My Masterpiece

He was impressed with all I did with his decorations. :)

 
Spongebob Squarepants....pretty good, eh? I think so. I did it!!! I actually made a Spongebob Squarepants cake!! Although it was fortunate that he is square already. 

Decorations!! We were spongebobed out! 

Poppa, Wyatt and Spencer ready to eat and party!

Waiting patiently for the pinata.

Trying to pull the string off.....yes the one that opened it all. He got it on the first try!!!! Sorry Wyatt for not getting a good turn. 

Grabbing as much as they can get....can you tell Wyatt loves Snickers? 

Happy Birthday Spencer! His wish: to go back to Africa...too cute! 

So happy about all of the presents he got. Spencer had a great birthday!!!

Spencer is 4 today!!

Just had to put the spotlight on Spencer for his 4th birthday!! I can't believe he is already 4, he will be starting school soon, and then become a young man, then dating, and then he'll be gone off on his mission!?!!? I never did like the idea that a mom only got her son for nineteen years. So unfair. But we'll enjoy today and all the Spongebob we can get! Pictures to follow soon! 

Use The Force

Okay, so from Becca's posts, you know that the Congo isn't the greatest place in the Foreign Service to be posted, but there are some things that bring us laughter and the following story is one that at times makes life here beareable.

There is an American at the embassy who's son loves Star Wars. His son had one of those light sabers that lights up and makes noises. After the son played with it often and the dog chewed on it, the dad decided to give it away. There are several different ways he could enrich the lives of those in the Congo with this light saber. He could give it to an orphanage, give it to a one of the several kids who live on the street, and he could probably even give it to the Ndjili (Kinshasa's Airport) air traffic controllers, who could definitely use it.
Out of all of the choices he had, he chose to give it to the police. You may ask why the police when he could give it to a needy child. Well I will tell you why. There are very few stoplights in town (4) and even fewer that work (2). So at most busy intersections you have a police officer. Some police officers are nice and don't harass the drivers, others surround your car and claim you did something wrong and try to make you pay a bribe to get out of it.

But what these police officers do is stand in the middle of the intersection, either on the ground or on these little four foot stands. The rule (one of only two real traffic rules here in the Congo) is if the police officer is facing you, or his back is to you then you stop. If it is his profile that is facing you, then you have the right away.
So this American gave the light saber to one of the police officers and explained to her how to use it. She instantly took pride in her new gadget, walked out in the middle of traffic and used the light saber, and in my mind the force, to stop the traffic and let this American through. Because this light saber was so popular, this American then decided to start the LSI, the Light Saber Initiative and had friends send him some more light sabers and has started dispersing them through the city. These light sabers enable the police to do a better job and provides them with safety as the light saber is highly visible, but most of all it brings a smile to our faces because they have no idea that they are using a light saber to direct traffic. I will try and get a picture of one of these police officers for this blog in the future.
So today on my way home from work, a traffic cop (one of the nicer ones) was proudly holding his blue light saber, fearlessly directing traffic. And even though I am in the Congo, I couldn't help but laugh, possibly the work of the force from this Congolese Jedi, as the police officer waved me through with his light saber.

Pictures of my trip

Austin exploring in Grandpa and Grandma Rigby's back yard. 

Seth having a hummingbird ALMOST sit on his finger!!! They were getting really close to him, it was awesome!
Birdhouse in G and G Rigby's back yard. I really like this picture.
The field behind my grandparents house. That red barn has become a memory of grandpa and grandma's house. Love the mountains! 

Grandpa Rigby

I found out today that my Grandpa Rigby died at the age of 88, with his wife and children by his side. We knew it was coming, so it wasn't a big shock, but it still is hard to take in. He was the only grandpa I knew growing up. (my dad's dad died right after I was born.) Grandpa Rigby was the best. I always had fun going to his house, which is an old LDS church, with a gym and stage inside the house! It was a great house to play in while growing up. 

Whenever we would visit he would take me fishing, which I always felt special in doing with him. He always took the grandsons fishing, and I never went with them. But at least one morning him, me and my dad would all go and fish for the day. I learned all about fishing from him. 

I also knew whenever we went to Grandpa Rigby's that we would be playing cards, rummy to be exact. I learned from him how to play. He would sit me on his lap and let me "help" him. 

I will miss him dearly, but know that he is up there in heaven playing baseball with all of his friends. I will miss the stories he would tell us of his past, and see the tenderness in his eyes when he would talk about how family is everything. I learned from him that family IS everything, and how patriotic we all should be. He was a good man.

Helping out!

Since our arrival here in Congo, Becca and I have seen the extreme poverty that the Congolese live in. Children live on the street asking every passer by for money, families live without electricity and water, Church members, even with the help of the church, are unable to send their children to school, and newborns go without blankets, pacifiers, and needed vaccinations. Many of you have asked "what can we do to help?" So I asked the bishop of our ward what things people in the ward needed most. Here is a list of things he told me they would need, especially as the new school season starts:

SCHOOL
Note Books
Pencils
Paper
Book Bags
Markers
and any other basic school supplies and even fees for school.

BABIES
Blankets
Pacifiers
Bottles
Baby toys

Anyone who wishes to help out, please send packages addressed to me at
Unit 2220 Box 147
DPO, AE 09828

As this is a DPO address shipping is the same as if you were mailing it with in the United States

I will give these items to the Bishop and he will be responsible for its distribution. Any young man who is looking for a Eagles project, young women looking for Young Women in Excellence Project, or anyone else looking for a way to make a difference this would be a great opportunity to help out those in need. If any of you have questions, feel free to leave them here on the blog, or email me at tylern79@yahoo.com
Thank You
Tyler

Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer

Spencer has discovered the best part of summer.....the ice cream truck! When we heard the song of "Pop Goes the Weasel" we knew he was near. Spencer picked out, of course, a Spongebob Squarepants ice cream. 

Helping Poppa mow.
Playing at Grandma and Poppa Nicholes house. 

Married to the most wonderful woman in the world.

Happy Anniversary, honey. I can't believe it has already been seven years since we were married. In those seven years, we have driven from the west coast to the east coast (most of it with a one year old in the back seat), we have moved eight times, we have lived in two states, we have lived in six different cities, and two countries. We have seen Mount Saint Helens, fireworks over our nation's capital, the Wright brother's monument, old faithful, the vast Nevada desert, and the Congo river.

We have watched every episode of Lost, Heroes, The Office, Amazing Race (we even applied to be on that one), Survivor, Big Brother, the Mole, So you think you can Dance, Gilmore Girls, Dancing with the Stars, and Joe Millionaire.

We have gone to the theatre, or snuggled up on our couch to watch Legally Blond 1,2 and 3, The Notebook (which I cried at the end), The Vertical Limit (our first date), Finding Forrester (our first Kiss), Cast Away (the first time we said we loved each other), America's Sweetheart (on our honeymoon), and The Man who Knew too Little.

We have been to Jazz games (saw Ostertag get mad and dump the Gatorade in the tunnel), gone para sailing, been on the skycoaster at Lagoon, visited castles in Germany, eaten chocolate in Belgium, planned a trip to Hawaii, and planned our dream house.

Becca you have stood by me through good and bad times. I want you to know how thankful I am for you. I have uprooted you from your family and moved you across the world to a foreign land, where you don't know the language, the customs, the traffic rules, and although I know it is not your most favorite place in the world you have supported me and stuck with me to let me have a job I enjoy, even though you know we will someitmes end up in challenging locations. You have loved me in spite of my weaknesses, you let me play my video games, and even play them with me sometime. You love basketball and don't mind spending alot of money to get good seats to see the Utah Jazz play. You play Fantasy Basketball with me, even beating me most years. You have brought into this life our beautiful son, you care for him, feed him, and play with him when I am not there. Your life is devoted to our family.

I have told you this before, but I am always in a hurry to come home. I love my work, but I love you and Spencer more. You make the house a place where I want to be, the spirit is there, love is there, you are there. There are many people who look for ways to stay at work, so they don't have to go home, I look for reasons to go home. You have made our home a heaven on earth, no matter where that home is located. My dad even commented that even though the streets of Kinshasa are crazy, and he always became a little anxious to leave, he found our house peaceful and calm.

I am constantly amazed at your patience and your selflessness. You are always so willing to help others, Your selflessness is one of the things I most admire about you. You always want to buy people gifts, you think of ways to help people in our ward here, and although most people think you are in the States now so you can stay away from Congo for a longer time, I know the real reason you are there is to help your mom, and that taking care of Spencer all the time and not having much of your own free time is not always fun, but you are doing it because you have Charity, the pure love of Christ, in your heart.

These past seven years have been wonderful. You are more beautiful then the day when we had our first staring contest (which I won). You understand me, you support me and you love me. These past seven years have been the happiest times of my life, people who know me now, know I always have a smile on my face these days. I wasn't always so smiley, but I can't help it when the most beautiful girl in the world loves me. The only thing better then the last seven years is the knowledge that I will be with you forever, and that those seven years will only multiply and get better. Becca, I love you more than anything in the world. Happy Anniversary.

Happy Anniversary Tyler!

The new music is for you Tyler. I love you! Seven years, can you believe it?!!? 

Us then (Spring 2001, just engaged) and now (Summer 2008, parasailing).

My Wonderful Husband!

This is what was outside my parents front door today. 

Aren't they gorgeous! I loved them honey!!! Thank you for the past 7 years!!! :)