Ole Dad

I would like to wish a warm happy Fathers day to all those fathers out there. In honor of "Mein Vat" tonight I thought I would post about him. There are so many things he's taught me about life, and how to be a good man, dad, and just a good person in general. I'm not always the best at telling him how much he means to me, and about how much I appreciate the things he's taught me but I think he understands me like only Dad could. So i'm grateful for him.

I'm grateful dad taught me about consistency.

I am grateful dad taught me it's not about what's in style that's important but rather having your style. That's what's really important. I am grateful dad teaches me through example.

I am grateful for Dad's patience.

Although I probably don't deserve it, I am grateful for dad's love for me. That might be one of the greatest lessons he ever taught me, was how to love a person, and a family despite flaws, weaknesses, in capabilities, and shortcomings. If I am able to turn out to be half the man, Dad is then i'll be ok in this life. So thanks Dad. I love you.

"That is an example of the pure love of Christ. Sometimes the greatest love is not found in the dramatic scenes that poets and writers immortalize. Often, the greatest manifestations of love are the simple acts of kindness and caring we extend to those we meet along the path of life. True love lasts forever. It is eternally patient and forgiving. It believes, hopes, and endures all things. That is the love our Heavenly Father bears for us. We all yearn to experience love like this. Even when we make mistakes, we hope others will love us in spite of our shortcomings—even if we don’t deserve it."

--Elder Wirthlin

The songs that get stuck in your head when you try to sleep

You know when you start winding down for the day, and you getting ready to go to bed, when a song pops in your head and you think "that is a really good song." Then you think, I should listen to that before I go to bed. Then you keep listening to it over and over again? Then pretty soon it's way later than you thought, and you just push replay one more time because by now you know there's no point in trying to sleep anyway? Maybe it's just me, but that has happened a lot lately. And while I am sitting here listening to that same song over and over, I think it's not that late yet, but i've already been here for too long. But by now I know it's not much use trying to go to bed, not yet. Sleep will have to wait another 3 minutes and 44 seconds, or longer, while I listen at least one more time. This one goes out to Alvin, and the many people I miss. Tonight's song is "Where'd you go" by Fort Minor edited.

The Average Human Heart

The average human heart will beat 103,680 times over the course of a day.

The average human heart is about the size of your fist. It usually weighs no more than 300 grams and works till we die. Over the course of a lifetime the average human heart will pump 3 supertankers full of blood.

There have been times in my life when I have felt my average human heart grow 3 times the size it's supposed to, giving me strength and courage to do the things it feels needs to be done. I have felt my average human heart feel emotions that I didn't know I could feel, much less describe in words. We use words such as joy, triumph, misery, pain, peace, longing, and love to describe the emotions that the heart produces.

I have felt my average human heart hide behind barbed wire, and fences, cautious to leave it's protected quarters in order to protect itself from the unknown. I have also felt my average human heart throw itself willingly into the boxing ring for 40 rounds in order to fight for things it wants.
They say your heart has the ability to give itself away to the people, and the things it loves. Some say they left their heart in San Francisco, New York, Boston, Paris, or Rome. Some say their heart is no longer whole.

The average human heart works diligently, constantly, and patiently all day every day. It never goes on strike asking for more pay to keep us alive. It never casts upon us outrageous demands like better working hours, or a company car.

The average human heart beats 103,680 times a day. Most of us will never feel or pay attention to any of those beats. It just carries out the job that is required of it quietly, effectively, and efficiently. It will take a beating over the course of a lifetime, all for our expense and benefit.

An average human heart is not average at all.

I got a feeling

With the first semester of school almost in the books I am rapidly approaching my last final. For the past few weeks many people have referenced the feeling that you get as you walk out of your last final. It has been described as magical, relieving, the best, and incredible. Even after a final that people don't say they did particularly well in, they can say at least it's over. I am getting my first taste of being done with classes, that I don't really have much interest in pursuing, forever. So as I rap up this semester I say so long, and farewell, to those classes I hope to never have to worry about again.

Just fish......

As I looked out my window, first thing this morning to check the weather report that Dallin gave to me yesterday, I had one thought come across my mind as I saw the snow.....it's probably sunny in Mexico. From that moment on the only thing I wanted was to go to Mexico and be a beach bum. Just sit on the beach and have no where to go, and no where to be. It didn't help as I got in my car and put on Kenny Chesney, and drove to school. It didn't help as I walked to my english class in the snow, and while in class drew pictures of me playing frisbee and sitting on a beach somewhere where it was sunny. Someday's I just really want to be a beach bum. I think I would make a good beach bum. Lest you confuse me with someone who hates the cold and the snow, the other half of my dream is to be a ski bum.

My bracket is totally toast. Now i'm just hoping not to take last

Well another March has come and almost gone. As always it has been madness in more than one way. Before I get to the basketball tournament, let's talk Spring Break. For Spring break this year I decided that it would be an opprotune time to go out and visit my beautiful sister Staci and her Husband in North Carolina! First off I had never been to North Carolina (NC), so encompassed in that is I had never been out to visit them at their place. They moved out there about a year and half ago while I was on my mission while he goes to NC state for School. So I went out there and had a total blast! It was so much fun to just be able to hang out with them for a while. There were so many adventures, and trips that made it even better, but even if we did nothing but just hang out with each other all day it still would have been a blast.

Here is a picture of us in our box seat that we got for free, at the performing arts center in Raleigh. This was a St. Pats day showing of the Irish Tenors. We had the best seats in the house, and we weren't even dressed for it! We literally showed up at the building to take a look around, a very nice gentlemen asked us if we would like to see a show? We said, yes he took us in, asked Staci if she would like to sit in the box seats, and she immediatly said YES! (Good Job Stac) And there we were sitting right above the Irish tenors.

Here is a picture of Cameron Indoor Stadium (Where Duke plays) What shocked me about this stadium was just how small it was! It is tiny compared to most stadiums, and they definitely make it an atmosphere. It was fun to see the championship banners hanging from the rafters, and just feel of the tradition that there is there.

This is in the Tobacco District. Lucky strike was a huge Tobacco company, and all that water you see behind me flowing is all water they would use to put out fires that would happen when they were drying the Tobacco leaves.

Part of our travels took us to Washington DC, Annapolis and Salisbury Maryland, (Annapolis is where the Naval acadamy is), and to Delaware! Yes I have been to Delaware, and i'm glad we went 10 minutes out of our way to get there. So here is some pics from that,

The New WW2 memorial. So cool!

(Love the Washington monument.)

This is in front of a statue of Brigham Young. Each state is allowed to put 2 statues in the capitol and we chose Brigham Young. This is also the location we lost our tour guide and started to wander around aimlessly by ourselves until we found another tour guide.
The changing of the guard. This is a super special ceremony and tradition of our country. The inscription might be too small to read but it reads: Here rests in honored glory, An American Soldier, known but to God.
This is a Toll Bridge-Tunnel-Bridge-Tunnel-Bridge. It was 21 miles long and the name really implies what it does. It also was a $12 toll Bridge! The toll booth attendant didn't like Ryans questions nearly as much as I did. He asked if there was refreshments half way across? I am still cracking up about that even now as I type this.
Last but not least, a picture in front of the goat, or possibly ram, I can't remember of the midshipmen. There we are the intrepid crew. Thanks for the fun trip Ryan and Staci! I loved it, and it was awesome. Even despite spending my night in New York, still totally worth it. :) Love you guys.

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.