McAllister Family Blog - Bagby

Christmas Day and Daddy's Funny Haircut

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 08:27:00 -0700

Somewhere between between opening presents, and learning the valuable lesson of present precedence (more on that later), and kicking back for a lazy Christmas day I decided I needed a haircut. Eager to facilitate this wish, in fact a little too eager, Amber offered to pull out the clippers and recreate the short-haired look of last summer. For the most part I enjoyed the look, but especially the feel, so I agreed to such a style. In our haste to remove the fro we got our fractions a little mixed up. We knew that in August we used a guard that had an 8 on it. Amber was almost certain that it was the 1/8" guard. I wasn't positive, but I also didn't object. As the hair began to gather on the the bathroom floor we both thought it would be funny to leave a stripe of curly hair on the top of my head. So proud of our creation, we called up Ambers parents on Skype get their feedback on my new look. They were less than impressed. Ashley, on the other hand, thought my new due was a riot. She would look at me, point, and laugh while exclaiming, 'Daddy's got a funny haircut!' Even after cleaning off the mohawk Ashley still looks at me and laughs, simply saying, 'Daddy's got a funny haircut.' So, now we know to use the 3/8" guard when cutting my hair, not the 1/8". In the mean time I'm getting reacquainted with my collection of hats. Not necessarily because I'm ashamed of the look, but that Cache Valley wind on my scalp is COLD!

Snow Party!!

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 22:01:00 -0700

There was nearly two whole weeks left in February when I started writing this entry, and now it's two days into March. The key event for our family in the second month of the year is the celebration of Ashley's birth. We decided to make use of this years most abundant winter resource and throw a Snow Party! The gathering commenced over at a local park, called Cliffside, that sits at the base of the mountains. It's wide-open rolling slopes, with very few interfering trees, made for a perfect sledding area. Amber's family showed up in mass for the activity, joining us with our good friends the Billmans who also came up from Provo. Although Ashley had been sledding before in our backyard, that was a very shallow slope and the ride lasted maybe 3-5 seconds. Her first experience on an actual hill didn't go as well. She didn't quite appreciate the thrill at first, even while riding safely in Mommy's arms. It wasn't until we drastically reduced the speed of descent before Ashley enjoyed the ride. However, she did enjoy being pulled around the park like royalty. Everyone else in attendance seemed to enjoy themselves. Especially Ashley's Granny Bagby who hiked twice up the hill - with the aid of her cane - only to come screaming down on a plastic toboggan. No one was injured during the activity. The festivities culminated back at our house as the group retreated for pizza, Amber's lovely snowman cake, and Ashley's presents. We also presented a short film on Ashley's Second Year. You can find an online version here, although you should be warned that it's a rather large file. It could take a few minutes to load before it begins playing. The month ended much like it began, having family visit from out of town. This time, rather than a whole crew, we were happy to have Amber's sister Stacy and daughter Sienna visit for a few days. Ashley and Sienna enjoyed having someone to play with. Stacy provided a huge service by watching Ashley while Amber spent a week at work while she received training on some new software that her office is using. We have loved the snow and all the visitors we've received during February. We're hoping to continue to entertain guests as the weather warms up, but we're done with the snow. It can melt away now.

Merry Christmas 2007

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 10:45:00 -0700

Snow was falling in large clumps by the time I pulled into the garage on Christmas Eve. Normally I would have felt bad for shopping on the last possible day, but with my recent work schedule I was lucky to get out and shop at all. Plus, I was getting home so that Amber could have the car to head out one last time herself, so I didn't feel too bad. By the time Amber returned from her excursion into the masses the flakes had accumulated a few inches, softening the world with a wintery glow. We prepared a ham, cheesy potatoes, and green bean casserole for our Christmas Eve feast. And, although we missed being close to family, we reveled in the quiet simplicity of being at home. The remainder of the evening was spent watching a short film entitled, 'The Other Wise Man,' and explaining to Ashley what was going to happen in the morning. I think we made progress, as we could hear her excitedly repeat, "Santa's coming", before falling asleep in her crib. We were awakened by Ashley talking happily, and although it would make a great story to say that she was still saying, "Santa's coming", we're pretty sure it wasn't that. Although, we're not exactly sure what she was saying. We started with stockings, with the best part seeing the understanding that would come into Ashley's eyes when she realized that the presents inside the sock were for her. Next came breakfast, and then our gifts to Jesus. Watching our child's reactions was the most fun I've had on Christmas, possibly ever. Ashley was into the whole process. It didn't matter who the present was for, she was there to assist in the tearing of paper or picking off of bows. Watching her was worth every bit of preparation and work that went into the Holiday. Following the presents we made use of the sled that Ashley got me, the snow clothes that Ashley received, and the newly fallen snow outside to give Ashley her first real experience playing in the snow. There is a slight incline in our backyard that provided an ideal sled hill for the first-timer. She laughed with glee as Amber and I pulled her around on the sled. The rest of the day was spent relaxing, and was so peaceful. Ashley spent the afternoon stockpiling all the bows she could find; and then she ran around the house carrying as many bows as would fit in her arms. Amber and I enjoyed the ensuing week off of work, as the university was closed between Christmas and New Years. The beginning moments of 2008 were spent with our good friends the Billmans. Their son Sam was born on the last day of 2005 - which makes him a little more than a month older than Ashley. We partied for Sam's birthday in the afternoon. Then after the kids went to bed we played games until just before midnight, when we tuned in to watch the ball drop in Times Square. Our festive celebrations came to an end this weekend as we travelled down to the Bagby homestead in Orem to exchange gifts amongst Ambers siblings and parents. An added bonus to the weekend was having the privilege of sharing in the joy of Amber's longtime friend April getting sealed to her longtime sweetheart Clint. It's always fun to see two people come together to start a new family, especially when those two are as happy as April and Clint. Family is the string that ties us all together, and Christmas is one of those times where the string is tightened to pull us all that much closer together.

Hey, Look! We skipped November!

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 22:01:00 -0700

What started as a weekly email has now degraded to a bimonthly blog. We last wrote just before Halloween, where Ashley masqueraded around the neighborhood as a bumble bee. It didn't take long for her to understand exactly how Trick-or-Treating worked. Before we realized what was happening our quick visit to immediate neighbors turned into a trip around the block with Ashley running from house to house in search of more candy. That same night was the start of the USU basketball season. As mentioned in our previous post, we sprang for season tickets thinking this was going to be a special season. So far, it has appeared that the basketball team has been hanging out with the football team. But, the games are fun to attend. After her initial first game jitters Ashley has settled in to the whole basketball game routine. She'll now clap when the crowd does and knows the name of our star player, Jaycee, our coach, Stew, she can make the sound for "woosh" when ever the Aggies make a free throw, and most importantly, her favorite phrase is, "Goo Aggies!" Thanksgiving brought family together from all over the northern part of the state. The first annual Family Soccer Game was organized at the Bicentennial Park, just behind Jen's (Amber's sister) house in Provo. Representatives from both Amber and Scott's families were in attendance, and fun was had by all who were there. The day concluded with an extremely pleasant meal at the Bagby homestead, surrounded by family and friends alike. One major difference from our celebrations of previous Thankful weekends was the omission of Black Friday observance. In years past, we would get up before dawn with the rest of the bargain crazies and stand out in the cold to get get some nifty gadget for next to nothing - after completing the mail-in rebate, of course. No, this year we decided to sleep to a normal hour. Amber went out to the stores after they opened and was still able to get all the deals we were remotely interested in. Feeling rested for the remainder of the weekend was welcome change, and helped to keep all activities pleasant. As the Christian-American population is aware Thanksgiving signifies the formal start to the Christmas season. Each year the Holidays get more and more exciting as Ashley learns more about them. This year will be remembered as the time when Ashley learned about the Christmas Tree. A couple of weeks ago, while Amber was visiting with a neighbor in their kitchen, Ashley was playing with a couple of the neighbors kids in the front room. The oldest of the neighbor kids came into the kitchen, where the ladies were talking, to get some food. At that moment there came a loud crash from the front room, followed by Ashley erupting into tears. Running into the room, the reflex of the mother of the two children was to yell the name of the child still in the room where the crash was heard, and the crying was still pouring from. However, the adults found that said child was fast sleeping on the couch while the balling Ashley stood next to the festively decorated tree - now lying on the carpet. Embarrassed by the destruction that our child accomplished, Amber excused herself and Ashley after helping to pick up pieces of some broken ornaments. After such an experience, we really don't mind that according to Ashley all brightly decorated trees are called, "kiss-mass tree. no touch!". -------------------- In case you receive these messages via email we've done a little fixing up of the blog's layout. Check it out: http://www.twincreekdesign.com/blog/mcallisterfamily

Summer 2007, Part 1

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 22:26:00 -0700

Two and a half months into my employment change I already have by boots securely in the stirrups of my new surroundings. I would be lying if I said the transition was silky smooth, but the important thing is that everything at work feels pretty good now. Our summer, to this point, has revolved around shaping the masses of rocks and dirt around our house into something that resembles a yard. With the aide of a borrowed Landscaping Rake, yesterday's task was to even out the recently tilled dirt and sift out the last of the large rocks. Success was measured by the fact that we completed the task before noon and were able to escape some of the hottest hours of the 100-degree day. Some highlights of fun-ness have been the Robertson (Amber's Mom's) Family Reunion at the Heber Valley Camp. To call it camping is a stretch, as each site is equipped with a sink, natural gas hookups, full-sized refrigerator, and bathrooms complete with hot water and warm showers. Our site centered around three cabins that each had bunks for 16. From what I understand, the prices are very low because the guests are expected to help out with keeping their sites clean. With that said, it was super fun and we hope that it becomes a yearly tradition. It may even be a great place for a McAllister gathering, should we want to meet up in the mountains of Utah. Another very high note was the wedding of Amber's sister Lara to Eric Izant - which took place the same week as the excursion to Heber Valley. It was a wonderful occasion on a beautiful day. Plus, it will be nice to have a third male to rotate with in pulling names for Christmas. Ashley is getting more sure on her feet as the days tick by. Her vocabulary is also expanding. Her latest additions have been, "book", and "nigh-night". Amber continues to amaze with her juggling of motherhood, work, and coordinating help and advice on the yard. Work has been especially busy with a software upgrade that she spearheaded. Although the end result was a complete success, she is grateful for back-ups, and only had to restore the database once. And, if she can get a few minutes to clink some notes on the piano Ambers day is nearly perfection. I had the opportunity to geek out at a ColdFusion (the programming language is code in) conference in Washington D.C. at the beginning of the month. The week provided a chance for me and my co-workers to be filled with information on best practices and new technologies. While we were there, my brother Bryan drove three hours from Pennsylvania to hang out with us for an afternoon. He chauffeured us out to the new Air and Space Museum where we were overloaded with cool and historic aviation artifacts. Among the highlights were the SR-71 (fastest plane in the world - travels more than 3 times the speed of sound), Space Shuttle Enterprise, and the Enola Gay. We rounded out our stay at the museum with an IMAX film about fighter pilot training and a trip up observation tower, before completing the day with an introduction to Five Guys Famous Burgers. It could best be described as a east coast In-n-Out. Until next time, don't be strange...

December: The Month of Driving

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 21:10:00 -0700

Monthly seems to be about the pace I can handle for updating the world on our family. Christmas is the most exciting time of year. With this being Ashley's first go round with the unwrapping frenzy, Amber and I started feeling the familiar build up of anticipation that was common during our childhood years. Only now, we dwelled on the thought of watching Ashley discover the Holiday, rather than worry about which packages had our names on them. Three of the four December weekends were spent in the happy confines of the Utah Valley (known as the Provo area to most of the world). The excessive driving has meshed into a blur of taillights and overpasses, with only warm memories of moments spent with family and friends left to enjoy in our minds. As a new father my thoughts repeatedly touched on the carpenter Joseph this season. Something struck me while watching a short film depicting the story of the Savior's birth. I had seen this actual rendition several times. But this time, after Joseph was rejected by the inn keeper, and just before he turns back to his very pregnant wife, he paused to express a look of utter frustration. He wanted nothing more than to provide comfort to his wife and unborn child. Yet, he seemed to be failing miserably. The fatherly role of doing everything possible to comfort a wife who was large with child was something I could relate to this year. We stopped by the Perego's - home of my sister Jenna - while traveling down to the Bagby's the day before Christmas Eve. We caught the Perego's at a bad time as they were all sleeping with the exception of Ugo, who was freshly home after spending several weeks in his native Italy. After chatting with him other family members began wake up one-by-one. Christmas Eve issued the return of The Nativity Reenactment, brought to you by the Bagby's and Friends. Ashley and Amber tag-teamed as the star while I played the vital role of the videographer. Such an eventful performance had to be captured in full motion and sound. You can purchase your copy at our store for the low price of $19.95 (plus S&H). The big day dawned with nary a stir through the Bagby Place. After showers and bit of breakfast my girls and I decided to slide on over to my sister Julia's place on the west side of town. We arrived there just in time for the assembling of the Christmas gifts. For me, that meant getting beaten at Spider Chess by a seven year-old. And then celebrating victory by trying out their new sleds in the backyard. We finished our visit with a hardy breakfast and then returned to a still silent Bagby house. At the stroke of 2 p.m. - after all the siblings arrived from their homes - the unwrapping commenced. Our video camera was glued to Ashley as she tugged and pulled on the paper and bows. The colorful toys underneath the packaging also captured her attention - much to the relief of her parents. We travelled south one last time for the year the following weekend. We used this jaunt to celebrate the first birthday of Ashley's boyfriend - Sam Billman - born on New Years Eve. The calendar year switched over just following a game of Settlers of Catan, and just before falling asleep.

Black Friday 2006

Sun, 26 Nov 2006 21:04:00 -0700

Who ever came up with the idea to have holidays that force employers to give you time off should be given a gold star. This four-day weekend could not have come a better time. With the deadline of a major upgrade in our software that we're building at work looming at the beginning of December we've been spending many a day coding into the the darkness of night. The idea of getting an extended break was a great motivation, and that break has been well used. I've kept my distance from computers for much the break, with the exception of a few rounds of Halo with my brother in-law Serge. After another late night of coding we left Thursday morning and traveled south to the more densely populated areas of Salt Lake and Provo. We stopped off at the Perego's, the home of my sister Jenna. After a tour of their house - they moved across the street about six months ago and Amber had yet to see the new place - we discussed our strategies for attacking the Black Friday sales over some fruity juice. The juice was unlike any I had ever tasted, so I had to make mention of it here. On to our destination at the Bagby home for a gathering of family and good traditional food. It was during that evening that Serge broke out my one video gaming weakness - Halo. I'm absolutely awful at the game, but I've played enough to feel comfortable with the controls. Serge still obliterated me. But, it was fun to do something different. A rousing game of Loaded Questions concluded the family portion of the evening. After everyone left - around 10pm - Amber and I went for a quick drive to scout out the Black Friday situation at the local stores. Every store already had a line forming, with the exception of Comp USA which was still open. Serge was nervous about the situation. He dropped off his wife and daughter and zipped back up to Comp USA to start the line at that store. Amber and I were already back home before I knew Serge was in position as line leader. When he and I touched base we decided that I would get a few winks in before joining him at the store entrance. I was very concerned that I would sleep through my 3am alarm - it being nearly midnight now. Amber reassured me that if the alarms didn't wake me she would. The next thing I heard was my wife's voice whispering, "Scott! Scott! You were right! You slept through the alarms!" Sleepy eyed and groggy I stumbled quietly down the stairs, opening my phone to check the time. Instead of the time I saw the message that Serge had called around 1:15am. I hit talk, half expecting him to tell me that something went wrong and that I shouldn't bother coming out to the store. Such was not the case. He was still there and actually quite grateful that I had called as he also dozed off in his car for a few hours. It turns out that while waiting by the store entrance Serge made friends with the security guard on duty. As the guard was leaving he told my brother in-law that he would come back on duty at 4am. He also mentioned that since he had seen Serge waiting where the line might be that he would allow Serge to go wait in his car if he wanted and would allow him to reclaim in line position at 4. Serge took full advantage of this and grabbed a quick nap that last until my call woke him up at about 3:40am. I grabbed half a pumpkin pie out of the fridge and headed out. The sight of food brought a smile to Serge's face. No one was yet in line, but cars were beginning to swarm the parking lot. We claimed the top spot and had no trouble getting our items once the doors made way for the stampede at 5am. What was worth braving the cold all night, you might ask? Both of us were there for the 250-GB external hard drives that were on sale. And I picked up at wireless router for a couple bucks. Amber had her eye on some deals at Staples, but wasn't willing to arise early to get them. Staples opened an hour after Comp USA so I headed up State Street to save Amber a spot in line. She was able to get mostly everything she sought after as well. Not a bad turn out for another Black Friday. During my drive back to the Bagby's my body felt pretty good considering my lack of sleep. Of course, my mind changed while I found my self on a six-foot ladder that afternoon putting up the Bagby Christmas lights. It was there that I muttered to myself "never again" would I participate in the early morning rituals of Black Friday. But, that totally depends on the deals that get offered next year.

It is not good for man to be alone

Sun, 05 Nov 2006 21:15:00 -0700

I learned a valuable lesson a couple weeks ago. It was something that I already knew, but it was reiterated when my dear Amber left me with our sweet little Ashley and went down south to Springville, UT for a week. The lesson was simple and proven three times over during the five day period of Amber's absence: it is not good for man to be alone. On Monday - around mid-day, while I was at work - the two most important ladies headed south for Utah county to stay with Amber's sister Stacy and her new daughter Sienna while Stacy's husband Serge was at a conference in Vegas. Amber and Stacy both claim that the reason for the trip was so that Amber could lend a hand to the new mother and offer support in Serge's absence. But, every time I spoke with Amber she sounded more happy with each call. My suspicions of enormously fun partying increased with each conversation. What ever went on, I could tell that she was enjoying herself being so close to family for week. My new independence found me walking in from work on Monday night to a dark and motionless home. After surveying my vacant surroundings I did what any guy would do in my situation. Popped in a Simpson's DVD and watched cartoons for two hours. When the disc was over I headed upstairs, probably thinking it was time for bed, but got side tracked by my old turntable. I hadn't spun a record since before Ashley was born. Since no one was sleeping in the next room, I hooked that bad boy up to the stereo and cranked the sucker. While enjoying the tunes, I grew curious about how sound traveled in our new place. After some short exploring I found that the music could faintly be heard in the basement, but to my delight even less could be heard outside. Like the Simpson's DVD, the record ended soon enough and I found myself surrounded by the loneliness of an empty house. Reluctantly, I prepared for bed. This routine includes downing various vitamins, one of which is a new horse pill that I had begun taking the week prior. At that moment I got the bright idea to cut said horse pill in half thinking it would swallow easier. Taking a flat metal spatula that was already out on the counter I successfully split the and the skin on my left pinkie. Nothing major, just my first reminder that it was not good for man to be alone. Wednesday evening brought my second reminder. Because I didn't like the feeling of being in an empty house I decided to stay at work until 7pm on Wednesday. While traveling home from campus through the rain mixed with snow that was being blown in all directions my umbrella decided it had had enough. It's functionality to fully open or close no longer existed. Some time during my struggle to get the umbrella to a manageably closed position somehow I sliced the meaty part of my left thumb. I didn't noticed the cut on my hand for some time. But after I had been home several minutes something caught my eye and I was surprised by the discovery of a bloody wound. This one was slightly more serious than the previous injury of Monday night. But, I was the talk of the office with my coworkers laughing at the increasing number of band aids on my hand. My final reminder that it was not good for man to be alone occurred the following evening - my last night as a bachelor. While preparing a delicious dinner of chicken fajitas I successfully chopped up an onion and thawed out the chicken. You'd think a former Subway Sandwich Artist would be able to slice a green pepper with out incident, but I was able to catch my right index finger with the slicer. The instant pain told me that it was a bad cut. After soaking it under the faucet for a few minutes I turned my hand over to inspect the damage. One look at the wound and I said out loud, "yeah, that's stitches." I called my buddy Joe - remember Amber had the car - and he gave me a ride to the hospital. When the nurse removed my bloody wad of paper towels she told me that I probably would not need stitches, because there was no skin to stitch. Our slicer is so good, that it lopped a small portion of my finger tip right off. She dressed the wound and then told me that in the morning I should just put a band aid with neosporin on it. I then sheepishly asked, if I had just put neosporin and a band aid on it at home would I have been okay. She nodded her head. Joe did well to keep a straight face. Looking down at my hacked up hands I was grateful that Amber and Ashley would be home in less than 24 hours. And, at least the house was in one piece.

Ashley's New Cousin

Sun, 15 Oct 2006 21:02:00 -0700

Last saturday Ashley got a new cousin! Sienna Lynn St. Felix was born on October 6. Our assesment of the situation is that mom and baby looked to be doing well when we visited them last weekend. Serge is a proud father. Sienna looked very alert for being just a few days old. Congratulations to the St. Felixes for their first child and the Bagby's for their second grandchild.

Conference Weekend

Sun, 15 Oct 2006 20:49:00 -0700

Our last two weekends straight have been spent in the company of family and friends in the greater Provo area. The first weekend was for General Conference and the second was to celebrate the birth of Ashley's first cousin on her Mommie's side of the family - Sienna St. Felix. Taking things in chronological order, I have yet to figure out how to pay attention to General Conference while not being at a church or inside the Conference Center. As if sitting on a soft couch was bad enough, now there is this adorable child to play with. In fact, we have a great home movie of her during the opening session on Saturday. Due to some serious health issues with Amber's parents we weren't able to stay at their home as we normally do on our trips south. But, Amber's very pregnant sister Stacy graciously invited us to their home in Springville - just south of Provo. Although we missed Ken and Joyce, it was fantastic staying with Stacy and Serge. We also used that weekend to see our friends who have departed Logan for the bigger cities. On Friday, in an attempt to surprise Amber for her birthday - the day before - I arranged to meet our friends the Lewis' at a pizza joint (Gapeddo's: very good) in Salt Lake. When I made the plans I forgot to take General Conference/Mission Reunions/Highway construction into account when figuring driving time. Rather than the 90 minutes it normally takes to get from Logan to SLC, we crawled down the interstate arriving at our destination after 3 hours in the car. Amazingly, the Lewis' were still at the restaurant and they didn't even hate us for being so late. Saturday conference was spent at our friends the Billmans. All enjoyed the company of friends and the moments of talks that we heard. Ashley made sure to provide the entertainment. Now we just need to work on her timing. Sunday was spent with family. For the morning session we stayed with Stacy and Serge. We joined up with the Perego's who came down from Taylorsville to the Andersen's in Orem. We ate lunch with the bunch and then slep, I mean, watched the last session of conference. Following conference we headed up Provo Canyon for a gathering of cousins stemming from my mom's side of the family. That was fun, considering I don't meet up with that group all that often.

My Trip to Manti

Thu, 10 Aug 2006 21:57:00 -0700

Last week we packed into our Hyundai in the wee hours of the morning to head on down to Manti. It's a three hour drive from where we live. One of Amber's cousins, Matt, was getting married and figured it would be fun to gather with some of the extended family. All I can say about Manti is wow. I mean, I heard it was small but I had no idea! I thought Morton, IL (the town where I went to high school) was small, but I believe Manti is probably about half the size of that. I do admit that it is a beautiful place. The temple looks a like a white version of the one in Logan. And the interior is still the old style, which I like. The Logan temple was renivated a couple decades ago and lost all of it's old time look. It looks old and pretty on the outside and 70s or 80s pretty on the inside. After pictures we drove back to Provo where there was a wedding luncheon at Magleby's. Nice place. I discovered that prime rib is a fancy way of saying sliced roast beef. Still good, though. Keeping Ashley entertained while at the restaurant was a feet. Amber handled her quite well through the meal. She has a great talent of subduing our little one. Then during the post food discussions I escaped with my daughter out to the sidewalk. We toured the shopping center for a few minutes while Ashley settled down and then returned to see everyon leaving. We made a quick stop by the Bagby homestead on our way home so that we could change into more comfortable traveling clothes. Geoff came over, it's nice having family in the area. Ashley was very vocal about her negative feelings toward her car seat during about 2/3 of the trip. This only made us that much more excited for the 20-hour drive that awaits us next week during our trip to the McAllister Family Reunion in Illinois.

Park City Burning: Day 4 - Final Day

Sun, 06 Aug 2006 19:37:00 -0700

The morning of the fourth and final day of the reunion opened with the hysteria of packing in preparation for an eleven o'clock departure. The main objective for the morning was to get out of the hotel and down to the Olympic Park for a ski jump show, set to begin at high noon. Your eyes did not deceive you, we went to a freestyle ski jump show in the middle of July. It turns out that in addition to having world class ski hills and bobsled tracks the Olympic Park in Park City also has a set of jumps that all point toward a pool. The family joined a few hundred other spectators as we marveled at the high flying acrobatics of the skiers as they vaulted off the ramps and came splashing down. After the show a few of us (me, Jen, Melissa, and Lara) all went over to the zip line that flew above the huge ski jumps. The highlight of the ride could have easily been waiting at the top of the hill in anticipation for your turn, while watching everybody else in front of you go. As they strap you into your harness the workers ask you to lean up against a door. Once you're secure the door falls open, allowing you to plummet down the side of the mountain while hanging from a cable. With our time at the Olympic Park coming to an end the rest of the group journeyed back to Orem while I headed to Salt Lake. I spent the Saturday afternoon helping my sister's husband, Ugo, with some home improvement projects. Our main task was taking some carpet he had ripped out of his upstairs and rolled it out in a room in his basement. Once the carpet was laid perfectly I rain across town to Rice-Eccles Stadium to catch one of the craziest upsets I've seen to date. Last place RSL beat first place DC United on two goals in the last five minutes of play. Following the game I rejoined Amber and Ashley down at the Bagbys. The next morning we departed for Logan and arrived just in time to get changed and walk into church.

Park City Burning: Day 3 - "No Golf"

Thu, 03 Aug 2006 23:38:00 -0700

The third day of the reunion was scheduled our annual try at golf. I first realized I liked playing a yearly round of nine holes during last year's reunion in St. George. It occured to me there that the level of enjoyment that I got out of playing golf depended largely on the company that I was with. Last year's event was highlighted by comedy act of the Brothers Bagby, who exhibited humor I will not utter here. The drawback to playing golf this year seemed to be the fact that golfing in Park City must be much more popular than in St. George because all the courses were full. Instead we spent another relaxing day at the hotel pool. Once our individual levels of cholrine consumption hit their peeks it was off to the Outlet Mall that makes Park City famous. As a typical member of the male species I eagerly anticipate mall shopping like a root canal. Ironically, I was the one who came away with a clothing purchase - a pair of running shoes from the adidas store. As it was our day to take care of food - which we prepared an amazing breakfast assortment of waffles, eggs and bacon - we hustled back from shopping to put together a delightful dinner of chicken parmesan. It's a meal I've prepared before, but never for 10 people. I know have a much greater appreciation for my mom who cooked for a family of 8 every night. Probably why I never heard of chicken parmesan until after I left home.

Park City Burning: Day 2 Part B

Thu, 03 Aug 2006 00:21:00 -0700

How could I forget the game night after celebrating Ken's birthday? Much discussion and deliberation went into deciding exactly which game would be played amongst the family members. It was decided that we would entertain one another in a few rounds of Guesstures. Guesstures is a game where you play cherades to four different topics in a certain amount of time. It's quite entertaining to watch the creative bones expose themselves in people who don't normally express a creative side. There were two teams Team Jen and Team Serge. I was on Team Jen, and thus we lost. I say that because it was my turn when the lead (which we held the entire game up to that point) was lost. To add injury to insult, on that last turn I accidently broke the game piece that the whole game revolves around. Sorry Jen. That about covers the games, I believe. Did I miss anything?

Park City Burning: Day 2

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 21:38:00 -0700

Seeing as this reunion will be forever remembered for our interactions with the local Fire Marshall, I have decided to change my title. Day 2 of our fantastic family voyage consisted of a lazy morning where most of the reunion goers ended up at the pool at one point or another. The pool, like the local parking, was shared by a few of the surrounding hotels. It got crowded quickly, but offered all the necessities of a pool area. The most important aspect was a place to lay out. I took advantage of this area and my chest toasted quite well. The only linger affects of the sunburn is that I am in the itching stages now. Following the pool we all showered and some of us took a stroll up Main Street. Our destination was the Egyptian Theater where we purchased tickets for the show that evening entitled Urinetown. Serge gave a great review in the comments of the "Fire in Park City" post. Thanks to the Brothers Bagby, who stayed at the hotel while Ashley slept, both Amber and I were able to enjoy the evening on the town with the rest of the family. While walking back from the play Serge and I challenged each other hitting the overhanging shop signs along the side walk. The highlight of that sequence was when Serge thought he'd out smarted me by daring me to hit a particularly high street sign attached to the corner of a building. Little did he know that my Spidie senses propelled me up the wall of the structure allowing me to victoriously slap the sign in triumph. The evening was capped off with a birthday celebration for Ken, as he turned 60 this month. Seeing as jokes about age are too easy to throw at this point, I'll leave it be.