Working In lake Havasu City

My new part time job in Lake Havasu City

For years since Ive been in AZ I have wanted to go check out the London Bridge. Ironically this year as part of work Ive been in and out of Lake Havasu city where we have an office. So I get to see it all the time. Its like a little tropical paradise in the middle of nowhere Arizona. Who would have ever thought the London Bridge is in Arizona, let alone a large body of water that is officially a lake and an island that the bridge connects. ITs all hard to wrap your mind around I know. Whatever the case I love that town and Im glad I get to check it out so often. Im getting to know people around the town and have my favorite places (including the Hawaiin shaved ice stand along the channel.) Sure its a bit hot there but it beats 40's and snow in the middle of May here in Flag. ITs a pretty sweet gig and its been great working with the staff there at AZCA. I have tons of pics as I work around the town and am just amazed by the view. Its a great vacation spot if you're looking for a get away. (Know anyone with a jet ski they would be ok with me borrowing?)

Snowboarding Season

Snowboarding Season!

So I just completed the second year of our Snowbaording Group at Snowbowl with SOS, Club 412 and some of my fellow employees at AZCA. This year I co-led our group with Maggie from the Club as we both helped out last year. This year we doubled our total to 18 youth. It was an awesome year!!

Everyone did awesome (and I actually only fell a couple times believe it or not).

On the last day Corey B and I went up to the top and did the black diamond through which turned out to be a complete white out snow storm at the top of the mountain. We came all the way down without being able to see more than a few feet in front of us. Definitely one of the most crazy things I have ever experienced.

Hoping our team of youth next year will continue to grow. It was great to see how well this years program went.

Physically Fit in 2011 ( My big 40th birthday goal)

So one of my big goals this year is to again be physically fit. About four years ago I stepped on to a scale after Christmas while I as on vacation and was greatly offended by the numbers. Somehow I had gained a ton of weight and so I decided I needed to do something about it. I set a goal for myself, a new years resloution and went out an bought a treadmill. I was determined that I was going to lose weight that year. I walked everyday whether I wanted to or not and kept a log. Holidays, busy work days. Read on the tread mill, listened to music on my Ipod while on the treadmill, made phone calls on the treadmill, watched TV on the treadmill. Several months went by and even tho I didnt notice anything I felt a difference. To make a long story short by that fall and that winter I lost about 38 pounds. Good story huh?

Sad to say but my focus has not been very much on fitness over the past couple years until just recently. Last December I decided to make a goal in 2011 to focus again on health. After all believe it or not this year I turn the big 40. So my goal is to get back down to my desired weight. (Im not going to give the number but its about 10-12 pounds less ) and Im working on building muscle. My sons and I joke alot about our six packs. Or one packs. But I decided to work it all off and go for the abs. So I workout as many days a week as I can doing several miles on the treadmill, and my reps of crunches, push ups, curls and keep increasing weekly. I set a goal to be at by this month and presently am only a couple pounds off. Corey has been trying to do the same and keeps me going. My goal is by my birthday... July 4th, to be exactly at my expected weight, have developed abs and upper body tone, muscle. Im determined to do it. If you read this and want to follow up and make sure Im still trying to work on my big 40th birthday goal ask me. I still have a little over 4 months! Im excited and have to step it up!

Ive found, as any fitness guru or PE teacher would probably tell you, that excersize is definitely one of the keys to your mental health. Its been for me anyway. When your stressed or overwhelmed or maybe even having a rough week you would be suprised how much taking about 45 minutes will do to positively help your health. It doesnt mean even walking on a treadmill. It could be just by getting outside and being physically active for a change. It can boost your mood, help you find that energy you need to make it through a busy day and actually help prevent and fight off some of those bugs that come this time of year. So I am going to keep working at this and see how it works out. The clock is tickin. Time for some more crunches.......

Spelling Bee Spell

Spelling Bee Spell

So Ethan got selected from his class to be in the spelling bee this year and was pretty excited about it. There were about 29 kids from the whole school that got up in front of the school and parents and spelled each word. Pretty intense. To make it even more challenging they had several pages of words to study and each were words that originated from different cultures/countries.

In the first round it took the total down to less than ten. Ethan didnt make it through as he got hung up on preferrable. (Is that how you spell it? I dont even know.) Two more rounds went by. Then the last two were up and it became more of a Mispelling Bee. The last one mispelled a word so the next to last had to come back and it went back and forth for the next 30 minutes. A spelling bee rule I didnt know of) They had a gong that one of the officials would hit each time someone mispelled. There were a couple hundred kids and parents sitting there hearing how to not spell each word and then the gong, mispell, gong, mispell, gong.

It was getting to be a boxing match or maybe a part of a the story in one of the "Wimpy Kid Diaries". Kids were oooing and ahhing. Teachers were trying to keep them still as they were getting all antsy in their seats waiting to hear someone make it through a corretly spelled word. It was pretty entertaining... for a while. Then old... then ridiculous. I was afraid we all were stuck in a Spelling Bee Twilight Zone with no way out. E, his teacher, other parents and I in the back row started joking around to pass the time as the curse continued. Mispell, gong, mispell gong. About this time I was thinking ok, Re-do! Lets just start this thing all over again. It definitely would be quicker than hearing how many different cultures and countries SHOULDnt be spelled. Then they kept asking.... "please use that in a sentence" or could you "please give me the definition?" My idea to E was maybe modernize it and just ask "could you please use that in a text" and then the student could get it, spell it out loud and all this could be over. (Corey dared E the night before if he didnt know how to spell a word just to use his favorite saying....I.D.K ( meaning:I dont know) "Contraption.... I....D..... K.... contraption").

So E didnt make it and was pretty bummed but he got a few good laughs out of the next almost 40 minutes back and forth between the two girls who evidently didnt know many spelling words either. He suddenly had forgotten all about mispelling his word.

Then it happened. One of them got a word right and the room exploded. Everyone jumped up, cheered and gave them a standing ovation. Kids were excited. The winner was amazed. Parents were headed for the exits. We had all suddenly been released from the spelling bee spell. After dozens of words had been mispelled... the officials were just waiting for someone to get one right so they could have a winner. And a miracle had just happened.

Just when we thought the long battle was over and people were leaving the official said..... "If you could please be quiet now as we continue. We have a 1st and 2nd place winner and now we have to have a 3rd and 4th for the final competition." ( another spelling bee rule I wasnt aware of)

and that is when I quickly left....

(Congrats Ethan on making it to this competition! How awesome. P.S. I apologize for any mispelled words in this blog, It's not my fault.)

Relationship Resolution

Relationship ResolutionAs you know alot of people try making a new years resolution in January and try working at it right off the bat. Some make it work and reach their goal . Others get stuck and quit.
I am not a big New Years resolution kind of person but do like the chance to "start again" fresh and new every year. On my train ride to MI for break I wrote down things Id like to accomplish in 2011. I always have some pretty big ideas and often suprise myself. Im looking to write more songs, promote my cd, excersize daily (which I am doing!) etc etc. However a big goal of mine this year that takes time is to focus on relationships. To develop a better, positive, healthy, relationship with God, family and other people in my "personal community". I also want to improve the ones I have and make new ones that are life long, edifying and real. Think about this :

How many real friends and solid healthy relationships do you have in your life?
Or do you even have a good set of friends and relationships with others?
Are they people you can talk to, depend on, learn from, hold you accountable and have fun with?

Anyone who knows me knows that I am driven by relationships. Thats one of the reasons why I like things like Facebook where I can keep in touch and try to develop and build relationships that are a key part of my life. Anyone I include on Facebook I know and have had some kind of relationship with somewhere in my life. (I sometimes go through my friends on FB and reminesce the adventures, drop someone a line to check in or even use it as a prayer list. )

One things I've noticed about me tho is that over the years I have let many good relationships slide as time, life and my own personal agenda have gotten in the way. Anyone know the feeling? We're all probably very guilty of that. Ive also noticed more recently actually who my good, close and real friends are from those who are more really just "aquaintances" that I had at one time thought were a bigger part of my life. And sadly enough yes sometimes they are even Christians. Don't get me wrong I'll be the first to admit I've messed up in that department too. Even as a Christian. But I at least know I can do my part and know what it takes. That's my personal goal this year, to improve my relationships and build up a group of people I can have healthy friendships with and surround myself with them. At church, at work and every part of my life. Thats what we all need.

Remember the old saying.... "No Man is An Island"? Even if you may think you are or prefer it that way..... you cant live like that forever. Good luck with that. It just doenst work. Its not the way we were created. I have been that way but have noticed more and more that I need people in my life that are also relational driven and dependable but also that can help me be a better me. My goal in return, to do the same.

So there it is. A Relationship Resolution. I think its a good thing to share as we all need to make this a goal. Try it. Focus on a better relationship with God, those in your family and others in your own personal world. Im sure it will bless your life more than you know. After all, it's really one of the main reasons we are even here in the first place!

Christmas Vacation VIa Train

Christmas Vacation Trip via Train!






The boys and I went to Michigan to visit the family for a week between Christmas and New Years. We rode the train across the country both ways and got to see alot and spend alot of time together on the way. Here are some of the pics on the trip and at my parents home in MI (where the snow melted the day we got there!)
Click here to view the online pics

Kutelss "What Faith Can Do" fav

I dont normally post clips from youtube on here but this is a great song. No this isnt me playing and singing. sorry. I have heard this song over and over and its like my theme song right now. I love some of the lines of this song. Especially the chorus.

Check out the words. This song has been number one for them for at least a year now.