Opposition in all things

2 Nephi 2:11 "For it must needs be, that there is an oppostion in all things."

This last couple of weeks can most apptly be described this way. Without going into too much detail let's review the highlights.

First, Pop met me in Utah two weekends ago for a tightly scheduled two days of meeting with vets, getting bloodwork done in Nephi, and loading horses so that we could bring our two mares into Montana without being pulled over. Pop picked up a trailer I had borrowed from a friend in Jerome and to keep it short, it was an adventure that could have landed him in jail. See Mom and Pop's blog. It had me laughing, but that is usually what happens when Pop and I go on a quest. To keep it short, the trip went amazingly smooth (except the trailer adventure) and the horses are happily settling in to their new home in the beautiful Ruby Valley.

While on the trip I had a funny knot in my right leg. I'm not sure where it came from but it made chasing the horses around the pasture interesting. But it left me and I felt fine, until... I think my horses are now carrying a leg cramping curse. The other day I was out working with Misty, when all of a sudden it felt like I had been kicked in the leg. I heard a pop and looked down as I fell, to see if Sandy had snuck up on me for a little pay back for locking her in a rolling cave on wheels for eight hours, but she was on the other side of the pasture. And as I'm too stubborn to go to a doctor, I figured I had just pulled a muscle or strained a tendon. My leg swelled up a little but I didn't think too much of it. Afte a day of church and rest, it seemed to be healing, at least it didn't feel like a dog was chewing away at it any more. So I went out to work on one of my never ending projects last night and felt pretty good until I cam in and my leg was so tight in my pants that it looked like I had gone back to the 80's when pants were supposed to be skin tight, which they are not. So today my students are checking out the the soles of my boots as I sit at my desk and lecture. I'm sure it doesn't look too professional but I'm here and they are learning, or at least checking out where I have walked in the last 24 hours.

PS Here are some random pictures just to add to the blog.

Shawn's first ride on Sandy

I took this picture last winter on visit to Montana. This if from the road to the south of our property looking back to the north. Heavenly Father was painting some amazing pictures that day.

This is our Dog Sadie. She is learning and finally

coming out of the super hyper puppy stage.

Christmas comes early in Whitehall!

I was sitting in 1st period yesterday when my principal came in proclaiming that Christmas had come early to Whitehall. At first I thought maybe he was telling me it was snowing, but then I remembered it was supposed to get up to 82 that day. He was carrying a box so then I thought maybe he is handing out school stuff, which for us nerdy teachers is almost as good as a Christmas gift, but I was wrong again.

You have to understand our principal and small town life to really appreciate this. Mr. Richards is an avid automotive enthusiast and so in his spare time, he runs an automotive and wrecker shop. This past week he recieved a call to go pick up a car that had been left somewhere in the area. Apparently it had been driven by a group of Mexican boys who turned out to be illegal aliens. When this was discovered they were deported and their posetions were turned over to the authorities. However they had a large selection of music which our principal thought would be useful in my classroom. Thus the early Christmas! I don't know any more details about how the story came about but my students have been loving it.

By the way, here are some photos that I promised:

This is our tiny little ward building. It is nice and the ward is amazing.

Yes, We are the Mighty Trojans!

I love my smart board!

This is the view off my brother-in-laws back porch and it will be almost the same from ours.

Where in the world is Whitehall, Montana?

OK, so Mike and Laura have us beat on living in Small and remote parts of the US but we love our new home in Sheridan. And for those of you who don't know, I have the prettiest commute from Sheridan to Whitehall, where I now teach High School Spanish. I will add pictures as I get them, but for those of you who know me (that should be everyone, or you wouldn't be reading this blog!) you'll understand when you see them. The locals call it "Whitetail Alley" and they tell me it's not "if" I hit a deer, but "when." Although this morning, the local sheriff was herding two big black Angus bulls off the highway. They didn't look very happy and he looked frustrated. Poor guy. Hey Chris or Mike, is there a dispatch code for that one?

Oh, by the way, Whitehall is about 30 miles north of Sheridan, on I-90, east of Butte.

What's been happening lately.

There has been so much it is hard to know where to start. This summer I have been working for a company called On Site Management with my Brother-in-law Ryan. It has been a great experience and I have really loved the work. I have learned so much about how to build a house, although there is still a lot I have to learn. It is very satisfying work. I can hardly wait until we start working on our own house!

On that note, Nona and Dwayne have the house up for sale and they have had a few people checking it out. I hope it sells quickly but I also trust in Heavenly Father. I know that things will happen at the right time and in the right way. He knows what is best for each of us and gives us the trials we need to grow as much as we can.

I have also been able to start working on my fencing again for the horses. It is so much more fun knowing that it is on our own property.

Michelle and Shawn are in Utah and have been for the last two weeks. They have been helping get the house ready to on the market. I sure miss them and can't wait to see them Thursday night. They are the best. It has been fun to get to talk to Shawn on the phone. He loves to tell me what all he has been doing with mommy and Sadie. He gets so excited that I have a hard time understanding him. I'm a lucky guy.

I have also been able to shoot a bow again and it has been fun. It has brought back so many memories of Moscow and wandering the woods with my friend Ryan Malm. Ryan and Mel have been such great friends to us over the years. They were there for us when we needed them the most and I love them for that. They are the best. I'm glad we are closer to them now and will get to see them more often.

And to those in the family who read this, hello. It sounds like Laura and Mike and the kids are doing good. Yeah! And congratulations to Ryan and Tiff. You guys are so awesome and I am so happy for you.

Until next time
Me

More on Europe

While the whole trip was pretty incredible and the group we went with was amazing, I thought I would pick a place to write about each time. There were some of the sights and experiences that were once in a life time and some that will always be special memories for me. This picture is one of them. This is the prisoner's entrance into Dachau, the first concentration camp, the one the Nazi's used as a model for their many others. On the gate is phrase, which translates, "With hard work comes freedom." This was supposed to inspire the prisoners to work hard and stay in line so that they could earn their way out of the Hell which they where entering.

Joseph Smith once said that when a man of God enters an area where many people have lost their lives, he will know by the spirit. He will feel that he is on hallowed ground. While I have many things to work on, as we entered the camp, the feeling was so unique it is hard to describe. So many innocent lives lost and yet the people who lived in the town of Dachau (within walking distance of the camp) had no idea of the atrocities. So often as humans we turn a blind eye to those around us. We, I need to be more aware and try harder to be a better neighbor, friend, home teacher, citizen.

Anyway, the visit was an experience I will never forget. Here are a few more photos from the camp that Michelle took while we were there.

Is it reallu August already!?

Ok, after many hints and guilty feelings, I've decided it's time to update the old blog. Like I said in the first blog, this is supposed to be like my journal ... you can see what a great journalist I am.

Let's see, what is new in my (the family's) life? Well, we've moved to Montana. I was just hired to be the Spanish teacher at Whitehall High School in Whitehall, Montana, which is about 35 miles north-west of Sheridan. And well, there is so much I could go on for a while. Like Laura, my wondrful sister who is so good at this blogging, said, the lord has been watching out for us and blessing us along the way. Or at least she said something like that. Oh yeah, other news, Shawn is registered for kindergarten here in Sheridan! I can't believe he is old enough! Where did the time go?

But tonight, or should I say really early in the morning, I wanted to post a few of Michelle's and my photos from our recent trip to Europe. We, along with three other adults, took a group of 17 teenagers from Payson on a 17 day tour of Germany, France andSpain. It was trully amazing! We loved it!!! More will come on the trip (sometime before January I hope) ;)

This is the staircase in the entrance to the opera house in which the Phantom of the Opera is based.

And here we are in front of the "Rifle" Tower, at least that is what Shawners called it when we first got home.

Ok, I know this isn't much of an update, but it is really early in the morning and I have to work when I wake up at 5:30 am so I am going to stop
here and go to bed. Good night all. Hope you are living your sweetest dreams!

Rod

Let the Horse Trading begin!

Ok, so there isn't really a lot of trading and it's not really new news as most of you have already heard. We did load up Mac yesterday and he went to his new home about a block away. I was a little nervous about how he would load, as he can get a little aggresive (which is why we traded him). Overall though, it went fairly smooth. The guy who took him is a neighbor who rides by our place at least once a week on his way up the mountain. One day I was out riding Sandy in the "arena" (it's not much of an arena) and he rode in and we visited for about a half hour. Somehow in the deal I agreed to trade him Mac in exchange for free pasture with his horses while we are in Europe. It is actually working out to be a good deal. Horses are not selling for much at the auction (Anywhere from$20-$100) and if we were to figure feed and care costs, it would be around $200-$250. So I feel like it is a fair trade and he is happy with Mak and we are back down to just two horses, Sandy and MissDee.

I know this picture of Shawn riding Sandy isn't the greatest, but it is the only picture of MissDee right now. I'll add a better one later.

Summer Barbeques

I love to barbeque! Why you might ask, there are lots of reasons including less dishes, get to be outdoors (I love spending time in my yard), love the smell, and it means we are going to eat meat. But by far, my favorite reason is that it means spending time with family. Shawn loves to have barbeques. He calls them parties since some of the bigger ones we have are around birthdays and the Fourth of July celebrations. It is a chance to visit and catch up on what is going on in the each others lives and the world. There is no TV to distract us or raidos (usually). It is just a great way to spend an afternoon or evening.

Here are some pictures from some of our barbeques:

Our Remuda

For those of you who are not equine-minded or ranch savy, the word Remuda come from Spanish and is a common ranch term, which means herd. Our "herd" isn't really big enough to be considered a remuda, however on Sunday, someone asked me if they were big rabbits since they multiplied from two to three last week. We did add a new little gray mare, who his a half sister to Sandy. Her name is Mitsy, although Shawn thought it would be easier to say Misty. And since her sire is out of a Sunny Dee Bar son, we are going to call her Miss Sunny Dee or MissDee for short.

She is a little gray with some light reddish-black speckles on her hind legs and a little on her body. they are really light and the breeders told us she goes a little darker during the summer as she sheds off all her winter hair and her true color comes out. She is a bit shorter than Sandy and even Mac, which for our "tall" family is ok. Michelle has fallen in love with her already. She has a very gentle and sweet temperament.

Pictures to come.

Our Little Shawner

On Sunday we watched the movie Flicka, with Tim McGraw. Toward the end of the movie there is a part where Tim, who plays a father, is talking to his girl and telling her what she means to him. It got me thinking about Shawn and how special he is for Michelle and I. For anyone who might read this that doesn't already know, Shawn came to us by some very special means. He is truly a gift to us from Heavenly Father. Thus far he has been an only child and although we are hoping for more children and planning on them, up till now Shawn has been an only child. I can't even imagine trying to love another child like I love my son. He is Daddy's little helper and is constantly following me around wanting to see what I'm doing and try it out himself. In fact, if it weren't for Shawn wanting to help with some things, I may not get half the things done that I do. He loves helping me with the horses (picking up after them is one of his favorite chores), "building things", and mowing the lawn. He is a great little helper.

One of Shawn's other favorite hobbies is playing with his "sibling," Sadie. These two are so much fun to watch. They wrestle and rough tumble like I've never seen before. They run and chase each other and tackle each other until they are both exhausted, laying flat out on the front lawn. Sadie is so good and takes it all in stride. She let Shawn sit on her and roll all over her and she just takes it. It has been good for her as well. She is still a puppy and is often a little too full of energy and the more they play, the calmer she gets. In fact, Shawn was able to take her for pet day at pre-school and Michelle said she did awesome. (I think Michelle is blogging about it so I won't any more than that.)

I love my son! He is so wonderful and when I watch him, I know that I get to feel just a little like our Heavenly Father must feel about us. It helps me to understand His love. And if I can feel that much love, and I am imperfect in my love, and Heavenly Father is perfect in His love for us, how truly blessed we should feel. We should be eternally grateful and realize we have no reason to moan and complain. everything that happens to us in this life, is given to us or allowed to happen to us by our Heavenly Father, so that we can become that much stronger and that much more like Him. That is His plan. Isn't it amazing?!

Why Sheridan, Montana

Many people have asked us why we are moving to Sheridan, Mt. I thought I might take a minute and try to explain. I'm going to try to add some pictures and with those, if you know us at all, it will all make sense. It is an incredibly beautiful part of Montana. Quite different from Utah and in some ways very different from anywhere we've lived in Idaho. Sheridan sits in the Ruby Valley surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges with names like the Ruby, the Tobacco Roots and the Pioneer Mountain Range. Running right through the middle of the valley are three "major" rivers. They are major for those who dabble in fly fishing and study history however they are nothing in size compared to the Snake or even most parts of the Boise. These rivers all flow into the Missouri eventually and then on to the Mississippi.

The valley itself is full of wildlife and the major industries are agriculturally related (i.e. ranching, farming, etc.). The town has less than a thousand people in it, although there are several more towns along the highway that are roughly the same size (kind of like Henrieville, Cannonville, and Tropic). There is a separate elementary and junior/senior high but they are still small schools. They have a small ward with its own building and the people are so welcoming. Every time we have visited the ward, they have welcomed us with open arms. Every single person came up to us to find out who we were and whether or not we were moving in. It was the first time in a long time that was quite this welcoming.

All of that aside, the real reason we are going is that when the offer came to buy part of Ryan and Bobbie's property at such a great price, we knew we had to include Heavenly Father in the decision. It was an extremely difficult decision and we went back and forth many times. We are comfortable here and love the life we have been creating. We do have family in Montana who need the influence of the gospel and to get it need family who will live it, and set a good example. As a family, we discussed it for a long time and when it came down to it, the spirit whispered that it was right. It is scary giving up the security we have right now but that will come again with time. The most important thing is that we included the Lord in our decision and are trying to follow the spirit. We know that if we do that we can't go wrong. There may trials and times of uncertainty, but those are there to teach us to be humble and to continue to rely on the Spirit for direction.

Why am I blogging?

Is that even a word? I don't know. I'm doing this for a couple of reasons. First, I have absolutly loved that Ryan, Tiff, and Laura have been doing this. I check their blogs two or three times a week and have loved seeing as well as hearing all of the things going on in their lives. Technology is so wonderful. So much information can be shared in so many ways. I feel like I am reading little letters to me from my family and it is a wonderful way to keep in touch.

The second reason. On Friday night I was working on some some stuff on the computer and was going through some pictures and geneology. I happened to run across one of my mission journals and spent the next hour reading through it. I had included pictures and quotes along with my own thoughts and experiences. It was a wonderful trip down memory lane. Then on Sunday we talked in part about journals and an experience that Elder Eyring shared from last October,s conference. I won't go into here, you can read it on LDS.org, but he reminds us of the importance of writing down the experiences that Heavenly Father gives us. and I figured that I might as well share them with anyone who cares to read them. He has blessed me so much and in so many ways. I think I need to write it down. I know it helps me to recognize things He's done that I may not have thought about otherwise.

So anyway, that is why I'm doing this. It is going to be like a journal for me. I may not be real good about adding pictures and stuff, I've been trying, but I will do it wherever and whenever I can figure out how.

Don Quixote

In my Spanish 2 classes we just finished watching the TNT version of Don Quixote. This is one of my favorite stories. An older gentleman from 16th century Spain gets so caught up in the imaginations he creates from the literary works he has compiled on knight erantry and the times of chivalry that he struggles to seperate reality from the world in his head. He recruits his neighbor and friend, Sancho Panza (who by the way is his opposite in everyway), to be his squire. They set out to find adventures, to set the world right of the wrongs commited by giants, villains and scoundrally magicians. He does all of this in the name of his fair lady, Dulcinea del Toboso, who is actually a common lady our Don sees hanging out the wash.

Along the way the pair find many trully great adventures. In fact as their story spreads, the adventures seem to find them. In the mean time, his neice and friends seek him out to bring him home for his own protection. In the end they do eventually succeed. Unfortunatly, this coming back to reality is what brings about the end of Don Quixote.

The movie is based on the novel by Miguel de Cervantes. The theme is what makes me love the book and the movie so much. Don Quixote, although well past his prime, is alive and full of spit and vinager because he, as he says, can still dream. The comforts of this world are not enough. He is not going to just sit back and accept what life gives him. He is going to go out and find his dreams. He is going to help the world be a better place simply because it is what he believes in. He is full of conviction and integrity. Although many people consider him to be a fool, he is happiest and the most alive when he is caught up in his dreams. And therefore, he is not afraid to dream.

I think all to often we are all too afraid to dream big. I know I have done that way to many times and I've let some opportunities slip by. On the other hand, I love my life now because of my dreams. I have a beautiful family that love and support me, even in all my craziness. I have a career that makes me look forward to getting up each day, most days at least! I get to help youg people to find ways to be a little better each day. Michelle and I are also about to achieve a goal we set when we first were married. We are about to move to Montana and get our start on our ranch. It is only 15 acres for now but that is a step towards were it will be in another 10 years.

So, keep on dreaming. Dream big! Don't let the world decide who you are or where you want to be. Get up and make your dreams your reality.

The Family

This is us. I am the fuzzy-faced one on the right. Michelle, my beautiful wife on the left and our son, Shawn in middle. I know, I often state the obvious but I'm ok with that. Sometimes it should be stated.

Michelle and I were married in the Boise, Idaho LDS Temple on August 7, 1999. It took me many long years to convince her I was more than just a friend, but I was finally able to and I am so grateful she realized how wonderful I am! Just kidding. She is the one who is wonderful and always has been. From the day she walked into the seminary building after family returned from a short stay in Missouri, I knew she was something special and I have loved her ever since. I'll include more of the story in later posts.

In December of 2002, we found out that Shawn would shortly be joining our family through a series of miraculous events. Again, I will share more details later, but to keep it short on January 2, 2003, Shawn was born in the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, UT. After a short stay, due to some complications at birth, we were able to bring him home. What a joy he is for us! Daddy loves you Shawn. You're my little cowboy!