Goodbye college! Hello real life!

Okay, so it's been more than 5 months since my last post, but a lot has happened since then and I will only touch on a few things. Just so you know, for those of you that follow me, I do read your blogs and I enjoy reading them. I'm sorry that I don't post as frequently as others.


The most important things that has happened since I last wrote is that I'm now officially done with my college education. Finally! Last Fall was my 11th and final semester, as I took 9 credits and institute classes. I'm glad that the Masters of Accounting program is spread out over a spring, summer, and fall semester, because it would have been much harder cramming everything into just two semesters. I must say that it was strange when I turned in my very last exam during finals week, knowing that I'll never have another school assignment, test, or project to do ever again. It makes you think about all the things and people it took to get here, and I'll share those thoughts in another post.

My last semesters did have a lot of highlights. Here are just a few of them:

Our ward had a cardboard regatta to close out the summer, as each FHE group made their own boats made completely out of cardboard and duct tape. We raced them at 1st Dam to see which one was the best, and even though ours didn't win, it was a fun activity.

As you know, I was involved with the IMA during this semester and the big event we plan for is the Turkey Bowl, played the Saturday before Thanksgiving. We had about 14 teams come to play, despite the cold and wet conditions. Once we crowned a champion, all of us headed back to the institute to have a yummy Thanksgiving meal. Earlier in the semester, we had the IMA Volleyball tournament night, which was also a huge success with over 20 teams participating.
With my apologies to my aunts, uncles, and cousins that are BYU fans, the best sporting event of the semester was when Utah State beat BYU at Romney Stadium. I was fortunate to get into that game and I'm glad that we finally ended a 17-year drought by winning 31-16. Apparently, there is a wagon wheel that the schools play for every meeting, but nobody probably knew that since it's been in Provo for 17 years. To be fair, the Cougars did have a better season and won their bowl game. But it's always great to beat your in-state rivals.


As most of my immediate family will still tell you, I'm still very involved in the church's indexing program on the FamilySearch.org website. I'm still in the family history center indexing a few hours before the church block starts and last month, I was able to index 15,000 names. I'm now close to 93,000 names and I'm going to keep on indexing in my free time while looking for a job. It's only a few hours every day and it's amazing what you can do when you get familiar with it.

Thanksgiving is always fun with the family. We had a nice time together and it was nice to take a break before the end of the semester crunch. This is my favorite picture, as grandpa tried his luck in stacking the napkin holders after our meal. I believe that one stayed, but the stack toppled over on the next one.


The big gift for the family this Christmas was a Nintendo Wii, along with the games Rockband 3, and Super Mario Bros. Wii game. The last game has revealed to all of us what mom's favorite words are when she's scared while playing multi-player: "Oh! Oh! Oh!" Fortunately, this game has also provided us with a saying that we now tease her with: "Get in the bubble." In multi-player, you can get into a "bubble" and float past hard spots if you don't want to try them and others do. Mom used this option quite often, so whenever she doesn't want to do anything, we just say to her, "Get in the bubble."

That's about all I have for now. Currently, I'm just looking for a job and trying to remain upbeat despite a down economy. I know something will come up and that the Lord will watch out for me if I'm doing my part. Hopefully something will come soon. See ya later!

Summer in Logan

Well, it's been a very busy, yet productive summer. This was the first and only time that I had to take summer classes, since my program only offers some of these classes in the summer, so I really didn't have a choice. But, school hasn't been the only thing that has been happening for me. Here's a rundown of summer highlights:


First of all, the summer started with Vanessa & Danny's wedding, which went very well. Lots of family was there and all the plans for the big day went as planned (except for the surprise mustaches that Vanessa wasn't expecting). It was also good to catch up with family and friends at the sealing, luncheon, and reception. It was a long day, but a very happy one, too.


The main activity for me during the summer has been get-togethers and ward activities. There is lots of fun stuff to do in Cache Valley, whether it's having a hot dog and marshmallow roast up at 2nd Dam in Logan Canyon, extra long sub sandwiches for FHE, or evening bonfires at the houses of ward members. It was a good opportunity to meet new people and take my mind off of school for a little bit.

The event of the summer that I followed religiously was the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. I was glad that the USA had a good showing, despite losing in the 2nd round to Ghana after extra time. USA's 1-0 win over Algeria is one I'll always remember. I was watching the game in one of the study rooms in the library and when Landon Donovan scored in the 91st minute, I yelled for joy. Shortly after, I was told that the room wasn't soundproof. I didn't care one bit. Millions of other Americans across the country were celebrating as well.

For Independence Day, I went home and spent the holiday with the family. We had the usual traditions of launching water balloons in the street, having a nice family meal together, and watching the fireworks in Grantsville at night. Lots of good times and laughs were had by all. It's too bad that this holiday doesn't come around more during the year.
Now that the summer semester is done, I'm now in the final stages of my college education. I have only 9 credits to take this fall and once those classes are finished, I'll be done with the Masters of Accounting program. There will also be lots of other things going on at the same time, with my calling in the IMA, attending school activities, and being involved the recruiting season with accounting firms. There will be lots of interviews, some local, some in other locations. It's really going to be interesting how things work out. Being finished with school also brings in the reality that my career is about to start and it can take me anywhere. Staying in Logan is my first choice now, but I have to keep my options open and take whatever is available. It's scary and exciting at the same time.

One thing that I mentioned in my last blog was how I started indexing for FamilySearch.org. Well, it's been a staple for almost every day since. I'm now close to indexing 30,000 names. I usually spend about 2 hours a day indexing, including Sundays before my church block starts. It's been interesting going over so many names and I can't help but think that some of them will probably have their temple work done because of this program. That's probably what keeps me attached to it. I do feel that blessings have come as a result, but the real reason is help people find their ancestors. If you feel like giving it a try, please do. (indexing.familysearch.org)


Right now, I'm enjoying my mini-summer break of three weeks until fall semester starts August 30th. It's strange to think that all of my siblings and I will be in school this fall semester, all of us studying for different professions and degrees. It truly is a blessing, considering that our parents only have one year of school between them. Hopefully in a few years, we will all still be making progress, whether it's our career or degrees.

That's all I got for now. Hopefully another post will come soon. Keep it real.

Summer is almost here!

Okay, so I'm posting this the last day of classes and just before finals week. Probably because I won't get to do much else starting tomorrow and continuing until next weekend. I'll explain that later, but for now, I'm going to let you know what's been going on for the last 2 1/2 months.


One of the highlights of the semester has been having fun with ward members. It's been nice to be in a singles ward again and having some fun activities. We've already had two Brian Regan movie nights and a couple of birthday parties.


Another highlight came last week, when I was just relaxing on a Sunday afternoon when I saw out my window that many of my neighbors decided to have a friendly water fight. They were kind enough to let me take pictures and not soak me. There hasn't been very many warm days, because Mother Nature still can't decide if it's Spring or Winter.


During Spring break, I visited my family and for FHE, we had dinner at Jamo's Pizza, which is owned by members in our ward and has been in business for a few months. It was pretty good and I think with time, they'll have a good base of customers. Next time you come out to Lake Point, stop by Jamo's for a pizza!


A few weeks ago, one of my professor's canceled class so we could attend a conference where Utah Senator Orrin Hatch would be the keynote speaker. I was on the back row near the aisle, but happened to be near the entrance where Senator Hatch entered. He shook a few hands along the way to the stage, including mine. I was a little surprised, but it was a good experience. He's been an advocate for going green and shared some potential ideas that will help out the environment.


Also a few weeks ago, I was pulled aside by my institute teacher, Bro. White, and he mentioned to me that he was thinking of recommending me for next year's IMA (Institute Men's Association) council. One week later, it was official. I'll be one of the vice-president's of the Wednesday chapter (there are two other chapters on Tuesday & Thursday) and I'll get started in the fall. I don't know much about it, but in training, I got to see how much it can help those involved. It may only be for a semester, depending on how recruiting season goes, but I'm excited for it and will do my best in it.


Exactly one week ago, I've started to be an indexer for FamilySearch.org. My roommate has been doing it and watching him made me want to give it a try. I've had a lot of free time, since I only had a few in-class presentation to give and in 8 days, I've managed to index over 3,400 names. I think this will be a good thing for me to do in my spare time, but I probably won't do that many names in a week for a while. Still, it's nice to help out the family history buffs.

As mentioned, tomorrow starts a busy 8 days for me and the family. But, there will be a lot of good things happening. Here is a look at my schedule:

Tomorrow, May 1 - Vanessa's endowment in the Jordan River Temple, study when I can.
Monday, May 3 - Study for Tuesday's final.
Tuesday, May 4 - Take Auditing final, study for Wednesday's final.
Wednesday, May 5 - Take Retirement Planning final, start cleaning inspection.
Thursday, May 6 - Finish & pass cleaning inspection, drive home for extended weekend.
Friday, May 7 - Ethan's graduation from SLCC, last minute preparations for the wedding.
Saturday, May 8 - Vanessa & Danny's wedding at Salt Lake Temple.
Monday, May 17 - Summer classes begin

I'll post again another time. Stay tuned!

School is back in session

Yes! Finally! The time has come! I'm back in Cache Valley in the wonderful city of Logan, as I started the Masters of Accounting program at Utah State University. I'm so glad to be back in the groove of school, though it did take a lot of studying, working, and planning to get to this point. I did get re-attached to the people of Lake Point, especially my Primary class. I miss teaching the kids, but I also enjoy being more around people closer to my age. Here are some stories and pictures from the past few months.


Despite the holiday rush, we were still able to do some fun things as a family. A few days after my last post, mom, dad, and I went to a Utah Grizzlies hockey game. Dad and I go to watch the game, mom just wants to see the enforcers. We had a fun time and this is always an inexpensive way to have fun, since you can sit in the lower bowl for as little as $10 each.


The Christmas season brings with it all the parties and get-togethers, but the one that was unique to me was meeting our "future family." Vanessa got engaged just before Thanksgiving, and her fiance Danny, and his family, invited our family over for dinner one night. We had a lot of fun getting to know the Clayton's. Here's a picture of the siblings playing on the Wii.


Only at Utah State would you ever see the FHE activity being to attend the men's basketball game. No complaints here. It was my first USU basketball game in almost 2 years, and it was fun to be back in the student section, cheering on my Aggies. Later that week, we had a siblings-only activity of attending another basketball game. Stuart and I had told Ethan so much about what goes on during games that he told us that he wanted to go to one. So, that's what we did. Ethan and Emily were laughing just a few minutes in, and Ethan put it best about our fans: "You guys are very unforgiving." True, but we must defend the home court.

As far as classes are going, I'm taking 12 credits right now, and so far it's been pretty good. There are more presentations to prepare for and more research to be done, but so far so good. I'll be taking 9 credits in the summer and 9 more in the fall, so this will be the busiest semester all have this year. Here are some shots of the places that I see and go to the most.




My ward has put me to work already. I'm now an assistant ward clerk, helping with finances (surprise, surprise). Getting all the donations accounted for and deposited will probably come in handy once I start my career, though I admit that it's strange inputting and stamping your own tithing check. :) Our ward is being audited tomorrow, so that should also go well, since I have an idea of what might happen.

That's it for now. Hopefully I'll post again soon and have more things to write about. Until next time.

Falling into winter

Okay, so it's Friday night, the siblings are all at college, and mom & dad are in Ephraim for the weekend to watch Vanessa play in a concert and to also visit Emily. I'm bored out of my mind, and the only productive thing I can think of is to update my blog. I know, I know. It's pitiful. But these kind of weekends have been very few and far between since moving home. However, there is a lot to tell, so here it goes.

The best news I've heard in a long time came a few weeks ago. I got a letter from Utah State University, saying that I've been accepted into the Masters of Accounting program, and can start in January. Although it took longer than I planned it would, I'm happy that I'll be able to continue my education. Only 30 credits stand between me and the CPA exam. I should be done in a year, and get my degree in the Spring of 2011.


Back in September, Lake Point held it's annual fall festival, and that gave me the opportunity to put my new digital camera to use. It's a clone of Stuart's camera, but I really like it. We had the 5k run/walk on the first day, then the parade, games and activities the second day. We had a pretty good turnout, and it was fun to catch up with residents, both current and past.


With the coming of September means birthday galore for our family with four overall, including three in an 8-day span. Lots of cake and ice cream for everyone.


Another favorite of autumn is the change of colors, falling of leaves, and coming of snow. Here are some pictures that capture all of that and more.



Halloween was fun, but I forgot to get a picture of me in my mail carrier uniform. Maybe I'll get some taken during the rest of my free weekend. Stay warm and start preparing for the holidays.

Summer is over, school begins

So I didn't blog again for a few months after the last one, but just under 3 months is pretty good for me, considering I usually take longer to post. I've decided to give all of you an update on how life has been for me since the last post; in other words, here is how the rest of my summer fared up (outside of working, which was most of the time)


One of my favorite events in our ward was the annual Primary Rodeo Round-up, where all of the primary kids brought their stick horses for games, races, a hay ride, and a big picnic. We had a really good turnout this year, and I got to help with a few of the activities, along with the other primary teachers. I always enjoy how the very simple things can make even the smallest children happy and content. I got to be a judge for all of the stick horses the kids brought, and we had just enough categories where each child won something.




When the Garners came to visit us back in June, our FHE activity was a Bees game at Spring Mobile Ballpark. We got really good seats and very inexpensive prices to boot. The Bees won the game handily, but the strangest play was an inside-the-park home run on a bunt (along with two throwing errors). I'm usually not a huge baseball fan, but I'll take any live game I can go to just about anytime.


Also during the Garners visit to Lake Point, I was able to meet two of our newest family members: Jen who married my cousin Brent back in 2006, and their first child, little Carmen Reece. She was only a few months old when they visited, but we could pick her up and put her on our lap or feed her without her being fussy (most of the time). Whenever she napped, I kept wishing to myself that I could sleep like that every night. I'm sure it won't be long before she'll be rolling over, crawling, and learning her first words.


For the 4th of July, our family made the usual trip to Tooele to watch their Independence Day parade. It was a little strange for all of us, since all of us siblings are now high school grads, we didn't have to go to Grantsville for their parade. We worried about rain, but it was only a few drops near the end, and we were spared being in the sun. The highlight of the parade was before it even started, when a Utah Highway Patrolman on a motorcycle rode standing on the seat, straight up, no hands, for about 100 feet. I wish I had my camera ready when that happened.

Stay tuned for the next blog, for it might have better pictures and even some videos, as I'll be getting a new camera in the new future. Until next time.

Summer is here!

I know that in my last blog, I promised that I would try to blog more often. Well, I'm still trying. But, after looking through the pictures in my camera, I decided to give everyone an update, and hopefully I'll be able to stay more on top of things.


This was back in April, when Emily's boyfriend Shaun was visiting from England, and one night, our family got together to play The Candy Bar game. You can count all of them if you want, but I think the total was somewhere between 60-70. It was still lots of fun, and though not everyone got exactly what they wanted, we usually trade after all is said and done. Plus, since we've played this game a lot, our family know what everyone likes, and that just makes it harder.


On a much sadder note, our cat Pre passed away in his sleep back in May. The night before, he came downstairs and woke me up. I petted him for a little while, then he went down to underneath my bed. He was there in the morning, and when I came back from work. But before I went to bed, I tried to wake him, but he'd already gone. He was stiff when found, so he probably passed away in the morning, and we buried him in the morning. We won't be getting another cat, since mom & dad don't want to take care of a pet when they become empty nesters. We'll definately miss him, and the crazy things he does, like nap in the bathroom sink.


A month ago, my little brother Stuart and cousin Jarom graduated from my alma mater Snow College. It was fun for me go back to Ephraim, see the campus, and think back about the good old times. Vanessa will graduate from Snow this December, and Emily will begin her first semester there this fall. Now we need to get Ethan to go, so all the siblings can be Badgers.

Thanks for reading. I'll blog again soon.....hopefully. :)