Late Night

It's a bit late.  I've been out at a movie.  Decided to go see this movie Unbroken which is a true story.  It was quite good.  I liked it anyway.  It has been a day of snow.  When I got up this morning I noticed it and it seemed very light.  Well, it didn't stop for the majority of the day.  That is a good thing and I certainly hope that there is a lot more accumulation up in the mountains.  Lots of shoveling today.  It was good.  I am fixin to pass out so I'm going to close this entry.  Unbroken - I think it is worth seeing.  That's all. 

Stressing A Bit

I went to bed last night a bit stressed about the registering for classes thing and school starting on Monday and just not feeling very prepared.  I also began stressing about how I am going to do it all.  I really have no idea.  I was cleaning house, doing laundry and was wondering how I was going to manage that aspect of life.  Again, no idea.  I guess I am just going to have to figure it out as we go.  It is all a bit overwhelming at this point and I have some fears about managing myself to a point that I can be the father to my kids that they need.  I don't want to slip in that area of my life in fact I want to do better in that regard.  It is a scary thing to be diving into but I will trust in the Lord and do my best. 

Late to Register

So I have been working on getting back into school and have made it difficult on myself.  The entire thing has been a process of time but I have not exactly been concerned about getting registered and had a series of things to do before I could even do that.  I completed that series of things and began the signing up for classes.  Apparently that is not a good thing.  I am finding it difficult to get in to some classes.  I have managed to sign up for two classes and am on a waiting list for a third.  I need to get into a math class but they will not let me in because I have not met the prerequisite.  It is a class I took once already and passed with a B so I thought I could get in it no problem.  I guess I will have to call tomorrow and see what can be done.  If I get that then I am loaded up for the semester, assuming the wait-listed class comes through.  Looking at the hours some of these classes are scheduled for is going to make working and schooling a bit of a challenge, not to mention being dad and taking care of the family.

Well, next semester should be much easier.  I won't be trying to register so late in the game.  Wonderful.  

Temple Run

Not talking video games here.  If that is your passion this will not be the post for you.  When I say Temple Run I'm talking a drive down to the St. George Temple.  I wasn't sure I was going to make it on time and almost cut my preparations short and didn't go.  I pressed forward in my preparations and was able to go down.  I got in at 7:45 PM just prior to the last session of the day.  No matter, I was going to do initiatory work anyway.  It was great.  Took up some names that Clorinda asked me to do.  It was good.  I certainly love being in the temple and am glad I made the trip, even if it was a quick run.  Speaking of quick, I am starting to pass out so I am drawing this to a close.  I do love to serve in the temple. 

A Plow and a Shovel

You know that I love a good snow storm.  At least I love the first storm of the year and probably the next few storms after that.  I don't know that my love for snow storms continues through April and definitely not in the month of May but I do enjoy a good snow storm.  I find great satisfaction in wielding a snow shovel and practicing the art of snow removal.  There is only one thing that I think I enjoy more than a snow shovel and that is the snow plow.  I get to use the plow from the hotel next door to plow the parking lot at the Brick House.  It is pure joy.  Today we had a few stalls before fully realizing that pure plow driven joy.  The truck was overheating and so I had to shut it down every now and again and let the engine cool.  There is something the matter with that old truck.  Hopefully it gets squared away because as good as I might be with a shovel, that parking lot is big and I might not get the entire thing shoveled prior to the snow actually melting. 

Anyhow, I shoveled yesterday morning and again last night when I got home.  I shoveled again this morning prior to leaving for work where I shoveled some more.  I was getting ready to head over to the church to go shovel there and Kevin Barrett was dropping off is step daughter for work and told me that he had just finished the church with his 4 wheeler.  Ahhh, the 4 wheeler with the plow, that sounds like fun.  I might need one of those some day.  If I had a spare several grand I might could get one but I don't so I will stick to the shovel.  Anyhow, didn't need to go over. 

I'm kind of a snow shoveling geek I suppose.  I drive around by myself but I carry two shovels in the back of the vehicle.  I guess I want to have a spare at the ready in case I break the first one.  My current rate of breaking snow shovels is actually quite low so my chances of actually needing the spare are minimal. Oh well, I'm prepared I guess.

Snow plows and shovels, a mans best friends on a day like today.  Well, that and a nice warm fire.  Who doesn't like a nice warm fire on a cold winters night?  

White Christmas 2014

Last night when I bedded down the wind was howling.  Had Jack been around he would have probably said "There's a storm comin John!" but he was not around.  I tried to sleep through the night on a headache, didn't work all that well.  In the morning the wind had stopped but the snows had come.  It has been snowing for most the day.  This is really good for Cedar as we have needed it.  I do love the first real snow of the year and this is certainly that.  We have had a couple little sprinkles prior to today but this is a significant storm and much needed.  Hopefully we will see a lot more of these this winter and we can build up the snow pack.  Naturally I had to go out and do some shoveling.  It felt good.  Went over to the folks after that for breakfast and Christmas day festivities.  It was a fine day.  We had some good times.  Good food, good laughs, good games, fun times for sure.  Certainly I miss my children and trust they have had a wonderful Christmas.  They are such good kids and I am grateful to be their dad.

Christmas 2014 has been nice.  I have enjoyed the holiday season and some of the things that I have learned.  I am grateful to give.  We don't have a lot of money and so big, expensive gifts are not common.  The giving of a few small gifts and giving out fudge, that feels good.  I know it isn't much but it is what we could offer, it was our mite.  I went in this morning not expecting to see much in the way of gifts for me.  I was shocked.  Mom and Amy stuffed a rather large stocking for me.  I didn't plan on having one.  Stuffing a stocking for myself seemed kind of silly.  It was nice to be remembered.  Mom and dad also picked me up a number of gifts.  One being a great new coat for winter.  It was a bit small for me, not sure why mom picked me up a medium, I don't know that I have ever worn a medium shirt before, ever.  It was good, I tried to put it on just for fun and found the sleeve was sewn shut on the inside.  I am sure I looked real good trying to squeeze into this coat and having a stump arm.  We had a good laugh and I reminded them of the left handed golf clubs I got one year.  They didn't do me much good but pops got some life out of them. 

I am truly grateful for Christmas and the celebration of the Saviors life.  Not just his birth but his life and his teachings, his atonement and the gifts he freely gives to us.  I know he lives.  I know he came to earth and suffered on my behalf.  He also established his gospel and that gospel is available to each of us.  I am grateful for the Savior and pray that I can follow in his footsteps.   Merry Christmas all!

Who Got the Fudge Out?!

Over the last few years I have struggled to put together gifts for the neighbors and friends for Christmas.  That would primarily be fudge.  I actually got it together last year but never got it delivered.  I was a little embarrassed after Christmas to actually deliver it.  I didn't want to flake out again this year.  This morning I got up and made two batches of fudge.  I purchased some tins for it yesterday and those turned out nice.  Just how it looked when I was a kid.  I got it wrapped and then got out there and delivered it.  It felt good to get that done this year.  Things just happened to work out where I could do that.  It seemed well received.

One of my deliveries was to Ken and Georgia Bettridge.  I sure do love Ken and Georgia.  They have always been so kind to me and to the kids.  Anyhow, I dropped the fudge off, was invited in for a minute and then invited to go get a drink and go on a little ride.  So, we went.  It was a good time, really nice to visit with them and to just relax and go for a ride.   

I saw on facebook that the fudge for the missionaries arrived.  It looked like something had happened to one of the bricks during shipping... Sister Sweeney posted a couple of pictures.  She was excited for the fudge to come in.  I'm glad it got there and hope it is all in good shape.

We had a little fondue evening at the folks.  The group this year included Dave, Dani and Griff, Amy, Dan and Sam oh, and Sam, Mike and Liana, the folks of course and me.  We had two pots of broth going, we had two pots of cheese plus a crock pot of Velveeta, we had a deep fryer outside and I deep fried shrimp, mushroom, zucchini and broccoli.  So at the start of the meal all the deep fried veggies that needed tempura were already prepared.  It was great.  We also had a white elephant exchange and we had a root beer blind taste test/rating thing.  I am full, I am ready for bed and I am grateful for this time of year. 

One of Those Days!

There are two days in the year that I don't like.  Today was one of those days.  What about the day did I not like?  I don't like leaving my kids at the airport.  It is wonderful for them to spend time with their mom and I support that but it doesn't mean I like to see them go.  That is a hard thing.  They did arrive in Alaska safely.  They met their moms new dog and apparently he is huge.  Not much else to say.  I spent the day on the road.  I am tired and ready to sleep.  I don't know what I am going to do tonight as Andy won't be here to come and get in my bed in the middle of the night.  What the what?  I might actually sleep pretty well... ahhh, now we're on to one of those nights!

Making a Tradition?

A little over a week ago I was talking with Jack, it was actually about my lesson on the birth of the Savior.  Anyhow, we were discussing Christmas Traditions and one of the things we talked about was sending the fudge to the missionaries in the Scottsdale Mission with President and Sister Sweeney.  We decided that it was a good thing and that we should do it again this year.  We made the fudge and today I wrapped it up and we shipped it out.  We'll have one more Christmas with President and Sister Sweeney at the helm of the Arizona Scottsdale Mission and we can make this a tradition and send fudge to them again next year.  We will most likely do so.  After that we may need to figure out where else to send the fudge, what other mission will we have ties to? 

We know that it isn't much and we could probably come up with something more meaningful but fudge is something Fontano's do, especially at Christmas.  It is meaningful to us because it allows us to give something.  We don't do a lot of receiving at Christmas by way of toys and the commercial stuff.  We do receive a lot of goodies from neighbors and friends and that is wonderful.  The kids however, know that things are tight and there isn't much coming.  Sometimes our best gifts to ourselves come because we look at giving something to someone else and we forget about what we want.  I am grateful for those opportunities.  Making them a tradition?  I think it is a good thing.  

Drive Time

We got up this morning and had a little monkey bread for breakfast courtesy of Jay and Sara.  It was a good visit though it was too short.  Andy was upset with me that we were not staying longer.  Natalie didn't want to leave either.  Jack would stay for days if it meant he could tend the chickens and collect their eggs.  I think it is pretty tough when your cousins who were your neighbors for nearly 4 years move away and suddenly you can't see them all the time.  So the kids are telling me we need to spend a week next time.  I don't know that Jay and Sara are ready for us to move in for a week but we do need to visit again and more often.  The drive time really isn't too bad.  I think the mileage is just over 200 between our driveway and theirs.  With speed limits of 80 mph it is a 2.5 hour trip.  That really isn't that bad. 

Speaking of drive time.  We had a great drive home.  Enjoyed some Neil Diamond hits and I shared a few random quotes from the movie Airplane with the kids.  "The fog is getting thicker!" "And Leon's getting larger!"  Good times.  We got home in time to change and run over to the singles ward for sacrament meeting and their Christmas program.  It was quite good and I was glad we were their for that. 

Had dinner with the folks tonight.  That is something we usually do prior to the kids leaving for Alaska.  A nice Sunday dinner and visit with the folks.  They gave the kids their Christmas gifts tonight and they were all quite excited about what they received.  We had a good visit.  Now it is pack and clean time as we hit the road Tuesday morning for Vegas.  The kids fly out just before noon.  A little more drive time coming our way. 

Fish, Trains and the Lights at Temple Square

I've wanted to bring the kids up to see the lights at Temple Square for some time.  This weekend we made that happen.  After a fun filled day with cousins we headed up to Salt Lake.  The drive went well and we parked under City Creek Center, I think that is what it's called.  We walked towards Temple Square and were there prior to the lights coming on so we stopped in at Deseret Book and the boys played with an Apple cider making station.  It was entertaining for sure.  We spent just enough time in there that we came out and the lights were on.  We walked in and enjoyed the lights. The kids were impressed by the details and how every branch was lit.  We went in and checked out the tabernacle.  It is quite an impressive building.  We then went out and saw the nativity, always good and a childhood memory for me.  We then walked around to the front and checked out the mirror pool or reflective pool.  The kids liked that as well.  It is all impressive and quite beautiful.  We stopped in at the Joseph Smith memorial building, listened to a live choir, saw the huge tree and then the highlight, we went out the revolving door.  Jack spotted it and was eager to try it out.  He and Andy both made one and a half rotations in it. Who knew that would be the highlight? Or was it?  
We went back down to City Creek in search of ornaments, no luck but Andy spotted fish in the creek and was quite excited.  We had to examine the water feature more carefully the rest of the time we were there in search of more fish.  Yet another highlight. 
There were a lot of people in the mall and around Temple Square.  It was busy,lots of trains running and posts of people on them.  Jack really wanted to ride the rails.  We did.  Traxx is free downtown so we went for a couple of stops, got off and rode back on another train.  Jack was in heaven and the rest of us enjoyed being there wit him.  Yet another highlight of the trip. 
Hopefully this is a positive  experience that they will remember fondly.  I have always enjoyed the lights on Temple Square and am grateful to have shared that with my own kids.  Certainly it was an enhanced version with Apple cider brewing, revolving doors, fish and trains but what does that matter? We had a good time.

Road Trip

We are up in Springville tonight at Jay and Sara's house for the next day and a half.  It is great to be here and to have the opportunity to visit and to watch the cousins play together. 

While driving up, somewhere between Scipio and Nephi Sweet Caroline by the great Neil Diamond came on.  We all sang along and had some great laughs.  It was fun.  I told the kids it reminded me of driving down the road with my dad listening to Willie Nelson sing. On the road again.  I told them that whenever they heard
Sweet Caroline they could remember that time we were driving on the highway in the middle of nowhere and were belting it out.  Fun stuff.  Hopefully.

Walking Dead

This is not a review of the popular TV show which I happen to be a fan of.  No this is merely how I feel right at the moment.  It has been a long month.  Well, it has been a fast month in that I cannot believe it is already the 18th.  The long month comes from the volume of catering jobs we have been involved with this month.  I can now say we have done the last catering job.  I feel like my December experience and that of my children has been stripped away by this catering stuff this year.  It has just been exhausting and I am feeling it.  Hence the walking dead reference.  I feel that.  A long nap would be nice, some time off wonderful, just a good nights sleep would be fantastic.  I need one of those.  I am just happy that I don't need to go in and rearrange the banquet room in the morning.  Just need to rest well so I can wake up. 

Hawaiian Food

Yesterday I posted that we had one more to go.  That was in reference to our holiday party catering.  I was incorrect.  We have one more tomorrow evening.  It is a small group and their order is already in so it will be easy but it is still one more.  Then I found we had another group reservation for Friday.  I only thought we were done.  So anyway, the one that I thought was the end of it today, it was a good one.  The group was from Valley View Medical Center and they had decided on doing Hawaiian Food.  We are big fans of Hawaiian food.  No doubt because of having lived there for four years while growing up.  Anyway, the menu was good.  We served sticky rice, mac salad, kalua pig, bulgogi beef and shoyu chicken all on a bed of shredded cabbage.  For dessert we served a pineapple cream pie.  It was well received.  We had some leftovers and I was able to give each employee working today their own box lunch.  It was a great meal and it was fun to share some with the employees.  Everything was dialed in food wise, well, about as dialed in as a couple of haole boys can get.  That Hawaiian food never gets old.  Love it!

One to Go!

Tonight we knocked out two big groups.  One was upstairs and the other downstairs.  Downstairs was off the menu and upstairs was a three course meal.  It was good.  All went well and everyone seemed happy.  That is good and that makes me happy as well.  What makes me even happier at the moment is that we have one to go.  One more catering job to do and then we should be done so long as nobody with a last minute need arises.  I am ready for the last one finishing and we get our lives back.  That may have been a bit dramatic though life has been very busy.  We are grateful for that as well.  My goodness, I must go to bed. 

What's Predictable?

There are a lot of things in life that can be pretty easily predicted.  There is a pattern and it can be followed.  Well, the restaurant industry does not make prediction very easy.  I looked at today being Monday and figured on us having a fairly slow day.  I staffed accordingly.  Monday's just haven't been that big, especially of late.  There was no reason to believe we would stay constant throughout the day.  Well, it happened.  It was great.  I ended up having to work later because I tried to anticipate the load based on the last several weeks and figured to have nailed it.  Not so.  We made it though.  Pushed through it just fine.  It is just hard sometimes to know exactly what is predictable. 

Love the Lord

As I reflect on my life it is easily recognizable to me that there are many things that I could have done better and many things that I can improve upon.  Part of the lesson that I referenced yesterday discusses our learning line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little.  I think we can all look back and see that there are things that maybe could have been handled better.  I am grateful for a loving Savior who knows that, who suffered for my failings and short comings and who invites me to lay that upon his shoulders.  I am grateful that I have an opportunity to repent.  I am grateful for that gift from the Savior. 

At this season of the year we focus on Christmas and some of the fun things that go a long with that.  Giving and receiving gifts is certainly a big part of it.  I was out on some home teaching visits this afternoon and shared a message about the gifts that we are given from the Savior.  Truly they are many.  We discussed a few from the scriptures that included the heavens, peace, love, the resurrection and the gift of eternal life.  With the Arnold family we talked about tender mercies, the little things that let us know that He is there and that He is aware of us.  I am grateful for those moments and for these wonderful gifts of the Savior.  These gifts are ours always and not just a Christmas time.  I love the Lord.  I testify that He loves each of us and that He stands with open arms and beckons us to come unto Him.  Peace and love are ours as we heed His call.  

The Shepherds

I have been preparing a lesson for Elders Quorum over the last couple of weeks.  The lesson is from President Joseph Fielding Smith and is about the birth and life of the Savior.  President Smith discusses the story of the Saviors birth and spends a little time discussing the shepherds.  He speaks of their humility and their willingness to follow the angel of the Lord immediately, without hesitation.  I have reflected much on this and have grown a greater appreciation for the shepherds.  I always thought they were cool but never really spent a lot of time reflecting on the significance of their lives and inclusion in the story of the birth of the Savior.  I have always looked at the birth and the Savior and not thought about the others in the story.  Maybe on the wise men in later years and how they followed the spirit and did not return to Herod but honestly, not a lot of thought on what the shepherds did.  I am grateful to have had time to reflect on them this year.  I have been taught and I appreciate their example, their faith their action.  I hope that I can be such a man, that when the Spirit speaks I will listen and not only will I listen but I will act, immediately.  President Smith talked about the beautiful simplicity of the story of the Savior birth and how it never grows old.  Indeed it does not.  I am grateful for his life and hope to keep my eyes fixed on him and to be quick to follow in his footsteps. 

If It Could Go Wrong...

Had a fabulous day today.  I was running around for a few things this morning and whilst on my way to the bank I got a call that the computers were not working.  I tried to guide them through a couple of things I thought it might be but those simple fixes didn't need fixing.  It had to wait a bit until I got there. I then had our credit card machines stop working.  Both of them out of the blue.  I ended up having to call in because none of the simple fixes were working.  Turns out that several customers of the product were suffering the same thing we were.  The terminals are dead and we need knew ones.  The new ones wont even ship out for 3 to 5 days.  Frustration!  We managed to get our square register up and going so we will survive off of that for the time being.  While I was out getting the Ipad for the register the power went out.  Things were getting a skosh hectic but we managed to pull through.  It just seemed that if something could go wrong, it did. 

2 Hours!

To carry on with last nights post, it is 8:27 PM and I am sitting down to type the blog roughly 2 hours ahead of my scheduled blogging time.  The lack of sleep seems to have caught up to me and I am ready to hit the sack.  Hopefully the boys are at the same point because this is getting pretty crazy and I just need to get them to sleep and then retire myself.  Really very sleepy at the moment.  That is all.

Not Sleeping

The last three nights have not been really good for sleep.  Sunday night Andy was up puking.  Monday night Jack was up puking.  Last night Jack was up and down all night and had a rough time sleeping.  It is right now 12:20 in the AM and Andy is up.  He is too afraid to sleep in his bed.  He is not staying in the bed I made him on my floor. And so again he ends up in my bed and I have kind of grown tired of that and find it very hard to sleep soundly when he is there.  Well, not much to say other than I am very tired and I need some sleep time.

Brain Fried

This is one of those months at the Brick House that is managing to fry my brain.  We've just got a lot going on with holiday parties and more to come in the next week and a half.  I imagine it will slow down the week of Christmas.  That will be nice.  I am arranging and rearranging the rooms upstairs daily.  We've got some big stuff hitting us tomorrow again and Thursday we'll have more.  As good as that is it is also a bit tiring.  Last night I mentioned my heel is aching.  All the being up and on it doesn't help but what can one do?  I can't simply take off because my foot is in pain.  I remember a friend talking about working up in Alaska in the fishing industry.  She sorted fish and what not and said that when the fish came in they had to work.  Sometimes that meant very little sleep.  When the work is there we have to get it done.  Anyway, there are times when the brain is tired and it's feeling a little fried.  I have moments when that seems to be the case. I miss certain things and cause a bit of confusion for myself and for others.  Gotta stay focused.  

What the Heel?!

What the hell is with my heel?  I am experiencing a lot of pain in my left heel.  Not exactly sure what I have done to it but it hurts.  I sleep with a brace on it and that tends to help and the day starts off fairly well but after a while it starts to throb.  I was foot racing Jack a couple of weeks ago and was wearing my work shoes.  All I can figure is that I injured the foot through impact while running.  I do my best not to let it slow me down and it really hasn't.  It is just a matter of enduring the pain and carrying on.  I've got to figure it out though as a good long hike might be out of the question and short hikes will require some recovery time.  Hoping whatever is the matter will heal itself, soon. 

Pressure

I am suddenly feeling a bit of pressure regarding this schooling thing.  People are all up in my business asking me about what classes I am taking, am I still going to work, I should live off loans... maybe I should just not talk about it period and quietly go about returning to school.  It's all good, I don't mind and I get some ideas from these people but it just adds a little pressure.  I'm just trying to get back in.  That is all I can say at this point.  Gotta get back in, gotta figure out what I need to take, gotta roll through a lot of general stuff again I am sure.  As for the number of classes or credits I am going to take, I really don't know.  18 credits sounds like a ton.  I've never done more than 12 and though I was working when I did those 12 I was not a single parent with three kids.  My head may just explode.  I want to get through as quickly as I can but I don't know that I can tackle 18 credits.  15 might really be pushing me.  Yep, pushing me, killing me, whatever.  We gotta do it and when we do it the pressure will come off a bit and that will be nice. 

10 Minutes

Somehow I managed to get all the kids off of electronics this morning and focused on cleaning the house.  Perhaps it was the fact that I said we will clean the house in 10 minutes that got them moving without complaint.  I put Andy on the floors, Jack on the garbage, Natty took the bathroom and I tackled the kitchen.  It went pretty well though we didn't quite get it done in 10 minutes.  Natty and I went another 10 and the boys got back on electronics but they had done well in their responsibilities.  I was happy with the entire situation.  I may have to use this 10 minutes thing again.  I know I could always handle moms 5 minute pick ups.  The time is short so it isn't a factor.  Fortunately the boys did not argue and everything turned out pretty well.  I don't know, 10 minutes seemed to work out for me today, I'm sure I'll use it again in the future. 

The Stats!

I don't really look at stats on this here blog.  When I log in I see a graph showing blog views and that is about it.  Today there was a bit of a spike so I decided to check out the stats.  It is interesting that I have some viewers in Russia, France, Barstow California.  Just kidding about the Barstow, not really sure if there are any Barstow viewers.  If so, thank you.  You are very kind.  At least I hope you are kind.  I don't really spend a lot of time in Barstow.  I think I saw a gay cowboy there once, some twenty four years ago.  We were moving back to the mainland after living in Hawaii and somehow ended up on a road trip that took us through Barstow.  I'm pretty sure the cowboy was driving in a Firebird complete with t-tops.  I think it was the boots and the hat that causes me to remember him as a cowboy.  It was the purple tights and lovely blouse and perhaps a little makeup that leads to the gay part.  I don't know for sure.  A lot of assumptions here and clearly this is a tangent that was not intended when I started this post.  It is a Barstow reference from my teenage years.  Enough, we move on, or back.  It is interesting to see the viewership of the blog and to see that people in other parts of the world are seeing this.  Really people, it is just the way I keep my journal.  It isn't much, I know that, just a habit I developed 20 years ago.  I should probably focus on writing things of more value instead of old stories about gay cowboys in Barstow.  Anyway.  Over 30,000 views of my blog in the last 4 years.  Not much for some.  I've never put out some viral piece, not really what I am going for here.  But interesting to think that stuff I write about has been seen 30,000 plus times.  More value, not a bad thing to think about and to focus on. 

Greatest value I could share.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is real.  Through the atonement of Jesus Christ we, all mankind, may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of His gospel.  The fullness of His gospel is found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  There are living Prophets and Apostles on the earth today.  I am grateful for these humble men who are special witnesses of Jesus Christ.  Joy comes to my life and to the lives of my sweet children through the gospel, as we strive to live it and as we follow the Lord and His prophet on the earth today.  Learn more about the gospel of Jesus Christ and of living prophets at lds.org.  Incidentally, there are missionaries throughout the world who can help you grow closer to the Savior, they are in Russia, France and even Barstow California.  These are wonderful young men and young women who love the Lord. 

What matters most.  I am a single father of three beautiful children.  These are the things that matter most in my life.  They are all good children, I have been blessed.  They are strong, they love the Lord and they try hard to do what is right.  I love my children dearly and feel a great responsibility to teach them well and to lead them to the Savior.  That can be a hard thing to do but through the Gospel of Jesus Christ I find great strength and a tremendous resource. 

There you are my friends around the globe.  The most important things in my life are the Gospel of Jesus Christ and my family.  I know it's true and that brings peace in troubled times. 

The Poop... Pool

The boys and I headed over to the aquatic center tonight in hopes of getting in a little pool time.  I dropped Natty off at Cedar Middle School so she could watch a friend of hers play in a band concert.  We went in and approached the desk only to see a sign that said the leisure pule was closed for the day and should re-open tomorrow.  For the love of all that is good and holy people, do not come to the pool if you are sick!  Two out of the last three times we have been to the pool this has been the case.  It sucks, especially when you have boys that tend to freak out when you tell them sorry, we can't go swimming.  Granted I didn't ask for the specifics tonight on what happened in the pool but there are only a couple of reasons they shut it down, poop or puke.  Urine, who cares about urine?  Seriously though, if you are sick, have been thinking about being sick, get queasy when you think about swimming in other peoples urine, don't go to the pool.  If you have an infant or a young one who cannot control their bladder, get a swim diaper on that kid.  Nobody wants to go hang out in the poop.  No, we go to the pool, we don't think about the urine, we trust the chlorine and other chemicals to take care of that, and we relax and enjoy ourselves.  Poop just causes problems as does puke for that matter.  Well, puke in the pool anyways.  No need to get back into the subject of puke though I do feel fantastic today.  Alas, we will try again tomorrow evening, maybe.  We will hope for better results.    

Um, Maybe Not

So last night I posted about puking and just getting it out of the system.  I know, not the funnest thing to read about.  I did puke, several times.  I kept feeling like there was more but nothing would come.  It was very frustrating as I was just trying to sleep but could not.  I guess I should also note that an hour after getting in bed Andy came into my room, went into the bathroom and puked his brains out.  Fantastic!  So happy he didn't launch on the top bunk.  I've had to clean that up once before and never want to experience that again.  Well, after a number of uncomfortable hours I approached the throne once again and released the kraken.  It was a brutal moment and perhaps causes me to want to pull back statements made last night.  Um, maybe not.  It was truly worth it because even though I had to take a shower after it, I was able to sleep through the rest of the night, comfortably.  I also managed to carry on with my day.  I didn't feel 100% by any means but I felt good enough to work and carry on my responsibilities.  Being sick is definitely not one of my favorite things.

In other news, I made Zucchini Casserole tonight.  First time ever.  Shocking really since it is one of my favorite dishes.  Can't believe I haven't made it previously.  I know, great chaser story to my discussion on puking.  No talk of puke can tarnish the deliciousness that is Zucchini Casserole.  I recommend this tasty dish anytime but especially for those times when you spent the night previous puking and have yet to eat anything for fear of the unknown.  I found it quite enjoyable and certainly have not had any indication of the pukes returning.  And now that I have wet your appetite with this fine commentary, feel free to comment if you would like the recipe.   

For the Love of Puke

I do not believe I am alone in this, perhaps, but I don't think so.  When I am sick and I feel like I am going to puke I just want to get it over with.  Let's get it up and done and get to feeling better.  That is what I prefer.  Doing everything I can not to puke, not interested.  That fight is not comfortable for me.  I know that puking is not the funnest thing to do.  I'm certainly not suggesting that I look forward to being sick so I can puke my brains out.  Not at all.  I do like to get it out though and whilst I type these words I am preparing for such and event.  Came home this evening and have been feeling like complete garbage.  I have had some quality bathroom time, some quality puking time and I am ready to go get it done again.  Not pleasant, not my favorite thing but I want to feel better.  This is my tribute for the love of puke.  Let it go, get it done.  I'm off...

Just Keep Trying

I can't help but think about Dori from Finding Nemo.  She was the fish with the short memory who kept reminding herself at one point to just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.  Life can be challenging and doing what is right can be difficult to do sometimes.  Certainly there are times when mistakes are made and maybe we beat ourselves up over them.  Sometimes frustration peaks and we might feel like quitting but we cannot.  We just keep trying.  If at first you don't succeed can stretch into if after hundreds of tries you don't succeed, try, try again.  We press forward and continue on, we do our duty, we lead our families even when we are hated for it.  I have a little boy who throws a tantrum quite often when I call the family together for scripture and prayer time.  It gets a little old.  If I quit calling the family together for scripture and prayer I would no longer have to endure that behavior but at what cost?  I will just keep trying and maybe trying is the wrong word here, maybe it should be just keep doing.  Keep doing the hard things, don't give up, don't quit.  I am not the expert, far from it, but I do believe in consistency even in the face of opposition.  So I'll get yelled at for calling the family together for scripture and prayer.  I will trust that the Lord knows better than I and I will do my best to follow His will.  I will continue to press forward as best I can and I will just keep trying to follow Him.  And as a side note, I'll just have to keep repenting for my many failed attempts. 

Miracles

Tonight we watched 17 Miracles.  It is a movie we all enjoy and certainly appropriate for the Sabbath day.  Jack was pretty emotional afterwards, for quite some time actually.  He really enjoyed it and felt the spirit.  He is pretty sensitive to things of the spirit.  Natty and Andy enjoyed the movie as well but they were not quite as emotional about it as Jack.  Certainly the movie helps us to gain a greater understanding of and appreciation for the pioneers and what they suffered whilst crossing the plains.  It was good to watch together with the kids. 

I can't help but look back on my own life and recognize moments when miracles have taken place.  Some are quite simple while others can be a little bigger.  Sister Bobbi Lake showing up at my door and helping my family, doing a 180 on the I75 at 75 mph and coming out unscathed, a simple warning to slow down and having a car run a stop sign right in front of me, Natalie, Jackson, Andy.  I could go on and I could expand on each of these a little more but I will wait on that.  Suffice to say there are countless miracles in our lives, countless ways that the Lord tells us or shows us that he loves us. 

Well, I am ready to pass out.  It has been a fairly full day.  I have certainly enjoyed it and the people I got to spend it with. 

Vacation's Over!

Vacation is Over!  Today it became quite official that the old vacation was over.  Two days off was not bad and I enjoyed it though both days had me in the same work environment that I am in everyday, less the stress of customers.  Anyhow, I did go in this morning for a bit to help out while Dave went to a baptism of one of his nieces.  I don't think he ended up going in but did take a salad for the after party.  Anyways, it was a fine morning with some breakfasts to do and then some lunches.  There was bacon to make and a few other things but Dave got back and I had to hit the road and get home for the service project with the scouts.  We went and rang the bell for the salvation army in front of the local wal-mart.  Following that I got home for just a moment, changed clothes and went to help out the Scholes family move.  That was a project.  It was very well organized, every box was labelled and had a place to go.  The only challenge was the amount of stuff they had to move.  It was a lot of stuff but we got it done. Ended up being there just shy of 4 hours but it was good to give them a hand.  They are a good family and I am excited for them and quite happy that they are still in the ward.  That was a chore but it was a good chore.  I was fixin to walk home from that when I saw KB in his front yard.  I went over to say hello and to comment on his new truck.  He has only had it a couple days.  It is a very fancy Ford F-350 that is loaded to the max.  KB took me for a ride and we chatted about the goings on.  Good man that KB.  I came home and had to fulfill a promise to the boys of putting their bunk beds back up.  It must be okay because the boys are asleep.
We'll see if Andy actually does stay in his bed now that he is on the top bunk.  I certainly won't mind.  Busy day.  Vacation is definitely over.  Feels good to work and to serve.  

The Day After

I woke up at 4 with some of the meanest heartburn I have had for a long, long time.  I don't get heartburn much at all anymore but I should have counted on it since I enjoyed a piece of pumpkin pie.  That is a trigger for the burning of the heart since as long as I can remember.  It isn't much fun especially since pumpkin pie is one of my favorites.  Anyhow, I found that I was quite thankful this morning after Thanksgiving for Jack choosing to build a volcano for school that did not use mentos and diet coke.  Because we had to be different I had some alka-seltzer in the house.  There is not doubt that original alka-seltzer is perhaps the nastiest stuff I have ever taken but dang, I will take it again if it means relief of the burn. 

The day after Thanksgiving is traditionally a day of eating left overs for us.  Today we did just that as we gathered together again at the Brick House, set out all the left overs and had another Thanksgiving meal.  Before eating we took a picture outside at the folks van.  It was a picture to say thank you to our family friend who helped the folks get the van to get pops mobile again.  We certainly are thankful for the kindness shown and what it has meant and will continue to mean for mom and dad. 

The meal, well, I saw some pumpkin pie sitting there and although I really wasn't hungry I had to have a slice of the pie.  So good.  I've felt the acid battle all day but it was delicious.  I did end up having a small plate of food just to enjoy some of those dishes we only really eat at Thanksgiving and to have a turkey sandwich.  Tomorrow I'm back off the bread so I had to take advantage of today.  That is one of my favorite day after Thanksgiving traditions.  The classic turkey sandwich on white with mayo, salt and pepper and some cranberry sauce.  So good. 

We also played a round of bunco.  I think this was my third time playing bunco.  That was all I could remember but I just remembered another occasion whilst typing this.  So my fourth time playing bunco.  I won.  Hard to believe it.  I think it was one particular round where I managed 110 points.  That was pretty fantastic.  Anyhow, I reached a total of 509 points.  Mom was the next closest with 504.  Really I was quite shocked as last year I think I was dead last.  Worst to first, I'll chalk that up as a lucky win.  What else is it in bunco?  It's not like you can train for that... or can you? 

The day after Thanksgiving.  I am quite happy we took the day off of work and closed up the shop.  It was nice not to have to worry about any of that.  We've got a busy two weeks coming up and just being able to relax a bit for the last two days was good.  Thankful to have family in town and to enjoy time together. 

Thanks Given Today

Happy Thanksgiving 2014!  What a wonderful day.  Started out with a little flag football per the usual routine.  Have to have a little Turkey Bowl.  It was not well attended yet again but we had a good time with those who came.  Also, no injuries to report so it was an extra special outing.

We gathered at the Brick House at 2 and enjoyed some snacks and we did some cooking and some other fun stuff.  I worked on the Creole Cabbage and mashed potatoes.  Patrick from across the street came with us.  He had no one to spend the holiday with so I invited him along.  He did pretty well.  Kept conversations alive.  It was an enjoyable evening for him and something different then what his family does.  Glad we could have him along and that he was not forgotten or alone this year.

The food was delicious.  The challenge is that there is so much and it is hard to not exit the meal feeling like garbage.  We do our best but it can be tough .  Anyhow, was very grateful for the day and for being able to spend it with family.

Most of all today I am grateful for our loving Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ.  I am grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ.  I am grateful that through Christ we can return to live with our Heavenly Father again.  What a wonderful blessing that is.   

Just Sat Down

It has been a full day filled with non stop fun.  Got up this morning and started on the cleaning of the house.  We had some quality cleaning time ahead of us, some linens to wash, some beds to remake, some floors to vacuum, all the fun stuff.  I had to go to work and left with a bit to do still.  Natty did a good job with a few assignments and the house was in good order when I got home with just a few things left to take care of.  Well done. 

I was on my feet all morning and then went into work and had a busy day there so managed to be on my feet the entire time.  As previously mentioned when I got back home this evening I continued with cleaning the house and then headed up to the folks to get some mattresses for the boys.  They gave up their room for the girls.  Nice of them.  The folks were not home so we hit the walmart and it was not near as busy as I thought it would be but there were some crazy folks walking around.  We lived.  Swung by the folks after only to find out they had taken the mattresses over to our house already.  We headed home and I unloaded groceries. 

My legs are hurting.  Actually, now that I have sat down they feel pretty dang good.  Better go get some real rest now so I can get up for the Turkey Bowl in the morning.  Lets these tired legs be fresh and rested, ready to go.  

Admitted!

Checking the email before I went to bed last night I found a message from the administrators office at SUU.  It was a little note to let me know that I have been admitted into Southern Utah University and that a welcome packet will be arriving in the next few days.  This is pretty exciting stuff.  I mean, the idea of the work load seems a bit overwhelming as a single father of three who is trying to run a business but it will be good.  I am looking forward to this new adventure and to finishing school.  It has been a long time goal that has been a long time on hold.  It is time.  It was just under 15 years ago that I finished up a semester at UNLV and took the next one off for the birth of Natalie.  That has ended up being a very long semester.  A lot of wonderful things have happened over those 15 years and certainly some challenges have come my way as well.  I am grateful for the experiences and I look forward to the new experiences that will come over the next few years.  Crazy stuff.  Exciting stuff.  My major, Elementary Education with a focus in Special Education.  Lots to do in the next little while to get things going.

Uncle, um, again!

Pretty sure I just posted something not too long ago entitled Uncle Again.  Maybe I didn't but I'm fairly certain I titled it that.  Well, today I got the news via Dave who got it via the Facebook which confirmed his statement to me as soon as he said it that Laura had her baby today.  Violet Mae Bloomfield.  I would love to tell you the time of delivery and how long she was but I cannot, I am not a woman and these details just don't stick in my brain.  I am happy to say however that the baby weight is stuck in my mind.  This is a first.  i don't even remember the weight of my own children.  I know, I am a terrible father.  Anyhow, 7 pounds 11 ounces.  Now, the reason I know this is quite simple.  It is my favorite score in Ping Pong.  That comes from a fierce competitor on the Ping Pong table, Bruce Hansen of the Las Vegas LDS Institute of Religion who would always make the call "7-11, watch the corners" and then he would deliver an amazing serve that would graze the corner of the table.  I use that same saying myself and do my best to deliver a killer serve to the corner. Beautiful stuff.  I can only assume that Violet Mae is equally as beautiful.  I'm sure she is much more beautiful and apparently perfect, like her mother - at least that is what the post said.  Anyway, very excited for Laura and Nigel and this new addition to their family.  Always proud to perform my duties as an uncle and will serve to the best of my ability in this capacity.  Wonderful day!   

Manners

This afternoon I did a bit of work with the boys in their Faith In God books.  We discussed manners and being courteous.  In part of that discussion we talked about being offered a meal as a guest somewhere.  I shared some thoughts on being offered something that you may not like and how it is good manners and polite to eat it.  Shared a mission story because most of us have some sort of growing up to do on our missions especially when it comes to food that we may not be fond of.  The very first meal I was given on the mission came from an elderly couple, the Dickinsons I believe, in the Bellville Ward.  They were very nice and were happy to feed us.  It all looked so good and then I bit into it.  The delicious, thick cut white bread was completely ruined by fish paste and a ton of butter.  It is hard for me to say which was worse, the fish paste or the butter?  I would automatically call it the pasted fish but that butter was so thick, I couldn't handle it... I did handle it but it wasn't easy.  The point was, I ate it, with a smile on my face and was very grateful for the kindness shown.  Anyway, we had a fine discussion and the boys seemed to be on board with the idea. 

Test time.  I made a delicious breakfast casserole for dinner.  I know what your probably thinking.  There is no such thing as a delicious casserole.  Well, it's true, it is delicious and it is a casserole and it was a favorite treat when visiting Grandma Vi.  It is the very casserole we designed and named the Violet Pearl Omelet at the Brick House after.  Layers of green chiles and cheese with an egg mixture poured on top.  Oh my goodness it is delicious.  I served some up to the boys despite their protests.  These were short lived protests as I reminded them of our earlier discussion.  They both took bites, I think Jack managed a couple.  Their faces turned sour almost immediately.  Somehow they managed to straighten their faces and swallow their food.  Andy said something like mmm, no thank you.  It was very polite, I didn't put up any sort of fight.  Jack also utilized the no thank you escape clause with a special request along the line of 'now can I have something good'.  Perhaps the chiles were too much.  Well, success was had in the sense that they both tried it without much argument and both politely said no thank you. 

Manners.  I think it was a good start.  I mean, it could have been scripted much better than it actually turned out but all things as they were, these guys stepped up, took a healthy bite and kindly said no thank you.  That is better than some of the things they've shared in the past.  I'll take it.  Next on the menu for these boys, Fish Paste Sandwiches!

My Tri

I woke up today and decided that I was going to complete a sprint triathlon.  My tri would be a bit unorthodox but I would complete the three different challenges of the triathlon.  It was unorthodox in the sense that I would not be completing the challenges one immediately after the other.  I could not pull that off with the pool as the boys and I went and when I finished my swim I went and hung out with them.  Went down the water slide with Andy and then kicked back and watched the boys play around in the pool.  It was a good visit.  I did find out that the length of my swim was actually more than double the distance of the actual swim.  No wonder I thought there was something seriously wrong with me.  I was comparing my time to others not realizing I was going twice the distance.  I thought I must be extremely slow.  Turns out I am still slow but not nearly as bad as what I thought I was. 

The bike went well.  I rode the exercise bike in a stationary ride.  I think it took a little longer then being out on an actual bike.  It was good though.  Had the heart pumping there.  It was a good ride courtesy of the crew of the Star Ship Enterprise. 

Finished it off with a 5k on the eliptical.  It was a good run.  The total actual time was a bit lengthy but the time of actually performing the challenges was better than what I thought I would do.  It was good.  I feel good about it.

Anyway, My Tri; It allowed me flexibility to be a dad and to take care of the kids and other responsibilities between challenges. It was cool to do something like that.  I never thought it would be something I would actually participate in but after Dave and I started talking about doing them I decided I would TRI.  Sure I didn't walk home with a shirt or have any cool pictures to post on Facebook but it was fun to challenge myself some.  Finished in 1 hour 31 minutes.  Next time I'll need to be a bit faster...

Tired Kids Equal Frustration

Growing up I had no idea why my parents couldn't stand to be around me when I was tired.  I was such a pleasant child, always in good spirits, never a complaint, there clearly was no whining coming out of this mouth.  Yeah, sure.  I know that I was a grump, a royal pain in the backside.  There was just no getting around it.  Well, maybe there was, more sleep.  Anyhow, I am getting sufficient payback for whatever level of frustration I caused the folks.  Children can be down right mean and ornery.  All I can say to Natalie, Jack and Andy is enjoy this moment.  Your day will come when kids are tired and have stayed up way to late and therefore treat other people as garbage.  Oh my gosh, so dang tired.   

Lots of Sandwiches

I headed into the Brick House after walking the boys to school and ended up on my feet the entire time with the exception of drive to and from the store, well multiple trips to various stores today.  It was an early start for me.  Dave and I got to knocking out some 48 sandwiches.  That is a lot of sandwiches first thing in the morning.  We also had 6 gallons of soup going.  We were catering an event for our friends at Cherry Creek Radio.  I think it went well, good response and feedback on the food.  While we were there we got to record a little Christmas greeting from the Brick House.  It will begin playing on the radio here at some point.  That is pretty exciting. 

After this event I chased down a few things and then went about making pies for another big event this evening.  This one only had three 4 foot sandwiches.  That's a good size sandwich.  I don't really feel like sandwiches right at the moment.  Pretty much just sleep, lots of sleep.

School Project

The poster board on this school project was a project.  There is a reason I don't like these projects, they become dad projects.  Well, at least in this household they do.  It is nearly 1:30 AM and I am up because this little project needs to be done.  My goodness.  I mean, I would love to stay and chat but my body is shutting down.  Gotta go to bed.  Passing out has commenced. 

I May Be an Addict

I am going for shock value with the title of this post but I do believe that I may in fact be an addict.  It is a tough thing to admit and perhaps that is the first step in over coming any addiction is admitting that I am an addict.  Now, I do not do drugs, I do not drink alcohol (I can't even spell alcohol, it took me three tries and then I just right clicked and let the computer fix it for me), I don't smoke, I don't view pornography, I don't get on pinterest or watch Dr. Who, I don't drink coffee or coke or have a need to get my caffeine fix, I am not addicted to running, not addicted to ESPN or sports in general, not really a fan of fast food either.  Now I'm sure I have failed to mention several addictions and suffice to say I am most likely not addicted to them either.  I do however type this post with my spoon sitting next to my keyboard.  This is not any spoon, well, actually it is just a standard spoon out of the silverware drawer, it isn't special as far as that actual spoon.  As I was saying, this is not just any spoon, it is my Nutella spoon.  Therein is my addiction.  I love the Nutella.  Sometimes I make my own and sometimes it just sucks.  Regardless, I like to have a jar of Nutella on hand and I like to take my not so special special spoon and scoop some of the chocolate hazelnut goodness right out of the Nutella jar and eat it.  I do hate the shape of the Nutella jar but that is another story, my addiction gets me past that damn jar.  When I sit down to write this blog and the hour is late and I am feeling a bit drowsy, I reach for my spoon and it gets me through.  It is so good.  So yes, I am an addict.  The Nutella calls to me and I come.  Really I shouldn't but it is just so hard, so very, very hard.  Is there a 12 step program for Nutella addicts?  Are there others out there?  We must come together and rid ourselves of this addiction... wait, forget that.  We must come together, spoons in hand and awkwardly shaped jars of Nutella at the ready.  Embrace the addiction, spoon it, eat it, double dip it and do it again, love it, Nutella. 

Applying for School

So I've kind of made a decision to go back to school.  I am in the process of applying at SUU and hoping to get accepted.  Most of the application process is complete and we are now just waiting for official transcripts to arrive from Dixie State.  I have no idea if I will even be accepted.  While I think I have the credits needed to get in I am not certain how many will actually count anymore.  I took that semester of school off when Natalie was born... almost 15 years ago.  Dang.  I am going to go into elementary education with a focus in special education.  I don't have the foggiest idea as to what that will look like in terms of years.  My goal is to be done by the time I am 45, teach for 20 years and retire at 65.  I think that could work.  I could be teaching by the time Jack is in High School and Andy is in 7th grade.  Natalie would be going on mission.  This entire process may send me to an early grave, especially the math portion.  Oh well, I'll do my best. 

I always wanted to teach but I got a bit sidetracked when I looked at what teachers made and then began making three to four times that selling air conditioning.  After having lived the 6 figure life for awhile and having lost about everything, I know that I can live off of less then what a teacher makes.  Getting a teaching degree and a teachers salary and the benefits that come with it, I'll be living like a king.  Perspective.  It took me a while to get to this point and I'm still not sure how to pull it off and make it happen as a single dad of three.  How to work and go to school and take care of three kids all at the same time, that just sounds exhausting.  I'm already exhausted, what's a few more things to do everyday? 

Testimony

I received a call this morning from Sister Simmerman asking if I would substitute in Primary for Jack's class.  His teachers got stuck out of town due to the snow storm that came through last night.  I took on the assignment without a problem.  The lesson was based on the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego as found in Daniel 3 in the Old Testament.  This is a great story of bravery and of being valiant in testimony.  The lesson went somewhat okay though the class can be tough.  There are a few challenging boys in the class that make it interesting.  A lot of discussion about having a dude license.  I don't know.  Anyhow, I may have had to exercise a my being valiant in my testimony of the Savior in sticking it out in this class.  They are all good boys in there, just a little challenging at times.  Also hard for me to see two of the boys doing things to egg Jack on and to irritate him.  I could see why sometimes Jack finds the class a bit overwhelming.  Anyhow, I enjoyed the lesson and appreciate the examples set by Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego who were unafraid of what man can do and were faithful to Heavenly Father in a very difficult situation.  I can only hope that I can be as valiant in my testimony. 

Plans Changed

I thought today would be an easy trip in to handle the catering for a wedding and wedding luncheon that was happening upstairs.  That turned in to something different.  Oh, I did the wedding upstairs.  It was crazy trying to pull that together but I got help from mom and also from Ashley.  Roped in a few others as well in an effort to get the food up on time.  It all worked out and I believe they enjoyed it quite a bit.  After getting all the food up and things going well upstairs I came downstairs and found that things were suddenly in a mess.  We were missing sandwich orders that had been up for awhile and we were missing one of our cooks.  He had left and so I had to jump on the line.  It is fun and it is stressful and sometimes when I have other plans and have to set them aside because the restaurant I get a little frustrated.  So I ended up working for 7 hours today.  Wonderful.  I ended up leaving two kids at home alone all day and the third stuck in the office watching videos.  That isn't a very adventurous Saturday.  And so tomorrow the restaurant is closed.  I love that.  I love that we get that one day of rest in a week.  I am grateful for the Sabbath and look forward to that tomorrow.  I might even squeeze in a nap, maybe.  It's hard to say, plans change.     

Aching Legs

I am sitting here at the computer and my legs are just aching.  It has been a long day and I have been on my feet for most of it.  Well, I was sitting down for my unexpected trip to St. George and I sat down on the return trip as well.  I sat down for scripture time and also sat down whilst reading Book of Virtues to the boys.  I guess I have been off my feet quite a bit but my legs are still aching.  Ready to call it a day. 

We did have a busier day for this time of year.  The busiest day of the month thus far.  That is good.  We need it.  Hopefully we will see things begin to pick up.  Naturally it gets crazy on a day that Dave is out.  Always freaking happens.  I have to go in tomorrow for a wedding and wedding luncheon.  Sweet.  I was really hoping to have a day to spend with the kids but it doesn't look like that is going to happen.  Maybe on Thanksgiving I guess.  Hopefully by then the aching pains in my legs will be gone. 

A Little Prayer

Today was another day of dog duty.  This dog has not been a fan of mine and so going over isn't exactly the most exciting thing.  I don't feel like taking the risk.  Today I was determined to go in and get the job done.  I also decided that a little prayer for help would be appropriate.  I offered that little prayer that Sonny would be calm and that I would be able to get everything done.  I dropped the boys off at school and walked over.  I called out to Sonny and said I'm coming back.  Sonny had a completely different demeanor.  She was excited to see me.  Jumped up a few times and was very friendly.  It was a completely different dog.  The hair on her back was not standing straight up.  She was not barking angrily or trying to attack me through the fence.  I got her fed and put fresh water in her bowls.  I got the chickens fed and I adjusted the cats feeder.  All the while Sonny was an angel of a dog.  It was a great visit.  I was very happy about it and was quite grateful for a big answer to a little prayer. 

Direction

I believe all that God has revealed, all that he does now reveal and I believe that he will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to His kingdom.  I believe that we have a living Prophet in our day and that Prophet is Thomas S. Monson.  I am grateful for his life of service, his love of the Lord, his dedication to duty and the strength of his character.  This morning I was listening to his talk from the Priesthood session of conference.  He shared some thoughts about the might Bizmark.  This was an unsinkable war ship that ruled the waters.  Germany constructed the vessel many years ago and it was laying waste to warships that crossed it's path until one day a lucky torpedo strike took out the ships rudder and it lost it's ability to steer.  That lead to it's eventual destruction as it was abandoned and scuttled by it's crew.  I appreciate this story and the thoughts shared by President Monson.  I reflected on my own life and how important it is to have the ability to steer.  I rely on the promptings of the Holy Ghost to help me navigate my way through life especially as a father.  I have to be diligent and protect against things that would take away my ability to choose or steer my family.  That direction, that freedom to choose is a wonderful gift from our Heavenly Father. 

Runnin on Empty

I've been sitting here a few minutes trying to think about what to write.  I got nothin.  I'm just feeling a bit tired tonight.  Running on empty.

Speaking of empty, I did not refill the dogs food bowl today.  No, the dog was mad a hell that I had returned.  Tried to attack me through the fence and had his hair up on his back.  Call me a wuss, I don't care.  I'm not going into the backyard with that.  I did bring it a bone from a pork roast we cooked over night.  He took that but only after I dropped it over the fence.  What a pistol.  I think I might just lower some water over the fence or the back wall tomorrow to ensure he has plenty to drink.  I don't know about the cat or the chickens.  The chickens are living in a bush right now eating bugs so they should be fine.  The cat - i've never seen it.

I would love to say life is a piece of cake and that all is easy.  Oh my goodness.  Some days are harder than others.  Some situations are just tough and knowing how to deal with them can be even tougher - parenting wise.   All I can do is try my best and continue to press forward. 

Feeding Animals

Let me begin by saying this post has nothing to do with the Brick House Cafe, any of our customers or feeding my children.  I would not refer to them as animals.  My friend Kaden asked me to feed his dog, cat and chickens for the week while he and his family are down in California.  No problem.  I went over yesterday and did a walk through.  I met the dog who was energetic and friendly.  I was told the chickens were hanging out in a bush eating bugs.  I didn't see a single one.  And the cat - no sign of it.  I saw where the food was kept.  It all looked relatively easy. 

This morning before work I went over to feed the animals.  All was well until I stepped into the backyard and the dog decided he didn't like me without Kaden at home.  Here is the reality of life and dogs for me.  I had a big black lab chase me out of someones front entry and out into the street one day when I was a wee lad.  It scared the freakin crap out of me.  Luckily there were neighbors about who knew the dog and called him off.  The damage was done however and I have a hard time with dogs who bark at me in an aggressive manner.  I don't like that. 

The dog got really mad.  I was determined to get the animals fed so I got back to the shed area.  The dog remained mad.  I don't like angry barks.  Anyhow, he got in his house and just hung out there while I tried to do what I needed to do.  I successfully fed the chickens.  I was hesitant to find the food for the cat because it would mean entering further into the shed with my back to the door and the dog.  The cat hangs out in our play house a lot so maybe I will just leave out some food for it at our house.  The dog, well, his house was between me and his food and water bowls. Both had stuff in them and I wasn't about to get further into the dogs territory.  I just left it as was and hit the road. 

Those damn chihuahua's are viscous mongrels.  Only kidding.  This was a full size dog.  My guess is a lab mixed with something pissed off.  Such a pleasure.  Only 4 more days to do this.  I'm thinking of bringing the dog a nice big steak... it works in the movies right?

 

Thoughts on Prayer

I had the opportunity to teach the lesson in Elders Quorum today.  The lesson was Prayer-A Commandment and a Blessing out of the Joseph Fielding Smith manual.  I have reviewed this material for the last few weeks in preparation for the lesson.  In doing so I have pondered much on the subject of prayer.  I often feel like I do not do a very good job praying and really communicating with my Heavenly Father.  Perhaps I am not as sincere in prayer as I should be at times and simply utter a prayer in a sense of duty rather than truly speaking with my Heavenly Father.  It is not always that way.  I can look back on life and recall prayers that had great meaning and significance in my life.  There have been powerful experiences where I fell to my knees in great discouragement and found peace that comes only through communing with Heavenly Father.  Experience has helped me come to know that Heavenly Father is real, that He hears our prayers, He knows who we are individually, and He does not leave us comfortless.  I am grateful for those times when prayer has lifted me and carried me forward when I would have otherwise given up. 

One of the sections of the lesson that stood out to me was section 3.  It is short so I will share it here.

3 All we do should be in harmony with the expressions of our prayers.

We should not pray merely with our lips; but in every act, in our conversation, in all that we undertake to do, we should try to carry out the expressions of our prayers, and be in harmony with the thoughts that we declare to the Lord in our daily supplications.
Are we in possession of the spirit of prayer?  Have we made it a part of our very being?  Are we in touch with our Heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit, or are we not?

I could do better in this regard.  I often pray that I can be an instrument in the hands of the Lord.  Am I living my life in a way that I am carrying out that prayer?  Am I putting myself in a position to be and instrument in His hands?  Am I fulfilling by responsibilities as a priesthood holder in the home, as a home teacher, in my church callings and in my daily walk and conversation?  Honestly, some days are better than others. 

I know that my prayers are not perfect.  My communion with my Heavenly Father can be better.  In the lesson Joseph Fielding Smith points out that Heavenly Father can get along just fine without our prayers.  His work will move forward whether we pray or whether we do not.  He says prayer is something that we need, not that the Lord needs.  Our prayers are uttered more for our sakes, to build us up and give us strength and courage, and to increase our faith in him. 

I remember a time after returning home from the mission field.  I was living in an apartment with Jim down in Las Vegas.  I came home one afternoon feeling alone and a little discouraged.  I was having a hard time adjusting to life.  I remember well falling to my knees and crying out to Heavenly Father.  It certainly isn't a manly thing to disclose here that I wept greatly but I did.  Humbled and submissive I approached the Lord in that apartment.  Sweet was the peace that came and the assurance that all would be well.  Those kind of prayers have happened often in my life as I have found myself feeling alone and afraid.  A reassuring feeling that Heavenly Father was near, that He was aware of me and that things would work out came as I humbled myself in sincere prayer.  Truly our prayers are uttered more for our sakes and Joseph Fielding Smith said.  They do build us up, give us strength and courage and they increase our faith in Heavenly Father. 

And so the desire of my heart is to better commune with my Heavenly Father in prayer.  I want to more fully enjoy my relationship with my Heavenly Father and truly learn how to approach Him in sweet and humble prayer.  I also want to live my life in harmony with the expressions of my prayers and be found by the Lord going about and doing good. 

Marching Natty

Today was a busy day, full of stuff, no time to relax.  Started with helping the boys practice their parts for the primary program tomorrow.  We had some resistance but managed to get through it.  Then I made waffles for breakfast prior to taking the boys to the primary practice for the program tomorrow.  After they were at the practice I got the oil changed in the Escape then went home and picked up Natty and Mike so they could help me out a bit at the Brick House with a big birthday party upstairs.  Somehow we managed.  It was a big group and it was a lot of work.  Here we are at almost midnight and I am still working because of this job.  Washing linens.  The room was pretty beat when I saw it.  Lots of cleaning.  The staff helped quite a bit.  Grateful for that and them.  It was a long party, it included a lot of stuff.

I am fixin to pass out here.  Very tired. 

Marching Natty - today was one of Cedar City's parades.  I can't tell you what parade it was only that it was a parade.  The Cedar High School Redman Marching Band came and participated.  They were great and it was exciting to see Natty out there on her flute, fluting it up.  Fabulous.  She did a great job.  And now I am completely beat and cannot suffer through much more of this.  Must sleep. 

Elder Kole

A couple years ago there was a young man who used to come in to eat at the little brick house multiple times a week.  He referred to it as the little b.  He and his girlfriend would come in together and they would get the Thunderbird.  It was his favorite sandwich.  He was called to serve a mission for the LDS Church in Uganda.  His girlfriend was also called to serve a mission, I think she went to France.  Anyway, we became friends during that time.  I was excited for him to go to Africa as I served mission in South Africa and love it there.  Kole Halladay is his name.  He has missed the Thunderbird and the updates I get from his mom usually include some discussion of him wanting a T-bird as soon as he gets off the plane.  A year ago I gave them one of our shirts to send to him for Christmas.  He got it.  He loves it.  He has worn it many times and is spreading the news about the little brick house in Uganda.  Today his mom came in and brought us a picture frame, one of those made up of several pictures.  Anyway, it has pictures of Kole in his Fueled by Brick House Chili shirt in Africa.  It is pretty awesome.  We're excited to hang it up for all to see.  In 5 weeks Kole returns home to Cedar City.  I can't believe how fast his mission has passed.  I am excited to see him and to hear about his experiences.  I'm also excited to make him a Thunderbird sandwich.  Well done Elder Kole. 

The Blacklist

I don't often spend a lot of time writing reviews but tonight I decided to say a little something about a show called The Blacklist.  Because I do not have television/cable in the home I don't know what is currently on TV.  I have Netflix and saw that The Blacklist had been added a few months ago.  I thought it might be worth checking out so I added it to my list but didn't do anything with it.  I figured I would watch it eventually and didn't want to forget about it so stuck it there.  I was driving over to the folks house one evening listening to Glen Beck and he was talking about The Blacklist.  Said it was probably his favorite show on TV.  I thought I might have to take a closer look.  Just so happens that Dave was listening to the same radio show and had decided to do the same thing.  He started earlier than I did and said it was fantastic.  I began watching and have not been disappointed.  I really quite enjoy it.  James Spader is the lead actor and he is really good.  Anyway, not a lot to this review other than if you are looking for a great crime fighting show with a twist, I highly recommend The Blacklist. 

I do feel to mention that I was a bit hesitant on taking Glen Becks advice on this because he reviewed Doctor Who at the same time and talked of how great that was.  I watched one episode of Doctor Who and found it rather bizarre and tough to watch.  It is not my thing but Natty is sure a fan.  Oh well, enough of the review.  The Blacklist, give it a looksy. 

Pure Energy

I wanna know what your thinking...  Pure Energy!  I used to love to listen to this song by Information Society - Pure Energy.  It would have been back in the 9th grade.  It was a good tune.  It would also serve as a fine theme song for the 11 year old scouts.  Oh my goodness.  There is some serious energy in the scout meeting.  It is hard to get through anything because the boys lack the ability to stay focused.   We try, we laugh, we try some more, it is crazy.  We press forward however, hoping something is going to stick.  Well, we survived... somehow. 

Poor Boy

Jack had a rough day in Orchestra class.  He has been a little frustrated with the cello and playing along with the CD.  Apparently it moves to quickly for him and he makes mistakes and that is hard for him to handle.  Today it got to a point where he was emotional about it in class, left the class, left his cello at school and told me that he quits.  I think it is a lot for him.  The noise in that kind of an environment by itself would be a lot for him but he has managed, until now.  I have tried to talk to him about sticking with it, of practicing more but no matter what I say he lets me know that he's already decided and he's done with it.  So, I asked him to pray about it and he has.  Twice tonight in fact.  I don't know what will become of it.  The poor wee lad is just very upset.  I would love to see him stick with it but am leaving it in his hands to decide. 

Piece of Gum

This is one of those stories that I want to remember so I am jotting it down.  It really is just so I can enjoy a laugh now and again and serves no other purpose.

This story is about two of our employees, Jake and Adam.  Jake is a cook and Adam washes dishes.  Adam has some mental handicaps and we brought him in through a group that helps handicap people develop skill so that they can be gainfully employed.  He is a good kid.  I say kid but he is in his 30's.  He has a few issues including a sensitive gag reflex which makes the dish washing duties a bit interesting.  We certainly enjoy having Adam in the kitchen with us. 

Anyhow, this afternoon after lunch had wound down a bit Jake and I were talking about counting calories, dietary supplements and other things.  Jack pulled out some gum and got himself a piece.  I'm sure he was feeling obligated when he offered me a piece but I declined.  Jake then asked Adam if he would like a piece of gum.  After some thought Adam said yes.  He thought a little further and then asked Jake if he would unwrap it and put it in between his teeth.  Jake looked a bit surprised and said no.  He put the gum on the counter.  Adam simply replied with an 'Okay' and a 'just leave it on the counter.'

I'm sure, after typing out the story, that nobody will find it even remotely funny.  Probably one that you needed to be at to appreciate.  I guess I don't care because it gave me some laughs.   

Part of Something

I am grateful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I find great joy in the gospel and love being a part of something that is much bigger then just myself.  The Lord said 'It is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man' (Moses 1:39).  I am grateful to participate in His great work.  I don't know that I do too much but I try to do what I can.  When there is an assignment to do something I try to be there, doing my part, doing my duty.  I heard a couple of times recently about aged members who still attend church regularly despite failing health or the effects of age.  I thought someone shared the message in General Conference and I know that Elder Ence who was at our Stake Conference last week shared the story about the 90+ year old man who was asked why he attended all of his meetings and his reply was that he wanted to show the Lord which side he was on.  I feel some of those same feelings.  I want the Lord to know which side I am on and so I want to be found doing good.  To be found doing good you have to put yourself in places where you can do good and so when the call comes I try my best to answer it.  Sometimes I cannot.  Sometimes life is in the way but I hope to say in my heart that if I had I would give. 

Timber

We had a bit of a storm blow in last night.  Temps have dropped today and it has been raining a majority of the day.  That is a good thing.  Anyhow things are getting colder and it looks like winter is on the way.   I have a lot of wood that is in need of splitting so I set out to do that.  Got quite a bit done on it but had other things to do also so it was more of an off and on adventure.  There is still a lot to split but we made a dent in it.  And, now, I am hurting, my hands are hurting after taking the repeated pounding of driving an axe.  My shoulders and back are a bit on the soar side.  My ego is...

So I was heading down stairs tonight after all my wood cutting and stacking and I somehow managed to miss the bottom two steps.  My foot tweaked a bit and I slammed my knee into the ground.  It was fun.  So fun I do not recommend it.

Well, I am spent physically.  I need to crash out.   

Happy Halloweiners

Happy Halloween all.  It was a fine day.  I was on my way home after walking the boys to school this morning and found a stick on the ground that reminded me that I needed to make Andy a wand for his Harry Potter Halloween costume.  I think it turned out well and Andy was happy with it so that was good.  He was Harry Potter.  Jack went as Luigi for the third year in a row.  He fit into the same costume.  Fit is a generous statement.  It was a very tight squeeze.  No matter.  He managed to make the rounds.  Natty had an interesting costume.  She went as a ceiling fan.  Her shirt said go ceiling!  It was pretty silly.  Anyway, it was a fine evening.  The boys and I combed a few streets around the house.  There were a lot of no homes but the boys did just fine anyway.  We also had a nice visit at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  Griffin was there and had fun with the boys.  We laughed when he tried to take off Andy's drawn on glasses.  So funny.

Anyway, I had the thought during our walking the streets and listening to some complaints out of the boys because of the walking.  Yes, I thought it would be good to forgo the candy collecting, I could go to the store, buy a big bag of candy and avoid the walking around listening to the whining of the boys.  It might be a fine idea.  Now, we cant leave trick or treaters disappointed.  Instead of giving out candy at the door it might be quite fun to provide a hot dog for each visitor.  We can call them Halloweiners.  It would be like a regular hot dog cart serving up weiners to the visitors.  It would definitely be something new on Halloween.  Yep, I'm lame.

Anyway, lovely day.  Ready for bed.   

Next

When I was in sales I listened to some motivational speakers and went to different trainings where the idea of resetting before each sales call was taught.  One of the ideas is that you figure out the average commission you receive.  If you  maintain a 50% closing ratio and your average commission was $250 you figure that each call you run is worth $125.  If the call goes bad, the guy is unfriendly or whatever the case you say to yourself - Thanks for the $125, Next!  It's a way of seeing each sales call in a positive light and recognizing that there are a certain number of no's in order to get the yes. 

Over the last few months we've been going through some things with pops.  He has had some challenges and it has been tough.  He is home, has been for almost a week.  The road of recovery will be long but he is okay.  Today was one of those Next kind of days.  Turns out that mom is having some challenges that have the doctor concerned.  She will be going back in next week for some testing.  It is our hope and prayer that there is nothing wrong. Whatever the case we will press forward with steadfastness in Christ and do the very best we can do.  Sometimes when we pass through a trial we might find strength as we in faith say, Next! and realize that we have reason to hope and to rejoice.

A Day

Today was one of those days for me.  Perhaps I was just tired all day and so my patience was a little thin.  I don't know.  Life can be a little frustrating some times and so I guess I can sit here and focus on that or I can choose to find some positives about the day.  Let's do that.

In the middle of the day I got to see my nephew Griffin.  He came in to the shop with his momma to visit with Dave.  We threw down a couple of knuckle bashes and I held him for a bit, even gave him a piece of cheese.  He was happy about that.  I made some humming noises to which he laughed and grabbed my face.  It was nice to have that visit.

Pops sent out a message that he took four steps on his own with his walker.  That does not sound like much but it is huge.  For a man who 6 weeks ago lacked the strength to do anything, couldn't even move his legs, yes, this is awesome and certainly something to be grateful for today. 

I had a great visit with a friend of mine, Morgan, who stopped in to order some sandwich platters for his daughters baptism on Saturday.  He gave me some great life coaching advice.  Told me I should find a sugar momma who has two houses so that when things get hectic for her with suddenly having three kids, she can take time outs at her other house.  He recommended I start looking at recently deceased CEO's.  I told him I will start reading the obituaries.  It was good for a few laughs. 

Natalie drew a picture of a car today.  I can't recall what kind of car it is but she did a good job on it.  I want to say it is a Chevy Malibu from the 70's.  I don't know exactly, all I know is that this girl who used to rip on herself for her lack of artistic talent is drawing things now and is really doing a nice job.  I am happy to see her working at art instead of quitting and telling herself she is no good at it.  Very impressive.

The boys and I just read a story called The Indian Cinderella in our nightly reading from the Book of Virtues by William Bennett.  It was a good story that teaches honesty.  The boys got it.  It is important to tell the truth.  I quite like reading the Book of Virtues with them every night.  We have cleared 600 pages and have 200 still to go.  What will we read next?  It's going to have to be good to fill the shoes of the Book of Virtues. 

It is good to sit back and reflect on a day.  It is good to look beyond the surface challenges and frustrations and appreciate some of the wonderful blessings enjoyed.  They are there.  I didn't think when I started this post that I could find much good about the day and then I opened my eyes a bit more and found much to be grateful for.  Count your many blessings, name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done. 

The Back

I have been experiencing some lower back pain for quite some time.  When I wake up in the morning it is a bit sore and then once I get moving it tends to be just fine and I go about my business.  This evening I pulled up to the house to pick up Andy for scouts and somehow tweaked my back while getting out of the car.  I don't know what I did.  I didn't feel a pop or anything else for that matter.  I just stood up out of the car and suddenly my lower back on the left side was in major pain.  I stretched a bit at the car and then had Natty help me with a couple other stretches.  No real improvement but we had to move.  Got Andy to scouts and then I had my scouts and others over at a wood cutting project.  I had to simply tough it out.  I tried to avoid certain things that triggered the pain and that has helped but sometimes it just comes.  Well, the back is in bad shape tonight.  Hopefully a bit of rest will help the situation.  I don't really have time for back pain.  

Truth or Dare

We went out to dinner tonight at my favorite local restaurant, that's right, The Brick House Cafe.  I don't spend enough time there as it is.  We did something different tonight though.  Instead of going in, having the kids sit at the bar while I make their food (the bar is not a real bar, it is just a counter with bar stools in our dry establishment.  Don't want anyone getting the wrong idea) we went in as regular customers, were seated, ordered off the menu etc.  It was a lot nicer for me as I got to relax while those we are paying to work did the work. 

We had a good time eating together as a family.  Somehow we started playing truth or dare.  I think it was Andy that got it started.  Oh yes, he ordered two hot dogs and then decided he only wanted the buns and the mustard and wanted me to eat the dogs.  He dared me to do it and then repeated what has become one of the kids favorite dare sayings: 'leave no dare undone'.  Nice attempt.  I was already full and had no desire what so ever to eat a couple of hot dog wieners.  So that then lead into the truth or dare thing.  Nobody wanted to do the dare thing because that usually involved eating something at the table.  I eventually got the dares off of food and onto funner things like everyone at the table singing happy birthday to our waiter, Johnny.  It isn't his birthday but we sang it to him like it was.  Fun stuff. 

A little later Natty, catching my change of pace on the dare situation, dared Jack to go up and hug Johnny and tell him in a creepy voice "I killed mufasa".  Johnny thought it was pretty funny but Jack thought it was hilarious.  He laughed it up good and hard.  Anyhow, we had fun with some other creative dares.  It was good to go, relax and laugh with the kiddos.  Sure do love them.  

Seeing Family

Tonight we had dinner at the folks house with the fam.  It has been a while since we have gathered there with pops having surgery over a month ago and being down in the rehabilitation center for a month.  It was good to be there.  It was good to see pops sitting on the couch for a bit, relaxing with his leg up, looking comfortable.  We had the pleasure of having Aunt Kelly and Uncle Mike in town as well.  Camry was with them and they also had Bronwyn's daughter Tar... something.  Sorry, I probably misspelled a few names there and I cannot remember the daughters name.  Anyhow, it was nice to see them.  I don't know the last time I saw them.  I seriously have no clue.  It has been a long time.  That will suffice.  It was fun to see mom and her sister together.  Apparently there is some tv show that mom loves and wants us all to watch but none of us do, well, it is one of Kelly's favorites.  Go figure. 

Mike was in town and asked me about possibly dog sitting for them for a year.  They are looking at a place in Vegas that only allows you to have 1 dog.  I don't know that I am the best with this dog thing but I mentioned it to the kids and they are all for it.  I told them all to pray about it so we can know if it would be the right thing for our family.  They really want a dog.  Me, not so much, but the kids have been begging me for years.  We shall see.

Got to talk to Dan for a few tonight and talked about some of those feelings of bringing home a new born baby for the first time.  That first drive home is a scary thing for a dad.  There is this baby all of a sudden and you have to protect it.  Lots of looking in the rear view mirror, a little extra caution behind the wheel and at least 5 miles per hour under the speed limit.  It is a special drive home, a special moment for a father, a protector, a provider.  It was neat to see these new parents with their little boy. 

Dave, Dani and the Griff were also at the house and my boys loved playing around with their little cousin.  Griff is such a fun little boy.

It was good seeing family.  Certainly there is more of our family that we would love to see also.  Distance between us doesn't make that easy but we think of them often and miss them.  Andy was asking me the other day if we could go see Jaykob and Jayson and their family.  Perhaps a little road trip is in order.  

The Rainbow Tree (Saturday Oct. 25, 2014)

I noticed this morning that my post for yesterday failed to publish.  It completely locked up my phone and so I am starting it from scratch.  Unfortunately the picture I was trying to include in the post will be absent.

The boys and I went up on the mountain again to help cut and gather wood for members of our ward.  We were back at Thorley's ranch which is absolutely beautiful.  Two weeks ago on our last trip up there were golden leaves on the Aspen trees.  Today the leaves were gone.  There really wasn't much of a sign of the fallen leaves either.  Anyway, we had a good time and enjoyed working on the mountain.  What a beautiful place to be.

We started by helping Brother Will Bishop fill his truck.  He was cutting wood and I was hauling it to his truck and loading it up.  Both the boys helped move a few logs and helped with stacking in the truck.  It was a good time.  Towards the tail end of loading up Brother Bishop Andy noticed a tree that was shaped like a rainbow.  Granted there were no colorful stripes but it was an arching tree.  He wanted to climb it and so he asked me to help him climb the rainbow tree.  He was funny.  Tried to climb up but had some troubles with it being slick.  He took off his sweater and used it as a strap around the tree to help him get leverage and pull himself up in stages.  He said: 'I saw this on man vs. wild, you just have to knot it and pull yourself up then loosen it and move it up'.  I thought that was pretty cool and I chuckled a bit.  It was kind of tough and the aspen was a bit slick so it wasn't working all that well.  I told him he could use my hands as foot holds and scoot up the tree.  He did that and got up a ways.  It was a fun time there with the rainbow tree. 

We had a good time.  Lots of kids came up this time to help so the boys had some friends to run around with.  I had brought up some snacks and we shared.  Had a little congregation of kids at the back of the truck eating doritos and popcorn.  Good times.  Glad to have these experiences with my kids and hope they are experiences that will teach them the importance of serving others and that they will stay with them throughout their lives.  I would love to hear Andy telling his own children about the rainbow tree in some future day.