The newest member of the Family!

HAPPY BIRTH-DAY 'Beckham Todd Farnsworth,' 2nd born to Jillian and Todd (our number 7)on February 25th. I am so excited to see our new boy grow. Their first girl Berkeley is the cutest most funniest kid ive ever met! If you haven't seen her or Jillian lately then you MUST check out her blog www.jillianfarnsworth.blogspot.com

Congrats on everything going smooth that day and that the baby has all his important parts! You two are amazing parents!

Love you

Ashley's dream

Wow! I never have dreams like that.  I agree with Mom.  I think it's a sign reassuring you that you are loved and that Christ does know you and has already suffered for all of us.  Sometimes we forget that we really are significant in his eyes and that he really does know how we feel, because he literally does know exactly what we are going through.  We love you too.  Carley was sad that you weren't at dinner on Sunday.  She was asking for you.

Reply-"Dream"

Dear Ashley,
I started crying when I read your blog entry about your dream. I hope you know that the dream is telling you that our Savior loves you and cares about you as does Heavenly Father and your parents. Just remember Christ has gone thru all the pain you are going thru and will go thru in your life time.
Love you, Mom

New Topic-My dream last night

I had the craziest dream last night. Part of my dream was me and whitney and i think maybe dad and grandma and some other people. We were out in the desert or something camping…I don’t know. I just remember what the landscape looked like, it was desert like, with canyons and beautiful skies. It was gorgeous. Anyway, all of the sudden, it was like we were in Africa or something because all these beautiful animals came running by, from a far. There were zebras, lions, giraffes and others (I know this sounds really weird). There was something about them though, they were magnificent looking, almost magical or something. Anyway, they all come to a point and gather around this area that was sort of like a raised rock and they all stop. Then, all of the sudden, there’s like clouds around this rock and a man appears. Whitney and I run over there and are crying. It’s Jesus Christ and he looks just like they depict Him in the pictures at church. He has brown sort of long hair and a beard, a white robe. He’s smiling and holding His hands out and you can see His scars on His hands from far away. So, we are running toward Him and we hold His hands and kneel at His feet, we were so happy to see Him.

That was the end.

Weird, huh? You know how you can effect your emotions from a dream? Well, I definitely felt elated after this one.

Reply-"Fire"

So Im really excited Todd that you have decided to blog a bit! Its nice sometimes to get words out on paper (computer) rather than holding it in!

We have ALL had our "fire" in our lives, each in a totally different way. We have all learned to endure and keep fighting which makes our family strong! I look up to all of you and all your families. You have all been examples to me in so many different ways you'll never know. Im proud to call you my family.

Todd, thanks for your words regarding your past behavior, your trials, and your goals. You are an amazing man with so much in store for you. Remember you are still young and able to create and design your future to whatever you want! And i hope that you will give us advice on our new house. We really need help from all aspects of the project!

Sean, you are the biggest example to me. No matter what happens to you, you seem to always stay optimistic and keep moving forward. You have never felt sorry for yourself or let others see your pain and struggle. I respect how motivated you are and the confidence you have in yourself! I think you are more of an example to others then you may sometimes think.

Danielle. I love how prepared you are. I really want a fire box AND 6 months worth of food storage. Now that we are getting a bigger place Gordon and I plan on saving and preparing for the worst.

I hope everyone plans for the negative things that could possibly happen to our nation. We all need to plan together and figure out how to stay in touch and work together on these things.

What is with the fires?

I know we were lucky, but we just recently had a close call with all of the fires in our ward and stake boundaries.  I think it takes something scary sometimes to put things into perspective and remind us of what's really important.  Even though we were fine, I did a mental check of what we would take if we had to get out.  After the fire, I finally put together my "fire box" that mom and dad gave us, and double checked my food storage.  Things in this world seem to be going downhill and all we can do is be prepared spiritually and physically.  I admire you guys and all that you've gone through, you will only be stronger for it.  I feel like we are incredibly blessed in our family with talented, ambitious, and hardworking people, and I can see it being passed on through the grandkids.  That's one of the most important things; handing off the responsibility to the next generation.  I'm proud that my brothers and sisters and in-laws are all great parents and examples to their kids, and I'm grateful mom and dad taught us to work hard, and stand up for what's right.  I hope that all makes sense, it seems kind of all over the place.  Hope everyone is healthy and happy.

Trials by Fire...Todd's First Post

Alright, I am ready to do my first post.

I just read Sean's post about the fire and it made me think of some of my own trials and the experiences that Jill and I have had over the past few years. It has been an unbelievable roller coaster of joy and pain. Similar to Sean, at times it feels as though Murphy's law has dialed me in and handed me beating after beating. (A la Investment scandals, townhome fires, lawsuits, real estate project fiascoes, etc.) I'm 28 and I've already risen and fallen twice in a big way. I'm in law school and I'm already tired of litigation because of my fun times in the private investment world and real estate industry.

The real poetry of my woes has been that despite all the stress and disappointment, we have had some of our happiest moments while going through the low times. We have found out things about ourselves that we never would have known without challenges. We have grown closer as a family and we have learned to appreciate simplicity in life. Realizing that one doesn't have to have wealth and "things" to be happy has been an incredible blessing, especially for me. I think Jill had that figured out long before me. I'm very lucky that she has been patient enough to let me figure it out.

My new thought process: Life is as good as you want it to be. Perspective makes all the difference. As Sean mentioned, there are people suffering real challenges in the world and I wouldn't trade with anyone. My only hope is that I can learn everything I'm supposed to learn from these trials and come out a better person. I suppose as long as we're composed and handle things correctly, we can have peace by knowing that we're emerging stonger and more capable than ever. I hope this didn't come across as overly preachy or "poor me" in tone. Sean's post just struck a chord and I felt like putting some of my thoughts down on paper...errr blog paper.

On a different note, law school is. . .good. The best way I can describe it is a mental marathon. The material isn't that hard, it's just an issue of keeping tuned into all the minute details. I'm not sure exactly where this road is going to take me. I'm not fully convinced that practicing law is what I want to do. I still find that I have a love for "the deal" and I'm hoping that I can use my law degree together with my finance/real estate background to get into something that really charges me. (Ok, ok and something that makes sick dough). I'm terrified of being on someone else's clock and having to report to someone. I signed up for a mock interview program last week and I had my first job interview of my life. I wanted to get a few under the belt before I have a real one.

Whitney, I wanted to make sure you know that when I read your post I immediately started thinking of ideas for your condo and how I would go about doing it. Everyone thinks of Jill as the creative one but if you've ever seen me go to work on picking out paint, tile, countertops, fixtures etc., you would know that I love to do that stuff. When I say "do" I don't mean actually perform labor but I enjoy designing rooms and getting the Julios/Juans (see earlier post for discussion) to install and perform labor. Handy is something I am not. I would be glad to come consult the next time I'm over there.

Also, I appreciate every one's patience with me as I slowly emerge from my pompous shell and get used to kids, soccer games, family history, kids and Whitney's tattoos (j/k). I know that I've been self centered at times but I am determined to keep growing closer to the family. I have learned to love each of you and I know you guys are there for us whenever we need you. I hope you all know that you can count on Jill and I for anything as well.

Finally, at this moment we are all facing different challenges in life. As Sean said, things can change for the better way quicker than you can imagine. In the meantime, focus on simple happiness, keep pushing, and enjoy the journey. I'm pretty sure that's what this crazy life is all about anyway.

Update and just stuff

Hello all,

Whit, I feel bad I did not respond to your post. What a great exciting time to be a part of purchasing a new home, especially the kind you have to fix. It will have so much value to you when you are done. I will try and help wherever I can.

So to update, last year in March, we lost our shop in the fire. I had no insurance. Not sure if you all heard the story, but I dropped my insurance company I had, they didn't want to insure me because I didn't have sealed electrical boxes and switches. I had new quotes, and I procrastinated and did not get it taken care of. I mean, who's shop would really burn down? Anyway, it was deemed an accident, but it was shown by the fire department to have started in my unit. No criminal liability, but an insurance company is coming after me for $40,000 in damages. Warner Cabinets is an LLC, so I have an attorney helping me right now to make sure they don't come after me personally. As far as the company, I am closing it as Warner Cabinets and Millwork, LLC and opening another one as Quality Woodworks, LLC. Start over...again!

So, I try to grasp what's going through my mind...why me?...why again?...when will the bleeding stop? My answer is, we all have our problems, and I like mine better than others. There are so many worse things going on in peoples lives right now, I would much rather have the problems I have. I still have faith that I can handle what is placed before me. So, we handle it. Robin is a great partner to have. She still has faith in me, and my abilities. Wierd thing, we are acually getting busy. I have 2 entertainment centers lined up, a re-finish job in the works, and another huge entertainment center that just called me a couple days ago. I have a new home, and another one that I think I am getting any day now.

My kids are heathy, my wife is healthy, I have my home, we have our needs met as far as food and clothing. We are working on our food supply, and have a lot of it. Robin is working on regular foods we eat everyday, and making sure we have 3 months supply. We are working toward eliminating our debt. We still don't have a backyard, but I think we will do grass for the time being and some trees. And we are going to plant a big garden with Ken and Amy in our backyard.

What's the point of all this babeling? Be grateful for who we are and what we go through. We are all being put through the refiners fire. We need to make sure we do our best to get through problems. Work hard, give service, and be thankful for what we have and who we have in our lives. Because, in an instant, that can change!

Love you all, my family, my people!

And here's a pic to remember!

whitney

I don't know about everyone else, but I've talked to you a lot in person about the new house and everything, so I think that gets me off the hook.  One thing I do want to say is a huge Thank you to you and Gordon for watching the kids.  It sounds like it was not what you expected, and I'm sorry about all the mishaps, but you could look at it as good training; nothing ever goes as planned when there are kids.  I'm just glad I could count on you, the kids had a great time and they love their aunt Whitney.

Reply-"Ashley and Quotes"

so i have to say that I'm really bummed right now. I posted something that is big in my life (getting into a house) and NOBODY said anything! I even left it open at the end of it asking for opinions and answers to questions. SO why didn't any respond?

THEN, Ashley posts about good news with her job and you all responded right away with "way to go's" and "congratulations." (no offence ash, you know I'm routing for you) So did I do something to offend everyone?

Danielle. I think that game sounds so much fun. I have about 100 quotes from 1 movie, but i really need to work on my other stuff! cant wait to get there!

quotes

We played a game the other night with our friends.  It was simple; guess the movie quote.  I was crying from laughing so hard, and it made me excited for our girls weekend, because I know I can count on some good ones from the girls, so get prepared and brush up on those funny movies!

Ashley

I was thinking just what Jillian said, then I read her comment.  That sounds very complex, which means you should be getting paid more.  I know we've talked about that before.  And yes, it did remind me of the office, one of the best shows ever.  I'm proud to see my sister kicking butt out in the real world.

Ashley

I love hearing about your success at work. I was already impressed with you last summer when you were sent to Utah to train someone because you not only knew how and what to train, but that you were trusted by your company to do that for them. You are obviously a value to your company, and they know it. As far as a raise, sometimes they won't give them unless asked for them. You won't offend anyone by asking. However in this economic era, they have the best excuse to not give it now. I vote you ask for it. You explain the value you bring to the company, and what your contribution is. You explain that you are being paid for what they asked you to do, but you are doing more now. You explain that you like the company, and wish to stay, but must be paid according to your value!!!! Good luck with that.

So how is Ashley the person (as opposed to the worker) doing? How are you holding up, how or what is going on with jeff? We miss you, and wish we could be around to support you more. We do support you in your decisions, and wish and pray for the best blessings to be upon you. We hope all will work out well. I know it might be hard going through this, but it will pass.

It's interesting watching people, as we struggle with our problems, I notice everyone has them. I think I am more comfortable with the one's I have, usually, as much as I hate having and dealing with them.

Good luck, and great to hear about your success!

To Ashley

Wow... those were a lot of words that I kind of didn't understand, but it sounds good! Congrats on doing such a good job. Say hi to Jim and Pam for me!

PS- If you are making such a positive impact in your branch you DEMAND that raise!!!

Accomplishments

So I wanted to share with everyone what is exciting in my life right now. Work is going really well. My branch (because of me) has recently been chosen (along with one other branch out of the entire country) to consult with our IT programming people at our corporate office to improve our system and write a uniform procedure for our rebate programs (which is what I'm responsible for at my branch). I have trained others, contributed to and piloted new programs in the past and am still in the middle of a couple new programs which have all been the highlight for me working at R3 Papercraft. But this is even more exciting because I'm working directly with our Lead Business Analyst who is actually making changes to our system, which effects the entire country, because of what I've suggested to her. So, this is really cool for me...now I just need to get my boss to give me a raise. That is the part that I'm not good at.

New Topic-New house

Hey everyone, I just wanted to announce that Gordon is in escrow with a Townhouse in Duarte! He has been patiently looking for a house for about a year now, and with my help for the last 4 months. There are so many beaters out there that would cost too much money to fix up and the ones that were foreclosing seemed to already have 6 or 7 offers already. It was tough and very time consuming but we feel that going with this townhouse is the best choice right now.

It has 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath. Its 2 stories with a balcony off the master and super high ceilings in the family room. The garage is attached with a tiny bit of yard in the front and side. The complex has a pool and spa right across from our place and its in a really quite place overlooking the mountains.

We are so excited to get moving on it.....BUT.....it still needs some work. All new paint and floors. The ceilings need to be scrapped of their popcorn style. We want to replace all the plumbing, the kitchen and the bathrooms. SO, we need everyones advice on this one. How did you do things, where did you get things, who did you hire, who did you NOT hire, what are things worth, and are they deals that you found that would be helpful?

We need all the advice we can get, remember this is our first place!

PS escrow closes around the 1st of March and Gordon's knee surgery is scheduled on the 5Th......

Reply-"Superbowl & January Birthdays"

Hey everyone! I watched the commercial and was a little taken aback by it. I don't understand it really. Is it pro Obama? or against abortion? or both? I don't think that sort of commercial should be aired during the Superbowl, but with freedom of speech in our country I'm not really sure why they have the right to deny it?

Sean, thanks for the kind words and the birthday wish. I had a great birthday this year. We just had a birthday dinner tonight at Danielle's house. Mom was supposed to make dinner at her house but didn't want to because the kitchen is too torn up. So instead of making it at Danielle's she just orders in. So funny that she doesn't EVER want to cook. Oh well, it was nice to be with the Baileys, Mom, Dad, Ashley, and Grandma!

Thanks Again!

PS Sean, what ever happened with Jase and the car thing?