Lucy's Little Brother

Here is Lucy holding her little brother Charlie. She loves him. In fact we are going to be careful not to leave her alone with him because she might smother him.

The Pictures that we took. (28 photos), by Bradley Meldrum

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos

Just testing the waters.

So I saw a blog published on wordpress.com. I decided to see which one I liked better. So for the next indefinite period of time, defer to plumsunited.wordpress.com for da new stuff.

Sincerely.....

Monsieur le Poppy.

Let's Talk Buisness...

So I have come to a conclusion. I have determined the reason that I don't write a whole lot on this blog. It is because I only want to write things that are great! I have to feel Inspired. When this happens the words just flow out, and I am amazed at the things that I write. The only downfall to this method, is that I don't get inspired very much. So i rarely write.

The worst part of all this is that if there is anyone that reads this blog, then they get bored with the same post being up for a long time, and therefor they stop reading.

Oh well. At least I know the reason why. And that is half the solution.

Risk Management

Risk. Lets talk about it. This world is a dangerous place. What with all the crazy happenings and goings on that have happened and went on. And all those that are about to take place. But there is a special group of people that work together to keep these happeneings and the goings on under control. Or at least at a minimum. They are...THE RISK MANAGERS!

Yes, these brave souls risk their lives daily to keep all of us in our safe little world, blissfully unaware of the dangers that lurk around us everyday. And they are happy to do it. Just look at their smiling Faces!

Recently These dashing defenders of safety were seen inspecting and repairing something vitally critical to our very lives. Something that without, the world as we know it would plummet into a chaotic frenzy.

FIRE HYDRANTS

That's right. Those dastardly hunks of Metal and ...Metal, that fill up with water at an incredible pressure threatening to explode with tremendous force, spewing forth its watery contents, at over 3,000 gallons per minute.
One little slop and this metal chunk could come flying up into a Risk Manager's face at any moment, spelling out sudden death and lots of ouchies to anyone in its way. Just look at the force it takes to keep
the pressure under control.
It is just a good thing that they have eachother. Because without cooperation and good communication...none of this would be possible, and the rest of us civilians would be left to fend off the dangers that lurk around every turn for ourselves. I for one am grateful for the courageous efforts, and daring feats of those who we know as....THE RISK MANAGERS! (with an echoing effect)

What Makes The World Go Round...

There are a couple of things in this world that i really Love. And in order to build the appropriate suspense and intrigue, we are going to start at the bottom of the list. Actually the only order these go in are, the last on is the most important on and the one I love the most, and the rest are in any order.

So with that let us begin.

Blue Man Group. I mean Just look at them! Who hasn't wanted to make a big mess like this and not get in trouble ( or have to clean it up for that matter.)

And I don't know what it is about their music... but I really like it. I think that it has something to do with being on a "BLUE" high after having seen them live, and getting the music, then listening to it so much that it has become like comfort food. I know the music. It is apart of me! When those drums start beating my heart beats line up with the rhythm.

One day I was listening to them, and my roomate comes in and says, " what is with the techno music?" It made me stop and think. Techno? This isn't techno is it? I don't like techno. But I think that perhaps I have been fighting it but I do. Because now that I think of it...It is alot like techno...and I do like other songs like Sandstorm. But I am no raver so don't worry about it.

So I like Blue Man Group.

Pesto.

Pesto has opened up a new world to me. I have always loved Italian food. But I don't think I ever knew what the source of that love came from. Now I know. It is pesto. I think. If you want a really good sandwich...just throw a little pesto on it. If you want to spice up you spaghetti, just throw a little pesto on it. If you want to get the thrill of having completed something amazing and seen something gorgeous...go for a bike ride on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. But Pesto would make that better too. And whats best is that there are no pesky side stomach effects. (like Hot Dogs do sometimes.) So when in doubt...vote for Pesto.

There are others that I could add to this... but the most important and the one I love the most is....drum roll....With a little butter and maybe some pesto on it....

That is right. Rachel my "radical" wife. She is da bomb. What do you get when you combine 200 parts cool with 351 parts beautiful and 563 parts righteous. Rachel. That is right. Basically I truly think that I am the luckiest guy, and have a huge testimony that Heavenly Father loves and listens to his children's prayers. That is the only way to explain it. Sometimes you go for the gold, put all your eggs in one basket, shoot for the stars, throw the rockets into four wheel drive and open her up...and then you fail. But then other times you do all that and a little miracle falls into the works and Your one in a millions shot happens. That is what happened with me.

The cosmos were aligned, and Cupids bolt struck true.
In fact if you would like to read what happens to a person who has been hit by this arrow, and what a magical night will do to a young boy, read the poem entitled September 4, earlier on in this blog.

Well that is some of what I love. (excluding the Lord and this miraculous Church, and life that we have because of it. But that is for another blog)

More Board Games please....

Welcome Class. Please sit down and we will begin our discussion. Today's topic is...Board Games. Back in 1231, before enjoyment was invented, and Labor ruled the land there lived a Man named Mr. Jack Board. And as was common in those days, Mr. Boards last name stood for his profession.He was a Board Maker. He was an astute and influencial man, as most Board makers were in those days ( For it was a very honorable profession.) And he noticed a Problem in the world that bothered him. That was that no one was happy. ( Happiness was just discovered but no one knew how to get it because things like fun and laughter were not around yet.)

So Jack put his mind to it. He thought all day and night, and while he was thinking something incredible happened. His hand started to fiddle and twittle. He started to drum his hand on a board that was sitting in front of him. Then without even knowing it he started to trace a line with his finger from one end of the board to the other without touching the black lines in the grain.
And so the first game was invented. A maze. Crude I know. But it started Jacks mind down a path that led to many other games. Soon building blocks were created by Jack's Friend Mr. Carpenter. Before you knew the whole countryside was alive with game playing. Tops and Puzzles began to be found in peoples homes. A huge Landmark was hit when the idea of Dice was thought up.

Happiness flooded the land, and at the head of this Gaming Movement was our friend Jack Board.

The ideas and thoughts cascaded until one day A Board Game was created. And everyone from the peasants to Nobles went wild.

This craze has lasted till today, where board games have reached a level never thought possible by Jack and his Brave Pioneer friends.

And that my friends is how Board Games were invented.

The other half of the tale.

OOOPS. For the other half of the tale you have to go to bradleyandrachel.blogspot.com
sorry,.

The Adventure lives on...

Once upon a time I happened upon a fair maiden. I fell so madly in love with her that i would not rest until she was my bride. Now we are happily married and the adventure lives on.

We have both gotten back to Provo and began working. Rachel has started her internship with Channel 2 news. Kewl!!!! She is the Lady!

I just do the same old stuff.

But the real question at hand here is...
Married student ward vs Family ward. What is your preference. We will address this topic a little later...

Until then goodbye and goodnight.

Once Upon A Time....

We are sorry. In all of our excitement we forgot that not everyone knows out background.

So here it is from the beginning....

(Brad's tale)

The day I was born, it was very cold. It's like that feeling when you are swimming for a long time, and then you get out....and it is bitter cold. Yeah like that.

But skipping ahead. I was serving a mission in Taiwan Taipei, and was minding my own buisness when, the Lord sent me to train a wonderful Elder. I went to the training meeting then met my new companion. But not before I would meet my future companion. That is to say that me and my companion were one of the last to find out where we were going, because...as is always the case....ladies first. The sister missionaries found out their companions first. And one of the new sisters was...quite frankly...and lets be honest....drop dead gorgeous. I couldn't help but think that our paths would cross again. As it turns out...that was my dearest Rachel Smith.

Ok so I didn't really think that... but I did notice her, and thought that she was going to be a Fantastic missionary. We ran into eachother a couple of other times throughout our missions, but never served together. I always respected her, and enjoyed her testimony, at Zone Conferences. But there wasn't much contact till we got home. Which was about the same time. ( only about 6 weeks apart.)

Now for the better half of this tale.

3 WEEKS

They don't stand a chance....not against me...Bradley Meldrum....World reknown...

They are going down...These three weeks are history.

Welcome 2008....we've been waiting for you!

Good morning to ya. Can I have a shout out to all my cyber friends.

Well, for all of you who are interested, Rachel and I will be married May 1, 2008 in the Nauvoo temple. The next day we will hold a Reception in Missouri. But as for details as to how we met/ started to date, wait just a little longer. We will post that story soon.
I believe that we are going to start a new Rachel and Brad blog. So we will post you all a bout that.

Sorry that I am so slow to update this thing. Life is busy. But that is old news. So here is what is going on in my life. The break was AWESOME. Spending that much time with Rachel is addicting. I am now experiencing withdrawals. But School has started. It is good. My classes are challenging and interesting. But they are going to take a lot of time. You know how the beginning of the semester is maybe a little easier...well it is still hard. But it will be good. Like one of those faith building experiences. So it is a good thing in the end.

And that is about all I have time to write now. Gotta go.

Please leave comments if you feel so inclined.

ENGAGEMENT PICTURES

These are our engagement pictures. It was freezing outside! So please disregard all pink noses and cheekies.

Attention, Attention all Readers.

Two Days ago, December 15, 2007, A date that will live on in Infamy. Rachel Smith was suddenly and deliberately asked a question by Bradley Meldrum.

We are ENGAGED!!!! This is like the COOLEST thing ever!

I will explain more later....because I have to study for Finals. Because I didn't get any done this weekend. Hey it happens.

For this was a moment that mattered,
When darkness shook, and the demons all clamored,
Seeking peace to destroy, and righteous to shatter.

The valiant man stood, clothing ripped and all tattered,
From fights that were fought, and trials he had battered
He spoke this reply, not a word of it stammered.
"You will not conquer, despite how you flatter,
Your efforts won't sway me, they’re only rain's patter."
Then marched he away, knowing that moment had mattered.


Everyday there are monsters to fight,
Villains to conquer, and dangerous plights,
Yet "Fear not," declares the Master of Right,
"Pray, Read Scriptures, Serve with all of your might,
For thou wilt conquer the Prince of the Night.
Know he will try your weakness to bite
But dark has no power when you stay in the light.
Lean on my arm, and succumb not to fright."
I will guide thee through this terrible blight.

The Eyes Journey through Song

So the other night, I was at Family Home Evening. It was a good evening with the Fam. Not my real Family of course. Not just anybody can be apart of the Family. It is a special place.

But that is not the point. As is often the case, we started this gathering of kindred spirits, with a Song of Zion. And it was during a rousing round of "Well Bring the World his Truth" that I reobserved the following. When people are having a conversation, the participants look at eachother. But upon opening into song everyone begins to almost desperately search the room for something their eyes might rest upon, and not create an awkward situation. Why do we do this? What are the reasons that make us all turn away. Is it because we think that some might mistakenly think that we are trying to serenade them? Perhaps we do not want to draw attention to the slighlty off tune notes streaming from our mouths. I personally beleive the reasons lie in honesty. The main form of communication we use is through talking. And when singing we are usually are saying things, that we might not necessarily mean to direct at any one person. Therefore we take aim at the most intersting thing that cannot pick up such perceptions.

Take my buddy Charles for example.

He and his friends are a merry bunch. They have also known eachother for quite some time. So, much so that when they raise their voices, their heads follow. The reasons for this have been evaluated by our best scholars, who have presented the following two expalanations for this.

One reason might be that upon singing they all began to search their surroundings for something; perhaps a corner, a picture, maybe a nail, or a squirrel; which might be a suitable resting place for their eyes during this joyous interlude. Yet all they find are wide stretches of snow covered plain. But wait.... Up above...Yes...The Stars. Therefore they gaze into the heavens. And what better place is there.

The other reason, which is disputed among some circles, is that because Charles and his friends have been doing this so long they have began to choreograph their movements, beginning with the head.

This strange behavior is not limited to the Peanuts gang only. Julie Andrews at the beginning of her career was timid, afraid to let her eyes sing with the notes.

But she quickly overcame these fears.

Others have found it hard to break the pressure by themselves. Stevie struggled for so long that he resorted to other means.

But in the end, it is up to you. You can continue to memorize your surroundings while your heart soars in song, or you can grab hold of the opportunity to observe others while they are all busy studying the nail that is protruding from the wall so drastically. This is quite enjoyable

What is important is to let it out. Sing it loud, Sing it Proud.

Thoughts on a Sweet Fall Day

Hello Sugar. I could just eat you right up!
I call this one "Essence of Rachel."

You can almost feel the Light Radiating out of Her. Even through the Computer Screen! Pretty Impressive.

Were better together!

Does Anyone Else see that intensly thought provoking cloud over there?

OH Geez! Aren't they CUUUUUUUTE!
Ok..... Maybe not so much anymore. (Geoffery! Don't get too Close, they might bite!)
Yeah! I think i do see that very thought provoking cloud. It is Inspiring!!!

The Hills are Alive

So there I was...it was cloudy, it was rainy. Then she walked into my office. I could tell somethin was botherin her. I welcomed her in and asked her to sit down...when she was feelin comfortable she began ta tell me her story... Actually she was a bright ray of Sunshine, that filled me with light and joh, but....that is a different story.

Actually what I wanted to write about tonight was how gorgeous (New York Accent) the mountain during Fall is. Holy Smokes. But really. With the flaming red leaves on the trees and the clounds hovering low on the mountains looked as if the Hills were aflame. we took some, what i thought were rather artistic pictures. But I will let you be the judge of that.

have a look.