Menaces to Society

My bros Brett and Kyle turned 25!  We celebrated with burgers at Red Robin.  Shane, Jenna, Zach, and Joanna were also there, but we forgot to take a picture.  I sure do love these guys, and am proud that they are halfway to 50!  Now, no pressure, but get married you bums, but don't settle, but also don't be too picky, but also have some standards, but don't be self-righteous, but make sure to have a double wedding so I save on air-fare.  

Concealed Handgun Class

My mom planned a girls weekend for Sarah, Anna, and I to come up and spend some time together.  I had really been looking forward to time with them and to time off work.

Anna and I drove up together and stopped at a smelly and fly infested gas station that we both quickly agreed we would not stop at on the way back.  We got in late Friday night, but stayed up chatting and catching up.

The big activity planned was for all of us to take a concealed handgun class together and learn about gun safety and self defense. We were up early on Saturday morning and headed out to a shooting range where they had what were called pistol pits where we were set up to take our gun class.

I wasn't nervous at all until it was time to actually shoot.  The brass shot out of the gun and flew right at my face.  I literally thought the gun had malfunctioned and I had just shot myself in the face.  After a minor freak out I looked around and no one else seemed to be having the same problem.  The whole day I had brass flying at me after every shot and a couple times when it would hit my chest and fall into my shirt and burn me.  It was not pleasurable and I had small burns on my chest later that night.  I was having a hard time enjoying myself, but was a good shot.  Sarah, Anna, and my mom were having a great time and feeling empowered.  I was about ready to give up.  It wasn't until after the 4th piece off brass burned me inside my shirt that the instructor gave me a different gun.  I shot it and...nothing.  He said that the new gun was set up so the brass shot out to the side more dramatically than the one previously.  It pretty much changed the rest of the day for me.

We all had tons of fun and it was fun to all learn together and cheer each other on during drills.  We are pretty much ready to fight anyone who comes at us now, except that Sarah is the only one that actually has her own gun.

I don't see myself ever wanting to buy a gun, it was a little bit scary sometimes to think that I could actually kill someone with what was in my hands.  I don't know if I want that type of power.

Here we are with all our gear, cheesing it for the camera!

Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats--Touch of Fruit

I am actually kind of over these cereal posts, but in the rare occasion someone actually brings up my blog in conversation, they always mention these posts.  I can't tell if they are mocking me or not.  Anyway, Frosted Mini Wheats - Touch of Fruit in the Middle was pretty good, but I think it is only for certain people.  Every time I ate it Cory scrunched up her nose as if it was giving off some foul odor.  I think that was her way of communicating she thought the concept was gross.  I give it a B.

Adios, Muchachos

I knew this day would come.  I have officially taught my last day as a Spanish teacher at the MTC.  I definitely do not appreciate the magnitude of that last statement, yet.  I have been teaching missionaries in Spanish for almost three years, and it has been life-changing.  So many people have had an influence on me while in the Spanish area, from supervisors, to other teachers, and especially the missionaries.  

The good news is that I am staying at the MTC, but will be teaching English districts.  An opportunity came up to follow my Training Coordinator to a new area he will be supervising, assuring me a job until I graduate in April.  It is going to be a big change, for sure, but a good change.  It is kind of fitting, as well, that the last district I taught had missionaries going to the Buenos Aires West mission, which is where I served.  I had never taught missionaries going to my mission up to that point.  So Adios Elderes y Hermanas!  And Hello Elders and Sisters.  Here is a look back on the missionaries that I was fortunate enough to teach.  These are only districts that I was officially assigned to, and there were many more missionaries that I was blessed to work with.

L to R:  Elder North, Elder Porter, Elder Roberts, Elder Hutchinson, Me, Elder Steiner, Elder Collins, Elder Lammi, Elder Michael

My 17th and last Spanish district.

L to R:  Elder Drollinger, Elder Hale, Hna. Allen, Hna. Lee, Hna. Southwick, Hna. Lauaki-Sablan, Me, Elder Page, Elder Andrews

16th district.

L to R:  Elder Platt, Elder Hawks, Elder Meldrum, Hno. Albaugh, Elder Hales, Elder Burnell, Me, Elder Mathis, Elder Bonham, Elder Ricks, Elder White

15th district.

L to R:  Hna. Dunn, Hna. Sorensen, Elder Mowdy, Elder Rios, Elder Jacobsen, Elder Atkin, Elder Callister, Elder Urbina, Me, Elder Roundy, Elder Borsboom, Hna. Wright, Hna. Oldham

14th district.

L to R:  Back - Elder Packer, Elder Cotter, Hna. Brox, Elder Beard, Me, Elder Maddox, Hna. Taylor, Elder Shaw, Front - Elder Jackson, Hna. Beu, Hna. Castleton, Hna. Peterson, Hna. Rane

13th district.

L to R:  Back - Elder Knight, Elder Barker, Elder Nieves, Me, Elder Arnold, Elder Ferney, Elder Nielsen, Front - Hna. Hazelgren, Hna. Krage, Hna. Layton, Hna. Gimenes

12th district.

L to R:  Front-Elder Webb, Elder Tensmeyer, Elder Parry, Elder Christensen, Me, Elder Moore, Hna. Workman, Front-Elder Olsen, Elder Hyde, Hna. Ogletree, Hna. Hamblin

11th district.

L to R:  Elder Swenson, Elder Richards, Elder Smith, Elder Gabbitas, Elder Stott, Me, Elder Paredes, Elder Huber, Elder Call, Elder Yates, Not pictured-Elder Woods

10th district.

L to R:  Elder Sixta, Elder Bradshaw, Hna. Matthew, Hna. Johnson, Elder Pollard, Me, Elder Egbert, Elder Bauman, Hna. Morgan, Elder Rock

9th district.

L to R:  Elder Ready, Elder Anderson, Elder Barrie, Elder Barrett, Me, Elder Dalton, Elder Sullivan, Hna. Bundy, Hna. Magoon, Hna. Williams, Hna. Flake

8th district.

L to R: Back- Elder Burger, Elder Rodgers, Elder Brown, Elder Huff, Elder Hadley, Elder Sines, Front- Elder Dias, Elder Bauer, Elder Billy

7th district.

L to R: Elder Strong, Elder Wynn, Elder Ika (crouching), Elder Holley, Elder Jones, Elder Oveson, Elder Durrant

6th district.

L to R, and Front to Back:  Elder Cowden, Elder Belliston, Elder Berlin, Elder Anderson, Elder Fry, Elder Beard, Elder Warner, Elder Baker, Elder Bowes

5th district...I can't find my picture with them anywhere, so I stole this off of Facebook.  It will have to do.  They are home now.

Back L to R:  Hno. Hollenbaugh, Elder Bliss, Elder Leavitt, Elder Hull, Me, Elder Tanner, Elder Guadagnin, Elder Allen Front L to R:  Elder Petersen, Elder Harward, Elder Larson, Elder Harris

4th district.  Home now.

Back L to R:  Hno. Hollenbaugh, Elder Gravelle, Elder Mikesell, Elder Daniel, Elder Alder, Elder Rapp, Me, Elder Sonderegger  Front L to R:  Hna. Jensen, Hna. Pixton, Hna. Bingham, Hna. Vaughan

3rd district.  All home.

L to R: Elder Saifoloi, Elder Hall, Elder Miller, Elder Hunter, Elder Rawlins, Me, Elder Archibald, Elder Day, Elder Allen

2nd district.  All home.

L to R: Elder Lundskog, Elder Kitchen, Elder Scoma, Elder Rasmussen, Me, Elder Forkey, Elder Stewart, Hna. Evans, Hna.  Perkins, Hna. Ollerton

My very 1st district.  They are all home now.

I am ready to make some new memories with missionaries speaking the language of the Restoration!