After having one week to think about it, I have a few more thoughts on the BYU vs. Utah football rivalry.
First, I never did believe in rivalries. I still kind of don't believe in them. I don't really have a HUGE problem with Utah fans--if they are half-decent.
I will admit--ignorning the color red for a whole week was silly. But it was fun.
But the thing that stood out to me this year--even though we lost--was the way I felt during the game. Every time BYU had the ball, this feeling just overcame me. I wanted BYU to just DESTROY Utah. When BYU scored a TD, I jumped to my feet, got pumped, and gave my brothers high fives.
Now--I usually hope BYU beats a team, no matter who they play. But when they played Utah last Saturday, I discovered that extra amount of intensity and eagarness to win. And it was POWERFUL!
And so what I am trying to say is: I am looking forward to my next BYU vs. Utah game in 2011 when I get home from my mission. FTW.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
College Application: OFFICIALLY Complete
Victory! :) Brother Chase finally got around to filling out the seminary reccomendation, and so my BYU applications are officially complete. Now all I have to do is sit back and relax....
The trip up to Utah was good. There was a TON of rain on the way up here, and it was a bit scary at times, but it was a fun trip! I almost fell asleep at the wheel, haha, so we stopped at a random gas station, and I took a nap before we moved on. Better safe than sorry FTW.
It's been great seeing my Mom again. It's been fun hanging out with Cynthia, and it reminds me of the good old days. We've kind of switched places now, though. She makes me drive everywhere, while she gets to sit in the passenger seat. ;)
We went to the temple this morning, and we did some Baptisms For The Dead. It was excellent! Joe had some family names that he had to do, and that was awesome!
Well, I want to write more, but I am limited on time because we are about to have family prayer and what not. I hope everyone had a good and safe Thanksgiving!! :)
The trip up to Utah was good. There was a TON of rain on the way up here, and it was a bit scary at times, but it was a fun trip! I almost fell asleep at the wheel, haha, so we stopped at a random gas station, and I took a nap before we moved on. Better safe than sorry FTW.
It's been great seeing my Mom again. It's been fun hanging out with Cynthia, and it reminds me of the good old days. We've kind of switched places now, though. She makes me drive everywhere, while she gets to sit in the passenger seat. ;)
We went to the temple this morning, and we did some Baptisms For The Dead. It was excellent! Joe had some family names that he had to do, and that was awesome!
Well, I want to write more, but I am limited on time because we are about to have family prayer and what not. I hope everyone had a good and safe Thanksgiving!! :)
Sunday, November 23, 2008
College Applications: Complete
I had the interview for my BYU applications with President Peterson today, and it went well.
I have now done everything that I can. President Peterson is going to mail in my Ecclesiastical Endorsement, and then all I need is Brother Chase to fill out my seminary reccomend.
Applying for BYU and BYU-Idaho was a lot easier than I thought it would be, and it was pretty convienient to apply to both schools with only one application. I look forward to seeing who accepts me and who doesn't! ;)
I have now done everything that I can. President Peterson is going to mail in my Ecclesiastical Endorsement, and then all I need is Brother Chase to fill out my seminary reccomend.
Applying for BYU and BYU-Idaho was a lot easier than I thought it would be, and it was pretty convienient to apply to both schools with only one application. I look forward to seeing who accepts me and who doesn't! ;)
A Football Story
As everyone all knows, BYU fell to Utah 48-24 last night. The game was very, very good until the fourth quarter, when Utah scored 21 points off three BYU turnovers.
However, I think Max Hall (BYU's QB) said it best:
"It's just a football game," Hall said. "It's a big football game. But to be honest with you, I'm going to go home with my wife and my family, and I'm going to go home for Thanksgiving. And there's bigger things in life than football. But like I said, it hurt. Football's a big part of my life and there are definitely some things I can learn from."
He's right! Max Hall might get blamed by all the BYU fans for the loss, because he threw five interceptions. Me? I'm not blaming him, and I am not angry with him either. I am proud of Max for recognizing that yes, football is important to him, but things like family are much more important to him.
And so I learned a very valuable lesson last night after the game: There aren't only cons for losing football games--there are pros as well. Failing or losing at something like football shows us that we have room to improve. It also gives us the chance to realize--like Max did--that there are better things out there in life.
And so...Although BYU lost...Yesterday was still a good day for me in that I was able to see my brothers, and we were able to create a memory with eachother!
FTW.
However, I think Max Hall (BYU's QB) said it best:
"It's just a football game," Hall said. "It's a big football game. But to be honest with you, I'm going to go home with my wife and my family, and I'm going to go home for Thanksgiving. And there's bigger things in life than football. But like I said, it hurt. Football's a big part of my life and there are definitely some things I can learn from."
He's right! Max Hall might get blamed by all the BYU fans for the loss, because he threw five interceptions. Me? I'm not blaming him, and I am not angry with him either. I am proud of Max for recognizing that yes, football is important to him, but things like family are much more important to him.
And so I learned a very valuable lesson last night after the game: There aren't only cons for losing football games--there are pros as well. Failing or losing at something like football shows us that we have room to improve. It also gives us the chance to realize--like Max did--that there are better things out there in life.
And so...Although BYU lost...Yesterday was still a good day for me in that I was able to see my brothers, and we were able to create a memory with eachother!
FTW.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Today
The day has finally arrived, my friends!
Last night, I went to the Las Vegas vs. Del Sol football game. Wow. GREAT. GAME. (I won't go into further detail, as I know I've already said enough about football in my last post.) But I did rush the field for my fourth time, and that was fun. (I rushed the basketball court for two Foothill games, and then I rushed the court when Vegas won the volleyball state championship this last year. Good times.)
Anyways. Here are my plans for the day so far:
8:30 AM to 10:00 AM--Do chores, etc.
10:15 AM to 12:00 PM--Shower, get BYU equipment on, etc.
12:10 PM to 1:00 PM--Enjoy some free time by playing some Secret of Mana on the Wii...
1:10 PM--Tithing Settlement
2:00 PM--Pregame show.
3:00 PM to 7:00 PM--BYU vs. Utah 2008!
Last night, I went to the Las Vegas vs. Del Sol football game. Wow. GREAT. GAME. (I won't go into further detail, as I know I've already said enough about football in my last post.) But I did rush the field for my fourth time, and that was fun. (I rushed the basketball court for two Foothill games, and then I rushed the court when Vegas won the volleyball state championship this last year. Good times.)
Anyways. Here are my plans for the day so far:
8:30 AM to 10:00 AM--Do chores, etc.
10:15 AM to 12:00 PM--Shower, get BYU equipment on, etc.
12:10 PM to 1:00 PM--Enjoy some free time by playing some Secret of Mana on the Wii...
1:10 PM--Tithing Settlement
2:00 PM--Pregame show.
3:00 PM to 7:00 PM--BYU vs. Utah 2008!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
BYU vs. Utah (My Experiences)
BYU vs. Utah 2006
It was Thanksgiving 2006, and I was visiting my Mom for Thanksgiving. In my earlier years, I absolutely hated sports, especially football. However, two months before my journey up to see my Mom, I attended the Foothill vs. Cheyenne football game. This would be the night where I actually enjoyed watching a game of football.
Foothill was a good football team back then, but many believed Cheyenne would pull of the upset. I remember Foothill getting ahead really quick, and I just thought, "Wow. No way are we going to lose this." The next thing I knew, we were in a close, heated battle with Cheyenne, and it was then that I realized that I didn't really know anything about football.
With about a minute left, our team put on an excellent drive and scored with about 25 seconds left. I remember going NUTS, and thinking, "Wow. Football is actually pretty sweet! Foothill FTW!" What happened next? Well, Cheyenne returned the kick-off for sixty yards, and had a chance to score again with about 3 seconds left. Once again, I really felt stupid for thinking that the game was over. But we batted down the pass in the end-zone and ended up winning the game, and I thought it was awesome.
While on our way up to Utah, my Mom called us and told us to make sure we got there before 1 PM or so because the BYU vs. Utah football game was going to be starting around that time. I remember thinking, "Oh. A football game. I will watch this." This was the first BYU football game I watched, and I now look back on it and realize that I just witnessed one of the most heated rivalries in college football.
I thought the Foothill vs. Cheyenne game was crazy! But nothing is better than watching a BYU vs. Utah game. BYU ended up winning 33-31 when John Beck threw a 15-yard TD pass to tight-end Johnny Harline with no time remaining on the clock. It was the first time BYU beat Utah since 2001, and I just remember thinking, "What an amazing, powerful game." I have been a BYU football fan ever since.
BYU vs. Utah 2007
One year had passed, and I once again found myself in Utah, visiting my Mom. My cousin, TAB, offered me his sister's ticket for the game because she wasn't going to go. I was PUMPED. But then TAB had to call off the deal because he remembered that his dad would probably want to go, so he gave my Uncle Karl the ticket instead, which I was absolutely fine with. I could just watch it on TV!
However, my Mom no longer had the channel for the game anymore. I am going to be honest and admit that I lost a few hours of sleep over this fact. I was really looking forward to this game, and I just wanted to watch it with my own eyes!
But the family had other things going on that day, so I knew I wouldn't be able to watch it. I had to think of an alternative! And then I remembered: "I am in Utah! The game will be on the radio."
And so my brothers Brent Nelson, Timmy, and I went on a hunt to find one. Brent was doing some shopping for his family, and so we checked out Costco and Target. Neither really had any good, cheap radios. Heck, I didn't even have any money!
But then a miracle happened. We went to Albertson's to get some food for my Mom. I remember looking around the store, suddenly realizing that it was probably very unlikely that I find a portable radio in a store like Albertson's. But as we were about to leave, I saw it: FM/AM Portable Radio (Price: $7).
But the fact remained: I was broke! Brent wouldn't give me any money, and so I had one choice: My younger brother, Timmy Nelson himself. I dunno how I did it, but I somehow got a good eight bucks out of the child, and I purchased this radio.
This was the first game I listened to via the radio, and it was awesome. (I--to this day--listen to most of the games on the radio.) The game analyst were hilarious! I remember listening to the pre-game show and just getting goosebumps! I was so pumped.
As the game went on, I informed Brent Nelson on what was going on. We were eventually separated, though, and so Brent would listen to the game in his car. It was the fourth quarter, and Utah was up 10-9. There was about 1:35 minutes to go, and we had a good 80+ yards to go before we could score. Max Hall fumbled the ball, but recovered it, causing a loss of eight yards. And then he threw an incompletion to Dennis Pitta. It was then that Brent Nelson called me and told me that he was done listening.
But I still had hope! Third and 18? Easy enough. But then Hall threw another incompletion to Dennis Pitta. It was now fourth and 18, and I just remember thinking, "It's over. Utah has gotten their revenge."....But then out of nowhere I hear Greg (one of the analyst) yell, "Hall launces it to Collie, and...COLLIE IS BY HIMSELF ON THE SIDELINE AND MAKES THE CATCH FOR A FIRST DOWN!!!"
I was drinking some milk in the kitchen at the time, and I absolutely lost it! Collie made a 49 yard reception, and the game was suddenly back in our reach! After back to back penalties on Utah, BYU scored on an 11 yard run by running back, Harvey Unga. I then called Brent and informed him of the news. At first, he didn't believe me, and he thought I was just messing with him.
Utah had enough time to win the game, but BYU batted down the pass in the endzone, and the Cougars ended up with a 17-10 win!
(Brent Nelson and I later listened to the BYU vs. North Carolina (UNC was #1 at the time) basketball game via my radio, and that was pretty sweet! We almost beat the #1 team in the country!! It was awesome.)
BYU vs. Utah 2008
Another year has passed, and I am more excited than ever, as everyone already knows! :) This will be the biggest game out of all three. This is the first time BYU and Utah play eachother while both being ranked since 1994. It's been 14 years!! And I believe it is the first time they play eachother while bothing being ranked in the top 15. It'll be a great game, and I know BYU can win it!
Now--I really wanted to watch this game, but I didn't have the channel. So the original plan was to watch it over at my friend's house with some friends. Good idea, but...I always seem to turn against my friends when it comes to football games (See: Last year's betrayal when I actually went to the BYU vs. UCLA Vegas Bowl game with my brother, after I had planned to watch it with my friend and her family.)
This year: My brothers Luke, Logan, and Brent Nelson really want to watch the game, along with my Dad. So my idea: I'll just invite them over to Scott's house to watch it with us! But that wasn't going to work, because there was already going to be a bunch of people over there, and he doesn't have a very big living room.
My new solution: Talk to Dad and order the channel! And so I got with my Dad the other day, and I asked him if we could call the cable company and order the channel for the game. He said, "Oh, are you not going to Scott's house anymore?" I told him that I wanted to watch the game with Brent Nelson and the rest of the family, and he just said, "Alright, give them a call, and let me know how much it costs."
And so I called, but they eventually had to talk to my Dad. Dad talked with them for a few minutes, and hung up after a few thank-yous. Dad informed me that we now had the channels, and I was excited. I went into the blue room and tested it out, and it was awesome!
I am really excited to watch this year's game with my Dad and my brothers, and it's going to be sweet!! I informed Scott today that I probably wasn't gonna go to his house, and he wasn't very happy about that (especially since I planned it), but I am sure he will have fun with everyone else. :)
And so...on Saturday, make sure all y'all wear blue and support the BYU Cougars! We need to win this game to win the conference title for the third straight year!! ;)
It was Thanksgiving 2006, and I was visiting my Mom for Thanksgiving. In my earlier years, I absolutely hated sports, especially football. However, two months before my journey up to see my Mom, I attended the Foothill vs. Cheyenne football game. This would be the night where I actually enjoyed watching a game of football.
Foothill was a good football team back then, but many believed Cheyenne would pull of the upset. I remember Foothill getting ahead really quick, and I just thought, "Wow. No way are we going to lose this." The next thing I knew, we were in a close, heated battle with Cheyenne, and it was then that I realized that I didn't really know anything about football.
With about a minute left, our team put on an excellent drive and scored with about 25 seconds left. I remember going NUTS, and thinking, "Wow. Football is actually pretty sweet! Foothill FTW!" What happened next? Well, Cheyenne returned the kick-off for sixty yards, and had a chance to score again with about 3 seconds left. Once again, I really felt stupid for thinking that the game was over. But we batted down the pass in the end-zone and ended up winning the game, and I thought it was awesome.
While on our way up to Utah, my Mom called us and told us to make sure we got there before 1 PM or so because the BYU vs. Utah football game was going to be starting around that time. I remember thinking, "Oh. A football game. I will watch this." This was the first BYU football game I watched, and I now look back on it and realize that I just witnessed one of the most heated rivalries in college football.
I thought the Foothill vs. Cheyenne game was crazy! But nothing is better than watching a BYU vs. Utah game. BYU ended up winning 33-31 when John Beck threw a 15-yard TD pass to tight-end Johnny Harline with no time remaining on the clock. It was the first time BYU beat Utah since 2001, and I just remember thinking, "What an amazing, powerful game." I have been a BYU football fan ever since.
BYU vs. Utah 2007
One year had passed, and I once again found myself in Utah, visiting my Mom. My cousin, TAB, offered me his sister's ticket for the game because she wasn't going to go. I was PUMPED. But then TAB had to call off the deal because he remembered that his dad would probably want to go, so he gave my Uncle Karl the ticket instead, which I was absolutely fine with. I could just watch it on TV!
However, my Mom no longer had the channel for the game anymore. I am going to be honest and admit that I lost a few hours of sleep over this fact. I was really looking forward to this game, and I just wanted to watch it with my own eyes!
But the family had other things going on that day, so I knew I wouldn't be able to watch it. I had to think of an alternative! And then I remembered: "I am in Utah! The game will be on the radio."
And so my brothers Brent Nelson, Timmy, and I went on a hunt to find one. Brent was doing some shopping for his family, and so we checked out Costco and Target. Neither really had any good, cheap radios. Heck, I didn't even have any money!
But then a miracle happened. We went to Albertson's to get some food for my Mom. I remember looking around the store, suddenly realizing that it was probably very unlikely that I find a portable radio in a store like Albertson's. But as we were about to leave, I saw it: FM/AM Portable Radio (Price: $7).
But the fact remained: I was broke! Brent wouldn't give me any money, and so I had one choice: My younger brother, Timmy Nelson himself. I dunno how I did it, but I somehow got a good eight bucks out of the child, and I purchased this radio.
This was the first game I listened to via the radio, and it was awesome. (I--to this day--listen to most of the games on the radio.) The game analyst were hilarious! I remember listening to the pre-game show and just getting goosebumps! I was so pumped.
As the game went on, I informed Brent Nelson on what was going on. We were eventually separated, though, and so Brent would listen to the game in his car. It was the fourth quarter, and Utah was up 10-9. There was about 1:35 minutes to go, and we had a good 80+ yards to go before we could score. Max Hall fumbled the ball, but recovered it, causing a loss of eight yards. And then he threw an incompletion to Dennis Pitta. It was then that Brent Nelson called me and told me that he was done listening.
But I still had hope! Third and 18? Easy enough. But then Hall threw another incompletion to Dennis Pitta. It was now fourth and 18, and I just remember thinking, "It's over. Utah has gotten their revenge."....But then out of nowhere I hear Greg (one of the analyst) yell, "Hall launces it to Collie, and...COLLIE IS BY HIMSELF ON THE SIDELINE AND MAKES THE CATCH FOR A FIRST DOWN!!!"
I was drinking some milk in the kitchen at the time, and I absolutely lost it! Collie made a 49 yard reception, and the game was suddenly back in our reach! After back to back penalties on Utah, BYU scored on an 11 yard run by running back, Harvey Unga. I then called Brent and informed him of the news. At first, he didn't believe me, and he thought I was just messing with him.
Utah had enough time to win the game, but BYU batted down the pass in the endzone, and the Cougars ended up with a 17-10 win!
(Brent Nelson and I later listened to the BYU vs. North Carolina (UNC was #1 at the time) basketball game via my radio, and that was pretty sweet! We almost beat the #1 team in the country!! It was awesome.)
BYU vs. Utah 2008
Another year has passed, and I am more excited than ever, as everyone already knows! :) This will be the biggest game out of all three. This is the first time BYU and Utah play eachother while both being ranked since 1994. It's been 14 years!! And I believe it is the first time they play eachother while bothing being ranked in the top 15. It'll be a great game, and I know BYU can win it!
Now--I really wanted to watch this game, but I didn't have the channel. So the original plan was to watch it over at my friend's house with some friends. Good idea, but...I always seem to turn against my friends when it comes to football games (See: Last year's betrayal when I actually went to the BYU vs. UCLA Vegas Bowl game with my brother, after I had planned to watch it with my friend and her family.)
This year: My brothers Luke, Logan, and Brent Nelson really want to watch the game, along with my Dad. So my idea: I'll just invite them over to Scott's house to watch it with us! But that wasn't going to work, because there was already going to be a bunch of people over there, and he doesn't have a very big living room.
My new solution: Talk to Dad and order the channel! And so I got with my Dad the other day, and I asked him if we could call the cable company and order the channel for the game. He said, "Oh, are you not going to Scott's house anymore?" I told him that I wanted to watch the game with Brent Nelson and the rest of the family, and he just said, "Alright, give them a call, and let me know how much it costs."
And so I called, but they eventually had to talk to my Dad. Dad talked with them for a few minutes, and hung up after a few thank-yous. Dad informed me that we now had the channels, and I was excited. I went into the blue room and tested it out, and it was awesome!
I am really excited to watch this year's game with my Dad and my brothers, and it's going to be sweet!! I informed Scott today that I probably wasn't gonna go to his house, and he wasn't very happy about that (especially since I planned it), but I am sure he will have fun with everyone else. :)
And so...on Saturday, make sure all y'all wear blue and support the BYU Cougars! We need to win this game to win the conference title for the third straight year!! ;)
Monday, November 17, 2008
College Application Progress
So far so good!!
I just need to get an interview with the bishop and stake president, and I need to get my high school transcript sent in. And then I will be set after paying the application fee.
I have my application set up for both BYU and BYU-Idaho, and it'll be interesting to see if I can actually get into Provo! :)
I just figured out that everything is due on December 1 for applying early and what not, so hopefully I can get those two small things done before the first! :)
Woo-hoo!!
I just need to get an interview with the bishop and stake president, and I need to get my high school transcript sent in. And then I will be set after paying the application fee.
I have my application set up for both BYU and BYU-Idaho, and it'll be interesting to see if I can actually get into Provo! :)
I just figured out that everything is due on December 1 for applying early and what not, so hopefully I can get those two small things done before the first! :)
Woo-hoo!!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Thank You!....GO COUGS!!
I just wanted to thank everyone for all the college help!
My plans:
-Apply for BYU and BYU-Idaho.
-If I get accepted to BYU (*hopes*), I will put in a deferment application right before I head into the MTC. If I don't get in, I will most likely get into BYU-Idaho, and I'll do the same thing with a deferment application. That'll be nice, because it'll give me one less thing to worry about while I am on my mission. :)
Simple enough, I think.
Speaking of BYU--they play Utah this week, and I hope everyone will join me in wishing the Cougars the best of luck!!
I don't have to work at Game Stop this week, so that'll give me plenty of time to prepare for Saturday's game. *must be focused* hahaha.
Team and fans alike storm the field after beating Utah in Provo last year.
Harvey Unga scores on a 15-yard run with less than one minute remaining to seal the deal.
Austin Collie converts on a crucial 4th and 18.
Max Hall celebrates a great win over Utah last year.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
College Help?
Okay, the question isn't when I should go to college, because I've already figured that out--I am going after my mission.
However, I am wondering when I should apply and what not. I know Matthew just applied and what not when he got back from his mission, giving him a few months to spend some time with the family before going to school.
And then there are the return missionaries who apply in advance (or something--I'm actually not sure what they do) and go right back to school right when they get home.
I like the way Matthew handled it, but I am curious as to what the rest of the world thinks....
Haha. I am a little angry right now because every scholarship application explanation I look at says, "Must be attending college in the fall of 2009." Which I am not...So I am curious as to whether I'll even be able to get any scholarships.
I got my ACT results back today, and I got a 24 again. :/ I'll probably take it ONE more time to see if I can get something just a little bit better out of me.
Well, any help would be appreciated! :)
However, I am wondering when I should apply and what not. I know Matthew just applied and what not when he got back from his mission, giving him a few months to spend some time with the family before going to school.
And then there are the return missionaries who apply in advance (or something--I'm actually not sure what they do) and go right back to school right when they get home.
I like the way Matthew handled it, but I am curious as to what the rest of the world thinks....
Haha. I am a little angry right now because every scholarship application explanation I look at says, "Must be attending college in the fall of 2009." Which I am not...So I am curious as to whether I'll even be able to get any scholarships.
I got my ACT results back today, and I got a 24 again. :/ I'll probably take it ONE more time to see if I can get something just a little bit better out of me.
Well, any help would be appreciated! :)
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Fun Night, Brakes, Other Adventures
WARNING: I apologize in advance for this post being SUPER long. I hope some of y'all actually read all of it! :)
Last night was a pretty fun night for me. I really needed it after work, too. Haha. At work, I made some mistakes and the manager I was working with didn't seem very happy. That especially stunk, because I finally felt like I was figuring everything out. Apparently not! ;)
After work, the original plan was to go to Cici's Pizza in North Las Vegas with the kids I carpool to seminary and school. So the group was suppose to consist of me, Timmy, Skyler, Levi, Marissa, and Megan. However, only two from that list ended up going: me and Levi.
Everyone was invited to the park yesterday, and so I took Timmy over there. While we were there, we told Megan and Levi that we were going at 5:30 PM. The Jacoby boys were there as well, and they wanted to go to. I told them they could come, because we could probably just squish everyone in my van. So at this point, I thought a bunch of people were gonna be able to go...
But then Timmy informed me that one of his friends was having a birthday party at 5:30 PM. So that meant Timmy and Skyler wouldn't be going anymore. Timmy convinced Levi and Cody Jacoby to still come though, which was good.
Then I got home from work, and Timmy told me that Megan and McCall (Megan's little sister) couldn't come because it was family night. So that was two more people that couldn't come. We couldn't get a hold of Marissa, so I walked across the street to her house just to see if she was going to come. Sister Beatty invited me in, and I saw Marissa sleeping on the couch. Sister Beatty informed me that Marissa was pretty sick. So..Marissa couldn't come either!
It was at this point that I decided Luke and Logan could come with us, because we would have plenty of room. And so Luke, Logan, and I drove down the street to pick up Levi. I was getting pretty hungry at this point. Haha.
When we got to the Jacoby's house, Cody and his little brother Maison got in the van. "Excellent!" I thought. "We have plenty of room."
(Okay, before I move on, let me tell you about the Jacoby family. There is Sister Jacoby and Brother Jacoby, and they have seven boys in their family. They are about to have their eighth boy pretty soon, too. So yes, there are a lot of them, and they live in a pretty small house. They are moving to a bigger house this Friday, and so they won't be in my ward anymore. I am going to miss those kids.)
So I was ready to leave the Jacoby's house when Brock comes up to the driver's window and says, "My Dad says you can take our van, so that we can all go." The Jacoby's have a HUGE, 15+ passanger van/bus. I thought Brock was kidding at first, but then Brother Jacoby comes out of the house, and tells me that I can take his van. So I parked my van, and went into the house and got their van keys. Sister Jacoby was worried about me driving it, but Brother Jacoby was nervous at all. To tell the truth--I was a little nervous..Especially after our next little adventure I am about to tell you about.
So now our group consisted of: Me, Luke, Logan, Levi, Cody, Maison, Dallin, and Brock. I was pretty pumped, because I didn't think we would have a big group after everyone dropped out. And so we were off! Backing out of the drive-way proved to be difficult. No matter how hard I pushed my foot on the accelerator, the van didn't seem to want to go. "Oh well," I said. "Brother Jacoby said it was a old, so it's probably just not good."
So we are driving down College Drive, making our way down to Boulder Highway, and it started to smell pretty bad. I ignored the smell, because I thought they put on the heat, and I thought their AC might just smell bad. So we were turning onto Boulder Highway when a bunch of people starting honking at us. The Jacoby boys then started complaining about the smell. "Well, junk! If they are complaining about the smell, that probably means it isn't normal."
And so we pull into the Smith's on Boulder Highway, and as I am doing so, I notice that the brake light is on. "JUNK!! I was driving with the emergency brake on!" So all eight of us get out of the car, and the back tires are smoking EVERYWHERE. I felt really bad doing that in the Jacoby's van, and I thought I was in big trouble. Cody called his dad, though, and Brother Jacoby said it would be fine if we waited a few minutes. After all the smoke vanished, we all got back into the car, and we headed back onto the B. Highway. The van was MUCH easily to drive after this. I felt like an idiot for driving with the brake on, but the Jacoby kids thought it was hilarious, so I didn't feel too bad. :)
It was tough, but I got the fatty van all the way out to North Las Vegas, and we ate at the delicious pizza buffet. The kids loved it! I dunno why, but I prefer going out to places like CiCi's with a bunch of kids 3-8 years younger than me than I do kids my own age. I think it's because the kids just make it so much more fun. They were making me laugh like crazy last night! If I were to go with kids my age, though, they would just be like, "Oh, pizza. Excellent." And then we would eat without any of the jokes, etc. It's probably more fun for me, too, because sometimes I act like a twelve-year-old. ;)
After CiCi's, everyone wanted to go to the park here in Henderson to play "night games." A few parents were wondering if I could help supervise, and I agreed to do so. And so I drove everyone to the park in the Jacoby's van.
They played football when we got there. One of the dads in our ward was there, so they didn't exactly need my help to supervise, really. I didn't play football, because I was wearing sandels and the grass was COLD. The dad brought his little 3-4 year old daughter, though, and he told her that she could go play on the slide. Without him asking me to, I decided I would go watch her and make sure no one kidnapped her or anything. She was such a fun kid! Her Dad came up to me later and said, "I don't have to pay you do I? Because I left my money at my house." I just laughed and said, "Nah. I just love kids." He appreciated it, and it felt good to do a little service by watching his daughter.
After getting the Jacoby's home before 10 PM, Luke, Logan, and I met up with some of my friends at the park, and we played ultimate frisbee. It was excellent! I had some excellent, excellent catches, but I cannot throw a frisbee if my life depended on it!! Haha. I took of my sandals to play, though, and my feet were frozen by the end of the night!
After that (around 11:30 PM), I went and picked Timmy up from Skyler's house. He and I went to Albertson's because I wanted to get something for Marissa to make her feel better. So I bought her a little stuffed dog. Haha. I also made a card telling her to get better soon. I took the stuffed dog and the card to her this morning, and she looked pretty miserable! But she appreciated the get-well gifts, and I hope she gets better soon!
Oh, and while Timmy and I were at Albertson's we also got some bananna milk. It was delicious!! :)
And those were all of my Monday night adventures. PHEW!! It felt good to take a few hours of my day to do something fun with all the younger kids, and it felt good to just do kind, little things for people.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
The Six Day Weekend And Other Adventures
First of all--the six day weekend probably wasn't the best idea. I was piled with a bunch of homework to do Tuesday night, and then I was welcomed back to school with even more make-up work. I'm almost done making everything up, though, and it feels good.
Voting in the election was pretty sweet. It's a shame it went the way it did, but we'll just have to accept Obama as the new president and see what happens. It should be interesting. The good news is: If Obama makes it four years, he will be running again, opposed to Hilary Clinton being able to run. That's about the only positive thing I can think of right now, though. :) Like I said--it'll be interesting!
Monday was a pretty sweet day as well. Timmy convinced me to let him ditch with me, and his friend Skyler joined us and my other friends. My good friend Scott, though, could only skip with us if he went to first period (band) first. So while Scott was at band, Tara, Timmy, Skyler, and I went to IHOP. I got the all-you-can-eat pancake combo, and it's pretty much the worst deal ever. Why? Well, my friend, you can't really eat many pancakes before you are stuffed. I ate a grand total of five pancakes. Good thing it was cheap! ;)
After eating, Scott met us at IHOP. We then went to Sunset Station to go bowling. They had a deal where you could bowl one game for one dollar. (We later found out that this deal was for hotel guests only--the guy must have thought we were hotel guests because we were there so early in the morning/not at school.) And so we boweled five games, and I was NOT good. Skyler almost broke the whole bowling alley down...It's a long story, and I prefer not to share it. ;)
On Monday, Timmy decided that he wanted to get an iPod touch with all birthday money. However, he was short $20-$30, so he and I made a deal. I would pay for the rest of the new iPod, and he would give me his old iPod in return. And so we shook on it, and it's supposed to be coming in the mail today. Timmy is pretty excited for it.
I've been having a lot of fun with the old iPod as well. I put a lot of my music on it, and now I am working on putting Christmas DVD's on it. Right now I am watching Home Alone 2 to make sure it works. I am testing them all, because Elf crashed half-way through the movie for some reason! And we want to especially make sure Home Alone and Home Alone 2 work, because the tradition is starting in three weeks!! :)
Other than all that...I've just been busy with work and what not. GameStop is starting to give me a few more hours, and I'm starting to get the job a little more. So--overall--I am doing pretty good!! I am excited for another four day weekend this weekend. :)
Voting in the election was pretty sweet. It's a shame it went the way it did, but we'll just have to accept Obama as the new president and see what happens. It should be interesting. The good news is: If Obama makes it four years, he will be running again, opposed to Hilary Clinton being able to run. That's about the only positive thing I can think of right now, though. :) Like I said--it'll be interesting!
Monday was a pretty sweet day as well. Timmy convinced me to let him ditch with me, and his friend Skyler joined us and my other friends. My good friend Scott, though, could only skip with us if he went to first period (band) first. So while Scott was at band, Tara, Timmy, Skyler, and I went to IHOP. I got the all-you-can-eat pancake combo, and it's pretty much the worst deal ever. Why? Well, my friend, you can't really eat many pancakes before you are stuffed. I ate a grand total of five pancakes. Good thing it was cheap! ;)
After eating, Scott met us at IHOP. We then went to Sunset Station to go bowling. They had a deal where you could bowl one game for one dollar. (We later found out that this deal was for hotel guests only--the guy must have thought we were hotel guests because we were there so early in the morning/not at school.) And so we boweled five games, and I was NOT good. Skyler almost broke the whole bowling alley down...It's a long story, and I prefer not to share it. ;)
On Monday, Timmy decided that he wanted to get an iPod touch with all birthday money. However, he was short $20-$30, so he and I made a deal. I would pay for the rest of the new iPod, and he would give me his old iPod in return. And so we shook on it, and it's supposed to be coming in the mail today. Timmy is pretty excited for it.
I've been having a lot of fun with the old iPod as well. I put a lot of my music on it, and now I am working on putting Christmas DVD's on it. Right now I am watching Home Alone 2 to make sure it works. I am testing them all, because Elf crashed half-way through the movie for some reason! And we want to especially make sure Home Alone and Home Alone 2 work, because the tradition is starting in three weeks!! :)
Other than all that...I've just been busy with work and what not. GameStop is starting to give me a few more hours, and I'm starting to get the job a little more. So--overall--I am doing pretty good!! I am excited for another four day weekend this weekend. :)
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Church, Christmas Time, The Next Two Days
Church was excellent today. Sacrament meeting was excellent as usual, but my shoulder is still tired. You see--I had to hold the microphone for THREE baby blessings in a row, and it was pretty tiring. I was shaking by the end of the third blessing. Pretty intense.
Brother Payne gave an excellent lesson on charity in priesthood today. I enjoyed it as usual. I am truly blessed to have leaders like Brother Payne. He's an excellent example to me. He has taught me many times that things can be hard, but those hard things are always possible to get through if we have the Lord on our side. You can tell that our leaders in the Priest Quorom really care about all of us, and they are doing an excellent job of teaching us what we need to know for the mission field. *loves my leaders*
After church, we all met in Bishop's office to see Timmy be ordained to the office of a priest. I once again had the chance to help ordain my little brother--I had the same experience with Logan a few months ago--and it was a great experience like last time. The Priesthood is powerful.
I am really excited for Timmy to be in Priest Quorom. This will be the first time that Timmy and I are in the same Quorom. We never have been before, because I always move up before he moves up. Haha. If that makes sense. ;) I guess that's just what happens when you are two years apart.
After ordaining Timmy, Bishop talked to my Dad about mission papers and what not. I'm going to be put into the mission computer on May 6, so I can start filling out papers after that. Bishop actually suggested that we call and make the doctors and dentist appointments tomorrow. It was pretty sweet to think that I only have about six months until then. I'm starting to get pretty anxious, and even a little worried/scared. But that's just how I've always been. I know that I will do fine out on the field if I am prepared and if I continue to follow the Spirit's promptings. The six months are going to fly by--I know they will--and Satan is going to be working especially hard to tempt me to make a wrong choice. I've already made my choice, though--I'm serving a mission and I'm not going to let anything stop me from doing so.
I am starting to gear up for the Christmas season. We are starting some Christmas movies tonight, so that we can have them all watched by Thanksgiving--when we start watching Home Alone and Home Alone 2. I am burning some Christmas CD's to have in my car and for the trips up to Utah. I am pretty excited for my last Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family. It's not that I'm excited to leave my family or anything. It's just exciting to know that this is the final chapter of the first part of my life. I am really looking forward to parts two and three--my mission and then raising a family of my own. Knowing that this is my last Christmas with my family before my mission just makes me realizes how close parts two and three are. :)
We have school tomorrow, but we don't have school Tuesday. So I--the rebel that I am--am not going to school tomorrow, because I think it's dumb to give us Tuesday off, but not Monday. Rather, I am going to go to IHOP and then I'm going bowling. It'll be sweet. I work at GameStop from 1 to 5 PM tomorrow, and that'll be interesting as usual.
Tuesday will be fun. I get to go vote with my Dad, and then I am going to go donate blood at 1:30 PM. It'll be interesting to see how much my cholesterol level has gone up since I last donated. HAHA. I've gained so much weight...I am now 190.5 lbs. Wow....That's sad. Earlier this year I was probably 160 lbs. I plan to start running and doing core workouts starting tomorrow. I also plan to stop eating fast food 5+ a week. I need to eat healthier. ;)
Brother Payne gave an excellent lesson on charity in priesthood today. I enjoyed it as usual. I am truly blessed to have leaders like Brother Payne. He's an excellent example to me. He has taught me many times that things can be hard, but those hard things are always possible to get through if we have the Lord on our side. You can tell that our leaders in the Priest Quorom really care about all of us, and they are doing an excellent job of teaching us what we need to know for the mission field. *loves my leaders*
After church, we all met in Bishop's office to see Timmy be ordained to the office of a priest. I once again had the chance to help ordain my little brother--I had the same experience with Logan a few months ago--and it was a great experience like last time. The Priesthood is powerful.
I am really excited for Timmy to be in Priest Quorom. This will be the first time that Timmy and I are in the same Quorom. We never have been before, because I always move up before he moves up. Haha. If that makes sense. ;) I guess that's just what happens when you are two years apart.
After ordaining Timmy, Bishop talked to my Dad about mission papers and what not. I'm going to be put into the mission computer on May 6, so I can start filling out papers after that. Bishop actually suggested that we call and make the doctors and dentist appointments tomorrow. It was pretty sweet to think that I only have about six months until then. I'm starting to get pretty anxious, and even a little worried/scared. But that's just how I've always been. I know that I will do fine out on the field if I am prepared and if I continue to follow the Spirit's promptings. The six months are going to fly by--I know they will--and Satan is going to be working especially hard to tempt me to make a wrong choice. I've already made my choice, though--I'm serving a mission and I'm not going to let anything stop me from doing so.
I am starting to gear up for the Christmas season. We are starting some Christmas movies tonight, so that we can have them all watched by Thanksgiving--when we start watching Home Alone and Home Alone 2. I am burning some Christmas CD's to have in my car and for the trips up to Utah. I am pretty excited for my last Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family. It's not that I'm excited to leave my family or anything. It's just exciting to know that this is the final chapter of the first part of my life. I am really looking forward to parts two and three--my mission and then raising a family of my own. Knowing that this is my last Christmas with my family before my mission just makes me realizes how close parts two and three are. :)
We have school tomorrow, but we don't have school Tuesday. So I--the rebel that I am--am not going to school tomorrow, because I think it's dumb to give us Tuesday off, but not Monday. Rather, I am going to go to IHOP and then I'm going bowling. It'll be sweet. I work at GameStop from 1 to 5 PM tomorrow, and that'll be interesting as usual.
Tuesday will be fun. I get to go vote with my Dad, and then I am going to go donate blood at 1:30 PM. It'll be interesting to see how much my cholesterol level has gone up since I last donated. HAHA. I've gained so much weight...I am now 190.5 lbs. Wow....That's sad. Earlier this year I was probably 160 lbs. I plan to start running and doing core workouts starting tomorrow. I also plan to stop eating fast food 5+ a week. I need to eat healthier. ;)
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