Category: Stephen

A Full Day

Yesterday was a full day for me, it was full of surprise, suspense, excitement and more but the best was saved for last.

Alexis had her first volleyball tournament over in Jackson Hole.  Mason and I thought we could make the most of it by watching her play and then hitting the slopes at Jackson Hole.  We watched her first game and loved seeing Lex play like a champ.  Then we were off to go snowboarding.  We had a blast in the spring snow and warm weather.  The terrain park was great we improved our jumping skills and really had a great time.  It really was great to just sit and talk with Mason about life and the fun we were having.  He is a great kid, and an amazing snowboarder. He shows no fear as he tackles the barrel and other amazing tricks.

An interesting thing happened on the way home,  I thought to myself do I hurry home to make it to the Temple with Jodi or do I go and see if Lex is still playing.  I came to the junction where I had to choose to turn west for home or east to go back into Jackson to take my chances on seeing Lex.  At literally the last second I veered east, I asked Mason what he thought and he was on board with my decision to take the chance.  As we arrived and Jackson High, I thought in my heart this will be the test to see if that was inspiration or just indecision that brought me back here.  When I walked in the Gym Lex had just started the second set of a consolation match.  When she was subbed out she ran over to me and with excitement said, "we are playing for third Dad". This was quite a sweet surprise after watching the first game. They definitely had improved.  If was so fun to watch her play and influence the girls with her cheer background.  She had the girls on her team doing all sorts of fun little chants and cheers as well as fancy high fives after they would score.  It came down to the wire and they ended up loosing in the third set by 2 points.  Great job Lex!

This would be enough right here to call it a day, but it was about to get even better.  Jodi had texted me while we were snowboarding to see if we could shoot for the 5:15 session at the Temple.  I was excited to go with her…so we planned accordingly on the hill so we would could be back in time.  We had made arrangements for Lex to catch a ride home with her friends parents.

We made it back in time and shot up to the Temple.  What a great place to feel peace and enjoy life to the fullest.  As we were finishing up the session I walked past someone who looked very familiar.  It was Dad, he was up there working at the Temple (at a key place).  I didn’t think it would be appropriate to tap him on the shoulder so I sat in the Celestial room and waited for him to finish up.  As I watched him humbly do his calling I was touched and thought why is it that I have such a strong admiration for my father?  I came to the conclusion that just as it makes me have great joy to see my children walk in the way of the Lord, the feeling is reversed as I watch my father walk in the ways of the Lord.  I am proud to call him my friend and father, just like I am proud to call my children my friends and eternal family.

A little icing on the day was when Jodi and I went to Bajio for a late dinner.  What a great wife I have, she makes me want to be a better person.  I am so thankful for her in my life.

Today as I taught the lesson in the teachers quorum about, "The Eternal Family" how appropriate after the great day I had with my family yesterday.  I asked the boys what is greater, The love for your Father or your Father’s love for you?  I can’t speak for my dad but for me I would say it is equally strong and growing.

Comments:

Dad and Mom Parker said…

It is always a great day for me when I see my children so naturally being and becoming better and better. Our kids are wonderful examples of the very best. What a blessing when special sacred moments come so closely together.
Monday, March 08, 2010 7:13:52 AM

Michelle said…

You sure know how to fill up a day with good things. Thanks for your example.
Monday, March 08, 2010 8:42:53 AM

Pay Your Cabin Fees Online

Good news for you geeks out there…me included.  We now have a PayPal account for the Cabin.  Now we can make our payments online using a credit card if you would like.

You may pay the full $100 yearly fee using this button. You may also pay for the nights you plan on staying or have stayed.  Remember it is $5 per adult per night using the same button below.

If you wish to pay now just click the link below. Any questions please email me.


Home grown rope tow

Check out this pup.  We took an old snowblower transmission and mounted it to a 11 7/8" beam.  Since we had no budget for this project we made the rope using Grandpa Baldwin’s rope making machine.  Used an old lawnmower tire for the bottom pulley and we were in business.  It is a little slow but we can change the gear ratio as needed.  This is just a prototype, but works pretty slick.  Next step is to make a rope as long as our lane and the kids can have a free ride to the bus stop.

Comments:

michelle said…

That there is a classic-I don’t know anyone with their own rope tow! Way to be you! I love how you guys have fun.
Sunday, January 17, 2010 9:11:50 PM

Scott said…

You crack me up. That is awesome.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 8:19:16 AM

Ski School?

Mason and I spent the night skiing up at Kelly Canyon tonight.  I always thought I would never have kids in ski school, I thought it was a waste of time and money.  Since the 5th graders can ski for any resort in Idaho this year for $15, decision to go was much easier.

Mason said something to me that I was impressed by and changed my perspective on so called Ski School.  He said, "It has to be educational or else the school is not allowed to do it".  Sounds simple, but to me that means it has to benefit the kids not just be a joy ride.

It was time well spent to be up there just one on one with Mason, we were learning new snowboarding techniques, but that was just a fraction of the education.  Mason and I were able to learn more about each other, our likes, fears, skills.  But above all this I learned that Mason has a very cautious and concerned spirit.  He was very mindful of my safety and of my well being the entire time.  I appreciated his gentle persuasions to keep me from doing anything too crazy.  I also had the chance to become the student as Mason would coach me on how to do certain tricks.

I can hardly wait until this Friday night to continue the private school with Mason.

AMA Challenge – Joins ADA Tour de Cure

It’s official I am now a member of the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure Team!  This means that all the profits from the AMA Challenge and from donations to the team will go directly to the ADA’s Tour de Cure fundraising event to help find the cure for diabetes.

Please take a moment to check it out, I am very excited about this and hope you will share this with everyone you know.

Please click the link below to sponsor me!

American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure fundraising event

Thank You.

Tender Mercies

This past week we spent a few days at the cabin.  While there we had many great and fun experiences, along with them we had some pretty scary ones.  One such scary one was when Mason and I were in the garage changing the battery in the snowmachine.  I was busy inside taking care of some issues at work, and instructing Mason one step at a time on how to change the battery.  He would run and do a step then report back for the next instructions.  I soon realized he didn’t really need the detailed instructions, he was doing much better with just letting him know the goal.  He soon had the oil reservoir off and the air cleaner removed.  I then ran out real quick to help him replace the battery and button the machine back up.

All went well we tested the new battery it worked great.  So I thought I would top off the gasoline while I was already out there.  We struggled with the can because we couldn’t find a good funnel.  We think at least 4 of the 5 gallons made it into the tank, the rest went on the floor and all over the tools we were using.  I am not sure if it was the fumes of gasoline in the air or childhood memories that helped me think of the next brilliant idea.  I asked Mason to run in the house and grab some matches, and told him we could burn off the gas on the wrenches.  I knew that there was gas all around the floor of the snowmachine so I walked clear up to the driveway of the garage at least 20′ away from the spill sight.  I lit the first match and the wrenches burned pretty clean but there was still some on the other side of them so I flipped them over and lit another match.  It was just like the movies, the flames burst into the air, across the ceiling of the garage and down to the gasoline soaked snowmachine.  I couldn’t believe my eyes, partially because they were singed and burned from the flames I suppose.  I ran over to the ball of fire and began to try and smother it with any form of cover I could find, nothing helped.  I ran in the house remembering there used to be a fire extinguisher that fell one time and hit grandpa on the head, he must have moved it in frustration because the nail was still there but no extinguisher was in sight.  I ran back out and began to through snow, dirt, or anything I could see that would help douse the flames.

Within seconds the entire garage was filled with a thick black, suffocating smoke.  I would run in and out of the garage to get some fresh air between feeble attempts to extinguish the flames.  By this time the kids had seen the panic on my face and ran into the cabin to inform Jodi that, "Dad is on fire and so is the garage."  I felt a burning sensation on my right foot and looked down to find my entire leg was engulfed in flames.  Without hesitation I ran out into the snow to relieve the burning and put out the newly found blaze.  It was at this time that I thought in my heart, "well it is just a cabin."  I was out of breath my leg was in pain the flames were so out of control now that the surrounding materials were catching flame.  It was a matter of time before the plastic gas tank would melt and spill the entire tank of gas on the floor.  It was hopeless.  If I can’t get the small amount of gas extinguished how can I battle 5 gallons of it.  As typical in my life, I was in over my head.  Just then Jodi came running to my side, it was as if the fire department had arrived, I felt a new sense of motivation.  Like a machine she began helping through snow on the blaze.  With the help of her and Mason we were able to get the situation in control, we pushed and pulled the burning machine out of the garage and almost buried it in snow from our shovels.  We then rolled the machine over so we could get more snow on the track that would not stop burning.

I wish I could have had the entire event of camera because I am certain Jodi, Mason, and I put on a great show as we ran in and out of the garage with shovels throwing snow on the blaze.  We were all coughing from the smoke as we were trying to keep the frantic pace up.  I would like to think that we put out this blaze but I know that a power greater than our entire families’ efforts was there helping us.  The tank should have melted or at least the fuel lines coming out of it.  Everything else on the machine melted why stop there?  Tender Mercies!  It seems that everyday I get more and more in debt to the Savior,  He is always there, whether I deserve the mercy or not.  When I called to break the bad news to Dad, he was very understanding and loving.  He informed me that maybe Grandpa Parker and Michele were there as well, helping in our efforts.

We were pretty bummed about the whole event, but rallied as a family and performed a major overhaul on the the two machines up there, the other twin to this machine had a burned up engine.  Dad said we could make it into a project sometime to swap them out.  Lex and Mason were more than excited to help and we were able to make the switch and spend some fun times riding. snowboarding,  and sledding behind the newly overhauled machine.  I will always cherish the time we spent as a team overhauling the machines out there in the cold garage.  Someday I may look back and laugh, but today I I full of gratitude for the "hidden help" we received.

What a crazy family


time for the horse ride to bed

Here are just a few of the crazy moments that we have been having lately, I was just telling Jodi how we have quite a diverse bunch of kids.  Alexis is the ham of the family, she always keeps us laughing.  Mason is the handy man, literally he makes almost anything you can think of, he can fold it build it, or more lately even draw it.  Lily is the little story writer, she leaves us little notes around the house and poems, short stories and even surprise gifts.  Olivia is the cute little girl that loves to shadow Lily, she has the cutest little smile and innocent attitude.  JT is the wild man his latest find is the barstools, he pushes them wherever he needs to go and then climbs on up, he can be seen in the pantry, counter top, and today he even scaled my office desk.

This is what it is all about, I love the moments we get to share together each and everyday.  It is hard to see them grow up, but at the same time refreshing to see them walking in the ways of the Lord.