It's the Great Pumpkin

Our first Halloween as a family has come to an end. I can't imagine a more perfect fall day to celebrate such a wonderful Peagan holiday. Last night we carved three of the pumpkins from Tara's garden and created a miniature version of our little family (check out Little Pumpkin Kennedy with her two teeth). Once they were lit, throw in some scary music, a bowl of candy, and let the trick or treating begin.

Since Kennedy is still so small, most of the evening involved her giving out candy (although for her giving out candy consists of grabbing a candy and sticking it in her mouth!). We were fortunate to have several visitors at the house, including different members of the ward and especially the Duncans! After Tara and Kennedy hit up a few of the neighbors for candy we went over to Alicia's house and spent a few minutes checking out everyone's haul. You can tell from the picture that the kids were pretty much finished with Halloween by the time we left. Oh well, good times!

Another Halloween has come and gone. Every year seems like the same thing. Thirty one days of anticipation and within a few hours, it's over. Like with so many different aspects of life, you just can't live up to the hype. More over Halloween, here comes Thanksgiving.

Grandma's House

Kennedy and I once again made the trek to Utah County today (4 times in 4 days!). How's that for some good gas guzzling! We wanted to visit Grandma and Grandpa Houtz on Halloween, so we drove down after work to spend some time with them. Grandpa ended up having to leave before we got there, so we spent the afternoon with Grandma. After feeding us some great chili and donuts, we played in the backyard, rolling around in the leaves. The we visited a couple of neighbors and went for a fun, long walk in the foothills. I reminisced about the days when I was younger and would hike around in the hills with my dog, Nick. I would bring home acorns and oak leaves to make collages. Now those hills are filled with big, expensive homes. It's still fun to walk up there, though. Now there are just paved roads everywhere! We had a great time visiting Grandma!

Coleman's Blessing

My cute niece Candace and her husband Willie blessed their new baby boy, Coleman, today. It was fun to see the whole family and spend some time together. As always, when the Houtz's get together, there was some good food to be had. After eating, Kennedy loved playing with all of her cousins and seeing her Grandma and Grandpa Houtz. She also got to hang out with baby Coleman and Uncle Dick after the crowd left.

Fall Back

You've got to love Daylight Savings time in the Fall. Today I woke up at 5:30 am, thanks to the time change and it seemed like I got a lot accomplished before church. Of course, the downside to our little time change is about 5:45 pm I took a little pic of Kennedy and Tara outside (I had to add the artificial spotlight). Maybe the time change isn't all good.

Cabin Party

Today I packed up Kennedy and headed up to the family cabin for a little shindig with the old college friends. Although it was a little rainy and cold, we had fun catching up and corraling the many kids that we all have. There were plenty of stories about softball and crazy nights in Ephraim, some were a little exagerrated, of course. We were even able to take a quick trip after the rain to the golf course to hunt for balls and try to keep kids out of the mud. It was fun to catch up with everyone and show off Kennedy. Most of the crew hadn't seen her since she was 2 months old. There were also a couple of announcements of more babies on the way, so it looks like the next party will be even bigger. It was great to see some of my old friends and just hang out for a few hours.

An Average Day

Jared has been hounding me to start writing on our family blog, so here we go. I guess this is why I haven't written yet. We are pretty boring. A typical day for Kennedy and me might inlcude a couple of hours at work, and a quick walk with Aunt Char during her lunch break. Kennedy loves her Aunt Char and is always so excited to see her. We see her at least 3 or 4 times a week and always have lots of fun.

Today also included a fun trip to Mommy's work to go to the annual Halloween carnival. Kennedy loved all the balloons, ghosts and pumpkins. She looked so cute in her duckie costume, although she would only growl and moo for people. She has decided that it is no longer cool to quack. She loves her costume and gives it a big hug before we put it on.

Trunk or Treat

Every year our ward gets together in the church parking lot for an activity called Trunk or Treat. The basic idea behind the activity is that the kids in the neighborhood dress up in their Halloween costumes a week early and get candy from people at their cars, instead of their homes. I can't tell you how popular this thing is. We must have given out about 8 bags of candy in 30 minutes or less. Talk about a marketer's dream!

Think of the benefits to the average child. The kids are in a confined area (cuts down on travel time), the kids know all the people they are visiting (don't have to skip any candy stops), because of the sheer volume of people they hit the same car multiple times (increase your profit margin). I think that a 10 year old Donald Trump came up with this concept. Of course the best part (for the kids) is that they still go trick or treating on Halloween!!! 2 for the price of 1!! Unbelievable.

All in all it was a fun event. Tara, Kennedy, and I dressed up in costumes so we could join in the fun. Tara was a prisoner (I wonder if there's a hidden message there -hmmm), Kennedy was a duck (fitting, since her favorite word is quack), and I was someone wearing some really bad clothes (I found my grandpa's old cowboy suit in the closet and improvised). Someone actually bet me 5 dollars to wear my outfit to church on Sunday- they don't know me very well if they think I won't do it!! Here comes Mr. Lincoln! It was great to act stupid and have fun with all the kids and their parents. I can't wait til next year when Kennedy will be out, sporting her costume and getting the Covili family a candy haul!!

Now Starring....

Our geocaching commercial is finally done. Now for the grand unveiling...

To view this movie, you'll need to download the Quicktime player.

Get Up, Stand Up

Earlier this week Kennedy had another milestone. No, she didn't solve her first quadratic equation, or master a split fingered fastball. She started standing up on her own. Now, no piece of furniture is safe - not the couch, the coffee table, even the rocking chair is no match for the girl who wants "up." In true Kennedy fashion, she marked her "standing room only" by learning the word up. Bob Marley would be proud!

Get My Other Best Side

I don't know how we keep getting involved with television, but we were asked to help Alicia on Good Things Utah earlier this morning. The segment was all about fun Halloween costumes, so a couple days ago Alicia and Tara went to pick up some outfits for us. Now, I know I'm not a small man, but I knew I was in trouble when I saw the dreaded tag "One Size Fits Most". This is usually where I get into trouble. I am not included in "Most". Long story short, the original costume didn't fit and I had to go to the back of the store to find my costume in the dark recesses of the Plus section. Plus to the company making the costumes meant XL - can you believe that?

After "forcing" my way into the Plus size vampire costume, we headed down to Channel 4 for our big TV appearance. Tara was dressed as lovely "Pirate Wench" and Kennedy stole the show as "Piglet." I felt so bad for Kennedy, under those bright lights she statred sweating in her thermal Pig suit. She fought through the discomfort and pulled off the cameo without a hitch. All three of us were extremely glad to dump the costumes and put back on our normal clothes. All in all it was a fun day, but I am so glad that I'm not on TV for a living. I couldn't handle the extra 10 lbs. the camera adds, especially while wearing my plus size outfits.

Bye-Bye Nana and Papa

My parents headed home yesterday after spending the week up in SLC. I guess it was time to escape from the hustle and bustle of the big city and get back to country livin'. It's always fun to have them around; it gives us an excuse to get together as a family. It sounds strange since we all live so close to one another, but there are times when I won't see Alicia and Jason for weeks at a time. Once my parents arrived, I saw the fam on almost a daily basis. Surprisingly enough, it was pretty fun.

I was glad to have my parents spend some time with Kennedy. It's a challenge building that relationship with them being 4 hours away, so any time they can spend together is great! It was so fun to watch Kennedy play with her Papa, or read stories with her Nana. My parents are fun grandparents and I'm glad they want to be so involved with Kennedy and the other kids. Kennedy sure loves her Nana and Papa!

Caching After Dark

Last night we were out caching with my dad and it kept us out a little later than expected. Some people think we're obsessed, but I would say that we're "passionately committed".

Only at the U

As I was walking down the hallway at work I noticed something different on the Campus message board. Can you imagine seeing this down in Cougartown?

Family Dinner

Last night, the entire clan (minus Alicia who was hung up at the Home Show)got together for a little Sunday dinner. This used to be a fairly regular occurance, but since my parents moved to New Harmony - we try to get together whenever we can.

One of the highlights for the evening was picking pumpkins from Tara's World Famous Pumpkin Patch. Who knew that back in April we would have so much fun with the pumpkins Tara planted. Coleton, Chloe, Liam, and Kennedy each claimed their favorite pumpkin (Liam and Kennedy both kind of nodded at a pumpkin) and next week I'm sure we'll have fun carving in a Halloween image. I hope we don't make them too scary!

All the kids had fun playing with the various toys around the house. Kennedy's slide and her bouncer were in constant use. It cracks me up though. Kennedy could care less about that bouncer until the minute that Liam shows some interest in it. Then she turns cavewoman on him and lets the poor kid know that he is in her world and he better back off!

The Home Show

Last night we went to Home and Remodeling Expo down at the Southtown Convention Center. I don't know why, but Tara and I seem to go to the show every 6 months - knowing that we're not really going to work on any big projects or spend any money. I guess we like the challenge of finding parking and maneuvering a stroller through really crowded isles. As you can see, even Coleton took his turn as Kennedy's chauffeur.

I can't really say that we have no purpose in going to these shows. Alicia is always in charge of booking the "celebrity" talent for the event and it's nice to go and support her. I guess the thing I like about most of the guys she brings in is that they are on shows I actually watch at times. This Old House (Steve and Tom), Trading Spaces (Vern and Frank), Extreme Makeover, Home Edition (Michael), and While You Were Out (Andrew)have been at some of the more recent events.

For last night's show Alicia booked Kevin (the new guy on This Old House) and Ed (the English carpenter on Extreme Makeover, Home Edition). They were both very nice guys, each knew that I was a sports fan so we mostly talked about the Red Sox - a stretch for me, I know. We spent a little more time talking with Ed, he seemed quite taken with Kennedy (I think it's because he's a new father) which was fun to see. I don't really get into the idea of celebrity. I just think of these guys like everyone else, they just happen to be on TV for their jobs.

After watching Kevin and Ed speak, we went up and down the isles for a few minutes and actually made a purchase! Not shingles, not plumbing, not sprinklers - sunglasses. Not a bad night at the Home Show.

Toral! Toral! Toral!

I don't want to turn this blog into a place where I share all of our family's deep dark secrets, but there is something I need to get off my chest. Tara and I are addicts! Not drugs, not booze, not sleeze (depending on who you talk to). It's much worse than that. We are addicted to reality TV.

Every Thursday night for the past couple of years Tara and I have made sure we watched Survivor and The Apprentice. It's as though we just can't get enough. I don't know why, but watching total strangers air all their dirty laundry on national television is something I find very intriguing. We've been hooked on Survivor since the first season, and The Apprentice has become a perfect compliment. If we are busy on Thursdays, the VCR is set and ready to go. I think it's the only time during the week we still use the VCR (Sorry, we can't afford the jump to TIVO - remember that I'm in education).

Tonight, the Donald made the logical choice and fired Toral. I think she was kind of railroaded, but she was teetering on the edge for the past couple of weeks and it made for a great boardroom. Wait, what am I talking about. I can't believe I've sullied the blog with my confession and opinions about reality TV! What have I done. Still, the first step towards recovery is admitting you have a problem. HELP US!!!

Justice!!

Over the past couple of days I've had people wishing me their condolences. It's not the death of a loved one, a family pet, or an old friend. No, it's much more than that - it's the end of the Red Sox season! I have been living and dying with this team so long that I always look at the end of the season with mixed emotions. It's nice to have more time for other things, but there's always something missing until April.

With the Red Sox being swept last Friday, I decided that there was only one thing that that could take away the sorrow - the Yankees had to lose! Last year was the first time time I didn't have to change my allegiance from the Red Sox to WPY (Whoever's Plaything the Yankees). Last night I was definitely an Anaheim Angels fan(I refuse to call them the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - what a joke). Even with everything going against the Halo's, they managed to pull out a 5-3 win, sending the Yanks home early with their 203 million dollar payroll. The best part was A-Rod went 0-4 and he grounded into a double play to kill a 9th inning rally. I can't think of anything better (other than last year's scenario) than watching the Yankees with that look of utter disbelief on their faces. Priceless.

Mondays with Earl

One of my favorite books is Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom. It is a great story of a man who spends every Tuesday with an older mentor and friend. For the past eight or nine years I have been able to enjoy a similar relationship with my good friend, Earl Weaver. Earl and I met at my night job running recreational basketball leagues for the County. We struck an early friendship based upon our mutual interest in basketball, but our interests have grown well beyond sports. Tonight we discussed the President (and our mutual disapproval), the media, recycling used CD's and DVD's, and the need to slow the ball down against Sunrise Land Development. Maybe we don't solve all the world's problems, but I wouldn't miss a Monday with Earl.

Guess Who Dropped By

Kennedy was very excited tonight to see her Nana and Papa, fresh up from New Harmony. My parents stopped by earlier and we all enjoyed Kennedy's talents. Crawling, laughing, talking (her brand of talking anyway), and rolling around on the ground were all on the program. No one complained about our star and I'm sure there will be many encore performances.

Even better, before my parents left, Brant and Kerrin came by so that everyone could see little Madison. What a cutie! While they were here, Madison provided the second act of entertainment. She sighed, tooted, and gave the binkie a good workout. Everyone enjoyed that little one immensely, although Kennedy was a bit curious why her Mama was holding another baby!

Wait Til Next Year

Somehow those words don't seem quite as painful as they have in years past. Life has changed as a Red Sox fan, since the championship of 04'. Suddenly, getting swept out of the playoffs doesn't hurt as much as it might have a couple years ago. I told Tara weeks ago that this team just didn't have the same magic as it did last year. Even though most of the same players were back, there was just something missing (I think most people call it pitching!)from the 05' version of the Sox.

Yesterday's final game encapsulated the entire season for the Red Sox. Somewhat shaky starting pitching, Manny/Big Papi as the only offense, and a depleted bullpen. It was fun to watch the games again this year and our trip to Fenway was awesome, but overall it wasn't the same as last year. Oh well, as has been said many times - Wait Til Next Year.

FSA

So what's the one thing everyone wants to do on a Wednesday evening when the Red Sox are in the Playoffs? If you said speak in front of a room of strangers about the most important event of your life over the past eight years - you win the prize. Tara and I went to an FSA (Families Supporting Adoption) meeting earier this evening. We were asked to share our story about adopting Kennedy to prospective adoptive families. It was a little wierd since last year, at this time, we were in the classes. We saw a few of the same faces from the classes, only this time there were some smaller faces along with them (I think we saw about five couples who received children!). It was neat to have Tara share our story and let everyone know how adopting Kennedy has changed our lives. Even though I didn't say much, I never thought I would be so glad to have the chance to talk in front of strangers.

After the meeting, we went downstairs to look at Kennedy's picture on the Wall of Fame. LDS Family Service has their walls covered with pictures of adopted children. She was so cute and really loved looking at a picture of herself as a baby. It was fun to be back at the agency and to let Kennedy experience some of the joys of being an adopted child.

BTW - the Red Sox lost again and are down 0-2 in the 1st round of the playoffs. I'm glad I didn't stay home to watch it.

Hard at Work

Earlier today Ross and I were preparing for a GPS class he's teaching on Saturday. So, against my will, he and I went geocaching to find some locations for the class to visit. One of the caches led us up into the foothills near the "U". I know the picture isn't great (I don't know what the deal is with our faces!), but all we had was a camera phone. Looks like I have a pretty tough job, huh!

Morning Conversations

This morning I was playing around with my Ipod recorder with Kennedy while Tara was getting ready for work. You can tell I am trying to sway Kennedy towards Daddy by guiding our conversation.

Click here to listen to our morning conversation.

Signs of Fall

Yesterday we took Kennedy down to Tara's family cabin. Since it was a rare Sunday in which I didn't have a ton of meetings to go, we knew this would be a great chance to experience the Fall colors. Char, Jess, and Dakota spent the night at the cabin and were joined by Lynn and June for the day. It was so much fun to let Kennedy reacquaint herself with Grandma and Grandpa.

The colors were beautiful and Kennedy enjoyed all the leaves within her grasp. Even though we were only down South for a couple of hours, it was time well spent. I know you won't hear me say that about Utah County very often, but the cabin is a welcome spot. I kind of think of it like the Vatican. It is in its own little world with everything else going on around it.

KFC Site Update

Since we were home watching Conference this weekend I took a few minutes to update Kennedy's website. Even though you won't catch any of my witty insights on that site, it's still worth a look!

Check it out at: http://www.uensd.org/staff/jared/kennedy

Why I Hate the Yankees

I know this is supposed to be a family blog, where I share the events of our daily life but I can't help enlightening the world on a topic close to my heart: Why I Hate the Yankees. Hate is strong word and I've used it intentionally. This season typifies once again why the Yankees are such villians. I swear it is almost like professional wrestling. The Yanks spent the first 5 1/2 months of the season fighting with each other, worrying about the steroids allegations, spending money on over priced talent, pitching like a little league team, etc. There's no way this team can possibly win the AL East for the 100th year in a row. Right?

In typical WWE style, the Yankees go on an amazing run to end the season which culminates in an 8-4 win over the Red Sox yesterday at Fenway. Somehow, someway you knew the Yanks were going to win that game. Maybe it's the fact that Randy Johnson was pitching against Tim Wakefield and there was no way the knuckleball was going to work against the Yankees like it did two weeks ago. Johnson is another reason to hate the Yankees. They totally choke against the Sox last year, so let's open up the wallet and see who's the best pitcher around. Oh yes, Randy Johnson would do well. It makes me sick. I spent all day watching that game knowing that the Red Sox and Yankees were going to end up tied (and they will after today) but that it didn't matter because we were going to end up in second place again. The Yankees will have been in first place in the division for maybe two weeks of the entire season, end up in a tie on the last day, but, because of the tie breaker 10-9 season series with Boston, they will be handed the division on a silver platter.

I knew I should have been watching Conference instead of baseball. I am a weak, weak man.

One Year Later

It's not often that you can engage in the same exact project precisely one year to the date that you did the previous year. Somehow all the cosmic forces aligned to create such an event yesterday. Jason decided that it was time to reshingle the roof to his garage, so Evan, Jason, and I were back on another roof, doing the same thing we did last year (although last year was more rewarding cause it was my roof!).

I don't know what I think about shingling a roof. It's not like it is the toughest kind of work. The worst part about yesterday was trying to stay on the roof! There was a layer of wood shingles that we were nailing onto and it wasn't the easiest stuff to stand on. Anyway, the project went well and we finished putting the last cap shingles on by flashlight around 8:30 pm. Shingling by flashlight, what a joy!

PS - Events like roofing definitely remind me that I'm in my thirties and not in my twenties anymore. I'm not complaining or anything, but it was a little bit tough to get out of bed this morning. I can't wait to call and hear how Jason's doing. I've got even money that he suffered from at least one Charley Horse last night!