Please pray for our family. Sarah woke up a zombie this morning. We don't need the undead in our home, so we are taking steps to rid ourselves of this plague. Pray for us!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Day of the Dead
Please pray for our family. Sarah woke up a zombie this morning. We don't need the undead in our home, so we are taking steps to rid ourselves of this plague. Pray for us!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Jenna's Fifth Birthday
With all the excitement with the fire (more info down below), we almost forgot to post the pics of Jenna's Birthday. Sorry Jenna! She had a great time. Any day she gets chocolate cake and ice cream is wonderful. She is a sugar fiend and goes crazy if she gets too much. Its like crack cocaine for her, so unfortunately we ususally limit it. But other than that, there was lots of fun.
Just got it.
"I'm Five" Jenna says.
Just got it.
"I'm Five" Jenna says.
Jenna's First Day of School
She was so excited for her first day and she loves that she gets to go to Kindergarten this year. Her teacher is the daughter of a couple from our last ward (the one we were in for twelve years). She is a very nice lady and Jenna loves her. She has a little black and white bunny in class and Jenna is barely intelligible with glee when she talks about it. She got to wash him today and fed him a carrot yesterday. He has little clothes the children put on him. What fun!
"Hi, can I go to school now?"
"I'm so stylish in my new clothes."
"Its hot, when is the bus coming?"
"Are you sure he's coming? It's really hot!"
"I'm going to stay in the shade until he gets here."
"Alright, he is finally here!"
"I'm leaving. Are you still watching? Ok, just checking."
"There goes our baby!"
"Hi, can I go to school now?"
"I'm so stylish in my new clothes."
"Its hot, when is the bus coming?"
"Are you sure he's coming? It's really hot!"
"I'm going to stay in the shade until he gets here."
"Alright, he is finally here!"
"I'm leaving. Are you still watching? Ok, just checking."
"There goes our baby!"
Pictures and Videos of the Boise Fire
For those of you who were not aware, there was a large brush fire that burned many homes near our subdivision. The fire started in a field near our home and quickly spread to the east and up a hill into another subdivision. Firefighters from the BLM put out the field fire before it was able to spread toward us. One of Sarah's friends was jumping on his trampoline and watched it start on the other side of his fence. Luckily for them, the wind pushed the flames down the side of the fence and not into it. Our family and our immediate neighbors were lucky, others farther away were not.
Aerial view of The Burn. We are roughly down the hill a bit from the yellow arrow in the upper left of the pic. But for the grace of God we could have been burned out. Had the wind turned south instead of continuing southeastenly, our subdivision would've been gone. We were blessed, but unfortunately several members of our ward and their neighbors lost everything. And worst of all, a beloved member of the BSU Faculty passed away in the firestorm.
The remains of two homes from our ward. The daughter from the home on the far right is in my (Brent's) Sunday School class.
This horse is owned by the father of Sarah's best friend. The horse and its twin are actually heroes since they ate a lot of grass and brush at the base of the hill. Two homes (the first counselor's and another retired couple) would have been destroyed had there been more fuel to burn. Unfortunately, their pens, trailer, equipment and $700 worth of fresh hay were destroyed.
Fire officials estimate that it took less than two minutes from the time the fire started until the first homes were engulfed. It covered more than a quarter mile in that time. Apparently, it was started by burning metal that fell from a transformer during the 50+ mph winds. A fallen branch may have been at fault too.
Just one side of Sweetwater Dr. Both sides were hit.
The picture says everything. This home housed a member family of seven.
We are extremely grateful to our Father in Heaven for his many blessings. Our hearts go out to the husband and family of Mary Ellen Ryder and our prayers are with them. Though there was a life lost in this tragedy, there could have been many more. We are very grateful for the quick response and heroics of all the fire crews in the area. Without their efforts, many, many, more homes would have been destroyed. We are also grateful for the dilligence of the B.P.D. in clearing the streets and subdivisons and the willingness of the citizens to promptly and calmly evacuate the scene. The swiftness and unexpected nature of this devastation is still shocking. It is yet another reminder for each of us to prepare our best for an emergency and also to live our lives to the fullest and take every opportunity to spend time with our loved ones.
Aerial view of The Burn. We are roughly down the hill a bit from the yellow arrow in the upper left of the pic. But for the grace of God we could have been burned out. Had the wind turned south instead of continuing southeastenly, our subdivision would've been gone. We were blessed, but unfortunately several members of our ward and their neighbors lost everything. And worst of all, a beloved member of the BSU Faculty passed away in the firestorm.
The remains of two homes from our ward. The daughter from the home on the far right is in my (Brent's) Sunday School class.
This horse is owned by the father of Sarah's best friend. The horse and its twin are actually heroes since they ate a lot of grass and brush at the base of the hill. Two homes (the first counselor's and another retired couple) would have been destroyed had there been more fuel to burn. Unfortunately, their pens, trailer, equipment and $700 worth of fresh hay were destroyed. Fire officials estimate that it took less than two minutes from the time the fire started until the first homes were engulfed. It covered more than a quarter mile in that time. Apparently, it was started by burning metal that fell from a transformer during the 50+ mph winds. A fallen branch may have been at fault too.
Just one side of Sweetwater Dr. Both sides were hit.
The picture says everything. This home housed a member family of seven.
We are extremely grateful to our Father in Heaven for his many blessings. Our hearts go out to the husband and family of Mary Ellen Ryder and our prayers are with them. Though there was a life lost in this tragedy, there could have been many more. We are very grateful for the quick response and heroics of all the fire crews in the area. Without their efforts, many, many, more homes would have been destroyed. We are also grateful for the dilligence of the B.P.D. in clearing the streets and subdivisons and the willingness of the citizens to promptly and calmly evacuate the scene. The swiftness and unexpected nature of this devastation is still shocking. It is yet another reminder for each of us to prepare our best for an emergency and also to live our lives to the fullest and take every opportunity to spend time with our loved ones.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
More Haikus
Darling baby girl
Many hours gently rocked
Now a babe no more
Blame, an easy thing
Imperfections all around us
Focus on yourself
The peregrines cry
In cityscapes or rocky crags
White blurs on the wing
Gruesome nemesis
Hair and fangs and legs of eight
Things I should not loathe
Barack or McCain
Are these two the best we have?
Stupid all are we
Brett Favre love or no?
Does he rest or run and play
What a foolish mess
Silent Monuments
Ruth Gehrig Mantle Jackson
Hallowed sacred ground
Shaggy motley goofs
Evil Red Sox find success
Sold souls to Devil
Leather, fresh mown grass
Peanuts hot dogs crackerjack
Heaven's afternoon
Titanic showdown
The pitch, a colossal swing
Exhilaration
Many hours gently rocked
Now a babe no more
Blame, an easy thing
Imperfections all around us
Focus on yourself
The peregrines cry
In cityscapes or rocky crags
White blurs on the wing
Gruesome nemesis
Hair and fangs and legs of eight
Things I should not loathe
Barack or McCain
Are these two the best we have?
Stupid all are we
Brett Favre love or no?
Does he rest or run and play
What a foolish mess
Silent Monuments
Ruth Gehrig Mantle Jackson
Hallowed sacred ground
Shaggy motley goofs
Evil Red Sox find success
Sold souls to Devil
Leather, fresh mown grass
Peanuts hot dogs crackerjack
Heaven's afternoon
Titanic showdown
The pitch, a colossal swing
Exhilaration
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Poems
I promise we'll post some pics soon. Until then, here are some original poems of mine. Some are old and some newer. I've also reworked some a bit. I wasn't happy with them and I think now I am. Maybe. Anyway, most are haikus which is my favorite style, but I like rhyme schemes and free verse too. Hope you enjoy them. I have some more to finish. Love you all. Oh and by the way, to all you who didn't think I was a romantic. : P
Brent.
P.S. Dan, three of the haikus are just for you. Can you guess which ones?
The Plan
Before the world started,
And the first child departed,
Father gathered us to plan a great work.
Though in us He was proud,
One stood out in the crowd,
But so did an arrogant young turk.
Jehovah and Lucifer were their names,
Separate futures would they frame,
They both began as honorable sons.
While the first remained true,
The second’s pride grew,
So would it be the proud or the One?
Two paths were presented,
To each some resented,
In the first, the One was the Savior of man.
The second's would save all the kids,
But God’s glory be his,
Of this notion most were simply not fans.
There were shouts from the dismayed,
And counter opinions conveyed,
Soon many had grown quite depressed.
Battle lines were then drawn,
On both sides captains and pawns,
The situation was on the edge of unrest.
But Father’s decision was clear,
Which direction he would steer,
The second’s plan was to be ditched.
The One’s plan was a go,
Yet no conceit did he show,
Oh what a fit the loser soon pitched.
A third of all he had wowed,
And then the Devil he vowed,
It was time to break up this great clan.
Power through war he soon sought,
Yet it would all be for naught,
Satan and his troops lost so they ran.
God’s forces won true,
So His plan would ensue,
Jehovah would still be the Chosen.
So a world was created,
With no details abated,
The work was far beyond golden.
Now agency was granted,
To those who had wanted,
To move on to the next stage in life.
Our bodies were earned,
But their control must be learned,
Or our lives with mistakes would be rife.
Our Father’s intuition,
Knew we would not always listen,
So prophets give us words we can reference.
The more that we try,
To choose well till we die,
Decides if we are forgiven through repentance.
Life’s good and the bad,
May be easily had,
By both the learned and those in ignorance.
So listen to me,
And clearly you'll see,
Its right choices that make all the difference.
Whether or not we are good,
Or do as we should,
Determines where we go in the hereafter.
For many a rake,
Will tremble and quake,
At the judgment seat of the Master.
For the evidence shows,
He took the stings and the blows,
And bore for us all the pain.
If we do all He has asked,
And finish our tasks,
Upon us will His glory reign.
The Boy and the Lady
There once was a fabulous Beauty,
Whose husband had a choice of two cuties,
And though young may have had a chance of another.
Instead he devoted his life,
To his small crazy wife,
To some they wondered, “Why bother?”
This Beauty so fair,
She lived life without care,
Nearly drove her poor husband to drink.
But despite his frustration,
He resisted temptation,
And kept his small family in the pink.
What comes next for them “Who knows?”
As long as life’s woes,
Aren’t poured out more than they can handle.
For their relationship grows,
With the highs and the lows,
Until no ones love can hold a candle.
Now this silly young lad,
Is a nigh broken-down cad
But with years he is starting to mellow.
With his wife at his side,
His heart swells with pride,
He thinks he is one fine lucky fellow.
Haikus
Sol’s sweltering rays
Distant shimmering heat waves
Baked clay sand and earth
Summer hurricanes
Cyclonic majestic death
The sea’s bitter breath
Twenty foot rollers
Crest and trough, swell then cresting
Breakers crash ashore
Scintillating lips
Flaxen hair and eyes of blue
Giantess of spirit
Black inky darkness
Twinkling fiery stars
Pinholes in God’s quilt
Silence grips the mesa
A coyote cries in the dark
Lonesome on the butte
Muscles bunch and flex
Striding bands orange and black
Ghostly fangs in brush
Fresh morning prisms
Glittering grassy jewels
Nature’s diamonds
Lightning rips the sky
Storms traverse prairie fields
Winds howl hauntingly
A hook line and pole
The fish and water await
Time ebbs ever slower
Gentle warm currents
Glider whips past snowy peak
Graceful silver swan
On emerald lawns
Under the bright harvest moon
Dancing fairies sing
Ice freshly broken
Waves crash unceasingly
Crab pots yield red gold
Trees fall, timbers cut
A hand is lost, legs mangled
Forests replanted
Crackling rivers
Cold white-knuckles, clenching teeth
Miners need supplies
City deluged
Shadowy figures patrol
Spectres of the night
Glorious haiku
The written word yet not prose
Speaks love from his heart
A thrush warbling
Robins gently tap the ground
Sparrows hop and peck
Dew-speckled flowers
Sparkle in the early sun
Bees gently buzzing
The morning mist lifts
A loon cries out in the gloom
The lake dawns anew
The sun slips slowly
Past horizon’s boundaries
Night again draws breath
Silver-flecked sky
The jet planes thunder and shake
Dream unattained
The old man watches
Children cheerfully playing
Tears stain Grandpa’s cheek
Two hearts forever
Bound by rings and promises
Together in love
A boy shy but true,
Loved a pretty young sweetie
Saved him from himself
The peaceful night air
Awoke with rockets red glare
It’s the Fourth again!
The cry of a lark
A brook babbling away
Music to my ears
Stars twinkle and wink
Give evidence of siblings
Worlds we’ll never know
The laugh of a child
The wings of a butterfly
God’s hand in all things
More poems will come
When I am rested, for now
You will have to wait
Brent.
P.S. Dan, three of the haikus are just for you. Can you guess which ones?
The Plan
Before the world started,
And the first child departed,
Father gathered us to plan a great work.
Though in us He was proud,
One stood out in the crowd,
But so did an arrogant young turk.
Jehovah and Lucifer were their names,
Separate futures would they frame,
They both began as honorable sons.
While the first remained true,
The second’s pride grew,
So would it be the proud or the One?
Two paths were presented,
To each some resented,
In the first, the One was the Savior of man.
The second's would save all the kids,
But God’s glory be his,
Of this notion most were simply not fans.
There were shouts from the dismayed,
And counter opinions conveyed,
Soon many had grown quite depressed.
Battle lines were then drawn,
On both sides captains and pawns,
The situation was on the edge of unrest.
But Father’s decision was clear,
Which direction he would steer,
The second’s plan was to be ditched.
The One’s plan was a go,
Yet no conceit did he show,
Oh what a fit the loser soon pitched.
A third of all he had wowed,
And then the Devil he vowed,
It was time to break up this great clan.
Power through war he soon sought,
Yet it would all be for naught,
Satan and his troops lost so they ran.
God’s forces won true,
So His plan would ensue,
Jehovah would still be the Chosen.
So a world was created,
With no details abated,
The work was far beyond golden.
Now agency was granted,
To those who had wanted,
To move on to the next stage in life.
Our bodies were earned,
But their control must be learned,
Or our lives with mistakes would be rife.
Our Father’s intuition,
Knew we would not always listen,
So prophets give us words we can reference.
The more that we try,
To choose well till we die,
Decides if we are forgiven through repentance.
Life’s good and the bad,
May be easily had,
By both the learned and those in ignorance.
So listen to me,
And clearly you'll see,
Its right choices that make all the difference.
Whether or not we are good,
Or do as we should,
Determines where we go in the hereafter.
For many a rake,
Will tremble and quake,
At the judgment seat of the Master.
For the evidence shows,
He took the stings and the blows,
And bore for us all the pain.
If we do all He has asked,
And finish our tasks,
Upon us will His glory reign.
The Boy and the Lady
There once was a fabulous Beauty,
Whose husband had a choice of two cuties,
And though young may have had a chance of another.
Instead he devoted his life,
To his small crazy wife,
To some they wondered, “Why bother?”
This Beauty so fair,
She lived life without care,
Nearly drove her poor husband to drink.
But despite his frustration,
He resisted temptation,
And kept his small family in the pink.
What comes next for them “Who knows?”
As long as life’s woes,
Aren’t poured out more than they can handle.
For their relationship grows,
With the highs and the lows,
Until no ones love can hold a candle.
Now this silly young lad,
Is a nigh broken-down cad
But with years he is starting to mellow.
With his wife at his side,
His heart swells with pride,
He thinks he is one fine lucky fellow.
Haikus
Sol’s sweltering rays
Distant shimmering heat waves
Baked clay sand and earth
Summer hurricanes
Cyclonic majestic death
The sea’s bitter breath
Twenty foot rollers
Crest and trough, swell then cresting
Breakers crash ashore
Scintillating lips
Flaxen hair and eyes of blue
Giantess of spirit
Black inky darkness
Twinkling fiery stars
Pinholes in God’s quilt
Silence grips the mesa
A coyote cries in the dark
Lonesome on the butte
Muscles bunch and flex
Striding bands orange and black
Ghostly fangs in brush
Fresh morning prisms
Glittering grassy jewels
Nature’s diamonds
Lightning rips the sky
Storms traverse prairie fields
Winds howl hauntingly
A hook line and pole
The fish and water await
Time ebbs ever slower
Gentle warm currents
Glider whips past snowy peak
Graceful silver swan
On emerald lawns
Under the bright harvest moon
Dancing fairies sing
Ice freshly broken
Waves crash unceasingly
Crab pots yield red gold
Trees fall, timbers cut
A hand is lost, legs mangled
Forests replanted
Crackling rivers
Cold white-knuckles, clenching teeth
Miners need supplies
City deluged
Shadowy figures patrol
Spectres of the night
Glorious haiku
The written word yet not prose
Speaks love from his heart
A thrush warbling
Robins gently tap the ground
Sparrows hop and peck
Dew-speckled flowers
Sparkle in the early sun
Bees gently buzzing
The morning mist lifts
A loon cries out in the gloom
The lake dawns anew
The sun slips slowly
Past horizon’s boundaries
Night again draws breath
Silver-flecked sky
The jet planes thunder and shake
Dream unattained
The old man watches
Children cheerfully playing
Tears stain Grandpa’s cheek
Two hearts forever
Bound by rings and promises
Together in love
A boy shy but true,
Loved a pretty young sweetie
Saved him from himself
The peaceful night air
Awoke with rockets red glare
It’s the Fourth again!
The cry of a lark
A brook babbling away
Music to my ears
Stars twinkle and wink
Give evidence of siblings
Worlds we’ll never know
The laugh of a child
The wings of a butterfly
God’s hand in all things
More poems will come
When I am rested, for now
You will have to wait
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