A Home

Well, as many of you know, Lindsay and I are building a home in Wanship. As far as I can tell it is going to be a long and tedious process. The house is going to be 1300 sq ft on a 3/4 acre lot. While the rates are down and we are both employed, we decided to get a home that we will stay in for a while.



Lindsay and I will make an effort to keep this updated and let everyone know how the home is coming. We are currently working with the bank to get our construction loan so that our builder/contractor, Cade Sergeant, can go wild. Soon we will have the go and then we will see more action than just a well in a field.

College Graduation

On Saturday, Sydnee, Clif and I graduated from Utah State University. It is good to be done. Now work is my only obligation. On Sundays I don’t have to worry about getting in some last minute studying. School has been fun and educational, but it feels good to not need to worry about school.

I’m planning on going back to school soon. I would like to get my Masters in Environmental Engineering / Project Management or my MBA. I’m not sure what will happen yet, I’m going to take some time off until Fall 2010 at the earliest.

Future Plans

For Senior Design, I had to write a little essay about my future educational plans. I sat down to type and more came out than planned. I thought I would share what came out.

After a little research, I determined that an essay is usually a short piece of writing. It is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can be literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. I am going to focus on an observation of daily life and future plans, along with a little reflection. I also found that the definition of an essay is vague, overlapping with those of an article and a short story, so it will be written like a short story.

I have been studying environmental engineering at Utah State University for five years. When I started as a freshman, I had no idea what to go into. After much thought and consideration, I determined that I was either going to become an electrical engineer or a computer scientist. After a year of taking classes that I disliked, I determined to take a two year leave of absence. While I was away from school I put some more thought into my education and future career decision. I resolved to become an environmental engineer for two purposes. I loved math in high school. I helped teach geometry and substituted taught for our calculus and algebra teacher when he took time off. I also loved the environment. I grew up on a farm raising beef and riding horses. Needless to say, I didn’t understand completely what I was getting into.

As I took classes, I enjoyed it more and more. I developed a circle of friends that will all graduate as civil engineers. When the split came from civil and environmental, I determined that I have made the right move. I enjoyed my classes to a point that I wanted to find out what an engineer actually did outside the classroom. The fall of my fourth year (it will take me five years to graduate); I went to the tech expo to support my wife as she was looking for some potential employers to start her journey along a career path the leads to an enjoyable future. She graduated the following spring with her bachelors in the field of biological engineering. As I searched around, half-heartedly, I found a professional engineer that was enthusiastic about meeting others. As we talked, he told me he was the vice-president of Westech Engineering Inc, a water quality equipment manufacturing company. He told me there were some openings for summer internships. I didn’t have a resume, so I had him write my personal information on a paper and didn't think much else of it. Afterwards, he had me introduce him to Lindsay. They talked, interviewed and then they offered her a job around Christmas time; she took it. Around that same time, they called me and made me an official offer as a summer intern. I accepted.

Last summer was a great opportunity to see what goes on in the engineering field outside the classroom. I worked on a research and development project involving a counter current ion exchange process. It was enjoyable to work with some very distinguished individuals in the water field. Namely, Don Burns, he has a PhD in chemistry and has worked in the water field for 35+ years, and also Terry Sherman, he developed the patented process of counter current ion exchange and owned his own company. From that summer on, I was (and still am) determined to get my PE license.

I returned to school for my senior and last year as an undergraduate. Two months into the semester, I realized that classes would be very relaxed the spring before I graduated, so I determined to find an engineering job. I sent out my resume to ten different companies (civil and environmental consulting firms) in Salt Lake City. I also let Westech know that I was looking for a job. Within a month, I had two interviews set up; one with Westech and the other with Forsgren. I went in and talked to Vince Hamilton and Dave Fisher and Westech. Everything went very well, at the end they told me that I had the job if I wanted it. Later I went and interviewed with Travis Higby and Kirsten Hines. At the end of the interview, Travis asked, “What do I need to do to get you to come and work for us?” By then I knew I was in. After a long decision with my wife, I decided to go with Forsgren Associates. I told them I would work part time (30 to 34 hours a week) from January until April, and then start full time in May.

Kirsten, my direct boss/mentor at Forsgren, just received her license in Nevada and Wyoming. I am planning to do the same that she has been doing. It is just a coincidence that she happened to pick the same career and future education path as me; she is just four or five years ahead. Let me explain. Kirsten spent some time at an equipment manufacturing facility after graduating and I spent a summer at Westech. She work at Forsgren until she received her PE license, and I plan on doing the same. Now, she is going to school again to receive her MBA. Those are my exact plans.

I believe that education should never stop. I spent over twelve years going to elementary and high school; there I learned the basics of life. Then I spent two years abroad in Brazil. There it opened up my eyes to see how life is outside of Utah. I studied at Utah State for five years to receive my bachelors in environmental engineering and now I’m working at a consulting firm in Salt Lake City. I plan on taking and passing the Professional Engineers exam to receive my PE license in many western states, including; Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, and California (the list is long, I’m sure it will be shorter around test time). Around the same time, I plan on attending the University of Utah (or any other school that accepts me) to receive my Masters in Business Administration. From here on out I plan on progressing within my field and growing the company that I work for to become a successful and predominant engineering firm in the western United States.

Other than growing in my career, like I have mainly pointed out in this essay, I also plan on growing socially, mentally, physically and spiritually. Most of this work I plan on doing within the walls of my own home. Here I will grow with Lindsay to become a loving father and husband.

Syd and Clif

Because of popular demand, Sydnee and Clif decided to start up a blog and tell their story. Many of you know my sister, Syd. She is a great girl and she found someone who will truly love her for who she is.

Syd is working on her student teaching at an elementary school in Centerville. This is required to complete her elementary education degree at Utah State. She lives at home in Henefer with our parents. Syd has been through many tribulations, more than a bunch of lucky people that live in Utah. She has had a tough life, but because of it she is only stronger. She takes time out of her day to make everyone happy. Whenever she is around, she just makes everyone feel better. I strive to become like her in that way.


Clifton has fallen for Syd. Clif goes out of his way to see Sydnee and does what he can to make her happy. It is good for Syd to have somebody love her like that. She hasn’t had anyone love her like that before, besides her family. Because of his undying love for her, Clif proposed to Sydnee on the 7th of March. They are going to tie the knot on the 24th of June in Logan. We are looking forward to adding Clifton to our family tree. Clif is an international business in agriculture major at Utah State. Clif, Syd and I are all going to walk together at the commencement for the engineering department.

Syd is planning on telling her story on how she fell in love. Get to know them both in her new blog. Enjoy.

More Photos of Penny

Best dog ever!

Find a Penny, Pick it Up, and All Day Long You'll Have Good Luck

Brett and I are proud to announce the newest addition to our family...our puppy named Penny! Penny is a 2 month old, short haired border collie that like to sleep and sit in the flower bed. Her full name is Penelope Housley, but she prefers Penny for short. Penny will reside at the Henefer Housley's for now until Brett and I find a real house to move into with a backyard.

Pictures tell it better than words:

This is Penny! Isn't she adorable?

When we first brought Penny over to the Housley's house she sniffed around and then settled right down into the flower bed. This is now her favorite spot to go and sit.

Penny loves Brett

Our little family

We were in Henefer last Sunday and we picked up Penny to play with. She didn't want to run around but instead went to her flower bed spot and started dosing off. So I picked her up and put her in my lab. She sat right there, put her head on my lap, and fell right to sleep. It was so cute!

Zoo Lights

Yep, two posts in one day. Last night, Syd put together a big group date and invited us. There were all kinds of people there; some that we knew well, some that we knew their names, and some that we haven't met before and will probably never meet again. We all got together at Heier's in SLC then headed up to the zoo to go to the zoo lights. For the Zoo Lights they decorate the zoo up with lights and some of the animal exhibits are open to the public.

Lindsay and I loved it. Their were two great parts that we loved. We loved being out with friends such as Jenn and Carter, and Syd and Clif. The other part that we loved were the big cats. Most of them were out and about because it was so cold and dark. The snow leopard was our favorite. Syd does fun dates.

Lindsay, Syd, and I at Trolley Square before we left to eat.

Us in front of a lit up nutcracker outside the zoo.

Us by a large elephant.

Holding up her fake giraffe skin purse in front of the fake giraffes.