St George Marathon

I went to St George and did the marathon a couple weekends ago.

3 hours 6 minutes.

I'm getting better!  I qualified for Boston, 2021 if I want to go 2 years in a row😂.  I'm super proud of myself

Since Mom and Dad sold the St. George house, I actually had to rearrange my sleeping plans.  I ended up taking the Ford Expedition and threw a mattress in the back.  I was homeless for a couple nights.  But, it wasn't too bad.  It actually was kind of refreshing.  I just cracked the window at night and slept like a baby with the mattress.  And, since I slept in the car, I pretty much just slept at the pick-up point for the buses to pick us up.  It worked out great!

Washington

I was able to go to Washington this past weekend.  I had to go there for work and do a fireplace for a client of ours.  Daniel, Juvenal's brother, came with me.  Since I had to go there, I detoured over to Deanna's house amd spent some time together...of course, we went trail riding

Nebo Marathon

Today, I was able to participate in another marathon. This was the fourth one this year since doing St George last September. Last September in the St George marathon, I was able to qualify for the Boston Marathon running that one in 3 hours and 10 minutes. I decided to do a few other marathons this year to try and improve my time. However, my times did not get much better. In fact I got worse. In February, I did the Sun Marathon running that one in 3 hours and 20 minutes. After that, I did the Salt Lake marathon and did that one in 3 hours 30 minutes. A few weeks ago, I ran the Deseret News Marathon and finished in 3 hours 40 minutes. So, I was feeling a little discouraged with my performance. I decided to go ahead and do the Nebo Marathon at the last minute before doing the St. George marathon next month. I was finally able to have a better day. I ran this one in 3 hours and 13 minutes placing 12th overall and first for my age group. So, I was a little bit happier and able to qualify again for Boston. When doing the previous 3 marathons, I had a neck injury for the Sun Marathon which I injured doing gymnastics with Ethan and Chani trying to do a backflip on the trampoline. I had the flu for the Salt Lake marathon. The Deseret News, my legs just gave out on me. But, this time I enforced in my mind that a lot of it really is mental and that you just have to be tough mentally to put things behind you and that you really can get through it. I kept telling myself to just enjoy the moment, don't worry about the time and and to just keep going no matter how tired my body would get.  I gave it all I had.  I tell myself I could have tweeked a few things to get a better time. But, I ran this marathon as per my plan, and I am happy with that. I just thank my God who allows me to have the health and ability to do these types of events.  I think of my brothers Darin (arthritis) and Dale (feet issues...high arch) who can't run and David who has weight issues.  I love them and they have their own struggles. I'm just grateful I can run.  It's my stress release

The day after the wedding

Saturday morning after the wedding, Donald and I went for a bike ride before meeting up with Deanna and Alexis to go for a swim. We only had time to get about a 40-mile ride in so we wanted to go up through Sundance and then come back to the Provo Rec Center.  Alexis, Don and Deanna are amazing swimmers...especially Alexis.  So, I just had to joke with them saying, "I got the slow lane"😉

After the bike ride and swimming, we were able to go over to Grandma and Grandpa Ralph's house for a lunch with the family and to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary.  It's crazy to think they have been married for 60 years.  All my siblings were there except for Darin.  It was so fun to sit around and mingle with the family

Ethan and Chani get some help from Grandpa and Grandma

My dad has decided to sell their St. George house.  The doctors told him that he and mom needed to live in one place and that mom's health is such that she can't really handle the travelling back and forth and that she needed to be nearby in case of medical emergencies if something were to happen.  So, my sweet dad, as he has done in the past for so many others including myself, decided to have Ethan come down to St. George and get anything they wanted and needed.  Dad kept a few things for himself, but gave Ethan the majority of what was there.  Ethan and Chani basically received a whole houseful of needed furniture.  This was so sweet from mom and dad!  Dad gave them a bedroom set...king-size bed with mattress and frame, other bedroom furniture, kitchen table/chairs with rug, kitchen appliances and dishes, office desk and chairs, couch and end tables.  Ethan and Chani were so grateful.

Ethan and Chani get sealed

More pictures will be forthcoming, but here is one to start this off...

Date: August 16, 2019
Where: Mount Timpanogos Temple
Time: 1:00
People in the sealing room: From Ethan's side - Nichole and I, Deborah, David and Carolyn, Deanna, Darin and Sunny, Don and Jill, Cody, Elena, Ellie, Dean and Alisa, Mom and Dad Merrill, Chelsea and Carter, Connor and his mom Tonna.  From Chani's side that I knew - John and Tammy, Grandma and Grandpa, a cousin and husband

I was Ethan's escort going through. I wanted to write down a few of my memories of what the sealer said during the sealing ceremony.  The sealer, Br. Garrett said, "when we are in the temple, we talk of things that only occur in the temple.  Things that occur outside have no place within these walls.  We should talk of temple things.  On that note, I would like to have the couple reflect on the 5 covenants they have entered into.  These 5 are to live the law of the gospel and keep the commandments, live the law of sacrifice and be willing to give all you have to God including your time and talents, live the law of chastity to cleave unto one another only.  He really emphasized this law. He touched on the "thou shall" and "thou shalt not" laws of the gospel.  "Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart and cleave unto her and none else".  In scripture, we are taught to only cleave unto one other person other than God.  That raises how incredibly special this companion is.  The sealer then went through the ceremony sealing the two together while they knelt at the altar.  They both looked into each other's eyes during the whole ceremony.  I could see the love and excitement they had for each other.  They gave each other a kiss over the altar.  It was a special moment.  When embracing Ethan to congratulate them, I got all choked up and couldn't tell him everything I wanted to tell him. I wanted to tell him that I loved him and Chani, that I was so proud of him, that I am so happy he is such a wonderful example for his siblings, to enjoy and cherish the moment.  The only thing I could muster out of my mouth was "I love you, son".

Grandma and Grandpa Ralph could not attend.  The last couple weeks, Grandma has been on a heart monitor.  She has not been feeling too well at all.  The doctors concluded that she needed a pacemaker and the surgery ended up being at the exact same time as the wedding ceremony.  Ethan and Chani were so sweet to go visit them two nights before the wedding.  Grandma and Grandpa were sad not to be able to attend.

We had a lunch afterwards together with family and close friends at the pavilion just north of the temple.  We had Mo'Bettah's cater the lunch.  We had barbecue chicken and pork, with rice and  macaroni salad, cold/crisp watermelon and a bunch of desserts like cookies and brownies.  While at the luncheon, we were getting updates from Dad about Mom's condition.  At one moment, just before food was served to everyone, us 7 siblings got together to say a prayer in their behalf which was offered by David.  It was a tender moment.  I think all of us got a little emotional and definitely touched by the moment

At night, starting from 7 and going until midnight, we had a reception at the American Fork Amphitheater which is just west of the temple.  The place was beautiful.  I got to visit a little bit with John and Tammy a little bit more.  They are wonderful people and very down to earth.  They are wonderful parents to Chani.  I also met Chani's other sister, Soshka, whom I had not met yet.  Her other sisters and brother were there.  I am so happy for Ethan to have gained another family into his life and for our family gaining another daughter and sister.

Cute Ava

Some cute quotes that my little girl posted to the wall.
1. Mistakes are proof you are trying.
2. He takes us how we are and makes us more than we could ever imagine
3. There's no life so shattered that it cannot be restored
4. Rise up and become the person you were designed to be

At the same time, she says to Eli, "Eli, I need you to be nice to me, so do what I say"😅

Another day at the office with Eli

For the last month or so, this little guy has been asking to come to work with me.  I kept telling him that it would have to wait until he has a day off from school. Well, today was Presidents Day, and school was out for the day. So, he made sure that he was going to be coming to work with me. Yesterday, after church, he kept reminding me that today was a holiday from school and that he would be going to work. He also made sure of it by sleeping in mom and dad's bed so that he would get up at the same time with Dad and go with Dad. This morning when I got up it was only like 4:30 or 5 in the morning. So, I got up and let the little man sleep in. Well, when he woke up and saw that I wasn't in the bed, oh, he got pretty upset with Mom. He thought I had left him behind and did not take him to work. He got pretty sad. But, then he saw me come into the room around 6:30 or so and all was good and forgiven. We went to work together today with his older brother, Ethan. Ethan still gets to work Monday, Wednesday and Friday usually about a half a day and then has to take off for school assignments and homework but, the two got to work together today so that was kind of nice.  Eli earned $20 today. He was pretty stoked.

Eli said something pretty funny to me today. I asked him what he wanted to do when he got older. He said, I will play some basketball, and "I will take your place when you die.  Somebody has to take your place when you die".

My calling to the stake young men's presidency

Yesterday, I was sustained in Stake Conference as the Stake Young Men's Second Counselor.  This past Wednesday, I received a call from John Standage asking me to come in to see President Smith and to bring Nichole with me.  Well, initially I told him I could without realizing Nichole had plans for us on Wednesday night to go see her sister, Elena, who was here from out of town with her husband, Rick.  But, then I had to call John back and change the interview date to Saturday at 6:30 just before the adult session of stake conference.  I went into the interview not really knowing whether the interview was for me or Nichole, although I suspected it was for me.  President Smith extended the call to me to which I hesitantly accepted.  I mean, I said, "I believe so".  I didn't even say "yes!"  Even my response to him was half-hearted.  He had said that the whole stake presidency and high councilors had all felt good about this call.  Inside, I had been struggling lately up until I had been released as scoutmaster at the end of December.  I have felt burnt out and just wanting a break.  I had been initially called as an 11-year old scout leader, then the scoutmaster, then into the bishopric as the counselor overseeing scouting, upon my release from bishopric being called to first counselor in the ward young men's and as the Varsity Coach, then released from that into the deacons when the ward split as the scoutmaster again.  So, basically for 11 years straight I have been involved with scouting.  I love the youth, but my heart was not into it anymore.  My love for scouting has somewhat dwindled for which I am ashamed to admit.  I think basically due to the time commitment of scouting.  I had given my whole heart and soul for so long, that I just felt it was someone else's turn.  I had just felt burnt out.  At the beginning of the year, I was released as scoutmaster with the new change in policy with the boys advancing and staying with their group based on age group as opposed to birthday advancement.  I was thinking I could move on to do something different. In fact, I have just received a call in the Elder's Quorum as the Compassionate Service leader...yeah, that exists in our ward.  Now, I got called to basically be the leader of scouting for the whole stake.  At this point, I definitely need to change my attitude and heart and desire.  I was not expecting to receive this call.  I have been so busy with the scouting calls that I really thought someone else was going to have their turn with it, and I could move on to do something different.  God has a sense of humor, and He is definitely challenging me with this.  I love the Lord and the youth.  I will need to soften my heart and submit my will to His.  These stake callings are for numerous years, so I better get on board.  I should not have felt like this, but it was my honest feeling.  I was not excited to receive this call, nor was I thinking this would happen.  This is definitely the natural man in me, and I feel that I am a disappointment for feeling the way I do. I mean, I  should be on a spiritual high with the upcoming opportunity to get to be affiliated and work with so many good people, youth and adults.  I cherish my Saturdays to do my own things like training and things around the house.  Hopefully, my attitude will change and my heart softened as I immerse myself in this new opportunity.  I am lucky and blessed.  Not many have this opportunity to be a part of something like this.  I am scared of feeling I won't do my best or give it my all with my whole heart into it.  I promise My Elder Brother that I will love Him and love the youth of the stake and the adults with whom I will serve.  I will be sustained as I give of myself.  This call will not be about me.  Rather, it will be about making a difference in the lives of youth...and, I'm sure mine will be blessed along the journey