July update

I'm doing the Executive MBA at BYU and just finished the first year. The program goes year round for two years except they give us the month of July off. As soon as class ended the end of June we packed up and headed west for what turned out to be 2 1/2 weeks of fun and sun.

We made it home in time for Brian and Jackie's open house in Irvine. My mom did a great job of getting the house ready and organizing the event. The cake wasn't Portland good but it was way above average. We got to see lots of family friends and meet more of Jackie's family. The newlyweds were a big hit but as a proud papa I'm going to go out a limb and say Lily may have been just as big. My cousin Melissa is holding Lily in this picture. The beginning of the next week I had to attend to some business in San Antonio and left Beth and the kids in Irvine. I understand there was plenty of play and shopping time.

The Fourth started out early for the Irvine Stake Triathlon. More on that likely to come in a separate post. We spent most of the afternoon at the pool getting the kids tuckered out for their afternoon nap. Mom and Kristin volunteered to watch them while Beth and I went and saw Hancock. Luckily the first time leaving them went off without any tears (from any of the parties) and we can't wait to do it again. Hancock was just what I was looking for in a movie. Funny, Will Smith, some good action, and short enough to leave a still breast-feeding baby behind.

The Stake festivities continued that evening in the church parking lot with a few different bands and more good food and company. Jack did a little bit of dancing but spent most of the evening trying to jump the speed bump in his car.I realize I may get branded as un-American for admitting this but the day was punctuated perfectly by not attending the fireworks show. Maybe sometime down the road when the kids' attention spans are long enough to handle the epic shows we seem bent on having will I be able to sit and enjoy them again. Let's be honest, there hasn't been a lot of new technology in the fireworks arena in the last 10 years so you're not seeing anything new. And then it gets dragged on for at least hour, probably more like two. At least that's what it feels like. My ideal fireworks show would be 45 seconds and it would be the entire supply of fireworks shot off as fast as possible. Like a huge grand finale without the boring introduction.