Adventure is Out There!

The Proposal

2011-11-23T18:59:00.000-08:00

On November 19th I proposed to my girlfriend...

Ana Eileen Aiono

Earlier in the week, Ana's Sister-in-law sent us a text asking us to come see her son (Ana's nephew) perform at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica at 8:00 pm on Saturday night. Naturally, Ana and I agreed to go!

When we arrived at the Promenade, Ana had no idea what was about to happen. Our families had arrived there about an hour earlier and practiced what was about to happen. Ana's niece, Morgan, had made signs that corresponded with the lyrics of Me and Ana's song, "Stereo Hearts" by Gym Class Heroes. My best-friend, Josh, brought the Boom Box and Music. We walked up the Promenade to the right spot. Ana's brother, Martin greeted us and distracted us until the time was just right.

Then as we walked closer to the spot, Josh and Morgan came up behind us and started playing the song. As we kept walking all of a sudden the entire family appeared and Ana heard and saw....

"If I could only find a note to make you understand...

I'd sing it softly in your ear and and grab you by the hand...

Just keep it stuck inside your head like your favorite tune...

And know my heart's a stereo that only plays for you...

My heart's a stereo...

It beats for you so listen close...

Hear my thoughts in every No-o-ote...

Make me your radio...

And turn me up when you feel low...

This melody was meant for you...

Just sing-a-long to my stereo..."

ANA

WILL

YOU

MARRY

ME?

It was pretty awesome! But to find out what she said, I guess you'll have to watch the video...

"I spy, with my little eye...."

2011-11-16T17:09:00.000-08:00

So it's been forever since I've blogged, and I thought it was time to share with the world some of the adventures I've had and you might have missed over the past couple months. Pay attention because this is gonna move kind of fast! Here goes,

"I spy with my little eye..."

A family vacation to Lake Powell....

A "DTR"...

A roadtrip to Utah...

A Common King's concert...

A "relationship status update" on Facebook...

A Cousin's missionary homecoming AND finding waldo...

A Halloween Hickey...

A Haircut (in an Anjelah Johnson voice "just one")...

A High School Volleyball Game...

An unexpected visit from friends...

A playdate with a future nephew & niece...

A smaller closet...

AND...

Someone to share all of my adventures with!

My Three Seconds With Kobe!

2011-03-03T18:37:00.000-08:00

You've heard the saying, "Five minutes of fame," well today I discovered that I have three seconds! In all reality they probably aren't even three full seconds, but that doesn't matter because they are three seconds in the same commercial as KOBE BRYANT!

Watch closely, or you'll miss it! In seconds 03-05 of the commercial, just to the right of the chef in the background, and behind the words "Los Angeles" are parts made by my company, PACO Plastics & Engineering, Inc.

Now the story- Probably about a month ago I answered the phone at work. The guy on the other end wasn't quite sure what he was looking for because he wasn't from our industry. He said that he was filming a comercial of an airplane galley and had found us online and wondered if we would be able to sell him some parts for it. I quickly responded that he indeed had called the right place and that we had done some work similar for the movie Flight Plan.

I transffered the call to my Dad who handles sales and pricing and over the next few days gathered the parts together that the man needed. The nice thing about selling to Hollywood is that you don't have to follow the same criteria outlined by the FAA as you do when selling in the aerospace industry. The parts don't have to function, just fit a particular look, and they don't have to be certified. We knew that the commercial they were making was for Turkish Airlines, and I guess I just assumed that it would be played out of the country and that I'd never see it. So you can imagine my surprise when my Dad called me into his office to show me a video he just happened to stumble upon because of an article he had been reading about Kobe.

MY PARTS ARE IN KOBE'S COMMERCIAL!!!!! haha. I know that probably sounds lame to some, but for my Laker loving family, it's awesome! And even though no one else would've noticed them on their own, I'm proud of those three seconds!

(Also, for a closer look behind the scenes...our parts are showcased in 1:47 on this video)

It's Just A Bunch of Noise!

2011-03-02T23:15:00.000-08:00

Earlier this evening I had fallen asleep on my couch--probably due to the fact that I had worked myself to exhaustion attempting to get three stars on every level of Angry Birds--when I was abruptly awakened by this deafening screech! The fire alarm was going off at my apartment complex. I immediately got up and looked around my apartment to see what could have possibly ignited such an awful racket! Some thoughts that went through my head were:

"Are the batteries in the smoke detector bad?"

"I hope I didn't set it off in the whole building"

"Which detector is it?"

"Geez! Make it Stop!"

I believe I even tried to rip one of smoke detectors off the ceiling before the second wave of thoughts went through my head:

"Are we having a fire drill?"

"Am I supposed to evacuate?"

"Are you freaking kidding me! It's freezing outside- ugh, where's my coat?"

"Is anyone else evacuating?"

"Do I HAVE to?"

I peeked my head out my front door to find that my neighbors seemed to have the same thoughts gaging from the confused looks on their faces. Most people started to congregate in the hallways where the elevators are. From my side of the building we have a clear view of the street and could see the fire engine pull up. Funny thing is--no one really left the complex! Why? Because we all have been conditioned to automatically ignore alarms and warning signals!

Think about it! What's the first thing you do when you hear this:

I'm guessing it's hit the snooze button! It sure isn't thinking, "Oh goodie- it's time to wake up!"

Or what about this:

You don't jump up and run to the rescue of some poor neighbor's demise. You automatically assume a cat jumped on the hood of the car or something and grow increasingly irritated the longer the noise prevails!

It's like the story my dad used to tell me about the boy who cried wolf. With so many false alarms in our lives, we've been conditioned to ignore and become irritated, but definitely not respond to action. Throughout this whole little ordeal the thought never occurred to me that the building might actually be on fire. And at the end of inconvenient symphony of irritation there in deed was no fire- which completely reinforces and strengthens our already incorrect conditioning! Hopefully in the event of a real emergency, our other senses will be alerted, because when it's only something we hear...

IT'S JUST A BUNCH OF NOISE!

Cupid's Chokehold

2011-02-14T17:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes Cupid's shots are an EPIC fail, sometimes he COMPLETELY misses, and I guess sometimes he shoots and you SCORE! haha. But this year Valentine's Day is just another day of the week for me. So here's a little Valentine humor for everyone else wronged by the little-winged d-bag!

Better luck next year lonely hearts- haha!

~~Happy Valentine's Day!~~

Last day of 2010!

2010-12-31T15:29:00.000-08:00

I figured I need to post something today since it's the last day of 2010.

What happened to Greg in 2010:

Took Arabic classes in Beverly Hills
Went to the gym pretty regularly
Lost a bunch of weight! (but most recently gained a bunch back too- haha)
Turned 26- blah
Stayed at the Magic Castle hotel! :)
Got Magic Johnson Shoes! AWESOME!
Went to my first Laker's game in Utah
Got released from Elder's Quorum President
Waterskiied a lot
Jumped a little on the wakeboard for the first time in over 5 years
Became addicted to Ray Ban's (I have several different colors)
Shot my first Roman Candle
Launched my first bottle rocket
Got reacquainted with Childhood friends
Joined Couch Surfing (but plan on doing a lot more of that in the future)
Bought a hiking backpack
Got my first pair of TOMS
Went to Europe- Paris, Marseilles, Milan, Rome, and Barcelona! Woo hoo!
Flew Business Class for the first time- Ahh-mazing!
Jumped off the colong's (Don't know how to spell it) in Southern France
Paddle boarded in the Mediterranean Sea
Went to my first topless beach
Kissed a girl and I liked it! haha- Had to through that in.
Saw the Eifel tower, Notre Dame, Colosseum, the Vatican, and sooo many other places
Went to my first Laker's game at the Staples Center in Pres. Clegg's Box
Attended a training course in AS9100 Quality Management System and finally understand it! haha
Had Sushi and liked it
Bought a Disneyland year pass (this is gonna continue into 2011)
Went on Tower of Terror for the first time
Ate Thai food on Sunset Blvd.
Played fantasy basketball for the first time- it sucked! I stopped checking it! haha
Got called as a gospel doctrine teacher
Got to Vote- even though none of the choices were very good! haha
Had my friend Brice that I met in Europe stay with me
Walked Rodeo Drive for the first time- it's a wanna be Europe! haha
Got my first pair of Sperry Topsiders- to be followed with my second pair that my dad gave me :)
Read most of "The Miracle of Forgiveness"- Dumbest book ever! haha
Turned my mom into a crocheting machine
Mourned the death of my Tongan nephew DeeDee Tafuna
Moved into my own apartment in Long Beach
Went to my first Hot Pot party thanks to Alisha at work- and no it has nothing to do with weed! haha
Discovered Angry Birds! haha
Said good-bye to several friends who went on missions (McCain, Tyler, Alyssa, Cody, Kathryn, Megan, etc)
Finally picked up my Christmas present from last year from Billy and Susan's house- haha
Racked up a bunch of debt- haha- hopefully next New Year's even I'll write I'm debt free ;)

I'm sure that I had lots more adventures that I can't remember off the top of my head! But 2010 was a good year. It was full of up's and down's physically and spiritually. At the close of this year I am happy with the place I'm at in my life and hopeful for next year to be even better!

Thank you to all my family and friends who have supported me through the rough patches and been the life of the party through the fun ones! I love you all and hope you have a happy and safe New Year's Eve!

Stay tuned for more adventures...2011 style! ;)

Lasting Christmas

2010-12-28T10:20:00.000-08:00

While I was unpacking my new apartment, I stumbled upon this Christmas letter I wrote while on my mission...

God Be With You Till We Meet Again...

2010-11-23T02:15:00.000-08:00

Keoni Falamani Tafuna

aka DeeDee

Today I learned some tragic news! My Tongan nephew, Deedee, passed away. He was only 17 years old. He was an exciting, energetic, and loving little boy and I will always be grateful that he was able to share some of his time on this earth with me!

In August of 2002, I was 18 years old and had just moved across the Pacific Ocean to the Island of Oahu in order to attend Brigham Young University Hawaii. I didn't know another soul there and for the first month felt incredibly alone. I would often sit in my dorm room and long to be back in California with familiar people and places. All of that changed when I met Nelson Fotu!

Nelson was Vice President of Social Activities for BYUSAH (The quasi-student government on campus) and had a position for an assistant available. Having had student government experience in High School, I applied and got the job. Little did I know at the time that I would get so much more than a job--I would get a family!

Soon after I started working with Nelson, we started hanging out outside of work. He took me over to his family's house where I was instantly surrounded by a swarm of Tongan kids ranging from about ages 14 to 5. If you don't already know it is a common practice in Hawaii and in Polynesian culture in general to address your elders as "Uncle" or "Auntie" and I soon found 9 little kids calling me "Uncle Greg"!

At a time when I was struggling to discover my own beliefs, and figure out who I wanted to be, I found 9 little kids full of light, energy, life, and love all around me--and a whole set of older brothers and sisters to guide me and support me! I found myself spending more and more time at Nelson's house. I went to family activities--graduations, birthdays, sporting events, funerals, and weddings. I even spent more nights sleeping at the Fotu house than in my own dorm room. I ate and slept and went to family home evening there for my whole freshman year of college!

What does it mean to be a family?

Do you have to share a common last name?

Must you be born of the same Mom and Dad?

Must your hair color and skin all be the same?

When my own family was thousands of miles away--I had a network of love that I could turn to, I had a Tongan family!

Now quite some time has passed. All of the kids are taller than me! Some of them are married, some have their own kids. Some are in college, and some are in high school. But to me they are still the same kids who stole my shoes and asked me to buy them Yu-gi-oh cards, and went snorkeling with me at Shark's cove! They are the same kids that I have prayed for and worried about and would do anything for--and they probably don't even know it! They are the same kids who taught me what it means to be an "Uncle" in Hawaii. Since 2002, I've picked up many "nieces and nephews"- and I love them all as if they really are- but I will always have a special place in my heart for these ones! They were the first!

Chubby, Siu, Lei girl, DeeDee, Figgy, Lola Junz, Malia, Mata, and Fifi...

Even though I'm not really you're uncle, I want each of you to know that I love you! If you ever need anything you can ask me! I want you to know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know DeeDee better than anyone in the whole world! They know DeeDee even better than he knows himself!

DeeDee will be missed terribly by his family and friends left behind- but it is only temporary compared to eternity! No matter what the circumstances may be, don't ever let anyone discourage you or dishearten you because no one knows DeeDee like Heavenly Father knows DeeDee. And I know Heavenly Father loves him! In the end- that love is what will really matter!

I love you DeeDee...

"God be with you till we meet again

Keep loves banner floating o're you

Smite death's threatening wave before you

God be with you till we meet again"

Thank you for helping me become the person I am today!

Got My Ring & My Confetti...

2010-11-09T23:15:00.001-08:00

So the fortune cookie was right! Tonight I went to my first Laker's game at the Staples Center! It was awesome, AND quite the adventure!

I love L.A. :)

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Today's Fortune

2010-11-08T14:01:00.001-08:00

Went to Panda Express for lunch today. My fortune cookie told me:

Anyone think it's true?

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Lessons on Light

2010-11-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

"Did you ever wonder who you are

do your ever wonder as you stare into the stars

Where you began

And how you got this far

from home?"

"There’s a dream taking wings

There’s a voice that wants to sing

Even in the deepest darkest night

The Torch is raised to the sky

There are hands that hold it high

You were born to keep it burning bright

You were made to fly you were meant to shine

Child of light"

-Child of Light

"As the sun gives life and light to the earth, a spiritual light gives nourishment to our spirits."

-Joseph B. Wirthlin

"To observe the physical properties of light can be exciting, but discovering the properties of spiritual light and truth is even more awe inspiring and essential. We are promised, 'He that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.'"

-Robert R. Steuer

"Darkness cannot conquer light unless the light is diminished or departs"

-Robert D. Hales

"Once when President Brigham Young was asked why we are sometimes left alone and often sad, his response was that man has to learn to 'act as an independent being … to see what he will do … and try his independency—to be righteous in the dark.' That becomes easier to do when we see the 'gospel glow … radiating from … illuminated individuals.'"

-James E. Faust

2 times in 2 weeks!

2010-11-02T17:54:00.001-07:00

Until Mandi's birthday on Oct. 22, it had been over 7 years since I'd been to Disneyland. Well I bought an annual pass because it seemed to make more sense since I live in Southern California and work pretty close to it. Well, I went yesterday and now I've been twice in two weeks. Lol.

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Childhood Memories!

2010-08-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Derrick Hales and Emma Johnson went with me to the doghouse! It was a lot of fun reminiscing about old times. Funny story- the table at the doghouse has been through all three of our families. It was at the Johnson's first, but when they got a new table they gave it to the Hales. When the Hales got a new table they gave it to us! And when we got a new table, we took it to the doghouse! LOL! One of the many things our three families have shared!

Good Morning Doghouse

2010-07-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

When you sleep outside at the doghouse, you wake up when the sun does!

But all the people inside don't! HAHAHAHHA.....

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Nick is so fetch!

2010-06-27T00:20:00.000-07:00

My Dog, Nick, is the coolest, smartest, happiest dog in the world! Especially when he gets to play at the doghouse! I love him!

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Dog Day Afternoon!

2010-06-26T14:41:00.001-07:00

Yeah, the Doghouse pretty much rules! :)

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Forgot to invite...

2010-06-21T22:07:00.001-07:00

Lauryn Hill said, "We can't plan life. All we can do is be available for it."

If that's the case how come sometimes I feel like the only time I end up doing something fun is if I plan it? Lol. I think I make myself pretty available. When I looked up available in the dictionary, one of the definitions was not busy- well that pretty much sums up most of my nights-lol! Today is a perfect example- got home from work, went to the gym, was home by 7:45. Well it's 9:00 now and I'm once again sitting in the spa-by myself! Hello people- not busy!

So I'm sitting by myself in the spa and thinking- where are my friends? It can be very disparaging! I mean they come around and have fun when I invite them, but how come I rarely get a phone call saying, "hey let's go do this, or let's go do that"? I mean it gets me to wonder if I'm more of a pest than a friend! Lol.

I think the problem lies in assuming! My family has an open door policy, and there are always people coming in and out of the house. I think it tends to make people think I must be busy doing something! Also I'm a pretty friendly guy for the most part, so another decieving thought could be I'm probably with another friend! And dont get me wrong, sometimes, I do enjoy being alone, which might make people think I'm a little intimidating- if invited to do something I'll say no. But these assumptions are often far from the truth! Lol! Sure people come over all the time, but that doesn't mean my favorite thing to do is sit on the couch and watch tv everynight! Lol. Yes, I have a lot of friends- but they have other friends too and they don't always hang out with me. And sorry if I'm intimidating. If I really am in need of alone time I would graciously decline the offer to do something- but that doesn't mean I will every time!

What people miss about me is that I love being spontaneous! For those of you who don't do big words it means unplanned randomness! Lol. I mean it's great to get the birthday invitation 3 weeks in advance and all, but If you want to know what would make me so stoked I'd probably buy you a present, call me up at 9:30 on a weeknight and say hey can you come with me to walmart, or let's go to the movies, or let's go get ice cream! It's not what I'm invited to do, it's the fact that I AM invited! It makes me feel good, like I'm wanted!

Now I know you're thinking I'm just complaining about my life again- but I promise I'm not! I don't think this is something that's unique to me. In fact I bet there are multiple people who really aren't busy right now and would love to do something, but instead they're sitting at home and feeling alone, unwanted, and unloved!

The problem with our generation is that we've forgotten the importance of the invitation. My grandparents, for example, almost always need to be invited before they'll join in an event. It used to drive me crazy! I mean, I would think, you know you're welcome, we want you here, just come, why do I need to ask you to come!? I think that's typical of our generation- if you want to do something just go, you don't need to be invited! We don't think about others enough. We go places and assume if they wanted to be with us they would have come and if not, they must be busy doing something else! It's a loss of ettiqiette that is detrimental to the fabric of friendship. An invitation says I care enough to think about you! It says, I love you and want you to be around me! It builds self-esteem, trust, and confidence!

Now, I'm not saying that next time you go to the mall take hand engraved invitations to the friends you're going with- that's a little over the top! I'm just saying, next time you do go out to do something, think about whose missing- call them up and ask them to go! Or even better- be spontaneous! Call up a friend at a random time and ask them to do something with you- if they can't, try another one! I guarentee there's someone out there who could really use an invite!

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Kiss the Cook!

2010-06-12T12:04:00.001-07:00

It's Saturday morning and I woke up to the most wonderful aroma coming from my kitchen downstairs!

My mom's roommate from college, Scharlotte, has been visiting all week and it has been AWESOME! She and mom have been cooking all week and swaping recipies! It has been a blessing for both me and my family!

Scharlotte, the harlot, the sailor's delight- as my mom used to call her- is from Odessa, Texas! It has been a ton of fun talking about fun memories of Texas and learning a few secrets about my mom's past! Hahaha!

Anyways, it has been great! Especially the biscuts and jam!

Thanks Scharlotte for coming! We love you already! :)

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Why do all my mutant powers SUCK!?

2010-06-11T16:44:00.000-07:00

When I was a little boy, I used to watch X-men on saturday mornings! (Let's not lie, I still watch it if I come across it playing on TV) Well if you don't know what X-men are (because you live under a rock on some other planet or something) I will explain briefley so that this blog post makes sense.

X-men is a series of comics created by Stan Lee the founder of Marvel Comics. There have been several spin-offs from the comic series, including, but not limited to; movies, cartoons, books, action figures, stickers, etc. While each take their own spin on things, they all stay true to this governing idea:

Through the process of evolution a number of humans throughout the world have genetic mutations which allow them to pocess superhuman abilities! These abilities can be as extreme as flying, or as subtle as x-ray vision.

Well let me just tell you, I definately am a Mutant! However, instead of getting a good power like telekenesis (moving things with your mind) or controling the weather, I got stuck with all the crappy ones! No, I know what you're thinking- "I'm just complaining" but I will prove it!

MUTANT ABILITY #1: Extra Vertabrae

I recently discovered this wonderful power while at the chiropractor's office. Do you know why I discovered it? Because my back has been in constant pain for two solid weeks and I had to get x-ray's. Most people have 5 lumbar and I have 6 and an extra disc too I think- which has the potential to cause me a whole lot of back pain in the future if I don't take care of it. WOW! That was useful! lol!

MUTANT ABILITY #2: Monkey Arms

I know, I know! It's true I do have monkey arms. Your wingspan (fingertip to fingertip when your arms are outstretched) is suppossed to equal your height. Well my wingspan is 6', yet my height is only 5'9" (5'10" on a good day) lol. And trust me, every tailor or person measuring me for clothing has told how long my arms are. In fact the guy measuring me for my 8th grade promotion suit told me I had "unusually long, ape-like arms!" Thanks jerk! lol! I mean my super long arms might be useful, if they were massive and ripped and could launch me around, but alas, they are not. So while I look like a monkey, there will be no swinging from tree to tree with these bad boys!

But the last mutant ablility takes the cake! It is by far the worst!

MUTANT ABILITY #3: An Uncanny Resistance to Anti-Hystamines Due to an Uncanny Ammount of Mast Cells in my body!

Two days ago I went to the tanning booth (Yes I tan, get over it!) I was in a hurry and couldn't find my lotion so I asked Andrea if I could borrow hers. She told me it was in her room and to just grab it. She neglected to tell me that there were two different kinds in her room; the normal kind I use and this other one that caused her to have a bad reaction. Can you guess which one I grabbed? 11 minutes felt like HELL! I thought I had a flesh-eating disease or something. My skin was on fire, bright red, and felt like it was being stabbed by thousands of little needles. Come to find out it has something in it called "tingler" which the lady told me I couldn't wash off for 6 to 8 hours or it would get worse. Well let me just tell you it sent me into a full-blown alergic attack! I drove home as fast as I could and took 2 Benadryl and tried not to move!

When I woke up yesterday morning, It didn't hurt anymore, however, there was still a rash on my arms and legs and I didn't feel that well. This morning, when I woke up the rash itched a little. After my shower I put some lotion on it, thinking it was just dry skin. Well on my way into work, my SUPER Mast Cells decided to release their Hystamines! I have never been in pain like this before! My arms and legs got itchier and itchier and would not stop burning. I pulled off the freeway, went to the CVS and bought Benadryl Gel and Benadryl Cream, and Claritin. I ran back to my car where I generously lathered first the gel all over my legs and arms! Then I took the pill. I brief moment of comfort insued and I thought it would be okay to continue my journey to work. No sooner had I gotten on the freeway again that the intense burning and itching returned with a vengance. I grabbed the cream (which is supposed to be used for like bug-bites not like lotion...lol) and I squirted the tube out all over my arms and legs and attempted to lather them while driving. The pain was so extreme I can't even explain it! I pulled off at the next exit and called my dad. My mom had to come get me because I couldn't move. I then took another Benadryl! Between the topical creams and pills, I have taken enough Anti-Hystamines to knock an Elephant unconcious for a year- but do you think it has even made me drowsy!? Nope! No relief! It has lessened the intensity of the itching and burning (which I really am greatful for) but it has not taken it away! It gets worse-this could last two to three more days! I might go insane by then!!!

So while you all are out having fun this weekend, say a quick little prayer for your friend here who can only lay here and try not to scream! (Oh and I have screamed today out in pain and frustration- Chinese water torcher's got nothing on this!) LOL!

Why couldn't I have just been born with Telekenisis?! :(

Welcome to the Hotel Dowden...

2010-06-07T01:38:00.000-07:00

So it's been two solid weeks of parties and house guests (sometimes as many as 3 or 4 at a time! lol!). First it was my Birthday Weekend at the Doghouse, then Ryan and Tini's wedding, and this week we're fixin' to have my Mom's college roommate come! Sometimes our house is like a can of Pringles- Once you pop the fun don't stop! LOL!

I Know!

2010-05-26T00:05:00.001-07:00

This one's for Ui and Ane! All I gotta say is "I know!" hahahahahaha!

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My love/hate relationship!

2010-05-22T17:35:00.001-07:00

I have a love/hate relationship with the sun! I love him, but he hates me! So on Wednesday I didn't go into work, because I needed to stay home and get the yard ready for Ryan's manshower! If you don't know what that is, then you better read his blog:

Ryan Ridley- Manshower

Anyways, I decided since I didn't have to go in I would make a little visit to the dermatologist to look at a mole on my back that had been bothering me. It has been like 12 years since I've even seen one so I thought it might be good to just get a check up anyways! Lol. Well he removed the mole- turns out it was just a mole that had been scratched and irritated- and didn't seem too concerned about any of the other ones I have. The "surgery" was quick and easy and I didn't even feel it. They stuck a bandaid on and sent me on my way.

Ironically, I went straight to Ghostbusters to tan! Lol! Then I went home to help mom in the yard. Josh and I thought this was the perfect oportunity to get some real sun instead fake sun from the tanning booth, so we took our shirts off and worked in the yard! I kind of lost track of time and the fact that I still had tanning lotion on from the tanning booth, and that I still had a bandaid on my back from the dermatologist! Lol! Well, the mix of those three things proved disasterous!

See for yourself:

Mind you, these pictures were taken a couple days after the intial burn- the redness had already begun to fade. Wednesday night, I looked like Sebastian from the little mermaid! Lol!

I don't know why he's gotta be so cruel to me! Why can't he just give me a nice golden-brown kind of color? Instead no matter how much I try to be close to him, he always paints me red! Lol!

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Lakers teach Pheonix the Sun sets in the West!

2010-05-17T22:42:00.001-07:00

Here's the REAL king! Look at the determination on his face! He wants another Championship bad! And he's spreading a fire among the rest of the team!

Lamaaaaaaaar! Lamar Odom is my homie! Lol!

When he's on- he's REALLY on! He had 19 points and 19 rebounds tonight! Way to be on your A game Lamar!

Here's Ronnie!

Ron Artest is an Animal! I think he's just slightly crazy- or at least has the potential to go crazy! Lol! But he ASKED to join the Lakers! You KNOW he wants a ring! Not to mention the chance to sport the yellow and purple!

D-Fish!

Derek Fisher is gangsta!

Shannon Brown can fly!

And who's Pheonix's star?

Ouch! Lol!

Anyways- I think they're gonna go all the way! Kobe wants it! The team wants it! And most of all- All of us fans want it!

What was it 30 points tonight- broken finger and sore knee!?

Laker-haters, you just don't have a leg to stand on! :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

To the Laker game and back again!

2010-05-10T00:33:00.000-07:00

So I got the craziest idea last week that I should take a quick road trip up to Salt Lake and go to the Laker vs. Jazz game there. So I talked to McCain and he was totally down for it!

Friday we left after work! Got to Provo about 2:00 AM and then crashed at Griffin's appartment. Saturday, I dropped McCain, Griffin and Aubrey off at Temple Square so they could visit Sagan and take a tour with her, and I went and hung out with my cousin Molly!

Then we all went to Hire's Big H for lunch- love the burgers and the amazing Rootbeer Freeze!

I took Molly home and Mac, Griff, and Aubrey went to the Energy Solutions Arena to meet Brooks and his girlfriend Kesia and get our seats. I raced back to the Arena and watched the most intense and awesome game!

I was nervous at times, but the Lakers pulled through! Mac wore his "Here's Ronnie" shirt and I wore my "Only Kings Have Rings" shirt, available at The Forest Lab! We got tons of compliments from Lakers fans, and a few dirty looks from everyone else.

Mac especially had his own little fan club two rows behind us! You gotta love a drunk Laker fan singing "We Love LA...We Love It" over and over again, and yelling "Here's Ronnie" everytime Ron Artest got the ball! LOL! Mac even got the honor of being dubbed the Baddest Mother F*er in the whole place! LOL! However, after we won the real fun happened...

First off let me say- Jazz fans suck! LOL! The following is an excerpt I wrote in response to someone complaining that We Laker fans owe some kind of "Respect" to Jazz fans on Joshua Mezin's Facebook status:

Let me just say, I was at the game and there is definately no room for respect for any of the Jazz fans who were there! I watched as they physically accosted a laker fan! One guy bashed a glass bottle over his head, and as he was bleeding profusly the rest of the crowd would barely let him get down to safety, they were too busy pushing and swearing... See More at him! Can you say sore losers! And then to top it all off, when security was called the guy who smashed the bottle took his jersey and hat off to look different and ran off like a punk ass b*tch. A lady in her mid-30's early 40's proudly announced to the people around her that, "that guy just beat up a laker fan" and to let him through so he could do it some more! "Sore losers" aren't the only 2 word phrases that came to mind, I think "white trash" would fit appropriately as well! I love how everyone who walked by us would say lakers suck! Really? If we suck so bad how come we just won!? You guys need to come up with something better than Lakers Suck, or Kobe Sucks, because it only makes you sound more pathetic and ignorant than you already are! All I gots to say is that I wish someone would grab the guy who smashed the bottle and drop him in the middle of the Staples Center and just see if he makes it home alive! Lol! I love Basketball season because the Lakers unite us- it's the only place and time you can see the ghettoist gangbanger hugging a Beverly Hills CEO out of pure celebration! I echo the words of the theme song- and my Vato homie two rows behind me- "We love LA! We love it!" Good game Jazz- you played your hearts out and kept it intense and we didn't play our best and made some crucial mistakes and we still spanked you on your own court. Wait!? If you played your best and we beat you when we played our worst....Who sucks now!? Lol!

After the game, Mac and I drove to Mesquite, where we spent the night and then drove the rest of the way home in the morning! Our car ride was long and our time in Utah was short, but it was worth every minute! It was an amazing weekend!

Thoughts from the Water...

2010-04-27T23:27:00.001-07:00

"All of life's problems bleed away
When I get grounded in the water."

- Raymond A. Foss

I love relaxing at night in my spa! It's a great way to clear my head, ponder, and search the night sky!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I Had A Good weekend!

2010-04-26T16:28:00.001-07:00

It started Saturday morning! I woke up early to go workout with my buddy McCain! Mac's been helping me do a workout program and I think it has been working!

After the gym, I went to Old Town Temecula to search for a birthday present for Mom! It was her birthday and I wanted to get her something extra special! It has been a few years since I've been to the antique stores there, but I haven't lost my touch! Lol! I found this awesome set of Green Depression Wear.

After walking through the stores for hours, lol. I went home and discovered that our plans had changed! Originally we were going to go to P.F. Changs to celebrate Mom's Birthday, but she was sick and didn't feel good enough to go anywhere. So Dad, Andrea, and I decided to make the drive to our favorite pizza: Mama Petrillos!

It's worth the hour drive! We kind of feel like were part of the Petrillo family- well "family" in the mafia sense! Lol.

We all just hung out at home for a quiet evening of Pizza and Ice Cream Cake! Well, quiet until we sang Happy Birthday- if you've ever heard us sing that, you know it's anything but quiet!

By the way- this isn't a Von's cake!

Then Sunday, the family (minus Mom) traveled to Covina to hear my cousin Megan speak at her farewell. She is leaving to serve a mission in the Chicago North Mission. She did an amazing job and gave a beautiful talk about Service!

We went back to her house for some food and relaxation. It was very nice!

And I got a new Camera Ap: lol!

Anyways, the weekend is fleeting- and Monday comes at you with full force! Thank goodness that next weekend is only 4 days away! Lol!

-- Post From My iPhone

I'm so glad when Shelly comes Home!

2010-04-20T00:15:00.000-07:00

Once Upon a time there was a girl named Shelly....

...who needed a place to live before she left for her mission. So Dad and Mom decided she should move into our house! It was such a great decision because Andrea, Me, Josh, and Nick got an older sister! :)

Well that was a long time ago, and Shelly has been on her mission and returned, married a really cool guy named Chris, moved to Utah, bought a house, and most recently had a beautiful baby girl named Bailey!

Tonight, Shelly brought Bailey over to our house for the first time! She is so freakin cute! I love her to pieces already!

Thank you Shelly and Chris for my new little niece! :) I love you guys!

My Friends at The Forest Lab!

2010-04-18T19:03:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I went out to dinner with my cousins and was stoked to see that they were wearing TFL shirts. My Uncle, who has recently become a photographer, decided that he needed to stage a little photo shoot right there in from of the Olive Garden while we waited to be seated. It was a little embarrassing, but the picture turned out pretty cool I think! LOL! He has this challenge that he will take 1 picture everyday for an entire year and he has some really cool ones. You can check them all out at his website:

Unfading Image

But the truth of the matter is that I am so excited for my friends: Garrett, Troy, and Josh! They have been working really hard and lately things seem to be paying off. The Forest Lab is really picking up!

You can read all about it in this cool article my mom wrote:

The Forest Lab Only Kings Have Rings

I might be a little biased, because I love these three guys, but I think their stuff is tight! And since the Kobe shirt came out, things have been selling like hot cakes! They're soon to come out with a bunch more designs, and believe me, I've had the sneak peek and they are genius! Keep checking their website so that you don't miss out because they have sales and deals all the time:

www.theforestlab.com

My day in LA!

2010-04-17T22:03:00.001-07:00

Today my cousin Megan Murphy went through the Temple for the first time and I'm so glad I got to be with her!

-- Post From My iPhone

Another Attack!

2010-04-12T12:59:00.001-07:00

Again!? Really!? After failing to kill me on the 3rd attempt, you'd think the guy would give up! Lol!

Yeah, well news flash mr. Killer- I ain't going anywhere! Lol!

If you're confused, check out my earlier blog: I work with a serial killer!

-- Post From My iPhone

My Cup Runneth Over- Well at least my iPhone's does!

2010-04-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

I think that knowledge is a treasure! I love learning new things! So you can only imagine how excited I was when I discovered that I could download podcasts and lectures from iTunes U on my iPhone! I'm telling you this thing really IS a seer stone! LOL!

I discovered it as I was watching General Conference. I went on iTunes to see if I could download one of the talks I really enjoyed and discovered a whole world of lectures I could download all for free!

I immediately started searching for lectures on my two favorite topics: History and Religion! I'm a Nerd...I know! And then started downloading as many as I could!

Service isn't the greatest at the Doghouse and so my queue filled up pretty quickly! Before I knew it, I had over 800 things lined up to download! LOL! To be honest I still have like 48 things in it waiting to download, but yesterday I ran into a little problem! I discovered that my phone's memory was full! It gets worse, I have the 32GB memory iPhone- which honestly doesn't mean anything to mean because I'm a history major not a computer major, but I've been told that's really big! LOL!

I know, you're probably thinking I'm crazy and will never in a million years be able to listen to all of those, but you forget that I drive a LOT! I'm in the car at least 2 hours everyday going back and forth from work, probably more, so I decided that I'm going to make those drives productive and start learning new things!

The Scriptures say:

D& C 130: 18-19

Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.

D& C 93:36-37, 53

The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth. Light and truth forsake that evil one… And, verily I say unto you, that it is my will that you should hasten… to obtain a knowledge of history, and of countries, and of kingdoms, of laws of God and man, and all this for the salvation of Zion. Amen.

So on my way home from work last night, and on my way to work this morning I've been listening to Ari Goldwag's "Daily Kabbalah Lessons" and I'm loving them! VERY INTERESTING! I think you'd be interested- especially if you're LDS- in hearing some of these Jewish teachings!

But yeah, I'm loving this new aspect of my wonderful iPhone! Now I just need to put some of them on my computer to free up some memory! LOL!

"The foolish man built his house upon the sand"

2010-04-05T16:35:00.000-07:00

The foolish man built his house upon the sand,

The foolish man built his house upon the sand,

The foolish man built his house upon the sand,

And the rains came tumbling down.

The rains came down, and the floods came up

The rains came down, and the floods came up,

The rains came down, and the floods came up,

And the house on the sand washed away.

-LDS Primary Hymn

So this weekend was General Conference, and if you aren't familiar with our family tradition, we usually try to go to the Doghouse to watch it. Whether it's April or October, the Doghouse is always beautiful around Conference time. Most of the time we invite a bunch of friends to come up and watch conference with us, because then we play and have fun in between sessions, but this time Conference happened to fall on Easter weekend and most people were spending the weekend with their families.

I loved Conference! Half of the time it felt like the speaker had written his talk just for me, as if he or she were directly addressing me, and no one else. I especially love priesthood session, because we get to watch it at the Yermo chapel, which is about the size of maybe two classrooms in a normal church building. It is very quaint and always has a special spirit about it!

This Conference, our family tried something new! It's all my Grandpa's fault really! A few months ago he purchased this little Polaris Razor (like a dune-buggy) and has been bugging my dad to get one ever since. So I guess Dad finally caved, because he bought one and picked it up Friday evening. We used to go out exploring the beautiful desert landscape on quads when Andrea and I were younger, but it's been several years since we have done it as a family. Riding through the sand dunes in the desert, makes me feel as if I'm on another planet, or a whole different dimension. It is beautiful and strange all at the same time.

Anyways, we took a little trip down to the river bed, where the sand had overtaken several houses and it made me think of the primary song. Maybe it was just because I was listening to General Conference, but it seemed like the perfect illustration of what happens when you don't have a strong foundation.

It was way cool to explore and I can't wait to go out again before it starts getting too hot!

New Kobe Shirt Pre-Sale

2010-04-03T00:21:00.000-07:00

http://www.theforestlab.com/

-- Post From My iPhone

I Have a Ribbon!

2010-04-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

I know, I know- you're probably all thinking, "yeah right, it's April Fool's Day!" But I promise it's just bad timing on my part! LOL! I'm usually really into April Fool's but for some reason this year I'm not!

So the other day I was kind of pressured into signing up for a 12 sessions with a personal trainer at my gym. I initially wanted to do it, but I decided that I'm not ready for that just right now. I just enjoy going whenever I want without having the stress of trying to schedule appointments in my busy week. But nonetheless, I signed up. I told Donna (the trainer) about a condition I've had since childhood called Systemic Mastocytosis (It's a mouthful- I know). Basically I wanted her to be aware that while I'm not forbidden to working out my stomach muscles, I can't over-do it, otherwise I might go into anaphylaxis shock, which isn't super fun! LOL!

Well the day came for our first appointment and I was supposed to meet her at 6:00pm. It is next to impossible for me to leave work and get home by 6:00pm but I was trying! Of course, I was late like 20 minutes, traffic was bad, I was stressed, and I realized even more that I just wanted my money back because I really didn't want to do this! So I walk in and explain myself and ask for the money back. Well she is very accomodating and keeps asking me please not to stress over this, it was completely fine, and that I should just relax and she would take care of everything. There was even a sense of urgency in her voice.

So the next day she comes up to me as I'm walking on the treadmill and says that she had looked up my condition online and had been doing a little research on it. She said that stress was a major trigger and that I should really be careful driving back and forth so far to and from work. She chatted some more about it and offered her services as a nutritionist because she really thinks I could use some help with it. Well I went into the locker room when I was done and googled "Systemic Mastocytosis." No wonder she gave me my money back and even seemed to be over concerned. Reading the websites makes it sound as if I'll drop dead any second! LOL! Poor lady thought I might die right there in her office! LOL!

I was stoked to see that there is a whole lot more information on the disease (although I don't like to call it that- it makes me sound sickly! LOL!). When I was a child they had no clue what was going on! I even have an awareness ribbon! Which I'm way stoked about! LOL! I might wear it every day now! (I know- they one for everything)!

But now you're probably wondering what the heck is SYSTEMIC MASTOCYTOSIS?

Well I've included a link to a great website that will explain it pretty thouroughly. But warning: it does kind of make it sound like I'll die any second- don't worry about me- I haven't died yet- it's not gonna happen from my condition- I promise!

Basically, my body produces too many MAST CELLS.

Mast Cells are part of the immune system. They release chemicals like histamine- which has a lot of functions but the most common ones are like symptons of allergic reactions.
This little video shows what happens when a Mast cell comes in contact with an allergen:

Pretty Explosive huh!? Well Mast cells are located in all connective tissue and Bone Marrow, Intestines, skin, lots of places. Basically my Mast Cells can be triggered to respond like the one you just saw by a plethora of triggers: from heat, cold, stress, spicy food, exercise, sudden blow to the stomach, medications, and just about anything. It can even vary from day to day. The reason they can be triggered so easily is because they don't die when their supposed to and become unstable. Because they don't die when they are supposed to is also another reason my body has too many! LOL!

A Mast Cell can either leak its contents slowly, or rapidly, like the exploding one above. In both cases the silly little guys seem to give me trouble. They can cause lots symptoms, including but not limited to:

Abdominal pain

Anaphylaxis

Blood pressure changes & shock

Bone pain (mild to severe/debilitating)

Chest pain

Cognitive difficulties/brain fog

Degenerative disc disease

Diarrhea

Dizziness/vertigo/lightheadedness

Faintness

Fatigue

Flushing

Gastroesophageal reflux

Hematological abnormalities

Hives & other rashes

Inflammation of the esophagus

Intestinal cramping and bloating

Itching, with and without rashes

Irritable bowel

Liver, spleen and other organ involvement

Malabsorption

Migraine headaches

Muscle pain Nausea

Osteoporosis/Osteopenia

Peripheral neuropathy and paresthesias

Rapid heart rate

Vomiting

Sounds like fun right! LOL! It's one of the reasons my stomach occasionally gets in a rather loud growling mood. It's really quite embarrassing because it always seems to happen at the quietest times. LOL! It also explains why I'm extra protective of my stomach, why I can be really sick one day and better the next, why occassionally I get migraine headaches and why I am just a little extra cautious about some of my activities!

But I was really quite suprised when I found this offical website: The Mastocytosis Society

In my entire life I've never met anyone else with Systemic Mastocytosis. I have met 1 person with a Mast Cell disease, but only a skin one.

As I explored the site a little bit I stumbled upon a blog of guy titled: living with Mastocytosis or something like that! LOL! The guy is 40 something years old and has had Systemic Mastocytosis for the past 13 years and he writes about his struggles and fears and stuff! In one post he even talks about how he was worried he might go into anaphylaxis shock (oh- no...with sarcasim) I guess I don't understand what the big deal is! That may sound insensative, but I've had Systemic Mastocytosis since birth and throughout my life I've gone into anaphylaxis shock probably 11 or 12 times! I mean it's definately not a fun experience or anything, but it's not something that's at the forefront of my mind ALL the time! It all seems a little silly to me! But hey- I have a ribbon now and that's what counts! LOL!

And I guess it's a little cool to know that there are others out there like me- even if they do sound a little exaggerated! LOL!

In case you don't know what anaphylaxis shock is...watch this video...

...mine doesn't swell up my air passage and cause me to stop breathing though! It does cause my head to feel like it's about to explode- probably swelling- and then have extreme hypotension (low blood pressure) and pass out.

And here's a little more scientific picture of a Mast Cell and it's role in the Immune System- It's way too complicated for me though! But I thought, maybe you're a science person and would like it!

Thank you for being a Friend!

2010-03-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

Thank you for being a friend

Traveled down the road and back again

Your heart is true your a pal and a confidant.

And if you through a party

Invited everyone you ever knew

You would see the biggest gift would be from me

And the card attached would say thank you for being a friend.

Yes, I know it's the Golden Girls Theme Song, and it's corny, but it's kind of how I feel today! So you may or may not have noticed that I've been a little down for the past month or so. Well, yesterday I was sick of being sad and moved right on in to the angry phase! Everything seemed to make me bitter and angry!

Well I was talking to a good friend last night and she said two things that hit me! The first, "Stop being ungrateful for your blessings" and the three magic words that impacted me the most, "You're allowing it!"

She was right! I am so blessed! And I am especially blessed to be surrounded by true and loving friends! Thanks guys!

President Spencer W. Kimball explained: "God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs" ("Small Acts of Service," Ensign, Dec. 1974, p. 5).

-Gospel Principles Manual

My closest friends are always there for me! They support me and love me, even when I'm difficult to love! Lol! You guys know who you are and I love you! Each of you teach me and inspire me to be better! You are awesome examples to me! What a blessing from Heavenly Father!

Each life that touches ours for good
Reflects thine own great mercy, Lord;
Thou sendest blessings from above
Thru words and deeds of those who love.

What greater gift dost thou bestow,
What greater goodness can we know
Than Christlike friends, whose gentle ways
Strengthen our faith, enrich our days.

For worthy friends whose lives proclaim
Devotion to the Savior's name,
Who bless our days with peace and love,
We praise thy goodness, Lord, above.

-LDS Hymns

Maybe The Older Brother Has A Point!

2010-03-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

Luke 15:

11 ¶ And he said, A certain man had two sons:

12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.

26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.

32 It was ameet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

Sometimes I feel like the older brother! Well, not exactly the same, but similar. I mean, at the end of the story the older brother is angry that his younger brother is being honored and basically recieves the same reward as him. It seems like the older brother doesn't feel that his younger brother should recieve the same reward, despite the fact that the younger brother has repented.

I think my feelings are different! I mean, I definately wouldn't want anybody condemned! In fact, I hope we all recieve the same reward: Eternal Life- all that the Father has. My problem arises when I think sometimes that I'm missing out! I mean look at the Prodigal Son! Let's just define the word "Prodigal" for a second:

prod·i·gal
–adjective

1.wastefully or recklessly extravagant: prodigal expenditure.
2.giving or yielding profusely; lavish (usually fol. by of or with): prodigal of smiles; prodigal with money.
3.lavishly abundant; profuse: nature's prodigal resources.

–noun
4.a person who spends, or has spent, his or her money or substance with wasteful extravagance; spendthrift.

-Dictionary.com

Now how about "Riotous"

ri·ot·ous
–adjective
1.(of an act) characterized by or of the nature of rioting or a disturbance of the peace.
2.(of a person) inciting or taking part in a riot.
3.given to or marked by unrestrained revelry; loose; wanton: riotous living.
4.boisterous or uproarious: riotous laughter.
5.hilariously funny.

-Dictionary.com

I mean, I'm pretty sure this lifestyle sounds more fun! So what's the point!? Sometimes I look at others (even people I love dearly) and think they "get to have their cake and eat it too!" They've gone out and had a period of "riotous living" and repented and now they have the perfect fairy-tale ending: married in the temple, serving missions, active families. They got to go out and be wild and have a bunch of experiences and they still get all the blessings of the gospel! I'm so happy for them! I think the blessings of the gospel are amazing and I'm glad that they get them, but what did I get!? I mean really! Sometimes I think I just missed out- maybe I'm still missing out!

I read....

2 Nephi 28:

7 Yea, and there shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us.

8 And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.

9 Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, false and vain and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark.

But then I think: "Bull crap!" Because the scriptures also say:

Docterine & Covenants 58:

42 Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.

So which one is it? Is it possible to "have your cake and eat it too?" Maybe some of you can enlighten me, because sometimes I just don't really know!

Cameron and Kamrin's Wedding

2010-03-29T02:50:00.000-07:00

I am so greatful for the opportunity I have to witness friends of mine follow Heavenly Father's Plan and join together in Eternal Marriage!

“That proclamation on the family helps us realize that celestial marriage brings greater possibilities for happiness than does any other relationship. The earth was created and this Church was restored so that families could be formed, sealed, and exalted eternally.”

Russell M. Nelson, “Celestial Marriage,” Liahona, Nov. 2008, 93

The Bride: Before and After

The Groom: Do you think he looks nervous?

The Happy Couple: Before and After

“Marriage is sanctified when it is cherished and honored in holiness. That union is not merely between husband and wife; it embraces a partnership with God (see Matt. 19:6).”

Russell M. Nelson, “Nurturing Marriage,” Ensign, May 2006, 36

"Remember, brethren, that in your role as leader in the family, your wife is your companion. As President Gordon B. Hinckley has taught: 'In this Church the man neither walks ahead of his wife nor behind his wife but at her side. They are coequals' (in Conference Report, Oct. 1996, 68; or Ensign, Nov. 1996, 49). Since the beginning, God has instructed mankind that marriage should unite husband and wife together in unity (see Gen. 2:24). Therefore, there is not a president or a vice president in a family. The couple works together eternally for the good of the family. They are united together in word, in deed, and in action as they lead, guide, and direct their family unit. They are on equal footing. They plan and organize the affairs of the family jointly and unanimously as they move forward."

L. Tom Perry, "Fatherhood, an Eternal Calling," Ensign, May 2004, 71

"Men and women joined together in marriage need to work together as a full partnership. However, a full and equal partnership between men and women does not imply the roles played by the two sexes are the same in God's grand design for His children. As the proclamation clearly states, men and women, though spiritually equal, are entrusted with different but equally significant roles. These roles complement each other. Men are given stewardship over the sacred ordinances of the priesthood. To women, God gives stewardship over bestowing and nurturing mortal life, including providing physical bodies for God's spirit children and guiding those children toward a knowledge of gospel truths. These stewardships, equally sacred and important, do not involve any false ideas about domination or subordination. Each stewardship is essential for the spiritual progression of all family members, parents and children alike."

M. Russell Ballard, "The Sacred Responsibilities of Parenthood," Ensign, Mar. 2006, 29-30

"There are many qualities you will want to look for in a friend or a serious date--to say nothing of a spouse and eternal companion--but surely among the very first and most basic of those qualities will be those of care and sensitivity toward others, a minimum of self-centeredness that allows compassion and courtesy to be evident. ‘That best portion of a good man's life [is] his . . . kindness,’ said Mr. William Wordsworth (‘Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey’ [1798], lines 33–35). There are lots of limitations in all of us that we hope our sweethearts will overlook. I suppose no one is as handsome or as beautiful as he or she wishes, or as brilliant in school or as witty in speech or as wealthy as we would like, but in a world of varied talents and fortunes that we can't always command, I think that makes even more attractive the qualities we can command--such qualities as thoughtfulness, patience, a kind word, and true delight in the accomplishment of another. These cost us nothing, and they can mean everything to the one who receives them."

-Jeffrey R. Holland

"Against [a] backdrop of spiritual decay, you young adults of the Church enter the stage. You have a firm foundation of faith. You are role models, both in courtship and in marriage. You know what's right and what's wrong! You hold the line! You know the Lord's teachings. And you will teach them to your own children and grandchildren. You are the 'Hope of Israel, Zion's army, Children of the promised day' ("Hope of Israel," Hymns, no. 259). You have far more spiritual power than we did at your age. As you go forward on life's battlefield, you are numbered with 'the covenant people of the Lord, . . . scattered upon all . . . the earth; . . . armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory' (1 Nephi 14:14). We are very, very proud of you!"

Russell M. Nelson, "The Dawning of a Brighter Day," Ensign, May 2004, 83

"One good yardstick as to whether a person might be the right one for you is this: in her presence, do you think your noblest thoughts, do you aspire to your finest deeds, do you wish you were better than you are?"

Ezra Taft Benson, "To the Single Adult Brethren of the Church," Ensign, May 1988, 53

Just Me and My Cuzzy!

2010-03-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

Last night I went and hung out with my little cousin Emma! I hadn't seen her in probably 4 months, maybe longer- which is a shame because she just lives in Orange County! But we had a lot of fun! We went to this little Mexican food drive through (which I can't think of the name right now, but it's bomb!) and then just ate in my car. Then we went and sat on the beach and caught up! Then we went back to her new place and just hung out for a while! I love my cousin! I'm glad that we finally hung out!

[Christ] has offered us the family as an example of an ideal setting in which we can learn how to love as He loves...because the greatest joys and the greatest sorrows we experience are in family relationships. The joys come from putting the welfare of others above our own. That is what love is.

Henry B. Eyring, “Our Perfect Example,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 70-71

"It SUCKS to be right now!"

2010-03-25T09:09:00.001-07:00

I've been sitting in traffic for the past hour and haven't really gotten that far! I there are like 2 accidents on the 91 westbound, and thinking I would be smart I tried to take side streets to go around the traffic! Unfortunately so did half the world! I'm dead stopped on side streets now and the freeway's not gonna be any better!

So it leaves me plenty of time sit in my car alone with my thoughts! Not a good combination since I was already kind of feeling down this morning! Lol!

"I'm sick of loosing- I wanna ween!"

At least Nacho knows how I feel! Lol!

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I Work With A Serial Killer!

2010-03-24T14:43:00.001-07:00

So, I'm pretty convinced someone at work is trying to kill me! You know how most packages of food and stuff say do not eat if seal is broken or if package is damaged or whatever! Well there is a little refrigerator in my dad's office that we keep stocked with water bottles. The other day I pulled a water bottle out and opened it and started to drink it- nothing too unusual! I sat it on my desk and kept working. As I reached for it to take another drink, I noticed something funny about the lid! It looked like someone had cut the top off so they could put poison in! I set it to the side and got a new bottle because I was clearly disturbed that I drank from a poisoned water bottle, but I wrote it off as a faulty manufacturer- until- the next day the exact same thing happened! Clearly this is the work of a serial killer and I am the intended target! My dad's secretary thinks it was probably meant for her and I am just collateral damage, but I'm not so sure! Lucky if the bottles were poisoned he must have used ioccaine powder- because I've developed an immunity to that- and I was unaffected by any substance which most certainly could have been in the tampered water bottles! What? You don't believe me?

Here is the evidence: it speaks for itself!

Call the B.A.U or C.S.I. or S.V.U. or whatever you want! But I'm just going to have to watch my back I guess until they catch the culprit!

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Health Care Crisis!

2010-03-23T13:54:00.001-07:00

Help! My mom's Chia Obama is in serious need of some health care!

I know you all probably thought I was going to express some kind of political opinion about the new Health Care legislation- but honestly I don't really have an opinion on it because I don't really understand how it will effect me! I mean, I've clicked on the yahoo posts, "How will this effect you!?" but I couldn't find where I fit in! It talked about seniors, and people with low income (I might fit there-lol), people with kids, people without health insurance, people under 26 (that's me- oh wait I turn 26 in like two months), people with high income (definately not me), but no average Joe, middle-class American, who already has health insurance. So I don't know if it's worth rejoicing or panicking!

A much bigger crisis in my mind is the fact that my mom's favorite christmas present is dying! We followed the directions perfectly! It started to grow but then just turned shriveled and black, and little bugs started flying around and living on it! GROSS! So if anyone has experience raising Chias then please send me some tips how to care for his health!

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Monday Nights At The Kennedy's

2010-03-22T22:45:00.001-07:00

Since the year pretty much started I've been taking an Arabic Class at the Beverly Hills Language Institute every Monday night. The class gets out about 9:00 and I don't wantto make the long drive home, so I crash with my friends Austin and Natalie Kennedy!

I just wanted to take a second to publicly thank them for all they do for me! I LOVE THEM!!! They are true friends and awesome people! And tons of fun!!!

L. Tom Perry, “Good Friends,” New Era, Feb 1993, 4

If you find yourself racing through life, slow down long enough to take along some good friends.

The friends we choose to associate with are main contributing factors in the formation of our character. We form social habits by association with our friends. These habits can be useful when directed towards the formation of a wholesome personality.

Thanks guys for being good examples to me!

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Two Temples in Two Days!

2010-03-21T10:44:00.001-07:00

I think I'm really fortunate to live within driving distance of 4 temples! I don't often take advantage of it but this weekend I got to go to two temples in two days. Friday night I went to San Diego and Saturday I went to L.A.

Both temples are beautiful and amazing!

"The Prophet Joseph said the main object of the gathering of the Jews, or the people of God in any age of the world 'was to build unto the Lord a house whereby He could reveal unto His people the ordinances of His house and the glories of His kingdom, and teach the people the way of salvation.' (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 307-8.)"

David B. Haight, "Temples and Work Therein," Ensign, Nov. 1990, 60

"To be saved—or to gain salvation—means to be saved from physical and spiritual death. Because of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, all people will be resurrected and saved from physical death. People may also be saved from individual spiritual death through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, by their faith in Him, by living in obedience to the laws and ordinances of His gospel, and by serving Him.

"To be exalted—or to gain exaltation—refers to the highest state of happiness and glory in the celestial realm. These blessings can come to us after we leave this frail and mortal existence. The time to prepare for our eventual salvation and exaltation is now (see Alma 34:32-33)."

Russell M. Nelson, "Salvation and Exaltation," Ensign, May 2008, 8

It is an extereme honor and privledge to be able to go to the temple and learn both about salvation and exaultation! I know that truly these are houses of God!

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Happy Birthday Mr. Sandwich

2010-03-19T13:32:00.001-07:00

So Dad was inspired to have Mr. Sandwich today for lunch. He said he had been craving it. So he sent me to go pick it up.

Mr. Sandwich is a little shop in old town Whittier that my dad and grandpa used to go for lunch. I remember going there as a little boy with them both when I would visit work.

Well it's the shop's 30th birthday and the original owners were there and everything! The daughter even remembered me as a little boy.

Some of my dad's favorite memories were eating lunch with his dad! And now, thanks to Mr. Sandwich, some of my favorite memories will be eating lunch with mine!

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Top 10 Leprechaun Complaints

2010-03-18T01:03:00.000-07:00

As soon as St. Patrick's Day is over everyone forgets about them for an entire year!

Or do they?

HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Try to think of the little guys every once in a while! :)

Murphy Blood and Me!

2010-03-17T01:35:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day is one of my favorite hollidays! You may think that nothing special happens, but I would beg to differ! You have to wear green, which just so happens to be my favorite color! Irish herritage is celebrated! And you get to pinch people! What's not to love!?

While I was browsing through the St.Patrick's Day Cards at Target I came across one that said, "Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day!" Well just to prove I'm not faking my Irish Heritage, I figured I'd give a little tribute to the Murphy blood which runs strong through my veins!

Edmund Murphy

Born about 1807 in Ireland

May luck be our companion
May friends stand by our side
May history remind us all
Of Ireland's faith and pride

Patrick Murphy

Born 1824 in Croone, Limerick, Ireland

(Patrick was the first of our Murphy's to come to
America)

May you have:
A world of wishes at your command
God and His angels close at hand
Friends and family their love impart,
And Irish blessings in your heart.

Alexander Murphy

Born 23 December 1873 in Northfield, Rice, Minnesota

(He's a handsome fellow...isn't he!)

May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go

Alexander married a nice Irish girl,

Ellen Violetta Gannon (Grandma Nellie) in Minnesota and had 3
children.

2 surrvived to adulthood

Their son Gabriel and Daughter Kathleen.

Gabriel Robert Murphy
Born 23 May 1912 in Austin, Mower, Minnesota
(Pictured here with his son Robert, but most people know him as Grandpa)

Robert Richard Murphy
Grandpa is awesome!

Diana Lynn Murphy (now Dowden)

Truly, I am Irish- and not just on St. Patrick's Day!

For more information about my Irish Ancestory please see:

NO IRISH NEED APPLY

LAST CALL FOR ALCOHOL

May God grant you many years to live,
For sure He must be knowing
The Earth has angels all too few
And Heaven is overflowing!

After a long day it's nice to go "Home"

2010-03-16T20:06:00.001-07:00

“There exists a righteous unity between the temple and the home. Understanding the eternal nature of the temple will draw you to your family; understanding the eternal nature of the family will draw you to the temple. President Howard W. Hunter stated, ‘In the ordinances of the temple, the foundations of the eternal family are sealed in place’ (Howard W. Hunter, “A Temple-Motivated People,” Liahona, May 1995, 4; Ensign, Feb. 1995, 2).”

Gary E. Stevenson, “Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples,” Ensign, May 2009, 102
Topics: Temple

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Still Hoping for a Happy Ending....

2010-03-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

Yeah....That pretty much sums it up! LOL!

Hopefully it will only get better!

Thank goodness I'm going to the temple this week!

“One is Silver and the other Gold”

2010-03-14T12:32:00.001-07:00

"Make new friends, but keep the old...One is Silver and the other Gold!"

The past two days I've gotten to spend time with some of the "Gold" in my life and celebrate their birthdays.

Friday Night I went to Olive Garden with Frank and Sabrina for Sabrini's Birthday! I can't believe she's married and 6 months pregnant. Her little baby belly is sooo cute! And it was so nice to spend time with her and Frank!

Last night Andrea and I went to P.F. Changs with Gabe for his birthday! Again he's married and has a baby! I'm noticing a pattern here…LOL! I wish that Holly and Reagan could have come too. I guess I'm really grateful and lucky that my old friends seem to marry awesome people who fit right in.

I have so many good memories with both Gabriel and Sabrina! Fun and fights, laughing and crying, serious talks and silly talks- isn't that what friendship is all about!? And even though I don't get to see them every day, there are little things throughout my daily routines that bring to remembrance how much I love them—not just them, but all of the "Gold" in my life!

"The making of friends, who are real friends, is the best token we have of a man's success in life."
- Edward Everett Hale

I think I am truly a rich man to already have so much "Gold" I believe the saying….

"Friends are God's way of taking care of us."

Ode to The Forest Lab

2010-03-13T16:06:00.001-08:00

Have you been inside The Forest?

There is something hidden there!

Bombarded by sights, sounds, and smells mixed together between shadows and light

It can be overwhelming, exhilarating; a new experience.

In the land of the land The Forest can embrace both predators and prey—it is no respecter of persons!

The Forest can take in theories, and ideologies

It can take in style and diversity

And like a controlled experiment it can mix and blend these trees of thought and form a new entity

This is the laboratory WE choose!

Both Ancient as days yet new as the morning—The Forest spawns new life.

The Forest will take in your history, your culture, your intuition

And give them new meaning, new context—reinvent them.

The Forest can only be understood from the inside.

The trees, the shadows, the rustle of leaves—only have as much meaning as you let them

And while The Forest will endure, Its creations—it’s experiments—are limited in number

Have you been inside This Forest Lab?

The Forest Lab is growing!

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Merging Monday brings thoughts of Sunday

2010-03-08T13:45:00.001-08:00

Isn't it funny how the simplest things can often cause you to reflect upon a deeper life lesson? Well that's what happened this morning.

Every morning I make the long drive to work from Murrieta to Santa Fe Springs. Sometimes I carpool with my dad, which makes the commute shorter, but today I drove by myself!

Getting onto the 91 freeway from the 15 can be quite a chore, depending on the amount of cars and whether people remember how to merge that day. Lol!

As I sat on the onramp- dead stopped- I looked down and could see that the westbound freeway was barely moving of at all while the eastbound freeway had hardley anyone on it! I thought to myself, "Geez, the smart people are the ones who commute the opposite direction from the rest of the world!"

That's when it hit me:

If we move in the same direction as the world our spiritual progress ceases! We become stuck in a traffic jam that retards our celestial nature! However, if we move in the opposite direction of the world, we will have the freedom to progress at our own pace- fast or slow!

I think this could be one of the reasons Elder Eyring admonishes us this month to have moral courage! He says:

"One of the purposes of mortal life is to prove to God that we will keep His
commandments when that takes courage. We passed that test in the spirit world.
But a third of the hosts of heaven rebelled against the proposal that they be
tested in a mortal existence where there was a risk that they would fail."

"Before we were born, we knew God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ,
personally. We could see Them and listen to Them as They taught and encouraged
us. Now a veil has been placed over our minds and memories. Satan, the father of
lies, has an advantage because we must see the reality of who we are through the
eyes of faith, while our bodies make us subject to carnal temptation and to
physical weakness."

"We have great helps to give us courage in this
life. The greatest is the Atonement of Jesus Christ."

He continues by saying we also have spiritual gifts, the Holy Ghost, and the priesthood to help us be courageous.

Yesterday, I shared the lyrics of a song performed by Musical Truth, and written by Jolene Kanahele, entitled "Courage"

"Courage is doing what's right
In th prescense of fear
It takes courage
to do what I should when no one else is near
Courage is my way of saying
I will follow thee
When the world walks out on me"

We can find the courage we need to move the opposite direction of the world by relying on our Father in Heaven. Elder Eyring concludes:

"God has given us more than enough help to banish fear and give us courage, whatever we may face in life. As we reach out for His help, He can lift us toward that eternal life we seek."

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Locked out: A tragic story of nudity, time loss, and desperation

2010-03-04T09:11:00.000-08:00

Recently I have been attempting to go to the gym in the mornings. I'm no where near perfect at it, but the mornings I do usually go so much smoother than the mornings I don't.

On a gym day, my morning routine consists of waking up, driving there, exercising for 30 minutes, sitting in the sauna for 15, showering and getting dressed for the day, and then driving home. At home I then have time to eat breakfast and read my scriptures before I leave for work! Let me tell you how awesome it feels to do this on a daily basis.

Well this morning, everything was going well. I had a doctor's appointment at 8:45 and knew I would be going in to work late today, so I decided to stay longer at the gym. Feeling good about the way the morning was going, I posted a status on face book that said just what a good morning I was having. At this point I put my phone in my locker and got ready to get in the shower. Out of instinct more than rational thought, I locked my locker. No sooner had I heard the click of the lock that I realized my keys were inside. Actually everything was inside!

So there I was- standing there in a towel, with nothing but my shampoo and bodywash- completely alone in the locker room! I could hear the clanking of weights and the chatter of early morning exercisers at the end of the hallway that leads into the men's locker room-just beyond my reach.

Luckily after about 20 minutes- which seemed like forever- someone finally came into the locker room and I was saved! Lol! He went and got the guy at the front desk, who came back and cut my lock for me! Both men got a good chuckle out of it!

All in all- I guess not too bad! Lol. But now I need a new lock!

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TFL T-Shirt Sale!

2010-03-03T12:12:00.000-08:00

The Forrest Lab is having a sale that ends this week! So act fast! Many shirts are just $10 and I think there's a special buy 1 get 1 free for Mediums and Smalls.

Check it out:

www.theforestlab.com

http://www.theforestlab.com/store/home.php

Garrett and Troy have worked really hard and their company is way cool!

Josh has been getting EXTREMELY involved with TFL, and I hope to be doing more in the future too.

But take advantage of the sale while it lasts!

“It takes a village….”

2010-02-22T03:23:00.001-08:00

You might have heard the quote, "It takes a village to raise a child." Well, today, I was reminded just how true that quote is! I had the opportunity to attend a church service in which my "little brother," Derek Hales, spoke about the experiences he had while serving his mission in Baltimore. Surrounded by many of the same people in my own personal support group, I couldn't help but think about the experiences I had surrounding the departure for and return from my own mission several years ago.

Most missionaries carry a small photo album around with them containing pictures of their family, a few friends, and maybe even a girlfriend. Being cut off from the people you love most for two years can be difficult, but having a small reminder that you have people back home who love you and who are praying for your safety and success is often just the thing you need to refocus, and make it through. I think I was a bit unique because my photo album was quite large and consisted of pictures not only of my immediate family, but also of my extended spiritual family!

My best-friend, Josh, and I had a discussion once about all of the people my family knew, but more specifically loved and cherished as relatives. He was amazed that we could have so many intimate connections which extended generations—close friends of my grandparents and their children, as well as close friends of my parents, and their children. I thought about it and realized that the gospel truly does bring families together. I'm not talking merely about our families here on earth; I'm talking about our heavenly family.

I think that I am a pretty lucky kid to have these intimate connections at every stage in my life, but perhaps one of the most crucial times for me was throughout high school and prior to my mission. Elder L. Tom Perry said, "The friends we choose to associate with are main contributing factors in the formation of our character." Adolescence is a time of confusion and self-exploration and my peers, though loving and concerned, in hindsight did not always offer the best advice. However, the love and support I felt from two families that my parents had befriended provided the safety net I needed to avoid serious spiritual peril in a time where my testimony was wavering. I thank Heavenly Father often for my fun, kind, and friendly parents for having the insight to make lasting friends that could provide me with the necessary "village" I needed to be properly raised.

One of the families in my village was the Johnson's. I can remember the Johnson family being involved in my life from the moment my family moved to Murrieta. Craig was in the bishopric and over the scouting program. I remember when boys were rowdy or obnoxious, they would have to step into "Brother Johnson's office", which consisted of doing push-ups in the hallway! LOL! I remember him teaching me how to toilet paper someone's house properly—shredded paper and all. I remember he was the first one to let me drive a car. I remember how we would play Mariokart on Nintendo 64 and he would imitate all of the different character's voices. I remember him talking me on the Mormon Battalion trail because I wasn't able to go when the rest of our scout troop went. But most of all I remember that he cared about ME!

Shawna, is like my mom—number two. As soon as they moved up the street from us I was over at their house 24-7! I remember she taught me that eating cookie dough would give me salmonella! LOL! (I still do it anyways!) I remember driving around the town listening to Fleetwood Mac! I remember her sitting and talking with me on several occasions and giving me advice or listening to my problems or concerns. I remember laughing and crying and confiding in her. I remember her encouraging me and even on occasion scolding me…LOL! I remember going with her to pick up Ginny—the crazy dog! LOL! I remember our families having dinners together on several occasions and she would make the Texas sheet cake! I have so many good memories, but most importantly I remember how I felt loved at that most crucial stage of my life!

The other family in my "village" was the Hales! I don't actually remember how my parents started hanging out with Brent and Laura Hales, or at what point our families seemed to be connected, but it seems like we formed an intimate connection seemingly overnight. I can remember that one day this family was only our acquaintances and then suddenly they were our eternal friends!

Brent and my Dad served in the bishopric together and I can remember how they always seemed to have fun. Brent was always happy and encouraging. At a time when I felt very self-coconscious about going to church, He never seemed to judge me, and was always happy to see me. I'm sure my parents confided in their friends about challenges that we faced, but Brent was always there to put his arm around my shoulder and extend encouragement and support. I remember that he gave me my first real job! I was a file clerk in his law office!

Laura was just like Shawna, another Mom! I think my mom got sick of hearing Laura say, "He's a good boy" about me! LOL! She never failed to make me feel welcome! She was always interested in my life and was willing to support, encourage, and guide me anytime! I remember orange rolls and chicken cordon bleu. I remember coming home from my mission and going straight from the airport to her house and a feast! LOL! I remember her kindness and gentle reminders that I needed to be an example to her kids! I remember pool parties in the summer and church parties all year round. I remember she always saw the good in me and either overlooked, or disregarded the bad.

Having these other sets of parents in my "village" also provided me with SEVERAL brothers and sisters—all younger than myself. I love them all, and while I don't get to see them that often, I can honestly say that they have each taught me lessons and I look up to them in several ways!

Aenon- Conviction! Aenon is one of the most passionate people about her convictions I have ever met. It is refreshing and at times intimidating (all I can say is Titanic…LOL). But I respect and admire her for that trait. In a world where people's opinions are so easily swayed by trends and fads, Aenon stays passionate about her convictions! Hey Red, remember Sailor Moon, Pokemon, and Dragon Ball Z!? Emma- Strength! I think Emma is a strong, beautiful, caring person. She always had a strong will and a mind of her own. I'm pretty sure we even got into arguments—which looking back is a little pathetic because she is 5 years younger than me—but Emma always held her own! LOL! She is strong not only in will, but also in testimony! Emma always seemed to love the gospel and have a desire to choose the right. I admired that! Remember playing Princess and the slave and cleaning up my room?! Andrea is still scarred! LOL!

Eden- Pure Love! Eden loved everyone! She was the sweetest and most caring little girl. She was gentle, wouldn't hurt a fly. She was almost always happy, and she was often content to be in her own little world! She was super smart and was always on the computer, but she would climb in your lap and give you a hug every time she saw you! LOL! I was happy today to see that she still has that same gentle nature and kindness that she had as a little girl.

Hunter- Happiness! I really should say he taught me patience, because I swear he destroyed his diaper every time I was left in charge! Like throw him in the bathtub kind of destroyed! LOL! Not to mention him yelling about a certain body part being big while I was trying to pass the sacrament! LOL! But Huntino was always a happy boy! He loved to play—he was my little buddy! Today, he still looked like that happy little boy that would follow me around, except for now he's way taller than me! LOL!

Danebaby- Peacefulness! I didn't get to spend much time with Danebaby, but I remember looking into his eyes as a newborn baby and feeling peace! They were a gray-blue and full of light! I won't forget how he made me feel even though he probably won't remember me at all!

Derrick- Faithfulness! Observing the transformation of Derrick has been a testimony building experience for me. His confidence level has grown tremendously. His love for others is more readily expressed. He looks happy and grateful for the people in his life. He seems focused and firm in his faith. It is a testament that remaining faithful has the potential for each of us to become refined and perfected through Jesus Christ! I admire him and am so proud of him!

Lauren- Individual worth! I still think of Lauren as a beehive and little girl! Perhaps it is one of the reason's she reminds me of a young women's value! LOL! I'm not even sure that Lauren completely understands this principle at the moment, and yet she helps me constantly remember it every time I see her or hear about her! She's like a little sister and also in her own adolescent stage right now. I look at her and think "the worth of souls is great" because we are ALL God's family! It makes me happy when she's around and having fun with our big extended family. I know she loves my family and I hope she always remembers that we love her!

Ashley- Gentleness! Ashley is quite and gentle. She is concerned, reflective and contemplative! The missionary handbook is always talking about "quiet dignity" and Ashley epitomizes that! She is caring, but not overbearing. She is sweet and happy! Sometimes I see Ashley and I realize maybe I need to talk less and care more!

Alec- Friendship! Boy is the bomb! Months might go by without us seeing each other, but he is always excited to see me. Today when I walked up to the house from my car he was standing with a group of little boys his age and he immediately left them when he saw me, ran up and gave me hug and then returned to play with his friends. He's a true friend! He is always excited to tell me what's going on in his life and he makes me feel special!

MaeMae- Sharing! Megan was born on my 18^th birthday! I think she's the first person I think about every birthday since then! She is full of life and energy and spunk! And I am happy and honored to share a birthday with her!

President Gordon B. Hinckley said, "Let us all recognize that each of us is a son or daughter of our Father in Heaven, who loves all of His children." With the knowledge that we are children of God, our friendships have the potential to become more than earthly relationships, but intimate familial experiences that can last throughout the eternities. I have had the privilege throughout my life thus far of being able to recognize, love, and respect some of my heavenly relatives. It's interesting to me, that in Arabic, the word "relative" also has the same root and is a variation of the word "near" or "close".

On dictionary.com one definition for the word "close" is "marked by similarity in degree, action, feeling, etc." another, "intimate or confidential; dear" and my favorite, "based on a strong uniting feeling of respect, honor, or love!" While I love my immediate family with all of my heart, the funny thing about love, is that there is always room for more! On occasions like today, it feels more like a family reunion than a gathering of friends. I get to see members of my "heavenly family" that I once associated with on a daily basis and embrace them and reaffirm my love for them! What a privilege and an honor it is for me to have such wonderful people to consider family!

Holy Crap... Google Me!

2009-05-07T01:20:00.001-07:00

So I was on Facebook and saw my friend Jen Pham's status which said, "Is the number one hit on Google when you search for 'jen pham' -- HAHA that is AWESOME! I beat out Miss Asian America- who is a model with my name!" and thought I'd give the whole google search thing a try with my name.

Well my facebook page came up the number 1 result (which is probably because I have like a thousand friends on that thing). The number 2 spot, however, was my blog. I guess I need to start posting on it more regularly if I'm going to have an audience! LOL!

Foxy might be dead!

2008-12-13T03:51:00.000-08:00

So you've probably read about the flooding in Laie, Hawaii, on everyone else's blogs, but if you haven't here are the links to a couple to fill you in:

http://cruisinkoolauloa.honadvblogs.com/2008/12/12/more-flood-photos/

http://laceyandsethkressin.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html#8871405511244928379

http://fabulouslifeofruby.blogspot.com/2008/12/can-you-say-flash-flood.html

http://tafunafamily.blogspot.com/2008/12/rain-rain-go-away.html

They have pictures and/or videos so you can see all the action. I didn't really get a chance to take pictures, 1. Because my camera was inside Foxy (my car) and 2.Because unlike some, THE WATER DID COME IN OUR HOUSE! Needless to say, I have been a little preocupied the last two days.

First, I must admit, that we were extremely fortunate. The neighbors right next door to us and across the street from us got at least 18 inches of water throughout their entire house (if not more) while we only got a few inches (if that) and not throughout our whole house. I am thankful for the prayers and support, and can't complain too much because our situation could have been a lot worse.

I woke up Thursday morning to Aunty Irene yelling to Jan to wake me up and have me move my car. I had heard the rain all night but nothing really registered in my head. Maybe because it was 6 in the morning, but even the panic and urgency in Aunty and Jan's conversation didn't phase me. I thought it was trash day and I had left Foxy on the street. In case you didn't get it before, Foxy is my car, I won't explain it again! I rolled out of bed and then asked what was going on.

Aunty screamed, "GREG! Go move your car into the driveway, hurry, its flooding."

Having never been in a flood, I still wasn't that phased but quickly ran out to my car. The moment I stepped into the street I realized that the water was a lot deeper than I expected--up to my knees. It was almost level with my door and I could see Aunty's urgency in me moving FOxy. I pulled her into the driveway, but never in a million years expected the water to keep rising like it did.

Soon the water was waste deep in the middle of the street and knee deep in our driveway. I could literally see the water line rise higher than our back door and watched as the water started to spill into our house from the front door. I had seen neighbors evacuating their houses in canoes. I had heard the horror stories of neighbors houses being 3 feet deep in water. We quickly tried to flood proof our house as best as could (every towel or sheet was used in the process) and then prayed for the rain to stop. We watched powerless as the water kept rising, but miracle of all miracles, the rain did stop!

Luckily the rivers and drains that were clogged got unclogged and our little town drained. The damage had been done already. The water was knee-deep in our garrage and so we went to work cleaning it out. The carpet in our house was ripped out as well as most of the houses on the street. It looked like a total disaster zone as everyone tried to clean up quickly.

I looked inside Foxy and she had about 3 inches of water in her. I started to scoop the water out after we had finished cleaning the garrage, but then the rain picked up again.

So all day Friday was spent cleaning, helping neighbors and worrying about Foxy. Turns out she won't start and about 4 or 5 other cars got towed away because they all drown. I keep hoping Foxy just needs to dry out (inside too because she smells aweful, but don't tell her I said that) and then she will start up good as new, but i'm starting to have my doubts :(

The bad part is that Foxy may never get the chance to dry out! It started to rain hard again tonight-technically it's saturday morning at 2:17 am but since I still haven't gone to bed we'll count it as Friday night. It was the kind of rain that caused the flood, but it didn't last as long. The Thunder and Lighning was unbelievable though. It was so bright and so loud it litterally shook our house like an earthquake. No, I'm not exaggerating and Yes I've experienced several earthquakes so I know what they feel like! OUR HOUSE LITTERALLY SHOOK! I don't know when this rain is going to stop, but it needs to! A telephone pole went down blocking the road to get out of Laie and then if by some miracle your car could leap over the telephone pole the road fell off into the ocean a little ways further! The other side has landslides and ponds blocking it so the rain really needs to stop if I'm going to fly home for Christmas.

So along with Me, add Foxy to your prayer list and All the people in Laie. Many of them didn't have flood insurance and many lost all of their furniture.

The Rising Generation: Food For Thought!

2008-11-14T03:26:00.000-08:00

I came across a video on You-tube that caused me to reflect on a talk given by President Gordon B. Hinckley, former president and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Now, if you are not a member of my church, before you click away because you think that I am getting too churchy, STOP! Give the quote a chance and go on to read the rest of the blog. President Hinckley said:

“There are young people in the Church of whom I am proud and concerning whom I have a great sense of gratitude and a compelling sense of optimism.

In saying this, I do not wish to imply that all is well with all of them. There are many who have troubles, and many who live far beneath the high expectations we have concerning them. There are also those who waver in their faith and who are troubled and frustrated within themselves. There are some, I regret to say, who step over the line of acceptable behavior and suffer great tragedies in their lives.

But even considering these, I have great confidence in our young people as a whole. I regard you as the finest generation in the history of the Church. I compliment you, and I have in my heart a great feeling of love and respect and appreciation for you

Each time I have stood before a group of young people, there has come into my mind the great and prophetic statement made by Peter of old. Said he: ‘Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light’ (1 Pet. 2:9).

I know of no other statement which more aptly describes you, nor which sets before you a higher ideal by which to shape and guide your lives” (from Ensign, May 1992, 69).

Now, check out the video entitled Generation WE: The Movement Begins-

Interesting, huh!? I haven’t read the book, but I think I will in the not too distant future. I like the idea of “Generation We” though. It’s an inclusive term. As the world continues to get worse and worse, I believe that my generation is capable of doing the most good of any other throughout all time. I think for the most part we are open-minded, peace-loving, and despite what our elders may think, motivated! WE are unique and diverse and soon will be very powerful.

So I raise a question that I hope you will all take time to answer:

Does this new generation scare you, or inspire you? Why?

California's Gone Crazy

2008-11-03T10:12:00.000-08:00

“God put adam and eve on this earth first to set an example for the rest of us. He did not bring Adam and Steve.”

“You can dress your argument up however you like it but you're still a homophobe just like all the rest of the ‘yes on 8’ types.”
“God’s laws were handed down for our benefit. HIV and AIDS, while no longer exclusive to homosexuals, are still much more rampant and spreading more quickly among the gay community (at least in the western nations).”

“Mormons: Go back to your Big Love compounds, you ‘marriage’ hypocrites!”

“Homosexuals aren't looking for equality in rights; they are looking for equality in terms (marriage) and trying to redefine marriage for everyone, to try to legitimize their union so that they will be ‘accepted’ further by society.”

“Vote with your conscience, O Progressive, for there are many Conservatives who will vote without one. NO ON PROP 8...if you have a heart.”

“The only thing that gays have to benefit from this prop not passing is calling their same sex union marriage in an effort to try and legitimize their alternative relationship. They are trying to make people accept their relationship as a norm.”

“I have seen little tolerance from opposers of prop 8 personally. I have been yelled at, had my sign stolen, called a hater, bigot, been flipped off, etc. Where is the tolerance from them of me standing up for what I believe in?”

As I have looked up the discussions going on about Proposition 8 in California, I have become very disappointed at the lack of Tolerance coming from many (Both Yes and No Supporters). The arguments have often turned discriminatory, rude, and full of prejudice. It makes me think how sad it is that one Proposition and the differing opinions about it can turn California into such a crazy place! It makes me anxious for the elections to be over so that hopefully people can start to think straight again.

Dictionary.com defines Tolerance as:

"A fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry ."

Proposition 8 is a sensitive subject and challenges individuals to have to prioritize many different values like equality, religious freedom, sanctity of the family, agency, and civil rights. Not everyone will place the values in the same order and not everyone has to agree about it, but that does not allow for either side to make intolerant and bigoted statements about a person’s sexual orientation or religious affiliation. The discussion should be grounded in arguments for or against the proposition. Careful consideration should be made and research about the consequences of either voting YES or NO before individuals cast their votes in a few days.

Remember that tolerance needs to be shown on both sides and sensitivity should be used when entering a discussion about Proposition 8. Also remember that not ALL homosexuals and not ALL Mormons think the same way. The beauty of America is that we don’t have to. So let’s all please be careful not to be so quick to group people together and form unsavory opinions about them.

For further reading about YES on 8:

http://www.protectmarriage.com/

http://hubpages.com/hub/My-Questions-About-Prop-8-In-California

For further reading about No on 8:

http://www.noonprop8.com/

http://www.eqca.org/site/pp.asp?c=kuLRJ9MRKrH&b=4375153

I'm turning into a "Son of a Beach"

2008-09-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

Well, since I’ve been in Hawaii pretty much nothing has gone according to plan. I was planning to move to Honolulu—that didn’t happen! I was planning on starting my internship two weeks ago—that didn’t happen! (I know you’re all wondering why so let me fill you in really quick. The place hasn’t had interns for a many years and they don’t really know what they’re doing, so they didn’t fill out the right paperwork and I can’t start until mid-October) One thing has gone according to plan and in fact even better—my beach days!

Last week Ui, Ane and I decided to have a beach day on Tuesday. We made plans and invited some friends and came up with a “Beach Crew” and a “Beach Plan.” We decided to go to Ko’Olina Beach Resort to the man-made lagoons. So Tuesday came around—Me, Ui, Shane, Robin, Jacob and Ane. Let me just say it was amazing!

We packed a lunch—well a huge ice chest big enough to feed an army actually—consisting of eggs sandwiches and tuna sandwiches (because we had vegetarians in the mix), yogurt, chips, pudding, salsa, crackers, and Ane’s seven layer dip! We ate and laughed and swam. The lagoons there are perfect because there are definitely no sharks! LOL!

We had soooo much fun that we decided to do it Thursday too! But Thursday came and our group got significantly smaller—just Ane, Ui and Me. On the way home we discovered the best sandwich shop in the world—Storto’s Deli in Haleiwa! Amazing!
So then we dropped Ane off because she had to go work in the temple and Ui and I decided to pick up a new friend, Nephi, and head back to the beach—this time Sunset. We stayed and swam till the sun went down. I decided that this time around I am going to take full advantage of the beach.
Ui and I made a pact to go at least once a week! We got our own beach crew and definitely our new favorite spots! I decided that the beach makes you forget your problems and brings some peace of mind. I do have to admit I got burned pretty badly but it’s all good…hopefully it will turn to tan! LOL!

Houses in Hawaii are harder to find than Snipes at Scout Camp!

2008-09-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

If you've never been to Boy Scout Camp, you might not know what a Snipe is, so let me explain. A snipe is a small, mischeiveous bird that cannot fly and comes out of hiding only at night. Well, at least that is what the older boy scouts tell the younger boy scouts--I thought snipes were imaginary until I just googled them and found out that they do exist, but they can fly and I have no clue if they are nocturnal--so that they can convince the younger boys to go on a snipe hunt. Of course there are NO snipes anywhere near any Boy Scout camp I've ever been to. Well, I'm starting to think that there is no such thing as reasonable housing anywhere in Hawaii...LOL!

Okay, that last statement is not true, becuase up in Laie and the North Shore are pretty generous. I have had a few offers, but I need to move to town to be closer to my job! So needless to say, I am still homeless and frustrated! LOL! Can somebody please just help me out! I have contacted like 20 different Craig's List places and only a handful of them have called me back. I've even got the, "Oh, you're Mormon!" Freakin' A! Yes, I'm mormon and I'm gonna report your ass to the Housing authority for discriminating against me! LOL! JK.

Oh well! There has to be a house somewhere for me! I just gotta keep hunting for it like a snipe in the dark!

Back in the 808!

2008-09-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

So just a quick blog to tell everyone I am officially back in Hawaii! The flight was long and definately not boring.

I arrived at the airport yesterday at like 3:30 and my flight didn't leave until 5:55 so I had plenty of time to observe the people who would be on the plane with me. I saw that it was going to be a full flight.

One person, in particular, caught my eye. A heavy set, middle-aged gentleman, wearing a bright pink shirt, rolled-up jean shorts, and a dangly turquoise earring in his left ear. I quickly said to myself, "I hope I don't sit next to that person!" As I boarded the plane I looked for my seat 31A and guess who was sitting in 31B? I suppose it serves me right, but to make matters worse he was quite chatty, smelled a little of B.O. and took up my arm rest so that every once in a while my elbow would touch his extremely hairy arms....yuck! Let's just say that it was a long flight cramming myself against the wall to get as far away from him as possible.

I know, I'm a total snob, because he was a nice person, he was just way too up in my bubble!!!! But I made it to Hawaii safe and sound! So the adventure is just begining....

My last full day in the Murr-town!

2008-09-09T00:28:00.001-07:00

I hate packing! Of course if you are an organized person, you might pack weeks before you make a trip, but I like to put it off as long as I can. I woke up this morning to my mother asking me to pick up my Dad. I stumbled out of bed, much earlier than I am used to I might add, and stubbed my toe on the wall. Not my big toe, not even my little toe, but strangely enough my fourth toe--You know, the one right next to your little toe. It freakin' hurt, but I ran downstairs to hop in the car to accomplish my task like the good son I am. LOL! While I was driving, I thought to myself, "Hmmm...I still haven't rented a car for tomorrow, found a place to live, or packed anything!" Yikes, I hate packing!!!!!! Did I say I hate packing yet? Well, if you haven't gotten the idea yet- I HATE PACKING! So I do what comes natural to me...avoid it like the plague!

Instead of packing, I found other activities to occupy my time....

I picked up Dad from the Chevy dealer, and then the whole fam damily went to honeycutt farms (commonly referred to as the Ham Shop) for breakfast. I had a Ham, Cheese, and Avocado Omelet After the Ham shop, I discussed some business opportunities with my Madre and nailed down the Hawaii plans a little more with my Padre and then decided to get ready for the day because I needed to go to the Banco! I showered and got dressed and rocked my new red sunglasses that bought in Santa Monica a few days earlier! LOL!

Of course I had to hit up the bank before I left, because there are no WAMU's in Hawaii! I stood. After the bank I talked on the phone to one of my beautiful cousins, Emma, and to my friends Ana and Ui and packed a little more...ugh! While I packed I waited for dinner and everyone to come over. Cousin Emma :)

We had finished dinner, Mom's famous Quesadillas, and enjoyed a round of Jeopardy in which Mandi asked, "What's a Vatican?" and a whole episode of Wheel of Fortune later, I was ready for a field trip. We hopped in the Escalade and bumped the music and headed out of the Garage.
Even though the original plan was to go to Claim Jumper for dessert, Mom convinced us to go to Cold Stone so that we could bring her back a treat too. So we headed to Cold Stone and I got Chocolate and Cheesecake ice cream with strawberries mixed in. Yum Yum! My favorite!

After grabbing Cold Stone, we headed back home to eat my ice cream and hang out some more. Scott showed up and fixed Mandi's phone or something like that and Sabrina and Trevor watched the new episode of Prison Break with Dad. Jordyn, Scott, Mandi, Andrea

Sabrina and Trevor

So now it's 1:13 in the morning, and I leave today for Hawaii and I still haven't packed! But, I'm not too worried. It will all get done! And this time tomorrow I will be in wikki wacky waikiki! Well actually Laie! LOL!

This Little Monkey is perfectly fine staying IN his bed!

2008-09-06T19:08:00.000-07:00

So, I'm headed off to Hawaii in a couple days and I'm thinking that one of things I will miss the most is my bed. Its not a special bed or anything, it's just MY bed! You can tell from the pictures that it's never made (which is a nightmare come true for my mother, that the whole world can now see my un-made bed) and that I have a cheetah print matress (which up until probably middle school was my favorite animal, but then monkeys bumped them out of that spot). I get a lot of different reactions to my mattress, my friend Myles said, "You know how I know you're gay? You have a cheetah matress!" but I don't care what anyone says-I love it! It's softer than a normal mattress and I usually kick all the sheets off of it. I sleep with my "decorative" pillows forming a fortress over me and my bedspread as a main cover source. I know that it's not normal, but I totally burrow in all of the pillows to stay warm because I happen to have the coldest room in the house.

I totally understand why Bears Hibernate in the winter! Its because they are freakin' comfortable and they don't want to move! These past two weeks my mother and father have been quite irritated with the fact that I sometimes stay in my bed until 2 in the afternoon. My dad constantly wonders why I'm tired all of the time and my mother thinks that it's pathetic. But the truth of the matter is that I am not tired all of the time, just extremely comfortable in my bed! I wake up and then realize that I like where I'm at, and that I don't want to move, so I usually fall back asleep and repreat this process four to five times before some pressing engagement beckons me to leave such a comfortable spot.

I'm leaving for Hawaii on the 9th and will enter the workforce and won't be able to stay in my bed until 2, in fact I won't have MY bed at all! But I think until then, instead of jumping on the bed, this monkey is just gonna stay in it! :)

The Doghouse welcomes all different breeds of Dog.

2008-08-26T17:39:00.001-07:00

Summer time is always exciting at the Doghouse, but this summer there was an assortment of different breeds of Dog, each with unique characteristics.

The Old Dogs: You know the saying, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." Not so with these two. If you can wake them up, they are quite entertaining. They enjoy heated games of "sets and runs" and watching old westerns like "the magnificient seven."The Papa Dog: I guess you could call him spot, because sometime you can spot him there and sometimes you can't. Papa dog had to drive back and forth to work a few days a week.

The Mama Dog: Always predictable, this dog would rather surf than wakeboard-surf the internet that is.

The Blonde Dogs: I don't even need to explain.

The Veteran Dogs: These pups have had lots of experience with the Doghouse and know how to do lots of tricks. They can wakeboard, stay on a tube, and pack a couch full of bodies.

The Idaho Dog: Likes potatoes and speaks Finnish, but comes around mostly in Summer. Funny story is that he wore this shirt in front of my friend Bubs...a Hawaiian Dog...LOL! (It says Hawaiian girls have nice coconuts)
The Cousin Dogs: Its always fun when the cousins come out, but Uncle Kenny is a bit like the paparazzi with his new interest in photography.

The Friendly Dogs: The Hales Family is always fun hang out with. Especially when Brent convinces Dad to ride on the tube with him. What a good sport. I don't think I've ever seen the tube whip that fast.

The Island Dogs: Usually colored a little darker than the other dogs, these two have a blast learning tricks they've never done before.

There were even more that came and went this summer, and all of them added to the fun.

Baby I swear it's...Deja...Vu!

2008-08-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had déjà vu? You know where you think that something has happened before. Well this time, I don’t think I had déjà vu, I know it.

My family went to our friend Gerald Allen’s missionary setting apart. When we arrived I noticed that the scene was strangely familiar to my own setting apart almost four years ago—I know I’m old! We walked in the door and the Hales were there, their son Derek is on his mission in Baltimore, Maryland, and I was in Hawaii when he got set apart, but I have a feeling that it would have been strangely familiar as well. The Allen’s had prepared food, and my mother was helping set up the table. In walked my old young men’s president, still helping boys go out I see, and then we all waited sat there waiting for the stake president.

When President Smith walked in, the ceremony began. He was asked to speak, and he said something that I will never forget: “I pretty much knew everyone that was going to be here today!” That’s how he began his testimony! He had déjà vu too! As he said that, I became really grateful for the wonderful people in the room.

I am very lucky to have had such a support system while I was on my mission and Derrick and Gerald are too! I am so proud of them and their decision to go on missions. They are great examples to me and they will make great missionaries.

I have gotten to see a video of Derrick while he bore his testimony and I know that he has changed so much for the better and I can’t wait for that to happen to Gerald as well!

My Kids Are Joining The Swim Team!

2008-08-12T22:50:00.000-07:00

So I have totally decided that my kids are going to the Olympics! Ever since the opening ceremonies for the Beijing 2008 Olympics I have been completely obsessed! I love watching them and I discovered that I am actually insanely patriotic. I find myself screaming at the TV and totally rooting for Team USA whether it is bicycling, gymnastics, or rowing I just can’t get enough. I say to myself all of the time that if I was famous I would totally be at the Olympics so that I could meet all of these incredible athletes. I’m a little sad to admit that just like a crazed-teenage girl fixated on the Backstreet Boys I am obsessed with Team USA!

But while I enjoy watching all the other events tremendously, I totally love the swimmers! Seriously, Michael Phelps is the man!!!! He is freakin’ amazing at everything he does. I was a swimmer in High School and I totally appreciate the sport and can see how amazing Phelps’ strokes are. He has to be part fish! I mean, I’m watching him swim the 200 Butterfly (Which is the hardest stroke and the distance would kill me) and he is amazing. There are no words for it. His Dolphin kick is flawless! AND HE WINS THE GOLD!!!!!!

Michael Phelps is not the only amazing swimmer though. I think that my favorite race was the 4X100 Relay with Michael Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones and Jason Lezak. It probably was the best race of all times! NO, I take it back…It WAS the best race of all times!!!! If you missed it, you have to You-tube it or something because it was amazing. Jason Lezak anchors and swims the fastest split time ever to come back and beat the French, who had previously said they were going to smash the Americans. It was incredible! WAY TO GO GUYS!

Swimming is usually an individual sport, I mean you get points for your team, but when it comes down to it, you want to get first. The comradery that is involved in a relay team is an amazing feeling. If you win, you win together, if you lose you lose together. Its just a great feeling! Anyways, I guess you get the picture! I’ve decided that my kids are going to be Olympic Swimmers! No if, and, or buts! LOL!

On a side note, I can’t wait for the pole vaulting….I know that’s weird, but I actually have been hired to write articles for this pole vaulting site (www.vaultingpoletips.com) so you can check it out and see some of my work. All I gotta say:

“GO TEAM USA”

It may not be the most, but it’s definitely a Top 10er!

2008-07-20T21:05:00.000-07:00

According to http://www.infoplease.com/ the most populated city in the world is Bombay, India with an estimated 11,914,398 people living in it. Sao Paulo, Brazil comes in a close second with a whopping 11,016,703 residents. Next in the list are Shanghai, Moscow, and Seoul which I’m pretty sure are followed by my parents’ house on Sundays! I know what you’re thinking: “Big Mormon Family’—if that was true I might be a little more used to the densely populated home that I grew up in; alas my biological family is far below your everyday Mormon's.

http://www.fairlds.org/[1] states that the average Mormon family has four children and in my family there is only me and my sister. So to compensate for their failure to multiply and replenish the earth, my parents have taken in every stray Mormon in Murrieta.

Typical Sunday activities for a Mormon family include reading scriptures, having a quiet family dinner, taking a leisure drive, or writing a letter to a missionary all of which are interspersed with several naps throughout the day. However, like I said before, my family is anything but average. Our Sunday activities include preparing enough food to feed a small nation and facilitating a plethora of games that extend far past the spirit’s (and my father’s) bedtime.

In all of the commotion surrounding my newfound Sunday experience, I manage to sneak away to my mother’s favorite corner, the computer room, where I can sit in the dark and take a much needed break from it all (if only for a minute). In the darkness, I have a second to ponder the complexities of my family dynamics. My mother, who hates crowds transforms into the ultimate hostess to feed the masses each Sunday. My father, who prior to the sudden population increase, seldom kept his church clothes on long enough to get through the front door, now sits in them and plays the role of the benevolent priesthood leader. My sister, ever longing to hangout with my friends when we were younger has replaced me in the popularity chain and reversed our roles. And as for myself, the formerly extroverted Murrieta socialite now sits in a darkened computer room at peace by himself—a routine I am most likely destined to repeat every Sunday I am home.

In all of my analysis on the over population of the Dowden home, I forgot to mention how proud I am to be a Dowden. I really do have the coolest parents because they accept everyone from Schizophrenics who like to play leapfrog to head cheerleaders who haven’t quite gotten over the glory days into their home and christen them family—which is probably what keeps attracting all these strays. Everyday is a new adventure filled with new people—tiring at times, like every Sunday afternoon, but just as exciting as the other most populated cities in the world. My house may not be the most populated city in the world, but it’s definitely a Top 10er!

[1] http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2002_Dealing_with_Demographics.html

Aloha!

2008-07-19T00:13:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog...I'm just getting started so I don't have much, but I promise it will be more exciting in the future! Thanks for stopping by.