Pioneer Trek Adventure

I was blessed with the opportunity to be a Pa for my stake Pioneer Trek. Having never done a trek as a youth I thought it was a great opportunity for me to get the whole trek experience. But being a Pa gave me a whole different perspective on it.

For those of you who don't know what  trek is, it is something that the LDS church does with its youth. It is a three day trip with youth 14-18 years old. They go to a remote location and they basically reenact the pioneer trek across the country. They pull handcarts and dress in cloths from the period. Trek is generally three days long. The youth are split up into trek families that have a ma and a pa for each family. Leona and I were a ma and pa this year. We had nine youth that were our "kids". We didn't know who our kids would be until we were there. For three days we got to experience what it was like to be a pioneer. Our trek was at Hardware Ranch this year.

On the first day we started out by building the city of Nauvoo. As soon as we were done, the mob came and chased us out and destroyed our city. We took off with our handcarts, and from a short distance up a hill, we watched while the mob destroyed the city we just built. We then trekked five miles pulling handcarts that had all our  gear plus a bunch of additional stuff (first aid kit, LOTS of water, etc). It was mostly uphill. There were several places where the hill was quite steep. There were lots of rocks in the path that we had to go over as well. It was tough work pulling the handcarts through all that. But the kids were up to the task. They pushed and pulled those handcarts like they weighed nothing. It was very hot (around 95 degrees) and there was very little shade. I figured I would have to spend my time motivating my family to keep going, but I was wrong. I had to keep telling them to slow down because they kept trying to run the people in front of us over. That is how enthusiastic they were. Once we got to camp, we had to set up tents (if you want to call a couple tarps duct taped together and put over some poles a tent). Once again I was surprised at how willing everyone in my family was to help out. There wasn't a single one that tried to wander off or get out of work. It was great.

On the second day we were slated to trek for six miles. This day was different than a normal trek though. We started out by sending all the pa's and four of the kids off on a rescue mission. So I took 4 of my kids and we headed off up the mountain, leaving the other five kids behind with their ma. Once we got part way up the mountain, we had an activity where each of the kids were given a scenario that could happen in their lives right now and they had to answer how they would respond to the situation described in the scenario. Their answers were awesome. I couldn't have come up with better answers. While we were doing our activity the family members that were left behind had to pack up the handcart with supplies and bring them to us. We had to stand at the top of a very steep hill and watch half our family push the carts up. We weren't allowed to help them at all. As I watched families struggle up the hill with their carts, I thought to myself that my family wouldn't have any problems with the hill. And I was right. They flew right up. Once we were all back together as a family again, we had an even bigger challenge. We had to pull the handcarts up a very steep and rocky canyon. It was so steep and rocky that no motorized vehicles could go up it. But the kids had to pull a handcart full of heavy gear up it. Once again my kids were up to the challenge. With very little help from me, they were able to get up that canyon. It turns out we climbed about 1,000 feet in about a mile. It was hard work, but my family worked so well together that no obstacle could slow them down. It was amazing to watch. Then we had the downhills. They were steep and just as difficult as the uphills. I have decided it is easier to pull a handcart uphill than it is to go downhill. Trying to keep a handcart under control on a steep downhill is extremely difficult. And of course my kids (and me most of the time) were able to get down the hills without any problems.

On the third and last day we had to trek for five and a half miles to our pickup point. Again, there were some steep hills. But today the strain of the last couple days as well as the lack of sleep (sleeping on the ground with no real padding makes for a bad nights sleep) started to show. It was another really hot day and once again there was no shade. My kids tried to keep their quick pace going but once they hit their first big hill they ran out of energy. It took everything they had to get to the top of a very long uphill climb. Once they got to the top we stopped for a break and they all just kind of collapsed next to the cart in what little shade they could find. After a short break they got up and went at it again with the same vigor as before. I was surprised at how resilient they were. I figured the heat would have slowed them down some. After going up and down several more smaller hills, we came into the "Salt Lake Valley" where the Salt Lake Temple was built. And the journey was over.

It was a great feeling knowing we had made it. But at the same time, it was kind of sad. Our wonderful trek family was going to go home to their real families. When we were all standing there around the temple it hit me that we weren't going to be together as a family any more. You would think that after just three short days of being a family it would be no big deal to go on your way and not thing twice about it. But it was different for me. I had developed a strong bond with these kids. I felt like they were my own. And I didn't want to part from them. I wanted to keep them all as my own (even though it was hard keeping track of nine kids). I was surprised at the love I had developed for each and every one of those kids in such a short time. Once the thought of our trek family going to their own homes hit me, it brought tears to my eyes (which just doesn't happen to me ever). I suddenly didn't want trek to ever end. I had to remind myself that they will always be my trek family. I am sure that I will see them around at various activities. And I look forward to it.

I am  going to tell you about each of my family members (even though my descriptions won't do them justice). First off, I need to tell you that during the first day of the trek we decided to call our family drifters. We came up with that name because even when the handcart would turn itself a little sideways on a hill or because of a rut in the road, they just kept on pushing and it looked like the cart was drifting. It was quite a sight to see sometimes.

I will start with Ester. Ester was the oldest of the kids. She was also the glue that held everyone together. She was quick to take charge when needed and everyone listened to her. She was quick to encourage the others. She was compassionate and took all the family members under her wings.  Thank you Ester for being part of my trek family and being such a great leader.

Then there was Chandler. He was the silent, dependable, determined type. And he never quit. On the second day of the trek he was one of the five family members that had to bring the carts up the hill. He sprained his ankle going up that hill. But he didn't tell anyone until he was almost to the top of the really big hill and someone noticed he was limping while pushing the cart. It took most of the family telling him to stop pushing before he would. He was just pushing through the pain because he didn't want to let his family down. Even with his injured ankle he finished the trek. Thank you Chandler for being part of my trek family and showing the family how to endure to the end.

Next we have Jaxson. Jaxson is one amazing person. He got the nickname of the ox because he could push a handcart up any hill single handedly. But his real strength was in his unwavering friendship. He quickly became good friends with everyone in the family. He was a true example of what a friend is. He was always there to help anyone inside the family or out. Not once did he not help someone in need. Even if they didn't ask for help.  Thank you Jaxson for being in my trek family and showing us all how to be a true friend to all.

And then there is Natalie. She was the talkative one in the family. She was always happy no matter what happened to her. She was always cracking jokes and keeping everyone in a good mood, even when the going got tough. And when something bad would happen to her, she would laugh it off and continue on. She had massive blisters on her hands from pushing the cart. But they didn't bother her one bit. The last day her shoes accidentally got packed into the equipment trailer and she ended up wearing sandals for the last leg of the trek. She didn't mind one bit. She worked just as hard pushing that cart as she did the other two days. I think she would have done it barefoot if she had to. Thank you Natalie for being in my trek family and showing us all how to make lemons into lemonade.

Next we have Rachel. This was Rachel's second trek. On the last night she admitted that her first trek didn't go so well and she didn't want to go on this one. But she decided she would give it a try and hope for the best. And she was not disappointed. She was a core member of the family. Always there to help out when needed. And always keeping the mood light. Thank you Rachel for being in my trek family and showing us that giving something a second chance can be a rewarding experience.

On to Brynn. When I first saw Brynn I thought she would be one of the girls that would try to get out of pushing the handcart whenever she could. But I was wrong. She was one of the first to step up and pull. She was always willing to work hard. Rarely was there a time when she wasn't either pulling or pushing the cart. And she kept Isaac in check (they were usually pulling together). Thank  you Brynn for being in my trek family and showing us the meaning of hard work.


Isaac is next. It is hard to say much about Isaac because he always seemed to be missing. But he never really was. He was always in the background doing things for his family members. And in typical sibling fashion, he was always bickering with Brynn (even though it was more like best friends pretending to bicker). Thank you Isaac for being in my trek family and showing us what it quiet service is.

Next up is Ammon. Ammon gave me a pretty good idea of what Skyler is going to be like in 3 years. Ammon was the one that was always disappearing from the family when we were supposed to be gathering. He was the one that was easily distracted by the simplest of things during devotionals. But he was also always there when needed. He always knew when his family was in need and he was more than willing to fill that need. Thank you Ammon for being in my trek family and showing us that you can do great things even if you do get distracted from time to  time.

And last but not least there is Mia. Mia was the quiet one of the family. She had a herniated disk in her back so she couldn't push the handcart at all. But she walked with the family the entire 16 1/2 miles of trek. She was always there to encourage the others. And she always had a smile on her face, even when she was hurting. Thank you Mia for being in my trek family and for showing us that moral support can be just as valuable as physical labor.

So after three physically demanding days, my trek family got a taste of what the pioneers went through. I know I learned a lot and have gained more respect for what those saints did. Three days, 16 1/2 miles was nothing compared to what they went through. But it gave me a glimpse of it. I am grateful for the change I had to go and be a pa. I feel extremely blessed to have gotten the trek family that I did. It make the experience that much better. Although I didn't get to experience trek as a youth, I did get to experience it as an adult. The perspective is different, but the spirit is the same. And well worth it.

Wow

It has been a long time since I have posted anything.  I guess I should fix that.

The Power of Stuffed Animals

If you have ever had a child spend any time at Primary Children's Hospital then you would know that one of the first things they do (when the child is stable if it was an emergency) is give them a stuffed animal. I have seen other hospitals do this as well.  I always thought that it was nice of them to do that for the kids.  But after our latest visit to Primaries for a followup for Skyler's tumor I realized that there is more to it than just to give the kid a gift.

I have decided that stuffed animals are given to the kids because of the great healing power they have. It is amazing how much of a calming effect they have on kids.  They seem to cheer them right up, no matter how much pain they are in. Stuffed animals will dry up tears and make large cuts seem like small scratches. Not to mention that a stuffed animal quickly becomes a child's best friend.

When Skyler was in the hospital a year ago and he was stuck in bed with all kinds of tubes and monitors connected to him, the thing he wanted most (next to his mom) was his Shuka the Whale stuffed animal. He would cuddle it while he slept and a lot when he was awake. It was a huge comfort for him. And a life saver for us at times.

When we went to the hospital for Skyler's one year checkup yesterday he got another stuffed animal. He is pretty much healed now. His remaining kidney is functioning perfectly and his scars are fading. But he still made an instant connection to the comfort of that stuffed animal.  He carries it with him everywhere in the house. He even sleeps with it on his pillow. It may just be a small little stuffed animal, but it is priceless to him.

Another testament to the power of stuffed animals is how they can help not only the ones that are sick, but the siblings of the one that is sick as well. When Skyler was out of surgery and the girls got to spend time at the hospital with him for the first time, a nurse sat down with the kids and each one of them got a stuffed doll that they got to do the "procedure" on. They got to put bandages and IVs and stomach tubes and all into the doll.  The nurse used this to explain to them what each thing that was connected to Skyler was for and why he needed it.  It really helped the girls understand what was going on.

Like I said before, stuffed animals have a lot of power when it comes to the healing of children. It really is amazing how much they help a child.

Mississippi Declares War

President Barack Obama was in the Oval Office when his telephone rang. "Hello, President Obama” a heavily accented southern voice said. "This is Jimmy Boy, down here at Bump's Catfish Shack, in Vicksburg, and I am callin' to tell ya’ll that we are officially declaring war on y'all!"

"Well Jimmy Boy," Barack replied, "This is indeed important news! How big is your army?"

"Right now," said Jimmy Boy, after a moments calculation "there is myself, my cousin Tom, my next-door-neighbor and brother Gerald, and the whole dart team from JD's Bait Shop. That makes eight or maybe nine depending if Bump can close the store.

Barack paused. "I must tell you Jimmy Boy that I have one million men in my army waiting to move on my command."

"Wow," said Jimmy Boy. "I'll have to call ya back!"
Sure enough, the next day, Jimmy Boy called again. “Mr. Obama, the war is still on! We have managed to acquire some infantry equipment!"

"And what equipment would that be Jimmy Boy?" Barack asked.

"Well sir, we have two combines, a bulldozer, and my brother Mike’s farm tractor."

President Obama sighed. "I must tell you Jimmy Boy, that I have 16,000 tanks and 14,000 armored personnel carriers. Also I've increased my army to one and a half million since we last spoke."

"Lord above", said Jimmy Boy, "I'll be getting back to ya."

Sure enough, Jimmy Boy called again the next day. “President Obama! I am sorry to have to tell you that we have had to call off this here war."

"I'm sorry to hear that" said Barack. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

Well, sir," said Jimmy Boy, "we've all sat ourselves down and had a long chat over sweet tea, catfish, greens and pie and come to realize that there's just no way we can feed that many prisoners."

SOUTHERN CONFIDENCE CANNOT BE SHAKEN

My mother taught me...

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE .
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside.. I just finished
cleaning."

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next
week!"

4. My mother taught me LOGIC.
"Because I said so, that's why."

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC .
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the
store with me."

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

7. My mother taught me IRONY.
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS .
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTION-ISM.
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA..
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.."

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION .
"Stop acting like your father!"

15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have
wonderful parents like you do."

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home."

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING .
"You are going to get it when you get home!"

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to get stuck that
way."

19. My mother taught me ESP.
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

20. My mother taught me HUMOR.
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT .
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
"You're just like your father."

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

And my favorite:
25. My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you !"

Only you folks my age understand these profound statements!!!
But, there is one missing from this list~~My personal all time favorite!!

My mother taught me about CHOICE.
"Do you want me to stop this car?"

Swagbucks

You may have noticed posts on my FB wall about swagbucks. You may also be wondering what Swagbucks is.  Let me tell you. Swagbucks is a free website where you earn swagbucks.  You use swagbucks to buy stuff.  It is really easy to earn swagbucks and they have some really great stuff you can get.  Right now I am saving up to get this stereo system and this awesome telescope. There are a lot of other really cool things that I will get once I get the speakers and the telescope.  You should check it out.

I know it sounds like one of those too good to be true things but this one isn't.  And it is easy to do.  You get swagbucks from searching the web (which is the way I get most of my swagbucks), taking surveys and pulls, playing games, watching their TV stations (they have a mobile app that I use to get 50 swagbucks a day without any effort at all), and a bunch of other ways to get swagbucks.  You can even earn swagbucks by printing out coupons from their website and using them in stores.  Nothing like saving money and earning swagbucks at the same time (yes, I have done this and have earned a few hundred swagbucks so far from it).

I would say that swagbucks is something you should try.  I know this post sounds like a commercial. But I really do like swagbucks and I thought I would share it (and yes, I do get swagbucks from referring people - and you can too once you sign up :) ). So click here or the banner below to check it out and get signed up!!

Oh, if you do sign up and you want to know some great tips and tricks to getting swagbucks fast just let me know.  I will tell you all my secrets for getting them fairly quickly.  It really is easy to get swagbucks.

To be 6 Again

A man was sitting on the edge of the bed, observing his wife turning back and forth, looking at herself in the mirror. Since her birthday was not far off he asked what she'd like to have for her birthday. I'd like to be six again, she replied, still looking in the mirror.

On the morning of her birthday, he arose early, made her a nice big bowl of  Lucky Charms, and then took her to Six Flags theme park. What a day! He put her on every ride in the park; the Death Slide, the Wall of Fear, the Screaming Monster Roller Coaster, everything there was. Five hours later they staggered out of the theme park. Her head was reeling and her stomach felt upside down. He then took her to a McDonald's where he ordered her a Happy Meal with extra fries and a chocolate shake Then it was off to a movie, popcorn, a soda pop, and her favorite candy, M&M's. What a fabulous adventure!

Finally she wobbled home with her husband and collapsed into bed exhausted. He leaned over his wife with a big smile and lovingly asked, "Well Dear, what was it like being six again??" Her eyes slowly opened and her expression suddenly changed. I meant my dress size, you idiot!

The moral of the story: Even when a man is listening, he is gonna get it wrong.

Pre-surgery Discussion

Two little boys are in a hospital, lying on beds next to each other outside the Operating Room. The first kid leans over and asks, 'What are you in here for?' The second kid says, 'I'm in here to get my tonsils out and I'm a little nervous.'

The first kid says, 'You've got nothing to worry about. I had that done when I was four. They put you to sleep, and when you wake up they give you lots of Jell-O and ice cream. It's a breeze.'

The second kid then asks, 'What are you in here for?'

The first kid says, 'A circumcision.'

And the second kid says, 'Whoa, good luck with that one, buddy! I had that done when I was BORN ... Couldn't walk for a year."

Quote of the day

"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt. " - Abraham Lincoln

My Battle with a Tumor

I would like to share my feelings and perspective with everything that has gone on the last couple weeks.  For those of you who don't know about Skyler's tumor check out Leona's Blog for all the details.  To keep this somewhat short I won't go into a lot of details that Leona has already covered in her blog.  I will just add my perspective to it all.

Nothing can be more nerve wracking than finding out your 6-year-old has a tumor on his kidney.  Then finding out that the kidney will have to be removed with the tumor (and probably the adrenal gland too). Then finding out that the tumor is most likely a Wilms tumor and is malignant so he will need chemotherapy. Then setting up the surgery to remove the tumor the next day and doing all the paper work for it.  We found all that out in the course of about 10 hours.  Skyler went through an ultrasound, 2 CT scans and had a chest x-ray done.  Plus they took blood.  The poor kid wasn't allowed to eat the whole time.  So he was starving and freaking out. Watching your little boy go through that is rough.  Then you throw in a wife who automatically assumes the worst and starts freaking out it only adds to everything.  Needless to say, that was a rough day for my family. Now if you would have seen me by the end of it you would not have been able to really tell that I was there for all of it.  Some might have thought that none of it had really sunk into it yet.  Others would say I was in denial. And some would even think that I didn't care that my son was just diagnosed with a tumor that was probably malignant. But that wasn't the case at all. I fully understood everything that was going on.  I also knew what Skyler was going to be going through. But if you know me well you will know that I roll with whatever comes my way.  I take whatever life throws at me and I just keep going.  Yes, I do have emotions and yes I was having a lot of different feelings racing through me from all that had happened.

I have handled this all rather well I think.  I am optimistic about all the goings on.  I had complete trust in the doctors and surgeons and knew they would take care of my boy.  So I had nothing to worry about.  The one thing through all of this that caught me off guard was all the love and support we got.  I figured we would get support from family and a few close friends and that was about it.  Boy was I wrong. We got support from just about everywhere.  It was amazing.  We even had 500 bikers from Leona's uncles bike gang praying for Skyler.  Talk about crazy.  The love and support we were given was almost overwhelming.  I know I don't show a lot of emotions but the overwhelming love and support actually brought tears to my eyes.

Now I can't go without mentioning the Lords hand in all of this.  I know that it was Him that took care of Skyler and made sure he was ok.  I knew that he wouldn't let Skyler get any worse than he was.  I was never worried that he would take a turn for the worse or anything.  I think knowing that the Lord wouldn't let anything really bad happen to Skyler is probably made it so easy for me to remain calm. It is amazing what the power of the Spirit can do to comfort you in times of trials.

Now that the surgeries are all done we can try to get back to our normal life.  Skyler is on the mend.  He has been super strong through this whole thing.  There were times when Skyler was comforting his mom at the hospital when she was starting to lose it.  He would tell her he was ok.  He is such a great kid. He is healing faster than expected and I hope he will be back to his normal routines in a few weeks.  But we are taking it one day at a time.

I would like to thank everyone for their love and support the last few weeks.  We have definitely felt it.  I am grateful for all that everyone has given and is still giving.  It has made a huge difference in my life.

Ok.  So I was reading over this and I decided that I didn't really say much about it all from my perspective.  But this is a long post already so I will save that for another day.  I am hoping that soon I will have more time to write it all down. But for now this will have to do.

Quote of the day

"Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft!" - Theodore Roosevelt

Getting a Little Extra Money

Ever wonder how to get a little bit of extra money?  Here are a few of the things that I do that get me a little extra money.  Not a lot, but hey every little bit helps :)

Getting paid to read emails:
Sends you emails and you get paid for clicking on the link in the email. It doesn't pay much but if you get referrals it can increase what you get by a lot. It is an easy way to get money for a date night.

This site has a lot of fun stuff. You get paid for all kinds of things.  I generally just do the paid emails (2 cents per email you get) and the surveys( I have made a few dollars on these).  I have only been using this site for a few weeks now and have earned almost $14.00 so far.  I think it has some pretty good potential.  You make the most off surveys and they usually don't take all that long to do.

Earning Prizes/Gift Cards:

You Can Get Free Gift Cards For Shopping, Searching and Discovering What's Online at Swagbucks.com


This one is my favorite. You earn "Swagbucks" for doing all kinds of things.  Searching, watching video trailers, and a whole lot more.  They have apps for you smart phones that you can use to earn tons of swagbucks. You use the swagbucks to get all kinds of items.  I have been doing this for a couple of months now had have enough swagbucks to get a $50 Amazon gift card.  I have found that you can earn swagbucks even faster if you refer people to it.  They have so many ways to earn swagbucks it is pretty much easy.  I earn a ton just by using their mobile TV app on my tablet.  I let it go through all the videos (movie and game trailers - and a comedy channel even) while I am off doing something else. It is great.  I would recommend this one for everyone.  If you do go with swagbucks be sure to install the toolbar and set it up as your default search.  That is the fastest way to earn swagbucks.

I am like most people and am skeptical about most of the get money from doing everyday things, but these three companies are legit.  I have even gotten a check from SendMoreInfo before so I know they pay out like they say they do.  So give it a go.  After all, who wouldn't want free stuff and some extra money in their pocket?

Bad Luck

Bad luck seems to always follow me around.  It seems like everything bad happens to me and I never seem to get a break.  Take this year for example.  Two days into the year Star breaks here wrist.  That adds a nice chunk of medical expenses to my list of bills.  And now my leg is in a nice boot after doing x-rays and an MRI because I have a severe shin splint.  I guess the only good thing is I am not in a cast.  At first the doctor thought it was a stress fracture.  But the MRI showed it wasn't to that point yet. Thank goodness. So I guess you could call that a bit of good luck.  But on the  flip side, I am not able to work out for the next 6-8 weeks.  So when soccer starts I am going to be really out of shape. Oh well.  I will just have to get in shape fast once the season starts.  That is if I am even able to play...

A new year

Well, it is a new year (even though it is half way through the month).  I have set a few goals for myself this year that I am going to accomplish.  The first one is probably going to be the hardest for me.  That is to lose 20 pounds.  I know that doesn't seem like it would be all that hard but for me losing weight is not easy.  So it is a good challenge that I intend on doing.  My second goal is to run 300 miles this year.  This should be fairly easy if I can get my shin splint to cooperate with me. My third goal is to finish one of the games I am working on.  I just need to stay motivated.  The one I am working on right now is just a simple text based game so it shouldn't be too hard to get it done by the end of the year.  I am already about 1/8 of the way done with it already. My last goal is to be debt free by the end of the year.  This will be difficult especially if this year ends up like last year where any extra money we had went to paying medical bills. So we shall see how it goes this year.  So far it hasn't gone all that well with Star breaking her wrist.  But hopefully that will be all that happens. Only time will tell...

I don't get it

Sometimes I just don't get people.  I don't get why they choose to get all offended about something that really isn't a big deal.  Or they are upset because things aren't the way people think they should be.  Some people just need to get over themselves and deal with what life  throws at them.

Lately I have been hearing people complain about how bad the Branch is.  How it sucks being in a branch and not in a ward, etc.  I just don't get why people feel that way.  For some reason they think they would be better off in a ward than in the branch.  And yes, I know who those people are and I know how much the branch has helped them out.  Help that they most likely wouldn't have gotten in a ward.  Are they upset because they have a calling that they don't want?  Are they upset because they think being in a branch in Utah is shameful?  Seriously, I don't understand what their issues with the branch are.

I have been in the branch since its beginning.  So I speak with full authority when I say that being in the branch is way better than how things were before. Before the branch we were going to a ward in Syracuse.  We would go down to church only to be ignored and criticized because we were one of the "Apartment People". We would purposefully be left out of ward activities and everything.  Now explain to me how that is better than being in the branch where everyone is invited to everything (including all our non-member neighbors) and never shunned because of where they live. When the branch was created I had my doubts.  Heck, for the first several months there were like 25 people TOTAL coming to church every week.  Now our average attendance is over 100 (which is getting close to what a wards attendance is). The branch has grown tremendously.  It is wonderful. I love being in the branch.

I know there were people in the branch that were hoping with the boundaries being redone that we would be dissolved into a ward.  I knew that wouldn't happen. And I am glad it didn't.  I like how Pres. Moulding said that for those that don't like how things were changed they should take it up with Pres. Monson since he approved it.  The branch coming into existence is the same way.  It wasn't created by the stake presidency.  I was created by the prophet himself.  It is quite inspiring to hear the story of how the branch came into being.  It was definitely created by divine inspiration.

When I hear people complain about the branch I take it personally. My family is one of the few families left in the branch that have been here since the beginning.  I have spent countless hours making things function as close to a ward as possible. And the branch does function almost like a ward.  In some areas we function better.  But then we get people that move into the branch and just complain about how they don't like the branch and it really annoys me.  What is so different about the branch that it makes it bad to be in?  What?  NOTHING!!!

I would just like to say one last thing and I am sure some people would take what I am going to say personally and get all offended - but I don't care if they get offended because they chose to be offended.  I say if you have a problem with the branch or you want to be in a ward then feel free to move.  You could try having your records moved to a ward, but not liking a branch isn't really a good enough reason for the stake president to approve something like that.  So your best option is to move. If that isn't an option for you then get over yourself and accept the branch for what it is.  Stop trying to tear it down with your negativity and personal  tirades against everyone in the branch that works so hard to keep it going just because you think it should be done differently. Doing so doesn't just sadden those of us that love the branch but it saddens the Lord because HE is the one that created the branch for our benefit.

Ok.  I am going to step off my soapbox now. And no, I am not sorry if I offended anyone.