A Day Off

My family hasn't figured out that Memorial Day is a day off from work. We were invited to go spend some time at the cabin over Memorial Day weekend...to work. My brother finished the cabinets for the kitchen in the cabin. But the old cabinets needed to be removed, along with the tile and carpet in the kitchen. So we pretty much had to demolish the entire kitchen. Everyone was starting bright and early on Monday morning, so we were debating about whether we should stay the night or not at the cabin. We've kind of shied away from staying the night at the cabin with 2 kids. It's hard enough to get them to sleep through the night in their own beds. We decided to try it anyway. So we packed up half of the house and headed out on Sunday evening. It really was worth staying.


Kennedy absolutely loves it at the cabin and she had a blast. Both kids slept pretty good and the next day when Kennedy woke up, she kept telling me she was tired and she would climb up into the loft and play in her bed. As always, Alex was up at the crack of dawn, ready to take on the world!


Jared was the designated worker out of the two of us. I got out of most of the work because of the kids. Although chasing 2 kids around is a pretty good workout. The demolition crew got through the kitchen in no time and they were done before noon. We ended with a BBQ and actually headed home pretty early. So we decided to join up with Jared's family for another BBQ. I guess it's okay on Memorial Day to eat lots of grilled meat. Despite the work, it was a fun day and it was nice to spend some time with family.

Jared vs. Vickie

One of the best parts of my job is the chance to play around with technology. Last week we were teaching a workshop on creating digital video projects, so we had to make a video to demo with. This week it was all about bad blood in the office as Vickie, our office assistant, and I went head to head. I feel the outcome was rigged, but I was glad to play my part in a fun video project.

Diary of a Red Sox Fan

I know I'm tempting fate by talking about this, but there's nothing better than seeing the picture above. Sure, the Rocket's about to launch, but the Sox are on fire right now and the yanks are in trouble. Even with ny taking 2 out of 3 from the Sox earlier this week, Boston still has a double figure lead in the division. Sure, it's only May some will say. Only that's what they were saying in April and June is right around the corner. Even if the yankees right the ship, it may be too late to catch Boston.

It's been a lot of fun to watch the Red Sox this year. They have a good mix of pitching and hitting that really gives them a chance in every game they play. Every once in a while there's a disappointing loss, but lately there have been a lot more wins. I can't wait to go to Fenway in July!

Gotta Go

For the second straight week, I've had to get up early and wait for a lab tech to visit my house from an insurance company. When I started at the U I guess I really wasn't thinking long term and failed to apply for Long Term Disability and additional term life insurance. No, I'm not falling apart or hoping to use either any time soon, but with a couple of kids, a mortgage, and the high cost of gas - I figured it was time to get covered. Needless to say, the visits have been short and sweet. A little blood test, and a chance to, well, you know.......

Look a Like

Last night students in my Summer TL 5141 class were introducing themselves by showing their blogs. It was pretty standard stuff, until Josh unloaded this little beauty at the bottom of his blog.



I've been compared - in appearance - to a lot of different people over the years: Mankind (WWE), Zeus, Moses, even Jesus, but this is the first time I've ever been compared to Doc Oc from Spiderman 2. I thought I was better looking than Alfred Molina, but who's to say.

Diary of a Jazz Fan

Golden St. came and went, with the Jazz winning the series 4-1. The only problem is that we now have to face the San Antonio Spurs. Yes, those Spurs - you know, the ones who own the Jazz. I know that we've done a little better against them over the past couple of years, but I don't any Jazz fans will soon forget the Spurs multi-year winning streak against our team.

I don't know what to make of this series. I don't really think that this Jazz team can beat the Spurs in a best of seven. Still, I'm not sure if that's a bad thing this year. The NBA has a long running pattern of a team losing the first time it tries to jump to the next level, only to come back the following year and get past the road block. Think about it. In the eighties the Lakers, the Pistons, the 76'ers, and the Bulls all lost to their various nemesis before they could make it to the summit. If the trend continues this year, the Jazz will compete this year - but we will take it next year. I could be wrong, I hope I am, but I think this series is a growing one for Utah. That being said, this series will either be San Antonio in 5 or Utah in 6. Let's just hope it ends in the Energy Solutions Arena.

Alex's Blessing

Alex's big week finally came to an end today with his blessing in Church earlier this afternoon. We've gone from courts, to temples, and ended up at home with friends and family to celebrate Alex joining the family. Fortunately, the day went off without a hitch. We didn't need to take any paperwork to church in order to bless the little guy!

Blessing your child is always an amazing experience, but blessing a 10-month- old adds a whole new element to the deal. While we were blessing Alex he was squirming and trying to get away from us like you wouldn't believe. I think at one point he kicked me in the chin. Oh, well! What do expect from an active little boy. The blessing was an incredible experience and I'm glad that Alex is finally on the records of the church.

After church we all headed back to the house and celebrated with a BBQ. Nothing too fancy, just a bunch of borrowed tables/chairs, many contributed salads, and a few burgers and dogs. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Too bad the guest of honor didn't get to spend too much time at his party. Within minutes of everyone arriving at the house, Alex went down for a nap. So much for a wild party for the Big Man. It was a great day, a great week and now Tara and I are glad it's all over. We just want to settle in and be a boring little family again.

Click here to see the pics from Alex's Weekend

Sealed with a Kiss

After nine months and tons of paperwork, it's official - Alex is ours, Eternally. We took another trip down to Manti (Who would have guessed we'd go down to SanPete County every two years?) today to have our son sealed to our little family. As you can imagine there's a lot to take with you when you're getting sealed two hours away. We had treats, toys, diapers - everything we could ever want or would ever need. So imagine our surprise when Tara and I sat down in the records room of the Temple and were asked if we had brought everything with us.

"We brought everything we need."

"I just need to see your adoption decree."

Tara and I stared at each other in amazement. We had forgotten the one document that could cancel the entire day. It was just sitting on the desk at home - two hours away. I didn't know what to do. The workers needed that paperwork to verify that everything was legal. They mentioned that the Bishop could vouch for us, but you could tell that wasn't protocol and they really didn't want to use that option. Our only hope to get the paperwork was to call Jeanne, our next door neighbor, to have her use our spare key and retrieve the documents from the desk. After that she would need to fax the decree to the temple using Howard's, another neighbor, fax machine. Don't ask me how it happened, but that crazy plan worked and the paperwork arrived moments before we entered the sealing room.


After all that, we could finally stop and take in the moment. Tara and I had a moment or two to sit and reflect upon our little family before everyone entered the sealing room. Adoption is a tough road, but the one perk is the fact that you can watch your children join your Eternal family, dressed in white. It is unlike anything else I've ever experienced. Alex was so radiant in his white suit. As our hands were joined I knew that he was my son, forever. It was a beautiful ending to a hectic morning.

After the sealing we went outside and snapped a few pictures of the family in white. It was a great day, with friends and family all making the journey along with us. We are so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives. Alex and Kennedy have given me such hope in an Eternal Life together. I love my children, I love my wife, and I love the blessing that we can enter the Temple and be together forever.

Flame Out

Going out to dinner as a family has a few inherent problems: picking the right place (especially with Alicia involved), finding a time that works for everyone, ensuring that everyone is happy with the price (especially with Jared involved). I never thought that finding a restaurant that doesn't make the kids cower in fear would end up making the list. Bonsai just made that an important criteria for Kennedy.

I had never heard of Bonsai before, but I don't think that Kennedy will soon forget her experience with the "fire" they have there. No, we weren't rushed out due to smoke inhalation or exposed to a grease fire in the kitchen. Bonsai is a Japanese steak house, where like at Benihana, the food is cooked at the table right in front of you. Needless to say there is a scorching hot grill and a high flame involved in the theatrics of cooking the food. It took Kennedy about 2 seconds after seeing, and feeling, the flame to burst into uncontrollable hysterics. She kept screaming, "I don't like the fire," while the tears streamed down her cheeks. We tried to console her and tell her that the cook wouldn't use the fire anymore, but it didn't matter. Every time another "fire" burst up from a different table, Kennedy freaked out. Our dining experience lasted about 10 minutes before we scooped up the kids, put our food into boxes, paid our $40 bill - way too much, and headed home to eat in the kitchen.

Mom's Big Day

Like I mentioned yesterday, the reason I'm down in St. George is for my mom's big day. I can't tell you how long our family has waited for my parents to make the decision to attend the temple. I know it's a personal thing and that you can't rush someone to make that big choice, but we've been hoping that my mother would come to that commitment someday. A few months ago she mentioned that going through the temple had been on her mind and she wanted to start getting ready so she could go with her friend Doris. Now the day finally arrived.

It was a very nice session, full of members of mom's ward and Doris' ward. Everyone was so happy to see these two wonderful women enjoy the blessings of the temple. I know that for me, it was incredibly satisfying to see Mom take out her endowment since we're taking Alex to the temple on Saturday and she'll be able to go with us.

It was a fun family day, full of emotion and a little bit of food - could you expect anything less? I'm proud of you Mom. You've made a big step in your life and I know you're making the right choice. Now, let's see how you survive wearing garments!

Road Trip

When I was a teenager there wasn't anything more fun than a road trip, but now - I'd rather sleep in my own bed. Still, this was a really important trip for our family. My mom is taking out her endowment tomorrow in the St. George Temple, so Jason, Alicia, Mom, and I loaded into Jason's subaru and headed South. Imagine our family trapped in a car for four hours with nothing to do but talk - could be scary.

Overall, the trip went pretty well. Stops were made in Orem (Krispy Kreme - for Alicia's wheat glazed), Beaver(a much needed potty stop ), and Panguich (for gas at the TA). We spent most of the trip down talking about politics and the way our world is headed. Let's just say that I don't agree with much of my sibling's positions, but that's ok.

Now that we're down in New Harmony, it's about time for bed. I will say that one of my favorite parts of being away from home is Skype. I was able to video conference with Tara and the kids - until Kennedy decided that she'd rather use the computer to watch Peter Pan for the 400th time. Oh well, we survived the road trip - so far.

Mommy's Special Day

As much as I tried to make this day as easy as possible for Tara, circumstances don't always work out that way. Our morning starting early, with Alex waking up before 6 am and needing some "Mama Love." I wanted to get up with him, but Tara was able to get more sleep by taking Alex downstairs and going back to sleep with him. Kennedy woke up a few minutes later and, as is par for her, immediately wanted M-O-M. I held her at bay, as we talked about the fun presents we had bought for Mommy. As soon as Tara came upstairs Kennedy rushed to the presents and bestowed them upon Mommy. Nothing much, a book, a massage at a spa, and a fun little movie of "The One and Only - Mommy."

As I was getting ready to make breakfast, Tara took Kennedy and Alex into the tub to get clean. It didn't happen. I heard a cry for help as Tara screamed, "We have an emergency in here." This is not what you want to hear when kids are in the tub. Let's just say we had "dooty" in the tub. Alex left his mark, and the kids were sitting in some nasty water. We rushed the kids into triage, and then Tara set to work cleaning up the bio-hazard. She won some major points for that one, as that job goes above and beyond. In the end, everyone surived and as the kids reentered the tub Kennedy exclaimed, "Alex, no more pooping in the tub."





After an eventful morning, the rest of the day went more according to plan. We went down to Mapleton and spent a few hours with June. We came home and went to wish my mom a Happy Mother's Day. We had a great end to a busy day. It's fun to see how excited everyone is about Tara being a mother. I know she is a wonderful mom and I can't tell her often enough how much I appreciate everything that she does for our family. Happy Mother's Day Tara - I love you.

Click To Play

A Big Day

We've waited for this day for 9 1/2 months and I have to say that it was worth the wait. Alex is officially a part of the family-for better or worse. We started off the day rushing to get to the court on time. Once we got there, the lawyer met with us for a few minutes to prep us for what to expect in the courtroom. Then we waited and waited. It was only about 20-25 minutes, but it seemed like forever to me. It was a good chance to get some good pics with family members, though.

Once we were in the courtroom, things went smoothly. We were asked a few questions by the lawyer and then our DCFS caseworker answered a few questions about us-vouching that we could handle this parenting thing. (Sometimes I think everyone should go through all the fun stuff us adoptive parents have to go through to prove we can be good parents). Anyway, the judge addressed us, specifically to let us know that this adoption would be final and we couldn't just change our minds when Alex is 15. I think he will be okay, but Kennedy on the other hand...


The judge was very serious and professional but at the end, when she announced that Braiden would now be known as Alex and that he was ours, I felt the tears come and I held Alex close. What an amazing feeling. I'm not sure what it is like to give birth, but I know that I can't imagine a better feeling than knowing this little child will be ours forever. He really is meant to be with us. I couldn't ask for a better Mother's Day present than this.

After the formal stuff, the judge asked us to approach the bench. She actually motioned us to come behind the bench. When we got there, she held Alex and presented him with a stuffed teddy bear. She was really cute with him and it was fun to see her open up. She had Kennedy come up and we took some pictures. She really made it special for our little family.



This will be a day that I will never forget. We always knew that Alex would eventually be in our family forever, but now the paperwork says it is official. Paperwork or not, we love you Alex-welcome to our little family!

Click to see all the pics from Alex's adoption

Book Review: U2 by U2

I was in a real groove a few months ago reading books on the bus, then I started reading U2 by U2. There was no way I'd be able to take this one to work with me, since the book is more a coffee table book. It's about 330 pages and is full of wonderful pictures of the band. Needless to say, with the size of the book - this one was read at night before going to bed. I guess that's why it took me three months to finish.

I really enjoyed the book. This is U2's story as told by the band themselves. It is written in a round table format, with each member of the band telling their version of different parts of the band's history. U2 by U2 is broken up into chapters which coincide with different albums representing the various stages of the band's career. I loved revisiting the old U2, then watching them progress to the World's biggest band.

I would say that this book isn't for the casual U2 fan. It is a long read, and goes into a lot of detail about the creation of U2's albums. As someone who's followed U2 since the late 80's I absolutely loved reading this book. I grew up with U2 and this book was like taking a trip into my past. So many memories of riding around with friends listening to Joshua Tree, arguing about whether or not the band had lost their souls with Achtung Baby (now my favorite U2 album), and wondering if the boys had lost their minds with Zooropa and Pop. U2 is my band and I'm glad they let the fans into their rather unique world.

Now Announcing...

As we get closer to the big day I couldn't resist posting Alex's blessing announcement.

Letters to the Editor

I love to read the Public Forum in the Salt Lake Tribune. I know some of you out there are wincing at the mere mention of the Trib. Still, when you read something once - it's easy to dismiss. Read it everyday and well.... This little gem was in Sunday's Public Forum.

A Neocon Checklist

Directions for supporting the troops the neocon-artist way:

1. Fabricate intelligence to scare the people into pre-emptive war with an enemy who had no connections to 9/11 terrorists, and denounce the pacifists as unpatriotic.
2. Spend more than half of the country's discretionary budget on defense (not including pre-emptive wars).
3. Make sure that special interest contractors get plenty of the war dollars.
4. Decrease funding for veteran benefits and make sure to extend tours of duty on a whim.
5. Advocate for huge tax cuts while increasing defense and military spending.
6. Ignore the American people and veto war-spending bills sent you by Congress.
7. When facts about the bad policies surface, claim they are all politically motivated.
8. Threaten that anything less than continued war will "embolden the enemy."
9. Continually change the rationale for the war, making sure to keep troops there as long as possible.
10. Ignore the wishes of the majority of the now "democratic" Iraqi citizens.

Rob Ross
Sandy

Diary of a Jazz Fan

I don't know what to say about last night's game except YES!!!! I will totally admit that I had jumped off the Jazz bandwagon way too early a couple weeks ago. They hadn't even played a home game in the series and I was already writing them off. No longer. They may not win in the next series against Golden State, but the Jazz slump is over.

Carlos Boozer is the man! There wasn't a point in last night's game where I didn't think he could, and would, score inside. He is so strong and can finish with either hand. Every time Houston made a run to get back into the game, Boozer took control. With and-ones, monster dunks, and 15 foot jumpers the Rockets didn't have an answer for Boozer.

Every one of the Jazz players made a contribution to the game 7 victory. AK hit one of the biggest shots of his career. Memo regained the swagger that made him Boler's "Moneyman" - I hate that nickname, but he is pretty clutch. Deron Williams is making everyone ask - Chris who? The Jazz were solid last night and reminded us of the magic they had throughout 3/4 of the season.

I don't know what's going to happen in the next round. Golden State is the kind of team that traditionally gives the Jazz fits (athletic and can shoot 3's), still I think Utah has regained their swagger and I don't think the Warriors want any part of our Jazz. Let's bring em' on out - How about this Jazz!!!

Rocky vs. Hannity

As if things in Utah weren't already weird enough, last night the mayor of SLC engaged in a two hour debate with a Republican talk show host. Rocky Anderson has been very outspoken over the Bush administration over the past year and this led to a war of words with Sean Hannity over the airwaves, and eventually to the debate at Kingsbury Hall.

This place has been crazy in preparation for the big night. Yesterday was commencement on campus, but the Rocky/ Hannity debate was the main draw to the U. Tickets were made available on Wednesday and the line stretched around President's Circle. You would have thought it was the event of the year. For those of us who didn't have tickets, Fox 13 decided to televise the debate without commercial interruption. It was labeled as Rocky vs. Hannity - the Smackdown.

The title of the debate was appropriate, as it carried on the air of a WWE event. From the onset the sellout crowd was in an uproar. As either man made a point, he was greeted by a chorus of jeers from one side and a round of applause from the other. I thought both Rocky and Hannity were a bit over the top in stating their opinions. Each was given 30 minutes to present their individual cases. Rocky was systematic in presenting the evidence against the Bush administration, Hannity was the showman - with impressions, name calling, and video clips to indite Democratic leadership. After all the rhetoric from each participant, the best part of the debate was when the audience was allowed to question both men. These answers gave us some real insight, instead of simply hearing the same repeated spin.

In the end, each man made their main points. Rocky showed that the Bush administration has covered up a lot of important information under the 9/11 umbrella and that they should be held accountable. Hannity stressed that we need to support our troops or we'll be attacked again. I don't think anyone was swayed one way or the other, but everyone was entertained. One thing's for sure - for one evening in Utah both sides of the argument were heard, loud and clear.

TV Review: The Mormons

As much as I liked day 1 of The Mormons I enjoyed day 2 even more. I think that were some really inspiring moments that I observed in the last two hours of this program. I've always liked Elder Marvin K. Jensen, but I have such an unbelievable respect for him. His ability to bear his testimony of the gospel, while tackling difficult issues truly makes him an effective messenger for the Church. When he talked about how hard it must be for homosexual individuals who can't enjoy marriage within the Church, he expressed tremendous empathy and truly reached out to those who feel marginalized (I'm glad he was the one they interviewed on the topic of homosexuality, instead of Elder Packer. I'm not sure he came off very well with his interview).

I was curious how missionary work would be treated on a national scale. Would it be seen as inspired service given by young men and women or would it be portrayed as religious zealotry by misguided youth. Hearing the various stories of men and women who devoted their time as missionaries gave an accurate account of what it's like to serve. Well, except for the guy who said he'd blow himself up if asked. I think he was in the wrong religious documentary. Still, this segment showed that as hard as it can be to go away for two years, it is truly a special time of growth for a young man or woman.

The segment dealing with church discipline was extremely interesting. Of course, we mostly heard from individuals who have been asked to leave the church. The scene where all the chairs were lined up in a form of Puritan tribunal was a bit dramatic. Still, it can't be all bad when the individuals who've been excommunicated long to have parts of the gospel back in their lives. I was particularly touched by the artist from Alpine who missed the feelings he had when he was active in the church.

In the end, I feel that this was a thought provoking look at our church. Even if there was some license in the way certain ideas were presented - was that painting supposed to be Angel Moroni - the world was introduced into the Mormons in a way that shows us for who we are. We are a people who love our families, who love our God, who love our prophets, and are trying to love everyone else - even if it doesn't always work out that way.

TV Review: The Mormons

So, like much of the community I've been waiting on The Mormons for the past several months. Overall, I thought it was an insightful look at the Church. Going in I knew I was going to hear several things I didn't like, but there would also be some ideas that would reaffirm my faith.

It was fascinating to hear the accounts of Joseph Smith. Many of the people being interviewed were non-believers, but none could discount the tremendous role he played in bringing together people in a "uniquely American" religion. I know that the Joseph Smith story doesn't play well with most; however, one scholar made the comment that all religion has some sense of miracle at it's core - why should Mormonism be any different.

About the only down side I had with last night's program was the extent to which modern day polygamy was depicted. Of course, the producers were quick to point out information about Wilford Woodruff and the Manifesto, but many people would come to the assumption that polygamy's end was more a matter of political convenience than any other reason. Showing many members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints played too much into the stereotypes that Mormons are still polygamists regardless of the Church's official positions against the practice.

I'm interested to see where tonight's program takes people. Some of the promo comments were a bit overblown (Elder Dallin H. Oaks coming across as the Mormon Gestapo - any member who disagrees with the Brethren will be silenced, even if the disagreement in valid.), but it's what brings in the ratings - if that even matters with PBS. I want to know how missionary work is depicted, and what they think the future of the church holds. All in all I hope a lot of people are watching the series and I hope it encourages them to look past the stereotypes about The Mormons.