Brad's Life

Finally!

2009-07-16T15:23:00.017-06:00

Here's the update finally. Lots of pics and a video or two. Kim and I were in California for 2 weeks visiting her family and house sitting for her parents the week they went up to girls camp with Kim's younger sister. It was so hot down there! It takes me back to my mission days biking around down there. Anyway, first off we went to the San Diego zoo a couple days before the 4th of July. It's huge and way awesome. Here come the pics!

Kim loves otters, so I'll start with one!

The tigers were kinda hiding but I caught this one.

The hippo was awesome, he came right up to the glass. He's huge!

Koalas

We took the Skyfari across the zoo and went right over the the gorillas.
Everyone loves the meerkats, they are actually smaller than I thought in real life.

The California Condors can have a wingspan of 10ft!
A kapibara

This lynx was kinda irritated so I took a video.

Black Panther

Snow Tiger
Giraffes

Hyenas

The elephants were pretty sweet.
The polar bear was huge and we watched him for a while.

I had a lot more photos, but these were some of my favorites. For the 4th, Kim invited some friends to a little bbq at her parent's house and for some fireworks. She made a lot of fun little snacks and I think she posted em on her own blog. We didn't go to any big fireworks show but her dad had gone and bought a ton of fountains and other things for us to set off.

Quick Update

2009-07-05T09:16:00.003-06:00

It's been pretty crazy lately with traveling to California so I haven't really sat down to blog what's been going on. I have lots of pictures/video to post of...well a ton of stuff. So Hopefully within next day or so I'll sit down and sort it all out.

Take me out to the...rain delay!

2009-06-26T21:39:00.003-06:00

So my Dad got some tickets to go see the Albuquerque Isotopes (minor league baseball). The big deal about this game is that Manny Ramirez, pro baseball player for the LA Dodgers was playing for the Isotopes for a few games before he comes out of his suspension from the Majors due to steroid use. Just as we get to the ballpark it starts to rain and does so on and off for a while before the game starts. An announcement comes over the loud speaker saying that the Dodgers pulled Manny from the game because of the weather conditions. So after a lot of boos and jeering from the crowd, the game finally got started. We only stayed a couple innings because it started to rain more, but it was still fun to go to my first real ball game in a while. Because Manny didn't play everyone can trade in their ticket stubs for any other game this season, so hopefully we'll have a chance to go again later this summer. Here are some pics. First couple are just of the tarp covering the field.

I'm so exhausted and tired!

2009-06-24T23:57:00.000-06:00

Well early this morning I got up and went golfing with dad and one of his doctor friends from work. We went to a pretty nice little course in Santa Fe. It was alot of fun and I did ok. I just really need to work on my putting the most probably. Anyways, that took alot out of me and was pretty tired by the time we got back home. Then we decided to go swimming at the local pool at the park pretty close to dad's house. It had been a long time since I went swimming so it was a lot of fun. Here's a pic.

With all the sun exposure I had today my face is pretty darn red. I did use sunblock but I guess going in and out of the pool a couple times didn't help. So I'm pretty tired...and of course here I am, up late on the computer. Well, just wanted to get this in....and tomorrow should be a pretty fun day too!

Today's picture

2009-06-23T23:19:00.003-06:00

So today we went to see 'The Soloist' at the cheap theater here. It was good, but I was expecting more from the previews that I had seen. Kim thought that some of the parts could have been directed better. But it was worth the $4. After that we went and walked around Target a bit just to pass some time so I snapped a pic of us with my phone. You can tell Kim just loves when I take pictures of her. LoL.

Gotta get up early for golfing with dad tomorrow. Kim hates it when I'm gone too long, she said we will never live close to a golf course or something to that effect. We'll see honey!

A little revamping and back into the swing of blogging

2009-06-22T02:06:00.003-06:00

Well obviously it has been a loooong time since I posted anything. I still like to blog and I guess I just went through a stretch where I didn't feel like it. But with all the free time I have, I decided to get back to it. The picture at the top is just something I through together for now and i'm sure Kim will want me to remove it anyway, so it might not stay there long. My music no longer automatically starts playing, I know that is annoying to some people. I put new songs on my list too which are ones i've recently been enjoying.

My new endeavor is to take a picture-a-day and post it. So i'll start now! This is Kim hiding under the covers. I thought it was cute and it really makes her eyes stick out! Love you hun!

Keep your eyes peeled for more frequent updates (let's really hope!)!!!!

...and 2 months later.

2009-04-10T16:03:00.002-06:00

Well, I have not had a lot to blog about the past couple months. Kim and I haven't been real active. We just like being together, and that just might be boring to the rest of you lol. But now that Kim drove home to give her sister her car, I'm alone for almost a week. I was most worried about her driving alone the whole way, and after I knew she got there safe I was good. It's been boring though. I've just been watching movies and TV alot, and yes video games (duh).
Kim left me a nice big cleaning/chore list to do while she's away. I think I'll take care of that...um yeah. I'll get to it lol. I'll probably be helping someone move out of their apartment tomorrow. they offered free pizza! Then Sunday i'll be singing in the ward choir for easter. Monday i'll be hanging out with our friend Mark since his wife will be outa town too. He also served in my misson. He's also our home teacher so it's nice.

I miss Kim alot though. We haven't been away from eachother more than like...a few hours since we were married...wow I think it's true. We do spend every moment together! So this is a real bummer, can't wait till she gets back. Time goes slow...real slow. It seems like she is really enjoying herself at "home" though so i'm glad she could go. We text and talk online though so it's bearable lol.

Anyways...I think I'm gonna take a shower and maybe go out to get some food, and some special easter shopping so Kim and I can have our belated easter together when she gets back next week ^.^

Back at it.

2009-02-11T10:42:00.003-07:00

I decided I should get back to posting, it has been a while. Married life is just too much fun to blog lol. Anyway, there are things going on I can post about I guess.

Kim and I are for sure going to be working in Yellowstone park this summer at Flagg ranch. We've sent in all our paperwork and deposit and just need to show up there on May 18th..or 19th I forget. It's only a 2-3 hr drive to where we are going so it's not bad. Also, we just bought plane tickets yesterday to head back east to my hometown for a week in the beginning of March. I have not been there for over a year. It will be great to show Kim around where I grew up and catch up with old friends. Mom said she will hold an open house for us so that should be fun. It will also get us out of our apartment for a while since we don't do much currently anyway.

As far as school, I've emailed them 3 times trying to find out my status on whether or not I am able to change my major. I haven't heard back yet and that's one of the reasons I deferred this semester. I couldn't register for classes without it being changed. I just wish I could get it over with.

"It's probably not a good idea to be chewing on a toothpick if you're talking to the president, because what if he tells a funny joke and you laugh so hard you spit the toothpick out and it hits him in the face or something."

It's been a ride!!!

2009-01-16T22:39:00.003-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a looong time. Once the holidays rolled around there was no stopping the madness! Well anyway, of course I'm married now! January 3rd was definitely the best day of my life. The sealing was amazing and it's the best feeling to be with Kim forever. It's been 13 days now and I learn to love her more everyday. We got back to Idaho only a few days ago and moved into our little apartment. It's the coolest feeling to have a place of our own now with all the moving around we've done in the past month or so. I hate driving! We've been back and forth from So-Cal a lot. I'm ready to settle down for a while. Anyway we've got mostly moved in and organized. There are a few things we need to get for the apartment still. It's amazing all the things we have to think about now that we are married. It is a bit overwelming but it's totally worth it. I'll try to update more now that we are settled in.

"If you're a horse, and someone gets on you, and falls off, and then gets right back on you, I think you should buck him off right away. "

It's been...2 weeks since I blogged at all!

2008-12-28T22:03:00.003-07:00

With the excitement of the semester ending and the holidays, I really didn't have blogging in mind. So anyway I went with Kim down to California for Christmas. We mostly just chilled and had alot of fun. It was nice to have a break. She got me guitar hero World Tour which is so sweet!! I got her a wireless mouse, a space heater (because we do live in Idaho lol), some chocolate covered cherries, a little camera case, and a tool set (yes she's always wanted one).
Of course the even more exciting thing coming up is that we are getting married in 6 days! It's so close! We came back up here to Idaho for a few days so she could meet with the stake president here. We hope to move some stuff into our apartment the next couple days before we head down to Vegas for the wedding. There is so much snow here! We had a scary experience on the highway coming up here yesterday. We ended up going into a 360 spin at 60 mph...yeah a little scary. We bumped into the huge snow drifts on the side of the road and spun right back going the right direction. I do believe I need to get my tires realigned though, it gets shaky if we go faster then 40mph or so. We'll take care of that and everything else tomorrow hopefully. Hopefully the weather won't get too bad before we leave again.
All I can really focus on right now is getting married to Kim. I've never in my life been so happy and excited as I am now. =)

“If I lived back in the wild west days, instead of carrying a six-gun in my holster, I'd carry a soldering iron. That way, if some smart-aleck cowboy said something like 'Hey, look. He's carrying a soldering iron!' and started laughing, and everybody else started laughing, I could just say, 'That's right, it's a soldering iron. The soldering iron of justice.' Then everybody would get real quiet and ashamed, because they had made fun of the soldering iron of justice.”

Oh...just 1 week!

2008-12-07T20:34:00.003-07:00

School is one week from finished...I am so fed up and frustrated with it...I don't wanna even talk about it. All I think about lately is Kim and how we are never going to have to be apart again after this week. It looks like I will be going down to California with her over the Christmas break...then we get married on January 3rd! It's just getting so hard to leave her when I have to come back to Rexburg for class or she has to leave here to go back to Idaho Falls...I know, sounds lame. It's only 30 minutes away. We are just so attached now that we never want to be apart. I guess it's a good thing that we love being together so much. I am so weird, and she loves it. I don't think I will miss the single life one bit though. I am so ready to be done with it.

I got released from my calling as ward executive secretary today. I've had that calling for a whole year...I almost feel lost without it. I'm sure we'll be hit up for callings as soon as we move into our new ward anyway. It was one of the best experiences I've had here at BYU-I, as time consuming as it was. It will be nice to have a break. I keep getting the feeling like they need me though. I know it's not true, they will be fine I'm sure. Oh! For social dance we had a competition this week as part of our grade. Saturday my waltz partner and I got 6th place out of like 60 or more couples competing. We didn't expect to make it past the 2nd round but they kept calling us back. So 4 rounds and a final and we got a ribbon!

Thanksgiving Week

2008-12-02T10:27:00.005-07:00

Well it was a pretty fun week, but a ton of driving! Kim and I left Sunday afternoon and went down to my sister's in Orem for the night before we started the long haul down to her home in Desert Hot Springs. I love every time I get to see my nieces! They are so cute! The next morning we headed out around 9 and started the journey. Kim talked me into listening to Twilight on audio book. We had seen the movie the Saturday before. It was real good. I am the type who if they see the movie they will never read the book. So listening was an easy option since it didn't require effort on my part. Of course those who read the books first had a huge problem with how the movie missed out on some details...well duh, you can't fit everything in a movie from a book, unless you want it to be 5 hrs. Would you rather they not made a movie? Stop complaining(lol to noone in particular as there are more then a few people who have the same complaint). Anyway so listening to Twilight was fun, I thought the movie represented it well. The second half of the file was corrupted so we couldn't finish it on the way down but I fixed it later on and we finished it later in the week.
We spent a couple days in California with Kim's family just hanging out and went to Knotts Berry Farm which is a way fun theme park. We went on all the big rides at least once and got to do everything we wanted to. The weather was slightly damp so not many people were there which was nice so we didn't have to wait in long lines. It was a lot of fun. We went out to dinner afterwards and I got this huge seafood platter that had fish, fried clams, breaded shrimp, crab cakes, and a couple sides...It was huge but I finished everything but the crab cakes which really I don't like much anyway. It was way tasty. Kim ended up getting sick when we got back, probably from something we ate...maybe the funnell cake. So she kinda went to bed early...well early is relative I guess. I stayed up and played Rock Band with her brother-in-law and her sister's boyfriend for a while before I headed to bed myself.
The next morning(Thanksgiving Day) we left early and headed up to Las Vegas where my family was for the holiday. Since we were originally gonna be married on Nov 26th, they decided to all keep with their plans and go anyway. So we went up there and ate a Thanksgiving buffet at one of the big hotels there. I really liked it, and Kim got to have her cranberry sauce so all was well.
The next day we got up around 7 to do some Black Friday shopping. Of course i'm not hardcore so we didn't get up super early or anything. We wnt to Fry's electronics first and got some good deals on a wireless router, some external hard drives, and some laptop cooling bads. Then we went to Wal-Mart and Kim got a lot of $2 movies. We watch a lot of movies! We have no life! After that we went and got our marriage license. That was a neat experience, knowing everyone else in line was also getting married...it is Vegas! It was nice to know that we have that taken care of before January comes around. A month and 1 day!! The next day everyone took off so we started our drive back up north. We finished Twilight and started on the second book of the series, New Moon. I really like listening to the books since it doesn't waste my time reading when I should be doing something else, and keeps me occupied when I'm bored driving. We stopped in St. George and went to the temple and took some pics. Then we continued on up to Alpine where we stayed with her aunt and uncle and their family for the night and went to church with them in the morning. After church we set off up to Salt Lake and visited Temple Square. I hadn't been there since I was a lot younger. It was real neat and of course Kim took some pictures. After that we finally made our way back up to Idaho...sad day. The realization that our vacation was over sunk in. Oh well, you gotta get back to work at some point.
The last couple weeks of school are gonna be busy. I have a huge program to do and it's gonna be tough. I really need to work on it. I'm definitely worried about the calculus final too. It will be such a relief when it's over. Then I don't have anything to worry about and can look forward to getting Married to Kim on January 3rd! I can't wait! I love you Kim!

"Love is not something that you can put chains on and throw into a lake. That's called Houdini. Love is liking someone a lot."

Whoa...where have I been?

2008-11-20T15:07:00.003-07:00

9 days! Geesh! It seems like I made that last post like 4-5 days ago. Oh well.

Anyways, life is good. I am so ready for Thanksgiving break! I just need to take a calculus test tomorrow then I'm done. As far as plans for the break, Kim and I are gonna be around till Sunday then gonna head down to Utah and hang with Jenna's family for a day probably. Then I think we are gonna end up going down to California for Thanksgiving stopping in Vegas on the way down and maybe on the way back where my family will be. That will be convenient because we can go get our marriage license taken care of while we are there. Not that we probably couldn't get it the day of the wedding...it is Vegas! At least we will be prepared. Nothing else is gonna get in the way of everything going as planned! So it will be a fun trip, allot of driving though. Blah. At least I'll have Kim along with me. Never have to drive long trips alone again! <3 I could just say allot of mushy lovey-dovey stuff about Kim, but I'll try not to sound like the girl in the relationship lol. She constantly reminds me of how sensitive I am already. I owe that to growing up with 4 sisters I guess. lol.

I really only have 1 big project left for my programming class. It's a huge program simulating a tournament of sports games. It's gonna be insane. Then for social dance class we have group performances and a competition to do yet. It's been a fun class. Our group is doing the foxtrot to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Foxtrot is the most boring of the dances we've done so we weren't very excited to get it. There are 18 of us in the group and have to make up our own dance. I'm still up in the air for next semester...I'm still trying to get my major changed and I haven't registered for classes....I can't actually till it goes through since I had to petition(I have way too many credits). I might not get the classes I need.

Kim and I applied for this summer job in Wyoming at a ranch. It looks way fun, and we might just be able to live in her parent's RV, although housing for employees is free aside from the $8 a day for meals, which is not bad. We could end up doing alot of different jobs there. It would give us something fun to do as well. Plus not having to pay rent for an apartment for a few months would be nice. It's only 2.5 or 3 hrs from Rexburg too. It's called Flagg Ranch Resort.

"If you had a school for professional fireworks people, I don't think you could cover fuses in just one class. It's just too rich a subject."

R U Serious!?

2008-11-11T10:43:00.004-07:00

Wow, has it really been over a week since i've blogged!? Ok, so I guess there's some stuff to blog about. Kim and I went down to Utah this last weekend. Her cousin was having his farewell so her parents and sister came up from California as well. He's going to Nashville Tennessee on his mission. He already seems like a country boy so he should fit in. We actually went down Friday morning and only stayed one night since Kim had to work Saturday afternoon. It was plenty of time for her to go dress shopping with her mom, aunt, sister, and Jenna. She doesn't really like trying on stuff much so she was kinda spent after trying on a few. She already had her mind set on the one she already knew she liked, so it was kinda pointless. She just wants to marry me, so it wasn't much of a desire to try on lots of dresses. LoL. She's happy with the one she likes. That means I'm happy. So that was a fun little trip. Plus I got to see my neices! Izzy makes this funny new face....like she is scowling at you. Let me see if I can upload this pic from my phone...there we go.
Haha I love it. Well in other news, we've had to set back the date for getting sealed until January 3rd. There were some unforeseen timing conflicts that couldn't be avoided. It kinda sucks to have to wait an extra 5 weeks, but it will be worth it. It works better for most people too. I'm just not sure if I am gonna lose my deposit on our housing or not. I better call them. Maybe they can keep our deposit for January...or maybe just keep our current plans since one of us can live there before we get married. Kim would be closer. A lot closer, but then she would have to commute to Idaho Falls to work at Sam's Club. So i'm not sure what we should do yet with the apartment. If we lose our deposit we might as well just move stuff in when originally planned.

School is just a bother right now. I don't even want to be taking classes. I would rather be working and feeling like I'm doing something productive with my life, and school just isn't giving me that right now. I may decide not to take classes come January...the semester starts less than a week after we get married. Just thinking about starting another semester bugs me. I worry too much as usual. I've got a test today and tons of homework to be doing. Later!

"When I saw the old bum pushing his grocery cart down the street, at first I felt sorry for him. But then when I saw what was in his cart I thought, Well, no wonder you're a bum, look at the dumb things you bought."

Sorry Jenna!!

2008-11-03T09:04:00.002-07:00

Ok, it has been a while and Jenna is on my case about it. There's not a whole lot of new stuff to blog about. It's now officially the month I get married. Yay!! I am really excited! School has been more of a nuisance though. It definitely is true that when you are engaged, everything else seems to be less of a priority. I know that isn't good, but I just wanna get done with this semester. I am so indecisive too. I recently realized I'm not in the major I really wanna be in...so yeah I have over 100 credits and to change majors would be a hassle, but I've already talked to an advisor and things may work out. I dunno. I hate school. Blah!

It seems like most people have gotten our wedding announcements by now. I think we should of had more printed though since Kim's mom started printing her own out on photo paper on her computer. Oh well...and umm I can't think of anything else to write about really. I am just loving Kim more everyday. It's getting harder to be apart when we aren't together. When i'm in class i'm thinking about her...in church...when she's working she doesn't have her phone with her all the time so we don't get to text unless she is on her break. It sucks! I guess it is a good thing that I'm so attached to her though, we will be spending our whole lives together! We can start moving stuff into our apartment on the 19th which is just over 2 weeks from now. Things are getting closer! Well later!

“I hope that someday we will be able to put away our fears and prejudices and just laugh at people.”

Brightwood concert and the weekend...thus far.

2008-10-26T01:28:00.003-06:00

On Thursday Kim and I drove 2.5 hours out to Twin Falls to see Brightwood in concert. They are Kim's favorite band of all time and this is the first concert she has been able to go to. They aren't very well known and I don't know why. They were pretty awesome! The place they performed at was called The Shop, which was back a dirt road in what looked like a big storage unit which someone converted into a venue for musicians by adding a stage. There were really not that many people who were there, which made it pretty awesome because we could get up close and personal with the performers. The one other group touring with Brightwood was Jonathan Stark who was way good as well and I got his CD. Kim got Brightwood's new CD as well. She got it signed by all the band members and was pretty much ecstatic that she was there and got to meet them. It was definitely worth the trip.

Otherwise, school has been a huge pain as usual. If I thought this last week was bad, I'm thinking this next week will be similar. I have so much homework to do for Monday...which I always put off till Sunday anyway since I'm spending all my time with Kim. It's exactly 1 month till we are married! We are both really excited for it. She can actually move into our apartment Nov. 19th and live there before we get married, so the last week before the break she will at least be 2 mins away instead of 25.

Today we had breakfast at Denny's then went to Sam's Club where she just started working. She put my name on the membership so I got my own club card!! I had never been there before but it was way sweet. Well it's like 1:45am now and I need to get up early for church meetings. Till next time.

"I hope that someday we will be able to put away our fears and prejudices and just laugh at people."

Cause I love Her with all that I am!

2008-10-21T10:57:00.004-06:00

I have the best fiance ever! I was really dreading last night because I had 2 big tests today, one which I took this morning, and another this afternoon sometime. I was going to end up studying all night and being miserable. We had FHE out at the straw maze here in Rexburg and we got back around 8:30 or so. So I go into the apartment and just start getting ready to study when Kim texts me and wants me to go check and see if she lost her wallet in my car over the weekend. So I go out and there she is, sitting beside my car with a huge gift bag. I was very surprised, and so happy to see her. She knew it was gonna be a tough week for me and she wanted to do something nice. There was alot in the bag. Let's see...a bag of cheddar rice snacks, sour patch kids, 2 liter of Mountain Dew (even though she hates caffeine), chocolate truffles, a cookie we made over the weekend, The Tremors attack pack with all 4 Tremors movies, a deck of playing cards, a small Lego set (woohoo!), a couple dollars to spend on her when we go get ice cream next, a mix cd she made, and a card. Hope I didn't miss anything!! But that's exactly what I needed! She is always surprising me and this was a big one! I love her so much!! She stuck around while I studied, although she distracted me a bit so I didn't get as much studying done as I should have. A small price to pay to have her around more :D And the test this morning really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. So here I am eating that cookie (which is shaped like a heart, totally unplanned) as I write this and wishing she were here! Only 36 short days till we will be together forever. I love you Kim!!!

"Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can’t change. Love deeply, forgive quickly, and take chances. Life’s to short to be unhappy."

The weekend

2008-10-20T17:15:00.003-06:00

Well this past weekend was pretty eventful! I of course spent most of the time with my wonderful fiance, Kim. There is just nothing I would rather do, than be with her. We are trying to finish up getting our announcements ready, I still need to get my list of addresses finished up. On Friday there was a concert downtown. One of Kim's favorite bands was there along with some others that were pretty good. Barcelona was who she wanted to see specifically, but Sherwood was the main performers. All in all it was a pretty good concert. We ended up having to leave a bit early though, my sister Jenna called me and told me that my niece Riley had broken her collarbone. Poor little girl! She had been climbing on chairs and ended up falling off. We ran up to the hospital and caught them as they were just finishing up. They are keeping her pretty drugged up though so it's not too bad lol. I'm sure you can get more of a story on Jenna's blog. The good news is that she is ok, and it will take a month or so for it to heal up.

Then on Saturday we went to eat at Craigo's with them. I love Craigo's, it's always a great meal! Kim went a bit overboard and ate alot more then usual, so she had a stomach ache for the next 24hrs lol. She doesn't have a very big stomach so she usually fills up pretty quick. I thought it was funny though. We decided to go to guitars unplugged Saturday night, which is way cool, I haven't missed it the past 3 semesters. There is some great talent here in Rexburg. One of the performances was from by guy in my mission. It was hilarious. Anyway, on a sad note I also found out right before we went that my friend Carrie broke her neck in a 4-wheeling accident earlier in the day and they took her to the ER in Idaho Falls. She broke 3 discs in her neck but isn't paralyzed, thankfully. Kim and I went to see her yesterday and I was surprised how cheery she was. She said it really didn't hurt much. She is such an optimistic person to begin with. She's going to be fine. She has tons of great family and friends around her to keep her spirits up.

I really didn't get as much homework done this weekend as I had wished, but that's life. This week is going to be killer though with midterms and other stuff due. On a good note my first block class is over today, so 2 days a week I can sleep in a bit more! Yes!!

"Fear can sometimes be a useful emotion. For instance, let's say you're an astronaut on the moon and you fear that your partner has been turned into Dracula. The next time he goes out for the moon pieces, wham!, you just slam the door behind him and blast off. He might call you on the radio and say he's not Dracula, but you just say, 'Think again, bat man.'"

Pics and Quirks

2008-10-14T14:01:00.006-06:00

Well I guess it's about time for an update again. Kim and I got our engagement pics back over the weekend. Of course Kim didn't like most of them at first, and I would have to agree that some weren't really what I was looking for but we found some that were pretty good! Kim posted some on her blog, but I guess I'll post some as well.

So there is a taste of them. We don't wanna put the best ones up since we are gonna use them for our invitations. We need to get on top of the address situation and start getting ready to send out the invites actually. Kim made up one herself which I really like. She's so crafty! I love it. I think it's funny how I am so chill about everything that is going on right now. I really am not worried at all about everything being ready when it needs to be. Plus I don't know if many other guys would let their fiance register for tons of pink stuff at Target and Bed, Bath, and Beyond either. I guess I'm just weird like that. Our colors are gonna be pink and green anyway, and I'm cool with that. I'm looking forward to wearing a pink tie actually. She promised me it wouldn't be hot pink though :D I just am so happy where I am right now. I have a girl who loves me for who I am and thinks all my little quirks are cute. I can't find a thing that I would want to change about her. Well, maybe her opinion on whole milk...lol but that isn't really important. She is the perfect girl for me. We have so many little quirks in common that we keep on realizing. Like last night we went to Wal-Mart and bought a cheap movie. White Noise 2, which is real good, btw. But when she was paying her bills had wheresgeorge.com written on them and she said she did it! And I love doing that! So if anyone hasn't seen that site before, go and check it out!

"People just naturally assume that dogs would be incapable of working together on some sort of construction project. But what about just a big field full of holes?"

Thanks Jenna...

2008-10-12T13:26:00.003-06:00

I got tagged by Jenna again.

8 TV shows I love to watch

1. The Office!
2. LOST
3. Mythbusters
4. How It's Made
5. Law and Order, any of the different ones.
6. Heroes
7. House, just way cool.
8. Monk

8 Things that happened yesterday

1. Spent time with Kim :D
2. Studied for Calculus Test.
3. Took Calculus Test.
4. Watched 'Catch and Release' with Kim
5. Ate Dominos pizza with Kim
6. Drove to Idaho Falls.
7. Spent more time with Kim!
8. Made out...lol

8 Favorite places to eat

1. Pita Pit
2. Texas Roadhouse
3. Denny's at 2am
4. Olive Garden
5. Arby's
6. Del Taco
7. Craigo's Pizza
8. Taco Bell

8 Things I am looking forward to

1. November 26th!
2. No more school...
3. I like winter :)
4. Being a father in the future
5. I always look forward to eating.
6. Getting a real job.
7. Living with Kim forever!
8. Heaven...but not for a while. Heaven can wait.

8 Things on my wishlist

1. Lots of money
2. To control time.
3. To never worry!
4. World peac...oh nm.
5. To know that I'm doing my best.
6. That everyone could be as happy as I am.
7. That Kim wasn't 30 mins away...that's still too far.
8. A wonderful life. And I know it will be :D

I kinda think these are annoying so I'm not gonna tag anyone.

I am taken, I am not my own.

2008-10-10T01:39:00.002-06:00

I figured, or rather was prompted to update my blog lol. The past week of school has kicked my butt, literally. Late nights, confusing homework, and just too much to sort out in a short 24hr day. Despite all of that, I guess all I really want to say is that I have never felt so blessed than I feel now. I am enthusiastically looking forward to November 26th, when I can finally be with Kim forever. She is indescribable, which means more to us then it might to the rest of you lol. The past week or so since we got engaged has been the best time of my life. And although I don't get to see her everyday as I would like, I can still feel her influence in my life. Every choice I make or action I take, she is always in the back of my mind, helping me to choose the best path. It's almost as if we are already becoming "one" as the Lord prayed to God the Father in John 17. "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us..."
I am beginning to realize what marriage and companionship is all about, and I am so excited to engage my whole being into this wonderful experience. Well, just some of my thoughts as of late. I love you Kim. I can't wait to see you! Hopefully tomorrow! <3

The reasons I love you.

2008-10-06T02:04:00.003-06:00

This post is dedicated to my fiance Kim. This weekend we went down to Utah. I had a mission reunion on Friday and it was totally awesome. I got to see and catch up with all my old mission buddies and mission President. It was also great to be able to introduce Kim to all everyone as my fiance! It was neat because she actually knew some of the missionaries from my mission since she lives down there! And no, we didn't meet while I was on my mission! I like to throw that in there. Sister Ewer didn't seem convinced at first though lol.

We then stayed with my sister Jenna and her family over the weekend to watch conference and just hang out. My sister loves Kim almost as much as I do! She is way excited about us getting married, and I really think that is awesome! My sister looks out for me and knowing that she likes Kim means alot to me. While we were there Kim and I also went to Target and created a gift registry there. It was quite entertaining actually. I'm not a big shopper, but this was very exciting! Kim loved the scanner gun and went to town!

Sadly the weekend came to a close way too quick and we started heading back up to Idaho after conference on Sunday. We stopped at her aunt and uncle's place in Alpine and chatted for a while and were getting ideas for wedding announcements and engagement pictures (which we need to do like yesterday). There's just so much to think about and plan for, but It's more exciting than stressful for me I think.

On the way back up we just enjoyed listening to music and talking. At one point in the drive she leaned over and put her head on my shoulder. I laid my head on hers and I could more clearly hear her singing along with the music. It was a beautiful thing, so cute, so attractive. She doesn't know this, but at one point I found myself with tears in my eyes. I just felt so lucky to have someone in my life who I know loves me as much as I love them back. All the small things she is constantly doing to remind me of her Love gives me such gratitude for her companionship.

Kim, I love you! I hope I can do more in the future to show you my love more than just by telling you. I know you are just as excited as I am to step into the next chapter of our lives together. Forever yours! <3

"In my wildest dreams, you always play the hero. In my darkest hour of night, you rescue me, you save my life."

Yes, I proposed!

2008-10-02T02:17:00.003-06:00

I got back real late tonight and was gonna just go to bed, but I'm just filled with so much emotion right now that I had to put it all somewhere! If you haven't already heard from a million other people, yes I proposed to Kim tonight! I wasn't planning on doing it until tomorrow or the weekend, but when you see an opportunity in life, you gotta just take it! It's not that she didn't know it was coming, because I know she knew it would happen eventually. It was definitely more of a surprise to her that it happened tonight! The great, elaborate story can be found on Kim's blog, so I will basically just tell you the short version and everything that I am feeling right now.

I took her out to eat at Carino's tonight in Idaho Falls, which was very good! You can't go wrong with Italian! Afterwards we went and walked around the Idaho Falls temple, just talking about our future. We found a stone bench and sat down and just talked about how we first met. It just felt so natural being able to kneel before her and ask the question that has been on my mind for many weeks now. I know that it's because our relationship is built so much more off of our personality and spiritual connection then the temporal. It had been over 3 weeks since we had seen each other last. She got back up to Idaho Tuesday night. The feeling of having her near me again could not be explained. I just knew that this is the woman I wanted to spend my life with. The love that she freely expresses to me makes me want to be a better person, a worthy husband, and eventually a righteous father. The date is set for November 26th in the Las Vegas temple. I love you Kim and I can't wait to spend eternity with you! <3

Life is stressful, but it's so great!!

2008-09-27T22:45:00.004-06:00

Whew with everything going on with school right now, I don't have much time to think about blogging. But there is much to say I guess. I talked with my bishop about the stresses of life and he gave me some great council and direction. It made me feel so much better to get some of these things out so someone could understand what I was going through. School has continued to be a worry, but I realize that as long as I try my very best to do the small important things everyday, then the Lord will give assistance when it is needed. It's something I've always known, but I need it repeated to me just as much as the next guy I guess.

The one thing going on in my life right now that makes me happy is my relationship with Kim. I love her more than anything. She and I have pretty much been dating since early summer. We haven't seen each other since the beginning of the month but she is finally making her way back up to Idaho. I'll get to see her in a few days and I am so excited. I can't get too much into detail about it yet though. There is much of the story that has yet to be written <3
I am really looking forward to having her close again. She is probably the one thing that has kept me sane during this crazy hectic time I'm having with school. I can't really say exactly how amazing she has been because I'll probably get all emotional If I think about it too much. LoL

So life is good. As rough as it has been the past year or so, I can honestly say I am happy. The next few weeks and months have so much in store. I can't wait to see what happens next! Till next time!

"One look, One smile, One touch, One embrace, One kiss, One love,Two people, Two minds, Two souls, Two destinies, One road, One journey, One ending, Together."

I got tagged!! The RULES....

2008-09-22T16:39:00.004-06:00

The RULES 1. Link the person who tagged you --- Jenna 2. Post these rules. 3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours. 4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them.

6 Unspectacular Quirks...

1. I love singing in the car by myself. Not just sing! I belt it!! I will often find myself losing my voice after a long road trip. If I were to see myself doing it I would probably think I was pretty strange!

2. I hate big groups of people....seems like a common theme among some of my blogging friends. like small groups of people who I know. I am definitely a shy person, although I try to hide it. I'd prefer the movie and popcorn over a dance party.

3. I have a very negative attitude towards school, which I wish I didn't have. I know it's important and will be a benefit to me once I do graduate. I just really don't like it right now!! It's so frustrating.

4. I procrastinate!! Even though I am so busy with homework and everything else, I find some small ways to put off doing what I need to do now! I've been alot better then I was in high school, but I think I don't like starting something that I know is gonna be frustrating to finish. Argh!!

5. I worry too much!! About everything! No wonder I am always so stressed out.

6. I don't accept help very often. I tend to want to do everything myself so I know the job is done right. I am realizing though that if I don't get some help in my classes this time around I'm in for a rough ride. When people ask me if I need anything I usually just say I'm fine. I think I either love torturing myself or just feel like I am inconveniencing someone else by asking for assistance. Plus I don't like to look dumb when I do get help.

Well that was fun...now to find 6 people to tag.
Barb
Allison
Vanessa
Coby
Adrienne
Phillips Family!

Blah.

2008-09-17T18:28:00.004-06:00

Ever since the weekend, which didn't really feel like a weekend, I've just been going crazy with homework and stuff. Where's the pause button? I need to rest. I've been trying my hardest to keep a positive attitude and just grind through it all. It gets real lonely though when you are stuck in your room doing homework all night. I do talk to friends online which is nice, they try to keep me going too. I guess I need to give thanks more, just to everyone who has been there for me. You know who you are and I want you to know what you guys mean to me! Thanks!

I have my first calculus test this week and I am so under prepared. I'm so behind on the homework because I barely have time to do it. My other 2 big classes, Electrical Circuits and Object-Oriented Programming are kicking my butt too with tons of work. I have a paper due Friday, program design Monday along with a presentation of my research paper. All that for one class. So I guess I should really be dreading the weekend! Haha oh well...nothing new. Life has always thrown me the short stick. I think the Lord knows I'll just take it anyway. Maybe I don't complain enough. I've always thought it would be great if we didn't have to sleep. I would have so much more time to get everything done. Right now I'm dreading the rest of the night since I'll be doing homework the whole time. But I'd like to avoid becoming an epic failure and graduate at some point. I better just get to it.

"I believe in making the world safe for our children, but not our children's children, because I don't think children should be having sex."

Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband

2008-09-14T17:01:00.003-06:00

Friday night I went to see the Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband concert here in Rexburg. Let me just say that it was so awesome! I haven't really followed them much lately. I saw them in concert like 9 years ago back in Pennsylvania when I went to EFY one year. I had won one of their CD's way back then which I still have today and is currently in my car's CD player. It was just a ton of fun! They are great performers and it was entertaining!

It was a nice break from everything else that's been going on lately, namely school! I probably should have stayed home and done homework instead....how sad is that? This weekend seriously didn't feel like a weekend. I've done so much homework and I have a ton more still to do for tomorrow. I hate being the pessimist but I just don't see the end of this tunnel. This is about as bad as it was at the end of last winter semester, so I don't want to think what it really will be like when it comes to that...if I even make it to that point. I almost want to stay mad and frustrated at the situation because even if I'm encouraged and told that it will all work out in the end...the fact is I'm still stuck in this situation and what I really want is some relief. And I just don't see how I will get it. I know I should be focusing on my important priorities right now like my classes and church responsibilities...and I am. It's all I have time for. I don't even know when I'll find time to go to the temple. It's something I really need in my life right now, and something I said I would do more this semester. How will I make time for it as well? I see everyone else out having fun and I'm just stuck inside doing homework all day. I seriously spent every night doing church stuff and in my room doing homework. It's only been 1 week. How can this be fair?

*don't have time to post a quote*

Who is that Guy?

2008-09-13T02:39:00.003-06:00

Who is that guy?
He is always out doing
How does he keep the pace?
So quiet and melancholy
I don't see much feeling
His eyes so focussed
Where is he going?
So hard to read
He gets to the point
No straying here or there
His countenance is cheerless
Do only I see this?
Who is that guy?

I am that guy
So busy yet distracted
I cannot keep this pace
So shy and unmotivated
The feeling is hidden within
I stare into nothingness
Wishing to find purpose
No words on my pages
I don't have time
For pleasures of sanity
My smile so forced
Only I know me
I am that guy

"Hundreds of years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove... But the world may be different because I did something so bafflingly crazy that my ruins become a tourist attraction."

My Take on this Semester

2008-09-10T23:22:00.002-06:00

Well I am definitely exhausted already after the first 3 days of classes. It's going to be an interesting semester if I don't crash and burn at some point. I'm taking Calculus, which I haven't had for 6 years. A Programming class which I dropped winter semester because I had too much on my plate (seems to be a common trend with me). Electrical Circuits, a 5 credit class stuffed into a 4 credit class, so it will be very demanding. A computer ethics class which will not be too bad, allot of group discussion and work. I think I will enjoy it. My "keep me sane" class will be social dance! It is way fun, and I have already met allot of cool people. Today we learned our first dance, the fox trot. Let's just say I'm a natural, at least all the girls I danced with said I was really good. That can't be a bad thing! And I may have even remembered most of their names! There is a test at the end of the semester on names....gotta know all 30 people of the opposite sex in the class. Won't be too hard when you dance with like 10 or more different partners each class.

My calling is keeping me pretty busy as usual, especially since it's the beginning of the semester. There's 100 more names I gotta learn lol! It's sad because even though I get to meet everyone in the ward, it's easy to tell who is not really with it....or rather not wanting to be a part of the ward. Sometimes I wonder how some people can be so self-absorbed and not give a care about being a participant in the gospel. I guess I shouldn't always compare myself to others though. I'm just so used to being active and in the middle of everything. Maybe my calling has made me a bit self-righteous, I dunno, I just love being a part of it all. I don't know why anyone else wouldn't want that too. The gospel is so great! A little effort brings huge blessings!

So as for if I'm gonna make it through the semester or not...I have my own doubts! I'm pretty sure I'll have homework every night for at least 2 hrs (thats what to expect from calculus alone). I'll just have to remember to have some sort of fun, when I can fit it in. We'll see!

"Despair is like a cable that is buried just under the surface of the ground. You pull it up and pull it up, but that cable just keeps right on going, clear across a field, until you come to a bunch of guys who are burying the cable. Then just walk up to them and go, 'Hey, have you seen Fred?' And they'll say, 'Fred who?' And you say, 'Fred of snakes?' Then cover your ears, because big laughs are coming."

Bonfires and Baptisms

2008-09-06T18:08:00.003-06:00

Last night was pretty good. I just needed to get out and take my mind off of things for a while. Some former roommates decided to have a bonfire out at Monkey Rock so I jumped on the opportunity to do something. It was the first time I had ever been out there...and don't ask me where it is because I would get so lost trying to find it again. It was just nice getting reacquainted with friends from prior semesters who are back in the ward again. I just love the smell of a bonfire! It makes me wanna go camping and just get lost in the wilderness. It would be great! So that was a nice getaway for a while.

This morning I had the opportunity to go and do baptisms at the Rexburg Temple. It was the first time going to the baptistry for me here. It was such an amazing experience though. I was invited by a good friend who hadn't been to the temple in a long time. It was neat being in there and being able to share that experience with her. I had the opportunity to confirm and baptize others. This service is so pure, so selfless, so important. It gives freedom to those who are waiting for it. It was very spiritual too. The whole time my mind was so free of the worries that have been plaguing me as of late. I could have stayed there all day just to have that peace. I know I need to go more often. I want to be a better servant. I want to be a better example. I know that as I strive to follow my Savior, I will always find happiness, even when working through trials and heartaches. I know it's true and I love it.

"Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy."

I swear he was 7....no 8ft tall!

2008-09-05T22:43:00.003-06:00

Ok so usually i'm a pretty complacent and calm guy. You don't want to mess with me though. So basically here I am back in Rexburg and already getting myself into trouble. I was just out with a few of my roomies shopping and what not at Wal-Mart (the best place on earth). So there are totally like a million people there since its the start of a new semester and it's crazy! So we're just walking around looking for our stuff when there is this shouting coming from the electronics department and this guy just starts running like mad to the exit holding a freaking computer keyboard. So i'm just standing in the isle in his way and so I pretty much just block him from leaving and he runs right into me. He swings the keyboard at me and knocks me right in the face...as you can tell. So now i'm getting all pumped up and pretty much tackle him down to the ground and start wailing on this dude like nobody's business. It didn't take too long for the security guys to show up bring some order to the whole situation....yes Wal-Mart has security! I think they are actually referred to as the theft prevention unit or something like that. But technically they can't do anything until they see the thief leave the store. Oh well...so now I have this sweet cut under my eye and on my forehead with a sweet story to tell people. That is...if anything I just told you was even remotely the truth. Hah. Gotcha. Anyone who really knows me would have known I was pulling their leg from the moment I even hinted at taking someone out. So the true story will remain a mystery, because hey, this one is so much more fun to tell.

"It makes me mad when people say I turned and ran like a scared rabbit. Maybe it was like an angry rabbit, who was going to fight in another fight, away from the first fight."

Life can be brutal.

2008-09-04T20:34:00.002-06:00

Well I guess I don't really know where to start this post. There has been a lot on my mind lately. It seems like every time something good happens in my life, there is always some thing or circumstance or event that likes to rear its ugly head and ruin the day. I'm flippin cursed! Someone doesn't want me to be happy and he is doing a mighty fine job at it.

I feel like I'm always in the dark...not knowing what the heck is going on...wishing someone would just give me a **** spotlight so I can see where the **** I'm going. At least that's what I'm saying to myself in my mind right about now. After such a nice week visiting the mission and just having a great time, I'm thrown 3 nice curve balls in a row. I guess I'm out. And I feel out...out of touch with normality, sensibility, and where I'm headed. Not that I am taking a turn for the worse or anything, I'm doing what I can to stay sane and complacent. The world around me is so off it's rocker sometimes that I am surprised I don't roll away with it.

I'm not going to get specific about everything but I am just going to say that I wish I had known this earlier...a lot earlier...or not at all. Maybe I should stay in the dark....ignorance is bliss after all. I hate seeing people, especially good friends, get down on themselves too much for mistakes they have made. I know we have all gone through that...thinking we can't change or overcome our trials. Life can be brutal, but it's how we deal with these things that really show who we are. There are a few people that I really want to let know that I care. I care a lot, and it hurts me to see them suffering like they are. There is one sure remedy; The Gospel. No matter what you've done...the Lord is always there. I've seen His power, I've felt His love, and there is no sweeter joy then feeling Him beside you when you think all is lost. Turn to Him in your darkest hour and he will give you that light. He will even carry it for you as He leads you through the mists of darkness. Don't ever think you can't do it.

"It is difficult to bear the sufferings that are inflicted upon us, but the real torment in life is to suffer the consequences of our own shortcomings and sins which we inflict upon ourselves.
There is only one way to rid ourselves of this suffering. It is by means of sincere repentance. I learned that if I could present unto the Lord a broken heart and a contrite spirit, feeling a godly sorrow for my sins, humbling myself, being repentant of my faults, He, through His miraculous atoning sacrifice, could erase those sins and remember them no more." ~Claudio D. Zivic

Wow! What a trip!

2008-09-03T16:53:00.005-06:00

Well I have way too many pictures from my trip to post them all here. Go check out my Facebook page to see them. I have a lot of pictures of scenery from the drive down and alot of people from my mission I got to see again, plus a lot of just fun random pics. After all that driving I really don't want to go anywhere else soon. Come to think of it I've traveled nearly 5,000 miles this summer and over half of that I have driven. Myself. Alone. Oh well, It was worth the trip. What an amazing opportunity to revisit my mission. So many who have served foreign may never get that chance or it would cost a lot of money, so I feel very blessed.

Now it's back to the grind of school. I will be moving into my apartment tomorrow and getting situated for the semester to start...which I am seriously not prepared for. And I really don't think I am much in the mood to start classes again either. There's just a lot of stuff to worry about pertaining to school...the stresses that inevitably plague our happy little lives. I just need to buckle down and bear it I guess. I really won't have a whole lot else I need to focus on besides that and my calling in church, which is still executive secretary for my ward. Being the natural procrastinator that I am, I am sure it won't take long for me to get frustrated and behind on my work.

Ok enough of the sad depressing talk. I have so much to be grateful for and happy about. I have friends that are always there for me, family that loves me, the gospel which keeps me in check, and someone I care about very much. In the world we live we all need something to keep us sane and thinking that it is all worth it in the end.

Well here is a picture of the new car..or rather the one my Dad traded me for the Eclipse. It's not as "cool" and I am really gonna miss the sound system, but I will be saving a ton of money on gas with the Cobalt.
"When people say that the desert is lifeless, it just makes me want to grab them by the collar and yell, 'Why you stupid, stupid bastard!' Then I drive them out into the desert to where the circus is, and point out the many forms of zebra and clown life."

The past week!

2008-08-28T10:54:00.002-06:00

Ok so since I last posted, I spent a couple days in Orem with my sister and hanging out with friends in Provo. My niece, Riley just turned 2 on Saturday! Wow and she's been terrible for a while already lol. I headed out to Albuquerque, New Mexico last Friday and that was a doozy of a trip, about 11 hrs on some winding roads down through the canyons of Utah. It was not that bad though. I stayed at my Dad's place for about 5 days. He fixed my teeth (Yay!) and we did some golfing. It was a lot of fun spending time with him. They have a nice new house in Rio Rancho just north of ALBQ. One of Intel's big factories is there, it was so huge it took up a few blocks in size! They were trying to get me to move down there and finish school. It would be neat to work for Intel. I left early Wednesday morning for California. The 10 hr drive was not as bad since it was mostly main highways and I could drive 80+ most the way. So now i'm here in Cali hanging with my friend Kim and her family. I'll be driving around the mission visiting my old areas and hopefully getting in contact with alot of the people I met here. It's going to be exciting! I'll post pictures of my trip a bit later!

Ok, this will be short.

2008-08-20T15:11:00.002-06:00

I am leaving Rexburg in a few minutes.
I'm gonna stay the night in Orem at my sister's new place, then on to New Mexico to visit Dad.
He can do my dental work! Yay!
Then at some point I hope to go west to California to visit my mission.
I am just excited to be leaving Rexburg...why am I always excited to leave.
Why am I always excited to come back?
Life is weird.
Bye now.

"I hope in the future Americans are thought of as a warlike, vicious people, because I bet a lot of high schools would pick 'Americans' as their mascot."

To Orem and beyo.......who am I kidding. I'm back in Rexburg.

2008-08-17T02:09:00.002-06:00

So today I helped my sister and family move down to Orem by driving one of their vehicles. Then 2 hours later I shuttled myself back up here. It was a long day and I think I musta caught the flu from Riley and Jenna. That's life I guess...take the bad with the worse. I'm not really trying to be pessimistic, it just sucks that they aren't around anymore. Now here I am...sleeping on the floor in their empty place here in Rexburg, with all my stuff I own. Watching season 3 of Lost...alone...going to church tomorrow...alone...eating their left-over frozen food...alone (if I can even cook it).

The next 2 weeks will either be fun or miserable. Hopefully in a few days i'll leave and take a road trip. Probably go down to New Mexico and stay with my dad a bit. He can do my dental work and we can trade vehicles for something more...economical. The eclipse will be missed, especially the sound system. Not sure how long i'll stay there. Then I want to drive west and visit my mission in California. There are some people I would really like to see there. I feel bad I haven't gotten in contact with them since I left. Life has a way of throwing you into other stuff that keeps you preoccupied I guess. And looking back at the last 16 months since I got back, I realize how much I would love to have the carefree lifestyle of a missionary, where all I had to worry about was preaching the one thing that never lets me down. I miss that. Alot. Good times. That would make for one long trip though...14 hrs to NM, 10 more to get to my mission, then the trip back up to Rexburg before school starts up again. At least it wouldn't be as bad as driving 36 hrs in 2.5 days just to get out to Idaho from PA. But it would still be alone. Grrglmeister. (Thanks Kim)

"Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself: "Mankind". Basically, it's made up of two separate words - "mank" and "ind". What do these words mean ? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind."

Goodbye's are never easy...

2008-08-11T10:45:00.008-06:00

Well I had to say goodbye to someone I really cared about yesterday. I don't know when or where we'll see each other again. It just seems like I can't catch a break. In the next week I will be saying bye to my sister and her family as well. They are moving down to Orem where her husband got a new job which pays a lot better. It's a good move for them, and they have lots of friends and family down in Utah. I am really going to miss my nieces though. They are pretty much the cutest little girls ever and they always brighten my day. It's gonna be weird not having family close by. Other than my mission this will be the first time I am really without family close by. It's going to be hard, but I know I'll manage somehow. Here's a picture with Izzy and one with Riley and me sleeping on the couch.

I am not looking forward to the semester ahead which starts in just under a month. I hate studying, and I always get too stressed out. The classes I am having to take are going to drive me crazy. As much as I like to be independent and do things on my own, I figure I will probably need to get a tutor for some of it. Especially the Calculus class I will have to take. I just feel like quitting school...but I don't know what I would do otherwise. I realize I have like no major goals for what I want to do when I do finish school and so I feel like I'm doing it for nothing. And I figure I still have 2 years to go anyway.

"There are many stages to a man's life. In the first stage, he is young and eager, like a beaver. In the second stage, he wants to build things, like dams, and maybe chew down some trees. In the third stage, he feels trapped, and then 'skinned.'' I'm not sure what the fourth stage is."

Oops...

2008-08-04T22:27:00.001-06:00

I guess for a while there I didn't realize it but if you use internet explorer you couldn't see my blog...oh well looks like I figured out the problem.

Anyway, now that i'm back in Rexburg, jobless currently, and just staying with my sister and brother-in-law, I need to find something to keep me occupied. I am going to go around and see what is available as far as jobs the next few days and maybe get some work to keep me busy. I don't know if I can handle working during the semester though, I was stressed out enough just trying to keep up with my classes during winter semester. We'll see. As of right now though, there is not alot to do here during the break. Noone is really around, just a few friends. Hmm...what to do.

"I think a good product would be “Baby Duck Hat.” It’s a fake baby duck, which you strap on top of your head. Then you go swimming underwater until you find a mommy duck and her babies, and you join them. Then all of the sudden, you stand up out of the water and roar like Godzilla. Man those ducks really take off! Also Baby Duck Hat is good for parties."

Taking it easy....REAL easy.

2008-07-25T23:50:00.000-06:00

Well the past 5-6 days surely have been sweet. Just being here with family and being able to forget it all for a while has been nice. Like I said before this is the first time in many years me and all my sisters have been together. Here is a pic of us together. From left to right there is my sister Adrienne, me, Jenna, Maria, and Alyce...oldest to youngest :) I love em! Everyone always asks me how I dealt with it; growing up with 4 sisters. All I can say is I that loved it.

We golfed an amazing course called The Inn of the Mountain Gods. It was way expensive (thanks Dad) but well worth it. Of course I had forgotten to take my camera. Sad day. I actually beat my dad by one stroke on that course as well. And my dad is a good golfer. He plays way more then I do. It was pretty sweet though!

Here is a picture of me and my grandpa! I have him to thank for my love of the outdoors, fishing, hunting, and just loving life. He's getting up there in age and I just hope we get to spend some time together in the coming years. It's hard when he and grandma are way back in PA and i'm pretty much relocated out west. I wish I could see them more.
Also it seems that when i'm not up at BYU-I I seem to get a little lazy with the standards...I'm talking about shaving! Anyway, usually I hate having facial hair, but with a week off with nothing to worry about, I kind of enjoy letting it grow. What do you think?

Anyway, the week is about over and I'll be heading home tomorrow morning. I'm sure I'll post all the other pictures I took on facebook.

"Do you know what happens when you slice a golf ball in half? Someone gets mad at you. I found this out the hard way."

Sunday in New Mexico

2008-07-20T15:45:00.006-06:00

Well we got in late last night here in Ruidoso, NM. We have a sweet 4-floor condo we are staying in. We even have air hockey and a pool table! It's my dad and step-mother, her 2 girls who are 8 and 11. My dad's parents(my grandparents...duh) and aunt (my great-aunt...for the sake of being annoying), all 4 of my sisters, 2 of which have husbands, and of course Riley and Izzy, Jenna's 2 little girls. So we have a pretty full place.

This morning we decided we would actually go to church since there is a nice new chapel right in town. We went there and noone was there except for a couple of the contractors so we figured it was still under construction. So we found out where they were meeting, which was about 8 miles out of town so we did get there a bit late. There was an actual little chapel out there!
We even had to sit out in the hallway since there were so many people. Anyway we found out why they weren't meeting at the new building. The building had been pretty severely vandalized and someone had actually tried to burn it down. It was sad to hear and I guess there was a few thousand dollars worth of damage to the interior of the building. It just goes to show you how Satan will try to prevent this work from going forward. We were glad to see the church's presence in that area though. The new chapel looks amazing from the outside.
My dad has this book called Golf: Lessons I Learned While Looking for My Ball. The book is by John Bytheway, a notable LDS speaker. I decided to read it since I have a pretty free Sunday to just relax and think about life. At one point in the book he talks about how much your game could improve if you stopped worrying about what had happened previous in the round or what you would have to do over the next few holes....and just took on the "next shot" mentality and focus on the here and now. And applying that to life...Focusing on doing the best you can right now, today, without fretting over the past and worrying about the future, will eventually add up to a wonderful life. I realize that I do worry too much about the past and future and not enough on what I can do NOW to make the best of life and each situation. I know, i'm getting all insightful and profound. Let's just say I'm trying to be serious about life. I realize that I love the game of golf, and not just because it's fun..but because you truly can find yourself and learn lessons about life itself by applying the principles within the game. I'm hoping over the next week I'll find some answers i've been looking for.

"Most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old-time rail journey-delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride." - Jenkins Lloyd Jones

A week!? Already!?

2008-07-18T19:23:00.003-06:00

Well, with all the business of getting ready for the end of the semester and packing up and whatnot...i've failed to post anything in the past week. Oh well. I'm still here. Anyway, i'm finally out of Rexburg for a bit. I'm here in Provo a couple days then I fly out of Salt Lake to go to New Mexico for a family vacation/reunion sorta deal. A week away....I really need it.
It's been stressful thinking about the coming fall semester, feeling like i'm stuck where I am at, not sure when i'll graduate and looking at the next two years and wondering if I will ever make it. I wanna be done with this already. I'm freaking 24, I just wanna move on. I quit my job at Progrexion after being there 2.5 months. I just wasn't enjoying sales...It's not my thing. I was not motivated and in turn that affected my performance. Maybe a week away, some time to reflect, and just no worrying for a bit will get me back into things. I'll be seeing family I haven't seen in a long time, and I know it will be an enjoyable week...There is just something within me that feels an urgency to get on with school and life. I am so impatient.

Movies...Movies...Movies

2008-07-11T00:20:00.004-06:00

Well after getting over some sickness over the weekend and a horrible headache for a few days, I finally am back into normal mode. I went and saw Wall-E the other day and it was pretty awesome! I definitely enjoyed it more then I figured I would. Then I watched my favorite movie of all time again yesterday....The Shawshank Redemption. Some movies just never get old. Then tonight I watched X-Men III. I own the whole series now and they are definitely cool movies. One movie I have yet to see which I am definitely going to see soon is Iron Man. It just keeps eluding me I guess. Everyone has been saying how great it is. Anyway I have to work tomorrow since I called off Tuesday due to my headache. Yay, oh well.

"I think a good gift for the President would be a chocolate revolver. and since he is so busy, you'd probably have to run up to him real quick and give it to him."

2008-07-05T10:31:00.003-06:00

Well let's see. I guess everything has been going ok around here. It's only 2 weeks till the end of the semester and I guess i'm excited to leave Rexburg for a bit and go visit family in New Mexico. The weather here has been great though; very warm and sunny. I went and saw the movie Hancock on Tuesday when it opened up and it was very good. It could have done with a bit less swearing but it was still good. Since golf finished up i've had more time on my hands, but I guess I've been a bit lazy. Oh well, old habits die hard. I did go golfing once this week though with my former roomate. For the 4th of July we went down to Idaho Falls to see "The best fireworks show west of the Mississippi". Of course I'm skeptical, but it was a great show. We had some of the best seats (grass) available. We were pretty much right beside them.

Here is the finale I caught on video!

"Better not take a dog on the space shuttle, because if he sticks his head out when you're coming home his face might burn up."

Where does the time go?

2008-06-29T23:37:00.005-06:00

Well it doesn't seem like it was 4 days since I posted last but I guess I was out of it or something. Anyways there is not a whole lot to report on. I filled in for someone at work on Friday so I didn't have a real break from it this week. Golf finished up this week as well so now I will either have more free time on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or I'll make an effort to stick with it and get back out there and continue the routine. Not sure yet. I will be able to work out more now probably. So there are 3 weeks left in the semester and before I head to New Mexico for a little family reunion/vacation. I'm looking forward to it, but then again, I've grown so attached to Rexburg that it will be hard to leave it for a bit. I know that sounds way lame.

I saw Kung Fu Panda this weekend too....Hilarious! A must see!!

Skadush!

If you ever fall off the Sears Tower, just go real limp, because maybe you'll look like a dummy and people will try to catch you because, hey, free dummy.

insert your own title here

2008-06-25T14:22:00.004-06:00

Ok so the past few days of work have been quite interesting...I figured I would be totally ineffective since I have so much else on my mind right now. Monday I pulled out 3 sales in 4 hours..which is as good as I ever did in an 8 hr shift. Then the past 2 days I got 1 sale each day. So I don't know what is going on there, but there's no logical answer I guess. It would be nice if I could keep it up. It might help me enjoy the job again like I did the first few weeks working there.

I have been very busy with my calling lately too, bishop had his interviews on Tuesday night instead of the usual Wednesday so I had about 1 day to set up all the appointments he wanted. I got most of the people in to see him, so that was a relief. And tonight I'll have to be there again for other interviews with the counselors. I really do love my calling.

As far as golf goes, this is the last week of the season I think, and it's kind of sad. It's been nice playing for free (sort of) the past 6 weeks. Now if I want to keep with it I'll have to motivate myself to get out there. Today we have a tourney at the municipal course. Lately I've been hitting the ball too far on my iron shots...I'm thinking it has something to do with me working out. *Flex* Ha ha, anyway, there's always some aspect of my game that is out of sync on any given day. I can't find the consistency I once knew back in high school. Those were the days.

As far as life and relationships are concerned, I wish I knew what I wanted anymore. There are times when I figure I have things pinned down...and I just end up disappointed and confused. I've been doing a lot of searching the past few days for answers. All I am finding is that I need to be patient "...for God wills such things to come in the lives of the just that their integrity shall be proven." I just wish I knew which decisions would best prove my integrity.

"I bet the main reason the police keep people away from a plane crash is they don't want anybody walking in and lying down in the crash stuff, then when somebody comes up act like they just woke up and go, 'What was THAT?!'"

Just when you think you have it figured out...

2008-06-23T09:25:00.003-06:00

Life is never what you expect and things never go as planned. This weekend was probably the most stressful and mind-blowing weekend I've ever had...and I don't know what to think anymore. Everyone in my life pretty much thinks I'm stupid, just setting myself up for disaster once again. It's so hard to hear that from everyone, especially from those I love. It's so hard to imagine the future right now. I feel stuck. Lost. Confused. And all I want is for someone to tell me it's going to be ok. I can't handle it. But the fact is that someone is going to be hurt, and I know I will be no matter what happens. It tears me up inside not knowing how I am going to affect someone by my own actions and decisions. I am the last person who wants to be the cause of someone else's hurt. The only possible solution I've been able to come up with at this point is to let time sort things out. Patience is not my strong point.

"A chief event in life is the day in which we have encountered a mind that startled us."

Summer is here....to stay!

2008-06-20T23:40:00.004-06:00

Ok I've decided that summer finally arrived and it's gonna stay...that's right. It's not going anywhere. This past week has just been amazing, especially when I'm out there golfing 3 days a week. Today was especially nice because I shot a 38, 3 over par, with a couple birdies. I didn't hit any out of bounds....I think that's the key to success for me lol.
Our apartment complex had a BBQ for all the residents today so I had to capitalize on the offer of free food and treats, namely snow cones and cotton candy...yum! They also had a rock wall there so I had to give it a try since I had never climbed a rock wall before (darn it, I should have gotten pictures). Of course my friend Kim had to beat me to the top; barely! It was allot of fun either way. One downside to the warm weather is that it easily makes you tired and I'm definitely feeling it tonight. Although I don't have work until 11 tomorrow, I may call it an early night. We'll see.

"If you're robbing a bank and you're pants fall down, I think it's okay to laugh and to let the hostages laugh too, because, come on, life is funny."

Relief and Realization

2008-06-18T00:30:00.002-06:00

So I finally decided that work was kinda sucking being there 8 hrs a day...so I decided to go down to part time. So now I only work 4 hours a day and don't have to go in till 10am. I definitely feel more motivated when I'm at work now. I'm hoping that turns into more sales in less time. I think maybe sales isn't my strong point and eventually may get a new job, but for now I think it will be ok. Once you realize that something is not working out and you decide to change something about it...it is such a great feeling.

Time goes so fast...it seems like my mom and sister just got here and they have to leave already. I gotta get up early tomorrow and take them to the Idaho Falls airport. It was great seeing them again and catching up. We tried to talk my sister into coming up here to BYU-I for school, but she was not too keen on the idea. Oh well, I hope she makes the best decision for her when she decides where to go.

"It's true that every time you hear a bell, an angel gets its wings. But what they don't tell you is that every time you hear a mouse trap snap, an Angel gets set on fire."

Oh the pain...of work.

2008-06-16T00:29:00.005-06:00

Ok, so this weekend was pretty awesome I have to admit...and not having to work on Saturday was a big factor in that, not to mention the weather was amazing! So Saturday morning was pretty much lazy time and I started in on the second season of LOST....yay! Then in the afternoon I watched my nieces for a bit then the fun began.
Kim, Ana, and I just about packed as much fun into an afternoon/evening that we could have imagined. We just hung at the park for a bit before we went to Arctic Circle for some lunch and shakes. Then we decided to go bowling! Of Course I won...making Kim feel sad...we blame the balls. Then we headed to my sister's place to hang for a bit and see my mom and sister who came to visit from back home in Pennsylvania! It's been over 6 months since I had seen them last so it was a sweet reunion. Ana of course had to be the comic relief for the time we were there...LOL. So then we decided to be crazy and go play in the water at the park. It was actually alot of fun and very cold! But we got some sweet pics!

Yah just a bit cold! But then to top it off...we went and rolled down the hill by the upper playing fields. Yah it didn't help us dry off any. To end the night we went and layed in a potato field and looked at the stars. We saw a few shooting stars too which was pretty cool. All in all the day was fun....way better than any other Saturday as of late. But now after an awesome 3 day weekend...I have to head back to work...great. That's life though, can't always be fun and games. Gotta have balance I guess :)

"Here's a good thing to do if you go to a party and you don't know anybody: First, take out the garbage. Then go around and collect any extra garbage that people might have, like a crumpled-up napkin, and take that out too. Pretty soon people will want to meet the busy garbage guy."

Extended Weekend...

2008-06-13T13:39:00.002-06:00

Well this should be a sweet weekend, I got work off on Saturday, which is nice because my mom and sister are going to be coming to visit for 4 days. It's been over 5 months since I've seen them last. That should be a good time. The weather is looking up as well, today is so nice out...about 65-70 degrees I figure. I golf this afternoon so that is even better.

I love my calling. I always get people texting me or calling me to set up appointments with the bishop. They always seem way excited and I guess it's just fulfilling to know that I'm doing my part, though how simple it is, to help out in some way. I get to meet alot of people in the ward as well...which has definitely been a blessing as of late. It sure keeps me busy though, and that is a good thing. Wow i'm hungry...time to eat.

“If you ever catch on fire, try to avoid seeing yourself in the mirror, because I bet that's what REALLY throws you into a panic.”

Work work work...

2008-06-11T00:26:00.003-06:00

The past couple days of work have been pretty good, I didn't do quite as well as I would have liked, but the days didn't seem terribly long. We got a great "pep" talk from one of our managers on Monday and our morning team went out and had record sales that we haven't seen for like a few months...I contributed a couple, which I'm not gonna complain about.
I've been real sore lately from working out with my roommate, but it's all good, it feels great. LoL. I just hope I can keep it up.
The weather has been windy and cool lately...even word that it might snow tomorrow...how lame is that? Then again, this is Rexburg. So yah...There have been some other things going on that I am sorting out in my life right now, just trying to figure out what I need to do as far as next semester. Life can be pretty interesting...you never know what to expect around each corner. I guess I kind of like it that way, as long as the surprises are favorable :)

“I think there should be something in science called the "reindeer effect." I don't know what it would be, but I think it'd be good to hear someone say, "Gentlemen, what we have here is a terrifying example of the reindeer effect."”

Work and the Weekend

2008-06-08T22:19:00.004-06:00

Golf on Friday went ok, the wind was extremely harsh...but somehow after 3 holes I was 1 under par...of course the next 3 holes humbled me a whole bunch and ruined my mood lol. I ended up shooting a 47....so that tells you how bad I fell apart. I can't complain much though, I had a ton of fun. Saturday at work was pretty brutal and I definitely didn't want to be there so that made it worse. I guess I just got frustrated with how I've been performing lately and wondering what I need to do to get back into the groove of things... It's all about Attitude. I know. So the weekend finally came and went...but there was some fun to be had. Guitars Unplugged was awesome! Finally some decent entertainment to get me into a better mood. I'm still way sore from my workout on Thursday...that just tells you how long it really has been since I've worked out that hard. I hope I'm recovered by Tuesday since that's when I'm doing the workout again...oh yay!

Oww...

2008-06-06T14:13:00.003-06:00

Well yesterday I let my roommate nearly kill me working out. I've never been so sore...I could barely get out of bed this morning lol. But I think i'll continue working out with him since he knows what he is doing, he's a personal trainer for the school too. Of course the weight I was using was nothing compared to what he could put up for himself. But all the same he really helped me out alot.
The weather is still getting on my nerves alot...very windy and cool as of late...not to mention the rain. Ugh! Oh well...summer WILL come eventually.

Oh and a new thing i'm gonna do...post a funny quote on each post. So here's the first one.
“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting” -Jack Handy

Aww Come on!

2008-06-04T15:54:00.002-06:00

Well the weather is very gradually warming up here, but it has been wet and rainy! Rain is the worst type of weather for me....I don't understand it, but I just hate it! Oh well...everything else is going well...work is work...golf is golf (at least it's fun), and well...life is life. What else can I say? I'm trying to think of something new and exciting that has been going on, but nothing comes to mind. I have watched 18 of the 24 episodes of the first season of Lost since the weekend(yes I know, that is like 12+ hrs of video)...so hopefully by the end of the week I'll get into season 2. Maybe I should take a break though lol.

What a weekend...or lack thereof.

2008-06-01T22:45:00.002-06:00

Well overall I have to say that the weekend went very well. It's nice to know when someone cares about you. And that's enough to make me happy.

Work Saturday went well, I got a couple sales. Afterwards I started renting the LOST seasons. I've rented and watched the first 3 discs of season 1, but now I'm just gonna watch the rest of the episodes online since my internet is actually able to stream them. So I've watched 14 episodes this weekend altogether. I'm addicted, I'll admit it. So that took up a good bit of time of my weekend.

Today was fast Sunday, and I am so greatful for the gospel. The spirit is so amazing how it has the ability to touch you in a way that make all your troubles and worries just seem so insignificant and you can see the big picture. That is what I am beginning to see...that there is so much more to life then living day to day in the hope that something great is going to happen to you, when each moment is a miracle in itself and all together they make up this perfect plan that God has for us; that when you come upon this twist, or that turn in the road, you can boldly move forward knowing that the Lord is waiting to help you through, no matter how hard it may look or seem in the beginning. My wish and hope is that I will always remember that.

Pretty busy as of late.

2008-05-30T17:06:00.002-06:00

Wow I finally found some time to blog. Ok so let's see...work has been work...Wednesday was so long because I talked to all the people who really weren't willing to help themselves out of their situations even though they needed it. Thursday went real well though, I got 3 sales. When it's good it's good...but sometimes it gets pretty frustrating. That's life in general, so I should be used to it by now. We had golf practice on Wednesday which was good, but i'm having a problem hitting my irons a bit...I guess I need to work on them some more at the driving range. Then today we had a tournament scheduled and after 2 holes the rain just started to dump on us. So we threw in the towel and decided to cut our losses before we also got struck by the lighting that was circling around us. Smart idea I would think. So I just got back from that.

We had the spirit week 50-Lap relay yesterday evening and I ran 10th for our ward. We did very well, we got 6th overall. It took like 65-70minutes I think to run it. It's a half-marathon running 50 laps to kinda put it into perspective. We were way short on girls so some of them ran 3 laps! Go 10th ward girls! Afterward we had 2 6-foot Subway sandwiches. It was just allot of fun!

The Lost season finally was last night and wow....that's all I can really say about it. I actually watched it today at my sisters place since they DVRed it for me (yay no commercials!). It really leaves you hanging at the end and I can't wait till the next season. But since I only started watching it this season I have 3 seasons to catch up on and help me understand more of the story. So i'll be probably renting the seasons to watch here soon. Wow it was pretty awesome.
So now I have to find out what to do tonight. I'm going to go work out a bit then figure it out.

Swish!

2008-05-27T22:39:00.002-06:00

Today was a pretty good day. Work was allot better, I got 2 sales and some good prospects for tomorrow. Enough said about work. I took the rest of the day to just kinda chill and relax. I had dinner at my sister's place. They had friends over that were moving to Arizona so it was a little goodbye dinner. My sister makes these awesome things called chicken pillows...I really should of taken a picture of them lol. Basically, it's chicken and cream cheese..and other stuff I think, all wrapped in breading. Then you put this gravy like sauce over them. Delectable! Thanks Jenna! Tomorrow I get free dinner at Applebees for work. I'm going all out with the steak! I can't wait :)

What a loooong day.....

2008-05-26T22:06:00.002-06:00

Well even though it was Memorial Day, I still had work. And we all thought it was going to be a great day to contact people and make some sales. Boy were we wrong. It was the longest day on the phones yet...no one was answering and everyone who did answer was either the wrong person or just not interested in listening. So I was glad to get out of there at 2pm and just get away. I'm hoping tomorrow will be better but I am kinda scared lol. Oh well, I need to just go in and be positive. The weather pretty much sucked too, it rained a lot. So basically all I did was work out in the afternoon to vent some frustration with everything and then just hung around the apartment till FHE. It was a really short "lesson" and so I kinda just hung around and talked with some people in my ward. I really need to socialize with more people. I'm just getting in a rut. I need to be more involved and not so secluded from everyone. I know it would help me through everything.

Not a whole lot of news...

2008-05-25T16:47:00.002-06:00

So work on Saturday was kinda blah. Not allot of people were answering the phones and I only got 1 sale. I'm hoping for better results this next week. I pretty much just chilled in my apartment all night Saturday. 4 of my roommates were out of town this weekend so it was pretty quiet. Sunday was the usual...at church all day pretty much. It was sweet because I was finally able to pay tithing again. You don't know what you are missing till you get back into it. It's a real blessing. We had a ward social to get pepped up for spirit week here at school. The ward is doing the 50-lap relay on Thursday and we made a poster for it. Hopefully we get allot of people to come support the runners! Just need to make it through the next 4 days of work. We'll see :)

The weekend is here! And it's still raining!

2008-05-23T23:50:00.000-06:00

Well Thursday is always like my Friday since I don't work Friday...so ya, today seemed like Saturday even though it was only Friday. Ya well I work 11-7 Saturday so that sucks. I did get my first paycheck and of course I immediately went and bought gas...$57 to fill up. Here it comes and there it goes lol. But it is a blessing to be working. I can actually start paying tithing again. I need those blessings. Today was a pretty decent day, went to see the new Indiana Jones movie. Awesome is the word for it. It was very entertaining throughout the whole thing. This evening me and some friends just decided to drive around and use that gas that costs so much. So we had our own little dance party. I love my speakers! We were rocking the whole town!
The Weather is still cold and rainy, but we did our best to have some fun.

Getting serious...about....stuff.

2008-05-21T21:57:00.003-06:00

I'm really trying to take work a bit more serious and go in with a good attitude each day, expecting to sell. I see how it helped me yesterday. Today I only sold 1 and I know it's because I wasn't as optimistic about it. So I'm going to change that. Also I think I can finally say I am serious about working out from now on at least a few times a week. It has felt great when I have and I know it helps me feel better about myself. Also the past couple of weeks I have been reading my scriptures every single day, which I haven't accomplished for long time. I know it is making a huge difference in my life. I notice that I am able to think about and apply aspects of the gospel in my everyday life more then I used to.

Well the weather downright sucks! After many days of sunshine and warmth, now it's rainy and cold again...and it's suppose to stay that way through the Memorial Day weekend. So much for having fun in the sun. Not that I have Monday off of work anyway; I'll be there 6-2 as usual.

Good day of work, but worn out.

2008-05-20T21:24:00.002-06:00

It was a good day at work. I had 3 sales and plus I got free breakfast. The manager in charge said that anyone with a sale before 7:15am would get free breakfast so I got one haha. Anyway for some reason I've been extra tired today. It could be the warm weather or the fact I actually worked out today...but I'm beat. Our stake had a sweet humanitarian service project. We put together hygiene kits like last semester. It went way quick because we had so many people there, but it is just nice knowing that they will go to help those who have suffered from recent disasters. I have been seeking additional opportunities to serve because I know that the more I do serve the more I will feel the spirit in my life. And I need the Holy Ghost more then ever at this point in my life. Well as you can see I was able to figure out how to put some music on here. These are just a few songs I've found lately that I have really enjoyed. Now to find a new template/theme for the visual aspect...any ideas?

Back to the grind.

2008-05-19T22:02:00.003-06:00

It's the start of my 2nd full week of work. Being on the phones is getting more bearable, I just need want to make more sales. I just need to go in having a good attitude and I know that will make a big difference. We played a round of golf at practice today and I did better then usual. I shot a 41 which has been my best round so far. The weather has been so nice lately...too bad it is suppose to get rainy and cool by Wednesday and stay that way through the holiday weekend. I guess we can hope that it won't be so bad.

Ok so I'm thinking I need to spice up my blog a bit. Maybe try to add some pictures and a more exciting theme. Wonder if I can add music as well....guess I'll have to look around. So look forward to some changes I guess :)

Sweet

2008-05-18T16:39:00.002-06:00

So yeah I worked the 9 to 5 shift on Saturday. I got a couple sales, which I'm happy with. I need more though! The only tickets left for Prince Caspian were for the 10:30 showing, so we got some tickets. I didn't do allot up until the movie, just kind of hung around my apartment. The movie was awesome though, I really enjoyed it. It was a bit sad at the end though, not because anyone died...but I won't spoil it. Now I need to go see Iron Man. I hear it is great as well. My sister, Jenna and brother-in-law, Travis went to see it at the same time we went to see Narnia, and they said it was great. I'll add that to my to-do list this week. I hope I can find some time. I am so excited to start another work week......oh yay. I'm sure you can sense the sarcasm in my words...

Day off...and....just stuff.

2008-05-16T23:58:00.002-06:00

I was able to sleep in till like 9:15 today. Yay! I worked out some then just hung around till the afternoon. We had a golf tournament and I shot a 45. I can't complain I guess, it was such a nice day. Then I hung out with friends and watched a baseball game on campus. Of course I was lazy and didn't get tickets to Narnia before they sold out for todays shows. Tomorrow for sure though. Kinda got bummed out tonight though. Brought on by a few things I guess...I went to the party at our clubhouse here, but I walked in and just was totally not ready for it this soon. I felt so out of place and didn't want to be there. It will take some time before I can even think about moving on to that again. A quote I kinda made up on my own a couple months back.."A sacrifice of time, will be worth eternity," kinda helps me realize that even though it is going to take me some time to get over what I've been through, that patience will eventually reward me with one that is worth eternity. And that hope is what is keeping me going through all of this.

The Office finale and LOST

2008-05-15T23:50:00.002-06:00

So yeah, there were a bunch of surprises in the Office finale. Michael was his usual awkward self and so overjoyed that Toby was leaving for good. The big surprises of course being that Jan was pregnant, but not with Michael's child, and that Andy proposed to Angela, putting a damper on Jim about to propose to Pam. So crazy. And what about Angela and Dwight at the end!? Wow, I can't wait until September.

And as far as LOST goes, I think I might have caught the gist of what's going on and I'm definitely going to be watching it from season 1 when I get the chance. It is pretty intense. Well I'm glad I don't have to work tomorrow or else I would be in trouble. I have been up since 5am though so I am exhausted. I think I'm going to call it a night. I am hoping I will have time to go see Narnia: Prince Caspian tomorrow as well. I have been looking forward to it.

The beginning is the hardest part.

2008-05-14T21:56:00.006-06:00

Today I took a leap of faith. As hard as it has been the past few weeks, I was finally able to confront my pain and let it out. It's not hard to be an honest person, until you have to be truly honest with one you love. Even if it hurts. I could not stand the way I had been feeling, and I just needed some answers. It was only fair to myself and to her to get everything out on the table before it sunk too deep. It is truly amazing how simple communication and a willing heart can relieve so much uncertainty and doubt. It is the beginning for me, the beginning of letting go. Not of memories, or experiences, or lessons learned, or a friendship, or love; but of what could have been. It is not easy. It was never easy for Christ to take upon Himself not only our sins, but also our heartaches and everything else we have ever experienced. If we are to strive to be like Him, we cannot expect it to be easy for us. He knows us, and He will help us.

With everything good, there is more trial to overcome.

2008-05-13T22:40:00.004-06:00

Work was better today, I got 2 sales and our team of 6 reached our goal of 18 by the end of our shift. I'm hoping it's a sign that I am getting the hang of it. Time to reach higher and keep improving.
Other aspects of my life are really bearing down on me at the same time. It is hard for me to really express myself at this point since I haven't been able to fully scope the situation. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have some answers that will help me deal with it. I only want there to be a good outcome. The last thing I want to do is hurt anyone, even though there is allot I need to get off my chest. I know the best thing I can do is to be honest. I pray for the best.

Work is fun...hahahaha

2008-05-12T22:51:00.002-06:00

Ok, so it is gonna be tough being at the phones 7-8 hrs a day, 5 days a week. But hey, it's money. And if I am able to help someone fix their credit, then all the better. I didn't get a sale today, but I am getting the hang of talking to people. Tomorrow will be a new day. Our golf team had practice today too so we played the back nine at Teton Lakes. The weather was decent but just got colder as we played on. It started raining at one point, then snowing, and a bit of hail. Gotta love Rexburg! I am kinda sad I missed family home evening because of it. I'm a big advocate of FHE, and some people just don't appreciate it as they should. Well that was pretty much my day. I kinda just hung around the apartment and watched some TV, which I hardly ever do normally. I guess working just took it all out of me. I'm gonna have to get used to this early bedtime. Good thing I am sort of a morning person.

2008-05-11T22:30:00.004-06:00

This morning I woke up feeling so sick and nauseous. I opted to sleep in until I had to go to church for Sunday school. Gratefully I was able to make it and teach my lesson, which turned out going pretty well. It was primarily about the atonement which is a blessing to be able to teach about. I definitely got allot out of it. I even got a comment from one of the guys saying it was a good lesson, so it lifted my spirits.
I'm still feeling pretty sore and worn out so I am hoping if I get some good rest tonight I'll be fine with my first day of full work tomorrow. I am excited to work, but just hope I can handle 7 hours on the phone. We'll see I guess.

Saturday stuff...

2008-05-10T22:14:00.005-06:00

So I did allot more today then I thought I would. Brian, my roommate last semester texted me and invited me to play football, so I did that for a bit. I think I hurt my knee a bit though, nothing serious. Then I went out to the golf course because my team was suppose to play a round. It turns out that we were not allowed to play unless we payed because it was the weekend. Our free rounds only count during the week. Oh well, we decided we would just play 3 rounds next week. So with the extra time I had, I went with a friend to Idaho Falls to get a new phone. I got the LG VX9400. It's pretty sweet. It has everything my old chocolate had plus more. And yes, my background is a picture of my niece, Izzy. She definitely makes me happy every time I see her. The big antenna is for Mobile TV, which I won't be using because that costs money...ya, just really cool looking. Anyway I'm happy about that. Now I have 2 old phones still...maybe I could sell em.
Some friends and I ate at Applebees for dinner, then I came back and started preparing my Sunday school lesson for tomorrow. I'm just filling in for someone who is away, but I am so grateful for the opportunity to teach. This is a great lesson, Mosiah 4-6. I am way excited to teach it. I love the gospel, but sometimes I just need an opportunity like this to help remind me how much I love it. What a great blessing. So all in all I have enjoyed a productive day. If only I could always feel like I have accomplished something.

Yay and Nay

2008-05-09T22:37:00.003-06:00

Okay, well today we took our test and apparently I did ok because I got the job. Technically I'm still on a trial period but I begin full-time on Monday. I also got my first sale today! YAY! It felt pretty good, I just hope it wasn't just luck. And spending 7 hours on the phones will be a tough thing to get used to as well. We were suppose to golf today as well but it was raining pretty good so we decided to do it tomorrow instead. So basically I spent allot of my day at my sister's place watching TV and just chilling. So now I'm bored out of my mind and it is Friday night. I am such a loner. Anyone disagree? Nay!

Whew, this is going to be tiring.

2008-05-08T15:58:00.005-06:00

Well today was interesting. We got to go on the phones for the first time and talk to real people. I left a ton of voice mails. I was able to talk to some neat people though, but I wasn't able to make any sales. I did make a return appointment to call one lady. It was pretty neat, I'm thinking once I get more comfortable on the phones that I will get to enjoy it more. It was sure tiring though. And I'll get to do it full time yay! I realize the possibility of how much I could make if I can help people sign up for the service. I really wanna help these people too, it's just getting them to realize they need our help.
I found out I'm on the Knights gold team and we have our first tournament tomorrow at 4! I'm so excited. I hope I can get back into the groove of things. For playing my first time earlier this week, I definitely need some improvement, especially on my driver and irons. We'll see how it goes.

The time is nearing.

2008-05-07T18:46:00.002-06:00

So today at training we talked about how to address concerns people might have and how to deal with them. Tomorrow will be the first time we get to try our hand out on the phones. I'm pretty excited but I know it will be allot different then the role playing we have been doing. I have to be at church in 10 minutes. Maybe I'll be back to post more later.

New Job, New Activity

2008-05-06T00:26:00.004-06:00

So today was my first day of training at Progrexion here in Rexburg. They basically are a telemarketing company that helps people with bad credit to be able to improve their credit score and achieve their goals of buying a house/car or whatever else they wanna do. The people we contact have requested the consultation so we are not cold calling anyone, which is nice. It's a lot of information to take in, but I think i'm really gonna like it. I love helping people so the feel good factor is a plus.
Also decided to tryout for one of the competitive golf teams for the school so I went to the tryout today and i'll be going back tomorrow as well. It's been a long time since i've golfed...last September. I am a bit rusty but I did as well as I could have expected without practice.

So yah...I made a blog why?

2008-05-04T20:54:00.000-06:00

Well, honestly I think I started this blog out of desperation to give me something to do. I've been pretty bored lately dealing with life and it's twists. So why not? I might as well keep a record of where I've been, what I've done, and how I've managed to get to where I am. Welcome to my life :)