Men can do exercise videos too!...Can't they???

I've been looking to find an exercise video that is more manly than what my wife has. I have to admit I have tried her videos and they are hard and make you sweat, but they are definitely not masculine at all ; I feel like Richard Simmons when I do them, and trust me that's not a good feeling.









So I've set out on a search to find a video (since it's nice to workout inside sometimes especially when it's 100 degrees outside) that will give me a good hard workout and will let me keep my manliness intact. Well after a lot of searching and researching I think I've found one that will fit the bill... US Navy SEALs Workout featuring a real Navy SEAL "pumping you up".


















Now lets see if my wife can make fun of me while doing an exercise video (I would laugh too if I saw myself doing an hour's worth of choreographed butt thrusts, and sissy dance moves), I mean how could she or anyone make fun when I tell them I do the workout that the most elite fighting force in the world does, nobody would dare...HOOAH!!!

Adventure pics

One of the many fish I caught. This is a cutthroat trout, but there were also many rainbow trout as well.













Black Lake
Waterfall we hiked to.
Although located at one of the highest points of the basin (7200 ft) we didn't expect to find these mountain goats at the only manmade structure in the basin (a microwave tower), she let us get really close and didn't even seem to care. 

High Adventure

This past week was our Young Men's high adventure. We took six boys ages 14-18 up to the Jewel Basin in Montana (near Bigfork) and backpacked for 6 days ( I only was able to go for 3). It was an awesome time, all the boys did great and hiked a total of over 30 miles. There are 27 lakes in the basin and we would hike to a lake, set up camp, then do day hikes to peaks from there, hike to another lake, camp and repeat. We caught a lot of fish, saw lots of wild life (deer, moose, mountain goats, rock chucks, and 6 teenage boys of course) it was grizzly country but luckily we didn't run into any. The trail head that we started at was called Camp Misery which we didn't know why, but found out at the end of our adventure. When we arrived back at Camp Misery to head home we were all tired, but excited and in a good mood because of our accomplishments. The ranger that stays at Camp Misery changed our mood quickly when he wrote us a 250 dollar ticket. It turns out that one of the boys accidently left an empty egg carton (egg shells in it) in our utility trailer when we left to go out backpacking, the ranger wrote us a ticket for inproper food storage, since it is bear country, so that put us all in a somber mood for the drive home. Other than that the whole time was an adventure of a lifetime.

When it rains, it pours...blessings.

Warning: This entry is extremely long. You might want to wait till morning when your eyes are well rested to read this.

Over the past few weeks our family has had some bad luck, but being an optimist always helps brighten the dark and dreary sky. Here is a list of our luck over the past 3 or 4 weeks with commentary.

1. If you've been reading this blog you know that before our vacation our car was giving us troubles and cost us lots of money to get ready for the trip and to pass emissions (see "Idaho here we come"). Positive side-we made it to Montana and Wyoming and had an awesome time with our families.
2. A day or so before we left for vacation, sickness struck pretty much our whole family. We had various symptoms of the cold or flu. I was fighting it throughout the whole vacation time and probably got all my extended family sick, I was feeling lonely in my misery I guess. Positive side- Both of the kids slept pretty much the whole trip while driving 8 hours without making a peep and we didn't have to make any unscheduled stops, AWESOME!
Besides being sick all of us had a great time. Our so called "bad luck" didn't bother us while we were visiting and enjoying our families.
3. Heading home from vacation our "bad luck" returned with a vengence. Everything was going good, kids sleeping the whole way once again, great stories and conversation about our trip, and great music to listen to (thanks to Chris and Jenny allowing us to copy some CD's and Pop for actually burning them for us). Anyways, everything seemed great, besides the fact our vacation was over or so we thought. Emily was driving, for the first time the whole trip, when the speedometer and tachometer started jumping around like a caffienated cheerleader. Then suddenly the speedometer, tachometer, and car went dead. Emily pulled over and we sat there thinking of what to do. Of course at this point, both kids woke up and started screaming and with no A/C running in the car it was pretty miserable. We decided all to walk back about half a mile to an exit we had just passed (we did get lucky that we broke down so close to an exit). So, we put Jordyn in her wheelchair and Evan stayed in his carseat and we started walking on I-90 (not the safest thing to do but necessary). We got about a quarter of a mile and greatfully a young couple stopped and picked us up and took us the rest of the way. We were extrememly greatful for them. The town we arrived in was Superior, MT... haven't heard of it? Not a surprise, population from what we could tell-8 people and a couple dogs. Well, we called a tow truck (also the only official repair place in town who said they wouldn't be able to get to our car for a week) got the car towed, while doing that the driver said,"Hey let me call so and so he also fixes cars and he could probably get to it tomorrow." (the nice thing about a small town everyone knows eachother and what eachother does...could be a bad thing too) So anyways, got the car to the repair shop, all the while Emily is sitting at the gas station with the kids next to what seemed to be a meth house with a bunch of scary characters going in and out of it. Well, we ended up staying the night in one of the two Motels in town (according to Emily, worse than the Skookum for those of you who know what that is) and luckily got the car fixed by the next morning and headed back home. -long story I know- Positive side- The car just needed a new battery, according to the Superior mechanic, and we got to extend our vacation and actually enjoyed our stay in Superior. Almost all 8 of the people were very nice. The town was rundown a little, but in an awesome location.
4. Not home from vacation yet, and Jordyn has two big seizures to add to our stress. She usually only has big seizures when she has a fever but not in this case. We don't know why she had these, maybe it was too hot in the back seat? Positive side- A lot of the time on vacation Jordyn was very irratable and grumpy, after the seizures she has been happy and calm- they often say that siezures are the body's way of correcting something that is out of synch, and in this case it seemed so.
5. Finally home and back to work we go. Well, my illness that plaugued me throughout vacation decides to get worse for a couple days. I was hating life but still needed to work to pay off our extra expenses accrued in Superior, MT. Positive side- we were home, sleeping in our own bed, eating our own food etc.
6. Evan's cough gets worse and he starts throwing up because he is coughing so hard. We take him to the doctor and they decide to admit him to the hospital. He is there 48 hours which is very stressful because of worry plus staying in a hospital room is the most boring time of one's life. The nurse also decided to give Evan his IV in his right hand which would be fine except that is the side he sucks his thumb on to go to sleep, so he is very upset the whole time. Positive side- A renewed appreciation and love for my family, a realization of how much they all mean to me and how hard Emily works taking care of her three kids (Jordyn, Evan, and me). Also, a plus for Emily, instead of 6 days without her husband (supposed to leave on backpacking trip for scouts July 17-22) she only has to be without me for 3 and a half days.
Note: Evan is home doing good, we just have to give him breathing treatments every 4 hours.
7. Ok, the same day Evan went to the hospital our car decides that it isn't fixed after all. I break down at the store and have someone come and give me a jump. So the car sits at home over the weekend until the shop can get to it Monday. Well, I have a small Toyota truck also but it will not fit the whole family in it, but it didn't have to since Emily and Evan were at the hospital so that was good. Luckily the hospital is within walking distance from our apartment. Well got the car to the shop Monday and $500 dollars later for a new alternator it is "fixed". Positive side- I don't have one for this experience because I'm too ticked about our stupid car. Without the car, this list I just made would have been half as long. I'll continue to look for the postive in everything...everything except my car that is.

I am a champion!*

Over the past few weeks I have become a champ. What qualifies me you ask? How bout 1st place* in a 4th of July Chief Joseph Run, and a key player** in the stake softball championship team. That's right folks it's true what you hear, first of all on the 4th I ran a two mile race in Laurel, MT there were around 150 competitors overall in the event, I ran my heart out and to my surprise won 1st place in my age division...I don't even like running, yet I must have a talent I guess... Anyways I got my plaque and am now thinking about retirement while I'm on top, although there is a possibility I will come out of retirement to go for a record of 8 wins (Gotta top Lance Armstrong) at the Chief Joseph run so I can make the cover of the Laurel newspaper, possibly Sports Illustrated and a Wheaties box. That's not all though, this past Friday our stake softball tourney came to an end with our ward on top, and I was part of that team. It may be hard to believe for those of you that know me but I am a champion athlete.


(Optional reading follows)
* I was the only one in my age group, so I won 1st place out of one.
** Played catcher, dropped the ball on the one play at the plate, got out 3 out of 3 times batting.

Dear Fans,

I must apologize to all of my fans and all of you lurkers too (yes I know about you, and you must comment to lose the reputation you've made for yourself) -if you don't know lurkers are people who enjoy the benefits of reading people's blogs without identifying themselves: think online stalker- anyways like I was saying... I need to apologize for pressing Pause on all of your adventurous, and exciting lives while you waited and waited for me to post again. I am back from a great vacation in MT and WY which included many fun and not so fun adventures, I'll post later about those. Thank you all for all your support and letting me know you missed my posts (I didn't receive any comments while I was gone for 3 weeks), the good news... your lives can go on now for a short period of time, because I am back and officially pressing Play, so enjoy!