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?!