Week 9 - Tell a funny story that happened to you.

When I was in the fifth grade I had a teacher named Ms. Horgesheimer. If her name didn't sound evil enough, her demeanor was. I don't know if my feelings for her were thing way through the whole year, or if it just happened with this experience at the end of the year.

It was right around the last week of school before summer break. We were finishing up everything. One of our last things was some kind of report. I don't recall if it was a book report or what, but it was an oral report. This is the first report that I remember ever having to do orally and I think I was a little nervous. More than remembering that I was nervous, I do remember changing positions as I sat there because I needed to go to the bathroom. Everyone in the class had to do a report, so Ms. Horgesheimer started at the beginning of the roll and went through alphabetical order. As we approached lunchtime, when we'd take a break, my name got closer and closer - and my bladder felt like it was getting smaller and smaller.

I took a few opportunities to request a bathroom break. But much to my dismay, Ms. Horgesheimer, declined my requests over and over. Finally, I settled into a position where I thought I could hold out until lunchtime. Then, just as it was time to go, Ms. Horgesheimer decided to go just one more name, and it was mine. I rolled out of my position and grabbed my report. I added one more plea to Ms. Horgesheimer to use the restroom before I did my report. She let me know that I could hold it until after my report when we'd break to go to lunch.

I remember not only my hands shaking, but my legs doing the same as I danced through my report. Any practice with the inflections in my voice for this report went out the window. It was total survival mode. I read through my report as fast as I could. As I neared the halfway point, the flood gates could no longer hold the overflowing bladder and out seeped a little warmth. I think everything else in my bladder rejoiced at the extra space, so they heave hoed out a little more. I remember thinking that I'd be alright because I was wearing my dark, skeleton riding a skateboard shorts. I didn't think anyone would notice a little wet spot showing up on the dark material. Then, a little stream went down my leg. It was way to warm of a stream to be sweat from nerves. I'm pretty sure I wrote that one off as well because it went down the inside of my leg and ended up in the back. I finished out my report and ran from the room to the restroom as Ms. Horgesheimer dismissed us for lunch.

In the bathroom I realized that my skeleton shorts had failed me and there would be no missing the streams that had run down my legs. I did what I could to clean up my accident and sheepishly went to lunch.

I'm pretty sure I was quiet for lunch, and I don't recall much for the rest of that day or the next few days - until the planning of revenge. Now, being an adult I don't know how appropriate the revenge was. I probably should have just gone to my parents about it and had them help me work it out, but I was in fifth grade and I wasn't an adult. I thought like a fifth grader and revenge was on the table. It also helped that a few of my friends didn't really like Ms. Horgesheimer. They may have also been other motives from their standpoint, but I tie it all to this incident and my friend sticking up for me. I'm sure the revenge wasn't my idea, because I didn't really think that way. I was afraid of authority and did everything I could growing up to stay on the good side of anyone with authority over me. I didn't want anyone with authority over me to be disappointed is something I had done. But, for some reason, this way to get back at a teacher that I felt wronged by didn't seem that bad and it got me at the right time.

Ms. Horgesheimer was a daily Pepsi drinker. She had a mug that she would bring in every morning and refill at least once during the day, usually during lunch time or while we were on break. You could always tell when she came back with a new refill because she seemed so refreshed and had some extra bounce in her step. One of my friends (I'll withhold names from this story), had the brilliant idea to doctor up her drink a bit. The plan was to bring as much Alka-Seltzer as we could to class on the same day and drop it in her drink.

On the planned day (which I think was the last day of class), everyone that could brought their Alka-Seltzer to class - I don't recall being able to come up with any. As sure as the sun rising in the morning Ms. Horgesheimer brought in her Pepsi that morning. I'm sure none of us paid any attention to whatever lesson was taught that morning as we were too nervous about what might happen and finding the opportune moment to carry out our scheme. I don't recall being too nervous about our other classmates. Maybe that was because not too many in the class liked Ms. Horgesheimer, or maybe we weren't smart enough to think of that.

We didn't get an opportunity before lunch as Ms. Horgesheimer never left class. But, after lunch a fresh mug of Pepsi was there on Ms. Horgesheimer's desk - and Ms. Horgesheimer wasn't there. My friend ran up to her desk and started plopping in the supply of Alka-Seltzers (I'm sure there was seven or eight tablets). I think the rest of us had some background spy music playing in our heads as he make the drop. Just as it was in a movie, he got back to his desk just as Ms. Horgesheimer came into class. I would pay to see what our faces really looked like as she came into the room and went straight for her drink. I can only imagine us squirming in our seats and them wondering what would happen as she took those first few sucks on her straw. I don't remember what really happened other than a big suck on her straw followed by a quick dash out of the room. I don't even recall if we saw her the rest of the day, or if she came back and scolded us.

Now, writing this story, while it has always been a story of triumph over our teacher, it really was quite a lapse in our judgement. I don't agree with my teacher not letting my go to the bathroom, but I also don't think it was the smartest thing messing with her drink. It could have really hurt her. Either way, this has been a story that I've told over and over as people ask about my most embarrassing moments.

Week 8 - Write a faith promoting experience you have had.

According to typical Utah standards, I was quite old when Kelly and I were married. It was a long road to travel to get there, but well worth the wait. Kelly wasn't the only blessing I received in my life from traveling this long road though. The whole experience taught me lessons on trusting in the Lord with all my heart, even when I had to leave it in the middle of the freeway to get trampled upon.

I had a best friend, Emilee Heiner, in high school who I always thought I would marry. Even up to the night before I left on my mission, I got special permission to call her for a little comforting. I was quite unsure of myself being a missionary (which is a story in and of itself). We wrote my whole mission and I just figured when I got home I would marry her. But, that wasn't how it worked out. I got home and we went out a few times and were still good friends, but I realized I wasn't in Emilee's plans when she started relying on me to help her with her own relationship issues she was having with a guy she wanted to marry.

Through the next couple of years I dated a few girls, some more seriously than others. I moved away from home with some friends and met a whole new group of friends and be a part of a few different college wards of the Church. I dated quite a few other girls that I met in these wards and I had the opportunity to serve in quite a few leadership positions in these wards. Through these callings I was able to meet quite a few people and expand my circle of friends even further. While this became a great opportunity to meet other girls to date I was getting to the age where most of the girls on campus that were just out of high school thought I was the "creepy old guy". I realized this and took on, quite happily, the position of big brother. I had my few friends that were my age that all stuck together and filled these rolls.

It was during this time in my life I began to realize all of the various situations that our Father in Heaven puts us in to teach us. Some situations were my own personal situations, others were those that I was entrusted with when someone needed help so they came to their "older brother" for advice and companionship. While I only developed a few life-long friends during this time, I know that I was placed at that time in my life in quite a few situations that taught me about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I remember quite a few late night calls of people asking for help or for priesthood blessings. It was through these experiences that my testimony of the power of the priesthood expanded. I was blessed with numerous opportunities to teach the gospel on multiple different levels, from missionary work to reactivation to the doctrines of the gospel. It was through these experiences that I strengthened my own testimony of Jesus Christ, His mission and the reality that the gospel plays in our daily lives. I learned principles of fellowshipping and caring for others. I learned how to really love and care about someone and worry about their well-being. I learned the power of Satan and the reality that he plays in my life and the life of others. I also learned that while Satan is real and can really scare people and lead them into dark paths, he really has no power over us and as the scriptures say, we can crush his head.

Aside from the hard doctrines of the gospel, I was blessed with the opportunity to teach quite a few people about principles of living on your own from budgeting to cooking. It was through these opportunities that I learned how to do those things that my Mother and Father had taught me myself. We lived in a house of seven guys. This fluctuated through the years that I lived in that house, but for the most part that's how it was. For some reason, I became the one that people looked to for guidance on what household decisions should be made. We structured a rent plan, a bill plan, house rules, etc. When people weren't doing their part, it became my task to bring them in have the talk about getting their rent, or their portion of the bills, or even kicking them out of the house when necessary. I don't know if I wanted this role or not, but it came and through this opportunity I solidified those principles that Mom and Dad had taught me from when I was young.

Along this path I dated quite a few girls. Some for short stints, others quite seriously. I remember being set on marrying a few of them, even going through great lengths to get them to know my family. Even considering how we would make things work with our individual situations becoming a life together after we were married. I will never forget the confusion that came when I was prompted to not marry a few of these girls that I was set on marrying. Everything seemed fine, but whenever I took the matter to the Lord, I knew it wasn't right. I also will never forget the heart ache that came with ending those relationships. I remember the pain that came with knowing the heart ache I was causing to someone that I loved. Through these experiences I learned that our Heavenly Father watches out for us. He tests our hearts and conditions us for situations He knows we will be in. I also know that He directs the plan that he has created with this earth life. He let's us make choices, but he will also help us make the right choices if we listen and obey Him.

After years of living in Ogden and expanding my group of friends in Ogden. One day while having a conversation with one of my friends, I knew it was time to move on. I didn't really know what that meant, but I knew it wasn't just a matter of me being frustrated. My friend proposed that we move together to a different town for a different social scene. I told him that was a great idea and that I'd be in. While it seemed like a good plan at the time and I was all in, when it came down to it I was quite nervous. While I new this guy I'd be moving with was a great person, I didn't really know him. We had mutual friends and hung out on occasion, but that was the extent of our relationship. When he called a few weeks later with a place to move that he had already committed to, I somehow took the plunge with him. It was a difficult choice for me, but an exciting choice at the same time.

After we moved in it took a few weeks to get to our new ward at the University of Utah. I was on vacation, the wards were in transition and the people we moved in with weren't the most active people and didn't really know where we were supposed to be. After we got in the right ward we both jumped in with both feet. We were both quite social people so it wasn't too difficult. We met some knew people and decided to go to family night with them to meet some more people. Family night was at the church history building in downtown Salt Lake. As we wandered around I met quite a few people and hung around with them, but generally bounced from group to group meeting new people. One of the groups of people I met had three red-headed sisters. They were all pretty confident in themselves and seemed like fun people to be with - my type of people.

As we got to the end of the tour of the history building we decided to go to get some dinner/dessert. My friend and I ended up riding with the three red-headed sisters to the place and chatting with them. Seems like I answered the phone for one of them who got a call from some guy she didn't want to hang out with anymore. The restaurant we went to was right across the street from one of my favorite restaurants so we got into a food conversation. Turns out that the red-headed sisters and I saw eye-to-eye when it came to food. Through the night we found out quite a few other similarities and made quite a few additional plans to hang out more. After that night, there are quite a few additional stories to tell, but the main story is that Kelly and I haven't gone more than a day or two without speaking to each other.

Looking back the road doesn't seem as long as it did on the way there. That's how it usually is though isn't it. And now with hind-sight, I can see where all of those experiences were necessary to make my road and Kelly's road meet and fit together so smoothly.

Week 7 - What are your dreams? Have you reached any of them?

I think like every boy growing up I wanted to be a fireman sometimes, then a policeman at other times. I even rode this dream a little in high school when I took an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) class. I don't know if I ever really understood what all an EMT, Fireman, Policeman did leading up to this time. I have always had a strange I'm going to throw up on your face feeling at the sight of blood. I've always had a hard time with needles. So, on either the first or second day of class when the instructor started flashing through pictures of things that we might do as an EMT while all the other students were getting excited, I was working on a way to excuse myself from class. That dream has been put in a deep dark hole, but I still have a fond respect for all of my friends that take on those roles for our community.

I think part of that dream broke off into another dream I have had, and maybe that dream was always that I just wanted to be doing something for the good of society. There are all kinds of careers paths out there. For the most part, all of them do something good for the community, but every job can be taken and twisted to be for the good of the individual - which usually isn't in the best interest of the community. So, as I started getting into advertising I got a little itch in my pants to do something to battle all of the advertising out there that works for products that aren't necessarily in the best interest of the community - like tobacco products to name just one. Where I haven't actually made it to be a part of the push to educate about the harmful nature of these types of products, and I clap every time I see an ad doing just that, I have found a little niche that is working to fulfill this dream of mine. I currently work for a not-for-profit hospital. Now, not-for-profit doesn't actually mean we don't make any money. On the contrary we make a whole lot of money. It is in the best interest of the community that we make a whole lot of money. The thing that fulfills this dream is what we do with our profits. While quite a few hospitals are all governed by shareholders that get a portion of the profits, our hospital is governed by volunteers. The not-for-profit status requires us to put our profits back into the community. So, through investments in bringing the latest in technology to the community, or the best physicians to our community, through educating our staff so that we have the best in health care practices in our community, or through supporting other efforts similar to these in our community we donate the profits we make. At this time of such unrest in the world of health care, it brings me a little bit of comfort to know that the nation is looking at my hospital to see what we are doing to drive down the costs of health care and bring better services to our community.

I remember growing up and telling Jason just before he left on his mission that I would one day be taller than him and faster than him. This was a tall order from a little kid that wasn't too quick, that literally (and figuratively) looked up to his brother. I don't know if this falls into the dream category, but I worked my little legs off while he was gone and with a year or so to spare I started breaking my brothers track and cross-country race times. I don't know what I really did other than get the taller genetics to accomplish the other thing that I told my brother, but I am taller than him and was taller when he got home.

This leads into another check box that I have on my list. I don't know if its actually a dream, but its definitely on the bucket list. I would like to, some day, complete an Ironman Triathlon. Right now isn't the time where we have little kids. The time it'll take to prepare it too valuable in spending it with my little boys right now. Perhaps we'll pursue that dream when they get a little older and they can train with me.

I always had a dream to get married and have kids. Growing up in Utah in a culture where most people get married in their early twenties, there were times when I felt like this dream was a little further away than other times. I recall having talks with people where they thought I was being a little too picky. I remember one time sitting at dinner (probably sushi) with my friend Ben. I was chatting with him about how something wasn't right with the girl that I was dating at the time. He was reassuring me that she would be a perfect companion. After breaking the relationship with her, I recall getting quite a few questioning looks from him and others. As I got into my late twenties I'm sure there was quite a bit of worry. But, then I moved away from Ogden with a friend of mine and met Kelly. Things clicked and were smooth with no bumps like Dad had always told me they would be. We got married four months after the day we met and we've continued on pursuing our other dreams together and it is wonderful.

Now, we have dreams of raising our kids up to be good, hard-working members of society that love the Lord and keep his commandments to continue on His work. Its a little weird to say that when Ivin, our oldest is only two years old, but its gotta start somewhere. On a side note, our dream these past few weeks have been just to get Ivin to take a nap. He has been super sleep-deprived and its getting more and more out of control. Happily, today as I sit here typing - and Kelly takes a much deserved nap on the couch - Ivin and William are both napping.

We have dreams of being independent and paying off all of our debts. We've made huge strides, some of them with the help of Mom and Dad Holt helping us to rearrange some of our debt to pay it off at a better interest rate. We still have a way to go, but with the stress that debt and money causes on a relationship, Kelly and I have really come together to battle on this one. We have our slips, and we still take time to enjoy a few luxuries here and there, but paying down our debts and being more financially independent is in our sights. All the while keeping with another one of our dreams to have Kelly at home to raise our children. We see the strain that having working parents puts on the children in many families nowadays. We made a decision before we were married that we wouldn't have it be that way in our family. We've been blessed for this decision with a job that meets our needs. We've been blessed with our decision to pay down debt with other sources of income through a side business.

This being said, I strongly believe that the Lord's hand has been and will continue to be in all of our dreams. As we make righteous goals, our Heavenly Father will bless us to be able to accomplish them through hard work and dedication - work and dedication being two key ingredients. You can sit and ask for help all day long, but until you start doing something you aren't going to get too far. I am grateful for a Heavenly Father that is a part of my life, and for a wife that understands this principle. Having a companion that believes in these principles means so very much to me. He companionship was well worth what I thought was a wait. It really was just preparation time for me to get up to the level I needed to be at to marry that type of woman I dreamed about marrying.

Week 6 - Did you have any traumatic experiences in your youth?

I've already written about one of my traumatic experiences in one of the previous weeks when Amy's friend's Doberman Pinscher chased me down and bit my bum. I've also written about cutting my hand with the hatchet and the lawn mower. I can't really think of any others right off, but maybe some will come as I write.

I had an experience one night shortly after I got my driver's license. As I remember it, I was headed up to a Roy High basketball game with my friend Tim Ashby. We were in my little white Chevy Nova. As we drove down the road chatting I was flipping radio stations trying to find some nice catchy tune. In the middle of my search, we met a huge bang, crash, boom and a jerking spin motion that spun us half-way around and into the middle of the street. We really couldn't tell that anything had happened to the car, so we tried to put the car back into gear to get out of the way of some cars that were coming down the road. We got the car into gear, but nothing happened. We tried again, and nothing. So, we got out of the car and walked around to find that something was wrong with the front wheels. We also noticed a semi-mangled flat-bed trailer parked on the side of the road. It turns out that we hit the wheel hub of the parked trailer just barely with my wheel enough to catch and break the front axle of the car.

Somehow, Dad got called and he came up to help us out. All I remember is that he sent Tim and I on our way with his car keys and told me we'd take care of it after the night was over. He told me to enjoy the game and to get my mind off of the accident. I learned a lot about how much my Dad loved me that night. He didn't show any worry about the car or the accident. He was worried about me. The night was pretty traumatic for me, but it could have been much more traumatic. Dad tempered that for me so much.