Book Survey

1. 1. What is one of your favorite genres? Dystopian novels… one day I will teach a college course about them!

2. What is your least favorite genre? Romance novels.

3. What is your all-time favorite book? Too many… some of my top ones ever: Peter and Wendy, Sunset Song, The Road, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, The Death Gate Cycle, Hounds of the Morrigan, Endurance, The Poisonwood Bible, The Graveyard Book….

4. What is the first book you remember reading? Some Peewee Scouts book.

5. Do you prefer books or audio books? Books! And no, not Kindles!

6. Who are your favorite authors? Shakespeare, Ray Bradbury, Neil Gaiman, Edgar Allan Poe, Cormac McCarthy, William Sleator, Brandon Sanderson, Lemony Snicket, C.S. Lewis, Dave Barry…lots. Wow, where are the girls on this list??

7. How many books do you read in a year? Probably way, way too many.

8. Do you buy books or borrow them from the library? Both. I get a lot from the library. But I have no problems buying them since I figure I’ll want to own all the books on my to-read list eventually anyway.

9. How many books do you own? We have three bookcases… and every time we get a new one, it’s full in a matter of months.

10. What is your most prized book? The Secret of the Unicorn Queen series, which is totally lame because they’re pretty weak sauce books, but I was obsessed when I was a tween (I mean, come on, it’s about unicorns!), and so I bought them this year on Amazon, where the cheapest each one could be found for was like $20.

11. What are the worst books you have ever read (or tried to read)? I hate The Great Gatsby, which offends friends and family members every time I say it, I know, but I just can’t catch the fire. I also found this short story by Tolkien called Smith of Wootton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham… ugh, so terrible!!

12. Have you read any modern day sequels you liked? Umm…. I don’t know if I’ve read any… or what this means exactly.

13. What is your favorite quote from a book? There is a part from The Rape of Lucrece that my dad and I always love to quote… it’s beautiful. But I’m not sure that counts as a book, since it’s a long poem. Okay, a few others: I love the scene in Jacob Have I Loved where she goes on about the old man’s hands—I guess that may be weird and creepy, but I think it’s beautiful. I also love En La Ardiente Oscuridad, when the protagonist keeps repeating more and more vehemently “Yo quiero ver!” And there’s an article by Dave Barry called “A Million Words,” about his father’s death, which is absolutely genius, understated and beautiful.

14. Who is your all-time favorite male character? Probably Alfred from the Death Gate Cycle. But Holden Caulfield is a pretty great second—a very entertaining downer!

15. Who is your all-time favorite female character? Definitely Chris Guthrie from Sunset Song. And a very close (and hilarious) second is Father Damien from The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse (yes, I read the question right—this is a female character).

16. What highly recommended book have you not liked? I’m not a big fan of Tuesdays With Morrie, sorry. I have a hard time with books that push emotion on the reader—I feel that the story and writing should do that without extra coercion, you know? So yes, I’m heartless, but there it is. Although I didn’t hate it… it was just nothing to crow about.

17. A character you love to hate? Count Olaf from A Series of Unfortunate Events. The housekeeper in Rebecca (I don’t even remember her name). Judge Claude Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (though Phoebus really isn’t any better).Ooh, and Annie Wilkes from Misery… yikes! And the father in The Poisonwood Bible—not sure if he’s really a villain, but you definitely hate him. Probably more…

18. Do you belong to a book club? Yes, two: My old ward’s book club; and the Scottish Literature Club at BYU—they still let me attend, even though I’ve graduated. Yeah for nerds!

19. What was the last book you purchased? I bought The Host for my sister-in-law.

20. What are you reading now? Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café by Fannie Flagg. It’s great! I also just finished Princess Academy by Shannon Hale—that was mid-survey.

21. What book made you cry the hardest? I bawled in Walk Two Moons (in my defense, I read it just two months before my mom died, so.). More recently, I cried in Sunset Song, which surprised me because it had been years since I cried over a book. Lovely book—one of my favorites.

22. What book made you laugh the most? Oh geez, definitely Good Omens—that book had me rolling all week! I also crack up every time I read The Goblin Companion or anything by Dave Barry.

23. What is your favorite children's book (one you would choose to read to your kids)? Whoa, just one?! Not possible… Let’s see… Skippyjon Jones—fabulous! Any Dr. Seuss classics. The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree. The Olivia books. The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie (Edwards) Andrews. The Monster at the End of This Book. In a Dark Dark Room. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, or anything really by Jon Scieska. Oh man, I could go on and on….

24. If you were to choose a book to give as a gift, what would it be? Probably The Road, because it could appeal to many types of readers. And it is incredible.

25. List 5 books you have read more than once: The Little Prince, Brave New World, The Death Gate Cycle, Jacob Have I Loved, Interstellar Pig.

26. What is your favorite book made into a movie? I think they did a fabulous job with The Princess Bride. I love Holes. And the 5 hour-long Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth.

27. Did you like the book or movie better? Actually, with these three, I liked the movie better, which HARDLY ever happens!

28. What book would you like to see made into a movie? I have always wanted the Jim Henson group to make The Hounds of the Morrigan into a movie, because it would be totally awesome! Most of the other ones I can think of are already movies… and others I would never want made into a movie.

29. Do you prefer hardcover or softcopy? Softcover—it’s cheaper.

30. Do you leave the dustcover on while you are reading a book? No, because they always get bent and curled, which bothers me.

31. Where do you usually read? In my bed or on the living room couch… sometimes in the bath.

32. When do you usually read? Whenever Coren is napping.

33. Do you keep a TBR (to-be-read) list? Yes!! I’m always adding to it, so it seems to be getting longer instead of shorter. And goodreads.com is the BEST!

34. Do you usually have more than one book that you are reading at a time? Sometimes—I will always read a regular book along with a poetry collection, because you can’t do straight poetry; there needs to be the occasional break.

35. Do you remember how you developed a love for reading? Nope. I just know I’ve been reading since I was three years old.

36. Who do you tag? Oh, anyone that’s interested. I didn’t actually get tagged, I just liftd the survey off Rachel’s blog—Thanks, Rachel!

You've Come a Long Way, Baby!

Coren Alma Brooks is 1 year old!

Well, he was actually a year old 3 days ago... but I'm a Sorensen; things are late.

It was a simple little party, which is how we wanted it... Chad and I aren't big fans of the "giant birthday bash for the one year-old who doesn't even get it anyway"... um, no offense to my lovely friends who are believers in that--you still rock! :)

Although now, in retrospect, I wish I had at least put up streamers--that was just a complete mind blank. Oh well, no streamers.

Grandma Brooks made delicious enchiladas (more for Coren's pregnant mother, who was craving them, than for himself, really).

Then we gave him his presents--unwrapped because he could care less about wrapping paper. Our rule this year was that his gifts had to be homemade. So Chad and I made some pretty rad little Spanish alphabet blocks, and he's been enjoying knocking down the towers we make with them. His Aunt Summer knitted him this fabulous little scarf that fits him just perfectly! And he loves it! Okay, Grandma and Grandpa Brooks bought him a wagon full of Lego-type blocks, but only because their homemade gift isn't quite done yet. So we let it slide... Ha! No, he loved the wagon--especially dumping out the blocks and riding inside it!

Then it was cake time. This year we did Mr. Noisy, inspired by the Mr. Men book he got from his cousin, Cian, for Christmas. It was a pretty fun and hilarious experience making the cake. Luckily I had my cake-making expert mother-in-law there to coach me on the filling (delicious raspberry pudding goo!) and the frosting. And then we remembered... does anyone ever get red food coloring to actually produce red frosting? Because I think it always comes out pink. So there. My son got a pink cake. But once we got the hands and shoes and black piping on, he looked a little less feminine. And... he was delicious!

Ironically, Coren hated this part of the celebration. He couldn't figure out why we wanted him to stick his hands in the gooey frosting. So I tried to help him along, see if I could get him enthused about it. Nope. Once his hands were covered in the stuff, he started crying and trying to shake it off. Not his favorite thing. So we ended that, cleaned him up, and gave him some ice cream--everything was better with the ice cream. My child is an ice cream fiend... not just a normal Sorensen ice cream fiend! This is really the only time he becomes an angry beast--when we don't shovel it into his mouth fast enough! Wow. What have we created?!

So that was the night. It was really just right for the Dude. Start to finish. Some of the things that Coren does these days that bring me joy:

-He does a killer Stevie Wonder impression. Everyone should see it.

-He must have one foot up on the table when he eats... can we say OCD?

-He grins and dances to "Fireflies" by Owl City, his favorite song.

-He has learned to say "uh-oh" and loves using it.

-He loves brushing his teeth--LOVES it!

-When Dad comes home, he is all smiles and laughter--tender!

-Periodically, all throughout the day, he will interrupt his playing, walk over to me, climb in my lap and hug me--just briefly--then he's off to play some more. I guess it just recharges his batteries. This is my favorite thing of all.

3 YEARS!!

This is for my husband.

So for those of you sick of hearing about my husband, read no further.

Honey,

Yes, this was your birthday present, I know. But I always do blubbery, touchy-feely stuff. This time I thought I'd just post the sillier side of us. So here, your story!

And, as always, thank you for being the man of my dreams, awake and asleep!! You have made the last three years paradisaical!! Happy 3rd Anniversary!

And, sorry to those of you who don't already know that we're pretty physical. To those of you that do, you should have already expected this...

So I Married a Superhero

(Happy Birthday, Honey!)

Love, Charity, 2009

My husband’s a superhero. I know that look. You’re skeptical. And I was too when he first told me. But there are just some things that go beyond coincidence. Like how every time he kisses me, there’s an electric shock. Now I’m sorry. There’s only two explanations for that kind of thing—either his uvula is a Tesla coil, or his superpowers allow him to manipulate electricity. I’m prone to believe the second because that’s not the only thing I’ve seen him do with electricity. He can also turn off streetlights simply by looking at them. He revealed this particular superpower to me as we drove around the back streets of Salt Lake, searching for the venue where Greg’s band was performing.

“Look, there it goes again!” He pointed out another darkened streetlight.

I looked at the light, then sideways at him. “Baby, how do I know that light wasn’t already out?”

“Fine,” he said and pulled over to the curb. “Watch this.”

We both stared at the streetlamp directly in front of the car. Click. It went out.

“There! Did you see that?”

Well, what could I say to that? I stared at the dark bulb. “How did you do that?”

“I told you, baby,” he said, smiling in triumph. “I’m a superhero.”

Well, I was impressed, no doubt. But, frowning, I asked, “So, what can a superhero do with the power to turn out streetlights?”

He looked at me from his side of the car and grinned. The street went black. And twenty minutes later, slightly disheveled, I walked into the concert on the arm of a superhero.

Of course, he didn’t tell me he was a superhero until after we were married. Still, after five years of dating, I should have noticed the signs. Like, why didn’t I make the connection when everywhere we went other people recognized him? Strangers, all the time, anywhere we were. A mother would point him out to her little boy, “Look, Nicky, there’s Superman.” Or a student we passed on campus. “Yo, Superman, gonna save somebody today?” And he just smiled and winked.

And okay, there is a striking resemblance: the big blue eyes and the chiseled jaw line. Even the way he parts his hair on the side so that one curled lock always falls across his forehead. The fact that he’s super-mutant tall. And all he has to do is take off his glasses or loosen his tie, and suddenly you’re picturing him running off to a phone booth. So really, I should have known.

But technically, he can’t really be Superman. I mean, Superman’s already out there somewhere. And his name isn’t Clark Kent. It’s not Peter Parker or Logan Bruno. It’s Chad Brooks. Come on, is that a superhero name to you? So the whole name thing threw me off too. Chad Brooks the mutant hero!

And then, of course, his alter-ego has to have a name. He can’t be Chad Brooks the studious Swire manager and suddenly, moments later, Chad Brooks the giant electricity-manipulating super-mutant. It doesn’t work like that. After all, imagine him trying to get any work done all day. Here he’s got a wife and son to provide for, and yet he can’t make a buck because people keep flooding his office with copious requests:

“Can I get a photo with you?.... I’m trying to make my boyfriend jealous so he’ll actually propose.”

“My son’s just crazy about you, and he turns seven on Sunday—do you think you could fly by and sing happy birthday?”

“Hey, can you sign my butt?”

No, it just wouldn’t work.

And then there’s the whole anonymity thing for the good of all those he loves. I mean, think about it—if his name and address were listed right there in the white pages, then any psychotic super-villain nemesis that decided to take him on could just drive on over while he was at the office, duct tape my face, grab the baby by his ankles, and off we’d go to his mad laboratory or abandoned warehouse or flaming rooftop. That just wouldn’t work either.

“Baby, you should give yourself a name,” I told him one morning. “Before you really start doing your super-stuff. Don’t you think you need one?”

“Oh sure,” he said, eating his Reese’s Puffs. “Oh yeah, I’ve already been thinking about it.”

“And?”

He leaned forward across the table. “How do you feel about Professor Victory?”

I winced. “Professor? Makes you sound old… makes me sound old by association.” I shook my head. “I still like Prodigium.”

“Prodigium?! Are you kidding me?” He pushed away from the table. “It sounds like a building or a giant robot or a fossilized dinosaur skeleton. Professor Victory is refined, patriotic, intelligent. Kinda makes you want to pay a little more respect, eh?”

I grimaced. “I don’t know. It kinda makes me feel like I’m back in college.”

He shrugged. “Professor Victory it is.”

So newly-christened Professor Victory is out saving the world somehow, with his electromagnetic charges and his super-stellar looks. Although, when I stop and think about it, it seems that an alluring, virile man flying around turning streetlights off would cause more accidents than he would prevent. But I’m not the superhero—I obviously don’t understand the way it all works. The important thing is that he’s out there, doing stuff, for the good of mankind.

But then, I’m forgetting some of his even more extraordinary powers… for example, he makes super-spreadsheets! And it is this gift that proves he inherited his powers the good old-fashioned way—through genetic mutation—because his spreadsheet ability is on a whole other supernatural level. Mortal spreadsheets do things, and they’re fairly effective and mostly attractive while doing said things. Chad—Professor Victory— touches a spreadsheet, and it is the Picasso of spreadsheets; a Venus rising out of tables and charts; a document crackling with raw mutant energy; a spreadsheet that does phenomenal things while looking like a runway model, making dinner, and solving the latest sensitive UN issues. It is a gift that mortal minds cannot comprehend. Believe me, I’ve attempted to grasp it.

“See baby, here you just enter ‘=SUM(D20:AVERAGE:N20!ASTERISK+RED40):!’and you get the world’s wheat consumption for the last decade. Piece of cake.”

I stared at the computer monitor. Totals were coming up on the screen, in beautiful geometric tables of Mayan precision, while the computer box crackled and whirred. I reached for an advil.

“It’s all alien to me.”

He shook his head. “No, no, anyone can do this.”

“No baby,” I said, “I can’t. It’s a simple matter of genetics. You forget that most humans haven’t developed the Excel gene yet. Sorry, Professor, but this student is clearly failing.”

He grinned. “Well maybe you need one-on-one tutoring, Miss Brooks.” He pulled me toward the bedroom. “Come into my office…”

Of course, it’s not easy sharing your husband with a world in chronic crisis. But having a superhero in your home does come with a lot of super-perks! Cleaning is a cinch; dinner is always at the perfect temperature; and anything that breaks is fixed, no problem. Not to mention the fact that he’s a superfather to our son, who already idolizes him… as long as he doesn’t take him out flying without the proper helmet protection.

And it’s true what they say—mutants make great lovers. His superpowers in bed are most definitely supernatural! And that really never hurts anything, now does it?

All in all, marriage to a superhero is truly… super! And yes, I’ve already warned him that the minute I see him kissing some scantily clad vixen upside-down in the rain, I take the pinking shears to his supersuit!

understated greats.

I have rediscovered two understated greats in the world this week.

First, I am reading Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury. Ray Bradbury is one of my all-time FAVORITE writers in the UNIVERSE (which is actually a fitting description for the author of The Martian Chronicles). Anyway, I have many, many, many of his books. I devour his short stories like nacho cheese Doritos. But I haven't yet read Dandelion Wine. So I started it this week. By the time I read the first page, I was again reminded just why he reigns supreme in my book. There is no one--NO ONE--that paints scenes with words the way he does. No author introduces me to ordinary things in extraordinary ways like he does. Tennis shoes are not just tennis shoes--they are all the imagined freedoms of a young boy. A priest does not just meet God in the desert--he meets him in the red martian sand and the polyphonic singing of the wind. And a boy is not simply overcome by a midnight carnival ride--he is brought to age, terror and disillusionment with each turn of the carousel. Ray Bradbury's stories are music, light, shadow, elation, terror, philosophy, religion, fantastic, the divine in the mundane. And he has said everything I have ever wanted to say in writing. If you have never read him, that's tragic. Read Fahrenheit 451 (actually, in my opinion, though his most popular, not his best work). Read Dandelion Wine. Read Something Wicked This Way Comes (one of my favorite books of all time). Read The Burning Man (a short story). Read The Martian Chronicles. Just read him. I concede that perhaps--perhaps--he may be too much for some. I would disagree. But then, that's why there are different literary genres. I think there is nothing more beautiful than a short story, a page, a paragraph of Ray Bradbury.

Second, Moose Tracks ice cream! Enough said.

Well.

It's coming on a month since my last post.

I know, what a slacker.

But sometimes I don't have much to say. The truth is, sometimes, for weeks at a time, I do the same thing every day, and it really isn't anything to crow about.

Sometimes, for weeks at a time, my day goes like this:

Wake up around 5, when Chad kisses me goodbye... I've instructed him that he MUST ALWAYS do this--otherwise my day cannot begin right later, when I get up for real...

Wake up around 6, when I have to pee--my bladder, I think, is getting weaker in my old age (I am almost 27, after all).

Wake up at 7, when Coren is crying and ready for his chicha (bottle)... HOORAY for dark winter mornings that keep the boy asleep an extra hour! One perk of wintertime! I pull Coren out of his crib and move him into bed with me, where we cuddle while he downs his bottle (and he is very serious about his bottles!). For some reason, I am most maternal in the morning hours, and I find all kinds of ways to get him to cuddle with me--really responsible things, like Disney movies (actually conditioning my child to watch TV. nice.), and songs with all the hand motions. And we "talk," which consists of the dude making noises and grinning while I mimic them. Over and over. This can go on for minutes and minutes...

Then, when the boy goes down for nap #1 (such a good napper, how did I get so lucky?!), I do the productive part of my day: exercise, clean up all the boys messes from the previous afternoon, laundry, shower (or bath, depending on how cold my feet are), and of course, the daily crossword--this is VITAL!

By this time, the boy is awake again, and we go into phase #2 of the day: get out of the house for at least a few minutes in this frigid weather, so we don't become hibernating moles! So I bundle the boy up, and he's so good in the cold--he loves being outside, he sings when we get out there; we chase the geese around for a while, which cracks him up; we visit a neighbor down the way, who is just crazy about Coren; and we get the mail. And that's about all the winter weather I can handle... so sorry, Dude, it's back to the cave...

After a little more playing, it's on to nap #2 for the dude. This is the fabulous one, where he sleeps for a good 3 hours! This is my less-productive time--I read, most often, I read and read and read... and sometimes I sleep. Bliss!

... And then the BEST part of my day--Chad comes home! From this point on, my day is focused around Chad--what I can do that involves sitting next to him... or just being able to touch him.... or look at him.

And still, we don't do anything amazing: watch movies, eat dinner, read books, chase Coren around, (Chad also has his daily Best of YouTube routine), pretty mild, pretty normal. And often, we have night activities: ward things, visiting neighbors and new couples, grocery shopping, etc. Then it's off to bed for the Brooks household.

....And still, my life is a joyful parade! Something I can't fully explain or describe. But my heart holds more emotion for my mellow husband and silly boy than I imagined I could hold for anything or anyone. I have a life so normal, there will never be a book written about us; there will never be a reality show; there will never even be a newspaper article in the local section. But I think I am happier than ALL of the exciting people I have ever met. And maybe that sounds outspoken or exaggerated, but I really think it's true. My life has joy-- the kind of joy that is ever-present, that does not ebb and flow with what's on the weekend activity board, that lurks persistently even behind the times when I am frustrated, angry, sad, or just plain bored-out-of-my-mind. A joy that pulses behind every daily moment... there are no words for it. And strangely, I am sad for the great people with their exciting stories who do not have this normal, joyful joy. I have it. That makes my life something fabulous, I think.

Many Thanks!!

A few days late, I know; but still. I thought this year I would tell my many (many, many) family members why I am thankful for them:

-Chad--because you are a hero among men; because you make me beautiful! (See bedroom wall for more.)

-Coren--because you changed motherhood from fear to bliss!

-Pops--because you taught me how to recognize the heroes among men; because you are my solid, wise and happy father!

-Momma--because you are everything good and gentle and strong that I remember from my childhood/teenage years!

-Andrea--because you were willing to come in and pick up where Momma left off; because you love us like crazy; because you are patient and forgiving!

-Sue-Stanley--because you're my favorite literature/movie/music buddy; because you stay up with me till 3 am to talk about whatever; because you treated your sisters like queens!

-Mel--because you are everything I wished Garrett to have; because you fit right in with our weirdnesses; because you make me feel like a million bucks!

-Genevieve--because you are crazy! because you tell people you're a popstar, and you enjoy Mothra, and you already know how to have strong opinions!

-Aeris--because you have no sense of personal boundaries; because you are the happiest face to see in the morning!

-Cian--because you still won't let me hold you (grrr!); because you have a giant smile!

-Seanny--because you are perfect for Tera; because you are just another big brother, totally comfortable, like you've been a Sorensen since birth; because you are always ready for the next big outdoor activity!

-Tera--because you are Tera; because you are the person I go to for advice on life; because you have a neverending wall of calm, which is a constant comfort for the rest of us!

-Shmoody--because you loved me best when you were a baby (yes, you did!); because you are a fabulous big sister; because your hair is beautiful!

-Benny--because you have the best giggle ever; because you are soft and tender!

-Megamoo--because we all know exactly how you're feeling by just looking at your face; because you are unique; because you already have a teenager's stubbornness!

-Nacy--because you are squishable; because you can scream at police siren frequencies!

-David--because you are a weirdo; because you always have a new musician for us to listen to; because you have a dry, sarcastic humor!

-Rinny--because you light up my world; because you are always ready for an adventure; because you are sassy; because you make me feel better whenever I talk to you!

-Porter--because you are also a weirdo; because you never tire of our ridiculous conversations; because you are an example of integrity!

-Brittney--because you are Brittney; because you are an anchor for others; because you are always a joy to hang out with!

-Launa--because you finally like me (hooray!); because you love taking care of Coren; because you have incredible eyelashes!

-Jean--because you are tender; because you have the greatest laugh to listen to!

-Amber--because you used to sing all over the house; because you have a fabulous smile!

-Special--because you are solid; because you were always my partner in imagination; because you have talent coming out of your ears; because you are an ideal brother!

-Shorty--because you are the definition of happiness and joy; because you constantly make me laugh; because you are kind and good and compassionate; because you are also an ideal brother!

-Brooklyn--because you let me be a big sister; because your smile makes life better; because you talk to me and listen to me!

-Kyra--because you are Kyra; because you are strong and wise and happy; because you are someone that others look up to, even if they're older; because you just rock my world and bring me joy!

-Prestone--because you make me feel important; because you're always happy to see me; because you have excellent stories!

-Jesse--because you are crazy! because you are the resident monkey; because you make me laugh and make me exhausted!

-Mike (Dad)--because you raised a hero among men! because you are wise and faithful; because you are ever-interested in the accomplishments of your children!

-Stacy (Mom)--because you are warmth and comfort! because you have no greater joy than having us around; because you have wonderful advice; because you have endless compassion!

-Brandon--because you are smarter than me; because you are always fun to talk to; because you are a character of strength and confidence; because you make the party better!

-Ciara--because you are another sister I was always waiting for; because you are always fabulous company; because you love to spend time with me, and you teach me so much about being an excellent mother!

-Shlecka--because you are already a teenager; because you have a one-of-a-kind imagination; because you are so animated!

-Noah--because you have a large head; because you have the most smiley face; because you are a great buddy for Coren!

-Toddums--because you are a giant among men! because you welcomed me right in to the family; because you are a loyal friend and a great listener; because you are always game for high adventure! because you are a rockin' missionary!

-Summy--because you always make me happy; because you like having me around; because you are fun and tender and sassy all at the same time; because you are just good, in all the choices you make!

And the list keeps growing! I love you, my family! I love that there are more of you every year! I love every in-law and step that comes in and fills another hole in my utopian world! My life wouldn't be the same without any one of you!! Thank you! Thank you! And I thank my Heavenly Father every night for letting me be a part of your lives! There's no better place!

IN-N-OUT

This is what a hamburger's all about.

And Draper's new IN-N-OUT just opened today... which is a joy and a sorrow--so joyfully close, and sorrowfully no longer a California novelty. But well, embrace change, right? Especially when it tastes SO GOOD! So I picked Chad up, and we went and got some deliciousness for lunch!

Now I know there are the skeptics out there, who say that the food really isn't even that good, blah blah blah. And if we're being honest, yes, of course I have tasted a better burger.

But sometimes you just need that simple double-double with grilled onions, fries, and a chocolate shake. And hey, if you're coming home from Oceanside beach, it's basically a law that you must stop at the In-n-Out off the 76.

And, really, it's the whole package. It's IN-N-OUT, people! It's California burger goodness with the old-fashioned flavor and ambiance we know and love. So let's hear it for IN-N-OUT!! And let's eat!