Gio Castillo - A Life worth remembering!

On, Friday, the 13th of December, Gio Castillo lost his fight with cancer.  He has been fighting cancer for two years.  He was surrounded by those that love him, especially his wife, Heather, his three beautiful children, and other family members.

Gio, fought to the end.  I can guarantee to you that he would never have given up.  All though he was a fighter to the end, his body just could not endure any more.  He had gone through 4 intense chemo treatments trying to work his way to a bone marrow transplant. He was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic leukemia two years ago.  They thought that they had beat it, but May of 2013, it was discovered that the cancer was back, but this time it was Acute Myeloid Leukemia, probably a result of his last chemo treatment.

Gio was and always will be an amazing husband, father, and friend.  All though I did not know him real close, his wife is a long, long, time friend of mine.  Their children are wonderful kids, beautiful, bright, and a joy to be around.  He did the best that he could do to take care of his family.  He will be missed, but never forgotten.

We love you Gio Castillo!!! May you be at peace and join with your past family.  Know that your family here on earth will always be looked after and cared for.  I will always be there for Heather and the kids.  She will be ok, I know this.

I bear to you my testimony that our lord and savior Jesus Christ lives.  That he died for us so that we can return to be with him and out heavenly father.  I know that we can be with our families for eternity and that when we pass from this world to the next, that we will be in a perfect body.  I know that, Gio, is now pain free and back to perfect health is will be watching over his family.

If you wish to make a donation to this family, please do so by clicking the link below.  Even $1 will help.

Please make a donation today!

A Castillo Family Christmas

The Castillo family, Gio, Heather, Govi, Adalena, Eli, are having a rough year. Geo, the husband, was diagnosed with Leukemia again. He has been fighting for his life since August. He is currently at the Huntsman's foundation in Salt Lake City, UT. Heather has been with him pretty much his entire stay so far in UT. Finance are getting hard. The kids are having a hard time not being able to see their dad and mom very much. Heather is doing the best that she can to care for her family while they go trough this trial in their life.

I want to help them have a wonderful Christmas. Please find it in your heart to donate towards, "The Castillo Christmas," so that they may have a wonderful Christmas to brighten and lift their spirits. 

UPDATE!!!!

Thank you to all who donated.  We raised $550 and because of that the Castillo's are going to have an amazing Christmas.
Although, Gio, passed this last Friday the 13th, he spirit remains with us all and he will forever be remembered. 
They had not got the Christmas tree finished, due to complications to Gio and had to leave in a hurry, so my wife and I went to Heather's parents house and put the decorations on the Christmas tree.
We went and bought some presents, wrapped them, and placed them under the tree for when the family arrived home.

A Camp trip to remember!

June 2013

Teton Canyon Camp trip

So we left town to begin our camp trip for the weekend and to enjoy the wonderful firework show in Driggs, ID at Huntsman Springs.  We were driving up Ski Hill rd and on Google maps it shows two roads for Teton Canyon rd.  I chose the first one.

As we drove down this skinny road, with trees and bushes on each side of us, with our campers, we came to a fence.  After deciding what we wanted to do, because the map shows the road goes on through and connects to the other one, we went to open the gate and this is what we were greeted with.

These horses did not want to move.  I honked my horn at them.  We pushed them.  We yelled at them.  They were the tamest horses I have ever seen.  After we go through, my dad and I walked down the road to make sure it was OK.  We discovered the the road dead ended and so we would have to turn around.  Upon walking back to the vehicles the horses were still surrounding the Tahoe.  I think that they though the camper was a horse trailer and that it was time to go home.

After getting turned around, we went to leave and Camille was going to keep the horses back and all of a sudden something spooked the horses and they ran off.

We finally got out passed the gate and back on the main road again.  We saw the sign that told us where the Teton canyon was.

 We turned down the road and drove for a few miles.  Then we ran into Ben and Paula and they said that the camp ground was full and that they had found a nice camping spot along the creek.  They said that they were going to check on another site but that their site was just up the road.  We turned where they said to turn and could not find their site.  My parents already had filled their water tank in the camper, but we had not.  So, we drove back to Driggs, to fill our water tank in the camper.  My birth mother, Liz, was meeting us in Driggs, so we met up with her at Broulims and  filled our camper with water and then headed back to Teton Canyon. We then met back up with my parents and drove down the  road to look for a camp spot. we turned on a side road that headed towards the creek. We found a nice spot there and decided to camp there and that we would find Ben and Paula's family in the morning.

I got up the next day and drove down the road to the boy scout campground to hike to the lake that was near by.  What a beautiful scene!

After that  I went and found Ben and Paula's campsite.  It is a good thing that we found a different spot, because we would not have been able to get the campers to theirs.

Later that day we went into Driggs to look at the stores and then we stopped at the creamery and had some ice cream.

We then went back to the camp to get ready for the, Huntsman Springs, Celebrate America event.
So we made it to the event and got all set up......wait let me rewind a little bit.
So a few weeks ago the people with the "Celebrate America" event had a photo contest for VIP seats at the firework show.  I WON!!!  This is the photo that won.

So we got to Huntsman Springs earlier that day and picked up my VIP passes.  With these passes I got VIP parking and VIP seating.  I was only supposed to have two seats but I was able to get all the family in that was there.  Let's see that was.....21 people!!!

While waiting for the show to start a micro burst came through and blew and rained on us for awhile.  The wind was nasty.  Blew really hard.  Everyone had to take down there shade tents and canopy's.  This lasted for about an hr and then the weather improved greatly and the wind was gone.

After the stage people got everything back together from the storm, The Huntsman's came on stage and said a few words and a slide show was done on a cancer survivor that was very touching.  Then the "Beach Boys"  came on stage and played.  What a great concert!

Now for the best part of the whole night, "The Celebrate America Firework show"!
About half way through the show, Lee Greenwood, came on stage and sang, "God Bless the USA"  Wow!  What an amazing, joyful, tearful, heart warming, performance.   I have never enjoyed fireworks like that.

WHAT A GREAT FIREWORK SHOW!!!!!!  THANK YOU SO MUCH HUNTSMAN'S SPRINGS FOR PUTTING ON THE ENTERTAINMENT AND FIREWORK SHOW.

Adversity

Adversity = misfortune - disaster - distress - calamity - hardship


Why do we go through adversity? I believe that we are given adversity or trials in our lives so that we can become stronger and grow from them. I believe that trials allow you to become closer to God, our father in heaven, and Jesus Christ, our savior.


All of us face adversity sometime in our lives. Be it a loss of life, financial struggles, abuse, schooling, accidents, or health. One way or another you CAN overcome this adversity in your life. It is your choice how you do it.


Zach Sobiech is a great example of overcoming adversity. Even though he has left this world, the impression, inspirations, and examples that he left behind are great. He, at age 14, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a bone cancer which mostly strikes children. At age 17, he was told that he only had a year to live. Music became his relief from the cancer. He wrote an inspirational song called, "Clouds". He chose to live out the rest of his life at age 17, without the help of Chemo or radiation treatments. He was prepared to move on. He was a great example to others, as far as realizing that that there is much more to life than just living. You need to do everything you can to love one another and be happy with who you are. You never know when your life could change.

Here is a link to his story: http://youtu.be/9NjKgV65fpo


Another great and amazing person who has over come adversity is Nick Vujicic. He was born with no arms and no legs, but yet he can do almost anything. He can swim, surf, kick a ball with his little chicken drum stick, that is what he calls it. He can type 45WPM! He is has an amazing spirit and he loves to share it with everyone. He is a motivational speaker. He is 30 years old, married and even has a child now.

Here is a link to his story: http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/about-nick/bio/


No matter what you will have adversity in your life, but no matter what you can over come that adversity. God loves us all and has a plan for us all. We just have to figure out what our individual plan is.


https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/mormon-messages/mormon-messages-2009?lang=eng#2009-01-03-come-what-may-and-love-it


https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/topics/jesus-christ?lang=eng#2011-04-012-he-heals-the-heavy-laden


It must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things:2 Ne. 2:11


They taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good:Moses 6:55


Endure

• The Guide to the Scriptures

To remain firm in a commitment to be true to the commandments of God despite temptation, opposition, and adversity. 

Year in review 2012

What a wonderful year this has been!

I have gotten to travel to more places in the world (Dubai, Barcelona, and India).  I even got to take my wonderful wife, Camille, with me to Barcelona this past May.  That was so much fun, especially for her.  She has never traveled outside of the country before.

My kids are growing up so fast.

Genika is 10 YEARS OLD now, what?  Wow time goes by too fast.  She is loving the 5th grade and her new twin baby niece and nephew.  She is such a great help with others and trying to please people.  She loves to help out her teacher and keep the class room and desks neat and clean.  Her teacher loves that!  She is also a big help around the house.

Shay is 8 and was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  She LOVES to sing and she is so good at it.  We really think that she has a god given natural talent for it.  She is getting better at singing in front of people.   Shay is good at making friends and thinks that she always needs to have a friend over.

Kayla is 4 now and such a energetic child.  We love it when she wakes up in the morning she gives everyone that is around a hug.  She always hugs the girls when they get home from school.  She goes non-stop.  She always has the cutest expressions on her face.  She love to tell stories and adores her big sisters.

Tristan is 2.  He is such a smart two year old.  He can count to 15, well he says twelve, thirteen, thirteen, thirteen.  He can carry on a conversation with you.  He says things sometimes that just blow your mind that a "2" year old just said that.  I turned him onto the super heros and now almost everyday he think that he is the "Hulk".  Spiderman, Batman and now Superman are also his favorites.  He is such a boy.

I got to take the family on a trip to Disneyland this summer.  I was going to Anaheim for a business trip and brought the family along for the ride.  We had a lot of fun.  We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel and Tristan discovered Goofy.  He loves Goofy.  The kids got to meet a lot of the disney characters.  Buzz came out for an appearance and when Tristan did not get to go up to him he kept yelling, "I want Buzz".  Genika loves the coasters. She is an adrenaline junkie like her dad.  She even went on one that went up to 85 miles per hour on take off.  The kids all loved the fireworks that they got to see every night, either from the park or from the hotel room window.

They knew that when the fireworks were done, it was bedtime.  Kayla LOVED the Winnie the Pooh ride and the shopping.  Shay really liked the Parade, especially when Tinkerbell came by.

On my adventure to Dubai, I got to see and go into the worlds tallest building, the Burj Kalifa.  I also got to go the Ferrari World, where they have the worlds fastest roller coster.  It reaches a speed of 149MPH in 4 seconds.  It was awesome.  I went on it twice.

Burj Kalifa in the middle

Burj Kalifa

Here is a video showing the worlds fastest roller coaster.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khRTNdEgZqg


Cant wait to see what 2013 brings us.

My ventures over the big blue!

So far this year I have been to India, Japan, China, and Spain.

That was in the first half of the year.

Now for the next half of the year. I get to go Dubai, Spain, Houston, and San Diego.

I am going to Dubai in September, for a two-day conference where we can demo our simulator software for Nuclear Power Plants.

Then it is off to Barcelona, Spain for a another two-day simulator show.  Where again we get to demo our software.

Then I will attend two conference here in the US.  One in San Diego and one in Houston.

It sure has been a great experience working for my dad.  Since 2009 I have been to China, Japan, India, Spain and soon to have been to United Arab Emirates and the UK.  Leaving the US sure gives you a new look on how goo we have it here.  After being to China and India, you get to see what true poverty is like.  I feel so bad for those that are homeless or have families and struggle every day to provide for them.  Some of the cities that i have been to have the largest populations in the world.  Shanghai, China is over 23 million people.  Tokyo, Japan has the largest population in the world with almost 35 million people.  Mumbai, India has about 20 million people and the city is not much bigger than Salt Lake City, UT.

How I loath you, oh India!

So after going to India, at the end of September and then returning home with an illness that haunted me for almost three weeks, swearing that I would never go back there, I am returning on February 6th, for a one day workshop....
....OK, I will explain!
At the end of September, I went to India for a business trip.  I was there for 10 days, 10 worst days of my life.  The airline lost my luggage and I did not get it for three more days.  I had no internet access for 4 days. I ate the same food, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  The only two times that I did not eat the same meal was McDonalds for a lunch and then Dominos for a dinner.  My flights were miserable, except for the fact that on my return flight home, I was in Frankfort, Germany for 7 hrs.  I got to catch up with my old exchange student, Sebastian.  It was so great to see him.  That was the best part of the whole trip.  I had not see him since 2000.

Sebastian and I at the Airport restaurant in Frankfort, Germany

Upon returning home, I discovered that 8000 Rupees had been stolen from me, that is about $146.  Not a lot of money, but to them 8000 Rupees is a lot.  At best I figure the Hotel Help, helped themselves to my money.  When ever I had to leave the room, I was required to leave my room key at the front desk.

The help!

So after saying that I would never go back, I was suckered into returning for a 1 day workshop, paid for by our contact in India.  If we had to pay for it, I would not be going.  I leave on the 6th, arrive on the 8th, teach the workshop on the 9th, leave on the 10th, and arrive home on the 10th.  I am going to be so exhausted.  At least this time, I get to stay in a very nice hotel.
I pray that this trip will be better.