Reasons why we need a dog!

Of course many of you know I've been pushing for a new dog ever since the passing of my bestest friend in the world Lightning. So I thought I would blog about the many reasons why it is great to have a dog many of these I found online. Before I start though I would like to begin with a story that I was emailed a long time ago and I have kept ever since then.

A Dog's Purpose (from a 4-year-old)
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa,and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion.
We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.
He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The four-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

If a dog was the teacher, you would learn stuff like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.
Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

I always love reading that story because I love dogs! It kind of sucks not having one because I have no one to take on walks no one to talk to at night when a certain someone is knocked out from sleeping aids, no one to cuddle up with at night to keep me warm, no one to eat my left over food when I'm full and cannot eat anymore, no one to greet me at the door when I come home, and no one to play catch with outside. These are the reasons I came up with I then came across a website that gave more good reasons.

If you want someone who will bring you the paper without
first tearing it apart to remove the sports section

Buy a dog.

If you want someone willing to make a fool of himself simply over the joy of seeing you

Buy a dog.

If you want someone who will eat whatever you put in front of him and never says its not quite as good as his mother made it

Buy a dog.

If you want someone always willing to go out, at any hour, for as long and wherever you want

Buy a dog.

If you want someone who will never touch the remote, doesn't give a damn about football, and can sit next to you as you watch romantic movies

Buy a dog.

If you want someone who is content to get up on your bed just to warm your feet and whom you can push off if he snores

Buy a dog.

If you want someone who never criticizes what you do, doesn't care if you are pretty or ugly, fat or thin, young or old, who acts as if every word you say is especially worthy of listening to, and loves you unconditionally, perpetually

Buy a dog.

Now I never said I wanted a puppy cause I know that takes work and with all our schedules I know we don't have time to train a puppy, all I'm asking for is a cute furry dog (Border Coli) cause it sucks not having a dog in this house.
sorry about all the different text formats for some reason copy and paste screws up everything.

Live, Love Laugh.

Things invented in 1988: doppler radar (invented by Christian Andreas Dopple) Digital Cellular Phones, The abortion pill, and prozac. People who died on August 29th according to history John the baptist was beheaded on the 29th, Brigahm Young died on the 29th and lots of people died in New Orleans because of Hurricane Katrina. People who's birthday is on the 29th John Mcain, Michel Jackson, and Me! So yeah thats part of what I am going to blog about is my birthday which turned out pretty good. I got a call at 12 in the morning from some of my good friends singing happy birthday which cheered me up, and my dad got assigned a talk in church after not having one for 4 years (just to see him break a winning streak of something so small makes my day) and I had a good day at work, so overall it was a great birthday they whole celebration doesnt start until we have everyone around for dinner which is on sunday. I'am now 20, 1 year away for leagaly being able to drink (which isnt important) but it makes me feel somewhat pleased that I can now classify myself as an adult eventhough most of my family still thinks I have the maturity of a child I am an adult now. 2 decades of a happy life and great family.


But my birthday is not the only thing I want to "blog" about. So I'am going to try and make this pretty long, if your in a hurry don't read this! I also wanted to talk about life and everything in it and all the things that make us happy. I once read a great billboard on a camera that said "Money can't buy happiness but it can buy marshmellows which is pretty close" which I totally agree with money can't buy happiness. Happiness is something that is gained through lifes little pleasures as I think of it whether it's staring into the eyes of the little brown eyed boy you call your nephew and realizing that eventhough society classifys him with a disablity he has the ability to make you smile with any action he does, any noise he makes and every step he takes, whenever I look at him I wish we all could be like him finding joy in everything we do (I mean most of us do but not all of us) I can't wait for him to grow up and finally become "mommys little monster" that will soon adapt to the art of escape and mess making of the top shelf, and even then I'm sure he will still bring a smile to all our faces. But the happiness doesnt end there my lovely sister Liz who most of us have began to call our second mom gave birth to a beautiful girl named Aaliyah (she had to make it a tough name to spell) who is growing just as fast as little tyler, she has learned how to make noises with her voice; screaming, yelling you know usual baby noises and has learned the army crawl one of the first abilities taught at the ninja academy. When you look at these two heaven sent angels you see more than just babies you see a great deal of happiness and your going to smile whether you want to or not.

Not only does my sisters children bring me joy but also my sisters every one of them in there own way. Liz with her amazing talent to work hard to help everyone in the family and still be able to take care of her kids. I still remember the days we used to argue over me not going to piano but I still loved her. She is always there for anyone in the family (literally she live across the street). If you ask for her help she will go to the end of the earth to help you. She has married one of the coolest guys in the world Neil Kealamakia, he rides a motorcycle and paintballs how much more awesome can you get... if only he had retractable wings. Becka my amazing sister who I brag about non stop to all my friends that see her picture I mean its so awesome to walk up and be like "my sister is the smartest person on the planet when it comes to anything about the planet" or "my sister can outsmart your sister" and just like liz she is always there for me most weekends we have come up with becka scott bonding moments where we go to the movies and talk, rant, or just joke around about life, she is in 70% of my pictures cause me and her got the self portrait taking gene and love taking pictures of ourselves. Alex is just alex, I wasnt really old enough to care when my older sister liz went through the drama of jr. high and high school but I look at my sister alex and watch her deal with these tough problems and think wow our parents are good at raising, she also makes me smile when she tries to pretend to be a ninja, when she should know ninjas are chosen by destiny. Courtney the youngest of the family she reminds me of my father very observant and punctual wants to be on time to everything which is the opposite of me I believe in the kick back and relax policy, but it is great that she is learning at an young age, she will do great one day I know it. All four of my sisters have taught me alot of what I know today about women which makes me understand them alittle better, also they helped with my smelly problem back in the public school days which I'am thankful for. They are also who I turn to for fashion opinions.

Onto my brother ryan bert downard, now every once and awhile people comment on how my younger bother looks up to me, but I look up to him as well, he seems to be doing alot better in his high school years than me. It took me the longest time to break out of my anti social shell and begin to talk to alot of people but he seems to be making lots of friends, and money as well he has had a job that many would think to be a stupid job but he finds it entertaining to say the least and the way he shakes his sign out there makes my heart smile. I'am pleased that someone else shares a taste in the Faux Hawk style of hair. He is always my duo partner in attacking the family, which just shows how he's got my back like I have his back. He's my younger and only brother I have so we need to stick together just in case the sisters decide to attack at once.
Now all my sisters and my brother and me could not have got to where we all are today if it wasn't for the most amazing parents in the world both unique. I will begin with my dad Brian who, is a genius at technical/mechanical things, the thing that makes me proud to be his son is that he doesnt just fix the broken thing, he has you fix it with him so in turn you learn what is wrong and how to fix it. I get my outdoor gene from him, he does everything he can during every season to have fun outside and he rarely goes alone. He has been there to help me tackle alot of fears, and because of his help I got my eagle scout award. He's the perfect dad for my perfect family, he's like a big kid trapped in an adult body, having fun with everything he does. He shares the love of paintballing with me that not all dads have seemed to like, and eventhough we seem to be bitter rivals in the game we still love each other and have the same amout of experience in the game.

Now onto Wonder mom MaryAnn Fisher Downard the one who went through 6 different births to bring 6 little demon children and raise them to be perfect angels all while cooking, cleaning, going to school, making clothes, shopping for clothes, helping with homework, staying up late to help us with lifes little problems and just being a great mom. She is one of those moms everyone dreams of having. A mom that cares about every little detail of your problem and tries to fix it (I now see where liz gets her genes from) She graduated with from weber state university with 213 credit hours which is just superb (and I now see where becka gets her smarts from) She tolerates everything we do every mess we make and every fight we get into and has never really boiled over and killed any of us. She has been there for my friends when they struggle through school to. She may have killed my best friend in the world but I know it was hard for her, I look at photos of lightning and her together and know that he loved her very much. I see the struggles she has gone through and see how she pushes on and then I strive to be like that. I love the fact that I can come home late at night and sit and talk with her about life unless she is drugged up cause then its useless. I love how eventhough I throw the tough questions that parents fear she still comes up with a solid answer. I love how she is involved with the city and tries to help out with all she can. I love how she has a sister that is just like her (LM) who I am always excited to see when she is over because she has as much enthusiasm as everyone else int he family, and she also tolerates my ninja moves. They both have creative minds and know how to have fun! But most of all I love her because she is my mom.

The other joy in my life is now dead but I'm not feeling as much remorse as I thought I would when Lightning my dog was put down. He had a cancerous tumor the size of my fist on right leg. But even with that lump he still found joy playing with a ball every once and awhile. I still remember the Christmas Eve day that we got Lightning, I could only think to myself that this was one of the best presents that I have ever got for Christmas. Through the many many years we had him, he brought happiness to all of us through playing catch, or going on walks. Past few years of his life he became fat and old but still had the same excitement to go on walks whenever I put on my headset at night. He was the one who walked with me at night while I thought about my problems. (My Hero by the foo fighters just started playing on my zune and I think I shed a tear) There was rarely a day that would pass that I did not take him on walk. and every once and awhile he would come cuddle with me in bed, which would help me sleep at night because he was warm and soft. We took him on lots of vacations and it was always an adventure to bring him along to see what little creature he would chase. I know if he was still alive he would be in pain from Mt. Glutaous Maximus, and he's in a better place now. About a 2 years ago I thought it would be a great idea to give him some company, which didn't work out very well but the few months that we had Roxy were joy even if it was tough training a puppy. But we now know that puppies aren't something that we can have just cause no one has time to train the little terrors. Eventhough she was a little monster, I was always excited to come home from school and play with her because she always had the energy that I loved in puppies she was just so small and cute and her breed is my favorite type of breed border coli. It took alittle getting used to but lightning got along with her somewhat, there were times that she got alittle out of hand and thats one of the reasons we had to get rid of her. But those months that we had her were pure joy and fun.
Thats about all I can think about that have helped me through lifes little troubles. From a cute 2 year old baby that has loads of energy everytime he comes over to a little black puppy that would love to wrestle with me everytime I came home. Everyone and thing that I talked about I think about everyday.
Thank you Tyler: for being lifes little angel and bringing joy to everyone around you.
Thank you Aaliyah for having one of the cutest baby smiles ever "the smile that makes everyone smile"
Thank you Liz: For working so hard for everyone in the family and helping us get through life's little problems, and making some of the best monday breakfasts. Also having one of the coolest husbands that we always enjoy inviting to our outdoor events.
Thank you Becka: for being the sister that always loves to hang out and talk about life, your the one that I compare myself to when it comes to problems with school, we are the only ones in college, also thank you for increasing my taste in music.
Thank you Alex: for being my little wannabe ninja sister its always fun to have compition.
Thank you Courtney: for being a mini dad and trying to get us all to our events ontime.
Thank you Dad: for being old and still doing the things that some young dads have problems with and teaching me all of the things you have learned throughout the years. I'm always happy to come out and help with a project.
Thank you Mom: for being a role model to all your children, and helping them cope with life, thank you for all the clothes you made us, thank you for all the big talks you had with us, thank you for putting a smile on your face even when we all are little demon children.
Thank you LM: for being one of the best aunts in the whole world, its always fun to talk to you when you are over, and "Scott Warren Downard So Help Me!" never gets old.
Thank you lightning & roxy: for being my little cuddle bugs at night especially when I have had a hard day snuging up to a warm dog is always helpful.

There are many more adventures to come and I will be excited to be there for them all.

Hmmm.... Murse

So as most of you know I started school this week, and I can only explain it as a pain in my side. My first class of the first day was chemistry which was jam packed with students sitting on stairs and some outside talking about how it is full and they didn't know what to do. Which just kinda pissed me off just cause someone made a mistake with the registration on the class. I soon learned that when I signed up for 2 chemistry classes (the lab and the lecture) I actually signed up for 2 more classes which didn't count as credit but did count for a grade in the class. This just made me stressed reading it. So I went home and spoke with friends and family members about the problems and deciding if I should change me major because I'm just not cut out for Mechanical Engineering. Then someone (Dean my brother in laws dad) came up with the amazing thought of being a Murse (male nurse) which is the field I originally wanted to go into when I graduated High school. I wanted to be a doctor but soon realized that Med school was both expensive and long and so I quickly went in the other direction, but mursing school seems to be a lot cheaper and less time consuming. After telling many people that I have changed my major I have got friends telling me that they have friends and parents I can talk to that can help lead me in the right direction. So hopefully I stay with this major and one day I will be a registered murse.

Timpanogos Hike Overview

11,749 ft altitude, estimated 14 Mi. round trip, amazing view and various sorts of terrain to view and hike. That is Timpanogos in a nutshell. This was my 4th try at hiking Timpanogos the other 3 times were failed attempts because we were snowed out, and almost was injured on most of the tries. The one problem I knew I would face with this hike was that this was my first hike this summer, plus I hadn't been working out this summer very much so my legs were not fully prepared and with a crappy pair of hiking shoes my feet and legs were in pain half way up all the way down and continuing to hurt. Timpanogos was one of the longest hikes I've done time wise and length wise, but it all paid off with the amazing views from everywhere we were. Beautiful lake, variety of colors, giant rock formations, and much much more I took load of pictures wishing I had a better camera to take with. Timpanogos is a good hike whether you make it to the top or not. On the down side it has become a popular hike so when we got to the top there were loads of people I was actually surprised at the amount of people who made it to the top, and a park ranger who was also my botany teacher told us every weekend they are towing cars away because they get lazy and park in illegal parking places. When you get to the top you can either go down the same way you came up which is like climbing through the gates of Mordor, there were parts I felt like I was going to roll to my death, but I didn't because I'm still here, or you can take the full loop and head south which is a much easier route to take going down, especially riding the glacier on you but like your going down on a sled. Taking the full loop brings you to a small but very beautiful lake called Emerald Lake and I think it is named that because of the color it is. It of course is a glacier fed lake and we used a water filter to refill our containers which and it was cold and good, while we sat and enjoyed the amazing landscape there were other hikers taking a swim in the freezing cold lake. Now if you are a one for camping you can hike in with your gear set up camp in certain places and then rest eat up wake up and hike the rest of the way up and there are some great places to camp some with lots of trees for shade others with open area and beautiful views. This hike was by far one of my top 5 hikes that I've done and makes me want to hike much much more of Utah's giant mountains. Timpanogos is a hike I don't recommend you take little kids on unless those kids are in tip top shape, it is long and it is steep at times but in the end it pays off. If you go on this hike I do recommend that you bring Cardboard/Jacket of somesort(if your going down the glacier its nice to have a makeshift sled). Snacks: Trail mix some sandwiches, granola bars, lots of water and liquids, a water filter just in case you run out of water, toilet paper for when nature unexpectedly calls, a camera to capture and epic landscape, good pair of tennis shoes, sunblock, first aid kit for blisters and cuts, a G.P.S just for fun so you can see how high you are and how long you've walked, money to pay to get in, and a pair of swimming trunks if you want to go swimming in the cold lake. We also had to park far out from the original parking lot, but we got lucky and hitched a ride down to the base of the hike and back up to the parking lot, so if your lucky someone will be nice and give you a ride. There is also remnants of a Air Force B-52 bomber there, and they say Timpanogos looks like a lady reclining I kind of saw it you might be able to see it better. People in pictures and who went on the hike with me: Becka, Austin, and My father Brian. I will post a slide show of all the pictures we took so you can see how amazing this hike was. I wouldn't suggest taking a date on this hike unless your date likes hiking or the outdoors this is more for people who are used to it and not scared of heights.

Delta Force Rescue Squad!

So I laid in bed last night thinking to myself about stuff, and thats when it hit me, I needed to explain delta force rescue squad to the world so they knew it existed. Delta Force Rescue Squad (DF) was a program created by a secret agency back in July of 2008. This squad is an elite group of Assassins that spent some hours in Life saving classes. Right now the squad is little but both of the members were top in their classes. When DF was created they creators knew the risks one of which was having arch Nemesis's (don't know the plural word for it) . Right now Yams and Minivans are their biggest enemies. Both of these came on the list for very good reason yams are gross and disgusting and minivans are dangerous on the road. DF is an amazing squad that has saved many lives before like the Water Trampoline Massacre at bear lake they saved many drowning people that day and they stop at nothing to save you. DF takes our job seriously and if you ever need some one to rescue you, their phone number is 783-5837. I will explain more of DF's rules, history, and rivals when I get more information.

Overview of My Summer!

It has taken a lot of thinking to realize this but summer is almost over. So I thought one of the ways I could end it is with a blog about what I did this summer. Lots of those pictures you see on that slide show are from the summer, this summer was one of the greatest, I didn't go to Europe like I wanted and travel to the many countries but I did spend it with Family in friends, and in the end that is all you would ever need in this world "Love" many of my amazing ninja powers were either acquired by family and friends or I practiced the moves on them. I spent a day with my sister and my dad hiking which was fun I was late for work but who needs work when you have family. I spent about a week with my whole family at bear lake having a blasty blast (screw you spell check Blasty Blast is a word). We did many things that just made it an amazing trip. We talked about our plans for our next trip which I'm so excited for! I didn't go to San Fransisco but I'm not regretting my decision on not going schools more important and I spent it with other friends and watched Batman where I became emotional. I worked most of the summer but with one of the best jobs in the entire universe, a job where I get to act like a kid and society is okay with it. I went and visited my sister for the first time at her hobbit house where not only did I go to visit her but I had to prove to the non-believers that I know where Logan is! I had a bonfire with my friends where we sat and talked about life. I went on bike rides with friends and family where we did the same thing. I also met new friends at my new job and hung out with friends from my old jobs. My summer was jam packed with adventure but when it all ended the only thing I could say is when does school start back up. I'm actually excited for school my plan is to get good enough grades that I actually meet scholarship standards.

Just Some Photos