Australia! Go see it!

Love a sappy, old-time romantic epic? I know I do!

Here's part of a review from Roger Ebert:

Baz Luhrmann dreamed of making the Australian "Gone With the Wind," and so he has, with much of that film's lush epic beauty. This is the sort of film described as a "sweeping romantic melodrama," a broad family entertainment that would never have been made without the burning obsession of its producers (Luhrmann for "Australia," David O. Selznick for "GWTW"). Coming from a director known for his punk-rock "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet" and the visual pyrotechnics of "Moulin Rouge," it is exuberantly old-fashioned, and I mean that as a compliment. What a gorgeous film, what strong performances, what exhilarating images and -- yes, what sweeping romantic melodrama. The kind of movie that is a movie, with all that the word promises and implies.

Hangin' with the Hatch's

Mac looking good for church.

Bath baby.

At the MAC (Museum of Arts and Cultures) to visit Father Christmas.

Father Christmas was a tad frightening - a cross between the Pope and a letch. He wanted Danielle on his lap too.

Love this kid!

Spark Restaurant Lounge

I'm sharing this review with you in an effort to spread the word and keep a great restaurant in business. Jim and I had our anniversary dinner there Friday night and it was amazing!


Provo, Utah: A chic, urban destination with gourmet dining, sleek style and a buzzing social scene. What? Not the Provo you know? Well, I can think of one spot that fits the bill. Meet Spark Restaurant Lounge.

Located in the Wells Fargo Building on University Avenue, Spark serves up hip, gourmet eats and sophisticated atmosphere unlike anyone in Utah Valley. You can enjoy a delicious meal at a table, or drinks and appetizers at the bar, or cozy up in the lounge and loft areas.

One of the first things you should know about Spark is that it’s a teetotaler’s paradise. A playful drink menu includes such fun refreshments as mango mojitos, peartinis rimmed with cinnamon sugar, and even Shirley Temples topped with clouds of cotton candy—and all non-alcoholic but still delicious. Particularly interesting was what they call the “hot and cold:” a layered beverage with a warm, lemon base and cold Coke on top.

Appetizers are equally novel with options like cumin fries with garlic aioli and house-made pasta with lamb ragu. One of our favorites was the “dueling edamame,” feauturing soybeans two never-had-before ways: vanilla-steamed and bacon-sauteed. The chef also whipped up some just-for-us fancy mushroom and swiss profiteroles (kind of like a cream puff, but without the cream). We hope to see them on the menu soon.
For dinner, we ordered roasted black cod with spaghetti squash and crispy mashed potatoes, and flat iron steak and short rib with fingerling potatoes. The cod came topped with garlic foam and was cooked to flaky perfection. The flat iron was tender with a great crust on the outside, and the short rib literally fell apart it was so well-cooked.

Dessert, anyone? Choices range from delicate to decadent with pink grapefruit frozen mousse and poppyseed cake with lavender foam, to almond-coated fried chocolate pudding with orange coriander ice cream. Despite their complex sounds, these sweet options taste oh-so-right at the end of a meal of this kind.

Here’s the deal: Don’t let Spark’s chic decor (did you see that chandelier?) and gourmet options scare you into ordering small. Even when it includes appetizers, drinks and dessert, the bill won’t hurt too much. Specialty drinks range from $3 - $4.50, appetizers from $5 - $10, salads from $8 - $11, entrees from $14 - 20 and desserts from $6 - $7, so you can impress your date and still make rent. In style.

Spark Restaurant Lounge
86 N. University Avenue
Provo, Utah
801-701-6780

Brett Returns

Elder Brett Hansen, the missing link, has returned from his mission to Florida. We're very glad to have him home for a couple of months before he heads off to BYU-Idaho in January.

Chad is Home!

Monday afternoon Chad made his triumphant return from his two years as a missionary in Tampico Mexico. He's tan and sporting a bit of a Mexican accent, but happy to be back and is making the rounds, visiting all his friends.

Heading home.

The happy taste of non-Mexican food.

Another Quick Spokane Trip

I just made another fast trip to see Danielle, Cameron and our sweet little Mac. I loved seeing how much the little guy has changed and grown in just two months. I saw him experience his first taste of solid food and heard his first laugh. What an angel. We dined, we shopped for Mac hats, and even took in a movie (WALL-E). Mac watched the screen the whole time.
A stroll in the park.

The Mac Hat Fashion Show:




Cute guy in his front yard swing wearing his new hat.

Pretty mama.

Conference Weekend Visitors

We had a nice conference weekend with Lee, Leni and Megan in town and staying with us. Here's Megan at the BYU MOA in the Japanese print exhibit.

Leni is a top notch card maker. Thanks Leni, I love them!

I've Been Tagged - Here are my 6 Quirks

Okay Danielle (and Jenny, I've been double tagged) here goes, 6 quirks:

1) Probably my quirkiest quirk is that I don't like fruit. Never have. Very strange, I know.
2) I have two completely different ears; one resembles my father's and the other looks like my mother's.
3) I have an extensive collection British costume dramas on video and DVD.
4) I can make my tongue do a belly dance. This one might be classified as freaky rather than quirky.
5) I'm very, very ticklish. I had three older brothers who used to hold me down and tickle me until I turned blue, screamed, cried, foamed at the mouth, or they just got tired of torturing me.
6) My favorite guilty pleasure is a little pint of smooth, delicious coffee Haagen Dazs. It helps me forget the pain of those rascally brothers. :-)

Now it's my turn, I tag Arlene, Amy and Nicki.

Painting Like a Crazy Woman

White walls, white walls, everywhere I look I see white walls! So now that the boys are returning within a few weeks, Lee, Leni & Meagan are coming for a visit and we're planning on putting the house on the market in the spring, it's time to paint and spruce things up a bit. Here comes the color! I've got one room done and looking good, with many to go.

Tim Cummings Cancer Fund

Some good old friends from back in my Newport days are going through an extremely rough time right now. Tim Cummings, a wonderful husband to Liz, and father of 8 (7 boys, 1 girl) has been diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. He currently resides in St. George, UT, is self-employed, and uninsured, plus his business has been doing quite poorly this last year so this has hit them quite hard. Tim's sisters, Karin and Tiffany (a.k.a. The Style Sisters), have been doing all they can to raise $$ in the effort help offset the staggering medical costs by getting the word out, fund-raisers, massive garage sales, etc. If you would like to donate to help this wonderful family and most worthy of causes, please go to http://www.thestylesisters.blogspot.com/
and click on the "Donate" button. Your prayers and any financial contribution (no matter how small) are greatly appreciated.

A Happy BYU Football Fan Birthday!

Thank you BYU for doing your part and thoroughly trouncing UCLA so my guy could have a happy birthday!

Back to Spokane

I just returned from another trip to Spokane to see Danielle, Cameron and baby Mac. Friday night Mac developed a high fever which required a trip to the hospital and a boat load of unpleasant tests. By 2 am he had been catheterized, had blood drawn, been hooked up to an IV, had a spinal tap, X-rays, and finally an ultra sound. We can't say that they weren't thorough, but what an experience for the poor little guy only to have them tell us "we don't see anything" and send us home. So the fever gradually cooled over the weekend and by Monday Mac was back to his sweet little self.

NSP Lagoon Day

Jim looking very excited at the prospect of spending a day at Lagoon.

That's better.

Computer games help to pass the time.

Before the nausea sets in.

Evan plans to ride them all.

A sweaty dinner time.

A damp man wondering who talked him into the Rattle Snake Rapids.

Jim pretending that he's got the intestinal fortitude to ride it.


I don't think so.

Evan going it alone.

I think I'll pass.

This is what us old people with weak stomachs do while the youngsters are having fun.

Earning the Big Bucks

Evan's showing off the fruits of his summer labor.


Another horsey morning out in front of our house this weekend...


...followed by an amazing sunset that same evening. I guess American Fork isn't so bad after all.

Tomorrow the Dawn will Break

Read much youth literature? Who me? Okay, I admit to being mildly interested in picking up book four in the Twilight series. But I draw the line when it comes to fighting my way through crowds of manic fans at the midnight release... unless I have absolutely nothing better to do.