Hey   Family!!!!

 I sure have been thinking of Sister Berezay and her family this week.  I am working to send my note and memory off to her tomorrow.   If any or all of you could write some memories and email them to me that would be fantastic.  I will put them in plastic sleeves and in a small binder and send them to her.   Your welcome to include  pictures!!  I can send them off
 Joseph your memory of the mashed potatoes was a great one I think she would love to read again. Any or all memories are welcome!!

Memorial Day Hike

We planned for over a week to hike into a lake and fish on Memorial Day.  We went to Lone Lake, so named because it's a lake all alone.

This tree had been struck by lightning.

And it had been pecked by woodpeckers.

Also trying to grow on the side of a hill.

But it was still  growing despite all odds.

An "Ussie" or as John says, a "We-ee"

Same and James tussling

Esther posing.

We had some intermittent rain, we ran into snow, but being the true Ericksons we are we toughed it out.  We waited out some cloudbursts under trees.  Finally the rain won and we slopped our way back down the trail. We were all drenched by the time we made it back to the car.  Another adventure!

Of course with snow around why not ski?  Sam and James tried it with fairly good success.

Mary giving Liam a turn, notice Sienna racing in the background :)

Rhett's turn

More kickball

Grandpa kicking.

Kickball in Canon

Kira has a good strong kick but it was caught.  Sienna is swift on the sandy field in her bare feet.

Completing Colorado Continued

 Liam also rode on Grandpa's shoulders on the riverwalk.

 Kira had stepped of the bleachers to get in the tree and then wanted to step back but it felt too far.

 Grandpa guided her back, which was closer than she thought.  She was relieved!

 Liam was such a contented trooper when we went to the park to play kickball.

 Kira riding.

 Esther riding - her first time on a horse.

 Glen guiding Rhett for a loop around the house.

Liam did not want to be left out.  He loves animals.

Completing Colorado

Trying to catch up with some old posts.  At least for history's sake.

 Along the riverwalk

 Grandpa has a turn carrying everyone on his shoulders.

 Sienna's fun and well color coordinated attire.

Pussy willows beginning to bloom.

My Window rolls up and my hood latches!

I replaced the window regulator on my car. It was a separate problem that conglomerated with the hood and fender after the accident. It has been raining a lot so I haven't had time to paint my car. I did fix the window, so now it rolls up and down nicely. I took the tape off that had been holding the window in place.

Scott helped me work on my car as well. We bent some things back into place using tie-down straps and their basketball hoop. It worked out pretty well. I also helped them clean up some of the cotton from the cottonwood trees they have in their yard. Their kids are sure growing up fast!

My nieces and nephews are growing fast too! I just heard from Linda Lee that Anna is spouting off with full sentences and an "evil laugh" and Hyrum is running around like a chunky little man.


This week I went on a hike up Dry Canyon outside of Lindon. I guess we actually ended up on a small knoll close to the top of "Mt" Baldy. (I don't think it looks like much of a mountain next to Timp, but it was a fun climb. We then ran down the hill (she had to be to work) and my thighs are...tired... today.

Also as you can see from the pictures I got my braces off! It is different. I think the retainers I have are almost worse than the braces because I feel like I can't close my mouth all the way, oh wait, I can't!

At Capshare we sell a capitalization table management software. It is great for start-up businesses that have investors. If you have several shareholders, then our software helps you manage the ownership, the number of shares, the expenses associated with all that (the expenses are needed for filing taxes). We can also do modeling in case you wanted to see how much money you everyone would get if they sold the company or valuations for when a company wants to do some fundraising from investors. As you can probably tell I have been learning a ton.
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I also just finished reading a book. "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffith. He is a white writer who decides to dye his skin black and go down to the southern states to see how black people are treated. He does this at the end of the 1950's before Martin Luther King Jr and most of the civil rights movement. It was really interesting. (As a side warning, it has some language. If you want to borrow my copy, I would black out the words.)

Double coverage... This is how they do it! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebXnPiNNM1w

Omahawesome!

I know many of you thought that Mom and Dad went to Omaha to visit their favorite child. Well, you were wrong. They came to see one of their many favorite grandchildren. Eliza and I were happy to take a back seat to Hyrum. He is a worthy of the attention.

We had fun giving Mom and Dad a tour of Omaha and spoiling them with good food whenever we could. Places we went and things we did include the Pedestrian Bridge, the Botanical gardens, Frisbee golf, the farmer's market, playing games like Canasta and Bananagrams, and the Winter Quarters Visitor Center. Here is a picture dump of the events.

White coat family fun

Hyrum loves his Momma

Hyrum and Grandpa on our really cool downtown slides

Hyrum loves giving hi-fives

Botanical gardens are smelling good

Hyrum doesn't like to sit still, not even for pictures

The gardens have a really neat, extensive system of electric trains. 

Grandma was a great book reader

Bananagrams longest word competition

A great time was had by all. We made some great memories. 

Dental Wisdom

This is an attempt at writing one of those posts that you always see on social media. They have titles like "8 Ways Horses Make You Healthier" or "The 5 Best Tricks to Zip Your Child's Coat" or even "7 Times to Pass Gas without Your Date Knowing". The numbers seem fairly arbitrary to me. It would be nice to have a system of sorts. And sometimes the names get pretty long like "23 Ways to Avoid Watching Chick Flicks with Your Significant Other by Doing What You Would Rather Do and Still Helping Them Feel Loved". Anyway enjoy my post about teeth stuff.

4 Things I Wish I Knew about Oral Health that I Had to Learn in Dental School

Like one of my professors always says, "It's time for dental wisdom." Here are a few tidbits of wisdom that can help prevent how you much money you spend at the dentist.



Cut the Carb Snacking
Carbs and kill your teeth. Literally. If you want to know the science keep reading otherwise skip to the next paragraph. Cavities, otherwise known as caries, are formed by acid breaking down the enamel. Enamel is the hard outer layer of your teeth. The acid is created from carbohydrates being broken down by bacteria in your mouth. It is actually lactic acid from glycolysis. The longer the carbohydrates are available to the bacteria the longer the acid will have to break down your teeth. After breaking down the enamel, the bacteria and acid will start breaking down the dentin underneath. Dentin is still hard but definitely softer than enamel. If it makes it through the dentin to the pulp, then bye-bye Mr. Living Tooth. Root canal time.If too much tooth is damaged, even if you don't need a root canal, you'll need a crown so the tooth doesn't break.

Carb frequency is often worse for your teeth than quantity. Snacking on carbs every 30 minutes is bad for the dentition. If you are sipping pop all day then stop, or at least use a straw. The trick is keep your food at meals. If you need a snack, try a vegetable or cheese. If you wont do either of those then rinse your mouth out with water or brush more often. Also how well the carbs stick to your teeth can have a large impact. Pretzels or dried fruit? They will stick in your teeth. Once again, bad news for the enamel.




Use the Fluoride

Smear vs Pea

Enamel is made of minerals. After the acid has broken it down the enamel becomes demineralized on the surface. The bad news? The cells that made the enamel are no more. The good news? The enamel can be remineralized. Your body tries to help with this process through the minerals in your saliva, but saliva is a two-edged sword. It also coats your teeth and helps the bacteria attach to the teeth. That is why it is a good idea to brush even if you haven't been eating. By using fluoride in your drinking water, toothpaste, and mouthrinses you can remineralize the enamel to be even harder than before. This will help prevent further cavities. While it is possible to overdose on fluoride, it is very unlikely. You ought to be careful with your kids though. If they get too much then it can hurt their adult teeth. The right amount will strengthen their adult teeth.  Only a smear between 1-3 yrs. and a pea size from 3-6 yrs.

E'eryday I'm C-shape Flossing
I didn't realize how important flossing was before dental school. It makes a big difference in a thorough cleaning. Even after everything a dental hygienist does, (and she is a teeth cleaning professional) she still flosses your teeth.  Proper technique is important too. C-shape flossing is just describing the shape of the floss as it goes around your teeth. This ensures that you are getting every surface of each of your teeth. While I'm on a rant about being thorough, I might as well mention brushing. Use the toothbrush for a solid 2 minutes and get every surface those bristles can reach. That includes the facial side, the tongue side, the biting side, and in between as much as possible. Use a soft bristle tooth brush and don't push too hard. You don't want to brush away your gums.


Professional Cleanings Every 6 Months
With teeth, an ounce of prevention is definitely better than a pound of cure. It might be expensive or inconvenient to go get cleanings at the dentist, but do it. First, it can help you gauge how well you are doing on your hygiene. Next, the hygienist will get those hard to get spots that you aren't quite getting. And third, you will be able to catch any cavities early, before you are in danger of needing a root canal.

This is by no means a comprehensive list. But it is a start. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask me in the comments. I'm happy to study up and find the answers.