Hula Hoopla

Being Driven Crazy?

Spending a quiet day at home with my kids. My wife needed to run out to the grocery store, and I offered to let her have some time to herself and watch the kids, rather than drag everyone up and down the store aisles.

We're watching Cars. My son is shouting out Lightning McQueen's name "Ightneen!" and my daughter is starting to deconstruct the movie. It took me 24 years and countless college English courses to begin to figure out that process.

Cars is an odd duck. Every other Pixar movie deals with how object, insects, monsters, fish, super heroes, rats, robots, and senior citizens deal with the everyday world around them - our world. In Cars, not only is it not our world, but no explanation is provided as to how the Cars come into existence (notice how there aren't any Cars that are depicted as children).

Despite that, it's still one of my favorite Pixar films. If I had to rate them, with the first being the best . . .

Toy Story 2
The Incredibles
Up
Toy Story
Cars
Wall-E
Finding Nemo
Ratatouille
Monsters Inc.
A Bug's Life

Although I've listed A Bug's Life as my least favorite on this list, it still has an overall high rank when compared to the offerings of other films (animated or otherwise). I trust Pixar, and look forward with anticipation for Toy Story 3, Cars 2, Monsters Inc. 2, The Bear and the Bow, and Newt.


And to think, it all started with a lamp. Actually it was a Bee. Wally B. But that's another story.

HANDBOOK 2010

One of my co-workers forwarded the following message to me earlier today. I took one look and realized that it's all about the things which we can control and those things that we can't control. I don't know who wrote it, but thought I would pass it along to everyone.

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants..
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009 .
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree....

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything..
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change...
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come..
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Last but not the least:
40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about.

Podcasting

I was given an ipod in mid-October. I uploaded all of my CDs to my computer and enjoyed an eclectic mix of music for the first month and a half. In late November, I realized I now had an excuse to listen to podcasts - and learned how to upload a show a friend of mine has been making for the past few years. As I dipped my toe into the world of podcasting, I did a search in iTunes for "Disney," and for some reason I'm still not sure of, added Window to the Magic as my second podcast.

Window to the Magic has been a game changer for me. For anyone who remotely enjoys visiting the Disney theme parks, this show is for you. While there is some discussion at times of news, the show, for the most part, is dedicated to bringing the in park experience to your ipod. From ride throughs of attractions, to listening to the bands which perform, to in depth shows about the history of rides such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Star Tours - this podcast has it all. I can't recommend it enough, and I can honestly say you're gonna love it.

I've since been adding podcasts like crazy. I came across The Mortis Matinee, a podcast which gathers a family together to watch a Disney film, then each member of the family has an opportunity to share their own review. I recently responded to a request for reviews of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and my email was read during the show.

I'm actually starting to wonder if I could put together a podcast, but I have no idea what it should be about. I really don't want to be derivative of anyone else, but it seems like a great outlet.

Picking up the pieces

Well, take one step forward, take two steps back. Got some bad news today, but it's all about how we deal with life's interruptions - we've just got to keep on working towards the goal.

A new year

I, for one, will not be too upset 2009 is behind me. It was perhaps the most difficult year I and my family have faced. It was much like the opening lines to A Tale of Two Cities - It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. We had moments of highs and lows, but the lows seemed to dominate the year.

Looking forward to 2010, there's some brightness on the near horizon. I hope you'll come along for the ride . . .

A day off

I took the day off today and spent it just enjoying being with my family. I took the kids to the park to get them out of Haily's hair for a bit and we had a really good time. The kids ran around and made new friends, while I just sat back and watched them have fun.

Give me something to sing . . .er write about.

Over the past couple of weeks, I've found myself listening to more music. Growing up, I never really listened to much music, although I did buy the occasional tape or CD.

I've been uploading most of my music to itunes, and realized that I have a TON of movie soundtracks. My shuffle is mostly instrumentals, peppered with the occasional song. The sad thing is I find myself skipping many of the tracks, but I've rediscovered some favorites, such as Finding Neverland and The Fifth Element. Surprisingly, most of the tracks I skip are from the Star Wars films.

The only trouble I've had is that now that I'm using itunes, I'm finding a lot of stuff I want to buy, and the price point isn't that bad. It's a good thing I don't have any money to spend on it!

Graveside Remarks

Yesterday, Haily and I held a graveside service for our stillborn son, Eric Collin Warren. I thought I would share the talk I gave.


Over the past two weeks, I have been overwhelmed by the love and support our friends and family have shown us. From the simple heartfelt act of letting us know how sorry they are for us, to those who have offered a shoulder to cry upon, to the Relief Society sisters in our home ward who watched McKenna and Adrian and provided meals, to the selfless acts of service from ones who offered without hesitation. I know that despite being so far away, we have felt your love and we thank you for sacrificing your time and warm homes to be with us this morning.

I told Haily the other day that, while I did not have the bonding experience with our son that she did through her pregnancy, my love for little Eric came full force once I say his little body. I instantly felt both an instant love and the deepest sorrow I've ever known in that one moment. I've since found comfort in the words of the scriptures and the prophets.

The Psalmist tells us the Lord knows us before our birth. "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them." (Psalms 139:14-16)

In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Alma tells us "The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame" (Alma 40:23)

And in the Doctrine and Covenants, our Savior said "For all old things shall pass away, and all things shall become new, even the heaven and the earth, and all the fulness thereof, both men and beasts, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea; And not one hair, neither mote, shall be lost, for it is the workmanship of mine hand." (D&C 29:24-25).

President Joseph Fielding Smith gave it as his opinion that these little ones would receive a resurrection and belong to us. Brigham Young taught that a baby's movements are those of the spirit's entering the body, preparatory to the immortal existence. With modern technology, we know that a beating heart, which is movement, begins in the first month of live. If their opinions were correct, then the tiniest of babies would be eligible for the resurrection. (I found this beautiful thought on this blog, which discusses a mother's loss following the stillbirth of her child.)

Never before have the principles of the resurrection and the atonement mattered as much to me as they do now. I know that we will be reunited as a family again. Until that time, he rests here with his Great-Grandfather, and works with both Jay and his Great-Grandpa Bratton in the next life. We will know him and see him there.

A favorite song comes to mind, with some revisions.

"Well it's hard to say goodbye, and let go, and it's hard to see it end
When the few memories we have made, can never happen again.
But it's harder for time to ever erase the together time we shared
And though we're apart, we'll remember all the love we've shared together
And for all that love, we'll thank the Lord above who showed us the way
That we could be together, forever someday.
We can be together, forever someday.
We will be together, forever someday.

(Together, Forever, Michael McLean, alterations by Eric Warren)

Our Heavenly Father has promised that we will be together, forever. I know that we will embrace our son and he will welcome us in his arms. Until then, we will remember him in our hearts and continue to love him.

Trying to be strong

I know and I realize I need to be next to my wife, supporting her every step of the way, and I am happy to do that. Unfortunately, I don't know where the line is to say "I love you and want to help you, but I need some time to myself." I feel selfish if I say something like that, and worry that I'm not giving my wife the help that she desperately needs. I suggested last night that I wanted to spend some "guy" time to just leave the house and do something for myself for a little bit. I'm sure this is just a part of my grieving process, but I can't help but feel guilty.

Rest in Peace - Eric Collin Warren

As many of our friends and family know, Haily and I learned in May that we were to be parents again in January. Although Haily was determined that our new baby was to be a girl (and had several names picked out), we learned on August 10 that our she was going to be a he (and a new list was quickly put together).

Haily and I thought about several names, ranging from Alexander to McRea, but nothing seemed right to me. We eagerly anticipated his arrival. I started moving some furniture last month to prepare for him. Even this past Monday night we were looking at a discounted stroller/car seat combo that we found on sale at Costco.

Haily had an appointment set up on Thursday for a routine ultra-sound and exam. Both the tech and the doctor spent about 20 minutes, but were unable to find a heart beat. Haily called me at work at about 1:30, to tell me the bad news. We spent the rest of the day in shock as the weight of what happened settled on us.

My mom was already in Arizona, and Haily's mom drove from Las Vegas to be with us. Before leaving home for the surgery, we decided upon his name, Eric Collin from my name and from his Grandpa Bratton's middle name. We've been in touch with funeral homes and cemeteries and believe we have that aspect lined up. Haily went into surgery a little after 8 and Eric Collin was stillborn at 9:21 last night. He weighed one pound and measured in at 11 inches.

Adrian and McKenna are doing well. Adrian is young enough to realize Mommy is not at home, but has been happy having Grandma to play with. McKenna know's Mommy and Daddy are very sad, and that Mommy is at the hospital with the baby. We've told her that her new brother will be living with Heavenly Father and Jesus.

Haily is recovering in the hospital tonight. She has had some time with our baby. Haily's doctor and the nursing staff have been nothing but helpful through all of this, and have gone out of their way to help us with our grief. Although we are devastated by this turn of events, we are grateful to our friends and family who have sent us their thoughts, kinds words, and prayers.

Little Eric was too precious and pure for this world, and it is in our Heavenly Father's wisdom and mercy that we were selected to be his parents for this short time. We know that he is a part of our eternal family, and that we will be with him in the next life. We know that he will be resurrected at the second coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our Heavenly Father has a plan for us to return to his presence and we will be together as a family in the eternities.

Sad news

Most everyone already knows on Facebook, but I figured I would also update my blog. Haily and I have suffered a tragedy these past 48 hours. Both McKenna and Adrian are fine. We really want to thank everyone who has reached out to us with their kinds words, thoughts, prayers, and support. We know Heavenly Father gives us trials to overcome, and though this may be the most difficult one we've faced together, it helps to know there are others out there who have opened their hearts to us. Thank you.

Just a post.

I'm feeling bad because I haven't posted anything lately to my blog for a while. Maybe I'll think of something interesting to write about this weekend.

Never Forget.

I can't believe it has been twenty years since my scout jamboree trip. I got to relieve some of it last summer when my wife and I flew to Washington D.C., spending the day with an old friend as we walked up and down the National Mall and visited the Air and Space Museum, the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial.

The second day of our trip found us in New York City. We spent the morning riding the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. I started to climb up to the crown, but chickened out midway - good thing I did because I nearly missed the ferry back to Manhattan. We toured the United Nations building, rode the Subway to Shea for a Mets game, took our tour bus through Queens (where I could see the statuary from the 1964 World's Fair), back for a tour of Manhattan (Times Square, Broadway, Empire State building, St. Patrick's cathedral) before stopping for dinner at a very unprepared Burger King. After getting my order, I followed the other scouts across the street and sat in a plaza eating my hamburger (ketchup and mustard only, please), and pondered what we were about to do next.


The final tour of our day was to travel to the top of one of the World Trade Center Towers. I remember feeling nervous. I had certainly never been so high in a building and I was a little scared of how I would deal with the heights. The elevator ride seemed to be shorter than I thought it should be. As I stepped out and looked around the observation deck, I was amazed at the thousands of lights dotting the horizon (it was dusk). I leaned my head against the glass and looked down towards the dark ground, vertigo quickly forcing me to lean back. Before returning to the elevator, I looked around one more time and caught sight of our first adventure that day, the Statue of Liberty in the harbor.

Quiet Night.

I'm all alone with my thoughts tonight. I was last night too.

Grandma and Grandpa B have been asking to spend some time with McKenna. After Haily's day care kids went home, she packed up McKenna and Adrian and flew up to Vegas for the night. Haily and Adrian came back this afternoon, but Haily had to rush right back out for her Enrichment activity. Adrian's been fed and put to bed and now it's just me, all alone, with no idea of what I should write about.

And one from me . . .

Playing with Photoshop. Original picture and more can be found at Print a Penguin.

This one's for Uncle Adrian

Colored by McKenna. If you like these, check out ToonBaboon's Print a Penguin blog!

Short Disneyland Trip

I know a few of my relatives and in-laws get tired of how often we go to Disneyland. Actually, we haven't been since May, due to money issues and problems with my herniated disc. At almost the last moment, we decided to go, and I'm glad we went. Not only did we get a really good discount on a car rental, but we also had a wonderful time together as a family.


McKenna got three new experiences on this trip. On Saturday, before we left home, we measured her height - she was pretty darn close to 40 inches tall with her shoes on. Once we had an opportunity to check at the park, she came in right at 40 and she got to ride Big Thunder Mountain and Star Tours with me. And even though she has seen Fantasmic a few times on You Tube, there's nothing better than seeing it in person.


In all, we had a great time. We usually spend a lot of time together, rarely do Haily or I do anything without involving the kids, but it's sure a neat feeling to find yourself flying in an elephant, or sailing over Neverland with your child beside you.

One of our "must do" activities is to watch the "Billy Hill and the Hillbillies" show at the Golden Horseshoe Saloon. These four brothers, each named Billy Hill, put on a bluegrass show that touches almost every muscial genre from Elvis, to the Beatles, to Country and Disco (They call that style Crisco) and Country meets Rap (no name for that style yet). They always put on a good show, and I've yet to be disappointed.

Special thanks go out to Karen and Charles for hosting us for the night, and extra thanks also go out to Bryan and Jamie who helped us out with an issue after we got home.

Blowin' In The Wind

Living in Arizona, we're constantly aware of any changes to the dry heat of the summer. One of the most dangerous changes comes with the monsoon, a seasonal weather pattern that brings moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. The storms often appear unexpectedly, and bring a high amount of rain, preceeded by high winds and dust. Many of the local television stations broadcast a special about the dangers of the monsoon.

On Thursday night, we got caught up in one of the storms. We were driving after dark and fought the wind for a good distance. We could see the dust getting kicked up, and watched as heavy raindrops splattered on the car, muddying up the windshield with a thick paste. Our field of view diminished to the point where we could see only a few feet ahead of us. We pulled over, turned off our headlights, and turned on the hazards. A signpost that was only ten feet ahead of us disappeared in the gloom. We sat for several minutes, in silence, watching as cars slowly passed us, and others, following our example, pulled off the road. At one point, McKenna said she was scared and wanted to go home. In all, we waited for about fifteen minutes for the storm to pass us over.

As the wind slowed and visibility increased, we could see that the car was covered in dirt. I'm glad we had the sense of mind to pull over and let the storm pass over us.

Dr. Seuss invades the Warren home

Watch as Haily reads a book,

Check out Kenna's hair - new look!

Eric ignoring the world again,

And Adrian with a cheesy grin!