.

D Todd Christofferson

2010-04-18T18:27:00.002-08:00

Tonight I felt like God had a personal chat with me. Listening to Elder Christofferson, I heard what my Heavenly Father has been trying to tell me.

2010-03-27T12:43:00.002-08:00

I don't exactly remember the date, but it was at the end of October/beginning of November. I was at home alone and was walking from the kitchen to my room. Suddenly I heard a voice that said, "Sell your truck". It was so real, I forgot for a moment that I was home by myself. I loved my Tacoma. It was a type of consolation prize to me for being single and not having a family. In other words, it meant a lot to me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I put the truck on craigslist and within a week I had a buyer. As soon as the reality of selling it came to pass, I felt like I needed to panic.
I left for my winter break and bought a ford escort wagon for $800, all the extra money I had in my bank account. That car ran when it shouldn't have. I continually had to add transmission fluid and oil. It didn't have an engine heater, so I was never able to plug it in to keep the fluids moving. It had a rigged heater, with a crazy connection to the battery. The dash lights didn't work, but that didn't matter cuz the speedometer didn't work. The radio would intermittently change channels or change volume all on its own. The seat belts didn't work properly, and the interior stunk like yucky dog and cigarettes. It wouldn't pass emissions, but it didn't matter cuz I could register it in Healy, where it's not required.
At the time I was selling the truck, I had about 15K left on it. My credit card debt had swelled to 17K. In total, I had more debt than I had assets and had nothing to show for it. I wasn't just arbitrarily spending money all of the time--(yes sometimes that was the case), but more of the debt came from trying to figure out life and where to live and when to go to school after mom and dad died. I take full responsibility for it, I should have been living differently. Anyway, after I had the burden of the truck taken care of, I started to put that truck payment toward my debt. If I got extra money from the dividend, tax refund, etc, it went toward the debt. Yesterday at 1:18PM Alaska Standard Time, I paid the last penny off on my debt. I am free. I am free because God spoke in 2007 and fortunately that time I was not only listening, but I acted. Thanks be to God for seeing ahead in my future and preparing me for it.

My Boys

2010-03-08T22:14:00.002-09:00

Clay went to visit Jennifer and her family. I sure wish I could have been there! Here is one of my favorite pictures Jennifer sent me. Bennie with his Uncle Clay. I am so lucky to have them in my life.

Living in the Middle of Nowhere

2010-03-06T19:23:00.002-09:00

When I made the decision last fall to stay in Healy, Alaska (according to the Census Bureau, the measure square mileage of 669.1 miles and population 971, thanks Wikipedia!), I was scared. Well, not at first. I thought it would be exciting to do something different. Before I spent an entire winter in Alaska, I thought it was gonna be so hard, so trying, so desperately arduous that I might not survive. Then in 2006, I took the plunge and stayed. Really out of necessity to my job moving to full-time status rather than seasonal.
It really wasn't different. The only hard part that I had to prevail through was long-stretching periods of darkness. I was still able to go to Wal-Mart, pick through racks at thrift stores, watch movies, and went out to dinner. It snowed and I had to shovel. No biggie. I did that in Kansas growing up.
Anyway, back to fall 2009, I longed for something different. I was tired of picking up all of my stuff and moving into a temporary place. So I asked to stay at employee housing in Healy. When people found out I was staying, I would get all kinds of responses, but essentially they all meant the same thing. It was like they were shouting, "YOU ARE NUTS". The big joke was that I was gonna grow a beard.
Well, I can say that I have successfully made it to March. I haven't gone nuts. I have learned how to ration milk and stock up when I can. I learned to take a cooler with me to town for groceries and to pack a bag with food and extra clothes in case I get stranded. I learned to not forget to plug in my truck and to not take my truck out of 4 wheel drive, as it could freeze in 2 wheel drive! I learned that 40 below for weeks straight is tough, but I am tougher. Just bundle up before you go!
More importantly I have learned that you don't need much of anything to survive and be happy. When you have the scriptures, a place to meet with the Saints and the opportunity to get a blessing now and again, then you have it all. The only thing that is missing is someone to share that with. Maybe someday. Until now, I am working on learning how to be happy with what I have got.

A daughter

2010-03-03T21:59:00.000-09:00

Two times in three nights. I have dreamt about having a daughter. So real and vivid, I almost looked for her when I woke up. Then I felt sad when I realized it wasn't true.

Seminary and Institute

2010-02-27T23:16:00.001-09:00

So, I know a lot of people don't follow my blog, but if there is anyone reading, I would appreciate some feedback. There is a question that has been brought into my life and I don't have a good answer for it. I just accept it at face value.

Why is there a grade given to high school kids in LDS Seminary?

Any and all insight would be greatly appreciated.

Jim, My Friend

2010-02-06T18:59:00.003-09:00

People come and go out of our lives--it is the nature of living. It is more rare for people to go out of our lives prematurely, before we are ready for them to leave. Today was the memorial for my friend Jim Sheehan. He passed away in December while living in Hawaii. I didn't find out until two weeks ago, when I stumbled upon his obituary on the internet. Jim was my driver for 5 years and friend forever. May his family find solace and the peace only Heavenly Father can offer. I will always remember Jim as a quiet, strong individual.

Current Events at Cari's House

2009-12-19T06:14:00.002-09:00

Jennifer and Jason died together. I'm not sure how, but to my utter shock and surprise, they named me guardian of my five nieces and nephews. The first night together, as I was trying to get things arranged to get them home, we tried to stay at a Marriott. But the Marriott wouldn't allow more than 4 kids in one room. I decided to step out to try to figure things out. I wanted to pray, but my nephew Taylor started grumbling about something. That got my sister-in-law off track and distracted. I said, "Can you guys please just let me finish my prayer?" Then all of the sudden something kicked me really hard in my back. I turned around to find a half man-half horse. I gave chase to him and he ran into the Marriott. I went to open the door and his gigantic claws, made of razor blades sunk into the soft skin on the backs of my hands. I didn't know if Donna had seen me give chase, but I tried to scream out. With all of my might I couldn't get anything out. And then suddenly, I was ripped from my sleep as I was screaming at the top of my lungs. I sat straight up and broke into a cold sweat. Clay came out of the bedroom (I had fallen asleep on the couch)and wanted to know what in the world was going on. I think I maybe talk in my sleep sometimes, but to my knowledge have never screamed out in a dream. It was all very voodoo weird.

Daisy and the Diaper

2009-11-19T11:45:00.002-09:00

So, Daisy has the cute habit of going potty or pooping every time you take her diaper off. I tried to get some naked pictures of her this morning and we just ended up laughing.

Daisy Lane Shifflet

2009-11-10T13:33:00.003-09:00

Sally, my sweet Sally is a mommy! Daisy Lane Shifflet was born Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at St Mary's Hospital in Pueblo, Colorado. She weighed in at a whopping 7lbs 4oz!! She is 18 inches long. Baby and Momma are doing just fine. Clint is doing fine too!

Babies, Babies, Babies

2009-11-01T09:38:00.002-09:00

This morning, I pulled myself out of my warm, snuggly bed and went straight to the couch and got under another snuggly blanket. When I opened my computer, I saw that I had seven emails. I could see the first line of each of them. My heart picked up pace when I saw "Rob Benson: We have good news! I don't know if this usually implies one thing or another"..... I just knew what it was going to say, so I waited to open it last. Masochistic, I know!! Just as I suspected, Rob and Bek are having a baby in April--And it's a girl!!!
As I sat thinking about it, I realized that even though God hasn't allowed me to have my own, I am so blessed to have so many beautiful babies come into my life. I like to think of myself as the proudest aunt ever!! Maybe if I had my own, I would be distracted so much that I wouldn't be able to love these others as much. I mean, just look at the list: Jayson, Brea, Jerany, Taylor, Wyatt, Camryn, Cole, Ashlee, Andrew, Austin, Gabi, Benson, Brody, Tyson, Sydney, "Frog", Eliza, Ruby, Lucy Daisy, and on and on.
Congrats Rob and Bek!!

Jerany, my beautiful niece, grown up too fast.

2009-10-31T20:14:00.002-08:00

Kent D Watson

2009-10-20T19:38:00.001-08:00

When Jesus Christ, the greatest of all, suffered for us to the extent that He bled from every pore, He did not express anger or revile in suffering. With unsurpassed self-restraint, or temperance, His thoughts were not of Himself but of you and of me. And then, in humility and full of love, He said, “Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.” Oct 09 General Conference

My Brother Clint's View on Obama

2009-10-09T15:54:00.000-08:00

My brother Clint makes a pretty good argument about what our President has done. Read and enjoy.

"I am sorry for America and who we are. I am sorry I am the first half-black president in US history. I am sorry my wife Michelle is proud of her country for the first time in her adult life. I am sorry I cannot get the troops out of Iraq like I promised. I am sorry I increased the national debt by a trillion dollars that your grand kids will have to pay. I am sorry I called a white cop doing his job a racist. I am sorry I keep promoting tax cheats to my cabinet. I am sorry I scared the crap out of New Yorkers with my fly-by stunt to promote me. I am sorry I want to take money from hard working Americans and give it to those who do not work. I am sorry I sat in church with a hate monger for 20 years. I am sorry I had to denounce him to keep my popularity high. I am sorry i am not a good friend to him. I am sorry I cater to my worthless dad's heritage more than I do my white mother's hard working dedicated heritage. I am sorry I lied about my association with ACORN. I am sorry one of my czars called Republicans a-holes. I am sorry my safe schools czar did not report pedophilia and promotes homosexuality. I am sorry I needed to waste time to speak to the children of the schools when it is the parents' job to teach what was said. I am sorry that I had a beer summit to smooth over an overtly racial incident, all the while promoting drinking of alcohol to the children of the world. I am sorry I won't meet with the general of a war that must be fought to support him and our troops. I am sorry for not meeting with the Dalai Lama- he wasn't on my agenda. I am sorry that congress and I wants to act like Robin Hood and rob from the rich to give to the poor. I am sorry that I was chosen for an honor that is more befitting someone who has actually done something. I am sorry I was nominated for the award only 11 days after being sworn into office. I am sorry for bowing to a Saudi King and stating I was only shaking a shorter man's hand. I am sorry that I made Bill Clinton look like a hero by getting journalists released through preplanned negotiations. I am sorry that I go around the world on your dime to promote Me, Me, Me. I am sorry I would not wear an American Flag pennant on my lapel. I am sorry I would not place my hand over my heart during the pledge or the National Anthem. I am sorry I cannot think of anything else to apologize for- but will do so when the chance arises.

Yours truly-

President Barack Obama"

2009-10-08T19:58:00.001-08:00

Military Sacrifices

2009-10-05T23:06:00.002-08:00

In my quaint little Denali world, I am disconnected to the global world. I was reminded of this yesterday when I was comfortably sitting on a plane in seat 9F. I was originally scheduled for 22A, but I requested an open window seat on the F side because it is more comfortable for me to lean to my right rather than my left. Well, while I was sitting there, hopeful that no one else sat on my row, I heard some commotion about a "cripple". I noticed a very nice looking young man coming down the aisle. He was jovial and laughing about being the last one on the plane. As he passed my row 9, I saw that he had a steel leg on his right leg and where his shorts ended on his left leg, there was nothing but air. I felt like I wanted to jump up and hug him, right there.
When we disembarked the plane, there was another young man with two steel legs getting into his wheelchair. I was thankful the flight attendant had said a nice word or two and we all applauded the military personnel on board. When I came down the escalator to baggage claim, I almost tripped over myself. There, at the bottom of the escalator were 20 or so military men, all lined up, at attention to welcome these boys home. I stood at an inconspicuous distance to watch the greeting. I was choked with emotion and filled with gratitude as I witnessed such a sacrifice. But I was bothered as I was left wondering, how can I ever say thank you? Thank you for sacrificing their legs, their freedom, their comforts....for me, the casual enjoyer of their sacrifice.

Boise State Babes

2009-10-05T22:54:00.001-08:00

Brody, Benson, Andrew, Austin and Ashlee
My Cute Nephews and Niece

Courage

2009-09-25T11:43:00.002-08:00

Courage at a crossroad is different that boring everyday courage. Though I profusely lack both kinds, I seem to be at an all-time low of the everyday kind. Because with a stockpile of the everyday kind, the crossroads kind just comes naturally. I lack courage to get on my knees and be humble. I lack the courage to make good food choices. I lack the courage to just accept trials at work when they come. I lack courage to open up to the world. I lack the courage to go to bed on time so that I won't be too tired the next day to exercise. I lack the courage to align my spirit with God so that I can be guilt-free. I lack the courage to figure out school so that I can have a rewarding career, actually helping other people. I lack the courage to write in my journal everyday. I lack the courage to study the scriptures. I lack the courage to be nice to my sister when I go to visit her in Boise. I lack the courage to be patient. I lack the courage to forgive. I lack the courage to not swear. I lack the courage to be active in charity work. Worst of all, I lack the courage to believe I am a Child of God, who loves me. If I could somehow find THAT courage, I think the other things would take care of themselves.

2009-09-23T00:23:00.001-08:00

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

2009-09-22T23:51:00.003-08:00

Denali's First Snowfall of Winter 2009

2009-09-19T21:59:00.003-08:00

On the 14th, I had dinner with Andrew Case at King Salmon. He treated!! After dinner, he said he felt like going for a walk, so we went down to Mountain Works (they are an outdoor store). I bought a cozy wool shirt. On the way back to the truck, I left Daniel a message that said something to the effect of, "Daniel-sir, it is a very clear night. I would like to request your magic to make the Northern Lights come out". When I got home, I was feeling peaceful and docile. I decided I would go out to see if the lights were visible close to 11. I no sooner got past Keith's than I saw bright lights. They were so bright, I thought that they couldn't be THE Northern Lights. I pulled over, turned off my headlights and couldn't believe how magnificent they were! I called Daniel to wake up, but to no avail. I decided I couldn't be the only one to enjoy this phenomena of nature, so I went back to the Stampede and knocked on his door. After the second tap, he got up. He instantly wanted to come see. We woke up Emily to go with us. Once we got out to Eight Mile Lake, we pulled out the chairs, sleeping bag and tripod. We enjoyed the show for well over an hour. The pictures just don't do it justice. But here is a small taste with the Big Dipper hanging out. Look closely or you might miss it!

2009-09-09T21:51:00.001-08:00

It's what I do.

2009-09-06T22:25:00.003-08:00

This little guy kept popping up. The first one I have ever seen. A baby weasel!

Dayne's Birthday

2009-09-04T17:07:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it helps to be friends with the boss. I woke up on Wednesday, picked up a dispatch and saw that it was Dayne's birthday. I also realized he didn't have a day off for the week. So, I searched the dispatch and found someone to fill his spot. I called him and asked him how bad he wanted to work on his birthday. He wasn't exactly keen on it, so I asked him if he wanted to go to the Park with me. His immediate answer was yes! So we raced to the bus and got on the 10AM shuttle. I wish I could describe or take enough pictures to convey just what it looks like right now. The colors are so bright and varied, they appear fake. About two hours into the trip, we saw three dall sheep unusually close to the road. They were beautiful with the bright colors surrounding them. Further down the road, Dayne wanted to go fishing. He checked to see if he got off the bus and I continued on to the turn around, then I could meet up with him. I told him I was scared to hike that far by myself. So, he stayed on the bus with me. Good thing!! When we turned around at Eielson Visitor Center and started back we saw two grizzly bears, right by where we would have gotten off! We took pictures of the bears for over 20 minutes. Beautiful! We continued on and got off at Polychrome Pass to hike out to an Erratic, left there ions ago by a glacier. It took us over an hour and it was a little tough hiking with the squishy tundra and low bushes. We scouted out another route back to the road. This time we had to cross some braided rivers. I put on my chacos and brrrrr. That water is cold! We made it back to the road and only had about a ten minute wait until another bus came. It was a very nice way to spend a day off and to celebrate Dayne's 25th year!

2009-08-30T22:38:00.001-08:00

It rained on Friday and it rained today, Sunday. But yesterday.....Glorious! I went to the Sled Dog grocery store and bought a pack of hot dogs, buns and chips. Laura came down from Fairbanks and bought marshmallows and graham crackers. We loaded up the cars with Moody, Daniel, Andrew, Riley and Kelly and went out to 8 mile lake. We soon had a roaring fire, put hot dogs on a stick and filled out tummies with lots of goodies. When it got dark around 11, the show began. The northern lights gave us a nice show! Daniel had worked on whittling a stick for quite some time. Laura accidentally broke it while we were trying to take a picture. Andrew captured a classic look of uh-oh on my face. We laughed and laughed!! Too bad my picture doesn't convey how awesome the lights were.

Rutting Season

2009-08-30T01:40:00.000-08:00

It's rutting season in Denali Park. You know what that means. Two egotistical male moose fighting for a piece of a female moose. On Thursday, it was a nice evening so I went into the park. The colors were beautiful! That was fulfilling enough for me, but on the way out, we saw lots of cars stopped. That means someone has seen something worth photographing! Sure enough, I climb out of the truck and there is a female moose on one side of the road, another female on the other side with a younger baby. So, I am trying to get that "National Geographic" shot, when all of the sudden, I hear a low, rumbling brrrrrrrrrrrrr. I instantly stood still, thinking the moose was just giving me a warning that I was too close. Then, hear another low, rumbling brrrrrrrrrr. Out of the right peripheral of my vision, I see movement. When I looked over my shoulder, this is what I saw. I know it is graphic to say, but I almost pooped my pants! But don't you worry. Once I got done saying swear words and getting closer to my truck, I was able to snap a picture. He was a big'un.