Merry Christmas!!!

Here's a great video of my cute sister-in-law singing Christmas songs.  Have a wonderful Christmas!!!
 

Christmas - A Message of Hope and Peace, even for Newtown

Here I am, posting on the last day of the world, according to someone who misinterpreted the Mayan calendar.  I am confident that there will be many days of blogging and of life to come.

I was very tempted to write something political in relation to the shooting that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut last week.  I could have written something about the way the situation was handled, could have been handled, should be handled in the future.  I could have commented on gun control, mental health issue awareness, or a multitude of other related topics.  As I began typing, I have realized that this isn't what really needs to be discussed.

Why did this event make headlines all over the country?  Why are the events of a tragic day in a New England town slightly larger than Eagle Mountain showing up on the front page of my newspaper?  Precisely because they are tragic.  Because there are parents in this town who have lost children and are grieving their loss.  Because we have a glimpse into what they are feeling by imagining how we might feel had this happened to us and our children.  Because even though we are on the other side of the country, we feel obligated to help them in some way.

But what can we do?  We certainly cannot return their children to them.  We can, however, comfort them and bring them happiness this Christmas.  How?  Simply by focusing on the meaning of Christmas.

Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.  Why are the events of a silent night in a Middle Eastern town slightly larger than Tocquerville celebrated on an international level?  Because they were the beginning of an incredible mortal ministry of the Son of God, the beginning of another reteaching of the eternal truths of God.  Because His life would eventually lead to His death, and a Heavenly Father grieving over the suffering and death of His Son.  Because Christ gained a perfect vision and experienced everything everyone would ever feel.  Because even though it occurred on the other side of the world, His love helps and heals all men everywhere that allow it to.

Just as the wise men in the Bible, we must seek Him.  As we learn about Him, and as we learn His teachings, our hearts will be healed and made whole, and our struggling souls sustained.  We can learn of His marvelous plan, more marvelous than His birth, that we will one day be reunited with our families, and that we are entitled to live with them eternally, if we so desire.  We can learn that He has not left us alone, nor abandoned the world, but has sent messengers to communicate to us what He would have us do.

The true meaning of Christmas is not what we will receive, but what we will give in return to the One who gave the greatest gift of all.

Things I Like

I've recently discovered that I like a lot of new things.  I like when my wife cuddles with me.  I like going to Primary to teach and play with our new autistic friend.  I like being a horse and crawling around the room, even if it gives me a rugburn on my knuckles.  I like going to school and taking math finals, mostly because it means that I'm done with the class.  It helps that the test was timed, but open book.  I seeing the snow fall and wondering if Heavenly Father thinks the snow is as pretty as I think it is.  I like slipping down the hill south of the Clyde building, and then not feeling guilty watching other people slip down the same hill while I'm waiting for my wife to come pick me up.

Most of all, I like coming home and feeling the love and the Spirit in our home.

Video that my sister-in-law made!

They spent a good hour or so doing the voice-overs in my house, so I've heard this multiple times.  I'm proud to say that my woman is definitely a leader!

Exciting Announcement!

Guess where my brother's going on his mission!
I guessed Canada.  We're still waiting for his call to come.

I don't know if you got tricked into reading this by the title.  But the announcement is that, in case you haven't heard, my brother and I have started a satirical blog together!  I guess you could call it a 'slog'.  Anyway, click this link to get to it, or there's the 'Thurston Brothers' link on the sidebar too.

The other announcement is that I love my wife! A lot! Yep. She's pretty, cute, and a wonderful wife.  I'm so glad I get her forever.

Also, don't forget to check in next week for the results of the first round of the GKTAEF.

GKTAEF 2013 - Round 1

The regular season is over, and here is how the GKTAEF Round 1 games have shaped up.

Notre Dame vs.  Tulsa
Oklahoma vs.  Florida State
Stanford vs.  Boise State
Alabama vs. Utah State
Florida vs. Wisconsin
Oregon vs. Northern Illinois
Ohio State vs. Arkansas State
Kansas State vs. Louisville

Round 1 starts on December 15th.  Be sure to check the GKTAEF page above to see how things play out.
Also, a reminder that there is still time to join the College Bowl Mania game on ESPN.com.
Group name: MUU Contest
Password: muu2013

FHE can be fun!

The Church started the Mormon.org website while I was on my mission, I believe.  I remember hastily filling out a profile in the few minutes I had after emailing my family.  It hasn't changed much since.

Last week for family home evening, Hayley and I filled out a Mormon.org profile for her.  It was amazing to simply type away as she said what she wanted to say.  She says things so beautifully!  You can look at her profile here.

To those who are members of the Church, make a profile and share it with other people.  On our recent trip to Niagara Falls there were many times where I wished I had a pass-along card with my profile address on it so I could give it to the friends we made.  That's the biggest thing that prompted me to to that for family home evening with Hayley.  They also have a new Christmas page on their site.  Be sure to check it out!

Here are some pictures from our trip to Niagara Falls.  Enjoy!

At the end of our lovely Ferris wheel adventure

Niagara Falls! From our hotel room window!!

Hayley in the Sacred Grove

E.B. Grandin Press, where the first edition of the Book of Mormon was printed.
In Palmyra, NY

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

From the most awesome couple that ever was:

I'll also take this opportunity to thank everyone that has been such a blessing and influence in our lives, and has gotten us to the point where we are now.  I have truly been blessed much more than I could ever have imagined.  I can't wait to find out what happens next on our adventure of life together!

GKTAEF 2013 Updates & Contest

GKTAEF 2013 is shaping up, with new surprises in college football every week.  Click on the GKTAEF 2013 tab above to see who is in the tournament as of right now.

Also, join me, and whoever else decides to join, for a college bowl mania contest.  The contest is simple.  You pick who you think will win each of the bowl games that begin in December.  You assign each game a confidence rankings, based on how sure you are of the outcome.  You receive that many points for each game you get right.  The person with the most amount of points wins.

To play, visit espn.com, click on "Fantasy & Games" and then click on "College Bowl Mania." After you create an entry, be sure to join our group.  The group name is "MUU Contest" and the password is "muu2013" Good luck to everyone!

Midterms

Shouldn't this mean a single test at the middle of the semester?  Chem 455, for example, has it right.  I will only have two tests in this class: a midterm, and a final (which means test at the end of a semester).  If we're going to have so many tests in a semester (like 5 or 6!) shouldn't we have cooler names for these tests.  Like, a quarterterms or something.  Then I would at least be less confused as to why I'm in the testing center three weeks after the beginning of the semester.  And why I'm going to the testing center a couple of weeks before the end of the semester.

Favorite Wedding Pictures

Here they are folks! Pictures from my perfect wedding!

Also, I added an addendum to the "Where I'm Coming From" page.

Our first appearance as married people

I'm an airplane! Because it was like a wind tunnel. Guess you had to be there.

Me and my brother

Hayley and her sisters

Yep. We're married, world.

I love this picture of Hayley!

Dancing at the reception

Taking off to the shortest honeymoon ever

A really awesome picture, but it's sideways, and I'm too lazy to rotate it.

The Best Week

Leaving Park City on Sunday

I wish there were sufficient words to describe how happy I feel, knowing that I am sealed to my wife for all eternity.  It's interesting to me how many in the world view marriage as a temporary thing, with divorce as an option, or don't know if their relationships will end at death.  To be clear, I don't mean to say that there aren't circumstances where divorce is appropriate.  Certainly abusive marriages, which limit a spouse's ability to speak their mind, or confine them to living in fear of their spouse, are dangerous and damaging.  And perhaps leaving is the best thing in that case.  But for me, it isn't an option.

My marriage is something sacred.  Not only have I made promises to my wife, I have made promises to God.  And because of that, He has promised me that Hayley and I will be married even after this life.  I find comfort in knowing that my marriage isn't some silly, mortal experiment, to be forgotten at the end of this life.  Instead, the relationship that I am continuing to build every day will be treasured forever.

And is that what everybody really wants?  If we were truly honest with ourselves, don't we all need someone to be there for us every day?  Aren't we going to want that to be forever?  I know that I want that, and that Hayley will forever be my top priority.  Am I going to make mistakes? Undoubtedly.  But the feelings of love and forgiveness that prevail in our home keep me fearless in moving forward, and continuing to open myself up to Hayley.

I just wish that everyone could feel the love that I feel from Hayley.  She is so patient with me, and loves to be with me, just like I love to be with her.  I am grateful that she supports me in my schoolwork, and that she is willing to just love me with all her heart.  I know there were so many times where I prayed for this, and I'm so glad that this blessing has finally arrived.  And I'm even more grateful that God has promised me that it never has to leave.

I'M MARRIED!!!!

Yep.  Sealed for time and eternity to my best friend in the whole wide world!!!!!!  Best feeling ever!!!  Check back soon for pictures and the like.

1 MORE WEEK!!!

I am so ready for this wedding to finally be here.  I think we have everything ready. I've just gotten really busy with everything lately, mostly trying to get ahead in homework so that I don't have any homework I have to do over next weekend.

I'm excited for conference weekend and I am really hoping to hear a lot about how to keep the marriage I'm about to enter into successful.  I'm looking forward to a relaxing, stress-free weekend.  At least, that's how it'll be in my mind.

Midterms and 1812 Explosions

It turns out that life gets really busy when you're getting married and taking the heaviest class load you've ever taken, all in the same semester.  And blogging instantly drops to the bottom of the priority list.  Is it worth it? Well, getting married definitely is. And school? Well, this is the kind of stuff I'm studying. Take a look. 

P.S. TWO WEEKS!!!

4 Weeks and Counting

Hayley knows she wants to marry me and just can't wait!

Yes, I know I've been counting since I got engaged.  But four weeks feels so much closer than 125 days.  We're now in the homestretch.  This month is going to be super busy, but there should be a wonderful result at the end.

In other news, school has started out kicking my butt.  I honestly don't think I would be motivated enough to do homework this semester if I didn't have someone awesome supporting me, and counting on me to do good.

I can't think of anything else to express, besides my gratitude to my Heavenly Father for helping me relatively painlessly find someone to walk with me for eternity.  That and I think BYU has a good chance of beating Utah tomorrow.

Scripture Reflection

I have a hard time not thinking of myself as a missionary when I read the scriptures, even though I’ve been home for a year and a half now.  And up until recently, it’s been hard for me to remember to study the scriptures on a regular basis.  It seems like life has been busy and getting in the way.  Thankfully, I’m engaged to a wonderful young woman, who recently returned from serving her own mission, who is more than willing to help me with anything. 

Choosing someone to marry was an interesting process for me.  I remember being in the mission field and, while trying not to worry too much about it and focus on the work at hand, pondering the enormity of the decision that was in my future.  I realized that while the choice was mine to make, and that Heavenly Father would probably provide many opportunities for me to make a correct choice, I was still afraid to make a wrong choice.  I suppose I felt like the Ethiopian eunuch who said, “How can I, except some man should guide me?” (Acts 8:31) This fear led me on an adventure of many interesting first dates, without much else following. 

Then spring term came and I took the Marriage & Family course offered here.  I felt so enlightened, and somewhat foolish, since the things I was supposed to be doing to receive the help I wanted were staring me in the face the whole time.  Quote after quote and scripture after scripture began to resonate with me and lead me to actions that I would never have thought of before.  I guess it was less like action, and more like a change in my thinking.  Like Saul, immediately there fell from [my] eyes as it had been scales: and [I] received sight forthwith, and arose.” (Acts 9:18)

I began to see the little pieces of revelation and inspiration that Heavenly Father had been sending me all along.  Of course, there were times, especially leading up to my proposal, where I second-guessed myself, and the things I had been receiving.  Like Peter, I doubted that I was interpreting what I was receiving correctly. (Acts 10:17)  But I thank the Lord for His patience with me as promptings were confirmed multiple times, and I knew that this was what I was supposed to be doing, and that Hayley was the person I was supposed to be marrying. 

GKTAEF 2013

Now that football season is upon us once again, I'd like to point out that the GKTAEF will be held again this year.  This is my fantasy 16-team tournament to determine who should really be national champions.  The conference winners, plus 5 at-large teams are selected, placed in a bracket, and then my poor man's algorithm is applied to see who advances at each stage.  Click on the GKTAEF tab above to see more.

The Best Family Home Evening Ever - A Love Letter (of sorts)

Dear everyone in the world (and I guess especially the people who read this blog),

I want to write you in letter format today to tell you that I have the most amazing (future) wife in the world.  I apologize to those who don't agree with that statement.  You don't have to, but it's my blog.

First of all, she makes me so happy.  There are many days where I think about exactly what I'm getting myself into in getting married.  I'm instantly reminded of the way she laughs with me, cries with me, and just loves every part of me.  She knows exactly what I'm thinking, what I'm feeling, and strives to make our lives joyful.

I feel so ungrateful when I am confused at the way she does things sometimes.  I'm learning that if I just let her do things, they turn out so much more beautifully and better than I would have thought possible.  Plus, her love of the gospel and her constant desire to do what is right is a reminder to me of how far I still need to progress in the gospel.  The thought that someone as wonderful as her would want to sacrifice educational and vocational plans in order to be with me is simply mind-boggling.

She is very creative, and is always up for a challenge.  I suppose I am often one of those challenges.  She is patient with me and my crazy behavior.  She enjoys exploring the skills she already possesses, and discovering new ways of doing things.  I mean, she loves cooking complicated, delicious meals.  Could I be any more blessed?

No, Glen, I don't think you could be.  Heavenly Father has given me an incredible gift, and I know there isn't any way that I could have attracted a more perfect young woman.  I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for helping me find Hayley (and convince her to marry me).  And I'm grateful to Hayley for the many times we share together that I often feel I don't deserve to be having.

Eternal Marriage

That's how many days I have until I get married.  Exactly seven weeks from this afternoon, and I'll be sealed (married for time and all eternity in a temple of the Lord) to my favorite person in the whole world forever and ever (and then a little longer).  I think that inside the Church marriage can appear a little more serious than outside the Church, or at least a little more stressful.  I mean, if things work out the way they are supposed to, and there are life events that create less-than-ideal circumstances, this is the person you will be with, not only for the rest of your life, but for all eternity.  And to others it might seem like 22-year-old college students aren't mature enough to make that big of a decision.  What is often forgotten is the Lord's role in the decision-making process.  After all, the marriage covenant is a three-way covenant between husband, wife and the Lord.  Additionally, in my mind, we are commanded to marry, if we have the opportunity to, and the Lord has promised multiple times in the scriptures that He will help us keep His commandments.  That is why I can make this extremely important and eternal decision calmly, especially at such a relatively young age.  I know that this is what I'm supposed to be doing, and that, especially now that I've made my choice, this is the person I'm supposed to marry.

So, while I'm nervous about whether I'll remember to do everything I can to make my wife happy every day, and other little things, I'm not nervous about whether this is the right thing to do.  I already know it is.

True Medal Count

Once again, I've improved on the methods of others to make things make sense to me.  Of course, there's probably some tweaking that needs to be done.

Used to determine winner of each event.
Winner of most events is overall winner.

Archery - South Korea (7 pts.)
Athletics - United States (44.5 pts.)
Badminton - China (14 pts.)
Basketball - United States (4 pts.)
Boxing - Great Britain (8.5 pts.)
Canoeing - Germany (12 pts.)
Cycling - Great Britain (21 pts.)
Diving - China (17.5 pts.)
Equestrian - Great Britain (8.5 pts.)
Fencing - Italy (11 pts.)

Field Hockey - Netherlands (3.5 pts.)

Football - Mexico/United States (2 pts.)
Gymnastics - China (19 pts.)
Handball - France/Norway (2 pts.)
Judo - Japan (9.5 pts)
Modern Pentathlon - Czech Republic/Lithuania (2 pts.)
Rowing - Great Britain (14 pts.)
Sailing - Great Britain (8 pts.)
Shooting - China (10 pts.)
Swimming - United States (51.5 pts.)
Synchronized Swimming - Russia (4 pts.)
Table Tennis - China (11 pts.)
Taekwondo - Spain (5 pts.)
Tennis - United States (7 pts.)
Triathlon - Great Britain/Switzerland (2 pts.)
Volleyball - Brazil (6 pts.)
Water Polo - Croatia/United States (2 pts.)
Weightlifting - China (13 pts.)
Wrestling - Russia (16 pts.)

Overall totals:
China - 6 events
Great Britain - 5.5 events
United States - 5 events
Russia - 2 events
Brazil - 1 event
Germany - 1 event
Italy - 1 event
Japan - 1 event
Netherlands - 1 event
South Korea - 1 event
Spain - 1 event
Croatia - 0.5 events
Czech Republic - 0.5 events
France - 0.5 events
Lithuania - 0.5 events
Mexico - 0.5 events
Norway - 0.5 events
Switzerland - 0.5 events

The Story of How We Met - My side again - Part 2

Hayley reminded me that I never finished this story, so I decided I had better tell the next part of it.  Click here if you missed Part 1.

The next year, I had my summer fairly planned out.  I was going to the World Scout Jamboree in England, attending SOAR for myself at BYU, and competing in FBLA Nationals in Chicago (where I ended up taking first in Computer Applications, but that's another story).  That left me with one week where I could go to camp, so I wasn't expecting to get paid at all.  I volunteered.

When I arrived, they assigned me to work in scoutcraft, helping the scouts earn the Totin' Chip.  As much fun as it was to repeat myself over and over in demonstrating ax safety, it got old quick.  But the shortage of staff at camp soon came to the rescue.

I soon found out that they were in need of help in the kitchen.  I instantly volunteered, knowing that anywhere was better than where I was.  And that was where I first met Hayley.  She had, through a series of strange circumstances that are beyond the scope of my side of the story, become the head cook at camp.  I ended up staying until the end of the day.  When I was leaving, I asked if she needed anything else.  She mentioned that she was going to be there the next morning at 5 to start getting breakfast ready.  I ended up being at the kitchen at 5 every morning that week.  And then Saturday came, and I went home.

Budgeting, Weddings, & Such

I'm super glad that Jerod and Belinda drove Hayley home early this week.  I was really, really happy!

We've been budgeting our money, planning for the wedding (really the reception, since the actual wedding itself has been planned for almost two months now), enjoying being together. 

Life's been a little busy with all that stuff.  So, for those who haven't seen it, enjoy Guy On A Buffalo -Episode 1 (Bears, Indians, & Such).

My Angel

Now, because I miss her.

I saw an angel fly today.
She opened her wings and went her way.
She smiled at me as she passed by,
Then disappeared into the sky.

I saw an angel cry today.
I opened my arms and went her way.
She smiled at me as I stayed close,
The one thing I desire most.

I saw an angel's eye today,
Shining, glittering, in a way.
The soul of an angel I did see;
I saw a glimpse of what it could be.

I saw an angel fly today.
And forever with me I bid her stay.
And my joy was, oh, so sweet,
For my life was now complete.

SOAR - Week 2 & the 4th of July

A car we saw at Wendy's

I had a devil of a time going to pick Hayley up from her house on the morning of the 4th, the roads all being closed for the parade and for the 5K and 10K races.  I should have remembered those, but I forgot.  I eventually did get to my house.  Hayley and I got to watch the parade (and celebrate our first holiday together) and it was great.  This couple came and set up their chairs next to us.  Ironically enough, they were from Paris, which is exactly where my parents were right then.  The lady was originally from Brazil, so she spoke Portuguese.  We go to have a fun conversation in one of my favorite languages (I like a lot of languages, so don't be offended) and just had a good time.

That night, we were able to watch the fireworks from my rooftop.  Thanks to the new fireworks laws, there were fireworks all around that we could easily see from there.  I am thankful to the people who spent their money on fireworks so that I wouldn't have to.

And then there's this week.  Another week of teaching SOAR students about the science part of the ACT is done.  My parents returned from France with plenty of gifts and stories.  They were truly blessed as they met with our distant cousins and discovered many important documents that will be helpful in our family history efforts.

Our awesome watercolor date

And Hayley and I have grown even closer together.  We painted watercolors, and hers turned out way better than mine did.  It was perfect because Brad and his jazz band were playing music a block and a half down the street, and it made wonderful background music.

I honestly never thought that it was possible to love someone as much as I love Hayley.  It just gets better every day.  The scary thing is not being able to imagine how much better tomorrow will be.  Every day is always better than the last.

SOAR - Week 1

I spent an amazing week teaching multicultural students from across the country, who came to BYU as guests of the Multicultural Student Services (MSS) office.  I've had many personally enriching experiences with MSS and SOAR (Summer of Academic Refinement, or Students of Another Race, if you ask Chris) and I am very lucky to get to give back to a program that gave me so much.

I am teaching the science section of the ACT, which they took this morning.  I remember being in their place, worrying about a number and letting it define me.  I didn't do too bad, so that wasn't a bad thing.  But I hope they understood when I told them that this test really doesn't matter.  You can always retake it, and after you're in college, no one really cares what you got.  Except for high school students about to take the ACT.

The students are attentive, intelligent, and they laugh at my jokes.  I think every class I had clapped when I told them that I was engaged.  And when Hayley and I went to their Thursday night study session, they were all very excited to get to meet her, and I hope it helped her understand a little better how special I think she is.  The students almost acted like she was a celebrity, which is pretty much what I think of every time I see her.  I can't believe how blessed my life is.

To those students I had this week, thank you for an amazing week, and please get a hold of me if you need help with the ACT after you get home.  You are awesome!

The Story of How We Met - My side again - Part 1

I'm not sure how many of you will actually care, or are already sick of hearing about how I'm engaged.  I apologize to those I associate with on a daily basis.  I promise I'll stop telling that I'm engaged after I get married.  And then I'll try really hard not to tell you that I'm married.

So, this story starts a long time ago.  Alright, it's only six years ago, but if you think about it from my point of view, that's more than a quarter of the life I've lived so far.  The year is 2006.  It's summertime.  I've just finished my sophomore year of high school.  I had a lot of stuff planned for that summer, but apparently not too many things, as I'll explain in a minute.

My dad was still in the stake presidency at this time, and got to take my little brother, and the other deacons in the stake to scout camp.  This year, they decided to attend Scofield Scout Camp (which formerly was Scofield Frontier Base, and is now called Scofield Boy Scout Camp at Frandsen Scout Reservation).  The thing I remember most about this trip is how awesome their shirts were.  They had a bright blue shirt, and a fluorescent green shirt that they alternated between.  I would say that they did laundry, but I'm positive that they didn't.  My dad thought it was great because he could stand at the house and see where all of his boys were.

Scofield was somewhat under-staffed that year, or at least that's what I was told.  This is the part where I think that I must not have been too busy that summer, because I agreed to work at the camp for the last two weeks of the summer.  I got to work in aquatics and taught the canoeing merit badge.  I got the hang of it after a couple of days.  And I even got to earn it while I was there.  I thought it would be important to earn the merit badge before teaching other people how to earn it.

That summer, I got a sunburn from my knees to the middle of my thigh from sitting down in a metal canoe in the middle of the lake all week in my swim trunks that apparently went up a little higher when I sat down.  And we had an awesome staff party after we got everything cleaned up on the last week.  I still remember taking home extra apple beer for later.  It lasted maybe a couple of hours.

And this is the beginning of how I met Hayley...

Our Engagement Story - My version of it, anyway

I got engaged this last weekend to Hayley!  We'll be getting married in October.

Here are the details.  Since a lot of people ask for them, I'm assuming you'll want to know what happened too.  On Friday afternoon, I left work early to go ring shopping with my dad.  I ended up finding one that I thought she would like, and that I liked.  It's really beautiful.  On Friday night we went to Chandler's house for his birthday.  Because we walked there, we got to walk back to my house.  As we sat and talked on the way home, I realized that I could get engaged the next morning.  I already had the ring, and we were planning on going to the temple in the morning to do initiatories.  It was almost too perfect.

Where it almost happened

So Saturday morning, I got up at 6:30 a.m., found a smaller ring box that would fit in my pocket, and headed off to the temple.  I don't think I've had a more nervous time doing initiatories in my entire life.  After we were both finished, I suggested we walk around the back of the temple, which was something that we had done before on a Sunday afternoon.  There were a lot of people there, and combined with how nervous I was getting, I just couldn't propose there.

We decided to get back in the car and head first to her apartment for her to change, and then to my house for me to change, and then to Tucanos for lunch.  As soon as we got into the car, I began the process of racking my brain for a somewhat romantic way to propose.

On our way to my house, I suddenly turned right onto 900 East.  She asked where we were going.  I was hoping her texting would have kept her from knowing where we were going.  I simply replied, "Don't worry about it."  In my mind, I knew that she knew and there was no turning back now.

The actual ring, in real life!

We ended up at an elementary school, where we had swung on the swings many times.  She loves swinging and there aren't any swings closer to my house.  She sat in the swing and I got to push her.  She normally doesn't let me, but I got to push her for a long time.  As I was pushing her, I reached into my pocket, pulled the ring out of the box, and just held it in my hand.  I think that's the point where I started shaking.  I slowly stopped her swinging, asked her if she really loved me, and then, following a positive response to the previous question, asked if she would marry me.

I liked it, so I put a ring on it

I don't think she was expecting me to have a ring yet, based on her reaction to the question I asked.  It was as if I had asked it multiple times before.  To be fair, I probably had asked many times, though never officially.  And then I put the ring that I had been hiding in my hand on her finger.  Then I got the reaction I had been expecting.  And these have been the best 5 days of my life so far, and I'm looking forward to many more wonderful days with her.

Cowboy Boots

Everyone should own a pair of cowboy boots, even if they'll never wear them.  Plus, the guy in the glasses looks exactly like I imagine my organic chemistry professor back when he was in high school.  Compare for yourself.

The younger, hipper, high school version.

What he looks like "today"

Diamonds and Sapphires

Diamonds are chunks of highly organized carbon.  Even though they're relatively common, they have been made artificially rare, causing them to cost much more than they should.  While they have a high refractive index, are unusually hard, and are often very pure, they seem commonplace in jewelry, especially in engagement rings.  To me, they are the plain vanilla of the gemstones.  You can dress up vanilla ice cream with a lot of toppings, but at the end of the day, it's still vanilla ice cream.

Sapphires on the other hand, may not be very valued in the eyes of some.  I think that most would be surprised to see an engagement ring with a sapphire in it.  They are not pure, and aren't even carbon.  They are made of aluminum oxide, but the impurities give the stone its brilliant blue color.  They are also very hard and durable just like diamonds.  But I feel that they are somehow more unique.  And they come in a variety of colors, depending on the impurity.  Red sapphires are rubies.  How appropriate then are the words of the proverb:

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."

It is certainly easy for us to be like the rest of the world and give a diamond view of ourselves, perfect, flawless, and polished.  But how much harder is it to share our sapphire moments with those around us?  They are even more beautiful, I would argue, and come from a deeper place.

Possibility

A pencil and an empty page
There's possibility
A small handful of loose change
There's possibility

A stopped car and a spare tire
There's possibility
A broken lamp and copper wire
There's possibility

When I hold your hand in mine
There's possibility
Every time I hear you smile
There's possibility

Engagement

For those of you who have no other way of knowing, my sister is engaged.  It's really weird, but now she'll finally get to move out, like she's always wanted to.  And I really owe her for being an instigator of good things in my life.  So, check out this video of a good thing happening in her life.

The ring.

Hopefully, after this week with my only midterm this semester, I'll have time to create another brilliant post.  Scroll down, or click here for the last thing I really put effort into - the parable of the crayons.  To be honest, I'm surprised the Stephen Colbert post has gotten way more hits than the parable.  But it could have something to do with the post being number one on Google if you search for "I'm a pole and so can you."

Parable of the Crayons

Adapted from a brief comment in high school seminary by Brother Woodward. 

There was a kindergarten where every child spent their day coloring.  They, of course, used crayons.  They simply aren't as messy as oil paints and pastels. The problem was that not everyone had the same box of crayons.  Every box was similar, but slightly different.  In order for these 5-year-olds to create their masterpieces, they sometimes didn't have the exact shade of yellow, or blue, or purple that they needed.  They would have to share.

But sharing is complicated among 5-year-olds.  In the back of every 5-year-old's mind is that their friend they were sharing with would be careless with their peach-colored crayon.  You know, the one that's just the perfect shade for filling in the skin color on the people you just drew on your white paper.  Everyone knows that people aren't white; they're peach-colored.  Or maybe they are very attached to their sky blue crayon, that is not only perfect for coloring skies, but also is same color as your favorite person's eyes. So, how does this dilemma get solved?

Well, eventually someone is going to have to start sharing.  But they won't share their sky blue crayon first.  They'll first share their plain white crayon, the one that's not good for drawing much of anything on white paper, and always gets little specks of color from the crayons around it.  If someone will love their white crayon enough to not break it, maybe they'll love their brown crayon enough to not break it.  I mean, being able to draw dirt the correct color is important, but not as important as being able to draw the sky, or your favorite person's eyes.  Eventually, after sharing a lot of crayons, they get more and more confident in the other 5-year-old's hands' ability to not break crayons.  And every once in a while a crayon will break, and someone might cry, but they'll eventually get over it.  Soon enough, they'll be good friends and always share all of their crayons.  And the art of both will be so much the better for it.

Sharing a sky blue crayon gave this meaning

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love." -Supposedly Dr. Seuss, though it's debated on the internet.

I'm A Pole (And So Can You!)

There hasn't been anything to really grab my attention and make me want to write about it the last few days.  Spring term has also started here, so I'm busy with classes again.  I am currently taking a quantitative chemical analysis class (sounds a lot cooler than it feels to have to be OCD about everything you do), and a marriage and family class.  I'm enjoying them both.

This morning, I saw that Stephen Colbert wrote a children's book called "I'm A Pole (And So Can You!)" about a pole trying to find his place in the world.  It makes me think that if he can write a children's book, why couldn't I write one?  And I still need to accomplish the life goal of writing a somewhat popular song.  Anyway, check out what he says about his book.  What a crazy guy!

The Colbert Report

Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Kubb and Geohashing

Ahhhh!  I forgot to finish this (really, start) yesterday.  But it's because I was busy bowling.  And playing Kubb.    It's an awesome game from Sweden, or something.  Go read the Wikipedia page if you really care.  But I made a set out of wood, with the help of some people who have access to big woodworking tools.  I've only lost once to my Dad.  That being said, I've only played him twice.

In any case, I've also discovered (sort of rediscovered), and subsequently modified, geohashing.  The problem I had with it is that the area where the random point could appear is so large.  But I found that if instead of using an entire degree in either direction, I use a tenth of a degree, the location is much closer, easier to get to, yet still probably somewhere I've never been to before.  I think it would be awesome to do this on Saturdays with friends, if anyone else is up for it.

And, Happy Birthday, Danny!

Harvard and BYU

Well, this blank page is intimidating.  It reminds me of the white space everyone's talking about on Google+.  I guess I better fill it.

Finals are this week.  Even though this is my first time taking finals at the end of Winter semester, there are some thing I've already noticed that I don't like.  First of all, I don't really mind that finals week begins on Saturday and ends on Thursday.  I understand the need to accommodate graduation, and that no one's parents will want to come on a Monday or Tuesday for commencement.  And the testing center is only open until 3 on Saturday, so that's okay.  There's still 4 whole days to take a test.  But wait!  The testing center closes at 2 on Thursday for graduation.  But that's not where it ends.  Most of my tests aren't even in the testing center on Thursday for some crazy "new testing center policy."  Is the policy to not offer finals during finals week?  This honestly doesn't make any sense to me, and cuts down my test taking possibilities to 3 1/2 days.  And I have 5 finals I have to take!  I just wish someone would think about these things before they happen.

Lastly, I thought this article was really interesting.  I wish something like this would happen at BYU to spice things up.  But I don't think we have enough dining halls to declare war on another housing unit.  And everyone lives off-campus, so I don't think that would work either.  And deep down inside, I have an inkling that the Honor Code Office would find a way to get involved.

Editor's Note: The Testing Center has decided to have normal weekday hours in all locations on Saturday, somewhat invalidating my argument above.

Easter

Easter is this weekend.  Take the time to go to www.mormon.org/easter and share your thoughts about Jesus Christ, and read what others have said.  Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God.  If you want to feel His influence even more in your life, read the Book of Mormon, listen to the words of His living prophets.

In other news, Real Salt Lake has been doing exceptionally well this season, and I'm looking forward to watching their game on Saturday against the Colorado Rapids.

And it snowed again today.  In April.  But I guess that's average for Utah weather.

Hunger Games and Elder Holland

First of all, everyone should listen to this wonderful talk, and the following question and answer period, by Elder Holland at Harvard University.  It is amazing.

Okay.  Now I feel like I can talk about the Hunger Games, though these seem like two unlikely juxtaposition partners.  I read the first two books in a day a piece.  I finished the third book in a couple of days.  While the story-line is interesting and easily captures my attention, I find that I'm trying to get through the poor writing style, at least in the first book, to see what happens in the story.  And in the third book, the story seems really drawn out with no major events happening at all.

Now, I'm no English major, or anything close.  I know how to spell most things (except I have a hard time with "caffeine"), but that's it.  So, I can't articulate why I didn't enjoy the writing.  But it just didn't feel to be the same caliber as the other things I've recently read.  Granted, it could be that most of the books I've recently read are textbooks, overflowing with useful information.  Anyway, it just left an empty taste in my mouth.  But it was good enough for me to want to read the next book.  Probably because each chapter, and each book, ends with a cliffhanger.

Lastly, remember to watch General Conference this weekend.  If you enjoyed Elder Holland's talk above, you'll love 10 hours of similar addresses over a weekend.

Caucus Night and Basketball

Sadly, BYU lost their game against Marquette in the NCAA tournament this week, but I think it was to be expected.  We were lucky that we even got to participate in the tournament, and we had an amazing comeback win against Iona (which still seems like a misspelling of Iowa to me).  I'm honestly surprised that we held Marquette to where we did.

Last night were the Republican caucus meetings in Utah.  I'm sure there were attendance records broken all over the place.  In my precinct, where previous years have had turn-outs on the order of about 20 people, a somewhat unexpected 100+ people came to caucus meeting.  I've read reports that it was the debate on the  re-election of Senator Hatch that brought out so many people, but I have my doubt.  It was definitely discussed as we elected county and state delegates, but I'm guessing it had more to do with the letter from the First Presidency read in sacrament meeting and the subsequent near-continual announcements about the importance of caucus attendance that made the difference.  And still there were many people that did not come.  But the large turnout we had definitely kept those small groups with hidden motives from getting their way, unless it was really a good idea.  You can't rig the system if everyone is participating.

And I got elected to be the precinct Secretary/Treasurer.  Looks like it's going to be a fun year.

City Council and Other Things

An infographic about the Church

On Tuesday I attended the city council meeting and brought up some issues concerning their proposed beer licensing changes.  I felt that at least I was listened to and some of my concerns were actually considered.  Better than I usually do.

I finished reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle this week as well.  One of the few times TV actually gave me the desire to read.  Though I should probably focus on the book I need to read for my psychology class now.

I'm also pretty excited for the RSL season that starts on Saturday.

Anyway, you should probably go do something productive now.  Like anything besides the internet.  But before you go, check out this infographic about the Church that came out this week.  I like how succinctly it convey s the information.  You might want to click on the link to make it a little bit bigger and easier to read.

Video

Done with midterms, finally.

I don't think this is 100% real, but it still looks awesome for some reason.

Have an awesome weekend.

Like my dad said this week, if you're not in bed by 10, you might as well go home.

Craziness of the week

We'll see how much time I have to work on this today.  It'll post at 5.  So, if a sentence abruptly ends, or a thought is left incomplete, just know it's because I ran out of time.

Things seem to have been rather hectic this week.  There was all sorts of running around, especially yesterday, kind of reminding me of the mission a little.  Those always seemed to be the best days.  So, I was pleased in a strange way at all the busy-ness (I would use business, but it already has a different meaning) of the last few days.

I recently discovered a show, produced by Steven Moffat like Doctor Who is, called Sherlock.  I'll let you deduce what it's about.  It's been on Netflix for a while, but the fact that it is also produced by Moffat made it intriguing.  That coupled with the reading of online Doctor Who-related Google+ posts alluding to the fact the Sherlock is what Doctor Who fans watch when Doctor Who isn't on led to the watching of the first episode last night.  In one word - awesome.  I can't believe I hadn't thought of watching this before.  It also makes me want to read, which is unusual since I usually read because I have to for class.  But I might be stopping by the library.  I should probably finish Man's Search for Meaning first, however.  I have to write a paper on it by the end of the semester.

Joseph Ducreux

A Thought About Priesthood

This is something I thought about during the Worldwide Leadership Training, and developed further in my mind since then.

President Packer referenced the Melchizedek Priesthood as it is called in the Doctrine and Covenants: "The Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God."  This made me think about the Order of the Garter, an English order of knighthood.  These knights are honored and commissioned by the Queen, and she sends them forth to carry out her orders.  Similarly, we, as holders of the priesthood are honored by the Lord and commissioned to do His work.  The interesting thing is that the Lord honors every man that is worthy of the honor as soon as they are worthy.

In the Order of the Garter, there are officers: the Prelate, the Chancellor, the Register, etc.  In the Lord's priesthood, we are all officers: elders, high priests, seventies, apostles, etc.  Just as each knight doesn't hold any more knighthood than any other knight, neither does an apostle hold more priesthood than an elder.  They simply hold different offices.

Other sources of information on the priesthood:

• What Every Elder Should Know -- and Every Sister as Well: A Primer on Principles of Priesthood Government, Elder Boyd K. Packer
• Priesthood, Gospel Study Guide (includes many other resources as well)

For Valentine's Day

Are you there?  Are you real?
Do you know how I feel
Whenever you're around?

If only we both knew
The spark of me and you;
Flames burning from the ground.

Because today's the day I need you;
Today is when I need to feel you near
If only you were here.

I wake up; I don't know
Just where I'm gonna go—
Still alone tonight.

It'd be great if you'd called,
Or let me know at all,
That it'll be alright.

Because today's the day I told you,
"Today I will always hold you near."
If only you were here.

Potential and impossibilities
Unilateral proximity

Paying Taxes and the Spirit of Elijah

I have always been told that the tax code is overly complicated, and I believed it, but I got to experience it for the first time ever this week.  And yes, as it turns out, I owed the federal government a grand total of $51.  I am now a more firm believer in changing the tax code to fit on the back of a postcard.  My personal opinion is that the consumption tax seems to be the best method.  Here's how it would work:

1. List total income from wages, salaries, and all the other stuff the government feels like the can tax you on.
2. Subtract a flat deduction of $5500, for example. The exact number will probably figured out by some bureaucrat somewhere.
3. Then subtract what you can document has been placed in a savings account of those earnings.
4. What's left will be taxed at a flat rate of, say 20%.  The number will depend on what gets the government enough money to operate efficiently.  Yes, it'll probably be that high.  But, there will be no sales tax, or any other tax of any kind. 

Needing/Getting

This has been stuck in my head for a couple of days now.  And the video is pretty cool too.

Letter to State Representatives Concerning Firearm Laws

I would firstly like to commend you for considering legislation that clarifies the laws concerning firearms within the state.  Being a concealed firearm permit holder, however, I have learned that there are still many places the law is ambiguous with regards to the ability to peacefully possess a firearm.  

In my understanding, a concealed firearm permit holder (or anyone for that matter) may not carry a firearm into a house of worship, or a private residence, if the proper notice has been given in accordance with Section 76-10-530 of the state code.  What the code does not address is peaceful possession of a firearm on another person's property, such as a private institution of higher learning, for those with a valid concealed firearm permit, or a business, for citizens regardless of having such a permit.  This troubles me because I don't know whether the courts will interpret the law in my favor should the police be called while I am in such a place, and believe I am within my rights.

Writing Again (Sorry About the Wait)

School suddenly got busy the past couple of weeks, so I didn't get much time to write.  Hopefully I'll have something interesting to say by Friday.  I was going to respond to something in the news this past week, but didn't quite get time to yet.

Baofeng UV-3R handheld ham radio

I started really getting into ham radio again.  My set is really unusual in how small it is, while still retaining enough power to reach a repeater.  It's really fun to see that there are other people in the world with similar interests.

Some of those people still need letters written to them.  Better get on that.

By the way, aced two psychology quizzes in the TC this week!

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Texas Apportionment

I'm going to be honest and say that I probably won't do much remembering of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s contributions to American civil rights this Monday.  I'll be more focused on not having to go to class.  I'll be thankful that I'll get time to process the fire hose of information I seem to drinking from every day.

Texas has an interesting problem right now, redistricting their congressional districts.  The map their legislature drew didn't pass the scrutiny of some people in the state.  They claim that the new growth, and resulting four seats, are due to an increase in the Latino population.  Since Latinos tend to be more aligned with the Democrats, the new districts should favor the Democrats.  Of course, their Republican majority legislature didn't draw the lines that way.  The US Supreme Court said they couldn't draw their lines that way, since it disenfranchised the Latino vote, and Texas apparently has a history of disenfranchising minority groups.  So, the  Supreme Court empowered a lower court to fix the map.  The lower court took it upon themselves to completely redraw the entire map.  Clearly, the power of map-drawing belongs to the state legislature, not the judicial system.  So, they can't do that.  And now there's a big mess, and time is running out for Texas to select its representatives.  That's another reason I think that we would have a smaller problem with a smaller House.  redistricting due to new seats would happen less often.

I would propose that the number of representatives in the House be tied to the number of senators.  If we had 2.5 times as many representatives as senators, moved up to an odd number, if necessary, we would have 251 representatives in the House.  I think this would provide enough to make the apportionment somewhat representative of the populations, and would keep the number of representatives small enough that they might get something done.  It would also reduce the amount of gerrymandering possible for congressional districts.  The breakdown would look something like this:

AL - 4
AR - 2
AZ - 5
CA - 30
CO - 4
CT - 3
FL - 15
GA - 8
IA - 3
IL - 10
IN - 5
KS - 2
KY - 4
LA - 4
MA - 5
MD - 5
MI - 8
MN - 4
MO - 5
MS - 2
NC - 8
NE - 2
NJ - 7
NM - 2
NV - 2
NY -16
OH - 9
OK - 3
OR - 3
PA - 10
SC - 4
TN - 5
TX - 20
UT - 2
VA - 6
WA - 5
WI - 5
WV - 2
AK, DE, HI, ID, ME, MT, NH, ND, RI, SD, VT, WY - 1

An Essay on the Electoral College

Recently I learned about a bill that was heard in the Utah legislature, introduced as SB 252 by Senator Stephen H. Urquhart that many other states have signed into law, which would essentially abolish the Electoral College.  While the College would not be abolished in reality, the effect would be that the president would be elected by who won the popular vote on a national basis.  This bill has the state legislature commit their electoral votes to the candidate receiving the popular vote nationwide, even if they don't win the popular vote in their state.  According to nationalpopularvote.com, this movement currently has 135 electoral votes committed to the winner of the national popular vote.  Most of this is due to California signing the bill, having 55 electoral votes. 

Electoral vote apportioned to each state as of the 2010 census

I personally feel that this would be damaging to the system initially set up by the Founding Fathers.  In their discussion in writing this section of the Constitution, there was a lot of debate as to how the president should be elected.  They went back and forth between Congress getting to choose, and a popular vote method.  The problem with having Congress elect the president, they argued, was that the President would then be under the legislature's control.  Of the powers that needed to be kept checked and balanced, the legislative and executive powers were the two that needed to be kept the most separate.  

The other option was a national popular vote.  The problem with this method is that the people of the United States as a whole could be easily persuaded by a few men to vote a certain way.  I think this is the most dangerous part of this proposition.  The average American knows very little about foreign policy, economic policy, immigration policy, tax policy and the many other important issues on which the Executive Branch of the Federal Government needs to make decisions on an almost daily basis.  These issues are complex and affect a variety of different systems across the country and across the world.  Someone should not be given this job, based simply on the color of their skin, their charisma, or any other quality that becomes meaningless in this situation.  

George Washington, 1st President of the United States

This is why there exists an Electoral College.  The President of the United States is given a lot of power.  He is probably the most powerful person within the Federal Government.  The average American's uninformed opinion is subject to excitement by extreme movements, as has been recently seen in the Occupy and Tea Party movements.  An electoral college helps to smooth out those extremes.  By removing the election of the president by one step from the direct election of the people, the people can find those who are knowledgeable on national issues, and their potential affect on their home state, within their state, so that these people can make an informed decision.  

If we were honestly arguing that pure democracy should prevail, should we not also disband the legislature and become the legislature?  Shouldn't every law made require a majority of the popular vote to be approved?  That is why we are established as a republic with democratic principles, not a pure democracy.  We trust those found in our communities to be knowledgeable in governmental topics, or those of a good character who we can trust to thoroughly study the issues and make a good moral decision, to represent us in many other governmental venues, so that we don't have to spend a majority of our time voting.  This same principle should prevail in the Electoral College.

However, I do see a couple of problems.  First of all, I don't believe that the Founding Fathers were envisioning a two-party system existing in the United States.  I don't have a solution to that problem.  It has arisen and appears to be in an equilibrium.  Any change attempted is counter-balanced.  Even in countries with many parties, (Portugal is the one I know anything about) it appears that coalitions between parties place them into two major groups with many unimportant smaller parties that have little affect on the political process.  This is simply the way things tend to be.

The other problem is that we never see who we are really voting for on our ballots.  In Utah, for example, we see the names of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates from each party.  In reality, these parties have submitted a list of five electors from their party to the Governor's office.  Whichever party receives the most votes has their electors chosen by the governor.  In Utah this is usually the Republican party that wins, which is the party that also usually controls the executive and legislative branches of the state government.  The result is that people already in positions of power get to vote in the Electoral College.  This isn't always a bad thing, as they are already involved in and understand the governmental processes that exist, making them more likely to make an informed decision.  I still feel that we should get to see the names of the electors for which we are voting.  At the same time, I count myself very lucky that my vote even counts at all.  In the Constitution in simply says that, 

Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors...  

 US Constitution, Article II, Section 1

The Constitution of the United States of America

In theory, the legislature could provide that the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house, attorney general, and secretary of state are always the electors for the Electoral College.  Then no one would even have to go vote for president, since it would have been done when those officers were chosen.

As long as I'm on the topic of changing fundamental federal government processes, I feel that the 17th Amendment, granting the direct election of senators, should be repealed.  This amendment has taken a check from the state governments on the federal government away.  There are many laws that I feel wouldn't pass on a federal level if the state governments had a voice.  Again, these are the people that actually know what is going on.  They know what affect federal laws will have on our state.  They can encourage the good ones and discourage the bad ones.  This would also justify the six-year terms given to those elected as senators.  As of right now, they seem to act as a glorified House of Representatives.

I would also like to reduce the number of representatives in the House to 100, so that their meetings would be more manageable and more likely to get something done, but that's another essay that I have yet to write.