President Gordon B. Hinckley

"His life was a true testament of service, and he had an abiding love for others," said U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican and fellow Mormon. "His wit, wisdom, and exemplary leadership will be missed by not only members of our faith, but by people of all faiths throughout the world."

Today, President Hinckley passed away. He lived such a wonderful, happy life. Ashley and I will miss him greatly. We thank our Heavenly Father for letting us know such a great man. We are also happy for him to be together again with his wonderful wife. For those of you who might know who he is, he was the best Christlike example of any man living on this earth today. May he rest in peace.

Deseret News Article on his life.

My First Political Post!!

Hi Everyone! This past year has been very exciting for me as I've really (For the first time ever) gotten into the political scene. I've read everything I can find, and been trying to educate myself on ALL the candidates before I make my final decision. So with out further ado, I would like to announce my official endorsement for... drum roll please....



MITT ROMNEY!!!!

He is by far the best candidate out there, and it's come down to him and John McCain for the Republican nomination. Unfortunately, Oregon doesn't have their presidential primary until May, so I just get to watch the process unfold. Since John McCain is Mitt's biggest threat, I just want to post what has been said today by some other conservatives regarding McCain. All I have to say is that the last endorsement any Republican nominee should want is the New York Times.


Friday, January 25, 2008
The New York Times Endorses McCain
Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 8:49 AM

I hope very GOP voter with a ballot left to cast reads this telegram from today's left wing elite:

"Senator John McCain of Arizona is the only Republican who promises to end the George Bush style of governing from and on behalf of a small, angry fringe. With a record of working across the aisle to develop sound bipartisan legislation, he would offer a choice to a broader range of Americans than the rest of the Republican field. We have shuddered at Mr. McCain’s occasional, tactical pander to the right because he has demonstrated that he has the character to stand on principle. He was an early advocate for battling global warming and risked his presidential bid to uphold fundamental American values in the immigration debate."

The Times' editorial board --the most reliably anti-conservative, anti-defense, anti-life, anti-originalism, anti-growth opinion machine in the major U.S. media-- loves John McCain and expects that if he is the nominee the Arizona maverick will govern in ways acceptable to them, especially on global warming and immigration.

They know their man. Does the GOP?

I certainly hope that everyone does their research on the candidates. Feel free to comment regarding your favorite candidate as well. I'd love to hear your arguments for or against.

Here's one more link from a guy named James Fallows and his first impressions on the candidates and the debate last night.

Man from Mars perspective on the Republican debate

24 Jan 2008 11:19 pm

As soon as this evening's Florida debate ended, the MSNBC TV commentators were wondering how it would have looked to "someone who was seeing these candidates for the first time."

Why didn't they just ask me?

This is the first debate among the Republicans that I've seen at full length and in real time.* So factoring in all the expectations I'd gathered from coverage (Romney too weaselly, McCain really the strongest one, Huckabee a charmer, etc), how did it look?

Romney by a mile. More precisely, the only candidate you could imagine putting up a plausible general-election fight. Again, I'm not handicapping the GOP race, which I know nothing about. I'm not saying how each candidate did relative to previous appearances. I am telling you how this one debate looked if you had never seen these guys on the same stage before.

McCain, Giuliani, and Huckabee all notably ill at ease when asked to say anything about the economy. (Huckabee: building two new lanes on I-95, Maine to Florida, as an energy saving measure???) When Romney asked Giuliani a specific question about how to deal with China, the answer reminded me of the way I would sound if asked to fill 90 seconds discussing my favorite fashion designers. McCain attempting to describe his economy policy by listing his advisors. (Jack Kemp?) The more the economy matters as The general election issue, the less this will cut it -- and the more Romney can use at least the veneer of his being able to discuss the issue.

Two other random points:- Boy, do these people hate Hillary Clinton! Her name was mentioned at least ten times as often as George Bush's (and all Bush mentions, that I heard, were from Romney).

- The intrusiveness and badgering nature of Tim Russert's questions! I wonder whether the two parties will subject themselves to another presidential cycle of "debating" on these demeaning terms.

Here endeth the report from outer space.

PS - I don't know if you've seen, but I have a translate button on the side bar that will translate my blog into whatever language you'd prefer. I think the Chinese looks the coolest. Try it out for fun :)

Happy Birthday Babe!!!!
Dallas is celebrating his 27th Birthday today!!
Many of you know Dallas and many of you don’t. I thought I’d share just 27 out of the millions of reasons why I love him and think he’s so amazing. We’ve been married for almost 3 and a half years and I love him way more today than I did yesterday, and will love him way more tomorrow than I do today. Wish him a Happy Birthday when you can!
27 things I love about Dallas
1. He thinks he’s Chinese :)
2. He LOVES to sing in the shower…my personal favorite is when he sings Phantom of the Opera
3. He lets me burrow my ice cold feet under his warm legs when we get into bed
4. Even though I’m ALWAYS right, he doesn’t rub it in too much when I’m wrong…lol, right, Dallas? :)
5. He tells me that I’m beautiful and that he loves me EVERY day.
6. He taught me that happiness is a choice and he chooses to be happy regardless of his circumstances, an ability very few people have these days.
7. He can tell when I’m hungry and usually knows not to push anything at that time
8. He is so great at making people feel welcome and valued
9. His leadership ability to set an example
10. He’s the kind of smart that just “get’s it” and is patient with having to explain things to me.
11. He welcomes challenges and change with so much faith
12. His testimony of our Savior is steadfast and immovable
13. He never judges anyone
14. His humility and integrity speak volumes about his character
15. If the way he takes care of Zee and Toby are any indication of the type of Dad he’ll be, I’m STOKED.
16. He’s a great communicator and teaches me how to say what I feel
17. He’s got a GREAT butt
18. His love for pizza is endearing
19. His business socks are sexy and hilarious
20. His respect for women was what initially attracted me to him
21. He has a great ability to make me feel safe and calm just by being with me
22. He intuitively knows when to take charge and when to stand back
23. His passion for sports, fantasy football and politics
24. His love for and willingness to serve others
25. He always asks, "What can I do to help?"
26. He is very good at prioritizing and staying calm, I don’t think he EVER gets stressed
27. He always makes time for things that are most important to us.
...Just a couple of my favorites...Happy Birthday Dallas!!

Here's Ashley's color, do you agree?

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Black

Your color is black. The color of night. Serene and mysterious, black conjures up images of elegant evening gowns, dashing tuxedos, and gleaming limousines. Traditionally a symbol of success, black also represents power and an uncompromising demand for perfection. Not surprisingly, you tend to set challenging goals for yourself and do whatever it takes to achieve them — your strength of character is second to none. This unfaltering determination, along with your natural elegance, impresses people. But keep in mind that your personality might be intimidating to some. Try to temper your demanding side with a little softness — trust us, it won't kill you. Overall, though, black is the color of professionalism and achievement, which means it's clearly the color for you.

Take this test >

A color test. Do you agree?

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Yellow

You're yellow, the color of joy and energy — two things you definitely bring to everyone around you. It's hard for anyone to be sad or lonely in your presence; your sunny disposition and cheery outlook just won't allow it. The warmth of your personality shines through in the kindness you show friends and family (and strangers, too). Always ready with a lighthearted joke or heartfelt compliment, you know how to make people feel good about themselves, so they can't get enough of you. Yellow is a warm and inviting color for a warm and inviting person — you!

Take this test >

Adam Scott Nunn!!!

Well we have another nephew to announce. This is Baranie's fourth child. Her other kids were there as well to help support. Below is what Baranie posted on her blog.

"It's a Boy! Adam arrived January 10, 2008 at 6:12pm. He weighed 6 lb 14 oz and is 20" long. He was greeted by his older siblings and it was Clara who announced that it was a boy."

You can view her pictures by clicking on this link...

http://nunnsnotes.blogspot.com/2008/01/adam-scott-nunn.html

Google Reader

A few months ago I found Google Reader (Thank you Deanna and Todd). Then today, I saw Amy post on her blog telling everyone about Google Reader. So I decided I should as well.

I can't tell you how great it is for anyone who has multiple websites they like to read throughout the day. It's especially helpful for keeping track of all your friend's blogs. I read news websites, sports websites, comedy central clips, and blogs daily. It keeps everything in one spot, and shows you any updates on the sites that you want to check up on. This way you don't have to continue checking each and every individual website. Go to Google Reader (That means click on the underlined words) and set up your own account. This will make your life so much easier and quicker. Let me know if you have any questions.

On a side note, I recently started a new club for cool people like me called the "Hulkamaniacs!" Unfortunately, my wife refused to acknowledge my existence because I was "too cool", and the club was disbanded before I could recruit any more members. Sorry if I got any one's hopes up there... maybe in the next life.

Happy New Year!

HAPPY 2008!!!

So we flew back to OreGON on Wednesday after Christmas and although we both love our jobs, we had a hard time getting back into the swing of things with just two work days left in the week, but not to worry, we partied hard starting Friday night!! Mom and Dad and the girls drove back to Cali on Friday, but stopped in Reno so the girls could jump on a plane to come spend the weekend with US for New Years!! I haven't packed as much as we did into one weekend for a long time, but we loved every second, except for the last part....

Saturday morning I took the girls to go get manicures at a random nail place just outside Newberg. Well, it is interesting how extras get added in without you realizing it till they charge you an arm and a leg at the end...lol. I'm apparently not versed enough to ask how much each additional thing costs. There is a hilarious comedy skit on YouTube done by Anjelah Johnson about getting your nails done and Brie memorized it and performed it for us after much convincing...you'd think after knowing what to expect I wouldn't have let them get away with extra charges!
(DON'T FORGET TO PAUSE THE MUSIC SO YOU CAN HEAR THE VIDEOS).



I'm sure there are some who can COMPLETELY relate to this...if not, it's all good, don't worry about it. :)

The finished product..."Flowas only fai dolla moh! I do fo you! Fench ti only fai dolla moh!...PER PERSON! When I was told to pick a color, I didn't know WHITE was going to cost EXTRA...all in all though, it was so funny that I didn't even bother to make a scene. I just kept thinking of Brie's skit the whole time...a great way to start a funfilled weekend! Fo SHO!

I don't remember whose hands these are...Brie are these yours? :)



So, for one of Dallas' stocking stuffers, I bought him one of those remote control helicopters from Brookstone and he and the girls went nuts with it. They actually learned to control it quite well, but this picture was taken BEFORE that happened and Brooke flew it right into my hair. No big deal, except for the propeller KEPT SPINNING until it got all tangled in my hair!! I was completely understanding, can't you tell?



Saturday afternoon we decided to visit the Pittock Mansion. It was the home of some early Oregon Pioneers who contributed much to the growth of Portland...ask Brooke for more details...she's the one that did the report on them. It was pretty foggy and rainy outside, but we still got a great view of Portland from the hill.



The Pittock Mansion had a theme, "A Fairy Tale Christmas," so each room was decorated with a different fairy tale theme. Since Brie is playing the Queen of Hearts in her school play, we took a picture of her in the Alice in Wonderland room in front of the Queen. (I'm glad we didn't see I Am Legend until a couple days later, or this situation might have been a little more disturbing.)



Left: Me just being dramatic. There was a fence there and I was pretending to lean over it, but you can't see it, so it makes it kinda lame. Right: Brie and me in front of the back side of the mansion...Dallas suggested that this field would be awesome for mud football...very true, very true.



So after we went to the mansion, the girls and Dallas were great sports as we drove around Vancouver looking at ellipticals for sale on Craig's list. I finally found the one I wanted and it works GREAT!!! This is a picture of what Brooke did to Brie after an hour of being bored. Then the other picture was when they'd finally had enough! It's ok though, they woke up in time for us to go to National Treasure 2 that night!

Sunday we went to church and then pretty much vegged most of the day. We probably should have been less lazy, but instead we watched four movies. heehee. :)

Monday morning Dallas and I got up early and I went to physical therapy while Dallas picked up the elliptical, and the girls were still sleeping when we got back! We were going to go horse back riding with a lady from our ward, but her son broke his leg that morning, so that was out...instead we went to a matinee of I Am Legend. Good movie. Strange, but good. Will Smith is HOT! We then drove to the Woodburn Outlets to shop, not realizing they closed at 6 and we got there at 5...So....we just randomly roamed around Target, Fred Meyer and Papa John's before we came home to play games till 2008! I got my butt kicked at Phase 10. It's amazing how fun it is when I'm winning and how absolutely painful it is when I'm losing. Especially playing with two more COMPETITIVE SIMMONS girls. We had a good time though. In Newberg everyone shoots off fireworks on New Years. It was Sawwweeeet! We went outside thinking we were cool with a bunch of little poppers and snap guns, and our neighbors blew us away with their REAL fireworks...the bigs ones they use on the 4th of July...it was awesome!



I know. Random. This is the only picture we took on Monday. The girls thought this Smart Car was awesome, so they took a picture and this lady thought we were crazy! Duh! Everyone knows that.



Just kidding, I forgot about this picture. So we took TWO pictures on Monday. Actually we took several of the same scene, but these were the best ones. This is the couch I want. I just have to figure out how to make the corner wall in my living room longer or the couch shorter so that it fits like it's supposed to. :)

Tuesday morning we woke up and went to Lincoln City on the coast. We lasted for approximately 10 minutes on the beach. FREEEEZING, but beautiful. We obviously lasted long enough to get some cute pictures.







So as we are walking back to the car, Brie spots this glass ball. When we got in the car, we noticed it has an official number for you to call and register it. Apparently some organization hides these on the beach and when you find them, there's a "Finders Keepers" sticker on it and you register it as an official keepsake of Lincoln City. Cute idea, eh? Brie didn't want it to break traveling back to Cali, so she left it with us.



Brooke had this great idea. Let's grab the most random things we can find in Old Navy, put them on in the dressing room and take pictures. My first thought was, "C'mon, seriously? Lame!!" Then I remembered doing the exact same thing with Jill Hacker way back when, only at Target...lol. Craziness.



Yay for little sisters. Well, not so little anymore, but it's fun to have them come and hang out. I can't believe Brooke's 12 and Brie's 13. Time flies way too fast!

So, here's the big finale. I decided to make some soup for dinner for everyone at like 9pm Tuesday night...
Because my manicure had already started peeling off, the girls and I repainted our nails while we watched watched Balls of Fury with Dallas. So...because my nails were wet, I was trying not to mess them up, opening my can of Progresso Minestrone. Well...the little self opener deal kinked the lid instead of allowing me to pull it off in a nice easy motion. When it folded, my right middle finger got in the way. It was weird because it felt like I smashed my finger in a drawer really hard, so I didn't look at it. Then....the STING!!! I kept saying out loud, "It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt. I'm good. No big deal, no worries." Yeah, that doesn't help. After "discussing" with Dallas for like 15 minutes, HE won and we went to the ER to see if I needed stitches. I felt lame. Who cuts their finger on a can of soup like that? I mean really?




So here are pictures of my finger about an hour after the bleeding had "stopped." I figured I'd just need a good ole butterfly bandaid and I'd be good, but the doctor gave me four shots and 3 stitches. The best part was that he stiched the last stitch through the crease of my finger (which I personally think was on accident) and said, "Now, there's a stitch in the crease of your finger, so don't straighten if for 10 days, till you come back to get the stitches out). OK...no problem. I really thought it wouldn't be a big deal. You don't realize how often you need to straighten your middle finger. (Hey now. I know what you're thinking. I don't straighten it for that purpose!)
Really, in writing this, it's just fun to be dramatic. It really isn't a big deal. At least it wasn't my left hand...I can still write, I have all my fingers and I am almost 100% functional.....so here's the finished product...



Besides the resemblance to a sausage link, I think it it looks pretty good, don't you?
HAPPY 2008 EVERYONE!! Let us know how you are! We miss and love you all!

"Mehwy Chwismas!"---Aidan Simmons

I hope everyone had a GREAT Christmas like we did!!! Dallas and I met my parents and sisters in Utah to spend Christmas with Dustin, Rachelle, Aidan and new Baby Matty! It was one of my most favorite Christmases so far. We even got to talk to Heath in Argentina for a couple of hours on Christmas day, which was the best part of it all. Brian and Lindsey were generous enough to let us stay in their AWESOME house in Lehi while we were there, and we had some great fun watching a bunch of clean flicks movies with their 92 in screen and rocking out on their Wii Guitar Hero. See below for videos of mom and dad rockin out. LOL. But, first of all, here are pictures of Christmas with the fam.

We definitely had a WHITE CHRISTMAS. I do miss SEEING the snow. However I do not miss BEING in it one bit!!




Christmas morning...Matty was obviously the best part (besides Aidan calling us at 7am saying, "Mehwy Chwismas!!" We were in close quarters, but it made Christmas morning that much more fun.



Aidan has some impressive sign language skills. This is his official sign for "COLD".



Salsa was cold, so we bought her a coat. :)

Salsa is the best dog ever. We keep trying to convince my parents that they want to give her to us. She came along for the festivities and entertained us well. The next picture is of Dallas opening up his sweet Stephen Colbert book from Dustin and Rachelle (and Heath:)

Dad scored with presents this year and Brookie is a natural with Babies. Aidan evidently likes to help with dishes and I'm sure he showed Brie how to wash them correctly.



"Bwie Gramma and Bwook Gampa" (aka my parents) got Aidan a fun digging tractor for Christmas, he spent forever just moving it around and was satisfied without even having to dig anything up.



I posted the one on the left for purely selfish reasons because Aidan says, "Where's Ashwey and Dawas?" at the very end, and it's the best! (Prior to that, he is singing, "Once there was a snowman, snowman, snowman....but he kind of trails off as he sees his new bike from Santa and says "I wanna ride on dis"). As for the one on the right, the Simmons family corrupted Aidan while we were there. Although he picked up, "Dang it!" from his Daddy Dustin before we arrived, once he said it in front of everyone, we couldn't stop laughing, which was no help to his mom in trying to train him correctly. So this is of Brie corrupting him and encouraging him to say "Dang it!" so we could get it on video...it was hysterical! Hopefully Rachelle can repair the damage quickly. :)



Here's Papa Bear with little Matty. I think we've got pictures like this with every kid/grankid. My dad's the best.
The girls like to take pictures now, so posing is very important. I secretly ruined this one on purpose, but it was fun! :)



ROCK ON!!!!! I lUUUUUV IIIIITT!!
Dad's facial expressions beat mom's by far, but the video of mom rocking out takes the cake. Sorry it's sideways, I'm too impatient to figure out how to rotate it correctly.