Ride for the Brand

To The Immortal Johnny Cash

2011-08-10T16:22:00.000-06:00

Where to begin. After a few changes, things have stayed the same. BJ is working at Marketstar in Ogden for a new Google campaign, Liz is doing nails still, and Brinley and Wyatt are rotten as ever. For any interested, we were coerced into entering the dutch oven competition at the Davis County Fair August 20th, so go ahead and stop by to make us a little nervous. It's our first one.
We're moving closer and closer to being able to get a home of our own, that's pretty exciting. As far as everything else, about the same, but like the Man In Black said, I guess things happen that way. We were able to go to the amazing U2 concert in May. We were 20 feet from the stage and they walked over us on the bridge a few times. Great experience.
Our wonderful sister Erin let us take care of her house while she and Ryan were gone, now that's what I call trust. They and so many others do so much for us.
At times I feel like there needs to be a great movement for some good. There are too many of the same charities, organizations, and benefits all working toward the same end that there's really no focused effort, people are being lazy and not standing for the things they deserve. We need to start an awareness campaign or find a good one to tie onto and run with it.
Well, those are the ramblings for the day. Look for some exciting stuff to happen beginning Jan. 1st!!!!

Why do we never get an answer?

2011-04-04T18:23:00.000-06:00

     One of the most important things in life is doing what you think you should be doing. It's also one of the hardest things to learn. When you think that you've done all you can, you find that you still have good way to go. Or you find that all you've done has been for the benefit of someone who needed you when you were there, and you don't realize what you've done before it's too late to thank them for allowing you the opportunity to help. In life there are two choices that ultimately decide the direction you go for a little while. You can choose to go by what will keep you in your comfortable bubble with the illusion of safety, or you can choose to take a chance on something with no guarantees and break that bubble, risking the safety you imagine is yours. Either way, you reap what you sow. You either end up with what you thought you always wanted, mediocrity and the thrill of being average and ordinary, or the satisfaction of knowing that you actually helped form the person you've become because you decided that what everyone else says and what they lovingly try and "protect" you from was your choice to make still.
      No matter what road you choose, you will have hard times and opportunities for growth, but that, too, is your choice. Nobody's life is perfect, no matter how you look at it. But we can all find a small level of God's perfection in our everyday lives through the little choices we make. Stay at home, watch t.v., play your games and stay in your safety zone, never affecting others, good or bad. Or step outside yourself and help someone do something. Maybe even better yet, do something for someone without them knowing. Either way the perfection of the Savior will be manifest in your action, no matter how small. Smile and say, "Hi" to someone at the store. Wave to a stranger walking down the street. Be nice to the telemarketer that interrupts your dinner, (remember, they aren't psychic), pick up your clothes without being told, tell someone you care about them. It doesn't matter in the slightest if you pat someone on the back and tell them they did a great job after they think they failed, or give someone a million dollars. If they are performed with full purpose of heart and not thought for self, you will be extremely rewarded.
     On another note, our lives keep turning and not always in the direction we have seen or wanted. I'm gonna be taking some classes soon, possibly joining the Air Force Reserve. Liz will maybe get some more work. And overall, things are okay. There are a few things trying our patience now, but in the long run, none of those things matter. What does matter is what good we have done in the bad he have been in. There is always someone worse off and there is always something we can do to help and improve. Sorry if this seems like rambling, but sometimes you just have to. Things to say with not much in common, but hopefully some help for someone in the field of maddening words. Never, never, never, never give up.
     "My son (or daughter), peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; an then, if thou endure it well, God shal lexalt thee on high; thous shalt triumph over all thy foes. They friends do stad by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands." D&C 121:7-9
     We're all in this together, remember that the next time you want to get mad at someone for driving insane, or somebody does something you think is a big deal to get mad at. They have to deal with you and me, too. Keep it real!

Riding for the Brand

2011-01-18T23:33:00.000-07:00

Wheew, talk about a lapse in post's!
A couple years ago, I (Liz) made a plaque that says: "Ride for the Brand". And we had a few people ask what it meant, I have been thinking about it lately so I'm going to tell you where I got it from and what it means... Because I can :)

The history of the American West is filled with these kinds of phrases that reveal the nature of the men and women who came west. "Ride for the brand" in the words of the western writer, Louis L'Amour, was "an expression of loyalty to a man's employer or the particular outfit he rode for. It was considered a compliment of the highest order in an almost feudal society. If a man did not like a ranch or the way they conducted their affairs he was free to quit, and many did, but if he stayed on, he gave loyalty and expected it."

I like to think about this phrase, in the terms of Faith, Family and the things we believe in most. In a way it gives me courage to keep going, to keep fighting for what I know is right, and to stay strong. Keeping the things that matter most in perspective. That's my two cents for the matter, hope all is well with everyone. G'night!

And The Wheels Keep Turning

2010-10-03T00:31:00.002-06:00

Have you ever been in a place where everything seems to be against you, but you don't feel pressured or scared because the Lord knows you and what you need? Have you ever found you can endure more than you thought or when you stopped to think about something, it really wasn't that big a deal? I have finally, after 7 LONG years at the same horrible place, freed myself and burned the bridges of captivity. Liz is going to be starting work as a nail instructor, our kids are healthy and growing. Everything now feels right. As bad as life gets sometimes, there is never enough bad that can justify a loss of faith in God. "Armies may assemble, calumny may defame..." He is always there for us, and we need to "Become as a little child...willing to submit to whatsoever the Lord sees fit to inflict upon him." Just because life can get VERY hard and frustrating doesn't mean we have permission to give up and stop what we're doing. I learned an interesting lesson today. With so much confusion in the world, we sometimes forget what we have. I learned that a child really does see things as they really are. If you tell my little Brinley that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are one person, she doesn't believe you because it just can't be that way. If you tell her to hold her horses, she'll tell you she doesn't have any horses to hold. There is no way a child can go on without someone watching over them. We are the same, no matter how successful we are or how riddled with poor luck we seem to be, we cannot go on without someone watching over us. It's just not possible. I've also learned that principles are true no matter what time it is, where you are, or who around you knows about them or is living them. There should never be any reason to question what is right or wrong, because it's already been answered over and over. We are governed by inborn morals that drive us to do some things, while most morals we need to learn, decide we believe, then stand by them. There is no turning from truth with indifference. Sorry if this seems like rambling. I'll cut it off. But just know and remember that truths are eternal. Period.

The Time Has Come

2010-05-30T15:21:00.002-06:00

This is it, the time has come for all those who believe in high morals and standards to stand up and stop letting those with less care and low morals take control. We have a voice and we need to use it. The world isn't getting any better by just sitting around doing nothing. Anybody that wants to fight, lets fight! Participate in local government affairs. How many politicians have been in trouble for sexual indiscretion and alcohol abuse? Don't let the bad overshadow the good! I know we get tired of hearing it, but we can do it together! Let's stand up and make some noise! Movies, TV, the Internet and even public schools are breaking down the barriers of good and bad and calling it "acceptance." There's a reason that those things were frowned upon for so long. Who's with me?

2010-04-14T23:34:00.002-06:00

Fun with Cousins!
Liz's sister Charlotte and her Daughter Tami, came down from Washington for a few days. All the girls (and Wyatt) went to the dinosaur park to have some fun. It was great because Tami has never met Brinley and Wyatt before and had not seen the rest of the fam. for a few years. It was good to be able to spend some time together.

2010-04-14T23:26:00.003-06:00

Brinley is 3!! I would like to take just a minute and tell you about Brinley; She has got to be one of the smartest little girls you could ever meet. She is a very independent, caring, sweet and funny little girl, she loves to play with her cousins and going for rides in "the jeep" We are so blessed to have her in our lives and love watching her grow and learn every day.

2010-04-14T23:13:00.005-06:00

The Cake
I know this is a little late, but here you go... Brinley had been asking for a princess cake for about two months before her birthday, so this is the attempt at a castle..

2010-04-14T23:05:00.004-06:00

More Birthday pics.

So excited!

2010-03-18T19:07:00.001-06:00

Growing like weed's!

2010-03-18T18:54:00.003-06:00

It never ceases to amaze, how fast time flies! Brinley is turning 3 next week! She has been such a blessing in our lives and has brought us so much happiness. She is such a sweetheart and loves her vegtables! She is super excited about her "princess birthday" and talks about it alot :) I will post picks in a few weeks of my attempt to deliver her castle cake she requested... Hope it works!!

2010-01-11T11:07:00.002-07:00

Loves mom but...

Most definitely a daddy's girl!

Ready to Rock And Roll!

2010-01-09T09:46:00.003-07:00

We hope everyone had a safe and happy new year. Its always nice to have this time to start fresh and think about things you want to accomplish throughout the year, may we all reach our goals!
Liz and I have our sites set big for our family this year, and there is no looking back!

2009-11-21T03:05:00.006-07:00

The Living Christ

Oh the infinite goodness of our God!! Time are changing, and not always for the better. He has provided ways for us to cope with heartache, trials, trouble and pain. He has called prophets with loving counsel to help us in perilous times such as these. Now, more than ever, the devil and his angels are at work. All imagineable evils are at work in the world and only one thing can help us stay from them on the path back to a loving Heavenly Father: The gospel of Jesus Christ. What a wonderful gift the atonement!! If only we will hear and follow the words of God, we can withstand pain and sorrow. Now is the time to decide. There is no time left for waiting!! The great battle between good and evil is raging all around us!! Either you are for God and his prophets or against them, 100% either way! Jesus Christ is the son of God and the Savior of all mankind, or a charleton of the first order! Joseph Smith was and is a Prophet of God, or a liar! The prophets today are guided by His hand in their decisions, or they, too, are decievers! You must decide! There is no middle ground, in the least! I know that God lives and loves everyone. I know, without doubt, that the Atonement is real, and it works! I know without equivocation that Joseph Smith was called as God's prophet to restore the full Gospel to the earth. There is nothing anybody can say or do to make me believe otherwise! Nothing!

2009-10-16T12:02:00.001-06:00

Brinley usually falls asleep during dinner if she doesn't get a nap in :) Poor thing.

Wyatt...

2009-10-16T11:55:00.002-06:00

Wyatt loves the swing :) So does Mom and Dad!

My little budding intellectual: Grandma was reading a story to Brinley with Wyatt on her lap, when she was finished with the story; Wyatt started screaming until Grandma got the book out again!

Getting Excited!

2009-10-16T11:50:00.002-06:00

Well, we only have one week to go before we head to Vegas for the U2 concert at Sam Boyd stadium. We are going with my sister Erin, her husband and daughter. Its going to be a blast!
U2 is a band that Erin got me started on them one year on a family trip to the desert, (back in 98!) ever since then I've been hooked! I am really glad that Brent likes them just as much or more than I do, it makes the relationship run a lil smoother ;)

2009-09-21T09:31:00.003-06:00

Aren't our children wonderful?!

Moving Forward...

2009-09-14T10:40:00.002-06:00

O.K, just so you all know, B.J. is much better at this than I am so I apologize in advance if this gets a little boring! There have been a lot of things going on in the Redford household over the past few months. Brent has been working hard trying to go full time with WFG, we both are looking forward to that taking off very soon! I am so lucky to be married to such an amazing person, he is my best friend and couldn't' ask for anything better! Being a mom is a blast; Brinley is getting smarter everyday. I catch myself with my mouth hanging open at some of the things she says. She is such a little person I love it! Wyatt is getting so big! I cant believe its already been two and a half months since he joined our family. He's getting better with not being so fussy and is turning into a happy baby :) He pretty much sleeps through the night~ something Brent and I are VERY grateful for!

Well that about sums everything up for now, over and out!

New things

2009-08-04T23:19:00.002-06:00

Well, it's been a while, but we're good. Wyatt is a little fussy, but he'll grow out of it. I should be out of KSG by the end of the year!!! Working hard and making money. We are also going to the U2 concert in October. Way excited, once in a lifetime opportunity for me. The greatest band in the world on a super unique stage. Can't wait. Liz is doing well, we are pretty ready to get our own place, but it's a good thing to have a roof over our heads. That's about it for now.

A few pictures of Wyatt

2009-07-01T09:27:00.002-06:00

A few pictures of Wyatt. 8 lbs. 2 oz.
21 inches long. Born at 3:15pm on Sunday, June 28th.

Random pictures

2009-06-25T21:49:00.002-06:00

Well, these are just some random pictures. Top left: Brinley holding Baby Jack LeBron Beck. Top right: Just curious to see what a mustache would look like. Middle two and bottom: A storm moving in on us at Simpson Springs.

Current Events

2009-05-23T21:48:00.002-06:00

Well, Liz has finished school and is now eligible for business. The state of Utah has spoken and the verdict is that she is qualified and able to make the nails of all women in the state of Utah as beautiful as they desire. So if anyone wants to get their nails done or know someone with such a wish, let us know!
The baby is almost here! Less than two months and there will be another Redford/Schultz hellion on the earth. We're excited and are trying to get the house ready for him. And we're glad that summer is almost here so we can spend more time out of doors. It makes having a rambunctious little girl easier.
Everyone is healthy and doing well. We were able to go to the Temple and do Justin's work for him on May 13th. I did the initiatory work and my dad did his endowment. It was good. Hard to believe it's already been a year.
Well, I gues that's enough for today. See ya'll later!!

2009-04-15T08:04:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone can see these. Like I said, I'm still learning. Just a little
Collage so everyone can see our Brinley.

2009-04-13T20:03:00.000-06:00

Well, here are some pictures of the baby at one year, (with the cake), another one year party, (with the bag) and driving the truck. Hopefully there are some of her Easter at both grandparents. Hope I did it right. I'm still learning and trying to figure things out.

As things change, everything remains the same

2009-04-06T21:25:00.002-06:00

Well, apparently the expected time for studying, taking and passing a test and getting a license to do business is two weeds for the Allstate office I had a job offer at, so now I am still looking for something else and the phlebotomy class is full and a new one isn't starting in until September, which doesn't really fit into the plan. I bought an Iron Gym and am going to start exercising so I feel better about myself and am more motivated and energized in other areas of life. We had a great weekend watching General Conference and going to Kobe with Erin and Ryan and Alicia for Erin's birthday. It was pretty good. I enjoy spending time with family. Not much more to report on, school's over, tests are ahead and soon Liz will be the main bread winner in the family while I stay home and play video games! :) Just kidding. She is looking forward to being able to stay home more. Me, too.

More News

2009-03-27T20:45:00.003-06:00

Well, Liz is officially done with school, thanks to the help of her wonderful sisters and niece. She also finished second place in a state skills competition! Good job, Liz! Now she just needs to go pass the state boards and she will be officially licensed and ready for business.
I got a job at Allstate and am studying to pass the Property and Casualty test, it will be a good second job so that we can have Liz stay home as much as possible. I am also considering taking the Phlebotomist course at the DATC as another stepping stone. Anyone want their blood drawn? :)
I hope that everyone has a happy Easter and remembers the humble birth, great and selfless sacrifice and glorious resurrection of The Savior. What a great privilege and gift, to have such a wonderful tool for happiness at our fingertips. It has always been there and always will be there if we will be humble enough to use it and take part in the great atonement of Jesus Christ. Heaven knows I need it, so does hell. Any and every tactic will be usurped by the adversary to get us as far from God as he can get us, but there is no happiness or joy in that path.
Thank you all for everything you do and have done for my family and I, we are extremely grateful. Talk to you later.

The Happenings

2009-03-09T21:57:00.002-06:00

Well, it's been a little while. Things have been busy. Moving in with the parents, doctors appointments, work! Wow. Well, Brinley is talking more and learning more, which is good and bad. Liz won first place in region for SkillsUSA and is going to state. She is such a wonderful person, I don't deserve to have such a wonderful, caring wife. I'm looking for a second job so that we can pay off some debt and start saving a little more. I just got a calling to be a Sunday School teacher, again. I'm excited for May 13th, it's our fourth anniversary and we will get to go do Justin's temple work. It's hard to believe it's been almost a year, but I guess time flies when you're trying not to pay attention. We've decided on the name Wyatt Jaymes for our little boy who will be born in July. I know that's a really summarized version of what's going on, but my back hurts and I can't sit still for very long. But, I promise next time, for those of you who pay attention, there will be more.

Birthdays and more

2009-02-13T17:44:00.002-07:00

February is a really busy month for our family. My birthday is the 3rd , my uncle's is the third, Kent's is the 6th, Liz's niece is the 6th, her nephews is the 16th, my Mom's is the 15th and her Dad's is the 19th!!!! Crazy. Then there's Valentine's Day thrown in, the wonderful holiday made by and for candy makers. Plus the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. It's a busy month. But it's fun. We found out that we're having a baby boy, but don't have any names yet. Erin, Liz's sister, is still set on us having all girls. Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!!!!

2009-01-30T09:46:00.001-07:00

Moving is a drag!

2009-01-29T00:17:00.002-07:00

I'm sure you can gather that a lot has happened since October. Liz is pregnant and expecting around the 11th of July, we've moved from South Weber into my parents house for a while and Brinley keeps learning and surprising us more and more. We have set some goals for ourselves and have some good expectations for the next few months. Liz is almost done with school, so if any of you ladies our there would like to have an amazing set of nails done by the most talented Nail Tech in Davis County, let me know. She won first place in a competition at school and her instructor wants her to go to the State and National Skills Competition. Everyone is in good health and we are happy to have jobs and make all the payments we need to. Thanks to everyone who has helped us in our time of need.

2008-11-09T21:39:00.002-07:00

Well, we still can't find the cords for the camera. Some day we'll get some pictures on here. California was a lot of fun, being able to go with family and have a good time. Things back home have been busy as ever. Work never slows down, time never stands still and I never stop having fun. We put an offer on a house down in Layton, it's a short sale so we're hoping the bank will be willing to forgive a lot and we'll get a great deal. It has the perfect set-up for Liz to put a solon downstairs and start working from home. It's also big enough to have a large family, so we won't need to move for quite some time. We're just waiting and praying now, so we'll keep you posted.
On another note, I've got a couple of ideas on some books to write and how I can do it. I just need to learn how to write a book! One or two children's, one novel and one or two religious. Who knows, some of them might get published and make a little money.

A Question of Balance

2008-09-30T18:03:00.002-06:00

Well, there are a lot of questions and situations in life that require a lot of prayer and thought. What job to take, is that the right place to live, whom should I ask to do this or that and other various and sundry choices and decisions to make. I am just glad that there are people here on this Earth and not on this Earth that know more than me and are far wiser. Parents, older friends and siblings, church and civic leaders and many more. But the most important one that I know now more than ever that is the most understanding and the most reliable is our Father in Heaven. It's extremely comforting to know that He is there and that I have the Gift of the Holy Ghost so that I can hear and feel him. And there is no greater comfort for mental, physical, emotional and spirtiual pain than relying on the blessing of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. By him and through him and of him we can all find the peace and comfort we all crave as imperfect human beings. To know that the mistakes I've made I can be forgiven of and never have to worry about them again as long as I don't do them any more. What a comfort and joy to be able to help others realize and understand that as well!! I just want you all to know that I know He lives and loves us very much and is always there to help us overcome our trials.