Jon's 1st Birthday!

A few weeks ago we had a party to celebrate Jon's first birthday. He was so cute. It was funny to see him love all the attention. Here are some pictures of the milestone event:

This was the train cake that Elizabeth made. It tasted as good as it looked. Jon loved it (especially the candy).

Can you believe he was able to blow out that candle?

He devoured the cake. But first he had to eat the candy, of course!

The cake was good until he discovered a new big blue ball.

Jon loved all of the gifts he received. It was a memorable day and he loved it! For Elizabeth and I, the most memorable part of the day, was the reaction on Jon's face when he opened a present, tasted candy covered cake for the first time, and blew out his fist birthday candle.

Good Old Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Elizabeth, Jon, and I just got back from our trip to Oklahoma. I have to be honest; I love that place. In the 6 days we were there I had all sorts of crazy experiences. I saw a snake on someones driveway, I went out on a paddle boat on a one acre pond in someones backyard, I spent part of one evening with my family in a bathroom taking refuge from what was supposed to be the largest tornado producing storm in twenty years, and I had great food that cannot be found in California. The people there are also the nicest people you could ever find and the land is dirt cheap. I am sorry but as you can see, part of me is tempted to pack up and move there right now. Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is a little unknown paradise.

Graduation

Well I am now officially a college graduate. A couple of weeks ago I had my honors reception where I was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma. The following morning at 8 am I had the College of Business Administration comencement ceremony in COX Arena followed by a reception for the School of Accountancy in the Aztec Athletic Hall of Fame. It was really neat to introduce many of my professors to Jon and others in my family. Afterwards all of us went to my apartment where we had lunch. During lunch we received a visit from Elizabeth's great uncle who happens to be a world champion yo yo man. He gave all of us a free show that lasted about 45 minutes. It was really world class entertainment and it made that lunch a trully memorable experience. It was a great weekend but exausting at the same time. Although it was nice to have a day dedicated to me, I am glad it is all over and I can move on with my life.

Going to Oklahoma.

We leave for Oklahoma today. We are all so excited. Rick is nervous though. He doesn't know if he'll fit in. He wants to see a real redneck...:) He is just joking but its cute to hear him say it. Jon got his Third tooth on Sunday. Now Jon is sitting up all the time on his own and if there is something to grab onto he is always trying to stand up.
Rick Graduated From College on May 24. We are all so proud of him and so excited. Well I will write more later. Jon has gotten to the computer and he will destoy it, so its time to shut it down before he does.

Jon Crawled!!

Jon crawled for the first time today!! It's so fun to watch him grow up. He has two teeth now on the bottom. He is also talking now. He says words like Hi, Yay, Bath, Ball, Baba, and others that I don't want to try to remember. He sure understands everything we say too. He is a smart baby. He is 9 and a half months now and just as big as can be.

Goodbye Undergrad Accounting!

I had my last accounting final on Saturday and now I am DONE! It is sort of a bitter sweet feeling. I will miss many of my fellow accounting students along with the whole university atmosphere. However, I will never miss the 900 page weekend reading assignments, or the three hour exams on consolidations, deferred taxes, and pensions. I will also never miss the professors who, for some odd reason, believe that their class is your only class. I have to say that although college was a struggle, I am a better person because of it. I found my limits and learned to push myself to accomplish my goals. I also learned that I am nothing without my wife Elizabeth. I wouldnt have been able to do as good as I did, without her support, help, and encouragement.

Now I have the entire summer to rest before I face the real business world and apply what I have learned. A few CPA firms offered me jobs. They were of all different sizes and offered different amounts of money. However, when the time came to make my decision, I chose to work for a firm that I feel will be best for my long term career goals as well as allow me to have enough time to be a good father and husband. I will be working for McGladrey & Pullen and I start in September. It sure feels good to know that my dream job has become a reality. It would not have been possible without the great education I received from SDSU. GO AZTECS!

Spring Break

Elizabeth, Jon and I are on our way back to La Quinta to stay with my parents for spring break. We are so excited to get away. Jon is almost 8 months old and he is becoming quite a character. I am trying to finish up my last 5 weeks of school and cannot wait to be done. After graduation Elizabeth and I will enjoy our summer without the stresses that come with school and work. We will try and get all the vacationing we need out of our system before September when I start my new job (at McGladrey & Pullen). I will also most likely start to study for the CPA Exam this summer.

Oh...we found our dog (Zeke). We hope and pray that after this week is over we will still have him.