To Brian, the new husband . . .

I have never known a better man than Brian B. We grew up together in the old Cherry Hill First Ward. He taught me how to lick batteries to see if they still had any charge. We wrote love notes to girls in our kindergarten class together. For that matter, I wouldn't even leave my mother's side to go to kindergarten for the first time until I saw that Brian was in the room. We learned Spanish together, played soccer together, built robots together, and wasted away afternoons playing more games of Tic-Tac-Toe than really seems reasonable. It was a dark day when Brian's family moved to another part of Orem. When my family moved to north Orem, the only thing that dried up my 10-year-old tears was when my father measured the distance from our old house to Brian's and from our new house to Brian's, providing incontrovertible evidence that our new home would be closer to Brian's than our old one. We finished elementary school together and continued to share our lunch-time pretzels through junior high.
I was at Brian's baptism, his mission farewell, and he was there when I returned home. He has always shown me what it means to live what I believe- to live my testimony. He is the most kind-hearted, genuine, loving man you could know. When Jenny and I were married Brian was a whirlwind of service. It seemed like he worked from dawn till midnight without ever being asked to do anything. I have always known Brian would be there to help if I ever needed anything- without his help we never would have accomplished our move from Provo to Pleasant Grove.


It was a great honor this past weekend to fly out to Utah and join Brian for his sealing. It's been a while since we had much of a chance to be together, bit I wasn't suprised I cried through his sealing (didn't pack a handkerchief . . .). As busy as the day was, Brian was most concerned that Jenny was taken care of, pregnant as she is. Like I said, you will never know a better man than Brian. I love him like a brother. Congratulations, Brian, on finding a wife that meets and exceeds your own stature!

The things I love about beautiful Oregon

I recently decided to make a list of all the things I like about living in Oregon. I have lived in Utah my whole life and I was very nervous I couldn't love any other place in the world. Although I do miss Utah more than I can express (mostly the people) there are many good things about Oregon. Here is the beginning of the list:

• Fall is lasting so long (the colors are amazingly vibrant!)
• It is BEAUTIFUL
• The beach is just an hour away
• You pay no taxes when you purchase stuff (how cool is that?!?!?)
• You drive two minutes and you are in scenic, peaceful country
• We have missionaries over for dinner (in our home!!)
• The bulk section at WinCo has every type of food you can imagine
  
• Goodwill is the best (kind of like DI)
• Missionary opportunities are all around
• Gas is cheap ($2.37 last time I checked)
• My skin is soft (that one is for you Kaitlin N.)
• We have a great ward
  
• The people are so nice
• Most of all, Andrew is with me!!
• I love Oregon!!
  

Days like this make life worth living . . .

This last Saturday was the culmination of a great experience for us. Shortly after moving to Oregon we made friends with Alwyn Hites-Clabaugh. I met him in Sunday School and it turned out that it was his first time at church in Forest Grove. He had been introduced to the Church briefly in Alaska where he had been working for the summer and had made some good friends, so he decided when he came home he would check out the ward in Oregon. Alwyn came to all but one session of General Conference with us and was really blown away by the power of the prophets' words. As is often the case with most of us, his questions were answered by the words of living apostles and he was left almost speechless. Alwyn was taught by two wonderful sister missionaries in our home, Sister Thompson and Sister Marsh.

During this process Alwyn decided he would be moving to Colorado to work the ski season and would be leaving the beginning of November. We were sad we probably wouldn't get to see his baptism, but were excited about his growth and that he would have member friends in Colorado with him. The Sunday before he left we had a regional conference with messages from President Uchtdorf, Elder Perry and others. Alwyn was very moved by this conference as well and mentioned to the sisters that he wished there was some way he could finish all the lessons before he left that coming Saturday . . . so we had lessons at our house almost every day last week! I baptized Alwyn Saturday morning and he was confirmed by Bro. Matiaco, the father of some of Alwyn's old friends. The Spirit at the baptism was powerful. Alwyn takes very seriously the covenants he has made. He is full of love and has a great desire to be pure and righteous. It has been an inspiration to be around him and be taught by his example. He left to drive to Colorado immediately after the baptism, but we look forward to when he comes home to Forest Grove to visit.

An Emotional Night for BYU Football . . .

So last night was an important night for me: every other Friday is test day. It takes 90% to pass, so Thursday is a big study night. However, last night was important for a bigger reason: it was the only BYU football game broadcast in Oregon this year (at least that I had access to watch). For a fan that has been relegated to radio broadcasts of some of BYU's greatest football in history, this was a pretty big deal.

Well, the outcome of the game is no secret. It was a crushing blow to my confidence before my test. If BYU can lose, anything can happen! I felt horrible for the players. I know they work hard, but I can only imagine what a disappointment it must be. Luckily, I read the USAToday article on BYU football the day before the game. If you haven't read it, I've included the link at the bottom of the page. It's a must-read, even if you're not a football fan, or a BYU fan. Here's a quote that helps keep football in perspective:

"Soon after becoming head coach of a beleaguered Brigham Young football team four years ago, Bronco Mendenhall took his players to the top of the mountain east of campus where a giant, white Y rests above BYU, nestled in the valley below.

Mendenhall pointed out how relatively small the Cougars stadium appeared among the community that surrounds it.

"It was to gain perspective, not only in looking from the top down, but to see possibly where football really fits into this whole thing," Mendenhall says. "It's not very big."

. . . Playing in a BCS bowl game would be big, of course, but just a part of the big picture at BYU.

The team at Mormon-church-sponsored BYU, whose coach encourages the players to keep football fifth on their priority list — behind, in order, faith, family, knowledge and friends — is playing so well it is the midseason favorite to represent non-BCS schools in a big-money bowl.

. . . This season Mendenhall introduced a team slogan, "Quest for Perfection," pulled directly from BYU's mission statement. He knew it would be perceived as a brash grab for an undefeated season.

"This idea is … a philosophy of what we're trying to accomplish in general," he says. "It doesn't mean that if we lose a game or when we lose a game people won't then jump on and say the quest is over. Because they will. But they've missed the point."

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/mwest/2008-10-13-byu-cover_N.htm

So life isn't over. I passed my test with flying colors and BYU is still 6-1. And if we keep at it, I and every player on the BYU football team will be a better person tomorrow than today- even if we lose a football game or fail a test.

Forest Grove Chalk Art Festival

The city we live in is quite different from any we have called home before: only a little more than 20,000 people, lots of farm land, and an annual Sidewalk Chalk Art Festival. Every sidewalk square downtown is partitioned out to anyone from the community that wants to participate. Everyone comes together on the same day and decorates their square. I didn't get to draw my Angel Moroni because we found out about it a little too late, but it was pretty cool to walk the streets and see what people can do with sidewalk chalk.


These pictures are all about a week after the actual festival. It's pretty amazing how well the art stood up for that week, even through a good rainstorm. Maybe there is some sort of special chalk they use for serious sidewalk artists . . .The Chick-fil-a cows are clever, but the chickens are starting to learn a few tricks of their own.
Politics in Oregon is a little different than Utah. Here a couple of examples: 1) a 4'x8' McCain poster in someone's yard received a molotov cocktail to the face this weekend 2) the small town to the north of us did not have any candidates for mayor this year- whoever has their name written in the most will hopefully feel a patriotic duty to serve. Maybe Spongebob is not too far off?!
In case you haven't heard, these guys are making a comeback. New CD, live concerts, and the opportunity for thousands of screaming thirty-somethings to relive the advent of the Boy Band Era. I wonder if my nephew Damian would like their music . . .

If you are ever looking for a good movie, we've got one for you. This has been a favorite for a while, but we recently watched it again and were reinspired. Amazing Grace portrays the story of William Wilberforce, a member of the British parliament who devoted his life to the abolition of slavery in the British Empire during the 18th century. It is a story that will remind you that God knows his children and raises up great men through whom He works to bless their lives. You can see the trailer at http://www.amazinggracemovie.com/.

Jenny and I are pretty picky about the entertainment we subjet ourselves to, but this one is well worth your time. Simply because of the subject matter, I would watch it yourself before you watch it with children.

It's a . . .

I know this is already stunningly obvious from the works of art above, but we are having a GIRL! Say your first greetings to Bertha "Crusher" Rudolph (can you put nicknames like that on a birth certificate? I guess it wouldn't really be a nickname after that . . .). I know it's not the most romantic of names, but at least no one would dare to pick on her on the playground. I guess I should also mention that this name hasn't quite made it past the Rudolph household censors, so we'll just have to wait and see. Regardless, we are very excited. Jenny's looking forward to pretty dresses and pigtails, while I am looking forward to being a shotgun-toting protective father. I don't actually own a shotgun, but my friend at school that has four daughters highly recommended it. Soon after the birth we will be releasing applications for prospective suitors, so if you know an eligible male in the 0-5 age range, you might consider if he would be a good fit to join our family (if you're a Jane Austen fan and you're expecting a large dowry, think again- we've got school loans to deal with).

Oregon's Best Fast Food- In Our Freezer!

Mmmmm . . . if you are lucky enough to have eaten at a Chick-fil-a, your mouth is probably watering right now. Jenny and I each worked there for many years- me for five and she for three. We met there, fell in love there, and even got engaged there- yes, in the kitchen (how romantic . . .) Anyway, I remember once at work I got a phone call from someone in Las Vegas asking where we were located. It took a little explaining before she realized we were six hours away, but she persisted by asking if we could FedEx it. No can do . . .

Well, Jenny and I now find ourselves in a similar situation. The nearest Chick-fil-a is hundreds of miles away and we are left with no way to feed our addiction . . . NOT! We cleverly planned ahead and brought 200 nuggets and a whole bunch of breakfast biscuits with us, all securely packed with dry ice to maintain freshness! My friends at school who just moved here from the South are seriously jealous, but I am a sharing man. It's a pretty cool feeling to sit down to some Chick-fil-a knowing that we are very likely the only people in the entire state of Oregon that are eating it for dinner.

So, for those of you who are within driving distance, don't take CFA for granted- you never know when you might lose it. And don't forget to keep up to date with their promotions on their website- they often give away free meals if you just keep your eyes posted!

Cannon Beach

On Labor Day we went to Cannon Beach. It is only about 1 hour away from where we live. It was beautiful and unexpectedly warm. People were actually out in the ocean swimming! Some people were riding beautiful horses along the ocean shore. This picture is Andrew contemplating the meaning of life as he strolls down the beach.




On the way to the beach the drive is fabulous!! You have never seen so many beautiful green trees in your life. The landscape here in Oregon is unbeatable. When we were driving we saw a sign for a restaurant called "Joe's" that serves clam chowder, an indulgence Andrew rarely receives because Jenny hates fish in any type or form. When we got to Cannon Beach we just happened by chance to take the right exit and park directly next to "Joe's". After our walk on the beach we decided to give the seafood (yuck!) restaurant a try. Andrew did get his clam chowder but Jenny got chicken. This picture is the booth we sat at while we ate. Pretty cool view huh?!

Our baby!!

Can you tell we are first timers at this parenting thing! We're SO proud. This ultrasound picture was taken at 13 weeks. Isn't he/she cute! Okay, maybe not cute, but at least human and living! At one point during the ultrasound the baby decided to stand on its head so they couldn't see what they were looking for. Luckily, it moved back to a suitable position and the doc said everything looked great! In the bottom picture you can see a black spot in the baby's abdomen. That is the stomach filled with amniotic fluid. At this point you can't tell the gender, but in about a month we will find out! How exciting!

White Coat Ceremony

Today was a great milestone for the Rudolph family- the Pacific University School of Pharmacy White Coat Ceremony. Most people don't even know that the Doctor of Pharmacy degree exists, but you better learn! It's the wave of the future!


This ceremony involved a symbolic coating of all 96 incoming students in the Class of 2011. This is required before classes start because we will be working in nearby pharmacies starting in about two weeks. Following the coating we all took a pledge not to kill anyone or break anyone's trust- good stuff.


Jenny has made fun of this idea since she heard about it, but she softened up as she learned what a proud moment it would be. And so it was . . .

And here's the happy couple . . .

Cody Vacation

Our vacation this summer took us to Cody, Wyoming. My dad and his family are from northwest Wyoming, so it was great to visit many of them and get a primer on the family history. Rather than post pictures of historical documents, I decided to share a few samples of some of the more ocularly spectacular portions of our trip. Cody is located just about 50 miles outside of Yellowstone's east gate. This is the Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Even though Cody is gateway to the east side of Yellowstone, we drove the long way and entered by the northeast gate. Going from Cody, this requires you to drive over Dead Indian Pass. This is the route taken by Chief Joseph in his effort to escape the U.S. Cavalry. My dad will tell you this is the most spectacular view in the world, and I could not disagree. Pictures, obviously, cannot do it justice. It would take eight or nine put together in a panoramic to even capture the size of the view, but nothing can compare to cresting the pass actually seeing it.


Down the other side of the pass you don't travel far before coming in sight of Index Peak. No, we didn't have time to summit it, but the view looking up is still inspiring.
Jenny's favorite part was her attempt to make a snow angel the first week of July. This is quite a novelty enjoyed by those who venture to the mountains in the summer.
I have been in a lot of outhouses in my day, but this is by far the world's cleanest. It is much cleaner than my bathroom at home- and it smells better too! Either it was brand new or the campground manager is Giselle from Enchanted. We were only passing through, but it was so nice that I wanted to stick around and give it another go! I hope you all have the opportunity someday to come across an outhouse such as this . . .