Paul & Cindy Guymon Family

Opening Day 2011

2011-04-01T18:22:00.000-07:00

Hope springs eternal here in Chicagoland. Even after suffering an opening day loss to the lowly Pirates, 6-3, I am still looking forward to this season. Perhaps it is because for the first time in the last several years there are no expectations of grandeur. Baseball is back and life is good! As one lifelong Cub fan said on the bus leaving the ball park, "Being a Cubs fan teaches you how to handle losses in life." So true! The highlight of the day may well have been Robert Redford throwing out the first pitch. Here are some pictures. Enjoy!

Getting Ready.

It's Opening Day!

Kerry Wood is back where he belongs!

Present the colors!

The Natural and Woodie confer.

And here's.....

....the pitch!

Play Ball!!

The Girls Visit the Folks

2011-03-01T15:20:00.000-08:00

Summer and Rachel spent Feb 16-23rd here vacationing in tropical Chicago, why not?!!!

We shopped til we dropped, then shopped again. We ate at their fav' restaurants. The 19th we spent the entire day in the City. We really should have been at the other end of the beast.

The Bean has become our favorite photo-op and hang out. The Art Institute was not open yet, so we decided to shop(no surprise) at Marshall Field's. Hats were the first to indulge in.

Doesn't Summer look fab? Where is a Hat Holiday when you need one?

After Hats, we graduated to the Jewelry and Junior floor. Who knew Wonder Woman would be dowstairs selling MAC makeup? We did and posed properly.

We shopped til lunch, and boy did we shop, so we took a taxi to the Hancock Tower and elevated ourselves to the 95th floor for Sat lunch buffet, yummy! We had a great week and sent them back to Idaho.

Snowmageddon 2011

2011-02-02T12:03:00.000-08:00

Wow!!! Did we ever get a bit of snow!! Over 18 inches overnight!! McHenry County was officially closed this morning. Here are some pictures and a couple of videos to show you what it was like. Hans, Tom, and I spent three hours with the snowblower this morning clearing it all away.

Some Christmas Fun with Flip

2010-12-28T08:43:00.000-08:00

Cindy and I got a Flip video camera for Christmas. We have been having some fun with it the last couple of days so I thought I would share it with you. Enjoy! This first one is of Cindy introducing the Christmas stockings.

The real classic is Cindy playing Star Wars with the boys. You guys will love this one!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-10T14:28:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of pictures of us and our Christmas Tree. Hope everyone of you enjoys the absolutely best Christmas ever. As someone famous once said, "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night."

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-25T16:07:00.000-08:00

What a great day! Thanksgiving 2010! We had Thanksgiving at our house this year. We enjoyed having Hillary, Mark, Jared, and Blake with us from Ohio. We also had Warren and Marianne join us from Macomb. Chase and Darla came out from Virginia. Unfortunately Rachel, Adam and family were unable to come all the way from Idaho. Here are some pictures of the Thanksgiving Day event as well as Jared's birthday celebration for all to enjoy. I will put all of the pictures we took on Shutterfly as well.

First Jared's birthday.

And now Thanksgiving Dinner

Happy Thanksgiving to All!!

Twilight Parody

2010-10-23T06:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, nothing about weight loss today (although it is going great!). This video is hilarious. Enjoy!

Twilight Years from Tom on Vimeo.

Eight Weeks of Progress

2010-10-07T08:22:00.000-07:00

Notice any difference? Cindy and Paul have been on Weight Watchers for eight weeks now. Paul has lost 25.2 pounds (guys always take weight off faster than girls) and Cindy has lost 15 pounds. Lots more to go but we feel great and are encouraged by the progress! By the way the song was Cindy's idea.

Hello Again

2010-09-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

Wow! It has been over five months since our last post. About time we got back with the program, don't you think? Actually, since Rachel and Marianne are back into blogging and Hillary is thinking about it (or so I have heard) we thought it might be good to get a post in.

School is back in session at Harper College (it is nearly midterm) and Fall is in the air in Chicagoland. This weekend we are supposed to have highs in the 50s and lows down into the 30s (might have to turn the furnace on).

Halloween is just around the corner and then it will be Thanksgiving. We hope that all of our little (and not so little) trick-or-treaters have a great Halloween and that everybody stays safe!

Last month Cindy and Paul joined Weight Watchers together. It is really making a difference. Cindy thinks she has really created a monster in Paul and often refers to him as the point Nazi. Paul has lost nearly 25 pounds already and Cindy has lost 12! Amazing, don't you think? Here is a picture of the two of us prior to starting the program. And here is a picture Paul took of himself earlier today. Maybe you can see a little difference in his face.

We will post an "after" picture when we have both reached our goals. That could take a while so don't hold your breath.

Of Birthdays and Dining Rooms

2010-05-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

May 1st Paul and I spent the day in Chicago. We attended the Matisse exhibit at the art Institute and ate at the Walnut Room- yum! And for my Mom I'm posting photos of the dining room that got a face lift care of Tom and Hans Reinhardt and myself. What a Difference!! That's all for now-ciao!

Chicago Botanical Gardens

2010-04-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

April 15th, Joyce, Colleen and I took a field trip to the Chicago botanical Gardens. Colleen and Joyce have lived here their entire lives and have never been. I have a mild excuse, I have only been here 15 years and have never visited. So 3 silly ladies had a great trip and wandered happily through tulips, daffodils, and other green gardens. The weather was sunny and breezy and we had a great day! It will be even better in May and June.

The Japanese Gardens are encompassed on an island. Access is only available by an arched bridge.

Loved the tulips!!

This unusual flower was flying solo in this bright field of yellow and I had to capture the color contrast. It was alot of fun to use my new camera.

Springtime in Illinois

2010-04-04T06:32:00.001-07:00

It looks like Spring may finally have arrived in Illinois. Amaaaazing!! Last week we actually had a couple of days in the 80s. Unusual, but nice. We will take it. Today it is going to be a more seasonable 60 or so. Another sure sign of a midwestern spring is the advent of severe weather, which is predicted for tomorrow.

Last week Cindy and I took Cindy's new camera to one of Illinois' more famous state parks and took some pictures. We completed some camera classes together in January and really wanted to try out our new skills. Enjoy these pictures of Starved Rock.

It is always great to see signs of new life. It reminds us of the resurrection of Christ which we celebrate on this Easter Sunday. Cindy did a great job in getting these two pictures.

And, of course , there are the waterfalls.

And the famous back side of a waterfall.

We also discovered that no trip to Starved Rock is truly complete without dinner at Hank's Farm Restaurant in nearby Ottawa. Meet Tom and Hank Turkey, residents of Hank's Farm.

Adam's 35th

2009-05-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

Well, Adam Patrick Fullmer, beloved son-in-law, turned 35 this week. Of course we had to celebrate his birthday. No, he did not get a sweater, but he got some cool shirts and sandals as well as a trip to Wrigley Field for a rain shortened (but nevertheless fun) Cubs game. Here are some pics:

And of course some of the game:

Kids and Cats

2009-05-05T16:42:00.001-07:00

A few days ago Cindy and I took Bryce and Summer to see a production of Cats by a local theatre outreach group. It was rather good. This production had students as young as 5 years old in it all the way up to high school age with the major parts being played by adults. One of the things they were doing before the show was face painting. We asked Summer and Bryce if they wanted their faces painted and they said "No". Well, once the show started Bryce turned to us and said he really wanted his face painted, Then Summer said she did too. Fortunately, they announced that there would be face painting available at intermission as well. So, Summer and Bryce became Cats. Here are a few pictures:

On the way home Bryce fell asleep in the car. While he was napping he reached up and rubbed his face and this was the result:

Pretty fun, huh!?!

Oh, what would life be without grandkids.

These are Fun!

2009-04-19T17:14:00.000-07:00

It's springtime! Hooray! At this time of year I always like to post some fun things. Maybe you have heard these or maybe not. Anyway, enjoy.

This first one requires you to follow this link, but believe me it is worth it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Now enjoy this:

And lastly this:

If you are not crying or laughing by now, you must not have any feelings. Have a great week!

Darla and Her Dad

2009-03-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I am getting lazy with this blog. Last week, though, Chase showed up at the end of his spring break with Darla and her Dad and stayed for a couple of days. They had been traveling all over the place meeting Darla's family. On Friday, March 13th, Chase invited a couple of his buds over to meet Darla so, of course, we had to have ice cream. Here are some pictures.

Darla and Tony. Notice the size of that Ice Cream Sundae. Is this some kind of omen?

Paul and Darla's father, Ralph Boyer. We were not about to be out done by a girl.

Finally, Here is Cindy, Chase's pal Paul, and Chase.

The Merchant of Venice

2009-03-01T14:40:00.000-08:00

Well, we just got back from a suicide trip to Southern Virginia University to see Chase perform in the title role of the Merchant of Venice. He did great! It was really fun to see him, even if it was for a short, quick trip. Here are a few pictures of Chase and some of the people from the Merchant of Venice.

This first picture is one with Chase in his costume on the set. The guy with the broom was one of the cast members who was out cleaning up the set after the production.

This is Chase in costume. Did I tell you how great he was? It was really fun to see him on stage.

This is Chase and Darla. Darla did tech for the production. In case you did not know, Chase and Darla are an item again. It is looking somewhat serious so we shall see.

This next one is Chase and his director. Did we tell you that his director was Orson Scott Card? Yes...THE Orson Scott Card (you know, the author).

And, as evidence that it is the real Orson Scott Card, we present his license plate. Notice the North Carolina plate and what it says.

Snuggies are Great!

2009-02-04T10:38:00.000-08:00

This is terrific. My Snuggies finally arrived a little over a week ago and I love it. Rachel and Summer et al are also enjoying theirs. Hillary will have one soon and Marianne can pick hers up as soon as she stops in for a brief hello.

Matt said he'd never wear a Snuggie, but... Posted: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 8:50 AM by Jen Brown

He said he “wouldn’t be caught dead in a Snuggie.” Yet a frigid Wednesday morning in New York found Matt Lauer sitting on the couch wrapped in the latest sensation that’s sweeping America.

“I’m having chest pains as we speak,” the TODAY co-host joked after watching the clip of himself declaring his intention never to get wrapped up in a blanket with sleeves.

Lauer was wearing a bright blue Snuggie. His TODAY partner in blankets-with-arms, Meredith Vieira, sat next to him in a red Snuggie, while Al Rocker and Natalie Morales flanked them in Snuggies of their own...

Recording it all was the TODAY stage crew – also draped in Snuggies and looking, as Lauer noted, like a gospel choir...

Since Snuggie commercials started blanketing the airwaves, both the ads and the garment have taken on a cult status. Some four million have been sold, and the campy infomercial has inspired some 300 YouTube parodies (including The Cult of Snuggie), according to USA Today. There are even Snuggie fan pages and discussion groups on Facebook.

The ubiquitous TV ad seems to come straight from the 50s, with happy people snuggling in their La-Z-Boys, cheering at sporting events or curling up on the couch, looking very much like monks in their party robes.

The late-night comics are having a ball with it. Just a few minutes before the TODAY crew donned their Snuggies, a report on the California octuplets filed by NBC News’ Michael Okwu included a clip of Jay Leno joking that no one knew the babies’ mother was pregnant – “she was wearing a Snuggie.”

Following Okwu’s report, Joann Killeen, a spokeswoman for Nadya Suleman, the babies’ mother, spoke with Vieira from an NBC studio in Los Angeles. A Snuggie commercial was playing on a small television monitor on a desk behind her.

Vieira admitted that before she tried one on, “I used to think, ‘What a goofy thing.’ But it’s not so goofy…They’re warm.”

“This is the toastiest I’ve been in here,” said Morales, basking in her own reflected warmth inside her Snuggie.

Snuggies are offered for $19.95 each – with a second one thrown in free – plus shipping and handling. But there’s a limit of two per customer, supposedly because of limited supplies.
“If you’re giving them away, of course there’s a shortage,” Lauer said.

While everyone agreed that Snuggies do, as advertised, keep the wearer toasty warm, Lauer noted that, “There is not one thing found in nature in this fabric.”

Roker pointed out that a picture on the Snuggie box shows a family wrapped in the backwards robes happily toasting marshmallows around a fire. “You get too close, you’re going up,” he opined.

After a break for local news, Vieira and Lauer were into their overcoats and out on a frigid Rockefeller Plaza to talk to fans and introduce the 8 a.m. hour.

“It’s cold out here today,” Lauer said. “We need our Snuggies.”

There is Nothing Like a Chocolate Cake

2009-01-16T04:10:00.000-08:00

So, what do you do when Christmas is all over and everyone has gone home. Sit around and be bored? Not at our house. The thing to do is invite a special grandaughter over for a sleepover and have her make chocolate cake with you.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T07:21:00.000-08:00

Wow!! So it is 2009! It seems like just yesterday that we were all worried over all the problems the year 2000 was going to cause. And now here it is 9 years later already. Time sure flies when you are having fun (and when you get older). A whole lot has been happening around here over the holidays and that is why nothing has been updated until today. First, we had Cindy's mom and sister with us for two weeks over Christmas. Chase has also been home from school at SVU and Hillary was here for a week with Blake and Jared. Today is really the first day I have had a chance to take a look at the blog and do any updating.

Here are several pictures from the holiday festivities:

And, of course, whenever Cindy and her Mom and Sister get together something creative has to happen. So, here are a couple of pictures of what the three of them did to our downstairs bathroom:

Back to the Classics

2008-12-19T17:35:00.000-08:00

Well, after a brief respite for the weather, let's get back to the real classics. No one can dispute that this is a real classic.

A Christmas Bonus

2008-12-13T13:39:00.000-08:00

Clark Griswold's Rant about the boss who forgot to give him the bonus is perfect for everyone of us who has bee shrotchanged in the bonus category in the past. Enjoy.

A Cool Twist on an Old Classic

2008-12-06T19:15:00.000-08:00

How many of you remember Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol? This really is a classic in its own right. When I was little it was on every Christmas. It had to be my favorite. I couldn't wait to see it each year. Well, what scene would I choose from such a favorite? Do the words La, la. La la la la la. La la. La la la la la, mean anything?

A Real Classic

2008-12-04T19:11:00.000-08:00

Here is Cindy's favorite of all time. It really is a true classic. Afew years ago Disney tried to do a remake with Denzel Washington, but it did not come close to Cary Grant in the original. Enjoy this clip from one of the all time best Christmas movies, The Bishop's Wife.

Christmas Clips

2008-12-03T16:15:00.000-08:00

Well, Rachel started it so here is a clip from one of my all time Christmas favorites. This should not be a surprise to anyone.

Hitler and BYU

2008-11-27T11:55:00.000-08:00

Okay. For all of you BYU diehards, take a look at this. As one who started out at BYU, got what he wanted (a wife), and then went to Utah State, I feel uniquely qualified to be objective about the Y's recent drubbling at the hands of the University of Utah. Anyway this is Adolph Hitler's (the ultimate BYU fan) reation to that loss. Have a good laugh.

Sophie and the Cats (and one of Alli)

2008-11-16T06:19:00.000-08:00

Most of you have, by now heard of Rachel's fire. While they were waiting for the insurance company to put them up at the Renaissance Inn they spent five days with us. It was really fun most of the time. Sophie was really fascinated with Max and Ruby, our cats, and by the end of the week they actually began putting up with her. Here are some pictures that Rachel captured.

And of course, here is one of Alli being Alli.

Yes, We Can

2008-11-05T14:36:00.000-08:00

After a long, hard fought battle for the presidency America has spoken. What an historic moment. And what an opportunity for change and progress. If you did not have an opportunity to listen to President-elect's speech here it is in its entirety. God Bless America.

Election on SNL

2008-11-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

This one is a real classic. In case any of you out there has not yet seen the SNL episode with John McCain doing QVC, here it is. Of course Tina Fey does her Sarah Palin and Cindy McCain even makes a cameo. So...enjoy!

Perfect Stuff for an Election Year

2008-10-26T18:13:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of the ads yet? You knew who you were going to vote for on November 4 months ago so why all of the attention paid to this campaign by the media? Well I have discovered something that might be fun for you while the rest of America focuses on the most critical election of our lifetime. It is called The Living Room Candidate and can be found at www.livingroomcandidate.org. Take a look at it. I think you will enjoy it. In the meantime here are a couple of my favorite ads from past presidential elections. Why can't our candidates be this creative. After all, all of this talk about issues is really rather ridiculous, don't you agree?

This one really is catchy and was put out by Eisenhower's opponent, an Illinoisian with a funny name, Adlai Stevenson.

Of course, there are always the ads that play to emotion rather than reason. Remember the Swift Boat ads against John Kerry in 2004 or Hillary Clinton's ads asking who we wanted to answer the emergency phone in the White House at 3 AM earlier this year? Well, here is the one that topped them all. This ad ran only one time and was deemed so controversial it was pulled.

Lastly, the more things change, the more they stay the same. In 1968, Richard Nixon chose Spiro T. Agnew, a little known first term governor as his vice-presidential candidate. Here is a short ad (one of the first color ads I could find) that Democratic candidate Hubert H. Humphrey ran. Could the Obama campaign have borrowed this ad this year? Hmmmmm...

VOTE NOVEMBER 4TH!

Our Recent Travels

2008-10-19T18:43:00.000-07:00

Paul and I just got back into town, after each taking trips to different states. Paul attended a national paralegal conference in Dallas, TX, and I had a fun trip to Redlands, CA to see my mom, freinds and family. Paul's highlight was going to the Book depository , where Pres. Kennedy was assasinated. He was really impressed by the historical facts and theories. My highlight was being with my sister, Kristy who took out her own endowments in the Temple. My brothers and my sister-in laws, aunt Cheryl and my mom were all there together. It was a joyful experience!! I got to do a bunch of shopping, and eat all the Mexican food my stomach could handle, along with great weather and beautiful town, I was in "heaven!"

Enjoy the Slideshow

John Adams

2008-10-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

Cindy is in California for her annual visit. The big news is that Kristy will be going to the temple on Friday. With Cindy gone things are rather boring around here. This afternoon I took the time to watch the first two episodes of John Adams, the HBO series based on the David McCullogh book. They were terrific! I really recommend this series to anyone with even the slightest interest in the beginnings of this great country of ours. Here is a short clip to give you a bit of feel for this great show.

Carrie Underwood Concert

2008-10-04T06:20:00.000-07:00

Last night Cindy and I celebrated our anniversary a little late by attending a Carrie Underwood concert. We hadn't been to a concert in a while and it was really fun. She performed for nearly an hour and a half to a sold out crowd. It really amazes me what a meteoric rise to the top she has had. She is incredibly talented!. Well, enjoy a video taken from her Carnival Ride concert tour.

And our favorite:

Can You Say "Rain"?

2008-09-19T18:54:00.000-07:00

How many of you like rain? Raise your hands. Oh, I don't mean the silly little stuff that you guys out west get. I mean real rain. Like nine or ten inches in one day. Well that is what hit Chicagoland last weekend. There was water literally everywhere. Two of our major interstates were closed from Saturday until Thursday and several cities suffered serious flooding. We even got water in our family room in the basement which has never happened before. Old Timers around this area are saying they have never seen anything like it. Well, here are a few pictures of what this amount of rain in a short time looks like.

Labor Day

2008-09-05T06:08:00.000-07:00

This past week we had everyone (minus Warren, Marianne, and Chase) to our house for Labor Day. It is always great fun when all of the cousins are together not to mention a little bit of chaos and a lot of noise. I thought you might enjoy a couple of pictures of the newest cousins in our family, Sophie and Jared, and a short video of what Bryce, Allison, and Blake do when they get together (the video is especially for you, Warren and Chase). Don't worry too much, Chase, most of your light sabers are just fine.

Taking Chase to Southern Virginia University

2008-08-24T18:41:00.000-07:00

Well, We did it. We got the man off to Southern Virginia University. For those of you who have never been there it is located in Buena Vista, Virginia which is nestled between the Alleghany and Blue Ridge ranges of the Appalachian Mountains in one of the pretty places in the country. Last Thursday, at about, 1 PM, we loaded up the Honda Civic (it really was loaded) with Cindy, Paul, our grandaughter Summer, and Chase and his stuff. After a stayover in Ohio, we made it to VA on Friday PM. On Saturday we got Chase all settled into his dorm and then Cindy, Paul, and Summer made the trip back to IL. Rumor has it that Chase is doing well on day two at SVU although he is a little bored because not all of the students are there yet. Check out his new blog at www.chaseguymon.blogspot.com and encourage him to do well. After all he is spending our money to be there...so we want it to be worthwhile. In the meantime enjoy these few pictures.

And now Chase enters the world of dormdom--

If you want to see more you will need to go to Chase's blog. I promised him I would not post any more than this. Sorry.

SVU or Bust

2008-08-22T04:17:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note so that everyone knows we have not dropped off of the face of the earth or something. This summer has been incredibly busy. First, the family reunion, then summer school, Warren and Marianne's move, a trip to Utah to visit my parents, and now a suicide trip taking Chase to start school at Southern Virginia University. Yes, we packed all of Chase's stuff, as well as Chase, Cindy, grandaughter Summer, and myself into our Honda Civic and are on the way to Buena Vista, VA, home of Southern Virginia University. We are currently in Jeffersonville, OH (look that one up on a map). Should make it to SVU later today and will be home (minus Chase) sometime Sunday. Pictures to follow.

Paul's Garden 2008

2008-07-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

Once again, our garden has been a big hit this year! Paul always plants everything from seed and all of our friends and neighbors are amazed. This year's planting date was May 3rd. We were really lucky that we did not have one of those late May frosts that we often get in Northern Illinois. As you can see it all turned out really well.

This is a picture of the Zucchini that is taking over the bottom half of the garden. As you can see from the next picture, it is about to overwhelm the brussel sprouts.

Here is a good shot of the whole garden and one of Paul in front of the garden. So far this year we have already harvested radishes, the leaf lettuce and some of the zucchini and onions. In addition to these, we have planted baby carrots, iceberg lettuce, and lots of tomatoes (more about the tomatoes in a moment).

Now for the story of the tomatoes. Last year we planted way too many tomatoes. So this year we decided to do just one row. Perhaps 4-5 plants. Next to the tomatoes we planted peppers. All was going well until one day Cindy took a close look at the peppers and announced, "These sure look like tomatoes to me!" Sure enough, they were, so now we had two rows of tomatoes. Then a few days after that we were examining a mystery plant that had sprouted up amongst the carrots. You guessed it another tomato plant. Later we discover another tomato plant amongst the onions. So, now we have 11 tomato plants again this year. Here is a close up of the one growing with the carrots.

Finally, there is this mystery plant growing with the onions. Anybody have any guesses as to what it is? We don't have a clue.

Ain't gardenin'fun?

A Trip to Nauvoo

2008-07-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

A week ago Cindy and I took another trip down to Macomb to visit Warren and Marianne in their new digs. After all, we had to pick up the cell phone and credit card we left with them when they moved in to their new place. While there we went to Nauvoo and took in a temple session. We also saw the new Nauvoo Pageant. Both were wonderful. Nauvoo is a special place. There is such a tremendous spirit there. And if you have not seen the new pageant it is really worth it. It is so much better than the City of Joseph (affectionately known as Mormon Hee Haw by those in the know) pageant was. Well, here are a few pictures from that trip.

Warren and Marianne's Miracle Move

2008-07-07T17:06:00.000-07:00

Last week Cindy, Chase and I helped our son, Warren, and his wife, Marianne, move to Macomb, IL where Warren will be attending Western Illinois University in the fall. What an adventure! If any of you want the full (it is rather long, but worth reading)story on this move just send me a message with your email address and I will forward it to you. It really was rather miraculous.

For this post, however, let me just say that when we arrived at the house they had rented over the internet in Macomb, we discovered that it was right in the middle of the trailer park from hell. And this after they had been assured that it was in good condition and in a safe neighborhood. Here are a few pictures. In the first one notice all of the trash next to the house and the weeds in front of the house. You should also know that the front porch was so slick from mold that it was unsafe.

This next picture shows you the trees that were growing out of the rain gutters. I doubt the gutters had been cleaned in years.

The front door was far from secure and looked like it had been kicked in several times as did the side and back doors.

The kitchen was covered in cheap contact paper and the kitchen and bathroom were filthy. The living room carpet was not secure and had not been cleaned or even vacuumed in a millenium or so. The house reeked of mold.

And these pictures are my favorite. A furnace that had been jerry-rigged to a wall outlet and looked like it would explode if it was turned on.

Well, Warren and Marianne spent a sleepless night there on Friday, and Cindy and I could not sleep either in our motel. I prayed for Warren and Marianne throughout the night and received very specific direction that we were to get them out of this place. I also received instructions on how to get this done. On Saturday, with the help of a good bishop in the Macomb Ward we were able to get Warren and Marianne out, get most of their money back, and find them a great, new place to live. Enjoy the slide show of their new home and remember, Miracles still do happen.

And finally, here is a great shot of the exterior of their new place. They live in the townhome on the end.

The Family Reunion 2008

2008-06-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

We just held our first ever family reunion. We went to Jellystone Three Bears Resort in Warrens, Wisconsin. It was great!. Five whole days and no one killed anyone. Close, but all survived. At the end everyone said they had a real good time. We played in the waterparks, enjoyed a miniature golf tournament, watched a zillion movies (I set up a movie theatre in our villa with a projector I borrowed from school attached to a laptop, with some speakers and a subwoofer, and a sheet taped to the wall). We even got permissio9n from our bishop to hold our own Sacrament Meeting on Sunday. And, oh yes, we had a crossword puzzle tournament (guys v. gals) which still remains tied at 2-2. We even survived all of the rain and weather (including a tornado that passed by us about four miles away) that the central part of Wisconsin endured the first week of June. I guess the big test was when we asked everyone at the end of the week if they wanted to do it again and their response was an enthusiastic "YES"! Well, enjoy the slide show of the reunion.

To the Art Institute

2008-05-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

Recently we were visited by JoAnne and Kristy Bergeson, Cindy's mother and sister. They came to hear Chase give his mission report in church (he did great by the way!) While they were here Rachel (Chase's sister), Cindy (Chase's Mom) and JoAnne and Kristy took a day and went to the Chicago Art Institute (probably the best art museum in the whole world). As they say, a great time was had by all and the ladies even talked Chase into letting them spend an hour or so at Macy's (formerly known as Marshall Fields--yes, Chicago is still upset about that one), and having lunch in the famous Walnut Room. Well, anyway, here is a slide show of their fun trip. Enjoy.

It's a Miracle

2008-05-04T19:59:00.001-07:00

It finally happened. The stars were all aligned and the moon was in the seventh house and it happened. For Paul's birthday his good friend and home teacher, Richard Nicholls, gave him a game--it consists of a baseball and a golf tee floating in water. The object is to get the ball on the tee. Sound simple? Well....everyone in our family has tried it to no avail. Tonight Warren did it. The proof is in the pictures so here they are.

Now, for those of you who were hoping for a chance to win the big prize at the upcoming family reunion, don't lose faith. Warren's success just goes to show it can be done. The contest will still be on in Wisconsin.

Chase is Back

2008-04-24T17:56:00.000-07:00

Yes. Amazing as it is, it has been two years. Yesterday our son, Chase Theodore Guymon, returned from his service as a missionary in the Arizona Tempe Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. By all accounts he was a great missionary and did the family really proud. We certainly feel blessed by his service and are happy to have him home. Well, enough of that. Below is a little slide show of his arrival at O'Hare International Airport and the reunion with his family.

Happy 55th Old Man

2008-04-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

What a Week! April 3rd was Paul's 55th birthday. This week was full of celebration and fun. On Monday, the 31st Paul and Warren went to the Cubs opener at Wrigley Field (see previous post). Then on the 3rd Cindy and Paul enjoyed a nice dinner at Crystal Lake Ribs. On Friday the 4th it was out to eat at Outback Steakhouse with our home teacher and his wife. And then today (the 6th) it was the family party. Below are some of the pictures from today's festivities. It was a great day and wonderful to have the family over.

You've Got to Have a Present

Or Two

Some Pie and Cake

And a moment of silence for the old guy

Anyway, it was a great day and a terrific week. Thanks to all!

Opening Day 2008

2008-04-01T16:43:00.000-07:00

WOW! There really is nothing quite like Opening Day at Wrigley Field in Chicago. What an experience! We felt cold, warm, frustrated, and exhilirated. I went with my son Warren, and friends Steve and Matt. We had great seats a little behind third base and under the upper deck so we were out of the rain. The game's start was delayed by about 35 minutes or so due to rain and there was a 47 minute rain delay in the bottom of the third inning, but they got it in and by the time it was over the temperature was 60 degrees (It was about 42 degrees when the game started). The Cubbies honored Cub great Ernie Banks at the beginning of the game, which was very appropriate. Here are a few pictures of the days events.

Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks

The Other Mr. Cub, Yours Truly

Warren and Paul at Wrigley

Cleaning Up after the Rain

Steve and Matt waiting for the game to begin

Well, the Cubs lost to Milwaukee 4-3 in 10 innings, but that is okay, I had a great time anyway. Baseball is back and all is right with the world.

Almost Here

2008-03-29T21:25:00.001-07:00

Okay, the big day is nearly here. Monday marks the start of the Cubs season and I will be at Wrigley Field to welcome in the new season. The latest forecast has an 80% chance of thunderstorms with a high of 59. Sounds warm enough but we need help praying away the rain. For those who have not heard, Cindy got me the opening day tickets for Christmas. It is great to have the best wife ever! I feel sorry for the rest of you guys. For those of you who don't understand how important this year is for a Cubs fan, this video might help.

Easter 2008

2008-03-24T07:49:00.001-07:00

We hope that everyone enjoyed Easter Sunday yesterday. What a special time of year this is. It certainly is a great time for family and fun and a wonderful time to remember our Savior, Jesus Christ and all he has done for us.

Yesterday we had the Fullmers with us: our daughter Rachel, son-in-law Adam, and grandchildren Summer, Bryce, Allison, and Sophie. We enjoyed a great Easter dinner and then had a fun evening together. Here are a few pictures of the festivities for you to enjoy.

This is Bryce at the Easter table.

And Summer and Allison

Sophie learning to walk

And Adam (sans braces) with Rachel.

We are still waiting for Spring to arrive. We had eight inches of snow on Friday and set a record for annual snowfall (78 inches). Our normal is 29 inches per year. Oh well, this can't last forever, can it?

Allison and Sophie's Birthday Bash

2008-03-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

Two of our grandaughters, Allison and Sophie Fullmer, turn four and one
respectively this week. This past Sunday we all got together at the
Fullmer's for a bit of a birthday celebration. To say the least, it was
rather hilarious. Allison, age 4, is the drama queen of the world. When
we got to their house she greeted us at the door with a big "It's so
good of you to come to my birthday" and "Thank you for bringing all of
the presents". Then she insisted that we sing "Happy Birthday" to her
as soon as we got in the house. As she was opening her number 1 present
from us she saw that it was a Mariposa Barbie and she exclaimed, "Oh,
this is the best present ever. It is just what I have wanted all of my
life." (See picture below).
Then
there was Sophie, age one. What a riot! Cindy bought Sophie her own
little birthday cake. At first she was rather timid about it, but after
she got a little taste of the frosting (see below), she dove right in.

Here is a video of the great event. Enjoy and try not to laugh too hard. It might hurt.

In Honor of St. Patrick

2008-03-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

Since tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day we thought we would share a Chicago tradition with you. Enjoy the video and then if you want to know what a Chicago spring is like you can read the essay we found. We love it here!

Spring in Chicago

2008-03-16T07:03:00.000-07:00

The glacier in my yard is finally receding. We hope for good. Temperatures in the Chicago area warmed up into the 50s this past week giving us a taste of spring. For those of you who have never experienced a Chicago spring, I found this essay which reflects what it is like pretty well. Enjoy.

Spring Comes to Chicago
It Seems to Take Forever
an essay from Hunting for Frogs on Elston, and Other Tales from Field & Street by Jerry Sullivan

February 24, 1995

Spring has begun to push winter aside, although the signs are still very obscure. Two weeks ago, when the windchill hit 40 below, a few northern harriers passed through on their early migration, and an early canvasback duck was sighted at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Birds we think of as typical winter species—northern shrikes, rough-legged hawks, snowy owls—also seem to show up in greater numbers now, perhaps because they have begun their northern movement, and birds in migration tend to be more visible than sedentary ones.

The earliest spring migrants fall into two groups: open-country birds and water birds. Harriers and rough-legged hawks both hunt by flying low over open ground. Treeless land loses its snow cover before forested land, so these hunters can move north very early in the year.

Water birds need only enough warmth to melt the ice off lakes and ponds. In a winter as mild as this last one there is open water to be found even in January.

A week ago a large flock of common mergansers was seen on Lake Calumet. We see three species of these big fish-eating ducks around Chicago, and common mergansers are our usual winter birds. As spring advances they will be replaced by red-breasted mergansers in the flocks on Lake Calumet, Lake Michigan, and other large bodies of water.

A pair of harlequin ducks, one a male in its gaudy breeding plumage, showed up off 53rd Street. These birds of rushing mountain streams have become fairly regular around Chicago in recent years.

By the time you read this the first small flocks of grackles and red-winged blackbirds may have arrived in the Chicago area. If they haven't, they will in a few days. The precise date of their arrival will depend on the weather. If we get a warm front carried on a southerly breeze we can rely on the birds to ride it into the rapidly thawing north.

I am really looking forward to the drama of the changing seasons this year. I spent last year in Seattle, where, meteorologically speaking, almost nothing happens. TV weathermen could record a couple weeks' worth of programs and then go on vacation—and I suspect that some of them do.

The long, slow agonizing shift from Chicago winter to Chicago summer takes months, and there is seldom a day between late February and the end of June when you don't feel just a little anxiety about whether we are going to make it this year. A front moves in from the gulf, bringing soft breezes, warm air, and flocks of migrating robins and killdeer. Then the temperature drops 40 degrees in 27 minutes, and four inches of snow fall in three hours. The robins and killdeer, frantically searching for snowless ground, gather on the highways and get squashed in large numbers. Crows and raccoons congregate to eat the robin and killdeer carcasses. Many of the raccoons become roadkill themselves, although the crows almost never do.

Our weather gives us drama, a quality that is usually absent from west-coast climates. They get the occasional flood, but our climate involves us year-round every year. You cannot be a spectator here. If you try you might get struck by lightning.

Along the Pacific they have freakish weather from time to time. Here in the middle of the continent our weather is always freakish. We are constantly going to extremes, turning the weird into the everyday. What would spring be without a snowstorm in late April?

Californians can convince themselves that this year's flood was an oddity that won't happen again for decades. Our climate has taught us that anything can happen at any time—and probably will within the next 24 hours.

Midwestern landscapes take on the quality of stage sets on warm, sunny days at the end of winter. The curtain has gone up, but none of the actors has yet entered. The sun warms the bare ground. The native trees, which have been dealing with the drama for millennia, lay low. Most of the birds are still in Mexico. The wings of a few insects shimmer in the sunlight, but most await the greater certainties of May.

In a matter of a few weeks this will all be transformed. Bright green will begin to cover the browns and grays of prairies and grasslands. Trees will leaf out and shade the ground beneath them.

And birds will arrive in large numbers. Only 13 species of wood warblers nest regularly in the state of Washington. One additional species occurs regularly as a migrant. Here we can expect to see about 36 species in migration every spring, and states like Wisconsin and Michigan, which have hardwood forests at their southern ends and boreal forests in the north, may have almost that many species nesting every year.

All these different kinds of birds produce a glorious variety of song. Take a slow stroll through one of our better forest preserves in May or June and the songs will come at you in such richness that you'll have trouble sorting them out. The forests of the northwest simply don't have the birds to make that kind of wonderful racket.

In Seattle I used to walk my dog in a county park near my house. It was a second-growth Douglas fir woods with the typical tree perhaps 18 inches to two feet in diameter. I went there regularly for almost a year, and almost nothing happened. The common songbirds were winter wrens, robins, bushtits, and black-capped chickadees, and all of them were year-round residents. They sang more in spring and early summer, but that seemed to be their only response to the seasons.

When I tell people that I didn't care much for Seattle and that I'm really happy to be back in Chicago I get a range of reactions. Some people—there are a lot of Seattle haters around—say, "I know exactly what you mean." Most Seattle haters are put off by the attitudes of northwesterners. "I can't imagine why anybody would rather live in Chicago than in Seattle," said a woman I met at a Seattle party one night. "That's the trouble with people here," I replied. "No imagination."

The scenery is always pointed out as one of the attractions of the place. But I used to look east from our house at the line of the Cascades and see not ruggedly beautiful mountains but a wall keeping me away from the rest of the world.

I seem to be getting very antiscenery as I get older. I react to the scenery of strange places much as I react to watching a Japanese No play. "I'm sure this is all very nice, but what does it mean? Why are they acting like that?"

Here in the Midwest I have several decades' worth of knowledge and experience to help me read the landscape. I can tell where the glaciers were, see what was an old field, get an idea of when fires began to be suppressed on the land, and even deduce whether this woodland was grazed at some time in the past. I can walk through a forest preserve in late February and tell you with a high degree of accuracy what birds are going to be nesting there in June.

My year in Seattle did teach me that if you want to enjoy that glorious scenery you need a weekend. When I was 25 I could have loaded up my backpack every Friday after work and set off for a two-night hike into the Olympics or Mount Rainier National Park. But at this point in my life I'm a householder and a parent and a busy worker. My weekends are mostly eaten up with obligations. What I need is a natural place where I can spend a Saturday or Sunday morning, leaving the afternoons free for shopping, cleaning out the basement, and taking the cat to the vet.

And the big secret of Chicago is that we have more of that kind of nature than almost any other city in the country. Seattle has mountains in the distance, but its city and county park systems ain't much. Thanks to our forest preserves, I will actually be able to see and hear and smell the vast changes that the coming spring will inaugurate.

Bioregionalists like to devise quizzes. They ask if you know what the local bedrock is or what kind of natural vegetation once covered the land where your house sits. But what they should ask people to do is tell the time of year by smelling the air. It really is possible. The temperature is 55 degrees. Is it an unusually warm day in early December? Is it the first stirring of spring in late February? Or is it one of those weird days in late May when winter seems to want to come back? If you have lived here a while and if you have been paying attention, you could take a couple of deep breaths, feel the breeze on your cheeks, and immediately know the answer.

Our Fearless Leader

2008-03-08T07:42:00.000-08:00

Okay, I can't resist this. In the spirit of a presidential election year I had to post these two videos of our illustrious commander-in-chief. The first one shows him earlier this week waiting for a meeting with John McCain. So here it is:

The second one shows him on his recent trip to Africa. So enjoy and remember, only 318 days to go.

The New Fridge

2008-03-02T06:50:00.000-08:00

Cindy just got a new refrigerator. She is really excited about this (although not as excited as Paul is about the upcoming Cubs season). Several of you have been informed that a picture of said fridge would be on our blog soon, so here it is. Enjoy!

Sick of Winter, Looking Forward to Spring

2008-03-02T06:16:00.000-08:00

Everyone around here is absolutely sick of winter. We have had over 50 inches of snow thus far and the normal for this time of year is about 29 inches. So, what do you do when winter hangs on like this? Change your thoughts to spring and what is the absolute best thing about spring? Baseball season starts. And what is the best thing about the beginning of baseball season? The Cubs!!! Hope does spring eternal, you know. It has only been 100 years since the Cubbies won the World Series, so this could be the year. For those of you who cannot comprehend Cub Mania, perhaps this will help:

You get the idea. March 31st cannot arrive quickly enough.

The Best

2008-02-24T07:26:00.001-08:00

And, of course, our absolute favorite cartoon show ever.

One of Our Absolute Favorites

2008-02-24T07:05:00.000-08:00

Alright, Here is one of our absolute favorites. Shows how great minds work.

Remember This?

2008-02-23T09:46:00.000-08:00

How many of you remember this show from the 60s?

Or this one?

Here is Cindy's favorite

Shows from our Childhood

2008-02-22T13:54:00.000-08:00

All of our kids are posting their favorite videos from the 80s so Cindy and I decided to find something representative of our childhood. Enjoy!

WE ARE HERE

2008-02-12T07:54:00.001-08:00

Wow! Cindy and I have decided to enter the 21st Century. All of our kids have blogs so we thought it would be fun to have one too. To start with here is a picture of Paul and one of Cindy.

Don't we look great?

We think so.

If you want to see what we do in our spare time click this link:

http://www.jibjab.com/sendables/view/iIZLF7UdWRTVb2QOy7zy21Y1

We have four children and six grandchildren. Rachel and family (the Fullmers) live in Capron, IL, Warren and Marianne live in Woodstock, IL and Hillary and family (the Crandalls) live in Rochester, MN. Links to their blogs are on this blog so you can look them up and find out more about each of them if you like.

Paul and Cindy live in Crystal Lake, IL, which is about 50 miles northwest of Chicago. If you have never been to Northern Illinois in the winter, this will give you an idea of what it is like:

BRRRRRRRRRRR!! We can't wait for Spring and Tornado season to arrive.