Year in Review

It's taken me a couple days to put together, an entire year to shoot, and it will take you 15 minutes to watch. So, if you're up to it, here's the year in review.

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Not a Typical Sunday

For the last Sunday of the year the Bishopric all decided that we would be the speakers in Sacrament Meeting; we were worried that we couldn't get anyone else to do it! Now, I can't say that I hate speaking in Church. I don't really like all the preparation associated with giving a talk, but giving the talk isn't that big of a deal.

It's kind of funny though, most people would think that members of the Bishopric speak all the time in Church, but we really don't. The last time I gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting was over two years ago and it was only a five minute talk! We are the ones who schedule the speakers, meaning I only have to speak if I'm bad at finding others to take the time. In 3 1/2 years I've never had to give an impromptu talk due to a no show.

Our theme for the meeting was: Six Habits of Highly Effective Ward Members. Pretty clever, huh. Covey needs seven, but we got it done in six. No one wanted a third topic, so splitting it three ways worked out pretty well. My two areas for the meeting were Personal History and Temple Attendance. I thought it would be appropriate since the was a big year for the blog and for us at the Temple.

I'd love to simply copy and paste my talk in this post, but I've never been very good about writing out my talks. As much as I say that I'm going to sit down and type out the entire thing - I never do. I just can't seem to focus enough to put the thoughts down in paragraph form. No matter how early I start, or how much time I put in, my talks always come out in a 3-4 page outline with quotes, scriptural references, jokes, and stories.

Overall, I think the talk went well. I shared a couple of excerpts from my journals/blog from over the years and discussed how important it is to share your life story with those around you. While discussing the temple, I got a bit emotional as I shared how my mom went through for the first time this year and how incredible it's been to be sealed to both of my children. I always think I can keep it together, but when I share things that are close to my heart, I get a bit misty. Still, I managed to get through the talk and I'm glad that I was able to share about the blessings we've received this year. It's been a great year for my family.

Slumber Party

Every Christmas break we try to have Alicia's kids come to our house for a sleep over. The first several years it was just Coleton, but now Chloe and Liam have been added to the mix. With 4 kids sleeping in the same room we needed a referee this year, and my dad volunteered (or was he volunteered) to help out. My mom volunteered to watch the home front over at Alicia's house - I guess staying up all night isn't her idea of fun.


Kennedy was extremely excited at the idea of having all the kids sleep at her house this year. For days she talked about sleeping downstairs in a sleeping bag with her cousins. She really loves playing with the big kids and being a part of all the action.

And there was plenty of action. The kids brought over there Wii remotes, so we played plenty of bowling, tennis, golf, and boxing. Chloe was actually the boxing champ as she went undefeated in 5 fights. That girl can really throw a punch! Even with the game I think the highlight of the night was wrestling with Aunt Tara. The kids couldn't get enough of the pillow fights and grappling. Since this started after 10pm, perhaps this was the cause of the insomnia....

About midnight, things started to settle down and everyone was ready for bed. Kennedy showed signs of falling asleep first, but the others quickly followed her lead. The night went pretty well, the only one who cried at all was Dede, and that was only for a moment. Of course, the only one to sneak into bed with Papa was Coleton.

All in all, we survived the cousins' sleep over for another year. My only question is: Will the sleep over be at Alicia's house next year?

Wii are Addicted!

I mentioned how Chirstmas morning brought a new Wii into Alicia's house - what a cool guy that Santa is! After playing with the kids for the better part of two days on the new toy, I had a dilemma on my hands. Ian called to inform me that 10 new Wii machines were in stock at Toys R Us. I wasn't really sure what to do. The Wii isn't exactly cheap, but it is a good activity that we can do at home. What to do?

I guess I should mention that Tara and I aren't really gamers. We would much rather play real sports than virtual sports (I can hear all of chuckling as the term Fantasy Sports frequents the blog), but we have had a great time playing with the Wii. It is the best of both worlds - you get the fun of a virtual environment, while forcing the characters to act from your own movements.

After debating the issue back and forth we decided that we would buy the Wii and I think it was a great choice. In the past couple of days we've spent some fun time together and had a total blast. I would say that the sports game is our favorite, but I think the top spot has been given to Guitar Hero III.

Even though we aren't any good at it, Guitar Hero is so much fun to play. You simply can't play one song and quit. Of course, since I was getting booed off the stage the first two or three songs I tried, I was forced to figure out the game so I didn't embarrass myself in front of others. I'm still working my way through the easy songs, but Tara has found herself a niche with the guitar in her hand.

I hope we don't become gaming nerds, but for now we're loving the Wii. Anyone want to come over for a quick game of tennis?

Double Feature

Yesterday was a day made for time off at the holidays. Since most of the family had the day off (sorry Jason), the adults (minus Mom and Alicia, plus Coleton) decided to catch a afternoon flick. I don't know about most of you, but Tara and I really liked National Treasure. I guess it's something about the mix of history (I know the movie isn't historically accurate) and treasure hunting that gets us going. Maybe it's the geocachers in us, but the high tech hide and seek is a lot of fun. Regardless, in spite of the mediocre reviews we went to Book of Secrets yesterday and had a great time.

If you like the first National Treasure, you'll probably like Book of Secrets, since they are the same movie. Trade out one bad guy for another, replace one treasure for a new one, add in the mom and you've got the new movie. Even if it was fairly predictable, we had a good time and that's what you want from a holiday release.

Once we returned home to check up on the babysitters, we learned that it was time to trade roles. We would stay home and my mom and Alicia wanted to take the kids to a movie. The only problem was that Kennedy wanted to go and that meant one of us had to go as well. I guess I drew the short straw, so I went back to the theater I had just left to see Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Naturally, the movie was sold out, so we got back in the car and went to another theater to find the popular kids' show. Deja vu set in as we went to the Holiday Cinema. If you recall the same thing happened the last time I took Kennedy to a movie, last summer's Ratatouille. Once we waited around to see that show, Kennedy was so bored that by the time the movie started, she was done.

I guess it truly was a day of repeats. As much as Dede wanted to see the show, that's how much she wanted out once it actually started. We went to the bathroom twice, got three drinks of water, and I had to beg Kennedy to stay for the final 45 minutes of the show. I would have left, but I didn't drive to this one. I should have learned my lesson last time - Kennedy is not ready to go to the movies yet.

Somewhere in between the trips to the lobby, I caught enough of the movie to know that singing chipmunks aren't really my style. Even though I liked the cartoon as a child, I did not like the movie as an adult.

My final reviews for the day - One thumbs up for a historically inaccurate, but entertaining film. One thumbs down for trips to the bathroom, drinks from the fountain, and exploiting talking rodents.

Christmas Traditions

Last week we continued a fairly new tradition in my family. For the past 3 years, we have tried to do a sub for Santa for a family in need. This year, Jessica had a cute family that she worked with that needed some help. There are 7 kids in the family and the father was killed a couple of years ago in a plane crash. We all donated some money and our family was able to put together a great Christmas for these kids. It's been fun to see how our family embraces the sub for Santa each year. I was most impressed by the teens in our family. They were so excited to go shopping and pick out clothes and toys for these kids. I think they really learn a lot from this each year and it helps all of us feel the Christmas spirit and understand the importance of serving others.


Another tradition that I love is that I get to go shopping each year with my sisters for Christmas. We spend an entire day shopping, eating and enjoying each other's company. I don't get to spend much time with my sisters, as we are all busy with our lives, but I truly enjoy this day together. As Jared already posted, he ended up having an interesting day with the kids. I guess it was good for him, even though I was a little worried about him and the kids. He did a great job as substitute mommy.


The last tradition that I love is my family Christmas Eve party. This party has always been my favorite of the year. As a little girl, I would get so excited for this party. Back then, it was at my parent's house. We had a fireplace upstairs and the only time my dad would build a fire in it was on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I loved sitting by that fire, waiting for my brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews to arrive. (Remember, I'm the baby in my family, by quite a few years, so I grew up with my nieces and nephews more than my siblings.) We would eat and play and do the nativity and open a few presents and just enjoy each others company. I have many fond memories of Christmas Eve with my family.


Now, Christmas Eve is held at the Houtz family cabin. We outgrew my parents house a few years ago and I think we have just about outgrown the cabin. There are about 35 of us. The party this year was great. My parents really make it fun for everyone. They make homemade presents for the grandkids each year and they are always very special gifts. This year, the kids all received a homemade wooden nativity.


We spent some time sledding with the kids, eating good food, opening presents and the majority of the time was spent chasing Alex through the cabin. The cabin is not toddler proof and every time I turned around, Alex was pulling something out of the cupboards, stealing a cookie from the treat table, or drinking someone else's drink. We definitely don't get a chance to sit down with that little guy. He is a bundle of energy.


Both Kennedy and Alex had fun at the cabin, playing with the family. It was a fun Christmas Eve party and I look forward to enjoying many more Christmas Eve parties at the cabin.

Merry Christmas

As a parent, I don't think there's a greater thrill than watching your children on Christmas morning. Kennedy didn't disappoint with her sense of excitement and awe at all the presents that Santa left for our family. We spent the morning watching the kids open their presents, some to smiles and others, well....



Alex isn't quite there for Christmas yet, but he did enjoy ripping open the packages. He would peek in all the bags to see what was inside. After an hour or so we could tell that Christmas overload was upon us when Alex started shaking his head "No" as we offered him more presents. Can you imagine this happening in a couple of years?

After spending the morning at home with the kids, we headed over to my sister's house for more presents, dinner, and our attempt at the nativity. It went okay, with Kennedy and Alex both playing shepherds. At the last minute I was recruited to play a fallen angel. Even if it's hard to get the kids involved, I'm still glad we tried to remember the Savior in the midst of all the presents. Once the nativity was over though it took about 10 seconds for everyone to disperse and the Wii was ready for more action.

Show your Spirit

Every year on Christmas Eve it's fun to drive around and see how different people show their Christmas Spirit. Some have simple decorations, while others go the opposite direction. Earlier today we saw examples of both.

Kennedy and I got up early and went to help with the Mather's luminary project. This was Kennedy's first year to get involved and she did a wonderful job. She helped by dumping the sand into each of the bags on our table. She only helped for 20 minutes before playing with her friends, but it was fun to work with her while she lasted.

The luminaries are a beautiful tradition and a great way to demonstrate the Christmas Spirit. Too bad the storm came in hard and took out a majority of the bags that lined the streets. Even so, it was neat to see the remaining bags as they welcomed in the Christ child.

As we left the Houtz' Christmas Eve party at the cabin, we were witness to the other extreme of decorating for the holiday. Every year this house adds one of two more elements to their Christmas decor. I don't know if the Griswald's have relatives in Utah, but if they do - they live in Springville.

8 1/2

I don't know what it said on the news, but we decided to measure the snowfall in our driveway yesterday morning. These days are great - tons of snow, and no place to go. Even if it wasn't too fun to shovel, we sure had fun once we got our snow clothes on.




Kennedy always wants to try snow angels. After Tara successfully completed an angel, Dede got down to create a perfect angel. I don't think she's figured it out yet..


Alex isn't interested in creating any angels, he's just happy to be outside. His only problem is keeping his hat on straight so he can see what he's up to..

Utah 35 Navy 32

Another bowl game, another win for the Utes. Utah did their best to make things interesting, but still managed to beat the Midshipmen for their 7th straight bowl win (tying the current NCAA streak). It was a pretty ugly first half, with neither team really doing much to reach the endzone. All of that changed in the 3rd period. Navy scored first and took a 17 - 7 lead, when the Utes erupted for 21 unanswered points. Everything appeared to be going Utah's way, when the offense stalled - including getting stopped on the goal line, and Navy crept back into the game.

Still, things looked good when Utah took a ten point lead into the game's final minute. Then the Utes gave up a 50 yard TD. No problem, we just need to get our hand's on the onside kick. When Navy recovered the kick, every Utah fan hoped for the best, but prepared for the worst. I guess Navy isn't living quite as righteously as byu because on the second play from scrimmage Utah intercepted an errant pass and sealed the victory.

I don't know what to make of this season. The Utes came back from the dead and injury, to have a pretty good year. Still, they should have played better and could have competed for the conference title. The sad thing is, injuries aside, I've said the same thing about the Utes for the past 3 seasons. They should have played better and could have competed for the conference title. I really hope that our regular seasons can started matching our post seasons and we'll go for 7 straight conference titles, instead of 7 straight bowl wins.

Substitute Mommy

We all know the horror stories of a substitute teacher with a class full of unruly students, that's nothing compared to the tale of a substitute mommy with a house full of sick kids. Okay, so I'm exaggerating a bit. Tara and her sisters had a sleep over Tuesday night and shopped all day yesterday, which gave me some good Daddy time with the kids on my first day off.

Tuesday night was pretty fun as Alex refused to sleep. I put him in bed around 9 pm and he cried until 10 pm. Nothing seemed to quiet him down, rocking in the chair, bedtime music, even the bottle didn't soothe our sick little guy. He finally went down due to exhaustion, but woke up hourly until around 2 am. Finally, I took him downstairs and he went fast asleep in his own private suite. Why didn't I try that sooner?

When we woke up yesterday morning I was the only one who could see the new day. Both kids had the "goopy eye" which caused them a little discomfort with the kleenex, but no long term damage. Still, with Alex not sleeping and the contagious effects on "pink eye" around the house I called the doctor for an appointment. I know this will "out" me as a bad parent, but I haven't taken the kids to the doctor in over two years. I actually had to call Tara to figure out what I needed to do (mostly I called because Alex is on Medicaid - and I wasn't sure how it worked). With Jason and Kristin in line to watch Kennedy, Alex and I went to the MD to get some Rx. Alex did pretty well with Dr. Havlik and we found that he had an ear infection, to go along with the junk in his eyes.

With the medical crisis averted, it was time to drop off a present at a neighbor's birthday party. Kennedy was sad she couldn't attend, but with the threat of "pink eye" we were quick to uninvite ourselves from Landon's party. Too bad, Kennedy really loves the kids in the area and it would have been a fun party. Certainly better than hanging out with Daddy...

Our last event for the evening was the White Elephant gift exchange with the teens in the Ward. This is always a fun party and I knew Kennedy really wanted to go. I felt pretty confident that she wouldn't pass anything on to the older kids, so my parents came over to watch Alex and Dede and I headed to the fun.

Kennedy loved watching the different presents get unwrapped, as she patiently waited her turn. Of course, she stole the "present of the night" from someone - a toy car that played the music to "Lowrider" while it bounced up and down on it's axles. She played with that car for a good 5 minutes until someone stole it from her. Wow! Talk about a bold move by a 13 year old. I told Sara she could steal the car, but she had to be the one to do it - I wasn't going to take the prize from Dede's hands. Kennedy put up a little bit of a fight, but quickly settled down when she realized she could grab another present. All was good when she opened the next package and found a shiny yo yo waiting for her. Tragedy averted!

We went home and Kennedy went to bed, with only moderate crying for Mommy, and I finally had a chance to relax. My day as substitute mommy was over. Overall, it was a lot of fun to hang out with the kids all day and it really opened my eyes to how much Tara deals with on a daily basis. Like any good sub, I cashed my meager check and took today off to recover...

How does God answer our prayers?

If you haven't seen the movie, Evan Almighty, I really think you should. No, it's didn't set any box office records or get any Oscar gold, but it makes you think about the question of how God answers our prayers.

How does God answers our prayers? Does He simply intervene and make things happen or does He place us in situations where we can impact the events as they transpire? When a prayer is offered to bring a family closer together how would God answer that request? As Morgan Freeman suggests - would God simply give you all warm fuzzy feelings, or would He provide you with opportunities to love one another. I love this thought.

When I found this video on YouTube, I knew it did a great job representing the way I feel about this topic. I loved when Nick Pollard discussed how we try to make our will match the will of the Lord. This sounds like pretty familiar doctrine, even if this clip has nothing to do with the LDS Church. Good stuff!

BTW - is there any better actor than Morgan Freeman to represent God in a movie. I love the way he portrays deity. Regardless of the doctrinal ramification, I like to think of God having the personality presented by Freeman in this film. It's great.

Ward Party with the Snow King

Every year our ward Christmas party is a high brow affair. Lots of great food, good company, and the best entertainment. This year was no different. Of course, with two kids we had to take shifts of which of us would eat, who would talk, and who would watch the kids.


One nice thing about our ward is that so many people love our kids. Kennedy's best friend is her former nursery leader, Stephanie. As soon as Dede was done eating, off she went to find her buddy. Stephanie was very nice to spend time with her little friend, in fact, I didn't see Kennedy for most of the evening.





Since, I volunteered to be stage crew for the special program, Tara had Alex for the night. I felt bad that she didn't get much of a break, but she still managed to watch the headline act. Sometimes, I wonder though - if someone new to the ward met Tara for the first time, would they think she was a single mom?



Last year, I mentioned how Dick Engar travels around the neighbor to entertain people as the Snow King, a sort of bizarro Santa from the South Pole. He's been doing this for years and this was his chance to play the 4th Ward stage. Several of the girls in the Ward served as helpers, or trolls as he likes to call them and they put their spin on some familiar carols. It was a lot of fun, and the Snow King and trolls really entertained the crowd.


It was a fun party and I'm glad that so many of our neighbors were able to come and celebrate the birth of the Savior. I know that the ward party is always something I look forward to and I'm happy that we were able to attend (even if I did have to skip my family Christmas party!).

I'm 2 1/2, no wait I'm 3!

Yesterday we celebrated Kennedy's big birthday. It was a full day, starting with breakfast and ending with cake and ice cream at our house. I can't believe how a little girl can have such a big day! Tara was great and planned every detail for the parties, from presents to the Curious George cake - everything worked out perfectly.

For Kennedy's birthday activity this year we ended up going bowling as a family. Kennedy recently saw her pal, Curious George, go bowling and she wanted to have her turn. It was a lot of fun as my entire family came and knocked down the pins with us. I can't say much about the level of play, but Liam (age 3) got the third highest score. We only got one game in, as I guess bowling is a limited attention grabber. I think the kids were just as excited by all the video games as they were the bowling...

After a short nap, Dede was ready for her presents. It was great to see her get so excited as she tore into each new gift. Of course, she was totally spoiled, but I was happy to see that Tara and I were able to pick a couple of winnners for our little girl. The dress up clothes and music box were a big hit for Dede the Diva. I can't believe what a drama queen Kennedy has turned into. I think Tara is scared to death that Kennedy is a "girly girl." Oh well, I'm glad it was a great day for our little princess. Happy Birthday Kennedy!

For Your Birthday

Kennedy,

As the day closes, I am so happy we had such fun celebrating your 3rd birthday. More than the events of the day, it was great just to spend time with you. It is so much fun to enjoy your laughter, your excitement, and your love.

This year, more than in the past, you've developed new character traits and parts of your personality are showing forth. You have such an overwhelming presence; when you enter the room everyone knows it. That can be a blessing and a curse, but you have the ability to make everyone recognize just how special you are.

I know that the next year will bring more changes, as you continue to "get bigger". School, Primary, friends, will all be big parts of your life this year. As sad as I am to watch you grow and start trying things on your own, I am excited to watch you blaze your own path. You will always be a leader and I know that you can help others go in the right direction.

I love you little girl. You brighten my days and make me smile. Whether it's your kisses when I leave for work, or my hugs when I get home, I know you're my special little friend. I hope you had a great birthday and I can't wait to spend the next year with my Silly Dede!

Daddy

Semester Sabbatical?

About a month I was informed that the College of Education didn't need my services for the Spring semester. There are a lot of factors, none of which involved my performance, which led the college to make the change. I have some mixed emotions about my extended spring break. It will be nice to be around the house more and spend extra time with the kids. Lately I've been gone 3 or 4 nights a week with teaching, scorekeeping, and bishopric-ing and I miss Kennedy and Alex a lot.

Still, it's been fun to teach a group of students again. I've gotten used to teaching teachers, but the chance to work with students has been a welcome change of pace. I love that they are just getting started in education and that I have the opportunity to help them get off to a good beginning. There's so much to be excited about in teaching and I've found great satisfaction in opening students' eyes to the bigger world of technology and learning. Sure, we'll miss the money as well, but I'll miss the interaction with students much more than a few dollars.

Hopefully enrollments will increase so the college will need a second session of the technology class and I'll get another chance. Even so, it's been a great opportunity for me and I'm glad I had the experience, even if it was only for 4 semesters.

Lights, Action....Wait Something's Missing

For the past two weeks Kennedy has been talking non stop about her dance concert. She absolutely loves going to dance class (there have been a few moments, but we all have our moments). So, last night was the big performance at the Rose Wagner Theater. We made planned to make a night of it: riding Trax downtown, eating at a restaurant, having family come along. Everything was perfect.

I was really excited to try out the new camera with some good indoor, action shots of Kennedy dancing. I actually practiced by taking a few shots of other dancers before Kennedy's performance. Finally, it was show time. Kennedy started across the floor with her snowflake in hand, ready to dance her heart out. I took a couple of shots and suddenly, without warning, the camera went dead. Yep, we were out of batteries.

Still, no worries, we would have the video recording that Kristin was working on. In a moment befitting Murphy's Law, the video camera ran out of juice 10 seconds into Kennedy's routine. There would be no evidence of the winter dance concert. I can't tell you how upset we were with ourselves for not checking the batteries before we left.


As mad as I am for the photo faux pas, I am even more upset that I let the camera get in the way of enjoying my little girl dance across the stage. Kennedy was incredible and she did such a good job remembering her routine. I had my reservations when she started taking dance - was she too young, too shy, too uncoordinated. All of these fears are gone. Kennedy loves to dance and I love to watch her, regardless if I have any pictures or not.

Deck the Halls

It's taken us an extra couple of weeks to get our Christmas decorations up this year. A week ago we headed down to Tara's parents to pick up our little tree and after a week of trial and error it's finally up. I thought we were in the home stretch a few days ago when we began putting on the lights. Important note - we all love the live tree, we all hate putting the lights on the tree. This year, I drew the short straw and started stringing lights. An hour later, and several pricks to my hands, I had to quit because we ran out of lights. Two days later Tara bought 2 new strands of lights and picked up the cause; however, it was short lived as she ran out of lights 30 minutes later. Another 4 sets of lights and two days later we finally finished the lights.

Of course, everyone wants to help put the ornaments on the tree. We spent a good portion of last evening watching the tree come to life as red balls, metal moose, and gold snowflakes adorned the various branches. Even Alex took a break from pulling ornaments down and eating them to place a few precious trinkets on the tree.

So, I guess the Christmas season has officially hit our home this year. I think we're all pretty happy about the result. Well, I guess not everyone's happy....

Go ElfYourself

I know that most of you have already seen this, but I couldn't resist sharing a dancing Dede and Alex. If you want to see the whole thing check out http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1204200503. Now get out there and ElfYourself!

Dancing Fools

Alex's First Words

As you've read we took Alex out in the snow the other day. To our surprise, we heard his first real attempt to speak.



You've got to try this at Blabberize.com. Pretty funny and perhaps the only way we'll get Alex to talk!

Snow Day

Friday night we down to Utah County in the rain, little did we know the scene we'd awake to yesterday morning. The entire yard was covered in white. I guess by the time it ended we had about 6 inches of freshly fallen snow; our first real storm of the season. It was great! Since it was a Saturday we spent a good part of the morning watching the snow fall and then it was time to put on our clothes and play.


At first Alex wasn't sure what to make of the cold powder. He actually started to cry as we headed outside. As soon as we started playing though he warmed up to the cold snow. Kennedy had a great time! We made snow angels and threw the heavy snow at one another. I can't think of a better way to spend an hour with your kids.


The only down side came after the play, when the driveway still needed to be cleared!

Update, Update

I haven't updated the kids' photo pages for the past several months. One of the reasons is laziness, the other reason is our camera went nuts and I didn't take too many pictures for a while. Last week we purchased a new digital SLR camera and now, I'm in the mood to snap a few shots again. Take a look at the new photo pages.

Alex

Kennedy