A Very Happy Thanksgiving Indeed

We hope you all had as good a Thanksgiving as we did!  And that would be hard to top...

While we only took one photo (yes, sad news), we loved all the time together with family and loved ones.  Wednesday night was our Smith family gathering, complete with the Cranberry Rock-off. 

Thursday, we hosting our family (minus Darrell and Tanya) and had a wonderful time.  So grateful for family!

Worldwide Leadership Training Experience

Thank you for the many, many e-mails, Facebook messages, phone calls, and comments at work and church.  Yes, it was a blessing to be part of last weekend's Worldwide Leadership Training about the new Church handbooks.  For those who don't know, I was asked to be part of a mock ward council, playing the ward mission leader.  The irony is that I've never served as the WML!   

The "bishop" is President Larry Richards, president of LDS Business College, with whom I work raising money there.  It was a singular, memorable, inspiring, and exciting experience.  I was invited in June and after a couple practices, we filmed this back in August on a Saturday up at the Church Office Building.  Most of the "council" were from President Richards' stake, but it was wonderful getting to know them that week (including Ruth Todd from the news). 

It was remarkable to see six Apostles on the front row while we filmed this: Elders Perry, Bednar, Oaks, Cook, Holland, and Ballard, as well as Sister Beck, Elder Gonzalez, and four or five other General Authorities...very special (and a tad nerve-wracking).  Oh, add 300 people in the audience too!  It was surreal to then have a panel of these leaders comment on the mock council.  To be in their presence to be well taught by them has been something I'll never forget.  The hardest part was keeping it all a secret for a few months! 

One of the great blessings of this opportunity was hearing from so many of my beloved Japanese brothers and sisters who saw it too, including my mission president.  That alone makes it so special.  The whole experience was unforgettable and life-changing in many ways. 

If you want to view it, just click on the title of this blog entry and you will be given the option of media players to watch it.  Or just go to http://www.lds.org/; the link is on the homepage. 

Hawaii, Part II

Here's the next batch of photos from our Hawaii trip!

Some cute little dancers!

LDS Philanthropies with the PCC and BYUH helped reenact the Hukilau, a time-honored tradition in Laie.  Here are some shots from a blustery, rainy night on the Hukilau Beach!

Here we were participating in a special prayer and ceremony before throwing the large nets into the ocean.

Pretty remarkable the spirit and camraderie that was present on that beach.  Locals, employees, friends, etc. all getting in the water and pulling the nets in.  It was rough weather, but we caught some fish and an octopus!

Here was our dinner, a pig, being uncovered from the umu. Amazing!

And finally, for today, here was the scene from that evening's special luau.  Love the music, the dances, the spirit of these performers and PCC students.  Aloha!

Happy in Hawaii, Part I

Aloha family and friends!  Elizabeth and I spent last week in the islands and had an amazing time together.  We have the proof right here.  We went out for the BYU-Hawaii student giving campaign, as well as donor meetings for BYU-H and the PCC.  So it was work for me, much-needed vacation for Elizabeth.  We flew out Halloween day, right after church and got back Saturday.  Many, many thanks to Elizabeth's parents who spent the week watching our little ones.  Here is a photo log of our activities!

While I was on campus, Elizabeth was able to some exploring and relaxing. We stayed at the picturesque Turtle Bay Resort and this was a self-shot she took on the beach right outside the hotel.  This was a rarity: a clear day.  It rained every day we were there.  In fact, it's rained every day Elizabeth has been in Hawaii!

Elizabeth in front of the PCC water falls.

After flying in Sunday and getting settled Monday, we spent the rest of the day at the Polynesian Cultural Center.  It's been four years since we spent time in the villages, so this was wonderful.  We took in many shows, visited every village, and in the evening, we took in the luau and the night show, Ha: the Breath of Life. 

Kap Taviti and the legendy Samoa show made famous by the PCC videos. 




Here is a young man climbing the tree for coconuts.

The Samoan show was stellar as usual, with him showing us how to light a fire, pick, cut, and prepare a coconut, and so forth!



Elizabeth learning how to twirl poi balls in New Zealand.



Wednesday were our donor meetings.  We were able to hear from President Wheelwright and President Orgill, visit with students, hear presentations from different cultures, listen to their salsa band, etc.  This was a highlight for me, to visit with some great Japanese students, two of whom used to live or serve in my first mission area, Ushiku.  I love being able to speak while I'm out there. 

We'll do this in parts, so stay tuned for more from our time in paradise!

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

This is one of the most wonderful times of the year, one where our thoughts and hearts are turned to gratitude. I for one am extremely grateful for all that I have. Here are a few: our home, our neighborhood, our family, our friends. A wonderful place to work and a job where I feel I make a true difference in others' lives. Uplifting music. Our children's smiles and laughter. A living prophet and inspired leaders. Having served a mission and all my Japanese brothers and sisters. Marrying a wife who are served a mission. Our ward and our callings. The Utah Jazz, a warm comforter, v-neck sweaters, and ice cream. The four seasons. Parents who taught me what was right. Children Elizabeth and I can teach the same things. Cars that run. Air conditioning in the summer. Tucano's. Experiences and opportunities that cause us to stretch ourselves. Birthdays. Anniversaries. Every single day. My sweet wife and our adorable children, who my everything.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Be grateful for all you have and remember it all comes from His whose child you are.

(Oh, by the way, just click on the title or link right below it to watch this video)

Movie Reviews by David

With three little ones, we don't get to the theatre often.  That is why we are loyal Red Box devotees.  The past three or four months have seen us catching up on many movies.  Here is what I (David) thought about them, with just some brief comments.  Elizabeth may think otherwise, but I'll let her chime in should she like to (and yes, it still would be great to see my much better half contribute more to the blog!  Let her know you agree with me...perhaps she'll succumb to peer pressure!)

MUST SEE

Toy Story 3: The girls and I just finally saw this yesterday and all I can say is WOW.  It is one of the best family films I've ever seen.  The story, the humor, the sentimental aspects, and the Disney brilliance combine to make it a MUST BUY. 

Invinctus: Amazing story about Nelson Mandela and the South Africa's soccer team.  Well told and inspiring, although it had a hard time deciding if it was a biopic or a sports movie. 

The Blind Side: Perhaps the best movie we've seen in years.  Such a moving, tear-jerking movie.  Sandra Bullock is outstanding.  Best part: it's a true story!  We bought it earlier this year. 

Love Happens: Really poignant story about a husband who lost his wife and has been crusading to help others cope with their losses.  Aaron Eckhart (BYU alumnus) and Jennifer Aniston (not a BYU alum) have great chemistry. 

Prince of Persia: Yes, I'm as surprised as you are to have this listed as a must see.  It was MUCH better than I expected it to be.  Very entertaining in a National Treasure-esque way. 
The Ghost Writer: Very suspenseful, thought-provoking flick.  Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan. 

WORTH THE TIME (or at least somewhat worth the time)

Karate Kid: It's sacrilegeous to take one of my childhood's classics and redo it.  It was okay.  I kept wondering throughout if the kid was actually going to win :). 
How to Train Your Dragon: Nothing to write home about, but the girls enjoyed seeing it in the theatre. 
Iron Man 2: Another entertaining movie.  Not as good as the first and tried to jam a bit too much into it. 
When in Rome: We didn't know much about this and it was quite enjoyable romantic comedy.
The Lovely Bones: Eerie, ethereal, and scary.  Directed by Peter Jackson, who directed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it details a girl's experience in limbo after she is murdered.  As a father to daughters, it was hard to watch. 
Killers: Some funny parts with Kyle KorverAshton Kutcher.  Pretty witty. 
Date Night: Steve Carrell and Tina Fey...should've been better. 
Back-up Plan: Thoroughly predictable.  Jennifer Lopez is downright overrated and suffers from Meg Ryanitis (plays essentially the same personalities and characters in all her films).
Clash of the Titans: I really enjoyed this, but mostly because my brothers and I grew up on the original 1980s version.  Good action scenes. 
Letters to Juliet: Nice romantic story with some beautiful scenery. 
Bounty Hunter: More predictability. 
Leap Year: More predictability (yes, I copied and pasted this).  All these films here are at least worth seeing once. 
Avatar: Graphically breath-taking.  The special effects are spectacular, but the story and acting are weak (much like Independence Day).  Ferngully on steroids.  We saw it on the IMAX screens at Thanksgiving Point.  Pretty neat
Sherlock Holmes: Should have been much better than it ended up being.  Long.  Robert Downey Jr. is a great actor, though. 
The Young Victoria: I enjoyed the parts I saw (fell asleep).  Wouldn't mind giving it another try. 
Did You Hear About the Morgans?: Didn't expect as much, so were pleasantly pleased.  We are Hugh Grant fans, but not so much for Sarah Jessica Parker. 
Everybody's Fine: mediocre at best. 
The Last Song: Better than usual for Nicholas Sparks (refer Dear John below).  Hate Miley Cyrus, but the rest of the cast was pretty good, especially Greg Kinnear.
Robin Hood: Super long.  Don't watch it expecting to hear the same Robin Hood story the recent iterations have portrayed.  More along the lines of the literary version. 

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

Dear John: Pointless Nicholas Sparks drivel with the same plotlines.  Girl meets boy.  They fall in love with each other.  Enter conflict in the form of a tragedy.  Sloppy, rushed ending.  Horrendous overacting. 

Valentine's Day: Too many story lines and none of them likable.  Too many stars. 

Orson Welles and Me: Artsy, artsy, artsy = blah. 

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Not worth the $1.

Time Traveler's Wife: Hard to follow and hard to swallow.

There you have it.  Feel free to add your thoughts on these or other movies you've seen. 

A Whole New World

Stockton is enjoying his brand new perspective...facing forward in his car seat.  He has been happy as a lark since we've made the switch!