Brad Phillips

After two long years, and with only a week to go...

2008-11-12T11:16:00.001-08:00

Lisa and I have been married for over two years now, and for a good 10-12 months of that I was disfellowshipped. I leave for Iraq in one week, returning home for Thanksgiving and Christmas and today I recieved a letter in the mail signed by our First Presidency...

Dear Brother Phillips,

In response to your petition, the sealing clearance that will permit Lisa Diane Shupert Phillips to be sealed to you in the temple has been approved.

I have no idea when we'll be going, but it'll be before the final jump overseas. I just wanted to share this with everyone...if anyone still even checks my blog anymore...

Why all cats (including Crookshanks) must die!

2008-08-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

I didn't kill it, but I did toss it into the kennel with Kara, my new Siberian pup, who was chasing her. :)

Cute, Laughing Baby

2008-08-04T18:54:00.000-07:00

This was too cute. I had Lisa run and get the camera so we could post this. I apologize for making a baby voice :)

Baby Pics

2008-05-14T19:13:00.001-07:00

So I promised these like two weeks ago, but I've been too lazy to drag them off the camera or transfer them from Lisa's computer. So finally today, I just walked the five feet to Lisa's computer and am doing it from there...It'll still take me a minute to browse the hundreds of pictures that Lisa has taken....

Okay, so this one isn't really of Gavin, I just wanted to show off how good my wife looked after four hours of labor...

Here's one of him still in the hospital.

And one week old.....

After his first bath....

Gavin Lucas

2008-05-01T07:18:00.000-07:00

I guess I should digress from publishing another in my series to announce that Gavin was born yesterday (April 30th) at 1:41 pm. I don't have any pictures up yet, they're all still on the camera which is at the hospital.

We had an ultrasound on Monday and a doctor's appoinment on Tuesday with plans to induce on Thursday of this week. Everything had indicated the baby was too big and needed to come sooner rather than later or risk needing to come by C-Section. The doctor had done a few things on Tuesday to try and stimulate labor naturally and it must have worked. Lisa was only in labor for four hours and did it all naturally (we had been fighting on this one, but my experience with Erica and one too many epidurals was not seeming to win her over.) The baby is big, but only measures in a 20.5 inches and 7lbs 13 oz. They had to weigh him twice, because no one believed he only weighed that.

On a side note, I'm curious to see how Gabby (our dog) reacts to him. She was already giving me a "WTH" look this morning when I gave her breakfast instead of Lisa. She has the chance to really win me over on this one, if she's as attentive to Gavin as she is to me...

On another side note. I lost my job on the 18th. Go figure. I wasn't given a very good reason, something about "not being a good match" which probably means I didn't meet their liberal views on how to influence children (I used fear and respect). I already have two jobs lined up. One in the County, the jail not law enforcement, though it seems like they'd prefer me for the latter. Another with a member of our ward who runs his own landscaping business. Crazy that both would pay equal to or more than I was making as a teacher, and neither one of them requires a degree past associates.

Celestial Knights, Installment Two: CK 2024

2008-04-24T19:52:00.001-07:00

This is the second version of the Celestial Knights and the first one that I am solely responsible for (2001).

Valor M. Phillips
The Celestial Warrior
Age: 25

Strength: 15
Dexterity: 15
Constitution: 15
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 15
Charisma: 15

Powers:
Mimic

The second version of the Celestial Knights actually takes place years into the future. In the real world, years of separation, infighting, family affairs and loss of spirituality have destroyed the cohesion of the group that became the Celestial Knights. This storyline was written as a warning beacon to that ends.

Will has since left for grad school, and has been replaced by Matt Draper (Big Daddy). He along with Rodney, and John wake up in the year 2024 after somehow being cryogenically frozen for many years. They are immediately attacked by villains who exhibit superpowers although the Knights have none of their own at this time. They are rescued by Valor, who has aged and grown through the years and bears a striking resemblance to his father, Brad, whom they do mistake him for.

The three soon discover that the world is very different than the one of 2001. Though the cloning process, fallen spirits were able to take a mortal body and the absence of the veil left them with innate knowledge and ability beyond normal man. Latter-Day Saints, who were more aware of their divine nature than others, soon learned that they could ‘tap into it’ through the priesthood to harness their own ‘supernatural’ abilities.

However, in (or because of) the Knights’ absence, Brad fell away from the Church and was deceived by the Adversary into creating clones of the Celestial Knights who soon turned him into becoming Infernal Warrior and they, his Infernal Knights.

Valor’s powers are much like his fathers. He can mimic the powers of evil and turn it against them. Along with this, he wields the Sword of Laban and bears the breastplate of the Urim and Thummin. As a child, Valor was protected by Styx, whose power remained unchanged from the original as his musical talent is part of his divine nature.

John T. Leschorn
C.H.I.P
Age: 24

Strength: 14
Dexterity: 14
Constitution: 14
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 15
Charisma:

Powers:
Bio-Link: This is John’s sole power but it is what makes him compatible with his cybernetic body.

After awaking in the year 2024, John’s body was completely decayed from the cryogenic freezing process. After meeting The Prophet and having his divine nature revealed to him, the Church outfitted him with a cybernetic body, as the price of losing him was far greater than the destruction of his body (temple). It is also here that we see the name Chip convert to C.H.I.P. John’s cybernetic body gives him near limitless options and tools at his disposal.

John is the most devastated after learning of Brad’s fate. It is he that begins the mending process within the Knights.

During the final battle, John pits himself against The Dark Myst, Rodney’s evil self. His enhanced sight helps him well in the battle as it allows him to see The Dark Myst in his gaseous state. However, it does not help him when The Dark Myst enters his armor and corrodes his wiring.

Matthew R. Draper
Big Daddy
Age: 30

Strength: 16
Dexterity: 10
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 15
Charisma: 12

Powers:

Density Control: Matt can control his own density, making himself much heavier.

Growth: Matt has the ability to make himself much larger.

The least developed character of the Celestial Knights. Matt was added more out of acquaintanceship than actual group dynamic. It was also needed to replace Will’s character, Styx, as he was starting graduate school in this time period.

In the final battle, Big Daddy pairs off against P.A.I.N., C.H.I.P’s evil counterpart. Unfortunately, size and density were no match for the armament this completely robotic foe could dish out.

Rodney L. Hendricks II
The Iron Rod
Age: 24

Strength: 20
Agility: 10
Constitution: 20
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 12
Charisma: 10

Powers:

Alternate Form: Rodney can transform his body into iron, which also gives him super-strength and protection. This power can remain active even if he is knocked unconscious.

After awakening in the year 2024, Rodney has his powers unlocked by The Prophet after journeying to the Hidden Temple with Valor and the rest of the Celestial Knights. It is here that Rodney learns of the fate that has befallen Brad and vows to revert him to his true nature.

When The Celestial Knights face the Infernal Knights it is Rodney who realizes that they can not fight their own counterparts, and faces off against Ogre, Matt’s evil facet. It is too late for the other Knights who soon fall. It is Rodney’s last stand, backed into a corner protecting his friends, that causes Brad to realize who his true friends are. In his pause, he is struck down by Valor, who is unaware of the situation.

As the two Celestials battle the Infernals, the Adversary arrives, now being able to take form in a cloned body of Brad’s. As hope seems lost for the Celestial’s, Rodney’s vow is realized as the translated body of Brad arises as Dominion.

Bradley J. Phillips
Dominion
Age: ??, apx. 46 at time of death

Strength: 25
Dexterity: 25
Constitution: 25
Intelligence: 25
Wisdom: 25
Charisma: 25

Powers:

Power Suppression: Dominion can suppress the powers of most evil foe.

Absorption: Dominion can absorb nearly all forms of attack.

Dimensional Travel: Dominion’s main form of movement.

Flight: Dominion can move through the air.
The translated form of The Celestial Warrior. This is Brad’s true nature and his power thus reflect that. Instead of being able to mimic an enemies powers he can completely suppress them. In minor enemies, this power will completely destroy them.

After his arrival at the pitched battle, Dominion defeats the Infernal Knights and battles the Adversary to his escape.
At this point, Dominion takes the reigns as the leader of the Celestial Knights, who now comprise: Dominion (Brad), The Celestial Warrior (Valor) Big Daddy (Matt), The Iron Rod (Rodney) and C.H.I.P (John).

Together, The Celestial Knights continue to battle the Adversary and continuously foil his plans.

Celestial Knights, Installment One: The Original Version

2008-04-22T22:48:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to do this for a while now, at the very least to share with Will and John but the rest of you may get a kick out of it too. This version is the one inspired by Elder Stone's picture of the three (Will, John, and Rodney). I've been bugging Rodney for years to get me a scan of the picture, but alas, no luck. For future installments, I found a game system that had pretty good character development, so I designed the others on that. Since I was never, part of that picture, I have included a close approximation of my character at that time (1996-1999).
B.J. Phillips
The Celestial Knight
Altered Human
Age: 17

Fighting:??
Agility:??
Strength:??
Endurance:??
Reason:??
Intuition:??
Psyche:??

Powers:

Cosmic Ability

Armor of the Lord: Class 5000
Like all Celestial Knights, The Celestial Knight is impervious to any earthly attack.

B.J. found his way to the Church through extraordinary circumstances in extraordinary times. He initially made contact with the Knights as John gave him frequent rides to church. Although never officially a member of the original Celestial Knights, much of his integration came during this time period so it is important to introduce him here.

Later, as Will left for his mission and John married, it appeared as if the Celestial Knights were doomed to fade into nonexistence. It was here when Rodney befriended B.J. and introduced him to the hidden powers of the group.

Considering himself quite average in comparison with the rest of the group and with no special talents, B.J. chose to name himself after the group. The only thing that set him apart was the fact that he received his powers through a visit to the temple. This is where the Knight’s powers begin to transition away from an alter-ego form.

The Celestial Knight has the ability to control the powers of the cosmos with incredible ability. This allows him nearly limitless options: he can teleport great distances, fire blasts of energy from his hands, and even manipulate matter.

Little was done with this storyline, however, The Celestial Knight will slowly evolve over the next few years until he returns to Indiana as The Celestial Warrior.

William E. Herrington
Styx
Altered Human
Age:18

Fighting: Monstrous
Agility: Unearthly
Strength: Incredible
Endurance: Amazing
Reason: Amazing
Intuition: Monstrous
Psyche: Monstrous

Powers:
Superspeed: Styx uses his superspeed to propel himself.

Sonic Manipulation: Styx can control sound with devastating effect.

Armor of the Lord: Class 5000
Like all Celestial Knights, Styx is impervious to any earthly attack.
Born the first of many, Will was still quite the loner in High School and had few to no friends, until one day when he knelt in fervent prayer to Heavenly Father. Will then met, befriended and eventually baptized fellow Celestial Knights, Rodney Hendricks and John Leschorn. Together, under his supervision, they formed the Celestial Knights, sworn to uphold the will of the Lord. Will takes his name from the sticks used to play his favorite instrument, the drums.

Little was done with this storyline, although this is the form he would stay in for years.

When Will becomes Styx, he can move with shattering speed and manipulate existing sound to surprise and dazzle his opponents. Will was the original ad-hoc leader of the group.

John T. Leschorn
Chip
Robot
Age:18

Fighting: Amazing
Agility: Amazing
Strength: Amazing
Endurance: Amazing
Reason: Class 1000
Intuition: Unearthly
Psyche: Unearthly

Powers:
Flight: Chip uses a sub-dermal jet pack to propel himself through the air.

Armor of the Lord: Class 5000
Like all Celestial Knights, Chip is impervious to any earthly attack.
Baptized November 23, 1995 by friend and fellow Celestial Knights Will Herrington. They along with Rodney Hendricks soon discovered the innate powers that flowed into them whenever they kept the Book of Mormon close. They thus formed the Superhero group that still today is known as the Celestial Knights, although it has taken many forms throughout the years. They were sworn to uphold the will of the Lord. John took his name from his love of computers (micro)chip.

Little was done with this storyline, although this is the form he would stay in for years.
When John, comes in contact with his Book of Mormon, his body is replaced with a cybernetic one that increases nearly all of his physical attributes as well as giving him a plethora of useful tools.

Rodney L. Hendricks II
The Iron Rod
Altered Human
Age: 18

Fighting: Monstrous
Agility: Incredible
Strength: Class 1000
Endurance: Unearthly
Reason: Incredible
Intuition: Incredible
Psyche: Amazing

Powers:

Leaping: Unearthly, The Iron Rod uses his innate strength to propel himself.

Armor of the Lord: Class 5000
Like all Celestial Knights, The Iron Rod is impervious to any earthly attack.

Baptized October 31, 1995 by longtime friend and fellow Celestial Knight, Will Herrington. They along with John Leschorn soon discovered the innate powers that flowed into them whenever they kept the Book of Mormon close. They thus formed the Superhero group that still today is known as the Celestial Knights, although it has taken many forms throughout the years. They were sworn to uphold the will of the Lord. Rodney took his name from the iron rod presented in Lehi’s vision.

Little was done with this storyline, although this is the form that he lasted in for years.

When Rodney becomes the Iron Rod, he has superhuman strength and can become totally immobile. He can use his strength to perform such feats as causing an earthquake by striking the ground with his fist and knocking his enemies to the ground.

It's things like this that make my wife wonder why she married me, but it's fun to look back on the storylines you will see presented in chronological order and see the development I have achieved over the years.

Fine.....100 things about me

2008-03-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

I guess I didn't participate in the last one, so I figured that everyone will only tolerate so much of my antisocial tendencies.

1. I bought the kangaroo on Will's desk.

2. I refused to match the blue in the prom dress Cali made.

3. People commented about the mismatch the first time they saw the prom picture.

4. I lived in South Carolina and it never dawned on me to let Shiloh know at the time.

5. I get a kick out of doing things to "appal" members of my ward.

6. I'm such a Star Wars freak that when Shiloh mentioned Joseph (a play that I was also in) the only thing that I saw was that she had included the acronym: AT-AT. (.....sigh, the big walkers in The Empire Strikes Back)

7. At 17, Will, John, and Rodney created super hero personas (of which I was later included in on) of themselves....at 29, I still write stories for it....

8. My super hero moniker was/is The Celestial Warrior

9. Rodney wanted me called Dominion, I thought it sounded too evil

10. Now I like the idea of having a darker persona

11. I am one year younger than Cali!!!!

12. In 2004, I began writing a novelization of my life.

13. In 2007, I began reworking it to be more spiritually uplifiting, and geared more towards the specific LDS audience as opposed to a more mainstream one.

14. I'm pretty sure most of you would be shocked or appalled by its contents.

15. I'm pretty sure most of you would be crying by the end.

16. Unfortunately, I'm of the literary school that good biographies evoke emotional responses, but great biographies end in the untimely death of the antagonist!!!

17. I had the West Nile Virus in 2003 and survived without hospitilization.

18. I fall into the .01 percent of the Earth's population that has a super immune system, and am theoretically immune to the AIDS virus (there is yet no ethical way to test this)

19. Theroetically, given my Scotch/Irish heritage, I am possibly descended from a clan whose entire family survived the Black Death while the rest of the town perished.

20. Unfortunately, I have been unable to trace anything of my family name into the Isles.

21. Genealogically, I am 100% UK. My ancestry is Scotch/Irish/English/Welsh....nothing else.

22. It pains me a little that I can't say that about my children.

23. I have trained in 7 different martial arts.

24. I have used that training more teaching in Gary for 5 weeks than I have anywhere else.

25. I can still remember the shocked look on Shiloh's face when I told her I wanted to go to church with them.

26. 4 weeks later I had finished the Book of Mormon for the first time (That's Shiloh's fault ;) she didn't get it to me sooner)

27. I still have that Book of Mormon, and the set the missionaries bought for me at my baptism.

28. The first time I went to church, I walked three miles in the dark on a cold December day.

29. I grossly overestimated how long it would take to walk three miles to the Cunningham's house and was there waaay too early.

30. I like to tell people that I joined the church because of a girl, once they pop that knowing smile, I break the news that it was the daughter of a Nazarene minister (Do we remember Autumn Dicer?)

31. My brother-in-law and I had an arguement in the Chicago Temple about who will make High Priest first. ( I said him, then Lisa's brother, and finally, when the church is in dire straits....me)

32. John baptized me.

33. He never lets me live that down. Whenever I get off track he feels like that makes it his personal mission to bring me back...it has worked thus far ;)

34. John was in the room for my patriarchal blessing, the only one there with me.

35. He never lets me live that down either.

36. Had he been around at the time, John would have been the one to ordain me as Elder. (I'm not sure if he was an elder at the time??)

37. John is also who can claim the illustrious title of the only person at both of my disciplinary councils!!!!

38. Poor John.

39. 38 doesn't count.

40. Crap!! Neither does 39.

38. One of these days, I will look at all the amazing things I have experienced in the Gospel and all that the Lord has blessed me with, and be a little more grateful.

39. If I sit back on the couch in the Celestial Room of the Chicago Temple my knees don't fold over the edge.

40. I hope the chairs in the Terrestial Kingdom are smaller.

41. Every time I've gone to the Temple (outside of the first) I have been asked to do something in conjunction with that particular ordinance and think to myself "What are these people thinking?" but never have been able to turn them down.

42. I am the oldest Priesthood holder in my mother-in-laws family.

43. I am also the shortest.

44. I am the most liberal mormon I know, but also the most bold.

45. I speak Spanish just as well as I did on my mission.

46. I understand it now even better.

47. I never attended the MTC.

48. My trainer made me memorize discussions in the car.

49. It's fun to tell people that I served an 8 week mission, watch for signs of shock on thier face as they try to figure out what horrible thing I could have done, and then tell them it was all I was called for.

50. I never asked to go on said mission.

51. It's scary, to me, when a mission president calls you at your house and says "I just got off the phone with the First Presidency."

52. If that happens again I am half tempted to say "Excusa me, senor, pero, esta no es Hermano Phillips."

53. I'm pretty sure that won't work

54. I've considered learning it in Chinese.

55. Pretty sure that won't work either.

56. Pretty much praying that it won't happen again.

57. That includes calls from not only mission presidents, but anyone in a Stake position or higher.

58. I have twice brought G.I. Joe figures to church.

59. They were for my amusement.

60. I was 29 when I did this, in fact, it was just last month.

61. They are only for priesthood.

62. I embarrass my wife frequently.

63. She still loves me.

64. She doesn't know why.

65. I found a grey hare the other day but when I pulled it out my wife made me put it back in its cage.

66. 65, isn't true but I thought it was funny.

67. For years, Will, John, Rodney, and I wanted to attend Gen Con.

68. I am the only one who has gone.

69. I find it amusing that our current presidential candidates consist of one person who has been locked in a cage, and two people who should be.

70. While I would not have voted for a person simply because he was LDS, I found it very appaling that someone would run simply as an alternative to that.

71. I was really hoping that Romney would counter with a campaign slogan like. "Vote for me, not that Baptist dip****"

72. Romney is a better man than me.

73. I think Michael Jackson should be the voice of Lucky the Leprechaun. Those kids are always getting his Lucky Charms!!!

74. I have served in the United States Military for over 13 years.

75. It's weird to think of myself as a veteran, I once had someone tell me Happy Veteran's Day and I looked at them like that was quite possibly the dumbest thing they'd ever said to me.

76. For my 30th birthday party, we are planning on going to Chuck E. Cheese (my call)

77. I disagree with Will, I HAVE better night vision than anyone else I know....of course mine costs 6,000$.

78. I bet Will can't see in infrared either.

79. At one time or another I have disliked everyone in the group's wife....even my own.

80. I'm pretty sure no one else liked Malinda either.

81. The exceptions to 79 being Travis and Jason, whom I have never met and thus were not included in my collective usage of the word "group". Also Nicole, whom I have never met.

82. Will's lucky, anytime I watch strangers I've had the police called on me.

83. I once put a cop trying to arrest me in his own handcuffs

84. I thought it was funny.

85. Apparently my sense of humor is vastly different from those in law enforcement.

86. Every time we simulate combat in training, I die. Not because I get shot or blown up, but because those people running the training "kill" me for being unsafe.

87. The above acts have included: Charging a tank on foot with a grenade; standing in the back of a speeding humvee with a rocket launcher shooting at tanks; sliding across a suspended wire by my ankles while firing at "enemy" troops; kicking sand in a Captain's face when he was trying to get me to surrender; and diving out of a second story window to avoid "enemy" fire.

88. I would do all of the above in an actual combat situation.

89. I have never died in real combat, so in my opinion , I must be doing something right.

90. I have been shot though; however, it was not in combat overseas, but here in the US.

91. In 7 years of war I have only had to bury one comrade.

92. Despite my military background, I don't own a gun.

93. My wife finds it repugnant that if someone were to break into our house with a gun, I would disarm him and shoot him.

94. I think he would have it coming.

95. I do own a lightsaber....does that count?

96. 90% of my BLACK students think that the shuttle that carried the first black astronaut into space was called "The Soul Train"; not the Challenger.

97. I disagree with about 90% of the people who homeschool; not homeschooling itslef.

98. My biggest complaint is the people who keep their kids out of high school simply AND ONLY because of the lack of morals and ethics prevalent in today's youth. Well, let me tell you, if you haven't raised them right by that age then it really isn't going to matter if they're in High School or not.

99. I have probably just offended at least 20 people I know, 4 of which may be reading this.

100. I own every episode of Smallville.

Fat Baby

2008-03-14T07:19:00.001-07:00

So Lisa went in for her monthly doctor's visit this Monday and the doctor thought the baby measured a little big so she scheduled another ultrasound. A few days later, Lisa started having hip pains and we had to go in for an emergency visit and they pushed up the ultrasound to see how and where the baby was sitting.

Well, at 32 weeks the baby weighs 5lbs 7oz so, by my calculations, if she manages to carry the baby full term (which we all doubt) the baby will weigh in at a whopping 10 pounds!!

New Addition

2008-02-20T18:12:00.000-08:00

Lisa has been bugging me for days to post pictures of our new addition to the family and her Valentine's Day present, so here it is:

This is "Gabby" a boxer/pit bull mix. I found her in a shelter near the school and Lisa has always wanted a boxer. Once I filled out the adoption paper work it went pretty quick (filled it out on Friday, took her home on Saturday) because the dog absolutely loves me and took to me immediately, which the shelter workers loved.

Fortunately, she already housebroken and knows quite a few commands. She is incredibly intelligent and has already learned her new name (formerly "Seven") She also seems very protective and territorial, which should be good as long as she sees the baby as hers.

New Job

2008-02-08T21:19:00.000-08:00

So it's been a busy week for me...after nearly two months of unemployment (resulting from our move to La Porte) I finally landed a job, and it's my dream one!!!!

I am the new 8th grade English and Social Studies teacher for School of the Dunes in Gary Indiana. The day of my first interview I drove into Gary off the Interstate and found an adult entertainment (bar, porn shop or "gentleman's" club) on every corner and thought to myself "What the hell am I doing?" But as I pulled into the school (not literally, every school in Gary is surrounded by a wall and sliding gate) the Spirit was totally different and I just felt really good about interviewing there.

The administration was immediately impressed with me and after three questions asked me to come back for the second part. Of all their applicants, they select the best two and have them teach a lesson to see how the kids respond. I was to be the first on Monday.

All weekend I prepared a lesson tying Monopoly, Darts and Halo 3 into the historical perspectives of the changing American culture. I stepped into the classroom and I could hear the kids mutter something about me being white, but I had planned accordingly and before I got midway through the classroom another kid stated "Holy S---- he's some kind of GI Joe M--------F-------" The kids were hooked and as I was leaving the principal looked at me and said "I won't waste the other guys time if you want the job!!!!"

I started Tuesday and things have been going wonderfully. Kids who are normally very confrontational and volatile have not given me a problem. The kids are about as under control as that of a more mainstream school...but that may have something to do with the fact that the slightest infraction of disrespect earns them a square on my floor that they will spend the last thirty minutes of MY workday scrubbing....

Yes, I am very excited about this, the Lord has prepared me all my life thru my trials and tribulations to teach and to reach kids, whether it be these or some in the future. Hopefully I can live up to that!!!

US Economy and the Family Proclamation

2008-01-28T13:10:00.000-08:00

I recieved an interesting letter in the mail today and it has led me to this conclusion: Within the next several years, the US will still be in debt, but divorce rates will show a marginal decrease.

You see, the letter I recieved today was from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, the agency to which my child support payments are recieved and monitored. The letter states this:

A new federal law requires that an annual fee be paid on child support cases that recieve $500 or more in [annual] child support payments. The purpose of this fee is to reduce the federal deficit. Idaho Child Support Services received approval for a temporary rule to charge custodial parents and began collecting the fee on October 1, 2007.

After implementing the mandate, the Department and Governor's office recieved considerable feedback from the public and custodial parents about the added expense for child support enforcement being placed on custodial parents. Based on this feedback the Department is reversing the decision to charge custodial parents and will collect the fee from non-custodial parents....

As a non-custodial parent who never gets to see his children I was a little miffed by this proposal. One that I, and others in this demographic, are being shouldered with a national responsibility and two, that I am being charged more, but still have no real argument for seeing my kids.

Regardless of my personal feelings, it's finally a proactive idea for reducing the national deficit. You can't ask for much more, I will be curious to see if this will actually work...if it doesn't remember this:

Vote Phillips in 2016!!!

(that's the next presidential election in which I will be eligible to run;) )

Wife V.2.0

2008-01-26T11:50:00.000-08:00

By popular demand...

and upon pain of death....

Six months pregnant...

B.J. vs Brad

2008-01-24T20:21:00.000-08:00

Many of you have already commented that I will always be "B.J." to you, so why not settle everything right here and now.

I pretty much went by "B.J." for 19 years, which I always hated, up to moving to Idaho where I was the referred to as "Elder" for a while and it was a non-issue. After being "released" from that oh-so-lengthy 8 weeks, I met my future ex wife. Her family has some crazy mormon geneaology naming structure in their family where girls have no middle names till they're married and boys have the mothers maiden name as their middle with the first son getting the fathers first name....

As to not have two David's in the family the eldest became D.J. Hell, even before we were serious or even dating she insisted on not calling me B.J. Brad wasn't great either, but at the time it seems remarkably less childish. It also seemed highly more plausible and less ridiculous than having my name changed officially to The Celestial Warrior ;) Would "The" or "Celestial" go under first name on applications...

So here's the simple rule:

If you knew me before 1998, "B.J." if fine and often times quite welcomed as it typically is a sign of a long and warm friendship. My wife still stumbles a bit when she hears Rodney call me that because the second part of the rule is:

If you met me after 1998 and call me that, you die a quick and painful death :)

So, don't apologize that I "will always be 'B.J." but be honored that our friendship has transcended nigh a decade.

However, if I ever hear Cali refer to me as "Beej" again the quick, painful death will be granted... :)

The Kids

2008-01-17T08:31:00.001-08:00

I don't get to see them hardly at all...even though I was worthy I was not welcome at Valor's baptism, and so my only pictures of them are from the wedding. My brother-in-law and I had to make the 3200 mile round trip in 2 1/2 day in a small Ford Contour just to be able to have them (long story) , I still can't see Vault on the shelves of the local grocery without aspirating on my own stomach acids and nearly going into hallucinations right there... :)

The photographer was obsessed with MeiraJin and Valor, and my wife was in love with MeiraJin, so the only individual I have is of her. :) Everyone in the family loved her, unfortunately for Shawn he never got to hold her. I took her every time we got out of the car, and everyone else had her when we got back..

My two girls, MeiraJin, and Kailynn.

I know all about you....

2008-01-17T07:55:00.000-08:00

Well, Rodney and I are still close friends as we worked together at FedEx for several years, I've kept in touch with John and somewhat with Will, though neither as much as I would like....luckily Will's Christmas card came back with a forwarding address label.

As for Corey, I got many an update from is Grandfather at bowling, before we moved, and his mother at church.

Unfortunately, I think the last time I spoke to a Cunningham was when Malinda and I took Valor up to the old homestead prior to leaving Idaho (circa 2000). So for many of you this may be old news, but this is for those of you that it will be "new" news.

I'm sure you've all figured out that Malinda and I were divorced, and it may be that the Mormon grapevine still flows and you already knew this. This happened in 2003 and although I did everything in my power to make it work, I had already done everything in my power to screw it up. A military activation kept the marriage going for a while with the promise of money, but in 2005 this finally left me wife-less and broke.

In the meantime, I was still trying to finish school ( I have a B.S. in Social Science Education) and bouncing from girlfriend to girlfriend, and thus, house to house. During this time I was really close to John, at his house in Muncie nearly every weekend, but my lifestyle was breaking his heart and he finally had to tell me to get back on track or stop coming around. I chose the latter.

On January 8, 2006, after many a trying time and a 4 year hiatus, I attended a sacrament meeting using the ward locator on the LDS website. I was only intending on staying for the first hour, as I still wasn;t sure I wanted the church back in my life, but this ward was privvy to a very wonderful Bishop, and a man whom I have become good friends with since, who had a fantastic spirit and knew just how to handle me...

I had stumbled into the Terre Haute Ward that housed the YSA group for the area!!!! The Bishop asked me to consider staying for just one more hour and attend the YSA Sunday School class. To this day I sitll can't really figure out why I stayed, or for that matter why I woke up that morning with the notion to even attend sacrament, because I was livid! I didn't belong in a YSA class, I was divorced. It was here that I met my wife, and although we didn't get off to a great start and neither one of us wanted to be involved with anyone, much less each other, less than 4 months later we were engaged and married in August of that year at her home ward in LaPorte.

As I was disfellowshipped at the time and still currently sealed to Malinda, Lisa and I were only married civilly. We have plans in the near future to be sealed in the San Diego Temple.

Nostalgia

2008-01-17T07:36:00.000-08:00

Since early November, when John sent me his newest URL for his blog site, I have been reading the blogs of friends of long ago, many of whom I haven't spoken to in many years, and have been filled with regret. Regret, that I have lost touch with so many people who meant so much to me. I thought it was nothing more than a touch of nostalgia and old age, a year behind Cali, I turn 30 this coming September, until I discovered the plight of Shiloh's children. This morning I realized that my sympathies were more than just a common parental connection and understanding, but that I still had a strong emotional connection to each one of you. Yes....I have gone soft.