Let it Snow!

I'll miss this white stuff when I have to go home next week!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone! It is so nice to be home in Utah for a white Christmas. I hope you all got everything you wanted and celebrated with ones you love!

The Poem of a Child..

On the poetry vein, in 3rd grade right now we are doing a poetry unit. Yesterday we were working on free verse and a student of mine asked if she could share her poem with me. It went a little something like this:

On Christmas Eve
We eat Mexican Food
On Christmas Eve
We sit around
On Christmas Eve
We eat Mexican Food
'Cause on Christmas Eve there's not a lot to do

When you're a Jew!

'Tis the Season...Moustache Season*

At this time of year,
That we wish would last,
We take the time to honor,
The amazing Moustache!

With friends we hold dear,
We come together with prose
To celebrate the strip
Of hair 'bove the nose

To the Henriods, we give thanks
For keeping the tradition alive.
When on the 23rd in Utah,
All will arrive

Once again to give praise
To those who've taken time
To sprout the manliness
That is a moustache sublime.

**For those in the dark, each year for Christmas, we have a Moustache Party where all who are willing, and can, grow a mustache. We then get together to drink egg nog (what goes better with a mustache, than egg nog?) and to write poetry honoring the mustache. This year we will be meeting in Utah and it is sure not to disappoint! Here are a few poems from years past:

Ode to Tom Sellek
Marissa Young

In your copter,
you did fly
As you starred as our hero-
Magnum P.I.

Our love developed
While you kicked some trash
And did so sporting
one bad- a moustache.

Oh, Quigley
How could we forget
How you rescued the damsel
without breaking a sweat

On Friends you’re remembered
For being so hip
And for the manhood
Displayed upon your lip.

Inspired we are
As we gather tonight
With 'staches and nog
And songs of delight.

So to Hitler, Burt Reynolds, and
To mighty Tom Sellek
Thanks for making the moustache
A long lasting relic.
(2004)

ODE TO BURT REYNOLDS
Marissa Young

You broke Loni’s heart
Before you broke mine
With your upper lip hair:
That mustache divine.

It was in a flash
In but an instance
That you entered my heart
Starring in Deliverance.

Into stardom you sprang
With Cannonball Run
Took my breath away
My head, how it spun.

Your sex appeal was so great
I couldn’t stand it
As you shot’m up good
In Smokey and the Bandit.

So into the 21st Century
You stand proud
Among the shaved lips
Set apart from the crowd.

I stand here today in 2005
Happy to know that it’s strong and alive
Sported so manly on your upper lip
That moustache so dear, so sexy so hip.
(2005)

On His Moustache,
A Sonnet by John Alba Cutler

I grew a moustache on my rosy nose,
Composed of wispy, curly wires of black;
It blossomed on my lip like a dark rose,
I hope it doesn't migrate to my back.
My moustache makes me feel like a new man-
With it, I rejoice, The night warms my breast.
I can meet any challenge, with this span
of haughty hair across my mouth, And lest
you think this moustache unbecoming - look!
A hint of red, a whisper of velvet,
My face is suddenly a very book
of poems, and this the crowning sonnet.
The magnum opus of an unshaved face,
A psalm to roses, to upper lips, a grace.


Mach 4
by Joel Henriod
Lip Whiskers do please
My lover always, nat'ral
Aphrodisiac


Ode to the Mustache
by Trent Lofgren
For many years you reigned supreme
On upper lips oh how you seemed to gleam.
Why I know four parents, were all quite sure
That there would be no end to this upper lip fur.
Lo, what happened? The nineties I'm afraid.
For over a decade, we've all been depraved.
Oh what a shame to lose such a treasure,
The mighty mustache that elicits such pleasure.
Although not extinct; for you can always see
Simply dormant it lies camouflaged by the goatee.
Tonight there's no fear, no shame, no doubt
As evident here they've given to sprout.
So drink some egg nog, no matter the cost
And let your mustache show off its new frost.
It's sad that this night will be gone in a flash
Bu I will always stay true to my mighty mustache.

JUNO

Do yourself a favor and go see this movie as soon as you can. It is not technically out yet, but there are free screenings going on all over--see if one is going to be near you: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/juno/

We waiting in line for over an hour for the free screening last night at the ArcLight and I would have gladly waited longer. It was so charming and clever. The lead--Ellen Paige was quite a smart character with a quick wit and of course Michael Cerra is my fave-AKA "George Michael" from the greatest cancelled TV series Arrested Development. It's an all-star cast with really sweet/hillarious moments. Check it out for shizzle!

Iron and Wine at The Orpheum

I got home from work last night and slipped into my PJs, started making dinner, then noticed concert tickets on the refrigerator---oops! We had tickets to Iron & Wine at the Orpheum in Downtown LA. So, I called Sean and jumped back into clothes and we headed off. I had never been there before, but it is an old historical theatre as you can see from the photos, and it is beautiful! We enjoyed the show so much--especially the encore. He played Trapeze Swinger, which is Sean's favorite song. (Thanks to our sis Lindsay for introducing us to such an amazing band.) Iron and Wine are a brother and sister duo who make super mellow, beautiful music. For those of you who live in UT, you could catch them on December 7th at Saltair. Wish I could be there!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, ya'll. This year our T-day was a little different for the Young Family. We flew into Phoenix on Wednesday night and instead of feasting on Thursday, we went to the ASU/USC football game and had the bird and all the fixins' on Friday. This allowed for Pat and Lindsay to eat turkey with both families and it made the holiday last just a little longer.

As UCLA fans, we felt that we had to cheer against the Trojans, so we threw our support to the Sun Devils, but it didn't seem to give them enough umph to get the job done. Oh well! We did, unfortunately, sit next to the most obnoxious fans from USC. Booo!!
"USC, Making New Enemies Every Day!"

Portland, OR

As some of you know, Sean (among many other dental students) is in the process of interviewing for residency in Oral Surgery. This will take us off to another school for a few more years--6 to be exact. Last weekend I was able to go to Portland, Oregon with him to scope out the scene. It is beautiful up there. We did some shopping-there was an ice rink in the mall, sight seeing, and driving around in the rain. They even supply umbrellas for community use. Other contenders include schools in Nashville, Louisville, Atlanta, San Francisco, Connecticut, or possibly Southern California. It is an exciting, stressful, and overwhelming time. But we are looking forward to the big decision on January 30th when we will know where we are headed to!

Happiest Place on Earth

I Heart My Nephew!!

It only took 38 months for my brother to finally bring my nephew out for a visit. My parents, Jadon and Davon came for a So Cal Vacay. It was a fun filled trip with lots of kid friendly activities! I love this kid!!

Halloween Hootenanny!

I have always loved Halloween (isn't it obvious with my 3 different costumes?!?) but I think it is because it is so close to my birthday, so this year we combined the two to have a birthday/ costume party!! Sean and I dressed up as the classic american couple.

Everyone who attended was required to wear a costume and I am happy to say that they all did. We held a contest for various costume categories: Best Couple, Scariest, Funniest, Most Classic, and Best in Show. Here are the winners:

Best Couple: Jared & Debi Lee as Buster and the "Loose Seal" from Arrested Development

Scariest: Will Traynor as the Phantom of the Opera

Funniest: David Pulispher as Tobias, the "never nude", from Arrested Development.

Most Classic: Ashley Poole as a Girl Scout

Best in Show: Ryan Plewe as the Shower from Karate Kid

Trick or Treat!

We rounded up the cutest costumes in the University Village and accompanied them on their quest for sugar!!

Sean the "Bachelor" doing his Laundry & Rick with his future UCLA dental student Wyatt! (Janae actually made these scrubs out of Rick's old ones---ain't she amazing?!)

I found my home in front the of the laundry room. Give us some candy Millers!!

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The Okas looking 50s style and the Craguns...let the force be with them!

M-I-C-K-E-Y...M-O-U-S-E....

Every year our school does a halloween carnival that is pretty rad! Carrie and I decided to go as Original Mouseketeers and coincidentally, Ginger was Minnie! M, I, C...See you real soon! K, E, Y, Why? Because we like you! M, O, U, S, E....

Mmmmm.....Korean Barbeque

As some of you may know, Sean tutored for a family called the Ji's. They are a Korean family who owns this restaraunt called Chosun Galbee. It is amazingly beautiful and super delicious! We have been many times with the gift cards they so generously provide. And I am sad to say that this may have been the last time... Sean is no longer tutoring for them since their son graduated from high school. (And we can't afford it on our own!) It's too bad since we had finally gotten the hang of ordering the right amount of food--not like the first time with the Lees and Millers when we all about burst! But we went out with a bang with the Pulisphers and Nelsons last week. Here are few photos from the grande finale.