My Siblings

What Makes Each of Your Brothers and Sisters Special? Be Specific.

To start off, I should say that I am not the biggest family guy when it comes to my siblings. This is not a reflection of them or their character, but of me. Growing up I had a lot of problems emotionally, which I now realize stemmed from my biological father abandoning my older bother, my mom, and myself. Along with that I had a poor relationship with my adoptive father (dad) throughout my adolescence. I had anger problems, issues with authority figures, and I lacked a father figure that I trusted to be a mentor to me.  In reality I should have been seeing a professional counselor because it took many years for me to understand why things were the way they were. As I grew older I found myself hanging around an untoward crowd, many of similar circumstance. Instead of being around my family and siblings, I was always out with "friends" hanging out. Because of this I didn't cultivate the most important relationships that most people do within their homes during my prodigal years. Notwithstanding what I have already written, I know that my two brothers and my sister are really good people. We were raised like Nephi from the Book of Mormon, by "goodly parents", and anyone who gets to know my siblings will recognize this based on how they live their lives. My family has never been the "perfect" type of family, but that is one of the things that I like best about us. We are okay with being who we are and trying to improve what we can one thing at a time. 

Vincent Edward Earl

I remember being a little kid and being afraid of things, but then realizing that my older brother had always gone before me and had been okay. I have always looked up to Vincent for having the courage it takes to be the oldest sibling, to blaze the trail. One specific memory I have is when me and him had gotten in some trouble and were getting "the belt" as punishment. Vincent, for the first time, started laughing at my dad as he was being struck by the belt. From that point on I realized that I could do the same thing. It might be a bad thing, but after that moment I was never afraid of being punished

Vincent has also blazed the trail in many other ways. After high school, he attended university at BYU, graduating with a degree in English. He has been married and has two wonderful boys. I have seen in him a good example of how a father should provide for and be there for his kids. I can tell that his boys love him and he loves them. Though he has recently gone through divorce, I feel as though he was a good husband for the most part. After seeing how he was treated by my sister in law before they separated, I am amazed at how loving, respectful, and caring he has been to her notwithstanding the things she has done to him. He has also been active in church for pretty much most of his life, an aspect about him that I respect. He does well at magnifying his callings.

Some other characteristics about Vincent that make him special are: He is pretty good at everything he does (like me, not the best, but better than average). He has a temperament that is peaceful, instead of him being the bully or antagonistic because he was the oldest, he has always been helpful, agreeable, and peaceful. He is intelligent. You can easily have an intellectual discussion with him. 

Wayne Jeffrey Earl (Jeffrey)

I don't have many memories of Jeffrey growing up. What I remember the most about him is that he is one of the few people that never gave up on me during my wayward years. I remember coming home in bad shape and him saying, "why don't you just come to church with us again?" I remember thinking to myself "Is this kid crazy, I mean, look at me. Does he really think that I am ever going to go back to church again?" But he did, and he never kept asking. It turns out that he was right. I have been an active member of my church going on 10 years now. 

Jeffrey, in my opinion, has always had an intellectual capacity that surpasses any of us siblings. His mind is almost like a steel trap. He can regurgitate random information that he learned at any time on call. This probably helped him learn the Russian language when he served there for two years. My biggest question for Jeffrey is whether or not he will use the brilliance that he has to succeed in life financially. I am sure that he will in his own due time. He has had a hard time figuring out what to do in life, not because he has few options, but because he has too many interests. Jeffrey was born with a mechanical aptitude that I know for a fact I don't have. He can take things apart, figure out how they work, and put them back together. He has always been a tinkerer.

Some other characteristics about Jeffrey that make him special are: He excels at jobs or responsibilities where he has to get work done. In his current job as a supervisor of janitorial services at Dixie State University, and in my observation of him as an executive secretary and ward clerk, I have noticed that he gets things that need to be done accomplished before he is even asked to do them. He has an acute attention to detail when it comes to church or work assignments. He is also a really good person, and like Vincent would give you the shirt off his back. 

Jeffrey is the sibling that I have spent the most amount of time with in later years. He is someone I know that I can always turn to when I need help with anything. 

Susan Francis Earl

Being that Susan is eight years younger than me, I don't have very many memories of her growing up. By the time she was old enough to interact with me I was never home. I remember the summer after 8th grade I literally went home around three times the whole summer. From then until after my mission years most of the time that I spent at home was either to eat, sleep, or shower. 

Susan reminds me of my mother and what I remember of my grandmother in that she is a very charitable person. She is always giving of herself to others. I know that she has been taken advantage of by others throughout her life because she has wanted to feel loved and has been willing to bend over backwards for others. She is a very kind person and loves to help others (even if she isn't capable of helping them). She is very caring and generally wishes the best for everyone. She has a Christ-like quality of being able to forgive others.

Some other characteristics about Susan that make her special are: More-so than any of her siblings, she is willing to put herself out there and have confidence in herself. She will get jobs that she might not even be qualified for just because she tries and puts herself out there. Faking it until she makes it really can be a good quality, because she will gain experience from having to learn skills or job positions that she gets but isn't ready for at a fast pace. Additionally, she is going to be a really good mother. She is naturally caring and will be a good nurturer for her kids. 

 

Where would you like to live most of all and why?

Where would you like to live most of all and why?

I don’t know that I can pick one place off the top of my head that I would like to live.

There are many factors that would go into making a place my favorite place to live. Although one qualifier might be met and be ideal in a certain place, some of the other factors might rule that place out. For example: Weather is a great factor to think about when choosing where to live. A place that I can think of that has a moderate climate and would be ideal to live in is San Diego, California. San Diego has an average temperature of around 70 degrees. That would be perfect for me. But…there are a lot of reasons not to live in San Diego as well. Some of those reasons include: high cost of living, high taxes, the liberal orientation of the State of California, etc.

Instead of choosing a place to live based on a factor like weather, there are factors that are more important to me that would make me happy living anywhere. Some of those are: close proximity to family members (immediate and extended), if not close to family close to an airport so we could visit family and be visited often, a place where the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is strong or has strong members, a place that has good job opportunities, a place that has fun things to do, and a place that is safe.

 Some things that I would love in a place to live are: a lot of land with a good mix of lawn and trees, maybe some forested area, a small river or stream close by, a pool, a nice looking house on the outside and a well-organized and neatly laid out inside, racquetball/basketball courts (this is a dream), somewhere near busy roads and highway access but tucked away to allow a quiet life and slow pace, somewhere near a major city but not too close (like a suburb or out in the country ½ hour-2 hours away from the city), a good community, good neighbors, a nice driveway with a roundabout, a separate garage, etc.

Recollections of a First Time Father

I am absolutely exhausted. The last 3 nights are a blur. Out of those 3 nights I probably got about 6 hours of solid sleep. I slept on a chair in the hospital that rolls out to become a lousy bed. Now it is the 4^th night, our first night home. I just made some dinner, washed the dishes, and did last week’s laundry. I still have homework that needs to be done for school tomorrow. My wife usually does all of these things (except my homeworkJ). Right now she is sleeping with our newborn baby, Elsie. Is it worth it, to wear myself out for my wife and daughter? Let me tell you. Heck yeah it is! Let me tell you why.

 

 

 

 

After witnessing the culminating event of 9 months of pregnancy, I found myself reflecting on the whole process. If there were to be one conclusion I have gained from this experience, it would be this: Us males are not worthy of our female counterparts. What they go through just to get to the extremely sublime and sacred moment is unbelievable. We’re talking: morning sickness, insomnia, heartburn, countless doctors’ appointments (being probed and poked, etc.), back pain, arthritis, pain in general, weight gain, a rapidly changing body, acne, mood swings, hormonal imbalances, having to swallow nasty tasting horse pills, etc……not to mention all of their regular chores and responsibilities that they have to take care of. Then they have to give birth. There are parts of a pregnancy that are hard on the man, but it is not comparable. What are dinners and dishes once in a while compared to what they have to do? Put plainly and simply; we are not worthy of them!

Let me share some of my other thoughts that I have had throughout this experience so far.

Michelle is such an amazing woman. She has ultimately made the decision to put some of her worldly goals and aspirations on hold in order for us to have a family, something of much greater eternal value. Seeing how much she has grown since I have known her makes me so proud that I am the lucky guy who gets to be her eternal companion. She is constantly seeking improvement. She is always putting me and others before herself. Her care for our daughter, Elsie, is amazing. Though she would humbly say there is much room for improvement, there isn’t. She is an amazing mother and wife!

 

Life has changed. I think that is the best and easiest way to sum it up. I remember seeing Elsie for the first time. I felt like I was standing on Heaven’s doorstep just by being in her presence. I still feel that way. She is the cutest little bundle of joy. It doesn’t matter what she does, at this point I am just proud to be her father. She puts a smile on my face every single time I see her. She is so innocent and pure and unmarked from the world. My life and Michelle’s too, has become a mission to love, nurture, provide, protect, and teach Elsie to the best of our abilities concerning things physically and spiritually. Life is all about our little family.

This revelation was very enlightening to me. Before having my own family I had always thought that the love that I shared with my parents was an equal love. I was wrong. After seeing my sweet little innocent daughter and holding her in my arms, I realized that my parents’ love for me was more than my love for them. Not to take anything away from the love that I have for them, because that love is immeasurable, but it is not the same as parental love. It is hard to understand because out of everyone in the world you love your family and especially your parents and spouse the most. It is the most love that you have to offer, that is until you have your own children. When Michelle and I started our own little family by having Elsie, I realized that my parents love me more than I do them. This is a love that it takes becoming a parent to understand.

 

 When Elsie was born she was having difficulty breathing, so she was put on oxygen. In order to determine whether or not to admit her to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit they took off the oxygen to test how she would react on her own. I was at the foot of her bed rooting her on. All that I wanted and cared about was for her to be successful and to be healthy. I realized then that I would give anything for her to be safe and healthy, even my life. I know that I will always have that kind of love her. That is the love of a parent for a child.   

 

I am thankful for the experience I have had of becoming a father. This experience has deepened my testimony of the Plan of Salvation. The joy that has come into my life because of my wife and daughter is something that I want to last forever. I know that it will. I invite anyone who is interested in knowing what I know about how families can be together forever to ask me about it, to learn about it from Mormon.org, or from the missionaries that I can send to see you. I am thankful for the divine capacity that women have to bear children. What a blessing the special women in my life are (wife, daughter, mom, sister, grandmothers, aunts, in-laws, etc.)!  I love all of you!