TEDx

I present for a living.

Most of the time I present to groups of teachers in a classroom setting.  But I've presented on stage in front of several hundred people.  I won't say I don't get nervous, but I'm used to sharing my ideas with many people present.  So, when I was approached about a presentation for Canyons School District I didn't think much of it.  Then I learned it was a TEDx event.  That changes everything.

If you've never heard of TED - it is a large conference held in California every Spring.  It's a who's who of speakers - former presidents, CEO's, major celebrities.  The conference has gotten so large that they've franchised out their name for groups to create their own startup conferences - TEDx.  This is where I come in.  There's no way to get an invite for the real event, but TEDx is gaining steam in the education world.  Still, this was the first TEDx event for a school district in Utah.

I was as nervous as I've ever been presenting.  Even though I knew what I wanted to say the stakes are definitely raised when you think that TEDx events are recorded and shared as part of the TED YouTube channel.   In the end, I'm so glad I presented.  I don't know if my little talk will change the world, but it helped me feel like I was part of something that's bigger than I am.

Ever since I watched my first TED talk I knew I wanted to participate in someway, shape, or form.  Now I can say - I'm a TED speaker (sort of).

If you want to watch the presentation here it is:

Family Portraits

For the past couple of years Tara and I have avoided doing family pictures.

There isn't a good reason.

Sure, we were waiting for a Groupon or a different deal of the day.

Still - we should have taken our pictures sooner than this.  The last photo shoot was December 2010!

Oh well.  We finally broke down recently and set up an appointment for a Fall morning.

It was more fun than I expected.  The kids were pretty good sports as they posed and smiled for the better part of an hour.  For the first time we used Wheeler Farm as the backdrop for the photos and there are some cool buildings and outdoor shots to be had around the farm.  

My favorite part of the kids' photos are the different approaches they take for their closeup.

Kennedy is such a poser - she loves giving it the all-american girl look.

Alex is all teeth and he kills me with the crossed legs look.

Dylan refuses to smile.  His little smirk is enough to melt your heart and he pulls it off like a champ.

That's enough from me - I know you only want to see the pictures.  Enjoy!

Biker Boy

We've talked with Dylan for quite a while about taking away the training wheels from his bike.  The wheels were so worn that it was impossible to keep them tight on the bike. Like any person with a dependency, Dylan had learned to adapt by putting most of his weight onto one side of his bike.
Still, we knew the wheels day were numbered though so Tara and I bribed, pleaded, and threatened to take the training wheels of the bike.

With Conference weekend upon us - I knew we had a good chance to remove the wheels and practice with Dylan.

At first there were some quick spills.

A few tears.

But then - balance was achieved and Dylan was a bike rider!

Once he figured how to turn it was all over.   It was so cool to see Dylan's new found confidence as he could now keep up with his brother and sister.

Look out world - here comes Big D!

Alex's Big Day

Alex loves his birthday.  He has been so excited to turn 7 and we had a big day planned for him.  Alex is our only child to have a summer birthday, so we usually like to celebrate with outdoor activities.

This year included a very large blow-up bounce house and lots of kids to play on it.  Alex had a fun birthday party, with water balloons, snow cones, cupcakes, ice cream bars, a pinata and lots of fun presents from his friends.

After the party, we figured since we had the bounce house all night, we might as well keep the party going.  So we had neighbors, family and anyone who wanted to jump, come on over.  We played all night on the bounce house!

Alex's party continued on Sunday with a family party with yummy food, a fun skateboard cake and even more presents.  Alex got spoiled with a longboard and a new bike this year.  He loves both but promptly wrecked on his longboard on his first try down the hill.  Luckily he had his helmet on.  I figure he will get better with practice!

 

I can't believe my Alex is 7 years old!  He is already talking about getting baptized next year and is so excited to take that big step.  I am so proud of my little Alex.  He really is such a sweet, nice boy.  Alex loves to cuddle and gives awesome hugs.  He is such a thoughtful boy and is my best kid to help around the house.  He is always willing to help with chores and loves to help his daddy with projects, especially if there are tools involved.

I am so thankful that we were blessed with such a sweet, loving boy!  I love you, Alex!  Happy 7th birthday!

Happy 4th

With all of our recent travels it was nice to have a day off - at home.  That doesn't mean we weren't on the go a lot of the day, but much of the 4th was spent around the house.

One of our favorite 4th traditions is to go over to Alicia's ward for their annual breakfast.  Lots of food for us, lots of fun for the kids.  They always have games for the kids with many little prizes for the winners.

I think Alex and Dylan's favorite part of the breakfast is the "train" ride.  One of the guys creates a train and pulls it behind his lawnmower every year.  The boys can't get enough of this thrill ride around the parking lot.

A little later in the day we had a fun visit with Jeff and Jeni Wright and their cute little family. Since they live in Virginia it isn't often we can get together. It was a short visit, but great to catch up and hear what they've been doing for the past couple of years.

The real party came after the sun started setting. My kids are way into fireworks - ok, I am too. This year's show didn't disappoint. We went over to the fireworks stand earlier in the afternoon and hooked up with some pretty cool stuff. Add that to a package our neighbor Hal gave and we were ready to light up the night.

After our show ended, we laid out in the front yard and watched the big stuff from the country club. One of the best parts of the 4th from our house is the view we get of the fireworks from across the street. They really go all out. It must have lasted 20-25 minutes and we enjoyed the entire show. A great end to a fun day.

Photo of the Day

Love this picture that Alex took of Dylan.  What a fun kid!

Capitol Reef - Stand in Holy Places

A few months ago I decided I wasn't going to attend Youth Conference this year.  It was scheduled at a terrible time for me to go.  We had a family vacation scheduled for the day the conference ended and I knew it would be a lot of driving, for a pretty short trip.

Then, I started looking into the hike they were going on in Capitol Reef.  I really wanted to go.  I haven't really hiked much in that part of the state and it looked amazing.  I decided I would attend so I could go on the hike.

Conference started on Thursday and we drove, and drove, and drove.  The Boulder Mountains aren't exactly close to Salt Lake.  Still, it was a fun trip and I got a kick out of listening the Deacons' conversations.  These guys can really get going on all things soccer, school, and Taylor Swift.

On Friday we woke up early and set out for Sulphur Creek.  It was a beautiful walk through the towering red rock.  The hike was about 5 miles, but most of it was pretty flat and after the first mile you were inside the canyon walls.  I had a great time walking and talking with the kids.  You can really learn a lot about someone while on a hike.  It was nice to hear about what's important to our YM/YW.


When we stopped for lunch the fun kicked in.  One of the best parts of Sulphur Creek is some of the waterfalls you encounter along the trail.  We had a great time sliding down the rock into a pool at the bottom.  Of course I couldn't resist and went down a couple of times.  It's what I love about hiking in canyons!

We went back to camp and everyone settled into to fun games and good competitions.  There were some marathon games of Mafia and a few intense card games.  The kids had a great time hanging out with one another.

I think the highlight of the trip was the evening devotional and testimony meeting.  I've been to Youth Conference pretty much every year since I've been married and this testimony meeting took the cake.  Every testimony meeting is special, but this was one of the five most spiritual meetings I've attended in my entire life.  The kids really poured out their souls to one another and to our Heavenly Father.  It was something I'll never forget.

After everything was over the hike was merely an afterthought.  The conference was all about the kids and the great leaders I work with.  I can't say enough about the incredible people in my ward.  In the church we like to use the term ward family and that couldn't fit this group any better.  I may have gone to Youth Conference for a hike in Capitol Reef, but I left with a deeper love for our Youth, our leaders, and the Lord.

Father's Day

Today was a great day.

At church the kids sang.

I got a treat.

We had presents (including a new tool set for the shed).

I  took a nap.

Nothing beats Father's Day.

Sidewalk Art and More

We needed to break out of the summer blues today. After a full morning of working in the yard, Tara and I decided it was time for a break. After a full morning of watching tv, Dylan needed a break as well. So, we grabbed Quinn and Coleton and headed downtown. Today was the Foster Care Foundation annual Chalk Art Festival. It was great. Cool artwork was everywhere. It was amazing to see the ground transformed into some incredible artwork - Toy Story, Oz, Minions, and more - oh my!

After seeing the artwork, we walked over to the plaza at the Gateway and the kids played in the splashpad til they dropped. A great break from a busy day!

Photo of the Day

Is this Alex or Papa?

Summer Haircuts

With the last day of school in the rear view mirror Alex was ready to shed his winter mane.  Now Alex already likes his hair short, but his summer cut is a #2 buzz.  He loves it!

Right after finishing with Alex's haircut, Dylan jumped in the chair for his turn. He was pretty excited for a haircut. Tara wasn't so sure about cutting off Dylan's hair though. In the end Dylan won out and now he has a summer haircut. Very cool!

Birthday Blowout in Park City

This year is a big year for Tara.

Yep, you guessed it.

It is one of those milestone birthday years.

The kids and I talked about different things we could do for Tara to help celebrate.

We could take her to Disneyland - Alex

What about getting her a massage - Kennedy  

I think Mom wants to play the Wii - Dylan

In the end, we chose to take Tara on a trip - to Park City.  We found a nice condo for rent and started prepping for our surprise present.  The kids were so excited to help me plan the weekend.  We picked out activities, chose different restaurants, and finalized the agenda.

The hardest part was keeping everything a secret.  The kids (and I) were so excited that it was hard not to spill the beans.  Somehow we made and Tara was very surprised by the whole thing.

Our weekend couldn't have been better.  We had tons of fun on all the alpine rides, the swimming pools, the park, the bowling alley, and just being a family.  It was a great trip and I hope it was a welcome vacation for Tara.

Happy Birthday Tara - I love you!

Mother's Day Moment

Earlier today the kids and I were making Tara breakfast for Mother's Day.  We had Kennedy making french toast, Alex was in charge of fruit, and Dylan - well Dylan was asked to get Tara something to drink.

Dylan what do you think Mom wants to drink?

Chocolate milk.

Really?  Are you sure Mom wants to drink chocolate milk?  I think you're the one that wants chocolate milk.

Nope, Mom wants a glass of chocolate milk.

At this point Dylan proceeds to make Tara a cold glass of chocolate milk.  Once he finished Dylan stared briefly at his creation and said:

It looks too full.  I better drink a little so it doesn't spill.

A few minutes later (while Tara was eating her breakfast) Dylan polished off his mom's glass of chocolate milk.  Pretty smooth Big D, pretty smooth.

On the Road

Over the past six months I've traveled to several different states to promote Going Google.  So far, I've presented in Idaho, Missouri, Tennessee, and now you can add Wyoming to the list.   I know it isn't that far from SLC to Rock Springs, but it was fun to present to a new group of teachers.  Even better this trip was part of my duties on the UCET board.   Robert, Kelly, and I packed up the van and headed east for a fun filled night in good ol' Wyo.

I am impressed with the talent they assembled for this two day conference.  They had several big name speakers (ok, so they're only big names in the ed tech world) including David Warlick, Kevin Honeycutt, and Alan November.  I've heard all three speak at different venues from around the country and it was kinda fun being on the same docket they were.

The conference was quick, just two days and then we were heading back to Utah.  I'm not sure if much will come of my presentations, but I'm glad I got to spend some time with good teachers and good friends at Wytecc 13'.

Soccer Boys

Each season we ask our kids what sport they would like to play.  So far we've done a little of everything with some tee ball, soccer, tumbling, basketball.  The sport that Alex seemed to like best has always been tee ball, since he is a really good hitter.  This year he and I even started to play catch out in the backyard.  So, when we asked him what he wanted to play he quickly replied:

Soccer.

What?!  Soccer isn't really somthing Tara and I have ever played.  Still, if Alex wants to play soccer that's ok with us.

He's starting to get it.  No longer content to run along side the action, Alex is actually starting to mix it up and kick the ball this year.  His confidence is definitely growing and he's having a total ball out there.

Dylan also decided to jump into soccer this year.  We figured he would have no problem getting into the scrum and playing with the other kids.  With older siblings and a headstrong attitude Dylan was sure to flourish in sports.

Nope.

Dylan justs runs around on the field and acts surprised when the ball comes near him.  He's kicked the ball a few times, but he's generally just happy to be out there.

Who would have guessed the difference between our two soccer boys.