Be Still

We had our Ward Conference today.  It was a great conference.  The messages during sacrament meeting were excellent.  Bishop Duncan shared the story of the gal that penned the hymn Master the Tempest is Raging.  I remember that story from a conference talk by President Monson when I was in the mission field.  I loved it then and have never forgotten the tragedies that this woman faced in her life and after having lost hope came the calm and peace from the savior.  I truly enjoyed the talk the Bishop gave and the hope that he shared to press forward with faith even when all seems lost.  The Lord will be there, he will lift us and he will see us through the furnace of our afflictions.  I don't know that I focus enough on the tender mercies of the Lord or the many blessings that come my way each day from him.  Truly he is there and he does not leave us comfortless.  He does not take away our trials or eliminate pain from our lives.  Those things are there for a purpose and he is aware of them.  He can make them lite and can strengthen us in a number of ways.  It is easy to get overwhelmed and caught up in challenges.  It is easy to lose sight of the Savior in our lives and we may find ourselves struggling through the challenges of the day.  We need to remember to be still, to trust in the savior, to know that he is God and that he will not leave us comfortless. 

Pool Days

I might have figured out a great study plan.  I take the boys to the pool and I read for my SCED 3400 class.  Today was the second Saturday in a row that I have done this and it seems to be working out just fine.  The boys love it because they are playing in water and having a great time.  I don't mind at all because it allows me to just sit and read without much distraction.  The noise level is tremendous in that facility but it is such that I can tune out most of it and just read.  I also quite like that it helps the boys to be out and about instead of hanging around the house on electronics or whatever whilst I do my homework.  They got a heck of a workout today as they had to have gone down the water slide 20 to 30 times a piece.  That's a lot of stair climbing.  I know when I was a kid I loved being in the water and it makes me happy to see my kids enjoying it as well.  I also loved going down the water slide at the classic Sandy Hydrotube.  That was the place to be.  I had a pass one summer and went nearly every day.  I would go down the slide and then run back up to the top and do it again.  It was fabulous.  Anyhow, it was a great day and I feel like I got a few things accomplished.  Time for bed.  I have to be up in 5 hours for a meeting. 

Hundo

I invested some time today in studying for a math test.  By time I mean I spent about 3.5 hours studying and making sure I understood everything.  When I got to the testing center and got started I ran into a problem that kind of stumped me for a bit.  I had completed it and was examining my answer and knew it was wrong.  I spent at least 10 minutes just looking at it and then set about figuring it out.  In the end I looked at everything again and it looked like it could be right.  I wouldn't know for certain until the end of the test.  I carried on and had to work through a couple other questions and did my best to remember proper steps.  I finished the test and turned it in.  The results were immediate because it is an online class. I was a bit shocked when I saw a score of 100%. That certainly made my day.  It took some effort for sure, I had to buckle down and really work on things and it paid off.  That took my grade up from a B to an A.  Good stuff.    I will take that anytime. 

I had another assignment due in math tonight so I got to start chapter 3 and learn something completely new.  That took another couple hours in math but I got it done.  The brain, it grows. 

Well, I've had about enough numbers for one day.  It is time to call it a day and rest the old brain for a bit. 

Group Interview

I attended a group interview today as part of the application process for the college of education.  I didn't really know what to expect but had to be dressed up all nice for it.  So I purchased some new slacks last night, picked out my shirt and tie and when this morning came I was ready.  Well, I actually gave myself a haircut, showered and then was ready.  I got to go do my second presentation at Cedar High.  It went okay but not as good as the first one.  There were a few students that weren't in the first presentation and that was different. The presentation builds on itself and so I felt like I had to try and summarize the first lesson and try and teach the second.  Oh well.  It is what it is and I think the kids got the point that they need to practice a skill to develop a skill.  Anyway, the group interview.  It went well.  We had to do a survival scenario and basically we got ourselves killed.  Well, maybe not killed but certainly made a bad decision that would have hurt our chances for survival in the long run.  It was an interesting experience.  The good news is that the gal that was in charge of it was very positive about our group and made it sound as if we would all pass without a problem.  That's nice.  I am wrestling with the education outline from yesterday and the thought of 4 more years.  I am thinking about dropping the sped and then focusing on it after I graduate and get a job.  That however could backfire as it is the sped that is the more marketable skill set.  Oh my gosh, it is frustrating and a bit discouraging to look at the amount of time required.  Well, it is what it is.  I have a little time before I would start the sped portion of everything so I don't have to make up my mind today.  I will ponder on the matter a bit and research other sped endorsement opportunities as I try and make a decision on what to do.  

Gut Punched

Today I had the pleasure of meeting with my academic adviser.  It was a great visit, she was a lovely gal and quite helpful.  I left her office feeling as though I had been punched in the gut.  Maybe even sucker punched in the gut.  I had this plan that I would graduate the same time as Natty and from the looks of it all that would seem quite possible to do.  Not the case.  Not the case at all.  We went through some options for classes and I am looking at roughly 4 more years of school to get done.  The special ed adds an entire year of classes and then everything else I need to do will take a good 2.5 years plus then student teaching bringing us to 4.  That takes a bit of wind out of my sails.  I almost wonder how anyone can earn a degree in 4 years.  This is my third semester back and I am still looking at 4 more years.  I came in with 40 credits being accepted and I am still looking at 4 more years.  I am technically a Junior and I am still looking at four more years.  Here is my gut, swing away!  I am thinking about dropping the special ed for now, getting through school, getting a job and then working on the special ed at that point.  It is so much more time than I thought.  If I go this other route I can shave at least a year and maybe another half year.  That will require a lot of credits hours every semester and I don't know what I can ultimately handle or the kids can handle.  I might just have to shoot for 3 years.  That puts me a year further out than I wanted to be but It should be manageable.  Lots to think about.  I have to catch my breath still, the wind was truly knocked out of me.  Ultimately it was really good to see the adviser because now I have at least an idea of what to expect.  Dang it! 

School Presentation #1

Today I had the opportunity to visit some high school students and share a message about math mind set.  It was pretty awesome.  I really enjoyed being able to go in and visit with the students a bit, tell them about myself and talk about how math is a major part of our lives.  I talked about how I struggled and still struggle in math, how I actually got an F one quarter in my freshmen year and how hard it was to get through it.  I talked about my experiences in the work force and how math was present in everything that I've done.  I talked about being back in math and having to do homework everyday, how I make a lot of mistakes and how it takes effort.  I then talked about how getting the answer right once is hard, getting a similar problem done right makes it a little easier and how every time we make the connection and get another question right things become easier and easier for us to do.  We watched a video that I have discussed in a previous post.  I thought it went well.  Annie Draper, whose class I was visiting, told me I did a great job and that the kids really liked me and are looking forward to my continued visits.  That was cool to hear.  I was a skosh nervous about it all but once we got going it was great. I did spend some time today preparing for the visit so I didn't go in winging it.  Anyway, I thought it went well and I am looking forward to the next visit on Thursday.  Should be a great time. 

Test Fail

I took a test tonight, a quiz I guess, for my SCED 3400 class.  I pretty well screwed that test up.  Sucks.  I am not real happy about it.  I studied, I read, I just didn't do well.  There is a question that hasn't been graded yet but I don't even know if I approached the correct answer for that one.  Another question was a little on the vague side and though I believe I put down correct answers I didn't have the exact wording for his fill in the blank question.  Sucks.  It kind of put me in a sour mood.  Oh well, all I can do is improve on the next one.  It is tough. 

We went bowling tonight for FHE.  Had a good time.  Andy was bowling for the first time and struggled a little and then had a tough time because he always wants to win. He did get excited a couple of times for great bowls and had a spare.  He improved in his second game so that was great.  Jack kept picking up spares and Natalie had a couple strikes and spares.  It was good fun.  I demonstrated the old between windmill to between the legs bowling maneuver for the kids.  They loved it.  Anyhow, it was a good outing and it was quite nice to get my mind off the test I just failed. 

Time Together

I seem to remember growing up we would gather round the TV on a Sunday evening and watch the Sunday Night Movie on one of the big stations.  It was usually a family friendly show and was a good time.  Tonight after dinner and while washing the dishes I thought we should watch the Star Wars saga over the next several Sundays. The kids were game so I finished up the dishes, made them all a little milk shake treat and then we went down and started episode 1.  We didn't quite finish, it is a long movie.  I haven't watched it in years, found it a bit on the cheesy side with some of the characters but looked past the acting and just tried to enjoy the story.  We'll need to finish it still but it has been fun.  Andy retrieved light sabers for he and Jack to hold on to while we watched.  Anyhow, we gathered, we watched, we enjoyed. It was a good time together. 

At dinner we had some fun conversations about the tree of life and the iron rod that the boys learned about in primary today.  We also had some chats about our homes in Florida, fun times that were had whilst swimming in our pool, snakes, storms and a small rat infestation.  I did drown a rat in our garbage can once.  It had to be done.  Anyway, there were lots of laughs and we had a good time together. 

I don't know that we are always going to have super spiritual Sundays.  We will do our best to keep the Sabbath day holy and do things that will draw us closer to the Lord.  I think good activities that bring us closer together as a family and allow us to have an enjoyable time together help us to draw closer to one another and to the Lord.  We will certainly do our best to maintain a spirit of reverence and will look to incorporate ideas that will be of service to those around us.  We can find simple and positive ways to serve others and in turn, serve the Lord.

Pool and Ball

Sometimes I get pretty caught up in projects that I don't get the kids out and about as well as I should.  It is a different era, I don't remember needing to be prodded to get out and about when I was a kid.  Life was outside, it was doing whatever I could to be outside.  Trampolines were a highlight or riding bikes, playing sports, jumping off roofs into horse trough swimming pools, you know whatever.  In the winter there was sledding to do, hooky-bobbing, snow ball fights with the neighborhood and whatever else we could come up with.  There was no hanging out on the couch with a tablet and playing games or watching videos.  If I was watching a video it was an old worn out vhs tape with a double feature of Big Trouble in Little China and Silverado, two of the greatest movies ever made I might add.  Anyhow, I sometimes project my love for outside play on my own kids and forget that they need to be prodded sometimes.  I determined that today they needed to get out of the house.  While Natty was at work we went up to the aquatic center and they swam and played for a couple hours while I read my book for school.  That worked out well and everyone had a good time.  We came home, got cleaned up, I made everyone quesadillas and then we went to the SUU mens basketball game.  It was a rough game.  The other team just dominated the first half and then maintained their lead in the second half.  SUU did a lot better in the second have and though they got close a couple of times they would quickly fall back again.  It was entertaining however and it was out of the house so that was good.  I think it was a pretty good day even if we had to watch 80 year old women whip and nae nae for the halftime entertainment. 

Advancing

Some things are advancing at the moment.  I applied for the college of education last night and have a group interview next week as well as a visit with an adviser.  I have a special presentation I will be making to a math class at the high school starting next week and will run twice a week for the next four weeks.  That should be interesting.  The lady in charge of the program just keeps telling those who are participating that the kids will love us because we're college students and they will think we are a lot smarter than their teachers.  I laugh to myself every time she says this because I am not a traditional college student and have a daughter that is their same age.  I don't think they will look at me as a cool college student.  We will see how it goes though.  I think I can certainly relate to those this course is designed to help, those who think they suck at math. It should be fun.  I have to start doing observations and logging some hours with that.  I don't know how that will go but it should be interesting.  I think I can incorporate some special ed observation as well as ESL and other things.  I just saw that the reporting that I will do on this will need to be 4 to 6 pages and well documented.  It should be fun.  Thankfully the online math class has slowed a skosh and I am not spending nearly the amount of time on it as I was the first week.  I'm still spending a lot of time, yesterday was 3.5 hours easy and the day before was pretty full as well.  Fortunately today went quick.  I might survive this class after all.  I do have to say I am a little nervous about the college of education thing.  I have to take the praxis exam, which I need to do anyway. I just get nervous about it and wonder if I can actually pass it and how it will effect my future studies.  I am hoping I can muster through it without too much trouble.  It is a $150 test so I can't really afford to take it too many times.  I was just getting used to the pace of classes when all of the sudden I have all this other stuff happening but that is what needs to happen so we will press forward. 

Jack Struggles

With 3 days of school down for this week I have had to speak to the SPED teacher at Cedar Middle School on all three days.  I am really hoping that we don't have to make it a fourth tomorrow.  The first day, Tuesday, she was concerned about Jack going to see Hamlet with the 6th grade at Utah Shakespeare Festival.  In addition she told me that Jack was having some issues with the Greek packet.  They are learning about Greek Mythology and Jack isn't having any of it. He doesn't want to hear about all these false gods, he's a Mormon and wants nothing to do with it.  Besides that they don't have any clothes on in their pictures.  I'm not certain what kind of pictures they are showing these days. Anyhow, he was fine to go to the concert and we talked about the Greek Mythology stuff.  The next day, Wednesday, I got a call, he did fine at the play but had a major melt down when they got back to school and started on the Greek Mythology stuff again.  He made his position very clear and was determined not to participate in the subject.  I said I would talk to him again. Yesterday we had a conversation and Jack was still strongly positioned that this teaching was against his religion and he didn't want to participate.  We talked about it further and I said two things to him that seemed to get him past it.  The first thing I said was learning about Greek Mythology doesn't make you a bad Mormon.  Then I asked him about mythology and what a myth was. He knows myths well having watched every episode of Myth Busters at least once and several of them multiple times.  He reminds me every time if something I say was a myth that was busted by the myth busters.  Anyway, he was good and was determined to push through it without further complaint.  What was my surprise when I got another call this afternoon.  Greek Mythology went just fine today but a video they watched on Martin Luther King, Jr. was very upsetting to him.  He told me it scared him.  He had a little melt down over that.  Well, we talked again tonight and he seems to be okay.  He assured me that there will be no phone calls tomorrow.  It will be wonderful to finish the week off strong. 

No Sitting

A little less than an hour ago I got up from sitting, only for a few minutes, and I could barely stand.  I don't know what is going on but my back was all cramped up and not only was it hard to stand but it was hard to move.  I felt just fine when I sat down so the sudden problem has me unwilling to sit back down and risk the same thing when I need to stand up.  There are certain pleasures one gets to enjoy as they age and I am feeling every bit of 42 right now.  Not sure what is going on but I am going to try to stretch out a bit, take some ibuprofen and go to bed. Come to think of it, I was doing dishes before I sat down and that could very well be the problem.  I may have to stop doing dishes all together so as to avoid this fierce back pain in the future.  That sounds like a great plan.

The First Crossing

I was at a training tonight for a teaching thing I am going to be participating in.  At the training there was a video that was shown about some mountain climbers that were crossing a ravine via a rope.  They threw a grappling hook to the other side, made sure it was secure and then one climber scooted across.  Once he made it across he could secure the rope and then reinforce by taking more rope back across.  This process was followed a few more times until there was enough of a structure to attach wood planks making it much easier to cross the chasm.  The point of the video was that the first crossing was the hardest and each connection made, or each crossing completed made it easier and easier to do.  The point of this lesson and what I will be participating in is a program to help students realize that learning takes effort and when we first learn a concept, making the connection can be difficult.  The more we practice and work on that particular concept the easier it becomes until it is to a point where it is almost automatic.  This particular class is about math.  Struggling through this online course right now I can attest that the message is true.  I have experienced as recently as the last 2 and a half hours.  I had the thought in the training shared by President Heber J. Grant who may have been quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson who said "that which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do - not that the nature of the thing has changed but that our power to do has increased".  I like the message.  I enjoyed the class.  It should be an interesting experience participating in this endeavor.  

Project Done, well Kind Of

A little over a month ago I started a project building a shelf in the garage.  It is one of those big shelves that is suspended from the ceiling for overhead storage.  My original design was poor and so I had to start from scratch.  I had a new design in mind, purchased needed materials Saturday.  Today I did the install.  It actually turned out quite good.  I then carried on with the rest of my desired project and that was organizing and cleaning the garage.  It took pretty much most of the day but it is done.  The car is parked in the garage tonight.  It was some serious work to make that happen.  That was the first part of the project.  I have another shelf to build but I'm not sure when I'll get to that one.  There are a few things I am storing in the basement that I need to clear out.  Why am I actually storing so much stuff?  Maybe I just need to trash a bunch of stuff and be done with it. I actually thinned out a bunch of stuff 7 months ago and now there are several boxes that I have been storing since then that have just sat there with stuff I haven't needed or used.  Well, I'll still build the shelf and then perhaps I will thin out the stuff once again and store a few things until such time as I decide I should thin it out again.  Weird.  I might just have to be extra aggressive on this next go round.  All of the sudden I feel like maybe today I won a battle but I am far from winning the war.  Too many projects. 

A Way is Provided

We recently found ourselves struggling to find members that could be called to teach youth Sunday School classes in our ward.  We managed to get who we needed and all is well.  Two weeks ago when I was teaching the older youth class I noticed there was not really anymore room in the class.  There are 24 youth on the role for that class.  We believe it is time to split up this group a bit.  That would leave us short by three positions in the ward Sunday School.  We do team teaching, hence the number of people we are short.  A month ago we wouldn't have been able to do this but in recent weeks we have seen several young couples join the ward.  It is like the Lord knew what we would be in need of and he has provided a way for that to happen.  It should be pretty exciting to carry it all out and it should give each of the youth more personal attention. 

Had a little family get together tonight for pops birthday party.  I might have splurged a little with homemade mac and cheese as well as Lasagna on the menu.  It was good.  We had a lovely evening though the boys managed to get on each others nerves and had a few rough patches.  Otherwise it was a good evening.

 

The Sixes

The sixes, that would be 6 and 6 or 66.  Today the old man turned 66 years of age.  Naturally he still contends that he is only 27 but we know better.  The man is a fighter.  There were some rough time that he got to pass through whilst 65.  Hopefully 66 is much kinder and gentler to him. Certainly am grateful for his influence on my life and for the example he sets of service and genuine kindness to other people.  Even through the toughest of times he was still quick with a joke and a laugh.  Sometimes I just have to roll my eyes and laugh inside because he keeps telling the same joke over and over again and continues to get a kick out of himself.  Too funny.  I just need to remember that though I have heard the joke X number of times, the person he is sharing it with may be hearing it for the first time.  Either that or they are pretending it is the first time they are hearing it.  In either case he will continue to share said jokes whilst 66.  There just isn't an expiration date on good humor. 

The Weekend

I am thrilled that we are at the weekend and that it is a three day weekend at that.  This first 10 days of school have been crazy.  I really don't know what we are going to do tomorrow but sleeping in is definitely going to be a part of it.  I have a garage project that I need to work on and I should probably work on some math to make sure I stay out in front of it. I also need to work on two of my other classes.  i really haven't focused much on them as my time has been spent in math thus far.  I need to figure that out.  I do have to get the schedule done for next week as well.  Oh, life is fun. 

Fontano Fam Biggest Loser Competition

We started our new year off right as a family with a biggest loser competition.  What better way to provide motivation to shed a few pounds or maybe even 70 pounds? Okay, maybe the stomach band would be an easier route but we aren't going there.  That takes money and maybe even some insurance, neither of which I have.  What I do have is a weight circuit class at school that requires me to work out at least 45 times this semester in order to receive an A.  I want an A. I'm shooting for an A+ apparently. The class and the competition combined have me moving in the mornings.  I have been everyday this week and tonight I am feeling that a bit.  I have to work out for 30 minutes in order for it to count.  I do that and then I head up to the indoor track and add a mile run/walk to the work out.  Before starting this program my weigh in for last week was down 8 pounds from the original weigh in.  That felt good.  I have no idea what to expect for this weigh in.  I don't want to set myself up for disappointment so I don't want to assume I would even come close to matching week 1's weight loss.  If I do, I'll count it as a welcome surprise.  Anyhow, it is good.  I'm feeling the workouts pretty well as my body is a bit tired. Jump starting the metabolism is not an easy thing to do.  As far as diets, the sweets are gone.  Pretty much nothing with added sugar in it.  I am eating bread but not much and it is that 12 grain healthy variety of bread.  I don't know that I am packing in the food but I am certainly not starving.  My goal is to focus more on balanced nutrition and that seems to work okay.  No starvation diets or extreme fads.  Anyway, I feel good about the adjustments.  The weight may hang on a bit but the semester has a few months to go and I don't plan on getting anything less than an A in the class. I'm certainly hopeful that I will walk away from this healthier and stronger and perhaps with a little less girth. 

I'm Drowning Here...

In the last we'll say 36 hours now I have spent at least 13 of them working on math.  So if we want to calculate that out we're talking 15 hours or so of sleep giving us a grand total of about 8 hours to accomplish everything else I have to do in my life.  4 of those hours were spent in other classes which leaves about 4 hours for the fam, work, etc over two days.  That isn't great news.  The great news however is that after being exceedingly discouraged earlier I came back to the math after a small break and managed to get through some of it.  I was ready to quit.  I prayed that I could push through and that things would begin to make sense.  They did.  I am happy with that.  I did the chapter review practice and it went okay.  I will do that again tomorrow as well as the certification and maybe even the big first test.  I don't know if I can handle it.  This stuff is making me crazy.  Hopefully I figured out a new way to work through it.  Holy crap.  And to make things even better, an employee who is supposed to open the store tomorrow just quit on me two hours ago.  That is wonderful. Maybe someday I will get to come up for air. 

My buttocks has been kicked

I have been putting in the hours and doing the work when it comes to the math.  Today said math has kicked my but.  Actually the first two sections I did today went well.  The third section was the problem.  It was all word problems and my gosh.  It took me hours to get through it.  Hours.  I don't have hours upon hours of free time for this.  To say it is frustrating is a serious understatement.  The only good news would be that my EDUC 3000 class does not have homework.  We do the work in class.  I actually quite like that professor.  He has a lot of teaching experience and has worked in the district office so he brings a lot of knowledge with him.  This math however is killing me.  I am way past my bedtime tonight and that doesn't make me happy.  I like to have my sleep.  I need to have my sleep so I can function properly.  There is just too much to do everyday to be fighting exhaustion as well.  Dang word problems.  It wasn't just word problems, it was taking word problems and turning them into linear equations and solving them.  Holy crap.  I'm sure that is real easy for a lot of people.  I don't happen to be one of them and thus the 4 to 6 hours alone on this section. Dang it.  Not happy about it but what can I do?  I have to press forward and do the very best I can do. 

Morning, Mid-day and Night

Oh my gosh.  I don't know if I am going to survive the semester with this math class.  I spent hours on this stuff today.  I worked on math this morning and into the afternoon.  I came back after my 2 PM class and worked on it again.  After I got the kids in bed and red them a chapter from the second Janitors book I came back down and did math again.  It is dominating my life.  There are a lot of things that are simply a higher priority for me than this math class and yet this is a huge goal of mine to get through math.  I don't know how things are going to roll out this semester but hopefully I can manage my time well, understand the material and pick it up quickly and am able to keep up with my other 3 classes and other responsibilities in life.  I don't know how I am going to do that right now but I can say this, Netflix is going to have some serious down time over the next 4 months. 

Act in Faith

Sometimes we do things as an act of faith.  Last week I was in a training put on by Church leaders that shared some ideas on things we can do to make the Sabbath more meaningful.  A couple of thoughts were to keep meals simple (this is something I have thought about for a long time and have practiced doing though not every week and it is certainly nicer to not have the huge task of putting on a meal and cleaning every thing up), there was also talk of taking some time around the table to talk about things we learned.  There were other things talked about but these were what I worked on today with the kids.  The meal, pancakes.  That is easy.  I didn't have pancakes myself because I am not eating that kind of stuff at the moment but the kids enjoyed them.  The discussion at the table was interesting.  The boys learned in primary about Lehi and his family going into the wilderness.  We talked about what happened and how the different members of Lehi's family felt.  We talked about how hard it would be to do that today though Andy had some good ideas for food which came down to his favorite pop-tarts.  We talked about how we aren't being asked to leave our things and travel to the wilderness but we are asked to treat the Sabbath day different than other days.  I'm not going to say that the kids were really excited about this, well, one was definitely not excited.  I don't know that we do a bad job on the Sabbath but there are some things we can improve upon and so that is what we need to look at.  Anyway, it was a good conversation around the dinner table that also included talk of dinosaurs and the earths creation and other strange ideas that were discussed in the youth class today. We also talked about light and the talks shared in Sacrament meeting about staying close to the light and that the light represents the Savior.  I would have to say that the dinner and discussion were successes. 

We had an invitation in Elder's Quorum last week to not just read the scriptures but to talk to someone about what we read.  I decided that as a family we would not just read tonight but we would talk about what we were reading and apply it in our lives.  This is something we have done before but not consistently.  The invitation was to see how many days we could go with doing this. I think it was a great addition to scripture time and it will be good to spend more time thinking about what we are reading and talking about how it applies to us.  It makes it more than going through the motions and brings added meaning to scripture time.  I like it. 

Anyhow, we hear and are taught a lot of things.  Sometimes I am not as diligent as I should be in putting into practice some of these things.  Today I tried to act in faith and I believe that things went better.  We will continue to act in faith and trust in the Lord that he will provide strength in ways we otherwise would not receive. 

Hours of Math

Today from a little before 4 to a little before 7 I worked on my math assignments for Monday.  This is supposed to be the simple stuff and it is taking me forever.  Actually, from what the professor posted this online course is a lot harder and much more time consuming.  That description would have been helpful prior to signing up for the class and buying the non refundable program.  Well, I am doing my best with it and hopefully I am grasping everything well.  I think I am, some things are taking a bit to sink in but the way the system works seems to work for me as it allows me to see my mistakes and though understanding how to do it right isn't always easy it begins to sink in after a bit.  That is good.  The time taken is a little concerning to me as I have 3 other classes to worry about, well two really.  The third just requires me to go and work out 45 times during the semester.  I think I can handle that. 

Speaking of hours and math, if I look at the time and figure in what time church starts in the morning I can see that I am digging into my precious sleep time here.  If I hurry I can still get nearly 8 hours of sleep and that really wouldn't hurt my feelings at all.  Thank goodness for more complex math, without it I probably wouldn't have been able to calculate that.  On second thought, we're talking about sleep, I can calculate that pretty much any time, any place. 

Schooling

We were all schooling it up today.  Natty had gone back yesterday, I also had class yesterday, the boys stayed home and slept yesterday but today we all went to school. It was good to get them all back to school and they all seem to have had a good day.  Natty said she was really tired today and that is completely understandable after a big trip, delayed flight and long drive home in the wee hours of the morning.  She should have been exhausted.  Hopefully everyone will adjust over the weekend and school will be a little easier next week.  I don't know that the work is going to be any easier for me next week but I will do my best.  Anyhow, it was a fine day and I am ready for some fine sleep.  

A Little Late

Yesterday I purchased a non refundable program for my online math class.  Today the professor who is over the online course sent out an announcement that the online class is much harder and more time consuming than the face to face course.  Imagine my delight in reading this statement.  I was quite overjoyed at the prospect of having to do more work, spend more time and ultimately take a harder class.  I am already so comfortable with math so knowing it is the harder road just makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, well, more nauseated than fuzzy or warm.  I will do the best that I can do.  I am committed at this point as I have spent the money and maybe this is the best option for me anyway.  I don't know.  I think this is the kind of news one should broadcast before students go and purchase a non refundable program. Well, it is done so I will press forward and do my very best. 

Holy _ _ _ _ We Made It!

After escaping from Lopan the great, and I mean great Jack Burton exclaims "holy shiz we made it" and that is exactly how I feel right now.  I am completely exhausted and feel it was truly a miracle that we pulled into Cedar. 

To start things off the flight was delayed over two hours coming out of Seattle, they say it was weather related out of Vegas.  Anyway, it was delayed.  The plane landed a couple hours late and then it takes forever to get the kids off the plane since they get off last.  People just kept coming.  Anyway, sometime after 10 we were loading the car and starting our journey home.  When we got out of Mesquite we his some rain and the car was having traction problems.  It was struggling.  Somehow we managed to make it through the gorge and into St. George without a problem. It was slow moving at times but not near as slow as what it became well south of the Black Ridge.  We were in blizzard like conditions and things were a bit hectic.  Somehow we had the good fortune of having a Highway Patrol officer pass us and then hang out with a semi and then a fire engine.  I stuck to their tracks as closely as possible.  It was brutal.  I was white knuckling it.  We get into Cedar after white knuckling it and bam, I can't get the car to pull out of the lightly snow covered intersection at the south side of town.  It was a struggle but I got it.  There was a lot of praying going on.  It was good.

I am so tired right now that I just need to call it a night.  

In Recovery

I woke up this morning after sleeping in and was feeling much better than I did yesterday.  I am still having some stomach issues and my head was pounding but constantly feeling like I was going to throw up was gone, that qualifies as much better.  I actually was able to take care of a few things at the house, take care of some things at the Brick House, take care of some things at the store as supplies were needed for the Brick House among other things.  I was able to function much better.  That is good.  I will have a full day tomorrow with classes and then a road trip to pick up the kids.  Hopefully my day in recovery will allow me the strength to make the trip without any issues.  I am certainly looking forward to having the kids home.  They are wonderful and I miss them.  In a little less than 22 hours from now they will be landing in Vegas and then we will make the drive home.  Exciting times. 

Coming Around Again

I am in miserable condition tonight.  I went to bed feeling great last night but woke up with round two of the flu or whatever it is.  I have spent a majority of the day on the toilet and in bed.  Not a fun day.  I feel like a wet fart waiting to happen.  It isn't pretty.  I just managed to get down a piece of toast and hope it helps.  I had a Gatorade earlier but the body was not a fan of that.  I had to take care of a couple business things and managed to make it through.  It wasn't the most pleasant but we did it.  I am grateful for that strength because I don't feel good at all right now.  Also got my fees paid for SUU.  I am puzzled as to why I have fees on top of the most expensive tuition in the state but whatever.  I am grateful to have grants to cover the majority of it but it isn't easy to scrape a few hundred dollars together to pay for fees and then to have to scrape even more together for books.  I'll get to pick those up either tomorrow or Wednesday.  School begins on Wednesday and I hope to be moving on from whatever this is.  I will also be driving to Vegas and back on Wednesday evening to pick up the kids.  If I am feeling this crappy it isn't going to be the most pleasant drive but I am quite excited to have the kids home.  Sorry to be a downer today, I just feel horrible. 

9 AM Church

I maintain that the best time for the three hour block of church meetings to begin is 10 AM.  I loved that about Florida where there were very few wards per building, typically one, so the start time was 10 AM.  Done by 1 PM and plenty of time for an afternoon nap as well as some excellent family time.  The next best time for church in my opinion is the 9 AM start time and with the start of the new year our ward moved from 1 PM to the 9 AM.  I am quite happy about that.  I don't know that I was particularly thrilled at 6:20 AM when I had to get up for a ward council meeting but I survived and my three hour block turned into a 5 hour block but it all worked out just fine.  I came home with no meetings for the remainder of the day and settled in for an afternoon nap.  It was wonderful. 

I was invited to dinner by the Leko's so at 5 I headed over to their home. I have certainly grown to love the Leko family.  Kaden and I share the same birthday though 6 years apart and we have served as home teaching companions for the last 2 years.  We also served together in the 11 year old scouts for a year and had much success there with the boys. I was his first home teaching companion after he joined the church and it has been a wonderful experience watching him grow. Tonight I got to learn a little more about their family and enjoyed my visit there. They have so much to offer and are truly wonderful people. I quite enjoyed the visit and dinner.  Aiden, their 4 year old, is a kick and he showed me many a toy tonight including some enormous dinosaur thing he got for Christmas.  It was awesome.

Anyway, this was intended to be about 9 AM church.  I am excited for the time change this year and the early morning meetings are well worth the afternoon nap though I can't sleep the entire afternoon away as there are important things we can be doing as a family to further the Lords work.  Part of the meeting this morning was training on the Sabbath day and I heard things I quite liked like simple meals, time with family, discussions about what was learned, singing songs together, serving others and a number of other things.  It is easy when we think about things we should and should not do on the Sabbath to start counting steps and to get caught up in technical lists of garbage instead of focusing on what sign we want to give to the Lord.  I think the goal is to have families spending time together, away from the things of the world and engaged in things that will draw them nearer to the savior and further his work.  Napping may not be the most productive way to do that but Elder Bednar talked about the Sabbath being a day of refreshment, meaning a time to be refreshed.  That opportunity to rest from my labors and to get a little nap is quite refreshing to me. We have a Family History class that we are starting in a couple of weeks and I think I will try to sit in on that as much as possible to learn more about that work and how that can help us draw nearer to the Lord on the Sabbath.  There are other things we have discussed doing but have not officially started like making and taking pies to friends and fellow ward members.  We have done some of that but only once or twice over the last few years. I would like to do more.  So 9 AM church.  I am a fan.  Not only for the afternoon nap but also for other things we can do on Sunday.  

The Cleanse

I realize this is a new year and there are many who are all about the diet and eating healthy.  Though the title of this post may lead you to believe it is about some new diet craze or the ridding my body of toxins it actually has absolutely nothing to do with dieting.  Our biggest loser competition doesn't start until Monday and I am thankful for that.  I just pounded a steak burrito from the Costa Vida and found it to be quite delicious.  It is pretty much my last meal before heading into the competition.  I had to make it something good.  I guess I still have tomorrow to splurge before full commitment must kick in and quest to be the biggest loser begins. 

Okay so enough of the diet talk.  My cleanse reference is about the house.  I spent the day cleaning in one way or another.  I started in the boys room where I was met with a mild mess that turned out to be not so mild.  When I got to Jacks bed I found sunflower seed shells everywhere.  I also found several wrappers from his breakfast bars and what not.  The boy had trash stuffed in his headboard.  I believe it has been removed.  I threw away a few things and got the room all situated.  There was also laundry today, sweeping and vacuuming out the house. I've still got  laundry to fold which will make for a very exciting rest of my day.  The house feels good.  The cleanse has been worth it.  Now I will go and rest easy or so I hope. 

New Years Day 2016

I slept in and had absolutely no problem with it.  It felt so good.  I think I got up sometime between 10 and 10:30.  It was wonderful.  I had thought about going in and pressure washing the hood at work and did manage to pull the pressure washer out of the back yard or side of the house.  It made it all the way to the garage.  That is about as far as it got.  By noon I was on my way to the folks for a little family lunch and white elephant gift exchange.  This was exciting because in this exchange we actually commit to display whatever our white elephant is for a year.  I think we say front room but last year the horse painting that I got ended up in the bathroom where it hangs proudly on the wall.  Actually the colors go well with the bathroom and I have no intention of taking it down now though Dave just indicated that he would love to have it back.  Tough call.  This year I came home with a wonderful coconut that has decorative fish and a personal message on it.  It is beautiful. 

Laura, Nigel and fam left shortly after the exchange was over as did Dave and Dani.  It was good to spend a little time with family that could be here.  We certainly missed everyone that couldn't be here.

New Years Eve 2015

As I sit and write this New Years Eve has passed.  It is 1 in the morning so we are in 2016.  Time goes so quickly these days.  It is hard to believe that 2015 is over. 

I went in and worked for a while today.  Played around with a new sandwich for a bit.  It was good.  We called it the barnyard and after thinking it was so original and a great name Dave came in and let me know that Wingers had a barnyard sandwich, he had one and it was good.  They don't have it any longer. Well, my little creative bubble burst but it doesn't change the fact that our barnyard was excellent.  Had one of our chicken patties and a 50/50 bacon burger.  We hit the cow, pig and chicken on this sandwich and it was actually quite good.  Definitely a fun way to eat in the new year.

Had a meal at the Brick House a little later with the fam.  It was good stuff.  The evening was moving a little slow but it had picked up a bit.  Not quite as busy as the day before but still decent for December.  The month ended somewhat on the strong side and that was good. 

We had a fun evening at the folks house following our meal.  We played a couple games, had a little spelling b, continued to have food, and enjoyed some great conversations.  The folks, Dan and Amy, Nigel and Laura, their kids, and myself were the party animals.  Dave came over a little later and we had a good conversation around the dinner table on a variety of subjects.  It was a good visit.  I am grateful for my family.  Now, I must ring in the new year right with the sounds of snoring.