midterms

All right people.  I decided I was going to get back on this whole blog thing once midterms were over, surprise, they're never over.  Ha ha, just after a shotgun blast of tests in a week there is always one lingering around the corner...or a project.....or both.  I mean seriously, it never ends.  Or so it seems.

From the age...0 until about 6 or 7 my siblings could convince me to do just about anything.  Which is pretty much why we have about half of theses stories to tell.  "Hey, let's get Dan to do (insert dangerous activity)".  This experience followed that same blueprint, oh what humble beginnings.

I spent countless blissful summers on a lake near my hometown, and to this day it remains my favorite location on the planet.  Like most days, I would swim and fish, swim, and swim some more.  My brothers, sister and I would take rides on the boat, and try and get as close to death as possible being whipped around on an inflatable tube with the force of about 12 g's (to experience similar force, take a max speed banked turn in a fighter jet).  Invariably the day would come to a close and we would adorn our conglomeration of assorted sweatshirts, all of which were far to big, and would often cover us down to our knees.  Waiting for dinner to be ready, us boys would wander around looking for new adventures.  We, and by we I mean my two older brothers coerced me into, playing a classic game of Dan Go Stand on The Dock and See if We Can Hit Him.  (I say classic because this game happened more often than I would like to admit.)  And so it begun, I would walk back and forth like the little ducks you see at a carnival midway with a target painted right on the flank.  Rocks would rain down from the sky, seldom ever hitting the dock on which I was standing.  I was in more danger of getting splashed than getting hit thanks to both of my brothers being little sissies :)  But as the age old saying goes, "even a blind squirrel can find a nut..."  In came a comet, but WAY to high to hit me.  It banged against the tin roof of the cabin and I made a taunting gesture towards my assailants on the shore sticking my tongue out "Nah nah, can't hit me!"  Little did I know how close my life would come to that of the great physicist Newton, for I would also discover the power of gravity, hands on.  The rock took its course, rolling down the slanted roof until it took off like a ski jump and SMACK!  Right on the top of my head.  "AHHH!" I yelped, almost losing my balance into the water.  All I heard was an eruption of laughter echo across the water from the shore.  Boys will be boys, and that for sure was not the last of our shenanigans!

School, school, school

While The Golden child has been receiving the glory and attention that comes from a beautiful addition to our ever-growing family.  I love my dear family, annnnd the girls keep coming.  I now have five BEAUTIFUL nieces.  For any of you who may have nephews from the age 0 to 5 years old...watch out for two reasons, 1) They are indeed beautiful. 2) I have a history of being VERY defensive of the women in my life.  That being said, I actually have some things to say about my life.

 I have started my Junior year at Utah State University, and I love it.  This school has so much to offer its students, I can hardly keep up with all the opportunities at my door.

For my whole life I have been one of those kids who has trouble sleeping before the first day of school from being so excited.  Although sleeping habits have changed now, I still enjoy school....except I can't seem to escape this conversation.  "Oh are you John Mosman's little brother?"  GAH!  I mean I expected it in Junior High, and High School, sure.  Hometown, siblings, same teachers, blah blah blah I get it.  But here?  Come on, 600 miles away from my beloved Moscow, Idaho and (I kid you not) TODAY a friend from John's mission stops me "Are you Dan?  John Mosman's little brother?"  Come on people.  But, in all honesty I invariably smile, and with pride answer, "Yes".  Welcome to another school year.

From not so humble beginnings came a blessing

I have always wanted to start a blog, and it has been a combination of not knowing how, and lacking the motivation.  I seem to have found the motivation by co-founding this little claim of the internet with my brother (The Golden Child), oh I'll get to him later.  Right now I just want to give credit where it's due.  To my sister Jennie; the oldest of the bunch she encouraged me to enlist the help of the Golden Child himself to start this blog, so I thank her for the wonderful idea.  To my cousin Carver for starting your blog and reminding me of how much I wanted to start one myself.  Thanks to you both.  Now without delay, I will now introduce the lesser half of this blog writing team:

יוֹחָנָן

John is derived from the Hebrew name written above Yehochanan (do NOT ask me how to pronounce that).  It essentially means God is generous.  Ladies and gentlemen, what an honor.  This gracious gift was bestowed upon our little family sometime in September during the late 1980's and people have been loving him ever since, give me a break!  The light blue eyes that appeal to our Mother, the athletic ability that made him a favorite of our Dad.  Oh yes, he seemed to have it all.  I remember him winning his brownie points early on when he would sit on Mom's bed and read her the latest Harry Potter book to keep her up to date with the series.  How cute.  He then went on to make the varsity basketball team as a freshmen, so when the next year came around and I was in seventh grade the coach told me I made the "B" team and let me sit there, mortified, sweating, thinking of a place I could move away from home because I sure as heck wasn't going home after....oh just a joke, real funny coach, it's hard enough to follow John's act without your sick sense of humor.  John continued to play and excel in school and sports through our teenage years, opening some doors for me, annnd slamming some before I even got there (I'll tell you about our eighth grade science teacher later).  We both LOVE Track & Field, when I was in eighth grade I was so excited to be able to run on the same team as John the following year.  So much, that I told him my most recent times in the 100 meter dash to let him know how good of an asset I would be for the team, he laughed and said "Well that might win state, if you were a girl."  He decided to get his Eagle Scout, and from then on could do no wrong in our Mother's eyes.  He served an honorable mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Honduras Tegucigalpa where he, of course, had great success.  He came home looking like a skeleton, went to BYU-I "Do", got married to a beautiful young lady, and moved to Logan where he now is a manager at his job, just moved into a new townhouse AND has his second little girl on the way (and I'm sure the list goes on).  Now if that isn't picture perfect for a kid his age then I don't know what is, did I mention how good he is still doing in school?  His brownie points with Mom have gotten so out of control as to thwart any plot of demise from my "twin" sister (mentioned above) and me.  We all love him, securing his place in our hearts as:

The Golden Child