I was born in Corvallis, Oregon in 1981. My parents tried and tried to have a child for several years with no success. The doctors told them that they were not able to have kids. One evening, my dad said a sincere prayer and offered the Lord all he had in exchange for a child. Well, he got exactly what he asked for. I was born a short while later and then my dad lost his job and my parents lost their home.
I was the first an only child for the first eight years of my life. My only-child years came to an end when my brother, Roland, was born. He was yet another miracle, though this time my dad did not offer all he had in return. Then three years later my sister, Ariel, also joined our family. The three of us kids shared many good times growing up together despite our age difference. I remember after my brother and sister were born it was challenging at first having to share my parents attention. They made a real effort to make sure that the transition was as smooth as possible. I distinctly remember my mom taking me on weekly mother-son dates to Dairy Queen to get an ice cream and plug money into the juke box. We would sit together and talk about whatever was on my mind. The one-on-one time is exactly what I needed to help me adjust as our family dynamics were changing.
My parents were very active in our lives as kids. They always attended our activities and tried to get us involved in anything that we took interest in. I remember my mom volunteering in my school and my dad coming for lunch while I was in elementary school to eat with me and my friends and then push us all on the swings during recess. Growing up, my parents were always great examples of selfless service. My dad and mom would take me with them to assist the neighbors in their backyard, help someone move, or deliver meals to the elderly. They tried to make service a family affair and that is something that I hope to pass on to my children.
I grew up and spent my entire childhood in Oregon. My favorite family vacations included a trip to Edmonton, Canada to visit what at the time was the world’s largest mall. It had an indoor water park, amusement park, submarine rides, dolphin shows…needless to say it was my dream come true. I also have fond memories of a road trip we took as a family in our cream colored minivan to beautiful Yellowstone National Park.
In eighth grade, I was able to participate in a student exchange and spent a couple of weeks in Japan. The family I stayed with while I was there did not speak very much English and I did not speak very much Japanese. During that time, I learned communication is so much more than just words. It was a fun learning experience for me and helped me to respect and appreciate cultures different from my own.
I graduated high school in 1999. As a graduation present my grandmother sent my mom and I to Hawaii. I had a blast and ended up going back and chaperoning my brother several years later. Before starting college, I also went skydiving. My dad suggested that if you are going to do it you should do it before you have kids and a family in case your shoot does not open. This sounded like good advice, even to a teenager, and I am glad I did.
After graduating, my dad and I went on a father-son trip to tour several ghost towns in our old Toyota 4-Runner. I remember having such a fun time when he let me drive off road. Sometimes there was not much to see at theses abandoned ghost towns but that wasn’t what was really important to me. What was important was the quality one-on-one time with my dad.
The next fall I attended college at Oregon State University. I lived in the dorms and happened to live across the hall from another member of the church, Suzi, who was largely responsible for my wife and I meeting several years later. I decided to major in Bioengineering. When I started college I had planned to go to medical school and become a doctor. I didn’t want to major in biology because that is what everyone did and engineering sounded interesting and provided a secure future. When I discovered bioengineering it sounded like the perfect combination. After shadowing a few physicians during my junior and senior year, I realized that the lifestyle of a medical professional was not for me. The stress of the job, long hours, and being on-call on the weekends was just not what I wanted for me and my family. Sure the money was attractive, but I realized that there was so much more that I wanted. I wanted to start a family, be home for dinner, and be involved in the lives of my wife and kids.
I left for my mission after my freshman year. I served in Madrid, Spain. I loved the country and the people. My mission taught me how to be more independent, outgoing, provided me with ample opportunities to increase my faith and self-confidence. After my mission, I returned to OSU to finish my degree and began dating Kelly the summer before my senior year.
I had a wonderful childhood and was blessed with two loving parents who would do anything for their kids. I am also grateful that I have two loving siblings that that gave me a new perspective, taught me patience, and made my childhood years so enjoyable.