New Tithing Van

Some time ago, I introduced you to our $300 van. We bought it out of desperation when our poor truck died. How can you go wrong for $300? We figured if it would last that winter, it would be worth it. Well, it lasted the winter. In fact, it lasted nearly 2 years. What a miracle! We affectionately named it the “tithing van” because we knew it was a true blessing from our Heavenly Father that allowed us to get by for a while. ElGirlo was able to take it back and forth to work and run small errands with it. We hauled many things in it, and towed trailers, etc. It was a good van. Yep I say, “was.” The ball joints went out on it, making it quite unsafe to drive. We still took it around town at slow speeds, but we have been quite concerned. The problem was, we didn’t have the money to replace it.

Then some miracles happened. The Lord opened the window to allow us to look into fixing the van. We got some estimates. We discovered it would cost more than $1,300 just to get it safe again. I figure the transmission is on its way out, and the engine isn’t looking too good. It’s got about 200,000 miles on it. I figure it’s put in its time.

So, we decided to look at buying a different hunk of junk and run that into the ground. Yup, that’s just what we do… (as you can tell from past posts). Well, for that small amount of money, there aren’t a lot of options. I looked at several vehicles, but didn’t see anything real great (as you can imagine).

Then, we saw it… the proverbial vehicle that is real old, but has been meticulously cared for by an old lady. Seriously, this lady babied her car. It is a 1995 Nissan Quest minivan. It only has 123,000 miles on it. It came with 4 brand new snow tires and 5 brand new all-season radials. It is in such good shape. Seriously, it is so nice. And the price tag? Only $1,600!!! (That’s just $300 more than we would have paid to fix the tithing van.)

We called on it and found out several people were scheduled to come and look at it. It was located in a mountain town about an hour and a half away from us. I called Friday night at 6 pm. The owner was not keen to show it to us that night, but I insisted. She agreed that if I could make it there by 8 pm, she would allow me to test-drive it. But, she would not sell it to us until everyone who wanted to had a chance to see it. Then she would decide who was most worthy of bringing it home. She wanted a family that would give this van a good home. I wondered if this was an automobile or a puppy dog. Anyway, we jumped in the car and literally sped away. We barely made it on time.

The older couple that was selling it was from Germany. They were a bit eccentric, to say the least. But, they were extremely sweet and hospitable. They fell in love with our kids and showered them with popsicles and a couple of toys.

I went for a ride in the vehicle. I told them that if they would let me, I would buy the van right then. To my surprise, they agreed since ElGirlo and the boys had charmed her while I was test-driving the van. She made us promise to keep her angel mirror ornaments in the van and even asked us to speak to the angels and the van every time we got in it. We smiled and promised to keep the angels in the van. (I didn’t say where we’d keep them. And I was careful not to promise to talk to them or the van.) We finalized the deal Saturday morning and—Yay! We have a new tithing van!

While we were speaking to the German couple, they discovered that we are Mormons. They are interested in the church. We were more than happy to answer their questions and invite them to hear more. They agreed. We exchanged contact information and we will keep in touch when she returns to Germany. I really hope they discover the truth, because they are just genuinely good people.

I want to thank some wonderful family members for making it possible for us to buy this van. You know who you are! I don’t know how to begin to thank you.

I thought you’d get a chuckle out of the ad this sweet German lady put on Craig’s List, so here it is:

1995 NISSAN QUEST GXE MINIVAN” seeking for a new owner! Here are my Story: · Model VG30E 1995 Quest GXE MINIVAN U.S.A. · 6-cylinder, V · Gloss paint, metallic dark blue · Front and rear body color impact absorbing bumpers · 3door Minivan · Mileage: 128.000 · Summer and Winter garaged · 7 seats (front seat center armrest); Cloth seat upholstery; Seat belts · Stereo audio system with AM/FM, 4 Speakers, Diversity antenna · Air Condition · 4 Steel Road wheel 5-1/2-JJ x 15 · Tire size P205/75R15 /97S; with 4 Winter tires · Plus 5 extra Season tires + 1 Spare tire and many many more Features… As you can see from the picture, I’m a clean car, there are no big damage on me, only some little stress marks. My all over condition is good. My lady bought me 2nd hand 2004 in Florida. I do not remember the treatment of my 1st owner. Since that time I caused never a crash, never any troubles nor problems to my elderly lady who really cherish and maintain me through Winter and Summer and the most important, she “speake” to me every day, by visiting me in my privat “home garage”. I like it very much! Now I’m very sad because she is returning to Europe and for my big dimension, I have no place in her container, therefore I’m for sale. If you like to buy me, please feel free to contact my lady by phone or e-mail her any time. asking price is US$ 1.672.00 Or B/O (best offer) Thank you so much for your attention.

July 2009 Update

It’s been a LONG time. I wasn’t sure if I had given up on this blog or not, but I’ve decided to keep it alive after all. I’m sure no one will think to check it, but after all, I’m writing for my own sake anyway. So, here I am.

Part of the reason I haven’t written is because life has been super stressful. We decided a year ago that it was time to start looking for a different job. This was inspired by many reasons that I suppose I won’t go into now. Our decision was strongly confirmed in prayer. To make a very long story short, I interviewed for several very good, promising jobs. I was a finalist for a few of them. We rode an emotional roller coaster just as we thought we were going to get a job, but then it didn’t happen. This happened several times. That has been such a trial of our faith! It’s so depressing to think you’ll get what amounts to a dream job, then have your hopes dashed.

I think the Lord knew we needed that trial. We have grown leaps and bounds the last year. When the economy tanked in the fall, we saw the amount of desirable jobs that I was eligible for dwindle to nearly non-existent. It was very discouraging. We have been so grateful that I have a job. However, it was very frustrating to continue to work most Sundays and to feel inactive at church. Additionally, with the economy, corporate cut labor hours to save money. I found myself doing the work of 3-4 people in less time than I had before. My pay decreased. It was a very stressful and trying time.

I recently applied for a position at Deseret Industries. For those who don’t know, Deseret Industries (DI) is an LDS Church-owned thrift store. One of the main purposes is to provide vocational rehabilitation to people who struggle in one way or another and help them build their skills so they can get work in the “real world.”

I applied as a Job Coach/Trainer, working one on one with these individuals and helping manage the store. I have never been through a more grueling interview process. The initial interview by phone lasted over an hour and a half. I was asked personal questions that really made me think. Then I went into a formal interview in the boardroom where I presented my case to 2 store managers and a supervisor from headquarters in Salt Lake. Again, I was asked very challenging and personal questions. I then met with one of the store managers in an informal “get to know you” session. I toured the store and he took me to lunch. Then, more waiting.

Well, I beat out 60 applicants and got the job. I'll work Wednesday at Walgreens and start Thursday at DI. What a relief! We feel so blessed. The Church offers better pay, much better benefits, a better work environment, and…wait for it…SUNDAYS OFF! YAY!

It didn’t take the bishop long to issue a calling. But, that’s an interesting story. I was working my last Sunday yesterday. ElGirlo was called by the Executive Secretary in the ward to meet with a member of the Bishopric. In our church, we have no paid clergy. The bishop and his counselors issue callings, as directed by the Spirit of the Lord, to members of the congregation to serve in various capacities. They asked to meet with both of us, but ElGirlo explained that I was at work. So they met with her first.

ElGirlo had been serving as a teacher (advisor) in the Young Women program. They informed her that it was time to reorganize the Young Women presidency and other advisors and leaders in the program. So she was released from her calling. They asked her to be the Assistant Ward Organist. She humbly accepted, but was so sad about leaving Young Women.

When a new calling is extended, the congregation is asked to sustain that individual with a vote signified by the raising of hands. So in the meeting that afternoon, ElGirlo was publicly released from Young Women and sustained as the new Assistant Ward Organist. She was bawling.

This is where it gets interesting. The bishopric called her back into their office after the meeting. They told her that when she stood to be sustained, they felt a very strong and urgent impression from the Holy Ghost that this calling was not right for her. Instead, they knew she should serve as the yet unfilled second counselor in the new young Women Presidency. Wow! Of course, she won’t be sustained until next week, so this isn’t public knowledge yet. A lot of people were so sad to see her go, and were crying on her shoulder, but she knows she’ll be right back in there. Kind of awkward…

At any rate, I was also called to meet with the bishopric. I came in after work and they called me to team teach the Gospel Doctrine class and to substitute in other Sunday School classes. I’ve done that before and really enjoyed it, so I’m looking forward to this. Now, whenever a church calling changes in my family, we write a poem. It’s just another weird, quirky thing we do. This is the poem:

No more excuses—my Sundays are free.
That’s why the bishopric interviewed me.
They spoke to my wife and gave her a calling.
While I was at work, she called me up bawling.
She wasn’t too thrilled to be leaving Young Womens.
She sniveled and whimpered like old Richard Simmons.
Assistant Ward Organist—that’s what they told her.
The ward raised their hands in a vote to uphold her.
The Spirit said: No! You’ve got it all wrong…
This isn’t the place where she will belong.
They called her back in after Sacrament meeting.
I guess her new calling was ever so fleeting.
Her time in Young Women was not really through…
The Lord wanted her to be Counselor Two.
The Bishopric knew it when she was sustained.
They broke her the news and she never complained.
She couldn’t say much, so she gave her goodbyes’s.
The day was just starting and full of surprises.
They then called me in when I came home from work.
I dreaded bad news like “You’re the Ward Clerk!”
But to my relief, that wasn’t the case.
They certainly saw the relief on my face.
It wasn’t Ward Clerk. Hallelujah! Alas,
They called me to teach Gospel Doctrine Class!

In other unrelated news, we’re getting a new addition to the ElFamilia. That’s right, ElGirlo’s expecting! We don’t know a gender yet, but ElBabyo is due just before Christmas.
That’s all for now. We have much to be thankful for. I’ll try to write more regularly.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Well, it sure has been a very long time since I last wrote. Forgive me, I can’t even begin to tell you the stress I’ve been under. And so busy… Anyway, it’s Christmas time again! Yea!

I asked my good friend Santy Claus to come to the store and say hello to the children. He said he would. So we scheduled a photo session with Santa. Then Old Saint Nick called me back and apologized. Mrs. Claus had reminded him that he had already booked a prior engagement. Well, as you can imagine, I wasn’t sure what to do. But kind Mr. Claus explained that sometimes he asks his friends for a little help at Christmas time. He asked if I would dress up in one of his old suits and pretend to be Santa instead. Well, I was put right on the spot, but I reluctantly agreed.

Can I just say that filling in for Santa has reaffirmed my faith in the Christmas Spirit? Seriously, it was so touching to see the smiles of the children. I asked them each what they would like for Christmas, and I didn’t receive one greedy answer. Not one! It was all so simple, like, “I want a dolly,” or, “I want Lincoln logs.”

One little boy wanted a new eye. He was playing with a nativity set and a piece shattered, scattering porcelain dust into his eye. He is now going blind. We took his picture with dark sunglasses on. His family has been fasting and praying for him.

When I asked a little girl what she wants for Christmas, she whispered in my ear, “I want my family to be happy.” I promised her I’d do every thing I can. I took a break shortly thereafter, found a quiet place in the back room, and prayed for her little family. I figure that not even Santa Claus can heal a family, but Christ sure can.

I remember when Santa came to our little ward party to help us remember Christ’s gifts to us. My boys were too sick to go, and they were so disappointed. The next day, Dear Old Santa Claus came to visit our little boys and held them on his knee. I’ll never forget his kindness.

God bless you, Santa Claus! I found out just a little bit what it’s like to wear your shoes. They are awfully big shoes to fill. God Bless all your helpers who keep the Spirit of Christmas every day.

Yelleestone

We went back to Yellowstone yesterday. Had a wonderful time. We spent most of our time in Grand Teton Nat Park. We started at the new visitors center there. It’s really a nice place. They have a video floor that shows rivers and fires and things like that. Pretty cool. We went next to the old General Store and Ferry. We got to take a guided tour from a park ranger. An old couple from Pennsylvania mans the store, where you can still buy stuff and browse through the 1897 Sears Roebuck catalogue. The old store keeper baked us some ginger snaps in the original oven there. They were great. The Ranger gave a great little tour. It usually includes a trip across the river on the ferry, but the river is too low, so the ferry was docked for the season. Still, it was a fascinating insight into the origins of the park. We went on to the old chapel. Gorgeous! Then we traveled on, ate lunch at the base of the Tetons and hiked a little bit. We took our time driving and stopped frequently to take in the view. And what a view! Jenny’s Lake is so amazing! I don’t know if I’ve ever been there. We went on to Yellowstone. On the way, we saw a red fox. He was on an old episode of Sanford & Son. Seriously, the fox was pretty cool. We stopped at the West Thumb Paint Pots. Then we went on to Fishing Bridge. Just before the junction, we spotted a Grey Wolf just off the road. He was hunting mice. We watched him for a while. Then on the bridge, we stopped for a minute to watch a couple of river otters. We went on to the Dragons Mouth and Mud Volcano. I haven’t been there since I was a kid. ElGirlo had never been there. A big herd of Buffalo was blocking the trail to the other features. We went down the road and saw another wolf! Amazing. We also saw a lot of Elk, Trumpeter Swans, a couple of deer, and other things. Our favorite site was The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Again, I hadn’t seen it in ages, and ElGirlo had never been there. Absolutely incredible! What a beautiful area. We went to the Lower Falls, and both sides of the Upper Falls. By then, it was dark. We ate and went home. Fantastic trip!

Reunions

So I mentioned that we went to a couple of family reunions last week.

The first was my family's annual gathering at a little Forest Service cabin in the Island Park area. It is situated at the old fish hatchery on the Warm River where the Warm Springs come gushing out of the mountain. It's near Mesa Falls.

My parents have rented this little place every year for the last dozen years or so and shared it with my siblings and I and our families. It really is a spectacular place. It's so gorgeous up there. The fishing is amazing. The hiking is great. This year my dad brought his 4-wheeler along and I took it out and followed the nearby ATV trail on a 30-mile round trip through some of the most amazing country in the world. The trail follows the old railroad that went to Yellowstone. We always have a great time. ElKiddo caught his 1st fish on the bridge near the cabin this year. Ok, so Daddy mostly caught it, but that's how 2-year-olds catch their first fish, right? ElBoyo caught his first fish a couple of years ago in the creek that runs past the cabin. That's when being a dad is really great.

We left that reunion a bit early to avoid cleanup. Just kidding, we left early to go to ElGirlo's extended family reunion. This is her Mom's siblings and family. It was held at a big church camp in Garden Valley, ID near Boise. It is a beautiful place. Pam's aunt and a cousin put it together this year and did a great job. We went whitewater rafting down the Payette River. It was a run that Pam and I have done many times back when we lived over that way. It was guided by an old friend of ours. So it was fun to do that. The boys had a blast playing with cousins. They made fast friends, and were so so sad to say goodbye. I, of course, already blogged about the trip home, which was wonderful in spite of my gripes.

The way over was also a great time. We stopped in Twin Falls and saw Shoshone Falls. Very beautiful. There, we changed into our Sunday Best and drove to the new temple for the open house. What a priviledge it was to go through the House of the Lord with my wife and children. We were able to go the the Rexburg Temple open house with the boys back in January. We feel so blessed. I remember my folks taking me to the Boise Temple open house back when I was a boy. The Twin Falls Temple had a mural painted in one of the rooms that depicted Shoshone Falls. The boys thought that was pretty amazing after seeing the real thing.

Anyway, we had a great time. It was so nice to get away for a while.

Of GPS units and snobby towns

So we just got home from two family reunions (more on that later). The latter one was held at a church camp in Garden Valley, Idaho. That’s up along the Payette River in the mountains north of Boise.

We decided since we were already along that area, we would just go home through the Sawtooths. I mentioned this to a family member who insisted that I borrow his spare GPS system. I politely declined, as I haven’t had the best experiences with nav systems in the past. Yet he persisted, telling me that his GPS was state-of-the art, easy to use, etc, etc… Well, since I didn’t want to buy a map, I accepted.

I instructed the GPS system to guide me to Sun Valley. And it did ok. We traveled through some of the most beautiful country in the world. Going over Galena Summit was seriously breathtaking. I hadn’t been through there since I was a kid.

We pulled into Ketchum about 5:30 pm. That’s when all heck broke loose. Side note: Apparently, my grammar check system is correcting me—that’s when all hecks broke loose. Sider note: Apparently, my spell check system is now correcting me—hecks is not a word. Sidest note: Apparently, sider and sidest are also not words. But I digress.

ElBoyo and ElKiddo both adamantly informed me that they were very hungry. ElGirlo would also have informed me that she was hungry if she had been awake.

I thought well, I’ll just grab some fast food and be on my way. I drove all through town looking for a fast food joint. NONE. So I drove through again looking for a family restaurant. NONE. Finally, I woke up ElGirlo and we parked in downtown Ketchum (not to be confused with Ketchup. ElBoyo asked.) We began walking along looking for a place to grab a bite.

Now please understand that Ketchum has at least a hundred restaurants. But holy cow. They were all the same—little bar & grill or bistro-type places where rich people sit outside on the sidewalk or patio in their fedoras sipping lattes under umbrellas while Vespas and Porches buzz up and down the streets.

Ok. So seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more pretentious place. It was like a myriad of Mariel Hemingway wannabes flashing their money. I don’t mean to sound bitter. I have no qualms with money, but that town reaked of it. I’ve never seen so many yuppies in one place in my life. And seriously, no fast food? I was like a force field designed to keep out normal people.

So we finally asked a local kid if he could point us in the direction of a family restaurant. He suggested the Ketchum Bar & Grill. I politely clarified what a family restaurant means. Apparently, EVERY restaurant in that city has a bar!

We asked if he could recommend anything inexpensive. He gave us a look like we were really weird foreigners, which I have no doubt we are in that town. He directed us to a little bistro on Main Street. We soon found out the restaurant didn’t exist. So we asked another local if he could recommend something. Yes, we were told. Go across the street to the upscale burger bar & grill. They serve burgers and fries for half-price from 4pm to 6pm. One problem. It’s 6 pm. Don’t worry, he tells us, they’ll extend it for you if you tell them I sent you.

At the burger place, I say, “I understand you have a ½-price special.

“Yes. But that’s from 4-6.”

“I see. But it is just after 6, will you extend the special for a few minutes?”

“No.”

“The guy across the street sent me…”

“No.”

“Well, seeing as how I can’t afford $15 burgers, I suppose I’ll go somewhere else.”

“Yeah. Heh, heh… Good luck with that…”

Then I found it. The pizza joint I remember visiting as a years ago. I casual hangout where folks munch on pizza, kick back a few cold ones, and shoot pool. Not exactly family, but it’ll do. At least it’s normal.

Ok, time for another digression. Some of my readers may remember this. Last time I went to this pizza place was about 15 years ago when the band I played in
rolled through town on our way to play the ElkHorn Resort. And when I say “rolled through town,” I mean it literally.

Our beloved leader of the band, a short sixty-plus-year-old white haired gent with a full white beard (known affectionately as Papa Smurf), was driving the bus, a beat-up old jalopy that resembled the Partridge Family-mobile. Well, not surprisingly, the brakes went out on this bus just as we were descending the hill leading to Ketchum. We rolled right through town, ran a few red lights, and came out the other side of town miraculously unscathed. We were able to slow down enough to pull into a campground outside of town a few miles to await repair.

The campground was a little dull, so a friend and I hitch-hiked into town, ended up at the pizza joint and shot pool most of the evening. We hitched back with some hippies who were VERY high. Quite a fun little experience.

Anyway, back to the story. Am I boring you yet?

ElGirlo, the boys, and I walked into the pizza joint, which had now transformed into this posh place cloned from every other uppity-up eatery in town. I was floored. But I was hungry. The boys saddled right up to the bar. I asked the bar tender if there are no fast-food placed in town. Sorry, no. Any family restaurants? Nope. We just want to get back on the road, I tell him. Is there anything to grab and go? Happily, he sells us some pre-made pizza slices to go and charges us an arm and a leg, which by now we were all too happy to pay.

We finally roll out of town after an hour delay in yuppie-ville.

But, here’s the problem.

The GPS unit is wigged out from me driving all over town to find a bite. After turning left and turning right more times than I can count, we headed out of town. The GPS was happy with where we were going apparently, but I got a little nervous as the road narrowed and I noticed we were the only car on it. Before I realized it, the pavement ended and we found ourselves on a narrow winding dirt trail overlooking a 1000-foot straight drop to the canyon below with no hope of turning around. Did I mention how much I love GPS units? State of the art? State of what art? For the record, I don’t need help getting lost. I’m quite capable of that myself.

After finally finding a small space to turn around, I turned the accursed Nav system off, found a map and went happily on my way past the “Unwelcome to Ketchum: Normal People Prohibited” sign.

A Day Off

FINALLY!!!! I had a day off. It was wonderful. I've been fixing up a really old rubber raft before and after work this last week. This raft is so so so old. My dad bought it I think about 17 or 18 years ago for $200, which was a song then. The guy selling it was retiring it. It was worn out then. My family and I used it and used it on the rivers around here, especially the stretch of the Snake River between Hoback Junction and Alpine, WY, where all the whitewater is.

About 6 or 7 years ago, Mom & Dad decided they were through rafting. The boat was so old and full of holes, they were going to throw it away. But, they offered the boat to us, saying if I can make it sea-worthy, it's ours. We were living in Boise at the time. I put a lot of work into it, patching it up, and so forth. We floated the Payette River, the Boise, and the Snake with it. But, it still leaks in spite of my best efforts.

We haven't had the boat out in a couple of years (too busy, it leaks, etc.) But, I thought I'd like to work on it again this week. I did some research and got the idea that paint-on truck bed liner could help patch up some holes. I tried it and...it worked! YAY!

We decided to float the whitewater stretch for my 1st day off in almost a month. But, due to circumstances beyong my control, we weren't able to go. Intstead, I fixed up an old rowing frame with a little help from my brother and a lot of help from my wife and a super lot of help from my dad. I got some oars for it, and got a little electric trolling motor off ebay. We packed up the kids and my brother and his kids joined us.

We floated down the Snake River from Beaver Dick Park to Menan. It was extremely slow moving water, so we were very glad to have the rowing frame and motor. But, the kids had a great time, and so did we. I had no idea how beautiful that country back in there is! We were the only outfit on the river. We saw several deer, a moose, several bald eagles, several golden eagles, and lots of water fowl. The trip was seriously amazing (with the exception of the swarms of mosquitos). That is probably the most beautiful stretch of river I've ever been on.

By the time we got out (it was about a four hour trip), the boat had lost some air. But I know how to fix it, and I think it will be better than ever soon.

I was rowing when we got to the take-out boat ramp. We almost missed it, so ElGirlo jumped out to pull the boat in. The water was very cold and over her head. Also, the slow-moving Henry's fork had already merged with the fast-moving South fork, so the river was swift. It took Pam by surprise. But then, our two-year-old ElKiddo jumped in after her! He had been begging to get in the water all day. The current started sweeping him downstream. Very scary!!! But, a quick-thinking ElGirlo caught him. I think no one was more shocked than ElKiddo. He didn't expect how cold that water would be. I'm just so glad he's safe! We had already had a close call with my brother's oldest when she was swimming and ended up underneath the boat. Scary.

But, in all, we had a great day.