In the old west Texas town of El Paso

There is something special about following a team with your whole family. It binds and bonds you because of how you spend time, and energy, you live together, you suffer together, and it feels like sometimes you die together. But you are together none the less. Things only get better when they are in El Paso, which is where the whole family just came back from after following our Utes there. (That is in Texas for those of you who don't know) It was such a fun trip, and I wanted every one to be able to experience it just a little bit. Here are the most memorable moments of the trip.

*You threw up 5 times, but it was with class -Ryan*

*What's for lunch? What's for breakfast? What's for dinner? -Vickie*

*Wasn't me. -Dad after taking out a subway sign*

*There are a lot of things that have to give in a marriage, and control of temperature in the car is one of them. -Ryan*

*Josh my nose is like an ice cube. -Macy*

*I have to go potty. -Easton*

*Ba, ba, ba, argggg. -Corbin and Nolan*

*Vickie i'm going to buy you some Cortez milled flower. Oh wait I don't have my wallet. Vickie Ryan is going to buy you some Cortez milled flower. -Craig*

*Josh you need a lesson in passing. -Zach*

*You almost got in a head on collision, and the other time you left me behind. -Collie*

*It feels great in here. Maybe we should turn the heat up. -Staci*

*It's eighty degrees in the girls room. -Dad*

These are a tiny snippet of the highlights, but there were many, many more. It was just a great time, with the family and the Utes won in a thriller which always makes the drive a little quicker and makes the trip more fun. Also just to report, there are 8 eye witnesses that UFO's really exist. We promise, they are out there. We saw them in New Mexico. All in all this was such a fun trip and we all loved it.
The whole crew, Dad, Mom, Ryan, Staci, Nolan, Zach, Collie, Nolan, Corbin, Josh, and Macy. We are all there. I promise.

ESCAPAY!

I'm not dead, i'm really not, only mostly. I have just felt like this......


For the past little while. But don't worry after next week i'll know whether I was eaten or not. As they say in Rudy, "pray for us."

Happy Finals week everyone

Please don't let my dreams run dry

A long time ago, in the Garden of Eden God gave to Adam two commandments. One of which everyone knows, to multiply and replenish the earth. Yes, everyone knows that one, but the second and sometimes forgotten commandment was to till the earth, that it would bring forth food and fruit that Adam and Eve would eat. I want to talk about this commandment. The one that is sometimes forgotten because it is this one for this moment that I can take joy in. So the saying goes....
17) ...cursed is the ground for thy sake; in ^csorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

18) ^aThorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

19) In the ^asweat of thy face shalt thou eat ^bbread, till thou return unto the ground;

--Genesis Chapter 3

Now fast forward about 6,000 or billions of years depending on how you look at it. November 21, 1988, Kent and Vickie gave birth a little baby boy. Little did they know that at the time this little boy would grow into a boy that would try with all of his heart to keep this commandment no matter on how small a scale it may seem. Hence my blog post

This is a picture of my land
So here is the story. Maybe 11 years ago this past summer, I was about 11, (I might have been 12 and it maybe have been only 10 years ago, but sparing the details this is how it went) and in my backyard we had this patch of dirt, right next to the sandbox. Now calling this a patch of dirt is generous, it was more like a piece of the Sahara desert dropped right in our backyard because it was so hard and unworkable. Well while mowing the lawn one day I decided what a good idea it would be to dump the grass clippings in the dirt and let them compost to make the soil better. So I dug a little hole and tried to dump the clippings. I underestimated two things though. 1) How hard the ground would be. 2) How much grass was actually cut when I mowed the lawn. So instead of the grass starting to degrade into the soil to make it better, I had a mound of grass in about a 2 foot by 1 foot hole in the backyard.
But I had a vision of what this land, my land could be. Now fast forward about 10 or maybe 11 years. Now I in no way shape or form do I proclaim to be a good gardener. In fact I might even say I have a tough time proclaiming to be any type of gardener. But I am someone who is trying work the earth by the sweat of my brow. Every year, since that summer I have attempted to grow things on the little patch of land. It's not much, and at times maybe even laughable but it's mine and I love it. I have been learning all along the way. Like how Bell Peppers don't grow to well in the extreme heat, or how tomatoes will fight for every inch of sunlight you will give them, and how they let you know when they don't have enough. I have learned how to grow jalepenos, and sweet peas. Maybe not well but I am learning. I love it. I have learned about turning the earth with leaves. And what makes good compost and what does not.

(To bad i'm not a root farmer because I can grow some mean roots.)

I have endured bad crops, and opposition. Laughs, and scoffs at my little patch of land. But I will work that land, and I will live to see a good crop come in. One day when I am eating my crop through the winter, I will truly say I have conquered the land. Well maybe not conquered, because I work with the land. I work the land so it will produce for me. It's a partnership, and as such as I put in, it puts out. Without the land I receive nothing, and if not for me it may still very well be a little piece of the Sahara Desert. So with my partner I will continue to work and learn. It will continue to teach me more than I would have ever learned from any book.

"He who soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly. He who soweth deeply shall reap also deeply."
--Paul the Apostle

Happy New Years!

I made an Octobers years resolution. Throughout my life I have been average at brushing my teeth. When I was younger I am ashamed to admit that I missed days entirely brushing my teeth. As I have grown older I learned the importance of brushing twice a day but in that twice a day there are still ways to slack. How about the 30 second brush? Or can I hear a yell for even the 15 seconds brush. How about the time I ran out of toothpaste so I just used the brush. Don't even get me started on flossing.

Well with a new month I took the opportunity to make a new habit. I am proud to say I made an October years resolution to floss more diligently and to brush my teeth for the full 2 minutes every day. My toothbrush even has a timer to make it easy. No excuses right? I am also proud to admit that this October's year resolution has not fallen through yet. I am actually doing quite well, and if I may say so I love it. My mouth has never been so happy and clean.

4 score and 7 years ago

Time is a really interesting thing. Time gives perspective, time gives experience, time gives patience. But time doesn't really care about any of that. In fact time doesn't really care about anything. Despite what is said or done, 1 minute takes 1 minute, a mere 60 seconds. 10 minutes will never vary from taking 10 minutes. The sun will come up every day despite what the clock reads, and it will set, when it feels the day is done.

But that is the funny thing. If you were to ask anyone what you could do in about 9 seconds most of us would respond with not much. Ask Reggie Miller what you can do in about 9 seconds and he might tell you of the time he scored 8 points in 9 seconds. Ask Micheal Johnson what you can do in about 9 seconds and he might tell you how he ran 100 yards in about that time. But seeing as how most of us are not super star professional athletes, in about 9 seconds most of us don't do too much.

Here is the other funny thing, in chunks of 9 seconds, or 2 minutes, or 10 minutes, or 1 hour, or 1 day, all of us carry out our lives learning, living, and growing. The same amount of time that I have had today, so have you. So have all of us. Time gives freely to anyone and anything that is found on this planet. It carries no prejudice, or bias, it simply goes in spite of what we might try to do about it. We go about our lives gaining knowledge, and experience by the way that we live our lives. Where we spend out time and energy is where we gain knowledge, experience, and talent.

Now think of how time has given perspective as it passes. Think of all the great empires that have lived, thrived, and died in their "time." The Egyptians, the Assyrians, the Greeks, the Romans. Each one thought to be greater than the last. Each thought to be able to withstand time. Think of the experienced fisherman, and the chuckle he get's out of listening to his son complain about how there just simply can't be any fish in this lake because there isn't one on his line right now. Lastly think of something as simple as, how when you were little you thought there were monsters under your bed or in your closet. Think of how with the simple passing of time, you have "grown" out of that, with little to no effort on your part.

Where you spend your time is where you gain your reputation. Think of the man, who strives all of his life to build a worthy life, with a nice wife, a nice home, and beautiful kids. Now think of how much time it took him to build that life. Now think of how long it would take for him to ruin all of that in one simple moment where he spent his time wrongly. In one simple slip of viewing pornography, or one night where he just isn't where he should be. An entire lifetime could be ruined and changed in one simple moment, all because of how you spend your time. It's not that the 10 seconds is different, it's just how you spent it. 10 seconds after all is 10 seconds.

Time is a funny thing. 1 day, 24 hours, 1440 minutes, 86400 seconds, it is always the same. Constant and unchanging. There are not many things in this life that I can honestly say are truly the same as when I was born. The sun rising every day, that has happened pretty consistently. My family being there every step of the way, that has never changed. And God always listening, watching, and helping. That will never change.

Time will carry on independent of what I do with it. 10 seconds will pass in the next 10 seconds no matter how hard I try to stop it. In becoming who I want to be, It's truly how I spend it that matters.

...and pray every night I can do it all over again...

It's not that I don't care, it's more like there are some moments that I just lack motivation. It's never been hard for me to decide where I want to go, it's getting there that is the problem. One of my favorite philosophies in life is that if you drive long enough you'll find what you are looking for. There is no arguing that point. If you are looking for Arkansas, just drive long enough and eventually you'll find it.

It's not that I have a problem deciding I want good grades, and to become a good professional in the field I end up in, it's getting there that is the problem. It's not that I don't want that, it's just at 10:11 AM I am lacking the motivation. There are far too many other interesting things to do, and look at. For example the paper I picked up from the WBB. I mean it's good to be informed on the world anyway, right?

Yesterday in institute, and pretty much every day, our teacher tells us it's about having a long term perspective. Sometimes even longer than long term, an eternal perspective. Ain't that the truth? She talks about 6 months down the road, 1 year down the road, 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, the end of our life. Well let me tell you something to you, it's hard to think long term when your stomach is growling. This much I know.

So where do I picture myself 20 years from now? That's tough to say because it depends on the day. Mostly?......... well most of the pictures I take 20 years from now won't be at my job, i'm sure, anyway. Also most of those places and people I have in my mind have very little to do with Chemistry. So how does all of this relate to Friday morning before noon? Not too much I guess, so let's start a little smaller.

Where do I picture myself at 1:30 PM Friday afternoon? I picture myself eating lunch with my chemistry and cell Biology homework done for the weekend. About to go to work, because I have really enjoyed my job thus far, and looking forward to a good weekend. That's where I picture myself. So maybe i'll start there and see where that get's me.

Song of the day: "The Life" by Kenny Chesney

P.S. as always Go Utes!

It's comparable to fishing

I love libraries. I especially love big libraries, like libraries that have multiple stories, and multiple sections. I love when you can walk into a library at the main entrance and it's a busy place, but as you pass through multiple sections, and multiple computer labs, you find a place where no one can bother you even if they wanted too.

I had a spot at the Utah Valley University library that I loved. It was quiet, and mostly secluded. It was a place that not a lot of people would walk by and even when someone did I never noticed them because I could be wrapped up in my own little world there, which probably consisted of anatomy, genetics, or vertebrate zoology, whatever was floating my boat at the time. It was a good spot, but most importantly it was mine. I liked it, and no one could take that from me.

I found my new spot here at the University of Utah Library. Deep within the bookshelves on one of the 5 floors that is offered here, probably 100 feet from the nearest other 5 souls. I took a big part of my day today to explore and delve into the crevices of the library here at the U to find this spot. I explored high and low, from 5 to 1, every inch. Now I claim this spot for Josh. I have my own personal outlet too plug my computer into. My own cubicle, where I could probably place pictures of my family, and favorite hobbies and they wouldn't be bothered. On every side of my is books, and bookshelves, and the only sounds I hear, are the hum of an air conditioner, and the rattle of a light just above me. This is definitely my new favorite place to study. Alone, quiet, peaceful. If I look just right down one of the aisles I can see the outside world, the faint outline of the words "The University of Utah--Rice Eccles Stadium" Now as I am about the create my own little world, of Cell Biology, Chemistry, and the world of metals I can't ask for anything more...

Oh good, the first people I have seen just walked by, so maybe someone would find me if I died...