This is the way I live...... Joshua Mezin

SERIOUSLY! I can't wait. 30 ROCK LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-08-03T23:58:00.000-07:00

Okay so those of you who know me well, know how much I am anticipating this episode!!!!! I have a plane ticket ready to use, and I would drop everything, and I mean everything to see this being taped if tickets are being sold. 30 Rock is simply genius! If you havent watched it, or say anything bad about it; YOU SUCK AT LIFE!!!! hahaha. Now really, in all honesty, you have bad taste if you feel in such a way. Im amped for Season 5 to start!!! Cant wait for Sept 23rd!!!!! And if I do go you better believe that I am going to be wearing my shoes!!

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What I've been up lately......

2010-04-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Forest-Lab-Only-Kings-Have-Rings

When you read the article it will give you the details of it all. I've been handling business with two good friends of mine, that own a clothing company; The Forest Lab. It has been like a year since I first got involved with TFL#! and it has been nothing short of craziness. Especially the last two weeks, we have been busy non stop with this new shirt, Only Kings Have Rings. Any Laker Fans out there need to check out this one of a kind shirt. The artwork is completely original, drawn by the one and only, and extremely talented, Matt Cory. The kid is incredible at what he does. He created a masterpiece for especially for me on a pair of Vans Slips. They are one offs and there will never be another pair like them! I am gonna have him draw another pair actually, slightly different to keep as a "momento" of my love for my favorite tv show 30 Rock. I am toying with the idea of sending them to the studio where they film, and see if they can get autographed. I know wishful thinking, but its worth a shot, right? Look for his link in the article.

LEt me know what you guys think, and check out our website, www.theforestlab.com!

Henchmen#!

oh and here are my sweet kicks!

"I can no other answer make, but thanks, and thanks"

2010-04-12T23:28:00.000-07:00

Thank You.

As adolescent as it may seem to begin a letter with those two words, anything else would be remiss. I recently finished reading your book, A Promise to Ourselves, and having grown up with parents that taught me the importance of gratitude, resulted in writing this letter. As I read each page of your book I learned far more than I anticipated. For the better part of an evening, I felt compassion, sympathy, anger and frustration, and even laughed at your picturesque description of lawyers. I am fortunate to say my parents are still married, so your story along with the other accounts of personal struggles, affected me immensely.

From an early age, my own family relations exposed me to the harsh realities of divorce. As I grew up my social realm proved much the same. I quickly became the "counselor" or the go to guy my friends sought in their anguish. My desire to help my friends and others initially stems from watching my Godmother lose her battle with breast cancer. At twelve years old, I watched my best friend that was more like my little brother, as his life was irrevocably altered with his mother gone. He and I shared conversations that helped us both cope and encouraged us to move on.

A few years later, my world dissolved yet again as breast cancer claimed the life of my grandmother. The progress that I made previously was plundered, and I was headed back to the starting block. Teenage years came and went as I directed my actions to the dreams of others, and pursued dreams I presumed pleasing to the people that mattered the most to me; my parents. In a single sitting I read your book, cover to cover, and strained as my eyes were from reading on a dimly lit iPhone screen, the path I should have been on for years was now in focus crystal clear.

Through the vortex of emotions accompanied with the immeasurable empathy conceived, I was able to understand the significance of following a once childhood dream. Doing something professionally that helps others work through their own issues and struggles with a resolve to overcome obstacles, gives me a noble purpose. Becoming a counselor enables me to use the talents I've been given to help others, with the possible ensuing results being the life of my desire.I believe that in some small way, my desire can possibly help those that are in need of some sort of solace.

So, again, Thank You. Thank you for sharing your own personal story. I admire your willingness to share this with the world, and commend the courage it took to relive events as you wrote this book. Ralph Waldo Emerson penned:

“To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

These words were read at the funeral of my Godmother, and haven't been forgotten by the 12-year-old ears that heard them for the first time. Now at 26, I feel I am able to breathe easier as I pursue my most sincere dreams, and help others. Thank you.

WOW.... I never post anything!

2010-01-14T22:59:00.001-08:00

Its been over a year since I have typed on this blog. Truth is I forgot the password and tried to log into it a million times and had no luck. So over a year later my memory came back and I am back in business.

I don't even know where to start on trying to describe the last year of life. There is so much that I could write and I wish I had done this sooner so I could remember all that happened more clearly. But I didn't so I will readers digest it for ya'lls.

The Year started of with moving back to CA from Boise, which was a warmer change in weather but although I was convinced I needed to do it. However, once I got here I quickly realized that I wasn't so sure. I started school at The University of California Riverside, and probably made the lamest decision of the year. Seriously the school sucked! There wasn't a thing I liked about it but for my Holocaust Class. Enough about that experience, and needless to say I wasn't a student there for long. I quit school actually at that point and went to work more to take up my extra time.

Work this year has been busy times. I started off the year working for Greg and finished off the majority of the year making liquid vitamins. Although the commute was much more enjoyable, the job proved to be rather challenging. It is slowly coming to a joyful end actually!!

So The year of 2009 was exciting like I mentioned. Shelly got married, I turned 25, and had an amazing birthday party and then weekend at the beloved lake known as the Doghouse. My best friend from Idaho, Mr. Bundy, aka Daren, joined the festivities. It was rad having him here, I wish more of my friends from up there would have been partying with us. The 4th of July proved to be a ton of fun as it always is, and August brought some fun with it as well.

My Dad, the amazing man that he is, turned 50 on the 24th day of the month, and we had a huge surprise party for him. We had so much fun at the party. It was a ton of work but worth every second of it after seeing my Dad's reaction. I am so lucky to call William Mezin my dad, he is one of a kind.

Next came October....... I'm not much of a fan of October anymore(Besides Halloween). The month reminds me of My Aunt Jennifer, its her birthday on the 7th. It is also sadly the month she passed away 2 years prior. The days still seem to be a little off without our normal daily conversations, but this year was a bit easier for me than last. Tobe was a big part of my life and I do miss talking to her so much and hearing her loud laugh. Most of all I think that I miss her friendship and how we talked about everything. There isn't a day that goes by that something doesn't remind me of her. I know she is still my Aunt Tobe, I just wish she was here to enjoy life with me still.

Then the Holidays came. Oh what a joy................ Especially with my family. I love them. I am very lucky to have the people in my life that I do. I hope that they are all aware that I would be extremely sad without them. Thanksgiving was fun, rather uneventful this year, which was nice. I took a 3 hour nap while watching Kindergarten Cop with Casey and Joey. But I'm pretty sure Casey watched the movie alone with Joey and I titties up the entire time. I didn't even eat much actually because I was so tired. Also a good thing that happened on Thanksgiving.

The Next month until Christmas was a slammed disaster. The days all seemed to blend together and I really remember very little of it actually. People wanted a lot of vitamins. December was an interesting month in the Mezin Residence. There were some crazy things that happened. Some were laughed off, and some were cried off, and some were even unsuccessfully wished away. The main point is everyone is healthy and doing just fine.

As always Christmas day is so much fun. Its so exciting to give people gifts and see their reactions(even the bad ones), while possibly laughing so hard your stomach hurts. This year(again, AS USUAL) I was spoiled beyond belief. I got new clothes, a lot of new clothes, new workout stuff, since I actually do that again these days, an exhaust for my truck(LOVE IT), and an awesome pair of sunglasses. I cant even name all of it because I got too much....... SPOILED

I had a long week at work the week after Christmas, we cleaned and polished the warehouse floors and it WORKED ME OVER. Okay wait I just remembered that was the week before Xmas. The week after I ripped up flooring in one of the rooms at work and scrapped adhesive for a long time... SUCKED! Then I acid washed the floor and painted it with epoxy and sealer. Never gonna do that again..... Trust

New Years Eve was amazing actually. I did nothing but relax with some of my favorite people, watch football, read books, and sleep. And I would be lying if I didn't mention the 2 cartons of It's It ice cream sandwich bars that i ate in like 6 hours... Yes I am a fatty. The weekend at the Doghouse was great, with an exception of the speeding ticket that I got on my way there. EFF the CHP!

So as you can see I had a really good year. There were a couple key things that I did forget to mention though in my rant. I started school again and 2010 I will FINALLY be a college grad with a BA in Communications. I will finish up in the beginning of May. Which brings me to discussions of other things but those will come in future posts since I want to try to post more regularly. Also this year in September I saw again for the first time in I have no clue how many years, a good friend, Tammie. It was really good to see her and spend hours on end talking with her and Myles, catching each other up on the last 10 plus years. My grandpa moved back to the states from Panama, which makes me feel better. There are some other things I know I am forgetting, so if its something you remembered or if I forgot someone, no harm no foul I hope.... Good times, more to come

Talk to ya soon

The End of The Semester And The End of Another Chapter of My Life

2008-12-08T17:25:00.000-08:00

So the title of this blog totally gives it away. Yes it is the end of the semester, and I couldn't be more happy about that, but a lot has changed in the last few weeks that is drawing and end to this chapter of life. It all started about 3 weeks ago,when I got accepted to the University of California at Riverside. I found out on the tuesday before I was supposed to go home for Thanksgiving, and I really didn't know what to do. Yeah I was excited, and so happy that I actually go in. I guess the third time really is a charm with some things in life. Getting accepted didn't bring all fuzzy warm feelings though.

I have been living here in Boise for almost four months now, and have honestly come to absolutely love it here. I love going to Boise State, and I have met some people here that I am pretty sure I will stay in touch with for years to come. I came to find my own niche here and a added a circle of friends that are so fun to be around, and can laugh at anything. Living here I feel like I have grown up a little bit, and learn a little bit more about myself. I had a conversation with one of my friends last night that was I guess unexpected, you could say. This friend told me that he was bummed and kinda upset that I was leaving. Not that I dont think we have a good friendship, but I was kinda shocked at what I was hearing. I mean it is a blessing in my life to have such good friends, and I know that this person and I will be friends for a while to come. Its hard to find loyal friends that you get along with so well. I have come to the point that I will miss these friends more than I am going to miss the bitter cold, and smell of cow dung. Okay and the blue turf I will miss as well.
As I reflect back on my experience of moving to Boise, I smile. I was able to do something that I always wanted to do, attend a University that I love, and will now for sure always be a Bronco Fan, and meet some amazing friends. Moving back home I know without a shadow of a doubt is the best thing for me and for the success of my future, but Boise will always hold a little bit of my heart for the awesome experience it has been for me. In my last few days here, with the burden of finals and ending the semester up strong, I want to thank my Heavenly Father for blessing me with the ability to come here and for my loved ones support and care, and for welcoming people that today at the end of it all, I call my friends. I will miss you all. And dont forget you have a place to stay in CA. Deuces I'm Out

My Talk from Church

2008-11-11T16:55:00.000-08:00

So a few weeks ago I get a call, and I get asked to speak in church...... YUCK. Not a huge fan of it, but I said yes, and just kinda went from there. I studied it the entire week and a half it was and I wasnt able to full express my thoughts, So I gave my "Mormon Mom" a call and she pull it all together for me. Studying about this topic made me realize how thankful I am for the loving people in my life and for the gospel knowledge I have in my life now. Here is the final product!

I was going to just summarize this for you all, but I thought it would be best to have it all there.. So enjoy!

In the Church we often sing the hymn, “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet.” President Gordon B. Hinckley expounded on the background of that song in a talk he gave with the same title. He said,

“It was written more than a century ago by a man of humble circumstances who lived in Sheffield, England. He worked in the steel mills and was discharged because he joined the Mormon Church. But there burned in his heart a great and fervent testimony; and out of an overflowing spirit of gratitude, he penned these moving lines. They have become a grateful expression of appreciation for millions over the earth. I have heard them sung in many different languages as a reverent prayer of thanksgiving for divine revelation.

How thankful we ought to be, how thankful we are, for a prophet to counsel us in words of divine wisdom as we walk our paths in these complex and difficult times. The solid assurance we carry in our hearts, the conviction that God will make His will known to His children through His recognized servants, is the real basis of our faith and activity. We either have a prophet or we have nothing; and having a prophet, we have everything.”

I would like to focus today on the last line in that quote, We either have a prophet or we have nothing; and having a prophet, we have everything.” Perhaps I might address more fully the “everything” we really have.

In Amos 3:7 it is written, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”

The most important blessing we receive by having a prophet of God on the earth today is that of authority.

The Lord gives his prophets, seers, and revelators both the priesthood authority and the keys they need to act in his name. The keys are the right of presidency. President Joseph F. Smith wrote:

“It is necessary that every act performed under this authority shall be done at the proper time and place, in the proper way, and after the proper order. The power of directing these labors constitutes the keys of the Priesthood. In their fullness, the keys are held by only one person at a time, the prophet and president of the Church. He may delegate any portion of this power to another, in which case that person holds the keys of that particular labor.”

Our modern day prophet literally holds ALL the keys necessary for our salvation and exaltation concerning our progress here on earth. He is the key holder of the Aaronic Priesthood which gives him the right to administer in the ordinances of the gospel of repentance and baptism, and allow the ministering of angels. These ordinances then prepare us to receive the Melchizedek ordinances of which he also holds the keys. These Melchizedek Priesthood keys allow us to “know the mysteries of kingdom and the knowledge of God” receiving the higher ordinances of the temple.

His “right to presidency” turns all those keys on our behalf and allows us choose to return back to the presence of our Father.

He also has been given, through the laying on of hands, the same keys that were given to Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple. These keys allow for the gathering of Israel and the restoration of the Ten tribes to commence, given by the original key holder Moses, himself. Also given are the keys to the sealing power, binding in Heaven that which is bound on earth, under the direction of Elijah the prophet. This is literally everything!

As you can see it is evident that without a prophet we have nothing, and with him we have everything, as a people, a nation, and a church.

The Lord has always been willing to reveal His will to His children on earth whenever they have been willing to receive it.

President Spencer W. Kimball explained, “For thousands of years there have been constant broadcasts from heaven of vital messages of guidance and timely warnings, and there has been a certain constancy in the broadcasts from the most powerful station. Throughout all those centuries there have been times when there were prophets who tuned in and rebroadcasted to the people. The messages have never ceased.”

Elder Mark E. Petersen taught that the Lord raises up prophets in every age to meet the challenges of the times. He said,

“Did not Moses minister to the particular needs of his people? Did not Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel do likewise? Did not Peter and Paul give answers to the immediate problems of their day, tailored to fit the conditions that faced their own neighbors and friends? . . .

“He [God] certainly revealed himself anciently. If he is unchangeable, as the scriptures say, should he not do as much for modern people as he did for the ancients?

“Throughout Bible times he made himself known. Especially when his people began to drift astray did he manifest himself in power to bring them back to the fold.

“This he did through new prophets whom he raised up from time to time, and to whom he gave new revelations, which revitalized and gave added meaning to the divine word previously given.”

More recently President Ezra Taft Benson made the following statement, “"The most important prophet, so far as we are concerned is the one who is living in our day and age. This is the prophet who has today’s instructions from god to us today. God's revelation to Adam did not instruct Noah how to build the ark. Every generation has the need of the ancient scripture, plus the current scripture from the living prophet.”

Through his prophets the Lord will continue to give guidance and counsel which, if heeded, will solve all of the world’s problems and heal all the world’s ills.

Individually with the turning of those priesthood keys, we are given the blessing of divine guidance or the gift of Revelation. Each of us can receive personal revelation regarding issues that concern us personally. In addition to that, our prophet holds the keys of revelation regarding the direction of Christ’s Church upon the earth today. This gift of divine revelation is one of infinite worth. Can you imagine where we would be without the help and guidance from our Father?

In 1965 President Marion G. Romney said, “Our affluent society is filled with much anxiety because the inhabitants of the world ‘. . . seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, . . .’ (D&C 1:16.) I ask you candidly, how could current attitudes of men and nations throughout the world be more accurately described?”

As true as that statement was in 1965, I believe it is an even more accurate description of our society today. Earthly wisdom is not always enough to solve the problems confronting mankind. No sooner does one problem seem solved than a worse one surfaces elsewhere. Wisdom greater than man’s wisdom is needed to solve the problems of our times, we need the direction of God to help us come to the solutions we seek. Our need to hear his voice has never been greater. For this reason we can truly be “thankful for a prophet.”

Holding the keys of the gift of Revelation, our modern day prophets are also known as Revelators. Elder John A Widtsoe explained the function of a revelator as follows:

“A revelator makes known, with the Lord’s help, something before unknown. It may be new or forgotten truth, or a new or forgotten application of known truth to man’s need. Always, the revelator deals with truth, certain truth and always it comes with the divine stamp of approval. Revelation may be received in various ways, but it always presupposes that the revelator has so lived and conducted himself as to be in tune or harmony with the divine spirit of revelation, the spirit of truth, and therefore capable of receiving divine messages.” (Evidences and Reconciliations, p. 258.)

God reveals his secrets to a human revelator, who in turn may reveal those truths to others. Elder Mark E Petersen explained, “People who are not members of this church may not sense the great significance attached to his ministry. Even some Latter-day Saints have not yet discovered it. But the president of the Church is in fact a prophet raised up in these last days to give inspired guidance, not only to Latter-day Saints, but to all mankind everywhere.”

Therefore a prophet becomes a “Watchman on the Tower” or the “Voice of Warning” for all people.

In the book of Moses we read of an intimate experience as Enoch was called to be the Lords prophet, seer, and revelator of his time. We can use this experience to compare the prophets of old to that of our modern day prophets.

In Moses Chapter 6: 31-38 we read:

31 And when Enoch had heard these words, he ^abowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying: ^bWhy is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people ^chate me; for I am ^dslow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant?

32 And the Lord said unto Enoch: Go forth and do as I have commanded thee, and no man shall pierce thee. Open thy ^amouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance, for all flesh is in my hands, and I will do as seemeth me good.

33 Say unto this people: ^aChoose ye ^bthis day, to serve the Lord God who made you.

34 Behold my ^aSpirit is upon you, wherefore all thy words will I justify; and the ^bmountains shall flee before you, and the ^crivers shall turn from their course; and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore ^dwalk with me.

35 And the Lord spake unto Enoch, and said unto him: Anoint thine eyes with ^aclay, and wash them, and thou shalt see. And he did so.

36 And he beheld the ^aspirits that God had created; and he beheld also things which were not visible to the ^bnatural eye; and from thenceforth came the saying abroad in the land: A ^cseer hath the Lord raised up unto his people.

37 And it came to pass that Enoch went forth in the land, among the people, standing upon the hills and the high places, and cried with a loud voice, testifying against their works; and all men were ^aoffended because of him.

38 And they came forth to hear him, upon the high places, saying unto the ^atent-keepers: Tarry ye here and keep the tents, while we go yonder to behold the seer, for he prophesieth, and there is a strange thing in the land; a ^bwild man hath come among us.

Our modern day prophet is called of God, not because of status but by the qualification of worthiness. He becomes the mouth piece for the Lord, directed by the Spirit. He holds the keys of the priesthood from which all power flows. He sees as God sees not as man sees. He preaches repentance and expounds doctrine that oft times is not the popular view of society, therefore men may be “offended because of him.” He not only testifies of Christ through the spirit of prophesy, but officiates in all the sacred ordinances of the gospel. And finally I am happy to declare of President Thomas S. Monson, “a wild man hath come among us.” I am grateful he does not bend to the will of the people but stands strong for truth and voices the will of the Lord.

President J. Reuben Clark, Jr. related an experience he had and teaches a great lesson in the following statement he made in 1948:

“Sometime ago a pamphlet came across my desk which unfortunately I threw away. On the outside page it was stated, ‘We need a prophet,’ and as I read it then, and as I think of it now, I think how blind the world is. We have a prophet, an American prophet, one who spoke our language, one who was imbued with Christian ideals, and that prophet gave us the great righteous principles of which we know and of which the world partly knows; he gave them in our own language over a hundred years ago. . . .

“Now our Prophet, Joseph Smith, and the prophets since his time—and there has always been a prophet in this Church, and prophets, and you sustain the brethren here, conference after conference, as prophets, seers, and revelators—the Prophet himself, through the Lord by revelation, gave certain great principles that would save the world if the world would but listen. We do not lack a prophet; what we lack is a listening ear by the people and a determination to live as God has commanded. That is all we need. The way has been made perfectly clear.”

This lesson is still timely for us as well, we have a prophet what we need to do is listen to him and do his will. How do we do this?

Delbert L. Stapley, of the Council of the Twelve, helps us to understand better how we can do it, he says,

“To get a clear picture and a clear understanding of what is expected of us, we should study the four standard works of the church. We should also study the writings of the prophets, including those of the Prophet Joseph Smith, down to the present time. We must abide by the teachings, not only of the dead prophets, but also of the living prophets.”

In conclusion, how thankful I am for a prophet. I know because we have a prophet on the earth today we have everything. I know that we need to learn what our prophets have asked of us, and listen to their words and do the will of the Lord as give to us through them.

2008-10-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Kelly Beisner: Remembering My Aunt Tobe

2008-10-07T15:01:00.001-07:00

Jennifer Kelly Schutz was born October 7, 1969 to her parents Jack and Carole, and to two loving siblings, a sister, Susan, and a brother, Michael. She was a cute little baby and had beautiful blue eyes. Jennifer was always a special person and she did require some special attention. At the age of 12 she was diagnosed with Diabetes, and from what I remember, she wasn't too fawned of it. Her growing up years were already somewhat difficult with her parents going through a divorce with her siblings and her right in the middle. Jennifer was to say the least a bit rebellious; there are some crazy stories to go along with it all too.

She graduated from Indio High School in 1986, and began her journey of life. Her journey took her many places and into many different things. Jennifer struggled with a lot of battles in her life, and she let those things really dictate the things she did. In the early 90's she was treated at UCLA for the eating disorders that plagued her. She was able to complete the treatments, and was doing really good for a while. Her great grandmother, known to everyone as Gramsy, died shortly after, which affected her in many ways. She felt very close to her and in a sense felt lost with having her gone. Again, Jennifer in her own way bounced back from her trials and went on with life. Anyone that Jennifer came in contact with shortly realized the type of person she was. She loved having her schedule of things to do in a day, and made a routine that she stuck to 150%; and any deviation from that routine resulted in an irritated Jennifer. She just liked to have things the way she wanted them, and it was her way of staying stable. Thats just the way she was.

Jennifer was very blessed in her life to have loving parents that really took care of her very well. She was able to do things and have the things that some people can only dream of. She lived in beautiful places and homes, always had a nice clean car to drive and never really wanted for anything, although, everyone knew there was something new she always had her eye on.

Jennifer has had an affect on everyone that she ever came into contact with. Each of their lives have been affected by simply knowing her. Jennifer passed away last year, tomorrow will actually be a year to the day, however today would have been her 39th birthday, and my purpose in writing this. Jennifer is my mom's baby sister, my aunt, who in no words could I ever express how much she meant to me. In the last few years we had the chance to become very close, we became best friends I guess you could say. We talked on the phone more than you could ever imagine and it happened frequently on a daily basis. We were very comfortable talking to each other about just about anything. I never realized how much I enjoyed talking to her until I no longer had the opportunity. The day I found out she had died, I felt like I lost a huge part of me. It had been a long time since I was that upset about something and at first I wasn't sure how I was going to deal with it. I missed my aunt, my friend, and our relationship.

In the following weeks after her death, I came to a realization that has really helped me through it all. Jennifer always pushed me to do my best in everything, and encouraged me to reach for all of my dreams and make them happen. She was always there to support me in every endeavor I took part of, whether she thought it was the best thing for me or not, she was always behind me. I realized that none of that has changed. She may not be a phone call away anymore, but she is still there for me supporting me the same way she always had.

I learned a lot of things from my relationship with my Aunt Tobe, I don't think that she ever realized how much she helped me. I was able to help her on many occasions to lighten her load, and spend time with her at her best times and her not so best times. All in all we had a lot of fun times. There isn't a day that has gone by since, that she hasn't been on my mind. Songs that I call, her songs will come on the radio and I can vividly recall her rocking out to them and playing them loudly, or seeing things that remind me of her, or place we went together, its all something I deeply cherish.When good things have happened it is still my first instinct to call her and tell her all about it. And it could be just a simple small little detail, but she was always happy for me.

I will never forget her smile when she was happy for me. Her laugh is still ever present in my mind and I remember how much my friends and I were able to make her laugh. And she laughed at us a lot. The happy times are what I remember the most, and even every memory that I have whether it was in good times or bad, can always bring a smile to my face because of who Tobe was. I love Jennifer still more than ever, and I know that she will always remember the friendship and relationship we had, and still always be there to tell me, " loving ya Jay!

Conference Weekend Pictures

2008-10-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

I would have moved these around but I havent figured out how to do that yet....

Long but fun Conference Weekend.

2008-10-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was General Conference for church, which was AWESOME!, I listened to the talks I missed, and the whole thing was a good learning experience for me. I know that I have the reputation of not paying attention due to my "Munchhausen Syndrome A.D.D. on-sets", but I really did pay attention to the talks and got a lot out of them. When I look at what General Conference is usually about, there are I guess some categories that all the talks fall under.
1. Emotional Talks- Ones that make you act.
2. "The Ripper" Talks- Ones that make you say yikes!
3. The F.O.B. Talks- Ones you can barely understand.... HUH?
4. The "Yes, I totally agree" Talks- Ones you catch yourself nodding your head to.
5. The Hit Home Talks- Ones that make you feel like you are being talked to directly.

The talks of this conference made me feel hopeful about the future and gave me some other good guidelines to make it all successful. I think that is what conference is all about. Elder Wirthlin, made everyone laugh with stories of his childhood, and his sports days as a young man. President Utchdorf explained to each of us how to be full of hope and faith. President Monson gave us all the encouragement to live life to the fullest and to be happy and have joy. Elder Holland, who I will be honest, am not normally a huge fan of his talks, but I think that his talk in the Saturday Afternoon Session, was my favorite. I could go on and on about all of the talks and how good they were.

Besides the fun that General Conference actually added to the weekend, it was awesome to see my friends too. Brooke, Mandi, Todd and Andrea came up from California, and we had a ton of fun. I will just post some pictures rather than try to write it all out. I was sad the weekend had to end, cause I didn't want to come back to Idaho alone, I would have rather gone home with everyone else, but it was a nice break to see everyone.

Just when you thought I would never write again.. I surprised you!

2008-09-26T20:49:00.000-07:00

I totally meant to be writing on here more, but for some reason I always forget I even have this thing. The last few weeks have been interesting and actually full of a lot of traveling. I went to the UCLA- BYU, shame of a college football game in Provo, which was fun even if I hated it at the same time. It was really nice to see some of people I knew down there and spend some time with a few that are just plain fun to be around. I drove down after school that friday and it was a long drive, but I think its because I was really anxious to see everyone. I went to Aunt Dee Dee's first, but she had no clue I was coming, so it was a good surprise for her. We went out to dinner with Molly and her beotch, Nick. The next morning we woke up too freaking early and went to Bmans game, which was so cool, he is an awesome little football player and I mean he is the smaleest guy on the team, but he is faster than all of them too. Then headed off to hell aka LaVell Edwards Stadium, I was glas it was over. Went out to dinner with Shellito and her boo at Kneaders, YUM! After that I headed up to Salt Lake and went to Sueann and Steve's to have cake for the Spenis' birthday. Found out Kelly and Brandon are expecting another little one in the spring, talked with Steve and Sueann for a long time and it was nice. After a few hours, headed over to Speen and Brookes to check out all of the hard work that Speen has put into their house, he has done an awesome job, then I went back to sleep at Sueann and Steves. Sunday was kind a lazy day for me, I slept in and did a little homework , ate some dinner then hit the road.

Then last weekend I went to my favorite place.......... HOME! Well its my fav right now, cause I have the best family ever! It was a busy freaking weekend though, my Aunt Cindy got married and it all turned out awesome, even if everyone well all the loud ones were sauced, typical of my crazy family. I was beat freaking tired, and I had to share my bed and wasnt too happy about it. So i ran around all day and I mean ALL day friday, ended up getting back to town at around 5:30 or so. Then I went and some more family, my adopted family for a couple hours late that night. Then back to my parents house to sleep, woke up early and got to work for the last things that needed to be done for the wedding. My parents freaking worked their butts off to get everything done. I wish I had a picture of the courtyard, I will have to get one from Myles so everyone can see it, then I had to take off to the bank for my dad and then I got a haircut, Andrea you are the bomb, and then hung out with "the dad" aka Greg, and helped him with going shopping. We had fun at the store. I really enjoy spending time with him, he is awesome and we always seem to have some fun together. Then back to the wedding to get yelled at every five minutes by my loving Tia, who is a NAZI, when it comes to wedding planning. Love ya but next time I'M OUT! So everything went horrible with the ipod that had all of the music on it for the entire wedding. But being the amazing person that I am.... "ugh, I took care of it!"(see if you can guess the movie) and it all fell into place. Then the booze started to hit everyone and it was all down hill from there. I peaced out to find some sanity, brought Greg some Tri-tip and stayed there for a while and then went back to my parents in hopes my lovely bed would waiting for me, I was wrong, and bitter, but just went to sleep. Woke up early again and helped my Dad a little bit and then got dressed for church. Church was good, then I went home and cooked white sauce for Diana, and everyone else benefited from it too cause they got to eat some too. It was cool to hang out some of the people from church. I stayed the night because I knew I didnt have a place to sleep at my parents.

WOw draggin on.......... So monday was full of adventure too, had ham shop, YUMMY, packed, went to the airport, my flight was all jacked up, ended up staying another night, enjoyed dinner and time I got to spend with my Dad, then left early the next morning. LOng couple weekends but fun times.

BSU Football Game

2008-09-08T21:02:00.001-07:00

Well this is a little out of order, but i just figured out how to add pictures to a blog, I know I am just an amateur blogger, but I am still learning.

So the BSU/ISU Season Opener! BSU 49 ISU 7

The first game of the season was really a fun one, although somewhat none climatic, it was still fun to be at the game. The stadium underwent some renovations throughout last season and in the time following until the beginning of this season. The expansion was adding a new press box and some luxury seating for those INSANE people that have nothing better to do with 30G. Yep that's about what it costs to get a box and you had to make a 3 year commitment, bringing to grand total to 90G!!!!!!! The expansion cost over 30 million to complete and will take the university over 30 years to pay the 28 million dollar debt! Yikes, but take a look it sure is pretty and with all that money they are getting in seat and box sells, it should be a nice payment towards all that debt! Well its the top section, and it was too wide to get into one frame, even from across the stadium.
The BSU football games carry a ton of tradition with them. Just like every university with collegiate sports, you have the school song that the band always performs at the BORING halftime show, the fight songs that actually have a ton of student involvement to them, and the cheers that gets the crowd and team totally pumped for the next play. The mascot is a bronco, pretty much looks like a giant horse doll with a blue jersey on. His name is Buster! Along with Buster, when it is time for the Broncos to take the field, they do so in a somewhat different fashion. The first time I witnessed this I thought, wow these Idahoans are really crazy! I mean honestly, you would never see this in California, they come running out with the lead player waving a sledge hammer in the air! I guess that I can understand or try to think of a reason that they want to be carrying a huge sledge hammer, they obviously want to win and I guess its a way of saying they are going to squash their opponent; wackos. I am thinking I should find out why they do it? Its still a little weird to me, but I will let you judge for yourself.

There is also a dodge truck that is painted school colors, well its just Orange with Boise State logos everywhere and actually I noticed that it was some smurf turf of its own lining the bed, yard markers and everything. The truck is used for various things throughout the game. They use it to sometimes lead the team out of the tunnel, and make a whole lot of noise with its extremely loud exhaust system, they take people around the field in it and use it for little commercial break games. To accompany the truck there is also a real live horse that is rode around hosting a Boise State Flag. I was watching the lady that rides the horse all game long, and her legs have to seriously be jello by the time the game is over after riding western and posting herself the whole time. I wouldn't like the job.And I also want to mention the cheerleaders...... Oh how not cute they are! Well, they do have one or two of them, but they are skanks and would never be caught dead being seen without a football player by their side. Freaking jersey chasers! Lame.

But when the night is said and done, the football games are so much fun. Its always a good time to spend with friends and cheer for the team and show your school pride. GO Broncos!!!!!!!!

One step further than just starting out.... but getting closer!

2008-09-07T16:50:00.000-07:00

So, here she is! my long awaited second post. Actually I am not sure that there are many people that know about my blog, but I know that at the very least one other person has read it, and told me that I need to post more things. So I attempted to post some pictures at which I failed at miserably, and then tried to make a slide shoe. Again, ending in failure. I decided to not let it get me down, and just write instead. It doesn't need to be all fancy right?

Anyhow the last week has been very interesting. I have studied and read more pages in the last 10 days than I have done in last few years. Wow that makes me sound pathetic! School is actually somewhat of a challenge now than it has been previously. I have no issues waking up going to class as I once did, I do ALL of my reading, which I NEVER EVER previously did, and I participate more in class discussions that I really like too. But it has all been for the greater good of my education. DUH?! right? And I am really enjoying putting that much energy into school for some odd reason. The only issue that I have now what the heck do I really want to do. Not that I don't want to be a dentist or an orthodontist anymore, but jeez, I am wondering if I will be able to hack it for that long to make it that far. Its not for a matter of smarts or lack of desire, I don't think, I am just unsure if I want to be a student for that many more years. I do plan on moving on in my life and hopefully fooling and or tricking someone in to marrying my crazy self,but at the same time, do I still want to be in school? I guess that I am just rambling on and on about how I think sometimes. I just need to be a little more patient and let everything takes its course. I like the classes and I am going to stick with it, but it does also leave me with more opportunities in choosing a career than just in the dental field. Well enough blah blah blah

More on my take on Boise, Idaho. I really don't want to talk bad about it because I really like it a lot. I live in one of the nicest areas in the valley, but what I am going to point out is kinda funny about living here. So, I have come to the conclusion that there are about 3% possibly less, of the population of the students that attend BSU, have ABSOLUTELY ZERO CLUE what deodorant or showering or bathing is or the purpose of it. I really do not get it at all. Honestly how do you know take a shower and clean your body on a daily basis? And its not just the country folks. Its EVERYONE!!!! Boys, girls, creepy "shims", or the granola children that carry around copies of the "Inconvenient Truth, and the spacey druggies and loadies. Walking through campus if there is a slight wind, there is a slight stench of B.O and stank! I want to stand on the corner of where the student union building meets up with the rest f campus and hand out bars of soap and some Cologne. So needless to say they freaking stink!
The second funny observation I have made is the mentality of how can "out man" every other guy in the room. So Lame. There are some many guys up here that think they have to be johnny bad A to get the girls attention. The hilarious thing about it is, NONE of them have girlfriends. And they still continue to try to "out man" the next guy. And its even more pathetic because the girls now that the guys are all trying to act that way. Every time something happens I have an urge to just laugh and point it out so that they realize it, but being dense country small town folks that they are, they do not get it. The neurons required to connect aren't doing so in ANY of their brain! Well this may not sound funny as you read it, but if you were here to witness it, you would understand why its funny.
Oh whats next but the Granola kids! Well thats what I have nicknamed them. For everyone else to understand, the tree huggers. Oh the poor tree huggers, they are so crazy. All of them are for sure missing a few screws. They are rather irritating in class because every comment and I really mean every comment or question out of their mouth has something to do pertaining to the environment, and the teacher gives them a look like, I cant get mad at you because I want my job, But PLEASE shut up and let me teach class. They believe the act of thinking is destroying the ozone. No you freaking tard not everything in this world ruins the ozone. But maybe you could stop smoking two packs a day and get rid of the nasty piece of crap car that is rusting out and spitting black smoke every time you press the accelerator. And I was under the impression that you cared SOOOO much about the environment!!!! Haha guess not, you crack head! Man they are so LOST!

Well that is enough for today! So I hope that you enjoyed my blabbing on about my school experience up here in DaHoE! I will be back to tell you more very soon!

Just starting out.......

2008-08-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

Having never done really anything like this before I am really unsure as to what exactly I should be writing about. I am not sure whether to be open and be myself like I would write in some of my journal entries or to just explain my experiences in stories. I still don't really understand the main point of blogging, or even why I am doing this, but I do think that its a good and rather "safe" way to talk about the things I do. So where to start??? Is the best question, I have for myself........

I have just recently went out on a limb and packed up most of my things and moved to Boise, Idaho to attend Boise State University. I know most of you are thinking that I am a crazy loon and basically brain dead for leaving beautiful sunny Southern California, but I again I always seemed to surprise people. I guess that is just something I do :) I have been in Boise for almost a week now, and am enjoying my time here thus far. I am still making my judgements and trying to decide what to make of the eccentric group of people that make up the population of this somewhat rural city. Boise, to me, is somewhat of a melting pot with every kind of person you can imagine. I thought to myself after my first trip to the local Wal-Mart, there is a little bit of the Seattle hippie people, mixed with that same grunge following, while throwing in some " utard" acting individuals, along with the typical farm raised and groomed, Farm people. And of course you add in the crazies... oh and last but not least some "normal" people. As a native Californian, I am still trying to figure out what category I fit into.

I guess I am going to have to give it a little more time in Boise to figure out where exactly my place will be.... As for now, my place will be doing some homework, eating some dinner, and getting ready for another day at school..... So there will be more to come.... Just be patient with my and my somewhat weird style of writing.