Went shooting on Monday

I went shooting on Monday with my brother in law and a few friends, But this post isn't about that. It's about the weird things you find in the desert.

The spot I like to shoot at is about 3-4 miles from the end of a paved road, can be truely described as the middle of nowhere, and at the base of a 500' hill. As we are shooting this guy comes sprinting into the center of our group. He has blood on his clothes from scrapes on his arms. He looks very confused and proclaims loudly "I don't know any of you!"

It took a few seconds to allow this moment to sink in. After several well placed questions we have determined.

1. He is drunk.
2. Had been on the hill since 2am.
3. Has no idea where the rest of his friends are.
4. Fluent in the use of the F-word.

Luckily we had noticed his camp sight on the way in about 1.5 miles away. I told him to hop in my truck and I would take him back. About half way we spot a guy. Picture Clark Grizwald walking in the desert after he wreck the family truckster. He has his shirt off, but it is still put to good use. He has it wrapped around his head like a terrorist just out of the shower. After he promised not to puke in my truck and he profressed an oath to owe me a castle for giving him a ride. Yeah, he now owes me a castle. I should have had him write that down, but any way back on the trail.

I left them at their camp and told them I would be back in a couple hours to check on them.

Here they are when we stopped back at 9:00 am.

There was also a guy and girl in the tent doing, what I assume, Bible study.

Great weekend

Our Friend Michelle, from Seattle, came to visit us over the weekend. We have been looking forward to it for quite a while. I even shampooed the carpets. We didn't do a whole lot accept eat, talk, and talk about eating. On Saturday we did go visit the Challenger Space Museum. I didn't bring my camera so I only have cell phone pics.

 While taking her out  for breakfast we gave a great presentation as to why she needs to relocate to Phoenix. We would love to have her live close by.

Will had another of his temper tantrums while at the museum. I was going the write a joke comparing Will's explosive tantrum to the Challenger shuttle, Like What is the difference between Will Condie and the Space shuttle, Will can explode more than once. But I don't need to stoop that low to get a laugh. I have standards and sometimes Julie reminds my what they are  and when to use them.

 Of course the boys favorite display was the Lego space toys. Is there a gene or fragment of DNA that activates on a boys 7th birthday that just makes them Lego crazy? Entire fights have been started (and finished) over who has ownership rights, whether implied or lent/leased, of a single lego brick.

Last day of school

 William with his teacher Ms. Salazar.

John and his teacher Mrs. Ellis.

Fathers and Sons

Okay, so this is a couple weeks late. On the 13-14th we had our wards Fathers and Sons camp out.

I was asked to do dinner for everyone in my dutch oven. I was asked to have it ready by 7:00pm. I always tend to go over on my time so I made sure to get to camp early and get started. I was very pleased with myself when dinner was ready at 6:30. The down side, There was only 4 families there at 6:30. The person with the bowls and spoons didn't show up until 8:30. I suppose I was a little miffed that I had worked (3-4 hours) so hard to feed everybody and nobody seemed to care or do their part. Most everyone showed up after dark.

 On the way in we saw a heard of elk.

 Johnny loves camping.

 Mandatory grumpy Will pic.

Seven yearolds playing chess while camping, you know that old chestnut.

More musuc

 Julie brought home this CD a few weeks ago. I have been wearing it out. I tried to sing along on a few songs and it made me feel like I had never known how to sing before. Dang, this woman is good.

Nothing says Smooth Criminal like dualing cellos.

I got released this Sunday

This post is more for my LDS friends. However, I know a lot of people serve in various ways their own churches. You may be able to relate.

For the last 3 years I have served as the Ward Clerk. It has required long Sundays and tested me more than I even considered when I accepted the calling. In fact I was the last remaining calling from when the Ward was created in 2008. In a way I saw it coming. I thought about trying something else. Having a calling less stressful, and one that let me get out from the "administrative" side of things and get back to the ministering.

This last Sunday I was released and for some reason it has been much harder to deal with than I thought it would. I spent all Sacrament Meeting thinking of ways I should have done my job better, better prepare others to do it, wishing I had appreciated my time more with the inspirational men I served with. I was distraught. I had no idea that I had become so attached to it. I had even already been given a new calling. Another adventure to look forward to, but still I feel remorseful at not being the Ward Clerk anymore. Which makes me wonder if I was this happy serving the Lord or because of the title I had while doing it? Am I as needed as I thought I was? Are people still going to talk to me now that they don't have to?

I guess this could all be an amount of fear of change and realizing the loss of blessings seen from serving in a way I had never done before. Also, I have yet to see the types of blessing to come from my new calling. I think I am narrowing down to my real question. Outwardly most people celebrate being released from callings, if only in jest.While others pat them on the back and congratulate them on being "set free". Am I the only one who feels a sense of loss after a calling is over?