Cancun Bound

Well after one of the longest, coldest, snowiest and dreariest winters in recent eastern Idaho memory, the Rigby branch of the Lackey clan has decided to take a week off of work and go to Cancun. It snowed on Thursday and again on Saturday. Really hasn't warmed up here yet, but next week is looking promising.

We are staying a little to the south of the Hotel strip (the strip being Cancun proper) in the town of Puerto Morales. There should be fewer spring breakers, lots of sun, white sand beaches and Puerto Morales has smaller waves and gentler seas than Cancun, making it a better place for Lucas to play in the waves.

(Sorry to sound like a sales brochure but I thought the deal quite good)

We found a round trip all inclusive (includes all meals, snack, beverages etc) trip to a 4 star hotel (for the 3 of us) for $2100.00 and you could probably find a trip for 2 to the same hotel for around $1600.00, or $1300 for a 3 star hotel.

Here are some pictures of the hotel that we are staying at pictures here and here . We booked the trip through Columbus Travel. If you want to come along I can can give you the agents contact name. But you need a passport. Airfare was $420 each round trip. Not too shabby.

See you on the beach!

Oh, I also took a new job and rented a little office space in Rigby (I start April 7th). I'll have a new cell phone here soon and will let you all know the number shortly.

AN Indian commercial plane taxiing for takeoff in Bangalore skidded off the runway after hitting a dog which strayed into its path.

The dog died.

Look what I found

Journal photo by Joshua Duplechian John Lackey plays "pentominos" with classmate Scott Welch during his MathCounts class at Irving Middle School.

They learn fast...

Asha's new phrases.

When she's doing something she shouldn't be and I'm coming after her, she turns, points her finger at me and says "you stop, stay there!"

When she's mad at me, she'll scold me (not sure what she's saying) with finger pointed, then at the very end add "I'm going to kick your ass!"

And when something happens she doesn't understand, she says "what the hell?"

Amazing how quickly they pick this up. She even has another one I can't repeat....

Mom Needs Access

Mom can't get on the blog so whoever is "adminisrator" of the blog please give her permission to sign on. Thanks

External Hard Drive

So, I don't know if that is what I need or not, does anyone have any ideas on how to tell if my computer is just slow because of the lack of memory? I am also wondering if anyone has access to a cheaper external hard drive if that is what I need.

Company Logo

Would like your help rating my proposed logos. Let me know which one you think is best. You can view the logos by clicking on the link, but please post comments in the blog as the link is tied to a single ID so voting options wont work.

http://www.logomaker.com/askAFriend.php?friendID=130357&projectID=436597&logoList=1365311,1365279,1365313

Hello famille

Comment ca va? Yeah im good. Bored. Tired. we drove up to san diego. Weird city. I prefer LA, personally.

DNA visit LA and San Diego

We've enjoyed visits from BS and the Kids and DNA. Check out the Fabulous Foster Four Blog for some pictures. Thanks for coming to visit us. Hope you are all recovering as I know so much traveling in such a little time isn't really a vacation for the parents. DNA spent the day with us in San Diego and will be back on Friday for the beach and Hollywood, or something like that.

LA Temple at Night

Beach and Zoo

The Beach was so COLD and WINDY we only lasted about 10 minutes. Tan and Jacob had fun being chased by the huge waves and even got dunked a few times.

Disneyland Park and Adventure Part I

Here are a few pics from our trip. Some parts weren't so happy, Tan did not like the PINK elephant that Paige had chosen, but other than that we had a nice time.

California Adventure Part II (Part I Is All on Sarah's Camera)

Paige met one of her heros, and so did Daniel. Daniel had fun getting wet, then cold, then fussy, then decided he would lick the poll of the carousel. Yummy. Brett likes to make funny faces for the cameras on the rides.

Celeb Sighting

Just saw Drew Barrymore. I know you're jealous, come on, admit it. You wish you were living here in the land of the phoney wanna be's so you could see them too!

HI-HO

Hi ho, hi ho it's off to Disney we go. We are buying into the "Happiest Place on Earth" theory and going to give it a try. We are driving, so I don't know how happy we will be at the end of it all, but it should be fun.

The Results of trying to catch a flyball with your face, not your mitt. Daniel was good at this too!!

Newsletter Dowlnoad

Download the newsletter. Here you go.

Family Vacation Idea for next year 2009

Boy I am all over the blog this morning......

Just thinking. As mom and dad will be back next summer, why don't we all (well all of us over 18 anyways at that is the rule) put in applications for the Middle Fork of the Salmon permit lottery.

If drawn we could take 24 people for 6 days 5 nights or 20 people for 7 days 6 nights down the Middle Fork. See http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/sc/recreation/whitewaterrafting/mfriver/index.shtml#general for the info.

There is some required equipment eg fire pan, porta potty ash bucket etc we could either purchase or rent, and we could rent the 2-3 other boats that we would need.

Thoughts?

Newsletter

Boy 118 mb and in publisher format (.PUB) no less...... Sarah (or maybe Truman) could you export it to an Acrobat file (.PDF) ? As I have nothing that will open publisher files and can't find any viewers.

Lackey's for Obama!!!

Rush says to vote for Hillary, so I am rooting for Obama. Dont want another geriatirc in the Whitehouse. But I can't vote anyway, so who cares...

Much To Be Thankful For

Picure of the Kiev Ward Building were the Church meets on 3 & 5th floors.
Panda bear picture. These were in the restuarant were we ate. There are several which are very colorful and elegant. seem like some where I have seen these before.

This is a piture of Elders Tanner and Walk after we fed them lasagne, helping your mother with the computer.
This a picture of Senior missonary couples with Pres. and Sister Davis on the right, looks a little blurry.
This is a picture of your parents. That I forgot to rotate.
This is a picture of a Jewish Temple across the street from the Kiev Branch/

As we grow use to living here in Ukraine we realize more and more how much we have to be thankful for. One of the first is the right to smile. When I ask people here, that talk English of course, their response is always "people from Russia and Ukraine do not Smile". I feel bad that they have not learned to express this as a form of greeting or just a way of life. So Smile - be thankful for the things you see, the creations of the Earth, the joy of life, everything! Even speaking in Russian and saying good day often times elicites no response, but I keep trying. The other evening in a group discussion, we were talking about how people here that have always been told how to act, how to think, etc. do not appreciate or even know how to handle their agency. They even sometimes prefer the old method of being given an apartment, having bread really cheap, even if they had to stand in lines for hours, and everything that went with the "communistic society" over having to make their own decisions. So use your agency, howbeit wisely for the good of others and yourself. When I have to walk every where I realize how dependent upon our own transportation we are in certain areas of the US. Like I said before, to go anywhere you either walk, take the Metro or hop on a little bus that may have 40 people jammed into it. There are a lot of cars in the area but usually the every day person can not afford one. The one good thing is that the metro only cost 10 cents for a one way trip to any where in the area. We can ride the large bus for 10 cents or the little packed buses for 30 cents. How funny we get sometimes as Dad complains that we could walk for nothing and save 10 cents. Now on the other hand in the States we could walk and save dollars!!! Going to the grocery store is an experience within its self. Somethings you can just not buy here, at least not in the stores we can get to. Brown sugar, peanut butter is hard to find, powder sugar both of these are from Germany and are very expensive. All foods have to be made from scratch. No cake mixes, no stove top, no hambuger helper, etc. But the good part of that is now I am back to cooking. Chocolate, pineapple&banana, brown sugar cakes, rolls, casseroles, taco soup, etc. and it has been fun! Dad does't expect it every day so that makes it easier. We have been able to find some good restaurants. Last night ww were down in Kiev and found a really nice Chineese Rest. ,still not as good as Christians, but had a fabulous decor. when we first went in and looked at the menu we were afraid that it would cost over $200 before we could get away. Fortunately what we though were dollars were grieven and we ended up at about $60. We had asked two Elders to go with us but they couldn't leave when we had to. Will take them to TIGF on another day. The medical problems are very sporadic, have a sister with a goiter/thyroid mass we are working with. Now, the medical system is another complexity we work with. Have to make most of the appintments through a referral agency, which adds a cost. A lot of drugs you can just walk into a drug store and ask for. There are drug stores and banks almost on every block. Just still alot of bureaucy.

This week we have gone to the mission home for a Sr. Sisters fairwell dinner, had a Doctor and his wife over for supper, went to the Bairds, the office couple, for Sunday dinner, worked on our power points, I can do it!, studied Russian and solved a few medical problems. And walked and walked and walked.Give all the grandkids hugs for us. Tell them to write and will try to call. Luv M&D, GM-GP, J&J

I need to Know

Has anyone been able to access the newsletter?

I need to Know

Has anyone been able to access the newsletter?

Popcorn

Well he did it again. Lucas has stuffed popcorn up his nose for a second time, and his mother is unable to remove it and is at home freaking out. Now I have to decide if I leave work and take him to the hospital ER, or go home and remove it (how?).

So what is the best way to remove popcorn (the white fluffy kind not the kernel) from a two year olds nostril?

Newsletter

I want to throw my computer through the window. I have had the hardest time with my computer and this newsletter and have spent way more time than any person should on anything as simple as this newsletter. I sent the newsletter to thelackeylegend@gmail.com. I asked Bowb to get copies of it to Q, Chet, Julie, Christian. I don't know if the rest of you have publisher so you can pull it up. If you can't open it, let me know and I can figure out a way to get it to you. Bowb may just have to mail it to you. I don't have a printer right now. Anyway, it is the document that says you have a file waiting for you. I had to use www.transferbigfiles.com. I hope it worked.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY DAN and AMANDA

Caitlin wants a phone...

something about wanting a swift kick in the...I mean a sidekick with unlimited calling. What is it with kids and phones? We didnt have them until our 20s, I dont see a need for them to have one now. They only get into trouble, and when I look at Boo's it's all calls and SMSs to girls...Caitlin tells me everyone has one, guess if everyone had a Glock she'd want one of those too. told her to start a new fad and be part of the group who doesn't have a phone...

Across the way

So, did you all hear about the ricin that was found in the Las Vegas Hotel room and the guy was in critical condition at the hospital. Apparantely he had been living in his cousins basement just across the field from us!!! It sounded like he moved to Vegas just about the time we moved in, but scary. The feds have had the street blocked off for the last 2 days so they could search the home. Let's just hope nothing more becomes of it.

Baby

Pris had an exam today, baby is doing well. Doc says baby is already 5 pounds, has a big crown and very chubby cheeks (based on the scan). Pris is anemic, so trying to get more iron into her.

We've moved Pris and Asha down to Singapore. They will be staying in a 2 bdroom apt until our place comes through in April. The ethnic restrictions were lifted overnigh, so we're now committed to buying. We're excited, but it's putting a strain on cash flow given the new startup we're doing. We have enough for six months, either the new business takes off or time to go find a job.....everyone's excited about what we're doing, so hopefully it will work.