"...inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my bretheren, ye have done it unto me."

We survived our first hurricane. Well, all we got here was some sideways rain and a bit of wind, but the last couple of weeks have really been an eye opener for us. There are still evacuees in our church, we're the only church in Texas that still has them...not sure why but I like to think its a great opportunity to serve even though it has been pretty challenging for everyone involved. Let me explain the situation and you can make your own conclusions:

There were over 120 people in the church for the first 10 days. They shared food, slept on the floor, shared small classrooms with up to 10 people at a time (some had to sleep in the gym), tons of little kids screaming and playing at all hours, and there was one shower that has a 70 gallon water heater. After that, think about not knowing whether or not you still had a home or a job once you went back.

I was amazed and extremely humbled that after all of this, these people managed to stay positive and be okay with their circumstances, and went out of their way to thank us for spending a few hours of our time to be there with them. It made me feel stupid for complaining about having to be there so much. The first day I was at the church for over 11 hours. We had to be there to check the evacuees in, we also have to have 2 priesthood holders at the building at all times...24 hours a day until they leave. Its amazing that when you see people in such dire circumstances that you can forget about all of your little troubles and you feel renewed physical strength. I felt that a lot on my mission.

Everything was very organized, down to sign up sheets for the shower, room assignments, pet sitting, and eating times. 3 women volunteered to cook all the meals, and everyone pitched in with something. When the truck arrived from church headquarters to be unloaded with supplies, the youth unloaded it in less than 15 minutes. The truck driver was in tears when he saw how willing these young people were to serve.

400 members of the church drove all the way from Austin to help find members all over our stake because some areas were without power for several days and we had to make sure they were okay and accounted for. There were too many volunteers for what needed to be done.

We had our close friends from Houston staying with us for 10 days, they have three little girls so it got crowded in our little 2 bedroom apartment, but it was really fun. They had no power the whole time until a couple of days ago, and when we drove to Houston to check their place out their apartment had a lot of water and sheetrock damage, shingles were everywhere and huge trees were completely uprooted. I can't even imagine what Galveston looks like.

My Bishop told me a funny story that happened last week in Houston. Hundreds of Meninites came up from Mexico to help in any way they could, and so when they got to Houston they went straight to the Sherriff's Office and asked what they could do to help. They didn't really know what to tell them to do so they said, "go find the Mormons, they'll have something for you". So, if you drive past certain Stake centers in Houston you may see several tents out on the lawn...don't worry, its just the Meninites. Also, there is a chapel 5 blocks from the shoreline in Galveston where all of the buildings and houses around it are underwater. The chapel didn't receive an ounce of damage and it isn't even on higher ground than the other buildings...come to mention it not a single church house was damaged in any way.

So now that I am literally inundated with homework, group projects, and midterms, as well as helping schedule people to help the evacuees, I really have to say that I am thankful for the opportunity to serve. I'm greatful to know that I have taken so many things for granted, and that I can be reminded about what really matters in life. Its so cliche to say, but I hope that we can all take the opportunity to be thankful for what we have, and to be prepared on a moment's notice when the next disaster strikes. I think you can see the true side of someone to see them react in stressful situations, and I am greatful to know I have so many awesome people around me that I have seen serve others without an ounce of concern for themselves.

p.s. Thank you Andrea, the shirt you sent to me today with a blue stallion on it made me laugh...and remember how great it is to have friends that follow through on lame promises.

I just wanted to update everyone on Hurricane Ike and let you know that we should be okay...in case you are worrying at all about us...if you don't know what Hurricane Ike is then I guess you live in a box...haha, I kid I kid. I went to an emergency preparedness meeting at the church tonight for all the leaders, we have at least 72 people coming from Houston to stay in our church tomorrow for the rest of the week and there could be a lot more. These are the times that the church organization shines. We have to have two priesthood holders at the church 24 hours a day while evacuees are here, I'm sure I'll have lots of good stories to tell but please keep these people in your prayers.

Evacuating a place like Houston is nearly impossible, and tonight I ran over to buy some water and fill the cars up with gas. The price went up 15 cents a gallon in two hours and I can't even imagine what it will be like tomorrow.

Joni's work will be very crazy as well. She is in charge of feeding everyone there and she'll have to be at work the whole time as the elderly are brought in from Houston. I'm not sure how these things work because I've never been in a hurricane but we'll keep ya'll posted as much as possible.

I am loving the weather right now, I don't know if its more of a mild summer or if we are just used to it by now. Its the end of August and it feels great...but by great I mean low 90's and its very tolerable. Our favorite thing to do on Saturdays is go to the student Rec Center on campus where we work out and then lay out by the pool after swimming laps. I play basketball three days a week now at 6am at the church, and I swim 3 days a week. Joni and I have decided to train for a triathlon...stay tuned to see if we actually do it but we are looking at used road bikes so that we can ride to and from work and school...and for fun of course.

I got an assistantship to do research with a professor at school. Its really cool to make a little extra money for just surfing the internet and doing some extra HR things. This semester seems so much more laid back but maybe thats just me, and I'm not doing as much as I should be. I am interviewing with a couple more companies in the next couple of weeks, and hopefully we will know where we will be moving soon. I have to make a decision before mid-October.

I am realizing that every time we take pictures we are around our friends the Carroll's. I think we need to include their names in our blog title now since we pretty much hang out all the time. Yes, I am holding the pink putter but thats okay.

We made Sean a sweet bday "cake" that was actually a giant goblet made of rice crispie treats and filled with his favorite candy bars. We surrounded the whole thing with a bottle of Dr Pepper (his favorite drink) so that after all the rice crispies are gone you are left with your favorite drink.

Joni and I are changing...its really wierd. We have always struggled to do the most basic things like reading scriptures and praying together, but we are trying really hard to do that as well as family night on Mondays now. We sold all our rated "R" movies today, and we have been trying to build a collection of family movies. I'm not trying to say everyone should do that and that we are above anyone for doing it, but we are realizing that when the time comes to start a family we really want to be on the right track...and we decided to do certain things to help us stay on track. So, we are not trying to have kids right now (I wouldn't tell you if we were anyways) but its wierd how little inspirations come along. Crap, now everyone is going to start bugging us about it.

Austin City Limits

My two girls watcing me at the driving range, Dilly has a crazy look in her eyes because there were people all over the place swinging big metal sticks at little yellow balls...and she was expected to remain calm the whole time. After driving across the country we decided to take a day trip to Austin, which really is a cool city. We talked our friends into going with us, and we all agreed it was worth a trip back soon. Austin definately lives by its city motto: "Keep Austin wierd".

We decided to try out a disc golf course there, we're really not that fanatical, but its a good excuse to walk around after spending an hour at "sample days" at Whole Foods Market headquarters. There was a really fun looking river with a diving board that we are going to have to go to the next time. Here are some random pics of the Austin experience.

So school starts tomorrow, I've been laying low the last week or so playing golf and laying by the pool reading books, its a hard life. I am going to try to take up swimming because the running thing is hurting my knee and I can't seem to get rid of some lower leg cramps I've had. Other than that we have just been really happy, we have a lot of great friends here that have kept us busy.

I got a priesthood blessing from my bishop just because I haven't had one in a very long time and we have so many big decisions in our lives coming up. Its amazing to me how inspired people can be to say the right things. My personal testimony has grown by leaps and bounds lately, and I haven't felt this excited about spiritual things since my mission and I feel good about the direction Joni and I are headed. We constantly miss our family and friends all over the place, but I am totally confident we are in the right place, and that we'll make the right decision about what job to accept. Keep on bloggin'

Joni is now on her way here, and she just told me she forgot the camera. Maybe its better, some things you just can't picture with a camera...like the atmosphere at Wrigley Field. We are excited to go to a Cubs/Cardinals rivalry game Sunday night, the game is on ESPN so check us out (we'll be behind the Cubs dugout). I told both the Bishop and the missionaries that we were going on Sunday night and they all said they would have done it too...so no, I don't feel guilty at all.

We will make a stop at Garrett's Popcorn to pick up a bag of our favorite cheesy caramel pcorn...its awesome and I wish you all could try it.

I am done with my internship! It was a great experience, and pretty rewarding in the end. I'm excited to get back home with Joni and Dilly. I got an offer for a full time position. We need to decide what to do, but we have a long drive back home to talk about everything. Chances are we'll be in at least a couple more states before we finally pick a place to settle down, but we'll see.

A couple summer highlights that I can look back on:
-I learned to love the Book of Mormon all over again
-I lost 15 pounds
-I came to love golf
-I realized I can still live on my own, but I don't prefer it
-I realized I can live anywhere and be happy
-Missionaries make great friends

Ok, the opening ceremonies are about to start. I am already getting excited about football season, talk to ya'll soon.

A Little Fun

I stole this idea from a friend:

1 . YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) Caramel Tacoma

2. GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Oreo Fudge Pazooki

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first letters of last name) P Mo

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Blue Stallion (I like lots of animals but this was fun)

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Clark Longmont

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name + first 2letters of your first, AND your first street name) Moopa Rozena

7.SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink) The Red Pina Colada

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) Joseph Kay Frederick

9. STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent,favorite candy) Hugo "King Size" Whatchamacallit

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Michael Kay

11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 6th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) Boston Budjanowski

12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower) Football Cheapones

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearingright now+“ie”) Pear Nothing (just kidding) Pear Gym Shorts

14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) Milky Granola Big Ones

15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, faveweather element + “Tour”) The Toomanytomention Thunderstorm

16. YOUR CELEBRITY COUPLE NAME: (half of your name, half yoursignificant other's name, mixed together in whichever order soundsbest.) PAJONI

This is the best I could do as far as pictures go, no camera around these parts. I went to a par 3 golf course this morning, and it was really fun. I actually paired up with a 67 year old guy who golfs all the time, and he gave me some great tips.

I'm going to New York this week for work, it should be exciting and draining all at once. Its fun to meet new people but when you are constantly in the "getting to know you" portion of conversations it starts to get old. It will be a fun trip, and even though I'm not a sucker for being "wined and dined" its still fun to feel important. My internship is wrapping up and it has felt pretty good to complete some projects. If I get offers I'll know in the next couple of weeks so we have a lot to think about as far as our future is concerned.

I had a crazy car experience this week, here's a tip the next time your engine light comes on:

I took my truck to Auto Zone because they will do a free and quick engine code check to let you know why the light is on (Its not always accurate, but it helps). So I found out I needed a new O2 sensor, and after finding out it would cost about $100 for the part, I took it to the shop to have them replace it. Of course they wanted to do their own diagnosis, which is fine, and they found the same thing. Only difference is...they wanted $900 (not including labor) to replace both my sensors.

After pooping my pants, I took a deep breath and explained to him how much the part was at autozone (working in retail helped me realize that pissed off customers rarely get what they want, they just look stupid and regret being mad later). I said calmy that the price was unacceptable, and I asked if I bought the part on my own that he would replace it and I would just be charged for labor. He actually said "yes" which was a surpirse because most mechanics won't do that. Only problem was could I have offended him, and because of that, would he do a half hearted job?

So, when I got back with the part I talked to him and made sure he knew that I didn't want to offend him, but that I was needing to save some money. We ended up talking about life, hospital bills, and Mexican food from El Paso for 30 minutes.

Bottom Line: Use the Golden Rule, and always find out how much car parts and labor cost before trusting a mechanic.

Thats another one of my goals that may come in handy one day:

I want to restore a muscle car, preferably a SuperSport, anything late 60's model...I just need to learn how to do it...I'm serious about this one, I want to take some classes or something. There she is...

A good day

The cake in this video (made by the Carrolls) is the ultimate "joni" cake. White layer cake with pairs of red and yellow skittles and chocolate dipped marshmallows - and I can't forget to mention the layer of candy corn in the middle - YUM!

I want to thank all my family and freinds who made my birthday very memorable this year! All the calls, texts, blog posts, cards made me feel very blessed today. Love you all.

JONI (the 27 year old Texan)

I've had a busy couple of weeks...I never like how everyone says they are so busy that they don't have time to do anything...so I won't say it. I think life needs to feel busy, and if you feel that way then maybe you are on the right track. Plus, it definately helps you to enjoy the little things that make you sit back and reflect. I was sitting down to write a blog and then the missionaries called me because they missed the bus and needed a ride home, its fun to take time out of things to help people. That's a necessity in my opinion as far as being a good supervisor and a good parent. Take time out of your busy schedule when someone needs you...where am I going with all this? I swear sometimes I don't know why I sit down and write, but I just do it, and my thoughts come out.

It's Joni's birthday tomorrow. I feel so bad that: 1) I'm not there 2) That she's alone 3) That the two things she wanted didn't work out (long story) 4) That because of that I didn't get her anything besides a couple small things from the mall. I'm horrible when it comes to gift giving, but I think my guilt also comes from being married to the master of gift giving. Joni is so incredibly thoughtful and caring. She buys the older people in her nursing home their favorite candies and drinks, and surprises them with it just to make their day. She is so incredibly sweet to strangers and people who don't always treat her right. Even if I don't tell her what I want for my birthday, she'll get me all kinds of thoughtful little things that she knows I would appreciate. This quality makes Joni very attractive.

She found out that I wanted to hide skittles and a cake in the house, and told me not to because what kind of dietitian wants an entire cake at home to themselves? So that's my dilemma, I'm 1,000 miles away feeling like a turd of a husband because my wife is such a better person than I am. And yet she sticks with me and laughs at my lame jokes. What does a guy like me give a girl like that for her birthday? I promise Joni, I'll make up for it when we go to Chicago. For now, all I can say is that I love you, I miss you, and I hope that your 27th birthday is your best yet.

The distance has been tough, but Joni and I have had some great conversations that we never would have had under other circumstances. I guess the biggest thing that I'm worried about is that because Jed left this last weekend, Joni will be experiencing a little bit of what I went through being alone, but she'll be going through it on her birthday. I'm thankful for the time Joni and I have gotten to spend together. And I'm thankful I have spent about 5 birthdays with her so far, I can't wait to see her again...3 more weeks. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JONI!!!!!!!!!

P.S. Happy Birthday to another wonderful woman on Wednesday, my big sis!

Chicago was awesome. The Taste of Chicago was fun but really crowded, come to think of it, the whole city was pretty crowded. When we first got there we walked around to all the booths and tried samples from lots of restaurants.

We must have walked 25 miles the whole trip. We spent the first day exploring the parks, and buildings downtown. The second day was spent on the "magnificent mile" with all the shops and cool places to eat. We ate deep dish at the famous Pizzeria Uno, we waited two hours to get it but it was worth it.

We also went to Greek town and tried a place Rachel Ray suggested to us...we are buds.

The morning after the 4th, we couldn't find many places open to eat breakfast, so we got some sandwiches and ate on the steps of the Art Institute.

We must have spent 30 minutes at this giant metallic lima bean thing, it was fun.

We ate lunch on Friday on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building (much cheaper than dinner). I don't think we took a second to relax, we did more in two days than most people probably do in a week.

It feels like I cheapened the trip by just putting a few pictures in here. Some people are good at telling a story with pictures, but I prefer writing about it...oh well, I'll let you use your imaginations. We took tons of pics, and saw so many awesome places. We are going back in a month for the Cubs/Cardinals showdown at Wrigley.

It was great having Joni here for 10 days, I'm excited to get back to Texas soon. Five more weeks and I'm all done.
Here's a look at the Taste of Chicago before it got really crowded...I think Joni was happy to be there.

This is what happens when you leave Joni at home alone with the camera. I liked this picture, I'm guessing she was getting ready to run but was delaying it as much as possible. The best part about it is that she was all by herself when she took it.

We went to Churchill Downs again, but this time it was different. We were invited to sit in the GE luxury box on the 5th floor, we had to get there through the "VIP" elevator. Our box looked right over the finish line and we had an awesome view of the town and the horses as they came down the stretch.

We decided instead of Nashville we are going to Chicago for a couple days for the 4th. They are having the Taste of Chicago festival where over 65 of the best restaurants in town are in one place for us to sample at the park. You buy tickets like you do at the fair, then you use those tickets to sample food instead of going on rides. Its free admission and its supposed to be one of the best fairs Chicago has every year. There is supposed to be an awesome fireworks show, we are really excited to be going, especially Joni since this is her first time and it involves food sampling. I have a 4 day weekend so the time off will be nice.

Joni brought me a funny video of Dilly who I miss a lot, turns out from the looks of this video, she actually does remember me.

P.S. Hope I don't spoil it for anyone, but I hate to say I told you so on the Bachelorette. My final pick is Jason, but I can't help but cheer for Jesse too. If Jeremy would have gotten a rose I would have watched the finale while eating a big tub of ice cream.

What a relaxing weekend I am having, I have been lazy watching movies and laying out by the pool. I had planned on going to the driving range but my new clubs haven't come yet...I now, life sounds so hard. Work is going so much better, I am finally starting to see some results of all the planning and working, and I'll be rolling out a couple of the programs this week. I told my boss I wanted more responsibility and he gave me the task of researching and creating a presentation on where the new headquarters for Latin America should be, talk about a cool responsibility. I never thought I would be given so many opportunities as an intern to make a real impact on things, and it feels good to have the trust of my coworkers to do so many important things. Its especially big because this decision will directly affect where my boss and his family move in the next few months.

My recent workout and eating habits have trickled down to my boss...or should I say trickled up? I couldn't help but smile when he ended up following me to the gym after work this week, and now he is a regular too. I walked in on him eating a salad for lunch, I don't know if this was because of my influence, but it was fun to think I might have played a part in him wanting to change. Either way, its amazing to think that however small you may feel in the world, that someone is watching and you can have an impact on their life in the smallest little way. I still remember the most random things from people over the years that I have never forgotten, and I'm sure they would be surprised if I saw them again and told them how the smallest thing they did influenced me.

Joni is coming again next weekend and she'll be here for 10 days. We are planning on going to Nashville for the 4th of July. The week after that my mom is coming to visit, then the next weekend I'm going to Texas, then the next week I'll be in New York for work, then my last weekend in Louisville, then Joni and I are going to Chicago for a couple of days. I have a feeling the next 7 weeks will fly by. I got tickets to see the Cubs and Cardinals at Wrigley when we go to Chicago, I am so excited and I have always wanted to go back.

I don't always wear the same clothes, but since I don't have the camera I had to post a picture from Joni's visit last time.

I don't normally do these but I have been tagged to do one of those "about me" things, and I would hate to dissapoint. So here it is:

JOYS: Desserts...pretty much anything, the feeling you get AFTER working out, being outside, the time of night when the sun has just gone down during the summer, family (that includes my puppy), fresh corn on the cob, BBQ's (not just for the food but with people), laughing out loud, singing along to music in my car, making people smile because I'm singing to music in my car, uplifting movies, hugging Joni.

FEARS: When I slap my belly and it shakes for 3 seconds, not living life to the fullest, swimming in deep water, something bad happening to a loved one, being too serious, trying to be a good dad someday, hair growing in wierd places, having the freedom to do what I love taken away.

GOALS: Lose 5 pounds (my gut), get a good job after graduation, be a dad someday, buy a house in the next 5 years, pay off school debt, own or run a business/franchise on the side someday, always hold a temple recommend, be a better listener.

CURRENT OBSESSIONS: Working out/running, talking to Joni, finding new hobbies, listening to music, ebay, blogging, oreo blizzards...these things change all the time.

I don't know how many people I am supposed to tag but I tag EVERYONE who reads this...HAHA.

Week 5:

That sounds like I'm celebrating being sober or something. I think after a little over a month of being "on my own" I'm starting to think there is a lot about my situation that is good that I am trying to take advantage of. The biggest thing is that I have time to do things I normally wouldn't make the time to do. I have been really steady on the working out front, I've actually lost a couple pounds (my pants are actually looser) and I'm running more than ever. There is a gym at my work, and I have become addicted to working out during lunch and then showering there. It is the best feeling ever to do that in the middle of a work day, and the best solution for me to get it done. The first couple of weeks here I spent a lot of time moping around and watching TV, and that really didn't help me to feel better. I have been eating really well (for me anyways), and doing everything I can to feel good about myself.

I live right next to a Barnes and Noble and so the other day while it was pouring rain I went over there and listened to music. I ended up buying a BB King and and Oscar Peterson CD and listened to them in my truck while it was pouring outside. I bought a cheap set of golf clubs on ebay and when they get here I am going to go to the driving range and try to teach myself how to golf. I'm playing the guitar again, I'm going to bed early, and reading about random stuff on the internet like I used to do as a kid looking through the World Book Encyclopedias we had at home. I guess the reason I'm mentioning all this is because habit is a powerful thing. You don't have to always do spectacular things in life to be happy, but whatever you choose to do, make sure that it makes you feel good. The best way to kick a bad habit is to fill its time slot with a good one.

Habits give your life direction, but only good habits lead you in the right direction. I have found that I enjoy being busy more than I enjoy being lazy and I guess thats a good thing. I've always beat myself up mentally when I waste my time being lazy and forming bad habits, but for the first time I'm realizing that it doesn't help to beat yourself up...just move on and do something different. Since doing that I have been laughing out loud a lot more, and my outlook has been more positive. The other night I was watching Mr. Bean and I was laughing so hard I was choking...and yes, I was by myself. So can there be some good in every situation? I definately think so.

So now that I feel like Doogie Howser, I'm going to go shave my head and watch the Bachelorette. And I don't even care what anyone thinks because that's what I want to do.

Here are some pictures for you pictured starved readers. Joni and I had a fun filled and all too short weekend. The picture above is 4th Street in Downtown Louisville. They have free concerts every week with some pretty big names and lots of fun places to eat. We were five feet away from Vertical Horizon- you'd recognize their music if you don't know them. Tracy Lawrence was there Wednesday. Louisville reminds me a lot of a mini-Chicago. The Ohio river wraps around downtown, and all of the buildings are very unique and filled with history.

The pic below is in front of the Louisville Slugger museum and factory, that thing behind Joni is a 120 ft tall baseball bat.

We went to Churchill Downs to see where the Kentucky Derby is run, there just so happened to be races that day. The atmosphere was very cool, and tons of people were there even for small races. Admission is only $3 because they excpect you to get liquored up and spend all your money on betting.

We decided to bet on a horse for fun, Joni picked the horse and we totally won. It was crazy and exciting. As you can see Joni fits in with all the heavy betters waiting in line.

We ate out a lot at some really cool places, one of them was this "upscale" bowling alley on 4th street. We watched the Belmont Stakes there while snacking on a yummy dessert. Speaking of yummy dessert, everyone has to try the new smores dessert at Mimi's Cafe. Thats already one of our favorite places, but that dessert was sooooooo good. You can't tell in any of the pics, but I totally shaved my head with a number 1 on the razor...never done that before but I really like how it feels.

I added a few pics for fun. The day I left Texas Dilly was really attached to me like she knew I was leaving. She loves to cuddle but it was really funny because right before I left, Joni and I said a prayer and Dilly decided to climb up on me to get as close to me as she could (2 pics below). We couldn't help but laugh a little. This one I was sleeping on the floor.

Joni went to Utah for a couple of days for her mom's wedding. Her and Andrea took some pictures while they acted like girls. They dressed up in spandex and took pictures of each other doing wierd poses on the trampoline.

Poor Dilly, she probably doesn't even remember me now anyways. I'm sad Joni is gone already but she is coming for a week during the 4th of July. Now its back to work, I'm 25% done with my internship already.

Enjoy a video of our experience at Churchill, its a little dark but you can hear Joni screaming at the end when she realized her horse won. It was pretty loud, the video doesn't do it justice.

I love country music...I decided I don't care anymore if people think only hicks, saps, and wierdos listen to country music. I'm officially addicted, you have to try it...go on a drive on your own while the sun is about to go down during the summertime with the windows rolled down in your car...I guarantee it'll put a smile on your face. Of course you have to turn the volume up and you can't turn it down when someone stops next to you at the stoplights...singing along really loud helps too. I wish I could see more people singing along to their music, I always get embarrassed but why? I used to do the same thing in high school with the Mormon Rap and I turned out okay. Who really cares, at least you aren't picking your nose and wiping it under the seat.

Of course I love most music, and lots of music makes me feel lots of different ways...but country has a special place in my heart- same thing with Bob Marley. I got re-addicted as I drove through Tennessee and Kentucky, it just feels right around here. I think about all my favorite places to go, and favorite places to eat, and the best ones involve country themes (neon lights, old beat up signs, trucks). No wonder I married a girl from Vernal. The other day while eating lunch in my truck (I like to get out of the office without using gas), a guy came outside with a John Deere baseball cap and pulled a bail of hay out of the trunk of his car and set it on the ground. Then he pulled out his lunch and sat on the bail of hay to eat it...his lunch not the hay. Put another smile on my face.

I drove around town today. Went to Churchill Downs (Kentucky Derby), U of Louisville, walked around downtown, and went to the Louisville Slugger Bat museum. All the Rocky movies were on all day too...you could say it was a pretty good day.

Thanks to everyone who called, I love talking to you all so feel free to pick up the phone anytime. I would do the same but sometimes when you are the one who is alone and bored, other people aren't and don't want to talk. Joni gets here Thursday which also happens to be our 4 year anniversary, can't wait to see her. Joni got bit by a wierd bug and her foot ended up swelling pretty bad. Of course she had to get on the plane so she didn't have time to go to the doctor. To make a long story short, she went to the emergency room after getting off the plane because it got really bad. Its gone down quite a bit, but she still managed to keep a sense of humor about it. She sent me a picture of her foot while swollen, and she made an indented smiley face on it that wouldn't go away. She is okay, but yet another thing to put a smile on my face.

Joni is bringing the camera so hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures next week. Have a great week everyone.

First week

I am feeling all kinds of things after this week, bear with me as I try to express them. I never realized how relaxing it is to hear Joni's voice...I told her that and she laughed because she can put me to sleep. Without explaining all the boring details, my job is basically to improve operations in Latin America by implementing certain programs that would only bore you if I explained them to you...So I won't. I am the only intern in my branch, and since Louisville is the headquarters I work next to all the "Bigs" over Latin American operations.

I learned some valuable lessons this week:
1-I'm not the smartest intern in history (although I'd love to be right now)
2-I can get down on myself when I don't know what I'm doing, but I can bounce back just as fast as I fall when I get to work
3-When I ask for help, I'll get it in droves (is that a word?)

I was so overwhelmed at the beginning of the week with the realization that I didn't know what I was doing at work, along with being entirely alone in a new place, and my boss leaving the country for 2 weeks after my first day. On Tuesday I hit one of the lowest points mentally that I have been in a long time, and the only thing I felt I could do was get on my knees and pray for help. I keep my emotions in check most of the time, but I couldn't help but lose it for those few minutes...I haven't cried like that in a long time. Its kind of embarrassing to even mention, but I want to remember this whole experience and learn from it. What happened next was nothing short of a miracle. I recieved phone calls from family members and friends who were just calling to see how I was doing...my 5 yr old nephew Carter even called me by accident...and I pretty much never get phone calls. The amount of contacts I suddenly recieved at work was like a tidal wave of help. Members of the church who work at GE reached out to me from China, Mexico, and here in Louisville. Family and friends reached out as well.

You always hear that we are tested to make us stronger and that trials are for our learning, but its easy to forget those things when you are the one being tested. I may have a long road ahead of me, but I know I don't have to walk it alone anymore. I told my boss what I was feeling and I just hope he doesn't think I'm a head case. I feel its really important to always be open and honest.

I have an awesome embarrassing first day story. I was asked to write a short bio about myself so my boss could send it out to all the workers in Latin America to get to know me better. As you might have guessed, I tried to be witty and mention something different about myself. I didn't have my boss' e-mail, so I sent it to him as a "reply" to one of the e-mails he previously sent me. Turns out this "reply" was a direct link to the CEO who had sent out a letter to the company and since my boss forwarded the thing to me, the CEO's name wasn't on it. I had attached my bio and just said "here ya go" (like, "here I am world") Two minutes later I get an e-mail from the CEO saying "is this for me?". My heart fell into my butt (it couldn't go to my feet because I was sitting), and I quickly e-mailed him back to apologize for my mistake. When I relayed the story to my boss, he about peed his pants with joy. I guess everyone needs a good first day story and I have mine.

Louisville is a cool city with the Ohio river wrapping around it, lots of history, green trees, and hills nearby. The drive here was actually really pretty...except for Arkansas, which is about as pretty as I imagine Oklahoma to be. The mountains between Memphis and Nashville are beautiful too, plus I was driving through them while the sun was setting. Kentucky can best be described with rolling hills that look like broccoli because of all the trees. The vegetation is so thick that you could drive by a town without even realizing it. When it opens up, there are farms with giant red barns and tall silos on rolling hills. Its amazing I've lived as long as I have without realizing places like this even existed, just think about how many people have never really seen the Rocky Moutnains.

So, here I am world...taking things one step at a time. Melecia, I respect you now more than ever for what you go through without Rhett around. I know many of you have felt alone before, and it comforts me to know there is a way through it all, and it all starts by getting on your knees and asking for help.

Sooo... I know you all probably thought I fell off the face of the blog planet. The truth is I really prefer to let Paul blog because he has such a quirky, lovable, humorous way of writing about daily life. It hasn't even been 48 hours since he left, and I am quickly figuring out what a blessing it is to have Paul around. I literally had to sit down and make a list of things I need to remember to do. I decided to scan it...

Looking over this list I've come to two major realizations. #1 - I write like a six year old. #2 - I super lucky to have snagged Mr. Moore. Good luck on your first day Paul! You will do great.

- JONI

P.S. Yes, I realize that by simply reversing the order of number 6 and 7 on the list will make my cleaning efforts much more efficient...

4 days to live

Sorry about the title, I'm not dying. Because I am leaving for the summer on Saturday I have been trying to get everything ready for Joni before I leave. She told me the other day that she has never even picked up the mail from the mailbox her whole life, so you can imagine I am a little worried for her well being...just kidding, she'll be fine...but seriously I'm a little worried. So I am doing everything I can this week to make sure everything that can be taken care of is taken care of. Thats kind of why I feel like I'm preparing for things like I am dying, so that Joni knows what to do when I'm gone.


Believe it or not, we have been dreading this moment for several years. I knew once I decided to be in this program that I would have to complete an internship. We always hoped we would be able to go together, but for some reason I think we both knew it wasn't going to happen. What we always said we would "deal with when we get there" is now 4 days away, and I really don't know how to deal with being "alone" in a new place, let alone leave Joni behind. I keep asking myself why would it be hard? We'll see each other about every three weeks, but for some reason my heart aches a little bit with the thought of being away from Joni. I don't know how military families do it, Melecia do you have any advice? I keep thinking about the "refiner's fire", and how this summer of small trials could be a huge step in the right direction to making me a better husband and future dad. I am also excited to work in such a challenging environment, and I look forward to staying busy learning more about people and business. I'll do my best to keep posting my thoughts, and hopefully we'll be able to take some good pictures when Joni visits.


On a happier note, we took our first camping trip in Texas this last weekend. It was really fun and really muggy. We went with our good friends the Carroll's and stuffed our faces with tin foil dinners, cheap sodas, and ding dongs. We went out to Somerville Lake and rented a canoe for the weekend, and our campsite was right on the lake. Yes, we got Dilly a life jacket...and yes, she is terrified of the water. Joni got a good shot of her licking my entire face in one tongue swoop after I jumped in the water and came up to her to settle her down.

I wish we would have taken a picture of our new monster of a tent. It has three divided rooms and a doggy door, I figured if we're going to camp we might as well do it in style. Aside from Dilly being scared to death of some fireworks that were going off and relasing her "butt juice defense" in our tent the last night, it was a pretty fun little trip. Hope you all have an awesome summer, we'll be keeping in touch in every way possible.

I have to admit I haven't been a big fan of blogging lately. I'm sure other people go through these phases, and I know it will pass, but I just can't get myself to want to write anything. I should say I can't get myself to post anything, because I have written blogs and then I just decided not to post them...it's really wierd. I guess its so easy to feel like you have to have a good story or a bunch of pictures, and since I've had neither of those lately I haven't wanted to be boring. But then I remember the reason I blog is to keep everyone updated and to keep my own personal journal. As crazy as this sounds I am also turned off by the thought of having people judge me by what I say. This is the time of year when all the students give final presentations on issues in our classes, and one person talked about blogging. We also talked about blogging in my law classes. The bottom line is that employers and all kinds of people search blogs, facebook, and other personal pages to see if there is anything that might make them not want to hire somebody...and its perfectly legal.

I hate the idea of being censored. Not that I have anything to worry about...at least I hope, but the thought of it turns me the opposite direction. Its funny because the last time I remember this happening was in 2nd grade. My teacher encouraged us to write more freely, and get our feelings out on paper. I didn't want to write about boats floating in moats, and goats eating oats like I did in 1st grade so this was my opportunity to shine. I wrote little "action" stories, and I was really descriptive about everything. Then my teacher told my mom she was worried about me because of the things I wrote about, makes me sound like an animal. All I can remember is how mad I was that I was told to write freely, but that I really couldn't. To give you an idea of where my mind was in 2nd grade, here's an example of a poem I wrote that we found the other day going through stuff (its Joni's favorite).

Jack and Jill went up the hill

To fetch a pail of water

Jack fell down and broke his crown royal

and now Jill is dating some guy from L.A.

Who knows what other gems I might have had if my teacher wasn't censoring me.

I have been learning a lot this semester about how past behavior influences future behavior when it comes to hiring decisions. Since I wore the same pair of corduroy's every day in 1st grade, what does that say about me now? I must have had a crush on every girl in my class at a different time, and I ate glue to impress the girl sitting next to me, does that mean I might not be a good fit for a company? Okay, enough of this...you get my point?

Speaking of horses, I am actually pretty excited for the Kentucky Derby tomorrow. Mom, I have been telling all my friends about how you sit 2 feet from the television all day during the Kentucky Derby. Each horse has his own little story, and I'm sure when they get a good narrator and some good music, she'll be crying. Any one have any favorites? I like Big Truck just cause thats a great name for a horse...Long Limo must have been taken. I actually think Colonel John will win even though he's never run on a dirt track. I see the favorite, Big Brown, taking 3rd. Mark my words, this is how its going to play out. Don't even try to talk horse trash to me...you proud of me mom?

Some of you may have already seen this, but if you haven't check out this link to a crazy beat boxing french idol.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=X0Pu60K9iCs&feature=related