Well, its about time I updated, as I have heard from many of you. Really seems odd not having to go to school every day. Even stranger thinking that I may never take another class. I kind of miss it in some ways but am glad it is over in others. I do miss seeing friends and classmates each day and having a regular schedule. Now I have to keep pushing myself to get done what I know I need to, no due dates or deadlines to hold me accountable.

I did have a great trip to Mexico last week. Lot of fun and also a lot of work. It sure is amazing to see God's hand at work in so many ways. He got us safely across the borders without much hassle, helped us get an enormous amount of work done, protected us from many dangers both realized or not, and is really at work in the lives of so many people there. If you get a chance, pray for the church in Mexico, it is just growing by leaps and bounds.

I worked on a crew that built a house for one of the pastors there. He had been living in one half of the church building but the church has grown so much that they needed all the room they can get. It was amazing, in just four days we almost got a whole house built. We did all the walls, plumbing, electrical, and much of the floors. All it needs is a roof that we left materials for and it will be all done. Eventually I hope to get pictures up here to show you all.

Well, got to go now but will try to write more often now.

Well a very late Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. Sorry I havent been on in a while, don't often get to the library and we still don't have internet at home. Had a quiet Christmas at home then got drug off the next morning to visit relatives in Illinois. Good to see them but is rather awkward being aroung them. No similar interests and very much different outlooks on life so it is hard to have much of a conversation. Did get to play cards though.

Don't mean to complain all the time but what kind of winter weather is this? No snow, all rain, and warm to boot. No fun to be outside and hard to cut wood or anything like that with muddy ground. I managed to get my truck stuck in out yard and made some deep ruts getting it out. I don't even dare to attempt to drive across the fields to cut wood. Not even sure I want to try with the tractor. Oh well, I guess it will help keep me focused on getting all my paperwork and planning done for this summer. They say there is a silver lining to every grey cloud if you look hard enough for it.

Looks like I too will be headed to Mexico for two weeks here in January. I think we are leaving the 12th. It should be a fun trip but 40 hrs is a long bus ride to get there. Then we get to do it all over again on the way back.

Also looks like I will be going to Oregon for a few weeks in Feb or early March. I will get to see some friends I made there and have a chance to work for a while. Not sure yet if I will be flying out or driving. We'll have to see.

Ok, so this Saturday I am going to some formal party that I have to wear dress clothes for. I hate wearing dress clothes, especially a tie!! Fortunately I have been able to go almost a year since I last had to wear them, till now anyway.

Well, last night when I got home from school Mom wanted me to get out my suit and make sure it still fit and everything. I tried to tell her I haven’t grown in the last year and the suit hasn’t changed but it was no use. Had to get it on and stand there while she adjusted, looked, adjusted, and looked some more. Standing around with somebody fussing over it is even worse than wearing it.

So I thought the torture was almost over when she noticed that I was not wearing a tee shirt under my dress shirt. I tried to tell her it was so I don’t roast as bad but she still made me go change. I figured if I had to wear something under it a beater might be cooler than a regular tee shirt so I grabbed one from my drawer. Put it on and noticed something was not at all right. It was too short for me and was really tight, like skin tight except across the front of my chest. The cut of the material was really strange too, had wider shoulder strips and a different neck cut. I was standing there trying to decide if it was just my imagination or if the shirt really had changed when Mom walked in and looked at me. She was like where in the world did you get that shirt Ryley?!!  She explained to me that it actually was a women’s top. I guess that explains why it didn’t fit too well.

So now the question was where in the world I could have gotten it. So far our best guess is that it was Emily’s shirt (daughter of my boss last summer). Somebody must have mixed it in with mine when they sorted laundry late last summer and I didn’t notice the difference when I folded my clothes. I never needed it since so I just now found out about it. I guess it seems like a plausible explanation, I often got other articles of clothing that were defiantly not anything I would ever wear mixed in with my laundry over the summer. Made a good laugh for my brothers at my expense last night.

What a day I had yesterday. All full of ups and downs. After school found out that instear of leasing his equipment, Ron would rather just sell it all to me. I guess this is a good thing, lets me be free to make all the decisions on my own without having to ok them with him first. Only problem is that now I have to spend the twenty some thousand dollars to pay for it. Oh well I guess.

Saw a great show at the planetarium last night : ), but afterward somebody stole my hat and coat. : (  Then to finish off the day, had a brake line blow out on the truck on the way home. Made things rather interesting for a while but made it home fine. now I guess I beter get busy and go fix it.

Ok, all of you who know me know how much I hate having to make big decisions. Most of you also know that I really enjoyed my summer internship out in Oregon. Roger asked me to come back and work for him there full time before I left to come home. So this fall I had a terrible time. I had to choose between moving to Oregon and taking the job there or staying here with the opportunities here.

In Oregon I would have a full time job doing something I love to do very much. I would start at around $40,000 per year plus room and board. I also would have the opportunity to run my own herd of stock and an opportunity came up for me to rent several hundred acres adjacent to Roger's farm. This is basically a very real answer to my lifelong dream. The only drawbacks to this would be my family and friends are all back here and I really would rather work for myself than somebody else. I guess in a way I would be working for myself here though.

On the other hand, an opportunity of a lifetime has opened up here over the summer as well. My parents have purchased some land and now need somebody to farm it for them. Ron Surato also wants to do less with the haying and asked me if I would like to take over his business. Several other people have asked me if I would like to rent their land as well. This would leave me with around 250 acres to farm and I would be working on my own. I still would be able to keep my tree removal business as well. With this I would get to work alongside my Dad and the rest of my family as well.

Now after praying for an opportunity like this all my life God gave me two to choose from. I prayed and agonized over this decision for over a month and finally came to a decision. Both were so tempting but I finally decided to stay here. I guess friends and family along with my own business outweighed a much better financial offer. Don’t know why I am talking about this now, decision has been made.

Now the question is weather or not to go back out there and work for the winter months till I get busy here in the spring. It would be fun and give me a steady income over the slow winter months. One problem is that I would not be able to spend as much time as I want to get ready for this next summer here and wouldn’t see any of my friends for several months. The other problem is that going back may make me regret the choice I made. I may start comparing what I could have here vs. there again and become discontent with my choice. I would still like to keep my friendship with Roger though and the possibility of working for him is things don’t work well here.