He who dies with the most

…friends wins, remember when it used to be ‘He who dies with the most Toys wins?’ Not any more. Not with the introduction of Facebook.

After months of begging for a Facebook account I finally gave in to Alexis, and in order to monitor what she is doing I opened one for myself too.
This world of Facebook is an interesting thing; with in hours I had people coming out of nowhere asking to “be my friend.” friends from high school, work, the neighborhood I grew up in… it gets contagious, soon you are looking for people you know and inviting them to be your friend and you look at your friend’s friends to see if you know any and can invite them to be your friend… there is no end to this.

Alexis quickly acquired over 100 friends, I told her that they had to be people she actually knows and has talked to, and she swears they are all legitimate friends or family members. This is where the little bet started. She made fun of me for ONLY having 90 friends and the war was on… who can get the most friends in a week. I figured this should be easy, who else could she possibly get, she had invited everyone she knows right? Wrong! She has already acquired over 20, I am at 6… seriously; I could use some friends here! So if you’re not my friend yet please add me!

Aside from this little bet Facebook is actually fun. I have talked to people in the past two weeks that I literally have not talked to in 20 years. For example, I went to lunch with a great friend of mine, who I will always hold dear in my heart (and who I swear fell off the face of the earth), and if it was not for Facebook I probably would not have gotten back in touch with her.

Other than the communication factor, I think Facebook has taped into that secret side that everyone has, the one that enjoys looking into the lives of others, especially people we know. You can see if they are married, have kids, what they look like… it is cyber voyeurism to an extent.

The First Born

I thought that this was an appropriate little questionnaire considering that my first-born turned 16 last week. She has grown into a beautiful young woman. She is very intelligent, her honor roll status proves that, and she definitely has her own opinion on how things should be or not be. She is a true 16 year old teenager now, with one hand on her phone at all times texting anyone willing to text her back, a bedroom that looks like a disaster zone and an attitude that implies that she already has all of the answers that it took her mom a whole life to learn.
I have always made birthdays a big deal, this year was a bit overwhelming with everything going on, so Alexis, I am sorry that your “Big Day” was not perfect. I hope that your year will be.

1. WAS YOUR PREGNANCY PLANNED? After being married for 2 years it was and idea that had crossed our minds, so let’s just say it wasn’t prevented.

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Yes, I was.

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? I was scared.

5.HOW OLD WERE YOU? 23 when she was born.

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? I had a friend that said I had “that look” so we went to the hospital for a blood test. I got the results by phone later that day. I had to ask twice what “positive” meant I was in such shock.

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? I was in the bathroom crying when a co-worker walked in and asked if I was ok. I told her I was fine, just a little scared, and explained why. She gave me a hug and said I would be a great mom.

8. DID YOU WANNA FIND OUT THE SEX? Yes, I am not very good with surprises.

9. DUE DATE? February 22nd

10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? Only a little, when I would brush my teeth.

11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? McDonald’s fries and their ketchup were my favorite.

12. WHAT IRRITATED YOU? The hated the smell of fish!

13. WHAT WAS THE SEX OF YOUR FIRST CHILD? Female.

14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? Yes, but then again I have always wanted a boy; I just had to wait longer to get them. I was happy she was a girl; she has been a great big sister.

15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANT? Not much, I do not recall ever having to buy maternity clothing with her.

16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? Yes, I don’t remember much other than the games that we did.

17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? Like I said, I don’t remember.

18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING THE PREGNANCY? Other than she came VERY fast, nope.

19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, Provo, UT

20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? I was having contractions for just a few hours, but not strong enough that I was worried about them, I honestly though I was just having a stomach ach due to something I ate.

21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? Brian, in the very bouncy Jeep. I paged him when my mom saw my stomach contract and she freaked out; he had just left work as was at the point of the mountain.

22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? Brian, Dr Dewey and a nurse.

23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? Natural

24. DID YOU TAKE ANY MEDICATION TO EASE THE PAIN? I was given an epidural without even asking for one, they wanted to slow the contractions so the Dr could make it in. Apparently, they could see her head when they checked me to see if they were going to admit me into the hospital.

25. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 7 lbs 6 oz

26. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN? February 15th, 1993 at 7:22 a.m.

27. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Alexis Lauren Mease

LaMar Burningham

June 28, 1930- February 15, 2009

My (Uncle, more on this another day) grandpa passed away this past Sunday and even though it was expected and I was able to see him before he died it is still very hard. I know that he is in a better place and that he is at peace, but I will miss him.

My strongest memory of grandpa will always have to do with how much he loved grandma. I admired their love more than any thing. He was so kind when it came to her, for a man that could appear to be so firm and rough. His love was so strong and it was apparent with every gesture he had towards her, from holding her hand to cutting her food to telling stories about when he brought her to the states. Every action was filled with the love he had for her.
Even though grandma lost her sight quite a few years ago he did not let that get her down, he took her grocery shopping and told me once “I just make her hold onto the cart and I pull…” Once I stopped by their house and he was working in the back yard planting flowers, grandpa would dig a hole and hand grandma a six pack and tell her to “get going…”

I took grandpa to the hospital several times, and each time he would tell me “you take care of her, you hear!” with a firm voice and a tear in his eye. She meant everything to him.


In his neighborhood grandpa will always be remembered for his landscaping. He always had such incredible flowerbeds filled with tulips in the spring and roses throughout the summer. The yard was manicured perfectly, not a weed in the flowerbeds and the roses always trimmed with precision. When my mom and I picked out flowers this past week we both knew it had to have roses in it, and I insisted on tulips too. We found something close and modified it to meet our idea of the perfect bouquet.

As I look back at the memories I have, the one that stands out the most was when my mom and I lived with my grandparents for a year while my dad was serving over seas. We were playing a game of UNO and I was sitting next to him. I kept giving him skip cards, and draw cards and basically not letting him have a turn. Out of frustration, he threw the cards across the table, called me a little shit and told me he would never play with me again. I always look back at that and kind of laugh inside to think a 10 year old could get him that mad while playing a card game. Know what, now that I look back I don’t think he ever did play cards with me again.

Other memories I have are of him with his pipe, the smell of the sweet tobacco in the air. The suspenders that kept his pants on. Visiting him at Barbizon and having him take me back to the duck pond. His dice tattoo that he said was one of the dumb things he did. The potato salad that I loved that he would secretly make in the kitchen while everyone else was hanging out outside, never wanting to share the recipe. And the way he always gave me a kiss and told me he loved me, every time we parted.

Grandpa, I will miss you. I love you and I look forward to the day we can see each other again.

His obituary read as follows:

LaMar Burningham, age 78, passed away February 15, 2009. He was born June 28, 1930 in Orem, Utah, a son of Clifford L. and Sarah Clayson Burningham. He married Josefa Haunreiter on February 21, 1953 in Regensburg, Germany. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Provo LDS Temple.LaMar grew up in Orem.

He served his country honorably in the US Army, serving in Germany, Vietnam, Korea and also several state side tours of duty. He retired from active duty in 1969. LaMar was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He served in many callings throughout his life some of his favorites being, a faithful Home Teacher in the Cherry Hill 3rd Ward and a High Priest Group Leader.

Survivors include his wife Josefa, his children: Hannah Burningham, Edward Burningham, Christina Delgado. He is also survived by 8 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, his brother Leland Burningham and his sister Betty Oscarson.

The family would like to thank Vista Care Hospice for their wonderful care.

Funeral services will be held Friday, February 20, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. in the Cherry Hill 3rd Ward Chapel, 1650 South 200 East, Orem. Friends may call one hour prior to the services at the ward chapel. Interment will be in the Orem City Cemetery with military rites provided by VFW District #4. Services under the direction of Sundberg-Olpin Mortuary.

Impossible to serve?

Back in December I posted a Blog that included my New Year’s resolution for 2009. I said “…to show more love to those around me through service, support, and by making myself available to them when they need me.” I thought that this was appropriate considering the amount of support I have received from friends and family over the past year.
There were several comments regarding the post then one showed up that read:

Anonymous said...
Speaking of service... have you ever thought what might come by serving those to whom you would consider impossible to serve?

Interesting, after thinking about it, I thought who can’t be served? So I replied with “Serving those that are in need of service is never difficult or impossible. It is only impossible to serve those that are self serving.”

This was where the comments took an interesting twist. Anonymous replied and the readers of that comment took it as if I was being slammed by asking what I felt comes from providing service. My great friend went in for my defense and made not one but two comments. She also called me and warned me about them apparently Anonymous was keeping her up that night because she was so upset that someone would question my ability to serve.

Recently Anonymous showed up again stating “I am simple person looking for peace and I have heard that serving others brings this peace…” but still the theme of serving the impossible is there, not just serving others.

So, Anonymous, you can find peace in providing service to others, not just the impossible, unless you feel the need to serve someone that YOU yourself find impossible to serve.

Service is more that provide a plate of cookies or a meal to someone in need. It is more than anything physical you can do for them. It comes from the inside, a willingness to share of your self and to let the person receiving feel that they are cared for.

If you want to know what I have done to serve others, as you asked in your comment, then let me share. But the first thing you need to know is that when you provide true service to others you are not looking for anything in return, and you do it from your heart.

My Family: I have put everything aside to help my grandparents when they need me. Including sitting in a hospital for hours until I know that everything is ok and that there is nothing left I can do for them. I offered my home to my sister when she needed a place to live. I tell my children I love them each day.

My Friends: I offer a listening ear and support to coworkers going through difficult times in their life. I provide a ride to my best friend’s husband so he won’t need to walk all the way home. I smile and wave at passing neighbors.

Strangers: I do random acts like paying for the food for a gentleman and his daughter in the car behind me at a drive up just because they made me smile. I complemented the cashier at the grocery store because they look like they were having a long day.

I share these things not to toot my own horn, but simply because you asked what I have done. There are more, but I choose not to write about them because they were personal to the individual and like I said, when you are doing service for others you are not looking for anything in return.

So Anonymous, if this did not help you and you are still fixed on serving the “impossible to serve”, maybe you need to take a closer look at your reason for serving others, and stop focusing on who you are serving. Because if you are “Simply looking for peace in this world so full of hate and disaccord” that starts from inside you. Hopefully through your actions and how you treat others you will find what you are looking for.

They're Back!

Who is the pitch man that is meeting somewhere saying to a staff of movie executives: “You know what would be a blockbuster... lets have a family out on a camping trip get swept away in their raft and it takes them to a Land of the Lost, with dinosaurs and evil creature called sleestacks. We can base it on a TV show from the early 70’s and star Will Farrell as the main character!” Oh wait here’s another idea, lets take a bad Disney Movie and remake it, and we will have Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson star in it to bring out all of the parents to saw it as a kid!”

Who is this person? I want to shake his hand because it worked! I can’t wait to see what are sure to be a blockbusters! I mean come on, who didn’t love Chaka and my goodness Tia from Return to Witch Mountain, loved her, wanted that name and her star purse. I am sure the “Race to

Witch Mountain” will be equally as good.

Oh and for those of you who have NO IDEA what I am talking about. Well I guess you are just too young and you missed out on the good stuff. Don’t worry I am sure that someday they will remake a TV show that you grew up with into a movie, like maybe My Pretty Pony or Strawberry Shortcake and Friends.

Got Schooled

Randy bought Kyle a pair of DC shoes, for those of you that do not know DC specializes in shoes and clothing for skateboarders. They are super “cute” and I was excited to have him wear them, but I am of the OLD School and did not realize that they have to be worn a certain way.
Not knowing the proper way to wear a DC shoe I put the shoes on Kyle and started to lace them up and tie a bow. WRONG! The girls quickly corrected me and told me that the laces go INSIDE and you don’t time them up… ok. I agreed they look good that way so I put them on and he went on his way.
That evening his dad picked him up from the daycare. When he returned home, his laces were laced up and tied into a bow. I guess HE didn’t get schooled.

Ode to my Dad

I have a great dad
His emails are bad
I started a Blog because they made me mad.
That should make him quite glad.

OK, I know that sucked big time, bit so do a lot of the emails I get from my dad. I love the man but he sure thinks it is funny to send me a lot of crap.
The funny thing is that he expects me to keep them, as he does. He has crap dating back several YEARS! I am serious!
He went through a period of time when he was still on dial up internet and he could not view over half of what he forwarded on to me… that was bad, really bad. My sissy has set up her email to have any mail from our dad go right into her trashcan; I can’t be that harsh, I prefer to move them there myself.

So dad, because you love your crap mail, and you want to be able to reflect back on some of the better bits of crap I have created a blog for you- Mail Dump. You can all visit this gem by visiting it today, or any day you feel that you have a few to many brain cells and you want to eradicate some: http://myjunkemail.blogspot.com

Oh, don’t be surprised if you have sent me crap recently, I don’t just get crap from my dad, I have a lot of friends that give me crap. Fair warning your crap may be posted on the Mail Dump Blog.