Wow Its been a while.

Looking back at my previous posts I see that its been a while since I have last written anything.  There is a quote by an anonymous author that is both profound and entirely accurate.

 "Life is one of those precious fleeting gifts, and everything can change in a heartbeat."

Tonight I found out that one of my cousins from my Mother's side of the family had committed suicide last night.  A few short hours later I found out that one of my friends, her name is Chene, that I had met while chatting through the Yahoo chat rooms had a major cardiac event.  Tomorrow her family will remove her from life support.  Now I don't know what the circumstances of what happened to Chene, but I do know that she has had a difficult life with drugs and alcohol.  Life is so fleeting.  We have been told by the Lord that we will never be given more than what we can handle.  I sorrow for Chene and my cousin.  I have wondered why people do the things that they do.  Now I am not here to judge them, heaven knows that I am not perfect. I have my own burdens I deal with.  I ponder the how and why we do these things.  Even before I had a understanding of the Lord's gospel and His church I have always known that we have a greater purpose than what the world thinks we do. I know that the Lord has a greater purpose for all of us. That is why we are here upon this earth is to find out what that purpose is. I especially know that He knows us better than we know ourselves and what we have gone through and what we are going through here upon this earth and He will judge us accordingly. I take comfort in knowing that Jesus Christ is leading the way.

Elder Jeffrey R Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints says it best:

don't give up

don't you quit 

you keep walking 

you keep trying 

there is help and 

happiness ahead...

trust God and

believe in good 

things to come  

We must keep going! We can not give up on ourselves! We each have our own loads to bear but we don't have to do it alone.  Jesus Christ is there to help.  He has been through it all.  He has sunk down into the depths of hell and come out again so that we don't have to.  Remember that our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother love us dearly and want us all to return to live with them.  I surely hope that we all make it home.

A picture of my father Barney, my Brother John and me. about July in 1999.

Family, Isn't It About...Time

This past weekend my brother John came up from Oklahoma to see both Uncle Tree and myself.  Between John and I there is a ten year difference in age.  As the weekend progressed we shared many stories of our Dad, Barney. We enjoyed a lot of good laughter reminiscing about him and his crazy antics. I do miss my Dad. I am looking at a family picture of the family that was taking in front of a dart board that my Dad put up in the living room.  I am guessing that my mother was not a happy camper when he did that.  John is home from basic training and I am probably about 8 or 9 years old.  That photo was taken some 27 years ago.  I have reflect back to when I was younger and think about my family.  Both immediate and extended.  I think about the fun times and sad times that I have experienced with them.  Some of the best memories I have is sitting around a kitchen table and telling stories.  Whether in Idaho or Oklahoma I have always enjoyed my family, even though some of us are a bit nutty. (me included) Over the years we have lost some amazing people.  Not only have we lost them but we have lost their stories and their experiences. I was just thinking of my Dad and when he would work on cars or trucks.  If my Dad didn't cut is arm open or smack his head causing blood to run.  He didn't do the job right.  When I blew the transmission in my pickup, my Dad was under the truck losing bolts and ask me to pass him a combination wrench.  Rather than passing it down to him under the truck. I decided to drop it down to him from engine compartment.  Well the wrench rather than hitting the pavement it actually hit my Dad on the head.  Well I was laughing and my Dad was cussing.  It is a cherished memory I have of my Dad and I spending some time together. 

Smitty part 3

        Please feel free to comment, cuss, and discuss what I have written here.  I have added one from the last post.         
  As Smitty looked out over the edge of the foxhole he could hear the artillery off to the south of his position. He could see the enemy moving back and forth with boxes of ammunition, guns and other supplies getting ready for battle. Smitty quietly radioed headquarters explaining the situation. He picked up his M-1 Grand rifle gently pulled back the bolt until he could hear that familiar click and emptied a magazine of 30.06 bullets into the enemies’ position.  In turn the enemy not knowing where the shots came from blindly fired back into the darkness.  Smitty smiled that smug smile he often smiled before battle.  He knew this was going to be a big and bloody battle. Both sides would have lots of causalities, he also knew the odds of himself getting killed or wounded were high. He reached and felt the scar on his left cheek. He already had three purple hearts for previous run-ins with the enemy.             His headset clicked and the orders came in.  Attack without prejudice, Attack ASAP (as soon as possible) and hold your position until further orders come in.  Smitty looked to his left and to his right and his boys were ready. They knew that the orders were in and they had been itching for this battle all day.  They were poised to fire upon the enemy.  As Smitty reloaded his rifle and raised it to his shoulder, the ever presence of both fear and elation were with him.  He loved the thrill and adrenaline rush from the battle and yet he was fearful for his men.  He had buried too many of his brothers in arms.             Smitty looked down the barrel of his rifle and his aim rested upon an enemy soldier carrying a box of ammunition. As he squeezed the trigger he felt the recoil of the rifle and all hell broke loose. Twenty-one rifles opened up on the enemy cutting them to pieces. The ten rifles to the right of Smitty took out the enemy position in the back of the supply truck.  The ten rifles on the left of Smitty took out the enemy that were loading the supplies into backpacks.  The enemy tried to fire back but it was in vain, they were caught by surprise and were unprepared to fight back.  Most of the enemies guns were leaning up against the trucks that they were just unloading before they were attacked.             As the last of the enemy were being dealt with, Smitty slowly began to advance on the enemy position.  He could smell the cordite from the M-1s and also he could taste the sweat that was rolling down his face into his mouth. He was weary of hidden enemy as well as hidden mines. As he took a step his foot came down on something that made a metallic clink.  Frozen in place, Smitty knew that he had just stepped onto a mine that the enemy had set up earlier that day. Smitty called for the bomb expert.  Boomer as he was known cautiously came up to examine what was under Smitty’s foot.  As Boomer carefully dug around Smitty’s foot, his M3 trench knife came in contact with a metallic object.  Boomer dug away some of the dirt and revealed it as an S-mine or a Bouncing Betty.  Boomer took a small eighth inch bolt out of his bag and inserted it where the pin used to be making it safe to handle and also safe for Smitty to move his foot.              As Smitty removed his foot from the landmine, he fished a Lucky Strike cigarette from his left shirt pocket and put one in his mouth and lit up. Walking closer to the enemy’s position he could hear a soft moaning under the supply truck.  Pulling is Browning M1911 out of the holster he approached the truck cautiously.  As he approached the truck Smitty could see a set of legs poking out from underneath the truck.  The wounded enemy could see Smitty walking towards him and in the last act of desperation the enemy raised his Machinenpistole 38, but Smitty put a .45 caliber bullet between the eyes of the young enemy warrior.  Smitty sighed deeply; he had cheated death for now.  Looking over their handy work Smitty’s boys had dispatched thirty-one enemy soldiers and captured enough guns, ammo, and supplies to sustain a battalion for two months. 

The Clearing

The rustling of the leaves breaks the silence of the cold night.  The light of the cigarette can be seen from the other side of the clearing. The smell of fear and death was in the air.  The Sergeant of C platoon orders his men out into the expanse.  As the soldiers move out across the opening in the forest, the enemy opens up with a heavy machine gun.  The men hit the ground and began to search for cover.  The sergeant begins to shout orders to his men.  Some of the men have been hit by enemy fire.  Others shoot back into the darkness trying to hit the machine gun that wounded their friends. The enemy opens up with a second and then a third heavy machine gun. The sounds of the dying and wounded filled the cold night air.  The Sergeant orders the men of C platoon to pull back into the safety of the trees.  As the medics tend to the wounded they try their best to squelch the wounded. The medics told the men they would be fine, and that the Sergeant would give them all out of here alive.  The Sergeant looks out of over his men.  Eight men are dead and thirteen are wounded.   The Sergeant’s orders were to take this clearing and hold it until relieved.   The Sergeant orders the remaining men to gather together.  The Sergeant orders Corporal to take ten men and circle around the clearing and to out flank the enemy from the north.  The Sergeant would take the other ten men and would go around the other side of the clearing and attack from the south. 

            As the Corporal and his men approach from the north they can see the enemy through the trees. The Corporal and his men crouched behind some boulders about twenty-five meters away from the enemy.  There is about nine of them from what the Corporal can see.  There are three men per heavy machine gun.  As the Sergeant is getting his men ready for battle the Corporal pulls the pin on the hand grenade he is holding and he and his men open fire on the enemy.  The Corporal throws the grenade into the first heavy machine gun position killing all three of the enemy.  The Sergeant and his men open fire on the third heavy machine gun position killing all three men with a volley of bullets from their M-1 carbines.  The second position manages to get off a few rounds towards the Sergeants group but the Corporals men acted fast and cut the enemy down with a grenade blast and finished off any wounded enemy soldiers with a hailstorm of bullets. 

Just Some Thoughts

When Starla and I moved to Buhl (Buhler, Buhler, Ferris Buhler) Idaho we got involved with our local LDS ward.  Within a couple of weeks we were asked to fulfill some callings within that ward.  I was asked to help in the Deacons as the Deacon's Quorum Adviser.  As an adviser it usually means that you are involved in Boy Scouts as well.  I was asked to be an Assistant Scoutmaster.  So with that calling of an Asst Scoutmaster you have to take all the training that the Scouting program offers.  Because of the recent lawsuits against the Boy Scouts of America they require that all adults get trained in various categories.  Such as Youth Protection,  Fast Start, Hazard Weather and more.  The PhD in the Adult training is Wood badge.  I attended Wood badge this year.  I will have to say that it was a lot of fun and I learned a lot.  I had an amazing troop guide by the name of Amy Sites.  She was awesome, she taught a lot and I learned a lot from her.  Linda Ellis and staff did an amazing job putting this on for us.  And the food was awesome  I think I put about ten pounds.  The main part of Wood Badge is that you need to set some tickets(goals) for yourself and for your troop that you can achieve within eighteen months.  I have my work cut for me but I know I can do it. 

This past weekend was the Wynn family reunion.  This year Jeff Stratten was in charge of putting it on.  We all went down to Bear Lake. Our tradition is to get together and camp for a weekend. On Friday night we have a potluck dinner and then a campfire is afterward.  Saturday we usually just sit around and shoot the bull and talk about what we have been doing for the past year. And we also share stories about each other and those that have past on before us.  Saturday night we have what we call Kid's Night.  We have games for them to play and give them all various prizes for things that they done.  Afterwards we have another campfire and again we sit back and share stories from the past.  On Sunday we have the big family luncheon and afterwards we have an Family auction.  We do the auction so we can continue to have our family reunions.  We auction of things that have been made by us or things that have sentimental value to us.  Through out these three days we are doing things that we enjoy.  A lot of the kids like to swim and a lot of the adults like to sit around shooting the breeze.  We have been doing this for the past 32 years. From 1979 to 2011.  The Wynn family started out as two beautiful souls and it has grown to over 200 members.  We are a great family and I look forward to going every year.  This year was a bit sparse.  But I hope that people can come next year and keep coming after that especially the younger generations.

Memories of my Dad

I was watching YouTube today.  I came across Brad Paisleys video of Water.  As I was watching Bill Dance and some of his things that he did in the video I am reminded of some of the things that my Dad did. 

My Dad loved to fish.  Matter of fact that is what he was doing when he died.  At least he went out doing something he loved.  When I was really little I remember my Dad was fishing at a little lake called Crane Falls.  My Dad started to cast out his line and not only did he cast out his line but he also casted himself out as well.  If I remember right he and Mr. Miller Lite were getting well acquainted that day.  I also remember about a year before he died we were working on my truck.  The transmission had gone out in it, he needed a tool handed to him.  As I was handing the closed ended wrench to him I dropped it before he could grab it and it landed on his head.  I was laughing and he was cussing. LOL.  I remember he used to love to tinker on stuff out in the shop we had on the property I grew up on.  My Dad was a collector we had an acre and a half full of crap and I mean crap.  When I left on my mission he had at least 15 cars in the back acre.  And not one of them worked.  He was a true redneck.  He tried to build a trike before he died.  Some of the stuff we found amongst his stuff was drawings on the "perfect" trike.  To me it looked like an monstrosity. 
Its coming up on 6 years since he died.  I miss him.  I was going through some old emails on an yahoo account that I forgot about.  I also found an old blog that I had also forgot about.  The blog was done during the time my Dad had died and I read the blog that I had posted on the day he died and I remembered all the family that friends that were there.  And what a good time we had before and after the funeral.  On my Dad side of the family the only time we get together is when we bury someone.  So we try to have a good time while we are together.  Hell my Dad wanted a wake.  So we gave him one.  It was a bar in Mountain Home called Jerry's.  I watched my Mom's 91 year old mother have a beer in honor of my Dad it was awesome.  Although my Mom didn't like it but it was great.   He died too young he was only 61.