So I got married on April 11th. These GIFs describe my joy and excitement. Stay tuned for pictures and go ahead and follow my beautiful wife's blog: http://hannahtitus.blogspot.com/ .
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Healthy start to 2015
Well we are a month into 2015. I guess I can give you an update. Here is a little recap:
Hannah flew home for the winter right before Christmas. Worst day ever. I went home to Colorado a few days later. I was able to spend the holidays with my family and then drive back up to Rexburg with my little brother. Winter semester started for the college and we were back at it with work, starting a new year with new goals. Work is going really well and we are picking up new business, learning more and sharpening our skills as marketers. So this year has been good so far. I want to tell you a little about one of my goals, a new years resolution, you could say.
Every year, thousands of people make a goal to get in shape, lose weight and be healthy, and usually that lasts a month or two. I have been one of those people many times. Over the last 4 years I have been able to go home for winter for my off track when I was still in school. I would have nothing to do, so I would exercise and my mom made good healthy meals. I would lose a little weight each winter, but then come back up to school for spring and fall and just like a typical college student, I would eat out, I was "too busy" to exercise regularly and I just didn't care. Well that occurred even after college while being here in Rexburg. It was easy to not exercise and even easier to eat unhealthy. I never really had a real motivator. Well I found a motivator that has helped me lead to other motivators.
I am getting married April 11th and I do not want to look like a chunky piece of work. I want to fit into a suit, I want to look good for Hannah and I want to feel good! So I started the New Year on a 4 week diet. It is called The Fast Metabolism Diet. It is a book. This book covers and explains the reasoning behind the diet. It is not only to lose weight, but to help reset your metabolism so that your body will do a better job of breaking down the future food you eat. This book provides a 3 phase program.
Phase 1: Monday, Tuesday (grains, fruit, veggies, protein)
Phase 2: Wednesday, Thursday (veggies and protein)
Phase 3: Friday, Saturday, Sunday. (protein, veggie, fruit, grain, healthy fat)
You had breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner spaced out every three hours. So you are constantly eating. The worst days were phase two, you need grain to sustain but those are the days I would lose more weight too.
So along with these meal plans there was food to avoid: We could never have any dairy, bananas or grapes. If we had grain it has to be brown rice or brown rice pasta. We could have lentils on weekends. No sauces, just spices for cooking. No cooking with butter or any type of oil. No ice berg lettuce and no whole wheat or any form of flour.The bread we bought was flour free, sprouted grain bread. Had to be refrigerated. Anyway...
I did this diet with Jodi and Ashley and Hannah did it at home with her Parents. During the diet it was hard because you feel like you just eat the same thing, chicken and veggies, but I noticed my attitude change over the 4 weeks. Of course I still whined and wanted junk food or pizza but I noticed that I was thankful for the food I was able to eat because it was giving me the energy I needed to stay active. I would exercise 1 hour a day a well, a mix of cardio and some form of weight training. I didn't care over time about the taste or longing for specific meals, I just wanted energy and needed it.
I started this diet at my all time high for weight. I weighed in at 236 at Christmas. THAT IS HORRIBLE! I weighed more than my dad not that he is fat or anything, it just seemed weird to me. I had fluctuated over the last couple of years but have always had this belly and not only was it annoying and still is but it wasn't healthy.
So I finished the 4 week diet on Super Bowl weekend. Good timing huh? I spent it in bear lake with friends. The day we left for the weekend I weighted 215 pounds. I had lost 21 pounds. I was stoked! I felt good, I now enjoy going to the gym and I like seeing results. Well the purpose of this diet was to help you reboot the metabolism so that if you eat junk it will work a little better. It was a funny situation. This past weekend in bear lake, I was presented with the chance to eat whatever I wanted. So I did. But I noticed something. Yeah the food was good, but I didn't feel that good afterwards. I knew that this would happen, my stomach would get upset, but I didn't feel good because I felt guilty. And I paid for it. After the weekend I am back to 219. We had always planned to celebrate ending the diet at Pizza Pie Cafe but sitting their eating, all iI thought about was the weight I would gain from it.
I know that I will still eat normal food once in a while, but this diet has become more than a diet for me, I want to change my lifestyle. Along with eating whole good foods, I want to continue to exercise and focus on portion control. Ask my wallet, my grocery store visit last night was expensive because I bought fresh fruit, veggies and special pasta and meat. I found myself looking at the ingredients of everything I bought, I NEVER DID THAT BEFORE. But I want to feel good, I want to look good and I want to live a healthy life. Hannah was and still is my main motivator, but seeing results and feeling guilty for eating junk food is another one. I want to continue to live healthy. I do not want to call it a diet, I want to call it a lifestyle change.
Help me and remind me as I continue. I know there will be days I want to down a burrito from Taco Bell, and those days will happen, but I want to make them far fewer than they used to be. Eating healthy is not hard, it just takes time, time I didn't think I had, but that was because I was being selfish with my time. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to restart and get healthy. It is very meticulous but worth it. I will not keep the same exact diet to the T but will continue to eat the foods suggested in an order that I find comfortable. I weight 219 today and my goal is to get to between 200 and 205 before my wedding. Help me, motivate me and please don't tempt me with junk food or eating out. haha.
I can't believe I just wrote about eating healthy and exercising. It feels good!
Curtis
How i looked at in November/December:
I dont want my shirts to stick out any more.
Hannah flew home for the winter right before Christmas. Worst day ever. I went home to Colorado a few days later. I was able to spend the holidays with my family and then drive back up to Rexburg with my little brother. Winter semester started for the college and we were back at it with work, starting a new year with new goals. Work is going really well and we are picking up new business, learning more and sharpening our skills as marketers. So this year has been good so far. I want to tell you a little about one of my goals, a new years resolution, you could say.
Every year, thousands of people make a goal to get in shape, lose weight and be healthy, and usually that lasts a month or two. I have been one of those people many times. Over the last 4 years I have been able to go home for winter for my off track when I was still in school. I would have nothing to do, so I would exercise and my mom made good healthy meals. I would lose a little weight each winter, but then come back up to school for spring and fall and just like a typical college student, I would eat out, I was "too busy" to exercise regularly and I just didn't care. Well that occurred even after college while being here in Rexburg. It was easy to not exercise and even easier to eat unhealthy. I never really had a real motivator. Well I found a motivator that has helped me lead to other motivators.
I am getting married April 11th and I do not want to look like a chunky piece of work. I want to fit into a suit, I want to look good for Hannah and I want to feel good! So I started the New Year on a 4 week diet. It is called The Fast Metabolism Diet. It is a book. This book covers and explains the reasoning behind the diet. It is not only to lose weight, but to help reset your metabolism so that your body will do a better job of breaking down the future food you eat. This book provides a 3 phase program.
Phase 1: Monday, Tuesday (grains, fruit, veggies, protein)
Phase 2: Wednesday, Thursday (veggies and protein)
Phase 3: Friday, Saturday, Sunday. (protein, veggie, fruit, grain, healthy fat)
You had breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner spaced out every three hours. So you are constantly eating. The worst days were phase two, you need grain to sustain but those are the days I would lose more weight too.
So along with these meal plans there was food to avoid: We could never have any dairy, bananas or grapes. If we had grain it has to be brown rice or brown rice pasta. We could have lentils on weekends. No sauces, just spices for cooking. No cooking with butter or any type of oil. No ice berg lettuce and no whole wheat or any form of flour.The bread we bought was flour free, sprouted grain bread. Had to be refrigerated. Anyway...
I did this diet with Jodi and Ashley and Hannah did it at home with her Parents. During the diet it was hard because you feel like you just eat the same thing, chicken and veggies, but I noticed my attitude change over the 4 weeks. Of course I still whined and wanted junk food or pizza but I noticed that I was thankful for the food I was able to eat because it was giving me the energy I needed to stay active. I would exercise 1 hour a day a well, a mix of cardio and some form of weight training. I didn't care over time about the taste or longing for specific meals, I just wanted energy and needed it.
I started this diet at my all time high for weight. I weighed in at 236 at Christmas. THAT IS HORRIBLE! I weighed more than my dad not that he is fat or anything, it just seemed weird to me. I had fluctuated over the last couple of years but have always had this belly and not only was it annoying and still is but it wasn't healthy.
So I finished the 4 week diet on Super Bowl weekend. Good timing huh? I spent it in bear lake with friends. The day we left for the weekend I weighted 215 pounds. I had lost 21 pounds. I was stoked! I felt good, I now enjoy going to the gym and I like seeing results. Well the purpose of this diet was to help you reboot the metabolism so that if you eat junk it will work a little better. It was a funny situation. This past weekend in bear lake, I was presented with the chance to eat whatever I wanted. So I did. But I noticed something. Yeah the food was good, but I didn't feel that good afterwards. I knew that this would happen, my stomach would get upset, but I didn't feel good because I felt guilty. And I paid for it. After the weekend I am back to 219. We had always planned to celebrate ending the diet at Pizza Pie Cafe but sitting their eating, all iI thought about was the weight I would gain from it.
I know that I will still eat normal food once in a while, but this diet has become more than a diet for me, I want to change my lifestyle. Along with eating whole good foods, I want to continue to exercise and focus on portion control. Ask my wallet, my grocery store visit last night was expensive because I bought fresh fruit, veggies and special pasta and meat. I found myself looking at the ingredients of everything I bought, I NEVER DID THAT BEFORE. But I want to feel good, I want to look good and I want to live a healthy life. Hannah was and still is my main motivator, but seeing results and feeling guilty for eating junk food is another one. I want to continue to live healthy. I do not want to call it a diet, I want to call it a lifestyle change.
Help me and remind me as I continue. I know there will be days I want to down a burrito from Taco Bell, and those days will happen, but I want to make them far fewer than they used to be. Eating healthy is not hard, it just takes time, time I didn't think I had, but that was because I was being selfish with my time. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to restart and get healthy. It is very meticulous but worth it. I will not keep the same exact diet to the T but will continue to eat the foods suggested in an order that I find comfortable. I weight 219 today and my goal is to get to between 200 and 205 before my wedding. Help me, motivate me and please don't tempt me with junk food or eating out. haha.
I can't believe I just wrote about eating healthy and exercising. It feels good!
Curtis
How i looked at in November/December:
I dont want my shirts to stick out any more.
Stay tuned for pictures in April at the wedding. Hopefully I make it!
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
My Proposal / back story / awesomeness
Well let me give you a quick timeline about this cute girl I now get to call my fiancée.
Oct 2013 - I followed
Hannah and her friends on twitter before really knowing who they were. Twitter
suggests people you knew, so I went for it.
Nov 20th, 2013 – met in person at my BYUI Senior
Showcase.
Dec 2013 – Hung out a few times, saw each other at parties, I
visited her and her friends. They seemed pretty fun.
January- April 2014 – Hannah was at home off track, I was
recently graduated just working. Pretty boring winter, we talked a couple of
times.
Mid April to beginning of May – I had known over winter that
I wanted to take her out, but now she was back in Rexburg and it was really
nerve racking. Her friends were way close, so it was like one for all, all for
one, and that is scary to try to interact with. I would drive through her
apartment complex on my scooter after work and planned on stopping to say hi,
but would wuss out and keep driving home. Haha. I finally went over there, we hung
out a few times in casual settings. I finally got the courage to ask her on a
scooter ride. It was awesome. We talked a little bit but not a lot.
May 13th- She came to my surprise bday party.
May 14th- I asked her out on my bday
May 17th- Our first date to the drive-ins to see
Godzilla and Spiderman. I knew I was crushing so I wanted to hold her hand but
was SO scared. Her sister and Tanner were there too, so we went to walk over
and say hi. As we walked up they kissed and Hannah FREAKED out. Like she didn’t
see her sister kiss, so here I am in my head thinking “hmmm, is this girl think
boys have cooties or something??” so that made the idea of holding her hand
that much harder for me. Anyway, I had already seen spider man, so we were just
going to stay for the first movie, Godzilla. Well I was so scared to hold her
hand that I never did during the first movie, so I decided we had to stay for
the other one. I am glad we did because we held hands. I finally got the
courage needed. And it was so great. After that date, we saw each other every
day.
May 22nd- We had hung out every day and I knew I liked
her and I’m pretty sure she liked me, so I decided to take her out again. We hadn’t
kissed yet, but I sure wanted to kiss her, so I decided I would go for it
tonight, if I didn’t pansy out like usual. I took her to dinner and then we
drove out to R Mtn and parked on top, hit golf balls off the top, talked and
watched the sunset. I had come up with all these questions I wanted to ask her.
She probably thought I was a creep but oh well. The end of the night was
coming, so it was time to go for it or be forever mad at myself for not doing
it. After going in for the kiss and in a flirty way, pulling away, I just did
it. And it was AWESOME! So we kissed, and after we kissed, the first thing she
said, which she doesn’t claim she did, but she did, was “Great, now I have to
buy my roommates ice cream.” I guess they do that stuff, so anyway it was funny
and cute. I told her it would be funny if she just showed up at home with 6 ice
cream cones because they usually go out and get ice cream but if she just
showed up with them it would be funny. I wasn’t there, but I am sure it was a big
hit. Ok I need to speed this up.
June 7th – We became official. Best day ever.
July 9th – We told each other we loved each other
by the scooters in my apartment complex. New best day ever. I had known how I felt
for a couple weeks but wanted to make sure it was the right time.
July 21st – Hannah left for 7 week break and I cried
my eyes out. Seriously the worst day ever. I didn’t not realize how much it
would affect me. She is seriously so amazing.
All break long we talked every day as much as we could. It
was a rough break but over the break we starting talking about marriage. It was
going in that direction and we both knew it. It was nice to know she felt the
same way as me. We finally were reunited in LA for a fun weekend with friends.
Then we headed back up to Rexburg for work and her fall
semester.
October 25th – I asked her dad for permission in
Utah. We all had a chance to go down and spend time with her whole family and
it was so much fun! Her parents are amazing. I was not too nervous thinking
about talking to her dad, but then right when it happened I got pretty nervous,
but it went great and he gave me his blessing. I was stoked!!
(I’m literally smiling from joy right now typing this,
hahaha)
Before talking to her dad and meeting her family I had
already starting thinking about how I would propose but it was a lot of ideas
and finally one stuck right after our trip down to Utah. Hannah had kept
talking about trying to find a Christmas Tree Farm to go take pictures at but
we couldn’t find any. One day I was driving home from a meeting in a neighboring
town and saw this property with a bunch of Christmas trees on it. I went later
and found the owner and talked with them. Got permission to use it to get
engaged. Now how would I get there without giving it away?
I was just waiting on the ring but I was also just trying to
figure out how I would do it. In the mean time I would plan as I waited. I got
a bunch of the letters H and C from a craft store and painted them yellow, gold
and white. I also printed a bunch of pictures of us and got Christmas lights.
My plan was to string lights across a few tree tops and decorate a few trees
with the letters and pictures. So I had all of that ready and it sucked so back
not being able to tell Hannah. In fact, I think I did a good job of not giving
any of it away. I kept talking about getting engaged over thanksgiving in
Colorado, about how I still needed to order the ring, and I would give her
flowers or a picture book I made the week before and trick her into thinking I was
doing it then. So I think I did well, who knows, she could just be nice and
acting like she didn’t know. Either way, on to the best part.
November 10th- The ring is finished, I can’t wait
much longer. I talked with Channy and Tanner and planned a double date for us
to go on to this burger place that is on way from Rexburg and the tree
property. So we planned on a double date for Wednesday. I wasn’t too nervous
the days before, just tried to stay busy.
November 12th
- GAME DAY! I went out to the tree property at 3ish with Sammie, Tyson,
Audrey, Chandler and Ashley. We set up the lights, letters and pictures and
talked about the plan. I still wasn’t super nervous yet. The plan was I would
pick up Hannah and Chandler at 4:50, go get Tanner from work at 5pm. Then head straight
out to dinner, we needed daylight to do it, but we told Hannah we were bringing
a camera because there was an elk farm out by the restaurant, which is true,
but it was to not make her curious. The plan was that they would take pictures
of us as we walked to the trees. I also had my friends and her friends there to
celebrate after I proposed. They hid in the trees. Sammie was there to take
pictures and Tyson helped flip the lights on.
So we grab tanner and we start heading the restaurant. Now I
was getting nervous. We were holding hands in the car and Hannah asked why my
hands were sweaty, I made up some excuse, but I was so FREAKING NERVOUS! Anyway
we make the left towards the trees and the restaurant. As we drive by the
trees, everyone in the car see’s it and says we should stop to take pictures.
Hannah was stoked because she wanted to do this all semester. So I acted like I
didn’t know where to park, acted casual and we walked into the trees. As we
walked down a row of trees she finally realized the decorations. Right as we
walked up to the trees, Tyson flipped the lights on. She was confused, we
talked for a little bit, I told her how in love with her I am, and then got
down on one knee, pulled out the ring and did it! Tanner and Sammie got
pictures, all the friends cheered and it was great. Man I was nervous. But I was
so stoked too! I am marrying the most amazing girl in the world. She is perfect
for me. I am so blessed and lucky.
The proposal went as planned. I was very happy, she was very
happy and she got some sweet new hardware. Haha.
I want you all to know how amazing Hannah is. I have never
met a girl like her. She is smart, brave, honest, attractive, gospel oriented,
and she wants to do the right thing. I am so thankful for the family that
raised her. She is amazing. She attends the temple regularly. She takes school
seriously. She cares about being organized and clean. She respects herself and
has morals and standards. She makes me want to be a better person. She
literally makes my life better. I have more purpose, I have more hope and I have
found love when I was starting to think I wouldn’t. Dating at college was easy,
but I didn’t take it seriously enough. I know I met Hannah at the right time, I
know it’s all happening in the right time and I am so thankful that I get to
let my life be blessed by hers forever. I hope you all get a chance to meet
this amazing woman and I hope you know that my weaknesses are made up by her strengths.
I’m blessed and so happy. I love you Hannah. Thanks for being you and for
loving me.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
So long summer.
Well this remainder of the summer was packed with work, travel and some fun! Quick rundown:
Went to Taylor Zollinger's wedding in Utah. Had a blast.
Worked, moved our office to a bigger location in Rexburg
Went to San Francisco with Jess. Saw my buddies and my brother and his family.
Went to Tyson's wedding, also a blast
Went to LA and saw Hannah (best day of my life) and my friends
Getting things ready for work to get crazy with all the college kids coming back.
PICS at the bottom
Had the chance to go to SF with Jess. We spent time with our friends Graham and Miles. Did all the fun San Fran stuff. My favorite part was the Muir Woods Redwood Forest. Very pretty and cool, anyone who goes there needs to check it out. We also got to spend a day or so with my Brother and his kids. It was so fun to see them and be with them. The kids are growing up, it is crazy. But it was a fun quick trip, I wish Hannah could have been there to enjoy it with me.
The weddings I attended were great. It is always so fun to see your friends moving forward in life and finding that person that will make them happy forever. it is also nice to see that and feel that. Taylor and Tyson both got married in the SLC Temple, which is beautiful and was really fun. Tyson's wedding weekend was mixed with some work down in Provo and seeing some old friends. It also included a trip to the ER. I had woken up one day with this weird sharp pain in my right lung. I thought it would go away but it didn't, so a few days later I went to the Urgent Care in Provo. They ran a EKG test and a chest xray and couldn't determine if it was just inflammation or a blood clot. Being doctors, they always have to assume the worst, so they had me go to the ER. Needless to say, i was freaking out. I didnt really want to tell Hannah or my parents because I didn't want to jump the gun, but it was freaking me out so I had to. After an afternoon spent in the ER and more tests they ruled out blood clots which was great. They diagnosed me with Pleurisy, which in inflammation of the lungs and fluid in the lung. It would go away within a week along with some pain meds. So i was able to recover and am doing fine now, but it was a random quick scare for a little bit there.
I just got back from a weekend in LA to see Hannah. She flew out a day or two before from home. Her and Chandler helped her sister in law and her kids make the trek back to Utah. They deserve best aunt awards for sure. Then they made their way to California and hung out with all the friends. That day before I got there was for sure the longest day of my life. haha. I just wanted to see her! I had wondered how it would go since I hadnt seen her for a month, so I was hoping it would go good and really did. I have never been that excited to see someone, maybe when i came home from my mission but that is different. I missed Hannah so much and realized how much I need her in my life this past month, so I was very glad that was about to end. I flew out friday at lunch, got there, got a rental car and headed down to meet her and the gang at Huntington Beach. We went to a wedding reception that evening and then we all went down to Downtown Disney. Skyler and his family were at disneyland that week and we met up with him. He hooked it up and got us free passes so we were able to go in at the end of the day for like an hour. Hannah had never been to Disneyland, or California for that matter, so I am really glad we got to do that. It was so nice to just spend some time with her before all the hecticness of school started. Saturday we all went into LA to another wedding, then we went to Santa Monica to the pier and beach. The weather was great and the beach was way fun. Sunday we went to church with the Holmes family. They freaking rock. It was really fun. The whole weekend was great. Tanner and I flew back to Idaho on Monday and had to leave Chandler and Hannah, which sucked, but its only for a few more days.
It was a good way to end summer. Had fun with friends, family and got to see my beautiful girlfriend. This break helped me better appreciate the relationships I have, especially with Hannah, but its all been good and I very thankful for the fun I had. I am excited for this fall and excited to keep dating Hannah and having fun with her. I don't think you guys understand how amazing she is. I have never been happier than I am now and she has a lot to do with it. I am very lucky and blessed.
Life is good, no complaints, just happy and appreciative of the things in my life right now. The future is going to be great.
Curt
Went to Taylor Zollinger's wedding in Utah. Had a blast.
Worked, moved our office to a bigger location in Rexburg
Went to San Francisco with Jess. Saw my buddies and my brother and his family.
Went to Tyson's wedding, also a blast
Went to LA and saw Hannah (best day of my life) and my friends
Getting things ready for work to get crazy with all the college kids coming back.
PICS at the bottom
Had the chance to go to SF with Jess. We spent time with our friends Graham and Miles. Did all the fun San Fran stuff. My favorite part was the Muir Woods Redwood Forest. Very pretty and cool, anyone who goes there needs to check it out. We also got to spend a day or so with my Brother and his kids. It was so fun to see them and be with them. The kids are growing up, it is crazy. But it was a fun quick trip, I wish Hannah could have been there to enjoy it with me.
The weddings I attended were great. It is always so fun to see your friends moving forward in life and finding that person that will make them happy forever. it is also nice to see that and feel that. Taylor and Tyson both got married in the SLC Temple, which is beautiful and was really fun. Tyson's wedding weekend was mixed with some work down in Provo and seeing some old friends. It also included a trip to the ER. I had woken up one day with this weird sharp pain in my right lung. I thought it would go away but it didn't, so a few days later I went to the Urgent Care in Provo. They ran a EKG test and a chest xray and couldn't determine if it was just inflammation or a blood clot. Being doctors, they always have to assume the worst, so they had me go to the ER. Needless to say, i was freaking out. I didnt really want to tell Hannah or my parents because I didn't want to jump the gun, but it was freaking me out so I had to. After an afternoon spent in the ER and more tests they ruled out blood clots which was great. They diagnosed me with Pleurisy, which in inflammation of the lungs and fluid in the lung. It would go away within a week along with some pain meds. So i was able to recover and am doing fine now, but it was a random quick scare for a little bit there.
I just got back from a weekend in LA to see Hannah. She flew out a day or two before from home. Her and Chandler helped her sister in law and her kids make the trek back to Utah. They deserve best aunt awards for sure. Then they made their way to California and hung out with all the friends. That day before I got there was for sure the longest day of my life. haha. I just wanted to see her! I had wondered how it would go since I hadnt seen her for a month, so I was hoping it would go good and really did. I have never been that excited to see someone, maybe when i came home from my mission but that is different. I missed Hannah so much and realized how much I need her in my life this past month, so I was very glad that was about to end. I flew out friday at lunch, got there, got a rental car and headed down to meet her and the gang at Huntington Beach. We went to a wedding reception that evening and then we all went down to Downtown Disney. Skyler and his family were at disneyland that week and we met up with him. He hooked it up and got us free passes so we were able to go in at the end of the day for like an hour. Hannah had never been to Disneyland, or California for that matter, so I am really glad we got to do that. It was so nice to just spend some time with her before all the hecticness of school started. Saturday we all went into LA to another wedding, then we went to Santa Monica to the pier and beach. The weather was great and the beach was way fun. Sunday we went to church with the Holmes family. They freaking rock. It was really fun. The whole weekend was great. Tanner and I flew back to Idaho on Monday and had to leave Chandler and Hannah, which sucked, but its only for a few more days.
It was a good way to end summer. Had fun with friends, family and got to see my beautiful girlfriend. This break helped me better appreciate the relationships I have, especially with Hannah, but its all been good and I very thankful for the fun I had. I am excited for this fall and excited to keep dating Hannah and having fun with her. I don't think you guys understand how amazing she is. I have never been happier than I am now and she has a lot to do with it. I am very lucky and blessed.
Life is good, no complaints, just happy and appreciative of the things in my life right now. The future is going to be great.
Curt
 |
| fanny pack and animals shirts |
 |
| first time at disneyland |
 |
| such a cutie |
 |
| biking through SF |
 |
| dat bridge doe |
 |
| LA Temple |
 |
| my girlfriend rocks. |
 |
| sparklers at a wedding #cliche |
 |
| Santa Monica |
 |
| Huntington Beach Pier |
 |
| TZ wedding |
 |
| Sutro Baths in SF |
 |
| Muir Woods |
 |
| TZ Wedding |
 |
| TZ Wedding |
 |
| Had to do it |
 |
| The kiddos |
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| Coolest part of the SF trip |
Friday, August 15, 2014
BYUI: Obedience Brings Forth Blessings
I am an alumni of a small school located in Southeast Idaho called Brigham Young University-Idaho. BYU-I is the sister school to BYU and BYU-Hawaii. These three institutions were started and still operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Being a private institution, BYU-I has the ability to implement an honor code. Because of this honor code, students and faculty are held to a very high standard of living.
Lately, I have been seeing different articles or blogs that indirectly attempt to question the honor code of these institutions. It saddens me to see young adults writing the things that they do because of the problems they have with a school that they CHOSE to attend. Attending BYU-Idaho was the best thing I could have ever done for my future life as far as my personal life and career are concerned. I won't lie, the stereotypical college experience was not found at BYU-I. But shouldn't that be something we celebrate instead of ridicule? I want to talk to you about my experience at BYU-I, including my run in with the honor code, with people that had opposing viewpoints, with some great and not so great church leaders and the overall experience of why BYU-I changed my life for the better.
I started my college career back in 2007 before serving a mission for the Church. Most of my closest friends ended up attending BYU in Utah and I just didn't have the grades to get there, so here I was, at BYUI, an 18 year old, without a clue of what to do. High school was very fun for me, but I lacked in the responsibility needed to attain good grades. (Shout out to my mom for pretty much helping me graduate.) I was a little worried that I would struggle with the actual schooling up here, but the social aspect I was more than ready to tackle. I remember accepting and signing the honor code but not really thinking about what I had actually signed up for. Well that all became clear in the middle of semester.
I don' really like to talk about it because it is not a big deal and mainly just stupid of me and my friends but we went camping with some girls. It seemed harmless, nothing immoral occurred, we all just stayed up all night hanging out and talking. At that time, I didn't realize we were breaking the rules. Well needless to say, someone told on us, and we all got letters asking us to come to the school's Honor Office. I remember when I got that, I called my parents immediately. For some reason, I have always felt inclined to tell them anytime I messed up, because I knew they would help me plus seeing their reaction scared me into never doing stupid stuff again. While talking to them about the situation and what was about to happen, I never felt guilty. I never felt like I did anything wrong. And they trusted me.
So I went to meet with the Honor Code Dean. It was like a church interview. They wanted to know what happened, compared all of our stories and wanted to make sure we didn't do anything immoral. I remember thinking it was kind of weird that they wanted to know so much, it felt like a bishops interview. Fortunately, they were willing to work with us. Through the remainder of the semester I had to attend the schools weekly Devotionals and take notes, I had to read a bunch of talks on Obedience, write a talk on obedience, present it and meet with the honor code office regularly til the end of the Fall semester. I had two choices at that point, either be bitter about my consequences or use them to benefit and learn. The idea of potentially getting kicked out was enough for me to choose the correct path. Through this experience I didn't necessarily gain a testimony of the honor code, but more of the importance of keeping commandments. I had, of my own free will, signed and promised to live this honor code and I had to live with the consequences if I didn't live it.
I do not look at the honor code as a set of rules or do's and don'ts. Just like the commandments we are given, I knew that the honor code was there to set us free, not trap us. Commandments are given as a blessing and opportunity to show our faith and love towards God and receive blessings in return.. From that point forward, I did my best to live the honor code while at school. Yes, there is the occasional curfew problem, but I never wanted to put myself in the situation where I would have to meet with the honor code again, so I didn't.
After that semester I prepared for my mission for the Church. I served 2 faithful years in Northern California and it was the best experience of my life. I grew spiritually, intellectually and physically (literally, I gained like 30 lbs, yikes). The mission was great, I learned so much and was again given the opportunity to live by a strict code as an Elder of the Church. I say given because it was a blessing and opportunity, not a burden to live in such a strict way. I had two years to strictly devote to my Heavenly Father and Savior and it was great.
After my mission I was heading back to BYU-I to finish college. From that point forward it was not hard to keep rules. It was easier to see the blessings of living the commandments and honor code. Throughout the remainder of my college career, I met both teachers,students and church leaders that just rubbed me the wrong way. And I am sure I rubbed people the wrong way too, if fact I know I did, I am human! But that didn't change my overall attitude about my school or the Church. My testimony and faith is built upon a solid foundation and nothing will change that. People, after all, are just human and they make mistakes. I could have been offended, I could have used a crazy teacher or church leader as an excuse to change my attitude about BYU-I but that seemed stupid to me and had no foundation. So I didn't let it change. Instead I embraced my imperfections and theirs and learn from them.
I believe it is all about your attitude. If you are looking for a reason to be upset, offended or hurt you will find it, because that is all you are focusing on. It goes the same if you are looking to be happy, positive and uplifting. When I let go of my imperfections and the imperfections of others, that is when I learned the most. There was and always will be those crazy people, those people that give you a reason to question your testimony or thoughts, but there are WAY more people that will help you strengthen it. My last two years of college, I had the same bishop and let me tell you, he wasn't just some old guy who was going through the motions of being a leader in one of many students wards across the campus. He was a friend, a colleague and a mentor for me and for all my friends. We all agree that he was the bishop we needed and loved. Was he stern and strict? Yes! Was our Stake President so in love with the idea of obedience? Yes! Did some people have a hard time with them because of their sternness? YES!!! But those people were looking for a reason to be. A scapegoat, a chance to get offended. And it was a choice for me, accept and sustain my leaders or be annoyed and upset by their viewpoints. Guess which choice allowed me to grow and gain a better testimony of obedience?
All I am trying to say is, I have seen and heard it gone on long enough from too many people about the "rules" and "annoying people" at BYU-I. Too much negativity has been shared about this amazing University. I feel like people ALWAYS focus on the annoyance of this school, when they should be so thankful for such a great institution that allows you to get your college education at a fraction of the cost of any of college. Not only is it an amazing deal, but you are truly given the chance to learn, to grow spiritually and get ready for the real world. I feel that if people have a hard time with "rules", commandments or the honor code while being around thousands of other people of their same faith, how will they do in a place where they might be the only LDS people?
My advice to anyone attending or about to attend BYU, BYUI or BYU-Hawaii:
- Embrace the honor code.
- Don't prove it to your leaders, prove it to yourself that you can live obediently.
- Use your time at these schools to prepare and become spiritual giants for the future.
- Gain a testimony or a better one of God's love for you.
I am thankful for my time at BYU-Idaho. It was full of great experiences, drama, fun, goofiness and I am so appreciative for everything I learned while there. To those of you who feel the need to blame BYU-I or be annoyed by the honor code, remember one thing, you signed it. You chose to come here. You have the ability to leave if it doesn't go in accordance with your thought process or beliefs. But please don't sit here and tell others about how horrible it is or about how some faculty member or church leader offended you, so therefore all of BYUI is a bad place. If you are considering leaving this school, I hope you come to understand the importance of being here and how it will bless you. Best of luck with whatever you choose. As for me, being at this school, was what I needed and I will forever be thankful for the honor code, for the good and bad experiences here because at the end of the day, I am a better person because of it.
Cheers!
Curtis Spear
Lately, I have been seeing different articles or blogs that indirectly attempt to question the honor code of these institutions. It saddens me to see young adults writing the things that they do because of the problems they have with a school that they CHOSE to attend. Attending BYU-Idaho was the best thing I could have ever done for my future life as far as my personal life and career are concerned. I won't lie, the stereotypical college experience was not found at BYU-I. But shouldn't that be something we celebrate instead of ridicule? I want to talk to you about my experience at BYU-I, including my run in with the honor code, with people that had opposing viewpoints, with some great and not so great church leaders and the overall experience of why BYU-I changed my life for the better.
I started my college career back in 2007 before serving a mission for the Church. Most of my closest friends ended up attending BYU in Utah and I just didn't have the grades to get there, so here I was, at BYUI, an 18 year old, without a clue of what to do. High school was very fun for me, but I lacked in the responsibility needed to attain good grades. (Shout out to my mom for pretty much helping me graduate.) I was a little worried that I would struggle with the actual schooling up here, but the social aspect I was more than ready to tackle. I remember accepting and signing the honor code but not really thinking about what I had actually signed up for. Well that all became clear in the middle of semester.
I don' really like to talk about it because it is not a big deal and mainly just stupid of me and my friends but we went camping with some girls. It seemed harmless, nothing immoral occurred, we all just stayed up all night hanging out and talking. At that time, I didn't realize we were breaking the rules. Well needless to say, someone told on us, and we all got letters asking us to come to the school's Honor Office. I remember when I got that, I called my parents immediately. For some reason, I have always felt inclined to tell them anytime I messed up, because I knew they would help me plus seeing their reaction scared me into never doing stupid stuff again. While talking to them about the situation and what was about to happen, I never felt guilty. I never felt like I did anything wrong. And they trusted me.
So I went to meet with the Honor Code Dean. It was like a church interview. They wanted to know what happened, compared all of our stories and wanted to make sure we didn't do anything immoral. I remember thinking it was kind of weird that they wanted to know so much, it felt like a bishops interview. Fortunately, they were willing to work with us. Through the remainder of the semester I had to attend the schools weekly Devotionals and take notes, I had to read a bunch of talks on Obedience, write a talk on obedience, present it and meet with the honor code office regularly til the end of the Fall semester. I had two choices at that point, either be bitter about my consequences or use them to benefit and learn. The idea of potentially getting kicked out was enough for me to choose the correct path. Through this experience I didn't necessarily gain a testimony of the honor code, but more of the importance of keeping commandments. I had, of my own free will, signed and promised to live this honor code and I had to live with the consequences if I didn't live it.
I do not look at the honor code as a set of rules or do's and don'ts. Just like the commandments we are given, I knew that the honor code was there to set us free, not trap us. Commandments are given as a blessing and opportunity to show our faith and love towards God and receive blessings in return.. From that point forward, I did my best to live the honor code while at school. Yes, there is the occasional curfew problem, but I never wanted to put myself in the situation where I would have to meet with the honor code again, so I didn't.
After that semester I prepared for my mission for the Church. I served 2 faithful years in Northern California and it was the best experience of my life. I grew spiritually, intellectually and physically (literally, I gained like 30 lbs, yikes). The mission was great, I learned so much and was again given the opportunity to live by a strict code as an Elder of the Church. I say given because it was a blessing and opportunity, not a burden to live in such a strict way. I had two years to strictly devote to my Heavenly Father and Savior and it was great.
After my mission I was heading back to BYU-I to finish college. From that point forward it was not hard to keep rules. It was easier to see the blessings of living the commandments and honor code. Throughout the remainder of my college career, I met both teachers,students and church leaders that just rubbed me the wrong way. And I am sure I rubbed people the wrong way too, if fact I know I did, I am human! But that didn't change my overall attitude about my school or the Church. My testimony and faith is built upon a solid foundation and nothing will change that. People, after all, are just human and they make mistakes. I could have been offended, I could have used a crazy teacher or church leader as an excuse to change my attitude about BYU-I but that seemed stupid to me and had no foundation. So I didn't let it change. Instead I embraced my imperfections and theirs and learn from them.
I believe it is all about your attitude. If you are looking for a reason to be upset, offended or hurt you will find it, because that is all you are focusing on. It goes the same if you are looking to be happy, positive and uplifting. When I let go of my imperfections and the imperfections of others, that is when I learned the most. There was and always will be those crazy people, those people that give you a reason to question your testimony or thoughts, but there are WAY more people that will help you strengthen it. My last two years of college, I had the same bishop and let me tell you, he wasn't just some old guy who was going through the motions of being a leader in one of many students wards across the campus. He was a friend, a colleague and a mentor for me and for all my friends. We all agree that he was the bishop we needed and loved. Was he stern and strict? Yes! Was our Stake President so in love with the idea of obedience? Yes! Did some people have a hard time with them because of their sternness? YES!!! But those people were looking for a reason to be. A scapegoat, a chance to get offended. And it was a choice for me, accept and sustain my leaders or be annoyed and upset by their viewpoints. Guess which choice allowed me to grow and gain a better testimony of obedience?
All I am trying to say is, I have seen and heard it gone on long enough from too many people about the "rules" and "annoying people" at BYU-I. Too much negativity has been shared about this amazing University. I feel like people ALWAYS focus on the annoyance of this school, when they should be so thankful for such a great institution that allows you to get your college education at a fraction of the cost of any of college. Not only is it an amazing deal, but you are truly given the chance to learn, to grow spiritually and get ready for the real world. I feel that if people have a hard time with "rules", commandments or the honor code while being around thousands of other people of their same faith, how will they do in a place where they might be the only LDS people?
My advice to anyone attending or about to attend BYU, BYUI or BYU-Hawaii:
- Embrace the honor code.
- Don't prove it to your leaders, prove it to yourself that you can live obediently.
- Use your time at these schools to prepare and become spiritual giants for the future.
- Gain a testimony or a better one of God's love for you.
I am thankful for my time at BYU-Idaho. It was full of great experiences, drama, fun, goofiness and I am so appreciative for everything I learned while there. To those of you who feel the need to blame BYU-I or be annoyed by the honor code, remember one thing, you signed it. You chose to come here. You have the ability to leave if it doesn't go in accordance with your thought process or beliefs. But please don't sit here and tell others about how horrible it is or about how some faculty member or church leader offended you, so therefore all of BYUI is a bad place. If you are considering leaving this school, I hope you come to understand the importance of being here and how it will bless you. Best of luck with whatever you choose. As for me, being at this school, was what I needed and I will forever be thankful for the honor code, for the good and bad experiences here because at the end of the day, I am a better person because of it.
Cheers!
Curtis Spear
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
More Summer Please
Since last blog post:
The spring semester ended for BYUI students
7 week break started
Hannah left, worst day ever.
Moved out of my apartment into a house
Worked
Golfed
Missed Hannah and missing Hannah
Came home to Colorado, currently here.
Rest of the 7 week break:
Taylor Zollinger's wedding
Back to Rexburg
Work/Golf/Relax
Trip to San Fran with Jess
Tyson Orndorff's Wedding
LA to see Hannah!
School starts back up for the BYUI students.
Life gets back to normal with work, Hannah will be back and life will be great.
There is a quick rundown of how it going and how it will go. A few main things I want to focus on from this break that I have learned/enjoyed/experiences/ect.
1)Long distance sucks. I have a lot of respect for any of my friends that have had to do it, this is only 7 weeks and it is not fun.at.all. But I knew it would be and is good for us. I am learning more about Hannah and about myself through this. I love her so much and it is lame that we don't see each other but I am very thankful for phones/facetime/snapchat. It is a fun part of our relationship to continue to grow together even though we are apart. She is the best.
2)Family is amazing. I have been able to be here for a few days and all my sibling have been here as well. It has been great to see my nieces and nephews. We have a great family and I love each of them dearly. It has been good to be home and see them, talk with them and enjoy their company. I love my family! We have fun together and was able to go to the lake too. check out this sweet video: http://youtu.be/dxZRJHaH6cg?list=UUBoGC78rVRdOXabnFm8oh0g
3) The Church has put out some really cool campaigns and videos lately. Like, they are soo good, i love it. Here is a link to one that is new and amazing. Anyone who is struggling to find hope in hard times will need this, so hopefully me sharing this with you will lead you to be able to share it with someone else who may need it, whether you know it or not. So pray for opportunities to be that person someone needs. Here it is:
4) My Job. My job has been a huge blessing. I have learned a lot and it is great to work with my friends. I am very fortunate. We are going through some changes and it is good to see and be apart of. The Dealio is a great company and I am so thankful for my employment that allows me to live and be sustained. Check it out. Click here.
5) Hiking Table Mountain. I did a hike that my body probably was not able to handle. haha. The view was worth it though. it was one of the hardest physical things I have done but I am so glad I did it. see pictures at bottom of the blog.
All in all, besides not being able to be with Hannah, life is good. I have no complaints. I am blessed, work is good, family is great and I am happy. You probably see me posting lots of pictures of Hannah or talking about her all the time, but you are just going to have to deal with it. That girl is amazing and I am one lucky guy!
Until next time,
Curt
PICS:
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| what a view |
 |
| dope hike |
 |
| almost to the top |
 |
| made it |
 |
| selfie |
 |
| pretending hannah was there. |
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| dropping her off at the airport. lammeee |
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| shes dope. |
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| dinner with the parentals in Pocatello |
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| like my hiking sticks? |
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| dealio crew |
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| legit |
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| post hike throw up |
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| just because. shes so pretty. |
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