To the Sea.

So I haven't written in my online journal in a while. Should I at least try to keep writing? Yes or not? I'm taking summer school now; only two classes. Katie is taking a class as well. She's taking Physiological Psychology online. I feel like I'm married to Einstein; the female version. I haven't been to the beach much lately. Katie and I went to her family reunion beach party on Memorial Day and after about 6 hours of volleyball on the beach, I came home with a severe sunburn and couldn't walk for a couple of days. I put on sunscreen. Once. It was cool though. Volleyball was fun and there were breakfast burritos and fajitas. On our anniversary, Katie and I went jet skiing at Mission Bay which was awesome. Katie freaked out a little bit when I passed 40 miles per hour though. Why am I exaggerating? She freaked out a lot so I couldn't go very fast and I definitely couldn't let her fall. We went to Benihana for dinner. That place is brilliant. The food was amazing, our chef was the BOSS, and we got a pineapple and a picture for our one year anniversary. Since Katie hates pineapple, I got the whole, juicy, evening delight, all to myself. Two weeks ago, Katie and I went to the San Diego County Fair. We went with Katie's family the first time and our firends, Heather and Kevin, the second time. We bought a bonzai tree the first time and ate lots of unhealthy food. The second time, we rode an elephant and ate lots of unhealthy food. It was great. Last week, Katie and I went to Wild Rivers, a water park, in Irvine, California. We got to go for free for my work party. That's right, an In-N-Out party. All of the free In-N-Out you could ever dream of, hot dogs, fries, drinks, fruits, vegetables, ice cream, popsicles, etcetera, for free. And of course, we got free entrance to Wild Rivers water park. I think I even won something. I never heard my name when it was called in the raffle. I'm sure I was eating. Someone from my work said they heard my name so I'll find out when the corporate office in Baldwin Park sends whatever I won to my work this week. A couple of days ago, I went fishing with my friend, Kevin. We went out to Lake Jennings and rented a boat after some mexican food. One of Kevin's other friend's came along too. When we started fishing, Kevin caught a couple of fish. They were using two rods each and I was using one. We weren't catching much and moved over to the boathouse, where by the end of the night, we caught over thirty fish. It was crazy, I caught seven by myself. We released them all. It was midnight by the time we were finished and no one wanted to deal with a bunch of catfish. Since Katie and I weren't able to do anything big for our one year anniversary, we're going beach camping August 1st through August 6th at San Onofre State Beach. We also found out my friend, James, is coming down from Kansas so he is going camping with us! This summer just keeps getting better and better and it's just going to get better, because we're just gonna keep on keepin on.

Finals.

Hate 'em and love 'em.

Hate 'em because they determine the biggest part of your grade and they cover everything you learn or don't learn in the class. Love 'em because...well, because it's the last day of class. But then you hate 'em, because it's just the beginning to another semester. Especially if it's only the beginning to another semester at a community college. Then you start all over at a university. Does school end? Can someone with a degree reassure me? At least I should be out of Grossmont and Cuyamaca soon. I will most likely be at BYU-Idaho with Katie starting January of 2011, which is a really long time if you think about it. So I won't.

Mee Maw.

My grammy's conversion story and testimony.

As told to Sister Ginger Franz, Temple Missionary of the Nauvoo Temple:

“My dad, Eugene Autrey, was a Pentecostal Minister in the small town of Georgetown, Louisiana. The year was 1948. One day my parents went for a drive out into the country to an abandoned farm to look for useful items that may have been left behind. It was the custom in those days that whenever someone abandoned a farm they would box up the things they couldn’t or didn’t want to take with them, and leave the boxes in their barn for others to look through and claim whatever they wanted. Dad looked through the boxes but couldn’t find the tools or anything else he wanted, so he climbed up into the loft of the barn where he found a box containing some old books.

He kept two of the books that looked interesting and took them home. One was called The Book of Mormon and the other The Doctrine and Covenants. He read both of these books, and was immediately convinced that they contained the word of God. He had never heard of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before, and wasn’t really interested in joining any other church, but what he read in those two books did interest him very much. He asked me to go to the library and check out another book for him that he called The Pearl of Great Price. I did as he asked and he read this book also and said that in his heart he knew these books were true, that they told more about Jesus Christ than any other book he had read, including the Bible.

Dad believed The Lord had lead him to these books, and told my mother how he felt, but she was against it and told him that Satan had lead him to those books. Dad believed so strongly in the teachings he had discovered that he began preaching sermons to his congregation using this new knowledge about the Savior. Members of his church were not instructed to read the words of the Bible for themselves and so no one ever knew or suspected that new scriptures were being introduced to them.

My mother continued to oppose Dad’s studying and preaching out of these books, but it didn’t stop him. Even though he preached these new doctrines, he was not actively looking for the church that had published them, since he had his own church and congregation that he was very happy with, but he did tell me that if the true church of Christ existed somewhere that the one thing that would distinguish it from all others was that it would have a Prophet. He also said that Christ’s true church should have Apostles and all the gifts of the spirit, such as healings.

He encouraged me to read “The Pearl of Great Price” and said, “It’ll scare the hell out of you!” Of course I had no interest in being scared. I was just fourteen years old at the time and my interests were not so much in religion as they were in waiting to see what young man would choose to sit next to me during the church service.

The years passed. After I was married with two children of my own, life began to take on a deeper meaning for me. I wanted more than anything else for my children to be brought up Christian, but I wasn’t satisfied with the churches I knew about. By this time I had quite forgotten about the books that Dad had found, though I still remembered the things he told me that the ‘true church’ of Christ would have, beginning first of all with a Prophet. None of the churches I knew about had a Prophet. So I became a self-taught Bible scholar, studying intensely everything in the Bible that I believed should be the doctrines and practices of Christ’s church. I wrote down all of these points of doctrines in detail, filling up several pages. I learned about tithing, and wanted to pay it, but the few churches that did practice this doctrine, including Dad’s church, placed these tithes and offerings into the Pastor’s hands to use for whatsoever he desired. This struck me as being wrong for I felt very strongly that this was God’s money and shouldn’t be spent at the Pastor’s whim. I also was looking for a church with Apostles and a {Prophet} and for the proper way to receive the Holy Ghost, which was not the way it was believed to be received in Dad’s church. One important principal that Dad did practice in his church, however, was the taking of the Sacrament.

As I studied and recorded all that I learned, my collection of papers multiplied. During this time of searching I visited other churches and questioned their ministers, but they could not answer my questions to my satisfaction. I told them that I was looking for Christ’s true Church and they told me I was wrong to be doing this. My mother also condemned me and told me to stop my search because she believed it was of the devil, that I would go to hell if I didn’t give it up. But I could not stop. This was too important to me. I became so involved in this search for truth that I seriously considered starting my own church which would teach and practice all the things I had learned from the Bible, though I didn’t know where or how I would find a Prophet to lead my church.

And so I continued to study and search, praying all along that God would help me find the truth. One day two young men came to my door, wanting to tell me about their belief in Christ. They were not the first to come to my door wanting to teach me their religion, and by listening to others I had only become more discouraged when their beliefs did not agree with my own. This time, however, I made an agreement with these two young men that I would listen to what they had to say only if they would agree to first listen to my beliefs. They agreed and I invited them inside. I excused myself long enough to get my papers and then rejoined them. They sat and listened to me for about an hour and a half without interruption, looking quite amazed at what I was telling them. As soon as I concluded one of them exclaimed, “I don’t understand that you’re not already a Mormon!” And they gladly informed me that a Prophet did indeed lead their church.

So, I began listening to the message of these Missionaries. We had no telephone and they were unable to call to arrange for appointments to meet with me, but would just show up, hoping to find me home. Since I was a child I had had dreams and visions of things that were going to happen. Now, I began having dreams informing me that the Missionaries would be coming the very next day. Not only that, but I was also told in the dream what message they would be teaching me. The Missionaries always came the next day and I told them I had been told in a dream that they were coming and also what message they were planning to give me, and I was always right. This truly astounded them. When they persuaded me to attend that first Sunday School meeting with them, I had another dream the night before regarding a question that I thought about asking, pertaining to The School of The Prophets. Sure enough this subject was brought up in the class and I asked the teacher the question and the answer I received was in harmony with my understanding of the subject. I always felt that these dreams were a gift from God, and as such it helped me to readily accept Joseph Smith and his visions.

During this time while the Missionaries were teaching me the Gospel a few of the preachers I had previously talked to found out about it and came to my home trying to redeem me from making a serious mistake. They warned me that what I was doing was wrong, and condemned me to hell forever if I didn’t stop listening to these men. My mother also warned me that if I joined the Mormon Church that I would be giving up my family.

I loved my family and didn’t want to lose them, but I also loved the truth and believed that I had at last found it. Still, the decision to join the Church was the most difficult one I had ever faced. I had to know without a doubt that this was the right thing to do, and that whatever I decided would be final with no turning back, ever. As always when meeting with the Missionaries they would ask me to pray with them, and in my prayers I asked God to let me know if this was right for me to do. The Missionaries told me that my prayers were beautiful and sincere and promised me that the Lord would give me an answer soon.

The next time they came, I put all of my heart and soul into my prayer, telling the Lord that I had to know if these two men were telling me the truth, in which case I would accept it, but if they were not that they would be cursed from the face of the Earth. At the conclusion of that long, pleading prayer a warm, sweet and peaceful feeling came over me, completely enveloping me. And a voice clearly spoke these words to me, “This is the truth. Hear it.”

I never doubted or questioned again. I was baptized, and my children after me. My husband joined some time later. My mother had attended my baptism and when I referred to the fact that I had been washed clean, she insultingly told me, “You’ve been brain washed.” To which I replied, “Some people need their brains washed.” My brother and sister turned against me. I continued to live the Gospel and never tried to push it onto my family. During all this time Dad had continued to study the LDS scriptures, keeping that old Book of Mormon he had found on his nightstand. Even before I joined the Church, if I had a question concerning the teachings of the Mormon Church, I went to my dad and he helped me to understand them, always in favor of the Church. Dad, himself never joined the Church because of two things; the opposition heaped upon him by my mother and others who discredited his ideas, and because he personally had a big problem accepting and understanding the Mormon’s belief in the Godhead as being three separate beings.

Dad did not, however, object to my joining the church. After my mother died Dad helped me do our family’s genealogy. I took him often with my family to Church history sites, which he thoroughly enjoyed. He especially loved to go with me to Adam-Ondi-Ahman. He would remove his hat and stand in quiet reverence as he felt it was a sacred place. He and my son said that they could feel ‘electricity’ there. We came to Nauvoo a few times before the Temple was rebuilt and I would sit on the edge of the site of the original baptismal font and pray that the Temple would be rebuilt someday in honor of those early Saints who sacrificed so much. I never expected it to happen in my lifetime, however.

My dad died at the age of 99 years and 9 days, having continued to read the LDS scriptures. He believed them to be true, as much as he was able to understand them. Referring to The Book of Mormon, he told me, “This book is true. No doubt in my mind about it.” I told him I was glad he knew it was true because after he was gone I planned to have his Temple work done for him. He said that would be alright with him.

On May 25, 2007, I had my parents sealed to each other in the Nauvoo Temple. I then had myself and my deceased sister sealed to them.

Dad’s ‘old’ Book of Mormon that he found and kept beside his bed all these many years now has a place in my personal library. It is a very treasured book.

How grateful I am for the true Church and how it has blessed my life as we strive daily to be humble and obedient, and prayerful that others will seek the truth. We, in my family are so very close to our missionaries and really love the pair of guys on those bicycles. We have them in our home often and love the spirit that is with them. I now have a grandson who is serving a mission in the New Zealand, Auckland Mission which makes me feel that I have at last begun to bear the fruits of my conversion.

It seems that the Lord has given me everything that my heart has desired if asked in humility and righteously desired. To know the eternal truths makes me so joyful and brings me everlasting peace within.

My Maw Maw Faye is such a big influence in my life. There is something about her that makes others want to follow her example. She had me a little worried while she was in the hospital, but she is out now. :) I love you, grandma!

The GPS Detour.

Last week, Katie and I drove to Idaho to visit Katie's friend, BreeAnn. She had just returned from her mission in Australia. I had already met her family while she was away, but it was my first time meeting BreeAnn and now I have a new friend! I left class a little early Wednesday night so we wouldn't have to drive too late. Class was not suppose to end until 9:30PM, but I snuck out at around 7:30. I reserved a hotel room at the Stratosphere in Vegas the night before. I didn't expect much, but the hotel room was sick! We didn't get in until around one in the morning so we pretty much went straight to bed, but we had our own living room. We sleep baller status. The next morning, we went to the In-N-Out store and bought some gifts for our friend, Shalis, who is serving a mission in the Philippines. Afterwards, we had Wendy's for lunch. Katie wasn't too keen on eating there, but I wasn't going to have Taco Bell for the third time that week. I convinced her with the ninety nine cent spicy chicken nugget deal. I got the Baconator and it was beyond amazing! Katie actually liked it too. We left Las Vegas at around eleven and started driving up to Utah, or so we thought. Katie took a nap and when she woke up, she looked at the GPS and it told her we were going the wrong way. I tried to tell her, "Katie, we're on Interstate 15 North. I'm pretty sure we take it all the way to Idaho." I glanced at the GPS and decided that I should follow its instructions. There was no way that I was smarter than the GPS, especially when it comes to directions. I didn't want to be the one to get us lost. We turned around and backtracked for about ten minutes. We then took the road the GPS told us to take. We drove for hours. There were no cars in sight, just a few semi-trucks here and there. We hadn't seen one gas station since Vegas. We drove for a few more hours. Nothing. The GPS was taking us through Nevada. I had never seen so much desert and so little life in my life. We really started to get worried. We were getting close to empty at around four 'o clock and there were still no gas stations. We said a little prayer and not long after the prayer, we saw a little LDS church in the middle of nowhere. That gave us a little bit of hope. We finally encountered a gas station at around five 'o clock. We filled up and drove to Wendover, Nevada and then to Salt Lake City, Utah. It would have been faster to drive straight to Idaho from where we were, but we wanted to see people and cars. Katie and I were a little scared and we didn't want to keep driving down long, desolate roads. We had some Taco Bell in Salt Lake and drove the rest of the way to Idaho. We didn't arrive until about eleven that night. You can't always trust your GPS, they have been known to lead people astray. What does GPS stand for anyway? Global Positioning System? It navigates by a satellite? What!? All I know is it caused a memorable road trip. Idaho was fun, but our vacation didn't last long enough. We hung out with BreeAnn and the Whitehead family. We went to some caves in Rexburg with Jonathan and I met Brittany at Wendy's, not realizing how much it was going to suck. Not Brittany, she is still awesome! The Wendy's is what sucked. It had nothing on the Wendy's in Las Vegas. Nothing. We all went to the Twin Falls temple, which is beautiful by the way. Then Katie and I said goodbye and had to drive all the way back to San Diego. We reserved a hotel in St. George, because Katie wanted to go to the Down East store there the next morning. After Katie went shopping, we drove the rest of the way home and arrived back in San Diego at five.

Katie and I are going to apply for the winter semester at BYU-Idaho. We like it there. It is so much more laid back than San Diego and way cheaper. I guess we'll see what happens when it happens.

My Google.

Dear Wifey aka Kay to the Tee:


You don't think you are the smartest person, but you still give me answers to almost every question I ask. You are the smartest person I know. My own little google. You don't think you are the cutest girl in the world, but we have a mirror in our house. I don't understand why you can't see what I see. You are the most beautiful girl in the whole wide world. My oh, My oh, My Boooo. You don't think you are the best friend anyone could ever have, even though you try to be there for all of your friends at the same time. I'm YOUR best friend so who do you think mine is? You are the best friend anyone could ever have and my beyond bestie. You don't want to stand on your tippy toes, because you are afraid you might fall. You talk about how clumsy you are, but I never see you fall. You don't want to crinkle your nose, because your Aunt Candyce says it will cause wrinkles soon. Eventually we will all have wrinkles and I think it's cute when you stand on your tippy toes and crinkle your nose. You are the bestest. Te amo, chica.

Disneyland.

Last week, Katie, her parents, and I went to Disneyland. It was my first time. I have to say, at 23, I'm a little late but it was sick! I love Disneyland! I know a lot of Disney haters but none of them seem to hate Disneyland. They know how to make a stupid little ride into an experience that you'll remember vividly for the rest of your life. Before we went on any rides though, we went to Club 33 for breakfast. They had the white marble table from Mary Poppins and the piano from Walt Disney's theater. We got to ride an old elevator and see photo's of Walt Disney. We ate omelette's, potatoes, top sirloin, and fresh fruit. There was more food, but since that was all that was on my plate, that is all I can remember. Don't get me wrong, I had multiple plates of those four things. After some fine dining at Club 33, we spent the rest of the day in the park. Below are some of MY favorite Disneyland attractions:

1. My favorite ride was Pirates of the Caribbean. I wanted to say Splash Mountain was my favorite because of the drop at the end, but nothing can beat the pirates. Jack Sparrow is BOSS.

2. Which makes Splash Mountain my number two. This is my second favorite because of the five-story plunge at the end. Adrenaline rush.

3. The Soaring Over California ride in California Adventure was amazing. It felt like we were hang gliding over Cali. We could even smell the scent of oranges as we went over the orange fields! Since I couldn't decide which ride I liked better, I have another number three.

3. Space Mountain was surreal. "Out of this world" special effects. I seriously felt like I was flying through space. You should have seen the smile on my face, I was so happy! The best part about it is that we got to go through a second time without waiting in line. I guess some little girl took too long to get out at the end.

4. I have to say the scariest of the day and my number four goes to The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. This ride is crazy! You will know what I'm talking about when you get in the elevator and have to put on a seatbelt. Falling 13 stories definitely made my stomach tighten.

5. The ride, Indiana Jones Adventure, was pretty exciting too. It really feels like you're riding in a jeep with Indiana Jones through the use of Disney's innovative Enhanced Motion Vehicles.

We didn't go on the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage because we didn't want to wait in the extremely long line and there was no fast pass for it, but by the looks of the line and the fact that its underwater, I'm sure the ride is awesome. I was also disappointed in California Screamin, but only because they were having some technical difficulties. The Matterhorn was also under construction and I was looking forward to seeing the abominable snowman I had heard about. The Haunted Mansion was fun even though it wasn't very scary. I'm sure it was scary enough for the little ones. Love the scary images in the stretching elevator and the New Orleans plantation vibe. It was a relaxing ride for me. I also had fun on the Jungle Cruise, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters was like being inside of a video game. Katie murdered my score the first time, but I made sure there was a rematch and I got her back the second time. The two rides I didn't like were Star Tours and "It's a small world." The Star Tours ride was alright and the people around me loved it, but it made me a little motion sick. "It's a small world" is great for children, but that song might just drive you "insane in the membrane," as the Beastie Boy's once put it. Last, but definitley not least, I saw Princess Tiana perform.

Inspired by Mr. Jones.

I cannot stand backpack's anymore. Do you wear them over one shoulder or two? I don't want to wear my backpack over one shoulder, because then I might develop lower and upper back pain. Plus, I don't want to strain my shoulders and my neck. If I wear it over two shoulders, I look like a nerd, walking to class with this giant backpack as I hunch forward. I'm into some nerdy stuff, but come on. I decided that I'm going to get a messenger bag. Maybe they lead to the same problems as a back pack over one shoulder, I don't know, but I'm going to do me. That's right, I'm getting a satchel. Indiana Jones wears one.

7.2 in 3D.

The last couple of weeks have been brilliant. Easter Sunday was cool. We dyed eggs in the morning after a sleepover at my parents house and then went to see Clash of the Titans in 3D. Watching movie's in the theatre on Sunday has never been done before by us and I have to say, I will never do it again. Towards the end of the movie, the whole theatre started shaking when the big monster died and was falling into the ocean. It scared me a little. My first thoughts were, "I didn't know these 3D movies had these special effects. This is crazy." Then Katie looked at me with a scared look on her face and said, "What was that?" I responded, "It's an earthquake." She yelled, "We need to get out, now!" So I was like, "Go, go, go! Run along now, family." Not in those exact words, but it sounds cooler than what I actually said. We all ran out through the emergency exit of the theatre and my sister's boyfriend, not the brightest guy in the world, took her out through the lobby. I was a little frustrated, especially since after it was all over, he was making fun of the people who went out through the lobby and he was one of them. We later found out it was a 7.2 earthquake. The biggest I have ever felt. There were two people killed in Mexico which is tragic, but nothing compared to what happened in Haiti or Chile. My dad and I went to the customer service desk and told them we missed the last ten minutes of the movie because of the earthquake, and they gave us all free readmission tickets. The other day, after Katie and I had breakfast at Coco's, we picked up some BK and went to the park to wait for Lindsey to get off of work. She works with little kids at the YMCA. Nathan and I chose the picnic table by the trees so we could be "one" with nature. Katie wouldn't let us sit on the grass, because she says she is allergic to it which I still don't believe. Nathan and I had a Whopper Jr. eating contest and I won of course, by like a whole burger. Some people think my brother can eat more than me now. Let me clear this up for everyone. Not true. Spring break was really fun while it lasted. Now I have to get my head back into school. Since I've been back from spring break, I don't get to see Katie as much which makes me sad. We have been getting a lot of Monday's off together though. This Monday, we went to see Date Night. That movie is hilarious. The only things that suck about Monday's are that the San Diego temple isn't open and then I have class Monday night. Class makes it hard to go out and do things, because I have to be back by six. Oh well, sometimes its not where you're going but who you're with. I'm perfectly happy with my radiantly beautiful wife, on the inside and out, no matter where we are. The End.


Pray for the Haiti and Chile earthquake victims.

Bamboozled.

Katie is rocking out at Bamboozle as I type. Our friend saved a ticket for me that his girlfriend won off the radio, but I couldn't get today off. Little does Katie know, Paramore played their Brand New Eyes CD for me in the car. Better concert if you ask me. Straight from the speakers. Who wants to listen to bands from all of those crowds of people anyway. Yeah, maybe I am a little sad I couldn't get today off to go with Katie, but I'll just try to go to Warped Tour this time around. On another note, tomorrow is Sunday so we get to go to church and spend the day with family, and Katie and I have Monday off together. That is, after I go to the Dentist. I haven't been in a while so I'm scared. I hope I get a new toothbrush and an hourglass and maybe some stickers.

The Little Engine That Could

My parent's are back from Louisiana. Katie and I are back at our apartment, but Katie is all stressed about her Physiology test. She keeps saying she is going to fail. I don't know why, because she is one of the smartest people I know. I'm pretty sure everyone has read the book The Little Engine That Could or had it read to them in school, but I think my wifey took a little nap during reading time. She has this idea that if she thinks she is going to do well at something, then she gets a bad grade. If she thinks she is going to fail, a magic A appears on her paper. I guess this really happens but it doesn't make sense to me. I agree with The Pony Engine. He teaches the values of optimism and hard work. If you think you can do something, then you can do it. It doesn't matter what it is. He pulled a whole train over a mountain. Katie has the hard work part down, but she tells herself that she can't do it and then she does it. I don't get it, but whatever works I guess. This past week has been okay, but Katie has a lot more hours at work than she use to. We haven't been able to see each other as much as we would like to, but we spend as much time together as possible. Nathan, Katie, and I tried to watch The Princess and the Frog three times, but those two always fall aleep on me. I like the movie. It might sound kind of fruity or whatever but I don't care. Classic Disney is cool. Katie and I saw The Princess and the Frog in theatres when it came out and it became one of my favorites. I'm thinking third. Lion King, Aladdin, and then The Princess and the Frog. You can make fun of me later if you want, but I do what I do. I do me. I'm livin' life right now, mayne.

Caught in YouTube's giant web.

This past week, Katie and I have been staying at my parents house. We took my parents to the airport on Wednesday morning so they could fly to Louisiana for my dad's work reunion. They are staying with my grandma; I miss her. Because Lindsey is never home anymore, we are staying with Nathan so he won't be home alone. We are all planning on taking a trip to Louisiana together sometime in June.

Yesterday, before work, I was bored. Nathan and I made a new jam. We wanted to upload it to facebook, but Nathan's iphone would only send it to YouTube. We made an account and put our first video on YouTube which is kind of lame, but the video is the best thing you will ever hear.

A true story I made up.

At eighteen years old, I was still a child, although I liked to think otherwise. I knew everything of course, and had just graduated from High School in Leavenworth, Kansas. I was working as a Pharmacy Tech, saving my money to travel to New Zealand to serve a mission for two years. It would be hard to leave everything behind, especially my family. I received a two year scholarship from the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps to go to the University of Kansas, but I was not ready to start school. I wanted to experience the world outside of America.
Before leaving to New Zealand, I took a trip to Louisiana with my family. Every year we went back to Lafayette, the city where we grew up, to visit our extended family. We stayed with my Aunt Wanda and my Uncle Hulon. The girls in the family would go shopping at the malls and my sister would spend everyone‘s money on clothes for herself. My dad and my Uncle Hulon would usually go fishing down on the bayou. I spent much of the day riding four wheelers with my cousins and we would come home in the evening to my mama and my Aunt Wanda cooking a hot pot of gumbo on the stove. They make the best gumbo.
The morning of the twenty eighth of August was unlike any other morning in Louisiana. We watched the news as they declared Hurricane Katrina a Category Five storm, the highest possible rating. We had heard about the hurricane and Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco declared a state of emergency for Louisiana. This was after The National Hurricane Center forecasted that Katrina would soon be a Category Three hurricane on August twenty sixth. The next day, the mayor of New Orleans issued a voluntary evacuation order but it was only voluntary. This was not the first hurricane in south Louisiana, for we have been evacuated many times only to return to our homes as they were when we left. We were not going to leave, because we were almost two hours from New Orleans. There was no way the hurricane could affect us.
After watching the news, we drove to the grocery store to buy breakfast and enough food to sit through the storm. The grocery store was crowded and full of people buying food and water supplies to sit out the storm. The weather was nice enough to still go to the grocery store. It seemed as though most people were not taking the hurricane very seriously and neither were we. In Louisiana, there is a season for hurricanes so they come through every year. On the way out, a man jumped out from behind a car in the parking lot and stole our bags full of groceries. We handed them over, not wanting the man to harm any of us. We saw others stealing groceries as well as we were walking towards our car and then riots started to break out. I saw a glass door shatter as people shoved their way out of the grocery store with stolen food. People were acting as if the world was going to end. At least, the world as they knew it. Although Louisiana is a poor state, this was not normal in the city of Lafayette. Lafayette is one of the nicer cities in Louisiana and it does not have a very high crime rate. This grocery store was also in a very nice neighborhood, which makes these things very unlikely. We drove home shocked and afraid of what was happening to the city. As I stared out the window, I thought, “Maybe this is not going to be just a storm.” When we arrived back at home, we turned on the news and the mayor of New Orleans issued a mandatory evacuation order for the city and its surrounding areas. We spent the rest of the day preparing for the storm that was about to hit.
The morning of the twenty ninth of August, the whole family was awakened by the house shaking. I remember my mama walking down the hallway towards us as the house shook. She grabbed my little brother out from his bed as the window above it shattered. The rain and the wind were so heavy that I did not think our house would stay on the ground. We crouched and waited and listened as the windows and pieces of our house diminished.
A child’s view of Hurricane Katrina must be a scary thing. So much of the southern culture they have always known was battered and destroyed by a killer natural disaster. In Lafayette, Hurricane Katrina lasted two days. South Florida all the way to the Southeastern part of Texas was under water. Storm victims were beaten and raped, fires and fights broke out, bodies lay out in the open, and rescue helicopters were shot at as flooded New Orleans descended into anarchy. A storm that happened so fast changed America. I know it changed me. Things that once mattered to me did not matter anymore. Instead of thinking about the material things, I thought about family and wondered where we go after we die. Hurricanes may happen every year in Louisiana, but this was no ordinary hurricane. Survivors lost everything they had, including family members. Their homes, the places they worshiped, the places they shopped, and the places they learned were all taken away.
The effects of Hurricane Katrina were calamitous and long lasting. The center passed through New Orleans on August 29, 2005. By August 31, eighty percent of New Orleans was flooded, with some parts of it under fifteen feet of water, and 1,836 people lost their lives. We were a few of the fortunate ones. My Aunt Wanda and Uncle Hulon and many others in my family only had to change homes.
Suddenly, leaving my family for only two years was not hard. I left to New Zealand in March of 2006 and told the story of Hurricane Katrina. I returned to America in March of 2008 to see New Orleans rebuilding. The city has continued to struggle since Katrina, the worst natural disaster in its history. It destroyed 70,000 homes and displaced many more. New Orleans, the city that I watched drown is continuously rebuilding and despite its struggles, is still going strong. The New Orleans Super Dome that tens of thousands were trapped in during Hurricane Katrina celebrates the victory of their team, the New Orleans Saints, in Super Bowl XLIV. This victory was not only for the New Orleans Saints, neither was it just a source of city pride for New Orleans. It represents a personal victory of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana over Hurricane Katrina.

No one left to play.

I was talking to my homeless friend, Doug, yesterday. He was surprised to find out that I have only lived in San Diego for about two years. He asked me how I liked it. I responded with, "It is okay, but I miss the country life. I want to go back to a small town and settle down with my wife." Then I gave him some french fries. My whole life, until these last couple of years, I have lived in the country. I miss it. I would love for something to take me back to Leavenworth, Kansas. Even going back to Natchitoches, Winnfield, or Lafayette, Louisiana to see my family for a while would be cool. It's these busy city streets that I want to get far from. Don't get me wrong, I love the ocean and the San Diego weather, but this place is a party city. I'm ready to settle down in a small town. The people here are just not that friendly. They can be, but most of the people here are so caught up in having to "constantly be doing things" that there is no one left to play. I miss the green and the trees that existed before me. It seemed like each one told a story. I miss the small towns, from high school sports to family reunions. Where there are dirt roads and gravel everywhere you travel. Where the mechanic is the sheriff is the mayor is the judge. Where the people are real, everybody's genuine. Here they have Carls Jr. to replace Hardee's, but Carl's Jr. doesn't even have a monster burger. Yeah, I miss it but I don't know what I'm going to do if I ever have to leave the ocean. They say the whole world is country, and I don't know who "they" are but they lie. San Diego is far from country and a city life could never replace where I grew up. Katie was born in Northern California and raised in Southern California but even she wants to live somewhere green and experience the four seasons. Only God knows if we will go or if we will stay. We want to be somewhere where we can raise a family. We want to play and have a good time. Let's sit on the porch.


Photo by Blake Bishop.

Enchiladas and My Wifey.

Life doesn't get much better than homemade enchiladas and a Katie to make them for and share them with. Jimi wasn't left out either. He loves enchiladas. Yesterday, Katie, Nathan, and I went to Edwards Cinemas to see Alice in Wonderland with Alexie and Mike. I wasn't expecting much of the movie, but it was a lot better than I expected. It was actually really good. Nathan stayed the night at our apartment last night, because my mama and daddy went to Arizona to enter our dogs into a dog show. We didn't want Nathan to have to stay home all by himself, because we knew Lindsey wouldn't be home. She is never home anymore. We ate In-N-Out, pizza, and fruit snacks as we watched Zombieland. Nathan thinks the movie has too many zombies. Katie and I just have to remind him of the movie title and he changes his mind. This morning, the three of us went to church. Right now, we are watching SpongeBob and drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows. Tonight, we are going to stay the night at my parents house. Tomorrow, the week of work and school starts over.

The Simple Life.

Yesterday morning, Katie and I went to the mall. I kind of love shopping which is a little girly but whatever. I'm married. I wanted a new wallet, because my old one is pretty thrashed. I had my eyes set on a blue Enjoi wallet at Zumiez, but when I showed Katie, she didn't like it. I know its just a wallet, but a wallet is one thing that I bring everywhere with me. I keep all of my important things in it. I bought a white nixon one. Its nice. It makes me feel like the cool kid I am. Afterwards, Katie bought a cute shirt. She didn't like anything else she tried on. Anyways, our purpose for going to the mall was to go to Bath and Body Works and we did. Katie wanted some new hand soap and air fresheners for the apartment. I'm glad she is crazy about that sort of stuff, because Bath and Body Works' hand soap is brilliant. You just push the top and a little bit of greatness comes out onto your hands. It leaves me fresh. Katie also bought me this little hand sanitizer holder for my key chain. I know I'm a little girly, but I'm not gay. Katie thinks its cute and she likes that I put it on my key chain anyway. At least it will keep me free from H1N1. I don't want to get sick again before spring. By the way, now that we have these new Caribbean Salsa air fresheners, I'm stoked for spring. San Diego doesn't have the four seasons, but its been raining a lot lately. I can't wait for the beach weather to come back so we can slip on the rainbows, walk on the beach, get our tan on, and of course, go surfing. Don't you wish you were here with us. Enjoy the little things. Ahh, the simple life.


Photo by Blake Bishop.

Dream Big.

When I was a little Gabe in Louisiana, I remember when I use to enjoy the little things in life, like eating my watermelon on the edge of the front porch with my family. I never had to worry about anything. I remember getting off of the school bus every day after school. I would run all the way down our dirt road just to see my family before getting back in the truck to drive down the street to our dock. We would all pile in our boat to go fishing on the lake. As I grew up, I moved new places. I learned new things. When I grew up, I gained responsibilities. I left to go out into the world on my own. My name is Gabriel. I live in a small apartment in a shabby area of San Diego. The ghetto as some call it. I've got no money in the bank. I work part-time to pay for school and other things that have come my way as I've grown to this point. Sometimes I forget to dream. Sometimes school feels like it is never going to end. Sometimes I feel like we will never make it in this world that just seems to be getting worse and worse. I once dreamt of a beautiful wife, not only on the outside but on the inside too. I wanted to be one of those guy's that when people saw me, they would think, "How did HE get HER!?" I found that girl and when I realized she was way out of my league, I asked her to marry me. My dream came true. She is the best of the best and I get to spend eternity with her, which I am so grateful. I now dream of finishing school. I dream of a better job. A job that can support a family. I dream of a home, not a big home, but one that is peaceful and comfortable. I dream of a family of my own. When I dream big, with a little effort on my part, my dreams come true.

When you cry be sure to dry your eyes, because better days are sure to come. When you smile be sure to smile wide. Don't let them know that they have won. When you walk, walk with pride. Don't show the hurt inside, because the pain will soon be gone. When you dream, dream big. As big as the ocean blue. When you dream, dream big, because when you dream it just might come true. When you laugh be sure to laugh out loud, because it will carry all your cares away. When you see, see the beauty all around and in yourself. It will help you feel okay. When you pray, pray for strength to help you carry on when the troubles come your way. When you dream, dream big.

toys can dream too. Photo by Blake Bishop.

According to Jimi.

According to Jimi, Katie is the bestest. This morning, I dropped Katie off at her Physiology class. As Katie walked away, Jimi stared out the window at her. He looked so sad to be left with me. I'm a pretty cool guy and Jimi thinks that too, but I guess I just don't compare. Jimi barked as Katie got further and further away. Katie looked back at both of our sad faces and giggled at her two favorite boys as her cute little sun dress disappeared behind the school buildings. When Katie got to where she was almost out of sight, Jimi jumped onto the steering wheel to get a better view and accidentally honked the horn for a few seconds. Everyone stared as I took Jimi off of the steering wheel. He was left with me and I had to be the cruel parent that put him in his little cage to drive him home. I knew he would love me again when he needed someone to sleep on so I didn't worry too much. According to Jimi, Gabe is just a warm bed to sleep in when the cold comes in at night or when he just can't keep his eyes open any longer.

Down & Out.

Saturday was lame. Hanging out with Katie was fun but we ended up at a bar and it was not fun. At least not for us. We thought we were on our way to a club. If we were at a club, then we could atleast dance. I'll take the whole club to the streets. I can't take a bar anywhere and I wouldn't want to take it to the streets. That would just be scary. I'm sure the bar tenders were confused as to why they were not making any money off of the kid spinning around on the bar stool, and why the hell he was drinking all of their tap water. We were already on our way to downtown San Diego when we found out we were going to a bar. Going to a bar when you don't drink is like going to a club when you don't dance. It's like going to a buffet when you are not hungry. If you need a snack, get a McDouble or a salad. Don't go to an effing buffet. Just to add to the frustration of the night, we wasted twenty dollars on parking. Usually there is a bum around to help find a parking space for about five dollars, but they were nowhere to be found. With that said, Sunday was fun. We did go out and spend some money so don't judge us. Katie's Auntie Jane was in San Diego. After church and many hours of visits to fulfill my new calling as Assistant Ward Clerk, we went to my parents house and played Wii Fit and Wii Mario Brothers. Afterwards, we made our way back home where Katie's Auntie Jane and Uncle Austin picked us up. Katie's mom, Starr, also came. We drove to the downtown theater to see the movie, The Young Victoria. We bought slurpees and tons of popcorn. It was a great movie. After the movie, we walked to Ghiradelli's for ice cream and hot chocolate. So good. Its funny how much fun you can have doing simple things with people you love. I'm so thankful for family. My family and Katie's as well. I'm also thankful for friends. The true ones. I'm thankful for lots of things and I want to give back. I think God made us special here on purpose. I want to be an example to those around me and comfort those that stand in need of comfort. There are so many people that need help but won't ask for it. I want to help, so that if I die today, the last thing you remember won't be about some apple bottom jeans with the boots with the fur.

Valentine's Day.

Yesterday, Katie and I celebrated my birthday and Valentine's Day. Katie bought me the movie, Zombieland, which is my new favorite movie. Well, that and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. She also bought me swedish fish to eat during the movie, which is my favorite candy. She always gets me the perfect gifts. Anyways, we walked to the car and I had it decorated for her. I left earlier that morning to buy her present while she was asleep. We watched the movie, Valentine's Day, which wasn't bad. I expected it to be a little better, but I still liked it. Afterwards, we dined at Taco Bell because its better than a five star restaurant according to Katie. After Taco Bell, Katie and I went back to our apartment and hung out with each other and Jimi. After a short nap and that, we headed to Pacific Beach. We went to a cajun restaurant called Chateau Orleans. We ate outside and they brought a heater out for us. There was a live jazz band playing. They were brilliant. The singer was cajun and he had some really cool stories. I wanted to talk to him to find out where he was from in Louisiana, but he didn't get a break before we left. You never know, he could know some of my family. Louisiana is a small state. It is like a different country; nevertheless, a small state. The food was amazing, but the restaurant was a bit pricey. All in all, I would recommend it to anyone that likes cajun food. On Sunday's they have a buffet from 11 to 3 for fifteen dollars. After our full day of fine dining, we went for a walk down Pacific Beach and took some pictures. Katie is the most special valentine ever! So special that I decided I'm going to make her my valentine every year.

23.

Tomorrow I will be Michael Jordan's number. I want to fly high like him. Become legendary.