Google Image Game

"Google Image Game: Answer the questions by finding pictures from Google Images and choose a fun pic from the first page that comes up."

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1. My First Job: Der Wienerschnitzel in Lakewood, CA

2. My Wish for 2008: Sean will be "Safe in Argentina"

3. My Favorite Flower: Daisy

4. My Favorite Color: Red

5. Name of an old pet: Tinker (a mutt terrier) a great dog!

6. A Nickname: Mike (not very original)

7: My age on my next Birthday: 47. I just had my 46th two days ago....

8. Place I would like to Visit: Machu Picchu, Peru- my all time dream trip!

9. A Favorite Place: The LA Coliseum watching the USC Trojans

10. Favorite Thing to do: learning to play the Bagpipes in Billings

11. Favorite Food: Slippery Shrimp from Yang Chows in China Town, Los Angeles

Bonus: My Name- Michael Emmett (this image is of Michael Emmett Brennan, a firefighter who died in the World Trade Center on 9-11 trying to rescue the people in the towers). He is a Hero!

More California Pictures

While in Calfornia, we got to see a lot of our family and eat some of the things we have been missing living up in Wyoming. Here is an In and Out Burger. I love the Double Double Animal Style. I got to get one. Some had a lot more than that... (Lacey!).

Sean and I had to run down to Vista to get a picture of Grandpa. Here Sean is with his Great Aunt Anne, Great Uncle John and Great Aunt Joan.

Coming home from Aunt Anne's, Sean and I stopped off for a bite to eat at the Harbor House in Sunset Beach. They make the best omelets ever.

Lacey went Grunion Hunting in Huntington Beach with Cousin Dani and Amy. The Grunion didn't run that night because the water was too cold, but the girls had a fun time at the beach.

Grandma Wilma took us to downtown LA's China Town to Yang Chows for the best Slippery Shrimp in the world. If you ever get to Yang Chows you have to get the slippery shrimp. It is the best!

Sean and Lacey with Cousin Taylor

The Gilmore Clan went to lunch down on the Long Beach Marina

My Momma and Me

Lacey and Grandma Wilma

Happy Birthday, Patrick !!!

Me and My Brother Pat

Well, the Big Guy is having a Birthday today. I want to wish my twin brother a very happy birthday today. He turned 46 this morning. Man, is he getting old. It has been great having a twin brother. And to have a birthday on April 6th, how lucky can he get?

Happy Birthday, Patrick !!!

Aunt Diane Passed Away Today

I got a call early today from my brother, Pat. Our Aunt Diane (my Dad's sister) passed away early this morning in Hemet, CA. She had been ill for a few months and passed in her sleep at about 5:30 a.m. Pat has been going to her house every weekend for over a year to help her. He has really been good to her. My Aunt Diane used to live in Hawaii and I always wanted to visit her there. She also bred Scottish Fold cats. She also use to sing at various events around Hemet. Aunt Diane was also addicted to the Home Shopping Network and you could expect a delivery to her home every week of something she just had to have.

New Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ

D. Todd Christofferson

We sustained a new member of the Quorum of the Twelve today in General Conference. Prior, he was sustained to the First Quorum of the Seventy April 3, 1993, at age 48; called to the Presidency of the Seventy Aug. 15, 1998, and sustained Oct. 3, 1998. Former regional representative, stake president, stake president's counselor, and bishop. Received bachelor's degree from BYU, juris doctorate from Duke University. Former associate general counsel of NationsBank Corp., (now Bank of America) in Charlotte, N.C.; practiced law in Washington, D.C., Tennessee and North Carolina, and was volunteer chairman of Affordable Housing of Nashville, Tenn. Born Jan. 24, 1945, in American Fork, Utah, to Paul V. and Jeanne Swenson Christofferson. Wife, Katherine Jacob Christofferson; parents of five children.

Roddick Beats Federer

Finally !!!

After 11 straight loses to Roger, Andy beat him yesterday in the quarterfinals of the Sony Ericsson Open in Florida, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3. Andy played flawlessly to beat Roger. Roger made a few critical mistakes and the results was a Roddick win! I am thrilled. Andy is now 1-0 against Federer since becoming engaged to model, Brooklyn Decker (SI Swimsuit Model).

Seal Beach Pier

After our lunch adventure up in Van Nuys we drove back down to Seal Beach to walk on the beach and pier. Grandpa Art loved coming here with the kids. We had a nice afternoon walking along Main St. eating ice cream and going to the sea shell shop too. Here is a picture of us on the Seal Beach Pier. We had a kick watching the surfers and also some ducks. We had never seen ducks out here in the ocean before. Sea Ducks?

Lacey and Sean at the seal statue in Seal Beach

Mercado Buenos Aires

Last Friday, the day after the funeral, we wanted just to get out and do something as a family. We ended up driving up to Van Nuys in the Valley to a place called Mercado Buenos Aires. It's were the Argentines in Los Angeles hang out and eat. It was a lot of fun. We ordered the meat tray, with all types of meats prepared the Argentine way. We had beef, chicken, sausage and even intestines. Yep! Lacey and I ate it. Sean tasted it and spit most of it out and Page wouldn't even try it. It tasted like liver to me. We all got a big chuckle out of the intestines. There was a blood sausage too that nobody tried, but the rest of it was eaten! We also bought some Argentine cookies and Dulce de Leche (carmel) and a couple bottles of Inca Cola.

Sean and Lacey outside Mercado Buenos Aires

Funeral

Art's funeral was nice, as far as funerals go. The chapel was filled to capacity. Page and Kim gave eulogies and his hometeacher, Carlton, gave a talk. The Bishop and Stake President also gave remarks. Page, Lacey, Sean and I sang "Have I Done Any Good?" We each took a part, soprano, alto, tenor and bass. It turned out really nice and we chose that song because it described how Art lived his life. He was always looking for ways to help others in need. Sean gave the family prayer too.

The Grandkids

The Walker family at the luncheon provided by the Relief Society after the services

Here are flowers that we got for the funeral. On the ribbon, Lacey wanted "How Great Thou Art". Every time Art would hear that song played he would lean over to the grandkids and say "They are playing my song!". They played that song on the organ in the church when they were taking out the casket too.

He is Risen

I know that my Redeemer Lives

Those words have special meaning this Easter. My wonderful Father-in-Law, was more like a father to me than an "inlaw". We miss him very much, but have the peace of knowing he is in a good place.

HAPPY EASTER !!!

Arthur's funeral is scheduled for Thursday at 11 a.m.

Please, keep our family in your prayers.

Page's Dad Passed Away Tonight

Here is Grandpa Art and Lacey at Sean's high school graduation last June in Livingston, MT. Lacey really loves her Grandpa. She has always had a strong bond with him. Lacey is taking this loss very hard. We are heading down to California early in the morning, but first we will pick up Sean at BYU. This is the closest person the kids have lost.

Sean got to go to California to see his Grandparents in January as a late Christmas present. They were so happy to see him. Grandpa was so proud of Sean at BYU, and his mission call. He was making plans to be in the temple with Sean in May. They also were very close and Sean loves his Grandpa very much.

First Day of Spring

Happy Spring! Spring arrived today in Wyoming in typical style. It was overcast earlier today, then the sun started shining and then it started to lightly snow with the sun out. Just a few minutes ago it snowed really hard for a period with gusty winds, and now the sun is shining really bright, wind is calm, and no snow stayed on the ground. Yep, Spring is here....

Page's Dad is Really Sick

I put Page on a plane at 6 a.m. this morning. She rushed down to California because her Dad is not doing well. On Monday evening he went to the hospital because he was turning yellow. They discovered that he had an aorta aneurysm that was leaking pretty bad in his abdomin. They had to rush him into emergency surgery and only gave him a 50-50 chance to survive. Needless to say, we are all pretty worried. He made it through the surgery and is on a ventalator in ICU. He isn't out of the woods yet. He received a priesthood blessing and a lot of prayers are being offered on his behalf. The kids are really taking it hard too.

We were making plans to go to California in early May, after Sean was finished with BYU, so that he could go through the temple with us and with his grandparents. Page's dad is a temple worker in Los Angeles and he was planning on playing an active role in Sean's temple experience. We sure hope he pulls through and can still do that. And then Sean is gone to Argentina for two years on his mission.

Keep Arthur in your prayers.

Lacey's visit with Sean

Sean and Natalie

Lacey and Kim went down to Utah last weekend for a wedding of their friend, Shannon. That gave them the opportunity to zip down to Provo to see Sean. They saw him before church and got to meet Sean's girlfriend, Natalie.

Kim, Lacey and Sean

Lacey and Sean

Happy St. Patricks Day

This Irish boy wishes all of you a happy St. Patrick's Day! May the luck of the Irish rub off on you and May the wind be always at your back!!!

uNSYNCables

Sean and his friends earned 3rd place honors at the Heleman Halls Variety Show on Friday night. They danced to NSYNC's "pop". They were a big hit. One of the judges was Cosmo, the BYU mascot. They got a picture with Cosmo after the event. The group calls themselves the unsyncables. We saw a video of their performance. It was really good.

Here is Sean and his gfrend Natalie at the gym on Saturday. They went with a lot of friends from BYU. I saw this picture on his facebook and thought it was cool so posted it.

Lacey also saw Sean this morning and dropped off his Easter basket for us. Lacey gets back home late tonight. Also, I hope Karie liked her surprise early morning visit today....

Wearing of the Green Party

Had our first Ward Activity last night since I have been called to be Activities Chairman. We called it the "Wearing of the Green" party. Everyone came in green I purchased 65 pounds of corned beef, 20 pounds of red potatoes, 10 pounds of carrots, 10 heads of cabbage and about 20 onions and passed them out to various women in the ward on Wednesday night to cook for the party last night. We also had people bring green salads (leaf, jello, etc) and green desserts. We also had Irish music playing throught out the night. Well, we were hoping for at least 100 people and we got about 120. We had plenty of food and we had lots of fun. I was surprised how many in the ward had never had corned beef and cabbage before. It was a hit. To end the night we had a fiddler play Irish music. We also had a sing-a-long, singing "When Irish Eyes are Smiling" amd "Danny Boy". And for the finale, we had a couple cloggers dance for us. Lacey even came and brought along her friend Kim from Livingston. They left today (Sat.) for a wedding in Brigham City, UT and tomorrow will get to see Sean at BYU before heading back home.

Argentina Cake and Balloons

Last Friday I called the BYU catering department and got them to make this cake for Sean to celebrate his mission call to Argentina. They made it to look like the Argentina flag. It turned out so cool. They delivered it to his dorm room on Monday. Hope you shared some of it with your friends, Sean.

The balloons were supposed to represent the colors of the Argentina flag. I guess they only had "BYU" blue and not a sky blue balloon....

Sean's Mission President in Argentina

Evrett W. and Cheryl Benton

Evrett Wade Benton, 59, Argentina Buenos Aires West Mission; Weston 2nd Ward, Boston Massachusetts Stake; high councilor; former stake and ward Young Men president, temple ordinance worker, high priest group leader assistant and stake Young Men president. President and chief executive officer, Five Star Quality Care, Inc. Born in Vernal, Utah, to Evrett Lee and Adelaide Cortes Benton. Married Cheryl Chapman, four children.

A stake Relief Society president, Sister Benton is a former seminary teacher, ward Relief Society and Young Women president, stake missionary and temple ordinance worker. Born in Seattle, Wash., to Eugene Henry and Marilyn Openshaw Chapman.


The above article and picture was in the Church News this week. Sean is getting a new Mission President in July. He doesn't go down to Argentina until August, so President Benton will be the President Sean will know and work with. Very exciting.....

More on Boston

I had a great time in Boston. Here is the skyline of downtown taken from my hotel room across the Harbor. We would take a water taxi across the harbor at night to go eat dinner or take the subway that goes under the harbor. I had some good seafood (lobster, clam chowder, steamers, scallops...) and excellent Italian food in the north end. I even ate a traditional Irish breakfast at a real Irish pub. I got to shop in the Quincy Market place, walk the Freedom Trail to see a lot of the historic buildings of Boston. My friend Steve took me around one day. We had breakfast in Salem, saw the town of Salem, saw the USS Constitution, Cambridge, Harvard and MIT. I saw the band shell where Boston Pops play on the 4th of July. I saw the state capital, the church where Ben Franklin was baptized, and a lot more. I really liked Boston.

That tall monument is to honor the Battle of Bunker Hill. You can walk all the way up to the top. This photo was shot from my hotel room in East Boston.

I could also see the steeple of the old North Church from my hotel room too.

Here is the old State House. On March 5, 1770, the Boston Massacre took place right out front where the road is today. I was here on March 5th, the 238th anniversary of the massacre, so I got to go into the museum inside the old state house for free. Perfect timing!

You can still tour Paul Revere's House. It is the last standing house from the Colonial Boston days. It is just a few blocks from the Old North Church.

Here is the Old North Church. It is located in the North End. Remember, "one if by land, two if by sea". They placed the lanterns in this church's steeple.

Here is a statue of Paul Revere, with the Old North Church in the background. He is taking his midnight ride to warn "The British are coming!".

Remember the TV show, Cheers? Well, the Pub is here in Boston.

Before flying back to Wyoming on Thursday morning, I got up early and took the subway over to the north end to pick up some canoli at Mike's. YUMBO!!!

Andy Roddick- King of Dubai

Andy Roddick is on a roll in 2008! I have been so focused on Sean's mission call that I missed a lot of thrilling news about Andy in the Dubai Open. Federer was knocked out the first game of the tournament which was good news for Andy. Still Andy was on fire. He never lost a single service game the entire tournament. Earlier this week he upset #2 Nadal and the Australian Open Champ, Djokovic. In the finals yesterday he beat Feliciano Lopez of Spain, 6-7 (8-10), 6-4, 6-2. Andy said this is the best he has EVER played.

This is the second tournament he has won in 3 weeks. He won the tournament in San Jose a few weeks ago.

The day he beat Nadal, he announced that he and his coach, Jimmy Connors, have parted ways. So Roddick is coachless at the moment but it hasn't seemed to be a distraction so far.

USC also beat #7 ranked Stanford last night in our last regular game of the season. Great win, Trojans! We now go onto the Pac-10 tournament then the NCAA tournament. It's March Madness, Baby! OJ Mayo is hinting he might stay another year. Keep your fingers crossed...

What a great week in sports!

Buenos Aires, Argentina !!!

Sean got his mission call yesterday to the Argentina Buenos Aires West Mission! He reports to the MTC on June 18th. The day has finally arrived, my kid is going on a mission. I couldn't be more excited for Sean. He will have one of the best experiences of his life. He will grow spiritually and physically during "the best two years". He will come to love the Argentine people. He was wanting to go to Germany or a Germanic language mission since he has had 5 years of German in school, so he was not expecting a South American call, but come to find out, the largest concentration of German's outside of Germany is right there in Buenos Aires!!!! How cool is that? Besides, once a missionary gets his call, he or she forgets about all the places they wanted to go and get excited about where they are actually going.

He got his envelope just before 4 pm yesterday, about the time I touched down at the Denver airport from Boston. He read his call with me on one phone in Denver and Page on another phone at home. I was so thrilled. I think Argentina will be a wonderful place to spend two years serving the Lord. Now he has to learn Spanish. As you can imagine, we are all trying to read everything we can about Argentina. If you have any comments about Argentina, pass them along!