Provocative Headline

One of my favorite websites is CNN.com. The site is organized to help users find quick headlines and interesting stories. Imagine my surprise when I saw the following headline earlier today:



How could I pass up on an article about my brother and me. Not so fast, turns out this article was about two freshmen congressmen, one of which is Jason Chaffetz from Happy Valley. It was interesting to read their stories, but the headline was the best part of the story.

BTW - looking at their pictures is nothing like looking in the mirror....

Blaming Teachers

Here's a great letter to the editor from yesterday's Trib:

Blaming Teachers

So 59 percent of Utahns support basing a teacher's salary on performance ("Utahn support teacher merit pay," Tribune , Jan. 25). To this ridiculous proposal, I have two suggestions:

First, if wages are going to be affected by student test results, then not just teachers, but every district employee should have their pay affected, from the district superintendent on down. They all impact the learning ability of students.

Second, if teachers are going to lose money for perceived lack of effort inside the classroom, then parents should have to pay increased fees for their lack of effort outside the classroom. Poor diet, poor health, inadequate parental supervision and interaction, allowing students to miss school to go to Disneyland and allowing over-involvement in social and religious activities are just some examples of how parents fail to prepare their child to learn and undermine the best efforts of educators. Where is the "financial motivation" for parents? Why is so much focus put on teacher responsibility while none is directed at parental responsibility?

Blaming teachers for the condition of the American education system is like blaming a factory line worker for the failure of General Motors.

Mitch Lambdin

West Jordan

Diary of a Utah Fan

It's been a month of celebrating for Utah fans everywhere. The only problem is football's over and it's time to turn our attention to hoops. I've tried to watch a few basketball games this season and I'll admit, this team is a tough one. It seems like every time they are about to turn a corner, they fall back into the Mountain West crowd. For example I turned on the UNLV game on Saturday to see the Utes were up eight. After watching for ten minutes Utah was down eight and the game was over.

Tonight I was prepared for the a similar result. The Holy War resumed once again with byu coming into town. I was out for much of the first half, in fact, I only turned on the game in enough time to see Lee Cummard drain a shot to end the half. I checked in on the game throughout the second half and every time the cougars were up four to six points. Utah was good enough to hang around but not doing enough to catch up.

The game came down to the last play. Utah had fought back to tie the game and we had possession with 35 seconds left. We held the ball and started the play with 10 seconds to go. Suddenly Drca pulled up for fifteen footer that barely drew iron. The game went to OT and it seemed we were doomed again.

I don't know exactly how it happened but the Utes made every big play in overtime. We made free throws, got loose ball, and made a few defensive stops. In the end Utah won 94-88 and improved to 4-2 in conference. I don't know if the Utes made a stand or if it was a lucky break. Either way, the Utes are 2-0 against the cougs, not that anyone's counting.

35 miles to Baltimore

Later this summer I'm going to a national conference in Washington D.C. I can't wait to see all the historic sites, the White House, Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall, Oriole Park.

That's right Oriole Park in Baltimore. It seems the same week I'm in D.C. the Red Sox are in Baltimore, a mere 35 miles away. How can I be within 35 miles of the Sox and not take in a game, or two.

The tickets came in the mail and now it's only 5 months til I'll be sitting in the lower box. I'm still not sure how I'll get to and from Baltimore, but I know what I'll be doing once I'm there.

Happy Birthday, Big Brother

I actually have three big brothers. One of them just happens to live in Phoenix and is turning 50 today. The reason I'm posting about this is because I haven't seen my brother, Richard, for at least six years. Richard moved to Phoenix about 20 years ago and we don't see him very often. So my other brother, Paul, hatched a plan a few weeks ago for all of us to surprise Richard in Phoenix for his big 50th birthday. I never thought we would pull it off, but after lots of white lies (mostly from Paul, we figure he's already going to hell!), 11 hours in a car with my parents and sisters (we sure did have a lot of potty breaks), a really scary room in Flagstaff reserved on the internet-(yes, you get what you pay for), and lots of Pepsi to keep us awake, we made it to Phoenix. This picture is of the padlocked door to the hot tub at the hotel in Flagstaff with what looked like a bullet hole in it. Lovely.


The plan was for us to meet Richard for dinner on Saturday. He thought he was just meeting Paul while in town for business. When Richard stepped into the room where all eleven of us were waiting to surprise him, it was awesome.


He was so surprised and didn't quite know what to do at first. He finally came in and the tears came. We all got a little misty eyed as Richard gave mom and dad hugs first, then we all got a great hug from our brother. He was really emotional and just kept saying, "I can't believe you are all here!" He was amazed. Those moments made up for all the driving and crappy hotels we encountered on the trip. It really was a special moment for our family.



We took lots of pictures and chatted and enjoyed our time together. We invited Richard to come and stay with us that night. We were crashing that night at my Aunt Connie's and Uncle Kent's house in Mesa. They were nice enough to turn their house over to the Houtz clan for the night. That can be pretty scary. We weren't sure if Richard would accept, but he was excited to spend time with us and came back with us. We ended up playing games, eating ice cream and cake and just enjoying a few moments together as a family for the first time in six years.

One of the highlights of the night was when my Uncle Kent (who has a great voice and can sing almost any song you request), pulled out his guitar and started playing some of the old songs from when we were little. He talked my mom into singing with him (who also has a great voice) and it was a memorable moment.


The best song of the night was the one about the old woman who swallowed a fly, but a close second was the funniest song I've ever heard about the old outhouse in the backyard. I never knew an outhouse could have so much going on! It was really neat to see my mom and her brother singing together.

We woke up the next morning to the smell of bacon, eggs and the best waffles I have ever eaten. My Aunt Connie is an excellent cook and made an amazing breakfast for all of us. My brother Richard is stick skinny (not sure where he came from), but I have never seen anyone put down that much food. It was a great meal! After cleaning up a little, we headed out. My brothers decided to drive home all in one day, but the rest of us decided to break it up. So we hit a couple of stores in Mesa, had some yummy ice cream, then drove to Page. We stayed in another mediocre (but much better than Flagstaff) hotel and drove the rest of the way home on Monday.

This trip had all the markings of a disaster written all over it. Yet, we pulled it off and had a perfect weekend with our family. So happy 50th, big brother. We love you and we are so glad we could spend this fun time with you!

Changes are Coming

Yesterday was a great day for our family. Yes, I know, I already wrote about the inauguration. While that news was monumental, we have even more exciting changes upcoming in our home. About three months ago Tara and I were approached about adopting another baby. It seems that Alex's birth mom, Amber, was pregnant and interested in placing the baby for adoption. She knew that Alex was in a good home and was curious if we'd be interested in adopting again.

One thing we've learned about adoption, when doors open to you it's time to move. So, for the past couple of months we've been preparing to bring another child into our family. It's been really exciting and the kids can't wait to have a little brother or sister. Of course, it's been a little weird since we can't see any physical changes in our lives - I mean it's not like mommy's changing with the new baby.

This leads us to yesterday. We went down to Utah County to meet with Amber. Even though we adopted Alex, this would be the first time to meet his birth mom. As you can imagine, we were a little bit nervous, but very excited to get to know her and let her get to know Alex.

The meeting went great! Amber is a wonderful girl and we're so excited that she was willing to meet us. It was fun to talk and learn about her life and some of the different things she's involved in. Even though meeting someone for the first time can be a little awkward, we really didn't get that feeling and the time passed quickly.

It was an interesting meeting for the kids. Since they didn't really want to talk, they were bouncing off the walls. I'm sure LDS Family Services was excited about that! Kennedy got a hold of the camera for a while and passed the time taking self portraits and shots of Alex (some of them were pretty good).

So now comes the waiting game. Amber is due in the middle of February and then our lives turn upside down. It's just amazing how quickly your life can change. I know we are nervous - like all expecting parents, but we are tremendously excited for our new little addition.

So what do you think - is that the real news of the day or what?

Watching History

For the past couple of months we've known that this day would come. Ever since the election it seems that everyone has been counting down to January 20th as the day change would come to our Nation. I wanted to make sure that today was a special day. Rather than watch the inauguration on my computer at work I took the morning off. KUER was hosting an inaugural event at Kingsbury Hall and so I joined with a few hundred people to watch history unfold.

It was fantastic. The crowd was electric. As different leaders emerged to the podium everyone cheered (there was even moderate applause for the outgoing administration). When Barack Obama was finally introduced the room erupted. It was a moment I'll never forget. As President Obama completed the oath of office total strangers were congratulating one another and everyone shared in the collective sense of hope. We were Americans and we were celebrating our President.

President Obama's inaugural address was amazing. He offered direction in a time of turmoil. Hope in the face of despair. He promised the return of the United States of America as the preeminent power for good in the world. His speech served as a call for service and beacon to return to our nation's core values. It was not full of lofty rhetoric, but served as a calculated challenge for each citizen to fulfill his/her part of the American dream.

Today was a day for the history books. Even if I wasn't in Washington, I joined with the 1.9 million on the Mall to welcome our new President. Good luck President Obama.

Long Distance Dede

It's amazing how much you miss your kids when they're not around. Kennedy's been gone for three days and it seems like we haven't seen her forever. I'm really happy that she's a "big girl" on her first trip away from home, but it doesn't change the fact that I miss her.

This morning Alex and I "skyped" with Dede and she told us all about her adventures. Seeing her again made my day, even if it was for only a few minutes. I can't wait to get her back home tomorrow!

BTW - I miss Tara too!

Smells Like a Boys Weekend

Alex and I are two days into our four day bachelor extravaganza. Kennedy went down to New Harmony on Thursday and Tara left for Arizona on Friday. That leaves the the two kings in an empty castle. So far we've made the most of our time together. Grooming hasn't involved brushes (hair not tooth). Clothes have made repeat performances. Dinner time has been take out. Bed time has been optional.

We've had a great time hanging out with one another. I think the Wii has never seen such action in our home. Alex is totally obsessed and I enjoy playing with him, so I think we played four hours today. Another obsession for our little man is Kung Fu Panda. I've seen it twice already this weekend and I'm sure it will be on a couple more times.

Tomorrow we'll need to leave the house for church, but after that I'm dying spend the rest of the day at home for some quality Father/Son time. It's about time I teach Alex the finer details of the NFL playoffs.

Once there was a Snowman

Once there was a snowman
snowman, snowman
Once there was a snowman
tall,tall,tall
In the sun he melted
melted,melted
In the sun he melted
small, small
small

6:01

I woke up this morning at 6:01. I lied in bed debating about whether or not I wanted to get going early and catch the 6:50 bus. It was so warm under the covers and I really didn't want to move, still something kept telling me to suck it up and get out of bed already. I ignored the impulse and spent the next ten minutes looking at the clock radio until finally rising.

I was on my normal schedule and left the house around 7:00 with twenty minutes before the bus would arrive. Just like you may have guessed the 7:20 bus never came. I stood at the stop for 45 minutes until the next bus arrived. I showed up half an hour late for work and scrambled the rest of the morning to make up for my tardiness.

6:01 - I knew I shouldn't have ignored you. It won't happen again.

New Year, New Look

I don't know if I like the new template or not for the blog. One thing I know for sure, it was time for a blog makeover. Just like everything else, the new year provides for a chance to change. The modern look is definitely quite a departure from the past few years. I told Tara it reminds me of IKEA - all straight lines. Perhaps people will think we're Nordic. I hope it's like a haircut and it just takes a couple of weeks to get used to. What do you think?

Sayonara Protege

In an effort to simplify our lives Tara and I sold our Protege last week. No, we haven't gone off the deep end. I ride the bus to work everyday and it made sense to get rid of the car before we had to renew the registration. I'm sure we'll get another car when the time is right, it just isn't right now.

I had to laugh at the way the sale went down. I put the car up on KSL.com and within a few hours received my first call. Nothing happened with that one, but you've got to love how quickly things happen on KSL's website (I would totally recommend this site to anyone selling their car - a 30 day free listing!). We had a few nibbles over the next week and then I got a call to bring the car to the U. It seems an engineering student had seen the ad and was ready to check it out.

So, last Wednesday I cleared out the trunk (just in case) and drove to work. Things went pretty well and the buyer made an offer. It was a little lower than I was asking, but I knew the car needed a few minor repairs so the deal was done. He went to get the cash and I took everything out of the car. Twelve years and all that was left was a pile of memories.


It's not everyday you drive to work and come home on the bus, but I'm glad it worked out today. So long Protege, Hello Minivan?

Who's Number One?

If you follow the logic, Utah really is the King of the Mountain. It's been interesting to read so many of the national writers comment about the BCS and Utah's right to the national championship. My favorite of the bunch so far has been ESPN's Rick Reilly. Try to defend the BCS championship when you have an undefeated team, with four top 20 wins, a top 6 BCS ranking, a Sugar Bowl victory - for the second time in 4 years!

Zoo Lights

Jared's parents have been wanting to take the kids to see the zoo lights since they came to town, so we finally made it on Tuesday. The kids had a really great time and the zoo did a nice job with the lights.

The kids loved the lights, but I think they were a little disappointed that they didn't see more animals. We did make a quick trek through the indoor snakes and lizards exhibit so that made them somewhat happy.

The night was capped off with a fun ride on the merry-go-round, although Alex wasn't so sure he liked it until it actually started. Then he loved it and when we were done he said, "again"!


So thanks, nana and papa for a fun night at the zoo!

Sugar Sugar

What a season for the Utes! We just finished watching the second undefeated season in four years for our Alma Matter. The final score was 31-17 and the Utes lead from start to finish. Just like the entire season, the game has its ups and downs. Still, in the end, the Utes proved to be the only undefeated team in all of college football.

Ever since the bowl matchups were set a month ago, no one gave the Utes a chance. The country voted 91% for Alabama to win the game. Going into the pregame all the talk was about the Crimson Tide. One announcer actually said, "Unless you live in Utah or are a Utah alumni, you think Alabama is going to win this game." Then the talk was over and the game began.

The Utes jumped out quickly and scored the game's first touchdown. Within seconds of the first score, the D took over and intercepted the ball. Less than two minutes later, a quick run up the middle and it was 14-0. Another defensive stop and the Utes regained the ball and passed their way to their third TD.

Truthfully, the game was over at the end of the first period. If it wasn't for two Utah miscues this game wouldn't have even been close. As the final moments of the Sugar Bowl came to a close it was incredibly satisfying to be one of the Utah alumni. My only regret is that I wasn't there in person to celebrate the win. Curse you oven!

So, there it is 13-0. A second BCS win. A top five ranking to end the year. 2009 just got off to a great start - if you're a Ute!

Happy New Year

Well, the new year is upon us. We had a fun time ringing out the old and bringing in the new with friends and family this year. There was a lot of food, games, and a night fun of Rockband (let's just say that the B52's Roam isn't my song). Even though it looked like Alex wouldn't be able to celebrate (he had a rough day with some puking), he fought through the drowsiness and made it to midnight. Happy New Year everyone!