeks????? We call him our Cookie Monster because he asks for cookies now for every meal since Brian overloaded him with cookies at his office this weekend. So "Cookie PEEEEEAAAASSS"!!!!! is his new favorite saying.

Treasures from my phone

I've been using our video camera more lately but the videos are not successfully loading up on here so I've given up. In reality I use my phone to take pictures and videos more often so I finally decided to give up on the video camera stuff and post what I have from my phone for a little update.

This isn't much for a before and after sequence but yesterday Brian gave Quinten a hair cut, just buzzed it. It was looking rather shaggy and hanging over his ears. I liked it long on the top but we didn't really know how to do a decent haircut without just buzzing it. The picture below is after it was cut though not a great example. I'll try to get a better one. He's such a cute little guy.

Frustrated that he can't make it pedal like his
sister. Just needs to grow a little more.

The picture above and below are from adventures we've had with our friends the Rose family. Above the moms and kids went to the dinosaur museum and had a blast. I wish I had got a better picture - the kids had so much fun and Ryanna wondered if the dinosaurs were just pretending and if they were going to suddenly jump out and eat us. ha! Below the Roses invited us over for dinner at their house and Malachi and Ryanna had a little LadyNTramp style dining. Malachi isn't quite 3 and thinks Ryanna is the coolest. She enjoys playing with him too but it is so ironic because when we are at home it is Q who is obsessed with Malachi or as he says "Chi" - like Eye with a K in front. Garret, the Papa Rose, is a teacher like Brian and helped him coach the 7th grade girls basketball so they are man friends and don't grumble when we want to get all together. haahhaha.

The first weekend in March we were able to stay the night up at Red Canyon Lodge on Flaming Gorge. Our wonderful friends the Baumgartens and Kristen's parents bought us a night stay and gave it to us for Christmas. We had a great time and are so grateful to have been blessed with such thoughtful friends. We brought the kids snow gear and they played in the snow for hours. Ryanna was especially excited about playing in the snow. We drove to Manila on a little side adventure to see if it was worth seeing.......uh yeah. We had breakfast the next morning at a restaurant that is right on the way to the Flaming Gorge dam and it was SO YUMMY! If you ever travel through there and haven't stopped there you really should. Even the kids loved it and they can be super picky. YUM.

These last two pics I took while we were in Pocatello with my family in February. As you can tell no one was interested in getting their picture taken. My sporty little brother Nathan was competing in the Simplot games at Idaho State University. Quinten wasn't feeling great and that was the weekend we ended up with the flu but it was still worth it to spend even a little time with the fam. I just love that rowdy bunch!!

This final treasure was a present that Quinten gave
me on Valentine's Day. I know it is revolting, eggs and water,
but at the same time I thought it was very sweet. :)

The great snow melt!

This park had an overhaul and now has these new swings
among other new fantastical playground equipment. Can you
see her joy??

While his sister likes mom to be within arms distance while she
plays, Quinten enjoyed his independence and would
usually run off when I came around.

It's been months since I could get him to smile for a camera.
His joy was just too much to contain though being at the park.

Ryanna is complimented on her killer boots all the time and this
park visit was no exception.

I'm learning that outside play is key in the soul of a little boy.

Ryanna learned about trees and nature in her church class
and informed us she just had to climb a tree. I told her I'd
help her find one at the park and this was the only one low
enough for me to boost her into.

She told me she was going to climb to the very top and
she meant it!!

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And this little gem was when I came home from the gym the
other day. When I left they were all asleep in their own
beds and by the time I came home they were all piled in
Ryanna's bed. So cute!