Simply more fun!

We had a great time while family was here for graduation and here are even more examples.

Abby loves to swim and asks everyday to go
"swimming-swimming!"

Abby also has a thing for trains which she calls "choo-choos."
We found a train park and Abby was very excited.
Here you can see the path of the train.

On the train with Grandma's and Grandpa's.

Abby and "choo-choo" Grandpa!

Friday night before people began to go back home we showed an outdoor movie. We borrowed a projector from our friends and Matt set the whole thing up. We watched "Avatar." We also ate dinner and ate smores! It was unforgettable and I want to do it again!

And just some candid shots.
Here is Matt with Caleb and Abby.

Grandpa Mark playing the piano with Caleb on his lap.
Caleb loved it until he started slipping down!

Tiff and Jen after Tiff cut and styled Jen's hair!
I love our family!!!

Sea Life Aquarium

A new aquarium moved into the Arizona Mills Mall in Tempe and we decided to check it out on their opening day when a lot of our extended family was here for graduation. As you can see below, it's a pretty cool aquarium and we really enjoyed ourselves.

Abby, Caleb and Tiff check out the manna ray.

Grandma Karen and Grandpa Mark

Grandma Barbara, Grandpa Roger and Abby

Tiff and Caleb

Jen, Matt and Abby

Abby liked to walk in the tunnel of water, but wanted to hold someone's hand! Grandma Karen was more than happy to be the one to do it!

Baby Caleb says, "What is this?"

"Holy cow!"

Abby wants to come back again and again (she is jumping)!

ASU Graduation!

Yes, we finally did it and there are many pictures to prove it! We graduated on May 13th and really appreciated everyone that could come. We know that many wanted to come but could not make the trip. It was (and is) strange to be introduced as "doctor." All I know is, it required a great deal of effort! We appreciate so much the experiences and opportunities we have had while at BYU, UNL and ASU. We are very blessed and are so thankful for the immense support we received from family and friends. We could not have done it without you! Thank you for helping our dreams to come true!

Matt and Jen before commencement.
Jen with two mentors: Dr. Gregory Gentry (choral) and Dr. Timothy Russell (orchestral)
Dr. Matt with Dr. Donald Fixico after commencement
Our advisors!
The gang! Matt, Abby, Jen, Fixico, Gentry, Barbara, Roger, Mark, Karen, Tiffany, Caleb
Matt, Jen and Abby! One happy family!
We decided to go ahead and do our individual convocations which were on separate days. After going through mine which began at 8 p.m. and lasted entirely too long, Matt decided to skip his! Here is a picture of Jen, Tiff and baby Caleb!
Happy graduation!

Miscellaneous fun

Besides Mazatlan and graduation we have experienced other fun adventures in the last month or two. Here are a few examples.

Matt, Abby, and I took my seminary kids (whom I love to death) to the Mesa Easter Pageant. They brought a lot of friends and we had a blast!
I also had an incredible final concert with the ASU Women's Chorus. I was fortunate to conduct them for two years (quite unusual for a graduate student) and was so sad to see it end. We had over 80 women this year--more than any other ASU Women's Chorus! I am so proud of them. Here is a picture of me conducting the women's final piece at the concert and one with my wonderful friend, and colleague, Carric Smolnik who conducted the Men's Chorus. I only hope Carric and I have many more opportunities to work together. We make quite a team!
A few days after the concert we went to an outdoor movie at Kiwanis Park with our good friends Richard and Janine Jones. We all had a great time and the kids mainly just wanted to run around! As you can see in the second picture, Abby found the homemade chocolate chip cookies!
Abby loves to be outside and frequently pretends she is outside when she is inside! Here is one of our "picnics" on the kitchen floor.

Conference Realignments

So I watch college football news pretty close. It is part of my morning ritual. Lately the talk about conference realignments has exploded in the Pac-10, Big-12, SEC, and Big Ten. What strikes me as strange is that nobody in the Mountain West Conference seems to take notice, especially when they could be poached in the other conference's rivalries for eminence.

The news broke a few weeks back that the Big Ten was looking to expand its footprint and grow to 16 schools, including several from the Big East and one or two from the Big 12. The word is that with 16 schools the Big Ten thinks it can justify claiming two automatic BSC bids. Also, the fabulous TV contract they have offers to double the annual revenue for any team they invite--a BIG carrot. There was also lots of talk that other major conference might likewise expand to match that growth, and more specific rumors suggested that the SEC might move to take Texas. And just yesterday a Dallas news reporter broke the story that the Pac-10 is moving to snatch up six schools from the Big 12 (Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Colorado) to create a southern conference (along with Arizona and Arizona State) and thereby corner the college sports market in the West. Both the Big 12 and Pac-10 are scheduled to renegotiate thier television contracts in the spring, and both with Fox sports, who may play a role in masterminding this coup.

At least half of our blog readership are Mormon, and have some interest or connection to BYU--Not the Big 12. So why should you care? Well, if the Big 12 crumbles where do you think it will it look to rebuild?

The Mountain West Conference seem oblivious to these changes, except for occasional rumors that the Pac-10 would steal away Utah, but those surface every couple years and never amount to anything. If these new realignment rumors come to fruition they will leave the Big 12 in pieces, forcing it to rebuild. And where would the northern schools from the decapitated Big 12 look for new blood? Nobody is talking about it yet, but if I were in charge of the Big 12 I'd move to take Utah, BYU, TCU, Air Force, and Boise State. That is the ONLY way the Big 12 can retain any sort of reputable membership and keep its automatic BSC bid. The conference would include Nebraka, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, and Baylor and whoever they can steal to improve thier status.

So the question is, would BYU like to be in a conference composed of Utah, TCU, Air Force, Boise State, Nebraska, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, and Baylor, especially if it offers an automatic bid to a BSC game? Automatic bids are reassessed every four years, based on the performance of each school in the previous four years. Despite the success of TCU, Utah, and BYU, the MWC may struggle to get the automatic bid because the poor performance of schools like Wyoming and San Diego State. Would they be anxious to drop those schools for an upgrade? Maybe so.

Abby Dances at Mazatlan

Here is a quick video from Mazatlan. Abby loved to stand on these utility boxes, and sometimes broke out into dance.

So behind! Sorry! Mazatlan first:

Okay, so I am so behind with pictures. Graduation was crazy, I had many more weeks of seminary and other things, and then we left for California! So here are long overdue pictures. Let's begin with Mazatlan:

We had the best time with my family in Mazatlan. The best part was just being together. I just finished a digital scrapbook for everyone yesterday--so I can finally get around to updating the blog! Here are many fun pictures!

Everyone after a dinner on the beach!
We spent a great deal of time at the pool--especially in the large kiddie pool area.

We also loved the beach--here is Abby in the sand.
Uncle Brenty also enjoyed the sand--except when flung in his face!


Here are the Shakespeare girls and Caleb after a barbecue dinner by Mark and Kevin.
Uncle Matt bought the older kids ice cream and I think they enjoyed it!


Brent, Nicole, Matt, Jen and Abby went to check out the local aquarium and saw more than fish. Check out what is behind the fence!


The seal show was the best part of the aquarium!

Matt, Jen and Abby at dinner!

Grandma and Grandpa and the grandkids--some were not too happy!
One more of Matt, Jen and Abby on our last day in Mazatlan.