No. 11 BYU beats Utah behind Fredette's 47 points

A bit of history here, folks.

ksl.com - No. 11 BYU beats Utah behind Fredette's 47 points

Life is Awesome.....Really.....

Just look at what others have to say about it.  Read the book!  Awesome!

Some claim that it has changed their lives.  See if it changes yours.  http://veryawesomeworld.com

Don't You Love What They Got?

A little bit of fun while studying kids and families at school.....enjoy!


Dad Life from Church on the Move on Vimeo.

A Little Twist of Tradition

To spice things up a bit with the annual resolution tradition, I looked to my iPod for some inspiration.  Putting the playlist on shuffle for my entire music collection, I listened to the first ten songs that came on, using them as the driving force for my ideas to paper.  So, here goes:

1. Edelweiss (from the "Sound of Music" soundtrack) - The beautifully gentle acoustic guitar in this song got me thinking that I should spiff up and use my music talents a bit more.  So, working on a piano piece or two, even pulling out the guitar again, will be on the docket for the year.
2. Traffic in the Sky (Jack Johnson) - Jack is a simple, care free writer, but what he says does have meaning.  Thus, a little nudge to record thoughts, impressions, and events are taken from this one.  This could mean more consistent blog posts (but I'm not promising anything).
3. The Spirit of God (Mormon Tabernacle Choir) - Where else do you feel the spirit more than in the temple?  Thus, at least biweekly temple attendance will be scheduled into the ever busy and full schedule of a grad student.  But, really, it should be priority among all the things that I have going on.  Also, a commitment to read out of the Book of Mormon each day for the next year.
4. Face of Love (Jewell) - Follow me on this one: to have a really beautiful face, full of love, you need your "beauty rest"; for me this means that I will be going to bed earlier and arising earlier, because I've been promised health and a wealth of knowledge and ability by following this simple lifestyle.  I'll just have to be a bit more creative with my lifestyle to keep up with the important people and things that I love.
5. Remember (from the "You've Got Mail" soundtrack) - Remember those great dishes that your friends and family have made, and you keep thinking about them, but have never gotten the recipe?  Well, now I've made it a priority to gather some of those fantastic recipes and make them myself.  Awesome.
6. Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon & Garfunkle) - I'd really like to learn how to swim (like swimming strokes....I've already advanced beyond doggy-paddling). May happen this semester, or it may happen later on this year.  But it will happen.  
7. Dell'Amore Non Si Sa (Hayley Westenra and Andre Bocelli) - I have no idea what this title translates into (something about love, I'm sure), but it makes me want to travel to Europe.  While they may not be feasible this year, at least I can start a fund to make this dream come true.  And I can keep enjoying all sorts of art events that are inspired by this great continent.
8. Your Smiling Face (James Taylor) - Let loose a bit, and be a bit spontaneous; leave everyone with a smile!  Have a plan, but don't be afraid to go off the beaten path...
9. My Favorite Things (Yo Yo Ma on cello) - What about all those great things that I love, but have seem to slipped by and out of what I do?  Three things top this list for sure: playing tennis, photography, and national park trips.  Thus, a resolve to find a way to take part more in all three of these.
10. My Oh My (David Gray) - Just let the new year and world surprise me--be willing to look at and recognize God's  hand in all things. 

Too bad I can't post this awesome music list.....

"Give" Said the Little Stream

Elder Oaks recently pointed out that Brigham Young taught us a powerful lesson about the One who consistently went about doing good: "The difference between God and the Devil is that God creates and organizes, while the whole study of the Devil is to destroy" (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe (1954), p. 69).

Recently I've had some pretty sweet instances with some other people who decided to build up, when it could have been pretty easy to make zero goodness happen.

Anecdote #1: After an amazing concert at the Deer Valley resort this July, I found my car had been hit while in the parking lot. Not much damage as far as size or effect on driving, but hundreds of dollars in repairing that small stuff. [Cue nice people.] Two scribbled notes on leftover tickets said that they were witnesses, to give them a call, and here's the license plate of the not-so-cool-or-nice-person who hit you. [Cue nice cop.] The cop takes this little matter into his own hands, follows up, and is able to verify that I was really hit by a Mr. So-and-So, and yes, he is a registered and licensed driver, so here's his insurance information.

Booyah. I'm saved from paying for repairs. And now my Toyota Camry has had another two pieces of bodywork replaced; when that car reaches 300,000 miles it's still going to look only three years old with all the repairs that accident magnet has received.

Anecdote #2: Picturesque camping spot by the Colorado River in Moab with my fun little group of girls from work for our awesome camping trip. While we're unloading and setting up camp, up pulls a sweet van (somewhere along the lines of a VW, but not.....) with a hippie-ish, mod, up-and-coming rock band who want to film a music video in the midst of our sweet canyon camping. I give them permission to do their thing, and to start the recording once we leave to do our sunset hike of Delicate Arch. Not a bad idea until you consider the bad idea that you have pretty much every possession you took with you back at the campsite, and it's just sitting there, free for the taking.

Uh-oh. What kind of stupid decision did I make? Why do I trust people so easily? Coming back to camp, we found a sweet addition (instead of desolation) of a gracious note and a CD of the Battlehooch. Check them out on YouTube to see their aspiring sound waves....and possibly a shot of our awesome campsite.

Anecdote #3: Still living this one out, as I don't finish my work with Provo Canyon until this Friday. Despite my negativity and frustration with high up administration, this has been an absolutely great place to work. Who else gets to have about 50 kids make them feel like they're on top of the world by the things they say, the attention they clamor for, and the silly things they do? Plus have recreation as the main focus of their job description? Plus have an awesome boss and co-workers who gives autonomy with lots of support?

Lucky, you say? Yes. But no. It's more like I'm super blessed by super rad people and my Heavenly Father.

Give, oh, give.

Cleaning Off the Camera

Sometimes I don't take pictures off of my camera until a year later. Which then means that no one really gets to partake in the goodness and fun until much later. Sorry about that. Here are a few snapshots from some memories of this past year.

#1) Henry made his first visit outside of his home to Christy's and my place, for which we were supremely surprised and honored. And to top it off, Trish and Matt gave us grape juice and thank you notes for our time helping them with Henry in his first few weeks of life. Those were some good times. It was neat to intimately watch a mom in action with her new gift of life, and see how they were adjusting to one another and their forever changed worlds. I loved that time together with Trish and Henry, and I love Henryman heaps!

2) Why would you ever document your Sunday dinner? Well, you can't really see it, but there is some awesome roast on our plates. And why, Miss Newman, would you document having a roast dinner? Because it's not just any roast, it's our Grandma John's roast--her recipe, and her roasting pan from her mother, Hazel Adeline Post McRae. Miss McRae was an infamous cook in her parts (St. David, AZ), and her roasting pan is tried and true. Luckily I have the pan and the recipe to thank for a killer roast.

3) I was the lucky one able to see Henry on Day 2 of his life. Matt needed to get some sleep before trying to function as a normal human being, and I got to spend some time with Trish and the little man. Here he is sleeping just after being fed. You might have noticed that Henry hands are out. Well, that kid fought me when being swaddled, and since he was only a day old, I didn't want to fight him that hard, nor did I have any experience, so he won out and looks like he's a little chipmunk with his hands up.

#4) Visiting Caroline Dunn and Emily Moulton in Wyoming! And it just so happened that Cosmo wanted his picture with us at the BYU v. Wyoming football game in Laramie. Fortunately, the weather was in the 50s on this November day, and the fans were polite to us womenfolk. And BYU kicked some trash, 51-0. Yeah, that's what I'm talking about!

#5) Classic family photo by the awesome landscape. Trish, Mom, Dad, and I enjoyed some Shakespearean Festival plays in August last year, and the girls visited Cedar Breaks while Dad fished at Panguitch. We eventually met up for our plays and our traditional steak at Milt's. So good!

More good times to come. And hopefully before months have passed.

Love you, Mom!

Mom, you're the best! Kudos for the good you've done this world, for your life of teaching all around you, and your example of goodness and happiness. I love you heaps!

A Little Bit Here and There....

Thinking about things that have happened the past few weeks. A few notables to share:

1. I toured Gunlock Resevoir and the town of Veyo on a road trip with my little nephew. Oh, others were there--he really enjoyed laughing and cooing at his parents the whole time. And....cool thing: Veyo has a delicious rhubar-berry pie and is home to the Veyo Pool Resort, a spring fed swimming pool that was built in the 1920's.
2. I found out that our house in St. George could find some very unwelcome visitors. These would be tarantellas, scorpions, and possibly a rattlesnake (good thing we don't have window wells where they like to hide). Oh, and our house might have a resident lizard. Pistol Pete jumped out of Dave's hands pretty quick and scurried to find some relief under our bricking on the front columns. Say hello if you see him on your visit.
3. Henry slept for 2 hours in my arms. Easiest babysitting. Ever. And now we've got a bond that is unbreakable.
4. I'm giving a tour of my facility in May to a BYU RMYL class. Funny how it wasn't (but was--2004) so long ago when I was in the same class...
5. I was present for two monumental developmental events in Henry's first three months of life: a hearty laugh, and rolling over from his tummy to his back. That's my little man.
6. Today was a first in using a sonic toothbrush. It's weird to feel vibrations from the inside of my head. And this one does the job, because if I leave it in place or press a bit firmer, it makes my whole head vibrate and my vision goes slightly fuzzy. Who needs drugs for a new sensation?
7. Just bought a plane ticket to Hawaii with my Fijian friend from work. We are going to have a blast. And with her looking and acting like a local, and knowing a ba-jillion people, we'll have the 'in' all over the place.
8. I'm working on getting my classic GT hybrid bike back in tip top shape, and planning on riding to work everyday. If it goes well, maybe I'll ride in the National Ability Center Summit Challenge.
9. I've almost caught up on all my paperwork at work....I've been behind since February with winter camping and skiing in the forefront. Now it's blue skies from here on out, and a big sigh of relief.
10. I dried strawberries today for the first time. SUPER tasty and yummy. If they go on sale again, we've got a keeper.

Cheers!

Who would've thunk?

This was a weekend of firsts. Let me narrate.

First, I had a sleepover at Jessie's house (a first), so that we could get an early start on our trip. At 2:15 a.m. our alarm clocks rang to get us on our way for a 3:30 a.m. departure (another first) for a group trip to Moab for a five mile race (a first) and a visit to Canyonlands national park (first #4).

Jessie drove the car I rode in, and I slept off and on, while Jason kept Jessie awake, and Dave and Jim slept. Jen drove the other car with Morgan, Jake, and Mark. We arrived at 7:00 a.m. to pick up our race packets, and, of course, for a quick bathroom break. Jen, Morgan, and I went to find the women's restroom, and upon entering, a man stated that he was almost finished and would be out quickly. We looked at each other perplexed at the situation of finding a man in the women's restroom (next first), and busted out laughing when it was Jim that stepped out and didn't even look us in the eye as he passed. Apparently Jim mistook the the men's restroom as being closed--it was open on the other side of the building.

Since it was so cold (about 24 degrees), we did a little bit of prepping and stretching at the gym where our race packets were, before we headed to where the busses were located to take us up the canyon. Since we would be at the start of the race for about an hour or more before the actual beginning of the race, we took along iPods and a frisbee to throw to keep us company.

They dropped 739 runners off at the Negro Bill's Canyon trailhead parking lot on Highway 128, where our little group occupied about 1/6 of the parking lot for our pre-race warmup of throwing the frisbee (again, a first). Probably the best warmup ever because it was so fun and I didn't tire out one bit. Plus, I it warmed up my ungloved hands in the below freezing temps.

Our actual start line was about 1/4 of the mile down the road, which our little group jogged to and sang "Viva la Vida" to keep our energy going. We were right next to the starting line (you guessed it, a first! and in the sun!) and were laughing and guessing how we would do since we really hadn't trained for the race (except Jake), and were running it anyway (first #8). I honestly figured that I would be running about a 9- to 10-minute mile based on my previous week's result in the Rex E. Lee 5k where I ran about a 9-minute mile. As a side note, I ran in honor of my grandmother, Barbara Johns, as a cancer survivor--one of the myriad of trials and successes she has had in her 80+ years of life. Running in honor of someone, and running the Rex E. Lee run were each firsts, but they didn't happen this weekend.

I didn't feel absolutely stellar, but I didn't feel too bad either, and just enjoyed the scenery along the Colorado river. At about mile 2.2 of the race, this awesome Japanese drum group was playing, which could be heard from about a 1/2 mile away as it echoed on the canyon walls, pounding out a beat that really motivated you to keep on moving. I've never heard a Japanese drum group (almost to 10 firsts), and really enjoyed their energy.

I finished the race at 42:47, with an eight year-old girl--I was so impressed at her stamina and ability! And I was absolutely delighted that I had finished so quickly, beating my projected time by minutes. Amazingly, I placed 78th out all the 5-mile runners, 35th out of all girls/women, and 3rd in my age group (25-29)! I've never placed in a race like that in my life, and considering I haven't run too many, that was pretty darn awesome (first numeral X). In fact, all five runners in our group placed in the age divisions: Jim 1st, Dave 2nd, Jake 1st, Jessie 1st, and myself 3rd. I've decided that from now on I will abide by three things for all races: not train much, run with Jessie, and warm-up with frisbee throwing.

Canyonlands was had absolutely beautiful vistas, and we enjoyed the scenic overlooks and small hikes to these amazing vistas. Plus, as you can see, we had a blast taking pictures, laughing and joking the entire trip.

The last first (#11) of the trip was a visit to Cathy's Pizza and Deli in Green River, a well liked, clean, little joint that where I got great fries, a chicken sandwich, and a blackberry shake. I recommend it if you're planning to eat in the area. Great way to top off the a weekend of firsts for the trip.

Good times. I love trying and doing new things, and I love my life.

My New Favorite Thing

Is to hold and just watch this little guy as he sleeps, looks around and explores, sneezes, or hiccups. Henry Matthew Sederberg was born at 4:28 pm on Wednesday, January 27, coming in at an impressive 8 pounds 7 ounces, and 19.5 inches! Mom and Dad are doing well, and the new family is learning to arrange their life around new sleeping and eating patterns. And I'm having a great time being on hand to help out--don't I have the greatest job ever as an aunt?!

The key, the passport

If I can change just one thing about myself this year, it is to pray more often, more fervently, and commune in sweet, simple, sacred moments of light and enlightenment with my Father in Heaven. Here's to power and peace.

All in a Normal Holiday Season

Long ago I wanted to try and get into the 2012 London Summer Olympics with speed walking. However, my dreams were dashed once I realized that those people can walk faster than I can jog. So, I went back to the idea board, and realized that maybe I'd just have to settle going to watch the Olympics. And since London is so far away and so expensive, I thought maybe Vancouver, BC would be better. And then, ya know, I thought, hey, why not watch athletes perform here?

My brother-in-law facilitated this pre-Olympic event by sharing tickets to the World Cup Speed Skating at the Utah Olympic Oval. (Come to find out, everyone's tickets were free, but hey, this is a high profile event we're talking about, so it's not an important detail). It was pretty awesome to see just how fast those men and women fly around the track, and we even witnessed one wipe out. And my ticket says I get a 2-for-1 admission to come ice skating to the rink in the future.

Outcome = awesome time to watch some pretty fast athletes and talk and joke with the family. We even got to see Jenny Wolf from Germany make a new world record in the 500m race, and put up her new placard in the front lobby area. Note: while it was very professional and showy, I feel bad because the 'y' in her name on the placard was put on backward. Tsk. Poor girl. Speed skating just doesn't get the respect (or notice to detail) it deserves.

Since I'm always wanting to try new stuff, maybe once I actually become decent just ice skating, I'll look into speed skating for my new winter sport of choice. And maybe start to dream about competing in the Olympics again.

While that filled up our afternoon, the evening was filled with beautiful lights, music, and stories in word and dance. No holiday could be complete without seeing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert, this year featuring singer Natalie Cole (daughter of Nat King Cole), along with author and historian, David McCullough. My favorite part of the whole concert was Mr. McCullough telling part of the history behind "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas". One more reason why I love America, and one more reason why I love history.

My next favorite piece would have had to been Organist's Richard Elliott's arrangement and rendition of "Good King Wenceslas". Mr. Elliott is pretty much a genius at the organ. His feet are flying everywhere, even criss-crossing, while his fingers are amazing enough switching up and down the keyboards and changing the organ voices. Wow, I just want to learn how to get through a hymn successfully, even with years of organ lessons.

And my dad suggested that maybe we install and trap door and pulley system to set up our tree next year. If the Conference Center can get a two-story tree up in about 20 seconds, I figure we can get our eight foot tree up in two minutes. Could be a fun project for dad in his time off this winter with the weather too cold for fishing.

To give you an update of the holiday season to date, I've been busy trying to become more of a "homemaker" (i.e., one who hand makes food and decorations for home). While I don't have my own home, I am putting together a tree skirt about two nights a week, and over the Thanksgiving break I made cinnamon rolls and homemade wheat bread. Which should not be out done by my early morning adventure outside on the grill to brown the roast for Sunday dinner today. And don't forget that I finally bottled my own peaches and made raspberry jam this summer. My, I'm growing up.

I love how I get to enjoy the traditional with a bit of a mix-in of the non-traditional events this year. Yep, I love my life. Christmas doesn't need presents. I've already how a pretty awesome one so far.

Gratitude

Gratitude

'Tis the season to enjoy and bask in happiness. Life is truly great. Love it.

I [Use to] Agree with Bronco's Wife

"He's only a football player--I mean, really, what can he do?"

I really like Holly Mendenhall, BYU football coach Bronco Mendenhall's wife. She says it like it is. She focuses on her family and important things. She once ran her own travel agency business in Missoula, Montana, lost out big when having to sell it, but got her family out of debt within only a few years time because of her self-discipline. Bronco says that she is "the glue" in their family, and to the football team he coaches. I think she's a spectacular, down-to-earth lady.

And her first summation of her husband, after their dating break-up, is something that I used to think about many-a-college athlete, even at BYU. "He's only a football player--I mean, really, what can he do?" However, after a few years time she caught Bronco reading a book, catching her off guard, causing her to think that he had matured and should maybe give him a shot.

Tonight the BYU football team caught me off guard. I decided to go to their fireside the eve before a home game to see what all the commotion is about these things. And it was nice that it was only a block away from where I live at the stake center down the street.

Lots of kids, from very young to high school age (and my age as well--I'm still a kid) were in attendance. I thought that the evening would have some feel-good stories, a few musical numbers, and some good words of encouragement from the coaches.

And it did. But there was more to it. When Bronco says that this football team is a means to shape young men, he's definitely right. With the simple talks that were given, they were given with testimony and the Spirit, and they gave me some important things to think about tonight. As Lavell Edwards stated tonight, "We are all learners and we are all teachers, beginning at a very early age." Every single one of these speakers focused on their testimonies of Jesus Christ and the happiness it brings into their lives, the strength it gives them, and what it means to be a true disciple.

Wow, I couldn't have been more wrong. So much for judging. So much more to think about just being and doing--just like these football players.

Round 'em up!

How many people can say that they get to enjoy this scene at work every morning? Well, the rangers at Antelope Island State Park do get to enjoy this scene annually, as they round the bison up to do regular "check-ups" (i.e., go to the doctor) and figure out which extra ones they will sell to keep their herd numbers to 500.

Luckily for me, I got to be a part of this experience as part of a CEU (Continuing Education Unit) experience at the NRPA (National Recreation and Parks Association) Conference in Salt Lake City this past week. For one whole day I learned about and experienced Antelope Island and it's round up, complete with eating a bison burger--which I do recommend.

I won't bore you with all details, but I will say I plan to go back to Antelope Island with my kids at work for a great field trip and/or camping trip. They do really awesome educational presentations, there is biking and hiking all over the island, bison and antelope abound to the point that I feel like I'm on a Disneyland safari ride, and you can even try out swimming and kayaking the open water.

And possibly my mom and I will try out it's nice sand beach and sweet, soft, rolling waves as we paddle surf.

All I can say is: I love my life!!

Love ya heaps

Something to help us decide what to spend our time on in our day to day lives. It's definitely help me refocus.

Love ya all heaps and heaps.

Things I Like

1. Working as a recreation therapist. Playing for work is not a bad deal, and the kids are a bonus...well...sometimes :)

2. Getting my hair cut. One of the simplicities of life that is absolutely fantastic as you get a

head massage, look beautiful, and feel rejuvenated all in one.

3. NZ fish and chips. But when you can't go to NZ, Barbara's Fish Trap's are just as good.

4. The fall harvest. I love fresh food. I love cooking and eating fresh food. Fresh food does the body good.

5. Wide open spaces. I live next to open fields that have horses or cattle, and I only have a short drive up to Hobblecreek Canyon or to go and run in Mapleton. I definitely should look into a road bike.

6. Having a garage for my car to live the luxurious life. I live in a house. Not an apartment, or a condo, or anything that says "I'm a student or single person who doesn't quite yet know what to do with my life." While I don't own my house, I feel that I have moved up in the adult world, while at the same time am being spoiled rotten since I can't ever say that I will NEVER live in an apartment or condo again.

7. The arts. Music from symphonies. Vivid pictures, or engaging landscapes. Great minds. New ideas. A good story. Something new to enjoy and learn. Relaxation. Me and a good book :)

8. The fact that I can run and play and enjoy tennis...and a multiplicity of other sports and outdoor ventures.

9. The seasons. Fall is my favorite. September is my favorite month. I should take a day off, just as an Ode to September.

10. Technology. Specifically my new phone that let's me read my text messages without even having to open my phone. Pretty darn sweet, eh?

11. Traveling. A Mexican cruise. My grandmother's home in Idaho to plant flowers. Jackson Hole river rafting and hot tubbing in Idaho Falls. San Jose Bay area camping, Redwood forests, Stanford, and Half Dome at Yosemite. Southern California beaches and an LA wedding. Shakespearean Festival. Moab. Mount Timpanogos. Possibly Europe next year...

12. Ultimate Frisbee. Ultimately because of the people that I have connected to and become friends with. Good times.

13. People I know. They make me happy, and they make me smile. They give me a lot to look up to. And they rarely make me upset or mad. Could I be luckier? I submit that I cannot.

My Soul Smiles

What a legacy to remember, and what great character and goodness to continually reach for, stretch for, and achieve. I love President Hinckley, and whenever I get to listen to his recorded voice, the Spirit speaks calm to my mind, the worries of the world shrink in stature, and my heart is glad.

A little slice of NZ...except in Scotland

The picture above was taken of the wall in one the hostels on our travels around the country....I believe it was in Queenstown, for our adventure-town get-away. For those who do not understand the humor, NZ is populated with roughly 4 million people. However, the sheep population runs at 40 million. Thus, these little guys were everywhere....

Okay, I can't take credit for finding this sweet video. Well, I did find it, but on the family member's blog of a friend's blog of a friend's blog. All I can say is just enjoy the video. It's pretty darn awesome! Ah, the memories of scattered, dotted seas of white on rolling green hills throughout NZ....

Two words: El Beautiful-o!

All I can say is that I had one of the greatest runs of my life today.  No I did not win a race, nor reach a new PR.  Nope, it wasn't like I felt like Rocky Balboa after conquering a major mountain, nor did I even want to attempt one.  

But two things rocked my world today: my running buddy and my running route.  My incredible sister and I are training for the Hobblecreek Half, and she's the one that came up with the running route--the other fantastic piece of today's running pie.  Please take note of all of the green within the city boundaries on the satellite image, plus the nicely situated mountains that are covered with foliage as they take part of the Uinta National Forest.

Yep.  Love my life.