See, I can take pretty pictures of people too!
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Happy BirdleDaydle Toodle Yoodle Doodle!
Twenty-seven years ago today,
on a bean bag in MountainRoad Ranch,
My Muad'dib was born.
Eww and Yay.
On this day, I would like to thank a few people.
Thanks be to God the Father, for everything, inlcuding all the good that follows in this list.
*Judy: Thanks for being pregnant that sixth time. Thanks for raising him. Thanks for teaching him to say what he thinks (it comes in really handy. sometimes.) Thanks for teaching him to love.
*Bob: Thanks for being a man he could emulate. He's a great man, and he learned from the best. Thanks for teaching him to hike.
*Brothers and Sisters: Thanks for not scarring him emotionally with silly nicknames or dressing him up in dresses. Wait. Actually, thanks for offering him a support system and cultivating the tendancy to communicate in honesty.
*Jed, Van and friends: Thanks for seeing him through his adolescent, teen and post teen years. I know that people become like the people they surround themselves with. I'm glad it was you guys.
*Girl friends: Thanks for giving him practice.
*Missionary companions: thanks for making me look good. At least i don't throw out the vanilla, right?
*Fedyakin: thanks for recognizing him for his thoughts, laughing at his jokes and doing the dishes.
*Mom: thanks for casting him as Huck. With that first chance, he has been able to grown so much.
*Dad: thanks for having confidence in the man I married. He feels it.
*Judy and Bob: thanks for teaching him the Gospel. Thanks for making a home where it was important.
*Father in Heaven: Thanks for this wonderful man!
Happy Birthday, Muad'dib!!
on a bean bag in MountainRoad Ranch,
My Muad'dib was born.
Eww and Yay.
On this day, I would like to thank a few people.
Thanks be to God the Father, for everything, inlcuding all the good that follows in this list.
*Judy: Thanks for being pregnant that sixth time. Thanks for raising him. Thanks for teaching him to say what he thinks (it comes in really handy. sometimes.) Thanks for teaching him to love.
*Bob: Thanks for being a man he could emulate. He's a great man, and he learned from the best. Thanks for teaching him to hike.
*Brothers and Sisters: Thanks for not scarring him emotionally with silly nicknames or dressing him up in dresses. Wait. Actually, thanks for offering him a support system and cultivating the tendancy to communicate in honesty.
*Jed, Van and friends: Thanks for seeing him through his adolescent, teen and post teen years. I know that people become like the people they surround themselves with. I'm glad it was you guys.
*Girl friends: Thanks for giving him practice.
*Missionary companions: thanks for making me look good. At least i don't throw out the vanilla, right?
*Fedyakin: thanks for recognizing him for his thoughts, laughing at his jokes and doing the dishes.
*Mom: thanks for casting him as Huck. With that first chance, he has been able to grown so much.
*Dad: thanks for having confidence in the man I married. He feels it.
*Judy and Bob: thanks for teaching him the Gospel. Thanks for making a home where it was important.
*Father in Heaven: Thanks for this wonderful man!
Happy Birthday, Muad'dib!!
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Need a Path?
Here it is: I have recently heard an analogy that today is pounding in my head.
Imagine you are driving along in your car. You're thinking. You're letting people in front of you, consistantly obeying the posted limits whether it be markings or speed "suggestions." Or you're not. Anyway, you look around and realize "Hey, this is not where I wanted to go!" Either you are past your mark, too far to the east or the west or in an entirely different state, but simply put: you are lost.
The bad news: You aren't where you want to be.
The good news: Look down. Whose hands are on the wheel? For most of us, the hands on the wheel of the car we are driving belong to us. Know what that means? It means we can turn the car around. We can get where we want to go.
So then here's the bigger question: Do we need to drive a specific path to arrive at a specific destination? There are at least a dozen ways to get from my house to the nearest church (and the closest LDS church is literally walking distance from where I live now). But which is fastest? Is "faster" more important? Is "Scenic" more important? Is "fun" more important? Is "safe" more important? That decision is entirely individual.
I'm looking at my car right now, and noticing that it may not run as long as i would like it to if I don't start taking care of it. The vehicle is as important as the journey because it determines the journey. Even in some ways the path determines the "health" of the vehicle. Rocky? I may puncture a wheel or whatever. I'm sure I have beaten this analogy to death, and you all know what I'm actually talking about.
Faith. Religion. Life. The Journey. The Eternal Plan of Happiness.
When I was fourteen, I was dealing with numerous emotional crazies. One particularly difficult night when I was blowing things out of purportion and inviting feelings of negativity because I heard we all doubt things at one time or another, my father gave me a blessing.
In it, I was told that my Father in Heaven could "point out every rock, bend back every branch. But how would you grow?"
Here's a moment of truth for you: My life has not been rocky or branchy or whatever compared to most. But we're not comparing. To me, my life is what I have made it. I made it hard or I made it fun or I made it principle driven or I made it great. I made it faith filled and religious. I've made my life. I have grown into my role as a steward of my life. God gave me the Earth. He gave me life. He gave me the gift of Choice. I have made my choices, and I will make more. The most important choice I have made is how I will handle my relationship with Him.
Okay, I was given it by birth and grew up with it all my life, but I still GAINED a testimony of it on my own. And I know it is my responsibility to continually learn. There are "Mormon culture" things that I just don't get. There are even a couple I don't agree with. But I understand that "Mormon culture" is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not the Church of CHrist. If I search the scriptures and ask my Father in Heaven for answers, I get them, green jello or not.
I have chosen my path and I KNOW it is important to have a path.
Imagine you are driving along in your car. You're thinking. You're letting people in front of you, consistantly obeying the posted limits whether it be markings or speed "suggestions." Or you're not. Anyway, you look around and realize "Hey, this is not where I wanted to go!" Either you are past your mark, too far to the east or the west or in an entirely different state, but simply put: you are lost.
The bad news: You aren't where you want to be.
The good news: Look down. Whose hands are on the wheel? For most of us, the hands on the wheel of the car we are driving belong to us. Know what that means? It means we can turn the car around. We can get where we want to go.
So then here's the bigger question: Do we need to drive a specific path to arrive at a specific destination? There are at least a dozen ways to get from my house to the nearest church (and the closest LDS church is literally walking distance from where I live now). But which is fastest? Is "faster" more important? Is "Scenic" more important? Is "fun" more important? Is "safe" more important? That decision is entirely individual.
I'm looking at my car right now, and noticing that it may not run as long as i would like it to if I don't start taking care of it. The vehicle is as important as the journey because it determines the journey. Even in some ways the path determines the "health" of the vehicle. Rocky? I may puncture a wheel or whatever. I'm sure I have beaten this analogy to death, and you all know what I'm actually talking about.
Faith. Religion. Life. The Journey. The Eternal Plan of Happiness.
When I was fourteen, I was dealing with numerous emotional crazies. One particularly difficult night when I was blowing things out of purportion and inviting feelings of negativity because I heard we all doubt things at one time or another, my father gave me a blessing.
In it, I was told that my Father in Heaven could "point out every rock, bend back every branch. But how would you grow?"
Here's a moment of truth for you: My life has not been rocky or branchy or whatever compared to most. But we're not comparing. To me, my life is what I have made it. I made it hard or I made it fun or I made it principle driven or I made it great. I made it faith filled and religious. I've made my life. I have grown into my role as a steward of my life. God gave me the Earth. He gave me life. He gave me the gift of Choice. I have made my choices, and I will make more. The most important choice I have made is how I will handle my relationship with Him.
Okay, I was given it by birth and grew up with it all my life, but I still GAINED a testimony of it on my own. And I know it is my responsibility to continually learn. There are "Mormon culture" things that I just don't get. There are even a couple I don't agree with. But I understand that "Mormon culture" is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not the Church of CHrist. If I search the scriptures and ask my Father in Heaven for answers, I get them, green jello or not.
I have chosen my path and I KNOW it is important to have a path.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Update
I earned my grades.
In British Lit: Super-solid A
In Critical Lit: Sickeningly solid A
In Math 950: Way-to-learn-pre-algebra-at-25 A
In Nutrition: Full on F.
But I earned each one! Not proud of the last, but super pleased with the first three. No lectures, please. I'd like to ignore the shame and move on.
Liam had his surgery (minor in medical terms), and is healing quite well. He still walks and screams and does everything normal, except that his natural arch making skills are a little . . . painful.
River is crawling everywhere. One second she's next to me and the next she's eating fuzz off the floor in the bathroom, laughing like she's just gotten away with something.
Caleb has completed the Swamp Cooler maintenance for this spring season (yay! no more dangerous excursions on the roof!) and continues his work at the Post Office.
I will be in a all-talkie-no-sing-y play this summer, performing in July. It's Twelve Angry Men, but with women, so we call it Twelve Angry Jurors. I'm #10, who is described as a "Loudmouth racist". I don a New York accent (I guess) and rant and rave. It feels super great to yell and emote without consequence. In fact, I get complimented for my behavior. That's why I love theater.
Caleb and I are looking for a house. Three bedroom, fenced yard, under 130, good neighborhood. The time has come when we no longer want to listen to people through our walls, and take care of someone else's messes. Cleaning up someone elses's old urine really helped us make this decision. Eww.
So, there it is. A humorless, un-punny update on my little fan-damily.
In British Lit: Super-solid A
In Critical Lit: Sickeningly solid A
In Math 950: Way-to-learn-pre-algebra-at-25 A
In Nutrition: Full on F.
But I earned each one! Not proud of the last, but super pleased with the first three. No lectures, please. I'd like to ignore the shame and move on.
Liam had his surgery (minor in medical terms), and is healing quite well. He still walks and screams and does everything normal, except that his natural arch making skills are a little . . . painful.
River is crawling everywhere. One second she's next to me and the next she's eating fuzz off the floor in the bathroom, laughing like she's just gotten away with something.
Caleb has completed the Swamp Cooler maintenance for this spring season (yay! no more dangerous excursions on the roof!) and continues his work at the Post Office.
I will be in a all-talkie-no-sing-y play this summer, performing in July. It's Twelve Angry Men, but with women, so we call it Twelve Angry Jurors. I'm #10, who is described as a "Loudmouth racist". I don a New York accent (I guess) and rant and rave. It feels super great to yell and emote without consequence. In fact, I get complimented for my behavior. That's why I love theater.
Caleb and I are looking for a house. Three bedroom, fenced yard, under 130, good neighborhood. The time has come when we no longer want to listen to people through our walls, and take care of someone else's messes. Cleaning up someone elses's old urine really helped us make this decision. Eww.
So, there it is. A humorless, un-punny update on my little fan-damily.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Jumping on the Blog Wagon
Is much like jumping on the Band Wagon, but without those dorky uniforms. Newest members to my Blog Wagon (and yes, it's mine, because I invented the internet) include Caleb: http://www.therootofmoney.blogspot.com and his minion, Kenneth: http://www.indiscriminateemotionalwhoring.blogspot.com. Check it out, eh.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
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