John's Wedding

As has become tradition Mom Herrington spent all night constructing a huge cake. Somehow Steph and I got suckered (okay we volunteered, and will never make that mistake again) into transporting the cake through back country roads. It is important to note Steph got to carry an already assembled cake (complete with cake topper) on her lap. We caravanned to the church while everyone else was running at or above the speed limit we were limited to driving at about ten. Steph spent the whole trip emphatically yelling "Slow down!" Poor Steph had to balance the 20 pounds of cake, frosting, and topper as I raced down (at under ten miles an hour) unfinished dirt roads with monster potholes, over Railroad tracks, hills, and not to mention Dad, who was right in front of us, stopping (Steph almost wearing the cake as I attempted to decelerate before hitting Dad) to point out the reindeer farm.

The happy couple. I'll be nice to the poor boy and not mention what it was that Steph and I got them as a wedding present.

Left to right: Pa Herrington, Sara, John Boy, and Ma Herrington. (Steph and I both approve of the new addition to Clan Herrington)

Sara made a lovely bride. Poor girl has no Idea what she has just married into. (Think Mob but worse)

Mom and John during the Mother/Son dance. We did not get a good picture of the Father/Son dance.

A large chunk of the newly expanded Clan Herrington. Alex and his brood were not available. Steph tells me that Emily was very pregnant, and unable to travel. We got to meet Phil, Beth's new husband (we like him too!) and their new baby Phisher. Ben loved playing with his uncles at Grandma's house. In fact he came home with a few new habits and behaviors. (Thanks Guys! He's obsessed with Sonic the Hedgehog now)

As they were not at the Wedding here is a quick picture of Alex and Emily's Kiddos. Timmy is the older one and new baby Talitha Ann (who is the only daughter born of Clan Herrington other than Beth.)

‘S Rioghal Mo Dhream

William E Herrington

Winter Quarters Temple

Ok, It's only taken a few months, but I have finally caught the blog fever:) Maybe between Will and myself we can have some updates on our family more often! Cali, you have a gift for writing. When I read your postings I feel as though I am there with you experiencing all of your joys and trials. BTW Gideon is one of the cutest baby boys I've ever seen and I work at the baby store! Erica, I love laughing at the true funny stories that you take the time to journal about your kids.

We have lived in Kansas City for the past four years. We are therefore blessed to be so very near to many of the Church Historic sites such as the Independence Visitors Center and the Liberty Jail. When I (Stephanie) was in high school we drove from Indiana to Utah so my sister and I could attend EFY at BYU. My dad is a big church history buff and we traveled the Mormon Trail all the way west getting out of the car at every historical road sign and river crossing. Of all of the sites I saw I was most touched by the Spirit at Liberty Jail, imagining what all Joseph Smith and company experienced there for many months. The D & C chapters that came from this time are some of my favorites. We also stopped at Winter Quarters along the way. This statue was there at that time.

When I saw this statue at the age of 15 it moved me with so many emotions. For those who are not familiar with it, it depicts a mother and father burying their small child. They built a small temple in Omaha which is only 3 hours from where we live. I have been able to go twice now (Will still hasn't had the chance). The pioneer cemetery is literally right behind the temple and there is a new Visitor's center across the street. Seeing this statue again 10 years later and being a mother myself now it struck me in an even deeper, more powerful and meaningful way. One that words can't truly express. I'm truly grateful for all of the many sacrifices the pioneers made. Actually the theme of that year's EFY was "Living the Legacy."

You can't see the detail in this picture, but the 12 circles in the center are stained glass depicting scenes unique to the Saints time at Winter Quarters. One is of Brigham Young, one is of the local Indians that aided them, one is of a wagon of course for example.

There is a TON of symbolism with the Winter Quarters Temple which I'm sure is true of all of the temples, but this temple is very unique. One of the temple workers was kind enough to explain some of it to me. There were a lot of trees and vines art.

This is the stained glass that you can see in the chapel. It was very beautiful. There are five flowers shown near the bottom of each panel. They represent the five state flowers of the five states the Pioneers crossed.

These pictures were taken in October and as you can see the landscaping was still beautiful. Up the hill beyond the terraced garden is the Pioneer Cemetery.

100 random things about Will.

Here is my hundred. No Hedgehogs were injured during the making of this list.

1. I love the Library
2. I enjoy folk music.
3. I read every night after getting into bed.
4. I have completed a Masters degree and am gearing up for my Doctorate
5. I think of both the Penny whistle and the Recorder as serious musical instruments
6. I name all of my Instruments.
7. My car has a name also.
8. I served in the mighty Australia Brisbane Mission
9. I never skipped a door no matter how big the guard dog/Emu/kangaroo was.
10. I keep a small stuffed Kangaroo at my desk.
11. In my dreams I have learned how to fly.
12. Once a month I have a dream of being sent on another Mission. (Been having those dreams for about 10 years)
13. I make people think I am wise by keeping my mouth shut and wearing a knowing smile.
14. I dislike swimming.
15. I think of myself as a Jack-of-all-Trades, but in truth I know nothing about Optometry.
16. I am the oldest of seven children.
17. I prefer hanging out with Gentiles to the local Elders Quorum.
18. I normally skip breakfast.
19. I growl at my son to make him laugh.
20. I let my wife tell me what to do, and then I go out and do exactly as I please.
21. I have never been bitten by an animal.
22. I broke my collar bone while serving a mission.
23. I was treated by this hot female Doctor from Scotland. (Sexy accent)
24. I was teased for weeks afterwards by Elder Timu. I guess I was staring too much at the Doctor.
25. I like to sleep on the floor.
26. I think the extended warranties that computer stores try to sell are rip-offs.
27. I don’t like Beethoven.
28. I do like Dvorak.
29. I have started writing a book.
30. I love my job.
31. I like to play computer games. (when time permits)
32 I don’t like television.
33 I watch about one television show a week with my wife. (Just to make her happy)
34 I think it’s cute when my son insists that his name is spelled BFN.
35 I want to buy a Jeep when I grow up.
36 The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher are my favorite serious of books. The tenth book is due for release on April 1st. I plan on taking a day off from work to read it.
37 I’m a decent Drummer; I enjoy playing Guitar, and play a mean Recorder.
38 I collect textbooks.
39 I sleep with a pager and a cell phone.
40 I’m thirty years old and still love role-playing games. (Great social interaction)
41 I’m a MacGregor.
42 Even though I’m a MacGregor I am still polite to Campbells. (Had one as a Bishop)
43 Steve (a friend) and I used to tell jokes at Clan Campbell’s expense.
44 There are far more pictures of my wife’s family then mine in my house.
45 According to the wedding pictures my wife hung on our wall my family was not at the wedding.
46 It bothers me.
47 My Wife’s reasoning was that Alex was on his mission and Beth was not present so we had a complete Herrington Family Picture taken one year later which is hanging on the wall. And when Will repeatly mentioned how much this disturbed him she called the Garbers to try to order an 8x10 from the wedding day but it was 3 years after the fact and they did not have the digital proofs anymore. (this one was added by Stephanie)
48 My wife is allergic to cats.
49 That also bothers me.
50 In high school I could run a Mile in under 5 and a half minutes.
51 Today was the first time I have ever walked in a parade without being strapped to a drum.
52 I have better night vision then anyone I know.
53 I can still move quickly though a wooded area in the middle of the night without braining myself on a tree limb.
54 I am the only guy on my team at work.
55 I have gotten very good at not listening while my co-workers talk about female stuff.
56 I don’t own a firearm.
57 I do own and know how to use two combat knives.
58 I am ether mixed dominant or Ambidexterict. I do just about everything but write equally well with both hands.
59 I am dyslexic. It does not slow me down much anymore.
60 My wife still reads a touch faster then I do.
61 I can type between 55 and 60 words a minute.
62 I like to wear dark reds.
63 I often hold all sides of a group discussion with myself.
64 I am often very idiosyncratic.
65 As soon as I find a way to conceal it from my wife I plan on buying a gun locker and some firearms. : )
66 I was not very impressed with my wife when I first met her. (In fact my opinion was less then charitable)
67 I obviously grew out of it.
68 Yes I love her a lot. (original number 68 was erased by my wife) hehehehe
69 Our current education system angers me.
70 One specific thing that upsets me is the way the government distributes resources to schools.
71 If you get me started on our school system be prepared for me to make a completely emotional argument based on what I have seen, with no reference to any facts or figures.
72 I am addicted to education.
73 I have actually started having withdrawal symptoms after finishing my Masters.
74 I am a little annoyed at the US becoming a multilingual country (What the hell does the automated system mean by press one for English)
75 Instead of complaining about it I have begun studying Spanish. (That’s going kind of slow)
76 I love eating vegetables.
77 I dislike Barbeque.
78 Which is a shame as I live in the Barbeque capital of the country.
79 Every time any of my wife’s family visits we all have to go get Barbeque. (I suffer in silence)
80 During my seven years of post high school education I put on weight and lost a lot of muscle tone.
81 I’m currently fixing the problem now that I don’t spend thirty hours a week studying.
82 I am so good at stringing together information; using big words and writing like a social elitist that I have tricked many people with Doctorates into thinking I know what I am talking about and giving me an A on all writing assignments, and presentations.
83 I have learned that now that I have a Masters degree people listen to me even when I’m full of crap.
84 I try not to take advantage of peoples dependency on “expert testimony”
85 I still speak Australian perfectly. My Samoan is very rusty.
86 Even after fifteen years I still feel the term should be recited “Each to their own”.
87 I have learned more about the Bible then Abraham lived in Ur and Hannah had no children.
88 I find reading the Book of Mormon to be very therapeutic.
89 I think it would be cool to grow out my beard again. (But then my wife would refuse to kiss me)
90 I recognize the Tear Drop as the Tangible construct of my essential nature. (See what I mean about big words and social elitist language)
91 I laugh at self-proclaimed existentialist due to the fundamental similarities between their philosophical ideology and Nephi’s description of predominant attitudes among men. (2 Nephi 28:7) (there I go with the elitist language again)
92 I don’t laugh too had else I fall in with the “dig a pit for thy neighbor” crowd.
93 I often find myself watching strangers and wondering what their life has been like.
94 I sometimes read the Dictionary when I have nothing else that needs to be done.
95 I would love to take a two-week vacation and complete a solo Canoe trip at Boundary Waters.
96 My first cognitive memory is of being three. Once evening I saw the sun set in a field, and became convinced that sunk into some kind of trap door. I spent a great deal of time the next day in that field looking for the trap door.
97 I recognize that science, although a discipline based on observation, relies on several assumptions. (These assumptions are Determinism, Empiricism, Parsimony, Testability)
98 I love to use big words when defining abstract concepts.
99 I have found that when I am sad I recover quickly if I take a hike through the woods.
100 I would love to be able to teach on a college campus

Long overdue Pictures

Check out Bert He is a forest ranger. Cool Hat Bert! Yep! We took the morning off and treated ourselves to Sesame Street Live.

My son the Drummer. Sticking his tongue out like a true rocker. Well have to get him an audition with Kiss.

Poor Kid, Because of his parents he will be stuck with Piano, Drums, Guitar, Violin, and Bagpipe lessons until he is eighteen.

Note all the odds and ends around the couch, thats the "drum set" he set up on his own. It was rather funny watching him play while he sang the ABC song.

Peace out Drummer Dude!

Tagged.

Although I am not familiar with the origin of this activity I am fairly sure that I have ascertained the implied rules and spirit of this game. So thanks to Cali’s Tag I will divulge the following information.

What is his name? I don’t know whom you have been listening to but there is no he. I am however married to a great gal named Stephanie Lynne.
How long have you been together? Married for six years eight months twenty-five days and 40 minutes. Disclaimer: If you are reading this at any time other then when I wrote it, this answer will be inacurate. In fact the decrease in accuracy will directly correlate to the increase in time from which this was written to when it was read.
How long did you date? One year and six months.
How old is she? Twenty-Six
Who eats more? I think I have at least 40% more body mass so I would say me.
Who said I love you first? We have not gotten around to that part of our relationship yet.
Who is taller? I have about a half an inch on her. Of course if she throws on a pair of highheel shoes on I look Dwarven next to her.
Who can sing better? She takes the high notes while I take the low notes. (And I'll be in Scotland before her.) Even though she often teases me for my use of diphthongs I think we are about par on singing.
Who is smarter? She has an amazing memory for details and facts. (Near photographic) She also out classes me in Musical. I however outclass her in Interpersonal, Intrapersonal and linguistics. We are rather comparable on kinesthetic, spatial and logical capacity.
Who does the laundry? Both of us share that work. I however have been forbidden from washing her delicates.
Who pays the bills? Once we had a great system in which I made the money and she spent the money. Currently we both share in generating income, but she continues to take the responsibility for all check writing.
Who mows the lawn? The landlord. That’s what we pay him for.
Who cooks dinner? Whichever adult is home that evening.
Who drives? She does, but she does so from the front passenger seat.
Who is more stubborn? Me, hands down. In fact she has taken to calling me an Ogre. (Have no idea where she got that from)
Who kissed whom first? At the end of our first date when we were doing that awkward good night thing she piped up with “So are you going to kiss me or what” and I said “No” before saying goodnight and beating feet to my car. After a few more dates I agreed to her request.
Who asked whom out first? She asked me out first. Then about four or five months later we had our first date.
Who proposed? I did. She said no. I think she was getting even for the time I avoided her. I later was able to talk her into it. I can generate some damn good poetry when I need to.
Who has more friends? I have more friends. Of course my definition of a friend may be different then hers. I get along with just about anyone I meet, while she maintains a small group of close friends.
Who is more sensitive? There are two many variations and possible implied meanings of this question for me to answer it with any confidence that a reader will understand my answer.
Who has more siblings? I am 1-of-7 She is 2-of-4
Who wears the pants? She does, no contest. Of course now and then she will ask my advice and then we play this game where before answering I have to figure out what decision she has already made in order to avoid an argument. :)

In Memory of a Friend

During the course of the last few days I have spent a good deal of time contemplating the passing of the Lords Prophet. While I have been so engaged my mind has often been drawn back to the memory of three personal experiences with our Prophet, and I thought I would share them.

Not long after I was baptized Elder Hinckley (before he was the President of the church) visited Indiana for a conference. My father being unfamiliar with the area got just a little lost while looking for the parking garage so that we could attend the conference. My mother, as back seat drivers often do, suddenly pointed out a ramp that she thought my father should take. In an attempt to avoid an argument, and I am sure appease a slowly growing sense of frustration, he drove up this ramp. It turned out to be for VIP unloading. As the ramp leveled out we found Elder Hinckley and several of his staff, Bodyguards, or what ever standing out there. My father, realizing that we were not in the parking garage, kept driving as my mother, sister, two brothers and I gawked out the window with the realization that the man we came to listen to was standing about ten feet away from our car.

During the course of my first year of Mission service a general announcement went out that President Hinckley would be coming to Brisbane to visit the local saints. The Brisbane Mission field exploded with excitement. During the course of preparations our Mission president made three decisions that positively impacted me.

The first it was decided that they would bring all the missionaries to Brisbane for this historical event. That was important as at the time I was in Cairns, which was a 36 hour bus drive from Brisbane, and most of us were afraid that due to the cost at transporting us all south and then back north again we not be included.

The second was that a contest was started to encourage baptisms. Simply put, the Zone with the highest number of baptisms would be given the privilege of being President Hinckley’s Honor Guard as he walked from the car to Suncorp Stadium. At the time I was in what was recognized as the youngest and one of the smallest zones in the Mission. All but one of us had been out for less then a year. I know you have likely already figured this out so I will not delay in saying it. The Cairns zone (all ten of us) kicked some tail. On May 15th 1997 I was there when President Hinckley stepped out of his car into a hallway of missionaries. The real cool part is that there was no one else around so the President took time to talk to the missionaries, and shake some of our hands. I lament that I was not one of the missionaries who got to shake hands with the Prophet, (a fact that Elder Gilmore reminded me about every five minutes for the next few days) but that’s ok because I have another claim to fame.

A few weeks before President Hinckley arrived, I received a letter from my Mission President which read, “Dear elder Herrington, I’d like you to lead the music for the congregational singing at the Missionary meeting with President Hinckley.” The letter continues on with specific instructions concerning the music, but it sufficeth me to say that at the ripe old age of nineteen I was given the privilege to lead music song by President Hinckley, his entourage, and two hundred missionaries. In addition I got to stand about Ten feet away from the Prophet while I did so.

As I complete this writing I believe that it is appropriate that I add my own testimony. I know that President Hinckley is a Prophet of God. I know that he is one of the few men on this planet that can truthfully claim that they have met and spoken to Christ. President Hinckley has dedicated the greater portion of his life to the service of our God, and I can only hope that as he has been permitted to return home the Lord may give him a little time off to spend with his wife and other family members who I am sure have been waiting for him. I know that this is the Lords church and as stewardship for it passes from one great man to the next I know that the work of God will continue. God Bless and Amen.

‘S Rioghal Mo Dhream

Bard, Forester, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapist?

About a week ago I became aware of a very hard truth. My wife has little understanding about what I do for a living. A fact that was punctuated by her comment that she thought the work Piaget did with dogs was fascinating, a statement, which would be similar to one saying “I enjoyed Garth Brook’s fifth symphony”. I must admit that I was impressed that she was aware of Jean Piaget, and Pavlov’s dogs, even if she mixed the two together. I often lament the fact that I never managed to talk her into taking any psychology when we were in school.

While I pondered this realization and what I could do to help my wife understand her husbands chosen career, it dawned on me that there might be many of my friends that do not understand what it is that I do. In fact I once received a letter from a friend that warned me of the dangers they felt were inherent in my chosen profession (of course they only touched the tip of the proverbial Iceberg) and admonished me to make sure I worked from the Lord's corner. (That’s not a direct quote, although I did consider digging out the letter just so that I could provide the exact quote.)

Much of this confusion I am going to blame on modern media. (So many other people blame social problems on the media, why can’t I?) I am often so frustrated with the way psychologists and counselors are portrayed on television that I change the channel when such a relevant scene is depicted. I admit that there is a possibility that there are mental health professionals that act in a manner that is congruent with what we so often see on television, but I am not one of them. Specifically I do not give advice, condone an amoral perspective of the world, fix a person’s entire problem with direct theatrical confrontation and a few wise sounding clichés, or spout platitudes such as “It’s all going to be all right”. I also have very little patience for those who could blame their behavior on genetics, or their upbringing.

I am primarily what many in my profession refer to as a Cognitive Behavioral therapist. (However I still have a lot to learn) Without going into a great amount of confusing detail I will state simply that I believe that an individual can chose what they think about, and what an individual chooses to think about affects the way they feel which in turn affects their behavior. So as corny as it sounds you are what you think about.

As an example if I were working with a client who had the prevailing thought “nobody loves me everybody hates me.” they could expect that they would have feelings of sadness, inadequacy, and rejection. I use this as an example because I believe most of us have met someone like this who we notice tends to behave by avoiding social interactions. In the common tongue we would say they have low self-esteem. To work with such an individual I would need to challenge the thought, even if they have good reason to think that way, and help them replace it with a more useful thought. For example a crude replacement could be, “Fred and George both like me”. (Good old reference for the Brazil branch youth if you were paying attention) Admittedly this is a very simplistic example but I think it helps describe the direction I work from.

I am currently an in-home therapist. Of course my business card says “Therapeutic Support Specialist”. I primarily work with children ages six to eighteen, however I do have a few adults on my caseload. The difficulties that my clients face often vary dramatically from as serious as being victims of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, to children who have trouble finding acceptance among their peers. I also have an interest in doing some work on the side for LDS Family Services, and will likley do so after I have completed my licensure.

I have found that I have a talent for this line of work. This surprises me as I always saw myself Teaching/writing music, or working in wilderness/wildlife conservation. I have attempted to be brief with the description of my current work, and as such I imagine that I have left many things unexplained. If anyone has a question about what I do feel free to E-mail me, I would be more than happy to provide additional explanation.