You can tell what the most important thing to happen to me this year is.

Despite the intense disappointment many people have had in 2016, it’s been a good year for me. Here’s the highlights:

• After deciding to not take any classes in the Winter semester, I abruptly changed my mind. Good thing too — I took some of my favorite classes and was able to adequately prepare to apply for the Information Systems program.
• One of those classes helped me discover a great love of printmaking.
• I moved into a new apartment with some awesome roommates — musical roommates. After one of them encouraged me to pick up my trombone and jam, we ended up making a legit band, All of us at the Zoo. We’ve played a couple of gigs, competed in Battle of the Bands, and recorded a couple of tracks — its been a great thing so far!
• I took a spontaneous trip down to San Diego for the wedding of two of my good friends.
• I got called as the Second Counselor in the elders quorum for my ward, a difficult, trying calling simply because it’s hard to know what to do to help people. I just hope that I was able to make some difference.
• I started doing website classes. I just taught people in my ward the basics of HTML and CSS, but it was still fun. Hopefully people learned something from me blabbing at them for an hour a week.
• I started a new set of starship simulator controls, this time with several goals in mind: development momentum, so I could actually get them finished; collaboration with space center outsiders; and learning new and exciting technologies. It’s one of the most interesting and engaging projects that I’ve ever worked on and, while progress has been slow, it’s still progress.
• I began dating someone who, at the beginning of the year I would have considered the most unlikely person. After an awesome three months, I proposed and she accepted. Crystal is the most amazing person, one which I feel incredibly blessed every day to have in my life. Choosing to marry her was one of the easiest decisions of my life. Without getting too sappy, she is patient, supportive, kind, thoughtful, and an inspiration to me.
• I went to Disneyland twice! Once with my family and once with Crystal’s. Happiest Place on Earth!
• I applied for the BYU Information Systems program. After months of waiting, I finally found out that I was rejected from the program. I was crushed, more so than I expected. Regardless, I prepared myself to change majors to Computer Science. Then, 5 days before the semester started, I received word that I was actually accepted. I was overjoyed. This is definitely one of the best things to happen to me this year.
• Zach and I went to a Coldplay concert in Salt Lake. That was awesome! I’ve never been to a concert that big before, so I was blown away at the sheer spectacle of it. I loved every minute of it. A big thanks to Zach for hooking me up.
• I got an internship lined up with Family Search! I’ll start in May. I’ll take a temporary leave from BlenderBottle while I’m there and hopefully pick it up again when the internship is over.
• My mom got married. Kind of a big deal. Gary, her husband, is a great guy and he and his family fit into ours really well. It’s a great thing, in my opinion.
• I went to see Rogue One dressed as Kylo Ren. No regrets. I also met Kylo Ren at Disneyland.
• I became more of an adult with the purchase of a legit apartment, cable internet, and utilities in my name.

Definitely the best part of my year has been Crystal. In an adorably cliché way, I never would have guessed that she would be my ‘the One’ when we first became friends, but more and more every day I learn why marrying her will be the best decision of my life.

On top of that, I’ve made some other good friends, created some good things, and hopefully made my corner of the world a better place.

For next year, I’ve got a short list of goals:

• Be the best husband ever and make the best Christ-centered home for my new family.
• Keep playing with the band. Record a new album and play some more shows.
• Get accepted to the Masters of Information Systems Management program.
• Finish a full simulator set of controls.
• Become more professionally proficient by working at Family Search.
• Read more. Keep track of the books I read.
• Write more. Keep this blog going, along with my technical blog on my personal site. Write in my journal every day.

Here’s to a great 2017!

Cheers!