#20 It Wasn't as Bad as I Thought

Blogging can be an activity that some enjoy and others despise. For me, I didn't have the greatest attitude towards the idea of writing a blog. I am a pretty private person that doesn't necessarily like others knowing what is constantly happening in my life. But as I've participated in the creating, writing, and maintaining a personal blog, I have opened up and found myself enjoying it. I'm not a fan of writing in general, but the idea of writing about anything I had a desire to write about helped. I also enjoyed the aspect of making the blog visually rhetoric. I think that was my favorite part. Being able to go back and add pictures, revisit those memories, and help the reader feel what I'm writing, was a great experience. All in all, I found that writing the blog was not as bad as I thought it was and I ultimately enjoyed the blogging process.

#19 A Friend and Leader

     When I was in the Young Men Program in my branch in Marshfield, Wisconsin, I had an awesome leader. His name is Steve Taylor. He was a powerful influence in my life and really made me think about life's decisions. Still to this day, he is a good friend and role model for me.
     We have always had a love of basketball in common and I think it is why we are such great friends to this day. For one young men's activity, we planned a temple trip to the St. Paul Temple. As an important factor in this trip, we went to a NBA Basketball the night before we would attend the temple. We spent the night in a hotel and had a "guys night." As a result of this experience, I feel that we all become closer and got to know each other a bit more. It was a great experience to have fun and spend quality time with guys my age with powerful leaders. We enjoyed the game, goofing around at the hotel, and the temple the next day. In fact, even young men who weren't worthy to attend the temple came. It showed me the powerful influence that I could one day have in the lives of young men.    
     One Sunday, he told me, "You need to ask 'why?' in the gospel. You need to question, seek, and obtain answers for yourself." This has always stuck with me and I don't think I'll ever forget it. It was a powerful lesson to me about the importance of seeking divine guidance to my questions. This has helped me receive personal revelation throughout my life about important decisions I've had to make.
   

#18 Human Anatomy

     Before the semester started, I had my doubts about how I would do in Human Anatomy. When I decided to put my efforts into applying to the BYU Nursing Program, I knew that taking this class would be one of the first requirements. I knew from many people that this was a hard class. I had many reservations about taking it and of course, I wanted to do well.

   An important part of taking this class was to study my brains out. After several weeks of classes, studying, quizzes, working, etc., I realized that I wasn't allowing myself enough study time. I didn't score well on one of my first tests and it really disappointed me. After much contemplation and discussion with my wife, I decided to quit my job at the end of September. This was a big decision for me because I enjoyed my job, being a basketball official for BYU Intramurals. However, I just couldn't work the long shifts and still have enough time to study for my quizzes and tests. I am happy to say that as a result of this decision, I have excelled at anatomy. 

    I have learned so much throughout this semester about the human body! It has been a great experience studying the different parts of the human body and how everything works. It has strengthened my testimony and amazement of God's power in creating everything in this world and how everything comes together to work. 

#17 Cruising in Mexico

On Saturday, we were to port in Ensenada, Mexico. Unlike in Santa Barbara, we actually pulled right into the harbor, so no tenders for today. After another great breakfast at the buffet, we went down to Deck 5 to get off the ship. It was really weird at first, being in a different country. Everything was mainly in Spanish and we had no idea where we were going. We were afraid to ask anyone for fear of them not being able to speak English.

We walked around for ages, it seemed like. We had a map of the downtown area, but it wasn't very good. The "shops" that were supposedly to be a great shopping area disappointed my wife. Instead, we tried to find the beach. After walking around some more, we finally decided to just head back to the harbor to ask for directions. We came across a taxi driver waiting for customers and he pointed us in the right direction for the beach. However, he offered to drive us because it was about 2 miles away from where we were. We decided to save the money and walk because the weather was nice and as we had eaten so much on our cruise, it would be good for us. Wow, he wasn't kidding. It really was 2 miles away...and we walked, and walked, and walked. Eventually, we found it! And it was totally worth the walk!

It was very different from Santa Barbara because there were actual waves here and we watched some people trying to surf. I went swimming in the ocean; the water was cold, but I got used to it after awhile. Besides the surfers, we were really the only ones in the water. The waves don't look too big in the picture, but they were rather intimidating. It was an incredible experience to be able to swim in the ocean. It was crazy as I was getting pushed around by the water as the waves crashed down and the water then receded back. We stayed at the beach for a couple of hours, then decided to start our journey back to the ship.

Overall, our cruise was great and I'm really glad we decided to go for it! For a long time, we were so indecisive about whether we wanted to do it or not. Finally, my wife found a great deal for Thanksgiving week and we decided to go for it. I'm really glad we did because it was a really cool experience. Again, there were a lot of "firsts" for me on this trip. I had never really gone on a vacation before. It was my first cruise, my first time in California, my first time to Mexico, my first time seeing the ocean, and my first time at the beach. The food was so good and the service on the cruise ship was great too! We might go on another honeymoon next year!

#16 Pit Stop in Santa Barbra

Friday was an exciting day because we would be going to Santa Barbara, California! Early that morning, we anchored off in near the shore. After an awesome breakfast, we loaded into a small boat, called a tender, and the tender took us to shore.

The tenders were a little sketchy at first, but after awhile, we got used to it. It was just a 5-minute ride over the shore and we set off to explore!

Santa Barbara is GREAT! I could totally live there. In fact, I told my wife many times as we walked around that I would be completely content to live there. The weather was perfect and we walked around the harbor, looking out at the ocean and sand. There was a pier nearby that we walked along, discovering the little shops and restaurants there. We got some really expensive ice cream as we walked on the pier. We walked along the beach. Taking our shoes and socks off, I could feel the cool sand in between my toes. We waded into the cold water and I enjoyed my first time in the ocean.

     After playing around at the beach and in the water, we brushed our feet off and put our shoes back on. We decided to walk up State Street to explore the many stores Santa Barbara had to offer. We found a cool hat store and tried some funky hats on for fun. I saw lots of palm trees lining the street; it being my first time seeing a real palm tree also. This trip included a lot of "firsts" for me as I haven't had many vacations in my lifetime.
     After walking around Santa Barbara for a couple of hours, we decided to head back to the harbor. We loaded back on the tender and it took us back to our mother ship. We went to the buffet for lunch, complete with delicious fresh fruit. We sat right by the huge windows that overlook the ocean below us. It was a great view as we ate our lunch.

That afternoon, I started getting a headache. I think it was because I didn't really drink any water all day. I hung out in the room while my wife laid out in the sun for awhile. When she came back, we both showered and got ready for dinner. This night was a more formal night so we dressed up (it wasn't required, but we wanted to). As we went to dinner, I really wasn't feeling too good. We sat down, ordered our food, and my stomach was hurting. We got our salads, but after only one or two bites of mine, I felt like I was going to throw up. My wife asked our waiter to cancel our food orders and we left. We ran to one of the stores onboard and got Advil and Dramamine for seasickness. After vomiting the little food I did eat at dinner and the medications kicking, I was starting to feel better. In the newsletter that day, it announced there would be an illusionist showing that night. Since I was feeling better, we decided to go. They're called Hawley Magic and they were on America's Got Talent. They were pretty good, but it wasn't really what I expected. There was dancing and a lot of show-casing and I wasn't really expecting that. I thought it was going to be just a combination of magic tricks.

     Anyways, that was day 3 on our honeymoon cruise. It was good, except for the seasickness.

#15 Day At Sea

Thursday was our at-sea day on the cruise, probably because it was Thanksgiving Day. That morning, we had a couples massage appointment reserved for us. After breakfast, we headed to the Lotus Spa. It was my first ever massage. It was strange at first, but really relaxing. We enjoyed lots of time in the sun and pool. In our daily newsletter, I read about a basketball shootout they were hosting that morning. I suited up and set off for the court. Unfortunately, I got second place, losing to a 12-year-old.                            

This was a relaxing day for us as we enjoyed the sun, pools, movies, food, T.V., and sounds of the waves as the ship cut through the ocean. 

As this was Thanksgiving Day, we definitely enjoyed wonderful Thanksgiving meals that night for dinner. Our meal was complete with turkey, stuffing, ham, potatoes, and cheesecake for dessert. We were pretty tired from our day in the sun, but the daily newsletter had also mentioned that there would be a comedian show that night after dinner. We were a little nervous about this because we didn't know him and/or what his jokes might be like. We decided that if he started including cussing in his jokes, we would leave. However, we were ever so pleasantly surprised. This comedian, Derrick Cameron, told us of how he made sure his shows were for everyone, kids included. There was no swearing or dirty jokes and we laughed and laughed. His jokes were mainly about many truths in life. We enjoyed 45 minutes of great jokes, then went to the room. We watched a little T.V. until we fell asleep. 

#14 Hopped off the Plane at LAX

On Wednesday, November 26, my wife and I flew out of Las Vegas and arrived at LAX airport. We boarded a shuttle that took us to the San Pedro LA Cruise Terminal so that we could board our cruise ship. We checked in, went through security, and finally boarded the Golden Princess.

 We found our stateroom, on deck Emerald, room 615. We explored the small confines of our room, dropped our things off, then set out to explore the rest of the ship. After wandering around for awhile, we finally came across the Passenger Service desk and my wife asked for a map of the ship. This was a great help to us! We found the pizza bar, which was my dream come true! We had pizza, then found the buffet, and ate some more there. We explored the many sights of the ship including the 3 pools, 7 hot tubs, the Lotus Spa, the basketball court, the ice cream bar, and many more! Wow, we were in for a fun four days!

We soaked up some sunshine and relaxed in the hot tubs. We had dinner at 5:30 every night in the Donatello Dining Room. The food was awesome and we enjoyed some even better desserts afterwards.

Since we didn't get very much sleep the night before in Vegas (the airport wasn't far away, so we heard planes flying overheard constantly), we fell asleep rather quickly after dinner while watching T.V.

#13 What Happens in Vegas...

After my class on Tuesday, my lovely wife and I packed up the car and drove the 5 hours to Las Vegas. We were flying out of Vegas Airport the next morning, and as neither of us had ever been to Vegas, we decided to go down the day before to go sight-seeing. We checked into our hotel, the Excalibur Resort and Casino, then went out to explore the city.

We walked up and down the Strip and saw the many lights the city has to offer. We stopped at the Bellagio Hotel to watch the water/light/music show they coordinate in front of the hotel.

Las Vegas is one of those cities that you have to go see just once in your lifetime. It's definitely true that the city never sleeps; there are parties going all night long. In fact, most of the parties don't start until late at night and don't end until the sun comes up. I'm glad we went to see it though because at least I can say that I've visited Vegas. After 3 hours of walking up and down the Strip, we were exhausted. I tried my hand at the slot machines for a bit before we went to bed. I put in a dollar and after both winning and losing some, I came out with a total of $8. It must have been beginner's luck.

#12 3 tests, 2 papers, 1 quiz, daily homework, then freedom

The week before Thanksgiving break has always been a challenging and stressful week. This year is the worst I've ever had to face. Like the title suggests, I have 3 tests, 2 papers, an anatomy quiz and all the usual required homework during the week. What a busy week! But the prize of getting through this week is excellent. My wife and I are going on a cruise to celebrate our "honeymoon". We were married in May, but started working right away to provide money for our educations. The "honeymoon" is going to be a great time, but it will be more enjoyable if I get through this stressful week school!!

#11 Personal Narrative Reflection

Looking back on all the papers we have written for Writing 150, I found the personal narrative to be the most challenging. I think I would have rather done another research paper, then write a personal narrative. I found the personal narrative challenging for a couple of reasons. First, I found writing about past experiences difficult. Another challenge I found was the ability SHOW rather then just TELL. This challenge by far was the most challenging. I found myself constantly having to go back and revise what I wrote because I was telling rather than showing. The third difficulty I found was showing how I changed. I knew I had changed because of this particular experience, but actually showing it in paper was a challenge. I hope I was able to portray the change well enough in my personal narrative. I'm glad that this personal narrative was the third paper we wrote for the class because of the challenges I listed above. It is my belief that if we started the semester with this assignment, it would have been an even longer semester. The skills and knowledge that I've learned from the other two writing assignments, along with classroom discussion, helped with writing the personal narrative. I said before that I would rather write another research paper instead of a personal narrative, but I guess that depends on the grade I receive on my research paper!

#10 When Grandma and Grandpa Become Mom and Dad

‘What’s happening?’ I wondered, as the red and blue lights lit up the dark trailer house. My four-year-old eyes burned as I blinked at the bright lights. It was my mother’s car, trapped by a cop car, but I couldn’t understand what was going on. As I sat on the kitchen counter and looked out the window, I watched a police officer force my mother’s arms behind her back as he placed her in handcuffs. He then pushed my mother into the back of the police car. I later learned that she was being arrested for driving while intoxicated.

“Come on, we have to go,” my father told my two younger sisters and me. He told us we had to put our shoes on and get in the car. We drove until we arrived at a strange house.

‘Whoa,’ I thought to myself as a woman led us into her house. I got excited because this house was much nicer than the trailer in which we lived. It had a fireplace with hardwood floors. The couch was leather and the kitchen had granite countertops. This was the home of my father’s employer and the woman was the employer’s wife.

“I need to run to the gas station and then I’ll be right back,” my father assured the woman. He never did. Since then, I’ve seen him only a handful of times.

            My clothes stuck to me and my skin and head felt itchy. The woman told us we needed to take a bath so she helped us undress while the warm bath water ran. She helped my sisters and I wash, but she suddenly gasped.

            “Head lice,” she muttered, “what am I supposed to do now?” She took a deep breath, finished bathing us, and then I heard her talking on the phone. We were still awaiting my father’s return to come to retrieve us from this strange house. After several hours, another woman came to the house, bringing us all fresh, clean clothes.

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *         

This had been just an ordinary day for my grandma, who had gone into her bedroom to make her bed.

As she did, she heard an announcement come across the police scanner that made her heart sink.

Meanwhile, my mother was taken to jail. She was given the chance to call someone and she called her mother, my grandma, and explained what had happened.

“Did you tell them you had family to take the children?” my grandma asked her.

“No, it’s none of the social workers’ business,” my mother replied.

My grandma then contacted Social Services to find out where we were and what was happening. Hurriedly, she picked up the phone and called my grandpa, who was at work at the time.

“Jeff, the children were taken by Social Services. The social workers have a temporary foster home lined up for the girls, but they don’t have a place for Josh. Can we take them?” she asked.  

“Of course,” he answered.

My grandma quickly contacted the social worker and told her that she was our grandmother and that she was willing to take all three of us. She was told that the department would meet to see if this action would be approved. Time was endless as she waited for the phone call to come. Finally, at 4 pm, the call came.

“It has been approved. You can pick the children up at any time,” the social worker said.

My grandparents drove to the office, but learned that no one seemed to know where we were. After frantically searching and asking questions, they found someone who knew the details of our situation. The worker helped them find us and my grandparents drove to the house where we were staying.

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *         

            Two and a half years later, I found myself sitting in an empty courtroom facing the judge with my grandparents and sisters. 

            “By the State of Wisconsin, I hereby pronounce Jeffery and Sharon Weier official adoptive parents over children, Joshua Edward, Krystal Marie, and Felicia Star Cabrini,” the clear and powerful voice of the judge rang out, followed by the loud pound of the gavel.

            It was silent on the drive home from the courthouse as we were all contemplated what our lives would now be like.

            “Do we have to call you ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ now?” I asked, finally.  

            “You don’t have to. You can keep calling us ‘grandpa’ and ‘grandma’ if that’s easier for you,” my grandma answered.

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

            It was a warm summer day as we approached the St. Paul, Minnesota Temple. The gold Angel

Moroni statue on the tip of the temple’s highest peak sparkled in the sunlight. The air smelled of freshly mowed grass as we exited our car in the parking lot. Kind temple workers helped my sisters and I dress in white clothing and led us into a waiting room. Finally, we were led into the sealing room and I saw my grandparents, dressed in white, kneeling at the altar.

            “I seal these blessings upon you and pronounce a family, sealed for time and for all eternity,” the sealer announced. At last, we were theirs, not only in legality’s eyes, but in God’s eyes also.

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          * 

         

  My wife was a vision in white as we entered the sealing room together to be married and sealed for time and all eternity on May 3, 2014. I saw the smiling faces of our family and closest friends gathered around us in support and love. After the sealing, my wife and I looked into temple mirrors and looked into the eternities together. Our families congratulated us, along with smiles and tears of joy, and went outside to wait for us. We blinked in the sunlight as we exited the temple, sealed as an eternal family, to cheers from our friends and family.

#9 BYU Experience

This is my third semester at Brigham Young University. The path for me actually coming to BYU is quite unique. I was originally planning on attending BYU right out of High School, but was conflicted between BYU-Idaho and BYU-Prove. I changed my commitment three times, was re-admitted three more times before finally attending BYU-Idaho. While I was serving my mission, the girl I was interested in started attending BYU. I then applied as a transfer student and started continued my education at BYU in Provo in the fall of 2013. I have since married "the girl" and we both are currently continuing our educations. Brigham Young University is the place I need to be right now.

I am currently attempting to enter the Nursing program here. This semester has been the most challenging for me academically. For the rest of the semester, I am going to be studying Anatomy very vigorously to do the best I can. As I look at the schedule, we only have less then a month left! The homeward stretch is starting. Finishing the semester well is my top priority as the semester comes to a close.

#8 Weekend Get Away

I served my mission in Salt Lake City. While I was serving, I got to know and admire the Sharp family. They lived in an area that I served in for a year. During this time I was able to form a friendship with this family to the point of them flying out to Wisconsin for my wife and I's wedding. It was a great experience!

To prepare for the next stressful weeks before Thanksgiving break, my wife and I spent the weekend in Salt Lake City with the Sharp family. It was a great weekend to relax and prepare for the grind of all the homework, tests, papers, and projects due before the holiday break. As always, it was great to see the Sharp's, enjoy each others company, and get a little R+R before the dreaded week before Thanksgiving break!

#7 Halloween Fun

This past weekend, my wife and I decided last-minute to drive up to Logan to visit our good friends, Bryce and Amanda! So Utah State University does this crazy Halloween party every year called the Haunted Howl. So we decided to spend the weekend being crazy young kids partying it up!

So, Friday evening, we went searching for Halloween costumes in Provo before heading up to Logan. We found lots of awesome ones and we took forever deciding what we wanted to be. However...we finally decided!

I found this awesome Ghostbuster costume, complete with an inflatable backpack and gun. You can't really see the backpack in the picture, but it sticks out kinda far off his back. My wife, Jasmine, went as a flapper, which allowed her to stay cool while dancing. I was roasting because although it was thin, it still was a jumpsuit that was long-sleeved and long-panted.

We had a great time visiting friends and enjoying a weekend away from the daily grind of school. Plus, it was halloween and who doesn't like dressing up in a costume?

#6 Research Paper Reflection

Boy am I glad the research paper is done! Looking back on the process of writing the research paper, I've noticed things I liked and disliked about it.

First, I enjoyed actually doing the research project. I learned things about my adoption that I didn't know before, which gave me a greater appreciation for my grandparents. I liked researching the topic of adoption and finding both the positive and negative affects of grandparents adopting their grandchildren.

Second, I liked the timing of the research paper. Being able to have the hardest paper written before November is a great feeling. It's all down hill from here! Another part of the process I enjoyed was actually going to the library and receiving instruction on how to research certain topics. This helped in the process of writing the research paper tremendously. Finally, I really enjoyed being able to meet with my teacher, Sister Steadman, about how my paper was coming along and what I could do to make it better. I found this to be a great tool in becoming a better writer. I also had my wife peer review it multiple times, to the point of her having parts of it memorized. But all these things helped in the process of writing.

I didn't find the group peer review exercise very helpful. We only went over our thesis statements and that was about it. I would have liked to have another review session with Sister Steadman, instead of working in a group. At first I didn't like having to incorporate a family story into the research paper, but in the end I'm glad I did. I was about to learn and grow because of this assignment.
All in all, I'm excited that the paper is finally finished and I can now relax and not worry. But like I said earlier, I am glad I was about to do this assignment and learn about my family a little bit more.  

#5 Ponder the Path of Thy Feet-General Conference

        What makes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints unique to the rest of the world is the belief of continuing revelation. This is evident every six months when Prophets, Seers and Revelators instruct the world. In the Sunday morning session of the October 2014 general conference, President Monson inspires the world by using real life examples, personal testimony and uses his authority by asking us to Ponder the Path of Thy Feet.

       The first example that President Monson shares is of a woman who visited Jerusalem. She would share experience she had from her trip. They must have been wonderful. Every time she would recall an experience from the trip to the Holy Land, she would say, "I have walked where Jesus walked!" Thomas S. Monson expounds on this by say, "She had been in the vicinity where Jesus lived and taught. Perhaps she stood on a rock on which He had once stood or looked at a mountain range He had once gazed upon. The experiences, in and of themselves, were thrilling to her; but physically walking where Jesus walked is less important than walking as He walked. Emulating His actions and following His example are far more important than trying to retrace the remnants of the trails He traversed in mortality." What a powerful message coming from the mouth piece of Heavenly Father. Sharing experiences like this help the audience feel that the prophet is in touch with the world. He knows what is happening and as a result is able to connect with the audience. 
       Another example that is used during this talk is of the Wacker family. President Monson goes on to share that during the course of President Monson's Mission President duties. He says, "As I think of those who have truly tried to follow the example of the Savior and who have walked in His path, there comes readily to my mind the names of Gustav and Margarete Wacker—two of the most Christlike individuals I have ever known. They were native Germans who had immigrated to eastern Canada, and I met them when I served as a mission president there. Brother Wacker earned his living as a barber. Though their means were limited, they shared all they had. They were not blessed with children, but they nurtured all who entered their home. Men and women of learning and sophistication sought out these humble, unlettered servants of God and counted themselves fortunate if they could spend an hour in their presence." He continues to say they didn't have much. They didn't own a television or car, their English was broken and according to the world, they didn't have much. But yet, the faithful beat a path to their door in order to partake of the spirit that was there. Their home was a heaven on earth, and the spirit they radiated was of pure peace and goodness." As President Monson shares these stories with the audience which allows them to connect with the speaker. The real life examples shared touch the audience and creates a willingness to become better. 
      President Monson also uses his personal testimony inspire us to Ponder the Path of Thy Feet. He said, "As we strive to place Christ at the center of our lives by learning His words, by following His teachings, and by walking in His path, He has promised to share with us the eternal life that He died to gain. There is no higher end than this, that we should choose to accept His discipline and become His disciples and do His work throughout our lives. Nothing else, no other choice we make, can make of us what He can." With a significant promise like this, inspiration is the only option for the audience. 

      President Monson concludes his inspiring message by saying, "As we do, we will have the faith, even the desire, to walk the path which Jesus walked. We will have no doubt that we are on a path which our Father would have us follow. The Savior’s example provides a framework for everything that we do, and His words provide an unfailing guide. His path will take us safely home. May this be our blessing, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, whom I love, whom I serve, and of whom I testify, amen." His personal testimony of the Savior's ability to guide and provide the framework for us is inspiring and leads us to have a desire to be better. 
      All of the words that President Monson shares have creditability because he is the ordained spokesmen for Heavenly Father. With this ordination, Thomas S. Monson's words have more meaning, power and inspire the world. As the prophet, President Monson speaks to the entire world, not just the members of the church. Heavenly Father's will is brought to light through the prophet. 
      All in all, President Monson inspires us, the world, to Ponder the Path of Thy Feet. He does this by sharing personal, real life examples of those that have pondered their path and using his credibility as the prophet.   

#4 Research Paper Ideas

As I have been thinking about possible research topics, only two have come to mind. Actually, "Are Professional Athletes Role Models" was the only topic that was considering. With my family being sport fans, I have noticed in professional sports there are major problems regarding domestic violence, substance abuse and personal conduct, But today sitting in class, I had the question of whether or not adoption is a beneficial thing. My two sisters and I were adopted by my grandparents and lately I have been pondering this idea. My wife has Crohn's disease and a possible side affect is the ability to not have children. So adoption is a big part of my life and I would like to know if it is beneficial or not.    

I like the idea of adoption. You have a double connection being adopted and the possibility of not having children which could be used to introduce and conclude. 

This is a pretty serious topic and I'm sure you could find a lot of data to support whatever conclusions you'll come to. I like it!

I would urge you to be more specific with either topic you choose. With professional athletes I would use a specific sport because it will to between sports like golf and MMA.

With what you just said in that last bit of the paragraph,  I think it would be very beneficial for you to choose the second topic of adoption.  The research you find on adoption will be extensive and easy to find.   

Thesis: Although many would argue that there are many negative effects of Grandparents adopting their grandchildren, significant research shows that grandparents who adopt their grandchildren positively effect on all who are involved, including biological parents, grandparents, and the grandchildren.

#3 1st Rhetorical Analysis Paper

Looking back on this rhetorical analysis paper, I found I did somethings that I really liked and will continue to do with future papers. First, I read the entire speech. I didn't do the skimming process because the length of the speech was a page and a half. When I went through the speech, I looked for the three areas we talked about in class; pathos, logos and ethos. I found a large amount of pathos and some logos and ethos throughout. I found that writing the paper in chunks worked great for me. I would write for awhile and take a break. I would then have my wife peer review what I just wrote. This was extremely helpful since she is a great writer and loves to read. I continued this process until the paper was done. I will definitely do this for future papers. It took the stress and worry out of the writing process.

I also met with Sister Steadman, our teacher. She was able to give great feedback on the quality of the paper. I will certainly met with her again and ask for any writing advice she may have.
All in all, this writing assignment was a great experience and I look forward to writing more!

#2 Strength in Families

For class, we had to read a couple of research articles that focused on families and the blessings of having family stories. As I read them, I couldn't help but think of my families, just like many of you.

This is a picture of my family, well most of them. One of my sisters is currently serving a full-time mission in San Fransico. This picture was taken at the Nauvoo, IL temple this past May when I was married to my sweetheart.

A little bit about my family. First off, these are my grandparents. I was adopted by them when I was in the 4th grade, along with my two sisters. I am the oldest of three, with two sisters, which means I'm going straight to the Celestial kingdom!! My grandparents join the church when I was five years old, and haven't looked back since.

But one of the main points of the articles we read was the fact that it is easier to get through difficult times in life, when we know our ancestors history. That couldn't be more closer to the truth. Knowing these stories, shows its possible to make it through and that everything will be ok.

#1 Elder Bednar's Education Week Devotional

To Sweep the Earth as with a Flood, a devotional address given by Elder David A. Bednar interested me for a few reasons. 

The timing of this devotional was one of the things that interested me the most regarding this address. Elder Bednar gave this address during Education Week at Brigham Young University. Education week is mainly for adults, not students. I found the subject of his talk interesting as to his audience. 

"The Lord is hastening His work, and it is no coincidence that these powerful communication innovations and inventions are occurring in the dispensation of the fullness of times." This quote by Elder Bednar really makes sense. With the missionary age change, influx of full time missionaries both young and old, and with the missionaries involvement with social media. Elder Bednar's audience was adults attending Education week, but his remarks are for all. All of us are involved with social media in some way, shape or form. It can and needs to be a tool for us to help with hastening the work of the Lord. 

Elder Bednar's devotional was a charge for us all to get involved and share our unique message with the world in a way that the rest of the world will understand!