Guardian Angels and Near Death Experiences

Near Death Experiences

Today was meant to be the first of many beautiful days. I was done with summer school and looking forward to working full-time with SDI Properties. However, earlier this summer I realized that I was about to get more than I bargained for. During a staff meeting I was sent down to our warehouse to receive some pallets of dinnerware arriving from Toronto, Canada. As I arrived at the warehouse I called the driver of the soon to arrive semi. Yapoo didn't speak much English and refused to work with me or even pull his semi around to our warehouse door. After battling with him finally I decided that I best just meet his unreasonable requests and I went on the search for anyone around who could lower the four pallets off the semi. Eventually after a struggle the pallets were safely in the parking lot. From here the battle only grew more intense. . . you see our storage unit is in the basement of a strip mall that is only accessible by scaling down a 40 degree 60 yard hill to the bottom. After being told by my supervisors to just hang tight and wait I decided that given my past experience moving around ice pallets. . . I would save everyone the trouble and challenge the hill. I mean what could be the worst that could happen? So off I went dragging the pallet around the corner, then slowly being sure to stop the pallet every step or so I scaled down in reverse with the 1600 pound pallet loaded up with expensive stoneware weighing down on me.

Eventually I started to remember that ever so important principle of gravity. My slow walk turned into a steady walk, then to a reverse jog, and then into a uncontrollable back peddle. Then in my mind a moment of decision - do I stay behind this pallet and risk being crushed by the pallet and the nearing cement wall and chainlink fence? Or do I bail and run a very high risk of breaking $1,500 worth of high end material. Before I knew it my mind was made up for me - BAIL or be crushed. As I got out of the way the moment suddenly became slow motion as I watched the pallet travel the last 15 yards out of control I could only wait for the consequences of my decision. Shortly thereafter the pallet slammed squarely into the cement and fence bending the fence back but then the miracle- silence.

Guardian Angels

In hindsight there is much that I can not explain. 1) I have never known the wheels on a pallet jack to stay straight without someone holding it 2) There was a semi coming from the back to round the corner and leave the strip mall - 15 seconds later the pallet would of been the new hood ornament for a Kenworth Semi 3) Without the 6 inch cement wall the wheels wouldn't of stopped and the pallet would of barreled through the fence (given it did bend it pretty good) 4) How did I get out of the way? Think about it, how "lucky" to be able to get out of the way, the result of me being caught would be nothing short then a few broken bones or worse.

In the end I figure I could make the "dumbest people video list" on Youtube, but still can't understand why I spared major expense, injury, and all the possible outcomes to the scenario. So the morale of the story - Don't Do Dumb Things - And if you do hope you are living your life right (atleast right enough to avoid major disaster).

National Siblings Day

Today it came to our attention that June 16th is National Siblings Day, a day in which everyone is supposed to take a minute or two out of their lives to reconnect with family. So I hope you all feel reconnected now, because I sure do. In other news we are making a post on a Monday which is a big breakthrough for us. Also, tomorrow may shape up to be the first day in months where one of us is not sick. (knock on wood) My little round of food poisoning and random fevers seem to coming to a close and now for the rest of the week all I have to worry about is a few finals.
Now I am rambling, sorry about that. Happy National Siblings Day to all! And Ma Bradshaw, enjoy the trip to Canada.

Remembering the Farm

A couple of weeks ago our Family Home Evening group had a special assignment. Load all the sheep behind the Floyd home into the back of a pickup truck and haul them down the road. This was an especially exciting task for me as there is rarely anything more exciting to me then the opportunity to do any sort of farm activity be it driving a tractor, riding a horse, or heaving small animals into the back of a pickup (even if it may not be the most conventional way of moving sheep). Also this marked one of those firsts for Eric Larkin who comes from Las Vegas and I believe this was his first real hands on experience with farm animals. In the end there were only minor bumps and bruises as we loaded the all the sheep and walked away feeling tougher then we did an hour previous.

Kim's Birthday Party

On Sunday Kim turned 22, I know I know now she is old. We figured a few pictures couldn't hurt. And yes this is pretty much the first time we have taken pictures since we have been married.

The Power of Love

Lately I have had the opportunity to ponder upon the strengths of families and true friends. Being called to serve where I am and living in the ward in which we do I have been able to see firsthand much more of the influence of friends and families in the lives of young people. As I look back on the family that I grew up in, the family I married into, and the friends that I have been blessed to have surround me I can't help but feel blessed for the power of love. Through small and simple moments in our lives, we are molded into the sons and daughters of God that we were sent here to be. A wise man once told me that we dream our lives in grand gestures, but live our lives in small moments. . . How grateful I am for the small moments of love and teaching that has shaped me into someone who realizes he has a long way to go but the God given potential to bring forth miracles in the lives of others. So thank you.

I do realize that blogs are meant to keep all of you up to speed with the changes in our lives, but I figure Kim will update on changes and I can use this to share the insights that would be best placed in a journal, but our lives is an open book, so go ahead. . . keep reading.

Coming over the Hump

This week I think that I can finally say that I have come over the hump of being sick (knock on wood). It only took 20 weeks but hey at least it didn't last 40. I feel like I can actually do and eat whatever I want without having to worry about losing it. It's a great feeling. I go to the perinatologist today and hopefully he will have some new insight as to whether this baby is really a girl or not. If not I guess we will just keep saying it's a girl and maybe we'll be surprised by a boy.