Greg's 100 Things

This isn't a list of 100 things about me necessarily, but a list of 100 things that have influenced me, some random thoughts, and beliefs that I have.

1) I may be too cynical for my own good.
2) Jessica introduced me to the magical sounds of Queen.
3) My favorite Queen song is, "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy"... Quite possibly the gayest song of all time.
4) I have never been, nor will I ever be, embarrassed that I played the clarinet throughout middle and high school.
5) I think the war in the Middle East should be decided by a game of Risk.
6) People who ride on a motorcycle without a helmet are idiots.
7) I once drove from Phoenix to Benicia (12 hours) with my best friend without saying a word or listening to the radio. He read a book and I drove. One of the best road trips I ever had.
8) Benicia tap water is delicious.
9) I miss the smell of Benicia.
10) I had to go to the school psychologist when I was in 1st grade. Apparently I was a little goth child before it became cool to be an outcast.
11) If you make me mad, I can make my eyes appear black.
12) I was put in the slow reading class in 1st grade. I didn't read a book for school or pleasure until I was 16. It was the Iliad of Homer.
13) I was arrested when I was 13 for shoplifting with some friends. I quickly found new friends.
14) I didn't cry the day Emerson was born. I sobbed on the drive from the hospital to work.
15) I get teary every time I see the music video for the song "Citizen Soldier" by 3 Doors Down.
16) Don't get me wrong but I think Oprah spends too much time and money outside of the U.S.
17) A college education or some sort of trade school should be a requirement in order to become professional athlete.
18) I played and started on the varsity volleyball team in high school as a sophomore, received 1st team all league honors as a junior and senior. I turned down the opportunity to play at some Division III and J.C. schools so I could earn money for my mission.
19) Jerry Seinfeld has nothing on my no-puke streak.
20) I ate the pound burger at Fuddruckers on three consecutive nights on my mission. My companion and I forgot that we had a dinner appointment on the third night. We ended up eating a family meal from Popeye's Chicken between the two of us. This has been the highlight of my no-puke streak.
21) Babe Ruth is overrated. If he played today he wouldn't be a Hall-of-Famer. If Hank Aaron played in Ruth's time, he would have gotten to 1,000 home runs.
22) I worked at Hiddenbrooke Golf Club when the LPGA had a tour event for the top 20 golfers in the world. I got to drive Juli Inkster to the driving range after her first round of golf. I asked her how her round went and she said it was awful. My reply, "It's okay. Sometimes I struggle on this course too." She could have gotten me fired.
23) I failed the last class for my masters degree. When the teacher wouldn't respond to my phone calls, emails or office visit attempts I worked out an independent study class with the head of the accounting department. When I got an "A" I sent my transcripts to the teacher who failed me. I still haven't heard from him.
24) I have no problem with illegal immigrants taking jobs away from Americans. If Americans would swallow their pride and take the same job there wouldn't be an issue.
25) David Letterman hasn't been funny for about 10 years. Connan O'Brien should be the only talk show host allowed on T.V.
26) I don't think cell phones should be tolerated in church. Is the potential phone call you're going to get more important than God?
27) I believe in a dress code for public schools.
28) I don't think people should get tax breaks for buying a fuel efficient vehicle.
29) John Steinbeck's best work wasn't Of Mice or Men, The Grapes of Wrath, or even East of Eden. Go read To a God Unknown.
30) I think Steinbeck was a literary genius but a traitor as a Californian.
31) In eighth grade I was invited to lay the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
32) I saw a picture of Jessica while on my mission and I immediately knew I was going to marry her. I was 20 and she was a junior in high school at the time.
33) I love to sleep with the windows open in the middle of winter.
34) If an NBA or MLB team offered me a job I would take it without talking to Jessica.
35) While working-out I got tired when doing the bench press. I wasn't able to get the bar off my chest. The only person in the gym was a girl. I struggled for five minutes before I asked for her help. I don't think I've seen a person fight so hard to not laugh.
36) Female reporters should not be allowed in the locker room before, during, or after the game. I don't care how credible she is.
37) I love a good piece of cake.
38) Blue Bell ice cream is worth the $100 to have it shipped to your door.
39) I love to talk to telemarketers.
40) I like to argue even if I don't care about what I'm arguing.
41) I have no desire to become my own boss.
42) Maybe it's the accountant in me but I love a good spreadsheet.
43) If you're not from New York you have no business being a Yankee's fan.
44) I can't understand the Mormon Tabernacle Choir when they sing.
45) I can be calmed down from any situation by the music of Jack Johnson. So can Emerson.
46) I got the '88 Honda Civic up to 120 mph.
47) I cried the night Mark went to BYU because I new that all of the brothers would never be together at the same time again. I think the last time we were all together was at Doug's wedding. I think Mark went to BYU in '93 and Doug's wedding was in '99.
48) A clean kitchen sink makes me happy.
49) I have seven sister's-in-law. I'll never tell whose my favorite.
50) There is something that I envy of all my brothers.
51) Hand guns terrify me.
52) I was at soccer practice during the 7.1 Loma Prieta Earthquake. I didn't feel a thing.
53) The only reason I majored in accounting is because two teachers salaries won't pay the bills.
54) This is a little inappropriate but I crapped my pants while in college. And no, I don't drink or do drugs.
55) I take great pride in the fact that my parents raised six boys who served honorable full-time missions and that the five that are married were married in the temple and are still married.
56) For two years I was addicted to the soap, "Passions".
57) I once put my hand on a red ant pile for free lunch. It wasn't worth it.
58) I currently don't vote because I currently don't care.
59) The only reason I care about cable T.V. is because I love ESPN.
60) I like Bill Walton.
61) I walked away from a 50 mph car crash without a bruise or scratch. However, I did pick broken glass out of my hair for three days.
62) I think about death everyday.
63) I enjoy when you can see the moon and the sun at the same time in the early morning.
64) I love America's Funniest Videos.
65) Hot Rod is the funniest comedy over the last five years.
66) I told myself that I would go to Utah for school and if I got married while in Utah I would bring my wife back to California and I would under no circumstances have children raised in Utah. It's been 5 1/2 years of marriage and our first child was born in Utah. I try not to tell myself anything anymore.
67) Sometimes I wish that Jessica wasn't so optimistic.
68) I have a great fear of heights.
69) People who complain about the President are wasting their time and energy.
70) I think that offshore drilling and drilling in Alaska are a good idea.
71) I don't think that endangered species need to be protected at all costs.
72) If I go to a buffet, the first thing I look for is meatloaf.
73) I think that people who say they don't have regrets are liars.
74) At what point did beards become unprofessional?
75) When I'm with Jessica and Emerson I think I'm better than everyone else. Yup, I'm that arrogant.
76) I get angry when I tell someone my last name and they spell it "Folley".
77) I think that when at a restaurant I should be able to put the tip on the table at the beginning of the meal and adjust it according to the level of service received.
78) Drunk drivers should get a "Go Directly To Jail" card and should have their license revoked immediately.
79) I'm all for stem cell research.
80) I like IKEA.
81) While on my mission I played volleyball against the Texas A&M women's team. It was their team against myself and another missionary from Tonga. We beat them.
82) I prefer to sit/lay on the floor while watching T.V. or a movie.
83) I love mullets.
84) When you type "Gregory L Foley" in the Google search bar, my review on Amazon.com is the first result. I destroyed my finger during a game of flag football and as a result my original wedding ring no longer fits. I bought my current ring from Amazon.
85) I think that teachers should be able to use dunce caps and smack students with rulers when they act like idiots.
86) Adam Sandler should refund everyone who went to his last two movies.
87) I plan on watching the men's national basketball team play live during the Olympics.
88) I have Red Dawn DVR'd and I have no intention of deleting it. It should be the first thing new recruits see when joining the military.
89) I was a glass child. I would cry in an instant.
90) I pray that Emerson doesn't get that from me.
91) I'm scared to start studying for the CPA exam. Not because I might not pass it (most don't their first try) but because of the expectations if I do pass.
92) I'm extremely proud of the hard work Jessica puts into her job as a teacher.
93) I'm more proud of the work she puts in as a mother and wife.
94) I'm grateful that Jessica allows me to be the man when I need to be.
95) Before Emerson was born I made a list of everyone that I have offened and tried to contact all of them individually. I didn't want Emerson to come into a world in which people hated her father.
96) I love the excitement that people get when they are around Emerson.
97) Emerson Rose wasn't the first choice I had when she born. I was sure she would be Adelaine Scout. Now that she's here, I couldn't imagine her not being my little "Emmy".
98) I have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
99) I have to go move the laundry to the dryer.
100) I spent over three hours doing this thing so someone better read it all.

Editorials? Please help...

I need some creative ideas from you wonderfully creative people! Please, read on...

So this summer for school, (I teach year round), I've been doing a big unit on Journalism. Each class period is going to be publishing their own paper at the end of the summer. Each week I've focused on one aspect of journalism.

week 1: freedom of the press, and censorship

week 2: interviewing skills and writing about it

week 3: advertising and cartooning

week 4: EDITORIALS (here we are...and I need help!

It's been pretty fun because I have been doing a lot more discussions and have given the girls more freedom in choosing what they want to do. This is good and bad. Some girls love the freedom; some girls take advantage of the freedom.

Tomorrow, (Monday), I am going to hand out a sheet with the format of editorials and also an example that I found from the New York Times. I plan on assigning the girls each to write an editorial and I am giving them the option of choosing what they want to write on or selecting from a list of ideas that I have. I DON'T HAVE A LIST OF IDEAS YET!!! That's where y'all come in. What are some great topics that would make for a good editorial? I know the basics like political issues, but I am trying to get a mix of serious world issue stuff and fun light hearted stuff. These girls have a lot of 'heavy' things in their life so I don't want to force them to write about other 'heavy' things. Does that make sense?

Fun times in CA!

Okay, so it's been a few weeks since we got back from visiting Greg's family in California and I finally have the pictures up to post. I'm kind of bummed that I didn't take that many pictures out there, but I didn't realize that until we were home. It's hard when I'm the only picture taker in our family! We had so much fun out there and wish we could go more often.
The first day that we were there, Friday, we went and surprised Grandma at work, visited Jenny and Andrew at home and then we walked around beautiful 1st street in Benicia. Greg had requested one of his favorite childhood meals, pigs in a blanket, and Vivian made them for us! It was my first time and they were actually pretty yummy. It was a nice summery meal with fruit and potato salad. The next day we went up to Vacaville to the outlets and had a fun day shopping. Later that day we met the whole family at Sandoval's Mexican Restaurant on 1st street. It's a great little local place, (i.e. the Foley's are on a first name basis with the owners), and has kind of turned into a family tradition to go there. Sunday we went to church with the fam and then had a relaxing day just hanging out, watching the movie "Stardust," eating lots of food (thanks Vivian), and playing with the boys. Monday was the day that we decided to do San Francisco and it was a blast. We went to Golden Gate Park and then down to Fisherman's Wharf. I was having major issues with my allergies and then it turned into a lovely sinus infection. So we decided to leave Tuesday afternoon and split our trip home into 2 days. Vacations are always tiring, but we had a great time! Thanks to the Foleys, Michael included, for putting up with a screaming baby in the middle of the night. Love you guys!





Here's Emmy with Grandpa Foley. I love how happy and delighted he looks while she's looking a little unsure! Don't worry, this was the first night and she really warmed up to him. ;) I'm so sad that I didn't get a picture of Emmy with Grandma! If anyone else got one from our trip I would love it. (Greg says she's very illusive!)




This is a picture of Emmy's cousins, Patrick and Andrew, reading to her. These boys LOVED her. It was the cutest thing ever. Patrick found out that she liked books and so the next day he brought a bunch of books from his house to read to her. In this one Patrick is actually reading the book and Andrew is showing her how the pop ups work. Adorable! Good thing these boys will have a little sister in a few months!



Here's Emmy and the boys on our Sunday afternoon walk around the neighborhood. Isn't Andrew funny?! He wore his visor like that almost the whole walk! As you can see Emmy liked these guys as much as they liked her.




This is us at the Japanese Tea Gardens at Golden Gate Park. Leave it to us to choose the one day a week that none of the museums or anything were open at the park, (Monday FYI). We still had fun walking around and looking at the cool stuff. This really isn't the best picture, but I had to put it up because it is one of the only ones that I'm in!


We were just browsing through a store at Pier 39 and I look over and see this face! Can anyone guess what she was doing?! (The little glittery star on her face is a 'fairy kiss' from one of the shops we went through.)



This one is for my Dad. Representing. Boo-ya!


Here's two (not so) happy campers at the end of a long day at Golden Gate Park and Pier 39. We walked around to all the shops and had some yummy sour dough and clam chowder. It's funny how many people stopped us to say how cute Emmy was. (Especially foreigners!) I mean, we know she's cute, but it's fun to hear it from other people, too! It was a lot of fun to walk around, but oh my goodness, it was exhausting. I'm not sure if it's because we're wimps now or if it's just that much harder with a baby.



Here's Emmy with Doug and Jenny. Do these guys look ready to have a little girl or what?!




Here is my handsome husband after a long day of driving! We stopped at Subway for dinner when we got back into Cedar and I realized that his hair had exploded! He runs his hands through it when he's tired or stressed. I think he belongs in the 70's with that afro!

House Headaches...

How big of a headache is it to buy a house?! For the last few months Greg and I have been looking and kind of just putting our feelers out there. We found a great property for a steal of a deal and decided it was time to buy. Yes, it's a great market for buyers right now, and, yes, we're getting a great deal, but oh man, it's stressful. Dealing with the lender and seller and plumber, oh my! (There's a problem with some 'quicksand' outside that we're glad we found prior to closing.) We think that we'll be closing on Monday, but you just never know. So I've been slowly packing and we've been looking for a fridge, but I HATE not having a concrete date. It really puts a damper on my Little-Miss-Plans-a-Lot preparations! We really are ecstatic about finally having a place of our own!

We are sad to leave this ward though. After only being here for about 9 months we've made some great friends and connections. And Greg got made Elder's Quorum President! He's been great at it, but I'm not sure he's too sad to move on. Once we finally get in there we'll be sure to post pictures. But as for now I cannot give an e.t.a.

No neighbor's kids throwing rocks in our window wells.
No over-hearing "happenings" in the bedroom above us.
No raisin or goldfish explosions in the walkway.
No needing stitches because of the crazy ice in the parking lot.
You get the point. We're ready to move on!

We're ready for our next adventure!

We're ready for Emmy to have a yard to play in someday.

We're ready to be able to CHOOSE what color our walls are.

It's time. In fact, it's been time for a long time now.

Simple minds, simple pleasures?

Okay, so those of you who know me well know that I LOVE to shop and I LOVE shoes! I've been wanting some fun springy/summery shoes for a while, but haven't found anything just right. Until...these. How cute are they?! I have always loved Rocket Dogs and I just think that these canvas flats are so much fun, and so me! I know, you're thinking, "Whoop-ti-do. It's a pair of shoes. How vain is she?" Seriously, if such simple things can bring me joy, who are you to take that away from me? :) A few other things that I love, aside from my adorable baby and sweet hubby, are flip-flops, cardigans, and snow cones!

So now I pose this question: What simple things bring you joy? (Aside from the altruistic church answers of friends, family, religion...those are givens. I want to get to the nitty gritty here people!)

Playing Catch Up

Our summer has been off to a great start and we hope everyone else's has, too! I'll post more later but for now here is me catching up on picture posting.

I don't want this post to be too crazy long so I will say this: right now I'm posting a ton of pics from the last few months because I finally got them off my camera. YAY! We had a great trip to California and it was awesome to see the family this last week. I'll post more about the trip when I get those pics off the camera. So just consider this a photo-documentary...or diary...

*Sorry ahead of time if the spacing and formatting is off...that's just too much work for me to fiddle with it. :)

Here is our little sleeping angel at about 3 months. It's amazing that she can go from this peaceful creature to a screaming banchee in 2 seconds flat!

This was Emerson's first field trip with my students. We went to a DaVinci exhibit in Vegas and then to the Hoover Dam. She was quite the trooper.

This is at the Hoover Dam gift shop. There were some pretty sweet specs there!

Okay, so the next few pics need a little set up. Once a month we get together with a group of 4 couples for game night. It's always a blast and we love spending time with the Endsleys, Gibsons and Thompsons. These pictures are from a month where we did a tournament including the stick-pull (as made famous by Joseph Smith!), Wii bowling, air hockey, staring contests and ping-pong. So much fun!

Here's Andi and Megan. I'm not sure if I have my facts right, but I think that Andi won? (She's pregers!)

I could lie and say that I won, but, alas, I was thrown across the room by Miss Ashley! (There is a napkin between our feet because I was grossed out by the bare feet on feet thing...yuck!)

Here are Adam and Greg. I really don't remember who won. Was it a draw? There are both pretty darn strong. I love Greg's face in this one!

Here's Josh and Curtis. It wasn't a very fair match-up, but we thought it was better than putting Curtis against Megan ;)

This one is for Aunt Emily. How cute are these pajamas?! I have to admit that there were a few times that I just put her in this all day because it was so cute and looked like a nice outfit. Thanks again!

This is Emmy in a sweater that my mom made for her. I think that it is the sweetest thing ever! She got so many compliments on it at church. When Emmy grows out of it I plan on finding a nice teddy bear to put it on to display it. What a special gift!

Daddy and Emmy in their Easter outfits. Aren't they just the cutest pair?

Greg and Emmy do finger puppets and story time every night before bed. I don't know about the rest of you but if I saw that face I think I would have nightmares!

She wanted that octopus SO BAD! Greg says that we should save this pic to show her dates when she's older.

This is a self photo of us wandering around at one of my schools. It's out in New Harmony and the area is just gorgeous! Although Emmy doesn't really look all that impressed...

Here are a few random ones...

So for those of you who have made it to the end of this post, I commend you. Thank you for your hard work and dedication! More to come...