Bad Day

Today started out okay. It’s Friday and I was really looking forward to the weekend. This was my first week back to work since Mom’s passing and I am all caught up with work. Then about noon I heard a loud noise coming from outside but I paid it no attention and went back to work. About a half hour later my boss’s dad came in and asked if I had a red car. I said that I did and then followed him outside to find my car covered under a few large branches. The largest was about 12 inches in diameter. Once I saw the car I immediately called Ben. He was out of the office and as my hands were shaking and my emotions rattled I tried to explain what happened. But he didn’t seem very concerned. In fact he thought I was exaggerating…until he saw the car! He told me later that I made no sense on the phone and all he understood from our conversation was that I needed him to come to the office right then. Well, Ben got there and handled the arrangements for me and then had to dash off to see a periodontist and left me with the tow truck and rental car. To make matters worse Ben found out what we had feared. He has an infection in his second “Haiti” tooth and that one has to be extracted and an implant and crown put in its place like the other “Haiti” tooth. Today was a very expensive day! I now have another reason for keeping Ben around besides as my trash man, vacuum man and pest control guy. Reason #4: he is my take control when I’m having a breakdown dude. I love you Ben!

I do keep you around for more than 4 reasons but not everything is for public consumption....OK, Ben wrote that!

My Other Love

KATHY

Last Christmas Esther and her siblings wrote letters of tribute to Kathy and enclosed it in a nice book. We knew it would be our last Christmas with her and we thought she would enjoy this gift more than anything. I included a letter as well and thought I would include it here so that it is contained within "our record." She is a true angel and the best mother in law any man could ask for. Her only complaint in life was that she could not do more. I saw the Bishop, home teachers, friends, and neighbors come by to visit with the intent to provide service to her but inevitably she would turn the tables and ask what she could do to lessen their burdens and make their life sweeter. I remember once hearing a talk by President Faust where he voiced a terrible transgression that he had committed. It was one that he had regretted all his life. If I remember correctly, when he was a young boy his grandmother had asked him to bring in logs for the fire and he had refused. That was the big transgression for him! I remember thinking, boy I'm in trouble!! But, this is the kind of life Kathy lived. Her purity, faith, endurance, testimony and positive attitude are examples to everyone.

Kathy

I know that you will love and cherish this book that your children have so diligently arranged for you. They have done it because they love you with a love that is complete and full in every way. In short, they have developed charity for their dear mother. The genesis for their development of this most precious gift, the gift of charity, is you. They have observed you daily and seen “that you work no hypocrisy before men.” They have followed your example of true Christ like charity and now can lay claim to that gift as well.

In the three years that I have know you I have witnessed your vibrant and heartfelt testimony of the gospel and your charity for others. Your example has reminded me of my Mission President who during a particular zone conference charged us with developing an unimpeachable testimony. The day I heard that counsel I set a goal of developing that unimpeachable testimony of which he spoke. Although I know that I have much work to be done to achieve that goal I can look to you and see that it is possible.

I know that my entrance into the life of Esther and the speed at which are relationship progressed toward a Celestial marriage was a surprise, perhaps a shock to you and Gary. I recognize that you had some valid concerns about my capacity to provide for Esther and care for her when her Crohn’s flared up or when another random ailment afflicted her. I didn’t quite understand why you would have those concerns at the time because I knew we were living the commandments, looking forward to a Temple marriage, and that I would do anything and everything to ensure that Esther was well provided for and happy. However, I think I understand a little better where those concerns originated and I can see the trust and faith that you have placed in me to care for your precious daughter. I appreciate that confidence, and I can assure you that she will indeed not want for love and the necessities of life.

Kathy, I want you to know that I love you and deeply appreciate the generosity and kindness that you have shown me.

Love,

Ben

Christmas 2007

WE DID IT!

One of the consequences of working full time and carrying a full load of MBA classes is that you are up at all hours of the night and morning studying and working on homework, projects, presentations etc. Tonight, or this morning, depending on your point of view, it has been a blessing since I have been able to follow the Prop 8 election results. As it stand right now at 3:15 am the Yes is at 52% with 86% of the vote counted. We have received over 4.7 million votes and counting. At this point I feel comfortable enough to call this election for our side. This has been a hard fought win and all those that supported Yes on 8 are true Patriots. I will share more of my thoughts and feelings about the difficult journey and our powerful victory later. Right now I'm going to bed where I'm sure all of you are now.

Obituary

Katherine Marie Burns Steffens, 61, daughter of William Dewey and Martha Otania Burns, was born April 21, 1947 in Dallas, Texas and died October 29, 2008 from interstitial pulmonary fibrosis at her home in Temple City, California.

She attended WH Adamson High School in Dallas, Texas and Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. She own and operated the Steffens Family Day Care for over 25 years. During this time, she cared for hundreds of children throughout the San Gabriel Valley. She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and devoted herself to serving her church, community, and neighbors. The last years of her life were dedicated to family history research.

She is predeceased by her daughter Hannah Steffens and father William Dewey Burns. She is dearly remembered by her husband of forty years Gary Steffens, son Ethan Steffens of Temple City, daughter and son-n-law Rachel and Chris Freeman of Laguna Hills, California, daughter Mary Steffens of Washington, DC, daughter and son-n-law Esther and Ben Williams of Thousand Oaks, California, mother Martha Patterson Burns of Austin, Texas, brother William Burns of South Jordan, Utah, sister and brother-in-law Delene and Mark Harrison of North Hollywood, California, and Kenneth Burns of Austin, Texas. She is also missed dearly by many aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and neighbors.

Funeral services will be held, Friday, November 7, 2008 at 10:00 AM at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 6249 North Kauffman Avenue, Tempe City, California. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis, 1659 Branham Lane, Suite F, #227, San Jose, CA 95118-5226; www.coalitionforpf.org; (888)222-8541x704.

Burial and dedication of the grave will be Saturday, November 8^th at the Greenlawn Mortuary and Cemetery in Bakersfield, California where her daughter, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law are resting.

Katherine Marie Burns Steffens

Last Christmas my siblings wrote letters of tribute to my Mom and enclosed it in a nice book. We knew it would be our last Christmas with Mom and we thought she would enjoy this gift more than anything else we could think of. This gave me an opportunity to do my best to put my love and admiration for my Mom in words. At this time I cannot even begin to write a tribute to my Mom but the words from this letter best capture my love and my tender feelings for the most wonderful woman in the world, someone I know simply as Mom.


What can I say about my Mom? There are not words to adequately describe how I feel for you and how I love you. But I will do my best. Well, here goes… Growing up I always knew that you were there for me no matter what. If I was hurt or sick or just needed someone to talk to, you were always there for me with comforting words, healing hands and a willingness to listen to things both trivial and eternal in nature. Although going through the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments for Crohn’s disease was excruciatingly painful and tried me to my very core, I would not change a thing if I was able to go back in time. I would do it all again without hesitation because this disease changed the course of my life and my relationship with you for the better. It afforded me countless special moments and memories with you that never would have occurred otherwise. I consider these most precious experiences to be tender mercies from the Lord because they gave me the faith and inspiration to keep on going. I knew that my mother loved me and would be there for me and that was enough.
At a time when most teenagers are rebelling and seeking independence from their parents, I was drawing closer to mine, especially you. You were always so giving with your love and with your time. I remember many instances when you would stay up all night with me during a flare up. You would hold my hand, rub my stomach and comfort me as only you could. Then, on little or no sleep you would be the mom to the “little people” who loved and adored you so much. After the babysitting kids were gone it was time to make dinner, help me and the other kids with our homework and tidy the house. I truly don’t know how you did it all. You were, are, and will always be Superwoman to me. You would serve and give of your time, talents, energy, and love to everyone never asking for anything in return, and rarely having a moment to yourself.
As I have become older my admiration and love for you has only grown. You have always been the center of the family, our core, our heart. I have always known that I had the BEST Mother in the whole world but you are much more than that, you are my dearest friend. I know that I can turn to you when I need someone to talk with, someone to cry with or someone to laugh with. When Ben and I were married it was a difficult for me to leave you. I had always had you near and it was a difficult transition. However, that transition was made easier since I worked nearby and was able to spend a few hours almost every day together. That really helped me adjust to be married and not living in my childhood home. Marrying Ben and moving to Van Nuys was the first time I ever lived anywhere else but my home with you. It was at that point that I realized just how little I knew about being the homemaker. I often had helped you in the kitchen but I had never made dinner all by myself or planned and prepared a meal for guests. I didn’t know what to do when Ben and I came down with various bizarre medical conditions. But you were there with comfort and guidance to walk me through any and every situation. I knew that I could call you and ask you any question without feeling ignorant or embarrassed. You were and are my How-To book.
Mom, you are the bravest person I know. I am amazed at what you endure and how you endure it. You never complain but maintain a positive attitude no matter what is thrown your way. I have so much to learn from you! Your life has been one devoted to serving, uplifting and helping others. In short, your life has been the life of a true Saint, a selfless Saint. You have embodied and exemplified a life full of Christ’s love, charity. I cherish our memories together and commit to following your example of love and service, for I know that by following your example I will be following the example of the Master. How wonderful it is to have the knowledge and sweet assurance of the eternal nature of families. I know that whatever happens on this earth, we will one day have a glorious reunion in our Father’s home above never to be separated again.

Love Eternally,
Esther
Christmas 2007

YES ON PROP 8 RALLY

Esther and I attended the Yes on Prop 8 rally in Camarillo on Sunday. Since we had never attended a political rally before this was a new experience. We had never even contemplated attending a political rally before but when we heard about this we knew we had to be there. I can't see us going to a particular candidates rally but this is different. This is a cause we feel passionate about. This is a righteous cause, and one where we have the rare privilege of receiving and heeding a direct request from the prophet. I have heard it said that this "is our handcart experience." However, I feel this is only perhaps the first 10 feet of that long journey. Getting back to the rally itself...We had a good crowd there although we probably should have had more. I'm not sure how many but I would say at least several hundred people were in attendance. This large billboard truck was a huge thrill to the crowd and the Protect Marriage Committee. It took everyone by surprise especially the MC of the rally. I'm not sure who was responsible for its appearance but it was great to see. As it drives around hopefully the message will get across to those who sympathize with our cause that "YOU ARE NOT ALONE." You are not alone in the fight to protect children from activist judges, immoral policies and practices, and the homosexual agenda.

This is a picture of the rally's MC and the Protect Marriage bus. The MC, the local Baptist Pastor and a Catholic Priest from a local Catholic School did a phenomenal job. I don't have the names since I wasn't taking notes. I was busy clapping, yelling and chanting "Yes on 8!", "I Do" etc. The Baptist pastor "called" out those ministers and pastors who either oppose or are too cowardly to actively support Prop 8. He said what was a sin in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament remains a sin today and any minister or pastor who says otherwise is "lying." He said they were lying to themselves and their members because God established marriage and its proper order long ago and "God is not going to change his mind." The Catholic Priest said that he often hears people complain about the separation of church and state with regard to Prop 8. He said that his reply is something like this. "I know. I don’t know why the state is getting involved in a church issue."

Here is another picture of my beautiful wife. Jaimee and Mike were there and you can see Mike in the background with his bald head glistening in the sun.


A picture of the rally as we were leaving. You can only get a very rough idea of the number of people there from this picture. ABC Channel 7 news was there as was the Ventura Country Star. The L.A. Times was probably there and perhaps others but I didn't see them.


After the rally many stayed and waved signs. We were on our way over to Esther's parents and Esther took this picture as we were driving off. There were perhaps only 4 or 5 people on the street waiving No signs before and after the rally. It was nice to see so many children enthusiastically waiving home made Yes on Prop 8 signs in the air.

OUR FINANCIAL DECLARATION

I found this on www.wethesavers.com. It is sponsored by ING Direct and I really liked it. This is our financial pledge to each other. Although #2 doesn't yet apply.

OUR DECLARATION OF FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE.

1. We will spend less than we earn. Saving a little out of every dollar we bring home is the foundation of independence. Without it, we can’t build equity in our home, we can’t invest for the future, and we can’t be ready for challenging times. We promise to pay ourselves first, always.

2. We will use our home as a savings account. Besides shelter and comfort for our family, the role of a house in our financial life is to build equity. We will have a healthy down payment when we buy. We’ll choose the mortgage that lets us pay down the principal fastest. And then we’ll leave that equity safe where it is instead of spending it on things that don’t last.

3. We will take care of our money. It’s not enough to have money in a bank. We will put it where it will grow. We’ll keep track of it. And we’ll check every account we have every year to protect ourselves against fraud or escheatment.

4. We will defend our credit worthiness. Good credit is going to be precious in the years to come. We will pay our bills on time. We’ll borrow only when we need to and in amounts we can comfortably pay back. And then we’ll do just that.

5. We will ignore unsolicited credit card marketing. We decide when we need a credit card, not some marketer. And mostly, we probably don’t need another one at all. We won’t even open those solicitations. We’ll shred them.

6. We will know the cost of borrowing. The interest lenders charge us is real money, too. When we buy a mortgage or finance a purchase, we’ll figure out what that interest is really going to cost in dollars, add it to the purchase price, and ask ourselves if it’s still worth it.

7. We will invest for the long term. Futures are built out of patience and prudence, not luck. We will not put off being a saver because we think there’s a lottery win in our future, in Vegas or on Wall Street.

8. We will take care of the things we have. We work hard for our money, and it’s disrespectful to waste it – or the planet – by treating our possessions as disposable.

9. We will remember what matters. We are not the things we own. If we have to spend and spend on bigger, more impressive things to keep up with our friends, then they are not our friends at all.

10. We will be heard. Our representatives in government and the corporations we deal with need to know that we are paying attention. If we’re silent, we’re accepting the status quo, and the business practices that got our country into this situation will continue. We are not going to accept that.

Pledged this day, October 25, 2008, our personal Financial Independence Day.

Ben and Esther

YES ON PROP 8

I sent the following email today to every email address I have with the exception of family, other church members, professors, and business clients. I wanted to especially contact those that were not of my faith and those in my age group that may be inclined to vote no. I bcc'd each email address to protect their privacy. I have not received any feedback from the dozens of people who received this email but I hope it will give people a reason to take a closer look at Prop 8 and the severe consequences failure of this critical ballot measure could entail.

I am a believer in showing tolerance to others, but for some reason tolerance only seems to go one way. Those whose core values differ from those that oppose prop 8 are frequently labeled bigoted or hateful. Those that support Prop 8 only ask that you review some of the consequences of Prop 8 not passing and make up your own mind. I respect those that have differing beliefs and I believe I am entitled to that same respect. Four unelected judges have overturned the will of 61% of the California electorate in overturning Prop 22. I believe that judicial activism of that sort is dangerous. Again, please review the following 6 consequences and make up your own mind. Prop 8 does not take way any civil rights that homosexuals now enjoy under the California Legal Code. Remember, tolerance is a two-way street.

Thank You.

Six Consequences If Proposition 8 Fails

1. Public Schools. Children in public schools will have to be taught that same-sex marriage is just as good as traditional marriage. The California Education Code (§51890) already requires that health education classes instruct children about marriage. Therefore, unless Proposition 8 passes, children will be taught that marriage is between any two adults regardless of gender. There will be serious clashes between the secular school system and the rights of parents to teach their children

their own values and beliefs.

2. Churches. Churches may be sued over their tax exempt status if they refuse to allow same-sex marriage ceremonies in their religious buildings open to the public. Ask whether your pastor, priest, minister, bishop, or rabbi is ready to perform such marriages in your chapels and sanctuaries.

3. Adoption. Religious adoption agencies will be challenged by government agencies to give up their long-held right to place children only in homes with both a mother and a father. Catholic Charities in Boston already closed its doors in Massachusetts because courts legalized same-sex marriage there.

4. Private Schools. Religions that sponsor private schools with married student housing may be required to provide housing for same-sex couples, even if counter to church doctrine, or risk lawsuits over tax exemptions and related benefits.

5. Free Speech. Ministers who preach against same-sex marriages may be sued for hate speech and risk government fines. It already happened in Canada, a country that legalized gay marriage. A California court recently held that municipal employees may not say "traditional marriage" or "family values" because, since the legalization of same-sex marriage, it is "hate speech".

6. Litigation. It will cost you money. This change in the definition of marriage will bring a cascade of lawsuits. For example, some cases already lost: photographers cannot now refuse to photograph gay marriages; doctors cannot now refuse to perform artificial insemination of gays even given other willing doctors. Even if courts eventually find in favor of a defender of traditional marriage (highly improbable given today's activist judges), think of the money – your money – that will be spent on

such legal battles.

And think of all the unintended consequences that we cannot foresee at this time.

Where will it end? It's about your children, your grandchildren, your money, and your civil liberties.

www.protectmarriage.com

ABC Tag

Tagged by Wendy

A: attached or single? Attached to my wonderful husband of 3 years
B: best friend: Ben
C: cake or pie? Cake
D: day: Saturday
E: essential item: My Cell, my car and a good book
F: favorite color: Blue/Green
G: gummy bears or worms? Gummy Bears.
H: hometown: Temple City, California
I: indulgences: Sleeping In – I hate mornings
J: January or July? January. I met Ben for the first time on New Years Eve.
K: kids: 0 if you don’t count Ben
L: life is incomplete without: Ben, my extended family and the church
M: marriage date: September 17, 2005
N: number of siblings: 4 – Ethan, Hannah, Rachel and Mary
O: oranges or apples? Apples
P: phobias or fears? Losing Ben and more members of my family (and Clowns – I really hate them)
Q: quote: There are so many but Ben sent me this one that I really like "Tough times don't last. Tough people do." - Rick Neuheisel
R: reason to smile: My Whole Wonderful Family
S: season: Winter
T: tag: Lori
U: unknown fact about me: I gave up a 3 week trip to Europe to marry Ben
V: vegetarian or oppressor of animal? I am with you Wendy I don't like the way this one is worded. Yes, I eat meat and I enjoy it.
W: worst habit: I am late to almost everything – I love my sleep too much or I am sick
X: x-rays or ultrasounds? Don’t Know
Y: your favorite food: Right now it would have to be Ribs from Bandits
Z: zodiac sign: Leo

Pierpont Inn

So Ben has been telling me to write about our trip for a while now. Since we only had time to get away for one night we decided to stay local. We went to the Pierpont Inn in Ventura. That Saturday morning I had my infusion at the Woodland Hills Hospital at 8am. I had such a horrible night the night before I was really sick. Infusion went fine, I had a great nurse and I was able to talk to another patient while I was getting my treatment. Going and getting my treatments is always a humbling experience. There is always someone with more problems or is worse off than me. How can I complain when my problems are not as bad as someone else’s? After my infusion I went home still not feeling well from the night before. I was very unhappy about this. This was the worst time to get sick. I printed the programs for Sunday and Ben dropped them off at the Bishop’s house. That gave me time to rest a little bit. We left a little after 2pm and drove to Ventura. That did not take very long to get there. We checked in at the Pierpont Inn and a huge tree blocked our ocean view and there was no fireplace that Ben had ordered. He was very upset about our room. This was our second room. The first one was so small even I was feeling a little claustrophobic and it did not have the ocean view Ben had ordered. Our second room smelled like a beauty salon with all the chemicals. The bathroom tiles were uneven and in poor condition, the sink was at Ben’s knees and the shower we affectionately called the “dungeon” since you had to turn the corner and walk down into it. It also would have been nice to have soap and shampoo in the bathroom. Luckily I am an over packer and I had everything. Ben did call down and get soap anyway but it was an inconvenience. This was not the room or experience you would expect from a hotel in this price range.

I was trying to make Ben happy. That day I really was not feeling well so we watched a movie from our room. The movie was okay but I loved being able to just be alone with Ben and not have to deal with the outside world. We drove around trying to find somewhere to eat (the restaurant at the inn was expensive). We ended up eating at The Habit and walked down the Ventura Pier. On Sunday we woke up and played racquetball at the club there and it was my first time playing so I was not very good. I am really bad at paying attention to my surroundings so that got me in trouble when we were playing. I was going after the ball and I ended up running into the wall at nearly full speed. Not only did I hurt myself but I missed the ball. I hit the wall very hard and then fell down. I am impressed that Ben did not start laughing at me right there. He did later but I thought he would do it then. Ben helped me off the floor and then we started to play again but this time I was watching where I was going and I also was not running as fast. Ben was proud because I kept on playing and didn’t quit after the incident. He said later that he though I had knocked myself out when I hit the wall. As we continued to play, I hit the ball over the wall into the adjacent unoccupied court. I decided to walk over and retrieve the ball and can you guess what Ben did with the other two racquetballs? Yes, he hit them over the wall while I was getting the first ball and of course he nailed me both times! He had no idea where I was in the court but just happened to be lucky…although he says he is just good.

After racquetball we drove to the Channel Island Harbor to go Jet Skiing. I have never done this before and I was a little nervous. I did not want to drive at all. We got to the place that we rented the Jet Ski and then we put on a dry suit. We looked really funny but we stayed dry during our adventure. It was so much fun being out on the ocean and holding onto Ben. We drove out to see some seals fighting for position on one of the buoys and they were so cute. Even Ben liked them. There was one that was huge that is apparently known locally as Shaq. Ben also took us out to get an up close look at some of the many boats sailing in the ocean nearby. When our hour was almost up we ended up switching so that I was driving and Ben was in back. I was so scarred. I did not go as fast as Ben but I am proud of myself for trying something that was new and that I was scarred of. I drove for about 15 minutes and I was really glad that the waves were not very big. I found that the slower you drive the less you have control. I would like to do it again. I think I would feel more comfortable driving in a lake where I wouldn’t have to contend with the waves. All in all we had a wonderful time celebrating our 3^rd anniversary!

My Mom

I know its long but I want to write what an inspiration my Mom is to me. Through all of this she has stayed positive and is looking for ways to help someone. My Mom is passionate about family history and will spend all day doing it if she can. Recently she had a distant cousin call her to thank her for finally putting a name to his grandparents. He did not know the paternal side of his family since his parents were divorced when he was young. She had just submitted the family history information on his grandparents when he saw it on the computer at the family history library and wrote down her contact information and later called her. He is 71 and living in Snowflake, Arizona. He does not have a computer so my mom is making several books of all the information that she has of that side of the family for him including pictures. My Mom has also gotten in contact with 3 of her cousins to get more information on that side of the family. She is so excited that she can help someone. My Mom tells me that she wants to do something to help the Lord each day and at the end of each day she asks herself if she did something good that day. The words from the hymn “Have I done any good in the world today” ring true with my mom. It’s not a trite saying to her but has guided her throughout her wonderful life.


The other day my Mom emailed my sisters and myself to let us know that she has another disease, Cushing Syndrome. She then goes on to write the following telling us what she is thankful for.

“I feel so blessed to have such wonderful children and such a supportive husband and mother to help me. I know the Lord has been watching out after me and has helped me through all of this. I feel at peace with this and know this little problem will be resolved and I will go on to the next challenge. I am taking each day at a time and glad for that. I have a few bad days but mostly part of a day is just fine and I can handle that. I am glad for what I can do and accept my limitations. I know that as long as I continue repenting, keeping the commandments and keeping close to the Lord I will be fine.”


How can I complain about my health problems, difficulty becoming pregnant, not knowing many people in the ward, etc when she refuses to? She has a terminal lung disease and refers to it as “this little problem.” How can I ever live up to her? I do not have to deal with half of what she does and yet too often I find myself complaining. I feel so small when I do that. As difficult as it has been watching my mom slowly and painfully suffer the debilitating effects of this terminal disease I know it could be worse. Because she is so incredibly positive and upbeat with a will to live and help others it makes this difficult situation a little more bearable. The gospel doesn’t take away the very real pain but it does soften it.

A couple of days ago my mom told me about when she found out she had cancer. When the doctor told her that she had breast cancer she was not worried about it. Her only concerns were getting home in time to take Mary to the post office so Mary could mail her masters thesis and our upcoming wedding. She found out a month before our wedding but did not want to tell me or start treatment till after we got married. I found out about the cancer about a week before the wedding from my sister Rachel. That about broke my heart. You never expect your mom is ever going to get sick. I mean she is the one who takes care of everyone. I thought the breast cancer was the worst thing that could happen to my mom but boy was I wrong. Through all of this my mom has told all of us that she is grateful because it has brought our family closer together. I hope that one day I can be like her.

FOREVER STRONG

Last week we received a mailer from Deseret and an email from Mom regarding the new movie "Forever Strong." We looked into it and thought we would enjoy it while supporting a movie with a good moral. We love sports movies and this one did not disappoint. It had some great Rugby sequences (talk about one hard core sport) interspersed with the journey of a boy from a selfish single-minded rugby player to a young adult with conviction and a moral foundation. We enjoyed seeing the Highland rugby team perform their Maori dance and chants before matches. It reminded me of the BYU football pre-game routine, although I'm not sure if their presentation is Maori, Tongan, or Samoan in origin. Esther and I liked several of the quotes such as "Good choices don't make life easy, but they make life easier." One item not mentioned in the movie is that the head coach of the Highland team is a long time seminary teacher. The church is not mentioned in the film but much of the coach's direction will sound familiar to members. We believe this a movie worth supporting. You can always know if a movie is good and wholesome if it gets ridiculed and panned by the mainstream reviewers as this one has. We thoroughly enjoyed this film and would encourage all of you to go see it.

AN INVESTMENT IN KNOWLEDGE

Although the rising inflation of food, gas, and a variety of other consumer goods (principally measured by the consumer price index) and the spiking costs of medical care and insurance garner a lot of the attention, their level of inflation pales in comparison to the Latin American like inflation of college tuition. See graph. I have read, and it makes sense to me, that the cost of tuition has skyrocketed in part due to the accessibility of low interest student loans. Whatever the cause, if the trends continue and the forecasts are accurate regarding future price increases, my kids are going to be mowing a lot of lawns in order to afford college without being saddled with an excessive debt load!

I must admit that sometimes I feel like the guy in this cartoon but thankfully I have a loving wife that points out three important keys:

1. We have been encouraged frequently by the prophet to get all the education we can.
2. Formal education pushes us to be more intelligent, well-rounded and disciplined.
3. It doesn't guarantee your dream job but it provides you with opportunities and options.

Perhaps Benjamin Franklin put it best, as he often did, when he said "An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest."

RANDOM RANT 2

GM, Ford and Chrysler are so dim-witted and self-serving they deserve to fail and witness other manufacturers take their market share. If you can't compete because of ridiculous union contracts, crappy quality and awful forecasting then too bad! They love to wrap themselves in the flag when looking for a handout at the same time they produce more and more of their vehicles in Mexico, Canada and China. In contrast Mercedes Benz, BMW, Nissan, Honda, Subaru, Toyota and Hyundai are rapidly expanding operations in America and many have been doing so for some time. They are literally investing billions of dollars and producing tens of thousand of jobs but you never hear about that. Toyota and Hyundai may have made the largest investments and led the way in job creation in recent years. To illustrate, Toyota built an $800 million plant in Indiana and a $1.6 billion plant in Texas in the last few years. They are paying the same wages but have avoided the union contracts and have built more efficient plants largely in the south. Unfortunately, both McCain and Obama support bailing out the "Shrinking 3" because they will do anything to buy the votes of Michigan and Ohio voters. In the end, the government should not reward bad behavior but should remind the automakers that they operate in a free market where you can succeed and you can fail...But I wont hold my breath since there is less and less "free" about our market and it is largely the fault of the government and their "everyone wins, no one can lose" mentality and policies. Finally, if we provide state sponsorship of industry by bailing out the “Pathetic 3” and ignore the concept of an international level playing field in the face of foreign competitors, who have we become? China.

RANDOM RANT 1

Surprise, surprise the “Shrinking 3” is asking the taxpayers to bail them out. How much you ask? Only $25 billion. Hey, their first request was $50 billion so I guess us angry poverty-stricken taxpayers should be grateful that they cut their request in half. How generous of them! But should the government…um the riffraff taxpayers….bail them out? I guess it comes down to 2 questions: 1. Do you reward bad behavior; shortsighted and idiotic tactical decisions and a non-existent diversified long-term strategy? 2. Do you throw billions at companies that may need another hand out next year or fail no matter what socialist anti-market politicians attempt to do? GM is losing the equivalent dollar amount of 2 Corvette convertibles a minute or $15.5 billion in the 2nd quarter of this year alone!! For you counting at home that is north of $100,000 every 60 seconds. By the time you finish reading this post GM will have lost….well you get the picture. Ford lost over $8 billion in the second quarter and Chrysler is losing money hand over fist as well. Chrysler has by far the worst performing vehicles with the lowest quality and the poorest product line to meet today’s consumer tastes. These once dominant automakers are now in junk bond status and with continued high gas prices, the tightening of financing restrictions, and their crimson colored balance sheets, it may not matter what the government does. It has been said, “If you die, die like men.” GM, Ford and Chrysler could have a dignified death with some of their manhood intact if they would simply leave the American taxpayer alone.

9/17/05 - 9/17/08

I can’t believe it has been three years! I feel very lucky to be married to such a wonderful man. With today being our third anniversary I have been thinking about when we met and how it all began. One day one of the girls in my ward asked me to go to the UCLA Institute Christmas Party and for some reason I said yes. Momoco and I attended Pasadena City College together so we knew each other but we did not normally hang out. Momoco was now going to UCLA and Ben and her had become friends. So Momoco and I went to the party and had a lot of fun. Later that week when I had my Home Teachers over I received a call from Ben calling to tell me how much fun it was meeting me at the Christmas Party. He went into detail about the conversation we had and what he was wearing but I just didn’t remember him. I felt so bad! However, in true Ben fashion, he was playing a joke on me. He never went to the party!! Apparently he was working that night.

Well, we finally met the next week at a New Years Eve Party in Redlands. Ben came with Momoco and I came with some of the singles in my ward. Ben was such a punk when we met. He told me that he was 18 and I could not tell if he was joking or not. Ben irritated me a lot when we first met but the worst was when he was laughing at me. I don’t remember why we went on the Ferris wheel but the four of us did. Ben went with Momoco and I went with my friend Ryan. I hate the Ferris wheel. I have always been scarred of them. I think it came from my parents thinking that they were death traps. So we were the only 4 people on the ride and then Ben and Momoco got off and I was happy because that meant that I would be getting off soon. But no, we kept going round and round. I later found out that Ben and Momoco had asked to be let off. I didn’t know you could do that so I had to go round and round until it stopped grabbing Ryan’s arm for dear life. I could see Ben and Momoco on the ground laughing so hard at me. I could not stand him. I was never so happy to be off a ride then I was that night. When we went on the roller coaster Ben sat behind me and kept on poking me. I felt like I was back in elementary school. For the first half of the night I could not stand Ben, he was either teasing me, laughing at me or poking me. I am not sure how Ben did it but somehow we became separated from our group. Ben became less of a punk when he finally stopped teasing me. After that we had a great time together.

We had our first date the very next day and it was the worst date that I had ever been on. At the end of our date Ben spent probably 30 minutes telling me why he could not see me again. I was fine with it but Ben did not think that I understood what he was saying so he would keep on explaining it. He could not understand why I was not getting upset at him. I never thought I would see him again. But, Ben started calling me and we really hit it off over the phone. Sometimes Ben would be on the phone with me driving to meet some other girls. Since Ben and I lived so far away from each other we would talk on the phone all the time. My parents had to change their phone plan because we would talk 5,000 minutes a month to each other. On one occasion Ben was at work and it was a slow night so he was talking to me on the phone. We got talking and for some reason I told him in so many words that I had a severe case of Crohn’s disease. I don’t know why I told him but I did. By this time I was really starting to like him and sadly I never expected to hear from him again. Guys had never been understanding of my health issues and I had witnessed many guys scared off by less serious matters. Ben later told me that he had never heard of Crohn’s disease and he actually thought I was referring to Huntington’s disease. After our conversation Ben went home and researched Crohn’s and learned all he could about it. He wanted to know how he could help me and perhaps what he could be getting himself into. Although, he didn’t yet know about my staff infections and other fun health issues. But, when something new has come up, thankfully he has always been there for me and unwavering in his support and love. He has never seen me as a girlfriend, fiancé, and now wife, who is sick with an incurable illness. He has always seen me as Esther and loved me for who I am. He has never put conditions on his love. In any case, soon after I told him about my health condition he asked me out on a second date. I later found out from him that it would be “the make or break it date.” Thankfully, we made it! It was funny because when Ben came to the door I answered but Ben didn’t quite recognize me because I had cut my hair and changed my hairstyle. My parents had the opportunity to meet him and we were off on our date. We went to Subway for a bite to eat and then went to see the first Work and The Glory movie. It was a fantastic movie and a better date. After that date we both knew we had something special. In just over two months from that date Ben proposed at the L.A. Temple and I happily and tearfully accepted. And after a 6-month engagement we were married for time and all eternity in the L.A. Temple in a beautiful ceremony performed by a wonderful and entertaining member of the Temple Presidency. I will always be grateful for the Lord’s hand enabling our paths to cross and most especially for the undeniable confirmation from the Spirit that marrying Ben was the right decision at the right time.