Super Saturday

Super Saturday launching the new theme for 2011 was held from 4- 9 pm. We have not had one for awhile and today we did. We had pretty good attendance - around 160 youth,  with all but the seniors being well represented. The planning and running of the program is entirely by the Stake with no Ward leaders in attendance so no additional strain on them. The kids were involved, engaged, interactive, fed, and lifted up. I thought it was great. The flow was as follows:

• Opening where we watched the YM/YW New Theme introduction a great DVD go to the link I couldn't get it to embed
• Then we broke up into three groups
• Human Fusbol in the gym ( a much too structured version shown here but it gives you the idea. Think PVC pipe held onto by 4-6 kids squared off like in fusbol, in a gym with beach balls as the ball.)
• Carnival games and a group game of Love your neighbor
• Group games of Flying Nija and Dip, Dip, Dip
• (A really fun game that involves any number of people standing in a circle. One person says "dip, dip, dip" and on the third dip has the option of pointing at anyone in the circle. That person must now say "dip, dip, dip", and the cycle continues. In addition, the people to the left and right of the "dip" must face the "dip" and say "dippity dippity doo" in the goofiest way possible. The person with the "dip" may also say "dip dip doo", and point their hands up to the sky, which means everyone in the circle has to spin around once and say "dippity dippity doo". After spinning, the "dip" stays the same and everyone must continue their role as it was before. A person is out if they forget to either "dip" or "dippity dippity doo" at any time.)
• (One ninja version here) 
• Next came all the pizza, bread sticks and oranges they could eat - limitless food always a key to success
• Three rotations of Seminars one by each couple of the Stake Presidency breaking down the 13th Article of Faith, great teachers and great presentation
• Believe , Hope, Endure - ending in the very personal story of one sister's dealing with a brain tumor
• Seeking  the good - 
• Being - leaving New York behind referring to church history experiences, and capped by one of my favorite stories from Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Eustace transforming from a boy to a dragon and then losing his dragon self
• The evening was capped by a quick summary and ice cream sundaes

A great day. A great activity

MLK

Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others? Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. MLK

Today at work on the over-sized screens we were greeted by historic speeches of Martin Luther King. He is one of a handful of orators to whom I could listen repeatedly. He has content that seems ageless and continually relevant even in an ever changing world. Whether speaking on character, race relations, freedom, values, community or education he encapsulates many a core message that resonates:

• “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically... Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.”

• “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

• “In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

• “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

• “Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.”

• “We must use time creatively.”

One More Birthday

Speaking of birthdays. Today is Julie's Birthday, our wonderful daughter-in-law. As a parent you really don’t control or have much say in the expansion of your family beyond your direct descendants. Clearly, one has influence along the way but no direct influence or vote. As such, it is truly a delight when your family grows and expands with people that you would choose to be with. Julie is just that! She brings out the best in our son. She adds to the family as a daughter-in-law, as a wife and a mother. We are grateful to have her be a part of our family and appreciate her tolerance of our idiosyncratic behavior, quirks, and family oddities. She brightens the family and improves the gene pool.

The Birthday

Evan turned 23 today. 

 A significant life, with significant achievement, and with significant impact.

It is interesting to recall the fear and trepidation of those first uncharted days, not knowing what we could dream or what even we should dream. He has surpassed and altered our expectations all along the road. For that we have many to thank. Thanks to doctors and nurses, to teachers and aides, to friends and neighbors, to classmates and teammates, to brothers and sisters, to angels and God, and an incredibly tenacious and visionary mother. Twenty three years ago who would of thought that during his birthday week in 2011 he would: attend classes at BYU, work in the Athletic department, attend and work in the Temple, live 1,300 miles away from his parents, be roommates with Stuart, have 50+ people attend his birthday party, go skiing at Park City. None of that was on our radar. All of that happened this week.

Grateful for a great birthday of a great guy.

Love that Evan!

Happy Birthday

I must admit I was surprised to read the birthday notice in the New York Times; but there it was on the Sunday Opinion page. " It’s barely possible to overstate the significance of this Bible." What a very true statement. America needs to reconstruct the chain of memory that brings us back to Bible literacy. Early Americans learn to reead from the Bible, then evolved to the Sears Catalog, then TV guide. Our shared values have eroded as our bible litereacy has eroded.

This is a great year to read the Bible. Start with something easy and read the New Testament. if not read a good book about the Bible in God's Secretaries. Reading it will inspire you to read the King James Version of the bible whose 400th birthday we celebrate . Happy Birthday/

Go Month.

It’s GO MONTH… Get Organized Month. So since I'm not the paragon of organizational virtue, and yet I so aspire I thought I'd share the musings of others on the subject. Perhaps you may even seek professional guidance.


What better time to get organized than now?  It’s the start of a new year and the weather outside isn’t as inviting as it used to be.  So, make a list of all the ways that you want to get organized and get cracking.
You might be thinking, what is GO Month?  GO Month, or Get Organized Month, is a month dedicated to getting organized and was started by the National Association of Professional Organizers, or NAPO.
How can you get yourself organized this month to start 2011 fresh? Here are some things that you can do:

• Clean out your records.  I’m sure … you have all of your important records (bank statements, bills marked as paid, insurance information, tax documents and more) neatly filed away– color-coded and alphabetical of course.  But when was the last time that you went through those documents?  Even though they may be nicely tucked away in your office and out of sight, you still may not need to keep them anymore.  Refer to this document from Good Housekeeping on how long you need to keep documents.  You might be able to clean out those old papers and free up some space. Rindy did an awesome catch up job just today.
• Clean out your closet. Since it is the start of the new year, you can clean out your closet to start off the year off with a nice neat closet.  Take a look at the clothes that are your closet and think about the last time that you wore it.  If you can’t remember wearing it within the last year you should really think about whether or not you need to keep it.  If you aren’t sure, try this trick: put the item of clothing on a hanger and hang it up backwards in your closet. Once you wear the item, when you put it back in the closet put the hanger back normally. Revisit your closet every 3-6 months and the hangers that are still flipped backwards are the items that you don’t wear and should be able to get rid of.  Here are some things that you can do with those clothes that you no longer need:

1. Donate your gently used clothes to a homeless shelter.
2. Donate your clothes to Amvets (will pick up your clothes if you schedule a pickup) or Goodwill.
3. Donate your professional work clothes to any of the following locations: Suited for Change, Dress for Success, or Career Gear.  I’m sure there are many others around if these are not in your area.

• Clean out your garage/attic. You never know what types of treasures are waiting in your garage or attic. Make this a family activity. Spend a weekend going through boxes and piles to see what you can find.  You may realize that most of the things that you pile up in the garage/attic are no longer needed, something you have been looking for, or even worse, something that you have never even used yet.  For either of the situations you can benefit.  If it’s something that you have been looking for, then you have found it.  If it’s something really old, it could be worth something–check on ebay to see if it is selling anywhere or google it.  If it is worth something and you don’t want to (or don’t know how) to sell it on ebay, you can take it to a “sell it on ebay” type store where they can sell it for you.  If it’s something that is brand new and never used, you can either sell it, donate it, or ask a friend or family member if they need it.  If you have a large amount of trash or things to donate you can call a truck to come and pick things up for you.  If you’re looking for some options of places or ways to get your junk removed, check out this article. 
• Call a professional organizer.  If all else fails and you find yourself standing in your garage, attic, living room or yard and you are overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, think about calling a professioanl organizer.  Cleaning and organizing isn’t everyone’s strenghts, so work with someone with whom that is their strenght.  Professional organizers can help you create a plan of attack, keep you on track to your goals, or even do the work for you.  Depending on your needs, an organizer is there to help you out.  With services ranging from $30-$100/hour you can find an organizer that will work with you.  Check out the National Association of Professional Organizers to find a certified professional organizer in your area. Ok, so I really don't believe in this but it is what the pros say to self promote and maybe someone is so desperate for help that you'll pay for it. "You can get anything you want ....."

However you decide to start your organization this month, make sure that it works for you.  Starting the year off with a nice organized space can really set the tone for how successful you can be throughout the year. Even me, I'll make an effort.

Mission Prep

This week was the first time for Parker to go through the Temple. Though we missed Julie and Mackey we enjoyed the company of our Home Teacher, Bishop, Stake President and their wives along with Robert and Laura representing the extended family who were there in thought and spirit. Beyond being a sacred place the Temple is truly a place of love and beauty. There is a serenity and peace that are not easily replicated in the world. I'm grateful we were able to be there with the boys.

An additional highlight was being able to join with a couple Parker and I have home taught as they went through the Temple for the first time on the same session , which was followed by their Sealing and the Sealing of their three married sons to them as well. It was a total experience for Parker and made for a delightful day.

Tip Toes

Growing up it was more of a contest of who could garner the most leg room under the kitchen table with out getting mother to weigh in on the subject. With the extended families (read P3 / Jared / Matt)  there was always the contest of timing who could reach the apex of their tiptoes in sync with the photo being shot.In our household there usually is not much contest regarding who is tallest - except in recent times.

Dear Friends

Conversations that continue where they were left off.

Depth and breadth of subjects and feeling that are shared.

Common bounds, common memories and common experiences.

Cribbage, a walk, a talk.

Life time friends are dear and we greatly appreciate the recent visit of Julie & Frank

The HELP

“Even if stories haven’t been told, is it fair for an outsider to tell them?” Intriguing question. "How do we get at the truth of another person’s experiences?" Or should we?

I remember  NPR & NYT discussions revolving  the writing of The Help when it was first published and reviewed. Could a white woman write in the voice of a black? Was it authentic? Though we have had the book lying around the house for some time I had never picked it up until during a discussion Julie commented that it was among, if not the one, that was her favorite of this past year's read. I trust her judgment and concur.

They say everyone has a book in  them waiting to be written. I have been intrigued with the thought that Kennedy's cabinet was comprised of "The Best & the Brightest", all of whom had published a book. Perhaps even haunted by the thought that to be authentic, or perhaps to be bright, that I indeed need to share my story. Even this morning Rindy and I discussed the concept, of which we have often parleyed, of writing "The Evan Experience"; which will one day happen. It will happen primarily because we feel we have a unique voice on a subject and insights that should be shared. The authenticity of our experience is why we feel others would enjoy it and perhaps value it. 

But all great stories don't emerge through the first person, not all are autobiographical or historic. Many a great read has emerged from the eyes of an observer or a fruitful imagination. The long-range purpose of writing is to communicate a particular message to a particular audience. Stories serve different purposes for different authors, one main purposes is to unveil the truth.  My perception is that Stockett wants to give voice to her view of a very complicated time,  place and relations in American history. And to me she succeeds. From the moment I started this book I couldn’t wait for the chance to pick it up again.  As of matter of fact, when I woke restless in the middle of the night, I quietly read a few more pages.   It deals with issues such as race, gender, class,  family and friendship. Should an outsider tell another's story, in the end I would say yes, in a selfish way that meets my needs. For this book leaves me wanting to live a life reflected, so that in reading my chapter, I will recognize myself and perceive what should be changed or discarded from how I show up. Additionally, that I live a life kinder to those with whom I interact, that I treat all with respect. In that aspect the book is a success ( of worth to have read)  to me given that after reading it I have ideas on how to incorporate what I read into what I do. There is so little time and so much content that I feel I need to be judicious in what content I consume. To not only enjoy what I read but to have it make an impact.If you have a moment for a good read, I recommend The Help.