On the field

I am so proud of the Elders Quorum. We came out in force today to help the Bemis' move, it's a great blessing to see so many honor that call by one of our fellow brethren for help. That is how the gospel is supposed to be.
Tomorrow we have an appointment to visit with our home teachers, Matt Hoiland and Taylor Mallard, and I am excited. I have not seen a home teacher in over a year in the shuffle between the singles ward in Monmouth, the Brush Hills ward in Salem, and the creation of the Maplewood Ward in Portland. I've talked about it before on how a faithful set of home teachers really have meant so much to me and was part of the reason I stepped on the plane to Oklahoma. I earnestly believe that being a home or visiting teacher is the greatest calling one can have in the church. We were talking about entrance into the Celestial Kingdom last Sunday and how after we are baptized into Christ's Church we honor our covenant and the requirement came from the Doctrine and Covenants 76 on how we must be valiant to enter into the Father's Kingdom. I know that diligent home teachers who show through their valiant effort that they are faithful to Lord's commandments are the greatest asset to sharing the fullness of the everlasting gospel.

2009, a year in pictures

A few pictures documenting a wonderful year. Marriage, Honeymoon, the move to Portland, school, callings, work, the abundance of love from families and friends. We really were blessed this last year and I look forward to another prosperous one in 2010.

Things and such

Well the gauntlet is over. Two talks, one priesthood lesson, and I think I am done for the year. No more talks… right? Not likely but there is always hope.

On the job front went to a camp up in Portland hosted by the SoccerTots program that i’m going to be working for. What a gorgeous area it was in. Immediately after the class I started looking for places to live because it was filled with classic homes with the big porch out front and seemingly all of them had been turned into duplexes.

Salem apparently was having another fiesta this weekend with their “Summer in the City” wine and music festival. It featured four pavilions that were in the street with each following a certain theme. We took the time to try out gelato from Napoleon's only to come away vastly disappointed. I would put it at a cross between ice cream and frozen yogurt but after going to a field trip to Coldstones this week with my YMCA kids this couldn’t hold a candle (btw… the waffle cones at Coldstones are the worst, in my opinion. Not worth the extra investment).

Salem First Wednesday

Wandering the streets of Salem tonight for downtown's monthly First Wednesday celebration we learned a few things.

1. Art is crazy expensive... making us appreciators instead of owners.
2. Why buy it when you can make it yourself. In one of the stores they were selling fruit bowls made out of magazines, a short search on the Google Machina and we have the instructions to make our own set.
3. The hip hop gangsters need to get their act together when it comes to public performances. When you have a laptop, a soundboard, and some mikes you shouldn't spend an eternity setting up. We had time to stand and watch, peruse Borders, and complain as they weren't ready to go by the time we got kicked out of the mall (which closes at 8... what is the deal with that?)