Friends, I have more than I think

On FaceBook I put in a status message about a week ago:

Do any of us really know everybody on our friend list? Here is a task for you. I want all my fb friends to comment on this status about how you met me. After you comment, copy this to your status so I can do the same. You will be amazed at the results you get in 12 hours"

Cole Cooper commented on my status yesterday:

Cole wrote: "How can any forget the yellow house with the solar panels? This is funny I just looked through some old photos and saw you, Jim, Clover, Olsen, Ross, playing heavy heavy hang over at my bday party must have been 1 or 2 grade."

As I read it I thought how I had despised him for so many years because of the way that I perceived that he treated me. But as I think about it now I am disturbed to think who I was probably self deceived all of those years. I remember coming home in the 5th grade, lying on my bed and crying myself to sleep one afternoon. My dad came in and asked what was up and I told him how I had no friends and essentially how depressed I was. He asked me about the other boys in my primary class, and then about the guys in my school class. He related to me that when he was in school, there were people that knew him, that he did not even know. Whenever one of them would say "Hi Gary," he would think about how he had friends that he didn't even know he had. I remember thinking about that conversation many times in my high school years because someone knew me, that I didn't know, and how it helped me to realize I had more friends than I thought.

sustainable living = sustainable families

A return to sustainable living solves the problems now inherent in our throw away society. Once upon a time children woke up early in the morning to slop the pigs, and milk the cows, and feed the horses, et cetera. The value of these animals was ever present in their minds, because those kids new the flavor of the bacon that those pigs would make. They new the work that the horse helped them and their father do. And when the children did not do their part, they felt the hunger pangs that come from not having eggs from the chickens, or the calf that did not grow up into many meals.

Unfortunately in today's society, many of us A) do not produce things that impact our sustenance, and B) have no visibility into where those things come from and so do not value them appropriately. Our society has had so much affluence that even the poor among us do not connect our actions with our comfort and pleasure. Children today when asked where chicken comes from answer that it comes from Wal-Mart. Suddenly "chips" seem like "food" and obesity, laziness, and obstinacy ensue. When our efforts no longer are the source of our comfort, then we have no motivation to channel our efforts into positive, socially responsible endeavors; or even put forth efforts at all. In short, when we stop living sustainably, living stops bringing us happiness and we have to look for it somewhere else.

I propose that we must make a return to sustainability. We need to have gardens to remember what home grown tomatoes taste like. We need to see sun, soil, rain, and seeds become food on our tables. We need to remember how wonderful a home cooked meal is (and I am not talking papa murpheys take and bake pizza.) our children need to participate in these pursuits and take pride in "their pumpkins" or the huge zucchini that makes that fabulous bread. We need to connect with the source of our bounty, that we may give true thanks for all that we are blessed with.

The girls

A few weeks ago we got a call from DCFS asking us if we were interested in taking a sibling group of 3. Of course the answer was "No Way!!!" but then they sent us a picture (meanies!) A few days later we got a glorious report from their current foster mom. It was obvious that this was a biased account of their lives, but we were drawn in hook line and sinker. They just look like our kids!

on Friday the 18th we drove out to their current foster home. They were super cute, and asked lots of questions like "Can I have a cell phone?", "How many dogs do you have?", "Do you fly on planes?", "What are the rules in your house?", et cetera. It was fun but awkward at the same time. We sat on the couch, they sat on bar stools across the room. It was almost like that dating game, where you ask questions to each of the contestants..."Contestant number 2, what grade are you in?" After a couple of hours (much longer than we expected) and seeing their rooms (I am guessing they are not usually that clean, we will see). We departed.

Then Saturday we met them all at boondocks for the annual Heart Gallery activity. We played mini golf with 9 of us (Never let a ninesome out on the course, NEVER!!!) We played video games and won lots of tickets. We lost people only 3 or 4 times :-). We drove the go carts. It was really fun. and we got to see how the girls reacted in a more real situation, where we all had to compromise.

Today they came to live with us. We got them settled in their rooms. It does not seem like that big of an adjustment, but we will see over the coming weeks.

I have to say that this is not the path that I expected for my life. It is good that someone who knows more than me is driving, because I would not have gotten here on my own.

Fishing the Weber river.

We went up to the cabin last night and stayed over. It was the typical comedy of errors. First we got up there late, with Taylor puking his guts out on the way up. We get up there an the key is gone so I have to get up on the deck and lift Brayden up to put his hand through the deadbolt hole (which has no deadbolt in it), he was a trooper and got it unlocked for us. We set up the hammocks up stairs and everyone was out like a light. The next morning I realized that we did not have any bisquick so I ran down into town and got some so we could cook sausage and pancakes on the open fire. By the time I got back everyone else was there and so we made breakfast with everyone else smelling and watching.

By noon we had to head out and we decided to throw a few lines in the water so I set up 3 hooks with chartreuse bubbles and worm hooks. We threw lines in the fast moving water on the far side of the stream and caught a little brook pretty quick, Tay reeled that one in. Then I cast out to the same spot for him and about 30 seconds later he was reeling in his own fish. I threw Brayden's rod in the same spot and he caught one right away.

A few casts later we didn't have any hooks left on our rods so we hiked back up to the car and headed home. It was a great day!

Granddady day 2

What a huge difference a night of sleep makes. Everyone was chipper this morning they were fishing early and swimming in the lake.

We took it easy around camp until about 10 when we set out on a day hike to fish hatchery lake. At about a mile the kids were pooped again but we found fish hatchery lake. I tried a fly and a spinner bait with no luck at all but then Tyler waded out into the lake a bit and started catching fish on A worm and a bubble. Zack caught on Tyler's rod. And have the incredible caught two all by himself. Matt caught 3 and had 2 more on the line. I finally gave in and put on a worm. I caught 5 fish in 5 casts. Wow it was fun. Then the wind picked up and things slowed down a little. We could see the thunder heads rolling in so I helped Zack fillet two of his fish and we cooked them up right there on the shore. They were awesome. Matt even loved it.

Just as we started cleaning the remaining fish it started to rain so we maid short work of their guts and then hurried back to camp. By the time we got to camp it was sunny again so we took a little siesta. Oh it was wonderful. The boys went swimming again and found a raft. It was tons of fun. Then we jut putted around camp for the rest of the night.

We had a brief fireside and read 3 Nephi 11 and Moroni 10. Talking about the importance of the book of Mormon and it's promise

Off to bed and there was this incredible thunderstorm. I recorded a little of it and maybe I can attach some to this post

Granddady day 1

What a tough day. The hike that took Matt and I only 2 hours took us over 4. Big learning experience. Heavy packs and kids do not go together. Matt did awesome once we got his sleeping bag off. Need to find a much lighter one for him. He was an absolute trooper. One of the boys Dillan was stopping to rest ever few hundred yards his pack does not have any kind of a waist belt and so all of the weight in his pack was on his shoulders. He also brought a bunch more food and a big survival book. Finally his sleeping bag is a giant -20 bag way overkill. Bryce and I actually took most of his stuff off his pack and then he still struggled getting up over the pass so I carried his pack up the latn climb to hades pass and from there almost to Granddady lake. Zack did not eat and did not drink enough so he had a spot of heat exhaustion coupled with a little bit of altitude sickness.

Tyler caught a cut throat in Granddady lake while they wired for us to get there. But only one hit in about an hour while they ate lunch. We then pushed on to Mohawk lake to a chorus of. "are we there yet" and "how much further?"

Finally we reached the lake and it was magnificent. With our packs off everyone had a bit of new life and camp was set up quickly. All 4 boys in their hammocks and the other three leaders in tents. I set up my big tarp as a mess/gear tarp for everyone.

Paul sawed logs for a few hours and the res of us tried some fishing and swimming. The boys lit the fire with their fire steels and it was a riot to see how much fun they had doing it. Dinner was light but tasty after the long day.

Zack with his altitude sickness ended up in with Paul and Bryce in the tent. Matt got scared of the noises in the night and also ended up in the tent.

I decided to take a short hike over to Marcel lake whit looked like about half a mile but it was over the forest floor, not on a trail. After half an hour I was pooped and although the GPS said I should be seeing the lake it was not there so I slowly started back. I was impressed how well I did with sense of direction every time I checked I was headed the right way which was surprising over the hills and valleys of the basin.

We finished up the day with the story of Enos and talked a lot about conversion and missionary work.

No fish, long hike, it was a rough day. Haven said it was " hard but fun too."

New year again

Ok once a gain a new year is upon us. Just a few things going on. Matt is the newest addition to our family. He came to live with us the first of July and he is 11. Yeah you read that right 11. We hope to finalize his adoption soon. I will post something more about him later. I mention him because

My first Goal for 2010 is to memorize a scripture with Matt every night. We have started with the Old testament scripture mastery scriptures since the OT is what we are studying in Sunday School this year.

Goal Number 2 - Marathon! I am on a plan to run a Marathon in June. Slowly adding base miles every week with a longer run on Saturdays. Good Times! oh BTW I am running mostly "barefoot" that again will have to come in another series of posts later on.

I am now the Secretary in Young men. Matt comes in as a Deacon in April if all goes to plan. My current Fanatism is with Ultra Light Backpacking and making my own equipment. I would like to share some of that with the young men so we can enjoy more and more the scouting activities.

I need to be better about writing in here also so I am setting a goal to write in here at least twice a week from now on. obviously I have lots of things I can write about so that should be pretty easy.