A Bit of Bum

また引っ越し？！

2010-10-23T09:12:00.000-05:00

旦那の日本転勤が決まりました！！神奈川県座間市です。基地内に住むのかまだわかりませんが、近くの人宜しくね！！子供達は温泉があってじいじ／ばあばがいるので大喜び。テキサスの大きいお家から日本の小さい家に行くのはちょっと残念だけど、温泉と日本食には勝てませんね。いつ引っ越すのかは何となく分かってるんですが、ちゃんと決まってからお知らせします。

2010-01-30T15:27:00.002-06:00

Life without the internet is like a night without stars: dark, dreary, cold.
My computer was having a panic attack from the traveling I put it through during the Christmas break. When I came back to Virginia, it simply decided to quit altogether. It took nearly an enitre month to find someone who could fix it. Now, I'm back online and am happier than ever.

The biggest reason I missed my http://www.(fill-in-the-blank) was the lack of communication I had with my family. Being able to use the webcam to talk to my wife and kids is almost as good as being there (almost). Of course, when the connection goes weird and the sound and the video are out of sync it's not as pleasant.

Another reason I dig the web is to look up stuff. Holy cow, how many times in the last four weeks have I wanted to know something and been completely helpless. I called my wife in Indiana to ask her for the phone number to Domino's Pizza here in Virginia Beach.

I'll tell you what though, this past month I never would have been able to read The Picture of Dorian Gray or Great Expectations if I had Hulu and Youtube.

My Christmas Wish List

2009-12-26T17:33:00.002-06:00

Here's what I got for Christmas:
1. A two-week vacation.
2. Snow, which I wasn't exactly thrilled about.
3. The chance to shake a boy's hand who had always wanted to meet a "real soldier." I didn't mention that I was in the band.
4. Wake up every morning next to my wife.
5. See the faces of two kids light up on Christmas morning when they got just what they wanted.
6. See the face of my wife light up when she joined the 21st century.
7. Watched a brand new Disney animated musical with my kids. A dream that I thought would never come true.
8. Chocolate-covered rice crispy treats.
9. A head cold.
10. A reminder of what and who I want to be.

Happy Veteran's Day

2009-11-09T18:17:00.005-06:00

A short while ago, the Army School of Music Student Company took a trip to Washington, D.C. The purpose of the trip was to meet some of the musicians who work with the Army's top band, Pershing's Own. However, a secondary purpose was to help us remember what our role is as musicians in the Army.

While the entire day was spectacular, one of the most humbling experiences of my life occurred on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. There are nearly 100 hundred soldiers in Student Company and we all gathered at the famous landmark in order to take a company photo. As we marched across the National Mall, tourists and visitors started to appear from all directions to take pictures of us. We were warned beforehand by our First Sergeant that the people will look at us like characters in Disneyland, but nothing could have prepared us for the shear numbers of onlookers.

We climbed up the steps and lined up below President Lincoln's "temple." Still the people gathered, now pulling out their cameras to take pictures of us. I was touched by the excitement they had at seeing soldiers. A few minutes later, we were all in place and a civilian spectator offered to snap the photo. As he took a few pictures the crowd took advantage of the opportunity and the flashes and click-clacks of digital cameras reminded me of a rock concert. You have to imagine, the flow of people to the bottom of the steps of the memorial didn't stop until we left. They came from every corner of the National Mall to get a glimpse of the soldiers, all dressed in combat uniforms.

Finally, our leadership were satisfied with the photos and released us to spend the rest of the afternoon touring the Mall on our own. As we attempted to leave the formation, an applause followed by a cheer echoed throughout the park. Now stunned and entirely overwhelmed, we could only stand there, recognizing the gratitude the American people had for their servicemen and women, and yet feeling completely unworthy to receive such praise. After a minute or two the applause died down, and we were able to leave, but not before our company commander stopped us and said something very poignant: "When my dad got back from Vietnam he was booed and spit at. You should be very grateful for the way you are viewed today."

An unforgettable experience on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, just above the stone from which Dr. King spoke about freedom for all, and just below the feet of the man now considered responsible for preserving the unity of the United States.

I spent some time pondering about why that crowd of people gave us an applause. I think it was because we represent to them over 5,000 soldiers who have died in the last seven years. Maybe to them we represent someone they know and love who is in harms way right now.

We were constantly being stopped to take pictures with people; adults and children. We also had people yell at us from a distance, "Thank you for your service!" On my way to the Washington Monument, a man said, "Thank you boys for your service." I casually turned to smile, expecting to see just another person. When I looked at him, though, I saw that he was wearing a Vietnam Veteran hat. All I could say was, "No, thank you for your service." I had to stop and talk to him. It turns out he was there with some of his old war buddies to pay respects to one of their fallen comrades. They had built a small wooden cross and came to lay it underneath his name found on the Vietnam War Memorial Wall. He was kind enough to allow me to join them as they began to search the wall for their friend's name. Once they found it, they made a rubbing with a crayon, placed the cross on the ground, and then spent a moment in silence. The sacrifice they made, both the living and the dead, is far greater than anything I will have to go through. Once again, I was very humbled.

In the nation's most well-known cemetery, Arlington, I had a chance to pay my respects to the Fallen, particularly, the Unknown Soldiers. I watched the Changing of the Guard ceremony that happens every hour. Soldiers come out and carefully lay wreaths on the tomb and then a bugler plays Taps. It was very solemn. Very humbling. Those three soldiers represent the millions killed in action and the those who are still unaccounted for. The way that bugler played Taps made me understand a little better my responsibility as a trumpet player in the Army. He plays Taps every hour, every day and yet he played it like it was a special ceremony. I hope to be able to show that kind of respect to the soldiers whose funerals I get to play at.

It was an amazing trip. I was moved and motivated. I hope someday to tell these stories to my kids and then take them to D.C. to show them where they happened. In no way do I subscribe to the America-is-the-Greatest-Country-in-the-World doctrine, because I love another country and its people just as much. It's the great symbolism of freedom that America is, or should be, that I love. I'm grateful to represent not only those who fight for America, but those who fight for freedom of all God's children.

Cameron's BCT Graduation

2009-10-04T23:56:00.004-05:00

So...He did it. He graduated from Army Basic Combat Training.

Not only did he graduated, but he also was the Soldier Leader of the Cycle for his company. It sounds like that's the best award you can get at basic training. We are so proud of his accomplishments.

He got a certificate and two coins like this one.

Ok. So I know what you're thinking. What's with the glasses?! Yeah, they are government issued glasses. The Army calls them BCG, Birth Control Glasses. No kidding. That's what they call them. Everyone (who has bad sight) has to wear them. But you know, just because everyone is doing it, doesn't mean it's right. Those glasses gotta go.

Cameron's mom was kind enough to come with us to SC. She really helped us out a lot by coming. I mean...there's no way I could've taken those two WONDERFUL children to SC by myself. Besides, it really meant a lot to Cameron.

Thursday was the family day and Friday was the graduation. We got to be with him for two days. The kids needed it. I needed it. And most of all, Cameron needed it. We still don't know how long Cameron has to be in VA (now doing music training), but he has his cell and his computer. So I think we'll make it.

1st day - Disneyland 2nd day - Disneysea

2009-07-05T03:53:00.005-05:00

We went to Disneyland!!!　　　ディズニーランドに行っちゃいました。

Caden was soooooo excited to see Jesse and Woody that he couldn't stop dancing.
恵伝はトーイストーリーのウッディーとジェシーを見て大興奮して、踊ってばっかりでした。

There were also Princess Aurora, Cinderella, and Belle. But Caden had no interest in them and Maya was scared (of course). My sister Nozomi, her daugher Hannah, and I were the only ones who got super excited.

他にもオーロラ姫とシンデレラとベルがいたのに恵伝は全く興味なし。真椰は誰やねんっていう目で見てたし。興奮してたのは、私と妹の望と姪の花ちゃんだけ。

I think Disneyland is funner to go with kids. Even Cameron who does not like Disneyland, had fun.
ディズニーランドは子供と行くほうが楽しい。ディズニーランド嫌いのキャメロンでもすごい楽しんでた。

We went to Disneysea the next day. It rained a little so we didn't really take pictures but we had a lot of fun.

Caden's Birthday

2009-07-05T03:24:00.002-05:00

We've decided to have an early birthday party for Caden since we were moving. He wanted a firetruck theme party.

引っ越しやら何やらで忙しかったため、恵伝の誕生日パーティーを早めにした。消防車のケーキがほしいと言うので…。
作りました。

Firetruck cake was a disaster...
I stacked blocks of cakes in front to make the front of the truck higher but it got too heavy and started to collapsed. I had to put graham crackers on the bottom of the cake to stabilize it. Unfortunately, it was after I put the frosting so it looked really bad.　But the kids were excited so I guess it turned out alright.

でも前が重過ぎてケーキの前がつぶれてきてしまい、フロスティングをぬったあとにクラッカーとかを下に入れたり上にのせたりで最悪な仕上がりに。一応子供は喜んでくれたからいいかあ。

We first played "put out the fire" game. Cameron made Wymount (our old apt) looking box and put red tissues everywhere to make it look like the building was on fire. Each kid got a water gun to put out the fire. We had fun.
最初にゲームをした。キャメロンがダンボール箱でワイマウント（前に住んでたとこ）を作って、赤いティッシュをいっぱい火事に見えるように作ってくれました。それを子供たちが水鉄砲で消すって言うゲーム。楽しかったみたい。

After we had did the cake and the presents, we all went to a fire station.
ケーキ食べてプレゼント開けた後、みんなで消防署に行き、いっぱい写真撮ったり消防車に乗せてもらったりした。子供達は大興奮！楽しいパーティーになりました。

Even Maya had fun.
真椰も楽しかったみたい。

"Wicked!"

2009-05-03T21:18:00.006-05:00

My crazy mother (I can say that because I'm pretty sure she hasn't figured out how to access the world wide web yet, let alone a "blog") stood in line early in the morning this past December to buy the whole family tickets to "Wicked!" as a Christmas present. We've all been waiting in great anticipation for April 30th to roll around when we could experience the "real story" of the Wicked Witch of the West.

In preparation, my wife and I listened to and became familiar with the soundtrack and checked out some video footage of the original cast online. Other than that, all we knew about the musical was that it was about the Witch before she was The Witch who tried to kill Dorothy and her little dog, too. I am typically the kind of person who likes to know the ending of things before I experience them. For example, I know the entire story of Harry Potter just by word-of-mouth. Whenever I asked people about the details of "Wicked!" however, they responded, without exception, "You have to see it for yourself." So, I curbed the desire to find a synopsis of the show, and went in without knowing anything but the very barest of bones.

For those of you who have not seen "Wicked!" I say, "You have to see it for yourself." I was totally overwhelmed by the two leads, Donna Vivino's Elphaba and Katie Rose Clark's Glinda. I was brought to tears once by the story, but I teared up at least twice involuntarily due simply to the brilliant performance of these two actresses. I was rendered entirely speechless and could have sat through the entire production again right away.

It has now been a few days since "Wicked!" I was sure by now the magic of the show and its impression on me would be long gone. But even now when I think about that night, the music and the performers, my reality is once again suspended. I was so lifted by something so...secular. Whatever it is that I do in life, I hope to make people feel as good as I did, and still do, because of "Wicked!"

I'm starting to feel like I should bear my testimony, so I will now shut up.

5 Things I Wish I Had A Part In

2009-04-28T12:57:00.005-05:00

1. The iPod

2. Youtube

3. Redbox

4. Software

5. David Foster

Zoo

2009-03-23T11:07:00.006-05:00

It was a beautiful weekend so we went to the zoo on Saturday. Both Caden and Maya were excited to see all the animals, in fact, Maya got so excited that she didn't want to leave.
先週末はとっても天気が良かったので、動物園に行ってきました。恵伝も真椰も久しぶりに動物を見たので興奮してました。特に真椰は離れたくないとフェンスを離しませんでした。

again...
また．．．真椰の方がアニマル的やったりして。

Since we couldn't ride on a real elephant, we settled for this fake one.
本物の象さんには乗れなかったので、この偽物で満足？

But the oldest Caden was too scared... he decided to ride on a smaller animal.
でも、一番おにいちゃんの恵伝はこの象が出す音が怖かったみたいで近寄れず、結局ちょっと小さめのサイに。

Finding the Way That Will Make All the Difference

2009-03-08T19:22:00.006-05:00

When I was a kid, I always wanted two things: to teach Seminary and to play music. I'm not saying those were my only goals because mission, school, family have always been, you know, up there on my to-do list. But with regards to a dream job, I wanted to teach Seminary full-time and play music on the side.

Here I am, years later. I was able to go through the Seminary teacher training program and even had the opportunity to teach some Seminary classes, which was a marvelous experience. However, the dream of teaching full-time ended in 2008. I won't go so far to say that I was devastated, but I did have a hard time swallowing the news. As the months passed, even until now, I still have visions of "what could have been." But, reality check! Seminary is over. What about the dream to play music?

Some time in 2006, I was looking at different options for regular playing gigs around the Salt Lake Valley. I always had an eye out on the message boards in the music stores I frequent for any news of bands needing a trumpet player. I'm not sure how I came across this, but for some reason I found some information about playing in the Utah National Guard 23rd Army Band. After looking into it, I decided that it was too much of a time commitment for a college student/slash new father, but my curiosity had been engaged. In an attempt to learn more about the Guard band program, I contacted a liaison for the mid-western region. He taught me not only about the National Guard band, but also about the Army's full-time bands. Though I did not join any of them at the time, correspondence with him continued on and off for the next few years. Mostly, he would email me and ask how school was going and say something along the lines of, "So, when do you graduate, again?"

Speaking of graduation, as 2008 came to a close, I found myself seriously going over the career options I saw in front of me. I could try to keep living off of private trumpet lessons for another couple of years while I earned a Masters Degree; perhaps I could work for an instrument making company, there is one in Sandy; maybe I'll just move to Japan and teach English. With all of these thoughts swirling in my head (they seemed to be swirling in my stomach, too, as the Unknown tends to give me gas), I, almost in desperation, recalled what I had learned about the Army bands. I contacted the liaison and requested as much information as he could send me. From this point, he would contact me once a week to see if I had any questions.

On one February morning, I got an email from him saying that he was coming up to BYU (from Las Vegas) and we could set up an audition if I wanted to. I figured, why not? A few days later, I met him in the HFAC at BYU and went through the toughest audition of my life: not just a prepared piece, but a piece that effectively showcased specific trumpet skills of tonguing and range; all 12 major scales, two octaves with arpeggios, in 16-th notes at 80 bpm; all three types of minor scales in all 12 keys, two octaves with arpeggios, in 16-th notes at 80 bpm; a chromatic scale from as low as possible to as high as possible and back; sight-reading of six or seven rough etudes; and some Jazz techniques.

Fortunately, I passed. I didn't really expect it at the time, but that 20-minute audition changed my entire life. After a few weeks of discussion, thought, and prayer, my wife and I decided that joining the Army full-time would be the best thing for our family.

I ship to Fort Jackson, SC, for Basic Training on July 1st, then I go to the Army's School of Music in Norfolk, VA, for six months. Upon graduation of the School of Music, we will move to San Antonio, TX, where Fort Sam Houston is. After my required 3 years of service are up, we will decide if we want to make a career out of the Army band, or use the experience there gained to see what other doors can be opened.

To sum up, I am living a life-long fantasy. I didn't get to teach Seminary full-time, but I did get to teach Seminary. Now, I get to have a life as a full-time, professional trumpet player. I can't ask for more. Well, not much more.

Farm Country ポニーに乗ったよ。

2009-02-23T15:59:00.009-06:00

先週末、恵伝と真椰の病気が治ったのでthanksgiving pointにあるfarm countryに行ってきました。そんなに大きくないねんけど、色々動物が見れるし、ポニーに乗れるし、入場料$3.50やし、２歳までタダやし。恵伝は前に１回行ったことあったんやけど、真椰は今回初めてでした。もう入って牧場内に足を踏み入れた瞬間に恵伝はダッシュ。
We went to Farm Country (Thanksgiving point) last weekend. It was nice to get out since both Caden and Maya were sick for almost 2 weeks. As soon as Caden saw the pony ride, he ran.
乗った時にはもう大満足の笑顔。
You can see how happy he was.
真椰は全く笑わず、何が起こっているのか把握出来てなかったような。2回目に乗った時はずっと馬に話しかけてました。
Maya had no idea what was going on. She enjoyed it more the second time around, though.
その後、最近ちょっと歩けるようになった真椰は調子にのって段差のあるとこを1人で降りた為転けてしまいました。鼻が血だらけになってかわいそうやった。
After the pony rides, Maya thought she could walk on her own so she did. But she tripped and hit her nose on a wooden wall.
恵伝は動物達に話しかけたりして楽しんでました。これは恵伝がにわとりに挨拶してるところ。別にやらせたわけでもないねんけど、私が『恵伝、こんにちはってゆった？』って聞いたらえらい頭下げて『こんにちは、チキン。』やって。
Caden had a blast talking to all the animals there. This is the picture of him saying hello...well, Japanese style.

2009-02-09T23:20:00.005-06:00

Several weeks ago, facutly members of the Waterford School's music department put a small Jazz band together and performed for students and parents. It was a blast...here's the proof.

お弁当

2009-02-05T10:49:00.002-06:00

最近、恵伝は食べることより遊ぶことのほうがいいらしく全然自分で食べようとしないし、前みたいにおかわりもしなくなった。だから、ちょっと工夫してお弁当を作るようになった。日本にいるお母さん達にはちょっと恥ずかしくて見せられへんくらいヘボイけど。昨日はパンダのおにぎり。本間はkungfu pandaのはずが、子供らが腹へったと泣き始めたので普通パンダに。でもすごいよろこんで、全部食べてくれた。写真では見えへんかもしれんけど、初めて鶏肉と豆腐のチキンナゲットを作ってみた。中がふわふわで、油もん嫌いな恵伝も私達の分も食べた。クックパッドで見つけたレシピで作ってんけど、もし作ってみたかったら教えて。レシピメールしたるわあ。むっちゃ簡単やから。

ブログ頑張るわ。

2009-02-05T10:25:00.003-06:00

ずーっとめんどくさくてやってなかったブログ。ちょっと頑張ってみることにしました。２月３日一応恵方巻き食べました。豆まきは真椰がびびったので中止。せっかく頑張ってつくった巻きなのに、恵伝は食べ始めてすぐ寝てしまい結局２口ぐらいしか食べなかった。その時間．．．6時。ちょっと寝るの早すぎ．．．!!ってあせったけど、朝７時半まで寝てました。私もやってみたい．．．１３時間半の睡眠。

What gives me gas?

2009-01-25T23:35:00.003-06:00

It doesn't take much to give me gas. I get gas from the simplest things, even ones that should help relieve gas. I get gas from pasta, cheese, Tums, beef, pork, chicken, eggs, rice, milk, Extra gum, hamburgers, lettuce, pot stickers, wheat bread, ultra violet rays, yakisoba, peanut butter, chocolate ice cream, Bucky Covington, carrots, potatoes, radishes, Lucky Charms, Evian, 18th century Impressionist art, the Book of Leviticus, anything above a high C, riboflavin, brocolli, asparagus, bananas, tomatos, potato chips, spinach, lemonaide, french toast, hot dogs, hot chocolate, Hot Pockets, Moscow ID, french fries, G.O.R.P., cherry cobbler, Skittles, raisen bran, oatmeal, curry, elk, grape juice, Kenny G, Disneyland, early morning Priesthood meetings, Zuppas, Pez, green beans, brown beans, black beans, jelly beans, strawberries, Tylenol, snicker doodles, tuna, breadsticks, meat balls, and apples.

Happy New Year

2009-01-02T12:13:00.004-06:00

Though I should make a New Year's resolution to be better at updating my family's blog, I'm not going to. I realize that this isn't going to come as a blow to most people, but to those of you (like me) who thrive on the new updates of friends and family via one or more products offered by Google, I apologize.

All in all, we had a pretty good year. Sure, we had ups and downs along with the rest of the world, but it turned out to be just fine (as it always does and always will).

Maya came to us in January and has brought so much happiness with her goofy little personality. She and Caden absolutely complete my wife and I. It's amazing I made it this far in my life without those people. Maya's coming, however, wasn't at all easy. A week after she was born, Ai had sudden and unexpected complications that almost took her from me. In fact, doctors were preparing me for the worst. But, I put my hands on her head in a special way and we both knew that she would be fine.

I have always wanted to be a Seminary teacher, but I found out this year that it wasn't to be. This gave me a new resolve to focus on another love: music. I have really worked hard to be a better musician and have found such satisfaction in doing so. I have been able to work with people in the music world that have changed my life. One of them shared this poem with me:

"I sit here as a man humbled
by the gift in my hand.
Burdened by the weight of my humanity,
Amazed by the power of God.
Who am I,
That the God of this world offer me this gift?
Who am I,
That I have been chosen,
to touch the heart with sound?
Really.
It's not because of who I am,
But because of who he is.
He chose what was least in this world,
So that his glory might be seen.
I am by all accounts one who is
Least in this world.
I have failed more times
Than I have succeeded.
Even with the best of intentions,
I get it wrong.
Yet I know,
That when I close my eyes and blow,
He moves through me."
- Maketta Nicole Wilcoxson

I try to practice, teach, and play with that philosophy and it makes a differece. It's amazing what happens when priorities and motives are in the right place.

The kids are well, Ai never ceases to show me what true love really means, and I'm just trying to keep up with them.

Happy New Year! Things were great in '08, and they're gonna be fine in '09!

Remembering JS-Matt

2008-09-24T14:45:00.002-05:00

I want to thank everyone who was able to make it to my recital. It turned out to be a really good show and I had a blast putting it on. Fortunately, some good performing opportunities have come up because of it, so I'll try to keep you posted on when and where I'm playing.

If you haven't heard, the company that I have been teaching trumpet lessons at for the past four years is officially out of business. It came out of nowhere and now there are nearly 70 music teachers looking for new places to teach from. I'm working on getting a place in the northern end of Utah County in an attempt to keep all my students.

The hardest part about this situation is that there seems to be some foul play on the part of The Music School's investors and parent company, Sentry Financial. For those of you who live in Utah, you'll being seeing some things about them on the news over the next few days. An investigation is now underway about the legality of closing the school with such short notice without reimbursing students for lessons they won't be getting and withholding payment from all employees for the entire month of September. I hope some of my close friends don't get buried in this whole mess.

With this forced career change looming, the downtrodden world economy, natural disasters increasing in quantity and apparent intensity, I can't help but think of the words of the Savior to His apostles regarding the days before His Second Coming. It's nice to know that the answer to ALL of life's problems and trials is simply to obey the commandments.

COME TO THE SHOW!

2008-08-24T00:33:00.001-05:00

The Last Little Piggy Cried, "Wee wee wee."

2008-08-04T23:25:00.004-05:00

So...yeah. I have two kids. It's fun to watch them as they grow and learn more about their world. Everyday is a wonderful day with them, but some days are just better than others. You wanna know why?

Tonight, Mommy and Maya were watching Caden while he was in the bathtub. Maya was getting a kick out of everything that her older brother was doing. He would make a face, she would laugh. He would splash, she would laugh. He would say, "Maya, Maya, Maya, Maya," and she would laugh. They were all having a great time; even Mommy, who was just enjoying watching her kids.

It was then that Caden arose to his feet, placed his hands on his hips, leaned back and shouted, "Ready. Set. Go. Oshikko!" Oshikko is the Japanese word for peepee. After his exclamation, Caden went oshikko right there in the tub. Can you picture that? A two-year old boy, with a smile on his face and his hands on his hips like Peter Pan, peeing in the tub. We were so proud.

So you see, everyday is special, but there are some days that just mean more.

"Ephraim Hanks Rocks"

2008-07-24T07:22:00.003-05:00

In celebration of Pioneer Day, I have posted my favorite story from the trek to Utah. It's not a story from the original pioneers, who came into the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847, but from the members of the Martin and Willie handcart companies who made the journey on foot while pulling handcarts in late 1856.

(from James E. Faust, “Obedience: The Path to Freedom,” Ensign, May 1999, 45)

Ephraim Hanks is a remarkable example of a young man’s obedience to spiritual promptings. In the fall of 1856, after he had gone to bed, he heard a voice say to him, “The handcart people are in trouble and you are wanted; will you go and help them?” Without any hesitation he answered, “Yes, I will go if I am called.”

He rode quickly from Draper to Salt Lake City. As he arrived he heard the call for volunteers to help the last handcart companies come into the valley. Eph jumped up and said, “I am ready now!” He was as good as his word, leaving at once and alone.

A terrific storm broke as he took his wagon eastward over the mountains. It lasted three days, and the snow was so deep that it was impossible to move the wagons through it. So Eph decided he would go on horseback. He took two horses, one to ride and one to pack, and picked his way carefully through the snow to the mountains. Dusk came as he made his lonely camp at South Pass. As he was about to lie down he thought about the hungry Saints and instinctively asked the Lord to send him a buffalo. As he opened his eyes at the end of his prayer, he was startled at the sight of a buffalo standing barely 50 yards away. He took aim, and one shot sent the animal rolling down into the hollow where he was encamped.

Early next morning, he took the two horses and the buffalo meat and reached Ice Springs Bench. There he shot another buffalo, even though it was rare to find buffalo in this area this late in the season. After he had cut the meat into long strips, he loaded up his horses and resumed his journey. And now I quote from Eph’s own narrative:

“I think the sun was about an hour high in the west when I spied something in the distance that looked like a black streak in the snow. As I got near to it, I perceived it moved; then I was satisfied that this was the long looked for handcart company, led by Captain Edward Martin. … When they saw me coming, they hailed me with joy inexpressible, and when they further beheld the supply of fresh meat I brought into camp, their gratitude knew no bounds. Flocking around me, one would say, ‘Oh, please, give me a small piece of meat;’ another would exclaim, ‘My poor children are starving, do give me a little;’ and children with tears in their eyes would call out, ‘Give me some, give me some.’ … Five minutes later both my horses had been released of their extra burden—the meat was all gone, and the next few hours found the people in camp busily engaged in cooking and eating it, with thankful hearts.”

Certainly Ephraim Hanks’s obedience to spiritual promptings led him to become a vanguard hero as he forged ahead alone through that devastating winter weather to preserve many pioneer lives. Because he listened to the whisperings of the Spirit and obeyed the counsel of the Brethren, Eph became a notable liberating force in the lives of those desperate, struggling pioneers.

Same kids, different medium

2008-07-13T22:49:00.003-05:00

The Family: An Update to Anyone Who'll Read

2008-07-06T22:44:00.004-05:00

I feel it best to put up a good, old-fashioned update this time around.

I recently put up a picture of my two children, Caden Matthew and Maya. As you can clearly see, they are adorable. Lucky for everyone, they look more like their mother than their father.

Caden is high energy and full of fun all the time. He loves being outside riding his tricycle, running with his friends, and playing in the kiddie pool. He speaks both Japanese and English and has even learned how to distinguish when to use which (well, most of the time). His favorite things are cars, pizza, balls, shrimp, and giving Mommy hugs for no good reason. If you want to know how old he is, simply ask him ("I'm two.")

Maya has only been around since January, but she already has the program figured out. If she wants something, she cries "like a witch being boiled in oil" (if you can tell me where this quote came from you get extra points) until she gets it (and she always gets it). If she wants to be held, all she has to do is smile and one or more of us (including the boy) will rush to her. She doesn't really need to ask for kisses. With her cheeks, she gets them all the time.

Ai is somehow managing to run the household on four hours of sleep or less a night. She is able to make meals for everyone; read books, watch movies, and play outside with Caden; attend to the needs of Maya (see above); keep the house clean; make her husband feel like she doesn't think that she made a mistake when she married him; and keep herself looking beautiful. She is also working on the Enrichment Committee in our church, which is designed to help the women in the church learn different skills and be involved in a whole slew of interest groups.

I'm still at BYU studying Humanities. I hope to be done by this December. As for what I will do once I finish, that remains a mystery. For now, I'm just focusing on making sure I get done. I still teach the trumpet at The Music School, and am enjoying an increasing amount of opportunities to play in different ensembles and bands around town.

If you actually read this far down, will you please enter a comment telling me your favorite recent movie. Thanks.

The kids.

2008-06-27T09:25:00.005-05:00

An Easter Proposal

2008-06-22T23:37:00.004-05:00

A carton of eggs: $1.78
Easter-egg dye: $5.00
A box of crayons (since you can't buy just a white crayon): $0.80
Convincing your girlfriend to marry you...even though you are a broke cheerleader:

Priceless.

How To Throw a Birthday Party for a 2-year Old

2008-06-08T22:34:00.001-05:00

BY DAVE BARRY

(This classic Dave Barry column was originally published April 21, 2002, in the Miami Herald.)

TODAY'S PARENTING TOPIC IS: Planning a birthday party for your two-year-old child.

The first thing you must decide, when planning a birthday party for a two-year-old, is: Should you invite the two-year-old? Because a child that age can put a real damper on a party. And probably your child doesn't really understand that he or she is turning two. One of the best things about small children is that they have no clue how time works. My two-year-old daughter believes that everything that has ever happened, including her birth and the formation of the solar system, occurred ``yesterday.''

I have a friend named Helene who made excellent use of this phenomenon when her children were small. If they wanted to do something that, for whatever reason, they couldn't do, Helene, rather than argue, would tell them they could do it on ''Tuesday.'' If her kids wanted to go swimming, and it was January, Helene would say: ''We'll go swimming on Tuesday!'' And they were satisfied, because they had a definite answer, even though it actually had no meaning. (Airport flight-information monitors are based on the same principle.)

Unfortunately, as people grow older, they come to understand the concept of time, unless they are my wife. (Just kidding!) (Not really!) But most two-year-olds have no idea what ''two years old'' means, and would not notice if you held their birthday party after they went to bed.

Another low-stress option is to wait until your child is invited to some OTHER two-year-old's birthday party, and when you get there, tell your child that the party is actually for him or her. (''Look, Jason! Your name is written right here on the cake! L-I-S-A!'')

Of course, the foregoing suggestions are intended in a purely humorous vein. (Not really!) Unless you are a Bad Parent, you must throw a birthday party for your two-year-old, and you must invite other two-year-olds, and THEY MUST HAVE FUN, even if they don't want to. This is why so many birthday parties feature rental clowns, even though few things are more terrifying to small children than a clown at close range. Stephen King based an entire novel on this concept.

Another fun thing that two-year-olds do not enjoy is organized activities. Most two-year-olds are happiest when they are free to wander around in a non-organized way. So it can be quite a chore to herd a group of them together for organized birthday fun. But you must do this, or the terrorists will have won.

When our daughter turned two, we had a big party at our house. That was over a month ago, and we're still finding cake frosting in unexpected places. Our house was filled with two-year-olds, running, falling, yelling, crying, pooping, etc., each with at least one adult in pursuit, trying to organize the child. I honestly didn't know who most of these children were, or how they found out about the party. Maybe the Internet. All I know is, the organized activity we had for them was: art. Yes! We invited small children to our house and DELIBERATELY GAVE THEM PAINT.

I believe the reason we did this is that our brains had been turned into cole slaw by the bouncy castle. A bouncy castle is a big rubber inflatable thing that you can rent for birthday parties, weddings, congressional hearings, etc. The idea is that children can climb inside and bounce around and have a lot of fun, unless they find the bouncy castle to be even more terrifying than the rental clown.

My daughter LOVED the bouncy castle. That was the good news. The bad news was, the rental company set it up at 8 a.m., six hours before the party started. Once my daughter realized there was a bouncy castle in her yard, she had to be inside it, bouncing, at all times, and she felt very strongly that there had to be a parent in there bouncing with her. So by the time the guests started arriving, my wife and I had spent about three hours apiece bouncing our IQs down into the low teens, which is why we thought it would be fun to give art supplies to two-year-olds. I'm surprised we didn't let them drive the car.

Of course, we also gave them cake, because this is mandatory at birthday parties, even though historically there is no known case of any two-year-old ever actually eating so much as a single molecule of birthday cake. In fact, as far as I can tell, two-year-olds never eat ANYTHING. I think they nourish themselves via some kind of photosynthesis-like process that involves the direct absorption of Play-Doh.

In conclusion, holding a birthday party for two-year-olds is both fun and easy. All you have to do is follow a few simple steps! I will cover these on Tuesday.

Thoughts on mourning and comfort.

2008-05-26T23:51:00.004-05:00

In my church we spend a great deal of time studying the scriptures. Along with the Bible, we have other scriptures that we believe contain the experiences and teachings of prophets who were called of God. One of our scriptures is called, The Book of Mormon, which is a record of God's people on the American continent.
One of the prophets from the Book of Mormon is named, Alma. He taught his people who were desirous to join God's true church that the requirements included being "willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort." I've thought at length what that really means and have come to the conclusion that I have no clue.
A good friend of mine is now facing the loss of a loved one. To make matters more difficult, he lost someone who has always been a hero of his. How do I, as his friend, appropriately mourn and comfort him?
We believe that there is a glorious life after death, and that all will have the opportunity of hearing the true gospel and being resurrected like Jesus Christ was. We also believe that through a life a service, sacrifice, and obedience, family relationships can be preserved for all eternity. This knowledge is comforting to anyone who has ever lost someone special to them, and I know that my friend believes in this sweet promise from God. But the hard part is dealing with death from now until then. After the loss of someone very important to me, I knew that he was in Heaven, I knew that he was happy, and I knew that I would be with him again. My problem was the thought of life, this life, without him in it. Perhaps, that's where pain comes from in death; not from wondering if that person is alright, but from wondering if we're going to be alright without them.

To my friend who may or may not stand in need of more comfort, my heart aches that you have to be without him for a time. All I can offer you is my personal conviction and testimony of the words of inspired prophets. I know the Savior suffered, died, and was resurrected. Because of that sacrifice, peace can be found right now and families can be together forever. I love and pray for you.

For My Mother

2008-05-05T13:56:00.001-05:00

The Lanyard

The other day I was ricocheting slowly
off the blue walls of this room,
moving as if underwater from typewriter to piano,
from bookshelf to an envelope lying on the floor,
when I found myself in the L section of the dictionary
where my eyes fell upon the word lanyard.

No cookie nibbled by a French novelist
could send one into the past more suddenly—
a past where I sat at a workbench at a camp
by a deep Adirondack lake
learning how to braid long thin plastic strips
into a lanyard, a gift for my mother.

I had never seen anyone use a lanyard
or wear one, if that’s what you did with them,
but that did not keep me from crossing
strand over strand again and again
until I had made a boxy
red and white lanyard for my mother.

She gave me life and milk from her breasts,
and I gave her a lanyard.
She nursed me in many a sick room,
lifted spoons of medicine to my lips,
laid cold face-cloths on my forehead,
and then led me out into the airy light

and taught me to walk and swim,
and I, in turn, presented her with a lanyard.
Here are thousands of meals, she said,
and here is clothing and a good education.
And here is your lanyard, I replied,
which I made with a little help from a counselor.

Here is a breathing body and a beating heart,
strong legs, bones and teeth,
and two clear eyes to read the world, she whispered,
and here, I said, is the lanyard I made at camp.
And here, I wish to say to her now,
is a smaller gift—not the worn truth

that you can never repay your mother,
but the rueful admission that when she took
the two-tone lanyard from my hand,
I was as sure as a boy could be
that this useless, worthless thing I wove
out of boredom would be enough to make us even.

-Billy Collins

Once upon a time, there was a boy and his dragon...

2008-04-13T16:02:00.005-05:00

I recently had cause to recall an experience from my mission. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I had the opportunity to go to Tokyo, Japan, to teach people about what we believe in. Missionaries are always in pairs: two men or two women, and are called a "companionship." This story is about one of my companions, Elder Cavallo.

LDS missionaries are given one day a week to take care of laundry, shopping and other personal things. One day, We went to the international market to buy a few things that you normally couldn't find in Japan. In the dairy section, Elder Cavallo found some cheese. Yes, cheese. Now, this wasn't ordinary cheese. The cheese came in these little, wax wheels. For 10 or 12 dollars he purchased an entire mesh sack of these cheese wheels, and, with the excitement of a post-menopausal woman at a taping of "Oprah," he skipped and sang and consumed those rounded cheeses all the way home.

The next morning, during the time that we were supposed to be studying the scriptures, I heard these strange shuffling noises. I looked over to investigate further and, to my surprise, Elder Cavallo had spent an obviously great amount of time molding the wax wheels, which until just recently contained his precious cheeses, into an intricate dragon. I would have gotten mad at him and told him to put the wax away and study, if it weren't for the fact that it was really a good dragon. Teeth and a furled eyebrow and everything.

I laughed and said, "What are you doing?" He realized what he had been doing and how foolish it was and replied, "I've made a dragon."
"I can see that you've made a dragon. Why have you made a dragon?"
"I didn't have anything else to do."
"What about studying?"
"Oh, ya."
"Well, if you're not going to study, whatever you do, do something spiritual."
"Okay."

I went back to my books, laughing hysterically in my mind, but not showing it on my face. Another half hour went by and it was time to talk about our plans for the day. I looked over to find Elder Cavallo had used his markers and other odds and ends around his desk to create a home for his dragon. Not only that, but he had also fashioned the dragon to fold its arms (claws) and kneel down.
"Elder Cavallo! What is this?" At this point, I was no longer able to hide my laughter.
"You told me to do something spiritual. So, I've created the Prayer Dragon!"
At the center of a surprisingly impressive desert scene was the Prayer Dragon: eyes closed, hands together with fingers interlocking, kneeling seiza-style, mouth open. Painted on the base were the words, "部屋を出るまえに..." Japanese for, "Ere you left your room this morning...," the opening line to the hymn, Did You Think To Pray?

The other companionship with whom we shared the apartment were immediately summoned and it was agreed that the Prayer Dragon would have a place above our doorway to remind us to pray before we left everyday.

The story continues. Our mission president decided to visit our apartment one day, just to make sure we weren't destroying the place. Mission presidents do this from time to time. As he left, his eye was drawn to our wax friend above the door. I think he was concerned that we perhaps were praying to the dragon, but we were quick to explain. Actually, we were quick to have Elder Cavallo explain. He didn't say anything out loud, but I'm sure he was thinking it: "that's a good dragon!"

Maya's Baby Blessing

2008-03-19T14:24:00.003-05:00

Thanks to my dad for getting some great pictures of the family after Maya's baby blessing. Here are just a few of them.

This is Ai and her parents who came in from Japan for the occasion (okay, so they said that they came for a wedding, but let's be honest).

Here's the Blackhurst grandparents who came all the way from Sandy, Utah.

A Thought On Mastering Something

2008-03-09T22:50:00.001-05:00

I have to thank my brother-in-law for this great quote.

“People who aim to master an art seem to say to themselves, “While I’m still not too good at this, I’ll keep it to myself and not let anyone know what I’m doing. People will be more impressed if I practice in private and show myself only after I’ve developed true skill.” But anyone who says such things will never learn a single art well. For it is the man who mingles with the masters even as a beginner, uninhibited by ridicule or laughter, always pushing ahead coolly -- it is that man, even if he has no special gift from birth, who will not stumble along the way or become too casual in his attitude. As the years pass, such a man will surpass one with natural gifts but no dedication, in the end arriving at a higher level of performance, expanding his talent constantly, and gaining the high opinion of the public as an artist of matchless reputation."

Yoshida Kenkoo (吉田兼好) (ca. 1330)

Failed Vocab Quiz

2008-03-01T23:12:00.006-06:00

One of the funnest parts of being a parent is watching my children grow and develop. With each passing day there is a new phrase or word that my boy spits out, which usually causes my wife and I to wonder where the devil he picked it up.
Along with a new-found vocabulary often comes mishaps that confuse the poor toddler. The other day, he was practicing his newest word band addition: the word, "kick." He repeated it over and over, "kick, kick, kick," until he, apparently, got it all twisted and backwards in his head. Suddenly, "kick, kick, kick," turned into, "ckki...ckukie...cukie." In his 21-month old mind, he now heard, "cookie, cookie, cookie."
For the next several minutes, my wife was rallied with petitions for animal crackers.

A True Story

2008-02-24T23:19:00.003-06:00

My wife's younger sister and her husband are currently living in Japan with there two kids (and one on the way!). Brandon is there getting work experience before they come back to the States for an MBA.
Recently, my almost 4-year-old nephew, Tyler, had a conversation with his mom that went something like this:
"Mommy, Uncle Cameron doesn't have a big tummy, does he."
"No, Tyler, he doesn't."
"Ha! Daddy wins!"
True story.

Guilty or Not Guilty?

2008-02-12T00:18:00.000-06:00

We were shopping at our local Walmart, picking up items for our small family and just enjoying our Saturday together (time together has become more and more scarce as the days move on), when I realized something about how I perceive the world.

We now use two carts in order to hold our kids and all the groceries. While Ai was looking at something down an aisle, I was watching the two carts and not really paying attention to the people around me. I was looking at some product in front of me when I was startled and frightened by a man's voice. I whipped around to see a middle-aged man staring at my girl and saying, "What a beautiful baby. Congratulations." The only thought in my mind was, "Get away from my daughter." After a moment of conversation with the man, my nerves calmed and I was able to relax, but I couldn't help feeling guilty for my initial reaction to this man's presence.

What a sad world this has become that I have to fear anyone who gets too close to my children. The news and events from the world and from our own backyard have certainly made me think differently.

Sorry for keeping you waiting.

2008-02-05T23:05:00.000-06:00

After four weeks of waiting, we finally can introduce the world to our little one.
Maya is our healthy (and hungry) baby girl.
Less talk. More pictures.

After four weeks of waiting, we finally can introduce the world to our little one.
Maya is our healthy (and hungry) baby girl.
Less talk. More pictures.

"Have you ever tried getting out of your car through the exhaust pipe?" - Murphy Brown

2008-01-09T00:59:00.000-06:00

After a month of bed-rest, Ai was ready to get that baby out! We had a duffel with clothes for the new arrival all prepared and in the trunk of our car. We even had gone to the hospital to get our names in the system. Now, all we had to do was wait.

On Sunday, January 6, we went to church like normal, but Ai's contractions were more intense than usual so she left early. After I had finished my responsibilities for the day (including a two-hour nap), we decided to go to the hospital just to see if Ai was getting any further along. After nearly two hours in the hospital, and Ai going from "one" to "three-and-a-half," the nurses informed us that we were going to be admitted and the doctor contacted to come and take care of the delivery. We were so excited. The day had finally come: January 6, 2008!

At 2 o'clock in the morning we were sent home.

We were totally crushed. I went to school and then to work just like normal the next day. I was sitting in the middle of my first trumpet lesson of the evening when my cell phone rang. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't even have paid any attention to it, but I think you can understand why I answered. On the other end of the line I spoke to a woman who said she was my wife, but she was panting and speaking in broken sentences mingled with grunts and screams. I decided to do what she grunted and before my student had his horn off his face I was on I-15 heading from American Fork to Provo. My older brother was called to come and watch Caden while my best friend was kind enough to rush Ai and her mom to the hospital (on a side note, he was a nervous wreck thinking that he might have to deliver a baby on the side of the road. This is the same man who nearly passed out at the sight of a dissected worm).

This is all happening around 6:00 p.m. By 9:55 we had a beautiful baby girl. Well, she's beautiful now. When we first saw her she was all covered in blood and this pasty white stuff. Once the nurses cleaned her off it was a lot easier to be sincere in saying she was beautiful.

Born two and a half weeks early, Maya Blackhurst weighs 7 pounds 13 ounces and is 19 inches long. Here's her Japanese name: 真椰. She and her mom are doing great! Dad is wearing his little, pink hospital bracelet like it's a medal.

Try to beat that FHE!

明けましておめでとうございます！

2008-01-02T23:16:00.000-06:00

日本に「決意ある所に道あり」ということわざがあります。お正月といえば、新年の目標を作るという習慣がありますが、とてもいい慣行だと思います。今年達成したい目標を分かち合いたいと思います。
東京に住んでいたときに神権会で忘れられない経験がありました。レッスンをしてくれた兄弟が教義と聖約の聖句を読んでこう説明しました「聖霊に導かれたら従うほかありません。時々その導きは人をこらしめるために与えられるのです」と言ってレッスンを始めました。小さい紙とペンがクラス全員に配られその年に使った「教会の大官長の教え」を最初から最後まで読んだかどうかを書くように言われました。そして彼は机の下から３０冊ぐらいのテキストを出しました。その本が全部十分の一で作られて末日の主の預言者の言葉が書かれていると強く言いました。紙を集めて私たちが書いた答えを読み始めました。「いいえ」と書かれた紙がある度にテキストを1冊ずつゴミ箱に捨てました。２５人のメルキゼデク神権者の中から「はい」と書いたのはたった一人でした。その愛にあふれた兄弟が教えてくれたことは教会が出すテキストを読まないことは十分の一を無駄にし、預言者の言葉を無視するのと同じだということでした。
今年ジョセフ・スミスの教えをレッスンの前に読むよう頑張りたいと思います。

A New Year's Resolution

2008-01-01T10:28:00.000-06:00

When I was a missionary, I went to an Elders Quorum meeting for one of the English speaking wards in Tokyo. The teacher started off by sharing a scripture from the D&C which says that sometimes we have to reprove people "when moved upon by the Holy Ghost." He then began to express his love for the quorum members and let us know that he really was worried about offending someone through the lesson, but, because he felt moved by the Holy Ghost, he would proceed as he had planned.
He brought with him a stack of about thirty copies of that year's Teachings of the Presidents of the Church manual. He passed around small pieces of paper to everyone and asked us all to write on it whether we had honestly read every lesson. While we filled out our answers, he explained the process by which the manuals get into the hands of the members. He emphasized the point that we get our books for free, or for a very small price, because of faithful tithe payers, and how special it is to be able to study the words of the Lord's anointed servants in the Latter-days.
We all folded our papers and passed them back up to the front of the room. The teacher began to read each answer. "No. No. No. No..." and so on. Out of a quorum of about twenty-five Melchizedek Priesthood holders, one answered "yes." With every "no" the teacher dropped a copy of the manual in a nearby garbage can. We all got his point, but he once again reminded us of the sacrifices that accompany paying tithing and of the importance of listening to the prophet's voice. Each lesson we didn't read from the manual was like throwing sacred tithing money in the garbage and like ignoring the words of the prophet.
This year it is my goal to read each lesson from the manual before it is taught in church. It will be extra special to make that small effort because we will be studying the teachings of Joseph Smith. I hope it is not inappropriate to extend that challenge to you, as well.

The CES Way

2007-12-17T13:14:00.000-06:00

I just moved a step closer to a lifelong dream.
You know how when you were a kid you used to talk about what you wanted to be when you grew up? Everyday you'd hear about some new job and then make a formal announcement to your mom that THAT was what you were going to be. Those declarations would sound something like this,
"When I grow up, I want to be a fire fighter!"
"When I grow up, I want to be an astronaut!"
"When I grow up, I want to be a caterpillar!"
"When I grow up, I want to be the U.S. Ambassador to Portugal!"
Well, for me, I always wanted to be a Seminary teacher. Even before I was a Seminary student. I remember when I decided that that was what I wanted to do, I thought that I needed to be versed in all the LDS classics: hallmark General Conference addresses, books by prophets and members of the Twelve, the Missionary Gospel Library, etc., and, of course, the scriptures. I went on my mission, came home and started college, got married, and got in to the Seminary Teacher Training Program last January.
The way CES hires teachers is very rigorous. First, whether at an institute or at a BYU campus, you have to take a class that anyone is welcome to take called, Intro to Teaching Seminary. In this class you learn all about the objectives and basic teaching philosophies of the church, and it is a great class for anyone who wants to become a better gospel teacher in general.
In order to move on to the next step, you have to be selected. Once chosen, you take a class called, Methods of Teaching Seminary. This is where you learn pedagogy and how to deal with an actual classroom full of teenagers. On top of regular homework and reading assignments, for ten days straight you teach a real class where you are observed and evaluated by CES trainers and the students.
The step after the methods class is a full semester of student teaching. However, in order to move on to the student teaching portion, you have to be selected. This time, only a few are chosen. Those few go on to student teach for up to three semesters. After each semester there is a big 'ole CES cut, and then, finally, you are either hired or not. Only a very small number of people are hired each year. To make things even more difficult, if you aren't selected you can't go through the program and try again.
The last few weeks have been full of stress and anxiety. I just finished the Methods class and have been waiting to be contacted by CES to find out if I get to move on or if I'm done. My trainer told the class that if you get a phone call it will be good news; if you get a letter, you know it's the bad news. This morning at about 11:00, I got a phone call! Starting in January, I will be teaching two seminary classes at Lehi High School.

For those who are interested, yes, both Doc and I are moving on.

Long time, no blog

2007-12-16T00:12:00.000-06:00

I hope that you'll forgive my brief hiatus from the blog world. I got really busy with work and school. You see, I've always wanted to become a Seminary teacher in the Church Education System. As part of a two-year training course at BYU, I spent two weeks being observed and evaluated by CES employees and students while I taught a Seminary class in Payson, Utah. Now, I'm just waiting around to hear from the CES teacher trainers whether I get to move forward to a full semester of student teaching, or if this is the end of my religious educator road. Hmm, a lifetime of hopes and dreams rest solely on my two-week performance. Talk about pressure.
Along with the whole Seminary thing, I've been busy trying to make sure that my GPA goes up, not the alternative. In any given day I can be studying Shakespeare, Hitchcock, the music of Bali, business Japanese, the Haydn Trumpet Concerto, and/or the church's position on whether or not a person can progress from one kingdom of glory to another. Not bad, eh?
I had some fun opportunities over the last few weeks to see some of my music heroes. Thanks to a generous gift from a loved one, Ai and I went and saw Billy Joel perform in Salt Lake City last month. He's a little less mobile than he was ten or twenty years ago, and he's got more salt than pepper in his beard, but has the same ability to create energy. It was so fun to see the man who made me want to be a musician.
The other music hero that I got to meet is a trumpet player from L.A. named Wayne Bergeron. He's played lead trumpet for just about every major movie since 1992. Don't believe me? Check out his website: www.waynebergeron.com and see for yourself. He put on a couple of great clinics at The Music School, where I teach trumpet. He was so nice and down-to-earth.
Well, Christmas seems to go by so fast with each passing year. It's hard being in school and not able to really focus on the season. At least I get to celebrate it with my boy again this year. He can even say "Santa" now!
I hope to spend some more time on my little cyber-journal over the course of the month. Stay posted!

The Greatest Christmas Gift List Ever

2007-11-29T12:13:00.000-06:00

As I'm sure you are, I am in the very difficult and frustrating process of decided what to get everybody on my Christmas gift list. I have been surprised at the kind of stuff that is for sale out there. I'm going to show you some of the things that I've come across.

First of all, what better way to show the Christmas spirit than with tattoo sleeves. You can spend all of the 25th of December impressing your friends, parents and grandparents with your "arm art."

This is a good one: a Psycho shower curtain. It's a shower curtain with a silhouette of someone holding a knife about to spill your blood down the drain. Season's greetings!

The next product is one that I wish I would have thought of first. Perhaps your loved one would like to put something weird in his or her mouth this Christmas. If that is the case, look no further. Get them a watermelon-flavored lollipop in the shape of Sigmund Freud's head. www.mcphee.com/items/11771.html

In my search for religious-centered gifts, I came across a work of art. It's a bowling set with wooden pins representing the 10 plagues of Egypt. Some of the plagues are a little hard to figure out, because, as any artist will tell you, it's not easy to represent plagues, especially lice and boils, in the bowling-pin medium. Nevertheless, in my opinion, this may be the best plague-themed bowling game on the market. www.jewishsource.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=311009

Well, I'd better get back to work. I hope that this was helpful to you in a very personal way.

What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

2007-11-27T20:18:00.001-06:00

I just had to put Satchmo on. Whenever you're having a bad day, let him remind you what what a wonderful world we're in.

Things I'm Grateful For

2007-11-18T23:10:00.000-06:00

I am compiling a list of some things that I am grateful for in my life. I'll just add a few things at a time in no particular order, so check back often. By no means does this list exhaust the things for which I am thankful, but by counting my many blessings and trying to name them one by one I am sure that I will be surprised at what the Lord has done. I think I read that somewhere.

-my favorite wife, Ai.
-my children (I love being able to say that in plural form)
-my family in Sandy and in 堺
-the good Doctor
-the trumpet
-those little cherries in cans of mixed fruit
-my mission to Tokyo
-Family Home Evening
-disposable diapers
-not having a car payment
-parents who love the Lord
-electronic Japanese dictionary
-Billy Joel (well, more his music)
-chunky peanut butter
-Jackson Pollack's "Autumn Rhythm" and "Lavender Mist"
-Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
-the Dallas Cowboys
-Transformers
-the epidural
-the "you have to win by 2" rule
-Louis Armstrong (him and his music)
-the iPod
-never-ending hot water
-Mormon Pioneers
-Ai's parents, also pioneers, who had the courage to join the church
-3 brothers
-Dominoes Pizza
-WCW vs. NWO Revenge, the only video I ever got good at
-second helpings

Pictures from Bridal Veil Falls

2007-11-12T00:06:00.001-06:00

Here's a few pictures from our afternoon at Bridal Veil Falls and the Provo River.

The boy and I just took a quick look upclose. The prenant mommy decided not to risk following and took the pictures.

We even forged the mighty river!

Once on safer ground, Mommy stepped in for this beauty! Two perfect faces against a serene Autumn backdrop.

The Youth of Zion

2007-11-08T08:38:00.000-06:00

For those of you with children, siblings, nieces or nephews, grandchildren, friends who are teenagers, or are a teenager yourself, perhaps you can understand what I mean...
I have been teaching the trumpet since April of 2005, shortly after I got home from my mission. My studio started with just two students and has since grown to have over two dozen high school, junior high, and elementary school-aged kids at any given time. The youngest kid that I have taught had just turned four when he came to me, and the oldest was a fifty-year old man who wanted to learn how to play the bugle he had purchased from the D.I.
Most of my students, however, range from twelve to sixteen and usually are involved in their school band. I've noticed something from getting to know a whole bunch of teenagers that has changed the way I teach and the way I look at their age group. It seems to me that these kids go through much more than I ever did when I was in school. Some of them, I'm talking high school and junior high kids, on top of what I consider an impossible work load in their classes, are involved in very rigorous band programs that keep them at school rehearsing until late in the evening for musicals, marching band competitions, and other performances. When I was in middle school my biggest challenge was to make sure that I had all of Star Wars and Monty Python and the Holy Grail memorized so I could keep up with my peers in the necessary "lunch room literature" of the time. For me, and I assume for my classmates, band was viewed as an escape from school and a fun way to spend a period. Preparing for concerts at Mt. Jordan Middle School was stress-free and always exciting. But several of the trumpet students that I teach dread going to band as much as geometry, and worse, they dread their band teacher as much as their geometry or life science teacher.
As sad as I think it is for these guys to not enjoy going to band, and as tough as it sounds like their schooling is, their life struggles go way beyond what I ever had to go through. Let me just list of few of the problems that students have talked to me about:

fear of violent siblings
parent has died
haven't seen father in five years, probably will never see him again
single mom on the verge of bankruptcy
sibling with disease
only friends at school pick on, make fun of and tease mercilessly
dyslexia
ADD/ADHD
depression

I wish I could say that the students who have the gospel in their lives are immune from these problems, but most of my kids and their families are faithful and active members of the church. Some of the problems in life can't be solved by the restored gospel. Nobody gets a pain-free or struggle-free card when baptized or together with a temple recommend.
As difficult as it is to watch these young kids struggle and fight and, in some cases, get beat up spiritually, I am so impressed by the strength and ability of youth to deal with these situations. Though clearly disturbed and confused at times at what they are called to go through and what they cause themselves to go through, they nevertheless find humor and satisfaction and fun and meaning in their lives. I do everything I can to provide a safe place to come and to show them the joy that comes from living the gospel and pray that they'll be able to hold it together until they can say they are converted to the restored church. But, in reality, I am energized and strengthened by their faith and the way they make choosing to obey the commandments the only option.
I don't think that they will be better apt to deal with the stuff that is coming to them in the near future simply by being able to play the trumpet or read music or know what key the Haydn Trumpet Concerto is in. I do hope, though, that the thirty minutes they spend with me each week will be a time they can grow without worrying about those troubles that they have to deal with all day, every day.

恵伝くんとのハロウィーン

2007-11-01T23:56:00.000-05:00

今年のハロウィーンはとても楽しかったです。恵伝くんはチキン（ひよこ）の仮想をし、すごくかわいかったです。
昔私が小さかった頃、ハロウィーンに３人の兄弟と一緒に近所の家に一件ずつ行き、ドアをノックして "trick or treat!"と言いお菓子をもらいました。大きくなってからは全然行っていませんし、行く気もまったくなかったのですが、自分の家族を持って息子が行くのを見たくなり、10月31日に妊娠している愛ちゃんと一緒に恵伝を連れて Trick-Or-Treatingに行ってきました。

見たら分かると思いますが、恵伝は非常にかわいかったです。（恵伝に聞いたら｢かっこいー｣と言うんですけどね）。かわいくてかわいくて近所の人たちがずっとついて来たりキャンディーをたくさんくれたりしました。
恵伝くんは別にキャンディーには興味がなかったのですが、家をピンポンし、怖い仮想をした人が出てきてキャンディーをもらい、それをバスケットに‘ポイ’して次の家に行くというのが気に入ったようでした。それ程寒くなかったので一時間ちょっと近所を回りました。

ハロウィーンの日は楽しかったですが、ハロウィーンのシーズンずっとが一番好きです。秋の色もこの時期の特別な匂いも天気もすごく好きです。この前、愛と恵伝とパンプキンランドという場所に行ってきました。家族と時間を過ごせるのが人生の一番大きな幸せです。

Family Update

2007-10-31T13:06:00.001-05:00

I want to give a brief update about where my family and I are at right now. The following is an excerpt from our family newsletter that was published just the other day. It includes an update, but now pictures. Hopefully, with the help of my better half (she's actually more like 3/4), we'll figure out how to post some pictures of Caden, a few with Caden and us, and then some with Caden and other people. Here we go!

I have come to realize that we are in a period in the history of the world unlike any other: the Computer World. In fact, this world even has its own language, just like Japan, the difference between Japan and the Computer World, though, is that if you hang around in Japan long enough, you eventually start to understand what everyone is talking about; whereas the language used in the computer world is specifically designed to prevent this from happening. Nevertheless, there are certain basic computer terms that you need to try to familiarize yourself with, so that when you go to purchase a "laptop" or "PC", you don't sound like some random putz. Instead, you'll sound like a specific putz who memorized some terms out of a book.

Hardware: this is the part of the computer that stops working when your 18-month old climbs up the chair and mashes the keyboard several times.

Software: the function of the software is to give instructions to the CPU, which is a set of three initials inside the computer that rapidly processes billions of tiny facts, called "bytes", and within a fraction of a second sends you an "error message" that requires you to call the "technical support hotline", which is located on the planet "Gazombo". Software is usually accompanied by "documentation" in the form of big fat scary "manuals" that nobody ever reads. In fact, for the past eight years most of the "manuals" shipped with software products have actually been copies of Stephen King's The Stand with new covers pasted on.

Megahertz: this is really, really big hertz.

RAM: this is a shorthand way of referring to ROM. The unit of measurement for RAM is the MEG, which stands for "a certain amount of RAM." The function of RAM is to give guys a way of deciding whose computer has the biggest, studliest, most bloated "memory". This is important, because with today's complex software, the more memory a computer has the faster it can produce "error messages". So the bottom line is, if you're a guy, you cannot have enough RAM. "Bill Gates" currently has over 743 billion "megs" of RAM.

You should use the preceding terms whenever you have to "interface" with computer experts. For example, when you go to purchase your "laptop", you want to use as many of these terms a possible, so the store personnel will realize that they're dealing with a person who has a high level of technical expertise (and free time). Once you get the computer home, of course, you no longer need to use technical terms. But you will want to familiarize yourself with the following:
"Uh-oh."
"What the devil happened to my PAPER?!"
"I have to turn it in tomorrow!"
(Pounding on the keyboard) "GIVE ME BACK MY PAPER OR I'M GOING TO THROW YOUR LITTLE FRIEND THE PRINTER OUT THE WINDOW!"

Good luck on your journey through this bright day and age!

Our little family is getting a little bigger and doing very well. Ai officially graduated from BYU with a Master's degree in International Development with an emphasis in Education. She is thrilled to be done, because she gets to spend all day with the almost-18-month old Caden. Caden Matthew is a little ball of energy that picks up new words everyday. He loves being outside and can't get enough of "Elmo's World" (even though Mommy has had enough). Ai is getting bigger and bigger (in all the right places) as our baby girl prepares to make her entrance into our family. We're thinking about naming her Maya. If there are any problems or concerns with this name, please let us know before January 25, 2008. I'm still working on my undergraduate degree at BYU in Humanities with an emphasis in Music. On top of my course work, he have been accepted into the CES pre-service training for Seminary teaching. There is
a chance (if I do well and the Lord wants it) that I could be hired by CES to teach Seminary full-time by Spring of 2009. We're praying for it and I've wanted to do this since I was a teenager.
We are lucky to be ward missionaries and are enjoying our BYU ward. Music continues to be a big part of our everyday lives because we believe that anything that entices someone to love God and to serve Him is from God. We also are finding a great deal of joy in following President Eyring's recent counsel to look for and recognize the Lord's hand daily and keep a record of it for our children by recommitting to track experiences in our journals and this web log.

Well, that's the update. Ai made fun of me for spending more time on other stuff than the actual update. I just thought maybe something more than just where we are what we are doing would be far more entertaining.

Only Two Kinds of People in the World

2007-10-28T14:03:00.000-05:00

There are only two kinds of people in the world: those who, guilt free, take advantage of another's offer to pay for dinner, and those who feel restricted and can't order what they really want because they feel they have to get something cheap so as not to offend the generous friend. I have a staunch, undefiled record of being the former, as my wife can attest (usually while frowning and burying her face in her left hand).
I recite an event from my middle school years. Someone offered me a candy bar, a Butterfinger if I remember correctly. Without hesitating, I accepted the candy bar and continued on my way down the hall. A friend of mine, who was walking with me, looked at me in disgust and, with characteristic eloquence, blurted, "You butt-faced mooch!"
"I'm sorry. Do you want to split it?" I replied, as any friend would.
"Well...no...I don't...I don't even like Butterfingers!"
"Then what are you getting all uppiddy about?"
"I don't know. But you're still a butt-faced mooch!"
Ironically, it was this same friend who took my family and I out to dinner the other night. I had spaghetti with meatballs.

初ブログ

2007-10-27T00:03:00.000-05:00

ブログというものは一体何だろうなあとずっと思っていました。でもこの前の夏、英語の授業の宿題として毎週一回ブログを書かないといけませんでした。8週間もやって読んでくれる人のコメントを見たり新しいことを毎週考えたりして好きになってしまいました。ですからこうしてブログを始めようと思いました。
ぜひとも文法や表現の間違いを無視して、私個人の話と家族の冒険物語を楽しんでお読みください。コメントを楽しみにお待ちしています。
ーキャメロン

Hatsu Blog

2007-10-25T11:59:00.000-05:00

Perhaps I've simply crumbled under society's pressure, but I thought now would be a good time to start a web log. In all honesty, I'm doing this simply because I want to say in conversation, "Yes, I have a blog. You should check it out. I've got a great one this week about my trip to the pharmacist." I don't really care whether or not the entire world wide web knows what I had for breakfast this morning, I just want the participation points, so to speak, among my peers in this generation.
I hope to provide, however, accurate and up-to-date information about my family, clever anecdotes from my personal life, and little gems of advice worth only what you are paying to read them. Along the way there may or may not be something of use to my posterity captured conveniently in cyberspace.
To all who spend their free time viewing these humble pages, I bid welcome.

-Bum