The Polar Express

Okay, so it wasn't the Polar Express - it was Trax and it was packed last night. No one danced in the aisles and served us hot chocolate. I haven't ridden Trax for a few years - I thought public transportation was supposed to be cheap ($4.50 each for a round trip ticket downtown - luckily we could buy the family pass for $16.50). Last time I rode it was like $1.50 for a round trip. Oh well, it was fun - the kids loved it (especially Nicky). We rode the train all the way to The Gateway and had dinner at Rumbi. Then we ventured over to Temple Square to see the lights.

There were a lot of people at Temple Square. The temperature was cold, but not bone-chilling. We saw the Nativity Program and then went up to see the Christus Statue and the Luke 2 movie. They were shuffling people through pretty quickly so they could accomodate everyone.

The tabernacle was open so we went in and sat down and listened to a guy playing Christmas music on the organ for a few minutes. I don't think the kids had ever been in there before. I remember going there for General Conference when I was a kid and getting packed in there like sardines. That place seemed huge back then, but last night it seemed pretty small compared to the new conference center. It was a pleasant Christmas Eve eve (or Christmas Adam as the kids call it). Beats doing last minute shopping!!

Jolly Old St. Nicholas

Nicky gave his first talk in Primary a couple weeks ago - all dressed up in his suit and all. We wrote his talk down (so dad could remember), but he didn't really need any help. He was able to give the talk based on the pictures we would hold up. Before he gave the talk, Taylor asked him what his talk is on and he said "paper".

He got some "Hulk Hands" as a gift at the Davis Christmas party. We figured he wasn't hitting people nearly enough and needs some incentive to do some wallopping of his siblings and parents (at least it is softer now).

Jingle Bell ROCK

Becca had her Christmas tumbling program yesterday. Her group did their routine to the song "Jingle Bell Rock". It was a great performance. Becca had her moves very polished - any time we heard the song she would break into her routine. I understand the people waiting in the waiting room at the dentist's office got a little preview earlier this week.

Here are a couple of video clips. Thanks to my wing man, Matt, for running the video camera for me (I'm too much into the still camera these days). Nice shooting, Mattman.

Happy Holidays!!

I have been to New Orleans 4 times in the last 5 years, but I can't quite swing a trip down there for New Years to watch the Utes play in the Sugar Bowl. I regret not making the trip 4 years ago when the Utes went to the Fiesta Bowl, and vowed that I would go the next time they made it to a BCS Bowl. Well, I was hoping for Arizona again this year - maybe "once in a lifetime" will happen for the third time in the next few years. New Orleans is 2000 miles away and the flights are over $1,000 round trip (they were about $500 each time I went there on business - those airline price gougers!!) I guess I could always hop on one of the charter buses to the Big Easy and spend 50 hours on a bus with a bunch of drunk strangers (cue the drunk Ute fan jokes).

Well, I hope the Utes do well against the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide. It will be a huge challenge for them, but I think they are up for it. It will pretty much be a home game for Alabama, since it is about 300 miles from the Alabama campus (Tuscaloosa, AL) to New Orleans. That's about the equivilant of driving from SLC to St. George.

And good luck to the Cougars of BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl and TCU against Boise St. in the Poinsettia Bowl. Holiday cheer all around!