A glimpse into my own funeral

It's Sunday morning and Dani and the girls went to hear Brandon and Lisa talk in their Sacrament meeting. I am getting ready to head over to the church one last time as Bishop of the Mt. Jordan 3rd ward. I am getting ready to do everything today, one last time, as bishop. All the preparations have been made for the next bishop to take over. I have nostalgic feelings about my time as bishop and the things we have been able to do in the ward. I have really enjoyed serving and will truly miss the calling-I know, weird.
To update those who don't know, I am being released because my family is moving. Hence the name, Always on the go. I have been commissioned by the United States Air Force as a 1st Lt. I will be serving in the Air Force as a social worker. We are moving to Wichita Falls, Tx (two hours north of Dallas, in case you were wondering) and will be stationed at Shephard Air Force Base. I leave in three weeks from today for Commissioned Officer Training. I will be there for four weeks and then will come back and get my family and we begin our new adventure.
I feel honored to be able to serve my country, but I am not afraid to admit I am a little nervous about taking my family 1100 miles away to start a new life. Fortunately, the Church has two wards in Wichita Falls. Fortunately, there is a strong brotherhood in the military. Fortunately, my family will be with me.
Take Care,

Dave

Happy Birthday Dani with pics

Yeah, I love technology. Tribute to Dani. Hope you love it.

Happy Birthday Dani!!!

So, Dani has taken over the editing of the blog and hasn't shown me how to upload pics. I hope this works.
Dani, I love you. You have been the best thing that has ever happened to me. I can honestly say that life gets better and better each year because of you. You are a great friend, spouse, mom and LOVAAAA. (I'm probably going to pay for that last one.) I hope you have a wonderful day and that this year is filled with excitement, happiness, accomplishments and adventure.
Have a wonderful Day!

Happy birthday MOM!!!

Mom, I said most of it yesterday. How I love you and look up to you. You are one of my best friends. You are an amazing person that everyone wants to be around. You make life fun. Thanks for always being there for me and my family. My girls love you more then me sometimes. I love you mom.

Happy Birthday Madison!!!

Madie, I can not believe that you are 8 years old. I remeber the day that you were born. You have become an amazing girl. You are a very smart person. When looking for pictures of you, all I had were ones with AJ. Thanks for being a great example for her and letting her play with you. You are her very best friend in the whole world. I hope that this birthday brings you happiness. I am so proud of your choice to be baptized. I am so proud to be your aunt. WE love you so much Madie. Happy birthday!!!

A house Divided

As many of you know, Dave is a HUGE Halloween person. Every year our family has a theme that we try to stick with. This year the chose was between pirates and the BYU/Utah theme. The pirates were a little to costly and I really wanted to get my girls cheerleading outfits (I wanted them both to be in blue, but decided that I had to be fair). This just fit us and so we decided to go with the BYU/Utah theme. It was amazing how many people comented on the divided house. If you can see, AJ's hands are perfect cheerleading hands.





They both looked so cute and had a lot of fun on trunk-or-treating and then going door to door at my mom's neighborhood. Mom also had a pin the nose on the Jack-o-lantern that we all played, even Darla.





It was such a nice day outside that we decided to carve them out there. AJ had Dave help her carve some wolves hawling at the moon. Dave used his Dremel tool set while I used the old fahion knives for carving Emma's spider web. They both turned out pretty cool, if I do say so myself.

Every year we also go to Gardner Village where they have fun witches out. AJ loves it and Emma wasn't to sure of it. AJ's favorite part is the animals. Thanks Grandma and Stacy for going with us.

AJ in soccer and piano

Austyn wanted to do soccer this fall. The first game held some high hopes as she scored three out of the teams 5 goals. She played great, but it all went down hill from there. She was cold and was a little more interested in playing with the girls on her team and watching the boys then playing. The last game of the season was also very good as she scored two goals and saved seven as the goalie. She loved being in the goal much to mom's urgning to be out playing. Anyways she had a lot of fun. She is also taking piano at this time. She has been taking piano since June and her teacher Phil Olsen, who is the husband of Dave's cousin Marianne and who I went to school with both of them, said that he has never seen a student advance so fast. She is almost done with her first book. She gets a little frusterated when she can't play it the first time without mistakes, but she get's it the second time and then has it memorized. AJ I love to watch you grow and discover new talents. You are an amazing pianist and I love to listen to you play. You are very good at it. Thanks for being such a wonderful daughter. Her cousin Kyla is also in piano with the same teacher so the recital was very fun.

7 Deadly Sins and country in trouble

Hi Reader,
I am still reading Steven Covey's Principle Centered Leadership and one of the chapter's is titled: Seven Deadly Sins. He quotes Mahatma Ghandi in this chapter and it seems eerily prophetic with the problems we are facing today.
7 Deadly Sins
1. Wealth without work
2. Pleasure without conscience
3. Knowledge without character
4. Business without ethics
5. Science without humanity
6. Religion without sacrifice
7. Politics without principle

I love the last quote from the chapter: "The Seven Habits will help you avoid these Seven Deadly Sins. And if you don't buy into the Seven Habits, try the Ten Commandments."

It's like Jay Leno said, and I'm paraphrasing here; with all of the natural disasters, the crumbling economy, and everything else that is going wrong, is now really the best time to take God out of our Government?

Take Care, Vote according to your conscience and know that God is in charge. He alone can provide the peace we are all searching for.

Hapy Birthday Brandon!!

Happy Birthday Brandon. I hope that this year will bering you success in your schooling, career and family. I want to thank-you for being a great uncle to AJ and Emma. They both love you and your sweet wife Lisa. Thanks for always playing with them and making them feel important. Happy Birthday!!

So Sad

I just thought I would let everyone out there that I am not able to post a new blog with pictures because my computer is broken :-( I hope that nothing is lost for then I would cry.

Blogs and self-improvement

So, I originally started this blog with the intent of sharing my deepest, innermost thoughts and Dani turned it into an online scrapbook. Thank goodness. My deepest, innermost thoughts usually revolve around self-improvement (I would not profess to be a disciple of Stephen R. Covey, but definitely a believer), religion and again self-improvement.
I have been trying to plan the rest of the year and frighteningly, the year is almost all planned. Being bishop requires me to try and plan ahead and make minor adjustments along the way.

I have been reading two books lately: Principle Centered Leadership by Stephen R. Covey (I know) and Broken things to mend by Jeffrey R. Holland.
In Covey's book he mentions 8 characteristics that people possess who live principle centered lives:
1. They are continually learning
2. They are service-oriented
3. they radiate positive energy
4. They believe in other people
5. They lead balanced lives
6. They see life as an adventure
7. They are synergistic
8. They exercise for self-renewal

I don't know who exactly will read this, but just in case you find yourself wishing you lead a more principle centered life. . .

Have a great day!

Disneyland 2008

The middle of Sept. Dave and I took the girls to Disneyland. Aj had been saving for a long time to go and we finally said "Let's just go" so we talked my mom into coming, not very hard and left a tearful grandpa Butch behind with the other aunts and met up with Chris and Treasure and their cute kids. We went to the beach and spent two days at Disneyland. We had the best time in the world. We love you Chris, Treausre and Madison and Jackson for all the fun that we had. We miss you all so much. Thanks for all the memories that we will always have in our hearts. Thanks Mom for coming with us to help with the babies. We truly appreciate everything that you do for us. Thr girls had so much fun getting autographs in the special books that grandma Jessie had made for them. They also had some fun eating lunch with the pricesses becuase they truly are princesses of ours. WE love you girls.

My little Angel Emma

Emma is growing like a weed. She is so much fun and such a joy to have in our family. She is now 16 months old and is all over the place. We call her monkey, because she is all over the place and all over everything, and Tigger, because on the rare occasion that she is in one place, she is bouncing up and down. Emma, I love you so much. You are a precious spirit and will do great things. I hope and pray that you keep your rosy cheeks and your love for your mom, sister and most importantly your daddy. You will go far with that happy countance.

Happy 31st Birthday Dave!!!

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!!! I am so lucky to have you in my life. I hope that everything you want will happen and that you will be happy this next year. You work so hard to provide for us and we truly appreaciate it. WE love you!! Thanks for belonging to us!!!

AJ's first day of school

I know that I am about a month late on this posting but I am just starting. I hopw to get caught up so that it will not take all my time. Anyways, Austyn started Kindergarten this last Sept. She was so excited to go. Her teacher's name is Mrs. Smith (shouldn't be to hard to remember right?). Three of her very best friends are in her class, Hannah, Olivia and Kyrie. She was so excited to go to school with friends that she knows. It has been a month now and she is improving everyday. She even was chosen by her teacher to be on the Student Councel because she thought that AJ was the most resonsible out of the whole clas. Austyn I am so proud of you and what you are doing. I know that you get frusterated when you don't do things exactly right the first time, but that is okay. You always make me laugh. You are a great big sister and a wonderful daughter. I love you so much.

Conference Weekend

So Conference has come to a close and for those of you who know anything about this, that means enough food to put you in a turkey coma, somebody is snoring on the couch and great council from our Church's leaders.

Conference is definitely a highlight that I look forward to every 6 months. I always use some of the teachings and lessons in my counseling at work and as the Bishop of my ward.

There were a couple of talks on reverence and being better where you are no matter what the calling that really hit home. This afternoon when Pres. Packer spoke about Patriotism I felt especially humbled by that.

For those of you out there reading this and know me personally, know that I am applying for the Air Force. I am applying to work as a social worker for them and counsel military personnel and their families. I expect to hear sometime this week or next whether or not I was accepted and where we will be stationed.

Dani and I requested 7 different bases around the Western United States. We will see if any of those show up.

I have a lot of family, friends and ward members who do not want to see us move. Whatever happens, it is sure to be interesting to say the least.

Dani is having family come over today for cake and Ice cream for me, happy 31st on Wednesday.

Well, gotta run.

Dave

First Posting

This is my first posting on our new family blog. I will be adding pictures soon from our recent trip to Disneyland.
Just a quick update on how we are doing.

I am working at Davis County Jail as their social worker and I work one night a week at Primary Children's medical center as a crisis worker. I am bishop of the ward and really enjoying it.

Dani is working at Jordan Valley ER and loves being a nurse. She is almost done with nursing school and has another big test coming up. She was just released as 1st counselor in the young women's organization in the ward after 4.5 years. Needless to say she was a little emotional about that.

AJ is in kindergarten and loving it. She has made lots of friends and is enjoying learning to read. She is taking piano lessons and is tearing through the first book at amazing speed. She really has a talent for the piano. She also just started soccer last Saturday and her team won 5-4. She scored 3 goals. We were really just excited that she knew which direction to go. She started riding her 2 wheel bike tonight. It is amazing how much she is learning and retaining.

Emma is all over the place. We are convinced she is part monkey (Dani will tell you that she gets it from my side of the family). She just decided last night that she wanted to sit at the table with us for dinner. She no longer wants to sit in the high chair. Tonight she sat next to me, had her plate in front of her and a sippy cup too. She sat there eating corn niblets, stove top stuffing and little pieces of chicken. Her favorite word is "Me" I call her the "me-monster."

We are doing great and loving life. I will post more soon.
God Bless!