Giving of yourself.

I will try really hard to make this not be a "I am the humblest person I know" post.

It all kind of started right after we moved here. I was not here quite 3 weeks when they threw me into a church calling I pretty much knew I was going to get, working with the youth. Over the past 2 weeks I have really been torn about my calling. I have felt like I have been spread too thin. With time for work, Family, recreation, and recreation I just feel like I am out of time.

On the weekend of the 15th I had the opportunity of going to the temple with the youth and I had a stellar experience. It really confirmed to me that I was in the right place at the right time. The church side of my calling has been great. I love teaching the boys and for some reason I do well teaching the youth. They seem to respond well to my teaching style.

The part I have been struggling with is the Scouting part. When I was issued the call at church there was no mention of scouting. I thought cool, they have a scoutmaster that does it all separate. Well on the next Sunday they sustained me at church as 2nd counselor in the Young Men's Presidency, Deacons Quorum advisor, and scoutmaster... I was a little puzzled to say the least. There had been no mention of scouts in my interview with the Bishop. Later that week I went to the house of the old scoutmaster and he handed me stacks and stacks of stuff. I was thinking Oh crap, I can't do this... I'm not that organized... So regardless of those feelings I have been trying my best to figure out what is going on.

One thing that hasn't helped my negative outlook has been the fact that every Sunday for the first 4 weeks or so of the calling I and my parents had been told by parents and other leaders how the youth all thought I was the coolest leader ever. This was coming from kids who were not even in my class on Sunday and I had a little contact with them but not a whole lot. So I am back to being the cool guy... Sometimes that is very frustrating to me, because then so much is expected of me. So the praise is to me a double edged sword.

So I have been talking with my wife about my discomfort for the past month of so and last night I begrudgingly went to the local scout Round Table. Upon arriving, we were raffling off dates for the local Camping area and Cabin for dates for the next year. I got like 4 dates over the next year. Then we proceeded to business. Needless to say I had a lot of questions and actually had a lot of input for the other scout leaders from the other troops. I felt like a fish in water and all of the feelings of inadequacy left immediately. When I was leaving, the rep from the council came up to me and shook my hand and said "I am so glad you are here, we really need people like you to make this program what it can be to the youth.". after chatting with a few of the other scout leaders about the first aid clinic we are having this weekend I heard the same thing from lots of the other area scoutmasters. They were looking at what to do about making a district website so being a sucker to help in all I can I volunteered to take it on as webmaster. The only really ironic thing is that I am a scoutmaster in the Stevens District in Stevens county, WA.

So needless to say on the way home I cried. I knew that the feelings of inadequacy were not appropriate and I need to deal with the fact that as I give of myself freely, the Lord will continue to strengthen me in all I do, just like he did in KS. So I have to keep learning to fight my inner demons that do not want to have to be the guy that people can count on... Because the Lord will help make me that guy

Even in Scouting.

On top of the world.

Yesterday I was able to go on a ride with the ATV Club I just joined. Eastern Washington ATV Association. http://www.ewatv.org/ I invited Chanel's Dad to go with me on Chanel's machine cause she was staying at home with the kids and her mom. So we got the ATV's loaded up and out the door by 7:30 am. we drove down to Chewelah and then over the Mountains to Usk, WA, drove across the river and up kings lake road to the parking area. We got there about 8:45 am. Wiz was there when we got there with his side by side and then everyone else started showing up. there were 13 of us total on 12 machines. Another guy named Chad took his 5 yr old with him in his side by side. So we all saddled up around 9:30 and off we went. It has been far too long since I was able to go up through the mountains like that. Here are some pictures of the ride.

North Baldy, Elevation around 6150 feet. Priest Lake in the Background

We drove up to a Cafe not too far from Priest Lake, ID called the Korner Klub. Great food!

All said and done we drove exactly 83.5 miles on that trip.

Cold

I love the cold. I do not know why but I love the cold. Perhaps it is because I loved the winter sports as a teenager? Whatever it is I love the cold. The past 2 weeks have given us 4 nights at 35 degrees. Last night was 39 degrees. and now during the days it is about 65-70 tops. the only bad thing is it has been so dry up here. Seriously since July 1st we have recieves less than .25 inches of rain. the Creeks and rivers are down, and things are starting to die. When I got here in July my lawn was dead. I have since ressurrected it through almost daily watering and re-seeding. But anyways Cold Rules.

I took the Big boys out monday eveing on the Big 4-Wheeler and when we came home their noses were red and their hands were cold. Next time not just jackets but gloves and hats will be worn.

I also am on the warpath to find myself a good snwmobile. There are so many sno-parks up here for snowmobiles it is pretty awesome. I can tell that the end of the year is going to be kind of slower for us so I will have a lot of time around the holidays I think to go snowboarding and snowmobiling, and of course plowing of snow with the Quad!

Cold Rules.

Mutual Night & Scouting

Well Tonight is Mutual.

Upon leaving KS I was released from my calling in the Young Men's Presidency. Upon arriving here I was called to the Young Men's Presidency. My calling is the 2nd counselor and scoutmaster this time. Now I never received my Eagle and honestly I do not regret it. There was a woman at church the week I received the calling that patted me on the back in the hall and said "That will be a great calling for you Darin, you were an Eagle Scout right?" I replied "Nope" She proceeded to look at me and said "Don't worry, the scouting program isn't too hard to understand, you should be able to figure it out" as if I were some sort of Idiot.

On other occasions we'll hear people from Utah (typically General Authorities) state "The odds are far greater that a young man that achieves Eagle will serve and honorable full time mission." Does that mean because I served an honorable full time mission that I somehow beat the odds? Am I an anomaly? I know a bunch of people that were eagle scouts and didn't serve missions and are complete butt heads.

Anyhow, tonight is mutual night. I have a small group of scouts that are a kick in the pants to work with. I am trying my best to help them get their Eagle if they want it but I refuse to be the leader that forces it down the throat of every young man regardless if they want it or not.

Thanks for listening.

D

Douglas Falls Park

Last summer I was up visiting my mom In Colville. Last May I took some pictures at Douglas Falls. Just look at the water flow over the falls.

Then this year in sept

I love my 4 Wheeler...

Did I say I love my 4-Wheeler yet on here?

I aquired a nice 4-wheeler for myself upon final arrival here in WA. I have always loved riding ATV's but never really had the $ in the past to own/maintain one. So part of my deal to myself upon completing the goals I met to be able to move to WA was getting myself a 4-Wheeler.

So after I was in Kansas working on the house for a while I came home to WA and about a week later I woke up and rolled over and told Chanel I was going to go buy my Quad. So I saddled up the minivan with the ATV Trailer and went in to town. Needless to say I came home with 2 Quads that Day. I bought a Polaris Sportsman 500 HO Deluxe for me and I bought Chanel a Matching Hawkeye 300. I think she was angry at first but you should see her ride it is so cool to watch her.

Here is a Pic of it. Chanel's is right behind it.

Here is a Pic with me and my Quad.

I'll strive to get Chanel to snap some photos of me riding it one of these days. I would have died for her to take a picture the other day of me on it. I was riding around with her (she was on hers) and she went a little ways ahead of me on hers and she stopped and looked back and I was Front wheels well off the ground flying over a smaller mound of earth she cocked her head at me and gave me the "I'm glad for Life insurance/Accident Insurance/Health insurance" look. So anyways now Tristram has a riding buddy.

Priceless.

Why We're Here.

To be tested and tried to see if we are fit to live with our Father again.

But besides all that. I love WA! I love being able to look out the windows in the morning and see the beauty all around us.

Like these deer in the field behind our house.

Or perhaps the mountain views...

Well Whatever it is I love it here...

Waking up on a monday morning...

Have you ever awakened with the thought in mind, Where has all my life gone? How did I get as old as I am as fast as it happened? Well I did that this morning. I have so many things that have happened to me and so much to record yet. I have been in WA for over 2 months now and this is my 2nd entry about it. I know I know I am a slacker. I have now put it into my schedule early in the mornign 3 times a week to post on the blog. So stay tuned for hopefully recent news.