Dave the Blogger

Six Month Blogger

2009-01-06T09:50:00.000-08:00

By the looks of it... I am a six month blogger. I just posted a comment on a friend's blog this morning (check out the pics of his cute daughter here), so I decided I should update my blog in case this comment spurred any new visitors to my blog.

During the past six months a lot has happened. One cool thing was getting published in a magazine called New Dentist magazine. That was pretty sweet.

The most exciting thing was Lexi getting baptized. This just happened last Saturday. It was so awesome to have family and friends there. It was very special and I'm happy for Lexi.

Here is one pic that Denae took of her on her baptism day...

For more images and a much better blog, go to my wife's blog or her photo blog.

Thanks for coming to visit. I'll try to not be so infrequent!

Awesomeness!!!

2008-06-08T21:39:00.001-07:00

I don't know why that's the title of my blog... I just love that word. I always tell the young men in my ward that they need to be awesome, and that being good is awesome, etc. It's just a good word!

Well, it's been over six months since my last blog... LOSER!!!

Today was an awesome Sunday! I played some serious Star Wars Mashoonga on the trampoline with Logan and Lexi, and just pretty much hung out the rest of the day. I remember wrestling with Macey at some point, too. She had been playing in the skunk weed today and then was rolling over on my face... The scent of skunk weed was pretty pungent!

We had our home teachers over, and I went to visit one family as well. It always makes you feel good to do your home teaching!

(This post is my way of easing back into the blogging scene... please bare with me)

Christmas Pic Preview

2007-11-15T21:10:00.000-08:00

This post is dedicated, in part to Tanyetta. I don't even know her that well, put she left me a nice post after months of no blogging, and it made me feel loved. Thanks to others who posted on mine after long stretches of not blogging (like Tyler and Bob).

I basically wanted to blog because Tanyetta let me know that people still check my blog out here in Bloser-ville.

So, for my come back post, I'm giving you all a sneak-peek at our Christmas card picture. He he he! Hopefully this is ok with Denae... $c;

(scroll down please)

Are you disappointed? "C'mon Steven!" I told you it was a sneak-peek. If I put the whole thing on there, I might as well baste myself along-side the Thanksgiving turkey and hop in the oven... That would be a quicker and less painful death than suffering the wrath of Denae if I spoiled our Christmas pic!

Juuuuuust Kiddiiiiiiiiiing!!!

Ahhhhhh, well, it's good to be back!

Until next time... maybe next July?

Blogger's Block...

2007-03-04T20:01:00.000-08:00

So, this is sort of one of those posts to get the last one off the top of your page...
Life has been pretty good lately. It is busy season and I'm actually getting along pretty well. Denae is a real trooper, as usual. Most nights I get home and there is dinner ready for me to eat, the kids are all well taken care of and happy, and a lot of times the house seems super clean! It is pretty cool. I'm so lucky to have her running the show around here. Thanks to all you wives out there who make it possible for your husbands to look like they are taking good care of their families.

I've been on a pretty strict schedule this year. I try to get to bed by 9:00 pm (which is sometimes impossible, as there are just too many things to talk about each day with Denae). Then I'm up around 4:00 am, shower, breakfast, scriptures, out the door around 5:00 am. Then I'm able to put in a good 11 hour day (give or take a little), and be home before the kids are in bed. So, it's been pretty good.

There are only like 7 weeks left of the busy season. Hello! The weeks fly by. Mostly because there is so much to get done, there is never a dull moment, and I'm always feeling behind! I'm sure time doesn't fly so much for Denae... but she rarely lets on.

Well, this blog is sort of boring... but, hey, I'm trying to get back on the blog train. I called this post "Blogger's Block" because I set here for a couple of minutes and couldn't think of anything cool to blog about... hence the boring synopsis of my life during busy season!

Tah Tah for now... and next time I post it will be hecka cool!

VW Obsession, Round Two...

2006-11-18T20:47:00.000-08:00

Well, I can see that my blogs are few and far between... I apologize... I know you are all dying to hear what I have to say (yea right!). I do know that Chad likes when I blog, because he actually tells me to blog more often. Denae likes it too, but she doesn't count as a fan because she is my wife and she feels obligated to enjoy my blogs........ I digress...

The reason I'm blogging tonight is because my obsession with owning a bug has been reignited!

The other day I was driving along and noticed the all-too-recognizable headlights of a VW bug behind me. As I turned a corner, I thought I noticed that the sides were white (I love that). So, I slowed down a bit to let it pull up next to me. I like to get a good look at them whenever I get a chance. Well, as it pulled up, I noticed in the window a "For Sale" sign. This got my attention and I quickly slowed down, turned right (to keep with him), and followed him a couple blocks to his house. I asked the guy how much it was. He said it was $4,500, and that he had an extra engine, roof racks, and some other stuff in the garage that was included in the price. It was probably a good deal, but I can't really afford it right now... plus, I need to be somewhat grown up these days.

So, I've been by the house a couple of times to try and sneak a peek at the bug. The picture of the red and white bug above looks similar to the one I saw (the one I saw did not have the trunk off like that). I got this pic from an awesome site called The Samba. It's an awesome site, dedicated to VW's. It has tons of classified ads, as well as just galleries with pics galore... I encourage you all to check it out!

I've also jogged by that house and a couple of other places where I know bugs reside on other days. What can I say, I think they're awesome... I want one... one day I will have one... that is that!

So, besides the bug obsession (I should say, "along with the bug obsession"), life is great. The kids seem so big. I love days when I get to see them a lot. Lexi is awesome, smart & pretty... she is basically literate, which is the bomb.com. Logan is a funny story teller, and really intensely into music (you should see his face on the instrumental parts of the Lion King sound track... it's like he's seeing the whole scene in his mind). Macey is as cute as can be and she is a real fire cracker!

Denae is the awesomest! Tonight she cooked dinner for a friend who just had a baby, and for our family. It was soooo good! Without her, I would basically shrivel up and die...

Well all you readers and bloggers out there... until next time, this is Blogger Dave checking out.

By the way... if you know anyone with a bug that runs who doesn't want it, I'll take it off of their hands for them... NICE!!!

Memories of ALOHA...

2006-10-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

Hello... and ALOHA! I'm sending a shout out from my native land... HAWAI'I!!!

OK... so I'm not from Hawaii... but my mom WAS literally born there! In Honolulu... So, I'm basically part Hawaiian! Aww yea! That is probably where I get my natural "layed back" tendencies, which you may have read about in one of my beautiful wife's blog posts... something about "Tell my husband to slow down!" That, by the way, in the picture with me happens to be my very beautiful wife. How can you disagree with me? Just look at her... and she is even more beautiful (if you can imagine such a thing) on the inside! I literally thank the Man upstairs for her at least twice every single day of my life! I am so lucky to have her...

OK... so this was us on a trip to Hawaii for my mom's 60th birthday. It was an incredible trip! Thanks mom!!!

It is now coming up on her birthday again. We're celebrating it tomorrow, along with my sister, Sophie's birthday. It should be a good time for all.

Tomorrow morning we are going to do temple work for my mom's dad (my grandpa Art) and some other family members with my mom, Adam & Jean, and Denae & me. I am very excited!

I went and did the baptisms and confirmations for them this Thursday night. It was an awesome experience! Temple work and geneology are so special. I'm glad I'm finally getting into it... with a lot of help from Denae and her mom... and a lot of initial ground work done by my mom.

Well, this blog is getting hecksta long, so I had better end it!

Happy Halloween to all (almost),
and to all a good night!

Bye

A gallon of gas?... How about three?

2006-09-15T20:28:00.000-07:00

So I pull into this gas station in Antioch last night pretty late (it's dark out). As I pull up there is this guy in a big white Buick sitting there, sort of looking around (there is no gas pumping into his car). I thought that looked a little suspicious, but I'm not going to let that stop me from getting ten cents off per gallon (for a limited time only) at the safeway gas station.

So, as I'm getting ready to get my gas the guy from the Buick comes up to me... he is at least six feet tall, with a missing tooth and some sort of scar on his face (are you scared for me?). He says, "I need to get to Bailey Road, and I need a gallon of gas." I'm thinking, "Darn it! I don't want to give this guy any money!" So I said, "I can tell you how to get to Bailey Road..." He responds, "Oh I know how to get to Bailey Road... I just need some gas." I say, "Aw man, I don't even have one dollar in cash..." He says very politely, "Well, I don't need cash... I just need a gallon of gas." By this time I'm thinking, "Man, this guy is determined and shameless!" So I asked him, "So you want me to go over there and buy you some gas?" Again very politely, "Well, yes... if you would please?" So, I think about it for a second and say to myself, "What the heck...!" So I walked over and put in my card (and my code to save ten cents per gallon), and let him put in a little gas. As I was walking past him to go back to my car I said, "Now don't take me for a ride... Only put in a little..." He said, "Oh, I'll do it right here in front you." I said, "No, don't worry about it... I trust you." As I was walking back to my car and we were saying stuff like, "Have a good night." "Thank you and God bless you." etc. He said, "How about three? Do you mind if I put in three (meaning three gallons... and he was good enough to hold up three fingers, so if I couldn't hear him, I would know what he meant)?" I said, "Sure, no problem." Then I got in my car and drove off.

I was watching him as I drove away, and pretty much right after I left he finished. So, I think he really did only get three gallons. So, take it for what it's worth... at first I didn't want to help him out... but after I did, I felt good about the whole exchange...

So... that was a pretty long story... but that's what's up with me.

Also, Denae just got a replacement phone from Cingular because her other one broke. The sent her a complimentary phone holster. I'm considering joining the "Nerd Patrol" (props to JP), and using it... because sometimes I get tired of having my cell phone in my pocket all of the time... So, if you see me sporting a stylish cell phone holster, that's the deal. (This paragraph reminds me of that movie "The In-Laws" when the doctor guy gets made fun of for having a fanny-pack... especially the part when the foreign body guard guys say "Thenslfkjdshkdldfj "fanny-pack" sldkfjsdlkfjosdi?" and then they laugh at him... it's pretty funny.)

Well, I'm signing off now...

PO!

Dave

Big whiffer!!!

2006-09-03T21:57:00.000-07:00

Yes... this is me getting a lesson in tetherball from Denny. As you can see, my arm is swinging towards the right, while the ball is clearly going to the left. I think this was a desperate attempt at blocking on of Denny's killer, hecka-high around the world shots. While I made quick work of Dustin and Devin (sorry guys... you really were worthy apponents), the Denners and I had a serious battle. After tons of "ropies" (including one blatant one that left a mark for a couple of days), and one breather, and one time were I walked away defeated only to come back and finish the game... Denny proved the more potent tetherballer. He smoked me... I think all of his childhood memories of ruling the playground came flooding back to give him that extra juice he needed to put me down. The only visions flooding my mind were those of throbbing arms, bruised hands, burning lungs, sweaty me, and the impending agony of defeat. Then someone snaps a picture like this, just to seal the deal on how badly Denny really beat me. It was fun though. This was part of our reunion in Tahoe... where the theme was Napoleon Dynamite... so we had a flippin' sweet tetherball tourney!

Well... I basically went into our pictures on our computer, and found a fun one to blog about... I always like blogs that are accompanied by a picture. Apparently this one was worth about 212 words (according to Microsoft Word wordcount).

The kids had a ton of fun playing tetherball, too. Denae even went to the final round of the women's bracket against Julie, where she met her end. I especially liked the game that Chad and I played entirely with our feet/bodies (soccer rules)... that was fun.

I hope this blog finds you all well... there is no better way to be. If there is a reason why you are not well... do something to change that. What's not to be happy about... really? If you are reading this blog, that means you speak (and read) English... you have a computer with internet access... basically you are one of the top 1% of people in this world in terms of standard of living. I'm sure your problems pale in comparison to the problems that many people in our world have come to accept as a part of daily life. So, anyway... cheer up... if you're already happy, good for you... go lift someone else up. Being happy is a blessing to be shared.

That last paragraph was a doozey... but true...

I'm one of the lucky people on this earth who is blessed with an amazing spouse who is twice the person I am, a beautiful family with kids that love me, a good job, a testimony of the resored gospel, and so much more (are you getting the feeling that I wrote this on Fast Sunday? Because I did).

Well, you've seen it all here, from tetherball to the gospel to literacy... this is an amazing blog.

I love you all. Merry Christmas to all... and to all a good night! (Less that three months until we can officially put on the Christmas tunes!)

Bye, now...

FLYING WATERMELON!!!

2006-08-12T14:23:00.000-07:00

Or should I say, "FLYING SHAMU IMPERSONATOR!!!"

I was looking at these pictures the other day and I thought, "I'm glad this picture is all fuzzy." Because, let's face it... I could manage to shed a couple of pounds. Admittedly, I'm not huge by any means... I just think I would feel better if I shed 15 pounds or so.

Anyway, this is a picture of me performing a "flying watermelon" at a friend's house on the 4th of July. I'll not mention their names to protect their anonimity, but they know who they are... Thanks B#%@!&'s!!!

This is pretty much my favorite diving board trick... (think that one in Napoleon Dynamite's voice). I like it because it looks a little crazy, it makes a big splash, it involves a semi-front-flipping/rolling action, and I rarely get injured doing it. It just feels very natural.

The only time I got seriously injured doing it was off of the 5-meter diving platform at BYU. We got to play in the diving pool after my Lifeguarding class. I pulled a flying water melon, and when I landed it felt like my head exploded! It sounded like it too! I felt pretty dizzy for a while, but thought I was fine. It started to hurt wicked bad later that day. So, I went to the docter and they gave me some hecka strong pain pills to help me get through the healing. I guess there's not much they can do for a ruptured ear drum.

So, that's about all I have to say about the flying water melon.

Oh! It is done by flying through the air (like in the picture above) as if you're headed for the biggest belly flop ever. Then at the last minute you roll up into a ball and basically do an upside down cannonball. Or in other words, a water melon... Niiiiiiice........

Well, I hope this blog has been fulfilling for you, as it has for me.

Bye now!

Here we go again...

2006-04-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

So, hopefully posting a picture of my new car is not bad luck...
this is my car I got to replace the bug. It is a 2002 Nissan Sentra SE-R... it is pretty awesome!
I had my friends John & Monte at Contra Costa Auto Sales in Oakley buy it for me at an auction. John hooked me up, and I ended up paying $11,500 for it. It only had 27,700 miles on it... it is in really great condition... it gets better gas mileage than the bug did. Plus, after sales tax and registration and everything, I ended up getting around $3,600 more from Geico for the bug than I paid for my new car. Pretty cool.
Well, sort of like my wife, Denae, wanted to blog to get her previous post off the top of her blog, it was sort of painful to see the smashed bug at the top of my blog.
If any of you are annoyed that I keep calling it a bug, when in fact it was a New Beetle, just relax... to my kids and my family, it was "the bug."
Even though my new car is pretty much as fast as the bug, I'm driving much more responsibly these days... as you can imagine!
The bug was pretty much my dream car... but this is a pretty good replacement...

Well, the family and I are off to Mexico tomorrow for our post-busy-season trip. It should be a lot of fun! I want to teach the kids how to swim... We'll see how it goes.

Take care... and blog on!

Crashed the bug!!!

2006-04-16T22:05:00.000-07:00

So, here it is!!! Kind of ironic that my first (well second) blog was of my awesome new bug... and now, here it is in all of it's wrecked glory!!!
BooHoo...
Hecka bummer, but also......... hecka blessed to be alive today, writing this touching blog...
Thankfully, I was able to hang out with my wife and kids this weekend... mow the lawn... change poopie diapers... and all of the fun things that parents get to do... basically, I'm just glad to be here...

Well... here's my bug... for the last time. Sionara!

Just wanted to blog a little for all you teasers out there... always teasin' me...

Today was Easter, and we had some good egg hunts... the Easter Bunny was good to the kids this year. Even Macey had fun... she didn't even need her basket. She was just stuffing candy in her mouth as she went. It was really cute................... and a little scary...

I love my beautiful wife (cold sore and all) and kids... that's my life... and I love it!

Good night... and God bless us everyone... (especially Denae's cold sore.......please, please, please make it go away!)

Bong-Yong-E Yong-'A-Long-Long

Dong-A-Vong-E

Blogging Aspirations!

2006-03-19T22:33:00.000-08:00

So, in talking to our very own entrepenuer of the family (Chad), I decided that I want to make my blog a little more cool. I decided that I might be on to something, blogging about VW's. I figure if I keep blogging about them, and start telling people about my blog at other VW sites and forums... then I'll maybe generate a little bit of traffic. Then I can start putting Google Ads on there and making an extra $100 per year of cold, hard cash!

So, that's my new plan... but as for now, I think I'll head off to bed so I can wake up extremely early in the morning and go to work. I am, after all, an accountant... and this is, after all, busy season.

So, anyway... peace out! I hope whoever is reading this blog... if anyone is reading it... has a great day!

By the way, I'm the big loser this year in my family's NCAA tourney bracket. I was in last place all the way, and got completely obliterated when my dark horse, UNC, got smoked this weekend. Oh well... at least I've still got two legs, two arms, two eyes, one nose, ten fingers, ten toes, a brain (huge brain, by the way), a beautiful-amazing-cute-fun-smart-funny-strong-supportive-loving wife, three awesome kids that make me happier than anything, and my testimony...
So, I guess the NCAA tourney isn't really that crucial right now.

Loveya-loveya-loveya-loveya-loveya-loveya-loveya goooooooooo Harlows Blodgetts Abillas Smurthwaites Pawsons, etc.!!!

(The camel is something Denae used in her primary lesson today, by the way)

VW bus blog... my new hobby...

2006-03-05T21:26:00.000-08:00

Well, every person needs a hobby... and I've decided that I know what I want my hobby to be!

VW's!!!

I love them! I love the classics... I can't help but notice them whenever I go anywhere, and I get so excited when I see them. For example... everyday on my way home from work, as I'm coming down this one hill, there is a house I pass that has a few old vw's in the back yard. You can barely see them because of all the trees and stuff. So, I have driven by really slowly a few times to get a better look. One time I even drove over the the neighborhood and knocked on the front door of the house. When noone came, I took the liberty of walking around the side, into the yard and getting a closer look at the old bug and bus. It was a thrill! But, they were pretty thrashed... I do still try to catch a glimpse pretty often as I drive by.

Now, on my drive I've noticed there is a house off of the road a little ways with one baja bug that they drive around and another bug in the side yard, covered with a tarp. Once the tarp was off a little and I got a little peak... but I usually glance down there as I pass, just in case the tarp is off.

The other day at work a lady gave me this calendar with a bunch of classic bugs, busses, and ghia's etc. It got me all excited about them again.

As you know, from my earlier blog, I recently got a new beetle. I love it! It is hecka fun and reminds me of the days when I used to drive around in my '73 super beetle.

My wife loves me, and always wants to get me stuff that I think is cool. She has gotten me little model bugs, a hot wheels one, etc. Her parents even got me a model to put together.

Anyway... I decided that this was my new hobby.

I wanted to put a cool picture of an old vw on this blog... so this is one I found. There were some awesome ones in the calendar I got... but this is the best I could find tonight.

Peace out!

Dave

TESTING... TESTING... 1-2-3

2006-01-06T15:47:00.000-08:00

This is to test the blogging action!!!

Dave the...... Bloser!

2005-12-16T23:31:00.000-08:00

Bloser (blue - zer) : a modern derivative of the common English words, "blogger" and "loser"... used to define a person who starts a blog, then never blogs again... Bloser. Consider the following example: Dave is a bloser.

Well, now that I've got that off my chest......Blogging is hecksta cool... and I like to do it, and to read other people's blogs. But when it comes right down to it... I have been a huge bloser! Oh, well... there's always time to change.

I'm going to try to find a cool picture to post... just because blogs with pics are like a cochillian times better than blogs without pics.

It's hecka late... so I've got to hit the sack...

I'll see if I can find a pic real quick... then I'm out!

The image above is of my cute wife and our little baby Macey, who turned one yesterday! This was on a fun camping trip with the Eggers, Fangers and Hales. That's our tent that Denny swore would comfortably fit our family of five!
Macey was a star on this trip... the kids had a blast... I porked... I mean PORKED OUT on roasted marshmallows... Denae was a champ... a good looking champ! All in all... a great first camping experience for the Harlows!

Peace!!!

The Bug, Fully Loaded!!!

2005-11-29T21:56:00.000-08:00

Well, hopefully this picture loads up alright. This is a pic of me in my hecka-tizight new wheels! I got it so I could have a better commuter car than my minivan... And it is definitely better! I say "The Bug, Fully Loaded" because when I was in highschool I had a 73 Super Beetle. My friend Paul and I painted flames on it and painted "The Bug" on the side. Well, when I was on my mission in the Dominican Republic, my parents gave The Bug away. I've been wanting one ever since. So, this is my way of having an awesome VW again. Plus it is orange, which is my favorite color (along with green)...

Anyway... it's late and I should be getting to bed!

Peace out!

Dave

Just getting started

2005-11-28T15:05:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm mostly just starting this so I can comment on my wife's awesome Blog!

I'm actually busily working my fingers to the bone.... shhhhh....