The Working Man's Words

I'm overfilled with gratitude. One of the reasons I stayed in Utah after graduation was to be near my siblings. They serve me, bring me joy and inspire me to be better. While I am lucky to spend time with them weekly, Porter's 22nd birthday was a catalyst in helping me realize how truly special they are. Saturday, Porter spent 2 hours helping me bring an organ from near Salt Lake to my house. Cooper provided a feast for both me and Porter that night for dinner. Then Tanner edited my law school application and AnneMarie lent me a book I've been dying to read and as always shared her positivity and non-judgmental spirit that makes all of us kinder in turn.

Today, we celebrated Porter's birthday with an incredibly delicious Italian smorgasbord and a gorgeous cake that Annemarie made. Tanner hosted a Jeopardy game that was incredibly well put together and Cooper shared a new card game that had us all in tears, and then, just to cap everything off, I went to Porter's apartment where he led 20some people through a scripture study, and bore his powerful testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ.

I am truly blessed.

10 years ago, I could not have imagined the scene that has been this weekend. Similarly, I have no idea what 10 years from today will look like.

But this I do know, as any person strives to follow the gospel of Jesus Christ, their present will be filled with peace and their future will contain more happiness than they could ever imagine.

The Working Man's Words

January 13-19: Rejoice ye in that day and Leap for Joy by Hunter Schenewark

Monday was LSAT try number 2. I think it went better this time. The sections lined up perfectly. Of course, a large degree of uncertainty remains because I don't know which of the 5 sections was experimental did not count. As long as the first section was not the experimental one, I'll end up a few points higher I think. I didn't study between the tests except for a one hour session in early December, and felt refreshed and fresh, ready to go. By the end though, the struggle to concentrate was intense, and I didn't finish as strong as i would have liked.

My gym time has become more productive as I've focused on the compound exercises; i.e. bench press, pull-ups, squats, deadlifts, military press; and try to do each of those exercises two different days per week.

As some of my goals for the year, I'm taking health more seriously, and besides changes to the gym routine, I'm also eating healthier, with lots more veggies. This last week, I bought and ate 12 different types of fruits/veggies. Meat is restricted to Tuesdays and Sundays.

Exceptions are made for when we're having an EQ presidency meeting on Wednesday and Bro. Sutton the high councilor brings in buckets of KFC. This was in fact what happened this week. We feasted together. I look forward to our meetings every week. Its half an hour of business, then its always time to eat, listen to some knee-slapping jokes, and enjoy good conversation.

Friday January 17th marked the 100th anniversary of the start of Prohibition. It is crazy to imagine what would have happened if Prohibition would have continued until today. Thousands of innocent victims killed by drunk driving could be alive. I doubt that marijuana would be so freely used, and the debate over legalization of drugs in general wouldn't be happening.

The following is something I shared on Facebook on Sunday the 19th. To preface, I should say that over Christmas, my mother mentioned getting a keyboard. I figured that I might as well get an organ instead of a keyboard, and am in the perfect spot to do so. There were dozens if not hundreds listed for sale in Utah, with most going for $50-100. Most people don't want them as they are outdated and bulky. Both of which happen to be two of my nicknames, so I was glad to find one for free in Sandy, which Porter helped me pick up. Now the post:

"I'm overfilled with gratitude. One of the reasons I stayed in Utah after graduation was to be near my siblings. They serve me, bring me joy and inspire me to be better. While I am lucky to spend time with them weekly, Porter's 22nd birthday was a catalyst in helping me realize how truly special they are. Saturday, Porter spent 2 hours helping me bring an organ from near Salt Lake to my house. Cooper provided a feast for both me and Porter that night for dinner. Then Tanner edited my law school application and AnneMarie lent me a book I've been dying to read and as always shared her positivity and non-judgmental spirit that makes all of us kinder in turn.

Today, we celebrated Porter's birthday with an incredibly delicious Italian smorgasbord and a gorgeous cake that Annemarie made. Tanner hosted a Jeopardy game that was incredibly well put together and Cooper shared a new card game that had us all in tears, and then, just to cap everything off, I went to Porter's apartment where he led 20some people through a scripture study, and bore his powerful testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ.

I am truly blessed.

10 years ago, I could not have imagined the scene that has been this weekend. Similarly, I have no idea what 10 years from today will look like.

But this I do know, as any person strives to follow the gospel of Jesus Christ, their present will be filled with peace and their future will contain more happiness than they could ever imagine."

Oak Woods School - UIL Chess Puzzles

BACCUS, OAK WOODS STUDENTS SHINE AT UIL ACADEMIC CONTEST

January 24, 2020 

Students from Nettie Baccus Elementary School and Oak Woods School came home winners from a UIL A+ academic competition on January 18, 2020, in Springtown. 

Dozens of Granbury ISD students competed in the meet, which also featured students from Aledo, Mineral Wells, and Springtown.  

(front row in red, third from the left)

Chess Puzzles

3rd Grade:  team (Lunah Doss, Breyer Schenewark, Ryan Valdez), first; individual – R Ryan Valdez, second; Breyer Schenewark, second; Lunah Doss, third

A+ Academics is part of the University Interscholastic League. Events span the curriculum and are designed to complement and expand upon what students learn in the classroom, both through learning specific subject knowledge and through learning skills that are valuable in many disciplines.

Search One Rescue Team

NSAR testing

Oak Woods School Shining Star

Breyer is an absolute joy to have in the classroom!

She is a conscientious student who always does her best and encourages others to do the same.

She sets a good example for other students by excelling on her assignments and having a wonderful "can do" attitude.

Her hand goes up immediately to answer questions or to volunteer to help other students and teachers.

Breyer consistently shows respect for her teachers and peers. She works well independently and in group settings.

Breyer also displays good citizenship by being kind to everyone.

Breyer helps to make our classroom an awesome place to learn and I am so pleased to be her teacher this year!

Breyer truly is a "Shining Star!"

Freshmen Fun

 

The Working Man's Words

January 5-13: Wonder by Hunter Schenewark

Sunday, January 5th, was a life-changing day. Let me explain. There has been this lady I wanted to go out with for some time now, Hannah M. She is a student at the law school, works at the MTC, is in the stake RS presidency, and has a shift at the temple. In one word, BUSY. Finding a time that would work was tough. Finally, the stars aligned, and we set up a date for Sunday January 5th, right after break and before things became crazy again. She lives just a few houses down, and after picking her up, we were off to the nursing home to sing. While driving there, and as we were having an already mature conversation, she turns and asks me, "So Hunter, what are your goals for the new decade?"

I had nothing. Sure, there are some longer-term goals I have, and that I shared to adequately answer her question, but I realized that I did not have anything, I repeat, not a single goal that I wanted to accomplish by 2030. It was a HUGE wake-up call for me. I knew that I was coasting too much, and needed to set better goals. Goals with defined action plans and with a clearly defined timeline.

We had a great time singing, then went to my Robert and Hailey's new apartment in Orem for some games and cookies. We played Boggle and Bananagrams. I won a few and held my own against some tough competition. I'll skip ahead and say that I had a great time, and was thoroughly impressed by Hannah. She has her life together. Alas, while she said it was the perfect first-date, and she enjoyed our time together, when I asked her out a few days later, the reply was negative as she is not looking for anything serious at this point with everything else going on. Timing, that fateful friend has spoken again.

Nevertheless, I think that I received exactly what I needed: a big kick to the behind to be more productive and planned. The rest of the week I spent serious time thinking about what I wanted to accomplish this decade. I added additional goals for the rest of this year and really tried to imagine where I would like to be on December 31, 2029.

As part of this exercise, I looked back on some past goals from when I came home from off my mission, which was the last time I set longer term goals. The crazy thing is, I accomplished almost every single one. And the list was long. Some whimsical, some much more important, and that I'm quite proud of.

Read 50 books per year: check

Make my own salad dressing: check

Make my own deodorant: check

Bench press 225 pounds: check

and on and on it went.

Goals make a difference. If it's not written down, it's only a wish.

As I pondered, I realized that without goals, you move from crisis to crisis. There will always be something calling for and trying to claim your time. Goals can supersede these expediencies and help us to rise above them.

I started on my first goal almost immediately. I went to the storehouse in Lindon and started buying food storage. I've done well at having enough food to last me a month or two, keeping about 75 pounds of floor, 10 pounds of potatoes, and 20 pounds of rice on hand. Now, it's time to get serious. I bought enough unground wheat, beans, and oats. all stored in metal #10 cans, to last me 6 months. I wanted to research a few things, and next week I'll get the rest of the supplies to last me a full year.

On Tuesday, after going to the gym, I was running on BYU's campus and guess I didn't see a ??? and completely messed my ankle up. At that time, my car was parked 50 yards away. It might as well have been miles. I stood in the cold on one leg wondering if I should try to make it, or call someone for help. Eventually, I hopped over and made it the short drive back home. I didn't go to work the next two days and my roommate bought a pair of crutches for me at DI. I couldn't put any weight on it. Conclusion: 1. The pain lasted for weeks. I ran for the first time this week (Feb. 8) more than one month later. Definitely the worst injury I've had. 2. I've long wondered if I was still flexible enough to do a somersault, and when my ankle rolled, I straight crumpled, falling down and naturally going into a roll. Kind of wish that part was film. In my mind, it looked pretty cool, and my question has been answered. In the right scenario, I'll be ready.

Random thought: There was a recently discovered consequence of moving schools so much. I haven't kept up with anybody from Massachusetts and almost no one from Texas. It's amazing to look at some of my classmates and see where they are now. Thank you facebook. The world shrinks if you let it.

The thing is, I don't fit in anywhere. While in Utah, I say I'm from Massachusetts. Basically, I generally choose the farthest place possible from where I'm currently at. If I move back to New England, will I say I'm from Utah, from Texas, from Ohio? I know I won't say Massachusetts. Again, the truth is, I know more about the culture of Ohio/West Virginia or Texas than Massachusetts.

It's another, perhaps the final opportunity to redefine myself. I just wonder if the reality is different than the expectation. I don't know entirely what to expect. The idea that I could be wrong is scary.

Right now, leaving Utah is in itself scary. I'm comfortable. It's easy. I'm used to everything. I know what I like and what I don't like. Very few question marks remain, and if I want to, those are easy to avoid. In conclusion, it's easier to think about doing something, even regretfully thinking about what might have been, than to put your shoulder to the wheel and go after it, knowing you might fail. Because that means you failed. The only question is, when that day comes, because it will for every single person, what will you do?

Reading Alma 24:20, I was struck by a new insight. The Anti-Nephi-Lehites famously gave up all of their weapons so that they would never fight again, and could know Christ. This is admirable and noteworthy. Here is the verse:

"And this they did, it being in their view a testimony to God, and also to men, that they ^anever would use weapons again for the shedding of man’s blood; and this they did, vouching and ^bcovenanting with God, that rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would ^cgive up their own lives; and rather than take away from a brother they would give unto him; and rather than spend their days in idleness they would labor abundantly with their hands."

The takeaway reading this time for me was the line, "rather than take away from a brother they would give unto him." It is not enough to only get rid of our sins. We must be willing to relinquish ALL, that we might be able to truly know Christ. These people didn't immediately give up all, they gave up their sins, but were WILLING to give up all. If we aren't, then whatever we are holding back is more valuable to us than Christ. As has been said previously, if the Kingdom of God is not first, it doesn't matter what is second.

Granbury Pirate Basketball

Happy 80th Birthday!

The Working Man's Words

E Pluribus Unum by Hunter Schenewark

Here are some highlights from Christmas vacation:

-being together as a family. Sometimes (usually) its the simple things that mean the most.

-Wedding for Robin and Moriah. This happened on on December 28th. An unforgettable day. Robin quickly won me over, and I hope to be able to spend more time with him sometime. The wedding was at the Green Acres Baptist Church, and I thought the ceremony was wonderful. The pastor did a fantastic job, the location was set-up well, and the ceremony and reception mixed some German traditions in nicely. Truly a wonderful day.

-Sawyer's basketball game. Over the last few years, I've tried to stamp out some of my competitiveness and have done quite well. I almost didn't recognize the feelings I had while watching Sawyer play. It was hard to stay calm. Basketball is such a physical game. Here's my coach's report: Watching Sawyer was quite different than watching Miller. Sawyer will go head on and drive into you. He'll dive for the ball. He'll go up for the rebounds. I struggled because I wouldn't do any of these things. Miller still does it better than me, but the contrast is obvious, as he'll still try to go around people (more work, requires fanciness to pull off) instead of being more physical like Sawyer.

-Tarleton Basketball. This was Phi Slamma Jamma. Well, for one team. Officially labeled an exhibition, the game featured the Tarleton (D-II) team going up against a small university that was part of a D-II christian university league. Watching the warm-ups I felt confident I could play for the opposing team, and sure enough, by halftime Tarleton was up by 30, and on its way to over 100 points. On our way there we ate at Grumps and enjoyed their burgers.

-Tradition! This word demands to always be said like you're on the set of "A Fiddler on the Roof." Whether its the Yule Tide logs, or caroling, or simply opening up Christmas presents, I love participating in Christmas traditions.

-riding a horse. I really wanted to do this, as its been years since I've ridden a horse, and that was on our camping trip to Gettysburg, and ended up as a very contained trot more than anything. This was freedom. This was speed. This was sunshine and samba. I loved it. Sure, my thighs were sore and worthless the next day, but in the moment, I could have gone for hours longer. The Gammons were very kind to facilitate that. Here's some pictures of me and Pumpjack:

-frisbee golf. We went and played the local course, making it through 16 holes. The dog came too and we went frolicking around. I'm appreciative of being able to do that in December.

-darts. If you asked me if I would like to play darts, before Christmas break I would have said of course not. Turns out, I do. As part of the overall change of pace, I did like throwing darts. It's also fun because it's a game where we were all on the same basic level. Breyer came close to beating me, and it's not complicated, allowing for conversation to continue.

-food. Ah, yes. It was good to be back for Mom's cooking. Inevitably, I put on a few pounds. I weighed myself the first day I got there, and the weight was correct at 189. I mention that, because I found it hard to believe that when I left it was 196. Running a little with Wagner wasn't nearly enough to help prevent that. I'm glad I could snag some Texas brisket too.

-movies: I save them up for the holidays and on some cold nights we watched White Christmas, North by Northwest, and Notorious. Not sure how Hitchcock trumped the usual It's a Wonderful Life, but I enjoyed all three movies. I have a list of 7-8 movies that I genuinely want to see, and North by Northwest was on there and did not disappoint.

-burning a Christmas tree with Luke. This is kind of self-explanatory. We took our Christmas tree out after the New Year, and given that it spent weeks inside drying out, the tree went up in flames crazy quick. It's therapeutic watching it.

-Glen Rose dinosaur tracks. Aunt Janel and Luke visited Granbury and we went to a state park and hiked around. I stayed with Waggie most of the time, and we forded the river (like 100 times) and hiked up to a small peak. The tracks were very underwhelming, but being in the park was fun.

E Pluribus Unum. Out of many, one. The old adage, you can count the number of seeds in an apple, but you can't count the number of apples in a seed, rings true. All of us are at once a seed, and an apple. We are part of a family, and we can start a family. We act kindly towards others, others act kindly towards us. We teach or influence someone, and that persons influence carries a part of us much further than we would ever go otherwise.

I am not entirely sure of the point of that last paragraph. I just think life is beautiful. Life echoes the sound of the waves as they wash up on the shore. Back and forth. Much seems fleeting. Yet all play a part. There are seasons for everything. I am grateful for the Christmas season, to have spent time with family and to remember our Savior Jesus Christ.

With All My Love

Having returned back to work for one day, after 15 days off, was almost like getting back up on a horse. Or a bike. I was a little bit slower signing into all the programs, trying to remember passwords. And a little slow pulling up correct screens to input calls on the fly. And mostly just slow getting my fingers to respond the right way. But it did not take long at all to figure it all out again. The hardest adjustment came with the new year - the case numbers all begin with 20 - instead of 19 - and inputting the date as 2020. Day four of the new year and I ended the shift 20-000980. That's a lot of calls for service in four days!

I've often thought of my favorite moments of our mini family holiday at home. Not in any order, but some of my favorites:

Doing genealogy with Tanner
Gifting AnneMarie
Cooking with Hunter
Loving Porter for relieving me from giving hair cuts
Appreciating Cooper hauling two bowling balls in a carry on for the plane
Knowing Cooper wanted to gift the right way when he took time to fix said bowling balls
Watching Sawyer and his basketball team play #2 in the state - last year's state champion
Convincing Miller to play new games
Playing wedding music for Moriah
Hiking Dinosaur Valley State Park with Luke and Janel
Letting Breyer be her kind of flower girl
Reading with Nora
Basking with Jarrod
Reflecting on the Savior and others whom are away

Dad and I cherish our time together with you. We love you all. We're grateful you're all willing to squish together for a few days, once every few years. It will be at least two years before we can do it again.  In the meantime know of my love for you. #FamiliesAreForever

Mom