So Long NaBloPoMo

This post marks the end of my 5th year participating in NaBloPoMo. I have to say I have mixed feelings about it. There were several days where I didn't really have anything to say and I just posted something. There were other days where I had a lot to say and didn't have time to really post anything. Here's a look back at what happened during NaBloPoMo:

• Fall turned into Winter
• Halloween turned into Thanksgiving
• My mom turned 70
• I turned the scale the wrong direction by eating too much
• The Utes turned from contender to pretender and settled into victor
• Our floors turned from old into new
• The kids turned our house upside down on a daily basis
• This blog turned from a "must read" to a "can miss"

If any of you read all our posts this month, I apologize for some of the trivial and boring posts.  I can't say the month turned out the way I had hoped.  Still, I guess there's something to the fact that I finished what I started. 30 posts in 30 days.

Full Plate

I think I'm starting to realize that I've put a little too much on my plate for the rest of the year and the early part of 2011. I found out last week that the book I've been working on has been picked up for publication. That's great news for sure, but it means my time is very limited over the next six months. The publisher had originally asked for a summer completion, now they feel that spring would make more sense so they can have a fall release. Wow, this is coming very quickly and I hope I can deliver!

Besides the book, my spring teaching load increased this year as I'll be the instructor for one of the sections of the Foundations of Technology class for undergraduates in the Education program. I'm super excited to get back in front of the college kids again, online teaching just isn't the same. The problem is my day job doesn't get any easier and I keep heaping more and more on my plate. If I can make it to June 2011 I'm definitely going to take a long vacation - maybe an entire weekend!

Til we are 80

Every once in awhile you make friends that you know you will always stay in contact with.  Some of those friends for me are my Snow College softball friends.  I played softball for Snow College over fifteen years ago and some of my best friends came from those two years at Snow.  We spent lots of time together playing ball, but also just hanging out.  One of our favorite places to hang out was at my family cabin.  Over the years, we haven't made it up there as much as we used to, but we finally made it up there again, just the girls.

We made the date two months in advance because it was the only day we could all make it.  Of course, stuff came up, but we all made it work and we finally had our girls night at the cabin.  Angee, Patty, Mary and I were the ones that made it, but we've always been the regulars anyway!  We played games, watched movies, laughed alot and of course, ate alot, just like old times.  At one point we were talking about how we were trying to get our kids to eat healthy and we looked down at our loads of junk food we were pigging out on and all burst into laughter.  We are such good examples!

We stayed up late (almost all night), slept in, had breakfast, went for a walk and packed up and went on with our lives.  It was night to get a night away from kids and life for awhile.  Thanks, friends, for an awesome cabin get together.  Like we keep saying, we will keep doing this until we are 80, right!

Flashback - 1993

Before and After: The Floor

We've finished working on the floor.  It took us about 3 days of pretty hard work, but the results speak for themselves.  I'm really glad we decided to try our hand at refinishing the floors.  It saved us a ton of money and gave us some practical experience.  Let's take a look at some before and after shots.

Before

After

All in all, it was a fun project. Tara was the real hero of this one. She sanded, swept, polished, and stained all through the night. When I was ready to throw in the towel and say, "Good Enough" she went the extra mile to ensure the floor was done right. Thanks Tara - it was great working with you. I hope you like the new floor!

Diary of a Utah Fan

That one was UGLY!

Going into the game with byu this week I felt the Utes had the better team.  Sure,  the past month Utah hasn't been lighting up the scoreboard.  In fact, we've gone from an elite team, to a team that's barely surviving.  Still, last week the Utes showed some heart against the Aztecs.  I thought that victory would help Utah regain their mojo going into Rivalry Week.

I was wrong.

Utah was terrible offensively in the first three quarters.  They didn't score.  They benched Wynn and brought in Cain.  That was one of the worst potential mistakes of the season.  I know things weren't going well, but switching quarterbacks wreaks of desperation.  Maybe we were desperate.  After Cain got picked for the second time, the Utes really were desperate.  Then something started to happen.

The cougars made some mistakes.

Each time the Utes were right there to capitalize.

In the 4th quarter things turned around in a hurry.  The game when from 13-0 to 13-10 in a matter of seconds.  Momentum was on the Utes side.  Then the game stalled for much of the period, but with four minutes left the Utes scored a second TD and took the lead 17-16.  It looked like Utah might just pull out a win.  Til byu drove the ball downfield.  It took the rest of the time, but the cougars were prepared to win the game on a FG with 3 seconds left.  Then something happened.

Brandon Burton happened.

The kick was up and Brandon Burton blocked it!

from Salt Lake Tribune

The Utes won!

They won ugly.

They shouldn't have won, but they won.

This is what the cougars usually do to Utah, but not today.

Today was a UTAH day.

It's a great day to be a UTE!

70 Years of Memories

My mom turned 70 yesterday.

It was somewhat lost in the shuffle of a busy Thanksgiving Day.

We didn't forget her birthday (aka Sixteen Candles).

The plan to celebrate her milestone of 7 decades came tonight. My family and I have been arranging a birthday dinner for my mom for a weeks now. It was one of those "on-again", "off-again" kind of parties. Finally, last Sunday it was officially "on-again" so we set the guest list and made the final plans.

Everything went really well tonight. We went to the Mandarin in Bountiful and celebrated in style. My mom's cousins were there, her sister, and our whole clan came. We were a little worried about taking Big D out to a restaurant like the Mandarin, but somehow we managed to survive and the evening came off without any major issues. After dinner, it was back to my sister's house for a little pie and ice cream and then it was time for the presents.

We created a few little memories of my mom's 70 years to give to her for her birthday. For the past couple of weeks Jason, Alicia, and I have been assembling a fun book to give to our mom. It contained some great pictures of her life and it really turned out nice. Since, we had all the pictures together I also created a video of them as well. My mom usually doesn't want any fanfare about her, but this was a moment where we wanted to reflect on what a great life she's had so far.

Mom - I don't say it often enough, but I love you very much. You've always been there for me throughout my life with support and encouragement. Whether it was homework when I was a kid, or sharing your time and resources with me as an adult - I know I can count on you. Thanks for being such a great mom. Happy Birthday.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Home Improvement: Our Project in Photos

We started a little home improvement project today.  Refinishing the wood floor on our main floor.  Today was a big sanding day and everyone pitched in to help.  We'll keep you posted on the progress.

iPhone Haiku

Difficulty now
View of the ingenious
Seemed a good idea.

Ok, so our Internet is down and I'm blogging from my phone. You do any better at 11 pm!

Rivalry Week

It's rivalry week and the big game is only a few days away. Let's start things off right with a couple classics clips about the y. GO UTES!

I Know My Savior Loves Me

The biggest Sacrament Meeting of the year happened at our Ward today.  You guessed it, it was the annual Primary program and both Kennedy and Alex took center stage.  Neither of them had a major part, but you wouldn't have known it from all the fan fare in our row.  My parents attended the program and we had another group of special guests as Alicia's family showed up to watch the kids.  I guess their area was without power and their Sacrament Meeting was cancelled.  It was fun to have so much family there to see the kids sing and speak in church.

Alex and Dede did a great job.  I know every parent says that, and well, it's true.  I think all the kids are fantastic.  When I think that these little people will sing and talk in front of a room of adults it's pretty amazing.  I really liked the way the program was created by our Primary leaders.  Each child was asked to share how they knew the Savior loved them and then they shared their responses.  Alex told everyone that he knows Jesus loves him because Jesus loves everyone.  Kennedy shared that she knows Jesus loves her because God sent his spirit to be with us.  She actually gave a two minute talk about the Holy Ghost as the comforter (ok, so she had a little help).    Tara and I couldn't be prouder of these two special kids.

BTW - It wouldn't have been a Primary program without one of the three year olds picking his nose and eating the booger in front of the congregation.  Another classic moment!

Check Off the List

Today was one of those Saturdays.

 The ones with a list.

 I had tons of things to accomplish and on top of everything else, I had to work today. Still, here's a quick recap of the list and the things I accomplished today.

• Caulk the carport roof.
• Clean the gutters.
• Winterize the hoses.
• Hang the Christmas lights.
• Rake the pine needles.
• Put kids' toys in attic.
• Sweep the carport.
• Blog to keep NaBloPoMo alive.

Sorry, today was a pretty crappy post, but I need to get back to watch the Utes lose their 3rd straight game.  Can't wait!

Daddy Daughter Date

Kennedy and I went on a Daddy Daughter Date tonight. It's been in the works for a couple of weeks now, ever since Kennedy saw an article in the local paper detailing that Annie was the high school musical at Cottonwood this year. With our instant cue in Netflix, Kennedy has fallen in love with the movie Annie over the past month. She loves the music, the story, and all the action. Needless to say, when she learned she could see the musical Annie, a Daddy Daughter date was set.

We had a great time. I know high school productions can be a little long, but it was fun to see Kennedy enjoy all the action. She loved hearing all the songs and watching the kids dancing on stage. The musical's lead, Kolbie Astle, is a girl that used to live in our ward and it was pretty cool watching her on center stage. One thing I've always liked about high school is that it gives students a chance to find a niche and go for it. Kolbie certainly did that tonight. She was great!

Thanks for taking me on a fun date Dede!

Movie Review: Waiting for Superman

A few weeks ago I saw the movie Waiting for Superman. It is an incredibly interesting look into the American education system. I thought the movie did a great job profiling the students looking to better themselves by getting into strong academic programs at magnet and charter schools. I was really rooting for each of the young people to make it in the end. As I reflected upon the film though I found myself asking: What does it mean to make it? Is the only chance these kids have to "make it" is getting into an elite school? What does mean for my kids? Can they "make it" if they attend the local public schools?

I spent four years teaching in the pubic school system here in Utah. I know there are challenges to teaching in the modern American education system. We aren't really rewarded for excellence. There isn't a chance to get rid of bad teachers. Kids, parents, and teachers tend to settle for mediocrity instead of pushing for something more. Still, I worked with hundreds of kids each year and I felt like I made a difference. Was I a good teacher? Not really. I had so much to learn and I needed to step up my levels of motivating the students to higher academic achievement. Was I a role model? Yes. I know that students attending my class knew it was a place where they were valued and felt like they could succeed. Do I want another chance? Of course I do.

I came away from this film feeling like I needed to get back in the game and make a difference. Too many times people see a documentary like this and want to complain about the way things are. I don't think that does a whole lot. Rather than complain about the problems in education I need to use my position and connections to work on changing the system, not simply critique it. I have a great chance to work with and encourage current and future teachers. They need help looking beyond the negative issues facing the system and encouragement to make a difference. I don't know what kind of impact I can have, but I know this - I can have some type of impact.

Photo of the Day: Reading Time

With Kennedy now it Kindergarten, reading each day is her nightly homework. We had to smile the other day when Dylan became a captive audience for his big sister.

It's Another Co Op Tuesday

We love having Miss Fidge as our kids' preschool teacher.  Her class is fun, engaging, and informative.  And that's what I get out of it.  One of the benefits to having Miss Fidge's class is that parents are expected to come in and co op 15 times a year.  Since I typically have a lot of vacation time I need to use up at the end of the year, we've been loading up on our turns in class.  Lately, Tuesdays have become Co Op Tuesdays.  Either Tara or I go in and volunteer for 3 hours with Alex.  Today, it was my turn.

I love all the great kids in this class.  Every time I go I have such a great time playing with all the boys and girls.  Today we built lego cars during free time.  We learned about the early pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving.  We also found about some Native America traditions and each of us received our very own name.  Alex was Walking Rabbit, and I became Bright Buffalo.

I'm really glad I have a chance to spend so much time with my kids. Alex absolutely loves it when I come with him to class.  In fact, it is pretty rare for dads to take the co op spot, so the students all love it when a daddy shows up.  I know there are times when I act like it's a big deal to take time off work and attend the class,  but I wouldn't trade Co Op Tuesdays for anything.

Spotlight from ISTE

A few days ago I received an email from ISTE, that's the organization which holds the big conference I attend each summer. Last year Tim and I were lucky enough to get selected to present at the conference and I guess it went pretty well. At least, the fact we were spotlighted as a presentation to watch certainly made our day around the office - even if no one else noticed.

Mr. Sub

One thing about my current calling in church - I go to a lot of meetings.  In fact, I almost attend meetings as often as when I was in the Bishopric.  Tara would argue I go to more meetings now;  I think she's exaggerating a bit.  I understand the role of the meetings I attend, but I kind of miss being in the trenches.  As a teacher, I miss teaching.

Well, the past couple of weeks I've gotten my wish.  The sunday school has recognized that I am available during the block and my number keeps coming up when someone needs a sub.  Now substitute teaching isn't quite the same thing as a full time job, but it has helped me scratch my itch.  It's been fun interacting with both the youth and adults in my Ward again.  Oh well, gotta go - I'm headed to another meeting!

Daddy Time

Tara went away with some friends for a Girls Night Out.  Since I had some alone time with the kids, we had a little bit of play and a little bit of work.  The play involved us going to see the movie, Megamind.  It was a fun movie that was far different than I had expected.  I don't think the trailer does this one justice.  It is certainly a good example of the anti-hero, kind of like Shrek.  I won't ruin it for you, but it's worth the money for a kiddy movie.  I know Alex and Kennedy loved it!

The work involved us getting out into the yard and raking some leaves.  I don't know how much I can really call it work, since we spent as much time jumping in the piles of leaves as we did raking.  Of course Kennedy thought her arms were going to fall off.  Alex and Dylan couldn't get enough of the action.  I guess I did most of the work, but it was worth it.

Autumn Fun

Summers with my parents are always spent canning some sort of veggie or fruit.  As much as I love the end result of yummy bottled salsa, pickles, applesauce, pears and peaches, it is really a pain trying to do all this with three kids in tow.  But we managed to do it this summer even had some fun in between.  But it wasn't quite enough fun!

So the other day, I called my mom and asked if we could visit and just have some fun, no canning or work included.  Of course, she said yes.  So we headed down after school and had a great day.  We started with a picnic at the cabin, a drive up the canyon to see the beautiful leaves, and then a fun walk down the Hobble Creek path.  The weather was awesome, a perfect fall day.  I love this time of year and the canyon was absolutely amazing.  There's just something about the autumn leaves crunching under your feet and the mild crispness of fall in the air to make you appreciate the world around you.

We ended the day by picking some home grown pumpkins from Grandpa's pumpkin patch and raiding my brother's garden and his yummy apple tree.  Thanks for a fun day, Grandma and Grandpa!

Special Night

A few weeks ago I learned that our Stake was in charge of the Special Needs Mutual for tonight.  Since today is Veteran's Day we decided it would be fun to have a celebration of the military and all the soldiers who have served our country.

Alex, Kennedy, and Chloe came along with me tonight and helped these wonderful kids enjoy lots of neat activities surrounding our veterans.  We sang songs including Yankee Doodle, America the Beautiful, and The Halls of Montezuma.  The kids signed their names to cards that will be sent to our service men and women serving around the world.  It was awesome to see Kennedy take extra special care to write her name and a little note - I love You.

I think the highlight of the evening was the tributes paid to a few of the veterans in attendance.  One fighter pilot, Lonnie Mosley, was given a particularly moving salute.  He is a war hero from WWII, Korea, and Vietnam and his service involved rescuing over 21 men from enemy territory on a single mission.  Incredible!

What a great day to spend with my special people.  What a great night to be around some special kids.  What an great holiday where we can honor some of country's special men and women.

More on Millsap

Courtesy of http://www.utahjazz360.com/danhansen/paul-millsap-chuck-norris/

Paul Millsap is effectively the most interesting man in the world. After his amazing 46 point performance, the Twitter world blew up about the greatness of one Paul Millsap. Here is what they are saying:

@espn700spence: And on the seventh day, Paul Millsap rested.

@JakeJeppsen: Paul Millsap is the “bag” that broke Boozer’s hand.

@UpprBowlJazzFan: Paul Millsap has legallly downloaded every Metallica song on Napster and Kazaa

@ScottyGKFAN: Paul Millsap just replaced Conan O’Brien on TBS.

@JGifford78: Paul Millsap just destroyed the BCS, welcome to a 16 team playoff!

@trevorfuchs: Paul Millsap proved Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, Evolution, and Global Warming all in one night.

@Igor1973: the worlds most interesting man doesn’t watch basketball often, but when he does, he prefers Paul Milsap.

@UtahJazzBlitz: Ya know the stereo system at Chucky Cheese that costs 3000 tix, that no 1 ever wins?#Millsap won enuff 2 buy it with 1 game of Pop a Shot.

@Lockedonsports: Arrived in Orlando. Paul Millsap flew the plane

@Bluemoon_76: Pat Riley goes to Paul Millsap for grooming and fashion tips…

@Bluemoon_76: Barack Obama dressed up as Paul Millsap for Halloween.

@theofficialddh: Millsap sent Chuck Norris back in time to try and help Bosh stop him and he still put up 46

@Clintonite33: Cleveland just declared November 9th “Paul Millsap Day.”

@jazzingitup: Ayn Rand just retroactively renamed her novel, “Millsap Shrugged”

@ScottyGKFAN: Cam Newton’s dad paid $200,000 for a chance to spend five minutes with Paul Millsap.

Diary of a Jazz Fan

The Jazz started a road trip tonight.

In Miami.

The score was 51-32 at the half.

Then Paul Millsap happened.

from Yahoo!

Paul Millsap led a comeback like I've rarely seen from the Jazz.  They were getting killed.  The Heat looked like the foreordained champs.  But Millsap wouldn't quit.  At the half he had 13 points, but then everything changed.  Millsap caught fire and the Jazz stormed back.  By the end of the game Millsap would finish with 46 points, most by a Jazz player since Karl Malone in 1998.  Wow!

By the end of the 3rd quarter it was a game again.  The Jazz actually took the lead early in the 4th period and from there it was a contest.  After erasing a 22 point lead it seemed improbable that the Jazz had anything left in the tank.  Down 8 and nearing the end of the game, everything seemed lost.  Millsap hit three 3 pointers in the final 30 seconds of regulation and the Jazz tied the score on a buzzer beater put-back from Millsap.  He was amazing and may turn into our best scorer this season.

Somehow the Jazz hung around in OT and with .4 seconds left the backup center hit a pair of free throws to give the Jazz the lead.  The heat tossed up a desperation miss and that was it.  The Jazz had won.

118-116 in Overtime.

I was thinking about great Jazz wins over the years and where this one ranks.  I'll say this.  During the 4th quarter I got texts from three different people asking me if I was watching the game.  Followed up by phone calls from even more people.  Everyone was watching and they wanted to share in the victory.  If that doesn't tell you this was a big game, I don't know what does.

Flashback 1992

Yesterday Jason brought over some old photos for me to look at. In the fall of 1992 my grandparents came to live with us for the last few months of their lives. Seeing this old photo reminded me how much I really loved spending time with them and how incredible it was to have them with us. I know I look like I'm in a mugshot, but this was a time of my life I'll never forget.

Diary of a Utah Fan

Yesterday started very early.

5:30 am early.

We were eager to head up to the Hill in anticipation of the Utes biggest game of the year. Everything was set up for success. We were 8-0 and ranked #5 in the country. A win against TCU would not only provide a conference championship, but a chance to play into the big game. The BCS kind of big game.

from Salt Lake Tribune

ESPN's College Game Day was in town for only the second time ever. In 2004 Chappo and I braved the cold to listen to Corso, Herbstrett, and Fowler predict the Utes to victory and a game in the Fiesta Bowl. This was even bigger.

There must have been thousands of people watching the broadcast. It was crazy. There were signs, posters, props, costumes. For us, GameDay involved a lot of screaming and cheering. Tons of booing (especially when there was talk of Alabama, TCU, or Boise St.). As a fan, it was pretty cool taking it all in. It seemed as though the Utes had arrived.

And then the game started.

I have never been to a worse Utah game in my LIFE!

TCU did whatever they wanted to on offense. TCU shut down everything we tried to do. Utah fumbled, missed tackles, blew coverage, threw interceptions. Everything that could go wrong did. In the end it was ugly.

from Salt Lake Tribune

TCU 47 - Utah 7

Honestly, I was surprised we even scored. We shouldn't have. TCU played like one of the best teams in country and Utah was exposed. A soft schedule. An unproven quarterback. A weak secondary. A big loss.

Death

A few days ago I learned that my cousin Kaydee's husband Pete had died suddenly due to a ruptured aorta valve. It was a shock to hear that someone so young was cut down in the prime of his life. Here was a guy, 31 years old, who leaves behind a wife and two young children. I didn't know Pete very well, but his death has been a real eye-opener to me. We are close to the same age, both with small children, and wives we adore.

How much do I value the people who are closest to me? I hope they know how much they mean to me. If not, I need to do a better job as a husband, a father, and a friend. Pete's death may seem so random and senseless, but it has really helped me to assess the things that matter most. Thanks Pete.

BTW - Pete's funeral was the most interesting one I've ever been to. Rather than wearing traditional Sunday best, the family requested that everyone show their love for Pete by supporting his favorite team, the Utes. So, rather than wearing a tie I showed up wearing my Utah hoodie. That was my kind of funeral.

Life...

Earlier today Chappo called me after going out to dinner with Jeff. Now Jeff has always been a man of few words. Little did we know just how few. Here was our conversation:

So, Jared has Jeff called you lately.

No, I don't think I've spoken to him since Christmas time.

How many kids did he have when you spoke to him?

Two.

Well, now he has three.

Wow, I guess it has been a while.

Halloween in Photos