Fireside

So last night Pres. Packer came to the Ogden Institute for a fireside and you know it was pretty cool. Even though I had to sit way in the back that was the closest I have ever been to an apostle and needless to say that I was excited. It was pretty good and I enjoyed all that he had to say. I thought I'd share what Shawn said about it when we got home.

"He said that Tim needs to get married and that I shouldn't be tolerant of gay people."

Crazy Shawn, that's what I call hearing what you want to.

Jack-o-lanterns

Here's some pictures of our pumpkins, they are the best.






These are mine, I use patterns but I think they turn out well.















This one's Becky's she could only do one.




These are Shawn's he designs his own.











































Next year you'll come to our house!

Okay I´m tagged

What was I doing ten years ago?

1. Going to Wahlquist Jr. High.
2. Having trouble with the deacons in the ward.
3. Severely twisting my ankle playing rec football.
4. Being a counselor in the deacon's quorum.
5. Getting more anti-social as Jr High went on.

What are five things on my to do list today?

1. Get an assignment done by one.
2. Getting over my fears and ask a girl I like out. (Failed again)
3. Try to get my homework done today.
4. Decide if I'm going to my mission reunion (Why'd it have to be in Provo?)
5. Not much else.

What are my five favorite snacks?

1. popcorn (especially our cheese kind)
2. candy (except chocolate)
3. sunflower seeds
4. peanut butter toast
5. popsicles

What five things would I do if I were a millionaire?

1. Quit my job and just concentrate on school.
2. Save most of it.
3. Pay off my car.
4. Help Mom and Dad with their debts.
5. Give to charities.

5 places I've lived.

1. Plain City
2. LA
3. El Monte, CA
4. Hacienda Heights, CA
5. Baldwin Park, CA (Thanks to the mission)

5 jobs I've had

1. Lot assistant at a dealership (I washed cars mostly)
2. Saunders Construction
3. Three days doing inventory at a fabric store.
4. A week helping out with landscaping.
5. Answering phones at Convergys.

5 people tagged by me

I don't have anyone who hasn't been.

Welcome home Shawn.

Well, I haven't exactly posted anything for a while. I guess I've been busy and lazy. Anyway I don't have any photos but I still want can talk of Shawn getting home. I can hardly believe that those two years are already gone. They sure flew by. It seems like he enjoyed it and worked hard which is a good thing. I am pretty glad actually because I'm hoping that I might have someone to hang out with now. Most of my friends are married and the only good friend I have that isn't goes to a different school. Let's all help him adjust. It was extremely hard for me to do so. Life at home is good but different. I guess I'm rambling now. Anyway, glad to have you back Shawn

Why can't they come?

I figured that it was my time to be controversial. This is something that is very important to me and has to do with immigration. I personal hate how our laws are set up right now. I think that we need to fix our illegal immigration "problem". (One we created) Wouldn't it be better to know who is coming here? Shouldn't we at least give some type of work visa. That is why they come. They are in major poverty down in Mexico or other places and want a better way of life. Did you know that the waiting list is literally years? If your family was starving right now and you heard that there was great opportunity to the north would you wait for years to help them? They come for love of family and desperation. Unfortunately the story does not stop there. They suffer crossing the border. A coyote is not always cheep and you had better hope that you have a good one. You could get caught otherwise. Crossing the desert is horrible even with a good one. I know people that still have pains and scars from this horrible experience. Oftentimes they arrive in horrible places, the ghetto. The water can be bad, violence and drugs can surround the area and they live in run down horrible apartments with a lot of people just so they can afford it. They oftentimes without family and try to save up to bring them here because it is better than there. The kids are surrounded by gangs and it is hard to keep them out of them. They work the jobs we won't take. Not only this they are underpaid and easily taken advantage of. Our economy would be in haywire without them yet they don't belong here.

We didn't use to have this type of stupid laws. It is a more recent invention and although we don't admit it, it is a racial thing. Who cares about illegal Canadians? Why do Europeans get visas without really having to do anything?

They also our helping our values that we are losing. They care about their families and would do about anything for them. Our society is attacking the family more and more.

Now my last reason. I have had general authorities tell me that the Spirit guides them here and that they are supposed to be here. It is prophecy even in the Book of Mormon. I literally met people that had never had any type of contact with the missionaries until the came to the United States. So I repeat: Why can't they come?

Why are they so scary?

So I haven't written for a while obviously. Sorry about that. This next entry will probably be short but what I when comes from my shyness and basically fear of girls. I don't know what but it is just extremely hard for me to even talk to girls. If I like her well I screwed, I can barely force myself to even say hi. I will realize that opportunities are there but I often don't take them mostly out of fear. I often wonder if there is even another guy out there who has this problem as badly as I do. All I can say is that I am working on it. Why are they so scary?

Yes it's sad but I'm still excited

So school starts tomorrow morning and even though in many ways I am not happy to see it start truth be told I am actually a little excited. This is weird but I really kinda like going to class. I have more to do and I see and associate with more people thus making me have a little bit more of a social life not to mention Institute classes. See why I like it now? I do admit that I don't like the homework or the stress that it can cause but why shouldn't I enjoy it along the way?

Why do they cost so much?

So I just got back from buying my books. It is so annoying how much they can cost and usually for me it's better than the science majors. I feel bad for them. Are text books really worth that much? I also love how they make slight changes you know just tweak a little bit and then they have a "new" edition and this is the one you have to buy at full price, ugh! I wasn't even able to get all of mine and I'm still complaining. I guess there's not a whole lot I can do. At least I didn't have to pay sales tax this time.

Timmy update

So the wiring did not take with the cat. His tongue got really swollen and purple and cold so we had to take him to the emergency vet clinic and as soon as they saw him they rushed him back to remove the wires. Ugh! His tongue does look a lot better now.

So it looks like for now we are just going to have to see how his jaw heals on its own and then if it turns out crooked we might have to remove some teeth and he'll have to eat soft food for the rest of his life. Crazy cat.

The naughty kitty

Well I think most everyone knows by now but the cat Timmy is not doing so well. He somehow dislocated his jaw while we were gone to California. Becky noticed it when she got back and took him to the vet. He came back with a collar on and a makeshift muzzle. He looked pretty pathetic actually.

So he had to be taken back to the vet yesterday and there is bad news. They had to wire his jaw shut. It of course will cost more money and of course Mom and Dad are very unhappy about it. They would much rather put him down than have to pay. Mom keeps insisting even though Becky said she'd pay for it. Hopefully he will start to get better.

A quick trip to California

So I went to California with my mom, dad and sister Becky. It turned out to be pretty good although it could've gone better. I didn't take any photos and Mom only a few but I'll put up what we have.

So on Monday we went to Knotts Berry Farm and then an Angels game. It was a lot of fun. Knotts isn't very big but it has some really fun, cool rides. Becky really had fun although Mom and Dad didn't ride much especially Dad. The Angels game was also really good. I like going to baseball games. It turned out to be quite a crazy game where they gave up 5 runs in the top of
the 9th inning only to win it in the bottom of the 9th by a walk.

I have a few pictures from Tuesday. Here's one of the Hsi Lai temple which is a really big Buddhist temple in Hacienda Heights. Also we went to the San Gabriel mission an old Spanish mission here one from there.

We also went to the Gene Autry Western Heritage museum which I found quite interesting.

We later visited Chinatown for a minute. We also got to see a few of the people I knew from my mission.













So Wednesday was different. We had to drop Becky off at LAX airport, which was quite crazy. She had to come home early. She didn't end up leaving for quite a long time after the schedule time. though We would then head to Santa Monica and the pier there. It was kinda fun to see it and wade in the beach too. After it all I wish I had got to see more people so being there a Sunday would have been great but things turned out fine although it did seem like everyone was bored at one time or another.

No where to go and nothing to do

So I obviously haven't written much for a while now. I really haven't had a whole lot to say. They truth be told I have mostly been bored and I have felt quite trapped at home hence the title. I have felt like this most of the summer. I don't always want to get something going because I have to get to work by three. I can't think of a lot of places to go. Either I'm too cheep, (the place costs money, or I think that I don't want to spend the gas) I think it's too far to ride a bike to or I don't have anyone to do it with. I try to find things around the house to do but then next thing I know it has gotten old. Oh well I'll live.

Tagging response

So I guess Minda tagged me as well so I'll respond.

3 joys: The gospel, happy warm sunny days, the family and friends I have.

3 fears: girls, phones, drowning

3 goals: decide what I'm going to do after I graduate, actually ask a girl out, exercise consistenly

3 obsessions/collections: turtles, Latin America especially Mexico, sweet sugary drinks

3 randomly surprising facts: I've never had a real headache before, well I can't think of anything else right now so oh well.

Mission president

Here's a picture with my mission president and his wife when at the airport on the way home. It is crazy to believe but they are home now. I went to their homecoming on Sunday. It was a lot of fun. I quite enjoyed being able to see them again. I also liked hearing their talks. In a way it felt as if I were in a Zone conference again. I forgot what it was like to be around them and here some of their thoughts and advice. It had been two years.


It was also fun to see some mission buddies that I hadn't seen for a while. I got to catch up with a lot of them and remember some things from it. The only weird part was that there were a bunch of guys I didn't know that served in my mission. They all got there after I left. I am really glad that I got to go though.

Ogden Temple

For those of you who know me you know that for some reason it has always bugged me that it seems like everyone around here seems to get married away from the Ogden temple. I mostly blame the girls who seem to think that it doesn't look as good and therefore isn't as worthy. A few days ago I come up with a list of why you should get married there. Here it is.

- It's closer to home

1. That means that you're not making your family drive oh, an hour to Salt Lake.
2. It's easier for others to come, they don't have to travel

- There's less people there so:

1. You get what I call the royal treatment (ask Nicholle)
2. You're not rushed in or out
3. She is THE bride not one of several.
4. You can more easily get the date you want and not the one they say
5. No waiting for pictures, you take them wherever you want.
   

- It's a temple the ordinances are the SAME

- It's just as beautiful , in not more, inside including sealing rooms.

- It's OUR temple, you know the one in OUR area that made made for US.

- Lastly: (not that all think this) We should never underestimate or even look down upon God's temple and house. How must He feel?

Shawn and mission thoughts

So I haven't written in a while sorry about that. My thoughts today go to Shawn. He has a horrible companion right now. He does not want to work whatsoever and really just wants to mess around and go to things such as movies. I am really worried about Shawn because in his last letter he sounded like he was ready to give up and stop fighting him.

I am glad that I never really had this problem on my mission. I for the most part had really good companions. My second comp was a little lazy and we sometimes would walk to the store instead of knocking doors or something like that but it really wasn't that bad. I mean my comps weren't perfect, sometimes we spent a little too much time a members' houses or other things we could have improved on but no matter who I was with we went out and worked. There were those disobedient missionaries in the mission. I think for the most part my mission was pretty good. We only had a few problems but the were a few scandals. One interesting thing though, the Spanish missionaries were a lot more likely to be more obedient and hard-working than the English missionaries. It's just how things were. I might've seen more if I was in English work.

Mom talked to Shawn's new mission president today so hopefully things will work.

Update: Apparently Shawn got transferred. Yeah!

Two years home

I can hardly believe it but officially today I have been home from my mission for two years. I did leave on the 23rd of June. (Which was President Hinckley's b-day. It made it easy to remember. Now I just need something to remember Pres. Monson's.) I got home on the 27th though. It is really weird to think that and time sure had flown. I can at least safely say that I am glad to be home and that I feel normal. It took me a really long time to get to that point. Adjusting was quite hard for me. I'm not sure what I'm doing with my life but for the most part things are looking well.

Guadalupe

For those of you who don't know I bought a tortoise a little bit ago. I have always like turtles and had red eared sliders when I was younger. I saw the tortoises at the pet shop when I had to buy cricket for Becky's frog. I couldn't help myself.
I named her Guadalupe. It was the only name in Spanish that I have ever heard both guys and girls have. It turns out it is a girl turtle so the name is even more appropriate.

She got a little sick where her eye was basically sealed shut. I took her to the vet on Monday and although she is not all the way better she is improving.

I started a blog

Hello everyone who might be reading this. I am just staring this blog up and hope that it goes alright. I think that it comes from me being somewhat bored. Hopefully things go fine. I'm going to continue to add to this and make it look better.