Okay, so I'm a bit behind...

It's been well over a year and lots has gone on since I last posted. I don't know if I should try to catch up here or simply go on from here.

I've changed jobs, for the better. We've bought more motorcycles and are now addicted to road bikes! (Bought 2 in the last year). Our family has taken up hunting and trap shooting together. Actually, too much has gone on so here are the two biggest highlights from the last year..

McKya, Arian and Kinley joined the Byrd family. On June 1st, 2009 I was blessed to be able to adopt three wonderful girls. Now our family is even more complete. Thank you Wendi for bringing them into my life. I am more and more blessed each and every day.

Dad and his girls waiting for the lift at Snow King Mtn., Jackson Hole

Evan has joined the Idaho Army National Guard. He attended and graduated basic training between his junior and senior years. August 21st to be exact. They already have orders to deploy to Afganistan August 2010. We are proud our son has made the choice to serve his state and country. Wendi and I were able to attend his graduation and spend some really good time with Evan at Ft. Knox, Kentucky. What an interesting state.

Pvt Evan Byrd

Pvt Byrd and Dad

First time mom had seen him in 10 weeks!

More to come. I promise.

LDS Church President tells the story of wiggling his ears at a stake conference during the April 2008 General Conference.

Random Thoughts...

Below is something I scribbled down back in 2003 on my Palm Pilot. Life was quite a bit different then. In looking back at this I can see that by writing down random thoughts one can turn back the pages to see how bad it was compared to how good it is today. It's also good to see how far one can truly progress. ~DB

Driving home today I heard the hymn ''I need thee every hour'' I was fasting and asking for help. I listened and thought ''I need you now more than ever, why haven't you been there for me?'' ''Why are you making me go through all of this without you?'' "I really need your help, please help me.''
In Priesthood mtg. the lesson was about Christ's resurrection. But there was a paragraph that stood out so boldly as the answer to my prayer of desperation.
Ch. 7, pg. 65..."...As Paul discoursed eloquently on the personality of God, the philosophers listened curiously though attentively until he testified that God had raised Jesus from the dead." (many mocked him)
Wouldn't it have been great to have been there, to hear Paul speak?
Doesn't that happen today? Don't we her our Prophets speak to us? Don't people mock them as they speak?
Don't we hear those same messages over and over today?
How many times do we have to hear before we believe? Before we listen?
We tell our kids to clean their rooms, once, twice, then we punish them. How many times has he (our Father) told us what to do? Do we get 'punished'?
Or do we 'punish'' ourselves?
- We often act as kids, turn away, stop listening and walk away. Then we have the gall to ask ''why has he left me?''
Who left who?
-Has the Spirit left us? Or have we left the Spirit?
I went from Priesthood and passed by the primary room. They were singing ''...pray, he will answer...speak he will listen...he hears your prayers...''
I was feeling as if He had left me, was not listening to my prayers and was making me do this on my own.
I had done this to myself. I'm the one who turned his back, not him.
I don't know how to stay on track, but I know He is there if I need him.

~Doug

The Month From Hell

The month of April was tough all over. The hospital was in the final two weeks of implementation for our Meditech "Go Live" on the 16th. I put in more hours at work than I did at home. The week of the 16th I put in way over 100 hours. I was tired.

More than that the family was. Yeah, they would come and see me every night. Bring me dinner, colored pictures as well as lots of hugs and kisses. But I just wasn't home. I missed family home evening all but once, I ate dinner at home twice but still... I went to work each day before anyone was awake and got home when most of them were in bed. No matter what, a family needs both parents and parents need their family.

Now that we are up and running with the first of three phases of the Meditech deployment I see them every morning and night. I still have to make a few trips to Boston but it won't be as bad as the last 8 months.

Evan started a new job at Albertson's as a courtesy clerk. Now that he's 16 we had to lay down some rules. Namely, we will supply your clothing, shelter and food as well as any church/school expenses. We will buy your car and pay the insurance. But if you want to drive this car you have to pay for the gas. If you want a newer stereo you have to buy it. If you want a new iPod it's on you. The boy wants everything! So he went out and got a job.

Suprisingly he really likes it. His first paycheck went who-knows-where but his second went towards a new cell phone. As much as he talks texts on ours he'll need a second job by summer...

He and I went out on the dirt bikes last week and went to our favorite riding spot (the only one without snow right now). We both raced up and down the area then went to "The Hill". I flew up a slot that has a nice gradual jump made of a lava flow where you can usually fly a good 15-20 feet out. This time as I approached the jump I saw that the flow was chewed out at the base and there was nothing gradual about it. The face was now about 80 degrees. I hit the gas and lifted the front end. As I hit the rock we, me and the bike, went straight up, not out, with the front wheel above the back which was 10 feet off the ground. I let go of the bike and let gravity take effect.

I hit the lava flow landing on my right leg. Motorcycles are not immune to gravity. It promptly came down and landed on that leg crushing it.

I got up and acted as if nothing was wrong (there were a few people watching with dropped jaws) rode into the sunset, took off my helmet, puked and cried like a little girl.

By the time we got home I could barely get my pants off my swollen calf which was now the same size of my thigh. We went to the ER and got x-rays and amazingly nothing was broken. I still had to watch for compartment syndrome, blood clots, etc... but Evan tells me "at least you looked cool".

It's getting better now. Still hurts and gets really really stiff.

I guess it just takes longer to heal and gets more expensive when you're older....