The Culley Family Blog

SNOW DAY!!!

2009-12-18T22:55:00.002Z

It started snowing late Thursday night and this is what I woke up to at 7 o'clock in the morning. The first picture is our backyard. It was beautiful. The kids got their first ever snow day. School was cancelled the last day before winter break. They were soooo excited. We walked to my friend Carla's house and had a snowball war. Kids against old people!! Don't have any pictures of that cause I was busy defending myself. LOL We came home and got warm, then the kids went back out and built their snowmen. And it started snowing again. It's been snowing off and on all night. I am loving it!!

Calvin's School Play

2009-12-18T22:31:00.003Z

Calvin's first school play was sooo cute. Calvin was an Earthling who, with his schoolmates, explained the true holiday spirit to invading Martians. The Martians needed the snow for fuel and were going to freeze the earthlings. By singing Christmas tunes and being loving and kind, the Earthling children saved the day. Calvin had a one line part and delivered it beautifully. He did all the dancing and hand actions with all the energy he does every thing else. And most of us know, Calvin has A LOT of energy! LOL Oh, and the first picture is of Calvin and the little girl who has a very big crush on him. But he keeps saying his girlfriend is still Trinity who was in his Kindergarten class, not his 1st grade class. Poor guy. He is very loyal. LOL

Jordan's 12th Birthday, Nov 14 2009

2009-12-18T22:05:00.004Z

Jordan is 12 years old. I can't believe it. For his big day we went bowling. It's one of his favorite things to do. And like the genius I am, I forgot the camera for that portion of the day. Oops! Anyway, he got to invite two of his friends along for bowling and lunch. We all had fun. He loved all his presents. So Thank You to everyone for contributing to this special day. I included on this post a picture of him receiving his Honor Roll certificate for the 1st semester of 6th grade. Also, some pictures of his very first band concert. He plays the clarinet mostly, but got to trade off playing the drums. (I think he likes the drums best!) I am so very proud of Jordan. He is the best big brother and really works hard at all he does.

Calvin's 7th Birthday, Nov 12th 2009

2009-12-03T10:27:00.004Z

Calvin's birthday was a good day. We had his friend Donovon over to play, open presents and cake. He seemed to have a lot of fun. Ripped open all his presents and was happy with everything. He loved his new tie that Grandma gave him. He's ALL about the ties!! And he bought a new Lego Star Wars ship with Great-Grandma's gift. He had a wonderful day. So thanks to everyone!!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-05T12:11:00.007Z

So here's the Halloween pictures. Jordan carved a explorer on the front and a shadow mummy on the back. You can't see the mummy, but he did it all himself and I think he did an excellent job. Calvin picked an evil spider and Kaylee designed her own. That was exactly what she wanted and Daddy did it for her.

So now on to trick-or-treating. Where I had a crisis earlier in the day. Kaylee wanted to be an angel. She fell in love with this costume at the store. It said everything was included. Halo and all. But come to find out...no halo. You absolutely cannot be an angel without a halo. I was slightly freaking out...just slightly. So I went to my most creative friend and pratically begged for help. Most everyone knows that I am not the most creative person. My solution was to use some aluminum foil. Well Carla, that's my most wonderful friend, said a very forceful "NO!". So, what you see on Kaylee's head is our creation (mostly hers). It's a little bulky, but everyone knew she was an angel, a most beautiful angel at that. And she was happy!! Which is the most important. I give my heartfelt thanks to Carla for all her help. She's the best! Calvin is a fearsome ninja. I had to doctor that one as well. the costume fit very well, except for the hood. I had to split the seem at the back so it would fit his head and put in a mouth slice so he could breathe. I know ninja's don't show the mouth, but he had to breathe! And then there is Jordan, who wanted to be a pirate again. I just about fell to my knees in gratitude for him being so easy. We already had it!! All in all it was a fun night. The picture at the end is Carla's kids and her eldest daughter's friend and our three. They got so much candy though!! It's awful! LOL And the weather was sooo nice! The kids could get away with clothes on under their costumes and no coats. That doesn't happen here very often. We had a wonderful Halloween!!

Culley Family Blog Update

2009-11-03T20:08:00.002Z

Since it has been a really long time since I have posted anything on our blog Marsha has decided to take over and start posting. So hopefully Marsha can do a better job then I have in 2009. Stay tuned for her first post.

Guitar Hero / Rock Band

2009-02-22T17:48:00.006Z

I didn't get bit by the Guitar Hero / Rock Band bug when they first came out, I actually used to wonder what the fuss was all about? But after watching some videos of people playing online I had to try it. So yesterday I bought the Guitar Hero: World Tour (Game, Drums, Guitar and Microphone) and I also bought the just the game Rock Band 2. (I should mention I finally got the PS3 to play them on also!!!) I like the instruments in Guitar Hero and the songs on Rock Band 2. Guitar Hero is also easier for the kids to play. Audrey and I played until about midnight and we played a little today. The kids favorite song is "Move Along" by the All-American Rejects, neither game came with that song so we had to buy it. They played that song about 10 times today with Jordan on the drums, Calvin on the Guitar and Kaylee singing.

Kaylee (singing), Jordan (drums) and Calvin (guitar) playing "Move Along"

So now I am hooked! At least until my SOCOM: Confrontation comes in the mail!

Super Bowl XLIII Commercials

2009-02-03T19:30:00.003Z

Being overseas and watching the game on AFN we don't get to see the commercials during the Super Bowl. This year though found a site on the internet and got to watch the commercials as they were being played during the Super Bowl. Here is one of my favorites (even though it is a Pepsi commercial):

And here is my other favorite:

Improv Everywhere

2009-01-18T18:13:00.003Z

This group does these type of things all over. Similar to the T-Mobile Ad.

T-Mobile Ad - Very Cool

2009-01-18T17:57:00.005Z

Found this on YouTube today. According to the person who posted it, "This is the fantastic new T-mobile advert which was filmed at 11 A.M. on Thursday 15 January 2009 at Liverpool Street Station, London."

Wow . . . . Time Flies

2009-01-18T16:32:00.006Z

It seems like only yesteday that we were celebrating Christmas and here it is the middle of January! We had a very good Christmas and a very quiet New Years Eve. We just stayed at home and hung out, going to bed shortly after midnight so we could wake up at 5 A.M. to watch the ball drop in New York City. On January 3rd I boarded a bus for a 12 hour bus trip to Ramstein, Germany where I am attending the Air Force NCO Academy. It is a 6-week course that is required to be able to put on my next stripe when I make it. Marsha says she misses me but she is excited she doesn't have to watch the NFL playoffs!!! It has snowed a few times since I have been here (check out the pictures below) -

I graduate from the NCO Academy on February 12th and Marsha is flying out so she can be there! Hopefully we don't go another month before posting more stuff, talk to you soon.

Christmas Pajamas

2008-12-24T19:07:00.002Z

Here is everybody (the kids) in their Christmas pajamas.

(Jordan, Calvin, Audrey and Kaylee)

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T18:06:00.002Z

Just wanted to wish everybody a Merry Christmas from the UK. We are about 6 hours from it officially being Christmas and will be done opening presents around midnight your times (West Coast).

This year has flown by which I am told happens when you are getting old so I asked Marsha to stop getting old! LOL. I spent half the year in Iraq and am so glad I am not there over the holidays but there are many who are. I heard this song today and found this video on YouTube. I hope you enjoy and Merry Christmas.

My Favorite Christmas Movies

2008-12-17T18:34:00.010Z

With Christmas just around the corner I thought I would share my favorite Christmas movies of all time. We start out with my #5:

5. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

4. The Polar Express (2004)

3. National Lampoons: Christmas Vacation (1989)

2. A Christmas Story (1983)

1. It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

So what are your favorites?

Jordan's Orinata

2008-12-11T19:31:00.003Z

Jordan's artwork at school was submitted in a National Art Exhibit here at RAF Mildenhall. He won in the Sculpture (10-12) category with his Orinata. I wasn't quite sure what this was so he had to explain it was a Oragami Pinata. Very Creative! His work is now on its way to Garmisch, Germany to compete at the regional level. Good job Jordan.

The Culley Christmas Tree

2008-12-10T19:37:00.000Z

Here is our Christmas tree! Marsha and the kids did a great job decorating the tree. It is bigger then we were planning on buying, it sure didn't look that big when we bought it.

Waiting for the tree to fall.

Jordan, Calvin and Kaylee posing in front of the tree.

The finished tree wth some presents already underneath it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Ours was nice and quiet and we forgot to take pictures!?!? We ate some ham and turkey, I watched some football and Marsha and Audrey sat on the couch watching for a few minutes but I think they got bored.

Halloween

2008-11-24T19:54:00.004Z

Was Halloween really almost a month ago? Oh well, here are some pictures. You can check out our Christmas pictures at the end of January! LOL

Our cheerleader, pirate and very own Spiderman.

Audrey and Jordan's pumpkins.

Kaylee and Calvin's pumpkins.

A Little Bit of Snow

2008-11-24T19:48:00.002Z

We woke up yesterday to a a little bit of snow falling. The kids went outside in it for a few minutes but came in because they were too cold and it wasn't enough to make a snowman. Maybe next time?

Happy Birthday Calvin and Jordan

2008-11-24T19:25:00.008Z

A few weeks ago we celebrated Calvin's 6th (November 12th) and Jordan's 11th (November 14th) birthday. Jordan and Calvin wanted to thank everybody for their gifts. Here are some pictures -

Kaylee and Calvin posing with his presents.

Calvin's cake . . . I tried my hand at cake decorating, those are spider webs in case it is hard to see.

Calvin waiting to blow out his candles.

Jordan and Kaylee (she loves being in all the shots) with his presents.

Jordan blowing out his candles.

Jordan's cake . . . he decorated his (those are flames).

I Have Been Slacking!

2008-11-19T22:28:00.005Z

It has been almost two months since I have posted! You can call me James!

There have been a few big events in the last two months, Marsha's Birthday, Halloween, Jordan's Birthday and Calvin's Birthday.

I promise this weekend I will get the pictures off the camera and share them with everybody.

Until then enjoy my favorite commercial.

What do you think of it?

Hand and Foot

2008-09-21T09:52:00.013+01:00

Last night for Marsha's Birthday Eve (is that a phrase?) we played some Hand and Foot. During the game we also got to chat with Mom, Teresa, James, Briana, Jeff, Tyler, Dallan and Jim on the webcam which was fun - we need to do that more often. Here are the scores from our game last night -

Hand 1
Audrey - 1,745
Marsha - 1,110
Jason - 3,840

Hand 2
Audrey - 1,180 (2,925)
Marsha - 3,830 (4,940)
Jason - 2,100 (5,940)

Hand 3
Audrey - 1,140 (4,065)
Marsha - 2,715 (7,655)
Jason - 3,785 (9,725)

Hand 4
Audrey - 1,045 (5,110)
Marsha - 2,295 (9,950)
Jason - 1,500 (11,225)

I don't win very often (right Marsha?) so it was nice to finally do it. (LOL) I think I am ready to take on mom and grandma now, so watch out!

Happy Birthday Marsha (A Week Early!)

2008-09-14T21:02:00.016+01:00

For Marsha's birthday I planned an overnight trip to London. I didn't tell Marsha or anybody what the plans were until we actually got down there. We left Saturday morning and headed to our hotel, Hendon Hall, in North London. After checking in and getting ready we headed to Trafalgar Square for dinner at the Texas Embassy. It is a Mexican restaurant we ate at once before, when we went to see Phantom of the Opera six years ago. After eating we had about an hour and a half until the show started, Grease, at the Piccadilly Theatre in the West End section of London near Piccadilly Circus (not really a circus!). We kinda just hung out near Piccadilly Circus and watched the people (sometimes freaks) down in London. The show was very,very good and was sold out, as they usually are. We had seats in the stall section about 11-12 rows from the stage. Marsha had trouble seeing in the first act as there was a pretty tall guy sitting in front of her so when the second act started we swapped seats so she could see. We are already making plans for our next show(s) which are Wicked (Apollo Victoria Theatre) and Dirty Dancing (Aldwich Theatre). Here are some photos from our trip:

Front entrance of Hendon Hall . . .

. . . another one.

The back garden of the hotel, this was what we saw from our big window in the room.

Another shot of the back garden . . .

. . . and another.

A picture of the room from the door (it looks pink but it was more orange).

This is a very special because it is rare that Marsha will let you take her picture!

The view from our bed.

Another picture she must love me!

The remains of our breakfast on Sunday morning, ham/cheese omelet, fresh fruit, toast and some juice.

Another window view to the garden.

The Texas Embassy restaurant in Trafalgar Square.

Piccadilly Circus . . .

. . . some more.

A large Ford limo we spotted.

Another option to travel around, this would have been cool to ride in (maybe next time).

So that was our weekend, we had fun and couldn't have done it without Audrey's help babysitting so thanks Audrey. We will celebrate Marsha' B-Day (again) next week with all the kids and some cake!!

Calvin's First Day of School

2008-09-03T14:04:00.010+01:00

Yesterday Calvin started his first day of kindergarten at Feltwell Elementary School. I think mommy was a little more nervous then Calvin was, he was very excited to go to school. His teachers name is Mrs. Hyde and she seems very nice and Calvin seems to like her. Here are some pictures from his first day.

The annual photo(s) [see below also] in front of the door before going to school.

Waiting inside the school building for all the kids to arrive.

Time to walk to class.

The classroom still nice and quiet, the kids haven't arrived yet!

Kaylee and mommy (at least half of her) waiting for the boys to come home.

Kaylee and daddy posing.

There is the bus!

Calvin stepping off the bus . . .

. . . and there is Jordan.

Right after this we all hopped back in the car and headed back to their school for Jordan's Open House. We got to meet his teacher and see what they will doing this year. The first week they started reading The Tale of Despereaux which they have to finish before Christmas because a movie is being released about the book (http://www.thetaleofdespereauxmovie.com/).

Happy Labor Day

2008-09-01T09:00:00.002+01:00

Just a quick note to wish everybody a Happy Labor Day. We aren't doing much today but relaxing and enjoying the day and finishing up Season 1 of Heroes!!!

Tomorrow Calvin starts kindergarten so look for some pictures from his first day, he is very excited and cannot wait.

London From Above

2008-08-31T10:08:00.004+01:00

We were planning to go to London but the weather did not cooperate and it is raining so we will postpone our trip. So enjoy these pictures taken by photographer Jason Hawkes that I found on the internet.

HEROES

2008-08-30T12:54:00.004+01:00

During my time in Iraq I was able to get into the TV series Heroes and I was hooked. I watched Season 1 and 2 in about a week and can't wait for Season 3. So I got Marsha to watch it and we are about 1/3 of the way through Season 1. The 3rd season priemeres in the US with a 3 hour episode on September 22 and will be in the UK only 3days later on September 25. It usually takes a few months for us to catch up but not this time.

Does anybody watch it?

Jordan's First Day of 5th Grade

2008-08-25T12:00:00.003+01:00

Today Jordan begins the 5th grade. We met his teacher this morning, Mrs. Flinders and she seems very interesting. Here are a few pictures for eveybody.

Today we also met Calvin's kindrgarten teacher. They do not start until next week and the teachers use ths week to travel around and visit their new students in their own home. It is a very good idea and something they should adopt in the states.

Alton Towers and the Rain

2008-08-21T21:05:00.008+01:00

We decided to go to Alton Towers today (Thursday) after looking at the forecast saying it was going to be sunny and about 70 degrees. The first part of the morning was nice and after a few kids rides we headed back to Rita Queen of Speed to ride it.

Jordan, Audrey and I got in line and it started to drizzle a bit. Then it started to come down really hard and about halfway to the front of the line they shut it down because of the weather. We were bummed and went to find Marsha and the kids. After the rain subsided a bit we went back and it was open but unfortunately for Jordan when we got to the front they said he was too short. The limit is 1.4 meters and he is about 1.39999999 meters and they wouldn't budge so I had to walk with Jordan off the ride and I felt so bad. I got back in line and went on it with Audrey so she wouldn't have to go alone. It is a decent ride, launches like California Screamin' but faster. The ad says 0-100 in 2.5 seconds. It was still raining a bit and when it hit our faces it stung! We didn't take too many pictures but here are a few.

This is from the entrance looking into the Alton Towers, their is an actual castle inside.

They love each other! We were waiting for Audrey, Marsha and Jordan to get off a coaster in the kids land.

Outside the park getting ready to leave, you can't really tell but we are soaked. My sweater was actually light gray to start out with and is dark gray in the photo!

Marsha and Jason. Marsha actually posed fora picture! If you know her very well then you know she hates being in front of the camera, she likes being behind them though.

The Culley Family.

It was a fun day out with the whole family including our newest addition in England, Audrey. I think next time we are going to try and go to Legoland.

I Am Home!

2008-08-17T16:01:00.003+01:00

I have been home just over a week now and thought I should get back to posting. Apparently not much happened while I was gone since Marsha's last post was on March 28. (LOL - Sorry Marsha). Actually she did take a trip down to Germany to see Amanda while I was gone and she should have some pictures up soon. I am off work until August 26 and then go back for a few days and then I took another week off of leave, I worked too much in Iraq and need some free time.

We are going to Alton Towers next week and will post some pictures for everybody to see.

Talk to you all later.

My Day Off

2008-04-09T21:17:00.003+01:00

Today was my day off so I thought I would share a picture of my favorite thing to do on my days off.

I also got to see and talk to Marsha and the kids today although I couldn't hear them at least they could hear me. I also dropped off some laundry today (they do it for me for free), I also did a load of laundry (because they only do so much for free), got my haircut and ate some lunch and dinner! Tomorrow is back to work for 3 more days and then I get another day off. Here are a few pictures I have taken, I will have more soon I just keep forgetting my camera.

There is grass in Iraq. We are pretty close to the Tigris River.

Some old (I believe Russian planes) on the base.

Our locker area after work.

Mohaideen (came from Lakenheath with us) turning in his M-4.

This is where I spend most of my time when I am working.

2008-03-28T22:35:00.003Z

Happy Easter!!

Well it was certainly a different Easter, with Daddy gone, but I think we did okay.

They had fun hunting and coloring eggs and I had fun with my new camera!

I guess I didn't give Calvin enough time to smile<

She just couldn't wait to see what was inside the eggs.

Calvin was a little upset because he couldn't as many eggs as his brother

Maybe he just likes to make faces...what do you think?

This is Easter day...SNOW!!
The first snow (and probably the only) of the winter season.

Calvin's cute little snowman.

He's a one armed snowman...we could only find one stick!

This picture was taken about 8am...by 9am, you couldn't see the street or grass. It was pretty, fluffy snow and the kids were a little upset that I made them go to church. I'm sooo mean!!

By the time church was over, much of the snow had melted. I felt bad, but at least there was still some to play with.

So that was our Easter. It was interesting to say the least!!I really miss Grandma's easter egg hunt..just doesn't seem the same without it, no matter how many I miss.

Hope everyone had a nice one as well.

Wet Monkey Theory

2008-03-28T16:42:00.005Z

For everybody who has been in the military or knows something about it might enjoy this. We have this hanging in our office at work.

“WET MONKEY THEORY”

Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all the other monkeys with cold water. After a while another monkey makes the attempt with same result, all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.

Now, put the cold water away. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs he will be assaulted. Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. the newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomertakes part in the punishment with enthusiasm. Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs he is attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.

After replacing all of the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana. Why not? Because as far as they know that is the way it has always been done around here.

And that, my fellow monkey, is how military policy begins . . .

Finally Settled In!

2008-03-22T17:57:00.007Z

Well we are settled in. When we got here late last Sunday night we realized we would be sharing a room with 2 other guys that were getting ready to leave. So there were 4 guys in a room about 10 feet by 10 feet. Prisoners get better accomadations then that! We went to work yesterday and when we got home realized they were gone and we finally had the room to ourselves. I had the day off today so I got to unpack my stuff and cleaned, man they were dirty! So here is my half of our living space.

My bed. I was on the top bunk until the other guys left. The sheets look like silk but they aren't!

Future home of our television and my PS2 once we figure out who to call for AFN.

My wall locker.

The outside of our "HOME" with our lovely sandbags.

I am working what they call night flight but it really isn't night. We start around noon and get off around midnight. I am now the Assistant Flight Chief, they guy I came with MSgt Malloy is my Flight Chief so I am second in charge. Hopefully that keeps me out of the heat and in an air conditioned office doing paperwork or something! So I am doing real good but I do miss being home with Marsha and the kids! Until next time . . . .

Let's Try This Again

2008-03-15T14:26:00.007Z

We flew out of Germany yesterday and made it about 30 minutes into our journey before we had to turn back. The landing gear on our C-5 would not go up so we couldn't make it to al the way to Al-Udeid AB to pick up our gear before heading to Iraq. So we checked into lodging for the night (AGAIN!) and are back today to try and fly out (AGAIN!). Today will be our third attempt to leave Germany in as many days. If we don't make it out today I will post another update. Talk to everybody soon.

Our plane on the flightline waiting for us to get on yesterday.

Malloy in the seat behind me waiting to take off . . .

SSgt Strothers and SSgt Yara . . .

and me taking a picture of myself!

My Trip So Far

2008-03-12T15:02:00.009Z

It has been an adventure so far and I haven't even made it to Iraq yet! We left RAF Lakenheath on Monday morning and the normal 2 hour drive took well over 3 hours with all the traffic. After finally arriving at the airport we are told our flight at 10:40 a.m. was cancelled. We arranged another flight to leave at 4:15 p.m but that one was cancelled also. So we scheduled another flight for the next day at 10:40 a.m. and called around to get a hotel room for the night. We finally found four rooms at the Comfort Inn at Heahrow for 129.00 poundsa night or around 260.00 dollars per room. It is being paid for by the US government so thanks to all you taxpayers, myself included! We really didn't want to have to drive all the back to Lakenheath and then turn around the very next morning and drive back to London.

We woke up on Tuesday morning and called the airlines to check on the flight and were told our flight was cancelled once again. All these cancellations were due to weather so we really can't blame British Airways but it was getting ridiculous! We finally got out of London at about 3:00 p.m. after more then 24 hours of waiting in London. The wind was really bad during takeoff and weren't sure we should have taken off but we made it and landed in Franfurt, Germany around 5:15 p.m. So far the best part of the trip was finding McDonalds at the airport and they had McRibs on the menu!!!! After calling for a taxi/bus we finally left the airport at 7:30 p.m. and headed to Sembach AB in Germany to stay the night.

Waiting with my luggage at London Heathrow airport on our second day of trying to fly out.

The 3 others I am going with (from L to R - Strothers, Malloy and Yara).

MCDONALD'S!

My McRib!

We were originally scheduled to leave Ramstein AB for Iraq on Tuesday afternoon but because of the delays in London didn'tmake that flight. We are now scheduled on a flight that leaves Thursday and if nothing happens to the plane and the weather cooperates we will be leaving. Sembach AB is about 20 minutes from Ramstein AB so today we moved over to the Ramstein lodging to be a little closer to the terminal.

From my balcony in lodging at Sembach AB.

Amanda and Henry are now stationed here so I am going to dinner and hanging out with them tonight. I think Marsha is a little jealous? LOL

VW Toys

2008-02-23T02:37:00.011Z

Awhile back I started collecting VW Toy Cars, from 1:16 scale to 1:64 scale (Hot Wheel Size) although I don't have too many, my collection grew by one tonight. On my trip to Tesco to pick Marsha up some 7-Up for her upset stomach I found the one pictured to the right. It is a 1:32 scale 1959 Volkswagen Beetle. When I get a chance I will take some pictures of other VWs. If you are ever out and are looking to buy me a gift, you can't go wrong with VW Toys!!!!!

Heading Home

2008-02-20T16:25:00.005Z

After a few weeks of training at Creech Air Force Base (about 45 minutes from Las Vegas) I am heading back to England. I am sitting in the airport right now using their free internet access and after two weeks of no television or internet it feels really good! LOL. My plane leaves in a few minutes and I can't wait to get home and see Marsha and the kids. Gotta run and board the plane. Here are a few pictures to tide you over until I can get the rest loaded.

We were lost in the desert during our land navigation course.

Eating stale M&M's from my MRE (Meal Ready to Eat - NOT VERY GOOD!)

Kaylee's 4th Birthday

2008-02-02T21:38:00.000Z

Hello everyone!! Since Jason is taking a nice hot trip to the Middle East, I will be taking over the blog duties for awhile. This is my trial run, (with supervision, of course). But I will do my best to uphold the standards that Jason has set forth. HA! HA!

Today we celebrated Kaylee's 4th birthday. Her actual birthday is Feb. 5th, but Jason is leaving Monday, so we did it early. She has been asking everyday since Christmas if it's her birthday. She was soo excited that it finally arrived.

We took her to the park, because she loves it so much.
Luckily she didn't want to stay too long because it was so cold.

She absolutely loved this dress from Great-Grandma.
She calls it her "new Cinderella dress".

A book of Princess stories she has been asking for.

Grandma made her this blanket for the baby doll she got for Christmas.

So that's my first effort. How did I do? I have more respect for those of you who do this all the time. It takes forever!! But I will try my hardest to update this regularly. Goodbye for now!

It's a Wonderful Life

2007-12-25T15:08:00.001Z

"Look, daddy! Teacher says, every time a bell rings, an Angel gets his wings."

This is my all-time favorite Christmas movie and it finally came on television over here!

The film takes place in the fictional town of Bedford Falls shortly after World War II and stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man whose attempted suicide on Christmas Eve gains the attention of his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody (Hnery Travers) who is sent to help him in his hour of need. Most of the film is told through flashbacks spanning George's entire life and narrated by Franklin and Joseph, unseen Angels who are preparing Clarence for his mission to save George. Through these flashbacks we see all the people whose lives have been touched by George and the difference he has made to the community in which he lives.

It's . . . . .

2007-12-25T14:06:00.000Z

CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone and hope you have a great day. We have been busy traveling to Warwick Castle, down past London to see the London Temple and getting ready for today. Pictures are coming soon I promise! Tomorrow we are heading down to London to do the tourist thing and check out some sights.

Judy, Mom, Grandma Arrived in England

2007-12-19T11:31:00.001Z

Judy, Mom, Grandma was a little late due to some mechanical difficulties in Chicago but shortly before midnight (England Time) she landed at Heathrow Airport. The kids were excited and ran right up to her and gave her some hugs. We are going to relax today and then tomorrow we are heading to the Warwick Castle. We will definately have some pictures to share.

The Culley Christmas Tree

2007-12-19T11:10:00.000Z

We put up our tree a few weeks ago but I never got around to posting it, so here it is!

Salt City Candles

2007-11-25T12:35:00.000Z

With the holiday season here that means one thing, well besides Christmas Trees, presents, shopping, and lots of food and that is we bring back out the Christmas Tree scented Salt City Candles! Here is the description from their website:

The scent of pine, fir, and spruce hang in the air like the promise of Christmas. What could be more festive than a tree of green and blue covered in gold and silver ornaments, topped by a shimmering star? It's all you need to make the holiday complete. Perfect for filling your home with the scent of a fresh cut Christmas tree (especially if your tree is of the artificial variety), our Christmas Tree candles are the perfect accent to your traditional decorations. Christmas Tree scented candles feature: fir, evergreen and hemlock.

You can check out their website at www.saltcitycandle.com.

Decorating For Christmas

2007-11-23T20:43:00.000Z

We are decorating the blog for Christmas. Check back for new things added throughout the month.

Gorilla Ad

2007-11-22T22:14:00.000Z

I am not sure if they play this in the U.S. but it plays here in the U.K. and I love this commercial.

What do you think of it?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2007-11-22T10:30:00.000Z

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM ENGLAND!

We wanted to wish everybody a happy Thanksgiving and we are thinking about everybody and wish you were with us! It's too expensive for us to be there! (LOL). Have a great day and for the football fans out there enjoy the games as well as the turkey. Oh and of course enjoy the Macy's Day Parade and for those who are heading out for the After-Thanksgiving sales, GOOD LUCK!

Thanksgiving Day Football Games

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions (12:30 PM EST)
- My Prediction: Green Bay wins 35-21
- Actual Score: Green Bay 37, Detroit 26

New York Jets at Dallas Cowboys (4:15 PM EST)
- My Prediction: Dallas wins 31-10
- Actual Score: Dallas 34, New York 3

Indianapolis Colts at Atlanta Falcons (8:15 PM EST)
- My Prediction: Indianapolis wins 28-17
- Actual Score: Indianpolis 31, Atlanta 13

Disney Movies: Aladdin

2007-11-18T09:57:00.000Z

Aladdin was released on November 25, 1992 and is the 31st Walt Disney Animated Classic.

The Disney version was taken from the story The Book of One Thousand and One Nights. Several characters and plot elements are also based on the 1940 version of The Thief of Bagdad. As is usual with Disney film adaptations, many aspects of the traditional story were changed for the movie—for instance, the setting is changed from a mythical Islamic "China" to a fictional Arabian City, Agrabah. It was released at the peak stretch of the Disney renaissance era beginning with The LIttle Mermaid. It was the most successful film of 1992, with over $217 million in domestic revenues and over $504 million worldwide.

Previous Disney Movies featured:
The Great Mouse Detective
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Mulan

Hercules

Saturday, Birthday Money and Bowling

2007-11-18T00:14:00.000Z

Today we took Jordan and Calvin to spend some of their birthday money from their Nana (that is my mom). So off we went to the BXTRA on RAF Mildenhall and the first place they head it is to the Bionicles section of the toys. As soon as we got home they started putting together their Bionicles and playing battle. For those who do not know what they are you can visit www.bionicles.com.

Before heading home though we stopped off at the bowling alley for a quick game. I didn't do too hot and only bowled a 154 (OUCH!) but the kids did real well. (Sorry I forgot to grab the camera!)

Daddy - 154
Jordan - 108
Calvin - 97
Kaylee - 86

Marsha doesn't like to bowl so she cheered us on.

Disney Movies: Hercules

2007-11-17T10:08:00.000Z

Hercules was released on June 14, 1997 and is the 35th Walt Disney Animated Classic.

The movie depicts the adventures of Hercules, the son of Zues, in Greek mythology. A demigod, mortalized by Hades and his minions as an infant, tries to find what it takes to be a true hero in order to regain immortality and his rightful place among the gods.

This movie has not yet been released on DVD.

Previous Disney Movies featured:
The Great Mouse Detective
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Mulan

Jordan Turns 10 Years Old

2007-11-15T22:47:00.000Z

On Wednesday, November 14 Jordan turned 10! We celebrated with some cake and ice cream and of course presents. We went bowling last Saturday for both Jordan's and Calvin's birthdays with Amanda's family since their birthdays fell during the week. Enjoy the pictures.

Optimus Prime and Megatron Transformers (from Grandma)

More Bionicles (from Calvin and Kaylee)

. . . . whats in here?

Winter Gloves

Hardback Magic Tree House Books (from Great-Grandma)

Skateboard and Accessories (from Mom nad Dad)

Happy Birthday To You . . . .

One More Candle To Go!

Disney Movies: Mulan

2007-11-13T17:44:00.000Z

Mulan was released on June 19, 1998 and is the 36th Walt Disney Animated Classic.

The movie is loosely based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, and was praised for its stunning visuals and for portraying an independent and dominant female, and earned over $300 million in worldwide box office.

This is the first one we have featured that we actually own on DVD.

Previous Disney Movies featured:
The Great Mouse Detective
The Hunchback of Notre Dame

It's Somebody's Birthday!

2007-11-12T14:37:00.000Z

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CALVIN!

Today is Calvin's birthday and he is the BIG 5! Here are some pictures of Calvin opening his presents and his cake that Marsha baked.

Bionicle Barraki - Pridak (from Jordan and Kaylee)

Transformers - Bumblebee and Barricade (from Grandma)

Clothes from Mom and Dad (HOW EXCITING!)

Disney Learning Cards (from Great Grandma)

Disney Learning Books and Coloring Books (from Great Grandma)

Geo Trax - Grand Central Station (from Mom and Dad)

Blowing Out His Candles

Time To East Some Cake!

Disney Movies: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

2007-11-12T14:00:00.000Z

The Hunchback of Notre Dame was released on June 21, 1996 and is the 34th Walt Disney Aninmated Classic.

The film is loosely based on Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The plot centers on the Gypsy dancer, Esmeralda; Claude Frollo, a powerful and ruthless judge who lusts after her; Quasimodo, the protagonist, Notre Dame's kind-hearted but deformed bellringer, who adores her; and Phoebus, the chivalrous if irreverent military captain, who hold affections for her.

Roger Ebert awarded the film four stars out of four and hailed it as "the best Disney animated feature since Beauty and the Beast - a whirling, uplifting, thrilling story with a heart-touching message that emerges from the comedy and song." Near the end of his review, Ebert compared the film favorably to other entries in the Disney Renaissance era, such as Aladin, The Lion King and Pochahantas.

We do not currently own this movie on DVD but do have a VHS copy packed away somewhere.

Previous Disney Movies featured:
The Great Mouse Detective

Disney Movies: The Great Mouse Detective

2007-11-11T10:47:00.000Z

With the addition of the Disney Character of the Day to our blog, I thought I would add random Disney Movies (hopefully I can keep this up!). The first movie is The Great Mouse Detective which was released on July 2, 1986 and is the 26th Walt Disney Animated Classic.

It is based on the children's story Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus, it draws heavily on the tradition of Sherlock Holmes with a heroic mouse who consciously emulates the detective and is set in London, England in 1897. This film did fairly well at the box office and got warm reviews from critics (including a "two thumbs up" rating from critics Siskel and Ebert), a welcome change after the previous Disney flop The Black Cauldron.

We do not currently own this movie on DVD but do have a VHS copy packed away somewhere.

Snowing In Disneyland?

2007-11-11T02:00:00.000Z

Disneyland is adding snow to the towers of Sleeping Beauty's Castle for the holiday season. I believe this is the first time they have done this and it looks really cool. Too bad we won't see it, hopefully they keep it going until 2010!

Straight A's

2007-11-10T21:28:00.000Z

Marsha met with Jordan's teacher for the first Parent-Teacher conference of the year and so far he is getting straight A's. We really like his teacher this year and he seems to be enjoying this year! It sounds like another smart Culley kid when he was in elementary school! HINT - IT IS ME! (LOL)

Can You Hear The Music?

2007-11-10T18:34:00.000Z

After visiting quite a few differant blogs and listening to their music I decided to add the project playlist beta to The Culley Family Blog. My first few songs are "Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White T's, "What I've Done" by Linkin Park and "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin.

I am really digging "Hey There Delilah" from the Plain White T's. It was originally released on their 2005 album All That We Needed but really never got any exposure. The song is about an unrequited, long-distance infatuation. In June 2007, over two years after the song's initial release, it became the band's first mainstream hit in the United States.

Enjoy!

I Know, It's Not Even Thanksgving Yet

2007-11-08T19:42:00.000Z

I am sure the stores and malls have all their decorations up and for sale in the states so I thought I would add some Christmas stuff here. One of my favorite holiday commercials is this one from last year. It is from Coca-Cola and we all know Coca-Cola produces better products then you know who (PEPSI!), right Jim, James and Robert?

Happy Halloween - 2007

2007-11-04T13:54:00.000Z

Where did the month of October go? I didn't post one thing, call me James or Robert! LOL This past week we went Trick-Or-Treating with Amanda and her family over in the housing area near the base. Jordan dressed as a pirate, Calvin was Batman, Kaylee was Cinderella, Cole was Wolverine and Gaige was Tigger.

Enjoy the pictures!

- All the kids dressed up -

- Kayleee carving her pumpkin -

- Jordan getting his ready to carve a Spider -

- Kaylee showing off her pumpkin -

- Calvin showing off his pirate ship pumpkin -

- Calvin decorating one of his cookies -

- Jordan decorating his cookies -

- Jordan finishing his pumpkin, it took him two nights to finish -

TRANSFORMERS

2007-09-23T10:29:00.000+01:00

"We live among its people now, hiding in plain sight, but watching over them in secret, waiting, protecting. I have witnessed their capacity for courage, and though we are worlds apart, like us, there's more to them than meets the eye. I am Optimus Prime, and I send this message to any surviving Autobots taking refuge among the stars: we are here, we are waiting."

We finally went to see TRANSFORMERS yesterday, 2 1/2 months after it came out. Now Jordan wants some TRANSFORMERS, I should have saved the ones I had as a kid! Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron, I had most of them. I thought the movie was great even though they changed Bumblebee from a Volkswagen Bug (original series) to a 1977 Chevrolet Camaro and later a 2009 concept Camaro. Some of the scene locations were also recognizable as they filmed in New Mexico (Kirtland AFB), Las Vegas, Hoover Dam and Rialto, CA (where I grew up).

Marsha Turns . . . . .

2007-09-22T11:06:00.000+01:00

30!

We celebrated Marsha's B-Day on Friday night with a few friends at the house last night. We ate some tacos and had pink lemonade ice cream cake. Unfortunately the camera wasn't working right so no pictures were take. Maybe Marsha sabatoged the camera! Not really, the batteries went dead and we didn't have any charged up to replace them. Tomorrow we are going to see TRANSFORMERS on the base.

Gulliver's Land

2007-09-04T21:08:00.001+01:00

This past Monday (Labor Day) we went to a theme park called Gulliver's Land in a town called Milton Keynes, about an hour and a half from our house. It's not Disneyland but has a lot of similarities. The main character is a mouse and the park is broken down into lands; Main Street, Lilliput Land, Toyland, Central Hub, Adventure Land, Discovery Bay and Junior Discovery Cove and there is a train that goes around the whole park. The kids had a blast and we even got Calvin to go on a few rides, hopefully when we finally to get to Disneyland Paris he will be over that fear. Enjoy the pictures:

4th Grade!

2007-09-04T20:09:00.000+01:00

I know this is about a week late but Jordan started the 4th grade! He is still going to Feltwell Elementary and takes the long bus trip in the morning and afternoon. So far he likes his teacher this year, Mr. Whitehead.

Next year we will have two in school as Calvin starts kindergarten and will be going to the same school as Jordan for a year. Then Kaylee the year after that and Marsha has the house to herself during the day.

Let's Go Bowling

2007-07-05T11:14:00.000+01:00

Jordan has been asking for awhile to go bowling so we went a few days ago. It was the first time bowling Calvin and Kaylee, even Marsha bowled which was amazing! It was also the first time I had bowled since my knee surgery and the first game out I bowled a 218, followed up by an amazing 154 which is a 186.00 average.

Happy 4th Of July

2007-07-02T18:53:00.000+01:00

We want to wish everybody a Happy 4th of July. We will be heading to a carnival at RAF Feltwell which is about 15 minutes from the base. After that we are going over to Amanda's house to light off some fireworks.

In the meantime check out the greatest fireworks display/show ever from the "Happiest Place on Earth", DISNEYLAND.

Kaylee's First Haircut

2007-07-02T18:20:00.000+01:00

Today Kaylee got here first real haircut. She has had her bangs trimmed and such in the past but nothing like this. I wasn't too excited about it but I let Marsha do it anyways. I like it even though she looks like a differant little girl.

Before:

After:

1 Year Anniversary

2007-06-30T11:27:00.000+01:00

One year ago today, June 30th, 2006, we arrived in the UK for our 4 year tour. Only 3 more to go!!!

Disneyland: From Dream To Reality

2007-06-23T21:58:00.000+01:00

This is A rare behind the scenes look at the construction of Disneyland. Its A souvenir film called Disneyland From Dream To Reality (super 8mm sound). This film was created for the 25th anniversary of the theme park in 1980.

Please Mr. Postman

2007-06-23T21:52:00.000+01:00

The Carpenter's sing "Please Mr. Postman" at Disneyland in the mid '70's.

Jordan Beats Dad (and Mom) On Father's Day

2007-06-17T18:17:00.000+01:00

Jordan just started playing RISK this weekend and in only his third game beat mom and dad. His first two games were against dad, losing the first one and calling it a tie in the second one (played for about two hours). The third game mom joined and we played with the secret Mission Cards and Jordan drew the mission of occupying 18 territories with at least 2 armies. Mom's mission was to eliminate the green armies (dad) and Dad's mission was to occupy Asia and Africa which I was nowhere near completing when Jordan claimed his 18th territory. Jim and James watch out, he said you guys were next on his list of victims!

Jordan Heading To The 4th Grade

2007-06-16T12:06:00.000+01:00

WOW . . . . our little boy (don't tell him I called him that) is heading to the 4th grade next year. It seems like only yesterday he was in Kindergarten, does that mean Marsha and I are getting old? His last day of school was Thursday and is excited about the summer. About mid July though I think he will be ready to go back to school, he really likes school.

Ride Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage

2007-06-16T12:00:00.000+01:00

If you want to experience the ride for the first time on your next trip to Disneyland then DO NOT CLICK on my link. But if you can't wait to see what the ride looks like then DO CLICK below!

FINDING NEMO SUBMARINE VOYAGE VIDEO (right click and save target as)

It is a large file (approx. 36 MB) so please be patient if you have a slow connection. Not recommended for dial-up users. This is not my own video (remember I am in the UK!) but shot by and loaded up on my favorite Disneyland related website, Visions Fantastic.

Enjoy the ride!

Trophy Presentation

2007-06-12T20:11:00.000+01:00

Jordan's soccer team, the Cobras received their trophies last Saturday. They finished the short season with 3 wins, 2 losses and 3 ties. This was his first year playing soccer and he did pretty good, although he didn't score (their wasn't mush scoring) he came close a few times. When given the choice he would always choose to play defense. They are holding a soccer camp this summer at Mildenhall for a week and he will be going to get ready for next year.

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage

2007-06-11T21:13:00.000+01:00

I have been a little slow on the Disney History lately but hopefully this makes up for it. Today the submarine ride makes it triumphant return as the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. Here are some pictures from my favorite Disney website, Vision's Fantastic.

Also on the California Adventure side they are adding a Toy Story Mania ride on the boardwalk underneath the California Screamin' ride. From the concept drawings it looks like it will be similar to the Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blaster ride.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

2007-05-26T22:07:00.000+01:00

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.

We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot,

Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.

We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot,

Drink up me 'earties, yo ho."

The story of the Pirates of the Caribbean is now complete, at least on the big screen. There are quite a few plots that could become new movies but I don't think they ever will, we can only imagine in our heads.

*SPOILER ALERT**SPOILER ALERT** SPOILER ALERT**SPOLIER ALERT*

(That means stop reading if you haven't already seen the movie and dont want to know the details and how it ends).

Will Captain Jack Sparrow find the Fountain of the Youth? Will Captain "Hector" Barbossa find Captain Jack and get the portion of the map that he stole back? Do Tia Dalma and Davey Jones live happily after? And of course Elizabeth and William Turner, they are together again but not in the way many wanted them to be, especially Marsha. This Disney movie doesn't have the ultimate happy ending and I think that works well in this case. Once every ten years is better then never right? William Turner seemed to change his focus from POTC 2 to POTC 3 away from getting the girl to rescuing his father who was trapped on the Flying Dutchman and at the end he accomplished both in a way. I really liked the scenes of Jack in Davey Jones locker especially the part where they played clips from the actual ride audio, a way for the movie makers to pay tribute to the ride that started it all. The addition of Captain Teague (Keith Richards) as Jack's dad, although short in time, was awesome. Richards is exactly what you would picture Jack's dad to look like and talk like. When Jack asked how his mom was doing and his dad held up the shrunken head, I almost spit out some of my diet coke! When we were first introduced to Jack he was in a small dinghy style boat and Barbossa was piloting the Black Pearl and that is how we leave them. I like the way they ended the relationship between those two, a full circle.

After the movie completed the theater seemed to empty out pretty fast but I made Marsha sit through the credits because there had to be something at the end right? In POTC 1 it was the monkey stealing a piece of the Cortez gold and becoming a skeleton and in POTC 2 it was the dog sitting in as the chief of the tribe that Jack escaped from. So we waited and after the final credit rolled there it was, "Ten Years Later" so I am glad we stayed!

I can't wait until it is released on video, I am guessing in November/December time frame.

Kids Playing In Sandbox

2007-05-22T17:08:00.000+01:00

Jordan, Kaylee and Calvin

It was a real nice day today, about 21 degrees celsius (70 degrees farenheit) and not a rain cloud in the sky! So after I mowed the lawn, it really needed it, Calvin and Kaylee played in the sandbox. When Jordan got home from school and finished his homework he went outside with them. I am not sure if we have ever shared a picture of our backyard, so below is two pictures I spliced together so you could see the whole backyard. The brick structure behind the swingset is our garage.

Our backyard

Tiger Woods PGA Tour '07

2007-05-22T16:48:00.000+01:00

For my birthday the kids got me Tiger Woods PGA Tour '07.

I just finished my first season and was named the PGA Rookie of the Year. I won three events during the season, The Ric Hovac Invitational, West Coast Challenge and the final event of the year THE TOUR Championship. I was also named Player of the Month for November! Other highlights from the season include 3 Hole-In-Ones and 6 Double Eagles. If only I could do this in real life I wouldn't be in the military! The picture to the left is me, well at least the character I created in the game that shares my name. Time to start my 2008 season.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

2007-05-22T16:30:00.000+01:00

"What would you do? What would any of you be willing to do? Would you brave the weird and haunted shores at world's end to fetch back wit' ye Jack?"

Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, Barbossa, Norrington, Davey Jones and a full cast of pirates return for the final installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End will be the last movie in the POTC trilogy and we can't wait to see it. The premiere was held last weekend at Disneyland with the red carpet, famous people and the large screen set up on the edge of Pirate's Lair at Tom Sawyer Island just like last year when Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was released. It is opening here on Thursday, May 24 but we won't be able to go until Saturday and have already ordered our tickets online to make sure we get in. Anybody else going?

Submarine Voyage Christened

2007-05-16T11:45:00.000+01:00

From the Associated Press comes word that the lagoon's subs are officially back in commisson.

In a photograph made available to the AP by Disney, Navy Vice Admiral John G. Morgan and Disneyland Resort President Ed Grier pour water from the East Australian current into the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage lagoon.

The move followed a ceremonial re-commissioning of the Disneyland submarine fleet in Anaheim on Monday.

When the original "Submarine Voyage" closed in Sept. 1998, the Navy officially de-commissioned the existing eight submarines.

The "Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage" is scheduled to reopen amid great fanfare, pomp and circumstance, on June 11.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

2007-05-12T14:26:00.000+01:00

We want to wish every mother out there a "Happy Mother's Day". Have a great day!

Skyway

2007-05-07T19:11:00.000+01:00

"Enjoy a panoramic view as your Skyway bucket quietly passes over Tomorrowland and Fantasyland on this one-way ride. You’ll see the Richfield Autopia, the Goodyear PeopleMover, the military-gray submarines of the Submarine Voyage, and the tall masts of the Pirate Ship Restaurant."

The Disneyland Skyway opened on June 23, 1956 and was listed as two attractions, the Skyway to Tomorrowland and the Skyway to Fantasyland. The Skyway to Tomorrowland took riders from Fantasyland station to the Tomorrowland station and vice-versa giving riders a view of the park from above. When ticket books were in use prior to the early ’80s the ride was a “D” ticket ride. In between the two stations was a support tower located on Holiday Hill, in 1959 the Matterhorn was built upon Holiday Hill. The Matterhorn was directly in the path of the Skyway, so two large openings in each side of the mountain were created allowing it to pass right through the large mountain. In 1965 for the “Tencentennial”, the original round shaped cabins were replaced with rectangular cabins that were used until the ride closed down on November 9, 1994. For the final ride Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse made one last trip as guests watched below. The Fantasyland station is still pretty much intact to this day but the Tomorrowland station is just a memeroy and the holes in the Matterhorn were filled in almost immediately.

Next - TBA

Peoplemover

2007-05-07T13:09:00.000+01:00

I love to read and research everything related to Disney, Disneyland, Walt Disney, etc and consider myslef an amatuer Disneyland historian, Marsha has another word for it though, she calls me a freak! I thought I would share some of my reasearch with everybody. I am gathering the history of Disneyland rides, past and present and started with the Peoplemover. So if you like Disneyland enjoy, if not you can call me a freak like Marsha does!

“We are now beginning a grand circle tour of Tomorrowland aboard the Peoplemover, the first system of its kind in the world”

The PeopleMover presented by Goodyear opened on July 2, 1967 as part of the New Tomorrowland. The ride lasted approximately 16 minutes and during your relaxing trip you could listen to commentary from the trains audio system that would give you facts and details that corresponded with the area you were cruising through. The tour started in the center of Tomorrowland and took you through Adventure Thru Inner Space / Star Tours, Star Trader, StarCade, Space Mountain, Carousel of Progress (today Innovations), Super Speed Tunnel / “The World of Tron”, over the Autopia tracks and the Submarine Voyage lagoon, through the CircleVision pre-show area (today Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters) before dropping you back off at the center of Tomorrowland. From 1967 to 1987 the cars were one of four colors; red, blue, yellow or green with white roofs and then in 1987 they were all painted white with colored stripes. In 1977, the SuperSpeed Tunnel was added to the PeopleMover. It was located in the upper level of the Carousel Building. Originally race cars were projected on the walls of the tunnel engulfing the trains but in 1982 the projections were changed to scenes from the movie Tron. The PeopleMover closed permanently on August 21, 1995 and was replaced by the Rocket Rods on May 22, 1998. The Rocket Rods did not last very long and closed in April 2001, the structures that housed the original track for the PeopleMover remain as a reminder of what once was considered the future of transportation.

There is actually a website dedicated to bringing back the Peoplemover - People for the Peoplemover, check it out.

NEXT - Skyway

Long Time, No Post

2007-05-06T09:33:00.000+01:00

I have finally posted something, it's been over a month. See below for our trip to the London Zoo and Jordan playing soccer.

The Culley's Visit The London Zoo

2007-05-06T07:46:00.000+01:00

On Saturday, May 5th we journeyed down to London to visit the London Zoo. Our first stop was at McDonalds, about 10 minutes from the Epping Tube station to meet The Cook's (Henry, Amanda, Cole and Gaige) and a co-worker of Henry's, Tony, Angela and their three daughters. Once we arrived at McDonald's we left for the tube station. In order to get to the London Zoo you have to take an hour tube ride and then it's about a 10 minute walk from the Camden Town tube station to the entrance of the London Zoo. It was supposed to be around 70 degrees the whole day but it didn't seem to get above 60 degrees until we were on the tube ride home, which was okay I guess since we didn't want to get too sunburnt.

Here is a little history on the London Zoo from Wikipedia. The London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London in 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. It was eventually made open to the public in 1847. Today it houses a collection of more than 651 different species of animals. As well as being the first scientific zoo, ZSL London Zoo also opened the first Reptile house (1849), first public Aquarium (1853), first insect house (1881) and the first children's zoo (1938).

We arrived at about 10 AM and stayed until about 3:30 PM and got to see pretty much everything. Because of the weather a lot of the animals were in their inside living quarters and not wandering outside. Overall I thought it was a decent zoo and it was fun to get away from Ely for the day. I was able to take a few pictures, so enjoy:

Cole (facing window), Jordan and Calvin on the tube.

A tiger roaming his area.

Calvin and Jordan looking at bugs.

Calvin in the kids zoo area.

Calvin and Kaylee in the kids zoo area.

Jordan, Calvin and Kaylee posing.

Calvin laughing.

"Don't take my picture" . . . Marsha.

The Cooks.

Meerkats posing on a rock.

Meerkats fighting (playing?).

Some more Meerkats (they were easy to photograph).

Kaylee, Cole and Calvin looking in one of the Meerkats tunnels.

A few Zebras eating.

Calvin's favorite, the Giraffe.

Time to go home!

Jordan Playing Soccer

2007-05-05T23:00:00.000+01:00

Jordan decided he wanted to sign up and play soccer this year. He is on the Cobras and they have played three games so far. They lost their first game 4-1 and then have tied the last two, 2-2 in each game. He doesn't really care about the score he just likes to play. In the last game he got to play goalie for a half and he stopped 5 or 6 shots and only allowed one score.

Rebels In The Sweet 16

2007-03-20T09:27:00.000Z

The Rebels get to play the #3 seed in the midwest, Oregon, on Sunday in the Regional Semifinals. They beat Georgia Tech, 67-63 in the first round and beat Wisconsin, 74-68 in the second round.

UNLV's last Sweet 16 appearence was in 1991.

The Rebels are tied for third with UNC (behind Duke and UCLA) in NCAA Tournament winning percentage at .711. They are 32-13 all time.

Rebels Dancing

2007-03-15T13:31:00.000Z

Even before I lived in Vegas and was close to UNLV I cheered for the Rebels and had been a fan of theirs since the Larry Johnson and Stacey Augmon days. The Rebels are back in the tournament again after a drought of a few years and face Georgia Tech on Friday in Chicago, Ill. Hopefully I will get a chance to see them on television if AFN decides to air it! My prediction: UNLV 61, Georgia Tech 55.

WOW

2007-03-13T14:19:00.001Z

It had been over a month between my last post and the previous post!!! That is way too long and I apoligize. I still have James and Rob beat, where you at guys?

Stardust Casino Gone?

2007-03-13T11:48:00.000Z

While looking for current event stories today at work (trust me that is part of my job) I saw the headline "Vegas' famous Stardust hotel imploded". I had no idea it was even being leveled which apparently they have been preparing for the last few months, gutting out the insides and leaving just concrete and steel. To me this one was one of the saddest to see go. When I first arrived in Las Vegas, NV before reporting to my first duty station, Nellis AFB, I stayed the weekend at the Stardust. One website I found said this, "The Stardust. The last of the mobster run casinos."

Kaylee's 3rd Birthday

2007-02-11T20:40:00.000Z

Last Monday night Kaylee finally got to open her presents, which she had to look at all day sitting in the living room. Marsha made her favorite kind of cake, lemonade ice cream cake but unfortunately not a favorite of our kids! Here are some pictures for you, ENJOY!

How Many Have Your Name

2007-01-27T10:41:00.000Z

This was sent to me and I thought it was cool. Check it out.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are:
12
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

Post how many people have your name.

Wow It's Been Too Long!

2007-01-21T09:50:00.000Z

Wow, it has been at least 3 weeks since I posted something! Who am I James? LOL (J/K) I would like to say it has been because I have been SOOOOO busy but I really haven't been. I did get my other website back up and running since the 2007 VW drag racing season is starting, Air Cooled Drag Racing Monthly (www.acdrm.com) is a website I created that I now run along with a guy from California.

Finally was able to play some SOCOM Friday night/Saturday morning and have all of us playing (Myself, Jim, James, Robert and Jeff) so that was cool. After a few hours of playing I got kicked off the server and for some reason couldn't log back in but not before Rob and I were putting some serious hurtin' on the other guys in Citadel and Tidal Fury! LOL

That is all for now, see you all later.

Happy New Year!

2006-12-31T22:57:00.000Z

We wanted to take a second and wish everybody a Happy New Year's Eve and New Year. The New Year is only about an hour away here. We decided just to stay home this year and take it easy, with most of being sick! The year has flown by way too fast as most of them do when you have a good time. We do wish we could be with everybody during the holidays and new year, so know we are thinking about everybody and maybe someday we can all be together. Hope everyone has a great night and great new year!

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-25T23:59:00.000Z

Merry Christmas from England! Jordan woke up at 7:00 AM and I tried to get him to go back to sleep but Marsha stopped me! The kids had fun opening their presents and two or three months worth of work was over before we knew it. Amanda and her family came over for dinner and we played a few games, Marsha's new Disney Trivial Pursuit and Phase 10. Marsha won both games!

Jordan and Calvin waiting for Kaylee.

Jordan and Calvin checking out Calvin's new Geo-Trax.

Kaylee is so excited she can't keep her eyes open.

Jordan and Kaylee checking out his new CD Player and CD's.

Kaylee ripping open a present.

Jordan got some new games.

Kaylee's new dollhouse.

Calvin opening some presents.

Jordan and his new Scrabble.

Kaylee has some cars now to play with the boys.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2006-12-25T08:00:00.000Z

Kids On Christmas Eve

2006-12-24T20:00:00.000Z

It is Christmas Eve here in England and the kids are ready for bedtime so Santa can come!

We hope everyone has a good Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We wish we could be there with everybody but we are thinking about you and we love you all.

Happy Birthday Jim!

2006-12-24T15:04:00.000Z

NORAD Tracking Santa

2006-12-21T18:57:00.000Z

NORAD is tracking the arrival of Santa Claus again this year and I found this on their website about the history of it all.

"For more than 50 years, NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have tracked Santa. The tradition began after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. store advertisement for children to call Santa on a special "hotline" included an inadvertently misprinted telephone number. Instead of Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief's operations "hotline." The Director of Operations, Colonel Harry Shoup, received the first "Santa" call on Christmas Eve 1955. Realizing what had happened, Colonel Shoup had his staff check radar data to see if there was any indication of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Indeed there were signs of Santa and children who called were given an update on Santa's position. Thus, the tradition was born. In 1958, the governments of Canada and the United States created a bi-national air defense command for the North American continent called the North American Air Defense Command, known as NORAD. Canada and the U.S. believed they could better defend North America together as a team instead of separately."

You can track Santa this year at http://www.noradsanta.org.

Holiday Coke Commercial

2006-12-21T17:50:00.001Z

As far back as I can remember Coke has always put out Holiday commercials and tonight I saw this one for first time and thought it was cool.

Pepsi can't compete with that!!! Sorry James, Jim, Robert I couldn't resist.

Cookie Party Time

2006-12-10T09:44:00.000Z

COOKIE PARTY!!!!!

Last Saturday night we held our Christmas Cookie Party and invited Amanda and her family over to decorate some cookies. Marsha and I even got to decorate a few, helping out Calvin and Kaylee. Enjoy the pictures.