You only live twice

They say that government agencies like to recruit at BYU. I wonder if the same is true for MI6?
 

New and improved

And then they discovered advertising!
 

Hot times for pioneers

I’ve said it before, and I’ll likely say it again: I hope Brigham Young (and many of the other prophets) has a sense of humor. 

Have an enjoyable Pioneer Day wherever you are!
 

All the amenities

I know what the back of a minivan can look like after a weekend trip to the coast with the kids. Can you imagine the back of a Conestoga after a months-long trip across the plains?
 

Sketchbook: Trail mix

In the Oregon Trail game, you could go hunting if you were hungry (and if you had ammo and weren’t dying of dysentery). But what could they do on the Mormon Trail?
 

Take your time

It's probably good that there weren't a lot of traffic engineers around during the westward migration in the United States.
 

He can get the job, but can he do the job?

I had this idea about a seagull who didn't like crickets, so I played around with a few ideas. I wasn't sure which one I liked best, so I drew them both up. What do you think?

 

The songs they were singing

You know how family stories sometimes take on a life of their own and get modified a bit as they go on? I wonder how often that happened with pioneer stories?
 

Trendhopping

Cricket and seagull jokes just never get old!
 

Sketchbook: Share the trail

One of our axioms in the transportation world is, "Share the road." There's room for cars, pedestrians, bikes, trucks, skaters — whatever. Transportation is for everyone!

The overland trails across the American west were probably much the same. Lots of wide open country with room for horses, oxcarts, Conestogas, handcarts and the occasional stampede of bison. Gotta yield right of way to the bison!
 

Why she had to go, I don't know

There are some days on trek (or camping) that are just plain miserable! But without the misery, how could you know of the fun you're having?

 

Constant peril

Another pioneer game show. I’ll bet they could have had some interesting categories!

On a side note, I think Alex Trebek would have looked good dressed in pioneer garb — which begs the question: how many trek reenactments has Ken Jennings been on?
 

Looking for a few good men

As I was flipping through the channels the other day, I cam across an old game show called Password Plus. The technology was a bit rough around the edges, not nearly as slick as what we see on TV today. 

The rustic technology got me thinking what game shows would have been like back in the pioneer era? Some of those ideas may be showing up during the next couple of weeks. Be prepared.
 

Facing the valley

Beauty will only get you so far. Brigham Young will get you into the Salt Lake Valley.
 

Sketchbook: The natives are restless

Some of the kids we sit near in church get a little restless toward the end of the meeting. That's part of the inspiration behind this one. The other part was the deacon's bench back in the day. There was a time when the Aaronic Priesthood holders stayed at their sacrament positions throughout the entire meeting. One day someone figured they could increase reverence exponentially if they sent the deacons back to sit with their families once the sacrament was over. Good call!

 

Why can't we liken unto them?

What is it they say? Don't compare missions; each one is different. 
 

He who hath ears to hear...

For all you readers in or affiliated with the United States, happy Independence Day! For the rest of you, happy Thursday!

It's time for the annual reminder to protect your pupper's hearing! There are a lot of dogs (and cats, I understand) that get upset at the noises that go along with the firework celebrations on the Fourth. 

I'm lucky. My last few pets have actually liked fireworks! I had one, D'Artagnan, who tried to fetch the ground flowers — not an activity I would recommend for either dogs or humans!

 

Tie food

Some kids chew on their fingers. Some kids chew on their clothes. I saw a kid the other day happily gnawing on his (or her) dad's clothes! Yeah, it may mess up the tie a bit, but you don't have to worry about crawling under the benches to pick up all the spilled cereal snacks!
 

Good fencers make good neighbors

I'm going to have to look again, but fencing may be part of the updated Preach My Gospel manual. I'm not sure.

An interesting side note: many of the elders in my mission in Korea took taekwondo lessons. Not exactly fencing, but it is a martial art. I wonder what the handbook says about that?

Sketchbook: The True North strong and free

We stand on guard for thee. 
 

Towering testimonies

I'm going with some favorite reruns this week while I'm on vacation.
 

The heat is on

I'm going with some favorite reruns this week while I'm on vacation.
 

The power of prayer?

I'm going with some favorite reruns this week while I'm on vacation.
 

The taste that keeps on giving

I'm going with some favorite reruns this week while I'm on vacation.
 

Sketchbook: Scars

I’ve still got mission stories that my mom doesn’t know about. It’s often better that way!
 

That he may become clean

After this experience, his companion was all washed up.
 

What's left to put on the menu?

It was a huge deal in our house if we ever ran out of the basics. The basics being cereal and milk — and the occasional Pop Tarts.
 

Sharing is caring

Another from the Disney collection — which should be available in time for Christmas! Stay tuned for details!

There are times when I've been jealous of a kid who not only gets to ride, but can also take a nap at the same time!

 

For good measure

Every time I read those chapters in Alma, I have flashbacks of elementary school math class!
 

Sketchbook: Mission memories

 

There’s a first time for everything. Some of those experiences leave marks. 

Honoring Fathers

I'm pretty sure the April 2017 talk from Elder Uchtdorf is one of the most quoted address by a general authority in recent history.
 

Exploring our options

The Church many years ago produced an activity guide booklet that was chock full of ideas that you could do with your class, quorum or family. I don't think it included alligator wrestling.
 

Comp training

It's quite possible that I had a companion like that, but I'm not going to name names.

Luckily it was a short transfer.

 

Unfinished business

It's finals week at school here, and all the kids who spent the last semester in places other than the classroom are suddenly showing up, begging for makeup work and partial credit.
 

Sketchbook: Going in to overtime

There are some folks who attend church to fill a spiritual need. There are those who attend to also fill a social need. Our family knows that when regular meetings are over, we still have at least a half hour of socializing in the foyer — and that’s after the hallway and library visits are done. 

 

Never listless

My dad was a teacher at my elementary school. I know he had a strong influence on what was included on my assigned summer reading!
 

Watching over the young 'uns!

Have you ever had the missionaries come to dinner or to a lesson and then one of them isn't your regular missionary? It can be a little disorienting when they're on exchanges. 

But, yeah, exchanges are training and learning opportunities — not babysitting. Unless the exchanges involve the APs. Then it totally is!
 

Taking charge of the call

Sometimes it seems like it's super expensive to get amissionary ready to go out into the field, with all the clothes and supplies and everything — especially when you include all the medical costs. I won't even mention the spiritual investment!

But it is so totally worth it!
 

Changes (LDS Version)

Trying to navigate the new hymns in our family has been a bit awkward. Some folks are more tech-savvy than others.
 

Sketchbook: Collared

I’m not sure if this one even makes sense. That’s why it stays in the sketchbook!
 

Think a sacred song

I've seen a lot of people on social media express their excitement about the new additions to our collection of hymns. But I'm sure there are a lot of pianists and organists who realize that there are a bunch of new songs to learn!
 

Process of elimination

I'm sure this is something every bishop has thought of from time to time.
 

The dawning of a brighter day

Is it wrong to confess how happy I was to finally be done with the early morning seminary car pool?
 

You need to calm down

Some of those fandoms can get pretty worked up!

*This is not meant to imply that Sis. Swift or any of her followers would argue with the sister missionaries, much less  quote Tay-Tay's songs to try to refute scripture. Mother is a very nice girl.
 

Sketchbook: The songs we were singing

Even the hymn book has songs about fighting and battles. Why don't we get any of that stuff in Primary?
 

Leader of the pack

Yes, it’s a variation of a very old joke. One that I’m sure has been around since the days of Joseph Smith. 

What this really is is an excuse to draw a bunch of dogs. 
 

Lessons learned

The closest I ever came to this was doing my laundry in the dishwasher. Don’t tell my mom!
 

The wave

You've heard of distracted driving, people using their phones while behind the wheel. Could this, then, be called distracted parking?
 

A foot or two

The shoes often tell the tale of the missionary.