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!