Flashback

to May 2010

and (unknown date)

and Mar 2008

Lunar Eclipse shots

Thanks for the call this morning, Dad. It was fun to take some shots of the eclipsing moon just as it was setting this morning in the West.

November Canyon

Spence and I went down toward Lake Powell and did two canyons today.  It was a lot of fun.  And Spence was a trooper.  He loved the rapels.  He had a little scrape on his forearm wherein he left a little blood in the canyon.  But that didn't slow him down.  We went with Paul, Zhon, Jerel, and Kaiden.  What a beautiful day it was.  We did Blarney Canyon Left Fork and Lucky Charms.  We stopped at Subway on the way down and Spence had a pizza for breakfast.  We stopped at Rays Tavern for dinner in Green River.  Good food as usual.  It was a joy.  We tried out our new car GPS (the Garmin Nuvi 40LM) and loved it.
Well, better hit the rack.

Some catch up

Somehow we missed posting Halloween pictures.

 Then we had Sam in one of his hilarious giggly moods.  He ended up rolling on the ground laughing so hard.



Nutella is definitely the spread of choice for our kids in the morning on their toast.

And the shed out back.  We won't bore you with all the images, but if you want to see them, follow this link

Dose of religion on 11-11-11

Sermon on 11-11-11
From the ponderings of Tyler in morning study...

"a house of learning"

LEARNING

Doctrine and Covenants (D&C) 88
119 Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;


ASK - INQUIRE
JAMES 1
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

SEEK THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD BEFORE RICHES
D&C 6
5 Therefore, if you will ask of me you shall receive; if you will knock it shall be opened unto you.
7 Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich.

MATTHEW 6

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

BELIEVE THAT THE LORD WILL ANSWER YOU
1 Nephi 15
8 And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?
9 And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.
10 Behold, I said unto them: How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts?
11 Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.

THE ANSWERS - HOW DO WE HEAR THEM
D&C 8:
2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.
11 Ask that you may know the mysteries of God...

PRES PACKER OCT 2011 Gen Conf
Perhaps the single greatest thing I learned from reading the Book of Mormon is that the voice of the Spirit comes as a feeling rather than a sound. You will learn, as I have learned, to “listen” for that voice that is felt rather than heard.

Some critics have said that these verses are in error because you hear words; you do not feel them. But if you know anything at all about spiritual communication, you know that the best word to describe what takes place is the word feeling.
The gift of the Holy Ghost, if you consent, will guide and protect you and even correct your actions. It is a spiritual voice that comes into the mind as a thought or a feeling put into your heart. The prophet Enos said, “The voice of the Lord came into my mind.” And the Lord told Oliver Cowdery, “Behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you.”

D&C 9
7 Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.
8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

PRES UCHTDORF APRIL 2011 GEN CONF
As a people, we rightfully place high priority on secular learning and vocational development. We want and we must excel in scholarship and craftsmanship. I commend you for striving diligently to gain an education and become an expert in your field. I invite you to also become experts in the doctrines of the gospel—especially the doctrine of the priesthood.
We live in a time when the scriptures and the words of modern-day prophets are more easily accessible than at any time in the history of the world. However, it is our privilege and duty, and it is our responsibility to reach out and grasp their teachings. The principles and doctrines of the priesthood are sublime and supernal. The more we study the doctrine and potential and apply the practical purpose of the priesthood, the more our souls will be expanded and our understanding enlarged, and we will see what the Lord has in store for us.

1 Nephi 10
11 And it came to pass after my father had spoken these words he spake unto my brethren concerning the gospel which should be preached among the Jews, and also concerning the dwindling of the Jews in unbelief. And after they had slain the Messiah, who should come, and after he had been slain he should rise from the dead, and should make himself manifest, by the Holy Ghost, unto the Gentiles.

Bday boy

Somewhat stoic yet still so cuddly at times,
Energetic,
Two and talented
Happy
Birthday boy!
Seth went with Daddy to a couple of stores.  He was loving being the only kid with Dad.  He sang almost the entire time in the cart.  He enjoyed seeing the animals at the pet store.  He was all grins the moment he woke up and he truly knew it was his birthday.

Seth has started his ABCs and is crazy talented with a ball.  

He is so cute as he repeats everything people say to him.  He follows the prayers that his brothers and sister give.  And he is a dare devil.  Last night the boys were jumping off of the toddler bed.  It was decided that we shouldn't jump anymore, but Seth decided he would do another anyway.  He ended up doing a front flip.  Good thing for flexible necks.  He was fine, but a little surprised that he actually pulled it off. 

We sure love you big kid!!!

Family Photo 2011

We meant to do this one at the beach in California.  That didn't work out.  So we have been itching to get this done since then.  Thanks to Jennifer for doing such a great job with the kids and the camera.  Check out other family pics at Tyler's photo page on facebook.

Video Release California 2011

Here's the moment you've all I've been waiting for... finally finished.
Sorry it's almost 15 minutes long.
We had such a blast and we love the memories that come crashing back to us as we watch this together!  We are itching to go again, especially to the beach.  Maybe the next beach we hit will be on the East coast where the water is a bit warmer.  I think we'll be looking to do a house/cabin swap on that one.
Make sure you watch enough to see Sam's dance performance at 7:50.

Special thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Gerritsen for coming with us, helping us incredibly, and enduring our quirks and fusses.   Thanks for all the still pictures taken by Grandpa Gerritsen.  Priceless!

Fall Photos

It's that time of year when we all get our photos done for our Christmas cards.  I love the weather during this time of year.  Not too hot, not too cold, and beautiful skies and changing foliage.

 The cousins

 Camille and cousin Hallie

 The Hepworths

 pickin out pumpkins (bunkins - as Seth says it)

1

oh "Hi Winter"

Was it 90 degrees 7 days ago?  Was the low really 55?  Is the high today really 46 and the low 36?

Hopefully this was just a glitch in the system.  Next week will be in the 80s again, right?

Remembering

Coincidences... Steve Jobs had a large impact on our culture. With his passing yesterday, I am reminiscent of the history of Apple and the way its products have shaped what I do and the way I do it (computers, software, ipods, etc). He died at age 56 on Oct 5, 2011. I have had on my ToDo list to post a video I made back in 2003 of two people who also had an impact on my life. They were Dawn Sebesta and Jim Messinger. Among other volunteer activities such as serving on the board of Ballet West, being a docent at the Hogle Zoo, and a chairwoman of Hawkwatch International, Dawn was deeply involved with RINS (Raptor Inventory Nesting Survey) of which I volunteered for a few years. Dawn and Jim were killed in a small plane accident in Utah on Oct 4, 2003. Dawn was also 56. Here is the video:

Red Tail Hawk Banding 2003 from Tyler Gerritsen on Vimeo.

I know it's generic, but thanks to all those who have and continue to impact my life for the better. Thanks for your passion for what you do. Thanks for making a difference in this life.

Way too long - sneak peak

I can't believe we didn't post anything the whole month of September. I guess some great weather and being out of town for half the month can do that to you. We are working on the video for California... big project this time. But here is a sneak peak of what's ahead.

backyard - love the weather

Perfect evening... just a touch of rain to cool things down.  And with full bellies, it's a good time to play in the backyard.

Playing "Dead Man, Dead Man, Come Alive"

Spence showing Mommy the rocket in the clouds

One child that still lets Mommy maul him with love

first day back

4th, 2nd, and 1st
And it was a great day for all!

summer is nigh unto the end

Here are a few shots of the past couple of weeks.  Summer is drawing to a close with the kids starting school tomorrow.  We have really enjoyed the time together, and are looking forward to some quality beach time and Moab time in September... we hope the kids don't get on their teacher's bad side for skipping out on a few days.  Fall happens to be their dad's favorite time of year to travel... besides Spring, Winter, and Summer.  At any rate, here they are...

one of the favorite photo spots in our house... the lighting is nice and the kids are not in a hurry to run around... (Seth happens to be buckled in for this shot :)

Camille in the backyard

Scott in one of his contemplative moments behind the cabin

our wonderful next door neighbors 

"Colt" in his yard

"Tum Tum"

Does this kid ever leave the kitchen?

I guess not

Milo and 'Rocky' this past weekend

sweet family - always a pleasure to be with

Spence was a pro at the fire this weekend

The backyard at the cabin

The picture Amber didn't want me to post