Biggest Birthday Shout Out of All!

I was trying to think of a surprise for Erin's birthday today and decided that nothing would make her happier or surprise her more than me posting something on here. She tells me often of how this is like keeping a journal and it will be good for our posterity to be able to look at. I believe her, but I definitely have not been blessed with the talent of writing and have never enjoyed it very much. I will do it for her birthday though, because I love her. She tagged me a couple of posts ago, so I guess I can just go with that.

1. If every job paid $50,000 a year, and you had no physical or mental limitation, what would you do?

This is an easy one because I am already doing it (not being a student while my wife pays for everything). I mean becoming a doctor. I am excited to get out into the clinics and hospitals and to start interacting with patients someday.

2. What is your current calling? What do you like about it? What have some of your other callings been?

Right now I am the ward clerk and I like being behind the scenes, but still getting to see the work that goes into running a ward. There are a lot of good people who serve and care a lot. In the past I have had callings in the Elder's quorum, sunday school, nursery, and primary.

3. Name a person you regularly encounter (outside your family) who brightens your day.

There are too many to mention them all. I have made some great friends since moving out to Iowa for school. It is hard to sit in a little cubicle and study for hours on end, so I am glad they are there with me to make life bearable on the days before big tests.

4. In twenty years, what do you think you will miss most about your life now?

I talked about this with Erin, and I don't think I am one who looks back on life too much and misses things. There always seems to be something that replaces whatever it is that I would miss. I will probably miss the time I get to spend with Erin one-on-one though. It is good to be able to spend a lot of my free time with my best friend.

5. What's something you appreciate about your spouse?

Erin puts others before herself. She enjoys doing things for other people and looks for opportunities to serve. I also like how I can talk to her about anything that is on my mind and she listens to what I have to say.

6. What is your favorite routine, household chore?

Definitely scrubbing the toilet (just kidding for those of you who have read this far down). I guess I don't mind doing the dishes. I have never thought of any chore as my favorite. It is just which chore I dislike the least.

7. What's a book you return to occasionally (besides the scriptures)?

Les Miserables. It is a great book with a great moral to it. (I recommend the abridged version, the unabridged is 1300 pages and has large sections on things like the history of the sewer system in Paris. I wanted to read it just to say I did, but I enjoyed rereading the abridged version even more.)

8. Favorite small pleasure?

Ice cream. Without a doubt.

9. Favorite time of the day?

I like waking up and seeing Erin next to me in the morning. This rarely happens because even though we are both morning people, Erin is a 5:30am morning person, and I am more of a 6:30am morning person.

10. Name a person who performed what they thought was a small act of service, but ended up being a big deal to you.

I moved a few times as a kid, and the move to Blackfoot, ID when I was 12 was the hardest. I ended up making some of the best friends I could ever ask for, but it took awhile. Jason Kunz was one person who made an effort to be my friend from the start, and I always appreciated that.

11. Name someone who somehow changed your life.

Erin

12. Consider what you do each day. Think of one attribute or trait you bring to your daily work that is a strength--What is something you do really well?

Perseverance. It is hard being me, but somehow I make it through everyday. (That is meant to be facetious.)