What a ZOO!

Tara and I decided to take the kids out last week to enjoy the warm weather we've been having lately. Our destination: Hoogle Zoo. Our Mission: Have fun and avoid tears. Our results: Positive, we had fun and the tears didn't come til we told Kennedy we were leaving.

It was a pretty good trip to the zoo. In truth, I was simply a tag along on the excursion. Tara was really going with the other moms in the ward. But, since it happened to be so close to my work, I managed to take a long lunch and joined them. Still, it was pretty obvious who didn't belong with the others. It's a good thing I'm comfortable with my masculinity!

Kennedy loved the animals, particularly the elephants on this trip. She didn't like the building the giraffes were in, or should I say the smell of that building. She plugged her nose and kept making puking motions. Such the Drama Queen. Alex liked looking at the different birds, especially the turkeys - what an exotic species that is.

Take look at some of our favorite pics from the Zoo.

A Day at the Zoo

This American Life

If you've never listened to the PRI program This American Life you're missing out! I have been a fan since I was first introduced to the show about 4 years ago and now it's my favorite postcast. It has to be one of the best examples of great storytelling available today, so you can imagine how excited I was to read recently that a TV version of the show was in the works. That's the good news, the bad news: it's going to be on Showtime.

I figured I would have to wait until the DVD version came out to watch an entire episode, that is until I learned that the local NPR affiliate was having a special screening of the pilot episodes at the Tower last night. I could watch the show without losing my soul to Showtime or waiting a year or so for a Hollywood Video rental.

Jason, Kristin, and I headed over to the theater to attend the screening. Naturally, there was a line - that's no surprise since it was a free preview. Only I couldn't figure out why some people were going in, while we were made to wait. Upon asking around we quickly learned that due to the high interest tickets were given out by the radio station. We were in the standby line!!! About ten minutes before showtime, the doors opened to the refugees in line and eventually, we were able to get in. We had to sit on the front row, but we made it.

It was totally worth it! Each program was 30 minutes long and the time couldn't pass quicker. Everyone in the audience were devoted TAL fans, so we laughed, cried, and cheered in unison to the program. It's going to be a great series and I can't wait to see a few more episodes. Does anyone out there have Showtime?

Here's a preview of the trailer:

A Real Fixer Downer

Yesterday we went to the Home Show for two reasons: to see my sister give a talk on fashion (not that it would do me any good) and to get a new pair of sunglasses at one of the booths (it's usually the only reason we go to the Home Show). Typically we're not very big on going out to the SouthTowne Expo Center and our trip reminded me all the reasons why I don't like it.

We arrived around 2 pm and spent the first 30 minutes there just looking for a parking space. I can't believe the county spent all that money to build the Expo Center and they don't have enough parking for half the people who come out. I saw cars parked the sides of the street, on top of grassy patches, even on the sidewalk. A cop could make his monthly quota of tickets in about an hour. We finally parked about 1/2 mile away from the center in a vacant field and walked to the show.

Alicia did a good job with her presentation. She's made quite a name for herself with her appearances on Good Things Utah. Most of the people I know consider her the fashion guru of Utah. Still, she must be extremely frustrated with my family's lack of style. Tara and I are stuck in our own little looks (most of which were on her 'what not to wear' list). My favorite part of Alicia's presentation was her discussion of bodies and their shapes - I bet you can't guess who's body is a circle, hmmm!

After Alicia's presentation was over we scoured high and low for the sunglass booth only to realize they didn't come to this year's show. What a tragedy! We braved traffic, vendors, and the public just to get a new pair of imitation designer sunglasses and they weren't there. It's a good thing the kids started to cry near the end of our day at the Home Show, that's just what I wanted to do.

Just Sittin' Around

Normally, it wouldn't be reason to blog. Someone sitting on their can. However, when it's your 7-month-old and he's finally sitting up for the first time - it makes the blog. I wouldn't say that Alex is a slow developer, Kennedy didn't sit up until she was over 6-months-old. And who can blame them? I think I would rather lay down than sit around any day. It is nice though that we can sit Alex down and have him interact with different toys. It's opened up an entirely new world to him.

We also figured out what's been bugging Alex lately. For the past couple of weeks Alex has been a bit moody, which is totally out of character for him. All he's wanted is to be held and he hasn't been willing to take a nap. It's been a long couple of weeks, to say the least. Well, the answer popped out about a week ago. His first tooth! No wonder he's bit out of sorts. The first tooth arrived while we were at my parents' house, but not to be outdone his second tooth is making an appearance this week. I guess Alex is no longer a toothless wonder!

The Man Next to the MAN

Wednesday night Tara and I were able to go a mid-week fireside at the ward (thanks to the Nursery for watching Kennedy - what a life saver!). Don Staheli isn't exactly a household name, but you've seen him in hundreds of photos over the years. Most of the time you simply see him as "that guy" who always seems to be near the Prohpet. Brother Staheli works as President Hinckley's personal secretary. What an amazing job! Throughout the fireside we were able to hear various stories of the 13+ years that Brother Staheli has worked along side the Prophet. I can't believe the draining schedule President Hinckley works (and makes Brother Staheli works as well). They've taken 2 or 3 days of a year for the past decade! I don't know how they do it.

In spite of the busy schedule, can you imagine the experiences Brother Staheli has had over his time traveling with President Hinckley. He couldn't share most of the stories, due to their spiritual nature. Still, the hour presentation provided us with some great insights into a great man. Some interesting facts about President Hinckley:

• He reads 3 newspapers a day (The Wall Street Journal, Deseret News, and Salt Lake Tribune).


• He walks to work every day and arrives around 6:30 am, working til 5 pm.


• He started working on his conference talk about a month ago by dictating his thoughts into a voice recorder. He generally spends an hour or more each day going over his address.


• He still lives alone and takes care of his personal needs.


• The only television programs he watches are local and national news broadcasts.


• His journal consists of over 120 volumes.

It was an incredible evening to listen to stories about such an amazing man. In sharing his personal testimony of the Prophet, Brother Staheli said, "Gordon B. Hinckley is a perfect man. He still makes mistakes, but he has fulfilled his potential on this Earth. The closer you get to him, the more perfect you realize he is."