tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46265062889110326602024-03-05T18:17:59.331-07:00Ramblings of an almost 50 year oldThis was a blog about Faith, Family and Cars, but I have changed since I started this, so I changed the name. Since I am almost 50, and an old man (according to my wife), I figured why not rename the blog.Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-81813598021024497912021-01-26T12:04:00.000-07:002021-01-26T12:04:39.946-07:00What to do, what to do?So over the past 6 months, I have been unemployed. I have applied for a few jobs, but there isn't much out there. Plus, who wants to hire a 48 year old who could jump back to the oil and gas industry as soon as there are more jobs. That is my current dilema. So what's a guy to do. I could change careers, but who wants a 48 year old rookie? I could go back to the Auto repair industry, but again, who would hire a 48 year old who could jump back to oil and gas. So if there are any suggestions, I would appreciate it very much.
In the meantime, I might just start to write some more to pass the time. I am working on a short story right now, and I might share some of it later.
Anyway, just thought I would share my thoughts!
Thanks for reading!Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-10115522174178337662020-12-29T13:01:00.000-07:002020-12-29T13:01:33.456-07:00I'm back. Older and wiser. Well older at least.So I'm back. After a decade (almost) away, I've decided to try this again. Not sure how it will go, or even it it will continue. I hope it will, as it will give me something to do while I look for work (currently unemployed).
I'm not sure what I'll be writing about. It might just be what's on my mind, something I saw that annoyed me, or that I thought was cool. Today's post is just a re-introduction of myself to the blog space.
Right now I am sitting at my laptop looking out my front window at the pile of snow that the snow plow has made infront of my house. My wife and I spent a good couple of hours clearing out a nice area for people to park and be able to get out of after a big snowfall the other day. We had the sidewalk, the driveway and a little area of the road cleared. Then the first plow came and drove doen the center of the road creating a 12"-18" ridge in front of our nocely cleared area. Then it snowed again. Not nearly as much as before, but enough. We cleared the sidewalk and pathway again, but left the ridge as other cars seem to be driving over it and smoothing it out. Well the plow came by again, and now it's even higher. :( I'm so glad that our garage is in the back alley.
Anyway, that's my first post back.
Talk to you all again soon, maybe.Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-77295719275113673812011-10-25T17:56:00.000-06:002011-10-25T17:56:10.740-06:00One YearOne year ago today, our lives were changed forever.<br />
One year ago today, we held our little child in our arms, but couldn’t take him home.<br />
One year ago today, we experienced what no parent should ever have to experience.<br />
One year ago today, our lives were changed forever.<br />
<br />
One year ago today, Kai Derek Samuel Coulthard was silently born.<br />
<br />
He will never feel pain.<br />
He will never be cold.<br />
He will never be sick.<br />
But he will be loved forever.<br />
<br />
One year ago today, Kai Derek Samuel Coulthard was silently born.<br />
<br />
One year ago today, we left the hospital empty handed.<br />
One year ago today, a family that had suffered a tragedy, came together for support.<br />
One year ago today, we went home in shock.<br />
One year ago today, we were filled with questions.<br />
<br />
One year ago today, Kai Derek Samuel Coulthard was silently born.<br />
<br />
One year ago today, there was extreme anger.<br />
One year ago today, there was extreme pain.<br />
One year ago today, there was perceived betrayal.<br />
One year ago today, there was loss.<br />
<br />
One year ago today, Kai Derek Samuel Coulthard was silently born.<br />
<br />
Today I look back on the tragedy of one year ago. A lot has changed, but a lot still remains the same. The feeling of loss, pain, and sadness are constantly at the back of my mind. Constantly reminding me of what could have been. The feelings of anger and betrayal have gone, but not the questions. Why? What did we do wrong? Why do we have to suffer this? Why did God abandon us? Some of these questions will never be answered in this life, in fact a lot of them won’t. Over the past year I have learned to accept that there will be no answers until I am standing facing my Saviour and ask these questions of him. Over the past year I have come to the realization that we are not alone in our suffering. There are hundreds of thousands of couples who have had to endure the same loss. During this past year, we have had family celebrations that will last forever in our hearts. We have had to suffer through the mundane aspects of life. We have had to deal with the constant fear for a loved one serving his country. We have had to deal with the almost loss of Tyler’s grand father. We have met new friends and renewed old acquaintances. So much has happened during this past year that I cannot even begin to go into it all, but during this year, there has always been the question “I wonder what this would be like with Kai here?”<br />
<br />
Today, our lives have changed for the better.<br />
Today, we hold our memories of him close to our hearts.<br />
Today, we are slowly moving forward.<br />
Today, our lives are better because he is a part of us.<br />
<br />
One year ago today, Kai Derek Samuel Coulthard was silently born.<br />
<br />
He will never feel pain.<br />
He will never be cold.<br />
He will never be sick.<br />
And he IS loved forever.<br />
<br />
One year ago today, Kai Derek Samuel Coulthard was silently born.<br />Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-87079835062493130622011-05-16T20:24:00.009-06:002011-05-16T20:43:19.058-06:00Which one should I get??So, my birthday is coming up and I thought I would get one of these new tablets that have come out recently. The problem is which one?<br /><br />The first choice is the iPad2. Yes, I know it's the obvious choice. It's simple to use, has a big screen, and has the most apps available. There is also the fact that a lot of people have it and love it. But that could also be a knock against it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLT0GlJPH-9VvlAQ0c1MLuk31ES3pp1ynWZAx3_WopgUeHSg0CM6ZOc1MUHT5uIgVG1JCW2BVJkNGaktlxo0gCAmatavTSChbSUOIHx623gYhiumkJbqi7T9CLiriTMByszQTTvjk9GA/s1600/ipad-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLT0GlJPH-9VvlAQ0c1MLuk31ES3pp1ynWZAx3_WopgUeHSg0CM6ZOc1MUHT5uIgVG1JCW2BVJkNGaktlxo0gCAmatavTSChbSUOIHx623gYhiumkJbqi7T9CLiriTMByszQTTvjk9GA/s320/ipad-2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607506797983203938" /></a><br /><br />The there is the new Blackberry Playbook. It is the latest tablet on the market and by all accounts is every bit as good, if not better, than the iPad2. The main knock against it is the screen size, 7 inches vs. 9.7 inches, and the lack of apps. However, the Playbook can also run certain Android apps as long as the developers apply to Blackberry's App World.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsSPWUu8xqAdaBIMLVT9qasXBwqIsPWK8FgBU56cPeQ8snAjf03Zxt-eyJPn2XZCgKx_BHbILqheBQP1PfxqXoB0UpCQQ3ZfJxz3_fqCygnhoUtzTqZvYMLmmpAg55KbKGS_57zFambY/s1600/playbook.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 201px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsSPWUu8xqAdaBIMLVT9qasXBwqIsPWK8FgBU56cPeQ8snAjf03Zxt-eyJPn2XZCgKx_BHbILqheBQP1PfxqXoB0UpCQQ3ZfJxz3_fqCygnhoUtzTqZvYMLmmpAg55KbKGS_57zFambY/s320/playbook.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607508369601110450" /></a><br /><br />So there is my big dilemma. Any help would be appreciated. Please leave a comment letting me know what you think.<br /><br />Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-46166119029187052472011-03-11T20:16:00.024-07:002011-03-11T22:01:11.209-07:00Calgary Car Show 2011Every year, since I was about 12, I have looked forward to this show. There's nothing like walking around with a bunch of your buddies and sitting in cars that you could never afford. As we grew up and started jobs and careers some of these cars became more or less affordable to us. Of course, as we grew up, we drifted apart. There was a time when I would go with my family and son. Then for the past 4 years, I have gone with my lovely wife and sometimes my son. Every year I get excited about going, even though I have no intention of buying a new car. Let me share a few of my impressions of this years show.<br /><br />The first area that we went to was the Chrysler display. They have billed it as Canada's Newest Showroom. This is because within the past year, every Chrysler/Dodge/Ram product has been updated or completely re-designed. The most noticeable vehicle at the display was the new Fiat 500.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmz8S10jc7Yn-Pbrn8hFAjUsIJPDSd86iVfPTb-zkqEstqWvn05mkYA4pf1hXJYOhSySA4hkYOtVZx93zu92ieBYqqlSBbAK2ewncSwFw178Rzz0uehmrOtY1QMHkCkL5nDD6lh9B7YY/s1600/fiat-500.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmz8S10jc7Yn-Pbrn8hFAjUsIJPDSd86iVfPTb-zkqEstqWvn05mkYA4pf1hXJYOhSySA4hkYOtVZx93zu92ieBYqqlSBbAK2ewncSwFw178Rzz0uehmrOtY1QMHkCkL5nDD6lh9B7YY/s320/fiat-500.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583031462923677650" /></a><br /><br /><br />This is a cute little car that will be available for sale later this year. It is very small. It seats 4 people (skinny people). It has a 1.4L engine that outs out 101hp, which for the size of the car isn't too bad. It is more of a premium car than a cheap people mover. It will cost around the $20,000 mark when it arrives.<br /><br />Next up was the new Dodge Durango.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWvwNCuoLM6wZLFet0Dr5s6ULgoqWU8IlmD7wwvTI_i6qqgq_aNsF4uAkOcMgGuCI4HvcS2WLyKAeldrJkaFkf8zInaz6UpTetvLci0eUnNrK5BxgJ5RWFDCVEu0gwWXqVQX53xGBwbE/s1600/2011+Durango.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWvwNCuoLM6wZLFet0Dr5s6ULgoqWU8IlmD7wwvTI_i6qqgq_aNsF4uAkOcMgGuCI4HvcS2WLyKAeldrJkaFkf8zInaz6UpTetvLci0eUnNrK5BxgJ5RWFDCVEu0gwWXqVQX53xGBwbE/s320/2011+Durango.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583032587775059698" /></a><br /><br /><br />First off, this is a BIG vehicle. I was a little taken back with how big this truck is. When the Durango first came out, it was a "mid-size" SUV that was between an Explorer and a Tahoe in size. Now it is as big a Tahoe was back then (the Tahoe has grown also). The models that they had were the Citadel trim level (the highest). The layout of the dash is very nice and functional. The materials were of a high quality and looked good. The layout was nice and everything, heater/radio controls, were placed where you would expect them to be. But again, it seemed very big.<br /><br />I then went over to the new Charger!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCf39rH6rlEjEpDgcHI2PH6qxIk0POaGy9ubrvq9elath9KnlBSoYtL5VLjod8k1kRU3nvk_ehUURMDZF08Po_8Vm_imkDBS9hMftFsmW9c6S8vCxNXeQ_PjZpC7QsCGIghb14ZiN1yI/s1600/2011+Charger.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 276px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCf39rH6rlEjEpDgcHI2PH6qxIk0POaGy9ubrvq9elath9KnlBSoYtL5VLjod8k1kRU3nvk_ehUURMDZF08Po_8Vm_imkDBS9hMftFsmW9c6S8vCxNXeQ_PjZpC7QsCGIghb14ZiN1yI/s320/2011+Charger.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583035430890553042" /></a><br /><br />It was nice, of course I have a Magnum, so I like these types of cars. This was a big change. The interior was all new as well as the outside. It looked a like it went on a diet as it seemed a little smaller and a little sleeker. The interior was the biggest change. The materials and layout were top-notch. When I first sat down I was quite impressed with how the car seemed to fit me as opposed to my magnum, which feels like sitting on a couch in front of a wide expanse of plastic. The dash seemed to be focused on the driver and all the controls seemed to be intuitive and easy to find. When my Magnum finally needs to be replaced, this car is definitely on the list to replace it.<br /><br />The next vehicle that struck me was the Mini Countryman.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAYWuMfukORVQ5pXXsMl3NX8sHV4BHw_hEvywnegNkASez_fn3KNO5eVksFWWEeZDwfgIzeXd57Zu6fIi-n8O6vJZe77KOBjyRy2okQQh9ORaAEDS6cwpnx6reRi3Jr3AeRPVtcRNTBg/s1600/2011+Countryman.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 276px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAYWuMfukORVQ5pXXsMl3NX8sHV4BHw_hEvywnegNkASez_fn3KNO5eVksFWWEeZDwfgIzeXd57Zu6fIi-n8O6vJZe77KOBjyRy2okQQh9ORaAEDS6cwpnx6reRi3Jr3AeRPVtcRNTBg/s320/2011+Countryman.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583038950257392786" /></a><br /><br /><br />I actually liked this little car. Even better though, April really liked this car. The car is bigger than the regular mini and was very comfortable to sit in. The dash is typical mini, with the large center speedo and toggles switches to control the windows and such. The main problem with this car is the strange arrangement for the center armrest. The is a rail system that stretches from the from between the front seats to between the rear seats. Of course this arrangement means that there is only seating for 4 people. I'm sure this car drives like the other Minis, which is a plus.<br /><br />After the Mini display, there wasn't much that caught my eye, until we saw the exotics. There were the usual, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche, Lotus, & Aston Martin. The interesting thing is that right next to the Porsche display were the Kia's. All the Kia's were nice, but the 2012 Optima was a stunner!!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2VshazFnL5lilRZ3ubF9L_o8ZFEjp49ztspHLWRW3X9AG8Eh6t8iijLxt-GWQzubfpXRK3jIS2mI5fDTRAGn6Dq_pLtyo2qtMp_DFaYyX0jLaRxMOdyhW-_P8lQk1-6UQaQoTWji6h0/s1600/2012+Optima.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2VshazFnL5lilRZ3ubF9L_o8ZFEjp49ztspHLWRW3X9AG8Eh6t8iijLxt-GWQzubfpXRK3jIS2mI5fDTRAGn6Dq_pLtyo2qtMp_DFaYyX0jLaRxMOdyhW-_P8lQk1-6UQaQoTWji6h0/s320/2012+Optima.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583041374326554658" /></a><br /><br />This car is beautiful!! It was, unfortunately, up on a stand, so we couldn't sit in it. From there we went to the Audi display. While walking through the cars, I had to make sure that my drool stayed in check. All those cars are gorgeous!! I just about lost it when we got to the R8 Spyder V10!!!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNW2vsj6cWW_kN0gt2FWXqRCDiapd81G7EKMyU6h9Ntn3_Oz_mVQtbc0xJstIO8Er_Lp6cng4eo5Q8wkv_Eat22HbZmGHAmaeJFDxxiqO8cS1x1ODCPBF__4hyphenhyphenyLjeVj8kqWnDVHXCLBg/s1600/2011+R8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 296px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNW2vsj6cWW_kN0gt2FWXqRCDiapd81G7EKMyU6h9Ntn3_Oz_mVQtbc0xJstIO8Er_Lp6cng4eo5Q8wkv_Eat22HbZmGHAmaeJFDxxiqO8cS1x1ODCPBF__4hyphenhyphenyLjeVj8kqWnDVHXCLBg/s320/2011+R8.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583042698192373362" /></a><br /><br />Pure sex on wheels!!!!!!!!!!! What else can I say.<br /><br />From there the next area that caught my eye was the GM display. They had the new Buick Regal:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBOBDmKABEcmU8Ct4SfX1botO4XpxmwfXCfELZMFpS5JtCrzfABMFsCjjhDv3LUSWn_1iVoptYacHwZOFbN0RJRKXuwgfAnZYDFXf6UK3cPXbtV2gft1bFFzz7eXwxWyReju3EjPewhg/s1600/2011+Regal.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 275px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBOBDmKABEcmU8Ct4SfX1botO4XpxmwfXCfELZMFpS5JtCrzfABMFsCjjhDv3LUSWn_1iVoptYacHwZOFbN0RJRKXuwgfAnZYDFXf6UK3cPXbtV2gft1bFFzz7eXwxWyReju3EjPewhg/s320/2011+Regal.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583043512844956706" /></a><br /><br />The Cadillac SRX:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqXpDgqUsdJJiTX356UEZe4lYEb5bu_uKpuB6zGIlbralkYzV6zQlbjEfYpoA2zgMipR6c1OUjvmmMhMrIkhmbyDiqHEzP34qOHCKVMLe94b4w9ZOxG6VAVEm9iNDXCf71FW3Xfqgb24/s1600/2011+SRX.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqXpDgqUsdJJiTX356UEZe4lYEb5bu_uKpuB6zGIlbralkYzV6zQlbjEfYpoA2zgMipR6c1OUjvmmMhMrIkhmbyDiqHEzP34qOHCKVMLe94b4w9ZOxG6VAVEm9iNDXCf71FW3Xfqgb24/s320/2011+SRX.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583043873696083170" /></a><br /><br /><br />But the ones that caught my eye were a couple of concepts cars. One that will be produced, and another one that most definitely should be produced. <br /><br />The one that will be produced (supposedly) is the GMC Granite:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGF-8IX9fyhFhfybb6zVLa9V1frQQ8hIl6R95k9ewOaiywSNtUkezzEFsAvquCWAkerJksWKD2psZWs5woM3kkMvVCV8ugyhj4u6uFpqfIOrjvJr2rqv35CUh1fVGnU2xg9tEOKw9UGU/s1600/Granite.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 304px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGF-8IX9fyhFhfybb6zVLa9V1frQQ8hIl6R95k9ewOaiywSNtUkezzEFsAvquCWAkerJksWKD2psZWs5woM3kkMvVCV8ugyhj4u6uFpqfIOrjvJr2rqv35CUh1fVGnU2xg9tEOKw9UGU/s320/Granite.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583044538810554210" /></a><br /><br />This "car" is about the size of a Honda Fit, but looks way cooler!!<br /><br />The car that should be produced is the Cadillac Converj:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvveFiSKTMnfGWfM0lx2NE06acoSnqjGO0VNORX_f736QjZH_0EmvFBHHTKEMWgWmPL3OwKXZh_gakNmB2fQFE0qwNzH-aakUh8OLIgavNWEY1wTjitxargkqOpUykcrxcSPBw_ee1kXY/s1600/Converj.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 276px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvveFiSKTMnfGWfM0lx2NE06acoSnqjGO0VNORX_f736QjZH_0EmvFBHHTKEMWgWmPL3OwKXZh_gakNmB2fQFE0qwNzH-aakUh8OLIgavNWEY1wTjitxargkqOpUykcrxcSPBw_ee1kXY/s320/Converj.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583044983877946466" /></a><br /><br />This sexy little coupe is an upscale version of the Chevrolet Volt (which was also there).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9CB0bomD3i-a9q0uiEYE2eakFvE6QhbFD_T9UU7lT8lMnAXYnYWMDGdiIR_RjvPIsSR-_r7vqLvaQPeve7hJEgM7i6Cq-NWtOtof4-Ab0j6OCbOrWouAQtyB_qY8LH4KyZ7WFlfiJbEg/s1600/Volt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 230px; height: 113px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9CB0bomD3i-a9q0uiEYE2eakFvE6QhbFD_T9UU7lT8lMnAXYnYWMDGdiIR_RjvPIsSR-_r7vqLvaQPeve7hJEgM7i6Cq-NWtOtof4-Ab0j6OCbOrWouAQtyB_qY8LH4KyZ7WFlfiJbEg/s320/Volt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583045924213221506" /></a><br /><br /><br />It has a battery pack that powers the car for the first 70kms, then a small engine turns on and acts like a generator and powers the batteries for another 500km. If you plug this in every night you will use very little, if any, gas. And with gas prices on the rise, that seems like a very good idea.<br /><br />Then I saw the new Chevrolet Orlando:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1ACeRlMUoSXlUDRDu06RKZxmZZstn6ozL0DD6Mp0mTLy9o-VIHICgiMZ_0lc8WzC1AprBpTyoQ1evXt2IBxlbbP20GpQ8KlTKG-rO2A5nKWPRUdcA0iEndAyVeWzCVlR2IzCnBEfmG0/s1600/Orlando.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 302px; height: 167px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1ACeRlMUoSXlUDRDu06RKZxmZZstn6ozL0DD6Mp0mTLy9o-VIHICgiMZ_0lc8WzC1AprBpTyoQ1evXt2IBxlbbP20GpQ8KlTKG-rO2A5nKWPRUdcA0iEndAyVeWzCVlR2IzCnBEfmG0/s320/Orlando.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583046331647443426" /></a><br /><br />This is a neat little vehicle. Yes I did say little. It is what people in Europe refer to as an MPV. It will seat 7 people, although the ones in the back row will be small or uncomfortable, and is powered by a small displacement 4cyl. engine. The one that I sat in also had a 6 speed MANUAL transmission. This is very rare. I could really see this replacing the fit if we every have the triplets that April wants. It was very nice to sit in and you could see outside very well. All the controls seem to be placed nicely and everything felt of a good quality. The production version lost some of it's appeal from the concept:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Sr2imZNYCM5NVDYwRcbflHXarmXP_PgL0bHO6Sl6bo9IFBQ5C-2oNqJgKTGCMhK2T08Zq9TVz5-j2p9E3CZQoj9ygl18mdFdMKikRkZavCf-8b1IoW9V5Ro3tFhQAz-Bpt47QClvSxc/s1600/Orlando+Concept.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 252px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Sr2imZNYCM5NVDYwRcbflHXarmXP_PgL0bHO6Sl6bo9IFBQ5C-2oNqJgKTGCMhK2T08Zq9TVz5-j2p9E3CZQoj9ygl18mdFdMKikRkZavCf-8b1IoW9V5Ro3tFhQAz-Bpt47QClvSxc/s320/Orlando+Concept.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583047510287256546" /></a><br /><br />but I still like it a lot.<br /><br />Then came the Ford display. Now I must admit that in the past few years Ford has been doing a lot of nice things. So much so, that I don't automatically disregard them when looking at cars. First off there was the Taurus SHO:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1jh1J7CFEpUI0RVWL4aEP2SxxUn7NZ3dO9oBmuBu_KN_4e77zhXgmwqebl2jh-TuGM0GuxAJh3O_YkbX4x60r6slXrHcEWAuuk9WhyphenhyphenJTYQqqIsu5w-2dna__3XDvCzK0zDsWgNIB3KU/s1600/SHO.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 303px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1jh1J7CFEpUI0RVWL4aEP2SxxUn7NZ3dO9oBmuBu_KN_4e77zhXgmwqebl2jh-TuGM0GuxAJh3O_YkbX4x60r6slXrHcEWAuuk9WhyphenhyphenJTYQqqIsu5w-2dna__3XDvCzK0zDsWgNIB3KU/s320/SHO.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583048243130652866" /></a><br /><br />A very nice car, and quick too. It is powered by a 3.5L V6 Turbo engine that produces 365hp. I have read nothing but praise for this car. It is also on the list to replace the Magnum when needed.<br /><br />Next up was the Fiesta:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9hcm3dE-tGR13_hWAfSoIt26psBTbYZRZU3e7ZNmbPKxB5MntPJ5xMU77lbou7wWIm_TMiWHv2lMuxkDQYHqJ8PpsxKNdT5U9VFG5QlugD7pXPiYfRc8YLCFH6VKD1WPkiX-L1PQWuc/s1600/Fiesta.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 275px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9hcm3dE-tGR13_hWAfSoIt26psBTbYZRZU3e7ZNmbPKxB5MntPJ5xMU77lbou7wWIm_TMiWHv2lMuxkDQYHqJ8PpsxKNdT5U9VFG5QlugD7pXPiYfRc8YLCFH6VKD1WPkiX-L1PQWuc/s320/Fiesta.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583048811592104050" /></a><br /><br />Again, a very small car, but kind of neat looking. Then came the new Focus:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvp-iYNY6Ni15eJtsKCJiztNQ6IiTm-ISNp94CRUSuRExg6GoPxEhdQLeMIPl2kgUvDVWS4gv4PYsYq2ZY9QwtoiHaRz4eHk-o3qFMF1EWuY6U2ao1bZLV3TZcmQgC4DyaaQ47R2JrPE/s1600/Focus.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 212px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvp-iYNY6Ni15eJtsKCJiztNQ6IiTm-ISNp94CRUSuRExg6GoPxEhdQLeMIPl2kgUvDVWS4gv4PYsYq2ZY9QwtoiHaRz4eHk-o3qFMF1EWuY6U2ao1bZLV3TZcmQgC4DyaaQ47R2JrPE/s320/Focus.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583049221442929346" /></a><br /><br />A lot of people have heaped a lot of praise on this car, but I just couldn't see why. It was a nice enough car, but it wasn't anything special. It had a nice interior and was a 5-door hatchback, but it didn't wow me as I thought it would. After being underwhelmed by the Focus, I had few hopes for the new Explorer.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9r7XOfRNFg2l8syCMS3CX9QGoepanO2Qay5EZHgsSOYE2o81TFHES-TWPPRFyAuHte54JUvNq_i4621pjCT89FfFuSiHgA1yRjbBMgjp0g7wkYpGVf3_Js24wcb1xfMKfqTfgHgTUO0/s1600/Explorer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 263px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9r7XOfRNFg2l8syCMS3CX9QGoepanO2Qay5EZHgsSOYE2o81TFHES-TWPPRFyAuHte54JUvNq_i4621pjCT89FfFuSiHgA1yRjbBMgjp0g7wkYpGVf3_Js24wcb1xfMKfqTfgHgTUO0/s320/Explorer.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583050457343920594" /></a><br /><br />I was wrong. This is a very nice vehicle. It's as big as the Durango, but it feels smaller. The dash is quite interesting in design, but not weird like some others. It had good build quality and the materials were soft to touch and looked of high quality as well.<br /><br />The one thing that I really noticed this year was how much technology has been added to these cars. Almost everyone had Bluetooth standard or as a option on the lowest of trim levels. A lot of the cars also had Navigation standard or as an option, and there wasn't a manual window to be seen anywhere. The amount of technology that is in these new cars can be a little extreme, but I guess that's what people want these days.<br /><br />Well that was my impression of this years car show in Calgary. One day I hope to go to the Detroit car show as it is the big daddy of them all. I'll just have to convince April to go to Detroit in January. That shouldn't be too hard now should it??Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-86472239073621451702011-03-08T20:10:00.005-07:002011-03-08T20:19:15.759-07:00RamblingsSo it' sbeen a while, but here I am. I'm not sure what to write about, but I figure I should write something. I have finished the second chapter in the story that I am attempting so here's the latest part.<br /><br /> <strong>The next day, there was a lot of commotion surrounding the events of the previous day. At least there was amongst the slaves. The Egyptians were agitated and began to question everyone whether they knew this Moses or where he had gone. They searched all living spaces as well as any other buildings in the area. After they searched for half the day, they decided that he had fled and died in the great desert. After lunch, it was back to building the great tomb.<br /> The tomb was not much different from the others that had been built before, but it was much larger. The stone needed to be sent up the river from the quarry many miles away. Once it got to the building area, it was unloaded and prepped for installation. Some of the rougher stones were used on areas that would not be seen when it was completed. The nicer ones were saved for the outside of the great building. These were the stones that Efram and his crew were installing. The main part of the tomb had been completed, and now it was the outside walls that needed finishing. That would still take a while, one maybe two growing seasons. The design of the building was very simple. It started out at the ground as a big square, then as each level went up, the square got smaller until eventually it came to a point at the top. They had already put the last stone on the top and were now filling in the ramp from the top to the bottom. This was a little difficult as the ramp was sloped, but the stones needed to be flat. They had solved this issue by cutting a smaller stone at the angle of the ramp and placing it on top of a square stone. As they moved down the ramp they removed these stones and placed square ones on top. It was very tedious work, and a slow process. At sunset, they had only replaced one stone the whole day. The Egyptians were angered by the slow pace of the slaves. There would be no dinner tonight.<br /> When the tomb was completed, Efram was 15, and very strong because of the work that he did. He never heard from or about Moses since that brief encounter 3 years ago. People had started to say that he was not real and that Efram and his buddies had made it all up. Efram and his friends were the laughing stock of the whole slave camp. Except, there was a young girl named Rachel, who believed Efram and his friends. She was one of the daughters of Baal, who was a carpenter slave. Baal did not like Efram and because he didn’t believe him about Moses. He thought Efram was just trying to get everyone excited about maybe leaving this horrible place. The truth was that Baal thought that being a slave wasn’t that bad. They got free food and shelter, not much, but it was free. They were able to try and grow a few crops to sell during the growing season for a bit of money to buy some provisions. He always told his daughter that the only people who didn’t like being slaves were those that caused trouble and were whipped for it, so of course they wouldn’t like it. Rachel didn’t think the same way her father did. She thought that the slaves were destined for greater happiness and prosperity. She liked Efram and wanted to be his wife, but she was still two years from being eligible for marriage. Besides, her father would never agree for her to marry Efram. She had two years to win her father over and marry Efram.<br /> Efram began working on a new tomb for the king’s son. It was not as grand as the king’s, but Efram was sure that would change once the king died and his son started to rule the land. Sure enough, one year later, the king died and his son changed the design to be even grander than his father’s tomb was. He almost doubled the size and wanted a lion to guard the entrance to his tomb. As work started and the stones brought from the quarry, there were rumors of a man asking for the slaves to be freed. This, of course, caused everyone to get excited and work a little slower. This, in turn, outraged the Egyptians, and made everyone work longer and harder than ever before. Efram was elated and began to think about life away from the slave drivers. What would he do? Would he be a farmer? A shepherd? A carpenter or a mason? All of a sudden, there was a terrible stinging in his back, and he was roused from his daydream. The slave driver that whipped him yelled “Stop your dreaming, you’re never going to be free”.<br /> That night, around the fire, there was much discussion about these rumors. Baal got up and spoke. “These are only rumors. Who would have the nerve to go to the king and ask for our release? If anyone had, he surely would have been killed before seeing the king.” This all made sense. No one was allowed to see the king unless he requested a visit. Then Efram spoke without thinking. “What if was Moses from many years ago?” Everyone laughed and told him to be quiet. The Rachel spoke. “How can we be so sure it isn’t?” Everyone around the fire was dumbfounded. Here was a woman questioning the men. Baal was enraged and went to strike his daughter. Efram got to her first and deflected the blow from her father. Baal was shocked! How could this young man defy tradition and defend this girl from her father. Baal lunged again, but was easily bested by Efram. With that, Baal said to Efram. “If you want to protect her that much, she’s yours. I want nothing more to do with her.” Rachel was elated, but Efram was shocked. He did not want to marry yet. He did not know what to do. The group then dispersed and everyone went home. Except for Efram and Rachel. After a few minutes, Efram decided that they should go to his parent’s house and explain what had happened. When they got there, word had already reached his father as to what had happened. While his dad was outraged, his mother was ecstatic and welcomed her in at once. For tonight, she would sleep with Efram’s sisters, then in the morning, they would find a suitable arrangement. Efram did not sleep that night; He kept going over in his mind the events of the night. All he did was try and protect a woman from a beating, and now she was going to be his wife.</strong><br /><br />I hope that you like it. I'm going to keep writing it and trying to explore my more creative side. Here's a picture of a painting that I just completed.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qmTV1OVZ-muupTXC0-8UJaLjTBvFwJ7P1Nmui9qT1v4x99BG-qSbMACG9r2fKLeGJniP-CqPnNNEjfiupzSF-BrjHlTpyWl886Ke-Tdh9MLr6tqWsq_uxm2zolCB6dhdpQXxep6HtOc/s1600/IMG-20110223-00106.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qmTV1OVZ-muupTXC0-8UJaLjTBvFwJ7P1Nmui9qT1v4x99BG-qSbMACG9r2fKLeGJniP-CqPnNNEjfiupzSF-BrjHlTpyWl886Ke-Tdh9MLr6tqWsq_uxm2zolCB6dhdpQXxep6HtOc/s320/IMG-20110223-00106.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581914097880833842" /></a><br /><br />I hope that you like it as well.<br /><br />Thanks for taking the time to read this.Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-22917416877349632182011-02-13T21:11:00.003-07:002011-02-13T21:42:11.106-07:00Not much of an update!!!I haven't had much time to update anything on here. Life has been getting busy.<br /><br />I've been blessed with being married to the most wonderful woman in the world. I know, all guys say that, but in my case it's true!!<br /><br />4 years ago, on February 14th, Valentines Day, April said the one word that I wanted to hear. She said yes!! This was the official engagement, but in actuality we had been unofficially engaged for around 2 weeks. Here's that story.<br /><br />We had tried attending the Temple for 4 weeks in a row, a suggestion from my Bishop. We had missed one week, so we decided to attend 2 sessions in one day. We left for Cardston after April was finished work on Friday and went to Lethbridge and stayed overnight with my cousin, Fergus, and his family. On the way down we were talking and the subject of marriage came up again, as it had over the past few weeks. We both agreed that we would be very happy to spend eternity with each other, but nothing else was said. I still had some reservations about getting married, not to April, but just in general. I had also been praying about whether this was the correct path for me. During the second session on the Saturday, I caught a glimpse of April during the session. All of a sudden I had this incredible "tingling" sensation and this loud voice in my head said "YES"!!!!! That was the exact moment I knew that I was going to marry this woman.<br /><br />When we had finished and were heading home, things were a little quiet in the truck as April had some school work to do, and I was scared as hell. By the time we got back to Calgary, April had finished her work and we were again chatting. This is the part that gets interesting. As we were waiting in traffic by Chinook Centre, April turned to me and asked "So did we decide to.....you know?" I looked at her and said "I think so!" The next week I went ring shopping and found the most beautiful ring. Now I had to figure out her ring finger size. As it turns out, she fit the ring as is.<br /><br />On Valentines Day 2007 we went to Red Lobster for dinner and the place was packed. We were both very nervous and ate dinner kind of quietly. When dinner was done I asked April to close her eyes. Instead, her eyes lit up and she had a huge smile on her face. It was at that point that I asked if she wanted me to get on one knee. She turned beet red and said no. At that point, I produced the ring and asked her to be my bride! She said yes immediately and I put the ring on her finger. After a few moments of holding each others hands the waitress came by to ask if we needed anything. She saw the ring box and almost screamed. She quickly took our plates and disappeared. A few moments later, her and a few others came by with a piece of pie as a congratulations.<br /><br />We finished the pie and headed out of the restaurant. I noticed that everyone, and I mean everyone, was looking at us. As we headed out the door a few people said congratulations and some even shook my hand. Strange!!! We then went to April's house and told her parents and sister. Then over the next few days we told the rest of our families.<br /><br />Since then, things could not be better. I have an amazing wife, who thinks I am the cat's pajama's. I think that she is as well!<br /><br />April, I love you with all of my heart. Thank you for being who you are!!Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-48696860886885300432011-01-30T17:12:00.004-07:002011-01-30T17:18:07.792-07:00Something I'm working on.So here's a little sample of something that I have been working on. I came up with the idea to write a story about some of the people that followed Moses out of Egypt. Now these weren't prominent people, but the every day normal people that are just trying to get by. I was inspired by the work of Ken Follet and his stories "Worlds Without End" and "Pillars of the Earth".<br /><br />Here is the beginning. Please feel free to let me know what you think.<br /><br />As Efram pushed along with 20 others, the block started to roll along the logs laid out on the ground. The hardest part was over. Once the block was moving it was much easier to keep going. As they approached the top of the ramp they began to slow down. They didn’t want the block dropping off the end of the ramp and ruining half a days work. When they got to the turn at the top of the ramp, the slave master told them to stop and gave each man some bread and water. Efram drank the water sparingly so that he could save some for just before going back to work. The sun was relentless today. He enjoyed the rest as he chatted with his fellow slaves. Efram had been with this crew for almost 2 years now. He started with them when he was the age of 10 as a log boy. He would grab a log as the block came off it and run to the front and place it down again. This enabled the block to be moved into the proper position from the pit. He had done this until he was strong enough, then he was promoted to his current position. During the 2 years, he had seen a few friends fall beneath the block and be killed as they tried to place a log. He had learned early on to be quick and stay out of the way. Lunchtime was over when the slave driver returned. Efram quickly drank the last of his water and began to push. <br /><br /><br />This was the trickiest part. They had to push the block only a little ways then stop it and push it another way up the next ramp. This usually happened with very few problems, but today something was wrong. As he pushed he placed his foot down and stepped on a log. One of the young log boys had not yet removed it. As he slipped, he took a couple of other men down with him. The block started to roll back down the ramp. He desperately tried to regain his footing, but he was only stepping on others feet. The block continued to roll back. It was at that point that the men gave up and jumped out of the way. Efram was alone in front of the block as it slid towards him. He quickly regained his footing and jumped out of the way, but the block caught his sandal and started to drag him towards the edge of the ramp. As he struggled to free himself he felt the other grab his arms and start to pull him back up. The pain was incredible and most of the men let go. As the block tumbled over the edge, his sandal came free. But it was too late he was heading off the edge of the ramp as well. He struggled to grab an edge when some of the men grabbed his arms again and pulled him to safety. As he got to his feet he looked over the edge to see the block had been smashed to many pieces when it fell. But that was not the worst part. It had fallen on one of the Egyptian leaders and killed him instantly. The punishment would most certainly be death for whoever was found to have caused this incident.<br /><br /><br />Efram quickly turned around to see the chaos behind him. There was his cousin Ezekiel being whipped by the slave driver. His blood boiled with rage and jumped towards where they were standing. He was ready to attack the slave driver when another Egyptian leader told the slave driver to stop what he was doing. The man ignored his superior and continued to whip the young boy. That was when Efram witnessed the most amazing thing. The Egyptian leader drew his sword and killed the slave driver! Everyone stood around in shock and wonderment. The leader seemed to realize what he had done and began to worry about his own life. He started to run down the ramp. Efram caught him and asked him his name. He said it was Moses. Then he pushed Efram aside and ran off into the crowd. Moses. That would be a name he would never forget.Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-85519321805760303232011-01-09T20:27:00.000-07:002011-01-09T20:27:04.319-07:00Life To The Fullest: To Kai...My wife made this wonderful and touching video as a tribute to our son Kai.<br /><br />I hope you enjoy it.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://aprilcoulthard.blogspot.com/2011/01/to-kai.html?spref=bl">Life To The Fullest: To Kai...</a>: "It seems only fitting that my first post should be a dedication to my son, Kai. I never really got to meet him, but his short life has..."Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-69055700125220758502011-01-02T19:28:00.005-07:002011-01-02T20:04:54.989-07:00The Weekend AfterThe week after our loss we had planned a shopping trip to Great Falls. It was supposed to be a shopping trip for baby stuff, but now it was just a chance to get away and for some retail therapy. The trip down was also quite the experience.<br /><br />So we left Friday about mid-morning. We had decided that we should stop by the Temple and try and get some sort of understanding about what had happened. The trip to Cardston wasn't bad at all. We arrived in Cardston around noon and asked the people at the front desk if we could just go in and sit and think. We were told that we would have to perform some service before. So, grudgingly, we performed some service and went to a special area to reflect on the recent events. Unfortunately, we weren't in the best frame of mind and had a bad experience. After we were there for about an hour, we decided it was time to leave. It was at this point that April told me she had some bleeding and that we should maybe go to an emergency room. So we head to the Cardston Hospital, 2 blocks away. After waiting for about an hour to see a doctor, he decides to run some blood tests. So after another hour he decides to prescribe some medicine and assures us that the 2 pharmacies in town would have it. We go to the first pharmacy and the technician informs us that he has never seen this particular medication and he phoned the other pharmacy and they do not have it either. Great. So we go to the Church bookstore to get a few books that might help. We find a few items and are waiting at the counter with no one bothering to help. There are a few people chatting right beside the counter an we thought that they were other customers. It turns out that one of them is the cashier. After standing there for about 10 minutes she decides to serve us. This puts us in an even worse mood. We finally head out of town and head for the border. We get to the border crossing and are slowly pulling up only to find that they closed about 10 minutes earlier. We can actually watch the US border guards leaving the office and driving away. Great! So we head to Coutts. We get there around 6:30 and are waiting in line. we get up to the window, and we get flagged and told to pull over to the side for a search. GREAT. After about 30 minutes they come back and say we can leave. We get back on the highway and head for Great Falls. After a while I notice that the gas is getting low. I head for the nearest gas station according to the GPS. We get there and they are closed. GREAT. Head for the next one on the list, and they are also closed. GREAT!! At this point the gauge is reading empty and the little gas light comes on. We head for the next gas station on the list and it is about 10 miles away. We coasted down every hill, and tried to preserve as much gas as possible. With a bit of luck, we make it to the next gas station and fill up. We leave the little town and head back on the highway. No sooner than we had gotten on the highway when we saw the lights from Great Falls. GREAT!!! By this point I am ready to check in to the Hotel and crash on the bed.<br /><br /><br />The rest of the trip went off without a hitch and we had some great retail therapy. It was nice to get away from all the reminders of Kai that were still fresh in our minds at home. The following weekend we had to bury Kai and say our final farewells. It was tough, but with our wonderful families beside us we were able to get through that tough day as well.<br /><br />Over the past 2 months we have been shown a great amount of love and support from both families and friends. We appreciate all that everyone has done for us during this time.Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-48566891094622941492010-12-13T19:20:00.005-07:002010-12-13T19:32:04.496-07:00October 25th, 2010.<br /><br />This is a date that will forever be with me. This was the day that my life was turned upside down. It also goes along with three little words that I’ll never forget. Those words are:<br /><br />“I’m sorry guys.”<br /><br />Those were the words that the OB/GYN told us at the hospital after we had gone there because we couldn’t feel the baby moving. After that, things got a little fuzzy. Let me back up a bit.<br /><br />The weekend was going great. We had arranged for the contractor to come in on Monday and start on changing the den into a bedroom. We had purchased a bunch of new clothes, and a stroller/car seat combo. We were beginning to get excited about the little addition to our family in a couple of months. We had names picked out, planning a holiday with him the following summer, just getting excited. Our families were excited as well. They were purchasing clothes, toys and other things in anticipation. Then came Sunday.<br /><br />We went to church as usual and we heard how another family, that was expecting any day, were having some complications, so we were asked, as a congregation, to pray that all may go well. After coming home and having lunch, April noted that she didn’t think that she had felt the baby for a while. She had a glass of orange juice and we went about the day. Later that evening, she mentioned that she didn’t feel the baby. So off to the emergency care in Airdrie. They instructed us to go to the hospital where we would be delivering. So off to the Rockeyview Hospital we went, grumbling because it is a long way and we thought they could have just put a heartbeat monitor on and it would all be good. I drop April off at the front door and go and park the car. We get to the Maternity ward and they get into a room right away and start to hook up the monitors. They seemed to be having some difficulty, so they called in an OB/GYN to do an ultrasound. The nurse that admitted us was still talking to April when I noticed that the OB/GYN seemed to be waiting to speak. When she did, our world came crashing down.<br /><br />“I’m sorry guys.”<br /><br />With three little words, our dream had come to an end. After that, there was much crying, consoling, phone calls were made and a blessing was given. April then had to go through one of the most cruel things that I can think of. She had to give birth. Why was this cruel? Because there would be no reward at the end.<br /><br />So on Monday October 25th, 2010 at around 5:22pm, Kai Derek Samuel Coulthard was born. There was no crying as he gasped for air, there was no movement from his arms or legs. There was nothing. Just this tiny little body. After the nurse cleaned him and wrapped him in a blanket, she asked if we wanted to hold him. As I held my little boy, I broke down. In my arms was supposed to be a loving bundle of joy, instead there was a lifeless body. As our family gathered around for support, there were no barriers to emotion being shown. There were lots of tears, hugs, well wishes, questions, and most of all, support for me and April. Eventually family started to leave and then there was just April, me and Kai. As we sat with our little one and contemplated what had happened and why, we held him for what now doesn’t seem like long enough. At 10:30pm we handed our little son over to the nurses, never to hold him again. Never to see him smile, run, play, fall in love, get married and have children of his own. This is the hardest to come to terms with.<br /><br /><br />Two months. Two months have passed since that event, and we are getting better. Writing this is my way of dealing with it. The emotions are still very raw and we still have many, many questions. We believe that Kai was a valiant servant of our Father in Heaven and did not need to prove himself in this life, but he did need a physical body. We don’t know why Kai didn’t need to be here, and that is hard, but we are comforted with our belief that we will see him and get a chance to know and raise him in the next life. This belief seems to take away the edge of the pain, but not completely remove it. In the coming weeks during Christmas, it will be especially hard as his due date was the 23rd of December.<br /><br />I am going to attach a couple of picture of Kai. They have been re-touched, but if you do not want to look, I understand.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgew3S2R-0QqFl_HVh6MhiJgTMdbrVMPTM4qINb2J28y5DVUOePJWu-r8UVR4C9hD4n6m-orkQV2OgxzU6Cffzq_LwumY0cS1Yf7U7WTRSlJwO-5tOg8Gm5cIdLKzCijn-7jk_vbywCU6c/s1600/a_RGHWinsor_1006827891_004BW.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 263px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgew3S2R-0QqFl_HVh6MhiJgTMdbrVMPTM4qINb2J28y5DVUOePJWu-r8UVR4C9hD4n6m-orkQV2OgxzU6Cffzq_LwumY0cS1Yf7U7WTRSlJwO-5tOg8Gm5cIdLKzCijn-7jk_vbywCU6c/s320/a_RGHWinsor_1006827891_004BW.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550359269972760018" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEcWlDYw2HEX1ckdhlSIcsUWsN-y2AlUBXHGcwQr0c5sMhroG4C9dAPfZa7Kf5NH8rJgjuC0__uU-KL1f7C2m_8buuzziwsj-ff6N9fbi2TL-Cl9UxPpHw7X3-5KeurvgFfWCEpedQkQw/s1600/a_RGHWinsor_1006827891_005.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEcWlDYw2HEX1ckdhlSIcsUWsN-y2AlUBXHGcwQr0c5sMhroG4C9dAPfZa7Kf5NH8rJgjuC0__uU-KL1f7C2m_8buuzziwsj-ff6N9fbi2TL-Cl9UxPpHw7X3-5KeurvgFfWCEpedQkQw/s320/a_RGHWinsor_1006827891_005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550359503356709218" /></a><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br />If you thought that wasn’t horrible enough, wait until I tell you about the trip we took afterwards.<br /><br />Until then.Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-41247279660629615462010-09-13T20:25:00.003-06:002010-09-13T20:46:47.832-06:00End of an era and begining of a new one.Well it's been a while since my last post (over a month) and not much has happened. On the 31st of August I handed my truck back to the leasing company and we officially became a one car family. The only vehicle we have is our 2007 Honda Fit. This needs to be our only car for a couple of years until we can afford 2 car payments again. Then I get to go and get a car that I really want. Don't know what it is yet, but I have a couple of years to think about it and do some serious research. I do have a few in mind already, but they are a little expensive at the moment. We'll see what happens in a couple of years.<br /><br />Our house is now officially off the market. We tried to sell it for a few months, but as luck would have it, as soon as it hit the market, the market collapsed. Seriously, it dropped 42% the first month we listed. Now we need to look at converting our den/office into a 3rd bedroom. Hopefully that won't cost too much. We have already got a crib and change table for the new bedroom and also a playpen for the living room/wherever. All donated by very nice people who do not read this blog.<br /><br />Work is good and busy. I just started on a new project as well as doing some finishing work for the old one. Hopefully I'll get to do some design work on this new project, but I doubt it will be much. The project is basically a copy of an old one for the same company, just in a different location. This year I plan on continuing my education and hopefully getting a lot of it completed towards my Process Piping Certificate. Of course with the baby coming in December, I'm not sure how much time I will have to study and such. I am also toying with the idea of joining our companies "Toastmasters Club" to work on my public speaking and confidence in a group setting. The trouble with that is the club is at the Southport location and I am downtown. We'll see if we can make it work.<br /><br />Church is going good. I am still the first assistant in the High Priest Group and slowly getting more comfortable with the Branch/Ward. I think that this calling is also helping me to overcome my shyness as every few weeks I need to give a lesson or lead the group in some manner.<br /><br />Well I guess I've bored you enough with what is happening, if you are even reading this blog anymore.<br /><br />I am working on a couple of things at the moment that will hopefully show up here in the next few weeks.<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by.Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-7394902281697055562010-08-02T18:58:00.003-06:002010-08-02T19:40:33.873-06:0020042004??? What was going on in 2004? Not much that I can remember. I do remember that being the year that I decided to go back to school and get my AutoCad Certificate, but other than that it was pretty uneventful. So why would I be talking about it?? Well, that's the year of my truck. I own/lease a 2004 GMC Canyon Crew Cab Z71 4x4. I leased it in 2006 for 4 years. If you do the math you will notice that this is the year it goes back to leasing company. In fact at the end of August I need to hand it back to them or buy it out. I have decided to give it back to them and we are going to become a 1 car family for as long as possible. Let me tell you about my truck.<br /><br />As I stated before it is a 2004 GMC Canyon Crew Cab Z71 4x4. It is a SLE trim, which basically means it's loaded. It has power everything, except seats, cruise control, auto dimming rear view mirror with compass and temperature read out, 6 disc upgraded stereo, remote key less entry, dual air bags, dual power outlets, the 3.5l in line 5 cylinder engine (yes 5 cylinders), and a bunch more. I bought the truck in 2006 and it had 70,000kms on it already. I wasn't concerned about the mileage, because I knew that these trucks are pretty durable.<br /><br />The day I picked the truck up and drove it home, my family was in the back yard waiting for me. After showing it off for a few minutes, my Dad announced that we needed to take some stuff to the dump. We loaded it up 3 times that day with junk that had been accumulating in their garage. The pleasures of owning a truck. It wasn't bad, I actually enjoyed it. The next weekend I ended up hauling some cement blocks from my parents house to my brother-in-laws for their back yard. I could already start to see a trend forming. When my sister in Salt Lake City found out that I had a truck, she asked if I cold bring down her trunk that she had here still. She had been without it for around 5 years, but now that I had a truck......well you get the idea. I didn't really mind doing these things, after all, that was what a truck was for.<br /><br />Of course I also had some fun in it. Almost every weekend I could, I was out in the country looking for new off-roading areas that I could go. I had a blast on those days. Even when I took the trunk down to my sister, I went in search of the roads less travelled.<br /><br />I loved this truck. The ride on it wasn't as harsh as I thought it would be. I drove very nice on the highway. I put a lot on miles on it the first couple of years I had it. Since then, the mileage has lessened. It is basically only driven now out of necessity. The reason being the gas mileage. For a smaller truck it's quite bad. The most I've ever got out of it was 550km to a tank of gas, which is around 70 litres. This was the biggest fault from day one with the truck. Everything else was good. The inside materials weren't the best quality and a little hard to the touch, but come on!!!! It's a truck for crying out loud, not a Lexus!!!<br /><br />The reliability of the truck has been outstanding. There were winters were if vehicles were not plugged in, they wouldn't start. The truck always did. It got us to work when there was over 2 feet of snow out, it got us there when there was a layer of ice on the roads. The 4 wheel drive system in the truck is unstoppable. I have never gotten stuck in it (knock on wood).<br /><br />Lately there have been a few issues with the truck. Last year the ABS light came on and was causing the system to act a little funny. We took it to a local garage where they informed me that the front wheel bearings were worn out and needed to be replaced. I almost passed out when they told me that it would be close to $1500 to replace them and the ABS sensors on the bearings. I thanked the nice man and left with the truck. My cousin and I changed the wheel bearings and ABS sensors for around $800 (Thanks Fergus!!). The truck is getting to that point where the little things are starting to wear out. The front brakes are almost worn out, the tires are getting worn down, things like that. And I've found out that nothing is cheap for this truck. A turn signal bulb is almost $7, rear brake shoes are $150, Front bumper cover cost $250, so I think it is time to give it up. Plus the payment isn't exactly cheap either. <br /><br />If we can do with out a second car until the new baby arrives, then we will be able to put a lot of money into savings maybe, just maybe, have enough for a down payment next year on a house closer to our family and friends.<br /><br />Well, there's the story on my truck. This truck was a post divorce/new career gift to myself at the time. Since then I have found an even greater gift in my wife. She is the light of my life and the reason to better myself each day.Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-69149203052654837642010-07-14T22:05:00.002-06:002010-07-14T22:25:08.903-06:003It has been a while since my last post. Life has been pretty busy.<br /><br />This is fair warning to those who are not into mushy posts or are not used to seeing it from me. This post is going to be extremely mushy and full of all that lovey dovey stuff.<br /><br />YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br /><br />You are probably wondering about the title. 3? What could that mean?? It means that 3 years ago today, I made the best decision I ever could have. I was sealed for time and all eternity to the most wonderful woman I have ever known. Sorry Mom and my sisters, but it's true. You are great in other ways, but April takes the cake.<br /><br />As some of you may know, this is my second time being married. However, there is a big difference between this marriage and my first. The main one being a common set of beliefs and lifestyles. We are Mormon, and with that comes a set belief and common goal for us both. That's not what makes her so great though.<br /><br />April and I are very similar in personalities. We are both shy and self conscious, and not outgoing at all. In fact, it is a wonder that we got together at all. We were both taking it very, very slowly and wanting to take the next step, but too damn scared to do so. Obviously we finally did and here we are. Married for 3 years.<br /><br />It was quite funny this past week as we were talking with someone and they said "Oh Happy Anniversary tomorrow!". April and I just looked at each other in a state of confusion. We had both forgotten it was our anniversary today. That is how comfortable we are with each other. It seems like we have been together for ever, in a good way. And yet we are also amazed that it has been 3 years.<br /><br />Here's the best part! I get to spend the rest of eternity (a really long time) with the most compassionate, caring, loving, humorous, quirky, sometimes adventurous, seeing through my failings, empathetic, most wonderful woman that has ever graced this earth. I am the luckiest man alive (I know all guys say that, but I mean it!!). I thank God everyday that I get to spend with her, even if it is just lazing around watching TV. My life, my son's life and our expected little one's life will all be better of just having known her. 3 years ago today, I became a complete person. And for that, I thank April, the woman who made me complete.<br /><br />LOVE YOU SWEETIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br /><br />HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-7908761232633902342010-06-14T17:58:00.002-06:002010-06-14T17:59:30.562-06:0038 Years.38 years ago today in the city of Manchester, England a little boy took his first breath, and promptly screamed! He was the second by in his little but growing family and would end up being the second oldest of 5 children. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Saudi Arabia. Yes I did say Saudi Arabia. He spent the first two years of his life there playing amongst the sand dunes and various friends. It was here where his allergy to Penicillin was discovered after he became very sick, according to his parents. After two years of playing in the desert, his family moved back to England for a short stay before heading to Canada. His family settled in a little town called Calgary, yes it was little at the time. Shortly after arriving in Calgary, the little family grew a little bigger with the addition of the first girl in the family, aside from the mother. Anyways, back to the little boy.<br />When the little boy was young, he played with little cars, like most little boys his age, but the little boy was a little different. He seemed to be fascinated with the automobile. And not just the little toy ones either. He was eager to learn as much as possible about them. He would subscribe to Road & track in his early youth and soon be able to tell anyone around him who would listen what year, make, and model the car approaching them was. This seemed to drive his parents crazy as he would sometimes yell it out while we were all in the car. During his later teens his interest seemed to change a bit as most young boys’ minds do, to girls. This didn’t mean that he stopped learning about cars at all, he just supplemented that interest with a new one. At one point he was seriously looking at a career in Automotive design. That was his goal, until he found out what it would take and how much it would cost. There was no way he cold afford to go to school for design. He was bummed. He then thought that the next best thing to designing cars would be selling them and running his own dealership. The cost for schooling wasn’t nearly as much as design and he could stay in Canada to do it. He researched the school, got information packages for it, and worked to save up the money to go. However, the job he was doing to save for school presented another option. He could have a good career fixing cars. He would be around them all day long, learning a how they worked, how the complex systems worked together, etc. He abandoned his dealership ambitions and set out to be an Automotive Technician. Five years later he was a Certified Automotive technician with an Inter-Provincial Red Seal. He was in heaven. Then the monotonous daily grind started to fade his enthusiasm for the trade. Then he made one of the biggest decisions in his life. He would open his own repair shop. During his career, he also got married and started a family of his own. He had just moved into a new house in a nice area of Calgary and things were looking good! He opened the shop 3 weeks after 9/11 happened and the economy tanked. Not the best timing in the world, as two years later it closed down. Also in that time his marriage fell apart and he had to go into bankruptcy. This wasn’t the worst part. That was that his parents and his older brother also had to go into bankruptcy as they were all partners in his shop. His life was at an all time low. That’s when an epiphany happened. He realized that cars could be a hobby for him and he could pursue a real career with real pay and opportunity. He went back to school and started a new career at the age of 33. Since then he has been in his new career for 5 years. He got remarried 3 years ago this July, and is expecting a child this Christmas season. He is still very passionate about cars and all thing automotive, but now it is not the be all, end all.<br /><br />How do I know so much about this person? Because this person is me. Today I turn 38 years old. As you can tell from everything above, it has been an eventful 38 years. And what have I learned? I’ve learned that there are more important things in life than 4000 pound hunks of metal and plastic that look good. Family is the most important thing in life, and I have been blessed to be a part of one of the best. Even though we are very sarcastic and joke around with each other, we all know that we love each and every member of the family.Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-55109754811263193932010-06-06T21:44:00.003-06:002010-06-06T22:06:26.809-06:00So here it is, another Sunday night. It's been a while since I wrote anything on here, mainly because I'm not sure what to write. So I'll wing it and see what spews from these fingers.<br /><br />My wife asked me tonight why I liked it here in Airdrie. She finds it very lonely and feels shut out of our ward (she's most likely going to kill me for saying that, but oh well). I have had an easier adjustment to living out here. I don't mind the commute, it's very peaceful and serene most nights, and the Walmart isn't busy most of the time. Anyway, back to the question. Why do I like it out here? I thought about it and came to the conclusion that out here, I can be my own man. You see, in the church in Calgary, me and my siblings were always referred to as Derek Coulthard's son/daughter. Out here, yes people knew him, but I could also be Gavin Coulthard. Out here I have forged my own path and been able to shed the expectations of being Derek Coulthard's son. My other siblings will know what I am talking about. This revelation has been a long time in coming. My brother, who served a mission, was able to find out what kind of person he was while on his mission also away from being known as....well you get the idea. This has come to me at a much later time in my life. With this new revelation in my life, I can move forward and stop trying to compare myself to him. You see, my dad is a great man. He has overcome much in his life, had many callings within the church and is also very outgoing. For those of you who know me personally, you know that I am the complete opposite. I am very, very shy. I take a long time to start to let my true self be shown in public. In fact, my family would most likely be very shocked if they knew what I was truly like at home. With moving out here to Airdrie, I have been able to chart my own path and become a more complete and rounded husband and father. This is why I am not opposed to moving back to Calgary, and possibly even my parents ward. When we do move back, I will no longer be "Derek Coulthard's son Gavin", I will be "Gavin Coulthard and yes I am his son".<br /><br />That being said, I do truly love my father for everything that he has done for me and each of my siblings. We might not always have seen eye to eye(in fact we fought for most of my teens), but as I got older I realised that my father does know some things better than I do. He was the one who put me on my career path, and was able to help me out when I needed it the most. He has been there for the important days in my life, even when he didn't agree with the choices that I was making. I also joke with him that I am cursed to be very much like him in a lot of ways, but he knows that I wouldn't have it any other way.Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-36326335916793053032010-05-24T16:01:00.003-06:002010-05-24T16:13:42.712-06:00Venting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Argh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br /><br />Why does life lift you up just to kick you in the family jewels again?<br /><br />After the high of finding out that we are expecting an addition to our little family came the reality of the event.<br />Firstly, we only have a 2 bedroom condo and Tyler is in the only other room. So we need to get a new house. We thought that it would be good to get one with a basement apartment, that way April's parents could rent out the basement and help with the mortgage and looking after the little one.<br /><br />All sounds really good doesn't it? Here's the kicker.<br /><br />We are about $10,000 "upside down" on this property, not including the down payment and realtor fees for the new house. All in all, about $30,000 is what we need to come up with to move. We applied for a line of credit only to find out that it most likely won't happen and they do not allow co-signers on a line of credit.<br /><br />So now what?????????<br /><br />We're willing to listen to any ideas anybody might have.Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-49808315802913093202010-05-09T21:39:00.005-06:002010-05-09T22:05:43.208-06:001111 years ago today (May 9, 1999) my life was changed forever. No longer was I just a man going through life. That day I became a father. That day is the day that I stopped thinking about putting myself first and started putting my son first. Every decision from that point on was decided on the question "How will this affect my son?" Unfortunately I have missed out on a lot of my son's growing up. You see, when he was about 3-4 years old, his mother and I split up. It was one of the hardest decisions of my life. I thought about it for months before actually moving out of the house. At the time I was also going through closing down a failed business and bankruptcy, so I was unable to gain custody of my son. He lives with his mother and I see him at least every other weekend and sometimes more. There are so many events in his life that I was not there for and I am wracked with guilt every time I think about it. I try not to think about it and focus on the time I do have with him. He is now entering that phase of life where things can be confusing and painful. I have a small hope that when he is going to start Junior High School that he will decide to come and live with me and my wife so that I can be there for him to answer the inevitable questions.<br /><br />Today also brings other challenges and joys to my life. Today (& yesterday) we told our respective families that we are expecting a child to bless our home come this December. This is my second chance to be the Father that I always wanted to be. Because of the earlier choices in my life, my son is not a member of the Mormon Church. This means that he has not been baptised. It also means that I have not (at this time) be able to ordain him to the Priesthood (when he turns 12), or perform any of the other things that Mormon fathers do for their children. I have been given that second chance and am so thankful for it. Does this mean that my son's importance to me has dwindled? Not even the slightest. In fact, I would say that it has grown. This way I can show him how a father should be and how a father is there for his children no matter what.<br /><br />I am grateful for the joy that my son brings me and the challenges as well. On this day I wish him a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!<br /><br />I LOVE YOU TYLER!!!<br /><br />HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-10554541371886423722010-04-21T20:58:00.004-06:002010-04-21T21:41:41.433-06:00FaithSo I had to teach this past Sunday in the High Priest group. What is really odd is that I am the youngest of the group and trying to teach men who have been Bishops, High Council, and various other callings. But here it is.<br /><br />This weeks lesson was on Prayer. To teach this lesson, I decided to decided to use the Who, What, Where, When, Why, & How process. It went over quite well. So let's begin.<br /><br /><strong>Who</strong> should pray? This was answered very quickly with "Everyone!". But is this true? Should everyone pray? Even those who do not believe in a Greater Power?<br /><br />My answer is yes, everyone should pray. Whether you believe in God, Mother Nature, Flying Spaghetti Monster, whatever. Everyone should pray.<br /><br />This leads into <strong>Why</strong>.<br /><br /><strong>Why</strong> should we pray? Prayer has been an important part of Faith and Religion since the beginning of time. We need to pray to help us in resisting temptation and to help us stay on the straight and narrow path back to our Heavenly Father. We also need to pray to help us feel closer to God and to have Him be a part of our lives. Someone in the class also mentioned that we should also pray to thank Him for our blessings and for all that he does for us, and has done for us.<br /><br />This then leads into <strong>When</strong>.<br /><br /><strong>When</strong> should we pray? The easy answer here is "Always" (Doctrine & Covenants 10:5). Of course we should always be praying by keeping Him in our thoughts, but WHEN should we pray? There is the food prayers, family prayers, individual prayers, couples prayers for those that are married, and those times when we need some extra guidance or comfort. There is NO WRONG TIME TO PRAY!!!!!!<br /><br />Then comes <strong>What</strong>.<br /><br /><strong>What</strong> is prayer? Prayer is a way for us to communicate to our father in Heaven. To stay close to Him, to share our delight with Him, to share our sorrows with Him. Prayer is that personal and direct communication with Him. It is a way for us to feel connected to something bigger than this world. It is a way for us to NOT feel like we are all alone. There are a lot of people struggling who feel alone in this world, who feel like no one is there for them. This is how I felt shortly after my divorce. Someone (my Mom) told me that I needed to pray. There is more behind this, but that will come later. After I prayed that night for the first time in many, many years, a peaceful feeling came over me and I felt like I was no longer alone with my troubles.<br /><br /><strong>Where</strong> should we pray? We never got this far in the lesson on Sunday as we ran out of time, but I thought I would pose it here. The lesson manual never covered it either, so it's free reign. Of course this all depends on the situation and the circumstances of where you are. We are commanded to pray in private, but what does that mean? Does that mean the we pray only when no one is around? But what about Church meetings? What about Family prayers? I think that this means more like we are not to be boastful about our praying. We are to do it, but not announce that we are doing it to the world in a prideful manner. I would enjoy hearing others thoughts on this as well. So please feel free to leave and thoughts in the comments.<br /><br />Finally <strong>How</strong> do we pray? No matter where we are, whether we stand or kneel, whether we pray vocally or silently, whether we pray privately or in behalf of a group we should ALWAYS pray in faith, "with a sincere heart, with real intent" (Moroni 10:4). Of course as young children we are taught that there should be a certain pattern to our prayer.We usually open with "Heavenly Father" or "Father in Heaven" or something similar. Then we thank Him for our blessings. Sometimes this list is long, sometimes it's not. Then we ask Him for help or for help on behalf of others. We ask for blessings that we would like or desire. Then we close with "In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen". The very first line in the lesson manual is as follows: "Jesus taught, "Ye must always pray unto the Father in my name" (3 Nephi 18:19).<br /><br />The power of Prayer is incredible. If I hadn't knelt that night and prayed after my Mom had mentioned it, my life would be completely different. I wouldn't be where I am today without that first step of prayer "with a sincere heart, with real intent".<br /><br />I hope that you enjoyed this post and will continue to come back and continue to enjoy what I post.Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626506288911032660.post-43478524410203222032010-04-17T16:19:00.009-06:002010-04-17T22:34:55.992-06:00A little background about me!!!Well I guess I should tell you a little something about me.<br /><br />For those of you who do not know, I am a Mormon. I have been a member my whole life, but had a few years, 15, where I didn't attend church or really believe it. I became active again about 6 years ago after a few faith affirming incidents that I will share at a later date.<br /><br />That is the <strong>Faith</strong>.<br /><br />First and foremost I am a husband and a father. I've been married to my wife for almost 3 years now. We were married in July of 2007. This is my second marriage. I also have a 10 year old son who turns 11 in May. Where did the time go? I am also the second child in a family of seven. I have an older brother and three younger sisters. They are all married and all have children. My older brother and youngest sister live within a 30 minute drive of me and my other sisters are in Texas and Northern BC. <br /><br />That is the <strong>Family</strong>.<br /><br />My parents have always said that I was born with a steering wheel in my hands and have always been interested in cars. Well with my initials being GMC, can you blame me? I have had a love affair for these 3000lb machines for as long as I can remember. It grew worse when I became friends with the son of a local Dealership owner. Over the past couple of years I have begun to spread my automotive preferences from beyond the GM fold, but I'll get into that at a later date.<br /><br />And there's the <strong>Cars</strong>.<br /><br />These are the three things that I am most passionate about in my life. I hope that by doing this, you will enjoy my passion for these as well and figure out what you are passionate about as well.<br /><br />Well that's my first post. I hope that intrigues you enough to keep checking back and seeing what I write.Gavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074580266228383163noreply@blogger.com2