#16 I Fought the Lawn

So the other day the City of Riverton sent us a mean little piece of mail. The hate mail came in the form of a letter requesting that we knock down the weeds on our property. Now normally I would consider myself pretty good at keeping the lawn cut... But there in lies the inherent problem. We don't have a yard. What we have is a lot a dirt, which at this point is chucked full of weeds. We have all intentions of making our land into a near paradise but all that comes with a price tag. and this year the price tag was just a bit too much to swallow. So we have some really nice Natural landscaping. But because I have no desire to pay the City any more money than they already take from me I spent last night behind a Brush cutting mower knocking down the forest that our yard had become. After about an hour and a half I was finished and you could actually see the patio in the back yard. This weekend the excavation of my basement walk out begins, as well as preparations to pour our RV pad along the side of the house. Lots of work to do. I think this round of Lawn wars went to me... but who is counting? This war will rage on for years.

#15 Headaches are no fun

So as I sat down today trying to think what blog number 15 should be about I found myself with a headache. I don't like headaches. they are pesky and I prefer not to deal with them, yet today I find myself at work dealing with a particularly pesky one. It started out very slowly. but now at 2PM its a full blown doozy. I think the worst part is that I get to continue staring at computer screen when what I would prefer to do is take a nap. Granted this is not the worst that I have ever dealt with, but still! Why is it that just when I need a clear head I get a nice headache... Headaches stink!... and now that I reread this... so does this post. here's hoping better things to come. :)

#14 Pardon me while I wax philosphical

I don't usually use the my blog as a place to talk about my testimony, but today I will. As I went to bed last night I felt impressed to reread Enos (shown above) in the Book of Mormon. Now in the past verse 2 has been the focus of much of my study;

"And I will tell you of the ^awrestle which I had before God, before I received a ^bremission of my sins."

Now anyone who has ever read Enos knows that it is all about repentance. Lately this has been on my mind as I have made great leaps spiritually of late. But last night was altogether different. I was instead drawn in my Verse 4;

"And my soul ^ahungered; and I ^bkneeled down before my Maker, and I ^ccried unto him in mighty ^dprayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens."

But more specifically I focused on the very beginning, "And my soul hungered". In dozens of reading of the Book of Mormon I had obviously read this passage before but never before had it touched me in this way. So I did what I do when I am touched, I pulled out my journal and began to write, so that I might capture the thoughts and feelings as they came to me. Even this morning as I write this, new understanding is coming to me with regards to these four words. My soul has hungered for a very long time. I feel that it is finally BEGINNING to get the nourishment that it so desperately craves. In the coming week I will attend the Temple again for the first time in nearly two years. I cannot wait. I am so very anxious to feel the spiritual power boost that is there. I have promised myself and committed to a friend that I will attend each and every week for the next year. This will come as a bit of a sacrifice (to my sleep mostly) but the reward will FAR outweigh the price. It has been quite some time since something this spiritual has excited me, but it is doing just that. I don't ever again want to be as Spiritually malnourished as I have been over the past few years. A friend told me a quote that I liked;

"Church is for those who are afraid to go to Hell. Spirituality is for those who have already been there"

I have been there. And I don't EVER want to go back. That's why I need both. The future today looks bright, VERY bright.

#13 Lucky 13 would be an unlucky event.

For blog #13 of 100 I have some unlucky news. Last night my youngest, Shelbie, was diagnosed with Influenza H1N1. More commonly known as the "Swine Flu". She was running a 103 Degree fever and was quite miserable. Heather also likely has it as Shelbie has been a mommies girl for the past few days. Last night while we were attempting to give Shelbie her medicine she decided to first spit/cough it back in my face then what we eventually did get her to swallow she threw up all over daddy. Needless to say sick 2 year olds are not fun, but sick pregnant mommies are even more cause for concern as the anti-viral medicine is not safe for pregnant women. I just hope the the prayers and blessings work and that all three come through none the worse for wear.

#12 Let Freedom Ring

This weekend is July 4th. The day that we celebrate our nations independence. This year I am feeling a bit more patriotic. Feeling like I should get out and do something other than blow stuff up. We really do live in the greatest country on Earth. We are blessed to have freedoms that others don't have. But with that freedom comes great responsibility. We are morally bound to make sure that we stay free, by electing officials that actually stand for what we believe in. If we don't, we forfeit our freedom. HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!! LET FREEDOM RING!!

#11 The real reason I am Alive.

This is a picture of the Oquirrh Mountain LDS temple. My wife Heather and I are hoping to be sealed there on our anniversary September 1st. We have recently submitted all the required paperwork to make this dream, a year in the making, a reality. The Temple is God's home on Earth. Each one has inscribed on it "Holiness to the Lord, the house of the Lord". We are looking forward to attending the dedicatory services on August 23rd with our son Parker. It will be a great experience for all involved. I highly recommend ANYONE to go through the temple open house that is ongoing until August 1st. It is a beautiful building and represents things that are sacred and even more Holy. I am so lucky to have the opportunity to live with my wife into the eternities through the sacred act of sealing. This is the reason that I am alive. To live forever with my sweetheart and our kids. I cannot think of Heaven without my wife there, and when I want to feel what Heaven is like while I am here I attend the temple. I am so grateful for the opportunity to feel my Saviors love there. HE is the reason I live.

#10 Bumpers stickers.

A co-worker of mine sent me an email with a bunch of bumper stickers. These are all quite funny (as long as you are not a Progressive liberal) and I thought they needed to be shared with the world at large.

WARNING!!: Bumpers Stickers may be rated PG-13 and require a sense of humor. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!

#9 Spy Novels Rule!!

I am a BIG fan of spy novels. I often tell my wife that a book is better than a movie for me because the stories are better and I can see it all in my head. "The Apostle" is the newest book by one of my favorite Authors, Brad Thor. Thor along with Vince Flynn and Clive Cussler form the triumvirate of must reed authors for me. There are a few others that I enjoy but these 3 are must reads. The one caveat is that Cussler novels must be all Cussler. Meaning I only really like the Dirk Pitt novels. The ones he puts his name on but someone else writes are not nearly as good. I own every book from these three authors and continue to enjoy rereading them again and again. Now Dirk Pitt is not an assassin like Mitch Rapp (Flynn) and Scot Harvath (Thor) but he is still a superhero in plain clothes. I think the world would be a much safer place with men like Harvath, Rapp, and Pitt around. Maybe the Progressive movement wouldn't be so alive and well. Maybe term limits would be a reality (see Flynn:Term Limits). Whatever the case I am looking forward to getting cozy with a good book and letting the movie in my mind play out.

#8 Stop Progressives. Save the Country

Over the weekend I finished "Common Sense" by Glenn Beck. It was a great read and EVERYONE in America should read it. It should be required reading before you are able to register to vote. Granted Beck is a bit over the top on some issues, but he brings some light to issues that many of us (yours truly included) have simply stuck our head in the sand over. Sadly this is not the same hole that most congressmen seem to have there heads in. That is a different orifice entirely. Case in Point: Cap and Trade. The Democrat controlled house pushed this bill through on Friday much to my own and millions of other Americans chagrin.
Read the book. It takes a fresh look at current politics and the scary and destructive road that out government is leading us down. Stop Progressives. Save the country.

#7 Summer Movies Revisted - Transformers

So last night we took Parker to see the New Transformers movie. It was exactly what I expected and contrary to what you would find on Rotten Tomatoes I LOVED the movie. Yes it was long, and no you should not drink a couple of large sodas before going in without using the facilities. But on the whole it was a TON of action along with a fairly decent story line. This movie was never going to be an Oscar nominee. Its based on a combination of action figures and a cartoon for crying out loud. There was a ton of action, there was comedy, and for its target audience (18-35 Year old Boys) there was also Megan Fox. Lucky for me I am Married to a woman who has Ms. Fox beat on looks and smarts and I couldn't be happier, thus I can exclude myself from the target demographic. Whether it was the bathroom style humor of a Decepticon genitalia, the antics of an Ancient Decepticon turned Autobot who was "Too old for this crap" the movie was funny. The movie had action and explosions a plenty. Easily worth the $8 and likely worth a purchase on Blu-ray.

#6 IT'S A BOY!!!!

We took the whole family in for an ultrasound to find out what variety of little on we have coming our way. It didn't take long for an immodest little boy to grace the ultrasound screen. We are all very excited about "Baby brother" and we look forward to his arrival in December. My wife is pretty much the hottest pregnant lady on Earth, I am a lucky guy to have her. We will get pictures scanned and posted here as well as my facebook page.

#5 Fuming over Cap & Trade

So currently our Congress is considering the Cap & Trade regulations. Before I start to vent, PLEASE CALL YOUR CONGRESSMEN Tell them to vote NO! now that that's out of the way... What is Cap and Trade you ask? The bed wetting liberal environmentalists think that by charging companies when they have to high of emissions (by some mythical standard) and allowing them to trade their quotas between companies. Here are the problems that I see. I am all for saving mother earth and not choking out the air that we breathe. Heaven knows I HATE seeing that ugly layer of smog during the weeks of inversion that we suffer here in Salt Lake City. As a Missionary I lived in the worlds worst pollution in Santiago. Here is the problem this at its core is a NEW TAX! Cap & Trade is going to cause our monthly outlay of cash to GO UP! Our Utility bills are going to go up. Electric plants cause emissions which is exactly what is being regulated. so guess who is going to pay for it?? You got it.. US! This is at its core the largest single tax increase EVER!. but don't even get me started on socialized medicine. today we have to STOP CAP & TRADE!

#4 I hate the end of the month

So in my job right now the end of the month can be a VERY stressful time. I am constantly running to make sure that every "i" is dotted and every "t" is crossed on each loan that I do. Sometimes this is an easy task. Sometimes it is quite daunting. This month I have 4 loans that I am trying to get pushed through underwriting so that I can get them closed by Thursday. Probably the Most aggravating thing is when people simply will not get back in touch with me. its tough to be accountable to others when you cannot get the info that you need. But things could be worse. Just before last Christmas I was unemployed. Each day is a blessing and with it a challenge.

#3 Fathers Day - A tribute to my Dad

So yesterday was Fathers Day. This is a day that I get to celebrate as the father of 1 (soon to be 2) of my own kids as well as Dad to 2 more that live with me. One of my favorite quotes is "Anyone can be a Father, but it takes someone special to be a Daddy". I Have a Daddy. He is a great man and the more that I look at him the more I realize that I am becoming him, and I couldn't be happier. If I am in as good a shape as my old man when I am his age I will be proud. He spent the past Friday climbing Mt. Rainier. For those of you who don't know Mt. Rainier is the tallest peak in the lower 48 states. This from a guy who sits at a computer nearly 80 hours a week and it nearing 55 years of age. His physical prowess is not to be outdone by his greatness as a Dad, Provider, and Friend. He is my ski buddy. He treats my mother, my sisters, and ,perhaps most touching, my wife as though they are the most precious commodity on earth. And I have to say that they are. I have learned a great deal form my Dad and I am PROUD to share his name (yes as many of you know JR is just another way of saying Junior, as in George Jr.) My Dad couldn't be a better example to me of how to treat loved ones and people in general. I, as a father, have been blessed to have such a great example of how to do the job right. I love you Pop. Happy Fathers Day, and thank you!

#2 Summer movie time

Tomorrow Marks the first day of Summer. And every kid (and dad for that matter) knows what that means. MOVIES!!! Why it is that all the great movies seem to come out during the summer I am not sure... Well ok its probably because people are home form school and thus have more time. This doesn't change the fact that there are some AWESOME movies coming out this summer. The New Transformers comes out next Wednesday, G.I. Joe later this summer. Not to mention Star Trek and Angels and Demons that are already showing. I am looking forward to seeing many of these and you can expect reviews. Tomorrow I will likely be seeing "The Proposal" with my Super Hot wife. I love the summer time!

#1 Are liberals trying to destroy our country??

Lately I have been listening to a fair bit more talk radio than I have in the past. Granted I ALWAYS listen to sports radio in an effort to get my fix of Cougar Football and Mariner Baseball, but lately I have been listening to more Glenn Beck and Dave Ramsey with a smidgen (and I mean a smidgen) of Sean Hannity. It has opened my eyes and ears to a fair bit of alarming ideas that are being perpetuated by our now left leaning government. Now first a disclaimer. I am a generally optimistic person. I don't find any gratification in gloom and doom. I don't see the point in focusing on the bad it just makes me depressed and in a generally bad mood. And I don't like being in a foul mood. This disclaimer aside, our nations president is doing some things that REALLY BUG ME. He is gallivanting over the world APOLOGIZING for AMERICANS BEING AMERICAN. And now he seems intent on making USA stand for United SOCIALISTS of America. The pendulum has swung VERY hard to the left and we can only hope that it returns to the right as soon as possible or the prophesy that "The Constitution of the United States will hang by a thread"

100 Blogs in 100 Days (or perhaps more??)

So last night as I was driving home I decided that I needed to get more creative. I though to myself "SELF how can we be more creative and vent the thoughts that plague us?" and immediately I thought that I should start blogging with more frequency. Thus My plan to blog every day for the next 100. The biggest pitfalls will be on the weekends (obviously) but I will endeavor to make it happen. More of my whit and sarcasm mixed with some deep thought. As I look for things worth writing about I hope to open my eyes to all sorts of new ideas and thoughts. Wish me luck!

Funny (Conservative) stuff

So in my meanderings around the internet I have come across many funny things. This picture is pretty high on the list. I am conservative in most regards. I would vote for Mitt Romney given a chance. I am currently reading "An Inconvenient Book" by Glenn Beck and find it hilarious and true. That's why I find this funny. Coming up?? More good blogs from me and (after much clamoring) pictures of our new house.

Spring has Sprung!!

Looking at the weather for the next few Days I can't help but smile. temps climbing into the high 70's and low 80's. Sunshine all around. My golf clubs are screaming to be let out of their bag in the garage and should take their rightful place in the trunk of my car VERY soon. Even better news than the weather is that the Mariners are looking better than expected, and with a declining Angels team in the American League west may actually be relevant late even into the season. My BYU football season tickets are ordered and life has a great feel to it. I may even get around to blogging with more regularity again. :)

Random thoughts about random things

So as I sit here at work on what should be a nice Monday i find myself being a bit on the pensive side. its times just like this when I feel that I should blog. let the creative juices flow if you will. For Example work. Here in the mortgage Industry some days can be very stressful. what do we use to combat the stress?? a Healthy dose of Mountain Dew, Honey BBQ Fritos flavor twists, and a healthy amount of wishing that we were Golfing or Skiing (dependent on the season). This weeks diversion may in fact be bracket watching. It is NCAA tourney time. once again BYU got hosed with their seed. and once again they play Texas A&M. The good news I guess is that A&M is not as good as last year, but then again neither are we.
Moving back to mortgages has been a blessing I think. I am able to make more money and I have a good time doing it. I think it will allow me to still reach my goal of being debt free (besides the house) by the time I turn 32. With The volume that I am seeing I am able to get quite a few loans each month, which in turn helps me to get nice things AND pay off debt. I would really like it if I can do well enough to let Heather be a true stay at home mom.
Ski season this year was a lot of fun. We took Parker and Makayla skiing for the first time and they had a lot of fun. I have such fond memories of skiing with my family, that I want this to be a bonding time for me and my kids.
Speaking of Bonding... Parker recently started playing America's past time. BASEBALL!!! His team is the Rockies and this league that he is paying is seriously hard core. 3 2 hr practices each week. but he is having fun so Heather and I are happy about it.

Ok I have run out of random thoughts...