Review - Sea of Monsters

Being the second novel in the Percy Jackson series (currently 5 books in length), I expected some more plot depth and character development. At the same time, this book is aimed at a younger audience of readers and as such it's risky to get too intricate or there's a risk of losing some of the audience (something I feel happened to the Harry Potter series).

In this second Percy Jackson adventure, we are again taken on a wild ride that showcases the wonderful creativity of Riordan. Similar to the debut novel, we begin in "the real world" with Percy at school encountering monsters. This time, when he gets to camp, he finds things have changed drastically. Another quest is in the works and, even though Percy isn't explicitly assigned the quest, he has personal reasons for secretly being involved.

The narration was humorous and well crafted. I genuinely felt like this story was told me by a teenage boy (albeit a demigod teenage boy). The mythological elements were well integrated and I feel like this book, and the series thus far, do a good job of teaching kids (and adults) about some of the ancient Greek myths while also portraying them in a modern light that allows readers to contemplate their relation to our own society.

While some of the characterization felt a little flat at times, I think it was well done for teen, pre-teen and younger readers. The mental decisions they have to make and the morality workings felt natural and realistic for young characters and they were described well from the perspective of a younger narrator.

In addition to really enjoying the core plot of this particular novel, I really loved the setup for the rest of the series (or at least the next book or two?). The resolution to this particular adventure in the Sea of Monsters was conclusive and convincing. However, it also opened up intriguing and well-crafted plot points that will provide plenty of excitement for future stories. And just when I thought the surprises and/or "cliffhanger" moments were done, the final moments under the tree at camp provided a bigger twist to be worked out.

This is a great series and a lot of fun. It's definitely a youthful adventure so any adults looking for a deep epic fantasy series may be disappointed. However, anybody that enjoys well crafted adventures following the vein of Greek myths will enjoy this book. Riordan has delivered again. Furthermore, he's set himself up to continue this great series by opening Pandora's Box or hanging up the Sword of Damocles to be used in future novels.


4.5 out of 5 stars

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A Great Birthday Weekend

I'll likely add some pictures later, either to this post or to a January wrap-up post. For now, here's a textual update on a great birthday weekend.

For my birthday this year, my goal was to have a relaxed, low-key time of it all. While it wasn't filled with just sitting around or anything like that…the weekend was definitely relaxing.

On Friday night, Lynette and I went out to the new Boondocks up in Kaysville. We did some Laser Tag, rode the go-carts (which was very cold outside at 8 o'clock at night) and played in the arcade. We hit Apollo Burgers on the way home for some greek goodness and then went to bed moderately early.

Saturday we drove out to my aunt/uncle/cousin's house in Grantsville to celebrate my Grandpa's birthday (Happy Birthday Grandpa). It was fun to see a lot of the relatives we really don't see very often. One of my cousins tried her hand at "designer cakes" and made a multi-layer green cake with tees, a flag and a golf ball. It was rad.

Sunday was a day of many church meetings. That evening, my parents and siblings came over for dinner. It was nice to get together with them. After dinner, we played a game of Fearsome Floors and had a lot of fun trying to escape the killer monster in the dungeon.

Monday was my birthday and the U.S. government was kind enough to make it a holiday so I could get the day off. ;)

Monday morning was spent (by me anyway) relaxing, sleeping in and catching up on some reading. In the afternoon, I made a trip to the D.I. and found a couple of great board games to add to my board game collection. That night, we went out to dinner with Lynette's fam at The Spaghetti Factory to celebrate all of the January birthdays on that side. Between our two families, we have a dozen or more family birthdays in January. It's a busy and fun filled month.

All in all, I had a great birthday. I was able to relax a lot, catch up on reading, play some fun games and get out for a fun/whimsical date with Lynette. Definitely a great weekend.

Thanks to everybody for your kind birthday wishes. I'm truly blessed with great family and friends. :)

Review - The Hunger Games

I'd heard the hype about Hunger Games since before its release and it continued to gain momentum and discussion around the web. Cautiously avoiding spoilers, I grabbed hold of a general synopsis and quickly got the feeling that this is a book I would enjoy. I'm generally a fan of books set in dystopian and/or post-apocalyptic futures. I also really enjoy the sort of man vs. man struggles like those portrayed here…where the struggle isn't one caused by "normal" motivations but rather through some sort of contrived situation.

To those unfamiliar with the plot of this book…it's set in the future after the general downfall of American government. The country is now divided into specific Districts, each of which is responsible for producing a certain type of good or service for the good of the nation and especially for the good of the Capitol. Our main character (a teenage girl named Katniss) is from District 12, where they are responsible for coal production.

The Capitol has a set of very stringent rules regarding any sort of mobility (essentially you're born, live and die within your District and it's unlikely you'll ever see outside of the fences surrounding it), the management, production and sale of goods…particularly food. Most citizens receive barely enough food to survive and even then it's only through hard work and ingenuity that they can provide for themselves and their families.

Because of an uprising, the Capitol has instituted The Hunger Games. These "games" take place each year and each district is required to send two teenage participants aged 12-18, one male and one female. The participants, called tributes, from each district are taken to a previously undisclosed location and required to fight to the death. The last tribute alive is declared the victor and returns to his or her district not only with the honor of winning, but also with the reward of being financially "taken care of" for the rest of their life…being put up in a great home and provided with money, food, etc to ensure their comfort. Our protagonist, Katniss, becomes the female tribute from District 12.

The premise itself is an intriguing combination of a number of elements I've seen and enjoyed from other books and stories. The system of selecting the tributes reminded me of the short story The Lottery. The general layout of Districts and order of government reminded me of a variety of 'end of days' books. The fight to the death concept reminded me of ancient Roman gladiators or other similar events where participants are required to kill each other at the whim of the controlling government. While these elements were familiar, the way they were put together made the story fresh and enticing.

The language was fluid and engaging. The target audience is teenagers or young adults, so I expected a fairly easy read. At the same time, the author didn't "talk down" to the reader in any way or pull her punches. On the contrary, she accepted the reader as an equal by providing a quick, smart, tight narrative.

Some of the characters were a little flat, but that was mostly only true of some of the almost faceless tributes that Katniss encounters or the nearly caricaturized people she meets once she arrives in the capitol. I thought the overall characterization was done very well with the exception that through the first few pages (either due to writing or due to my reading too quickly), I thought the narrator was a male rather than our female protagonist. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the characters.

The world that was created was also very intriguing. We begin in District 12 and specifically within the Seam which is the poorest part of the district. While the language and descriptions were fairly modern, the overall feel of the district could easily have been late 19th or early 20th century. Only small evidence exists that we're in modern (not even future) times such as the electrified fence surrounding the district. As we learn more about the community, it's evident that some industrialization has happened since there is talk of trains and other motorized vehicles. But it takes quite a few pages before we're fully aware that we're in an "advanced" future complete with hovercrafts and large scale projection screens that can cover the sky.

I loved the juxtaposition of the poor and degrading District 12 alongside the decadent effulgence of the highly modern Capitol. Truly it was as amazing to the reader as it was to Katniss just how different the two disparate areas were. It also spoke well to the hypocritical and contradictory nature of those governing the land. A theme that became a strong thread in the book.

The intrigue and potential conspiracy or collusion was a lot of fun to follow along and was very compelling to me. I was hoping for more of it, but the man vs man battle of the games didn't provide a ton of opportunity for this. I expect a bit more plotting and scheming in the next book.

The actual Games was a fun adventure. The preparations leading up to the games were rather interesting as each tribute was presented to the world and then trained and prepared to fight to the death. I loved following Katniss through the strange terrain. Again, we were pulled back into a non-futuristic world as the kids ran through forests, streams and mountains. At the same time, we were frequently reminded of the high-tech society whether through the projections in the sky or the high-tech gadgets and medicine provided to the kids. One of my favorite elements was near the end when Katniss encounters the muttations. I really liked the depth and intrigue of those creatures.

If you can't tell by now, I really enjoyed this book. It was a fairly quick read that didn't get too terribly deep. And yet, it provided plenty of food for thought about the way we deal with those around us, the things we take for granted and the things we overthink. It provides a fun and intriguing social commentary worth thinking about. Probably the biggest downside for me was the way it actually ended which isn't a super tense cliffhanger but still leaves you intently wondering what's going to happen next. Fortunately for me, the second book is already out so I won't have to wait ages for it to be written. For those who hate cliffhangers, don't worry too much…the Games come to an end and most things are wrapped up. The "cliffhanger" has to do with some of the events that happened in the Games which have the great potential to instigate change within the Districts and the Capitol and which are poised to explode shortly following the final page.

Definitely recommended. Enjoy it.


4.5 out of 5 stars

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Why is the rum gone?

Thanks for visiting - all 7000+ of you

Wow, I can't explain it...but somehow in December my blog got over 8000 visits. Thanks to whoever decided to spread the word. I seriously doubt I can keep up that kind of visitor rate, but it's a cool accomplishment.

All I can say is...WOW...and how.

Review - Sherlock Holmes

I have been excited about this movie when I first heard they were making it. I was a bit nervous when I heard the casting decisions (I instinctively thought Downey Jr. and Law should have reversed roles…but that was mostly based on physicality and general demeanor). Once I saw the first trailers start coming out, I felt that the casting was done well and I was even more eager to see it. We debated a while about going to see it on Christmas Day…since we couldn't take the kids and Christmas is a day for family. But as the day wound on, we decided that we'd make a run for the theater. The place was packed.

Right from the opening, I was impressed. The imagery was awesome…dark/nighttime shots of cobblestone streets with carriages driving across the city. Shots of a man running through old London mixed among shadow and interesting angles. As we moved inside the buildings, the set work was equally impressive. The subtle music set the tone of mystery and suspense.

When Holmes first appeared, he was an immediate presence and yet still subtle and unassuming. The movie immediately threw us into the action as we followed home to the end of a case and a final confrontation. We first hear Holmes as he analyzes the situation and engages in a fight with a man patrolling the scene. The juxtaposition of intellectual analysis alongside an immobilizing physical fight was done very well. Although Holmes could get physical in the books, I was a bit nervous when the trailer portrayed him being such a man of action and engaging in numerous fights. The way the director presented it was awesome. As Watson and then Lestrade came on the scene to wrap up the pieces of the case, the interaction between the characters was well done and I could feel the camaraderie between Holmes and Watson and the tension between Lestrade and Holmes.

And all of this was before the opening credits. :)

From the trailer, I was aware that there was a woman involved in the movie and various rumors had suggested she was a romantic interest. Early on, we learn that Watson is engaged to be married and I thought perhaps the woman would be his fiancee. But we quickly find that is not the case, which then suggests she must be involved with Holmes. Based on my reading, I knew this must then be Irene Adler (for if it was someone else, there would certainly be an uproar). I admit that I haven't read all the Holmes stories, but based on what I do know of Adler, it would certainly appear that the director/screenwriter took some very distinctive liberties with the character. Generally I felt like they played out well, but the suggested extent of the relation between Holmes and Adler was slightly disconcerting.


As the meat of the plot unraveled, it rapidly became very intriguing and the presentation was rather engaging. Some elements were familiar from other Holmes stories as well as from other stories and movies I've seen (I'm not sure if they were borrowing from Holmes or vice versa). I really enjoyed the way each thread of the mystery played out.

As with any mystery, certain elements were withheld from the audience for the final moment of the reveal. As such, there was no way I could wholly "solve" the mystery to the extent that Holmes did at the end of the film. However, as any good mystery should, I was able to logically put together the pieces and come up with a logical conclusion prior to the ending and with good confidence that I was on the right track.

Once we arrive at the very end of the film, I was slightly disappointed with the way and partnership with which Holmes rushes out to investigate the new crime. I was also grimacing slightly at the mechanism that was the motivation for the new crime he was now chasing down. It makes sense, but just felt a strange stretch. Still, from our modern era looking back on Victorian mystery, it falls in line.

I was also concerned about the general chronology and characterization of two key characters…namely Irene Adler and her 'mysterious employer' (who I almost immediately suspected/knew, but I'll leave that for you to deduce). Again, I haven't read all of the Holmes stories and cannot with certainty identify the situations and motivations of these characters…but some of the liberties taken with them just didn't sit quite right to me.

We're only given a little information that helps us pinpoint exactly where we are in Holmesian lore (certainly a few years after originally meeting Adler…and at a moment when Watson is about to marry and leave Baker Street). Still, with that information, it seems the chronology of the mysterious employer doesn't quite fit, at least to my memory. Nor does it seem right that he and Adler should have any interaction. And yet, based on the ending of the film, it certainly looks as though they're setting up a sequel that will involve them both. It's a minor gripe, especially considering my somewhat limited Holmes knowledge, and I'm confident that I will accept a sequel with open arms, but it was something that nagged at me during the film.

My one other complaint is another minor one and it really only became a distraction during the second viewing (once I was paying attention to items on the periphery). While I felt Robert Downey Jr did a fabulous job portraying the consulting detective, his accent/voice was strained a couple of times. Generally it wasn't a distraction (and certainly not during the first viewing), but as I watched again, there were a couple of moments where the way he pushed through the words just distracted me and reminded me that his voice was an illusion. That said, I'm glad he didn't go for some over-the-top British accent. Holmes was a subtle, distinguished, dignified man. His accent would certainly have been British, but it would not have been extravagant or highly notable. Rather, I'm sure it would have been something that could fall into the background for distanced observation. With that, Downey did great. It was only in a couple of instances where I heard a strain.

While I'm certainly not a Holmes worshipper, nor have I even read all of the books and stories, I have read a good quantity of the stories and watched with pleasure a number of the mysteries presented in TV episodes. I'm definitely not an expert on Holmesian lore and I'm certainly less than knowledgeable about many aspects of his character and life. As such, I am definitely NOT a Holmes purist. From what I hear, most Holmes purists were very skeptical about this rendition. I haven't yet read anything about their reaction now that the film is released, but I'm curious to know what a Holmes purist thinks about this film.

Overall, I absolutely loved this film and am definitely hoping for an extension of the franchise in the presentation of sequels to come. The violence was certainly worthy of a PG-13 rating and younger or sensitive viewers should be duly warned away. The artistic presentation of Victorian London and the excellent screenplay and directorial decisions made for a wonderful experience that I definitely recommend.


5 out of 5 stars

Favorite Books read in 2009

Reading update from 2009 and goal/plan for 2010.

Well, for those who've followed my blog over at least the past year, you may be aware that I had a goal to read 50 books over the course of 2009. There were some that I really enjoyed, others that were an annoyance to finish and others that were alright but nothing to write home about.

Now, if I were to include the various young children's books I read with my kids (Bernstein Bears, Barbie, Arthur, Sweet Pickles, etc), then I most certainly achieved the goal of 50 books. By excluding those short kids/picture books from my official list of "books read", I don't want you to think that I have anything against those books. On the contrary, I really love a lot of those books and really enjoy reading them. And if I come across one that I find particularly new or noteworthy, I will likely include it on a future list. However, with most of those young readers, I have already read the book before and for those I haven't read already, the time and investment in reading those books is generally very little. And honestly, the purpose of my goal is to stretch my reading habits. Some may argue that the graphic novels I included should be left off for the same reason. Honestly, there are a few graphic novels I read that I didn't include. Those I did include were those I either particularly enjoyed or those I felt needed some extra attention.

So, over the course of 2009, I read the 43 books indicated on this page. In many/most cases I also wrote a review…ranging from a couple of paragraphs to a couple of pages. The reviews can be found here on my blog as well as on Goodreads, Library Thing, Selfari and even some on Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com.

Looking over the list, here are some of my favorites from 2009 (in no particular order):

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Both of the books in the Mysterious Benedict Society series

I really enjoyed this newly discovered series of children's books. The protagonists are very intelligent young kids just slightly older than my oldest. While the books are targeted at younger kids, they are very smart, witty and intriguing. At times the writing did drag a little bit, but it made up for it with plot and characters that were well thought out and well executed.

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Captain Blood

Being a lover of all things pirate, I was excited to get into this book. I must admit that some other pirate adventure books can be tedious and boring at times. Captain Blood did occasionally slow down to provide historical or political context, but the moments felt well placed and I was always returned to the suspense and adventure before I became bored with the narrative housekeeping. Additionally, I really loved that the plot involved more than a simple pirate tale of looting and sacking. Instead, it is a well thought out story that creates a very vivid and full character in Captain Blood.

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The Beekeeper's Apprentice

I gave this book to Lynette as a gift a few years ago and has since voraciously devoured the rest of the series while continually proclaiming how good these books are. Enjoying Sherlock Holmes myself and being a fan of mysteries, I gave it a try and I have to agree with her that the writing and the mystery is very well crafted. Over time, I intend to catch up with her in the series to find out where Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell go together.

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The Lightning Thief

This series was recommended to me by a neighbor and I'd often heard it touted as "Harry Potter meets Greek Mythology." I'm honestly VERY skeptical anytime something is compared to anything that has become pop culture. With Lightning Thief, I was pleasantly surprised to find a funny, fresh adventure with great characters and wonderful imagination. I'm anxious to continue the saga (currently reading book 2)

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Fables: Volume 1 - Legends in Exile

I thoroughly enjoyed the remained fairy tales in this book. The modern day crime novel is a fun place to find them duking it out and I think the graphic novel was a great way to present this story. I look forward to reading more in this series and watching these intriguing characters develop.

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Frankenstein

I had never read Frankenstein before and could only base my knowledge of the movies and other cultural references I had encountered. Instead of a pulp horror book, I was surprised to find a very thoughtful novel which provided a lot of insight and thought into humanity and social relations.  I really liked the man vs monster discussions as well as thoughts about the responsibilities of a creator...human or otherwise.

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Tess of the d'Urbervilles

While this is a fairly depressive novel filled with one tragedy after another, I found this to be an entertaining and insightful read. I enjoyed the portrayal of 18th century England as well as the depiction of rural/farm life around the country. The plight of Tess through her life was a really intriguing read. While not a happy story by any means, I really enjoyed this book.

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Rapunzel's Revenge

Another fairy tale retelling in graphic novel form, this time by Shannon Hale (who I also read for the first time this year and enjoyed). I really liked the whimsical nature of this story as well as the interesting twists and turns. The artwork was a lot of fun and the read was definitely enjoyable.  I was impressed with Hale's storytelling and creativity.  I'm also excited to know that a sequel to this book is being released VERY soon (this week?).

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Red Harvest

This book really hit me as an interesting new find. I'd never really read anything in this particular genre…the "dimestore crime novel" or "gritty noir" style. It's interesting to me that this was written in the early 20th century. Admittedly, it is set in that era, but the language just feels so picturesque and animated as compared with other novels from the early 1900s (not to say those other novels were bad). I really loved the narrative voice and characterizations in this novel. The plot was fast paced and exciting with a lot of great twists and turns. It was gritty, exciting and a lot of (violent and crazy) fun.

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The Sun Also Rises

Speaking of novels from the early 1900s, I read my first Hemingway novel this year and really enjoyed it. For some reason, I'd always thought Hemingway's work would be very obtuse and unapproachable. I actually found it to be a much simpler read generally but with a lot of nuances and symbolism that was painted between the lines and I'm certain much of it passed by transparent to me. Still, the story and characters in this novel were very engaging and really intriguing to follow. The style was fluid and comfortable. I really liked this novel and look forward to more Hemingway in the future.

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Now, just because a book from my read in 2009 list didn't make my favorites list above doesn't mean it wasn't a good book or wasn't worth reading. I pushed through and finished all of them, which says something either about the book or about me. Some were certainly much better than others and there are a number of them that I won't be recommending, but there are few (if any) that I would actually dissuade someone from reading.

I'm looking forward to another great year of reading. My goal is once again to try and read 50 books this year. Even if I don't reach 50, as long as I meet or surpass last year's count of 43, I'll be happy….especially if I like as many this year as I did last year.

Happy Reading!

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year!



Yes, I know I'm a week or so late, but hey, better late than never, right? ;)

We had a great New Year's celebration to wrap up an adventurous year and a full filled holiday break. This past year was definitely eventful, if nothing else.

The kids have new little cousins to dote over. Julia started Kindergarten (and loves it). Andrew was baptized and joined the Cub Scouts. Jason earned his Bear in cubs and is stoked to join Webelos in the next couple of weeks (he's actually already been meeting with them). Lynette's having a ball as counselor in Young Women's and I've been busy as counselor in Elder's (I was the Pack Cubmaster for the first ~half of the year as well and that was a lot of fun too). We had a fun family vacation to Yellowstone that everybody loved. A variety of family struggles annoyed both our immediate and external family, but overall, we've pushed through it.

For New Year's Eve, we had a casual, spur of the moment relaxing party at our house. We invited family over and had Karla, my dad and my grandpa hang out and play games. The kids and I played some Chicken Cha-Cha-Cha (Julia's favorite new game from our Christmas haul) as well as Cloud 9, Uno, For Sale and even a little Slap Jack. The adults played some Cartagena, Fearsome Floors, Hearts, Settlers of Catan and Thurn & Taxis. At midnight, we pulled out some "poppers" for the kids to make some noise and lit a couple of ground blooms.


On the evening following New Year's Eve (so New Year's Day--Night?), we had a "Dickens Dinner Party" at the Baxters. Everybody dressed in Victorian dress (including the servant girls) and we all gathered in a lovely Victorian dining room. Amid soft candlelight, we enjoyed salad, cheese, crackers, bread, roast chicken and mashed potatoes. It was a great dinner and a lot of fun.

This past Monday night, the family members each set some goals ranging from "be nice" and "help mom more" to "pay off credit cards." We also decided to get a family exercise regime going and everybody also set a goal for personal scripture study in addition to our family scripture reading.

This next year should be exciting as well.

I'm poised to graduate (finally) in the spring and I'll be sure to have a nice celebration of that event. Jason will be in Webelos and working towards his Webelos and Arrow of Light. We're planning a "staycation" this year and are looking at which summer activities the kids will be involved in (we've got a couple of budding gymnasts hoping for gymnastic classes). Julia will start 1st grade in the fall which means a full day of school for everybody. This doesn't really mean any more time for Lynette (despite the general assumption that it does…since she volunteers in each kids' class), but it will bring some changes.

I'm sure there are other known adventures coming up this year but there are also plenty of unknowns that I'm looking forward to. No matter what happens, a positive attitude, a good outlook, and a willingness to work for the best means that no matter what struggles come our way, we're sure to have a wonderful 2010.

I can't wait. :)

Christmas 2009 - Part 2

(Continued from the previous Christmas post)


Finally, the week of Christmas, we went to dinner with Lynette's dad (on Sunday) and dinner with my parents (on Christmas Eve) and the official FAMILY Christmas festivities were underway.

We had a fun dinner with Lynette's dad and siblings full of crazy Losee family jokes and hilarity. The cousins got rather crazy and there was some worry that they were going to break through the walls/doors/floors running around. They settled down a bit as they opened gifts, but then they took their loot and made a wild run for it.

We arrived at my grandparents' home a little early and relaxed watching "The Santa Clause 2" (which was actually more fun than I thought it would be). Once the traditional cheese soup had simmered sufficiently and the rest of the family had arrived, we had our official "bread bowl soup feast." It was great to see the whole family together…even those who had missed Thanksgiving were able to be there for Christmas Eve. It was great.

After dinner, we played a few games…a relay race with Christmas bows and a Christmas themed Jeopardy game. It was a lot of fun, although some were crying foul throughout the games. Still, everybody was smiling.

After the games, we exchanged gifts with those we wouldn't see the following day. Everybody was excited with their new toys and clothes. The boys especially loved the cool maze boards that were made for them…essentially a piece of wood with nails strategically placed such that rubber bands can be added, removed, and adjusted to make all sorts of different mazes. They've had lots of fun trying to come up with devious mazes.

Then…it was time to go home and try and settle the kids down for that long winter's nap. They each opened a present from under our tree (which was surprisingly a pair of pajamas) and then they were off to bed. Amazingly, everybody was asleep by 10.

The next morning the kids were itching to get up. We try to push for a rule of nobody up before 7…but they always push their limits. At about 6:40, we were all in the living room filled with smiles and shouts of excitement to see what Santa had left. The boys were each thrilled over their new LEGO sets. Julia was very excited to see that she and her doll now had matching dresses and that she had a new vanity to place in her room.

We let them play a bit but by about 7:30, the excitement was too much and we unloaded the gifts from under the tree. I absolutely love that the kids are so excited to see the reaction as people open the gifts that they got for them. Julia was especially excited to point out again and again what she had chosen for people. So much fun.


The next few hours were spent playing with the new goodies and relaxing with the fun. Around 10 o'clock, Lynette started cooking up some sausage for her family who were coming over for brunch. When they had arrived, the excitement began again. The kids wanted to show all their new loot to their cousins. Food wasn't exactly a priority with anybody. The kids each opened a few more gifts. Lynette and I found some more games added to our collection (huzzah). The kids begged me to blow up their new sledding tubes (I was a bit lightheaded after the third). We spent the early afternoon playing Pictionary and relaxing. Later in the day we decided we should go see a movie…Sherlock Holmes in particular. We raced up to Layton and squeezed into the crowded theater for a great show (was so much fun, we saw it again the next day).

When we got home, we played with the kids a bit and then sent them off to bed all tuckered out. Lynette, Karla and I played a few games and then we hit the sack as well.


It was certainly a great Christmas. Everyone had a lot of fun and it was great to have a fun, relaxing time to get together with all of the family.

Christmas 2009 - Part 1

Ah, Christmastime.

We just had a wonderful Christmas break. In addition to being out of school, I was able to take a few days off between Christmas and New Years so we could all spend some good fun quality time together.

So…what did our Christmas gauntlet involve?

In early December, we made a trip out to Temple Square to see the lights. It was bitter cold so we didn't actually wander the entire square before the kids were freezing and begging for a break. As it normally is, Temple Square was beautiful.
My memory could be incorrect, but it seems like this was the first time they had the Joseph/Mary/Jesus nativity set up on the reflecting pond. It was gorgeous.

Once the kids were thoroughly frozen, we stopped into the Joseph Smith building and got some hot chocolate (molten chocolate, actually…as was discovered by the kids by burning their tongues *ouch*) and a brief warm up before walking up to the Cathedral of the Madeline for a Christmas concert by the Salt Lake Children's Choir. The two girls that Jason carpools with to school were in the concert…otherwise we might not have known about it.


The concert was amazing. There were a couple of more "familiar carols" but many/most of the songs were old religious hymns, some in English, many in Latin. The children (ranging from ~7-teens?) had amazing voices. The acoustics in the Cathedral were fabulous and even though the choir was relatively small (~20 kids singing at a time), the sound was marvelous.


The Cathedral itself is gorgeous. The masonry outside is awesome. The artwork on the walls, windows, etc. is amazing. Overall, this is a gorgeous church. It provided great opportunities to point out beautiful architecture and art to the kids. It also allowed us to discuss practices of other religions. We sat right next to the confessionals and they were curious as to what that was all about. They also wondered about the prayer candles we passed on the way to the bathroom. It was cool to explain some of those things to them.

A few days later, we took the kids shopping down at the University Mall to check out the Disney Store for gift ideas. We also took advantage of the drive to stop in at Pirate Island Pizza. The kids loved the pirate themed decorations throughout the restaurant. They really went all out to make you feel like you were on a pirate island. From stone walls, caves, skeletons, pirate ships, torches and all the servers in costume, it was truly an immersive experience.

The food was reasonably priced and tasted pretty good. The arcade was tucked far enough away that we didn't have too much trouble ensuring that the kids ate their food before running off to play. The arcade was really busy (it was a Saturday night) which caused some anxiety as the kids each took off in different directions, but we quickly managed to get everybody together again. Jason did great at one game involving a ball dropping into holes with specific point values…he hit the jackpot time and again and ended up with hundreds of tickets. I was impressed by their shooting gallery. Not only was it well themed to the pirates, but the guns were well sited and worked well (unlike similar shooting galleries I've played).


The kids each handed in their tickets for some fun pirate swag. Lynette saw a cute pirate finger puppet and had to hit some more games to earn enough tickets to pick him up. On the way out, they also had a gift shop that we wandered for a few minutes. There were some great pirate themed trinkets that I'm going to have to go and look at again in the future.


Jason's class put on a Christmas program. It was short notice for me so I didn't get to attend, but Lynette caught some pictures and video of his "Little Drummer Boy" performance.

The weekend before Christmas we had our ward Christmas breakfast. It was nice to hang out with neighbors and eat a nice meal. The kids were excited for the "special guest" who arrived after we ate. At least, they were supposedly excited. As Santa walked in, Jason and Andrew were suddenly nowhere to be seen. Julia was very excited and was actually the first one on his lap. But the boys were too busy running around and having fun with the neighborhood kids…they didn't even want to come say HI to Santa.

A few days before Christmas, we took the kids up to Ogden to see the decorated houses in Santa's Village. It's a Christmas tradition from Lynette's family that she's proudly instituted in ours. It was a lot of fun and the kids loved looking at the hilariously decorated little houses. (our camera died before we got pictures of the houses, but we did get a picture of Andrew playing 'king of the hill' on the huge snow pile next to our car)

(and now, I take a break from a lengthy post...the rest of Christmas will be continued in the next post)