New Windows

We finally got some new windows for the house, and wow, we can tell the difference!   The windows will not only be better in the winter-time, but they keep out the heat during the summer.   Normally, on a hot day, we’d have to have   the swamp cooler turned on and the windows cracked, and it would still be very hot in the house.

Now, without turning on the air at all, we can keep the house in the low 70′s in the morning while it’s 90+ degrees outside.   It’s great!

We purchased the LoE windows which help to block out the heat and will better insulate in the winter.

Tip on Saving Gasoline

We’ve all heard tips about saving gasoline, and with gas prices rising higher and higher, we can use all the tips we can get.

However, there are plenty of tips out there that have become outdated because newer cars have been programed to be more intelligent. So, old tips that once worked, don’t really make much of a difference anymore.*

There is one tip that rules them all, and it’s the easiest (well at least for some people) to implement.

Saving Gas Grand Tip #1: Slow Down

According to an article on CNN, the best way to save money and gas in a MAJOR way when driving is to slow down.

You’ll pay an estimated 54 cents per gallon in wasted fuel for every 10 miles per hour (mph) over 60 mph. In other terms, you’ll lose about 4 miles per gallon in efficiency every 10 mph you gain in speed no mater the size of the vehicle. **

Remember when the speed limit used to be 55 mph? The source article, listed below, indicates that the reason the 55 mph speed limit was imposed nationally across the US was to save gas due to the energy crisis in the 70′s.**

So, imagine the folks that are passing you by going 90 mph on the freeway. Just add up the 10 mile increments over 60, and you’ll get an idea of what they’re paying just so they can get to their destination a few minutes early.

Slow down and enjoy the journey, get some Tunes or Audio Books and enjoy the few minutes of extra travel time.

*6 gas-saving myths. (2008, May 13). In CNN.com. Retrieved 03:37, May 14, 2008, from http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/12/autos/ways_to_not_save_gas/index.htm?cnn=yes

**Slow down a little, save a lot of gas. (2008, Mar 27). In CNN.com. Retrieved 03:37, May 14, 2008, from http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/26/autos/slow_down_save_gas/index.htm?postversion=2008032711

Podcast and the Spoken Word

You can now listen to General Conference through a Podcast. That means that you can point your music player on your computer (iTunes for example) and enter the podcast created by the Church which will let you access all the conference talks on your computer and mp3 player.

1. Simply copy the following link: http://feeds.lds.org/LDSGCComplete_eng
2. On iTunes, go to the “Advanced” tab at the top of the program and select “Subscribe to Podcast”
3. Paste the link you copied into the open window that appears marked URL
4. Press “Okay”

You should now have access to the conference talks. The link is updated with the new conference talks each conference. It almost couldn’t be easier.

To save the video podcasts follow the same instructions as above but use the link: http://feeds.lds.org/LDSGCComplete_eng_MP4

This sure beats downloading the conference talks individually.

If you want to take one extra fun little step, you can add the picture of the person that gave the talk and associate it with the mp3′s in the Podcast.   So when the talk appears in your iPod, the picture of the person giving the talk will also appear.

1. Simply go the transcript page for the conference talks and click on the talk title for which you need the picture.
2. Right-click on the picture and select “copy” to copy the picture.
3. Open iTunes and select the talk in the Podcast by clicking once.
4. Press and hold the Ctrl button followed by the “i” key to “Get Info” on the mp3.
5. Click on the Artwork Tab, and right-click to and paste the picture in the artwork window.
6. You can then press the Previous and Next buttons to see/add the artwork for the other talks.

When you sync your iPod, you can select this Podcast and you’ll be able to listen to the talks on your iPod.

Viewing for President Hinckley

We attended the viewing of President Hinckley in the Conference Center. Thousands and thousands of people were there, yet the viewing was very well organized and peaceful.

President Hinckley’s body lay in state in the “Hall of the Prophets” – a room with busts of the presidents of the Church beginning with Joseph Smith.

We waited outside in a line for about 30 minutes and were then ushered inside the Conference Center seating area with about 3,500 other people waiting to go upstairs into the hall. After about an hour and a half in the Conference Center seating area, it was our turn to go up.

It was special to honor President Hinckley in the building that he was instrumental in building and to remember the wonderful things he has done.

After leaving the hall, we could see nice flower arrangements from the Hinckley grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

To view a time line of significants events that took place while President Hinckley was president of the Church, click here.

The Passing of a Prophet

2007 Year in Review

Family Events

(In no particular order)

• Megan was born.
• We started a business.
• We launched Family History Quick Start a website dedicated to helping folks find fun ways to do family history. The site makes money through advertisements (mostly Google ads placed on certain pages).
• Autumn started ballet classes.
• Megan learned how to say Dada, Momma, Autumn, bye, hi, and learned the ASL sign for milk.
• We saw the space shuttle and international space station orbit over earth on a clear night. We also watched (on television) an amazing take-off of the space shuttle.
• Thomas got an iPod Touch for Christmas
• Angie got an iPod for Christmas
• Thomas and Angie got to hold a real baby bear cub at Cabela’s.
• The family made very good use of a Hogle Zoo year pass.
• We enjoyed a magical Christmas with the family. Autumn was a star in the family nativity re-enactment as she played the part of the angel and quoted from the scriptures.
• We saw a live nativity with a camel, donkey, sheep, and hot chocolate. It was great.
• Thomas and Angie won the Singing Bee First Place award at a ward party.
• Thomas met and shook hands with Apa Sherpa and Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa. Apa has summited Mt. Everest 16 times (holding the world record at the time Thomas met him). Lhakpa holds the world record for the fastest summit to the top (10 hours 56 minutes and 46 seconds).
• We were part of the Harry Potter final book release craze. Thomas was a Wal-Mart at midnight to purchase the book. Thomas was among the first 5 people in line (not hard to do at the Neighborhood Wal-Mart. The Supercenters had hundreds and hundreds of people waiting in line.
• We discovered wordpress.org as a great publishing tool.

New Places we Visited:

• Bear World in Idaho
• Arkansas
• Missouri

New Movies We Enjoyed:

• Ratatouille
• Evan Almighty
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Books Read:

• The Lord of the Rings (again)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (again)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (again)
• Selling 101: What Every Successful Sales Professional Needs to Know
• Whale Done
• Finding your ancestors online
• The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1)
• The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 2)
• The Ultimate Gift
• Alice in Wonderland
• The Book of Mormon (again)
• The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything
• Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money–That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
• Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing: What the Rich Invest in, That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not!
• Sam Walton: Made In America
• Six-Week Start-Up: A Step-by-Step Program for Starting Your Business, Making Money, and Achieving Your Goals!
• The 10 Rules of Sam Walton: Success Secrets for Remarkable Results
• Trading in the Zone: Master the Market with Confidence, Discipline and a Winning Attitude
• The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World’s Most Powerful Company Really Works–and How It’s Transforming the American Economy
• Zen Golf

World Events

(In no particular order)

• The war in Iraq continues.
• North Korea agrees to shut down nuclear facilities.
• Apple computers releases a revolutionary phone called the iPhone and similar iPod product called the iTouch.
• The DOW Jones closes above 14,000 for the first time.
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final installment of the Harry Potter book series is released selling millions and millions of copies within the first few hours.
• Scouting (boy scouts) turns 100 years old.
• Shootings occur at Virginia Tech.
• Concerns about Iran’s nuclear program increase tension in the region and the world.
• Wildfires threaten thousands in California.