Family + Video games + miscellanous = My life in a nutshell

Wow, it has been a while since I finished my previous post, which bytheway, thanks for reading it guys, next time please comment on it! Sorry to those who did read it but I put a lot of time into that post! Sheesh!

Okay let's start with what has happened recently. I participated in yet another handcart trek in commemoration of the Mormon pioneers, put on by the stake. I can't say that I enjoyed it, but according to Mom, Bishop Smeltzer and me have figured that I gleaned some value from it. The most valuable experience I think, that I got from this trek was what happened Saturday morning. You see I was a pa on the trek, all priests were pa's, all laurels "ma's", and the adults were grandparents. One of the "kids" in my family was a 12 year old boy named Brad Smeltzer, the youngest son of my bishop. He really did not want to go on the trek. In fact, according to Bishop Smeltzer, if I did not go on the trek, he wouldn't have gone on the trek.

Even while on it he refused to help pull/push the handcart. I tried multiple times to get him to help, but those attempts were near fruitless. Anyway, on Saturday morning he was copping another attitude, I got fed up with him, and I ended up sitting on him. The reason why I sat on him was because he was sitting on the handcart, as if to stay there while everybody else would push/pull the handcart. The effect was an interesting one: He screamed his head off and got off the handcart, but he ended up just walking ahead of us, and I had to bring him back to our cart.

In my R.E.T session that week, (R.E.T. stands for Rapid Eye Technology, that's energy therapy that I do with Mom's friend, Sister Lewis, in order to help with my emotions.) Sister Lewis, Mom's friend, told me that people act as mirrors for ourselves. It was this thought that came to my mind as I was observing Brad's terrible behavior. It reminded me of how I treated my Mom and it helped to make me appreciate Mom even more. As for the recently described experience, it got me to see how physical punishment isn't all that effective in getting kids to "shape up". It was ironic that I learned this as a "pa" too.

When Ryan was here I remembered having a discussion with him about forms of discipline and punishment. He said that the biggest argument one could make against corporeal punishment is that it can turn into abuse. Bishop Smeltzer also said that "physical punishment doesn't work, once the kids turn 8-9". It's true, and I was glad I had the experience. I hope that I can remember this lesson when I get to be a father.

Now as to the trek, the food was substandard, and I have yet one more amusing anecdote: The youth leaders/head honchos of this little trek brought along 13 roosters. The initial reason was that at the end of the trek they were going to have a chicken chase contest. However there probably was another reason why they decided to being the roosters. For you see, this trek took place overnight, and guess who got everybody up. Without a word everybody got up at 5:20, when the first rooster started crowing. Not cock-a-doodle-dooing, crowing, the main difference was that it was loud and shrill. Those chickens gave me 13 reasons to get a gun, and the shotgun shooting merit badge. I now officially call the rooster "nature's alarm clock, except without the off button". Today during church some of the leaders who went on the trek "asked" that next time the leaders order the 7:00 roosters instead of the 5:20 ones.

Speaking of church, I thought that church today was excellent: Mom gave a great spirit filled talk, in sunday school Pres. Rhoades gave us all "The Family: A Proclamation to the World". We read scriptures, and reaffirmed that we are very much against homosexuality. My priesthood meeting was also swell: Brother Hardy, my priest's quorum advisor, gave a lesson about following the prophet, which was also good.

Another thing to add to this post was the Fourth of July. I loved it: I finally got to see my Patterson cousins, play in the pool a bit, soak it up in Dad's hottub, eat grilled cheeseburgers, hotdogs, and buckets of cookies and cream ice cream, and play cards with Les, Ryan, Tristine, and Uncle P.J. We played scumbag where poor Ryan and Uncle P.J. basically got the two lowest positions in the game: Scumbag and Vice Scumbag. For those who don't know Les is Penny's dad I think and Uncle P.J. is Tristine and Breanna's Uncle P.J. They were nice people and Uncle P.J. was a terrific sport, considering his position.

And here comes the section of the post where I review any new movies that I've seen:

Kung Fu Panda: 2 stars.

This movie relies on stupid humor, and the audience is more of a younger audience so if you have kids, you can bring them along because they'll enjoy it, otherwise don't go because this movie is pretty stupid.

Hancock: 3 stars.

Hancock is one of the smuttiest PG-13 movies that I've ever seen. However, with that being said, it was a great twist on superhero movies. The special effects were great though. There were some pretty interesting twists in the plot of this movie.

Well that 's my post, please comment.

Love, Grant