IT'S A.....

BOY!!!! Yahoo! More news to come later...

Happy Chirstmas Adam!

This greeting comes from an old tradition that a few friends of mine had. We used to get together at Howel's Opera House and play games on the 23rd of December, Christmas Adam. You know, Adam came before Eve...
Anyhow, as you can tell from the time of this post, I cannot sleep. It is 2:30 in the morning. Sometimes this kind of thing is frustrating, but I have learned to deal with it.
These last few days have been hectic. Last week I had three finals (two of which were absolutely crazy difficult) and Olivia had all of her finals. To say the stress level in our normally easy-going home was high is almost an understatement. We are very thankful to those of our friends who were so kind to put up with us without trying to kill us. Luckily, finals are over for another semester and we can put them behind us, well, at least till the grades are published. The neat thing about this semester is I have officially reached the halfway mark in one of the most foolish endeavors I have sought to undertake: Law Skool. Okay, I will admit, this is not the craziest thing I have ever done, but this is definitely the most difficult, that is coming from a kid who learned Japanese without any prior foreign language training! What keeps me going? The answer to that is easy, a wonderful wife. Sometimes when I was single I would wonder why I was having such a difficult time finding a wife. The answer to that question is easy: she was still growing up and being prepared by the Lord to take on the task of becoming my wife. I love her with all my heart, and that love just keeps getting better every day. She is such a good wife. She not only puts up with all my crap, but she encourages me in what I am doing. She believes in me.
(Paron me while I un-plug the stove... More on that later...) We have survived a lot through our first (almost two years of marriage): our first apartment, our second apartment, moving to Moscow, the first year of Law School, a summer full of way too much roping, our reception and the worst first night of marriage, and being away from all our family way too long.
We are now getting ready to be parents, and I am not kidding when I say: I can't wait. I don't care if we have a girl or a boy, I just want a healthy baby. Olivia will be a great mother, she has learned a lot from her mom and grandma. She watches sisters in our wards, our friends and other moms and she pays attention. I know she is more than qualified to take this new job. Me? Well, I do not know, I don't think I am the best candidate for Fatherhood, but with such a great wife, it will be hard to really mess this up. I just hope or children can be patient with thier dad. I am sure I will have shortcomings, but I will do my best...
Now, back to the stove comment: our stove's control board is going out and it beeps randomly throughout the day/night. It is really annoying. I get annoyed enough that I unplug it and put power to it only when I need to use it. I might fix it, but it may take a while... Repair man's famous last words...
I hope all of you have a lovely Christmas and New Years. Enjoy Chirstmas Adam, gather some friends around and have some fun. God bless all of you, and may peace fill your life at this time.

And the Baby is.........

Healthy. hahaha. You thought I was going to tell you what the sex was. Well, this is one surprise that will just have to wait for a few more days. We've decided it would be a nice little gift to tell everyone on Christmas Day, especially since this is my Mom's first grandbaby. Now, if there is a better suggestion on how to break the news, I would love to hear. I just wanted something fun to do. In the meantime here is a funny little video of the baby practicing it's sucking reflex.  

If you look at it's eyes, the dark spots in the middle are pupils. The baby is kind of freaky looking with it's eyes open, but neat at the same time. I hope you enjoy!

VOTE EARLY, Vote Often

On the right side of this blog you will find a poll asking what is in the oven, feel free to vote early and vote often! Honestly I just hope that the baby is healthy. Olivia probably wants a healthy girl, but I will be fine either way. I have taught just as many girls to rope as I have boys! Look for updates coming soon! We will be heading back to the doctor in a couple weeks to know just exactly what is in there. My mom doesn't trust ultrasounds, my sister, Kresta, had one of her first and the doctor told them it was a girl. Jeremy is 9, and quite a boy... Mom just says to be sure and leave the tags on all the baby clothes purchased before the child arrives! 

Been a while...

Let me catch all ya'll up on what has been going on. Olivia is feeling better, although she is still pretty dang tired and wants to sleep most of the time. She has been very busy with school and doing a great job at balancing all the things she needs to get done. I am proud of her, and I hope she knows it.
From all accounts, Blueberry is healthy. I call the baby "Blueberry" because that is how big it was when we found out for sure that Olivia was pregnant. Olivia says she thought she felt it move the other day, which is neato.
I have been busy with school, but what else is new? The good news is that I am learning things. The bad news is that it is probably not enough. Work has been crazy busy, as people are stocking up for the new administration. Nothing like fear of your own government to help you purchase a high capacity firearm. But I don't blame any of our customers, if I had a few thousand dollars sitting around I think I would build an AR-10 and buy all the .308 that I could afford. .223 is nice, no recoil and it will go a ways, but I would rather punch a hole that knocks things down, to keep the fight at a distance. No, I am not afraid of a war busting out any time soon on our soil, but I do believe the motto of the Boy Scouts is not out of date. It is amazing to see how bothered people are on one hand and how elated others are. I could start a rant here, but I won't. For one thing, telling people in person what I think is safer for me and for those around me, and it is more fun to watch people's reactions.
We are not traveling home for Thanksgiving. We found out last year that when vacation hits, Moscow isn't such a bad town, and since we live further away from town, we don't mind all the students much anyhow. I plan on getting out into the woods to see if I can find a buck, whitetail season closes on Dec. 1. We also might look for some turkeys. From what I have heard, turkey huntin' is a downright hoot. I am also pondering getting a trapping license, but we shall see.
I would like to give a shout out to the Oakley Hornets for thier so far undefeated season! I am looking forward to seeing them play on Friday at the Kibbie Dome.
Well, peace out for now, keep your stick on the ice...

Exciting Night Out...

Bentley and Olivia were so tired they both passed out. It wasn't even 8:30pm...

I wish the picture quality was better, but you get the idea...

Da Daa Da DAAA

Here it is folks!
I should explain that this is just a short clip. I was lucky enough to get to watch all sorts of things while the ultrasound tech checked out how things were going. Olivia had to lay down and her angle did not let her see too much. It was soooo stinkin' neat to see that little body bouncing around. I really cannot describe the feelings that I had. It was just really neat.
Things are going well, but we are really friggin busy. Olivia is getting busy with her studies, practicing and studying. She gets pretty tired and is trying to keep up. Sometimes I might not be as understanding as I should. I am trying to be better. I still think that she is just doing wonderful things, and I wish that she could see all the great things that I see her doing. My schooling is getting busy, but that is Law Skool. Oh well, stuff happens.

Health, Hunting & Church: What a Weekend!

We had some great fun this weekend! It all started with me, puking incessantly until I could hardly hold up my head. I had skipped most of my Thursday classes and all of Friday. Mac went to work and school like usual on Friday, until I sent a text that read: "I need you to come HOME ASAP". Unfortunately, he had left his phone at school while he went to work for a few hours. So, my desperate call for help went unnoticed, all the while I am puking every little thing that went down my throat. Finally, he went back to the school for his class and received my text and quickly began to head home. When he got here, I asked for a blessing. It helped calm me, but I still felt miserable. So, we headed into Quick Care. Little did we know we would spend the entire afternoon there. After about two hours waiting for a urine sample, I finally peed and the doctor produced the outcome: I have a cold and sinus infection (I already knew that), a very dehydrated body, and a urinary tract infection. Oh joy. While They were waiting for my sample, the doc came in and said that I could always have an IV to speed things up. I thought about it a couple of times, but I really don't like needles, especially when they poke me. It ended up that I had to have one anyway, and the poking began. It took three tries to set the needle and catheter. You see, because I was so dehydrated, my veins had shriveled so that they were not visible, or big enough to hold the needle. And I could feel every movement of the needle, catheter, dripping, you name it. Two hours later, the bag was finally empty and we could journey home. It took a while for me to recover, I was lying on my back the entire time, and was still nauseated. Mac said when I sat up, all the color in my face immediately drained, and I was extremely light headed. But, I had lots of fluids to get my body going, and soon I would have lots of drugs, too. Mac will pickup from here....
So I ran Olivia home in the Subaru, because driving that thing at night is dangerous, as it has no lights unless the brake is pressed. I jumped in the pickup and headed back to town, destination: Wally World's Pharmacy. As I drove, I thought the truck was pulling to the left, which was odd. I have driven that truck for over ten years, and it always pulled to the right. However, it had been over a week since I had driven it, and I just couldn't place why it felt so funny. When I got to Wally World, I found out: the tire was dang near flat. I procured the pharmaceuticals, then set to changing the tire. I had to be careful with my feet, I was wearing a brand new pair of boots and I didn't want to scuff them. I had the tire changed out and I was on the road in no time.
I arrived home to find Olivia in the capable care of Pat & Tim (our landlords). Pat had cooked up quite the meal and I finally had breakfast. Yeah, that is right, I had not eaten all day, mostly cause I just plain forgot to.
Saturday was another long day, but I did get to do some hunting, which was fun, even though I didn't see a dang thing. I took the tire in to Bruneel's, to have it fixed. I dropped it off with high expectations, because they are a local shop and were pretty congenial. I returned to find out they couldn't fix the tire. Now, I am not going to try to defame them, but they told me someone had patched the tire before, and that the patch was leaking. I didn't tell them that I had bought those tires new and had made records of when I bought them and rotated them and such. I have never had a flat with that set of tires. NEVER! I took the tire over to Les Shwab, even though I figured they would charge me, since it wasn't one of their tires. Luckily, one of the fellas that works there comes into the Sure Shot quite often and he recocnized me. He looked at the hole and told me that the problem was Bruneel's had tried to grind to deep for the patch. They were trying to stick the patch to nylon instead of rubber! They ruined my tire and wouldn't own up to it! So Shwab's mounted a used tire on my wheel: free of charge. I will be a Shwab patron for the rest of my life, because they have treated me good more than once (one time on a Sunday when I really needed to get down the road from Rexburg to Burley)...
Sunday was a bit bitter sweet. We finally made the switch to the Student Stake. The good news is that it was the right thing to do, and we know it. The bad news is that we will miss all our friends in our old ward.
It was ward conference in the Fourth ward, and it was great. Heck, that was the first Sunday in over a year that Olivia and I have sat by each other for Sunday School! She has always been in the Primary... At least one Sunday together.

Via Con Dios, Amigo.

The first time I met Ed he was fat, lazy and just plain rude. We rationed his food, started him on an exercise program and watched his weight. He needed to lose about 200-300 lbs. He had been on pasture grass for most of his life. Ed was a horse.
Training Ed was kinda like riding a train that left the rails. You knew once you figured him out, you could control him. He had some crazy nervous ticks. He tried to buck a little, but he was too fat. He wouldn't break into his right lead, but that came with time. The one tick that stuck was the flapping. Ed flapped his lips and made a sound like an outta tune Harley. It was really annoying, at first, but then it got to where I didn't think about it, until someone would point it out to me. We weren't really sure that Ed could run very fast, but finally, one night, Ed showed his stripes. That booger could run. He even started looking at cattle and stopping like a heal horse. When I was home this summer, I roped off Ed and Simba. Both have ticks and niether was quite finished, but it was dang fun. By the end of my break, I was even roping like I normally should. The last time I rode Ed, he worked pretty dang good. Good enough that Dad said he was gonna start heading off Ed.
I called Dad to tell him about the great trade I made today. Dad sounded distant. I asked him how things was and he said, "Rough. The snow was bad, but its melting. This morning when I went out to feed, I didn't have to feed Ed."
"Why not?" I asked.
"Because he was dead. He died last night sometime. Dangdest thing."
I was so stunned I didn't even cuss. Just a sad thing.
I hate to say it, but I felt worse off after that news than a whole lot of things that I have heard.
Via Con Dios, Ed.

My Grape Ain't no Sissy!

With pregnancy comes the name game. What kind of crazy names can we come up with for our grape? (This week that is how big the baby is, in comparison.) Well, ya'll know me, I think a man oughta have a tough name and then he'll live up to it. My dad had a cousin, Steel. The guy was 6'4", 280 Lbs and tougher than nails. I have a buddy we call Virgil. He is a bit goofy, but he can drive a truck like nobody's business. My buddy Nacho is the craziest ropin' sunnovagunn, ever.
My folks disagreed about my name for a while. Mom wanted to call me McCord Brent Larsen. However, my dad thought it was too much. They reached a middle ground and just dropped the middle name. That is why my full name is McCord Larsen.
Now if we have a girl, we'll give her a fitting name, something cute and sweet. But I will be danged if the grape is a boy, we ain't giving him no sissy name that'll get his butt kicked every day. Unless we choose to call him Sue.

AS PROMISED!!!

A new post.
We have been puttin this off for a while because we have both be extremely busy. Olivia is busy with her schooling and I am just trying to keep up with school, work and life on the ranch. We hardly have any time for much extra, so blogging has not been on top of the list. We have also been busy figuring out how to tell everyone that WE ARE GONNA BE A MOMMY AND DADDY!!!
Boohyah! How's that for a post? Olivia is roughly 9 weeks along. Right now she is not too sick, but she gets really tired, and she feels crappy. Apparantly the baby is the size of a blueberry, so I call it "Blueberry." (Sometimes when Olivia is mad at me, I talk to her stomach and say something like: "Blueberry, this is your dad, please help me tell your mommy that I am sorry I... (however I messed up)).
I hope all of you are doing well and we will keep everyone updated!

NEW POST COMING SOON!!!

Stay tuned, fans, cause a new post is coming soon. We just haven't had the time to get all updated yet!!!

Thank goodness for good friends...

Or thank goodness for people who owe you favors, cause that is really what friends are: people who like trading favors with you. Some you trade talking, some you trade odd jobs, and others you trade putting up with each other's bad days. Thanks to all out friends who came out and help put this piano where it is.

The Fortress of Solitude

So, while my wife and most of my fellow law student friends are at class, I changed the oil in the DR and played with chain saws. Is that not great? Nothing makes you feel more like a man than dirty oil and the smell of burning fuel. I do sympathize with all you folks in class, and if you are reading this in class you should wake up and pay attention to what your prof. is saying, you may learn something!

In case you feel slighted, just remember that on Tuesday and Thursday I have classes from 9:30 to 4:30, the longest break in between my classes is 30 minutes. I realize I did it to myself, but I wanted to take these classes and they are all on Tues and Thurs... Oh well.

It is a little strange to have Olivia back in school, I know she will do well. She is an absolutely amazing girl. I am so proud of her!

I guess it is almost time for me to get cleaned up to go to town, so I can learn some more. You gotta love BA with Anderson...

Traveling Partners

These are my nieces Annabelle and Adelyn. They are going to stay at Grampa Brent's, then they will be headed to California. Traveling girls, I tell you what...

What a Cutie!

On my way to Burley, I had the opportunity to visit The Naylors. I had Jake snap this picture of Reese and me. She is just too cute.

Off to B-Town!!!

Hot dang, I am headed back to Burley. I will be leaving early Thursday morning, to travel in the cool in the morning without the traffic. Olivia is not coming with me on the drive. She is staying in Moscow to attend Girl's Camp with our ward girls. She will then fly to Boise. We will be in Burley until about the 23rd of August. I am really looking forward to getting some work done. But anyone who really knows me knows that I am most excited about roping some steers and drinking root beers! Yahoo! Hopefully I will be able to cram enough roping in to satisfy my craving all the way through December. It will take a lot of work, but I think I am up to the task.
For those of you wondering what I have been doing the last few weeks since being done with Summer Skool, I will tell you. I get up with Olivia in the morning and she heads into town to work and I usually read the news. Then I kick it outside to see what I can get done. Washing concrete, watering plants, working in the garden, cutting trails with the D.R. and doing whatever else needs done. I have played a full round of golf thanks to Dave. Olivia and I did attend the ward Pioneer Day Celebration. It was a campout near Elk River. We just threw sleeping bags in the back of the truck. It was great. Our ward is fantastic. I have reloaded lots of ammo and enjoyed firing said ammo at various targets. I also make a trip into town every day to take Olivia lunch. I tell you what, this has been a nice vacation. Someone chidded me yesterday for not getting a job here in Hippie-Ville, and I thought maybe I was being selfish, but I have been working like a rented mule the last 11 months at this Law Skool thing, crud I think a little time to enjoy myself will help me in the long run. Besides, I will be back at banging my head against the wall soon enough. Hope all of you are enjoying the summer months. Take care.

What is in a name?

Its just letters right? But tell me friend: What is the difference between an "e" and an "o"? I will tell you: one is our last name: LARSEN; the other is another family, LARSON. Dutch and Sweden, C'mon people! For hell's sake, if the newspaper can get it right, you'd think that the Federal Government could get this right. The name said LARSEN on the marriage license, LARSEN on BOTH my driver's license and Olivia's. AND ON THE FORM OLIVIA FILLED OUT SHE WROTE LARSEN IN MULTIPLE PLACES!!! Why in the world would we get a letter from the Social Security department addressed to OLIVIA LYNN LARSON?!? AWESOME, right?
Chalk one up for human intelligence in our government agencies...

Doubt Your Doubts

and Believe your Beliefs. Whatever they are. I read a few stories today published by people who claim to understand what I believe and call people who worship the way I do "misguided," "brainwashed," or "uneducated." I wish that I could share the feelings of my heart with these who are my brothers and sisters. They deserve the same blessings in their lives that I enjoy. All I am I owe to my Church. I know that without the Church in my life I would be lost. I would not be married to the wonderful woman that makes me happy. I would not be attending Law School. I know that God lives. I know He is guiding me in the choices I make. I know that Christ suffered for my sins and He is my Savior, and the Savior of the world. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, whom through God restored the Gospel, in it's fullness. I know that God has called a prophet in our day, Thomas S. Monson. I know that God loves me, and you, and everyone on this earth, we are all His children and He wants us to be happy. To this end He prepared a plan, the Plan of Salvation. We can learn this plan and understand it in our lives. Following this plan gives us assurance and hope. I know these things are true. また日本語で僕の証を皆に話したい。永遠の父なる神様は私たちの天にいるお父さん。イエスは世の救い主です。救いの計画は幸福の計画。従うと永遠の幸せをえることができる。モンソン大根著は神の預言者です。ジョセフスミスは神の預言者として福音をこの世に回復されました。神の力をとしてジョセフがモルモン書を翻訳されました。モルモン書は真理です。末日聖徒イエスキリスト教会は神の教会です。これは僕の証です。真理です。

Just a Thought (We'll See...)

So, Mac has had this blog for quite a while. When we married, it remained his blog, although I was mentioned several times. And it wasn't really that big of a deal. He loves eletronics and technology, and I enjoy them, but not like he does. It wasn't until recently (namely, when we were looking at our married friends' blogs) that he decided it might be alright to let me be a contributor. After, I am his eternal companion. So, he changed some things around, and here I am posting my first blog. Yay! In all this excitement, I decided that this blog was too much a bachelors blog, even though we've been married for over a year and he most certainly was not a bachelor. Around the Fourth, I tried new blog templates, and font colors, the whole shuh-bang. Mac wasn't so impressed. He said it was too frilly and he didn't like it. Not even the big fireworks exploding at the bottom of the page. After a bit of bickering and compromise, we found a template that we could both enjoy. However, the Fourth only lasts for one day, so, I changed the template again. He didn't like that, either. He doesn't really like any of the ideas that I have for "our" blog. I'm a girly girl, I like the frilly things. And while he likes that I'm a girly girl, I don't think he likes it seeping into his manly world (his blog). One day I told him that maybe it would be a better idea if I had my own blog. Besides, I've heard that once you have kids, your blog becomes a shrine to them. Not that that's bad, but looking around, it's true. So why should it be different when you get married? Isn't that a major change in your life? And shouldn't that be included in your personal blog? And really, nothing is personal after you get married, it's all shared. When I told him my idea, he gave me a funny glance, thought about it, and kind of agreed. I think the idea is growing on him. And me, too... We'll see...

Ahhh Summer, at Last:

I took my last final for six months last Friday. I will tell you in a while how I felt about it. So what do I do now? I have no reading to do, no outline to make, no reason to go to the Maynard and enjoy the noise of construction. Olivia is working in town at a law office as a secretary, so I am alone all day, on my own recognizance. Yes, I can be trusted. I even clean and take care of our apartment.
The first day I loaded ammunition so that I can go shooting sometime this week. Then I took Olivia lunch. On the way into town, I ran out of gas. I turned on the reserve and off I went. I made it to the station and swore when I saw the price: $4.15. Just Saturday, it had been 4.04. Oh, well. Too bad I wasn't one of those oil speculators with a good chunk of Exxon in my pocket. I got to eat lunch with Olivia and then I visited the hardware store. There really is nothing like a good hardware store, makes me feel good to walk through one. My favorite hardware store is in Murtaugh, Community Building Supply. If they don't have what you need, or can't get it, you don't need it! I wound up the day by talking to my extended family on the phone and relaxing with Olivia.
Yesterday, I got the bug to clean. I cleaned all over! I hit the trail with the weedeater and cleared things up to make the walk to the pond more enjoyable. I accidentally hit a snake and cut him in two.
Alright, enough with the play-by-play. I just hope all ya'll are having as much fun as I am. But I highly doubt it. If I can I will get pictures of the twin fawns running around here.

The 4th July

Chris LeDoux pegged my feelings about the 4th. So did Johnny Cash. I use the lyrics from their songs here, to give you some of my perspective:
4th of July Rodeos:
Just about two hundred years ago they signed that declaration
Tellin' everybody in the whole wide world they're gonna start a brand new nation
From that day on the 4th of July has been a holiday
To the rich man poor man and everybody but the cowboys in the RCA
Well I get on the phone and call the airlines rent-a-cars and Greyhound stations
Cause I've entered bout thirteen rodeos out across the great big nation
Got the car tuned up the tanks full of gas I've got money in my hand
And if I ain't overdrawn by the end of the week at the bank
I'm a lucky man
It's the 4th of July on the rodeo trail and it'll drive you insane
My wife's worried home by the telephone I'm on the road again
It's the Forth of July on the rodeo trail if I ever make it home I swear
I'm gonna to hang up my hat put up my riggin' sack
And for a month I'm gonna stay right there
Well I've been on the road about three days now and I haven't had a minutes rest
There's dark circles all around my bloodshot eyes and my face is now a whiskered mess
Boy I'd sure like a bath and a home cooked mean but for now I must be satisfied
With this double super-duper half cooked burger
And a side of grease soaked french fries
Well the week's nearly over and I wonder to myself will I ever make it home alive
When a bronc fell on me up in Calgary when he slipped tryin' to make his high dive
And the plane and the pilot that we rented looked like surplus from World War I
And I thought any times about suicide but I haven't found myself a gun
It's the 4th of July on the rodeo trail...
Ragged Ole Flag:
I walked through a county courthouse square
On a park bench, an old man was sittin' there.
I said, "Your old court house is kinda run down,
He said, "Naw, it'll do for our little town".
I said, "Your old flag pole is leaned a little bit,
And that's a ragged old flag you got hangin' on it".
He said, "Have a seat", and I sat down,
"Is this the first time you've been to our little town"
I said, "I think it is"
He said "I don't like to brag, but we're kinda proud of
That Ragged Old Flag

"You see, we got a little hole in that flag there,
When Washington took it across the Delaware.
and It got powder burned the night Francis Scott Key sat watching it,
writing "Say Can You See"
It got a rip in New Orleans, with Packingham & Jackson
tugging at its seams.
and It almost fell at the Alamo
beside the Texas flag,
But she waved on though.
She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville,
And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee and Beauregard and Bragg,
And the south wind blew hard on
That Ragged Old Flag

"On Flanders Field in World War I,
She got a big hole from a Bertha Gun,
She turned blood red in World War II
She hung limp, and low, a time or two,
She was in Korea, Vietnam, She went where she was sent
by her Uncle Sam.
She waved from our ships upon the briny foam
and now they've about quit wavin' back here at home
in her own good land here She's been abused,
She's been burned, dishonored, denied an' refused,
And the government for which she stands
Has been scandalized throughout out the land.
And she's getting thread bare, and she's wearin' thin,
But she's in good shape, for the shape she's in.
Cause she's been through the fire before
and i believe she can take a whole lot more.

"So we raise her up every morning
And we bring her down slow every night,
We don't let her touch the ground,
And we fold her up right.
On second thought
I *do* like to brag
Cause I'm mighty proud of
That Ragged Old Flag"

GOD BLESS AMERICA: LAND OF THE FREE AND HOME OF THE BRAVE!!!
May we never forget what this country really stands for.
I have only been to a little bit if the world, but I think I have seen enough to know that we really do live in one of the greatest countries in the world. Tonight, I walked out on my balcony and shot six .357's in the air. I can do that to celebrate our independence because I have the right to bear arms. I am writing this because my right to free speech. I stay informed of what is going on in the world because of the freedom of the press. I bow my head wherever I am and pray because I have freedom of religion. I vote for my leaders. I can be heard! What a great country. I love America and I am proud to be AN AMERICAN.

House Guest

This is Bentley. She is a chocolate lab. She belongs to Pat and Tim, they went out of town and we are taking care of her. This picture was after a good game of fetch in the pond. She was tuckered out.

Projectiles...

Fun fun fun...

Luke and I went shooting...

So, this afternoon Luke and I headed out to find somewhere to go shooting, besides Helmer, since it is so far. Well, we ended up out there, because it is kinda the place to go. Luke was breaking in his new Browning .308. I was trying out some of the loads I worked up last night, while waiting for the bats to leave (pictures forthcoming).
We shot all we had to shoot by 7:00. Then a fella pulled up in a darn good looking Dodge Cummins. He had a bumper sticker that read: God Bless Our Troops, Especially the Snipers. He had a bench rest in the back of the truck and we figured he was okay. He asked us what we had been shooting and then said, "You wanna shoot a real gun?"
With trepidation, we agreed. I told him I would catch heck for being late, but he said it would be worth it.
He pulled out the gun cases. In his hard case was a AR-style .50. He told us he'd shoot one and let us. He flinched when he pulled the first time, w/o firing, then said, "I have to do that, just to get the jitters out."
"You see that rock in the sunshine above the bush?" "Yeah." (It was 120 yards). BOOOOOM!!!
The rock busted into peices and tumbled.
He handed it to me, with a smile. I loaded it, pulled it to my shoulder and then remembered the safety. I had no idea where it was. "Just like an AR-15," Mike says. Since Aaron has one, and I have shot it, I knew where the safety was. I clicked it off. Deep breath. I was aiming for a rock above a bush that I thought was 20 feet up the hill.
BOOOOM!!! I felt the kick, not too bad, but the concussion from the shot hit me right between the eyes. The feeling reverberated down my body.
The rock was actually about 40 feet up. What a rock slide! It was awesome!
Luke took his shot. BOOOOM!!! Dadgumm.
That was one fun gun to shoot. We thanked Mike, of course now we introduced ourselves. He was from Moscow. A native, and a darn good fella.
Our smiles said it all. Mike said it was almost more fun to watch people shoot the gun than it was to shoot it.
So, the load of his ammunition was 220 grains of pulled military powder with a 700 grain bullet. In comparison, I shoot a 130 grain bullet with about 4.3 grains of powder. In the picture above this post is one of Luke's .308's. The next round (middle) is the 50 BMG. The far left is a snap cap.
Way too much fun!

Here are two good articles:

I do not generally do this kind of thing, but I found a couple of great articles on the 2nd Amendment.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
Carrying firearms a chance to educate public

Have you ever watched a Western movie and noticed the cowboy who looked out of place, but you couldn't figure out why? At some point in the movie it is pointed out that ol' Slim doesn't pack iron because he killed/nearly killed an innocent man/woman/child years ago and he swore he'd never touch another gun. How Slim deals with his demons is his own business; the point is that he stand out because he's not wearing a six-shooter.

These days the tables have turned and now most people are not seen with a handgun perched on their hip. When one sees someone carrying a gun, one usually assumes the armed person is either an off-duty police officer or someone up to no good. Most likely both assumptions are wrong.

There is a growing cadre of law-abiding gun owners who use their everyday interactions with others to educate them about firearms and our rights. According to a Los Angeles Times story, most states allow people who aren't barred from owning or carrying firearms to carry them openly. That is the way things should work in a free society; what isn't specifically forbidden is allowed. And government must have a good reason to forbid something.

Open carry is legal in Colorado, except where specifically banned. Locally, open carry was the subject du jour in 2003 when a man began carrying a shotgun with him as he went about his business. When his business included attending City Council meetings, council members took notice and banned open-carry in city-owned buildings. El Paso County has a similar law. Other than government buildings, including public schools and post offices, carrying firearms openly is legal most places in the Pikes Peak region.

Property owners have the right to forbid customers to carry on their property. We'd urge them to err on the side of freedom. When people see firearms owners as the friendly guy ahead of them in line at the grocery store or the woman sharing a joke with them at the coffee shop, they're likely to have a good opinion of firearms owners. Too often, the only thing non-owners hear about firearms is in connection to criminal activity. That unfairly casts legitimate owners in a bad light.

It's not just men packing iron these days, either. More women than ever before are attending firearms safety classes and carrying guns, openly or concealed. They know that firearms can be a safety factor for someone who knows how to use them. A 250-pound thug will think twice when he discovers his 130-pound intended victim is not inclined to do his bidding and has the ability to protect herself and her rights.

Firearms dealers and shooting clubs are presenting classes specifically aimed at educating women about firearms. Manufacturers are responding to this new market by rolling out firearms designed for women's smaller hands.

Open carry is not without its problems, though. Many police officers might not be aware of the legality of the practice and are apt to err on the side of caution when they come in contact with an armed citizen. Other people can feel uncomfortable in the presence of a firearm and might complain to management or call the police. Those who carry openly must be ready to explain their rights and let others know they don't present a threat.

It can be a dangerous world, and the recent budget cuts show there won't always be a police officer or sheriff's deputy around to protect everyone. Even if government had enough money to put an officer on every block, he could be at the other end of the block when some bad actor demands your wallet or kicks in your front door. Ultimately, each person is responsible for his or her own safety. And if gun owners can educate the public on positive aspects of firearms, everyone is better off.

Click here to read this on its original page.

Swiss prove guns not the culprit

Monday, 16 June 2008

Charley Reese Niccolo Machiavelli, who was a sort of Karl Rove of his day, though with more integrity, said of the Swiss that they were "the most free and most armed people" of Europe. Get it? The connection between arms and freedom? That statement is still true of the Swiss. Many people know that they practice neutrality, but not many know that they practice armed neutrality. If the gun controllers' claim that the mere presence of arms leads to mayhem were true, the Swiss would have wiped themselves out years ago. There are guns and gun ranges all over the place. You would be hard-pressed to find a Swiss home without a firearm and ammunition. Yet, the Swiss have a very low crime rate. If you were a robber or a rapist, who would you rather have as a victim? Someone who is armed, or someone who is defenseless? Even a stupid criminal knows the answer to that question. If the police can protect us -- which is another claim the gun-control people make -- then why are so many people murdered, raped and robbed? Even the television fictional stories tell you the answer to that. The cops get there after the crime has been committed. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a crime scene. Nearly all the cop shows open with the police looking at a dead, unarmed body. Do you really believe that the men who had just fought a long and bloody war against the British and were writing what we call the Bill of Rights had this conversation: "Well, let's see. We've guaranteed freedom of assembly, of religion, of speech and of the press. Oh, my gosh, we've forgotten the duck hunters. They'll raise heck if we leave them out, so we'd better write an amendment for them." The Second Amendment has nothing whatsoever to do with hunting. It states: "A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." The men who wrote these amendments were pretty darn fluent in English. If they had intended the right to keep and bear arms to apply only to the militia, they would have said so. They would have written "A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the states to arm their respective militias shall not be infringed." They didn't say that. The main sentence says "right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." "People" means everybody, not just the members of the militia. The subordinate clause, "A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state," just gives one, but not the only, reason why all the people have a right to keep and bear arms. The militia, after all, was drawn from the people. It was not the Army. The first meaning of "bear," by the way, is to carry, bring or take. Americans have the right to keep arms and to carry them. The word "regulate" in those days meant trained, and do you notice again the connection between arms and freedom? The subordinate clause refers to a "free state." Obviously, an unfree state would not allow the people to be armed. The Founding Fathers were not urban neurotics like so many of today's politicians. They were almost all outdoor people. Guns were to them just tools, like their axes or plows. You couldn't survive in the wilderness without firearms, and at the time of our Revolution, there were only about 3 million people from Maine to Georgia. Nor were there any police forces. There was no Secret Service, FBI or any of the other alphabet law-enforcement agencies. If you decided to travel, you traveled at your own risk, and you can bet people traveled armed. When I was last at Williamsburg, Va., they had a room in one of the historical houses arranged as if a traveler had just arrived and unpacked. There on top of a dresser was a pistol. (Write to Charley Reese at P.O. Box 2446, Orlando, FL 32802)

Click here to read the article as it appears in the Malvern Daily Record


Amen!

Our New Home...

The entry way...

The dining area/living room

The kitchen

So, yeah these pictures are kinda self explanatory, but oh well.

Tonight I tracked two deer all over the place. That was a heckuva work out.

You ever wonder where somethings come from, like just now, Olivia just asked if we can get a Christmas tree, in October... I think if we do that we may need to get one in October, then one near the end of November. An arbor I am not. In fact if it isn't a cultivated plant, I am not your man. (i.e. house plants and flowers...) Heaven knows that Grandma Jean and Gramma Marj tried to teach me.

Tomorrow is Father's Day. Call your dad and tell him how thankful you are for him. I tell you what, I am proud to have my dad as my father. He is a good man. He has raised four decent children; taught us how to work; respect ourselves and others; how to be a good husband & father; and he taught us all how to have a good time. I miss having Dad around, roping with him and working with him. I sure learn a lot from him (I almost put an "ed" on the end of learn, but that would be foolish, I learn new stuff from Dad all the time). One thing you should really see is my dad do back-flips on the basketball court during halftime when he referees... You ROCK DAD!!!

This is our view...

Looking west out of the living room, this is what we see. Sorry that the picture is not all too clear, when I find the real camera, I will post better pics.
BTW I just spent an hour or more stomping around in the woods. It was swell.

See the post below.

GLOBAL WARMING MY @$$...

For those of you who are "Green:" IT IS SNOWING HERE IN MOSCOW. NO, this is not a joke, and we are NOT in Moscow, Russia. I rode my motorcycle to skool and as I was going I thought, "Wow, that is a lot of white pollen coming off those trees." But then it hit me as the pollen melted on my helmet: that precipitation, in the form of snow. I tried to take a picture with my camera phone, but you just can't see it well enough.
In other news, we are 3/4 moved. We have a little left to move out. Then start the unpacking and organizing, Liv's favorite. We will get pictures on for everyone to see as soon as we find the camera... We think we know where it is in all the stuff we packed. At my request, we did not pack it in boxes, we packed it in trash bags. (They pack easier and there is less to clean up when your done, and we aren't moving across the country, it is only 5 miles).
Any how, I better get studying for today's classes...
Have a good one, and would someone get Al Gore's phone number for me, I have a somewhat inconvenient truth to tell him...

Did he just say that?

Steve just bought this Izzo bag from Big 5. It is a golf bag, for those of you who don't know. Steve also bought balls and tees. The cashier asked him if he needed a bag for his stuff. I said "Isn't that the point of the golf bag?" I do not think he got the joke...

100th Postiversary!!!

That is right folks, this is the 100th post on my blog! Those of you who have read all of them: WOW, congrats to you for following me on this crazy journey. I wonder if anyone has read all of them. I am pretty sure I have, but I wrote 'em!
Anyhow, guess who was smiling at the gas pump today: ME! I filled my motor bike up for $8.73. I am used to filling my truck, which, these days takes about $80-100. I have driven over 100 miles on the bike since I got it last week. It is amazing the excuses I can find to jump on and go. Driving that thing is way fun. Yeah, it leaks a little oil and the temperature control is speed, but is just like Old Blue. (For those of you who do not know Old Blue, she is a '72 Chevy step-side straight six, three on the tree. That was my ride in High School.) Heck, I even rode it today in the rain. I got a little wet but nothing like Steve Kun does during the rainy season, when he delivers the mail.
日本の郵便大好き。日曜日、僕は日本のため寂しくなったよ。日本へ戻りたい。モスコに雨がよく降ているので日本の梅雨のようなことだ。だけどイアダホを愛すろので大丈夫、それとも奥さんがいらしゃて下さているから、問題ない。
Well, this is short, but the above says most of it. Sorry to my friends who do not read Japanese, I just wanted to say something that some people in the Far East might like to hear.
Take care!

my veiw for the summer.

This is what I see every day. Kinda depressing.

Here is my new ride...

Yeah, it is a bit old, but I did get it up to 65 the other day.
For those of you wanting to know, the weather in Moscow has been pretty friggin awesome. It is different without the undergrad kids. No partiers running around drunk in the middle of the night. It is nice.
Summer school is neat. It is a whole lot of work, but I think it will be worth it. For those of you keeping score: I got a 2.26 this semester. That brings my overall to a 2.17. I am feeling good about that.
I hope all ya'll are doing well. There will be more coming on the blog since I can do it mobilly. BOOYAH!!!

These are my feet. I am trying out the mobile blogging. I shot this picture with my camera phone and am typing this entry on my tiny keypad. This may not be the ultimate way to do this... We shall see...

Good News:

I got an email yesterday that I have been accepted to the Waters of the West Masters Program. Yahoo! It means one more year of school past Law School, but it also means that when I graduate I will have both a J.D. and a Masters.
In related news: Olivia and I are moving! We are moving out of town into an apartment over a house. We are pretty excited to get out in the country, away from all the frat boys, sorority girls and the loud peeps who live behind us. The place is pretty, and quite nice. We will probably put pics up soon.
In other news: My Ruger is broken. I will have to send it away for repair, which means that I will be unarmed for the next three weeks (though I may convince Liv to let me get a lever action Marlin).
In World News: Congratulations out to Emi, she got married! The pictures she sent are gorgeous!
恵美ちゃん：美しいだよ!ご主人様はかっこいだよ!写真を送て下さたありがとう。
And finally today: We will miss all our school friends who are leaving. I hope all of you have some good times over the summer. Stay cool...

So this teknology thing...

I am not too sure about it. Why? Because I just had the creepiest feeling that I might be being watched. I cannot explain it, but it is almost like how Marshall Dillon always wondered if someone was stalking him when he saw a shadow out of the corner of his eye. I don't carry my sixgun with me, though, so it is not a huge deal. Just a little weird.
Today is my last final for my first year of law skool. The funny thing about these tests is it really isn't the tests that bother me, it is the grades. I could take these tests all day, but getting the grades back is enough to make me very crazy. You know, I have only developed three or four stress-based illnesses since starting here. Some have more and some have less.
Anyhow, I think it is time to get back to studying. I am, right now, knowing and purposefully avoiding thinking about people who are willfully blind. Such people are not reckless or negligent. I hope.

Compliments...

I have been called a few things in life. Some things I have been called are nice and build me up and some aren't very congenial at all. Tonight I was paid a real nice compliment, a friend told me that he could always depend on me to tell him where the bear sits. I reckon that is pretty nice. For those of you not acquainted with country life, it means, in simpler terms that I am trustworthy. I have always believed it is better to be trusted than to be loved. Give that a thought.
I would also like to tell you that one word has been a complement to my life. That word is the one description I love to be called more than any other. More than "cowboy," "funny," "handy," or even "handsome." That word is Husband. I am glad that a good woman calls me husband. It does my heart good.
-By the way, I know the difference between "compliment" and "complement."

ENVIROMENTALLY FRIENDLY

I decided to go green with my blog, seeing how that is the new hip thing to do. I tell you what though, truth is I was green long before this whole movement started. I grew up riding horses or my bicycle where ever I went. I even got a little green on my face when I got bucked off the horse. These days, though, everything is "going green."

To be honest, I don't know if I like it. What do all the other colors think? Has anyone considers that maybe blue and yellow are feeling a little over used and under appreciated? How about red, you never even hear red as an option any more. The only red you see zipping around is the firetrucks, what if they went green? That'd sure be a lot of towns needing new paint for the fleet. Black is simply out of the question, cause it is dark and scary, although some folks sure like to wear a lot of black, but I think they get balked at. Those folks aren't exactly wearing black cause of a funeral or cause they are in the Japanese mafia, I don't even think it is because they like Johnny Cash, although I haven't asked 'em. Heck if those folks started wearing green, things could go crazy! UPS lately has been driving brown trucks for as long as I have been alive, I sure hope they don't change to green, that would throw off the wildly popular marketing scheme of the white-board with brown marker. Those are good commercials, keep 'em coming!

If you sense a little bit of apprehension for all this going green, just remember that there is usually a reason why things catch on: money. Money is also green in our country, at least it used to be, till we got these new fangled bills with all sorts of funny pictures. They tell me its to keep folks from copyin' the bills, but who knows, I think its just cause some people like new wallpaper.

I think this green trend was started by Jim Hensen, with Kermit. I doubt he was thinkin' that it'd catch on like this, but it sure has. Kermit was right though, it ain't easy being green. Just ask the feller who ate organic food all his life; a pal told me a story about a feller who ate pretty much what all the cows eat, just stuff that was green. When the doc pronounced him dead folks asked what killed him. All's the doc said was "He died of natural causes."

Cold Pepsi

I am downing a cold Pepsi right now, the sun is shining, the birds are singing and it is 66 outside. The only problem: I am in the Law Bldg. I am trying to wrap my head around the world of Contracts. This was my worst subject last year, and I hope I can pull my grade up a little.
The morning hasn't been all bad though, I changed the oil on the truck and installed a new fan clutch. In the last few days the fan has been making a neat whistling sound. Stuff like that bothers me, and I like to catch it when it happens, so I got it fixed. The clutch cost me about $90 and I payed $23 for my oil (I buy the five quart oil, keep some in the truck). How much is the labor? I dunno, I don't think I have been put on the payroll since my education has kicked in, so I must be worth about $1.295 an hour now. That is up from $1.00 a few years ago, I feel good about that.
By the way, I will soon be posting pics of the ammunition reloading process. In the short spare time that I have I have got 100 rounds done. My goal is to have about 250 done before finals. Then after every test take a drive in the woods and shoot some targets. It is a very therapeutic way to get through the finals around here.
Things have been good for Liv and I. It was her birthday yesterday, the big 20! She worked in the afternoon and then we went and helped some friends move. When I recovered from the moving, we went out to eat. The palce was called the Sangria, not too shabby. It wasn't exactly my cup of tea, I prefer places like Bubba's in I.F., or the Helmer Store. I was the only hat in the place and people were drinking their hoity-toity wine and talking politics (the substance of which was limited to leftist crap, the tough decision between Obama and Clinton). I caught myself thinking about the time I pulled a three year old colt up and over on top of me and almost broke my femur. That seemed a pleasant thought compared to listening to people tell each other how the price of fuel needs to rise to over $5 so people will get away from fossil fuels that pollute Mother Earth. ANY HOW, it was good tasting food. I was also pleased to be there with Liv. I love her and whatever makes her happy is what makes me happy.
Well, I guess I had ought to get studying. I wish this stuff would work by osmosis, but I just get headaches when I try that...
恵美ちゃんへおめでとう！けこんしきの発表をうけました。いくことはできないけど、行きたいね。ご主人へよろしくを伝えて下さい。そのカドをおくるつもり。また、ね！

Soon life will be back to normal...

I am happy to announce that I am sort of finished with my Appellate Brief. The reason I say sort of, is I am in the polishing stage of this gem. I am going to put it away, enjoy Church tomorrow and look at it afresh on Monday Morning.
Tuesday will be like a new life. I am certain almost all of my classmates will say the same thing, LETS GET PLASTERED!!! I don't even drink and that sounds like a good idea, almost. I have typed a lot today, so I am going to leave this post as is, and maybe post this coming week.

For those of you who thought I was perfect...

I may have taken the plunge into the abyss of weirdness, I joined the social network utility know as Facebook. This is a strange new world that I am unaccustomed to. Hopefully I am not fully assimilated. We shall see. I felt like I was almost joining the collective known as the Borg, you know, from Star Trek. Kinda freaky.
In other news: I am becoming a grown up, had to change the cell phone plan to include Olivia, we are on a family plan. I am not a fan of such things, but we had to. I just hope we can keep our minutes tamed. I used to talk a ton on my phone, but now the one person I did most of my talking to sleeps with me, and I with her, so we don't eat up a ton of time. We did do the "My Faves" thing, so we shall see who gets those honors.
Spring Break has pretty much sucked eggs for me. I have been sick to the point of not being able to even write my paper. NOT GOOD, it is due next Friday, oh well, we'll see what happens
HOWEVER, I did get something done. I completed my first 50 rounds of reloading ammunition. I made up some 158 grain Lead Round Nose .38 Specials. They look pretty good, except two that got over crimped. I may not take the chance on firing those. Pictures of reloading will come, I assure you.
Hope all is well in your neck of the woods, wherever that is. Have a good weekend and check out my profile on Facebook!
PS Thanks to the Todds for the awesome desk!

Olivia's Hair, and Flowers on Tuesday

So, I think the pictures are worth a lot of words, but I should explain a bit. Liv cut her hair a week ago. She looks great! The flowers were because I haven't bought her flowers for a long time actually since we have been at law school:(. I am just happy.
I also earned the best grade of my law school career today! A "B" on my Motion for Summary Judgment. I am so happy.
Hope you all are doing well. Don't forget to answer the quiz!

Guess what?!?!

No, we are not going to have a baby, but we finally have a kitchen table and chairs! Thanks to Gramma Marj, Dad and Matt Darrington for making this miracle possible. Gramma gave us the table that was in her kitchen, since they got a new one a while ago. It is kind of surreal to be eating at a table that I have eaten on for most of my life. Many of you blog readers may not know, but I spent a lot of time with my grandparents, when I was younger and even when I go home, I love spending time with Gramma and Grampa Larsen and Gramma Jean. I am pretty sure that is why I love being around older people. Last Fast and Testimony meeting I referred to older people as an "astute" group, I have not heard the end of it. Oh, well. Anyhow, it is just really nice to be eating on a real table instead of using the camping chairs that we received at our wedding last year. I had kinda forgotten how nice it is to have a meal at a table with my wife.
This week was a bit rough, Liv has been sick and I have been super busy at school. Liv is feeling a bit better, but she is pretty stuffed up, not to mention that tonight we both have a disparaging case of wind breaking. "Charlie, light a match!" Yeah, it is bad... Sorry to mention that, but I thought it was necessary.
How about Leap Day this year? Wasn't that fun, another day of February? I read a case at school where a prisoner was saying that he had been sentenced to 12 years of prison and that it was unjust that he would have to serve the extra three days that Leap Year provided. That is creative, but he didn't get that one past the judge.
Anyhow, I hope that all is well for all ya'll! Take care of yourselves! We love you all and miss you much!
日本にいる友達へ皆さん元気でしょうか？ひさしぶりだね。今年年賀状を出し中田のでごめんね。皆さんへよろしく。また何時か。。。

I had a lead deficiency...

But I am feeling better now. Aaron, Steve and I headed out to Helmer this morning to put some lead in the air. It was nice. We saw a lot of deer tracks as well as some smaller varmint tracks that none of us knew. It is always nice to get out in nature, hike to a spot that is safe, set up some targets and squeeze a trigger. Makes me feel good. I really miss roping and riding, but sacrifices must be made.
By the way, I have the greatest wife, she sure is wonderful. On Valentines Day she decorated my carrel at school all up with hearts and candy and stuff. It made some of the fellas jealous and some of the gals decorated each other's carrel to feel good. She sure is great.
Speaking of which, today is the 16th and our anniversary is coming up. It has almost been a year since we got married! Wow, time sure does fly. The crazy thing about life is you get used to things being a certain way, and it is hard to imagine them any other way. I just don't think I could live without Olivia. What a woman. Sure, we have our problems, disagreements and stuff, but I just cannot imagine being here at this point in my life without her. She is definitely my better half. Just ask any of my friends, Liv keeps me in line and helps me be the man I am sure the Lord wants me to be. You just can't ask for more than that.
The pictures here are things that remind me that I am still a cowboy. There is a saying "If you really wanna forget all your troubles, take a walk in a pair of high-heeled boots." I am here to tell you, these boots are comfortable, you really do forget all your troubles. The revolver is my .357 Ruger Blackhawk . It is a nice six-shooter, pretty accurate and it was a heck of a deal.
I hope everyone is doing well. Keep a prayer in your hearts and don't forget my little family. We miss all our friends and we are thankful for all ya'll. Take care!

An Ounce of Attention is Worth a Pound of...

I haven't thought about what should go at the end of this sentence. I have no idea what is going on sometimes. So, I am hoping that everyone is doing well.
Had a lot of semi-sweet moments last week. Welcome to the world Reese Naylor. What a kid, Jake and Lindsay's newborn, cutest newborn I have ever seen. Face it, some of these littlins look like aliens, all squished and red. We visited the Naylors in the horsepistol. It was pretty neat.
Two fellas checked out of life, my great uncle, Don Wixom and a Prophet of God, Gordon Bitner Hinkley. Sad to lose the association with both men. That is the funny thing about life, we all get to leave, but we just don't get to leave together. That is why sometimes people are sad, at least, that is why I get a little sad when people die. It is not because they are "gone forever," because you and I both know they are not. They are gone from our association, but not forever. Think on that happy day when we will be reunited with all those who have passed before us. What a happy day!
I know we all go through rough times, but that is the point of this world. It isn't the Lone and Dreary World for nothing. The part to note is that it will get better. The Plan is called the Plan of Happiness! Not the plan of despair. We should be grateful for the trials and the growth that comes from them and move on, stronger and better. Some of you who have been around me know that my life isn't all charmed, but I would be blatantly foolish to say my life is "hard." I just am thankful that I have the trials and do and that I don't have the trials that I don't.
If anyone wants to go shoot anything anytime soon, lemme know. I wouldn't mind firing some rounds through the .357.
Make it a good day everyone!
May the Wind be at your back, the Sun shine on your face, and may the Good Lord take a liking to ya'll.

日本人の友達たちへ元気をだしましょう！またみなさんへよろしく！

The picture is the moon in the morning on my way to school... Global Warming, gotta love it!

Just in case...

I thought I would put up this picture to thank some of our friends that we haven't seen for a long while. Hope all ya'll are doing well.

Shortest three weeks of Our Marriage.

Did you folks know that my blog has been viewed over 1,000 times?! Holy 'mokes! I would like to personally thank you for this momentous occasion. Happy New Year by the way.
Liv and I are back in Moscow and classes are back on. Grades have been posted. Let's just say that I may not have the best grades, but if they think that I am gonna just fade into the background, they are wrong. I will overcome and be successful. I have lots of support behind me and I will not let those people down, come poop and high water. I come from a long line of hard working people and I refuse to back down from a pursuit that I believe Heavenly Father has sent me on. Enough of that garbage...
It is weird to say, but it is nice to be "home." Don't get me wrong, I love Burley more than most folks, but it is nice to be home with my wife. We have great family and had a good time at home, I may have had a better time than Liv, cause I got to work. Crazy to think how much good physical labor can do for a feller's attitude. We were able to spend time with some of our favorite peoples. What good influences we have. I also got to go rope a few cows. Liv also got the opportunity to perform one of her favorite pastimes, she went shopping with her mom, sister and grandma. They left in the afternoon and didn't get home till the wee hours of the morning. Crazy! Okay, so it was only 11:30 at night, but that was later than I was out roping...
We had a chance to spend time with Riley and Allison et al. They brought a Wii with them. What a hoot! You need to see my dad play that thing, it was worth it.
We also had the opportunity to eat our complete fill of chocolates and sweets. Christmas is time for the Mortensen women to make homemade chocolates and cookies. Nothing better, I gurandamntee it.
Well, I hope all is well for all ya'll.

あきましておめでとうございます！

今年が神様の愛と祝福がありますように。。。

PS The picture is W. Brent as a baby, isn't he a cutie?

The End of an Era

Tomorrow will bring a hint of sadness. We are heading North again to Moscow. Another semester will begin. Today we are saying goodbye to family and friends and trying to get all our stuff together to pack up. It is amazing how fast this past couple weeks has flown by. Oh well, another chapter closing and another one opening... See ya'll in Moscow!