vision without work is dreaming,
work without vision is drudgery,
work with vision is destiny.

--Elder Bruce Hafen

That's what he said when he came to my mission about a year and a half ago. Little did I know then that not only would it apply in my every day missionary work, but it would apply so much in life. So now it's time to go to work, I just hope I have a vision.

7 more days

Hello Bloggers,

So for the past week I have been completely immersed in the Olympics. I have pretty much spent far too much time watching, talking, and thinking about the Olympics. I have enjoyed them throughly, and they haven't let me down. I even have watched curling, sadly I have watched quite a bit of curling. I love it though, it's like bowling. Maybe i'll do a post about curling soon, just because I feel it doesn't get enough love. But tonight I just thought I would comment about how much I love the olympics.

One of the reasons I love the Olympics is because for these 17 days I have the ability to watch a sporting event as often as I want. It's 3:00 A.M. (if i'm awake) what's on? The Olympics. It's 7:00 at night what's on? The Olympics! It's 3:00 in the afternoon on a Monday!?!?! What's on? The Olympics! Glorious! I love sports, and I love the Olympics. It's awesome.

Another reason? I love to watch as these athletes who have competed for this one thing their whole life, and it all comes together in a matter for seconds, or minutes depending on your event. All the training, all the sweat, blood, tears, late nights, early mornings, sacrifices that these people make put into a one event. All for a symbol. A medal, this medal if they win it, will symbolize their dedication to one thing for probably the better part of their life. Therefore the passion that you see from these Men and Women is incredible. The precision with how they perform, and the intensity with which they play is almost unmatchable. I love it.

I love the Olympics because of the underdogs! Remember 4 years ago when Bode Miller was suppose to win 5 medals and he didn't win any? Remember how he came to the Olympics this year and everyone juts said well, we will just have to see what happens because you never know! That's right you never know. And for the record Bode Miller has skied incredibly! But still, whether it's some guy coming from New Zealand, to lead a cross country ski race for minutes, or your the biggest name guy like Shaun White, you still never know! Probably, referring back to last paragraph, because like I said it all comes down to one event. One time, you screw up it's over. This is no 82 game season. It's minutes, minutes to perfection. It's go big or go home, literally.

Lastly of the many, many, more reasons I love the Olympics I will just mention one more. I love the Olympics because for these 17 days I think the world just feels a little closer together. Whether your from Japan, Australia, Poland, Brazil, or America, we all can be bonded a little closer together in support of our Olympians. Sure we compete against each other, but I can't say I honestly route against any of them. I am just in awe of their dedication, and i'm happy when they do good, and i'm sad when any athlete does bad. Also I could probably go anywhere in the world tonight, and see almost any person and we'd have something to talk about. Who knows though, it might just be me, but it might not. Maybe we all feel the same way, but all I can say is this, we have 7 more days of the Olympics.

1 year ago today

So Valentines day has been a mixed emotion holiday for me for the past little while. For the most part it seems to me it's just more February 14, than it is Valentines day. However, lot's of good things have come out of the past couple Valentines day and I just wanted to write really quickly about exactly one year ago today, how awesome that February 14, was.

So a year ago today I was on my mission, and I was companions with Elder Hilton. It seemed like it would be just like any other day doing missoinary work, until we realized, that tonight like a few other nights that we didn't even have a dinner appointment. So we thought, what to do on a Valentines day for dinner? We can't just do the usual, it has to be special. Then the one place that popped into both our minds almost instantly was the local Dennys! That's right nothing beats a grand slam on a special day. It's almost just American. Well we went, and enjoyed every minute. We were even served by a waitress that had little heart antennas, and long red and pink socks. She kept hitting on Elder Hilton, she thought he was pretty cute. All in a Valentines day in Sacramento. That's one holiday i'll never forget.

Oh the places you go.....

So while on my mission I missed a lot of things. There would be far too many to mention here and just now. However I will mention one because that is what this blog post is about. There is a place very near and dear to my heart which I have been thinking about lately. The place is Southwood park. In fact, pretty much every time I drive by there I find myself looking out at the soccer field where I have played many beautiful games of frisbee. You will also find me looking at the tennis courts where Dodge and I had many a heated match, and many a heated discussion whether the ball was in or not. It's also the place where traditions have been started. Well mostly just the tradition of decorating the Southwood tree at Christmas time. It's our park, and I love it.

I have been thinking lately as to why I love this park so much. I have come to the conclusion it is because I associate the things that I love so much with this park. That place where I play my favorite sport, the place where I hang out with my favorite people, and the place where I go when everything else is gone. Every weekend throughout all of junior high and high school you would find me there. It was one of the last places I visited before I left on my mission and my very first night home, I actually went there. In my last area of Vacaville we had a park named Southwood, and I would pass by there every chance I could just because it reminded me of the park here in Murray. Probably ridiculous I know, but it's me. And I am very happy about that.

I recently was reunited with my park in a game of ultimate frisbee. This post is probably a little late, but last Saturday I got to play once again ultimate at Southwood. It felt just like coming home again. The people were different, the weather was cold, and I was quite out of practice. However it all came back fairly quickly, I made new friends, and it doesn't matter if the weather was cold because we've been there before. Moral of the story, I missed a lot of things while being gone. I am glad to be united with at least one of them for the moment.


(This is a picture of the park in Vacaville, yes I threw the frisbee around while I was there. It had to be done.)

Mania!

So in the Sponbeck household we have a new tradition. You see for Christmas this year Santa brought a gift that is called a Wii. It's pretty awesome. We have been figuring out as a family how to incorporate this gift into our lives, and by the looks of it we have a tradition coming on. You see for the past, well since Christmas every Sunday night my mom, my dad, and myself have all gathered around and played a few games a bowling and tennis. It's actually a lot of fun. And the parental units are actually getting pretty good at it. As you are about to find out, tonight I thought I would write about tonights game and how things shaped up.

So tonight started out just about like any other night with the Wii, I had just won at tennis against mom. But this one was good because she scored and did really good. She is getting pretty good at the backhand, and even had like 3 or so fast serves. She did really good, then we jumped into the real competition a bowling match. We usually have to play at least 2 games to settle the real champ though as most of our games are pretty close. Tonight you get 3. The first one started out like usual, Dad was in the lead I was a close second and Mom was hoping for her miracle comeback again which happens WAY to often! I don't know how the heck she does it, but she comes out of nowhere for 3 or 4 strikes at the end of the game to beat us by 2 pins. Anyway we can't let this happen. So the first game, I just pulled ahead in the 8th frame, and we were heading down to it when here comes Mom again. Spare, strike, 9 pins down. Anyway SHE WON! Oh my heck. Dad and I didn't know what to do. She was doing her usual cheer, while jumping. Chanting her "Open, open, open" as I left another frame open. So frustrating.

Well I can't have that, we gotta go again. So we do, this time we'll pick things up from the 5th frame where Dad goes crazy. I am getting killed, I seem to have lost my magic and have 4 open frames, when dad goes on a rampage. Count this with me, Strike, Strike, Strike, Strike, Strike, Strike, Strike, Strike! 8 Strikes in a row! I didn't know what just happened! Did I just lose again? This time to dad? I had to keep some of the pride that was so low, and just beat mom by 2 pins after another miracle comeback. What's going one around here I wonder? Dad just posted a 245, and blew our old record out of the water. I am dumbstruck, Mom begs for one more.

3rd game. I'm thinking I can't lose again, three times in one night to people who should be technologically challenged? As you can see they are not challenged but are in fact quite hip. So anyway, I need to win. From the start it's a close one, we'll just pick up from the 9th frame where I am winning by 8 pins. When I bowl, and get 8 down. I have 2 standing on the right side. So I line myself up, shoot, and MISSED! OPEN FRAME! NOOOOO! I am so close, mom and Dad both bowl in the 10th and are winning. Mom has 167, Dad has 165, and I am battling for either first or last place. It all comes down to if I can spare and then knock down a few. That's all I have to do. So I bowl, and boom, I knock down seven or so. Easy money, bowl again, SPARE! WOOOOO! All I need to do now is just bowl and hit 4 pins and the game is mine. So I bowl, and I hit 6. WINNER! Finals: Josh 169 Mom 167 Dad 165 Too close for comfort. So basically as you can see we now have heated rivalries and we all are looking forward to next Sunday when the rematch happens. Bragging rights for the week on the line, but the bad/good thing for this week. We all won a match, but Dad probably claims the rights to brag with 8 strikes in a row. I gotta give my props to him for that. Good job Dad, oh and Mom love you too. :) Even with those miracle come backs.

Time stands still while the clock keeps moving

Well here we go again. It seems that life continues to roll forward with or without me. Luckily I feel this time I am in the game at least a little bit more than usual. Today was an eventful day because I started back to work today. Luckily it was at a place that was pretty familiar to me. After looking around at quite a few places, I decided that a good decision was to go back to the Lion House. Yes I know back at the Lion House. So today I went back to work, and it was a lot like riding a bike. Luckily it was a small party that I worked, and I was with people I knew so it made it super easy to be back. For now it will be a good job, with all that I need.

As for tomorrow, well tomorrow I start school. Hmmmmmm what to say. Well most people have been asking how I am feeling about school starting. To be honest I am not quite sure how to feel. Probably more apprehensive, is probably a good word than anything. I am just not quite sure what to expect. I am nervous and excited. Mostly it's just an unknown. I have never gone to college, so it's just something new. I know it'll be fine, it's still just kind of daunting starting something new. Especially after having been out of this type of life for so long. One big benefit of my mission is that I feel I learned how to study at least a little bit more than I did in High School. In High School I didn't have a clue how to study, or learn from a book. I feel that I am more prepared, and ready for whatever might be thrown at me. So all in all, life rolls on.

My little Buddy

So when I was about 7 months into my mission I received a phone call early one morning notifying me that I was an uncle! To a beautiful baby boy who was named Easton. I was so excited, you can ask my sisters I have waited far to long to be an uncle and was so excited to be able to have this title. I was at the same time bummed for I knew that it would be a long 17 more months until I actually met this little guy. He would probably be walking and talking, and have a huge personality all of his own before I even met him. Well quicker than I thought the day came that I met little Easton and it was everything I thought it would be. Instant love for this little guy, sure he cried and cried the first time I held him but that was to be expected, right? Well I have been home for almost a month now and I have gotten to know him a little bit, and he now knows me well enough to point me out if you ask where I am. Anyway this post goes out to him because of the lost time we had. We are trying to make up for it now so I thought I would write about him, and his funny things he does.

So basically Easton and I drive each other nuts, and we get along great doing it. He does the funniest things. He is a real cutie and I like him a lot. One of the things that Easton and I can agree on is the game hide and seek. In fact it's one of the few games we play well together. He loves tight spaces and I try to go and find him. When I find him I run away and he comes chasing after me. He's such a funny duck and we play this game almost every time we are together. Another thing we can agree on is that we love Sammy. As you can see she is very patient with the both of us. Because despite driving each other nuts, I think we drive Sammy even crazier. This picture was while Sammy attempted to take a nap. It didn't last very long. Easton made a slide out of her, and it wasn't long before she got up and moved.

Speaking of Easton and Sammy, have you ever seen the cartoon Calvin and Hobbes? Well Easton is Calvin and Sammy is Hobbes. It is so funny. They are always together and have quite
the relationship because of it. I can just imagine them dreaming up all these schemes and plans and attempting to go through with them, then getting in trouble and trying to find ways out of trouble. It's super funny when Easton will tease Sam by getting food and running real close to her then running away fast as she tries to grab it out of his hand. It's also funny when Sam wags her tail real hard and will go stand right by Easton whose face happens to be at the perfect height to get whacked by it. They make quite the team, and are the best of buds.

Easton and I also like to play the Piano together. He loves to watch the keys as they move up and down, he loves to go under the piano when I play, and he loves it even more if I play real loud. As always Sammy (A.K.A. Hobbes) is never far away. He dances funny, by bobbing up and down and loves when I sing the Goldfish theme song. He loves goldfish so I sing it while he eats them. Overall Easton and I are good buds. He is such a stud and I love him.