Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome Back

I apologize for the Welcome Back Kotter reference in my title, but it seemed appropriate.  It has been a busy summer and I just didn't find time to write while I was at home.  So I'll just give a short recap and hopefully it will be interesting.

Me at the Church History Museum

This summer I had the pleasure of teaching a class on LDS Church History from 1805 to 1844 for BYU's religion department.  It was one of the best experiences of my life and it is hard to think that it is over (minus the grading...).  The students were fantastic and were genuinely interested in learning more about the history of the Church.  For their major assignment, I had them select a diary of one of the early members of the Church, read approximately 20 pages of it, and then write about what they were able to learn about the history of the Church from that diary.  I had several great papers.  No two early Church members were more popular than Eliza R. Snow and Oliver Cowdery.  I think that the students came away with an increased appreciation for those early Saints and the challenges that they went through.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience.  Several years ago I taught a seminary class for 10 days and within 2-3 class periods, I was certain that not only was I not the right person for that program, but that program was not right for me either (no offense to the seminary program which I dearly love).  But within 2-3 days of teaching this course at BYU, I had fallen in love with the career and with the opportunity to teach Church history at a collegiate level.  There is a lot I need to improve upon, but I loved it.

While teaching took up the majority of my time and concentration, I also found time to spend each day with Julianne this summer.  One of my favorite moments came when we decided to try out a recipe for shrimp tin foil dinners.  The recipe called for you to wrap spinach, couscous, and Shrimp up in tin foil and cook for about 10 minutes on a grill, and then when it was done to eat it with a fresh mango salsa (mangoes, tomatoes, avocado, red onion, and if you like it, cilantro).  It was delicious.  I love experimenting on new recipes with Julianne who is so talented in the kitchen that everything she touches turns out delicious and aesthetically pleasing.  If you have not had the pleasure of having Julianne cook for you, it is something you need to try to experience.  :)

On top of all this, I was blessed to spend time with my family.  I got to see my new nephew Max grow from a small baby into a strong and healthy baby, a miracle that brings a smile to my face.  I got to play with both Mauri and Lincoln.  I spent time with my two remarkable parents and with each of my siblings.  Each of them is such a blessing in my life and I am grateful to have them.  Looking back now, it was a magical summer that I wouldn't trade for the world.

Brett