Another Famous Inman

You all know that the program about “Forever Strong” aired after Saturday afternoon’s conference session last weekend. It was so much fun to see Marc listed as the producer! Could you hear our cheers as the credits rolled? I’m sure they were that loud. We’re all very proud.

Sydni alerted me to another famous family member. My mom is on the IHC website!
My parents were recruited quite a while ago to do some ads for IHC. This is the only picture we’ve seen so far. Apparently larger-than-life posters are also going to start showing up in IHC facilities soon. Let us know if you see anything anywhere!

A New Blogger in the Family!

Frances' sisters both have blogs. I have a blog. We have been trying to convince Frances to start a blog, especially now that there is so much excitement to share with the twins pregnancy. She has family from New York to North Carolina to Nebraska to California. We know she'll get really tired of trying to call or e-mail everyone with updates, as well as trying to remember what information she has told to which family members. We're excited for the updates. Check them out at "Twins and Other Unexpected Adventures."

Tagged Again

Ok, so maybe it’s my own fault since I actually admitted that I like these. Or it could be that when I tagged Kristin, I told her she could tag me back. She did.

Kristin has had a much more eventful life than I have. She has five tattoos and has shaved her head, you know. (Joking aside, she knows I love her and admire her for bravely enduring that chapter of her life. I wouldn’t want those tattoos for anything.)

Here are the rules for this tag: Tell 10 interesting/weird things about you. When finished, tag 3 other people.

You already know about my pen & pencil talent from this post, so I can’t use that one again. Maybe it’s because I’m so anxious for another trip to Hawaii, but almost everything I can think of right off involves experiences with travel. So, here goes…

1. I attended a wedding in the Medici’s palace in Florence, Italy.

2. I was almost hit by a car in front of Buckingham Palace in London because I looked the wrong way before crossing the street. Oh, and because those English drivers are NUTS!

3. I’ve flown over the wettest spot on earth (Mount Waialeale, Kauai) in a helicopter.

4. I’ve visited with Harry Reid in his office in Washington, DC – TWICE!

5. Also in Washington, DC – I rode on the Senate subway with John Glenn.

6. I’ve climbed to the top of Mount Timpanogos - again, TWICE!

7. I’ve been in two, maybe even three, different car accidents with Sydni. (She was driving once, I was driving once, and someone else was driving once. Apparently we should never be in a car together.)

8. I stepped in ankle-deep wet cement on the way to a job interview…and got the job!

9. I wear toenail polish that changes color in the sun. That’s an especially fun feature at the beach.

10. I had bacterial spinal meningitis, and survived! (Obviously.)

I tag Melissa (since you got me the last time), Kim M. (since I KNOW you have some good ones), and Tracie (since you have so much more free time now).

What Are You Watching This Weekend?

For those of you who will be watching the LDS General Conference on TV in the SLC area this weekend, make sure you keep your TV on between sessions. Marc has been working on a new film for Excel called “Forever Strong,” based on the true story of the Highland High rugby team. Between conference sessions there will be a segment with interviews with the real players and coach, as well as some of the other participants from the film. Marc is the editor of the piece, so we are all excited to see how well he does.

***UPDATE: Apparently the "Forever Strong" segment will air immediately following the Saturday afternoon session of conference.***

Film trailers will also start to air on television stations in the near future. He is also the editor of those. So when you see them, think of Marc! (If you can’t tell, his family is very proud.)

Need a Laugh?

My Aunt Dott, Uncle Randy, and my “kinda cousins” Troy, Teya, Loni and their spouses just returned from a dive trip to Kauai. Those of you in the family will appreciate how hilarious this truly is. Those of you who don’t know Randy…well, it’s still pretty hilarious. (For those of you who don’t know Randy and Dott, refer back to this post for a picture of their decorated giraffe at Christmas time.) For some pretty hysterical laughs, check out Randy vs. the Coconut on Troy’s blog. (Just so you know, the fun really begins at about 1:20...so stick with it - or fast forward.)

Also on Troy’s blog, you can watch this cool video they took of the whales off of the Na Pali coast from the dive boat. The whales should still be hanging around Hawaii when we're there (supposedly through May), so we're hoping for some great views, too.

And our own update...we go in 24 days! If you see us before we go, ask Ryan to sing the "humuhumunukunukuapua'a" song. We've been singing it together - A LOT - and it is also pretty darn funny.

Bizarre Talents

Those of you that have known me for a while know that I have a few amusing talents that I only share during boring parties, those “two truths and a lie” games, or work talent shows where half of the audience has had a couple of drinks and thinks everything is hysterical. So it should have come as no surprise a couple of days ago when Ryan said, “Mom, do you know that I can put my whole fist in my mouth?” Sure enough…My next question was the obvious one: “How, exactly, did you figure out that you could do that?” His response? “I don’t know…I just did.” Again, I shouldn’t be surprised. That’s the same answer I give when people ask me how, exactly, I figured out that I can hold a pen with my top lip and a pencil with my bottom lip at the same time.

Our Own March Madness

Since our team lost in their first-round game last week, we haven’t watched another basketball game on TV. Instead, we have created our own version of March Madness, with many different versions of the game of basketball. The specific game depends on the weather and the time of day.

First thing in the morning (while still in our pajamas and usually before breakfast), Ryan and I play “pajama ball.” We have an enclosed porch on the back of our house which holds bikes, scooters, various sporting equipment, and our 72-hour backpacks. It is also where we keep Ryan’s indoor basketball standard. His favorite thing upon waking in the morning is an energetic get-the-heart-pumping game of basketball on the porch. He likes it when I watch him, but he loves it when I play with him. There have been many Saturday mornings when I am looking forward to sleeping in, when (as I am lying in bed at 7:30 a.m.) I hear bounce-bounce-bounce…kerthunk… “Yea!” Bounce-bounce-bounce…kerthunk… “Yea!” Bounce-bounce-bounce…kerthunk… “Yea! Mom! Come and watch this awesome shot!” So much for sleeping in.

A slightly different version can be played at any time of day (not in pajamas) when it is raining, snowing, or otherwise not pleasant enough to play outside. The porch is not heated, and is extremely chilly in the early morning hours or winter weather, but it’s better than playing outside (or not playing at all).

We have a double driveway. One side has a basketball standard. There is a flat parcel of concrete big enough for a car or two. Then our driveway slopes sharply down a hill; a hill which continues all the way down the street in front of our house (we are at the top of a “T” intersection). This week was Ryan’s Spring Break. Since we finally had some warm weather, we spent a lot of time playing basketball outside. We had a great time playing; cheered for each other when we made awesome shots, and teased each other about a few air balls. And, just in case a normal game of basketball didn’t provide enough exercise, if one of us missed a pass, or if the ball hit the backboard too hard, our basketball game became more of a get-the-ball-before-it’s-a-mile-down-the-hill game.

So, if your team is no longer in the big dance and you’re going through basketball withdrawal, you’re welcome to come and shoot hoops with us.