17th of September was the day the Constitution was signed.

"...there are some fundamental principles of this Republic which, like eternal truths, never get out of date, and which are applicable at all times to liberty-loving peoples. Such are the underlying principles of the Constitution, a document framed by patriotic, freedom-loving men, who Latter-day Saints declare were inspired by the Lord.
This date, October 6, has been set apart by churches as "Loyalty Day." It is highly fitting, therefore, as a means of making the world better, not only to urge loyalty to the Constitution and to threatened fundamentals of the United States government, but to warn the people that there is evidence in the United States of disloyalty to tried and true fundamentals in government. There are unsound economic theories; there are European "isms," which, termite like, secretly and, recently, quite openly, and defiantly, are threatening to undermine our democratic institutions.
Today, as never before, the issue is clearly defined--liberty and freedom of choice, or oppression and subjugation for the individual and for nations."
-President David O. McKayGeneral Conference, October 1940

Urban Planning and Eminent Domain

I Graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Urban Planning. Most graduates work for cities after school telling people what they can and can't do with their private property. Here is a great example of why I never pursued this path.

http://www.jonathangullible.com/mmedia/Govt_Pla.mp3

Happy 28th birthday Spencer

Our trip to the Northwest

We got home from Ohio on Sunday and started our drive to Oregon on Monday. We drove all day and when we were too tired to drive anymore we pulled over at a rest stop and slept in the back of the car. It was a bit of a tight fit but more comfortable than I thought it would be. In the morning we got up and drove to a fish hatchery. We watched them count the fish. It was more entertaining than I thought it would be.


Then we went to Multnomah Falls. It was gorgeous. We hiked up to the bridge and then we ate at a restaurant right next to the falls. I would recommend if anyone is ever driving by to stop and take a look. It reall is worth seeing.
Then we drove through Portland to the coast. We stayed in a hotel in Lincoln city right on the beach we slept with the patio door open all night so we could hear the ocean. It is so calming. After we checked into the hotel we went for a drive and found this cute little community that was a lot like daybreak only it was on the beach and they had huge pine trees everywhere.

The next day we drove up the coast a ways to Cape Lookout state park. The trees were so thick we had to turn on our light. The campground we stayed at was nice and I loved the beach.
We stayed in a yurt and if you don't know what a yurt is don't feel bad because I didn't know either. It doesn't have a bathroom but it does have heat, light, and a door that locks.
After we set up camp we went to the Tillamook cheese factory. I have never seen so much cheese in my life. While we were there we ate grilled cheese sandwiches and bought some cheese to take with us. When we got back we took a nap on the beach and I loved it. We walked up and down the shore looking for sea shells. Later we made a fire (of course it is Spencer) and had more grilled cheese sandwiches. After dinner we went and watched the sun set on the ocean. It was so romantic.
The next day we went to Seattle. It was not too long of a drive. When we got there only one hotel was in our price range and they only had one room left. It was a really nice hotel I am bummed I didn't take any pictures. The breakfast was nice food and at 4:30 they served wine, coffee, and orderves. The hotel had two swimming pools, two saunas, a sport court and a library. Whenever we went anywhere in the hotel I felt like I didn't belong because everything was so fancy.

That night we walked around downtown. We went to Pikes Market Place and then we found a bench and sat and looked out over the harbor while eating fresh made donuts and lemonade made from real lemons.
The next day we walked a ton. We walked from our hotel to the Space needle. The city looked so big from up there. I was surprised at how big Seattle is. Then we took the train as far as it would go which was not very far at all and walked to Pikes Market Place again. We wanted to go on a fairy ride but we just missed it so instead we went on a sail boat (it was much more fun anyways). We saw a jelly fish and two seals. I wanted to get a picture of a seal but by the time I could get the camera ready they would be gone.
After the sail boat we walked to the other side of downtown to go see the underground tour. We were in line to get tickets when we decided we didn't want to go. The tickets were pricey and the tour was 90 minute of walking. I really didn't think my feet could handle it so we walked back to the hotel. We started to get bored so we walked to the movie theater to see what was playing. We didn't like was there was so we left and found somewhere to eat.

The next day was the day of the big game so we packed up and headed out. The game was way fun and I could not believe BYU won by one point by blocking the POT. (I don't have any pictures because I forgot the camera in the car) When the game ended we drove around for a while trying to find something to eat and then after we ate we started the journey back to Salt Lake.

We drove until about midnight and we pulled over at a rest stop. It had nice soft green grass so we thought it would be a good idea to sleep on the grass. At about 2:00 the sprinklers came on and got us all wet. We packed everything up and went to the next rest stop. The grass there was dead so we figured we were safe. We woke up and drove the rest of the way home the next day.

While all this was great fun and I would do it all again it did take a toll on my body. When I got back my mom said if anyone bumped me I would pop because I look so swollen. I took a picture of my feet to show how swollen I was (I was too embarrassed to take a picture of my face).

Our trip to Ohio

Here we are in the car on the way to the airport

and here we are on the train from the airport into the city.
The first night we were in Cleveland we had dinner at a fun BBQ place called the Winking Lizard. Their food was pretty good. Then we walked around and let me tell you Cleveland is not a place to walk around at night unless you have a big guy with you and you have lots of change for the bums.


The next day we thought it would be fun to see the sights of downtown Cleveland. We started by going to see the USS Cod which is a submarine from WWII.




Then we went to the Great Lakes Science Museum and watched a movie about the Great Lakes and the fish that live in them. We also saw the exhibits that were on display. My favorite was the sound waves exhibit. We got to make a lot of noise.


To finish off the day we went and saw the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The admission tickets were really expensive, it was raining and we were starving so we decided it would be best if we skipped this one. We still got a picture outside though. It is a cool building outside and the little bit we saw inside was cool also.




The next day we rented a car and went to Kirtland. That was a neat experience we went to the church sites first and had a tour of the saw mill, ashery, store, and one of the homes. Then we went to the temple. It was weired to be in such a holy place and take a tour as if it was just any old building. It was also interesting to talk to a member of the Community of Christ and get her opinion on church topics such as Baptisms for the dead. It is really sad that they have lost so much.Then we went to a little town called Chagrin Falls. It was gorgeous. The street were made of red brick, the buildings were so cute and right behind the ice cream shop was a water fall. So we ate our ice cream while we watched the waterfall. If I had to move this is one of the places I could go.


The next day we went to the Amish country. It was quite the culture shock. There were horse and buggy everywhere on the road as you drive. We took a tour of two Amish homes, an Amish school, an Amish barn, an Amish store and then we took a ride in the buggy. I do not understand the way they think and where their traditions come from.

On Saturday we had a day of football. We had gone to the Massillon Stadium the night before and it was huge and they have really nice indoor facility as well. I could not believe this was a high school.

Then on Saturday we started out at the Football Hall of Fame. It was fun to see the different uniforms that have been used through the years. My favorite part was the video they show of the different football stars making huge and funny mistakes such as; falling when they go to kick the ball or when they fumble three or four time in one down.

Spencer even found time to play a little xbox while we were gone. After the Football Hall of Fame we went and watched the end of one of the football games at the Kirk Herbstreit Challenge, it was a blow out. Then we went to Buffalo Wild Wings and watched the U vs Michigan. Almost everyone in Ohio was happy about that. Then it was time for the big game, Jordan vs Massillon. It was a close game the whole time but Jordan ended up ahead by 3 points.

And that was our trip to Ohio.