Happy Birthday, Ryan!

So I realize that I'm way behind on blogging, but I wanted to celebrate Ryan turning 2, even if this post is almost a month late. We had a great time--it was a potluck dinner, so I didn't have to worry about much (thank goodness; Sofia was really jaundiced, so I was busy worrying about that).

Ryan loved his cake (thanks, Mom!). He's been playing with the figures that were on top all month.


He loved opening gifts (who doesn't), which largely featured Pooh and Curious George, two of his very favorite characters.
But his very favorite part of his birthday was playing with his cousins and uncles. Dogpile!!

I can't believe how much Ryan has grown in the last two years. We are so glad to have him in our family to enjoy his energy and enthusiasm!!

Happy Halloween!

This year Ryan went as Pooh and Sofia was Eeyore.




Ryan certainly got the hang of trick-or-treating early. We originally planned on only going to our cul-de-sac and then a couple of other homes in the ward before visiting our family, but he learned that houses that had lights on were giving out candy, so we made a lot more stops than we were planning on. :D He was having such a great time! (The only problem has been since then--candy makes for some severe temper tantrums!!)

Here's a picture of the whole family. Originally, I was hoping to put together a Tigger costume for Nate and a Piglet one for me, but Sofia came along and costumes went way down the list on things to do. So I put on some PJs and grabbed my stuffed tiger, and Nate put together a baseball outfit.

Welcome, Sofia!!

So, on October 1, we welcomed the newest member of our family! This C-section went infinitely better than with Ryan: I was well-rested and prepared for it, and the nurses and doctors all listened to my concerns. Sofia is healthy; she sleeps well, eats well, and is cute as a button! I just thought I'd share some pictures from the hospital. :D

After the procedure:
Bright-eyed and alert little girl:

Ryan adores his little sister!
Sleeping peacefully:



Going home from the hospital:

My Favorite Season

Fall is probably my very favorite season for so many reasons:

1. Cooler weather: It's perfect for wearing sweaters, cuddling under blankets, and enjoying warm drinks like hot chocolate, apple cider, and wassail.
2. Autumn leaves: The crunch under my feet, the musty smell, the gorgeous colors. And who doesn't love playing in piles of leaves in the back yard?
3. Fall foods: Apple pies and cobblers, baked apples with raisins and nuts, pumpkin pie and breads, melt-in-your-mouth squash, and Thanksgiving feasts.
4. Holidays: Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday (next to Christmas) because I love getting together with family and friends, especially to celebrate our gratitude. And I've gained a new appreciation for Halloween seeing how much fun the kids have with it.
5. Activities: I love going to corn mazes, hay rides, decorating pumpkins, making scarecrows, and planning costumes for Halloween.
6. Smells: My favorite smells are in November. Besides the smells of autumn leaves, baking pies, and Thanksgiving, I love the transition to the smells of Christmas: pine, peppermint, cinnamon.
   

What do you love about fall? What is your favorite season?

Utah Shakespearean Festival Fall 2007

There are three plays this fall, The Tempest, Art, and The Mousetrap. In my opinion, they were all excellent. I liked them all for very different reasons.

The Tempest: This is certainly not my favorite of Shakespeare's plays. I don't really identify with any of the characters, and I don't find the play compelling. In the play, Prospero and his daughter have been stranded on a desert island for 12 years because his brother usurps him as the Duke and sets them adrift in a boat. Ariel, a wind spirit, does his bidding, and Caliban, a beastly half-human, grudgingly serves Prospero also. When Prospero finds out his brother is on a ship, he arranges to "shipwreck" him and everyone else on the ship. In the course of two days, he arranges the marriage of Miranda and the Prince of Naples, torments the people who sent him adrift until they feel very guilty, and arranges to become the Duke again and return to Milan.

Despite not loving the play script, I thought the performances were phenomenal and the interpretation was very interesting. They visually compare Prospero to Leonardo da Vinci by including his writings and drawings on Prospero's coat and Ariel's wings were designed to look like something da Vinci created. The idea is both were very close to being more than human. Caliban was very animalistic, the best I've seen. I also loved Chris Mixon as Trinculo, the jester. He stole the stage any time he was on. It was the best production of The Tempest that I've seen, though I still don't like the play that much.

Art: Nate really didn't like this play because he doesn't enjoy watching people argue. I, however, enjoyed the play. It was the one I was most looking forward to seeing because it's won several awards and it was playing both times that I was in London, though I didn't have the chance to see it. The story is simple: Serge buys a painting that is white on white, his friend Marc thinks he's insane to do it, and their friend Yvan gets caught in the middle. Basically, the whole play is a series of conversations, not just about art, but also about friendship and what keeps us together or tears us apart.

It reminded me a lot of a Tom Stoppard play because watching the play required a lot of intellectual work. However, I appreciated hearing the different arguments and having them come to some sort of resolution. And the performances were extremely good.

The Mousetrap: This is a classic Agatha Christie whodunit play. I've seen it a couple of times before and actually remembered whodunit, but I still enjoyed the journey. It's a fun play . . . something easy on the eyes and the mind.

Despite heavy rain on Saturday, we really enjoyed the plays. And I highly recommend them all.

A Week in the Life

So this week has been jam-packed (I'm trying to squeeze as much as humanly possible into the little time left before Sofia--btw, 10 days and counting!). Last Friday, we went up to Big Cottonwood Canyon for the annual Burt Family Campout. We had a beautiful location surrounded by the trees and mountains; best of all, it was just across the road from a bathroom with a flush toilet and running water (really important when you're 38 weeks pregnant!).

Ryan immediately was in heaven, playing with his cousins, watching the fire, trying to roast hot dogs:
Saturday we went on a hike. Keri, my sister-in-law, remembered it being about 1/2 mile up to Doughnut Falls. I thought a mile round trip sounded great, especially since she said there wasn't much in the way of elevation gains. We probably ended up hiking more like four miles or so; I was pretty darn sore and exhausted at the end of it, but it was still fun and the falls were beautiful. A long nap in the afternoon made it all better.

Ryan had a hard time leaving his cousins at the end of the trip, but Nate and I were grateful to get home where we could sleep in our own bed! Ryan loved everything about camping except for sleeping in the tent . . . Poor Nate sacrificed himself every night while Ryan rolled all over him, pushed him off his camping pad, stole his blankets. But then Ryan would turn around and do really cute things in the morning, like helping Grandma roll up her camping pad.

On Tuesday, Mom Burt, my sisters-in-law Keri and Machelle, my niece Sadie, Ryan, and I went to Gardner Village to do a little shopping and have lunch. There are a lot of boutique shops in historical buildings. My two favorites are the Storybook Nook, a cute toy and bookstore, and the Village Christmas Shoppe, which has ornaments, villages, nativities, and all sorts of other Christmas things year round.

We tried on hats for fun, watched ducks (at Ryan's repeated insistence), and enjoyed lunch at Archibald's, located in an old mill with a waterwheel.
Oh, and to top off the week, Ryan posed for this really cute picture in the bathtub:

Whew! What a week! And this next week promises to be just as busy--as long as Sofia waits until October 1st. :D

Our San Diego Trip

Last week, Ryan and I went with my brother Warren and his friend Sarah and met Mom and Dad Burt in San Diego. Mom's best friend has an efficiency apartment in Ocean Beach, just off the fishing pier. We had a great time, especially watching Ryan enjoy his first experience at the beach and getting so excited over what the fishermen caught.

Here is what the OB pier looks like at sunset:
We ate dinner up on the roof of Linda's place to enjoy it after a long day at the zoo:
At the zoo, my favorites were the polar bears (they were roughhousing in the water for a really long time right in front of the window), the pandas (they did nothing but sleep in the trees, but they're still pandas), the new baby giraffe (need I say more?), and the hippos (they were putting on a water ballet for us). Ryan's favorites were the pandas, the snakes, the turtles, and the new baby monkey who was just learning to walk (and dropping all over the place like he was drunk).

We had a great day at the beach. Ryan was so excited about scooping sand into his bucket that he almost didn't let us take him a little way into the water to jump in the waves. He loved everything about the beach and was very upset about having to leave it.

We also spent some time on Dog Beach, where Ryan got up close and personal with some pooches:

We also went to Cabrillo National Monument, where we toured the lighthouse and watched an aircraft carrier leaving port to go up to its home port in Washington.
Of course, Ryan's favorite activity was to walk up and down the fishing pier and check all the fishermen's buckets. By the last day, he had worked out a system. If they had a lot of fish, he would bend over with his hands on his hips, scrutinize it, and say, "Oh, fish!" If they didn't have anything, he'd throw his hands up in the air and say, "No fish!" and hurry to the next bucket. It was hilarious, and he kept everyone highly entertained.

At the end of the trip, Mom drove home with Ryan and me, which was so wonderful!! It was nice to have someone else who could help keep Ryan entertained on the long car ride home. :D

Things to Be Thankful For

I thought I'd write a list of a few things I've been grateful for lately.
1. Getting to go on vacation--I had a great time in Cedar City with Nate, Ryan, my parents, and Austen. The UT Shakespeare Festival is one of the milestones of my year and something I look forward to greatly. And then I was lucky enough to go with Ryan, Warren, and Sarah to meet Nate's parents in San Diego. I loved going to the zoo and hanging out at the beach! While I came home exhausted, it was oh so worth it! Plenty of memories to get me through the rough time ahead of not sleeping, etc. And I had a wonderful road trip with Nate's mom on the way home!
2. The beach--Did I mention how much I love the beach? I haven't been there in several years, but there is something about the waves, the crashing surf, the sand under your feet. And every time I go, it reminds me of Nate proposing.
3. A healthy pregnancy--As much as I ache and can't sleep and keep getting kicked, I am very grateful that everything is going along smoothly. Sofia is active and healthy. Oh, yeah, and I only have four weeks to go! The official date is October 1, unless she decides to come early, which none of us really thinks is going to happen.
4. Nate--Nate's been giving me lots of chances lately to sleep, keeping Ryan busy, and letting me have some time to myself (I went to Becoming Jane today, and I've been scrapbooking a few times with Keri and Mom Burt). And Nate's been extremely understanding through all my mood swings and complaints. Nate, you're the best!

USF Summer 2007 Reviews

Since we saw this the week before the season was over, unfortunately I can’t recommend any of these to go see . . . except to say that everyone should go to the Utah Shakespeare Festival!!

This year at the Utah Shakespearean Festival was probably one of the most pleasant surprises we’ve had in years. I was looking forward to seeing Twelfth Night, possibly my favorite Shakespeare comedy, but I didn’t have overly high expectations for any of the others. However, not only did we enjoy all the plays, but the cast was also possibly the strongest we’ve ever seen. And Ryan, just like last year, really enjoyed going to child care to play with the sand and the toys.

Without further ado, here are my reviews of the plays in the order that we saw them:

Candida: This play by George Bernard Shaw is about a woman who is married to a minister who doesn’t realize how much she does for him and who is loved by an 18-year-old poet who is artistic but not much more. I was prepared not to like this play because I don’t like the idea of a married woman entertaining the idea of leaving her husband for another man. However, there was never any danger of that—the poet, while romantic, had nothing to offer. And Candida does teach her husband that she does a lot more than he realizes so that he can live the life that he wants. All of the performances were wonderful, and the play has given me a lot to think about, particularly about marriage.

Twelfth Night: I’ve seen this play probably more than any other. This particular one was set in the Middle East, so the set was covered in blue and gold geometric designs and turbaned or veiled costumes. It had the best Viola I’ve ever seen; I loved the choices that she made that really made her seem uncomfortable in her own skin as a man. It also had the best swordfight; Viola and Sir Andrew were so afraid of each other that they couldn’t look at one another, so Sir Toby uses his own sword to hit both of their swords and they think they’re fighting each other. Olivia was also extremely strong. As much as I love the Trevor Nunn movie, it can be very dark and serious, more than I think is warranted by the play. I would love to take this production and include the Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Malvolio from the first time that I saw it (they were very funny, complete with eye-popping and wild gestures). But this was a very solid performance.

Lend Me a Tenor: The Musical: There has been a lot of buzz about this one. Two of the festival regulars turned this play into a musical with the playwright’s blessing, and they did a fabulous job, such a wonderful job that producers have been coming from Broadway to see it. It’s a wild farcical romp about a womanizing opera star coming to Cleveland, losing his wife (temporarily), and being replaced by shy assistant director in the big show. The songs were a lot of fun, and we laughed and smiled all the way through. Especially since we weren’t expecting much, we were really pleasantly surprised and gave them a well-deserved standing ovation.

Coriolanus: This is not Shakespeare’s best play, but I was glad to see it on stage, especially with James Newcombe in the starring role. It is the story of a very proud soldier who is unwilling to humble himself in order to become a senator. And while it is not as compelling a tragedy as some, we have discussed this play more than almost any other, contemplating pride, duty, family bonds, etc.

The Matchmaker: Thornton Wilder’s play was the basis for Hello, Dolly! Leslie Brott did a fabulous job as Dolly; actually, the entire cast was amazing! It’s a fun play that focuses on learning to really live life and appreciating the joys and small adventures that life can offer.

King Lear: Dan Kremer was by far the best Lear I’ve ever seen, so good that I forgot who was playing Lear—he just was Lear. All of the performances were strong, and it was directed by one of my favorite directors at the Festival (he directed the only version of Macbeth I’ve ever liked). This will stand as my definitive version of Lear for a long time.

The only complaint I have is I really don’t like the person who’s been running the literary seminars where people discuss the plays. She doesn’t know anything about the plays, even by the end of summer . . . I don’t think she read any books, articles, or anything else about any of them. However, we’ve decided that talking amongst ourselves is almost as good as talking with someone who’s an expert. So on the balance, it was an excellent year.

Shakespeare Related Things

Tomorrow my family makes its annual summer trip to Cedar City for the Utah Shakespearean Festival. In honor of this beloved event, I decided to write my five favorite Shakespeare-related books/plays/movies (with two honorable mentions). Next week, I'll write my reviews of the plays and have pictures from my subsequent trip to San Diego!

Honorable Mentions:
Shakespeare in Love
To Be or Not To Be

I've seen both movies only once and like them both. I'm sure you all know Shakespeare in Love better than I (I generally can't remember a movie plot five days after I saw it), and the other starred Carole Lombard and Jack Benny as heads of a Jewish theatrical troupe performing Hamlet while trying to escape the Nazis.

#5. 10 Things I Hate about You
Yes, the movie is somewhat cheesy, but I've seen it a number of times, and it captures the idea of Shakespeare better than most of its teenybopper counterparts (almost as well as Cluesless captures Emma). I like Julia Stiles, and it was one of the first things I had seen Heath Ledger in. And I still find myself laughing and appreciating Taming of the Shrew each time I see the movie.

#4. March Tale
This play was written by Tim Slover, originally a professor at BYU and now at the U. It tells the story of Shakespeare's troupe going to perform Merry Wives of Windsor for a dying Queen Elizabeth and getting themselves into Elizabethan plots and high hijinks. I actually saw this play in one of its first readings/writings at the Shakespeare Festival and then again at BYU after Tim rewrote it a little bit. It has since won several awards and the rights have been purchased to make a movie with Tim writing the screenplay (I hope it happens!).

#3. The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged)
This is a very fun play that manages to do at least snippets from every single play. The better you know the plays, the funnier it is, but anyone can appreciate the history plays performed as a football game or a rap version of Othello.

#2. The Eyre Affair
Actually, every novel by Jasper Fforde contains at least some allusions to the Bard of Avon, but my favorite is in this book. Thursday Next, the heroine, goes to a performance of Richard III that is much like The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The audience completely participates, shouting out things, providing props, and even getting involved in the final battle at the end. (What a fantastic idea!! It would be exciting to live in a world that loved Shakespeare that much!)

#1. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
My all-time favorite Shakespeare-related play is this one. I have seen it a number of times (including the movie version, though I wouldn't recommend it). The first time, though, probably had the greatest impact. All the tickets were sold out at BYU, but my dad happened to know the director (his wife had babysat Warren when we lived in Indiana), so he let the two of us sit up in the catwalks behind the spotlights. The stage was almost completely bare, so the characters and the words came alive. It's a great romp through existentialist thought and Hamlet, written by one of the world's finest playwrights, Tom Stoppard.

Christianity in Harry Potter

There has long been a question about whether or not Harry Potter is meant to be a Christ figure. Many ultraconservatives who are convinced the books are evil laugh at the idea. Orson Scott Card has posted a number of blogs on Beliefnet.com about this subject, contending that while Harry is not a Christ figure, he represents a moral universe.

Rowling is certainly no C.S. Lewis, who made his stories allegorical in order to make the Christian story easier to understand and relate to. She is more like Tolkein, whose stories were highly influenced by British folklore and culture, which is also influenced by the Christian story, although she is not a theologian like Tolkein was.

Harry Potter is certainly its own story, not an allegory to illustrate the Christ story. But there are certainly parallels that are impossible to ignore--that are given greater power because they are at least reminiscent of the Christian story.

***Spoiler Alert***
For example, Harry walks to his own death, makes a willing sacrifice of himself to save everyone else. He does so at the behest of his spiritual father figure, Dumbledore, who he then meets in "King's Cross" and has a conversation with (according to Newsweek) " a father figure with 'long sliver hair and a beard' whose supernatural powers are accompanied by a profound message of love." And then, whether or not Harry was actually dead, he appears to come back to life to finally defeat evil.

Every culture has myriad stories of good vs. evil, so it is only natural to look for parallels with our greatest good vs. evil story. However, I still enjoy looking for some of them, especially because Harry is more like the rest of us. I especially appreciate the intimate relationship between Harry and Dumbledore--while both are mortal, it is a good reminder of what we can try to make our relationship with our Heavenly Father like. And the story is an inspiration to struggle against evil in our own lives, especially through unity with those around us. :D

My favorite TV shows

I really like TV, but there are very few shows that I have followed religiously. Here are my all-time favorites.

1. Quantum Leap: This is the first show that really had an impact on me. It caused me to think about social issues and to really think about stepping into other people's shoes. It also exposed me to a number of historical events in the recent past that I was able to think about in a different way (about how people were actually affected instead of just what happened).
   This is where I first learned about Man of La Mancha, now one of my very favorite musicals.
   
2. Star Trek: TNG: This again exposed me to social issues in a different way. I loved watching Patrick Stewart on screen; Picard was such a great role model. And I enjoyed the idea of exploring new worlds. Both this and QL were shows that were very formative in my teenage years.
3. Frasier: This was such an intelligently written show, I just found it a lot of fun to watch. I love the titles in between segments, and I honestly think that some of its moments are the funniest I've seen on TV (most of them involved David Hyde Pierce, who I consider to be a comedic genius).
4. The Office: I really enjoy this show (especially the Jim and Pam relationship), even though some of the characters are extremely painful to watch!
5. The Cosby Show: I love the parenting on the show--they are intelligent, loving, and funny.
6. 24: It's an adrenaline rush a minute, and though I really hate all the torture and I know it's not at all realistic, at the same time I think it's a lot of fun to watch.
7. Scrubs: Well, at least seasons 1-5. I love how offbeat it is, the acapella group singing at times, the random side thoughts, and the fresh writing. My favorite episodes are "My Way Home" (the Wizard of Oz episode) and "My Mistake" with Brendan Fraser.
8. Law and Order and Law and Order: Criminal Intent: I love procedural dramas, and these are by far my favorite--I'll watch them any time I can find them on. I love that they're topical and that they usually give Nate and me something to talk about.
9. Monk: I really love detective shows, and the best detectives have something that set them apart, make them quirky, and give them an edge. (For example, my favorite detective, Poirot, is obsessed with neatness, order, and his own intelligence--but he's always right.) Monk has major OCD and can be frustrating, but he's also endearing and amazing.
   

There are a lot of other shows that I've enjoyed in the past and continue to enjoy, although I'm not sure if they qualify as my all-time favorites . . . They include, in no particular order, Psych, Angel, Jack and Bobby, The Wonder Years, I Love Lucy, and seasons 1-4 of Buffy. I'm sure I'll be able to come up with others, but these are the ones that come most quickly to mind.

My favorite movies

I've been meaning to do this blog for a long time. As I've thought about, I realize that my taste is fairly unsophisticated. I enjoy a movie that makes me think, but I won't necessarily watch it over and over. So, in no particular order, here are the movies that most enjoy watching repeatedly.

1. The Princess Bride: This is both a wonderful movie and book (if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it). It's very quotable and has everything--adventure, romance, comedy, drama. This movie has long been my "sick movie," the one I watch when I need comfort. :D
   
2. Monsters Inc.: My favorite Pixar movie. I think it is funny, and I absolutely love Boo. . . . I always loved her, but I love her even more now that Ryan is starting to remind me of her.
3. Remember the Titans: We originally went to see this because I went to T.C. Williams High School when I lived in VA, but I fell in love with it because it deals with overcoming racial issues (which has always been important to me). It may be overly sentimental in places, but I still love it.
4. The Lion King: My favorite Disney movie (see the previous post as to why).
5. Anne of Green Gables (and the sequels): This is one of the first movies my mom recorded on our VCR, so I've been watching this most of my life. I love Anne's spirit, her intelligence, and I'm not afraid to watch eight hours of her to get to that final kiss!
6. Star Wars IV, V, VI: My brothers and I introduced ourselves to these watching cable TV. I love the stories, the characters, the epic battle of good and evil, and the redemption of the father at the end.
7. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: I love Sean Connery and Harrison Ford, and I love WWII stuff. I love all of the Indy movies, but this is the best because of the father/son relationship.
   

Disneyland

It's been entirely too long since I've blogged. . . . I have plenty of excuses, mostly work and family things that have been going on lately. However, I couldn't wait to blog about our trip to Disneyland. We drove to California for Nate's cousin's wedding, but it was also a convenient excuse to get to Southern California to take Ryan for his first trip to Disneyland. It was so fun and better than I could have hoped! Nate's parents came with us to share the experience (thanks!) and Ryan didn't go through any of the trauma that some toddlers do (screaming when meeting characters, too terrified to do any of the rides, crying all day). He was really nervous for Dumbo and Peter Pan, his first rides . . .
but he started warming up to the rides after he got to do the first one of his choice, the carousel. He spent most of the ride looking up the top of the pole to try to figure out how it worked.
Ryan enjoyed spending time with Dad and Grandpa . . . and he was fascinated by everything around him:



























He immediately took to meeting the characters. He ran over to Minnie as soon as she came out of the cast entrance, before any of the rest of us even knew what was going on. He was the first in line to give her a big hug!
We also met Goofy, Pluto, and Mickey in Toontown.
One of Nate's highlights of the trip was when Ryan really wanted to go on Gadget's Go Coaster, the smallest roller coaster in the park. Ryan was just tall enough to ride it, and he and his dad had a great time! Nate hopes this means that Ryan will pick up his father's love of roller coasters.
















He certainly got the hang of rides: by the end of the day, he begged to ride the rockets and he had a great time!
My favorite highlight was Ryan getting to see Pooh. . . . At first, he and I stood in line for a half hour, only to find out four people away from the front of the line that Pooh was going on break and Tigger and Eeyore were going to take his place. Pooh was nice enough to say "Hi" to Ryan as he passed. A few minutes later, Ryan held his hands up looking around and saying, "No Pooh!" (It was dang cute!) Then when he saw Tigger and Eeyore coming out, he got really excited:
We stood in line again to see Pooh, and Ryan could barely contain himself as he got close to the front of the line. When I finally put him down, he ran to give Pooh a couple of hugs, and Pooh kept blowing kisses at him. :D


























Anyway, all in all, it was an absolutely wonderful day, and we can't wait to go again!!