99 Things

Here's how it works: Bold all the things that you have done in your life.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (you can't anymore...)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (if you count rapelling)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been an actor or extra in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason(for my wife)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Book of Mormon
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (well, I did my part)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Success and failure

So I blew it. Well, maybe not blew it, per se. Almost made it. I needed a 7 or higher to pass the final exam to get my QKA certification...and I got a 6. Almost makes me wish I'd never come close, like gotten a 3. But to come close and fail, that was a kick to the stomach. But I know now what I didn't know a few hours ago (meaning I know which things I didn't know, not that I know all about them). But yeah. Hopefully I'll get another shot at this when the next testing window comes around next spring, and even more hopefully, that I don't need to get another textbook. But even if I do, I have a better idea of what I need to study, and what I need to do to make time to study, even with a lovely wife, 2 great (if occasionally noisy) kids, a busy church calling, and a home that constantly needs tending.

Speaking of home, I had a minor success here tonight. Lisa's out at Relief Society Enrichment, so it was just me and the kids. I got them fed, played around with them for a bit, got Asher through a bath, got Leah to fall asleep in record time, had a great time reading Ash's alphabet book with him, listened to him say his prayers (he's actually saying his own now, even if it's just hello-thanks-amen) and laid him down, all by 8:15. When I came downstairs, I couldn't help but feel pretty good about the good evening I'd just had with my kids. And that's when it hit me - to paraphrase Harold B. Lee, no worldly failure can negate success in the home. It didn't matter to my kids that I failed my test. As long as I was where they needed me to be, that's all that mattered. And, when it all comes down to it, that's all that really mattered at all. Thanks Asher and Leah for teaching your old man something. :)

6 Random Things

Normally I don't post twice in the same day, but I got tagged reading a friend's blog. So here's 6 random things:

1. I've always wondered (since high school at least) if the whole 'coochie coochie coo' thing with babies comes from the fact that the Japanese word for mouth is kuchi (coochie)

2. Somewhere on this earth, there is a woman giving birth every three seconds. She must be found and stopped.

3. This guy is awesome ---------------------->

4. I spend WAY too much time on Facebook, I know that, but it's fun. You meet really cool people, get into interesting dicussions, and get to tell people about stuff you read on a 'social networking site' instead of crummy old Myspace.

5. I love looking at old documents - black and white family photos, ship passenger lists, census records, anything - that my ancestors appear in. It helps feel connected to them, and realize that they were real, living people, doing the same thing I'm doing - just living.

6. In a fight between Megatron and Gandalf, Megatron would win hands down. I mean, yeah, Gandalf has powerful magic and took on a Balrog, but I doubt magic could withstand a blast of concentrated energy from a fusion cannon.

7. I tag anyone reading this blog. You're it!!

Suffering

We were taught in priesthood/relief society a week or two ago from the Joseph Smith manual that suffering prepares us for the celestial kingdom. I got to thinking, if heaven is a place of peace, rest, and happiness, how would experiencing suffering and pain prepare me for that? I had two thoughts on it -
1. Suffering keeps us humble. It teaches/reminds us that we need God and each other to get through this life, that we can't make it home on our own steam.
2. It's part of the opposition of all things. The suffering we experience, and see others go through, shows us how precious life is, how rare true happiness is, and how great and plentiful our blessings really are. I mean, how often do I thank God for my health? Usually right after I get over a cold or flu or something, but then it slips my mind until I get sick again. Or for my home, or a fully functioning body, or even my family? I hate to say it, but it's probably my suffering that keeps me on the straight and narrow.

I hope someday to get to the point where I'll just stay on the path back home, without having to be dragged back on track kicking and screaming.

Where does the time go?

Can you believe it? My little girl is 4 weeks old today!! On Friday, she'll be a month! I still feel like she just came home yesterday. We had a minor miracle with her this week - she slept for 6 1/2 hours! I actually got to sleep from midnight till 6:30 without waking up once. Of course, the next night she woke up at 3, and last night she woke up at 2, but still! We're getting there. I still feel amazed and a little in disbelief that she's actually my child. I'm still trying to find that magic balance between family, work, church, and recreation, though that'll probably continue for the rest of my life at this rate. :)

Leah is here!!

Ok, I'm gonna try and post pictures of my beautiful little girl here. Wish me luck!



Let me know if this works and you can see them!

May I have your attention please!

I am pleased to announce the birth of the newest member of the Gibson family: Leah Michelle Gibson! She was born at 10:29 pm, September 3, 2008, weighing 8 lbs 5.6 oz, was 20 1/2 inches long, and looks beautiful! She has a head full of light brown hair and dark blue eyes. I've never posted a picture to my blog, so I'll try and figure out how to do that in the next couple days (I'll be off work until next Wednesday so I'll hopefully have the time, in between feedings and diaper changes, and taking care of Asher). Both mommy and baby are doing great, and we expect to head home sometime tomorrow. The birth went perfectly, and she is adjusting to life outside the womb very quickly. She only cries when she needs a diaper changed or wants to eat (both of which she has done plenty of in the last 12 hours!) and is just a quiet, peaceful little girl. Thanks to everyone who's offered congratulations and prayers for us, they are very much appreciated. I'm very excited to show off our cute little girl, so be prepared to be bombarded with pictures and stories about how great and cute she is!