Table Tennis: 2007 Utah Open

This past Friday and Saturday(November 16-17) I participated in the 2007 Utah Open table tennis tournament. I am pretty much still a novice in the sport, so I ended up playing in the "C" class. There were about a dozen players in this division, including a few youngsters who were really good considering their age. My record for my pool was 3-2. The two matches I lost could have turned out differently if I would have won a few key points. I think that your perception of how the match is going really effects your play. There is definitely an interesting element to the game. I started playing table tennis again when I starting working as a customer service representative for Rocky Mountain Power. It was with this new position that I met Eric Holje, who has taught me a great deal about table tennis. Eric placed 3rd in "B" Class at the 2007 Utah Open.

When I was in elementary school, I learned some of the basic rules of table tennis, as a few of my teachers had a table set up in their class rooms during the winter time as an alternative to outdoor recess. My family also purchased a table when I was in junior high school. So I played family members or friends or whomever at home as well. I think I spent the most time playing my older brother Jared. I never really learned proper technique in the early years so now I am in the process of learning a different style. I plan on playing at the Evanston Chinese New Year Tournament in Feb 2008 as well as the Utah Summer Games in June 2008. I try to take the time to post more info as I continue with the fun sport of table tennis.

Canadian Thanksgiving 2007

Our celebration of Canadian Thanksgiving was slightly delayed this year due to scheduling conflicts. This holiday was officially held October 8, 2007 (the second Monday of October). We celebrated on November 4, 2007. We had 26 people in our small home. Needless to say, the gathering was chaotic at times, but ultimately, loads of fun. We were so excited we forgot to take pictures, but here are some pictures of the aftermath.
Here is Canada's Flag. We hung it on the wall for part of the decorations. The turkey at the top of this page was one of the center pieces on the tables.

For Canadian Thanksgiving we had: Turkey, Potatoes, Broccoli, fruit plate, and rolls

For dessert we had many pies: Banana Cream, Coconut Cream, Pistachio, Oreo, and Pumpkin

Adoption Collage

Birth Parent Letter

Dear Birth Parents,

Thanks for spending time reading our letter. We may not know you, and we are unaware of how you are feeling at this point, but we hope you will understand us better through this letter. We pray you may be guided through this time of decision. Truly, it is God who knows us best and what we need in life.
Our relationship began when mutual friends set us up on our first date. We enjoyed our first date but it was rather uneventful. We really did not suspect our relationship would be anything more than a mere acquaintance. The next day, just happened to be the birthday of one of our match-making friends. Surprise, surprise, we both attended the little party. After the party, a group of us drove into the nearby mountains to tell ghost stories. While most everyone else enjoyed the tales of horror, we were in our own little world watching the lighting flash across the distant night's sky. Thus began our relationship. We dated for the next three months and had a lot of fun times. Then, one dark day, we parted paths and decided our relationship should end; so much for happily ever after. With the ensuing months, we both learned important life lessons and a short time later, almost out of the clear blue, we resumed our relationship. After some deep soul-searching, we felt the timing was right and married on May 15, 2003. Marriage has been the best choice that we have ever made.

Heather possesses a strong sense of compassion and understanding towards others. Embedded within her are strong motherly instincts. Even though Heather has never had children of her own, she is a mother at heart. Heather loves playing with her nieces and nephews, caring deeply about each one of them. As a speech therapist, she also cares tremendously about her students, and does her best ensuring their individual scholastic progress as well as their personal well being. For example, Heather went the extra mile creating a picture based communication book for one of her struggling students. Through this additional learning aid, her student made terrific progress. Heather’s patience also impresses me. At times I expect Heather to be really annoyed by my many character flaws, but somehow she miraculously tolerates me.

Chris is a sensitive and caring man. When I am sad or sick he comforts and makes me feel better. One thing that attracts me to Chris is his honesty. He values honesty and practices this principle in his personal life. I also appreciate his work ethic. During the time we were dating, he was working two jobs and going to school full time. I know he will do any honest work that is necessary to support our family. Chris demonstrates respect towards me. Although we have been married for sometime now, he still opens doors for me. Chris pitches in and helps with housework, especially when he can see that I am behind or frustrated with all I have to do. Another thing I appreciate about Chris is his diligence in his church callings. Chris loves and appreciates children for both their mischief and innocence. Chris cannot wait to teach our children by working and playing along side them.

We frequently enjoy getting together for family gatherings. We love spending time with our nieces and nephews: playing games, planning treasure hunts, and just watching their interactions. We love discussing the funny things these cute kids say! When we are not with family, we enjoy playing board games such as Scrabble, Rummikub, and Chess and Blokus. Often, we quote our favorite movies in our conversations together. In the evening, we like to take walks and watch the sunset. We love going on outside adventures, like driving on back roads, looking at petroglyphs, and hiking to waterfalls. Frequently, when a meteor shower occurs, we go out and watch “nature's fireworks”. We enjoy watching the stars dance across the sky. Occasionally on weekends we like to go to the drive-in and watch a movie. We also enjoy surfing the Internet together.

When holidays come around, we alternate visiting each side of the family. For instance, when we go to Heather’s parents house on Christmas Eve, we enjoy a clam chowder candle light dinner and then act out the Nativity story. After spending Thanksgiving with Chris' Family, we often attend the somewhat chaotic early morning sales the day after. Some may consider these sales a demonstration of obsessive commercialism, however we think of it as spending time together in a crazy way. Prior to celebrating American Thanksgiving, we celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving in October, as Heather served her mission in Canada. It's like having a second Thanksgiving party! Another tradition we love are annual family reunions held each summer. Since Chris wrestled in high school, we regularly attend the high school state wrestling championships.

Once again, thank you for getting to know us better. May God bless you with his love and watch over you in all of your endeavors.

Sincerely,

Chris and Heather