Cooler Weather

Nearly 14 years ago I married my sweetheart here in Mesa, AZ and it was around 106 degrees. Today it is in the 60s – as was yesterday. And it might even rain. What great weather we have had. And though I look forward to the 100s (swimming weather) I have enjoyed this cooler spring. Last year was similar – so if this is the effect of global warming/climate change then I am totally for it!

Life has been so wonderful lately. The only negative has been seeing Tevia sick, though today she says she is getting better. But the boys have been so fun and it seems we are constantly doing fun things. Enok has been especially fun the last week or so. He has been craving attention and loves to wrestle with me. He laughs and laughs (sometimes I think he is fake laughing) and makes funny faces. He is getting to speak well, too, and says some fun things. Yesterday when some eggs with ketchup were put on his dinner plate he cowered from the table and said “I can’t eat that! You eat it!” It made me chuckle.
I have also been able to play tennis more since Jake arrived. His arrival is good timing as Tevia and I had just started playing with some of our friends last month. This means I have played almost every week for the past month or so. Tevia was sick on Tuesday so Jake graciously filled in. Tennis is so fun and I feel like I am slowly getting the feel of hitting the ball – and my serve is coming back (though much slower!). I am hoping to keep up the trend of playing at least once a week. Between basketball, tennis, and working out I have been doing well on my weight goals and should look great for Tevia when we go to Mexico next month. I cannot wait for that trip, by the way. Thanks to a very nice bonus from Prudential and this being our 14th anniversary (this would be our second 7-year itch) I wanted to get to a beach and snorkel and swim. We went to this same place for our 10th anniversary, so we’ll see if we like it as much this time around.

This summer should be super busy. With next month having a trip to Mexico and then Hong Kong, June having a rafting trip on the Colorado with the young men, July having a trip to NY and then London, and then August going to Paris – it should keep me very busy. We are hoping to throw in some additional trips to go camping and perhaps our annual trip to Mexico in there as well. It is odd – just 10 months ago I had thought I would be living in London this year. Nearly a year later we are in Phoenix with Jacob and Cari here – Kathy and Jimmy on the way – and a life full of family and fun. Too bad I still have to work!

Ultrasound Pics of Speed

I'm sure not going to complain when my OB recommends an ultrasound. :) Enjoy!

Now I get it....

The loneliness of empty-nesting is finally sinking in, after a year or so of freedom.  At first, I thought I was just going to love this forever, this feeling of no one else here but Don, so I can kind of do what I want.
But, especially with the goings on in AZ, and the being layed up sitting on a couch for a few days, it is all hitting me.  I miss you all, each one, and everyone.
Sunday is my favorite day of the week, but it is now becoming my longest.  If I didn't have 2 big callings to keep me busy, I would have to start having people over every Sunday to keep from being sad.
Lucky for me, we have plenty of church stuff to do, and good friends.  Suzanne brought soup and biscuits and pie over and then they stayed and ate with us.
Our girls camp theme is Mission Possible this year, so I am making all kinds of cute passports, secret missions, etc.
I am also glad Bret is so diligent at calling, and I got to talk to Jarek.  Yeah!  Now Kathy is talking to dad.
I love our family, and am glad we are getting closer to all being closer together.  
I am trying hard not to be jealous of hiking and rattlesnakes and swimming and mexican food and coloring Easter eggs.
Dad better play a game with me!

surgery

It's 9:35 and I finally am getting a little hungry. I am still a bit loopy. My mind just won't concentrate on any one thing.  It just kind of keeps moving around.  Weird.  I can't for the life of me figure out why someone would ever pay to feel this way.  I forget what they gave me.  I let dad go to his Stake meeting tonight cause I am basically just laying around watching tv.

I have no pain yet, so I don't know how much pain meds they gave me. I am supposed to take a percuset tonight, but I am afraid to.  I may take 1/2 of one.  

It is so weird coming out of being under.  It takes some time to figure out where you are, and why, and then I kept falling back asleep.  I can't even remember when dad came in the room.  

The doc said I had a tear in my meniscus and my acl, and a bit of arthritis starting.  that part he couldn't fix. 

3 cheers for getting old....

fyi-on Amy Christensen's blog today, she said that she hated our government and how is it possible that if you kill someone you get put in prison for 7 years, but if you download something, you get life.   ouch.  

love you all, and glad I made it through the abyss and back to the living.  

thanks for all your prayers.

Family in AZ and more

After years of imagining and planning and scheming I finally was able to trick somebody to move to Phoenix! I really do love Phoenix and it has been such a great experience to see Jake and Cari and their kid(s) move down here. I’m sure at some point the honeymoon period will wear off and they will get sick of seeing us, but for now I am enjoying spending time with them. I especially love playing basketball with Jake – and hope to play some tennis with him tomorrow (after we paint the house). Though they have only been here a week it already seems like they have been here a long time. I have already asked for Jake to be added to the young mens program (with approval so far). Now we just need Kathy and Jimmy here so we can dominate their lives enjoy having them around. After conference last week I am more convinced than ever that family is so important and such a key to our happiness in this life and the next.

We have had another wonderful weather year in Phoenix so far. It hasn’t even reached 90 degrees yet, which it usually does in March. Though I have been in our pool once, by April we are usually spending the weekends in the pool. So far that hasn’t been the case. And though I look forward to swimming days, I am okay with another month or so of these fantastic temperatures.

The thing that has made me happy this last week or so was seeing Google pull out of China. I have always appreciated Google – and was happy to see them make the right choice and give up on revenue/marketshare and make the right decision to pull out of a country that can be oppressive and cruel. I love China from a cultural and people point of view. But I think sometimes we forget it is a communist country. It may have given in to trade and capitalism, but the fears that communism brought are still there. I think Google (and many other countries) entered China not only looking for people to sell products to, but to make a change in that country. But after years of seeing no change, I was happy Google pulled out. It will be interesting to see if other companies do. Probably not.

Finally, I want to put on record that my wife is such a wonderful person. This year she has made some small changes that have had a big impact on my life. One of them is that she usually makes me breakfast now. It is a small gesture that I have never asked for nor expected, and when she first started doing it, it almost bothered me. But now I love this small gesture of love and usually we take the 5 minutes to eat together (or at least have her sit near me) and talk before I go to work. Little things can make such a big difference. I am a lucky man.

Conference: fav talks?

I was glad to hear that YW personal progress was mentioned several times, by several people

I thought the theme was families, and I was glad we are on the right track of gathering closer together.
fav line: "many blessings are missed because worldly judgments are made for spiritual decisions." Some guy name Swichzey?  Last session on Sunday.

fav analogy: Uchdorf, and the worth of a $20. bill

fav talk:  Elder Cook:  "we live in a  noisy world, slow down, listen, ponder, pray... go to the higher ground....

I hope Tom got to listen.  Kathy, so many talks reminded me of you.  I loved the mother-daughter one.
What a wonderful feeling dad and I get when we know you guys are out there somewhere listening to conference.  Thank you for the peace you give us by your righteous living and choosing to raise your families in the Gospel.

Love the baby

Hazel loves her baby brother.

New Computer Problem

I don't know what happened last night.  This morning, letter I type types a different letter, and when I opened gmail, I had over 100 funny sex jokes.  Of course, hotmail was fine.  Then, when I tried to do a map of our new house on google maps, I put in the address and an easter egg appeared.  Do you think Google is doing some kind of prank?

Arizona in September here we come!!

Well, Jimmy and I have decided to change gears a bit. Instead of finishing my student teaching here in Hawaii while we will be jobless since Jimmy gets out of the marines in Sept, we thought maybe it would be better to finish it up in Arizona. This way Jimmy could go to school too and get payed for housing. Also we figured it would most likely be impossible for me to get an actual teaching job in January anyways because it will be mid school year and so graduating in December really does not matter. So I talked to the head honcho over here and he told me that I could finish up my student teaching in Arizona in January if I found a professor from a university that would be willing to work with BYU. This way I will still graduate from BYU-H and everything. Well today I got the confirmation from Arizona State University telling me that they are willing to work with me and that it can be from the West Campus! So we will most likely be moving in September. There is a slight chance that it might be July, if we need to get their earlier for Jimmy to start school. And he can actually get out earlier if we need him to because he has enough leave days to do so.

As for Jimmy, we decided that since it is too late to apply for the ASU Fall semester that he will go to a community college for the first semester. This way he can start as soon as possible. Then he will transfer. So, Bret and Tevs, if you could once again tell us the community colleges near you that would be great! We want to try and start getting him enrolled. We are SUPER excited and cannot believe how blessed we are! It is going to be so incredible living next to my older bro's and their families! =)

Malik's Baptism

The week of March 15th was a special week for me. First I was able to fly out to NY to teach a conference in White Plains. This gave me the chance to stay with my parents since they live just up the road from White Plains. Flying in was quite an experience. My flight from Phoenix landed late in Philadelphia due to weather. I was worried I would miss my flight to White Plains as I only had 5 minutes to get to the flight. I hoped it was delayed, but to my disappointment when I got off the plane it said "On Time". I ran - and even had to take a shuttle - to the plane and when I got to the gate I noticed the doors were closed and no plane. I asked the lady how long ago the plane left and she replied, "it hasn't even arrived". I was happy that I didn't miss the flight but confused as to why the board read "On Time".

I finally got onto our small plane to White Plains. I telephoned my dad to let him know and then we took off. The flight was supposed to be about 45 minutes, but it was taking longer and the plane was getting tossed and turned. Eventually I could see that we were approaching White Plains. At this point, for the first time in my life of flying I felt two things: nauseous (I even had to reach for the bag in case I threw up) and worried we might crash. The plane felt like it was under water and doing fishtails. I thought that there was a good chance we might actually crash. As that thought really sunk in I felt a sense of calm about me. I thought, 'hey, I've lived a great life. If I die, so be it'. It was such a weird thought. But I felt okay and satisfied that God knew more than me and I was okay with going down with the ship.

Fortunately - that wasn't the outcome. Instead, as we approached the runway, we veered off and eventually the captain said we could not land there and were going to try Laguardia - and if that didn't work then back to Philly. I was so sick of flying and being nauseous that I almost felt like saying "Just try to land!". But I was patient and surprisingly we were able to land in Laguardia. Since the plane was small we had to walk outside to get to the airport gate - and it was like a hurricane! It was raining so hard and windy that in the few feet I had to get to the gate I was soaked along with my carry-ons.

Lucky for me my father was kind enough to reroute down to Laguardia. It was a tough drive for him as trees were falling down and the roads were awful. But he made it and we eventually made it back home. It was fun to spend some time with my parents. The conference went well, too.

I had booked the same flight as my parents to fly to UT for Malik's baptism (to be combined with Aayla's blessing). This meant leaving in the middle of the night to get to Newark. But that flight was fine and we arrived at Jake and Cari's with no issues and a terrible, Chevy rental car.

My wife and kids showed up later, along with Jacob (who had gone down to PHX for a job interview - which he landed!) and Tevia's family. We honestly spent a good part of the next few days watching hours of basketball - including BYU's first tournament win since I left BYU years ago. It was fun being with family - though sad as Ellery was sick and in the hospital at first. But she got out and was active and fun by the weekend.

Saturday was the day of the baptism and blessing. We went to a building near Millie's parents' home and were excited to see our family and some friends. Malik and I dressed in white and the show started. Several wonderful things happened. One was Malik's song. He sang "My Own Testimony" with Risa accompanying (Jarek sang this same song at his baptism). Tears came to my eyes as his beautiful voice conveyed his conviction and feelings. I felt so proud. My father also gave a very powerful talk on baptism. The spirit was strong. This was perfect for the actual baptism, which went great. Malik did awesome. Then my brother Jacob gave an excellent talk on the Holy Ghost. He started out asking Malik what was the best gift he had ever received in his life. Malik thought for a moment and then said, "Being born and getting this body". I was so impressed with his answer (as was Jacob who was surprised). Malik is such a special spirit. He continually impresses me with his depth of understanding and knowledge.

After that was the blessing of Aayla, which was also very touching to me. I cried as I helped hold this girl in my arms and thought of all the blessings she could receive in this life; being born into a family with great parents who I care about so much. The Spirit testified to me that this gospel is true and that there is no greater blessing than being with family. I am so happy to be able to spend time with family and share spiritual moments with them.

There were many other great times on the trip: eating at the Purple Turtle, eating some great pork at Millie's parents' home, playing games, learning Hand and Foot, and getting excited at my brother getting a job in Phoenix. I am a blessed man.

NCAA Tourney

I still have a chance!!!

GO BUTLER!!!!!!!!!!

Woot Woot!!!

food and cooking

I just want to award ribbons and metals to all of you kids who have far outdone me in the cooking category!  You WOW me!  I am glad that many of you have learned new skills, found new foods, cook better, and broadened my old fashioned meal plan.   It is fun to see you cook, and I enjoy finally having kids cook for me.
:)
Foods in general are fun, and I am on the prowl to learn more healthy meals, and eat less, since my knees are not letting me exercise much for the moment. I thought I was eating pretty healthy, but I see there is always room for change.
Good luck to all those counting calories.  Maybe I will start that again.  My new plan is just asking myself; am I really hungry?  is this healthy?  and if it is not, do I really have to have it?  Like yesterday, I had to finish off the m&m's, so they wouldn't be around to tempt me....

Moving to PHX part 1

Well after several months trying to discern the best possible way to move to Phoenix, we will be doing it the old fashion way. This decision was reached based on a couple different reasons.

1) U-haul dropped their prices significantly this week allowing us to rent a full size truck for only 570 bucks(we were quoted 900 2 months ago!)

2) We were very worried the house might not close on time and the prospect of paying movers and then having to move from Bret's house to the new house anyway was a ugly realization.(U-haul said we can have 6 days and only $40 a day after to keep our stuff in the truck)

3) We were very nervous about the budget moving company we were using. I have been uneasy ever since we had booked with them and I am finally relieved to have everything back in my control. I am not much of a control freak, but these moving companies really scare me.

Regardless, that means we could probably use a little help on Thursday, Friday(or whenever the house closes) to unload some of the larger items. We have the truck until Monday with no extra charge so we can work around your schedule. I count 11 items that I cannot easily lift myself. So Bret your help would be appreciated. Tevia, we are looking to go with you guys for Easter but because we don't know 100% when this house will close we may need to be unloading as late as Saturday or Monday. I know it is so frustrating to not get a definite answer from us, but we would like to go if the move is done by Thursday or Friday night.

Also, it may be jumping the gun a little. But Cari thinks she has about two and a half weeks until she is too afraid to do anything interesting. We would really like to go camping one night in the next two weeks while we still have the chance. Maybe you could suggest a good spot or even join us.

Also, Also, For the shopping girls information we need to buy these items sooner than later:

Leather couch set: similar to the ones you purchased but a little softer I think

Washer and Dyer: currently I like this one and sears always seems cheapest http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02669712000P?vName=Appliances&cName=Washers+%26+Dryers&sName=Top-Load+Washers&keyword=mvwb750w

Bed for Hazel: Because pirate law states I can only enter Ikea one day every 10 years, Tevia you might need to help Cari go help Hazel pick out her bed.

Fence: This is a major priority and if dad is okay with it I would like to setup the same type of fence yall did. Where did you guys buy that stretchy fence setup?

Area rugs: We need 2 large or one large area rug for our designated computer room. Because my official opinion on anything fabric is "I'm undecided about stripes from coupling" Tevia your taste services might be needed to help Cari find a good fit for this room.

Chainsaw: Bret, you said Thad might be able to help us here. That tree should be taken down in the next couple months so it doesn't cause any extra damage. If not, I have wanted a small chain saw for camping purposes anyway and with a little work I could conquer that tree.

Lawnmower: Bret, I think Dad and I have decided to let the front yard die this summer and redo it in the winter with either grass, fake grass, or a desert landscape. Regardless, I have to do something about those 2ft weeds. Do you have a functioning mover hiding in your shed, or does someone do your yard for you?

Ski Boat: Yeah this is our most important and urgent need and any wishing to use this future boat should immediately donate to the "boat for Jacob fund" Hehe j/k

MISCELLANEOUS MOVING INFO TO PEOPLE:

-It looks like our new home already has a Microwave built in. We have a very nice one here and have no need of it. If anyone knows anyone in Phoenix or Provo that could use it or wants it just let us know. Andy already called dibbs on our terrible couches which is funny because I'm not sure even DI would take them:-)

-Mom, I am making a box of clothes for Tommy. Most of these I stole from him earlier and am simply returning in worse shape. I think it best if the box just waits in Utah at the condo until he returns.

-Webb, don't forget to remind me to steal the canopy from you before we leave!

-Obama, I expect a raise now that my health care benefits mean nothing.

Our New Addition!

We finally did it! Since the day Jimmy and I got married, we have wanted to add to our family, both human and canine wise. However, due to our circumstances (a big fat deployment) we did not want to get either prior to Jimmy leaving, and since he has gotten back it has been nice to take some time and finally be a 'normal' married couple (just the two of us actually living together). Well we are now at the point where 'just us' doesn't really feel complete. And for the last month or so we have seriously considered having a kid, but as we pray about it, we still feel it's not the time. As for a dog, the apartment management does not like them, even though our landlord said it would be fine... so we kind of just thought, "No dog for now."... Until lately, when we have seen multiple dogs living in our same complex! So we thought... maybe we should just do it! And due to both of our crazy reputations, we finally did!

Now, we both eventually want big dogs. We are definitely what they call "dog people". I want a golden retriever and Jimmy wants a German Shepard. But due to the fact that we are poor and live in a small apartment, we know that it would not only be not allowed but mean to make such a big dog live in such a small place. So we decided it has to be small. This also worked for us because in the past week we have also decided that when we move to Arizona in December, that we do not want to rent a house, but a small apartment. We figured why pay the money for something we don't need especially when I will have two older brothers living there with great houses! So a small dog had to be the way to go!

We went to several different pet stores in the last couple of days. Found some cute dogs, but nothing perfect. And of course, our dog would have to be perfect. =) Well due to Jimmy's love of talking to strangers, he asked some people outside of a petco, where they got their dog and they told us about this small place that sells them for a lot cheaper than regular pet stores. So we went off looking for this place in Pearl City and sure enough it was a cute little pet store with great service! AND as we walked in... I saw him! =) I told Jimmy immediately that, that was him! He is a fox terrier/ chihuahua. And he is too cute to even look at sometimes! Hehe. He is a pretty brown and has a cute little white triangle spot on his neck. He is only one pound. So after some play time, shopping, and paper work we took our new addition home!

We have been calling him Dash so far but who knows we might change our minds in the next couple of days. We have absolutely just fallen in love with him and know that we made the right decision! Even if you all think we are crazy!

March - in like a lion...

What a ride this month has been. People moving here, people buying homes, people not buying homes, people not moving here. Scary events at night. Marines washed up on beaches. Crazy busy at work; working more hours this month than in a long time. Trip to NY to teach an industry class and then Malik's baptism in Utah. A puppy comes to our home - and then leaves. Rain almost every day this month in Phoenix???

Let's hope it all calms down a little. Out like a lamb is the saying. I'm waiting for a March to end with family close by, a newly dunked son, and wonderful Spring days to spend with friends and family.

The year of the Tiger is still coming up Bret.

The House

After 2 weeks of a giant emotional roller coaster ride, we are in contract for the house West Country Gables drive, the one with the slate floor.  

Scary things and dreams and what a crazy week!

After earthquakes, tsnami warnings, and illnesses, I was all calm and relaxed the night we thought we heard someone knocking on our door at 1am.  Dad heard it too, as did Daisy, so we went down the stairs, me carrying my pepper spray, (even though I now  see why Kathy tried it for practice in her bedroom, as I have no idea how to open it or in which direction to spray it), and dad, ever so not carefully, just opens the front door and peaks around to see if anyone is still there.   enter scary music....  Now, most of us imaginative people know from movies you don't just open a door in the dark after someone knocked; you never know who can be just standing behind the wall ready to get us. Yeah, I am that freaky and imaginative!  So we go back to bed, and I leave the light on, cause that always keeps the killers and robbers from coming back, for an hour, as I listen so intently that I can hear everything from miles around.  Sleep came at 2:30, finally.
That night, Kathy had a nightmare, waking up  in terror with Jimmy shaking her out of her fright. She dreamt I was shot by some guy coming across the lawn.
Yikes!
So I googled it.  What does it mean when you dream someone close to you dies? 
Usually, it is not even bad at all.  Hardly ever is it prophetic.  It can mean a lot of things, and most of them are actually good, like the person has just finished a hard task, or been released from a heavy load. It could also mean that the person dreaming is afraid it is the end of that relationship, which don't worry Kathy, we will always be close!  Or, it can just mean you are worried about real life things that just scared you, enter here the hype and anxiety of the tsunami.
But, to be continued.... 2 Marines washed up on the beach last night, the day after Kathy heard 2 Marines fighting and threatening each other.  more scary music.
Ah life sure brings lots of drama with all of its daily mundane things. 

For the Boys! Monster Hunter 3!

Okay this is a demo we have been playing that comes out in April. It is a multilayer game on the Wii where you hunt mega monsters! Bret, I thought you might wanna see a clip of Alex getting destroyed by a new monster we found tonight. You will definitely have to get in on some of this action in a couple months.

I guess you do what works...

Let it Snow!

Daisy and I are lonely in NY as we sit here together day after day being slowly buried alive. Terrible snow storms are great in NY. We have had many over the years. They are a lot of fun. The only sad thing is that there is no one here to enjoy its magnificence with us. So we miss you and will have to be content to just tell you about it.

I think it has been pretty much snowing now for 3-4 days. Usually is snows a lot and then the sun comes out. In this case it is not typical. We have had two huge storms now back to back. Lots of snow and over lots of time. This morning I took Daisy over to the sliding glass door in the Family Room and opened the blind. We both just looked and said to each other. What is up with that. I assured Daisy that I was glad I was not her. So I then let her out the front door. Of course no chain. First, what difference would it make and Second where would you ever find it? So she bravely took a shot at it. It was so funny. This should have been on film. Digging and plowing and jumping just to get some way or configuration that would allow her to do what we take for granted in the comfortable bathroom.

She then decided that pooing in that place just was not doable so she headed down the path toward the driveway. She even got a bit of an attitude and decided it was not going to beat her. So with aggression she started attempting to go through it like a deer would. She kept misjudging where the step changes were and she would go a lot deeper than expected. She made it to the driveway and did her business there. It was a little less snow there because I had paid Alex Angle $40 to remove the horrible previous deposit on Wednesday. Then some people were walking in the street commenting and pointing to the impressive snow scape's. Daisy wanted so much to join them. What dog wouldn't, but you saw the decision in her eyes when she concluded that going down the driveway to the street was simply not an option. She turned back and plowed up the path and up the hidden stairs and made it back to me. I let her come back in. Poor dog.

So there is another storm coming starting in about 3-4 hours and lasting for about 40 hours that is expected to dump as much as 18 more inches of snow in some parts of the Northeast. All I know is that Poughkeespie is right in the middle of the whole thing and I am pretty sure there is much more snow coming. Sorry Daisy.

Karen you should see our front tree the one to the right. Its branches are on the ground all the way around holding up all the snow. Looks like some sort of Ice building. Near as I can tell, however, none of the labored branches are broken yet.

So enjoy your Sun in Phoenix, but I wish you were all here to enjoy the snow here with me. Especially Jarek and Malik and Enok and Hazel would love this. Especially Malik on his Birthday. Happy Birthday Malik!!!!

Can't Wait

This year is the year of the Tiger. That means it is my year. For whatever reason, I have looked forward to 2010. And so far it has been a great year. But I am even more excited at the prospect of having my brother and his family move here in the next few weeks. And then even more exciting to have my sister and her family move here later this year. Family is so important to me and I really hope we all get to live closer. This is a first step, to which I am grateful for Jake and Cari making this difficult decision.

I dream of days where I can just call Jake to come over and watch a game - or call him up to go play some tennis. Or just having him and Cari along with Hazel and Speed over to swim in the pool on a hot summer day while we sit and marvel at the blessings the Lord has given us.

And then Tommy gets back later this year, too! It'll be so great to see him and speak Spanish with him, hear about his mission and see him embark on the next project of finding a wife. He has high expectations as we've been very lucky with the in-laws in the family.

It feels like I am just constantly excited this year. So here's to the year of the tiger (not Tiger Woods - it definitely is NOT his year)! Now let's get some of our old friends to move here, too!

Just so everyone knows...

I know some of you probably heard how I have been thinking lately about a career in flying for the military. I know, I know you have to think I am crazy because of how bad I have been wanting my 4 years to come to an end and now with it so close, I must be insane! Here is the story...

Since I was as young as I can remember, anything that flew in the air excited me more than anything. I am the guy at the airport that will stand at the windows for hours watching huge planes land and take off. I just think its incredible how something so big and heavy can glide through the air like nothing! Well, fighter jets fascinate me even more. To me they are the coolest things on the planet. They can take off on as little as 300 feet of runway and some of them don't need any runway at all. They take off vertically. To keep this short and not boring, I will get right to the point. I was talking to an officer the other day who is a Marine FA-18 super hornet pilot. He is a very nice guy and was open to all of my many questions. He actually loves his job. Can you believe it? A Marine who actually likes what he does. He told me a lot. In order for me to go through with this I would first need to go to college and get my bachelors degree in anything that I wanted. Then graduate Officers Candidate School to become an officer in the branch of my choosing (Still unsure which branch). After this, flight school. What's good is I could get a spot reserved for me in my contract for flight school before committing myself to anything. After flight school which varys between 6-8 months I am off to another school. This next school would be all about learning how to fly the aircraft I have selected. This can be anywhere from another 6 months up to a year. Upon graduation I would officially be a pilot.

Here are my concerns. I want to fly a fighter jet and only a fighter jet. Unfortunatly there is no way I can be gurenteed that that is what I will end up flying. The officer I spoke to was in a class of 58. 11 of those spots were fighter jets and the others were a bunch of different aircraft the Marine Corps has including 5 Harriers which are just like fighter jets but classified differently. Depending on where you rank in the class come graduation day determines your number in line to pick what you want to fly. Fighter jets are almost always picked immediately. So I would have to do very well at flight school for this to all happen. If I do not get to fly a fighter jet I will not be upset for too long because well there are a lot of really cool aircraft out there. Another concern is my family and do I really want a life in the military? More than likely if I do this I will go Air Force. The Air Force focuses more on air to air combat while the Marine Corps focus is air support for troops on the ground. The Air Force is a lot more friendlier than the Marines. As an officer in the Air Force I feel I can make something work out real well for me and Kathy rather then just get stationed anywhere on the planet the is good for the Marine Corps without any consideration about me and my family in mind.

After the military I should have enough hours in the air to land a job with a major airline company. They get paid very well and this is one of 2 jobs that I know 100% I will love doing every day. The other job would be me on the NY Giants and well, not in this lifetime.

In a perfect life without any risks or problems I would graduate from ASU with a 4.0 and finish #1 in flight school. I would go off to fighter jet school and show the Air Force that I am even better than Maverick in Top Gun at flying. After graduation I would get stationed at the Air Force Base in Arizona. After retiring in 2026 I would fly for a civilian airline company out of Phoenix.

The good thing is I have about 3 years to think about this before having to make my decision. Me and Kathy still have a lot to discuss. When my dad was my age this is all he wanted to do too and obviously didn't go through with it. I don't want to make the same mistake.

killing for sport

Wow!  I had never read that this is so highly condemned right in the scriptures. This book I am reading had me refer to the JST of Genesis, 9:10-11.  I have never read this before. 
Opinions requested...

New Friends!

As everyone knows, I grew up with mostly guy friends with the exception of a few very close girl friends. I think its just because well... boys are more fun. =) Well, this has been particularly hard for me after Jimmy and I got married because I obviously could not be as close with my guys friends as I once was. And being in Hawaii... doesn't really help with staying very close to the girl ones. So for the first time in my life, I found myself with basically zero best friends near by besides Jimmy. I mean there are of course those friends at church and school but no one that you know... fits the qualities of a really good best friend. Lately, I have been praying about this issue because I hate not having a good friend out here! Well, I truly feel like my prayers have been answered.

Melissa, one of the few girls that I actually was best friends with in NY, just happened to move out to Hawaii this January with her fiance, Rob for teaching positions. We got together soon in the beginning of January and they are just awesome! Then, we went over there last night and we had so much fun! We already have plans again for this weekend. I am SO excited that we now have friends and I feel we are going to be with them all time from now on.

Rob is a really cool guy and is weirdly a lot like Jimmy. And for Melissa and I it feels like we never stopped being close. It is just so cool I think. I am so happy that the Lord answers our prayer! =)

What's going on...

The year is passing quickly, here is where I'm at:

- giddy about J and K moving down here (H and S, too). I think about it constantly. All the time.
- basketball season started for our stake. we lost our first game, but it ended up not counting. we are 2-0. i have been averaging over 20 points per game. jarek managed the scoreboard one week and tevia the other.
- saw a coyote on the way to basketball today. cool.
- just finished "Starship Troopers", which won the Hugo award years ago. Loved it. Reminded me of Jimmy and Atlas Shrugged. Very deep in some spots.
- work has been busy and crazy. i officially was told i am not going to London - they can't afford me is the official word.
- contributed to Avatar's billions. proud to do so - anything to break Titanic's record.
- enjoyed the rain last week, but ready for summer.
- enjoyed baptisms with the youth last week; but one boy would not participate. i felt bad for him. he yelled at the temple worker trying to help him, "I don't want to be here! I hate doing these things. I'm only here because my parents forced me!"
- my wife has been super nice to me this year. she is awesome. thanks!

It's official, we are moving March 29th

We will be saying goodbye to our loved land in the mountains in the search for warmer weather, more family and a longer boating season. We don't expect to purchase a home even though they are dirt cheap right now. We will be looking for a nice place to rent to get a feel for the area first. Tevia it would be nice if in the coming weeks you could check out some homes we send you to give us a better feel for them. I think we want a three bedroom house(not apartment) under $1,000 a month and it would be nice if it was close and had a fenced backyard for daisy. Proximity to a Chipole is a plus:-)

Doctrinal Commentary on Book of Mormon

Once again, I am enlightened by my children, and Jacob suggested this book as my companion to reading the Book of Mormon this year. I am loving it!
For example: Palestine and America are not the only Promised Lands.  Cool stuff. 
I have always had an issue with "why I feel like I get so many blessings, when people around me have so many problems?", and the reason I question it is because I believe God loves everyone equally.  This book has answered that issue for me.
I also am still confused about the prayer thing. Believe it or not, I actually can't remember the big concept that you guys finally got me to understand when we had the big discussion.  For some reason, I am just struggling with praying right.  Maybe it is because I have to come up with names for a secretary and camp director.
I will need more discussion about this in March.

I applaud Jacob & Cari

I hereby dubs them courageous, brave, intuitive, and adventurous; and I appreciate their willingness to make the first move!  Thank you both!

Jimmy oh Jimmy

Hey, no blogs for awhile.  from anyone.  Jimmy, how about blogging about Avatar?  I am not sure if we should see it or not.   Some say yes, some say no.  I know what Kathy thinks, she says yes.  What do you think? 

to move or not to move

Dad is not happy this week with IBM, so take his 9 year surprise plan he shocked us with, and revamp it back to within a year or two!  He wants to wait until Tom comes home, then look for a job where ever everyone is. I am so happy!  Of course, if IBM were to give him a raise or a bonus, he could change his mind.   :) 

So Jacob was finally right....

He does produce men after all. :-) Speed Wall says "hi"!

Cari's Great Talk (I felt worth posting)

How to Teach Your Children to Lean on the Lord

Good morning.

I'd like to start by reading two scriptures. The first is Proverbs 3:5 - 6.

And now Alma 37:35.

A lesson that seems to get harder to learn the older we get is to lean on the Lord.

I think it's a little funny that the specific topic I was given was how to teach our children how to lean on the Lord.

The way I see it, they have a bit of an advantage - children are generally used to relying on their parents for pretty much everything in life, so they are used to the concept.

Probably one of the best ways for us to remember how to lean on the Lord is to be like a little child, as we're taught in Mosiah 3:19.

The part of that verse that really sticks out to me is to be "willing to submit to all things".

The first step to relying on the Lord is to be willing to submit to whatever situation, trial or blessing, that He gives us.

Also, we can't pick and choose when we lean or rely on the Lord - we need to rely on Him for ALL things. Alma 37:36 says:

So how do we learn to rely on the Lord?

In order to rely on anyone, including the Lord, I think the first step is to trust that individual, as it says in the verses from Proverbs I read earlier. The scriptures have a lot to say about trusting in the Lord, such as in 2 Nephi 4:34 - 35:

In order to trust someone, you need to know them. Proverbs 9:10 says:

So how do we get to know the Lord?

There are many ways: serving Him, feeding His sheep, and so forth. One way to get to know anyone, including the Lord, that I want to focus on is communicating with that individual.

It's hard to know someone you don't ever talk to.

Our primary means of two way communication with the Lord is prayer.

The Bible Dictionary is one of my favorite study helps for the scriptures, and I have always loved the entry on prayer. It says, in part:

"As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part. Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship.

Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings."

The purpose of prayer isn't to inform the Lord of our needs and desires - He's quite aware of those already.

As the Bible Dictionary says, the purpose of prayer is to bring our will in line with God's.

In other words, it is a way to help us reconcile our will with His.

I also want to point out that prayer is an action, a "form of work" as the Bible Dictionary says.

It's an effort of our part to show that we want something.

When it comes to leaning on the Lord, there are two extremes that should be avoided.

One is the extreme of leaning too much and the other is the extreme of leaning too little.

A common example from church history of someone who leaned too much on the Lord is Oliver Cowdery in his attempt to translate part of the Book of Mormon.

In Doctrine and Covenants 9:7, the Lord chastises Oliver and explains what he did wrong.

We cannot spend every day of our lives on this earth waiting for an angel or a lightening bolt to tell us what to do.

We need to ask, study, and put in some effort.

James 2:17 says:

We must put forth some effort to accomplish the things in life we want to accomplish.

If we do, we will be blessed. Alma 37:37 says:

On the other hand, we also can't leave the Lord out of the equation.

There are examples everywhere in the world today of people who, for whatever reasons, leave the Lord out of their lives and lean unto their own understanding.

The scriptures are also very clear on the negative consequences of this extreme. Doctrine and Covenants 3:4 says:

As with many things in life, leaning on the Lord requires finding the right balance for each situation.

In some situations, there is nothing we can do, and we must exercise hope and leave everything up to the Lord.

In other situations, there is much we can do, and we can faithfully do what we can and then leave the rest to the Lord.

A good way to know what we can do is to pray and ask, and then listen for a response.

As I studied leaning on the Lord, I have realized not only how important it is, but how difficult it can be sometimes.

It's a good thing we don't need to be perfect at something or an expert in a subject before we can share what we do know with someone else.

If that was the case, I wouldn't be talking to you about this right now.

One of the ways we can teach our children about the Lord is through telling them, explain how and why we need to do it.

Another way to teach our children how to rely on the Lord is by example.

This is perhaps both the easiest and hardest way to teach.

It's easy because it's part of something we're already doing: living our lifes.

But it's hard because when (let's be honest it's when, not if) we make a mistake, our children are still watching and will pick up on our mistakes as well as our good decisions.

With our young family, something I am learning is that we need to teach to a child's level of understanding.

Even if my 18-month-old daughter was listening to this talk instead of playing in the back of the chapel, chances are she's not going to remember much of anything I'm saying.

But we've made goals as a family to try to teach her things as she gets older and her understanding grows.

One of our goals the last few months has been to get to her fold her arms and be quiet for prayers. It was a bit of a struggle at first, but she's very good about it now.

And now, she's often the one that reminds us to pray before our meals - she'll fold her arms when I set a plate of food down in front of her. So we've got some hope that some part of what we're trying to teach her is starting to sink in.

In all our righteous endeavors, we need to pray first to get our wills in line with the Lord's.

Then we need to pray to know what we can do and then do it - we need to do what we can do and put in a valiant effort.

But we also need to remember that we must lean and trust in the Lord for the rest.

2 Nephi 10:24 says:

As we put in a constant effort to lean on the Lord, we will better know how to teach our children to do the same, and they will at the same time, learn from our example.

Thank you all SOOOOOOO Much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks so much for making me cry guys... maybe it is just PMS. :)

Really, this is so thoughtful and generous of you all. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Words really cannot express (and you all know I hardly have a shortage of words to say/write) my deep gratitude and exceeding exhilaration for this new fun camera. I am so thrilled to read the manual and figure out all the fun things to do with it. I appreciate all of you guys letting me take pictures of you, even if I am bossy and annoying. I love pictures, I love taking pictures, and I love looking through all the pictures and reliving all the great times that have been recorded this way. I don't know why you guys are so nice to me, but I really don't deserve it, especially after being so grumpy lately. But thank you, and thanks for loving me even when I am a chump. You are all so wonderful. I love you all very much. thanks, thanks, thanks, a million times over, THANKS!!!

Post Dedicated to Tevia

Okay, this is a support post for Tevia. Okay that didn't come out like I wanted it. Maybe appreciation is a better word!

Tevia, thank you for hosting all of our crazy families for Christmas. I love being with family and your home seems to be the gathering place for a few years now. It is stressful and complicated to cater to so many different people and during such a frantic time as Christmas. I want you to know that I personally love being in PHX and that's probably mainly because I feel so at home in your house. Our fun family Christmas would not have been possible without you sharing your home and doing all the hard work to make it a vacation for us. Please know that even though I am sarcastic and annoying most of the time, I am really grateful for your efforts and have always liked having you and Bret as good examples a few years in front of us.

Okay mushy stuff over! Now for the exciting part.

The family would like to thank you for hosting us for Christmas in combination with an early birthday present, we present you with the best hockey stick gift ever! I hope you enjoy your camera and it is a model you would have purchased yourself. But lets be honest, this only means you will have to slave even more at taking family pictures! Also, on a more selfish note... if in the distant future I just happen to be wake boarding near PHX, maybe you could bring that nifty little camera of yours and make me look good!

Love,
Jacob, Cari, Mom, Dad, Kathy, Jimmy, Hazel and Speed(We find out on Monday!)

P.S. Don't shoot your eye out:-)

The end of a decade...

The last decade ended in a blur. With a second trip to Dubai followed by the visit of family, then Christmas, then San Diego, and then the New Year. All of it was wonderful.

In Dubai I got to go on a desert safari where I rode a camel, went jeeping in the endless sand dunes, and ate a typical middle eastern meal in the middle of the desert.

Jacob and Cari and Kathy and Jimmy visited soon after my long voyage home. Jacob and Cari were able to see our family sing and speak in church. We then spent many nights talking long into the early morning.

My parents soon arrived and then we celebrated a wonderful Christmas. I loved seeing everyone open their presents - and loved the green laser I got for Jimmy (hopefully he liked it, too). The Christmas meal was great with a Honey Baked Ham supplied by Jacob and Cari.

We set off the next day to San Diego where we had a fun and spacious condo that mom had organized to surprise grandpa on his 50th birthday. Though it wasn't too hot, the weather was nice, even nice enough for grandpa, Jacob and me to surf (with the aid of a wetsuit). Surfing was fantastic and I was gladly sore the next few days for having learned how to surf. I can easily see the pull of being a beach bum with a surf board.

We had some wonderful dinners and I enjoyed being with the family. The last night most of us went to the temple (while Jacob and Cari volunteered to watch the kids) and had a wonderful evening of spiritual enlightenment. I was happy to be a part of a family that wanted to make the temple a part of our trip.

Afterwards we separated ways again - looking forward to a day we can be together again. For me the time was a reminder of how important family is - and how it makes me want to be a better man. What a great time to get that reminder! Right during the new year. And so I look forward to this new year and decade with a mindset to improve myself as a person; to be a better man, a better husband, a better father, brother, and son. I dream of a day where we can spend much more time together as a family.

First Blog

One of my few New Years resolutions for this year is to stay in contact more often with my family. I talk to my mom maybe once every week and a half and my dad maybe once every 3 weeks. Its not that they don't call its just when they do I usually miss it and never return phone calls. Also, I've been a member of this blog for about a year now and still have NEVER blogged. Unacceptable. So here is my first. I just wanted to let all of you know how happy I am to be a part of your family. Christmas was great and even though it was tough not going home to see my family in New York, I loved every minute we spent together. I am in such high spirits when we are all together and I know I can say the same for Kath. So thank you all for letting me be a part of it. The boys are so fun to hang out with and finally getting to meet Hazel was beyond words. She is the happiest baby I have ever seen. The whole trip went perfect.

I am very excited for the huge changes to come this year. In 9 months I am OUT of the Marines =) and one year from now I will be starting school (finally). Kathy will be student teaching in just a couple of days and soon will be a real teacher. Me and Kathy are very excited about possibly living in AZ. We talk about it all the time. Life is pretty good...especially knowing I don't have to say goodbye to Kathy again. Well, thanks Bret and Tevia for having us for Christmas and thank you all for letting me be a part of this incredible family. I miss and love you all very much.

Merry Christmas

Joy, peace, happiness, merriment, families, love, smiles, twinkling lights, games; this is what I think of when I think of Christmas.  But I also think all those things when I think of our family.  (except maybe for the twinkling lights).
Words, at least my simple words, cannot express the joy I have in my heart being a mother to each one of you!  And that includes you all!  I smile when I think of you.  I smile when I think of each grandchild. 
It is a blessing to have such a family.
There is a song that goes, "let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me..." 
It does begin with me.  I want to express that to you today, because I don't know if we will get around tuit during our visit together, that I have peace in my heart.
This gospel we live was a gift to me, the greatest gift I have ever been given.  It does bring me joy, even great joy.  And seeing you guys live the Gospel increases that joy. 
I know that Christ was not born in December, but seeing so many people take the time to celebrate Him and worship Him brings me great happiness.
He has blessed me, healed me, saved me, comforted me, and continues to do so daily.  I have seen miracles, both large and small. 
I have felt that peace He promised us.  It is most precious. 
It seems impossible to bear a testimony in words over a computer.  How can the spirit accompany what I am trying to say and what I feel?
My Christmas wish for all you is peace in your heart, even that most precious gift of love from the Savior Himself.  I hope you feel it.  I hope you live it.  I pray for each of you daily, and I can feel His help and watchfulness over you.  I love to see  and hear that you do your callings and ask the Lord for guidance and fast and pray oft.
Each time we receive inspiration, the Lord has more confidence in us that we believed enough to seek it, and then acted on it.  We can then be given more and more. It is amazing!
Between all our fun and presents and food and excitement, I know we will feel the beautiful spirit that abounds in our family and homes.
Merry Christmas from mom! 

The weather outside is frightful

But beautiful!

The Outsiders

I had never read this popular book, or saw the movie. Dad had to read it in high school.  It was chosen as our book club book this month, so I was glad to finally read it.  The girl wrote it while still in high school, so the writing itself could have been improved, but I loved the concept, and the characters.  I had 'greasers' in my high school, and dated several.  One time, Mark came over to wash and dry his flannel shirt after it got blood on it during a fight. Fun days.
So we Netflixed the movie, and watched it last night.  Boy!  The stars in it!  Now you all know dad and I know little of actors names and what movies they are in.  This short movie was made in 1983. It had a very young Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon,  the young kid star  from Karate kid, Diane Lane, and Patrick Swazy.  If they redid the movie today, it would be better, as they never quite captured the relationships and feelings of the book. It also did a poor job of developing the theme of labels and reputations.
We enjoyed it, and I even cried.  I recommend both.