May: The Month of Entertainment That Was

For better or worse, May has become the most competitive month in the entertainment landscape. More and more summer movies are pushing their release dates forward into May, competing both with each other and with sweeps month television. Oh, and there are NBA playoff games EVERY night, which is mind-blowingly awesome. Anyway, for whatever it's worth, here are my takes on what I was able to watch in May... (BTW, extra bonus points for anyone who actually reads this gazillion word monstrousity)

TV
The Office
This was a really up and down year for the office. I think some of the best moments in the series' history are in this season, as well as some of the worst. In fact, it almost felt like 4 separate seasons, with very little tying it all together. Someone needs to get their writing staff together and maybe think through the season as a whole a little better. With that said, the Michael Scott Paper Company saga might be the best stretch of episodes yet, and "Broke" may just be the best episode of the series. On the flip side, the Pam in art school story arc was a disaster not just for her, but from a writing perspective, and was torture for the viewers. Anyway, I felt like the season finale was a microcosm of the entire season. It felt rushed (it was the first season finale since the first season that was regular length), there were actions with virtually no consequences, Jim was poorly written (a theme this season if you ask me), and they wrote themselves into a corner (I hope they have a plan for this baby). All in all, the episode was, well, OK. I think that if you liked the Jim & Pam moment at the end, you probably liked the episode, and if you didn't, you didn't. I thought that moment, that one moment, was well written and well played, but it definitely has me concerned about the future of the show (it is generally a very BAD sign when they introduce a baby onto a show. But then again, they did this at the end of last season too).

24
What an interesting season this was. I'm very interested to see what they would have done with this season had it not been for the writer's strike. I mean, there is a very obvious "season finale" about halfway through the season, which I'm sure was put there in case the season didn't resume after the strike (there was an episode like that in Season 1 as well). And while the first half of the season was very tightly written and well thought out, the second half seemed very assembled on the fly from parts of other seasons. That is, until the season finale, which I thought was great, but felt to me to be a series finale, which I know it's not. There are so many interesting things going on at the end here. My mom asked me if Tony is a bad person now or a good person doing very bad things. I don't think it's either. I think Tony Almeida was we know him died in that explosion with Michelle. The person named Tony now is not a real person, but simply the embodiment of hurt and loss. You can't judge his actions as good or bad or anything else, as his actions are strictly a manifestation of hurt and loss. That is the ONLY thing that he is about. He is now built for one and only one purpose, and that is to avenge, even find "justice" for that hurt and loss. This makes for fascinating possibilities on a go-forward basis, as Tony is now a purpose driven person whose purpose no longer exists. How are they going to write him, if they continue to include him at all? I hope they do, because there is a lot of interesting character there to explore if they have it in them. And speaking of how are they going to write him, how on earth are they going to write Jack Bauer next year? I though it was going to be difficult to write Jack even this season after the way the pervious season ended. I thought the events of that season had changed him, and I think the way they started this season, and from the 24:Redemption show, that Jack had changed, or was trying to. But I think the writers just don't know how to write Jack as anything other than "Jack Bauer," who at this point is almost a charicature. Well, as far as I can tell, Jack Bauer died onto himself at the end of this season. He had a real and true spiritual experience, found forgiveness and healing, and died. From his perspective, it is only going to complicate things that he is going to, in fact, live. So how do they write him now? Surely he can't just go back to doing Jack Bauer things, right? But I can't imagine the show is going to turn into a 24 hour chronicling of a silent man living his days peacefully at a monestary washing dishes either. I am excited to see what they do and terrified of it at the same time. And on to terrifying, Agent Walker sure did turn into something terrifying there at the end. But the great question is what, if anything, did she do in that room? It seems obvious that there are other federal agents on their way to get that man, so whatever she was planning to do, she needed to do it fast. Was it torture? Did she just kill him and be done with it. Was she able to do anything at all before she got stopped or could she even go through with it? Alas, all of these questions remain tantalizingly unanswered.

Once again, I find myself very interested in how they wrote and are going to write her for a very convoluted reason. It was obvious from the very beginning of the season that they were writing Agent Walker as a potential next Jack Bauer in the making, but someone who fought against that side of herself, which did not appear to be something that Jack ever did. But as we learned in the finale, Jack did (and does) fight against that part of himself, but, as he indicated, when there are 15 people on a bus with a bomb, he will do ANYTHING to save them, even betraying his better values. In 7 years of this show, we have seen Jack do horrible things to save people, but we have never seen Jack do anything even remotely questionable in any context that does not involve a direct, imminent threat. This is where Agent Walker, in taking what was her first baby step into the world of horrible things, actually went farther than Jack ever has. When she went into that room to do whatever it was she was going to do, the imminent, direct threat was over. There weren't 15 people on a bus with a bomb. There was only a prisoner who seemed very sure he would be able to get out. She let her emotions carry her to a place that Jack Bauer never went- a scary thought indeed. So how are they going to write her? She better borrow a horcrux, because it seems as though she has rended her soul in two.

In all, a good season with a GREAT finale.

MOVIES
Star Trek
So let's just get to the brass tacks with this movie... was the time travel device used to reboot he series a good idea and well executed, or is it paramount to Star Trek blasphemy? To be sure, it was supremely clever. I can't think of any other way to fully acknowledge and honor the previous continuity while at the same time completely blowing it up and starting from scratch. I'm still not completely sure what I think. I can say for sure that I loved JJ Abrams' take and the way he imagined that universe and those characters. It most definitely breathed new life into that franchise, and I very much look forward to seeing more of That, whatever that was. But I think my biggest problem isn't that they are now in an alternate reality, but that they are different people, especially Kirk (and Spock, but for different reasons). The Kirk that was have spent the last 40 years with grew up with his father, but the Kirk in this movie was denied that relationship and it turned him into an even bigger rebel. So this is NOT the same person. It might as well be Jean-Luc Picard or Captain Ahab or someone named Billy-Bob, because the only thing they have as much in common with the old Kirk as this new Kirk does. Spock, on the other hand, is ostensibly the same person, inasmuch as his continuity does not appear to have been altered at all until he gets to Starfleet and meets Kirk (you could argue that until Kirk's trial Spock's continuity was completely unaltered from the original). Yet I find this Spock to be a radically different character. This Spock struggles with all the same things the old Spock did, like accepting his duality and learning to accept and control emotions, but he seems to have all of the old Spock's emotional life experience at a much younger age. In the original series and movies, Spock was learning about emotions very slowly and methodically. He was much more vulcan than human until after the events of Wrath of Khan. But this Spock seems to be emotionally out of control. His emotions are only just barely under the surface, and in many instances not under the surface at all. The movie wants you to believe that new Kirk and Spock will be able to grow together like old Kirk & Spock, but I don't see it. Old Spock was like Data in TNG, experiencing emotion one little bit at a time over many, many years. But new Spock has experienced more than his fair share of emotion, he just needs to learn what to do with it. To be sure, that can be an interesting take on that character, but it is radically different, when the story doesn't suggest any reason why it would be. Anyway, to wrap this up, I have to say that despite some of my problems with this movie, it was exceptionally well done and incredibly entertaining. If you are willing to throw out literally everything that has happened in the original series, the Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and the 10 movies that came before it and accept this movie on its own merits, then you will have a great time, and I really recommend it.

Terminator Salvation
I have a thing for killer robots. I have always loved the Terminator movies (even the seemingly ill-fated TV show which I really hope gets renewed for next year, but it doesn't look good), and have been a Transformers freak since I was a little kid (more on that later this month). I think that Terminator 2 is one of the finest films ever made, and the original Terminator is campy but relatively thoughtful and a lot of fun. Terminator 3 is seriously flawed (mostly in how they wrote John Connor) but I liked it anyway. I love the time travel elements and the absolute ridiculous stupidity of the super-intelligent killer robots. So I was REALLY excited about this movie. The previews looked incredible. Christian Bale as John Connor! Finally, an entire movie after Judgment Day! What could go wrong?

Meh.

Don't get me wrong, there are a ton of individual moments in this movie that I really liked, but this script is so bad that the movie just can't recover from it. I won't go into it here, but it is now well known that they had to radically change a potentially really interesting idea to accomodate the actor and the studio. They had a fully developed script that was the basis for this story, but had to have certain elements grafted onto it, and it really shows. And most people know of the leaked ending that was changed due to the leak. Now, I wouldn't have gone with the original ending either, but it at least made sense in the story and was gutsy (to say the least). This ending seems to have been obviously filmed AFTER principal photography ended and was apparently written by a four year old. They ignored the well established language of film. When someone has a metal bar penetrate through the middle of their chest and come out the other side, that person dies. Both in real life and in film. But not in this movie. Despite the fact that when they filmed that scene, I think they all thought he WAS going to die.

Anyway, the other Terminator movies had very appropriate and identifiable themes that persisted throughout the movie. These are themes of fate versus choice, free-will versus destiny. For three movies, they pounded out this theme, and it was this thematic element that set Terminator movies apart from other mindless sci-fi. But Terminator: Salvation goes in a different direction thematically, and I still cant' figure out how it makes sense. The there here was "what does it mean to be human," which is a potentially interesting question, I guess. But I'm not sure how that theme really fits into the series, and I can't even imagine how they can further develop that coherently in more films.

Still, I'm a fan. I enjoyed myself more than I should given the fact that I have many more problems with the movie than I even mentioned here, and I will undoubtedly add it to the collection. But I can't really say that I would recommend it as a quality movie.

Up
This movie is brilliant. I have more respect for the work they are doing over at Pixar than any other creative body. I love that they are not afraid to take chances with their material and that they don't underestimate the intelligence of their audiences. WALL-E is in my top 3 favorite movies ever, and it was probably the bravest movie I've ever seen (a Disney cartoon that was a blistering, scathing attack on American consumer culture and over-consumption set to the soundtrack from Hello Dolly... what could go wrong there?). With the possible exception of Cars, Pixar has aperfect track record of imaginative & fun, yet thoughtful movies that can be enjoyed, if not fully appreciated, by people of all ages.

Much like the first 30 minutes of WALL-E, the first 10 minutes of Up are largely silent and the story is showed, not told. I didn't think it was possible to grow so emotionally charged so fast in a cartoon, but I definitely did. How they transition from the raw emotions of those moments into the fantasy whirlwind that is to follow is quite an accomplishment.

I would love to go in depth about this movie, but it only just opened, so I will save spoilers for a later time (I have some interesting theories that I haven;t seen out there yet that I would love to discuss). Normally, I am all about spoilers, but I want people to see this movie unspoiled. So if you haven't seen Up, go see it. Bring a senior citizen and bring a kid. They'll both love it for completely different reasons.

I do have one small nit to pick. Steven Spielberg has often said that his biggest filmmaking regret is that in E.T., the police chasing Elliott and ET have guns drawn. In fact, in later versions of the film he has digitally changed those to flashlights. In Up, there is on scene near the end that briefly involves a gun, and while it fits perfectly in the story, I wonder if Pete Docter will eventually come to regret introducing a gun into this movie. I certainly noticed it and felt uncomfortable with its presence in this film, but I'm guessing most people didn't think anything of it. In any event, it certainly doesn't ruin the movie by any stretch, so go see it! I'm done writing, so get up and go see it!

Movie Reviews: Kung Fu Panda

As I've been sick, it's a good time to catch up on some DVD's. Yesterday was Kung Fu Panda, which I, surprisingly, thoroughly enjoyed. I think in the genre of "Panda Martial Arts Movies" this is clearly in the top five. It would probably go as follows:

5. Karate Panda- the Tim Burton 80's version
4. Karate Panda Goes to Summer Camp- Many won't agree, but I enjoyed it.
3. Kung Fu Panda
2. Jui-jitsu Walrus and the Pandas of Doom- A little bit different kind of movie, but I think it fits here.
1. Karate Panda Begins- The dark, edgy new take on the Karate Panda series. I really liked it.

A few of my favorite things... 2008 Movies edition

I was going to do a Top 10 list of movies that came out this year, as is the thing to do this time of year. However, I only saw 16 movies that came out this year, not all in the theater. Perhaps I would do well to rewrite this list next year after I get caught up through Netflix. So, instead of a top ten, I bring you a randomly categorized version of the 2008 movies I saw...

The "Will Ferrell Really Does Make Good Movies, Just Neither of These Movies" Category:
This category is dedicated to the movie "Stranger Than Fiction," a masterpiece that proves just how good Will Ferrell can be, if only he doesn't waste his time making this garbage:

-Semi-Pro: Kind of funny, sometimes, but instantly forgettable. Seriously, I can't remember a single scene or quote a single line, which is really unusual for a Will Ferrell movie.

-Step Brothers: This movie was apparently made entirely on the pitch: Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly as 40 year old step-brothers! It actually had a ton of potential, but was too mean-spirited and foul to be funny. A real disappointment.

The "Good Thing He Comes From a Rich Family, Because He Could Never Make Anything of Himself on His Own" Category:
This category is dedicated to movies that are guaranteed to be successful due to their names, which is good for them, since neither of them are good enough to make it on their own.

-Quantum of Solace: First, let me say that it predecessor, Casino Royale, is an amazing movie, and is more than good enough to justify watching QoS. And Daniel Craig is a great Bond. But... it's a sequel. And it has very little discernible plot. And it's all action all the time. It's basically just cleaning up the loose ends from Casino Royale. Oh, and no Q and no Moneypenny. I like the new grittier style, a lot, but it's time to make 007 movies, not Bourne movies starring James Bond. And yes, it is the worst name ever.

-Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: All of the Indiana Jones movies start with reality and end with something magical. I'm OK with that. But this movie starts with magic and then just gets ridiculous. It's a fun ridiculous, but it takes you out of the movie because you start thinking about just how absurd what you're watching is. However, it does, just like the rest of the Indiana Jones movies, portray the practice of archaeology in a very realistic manner (just ask Nancy).

The "This Movie is Actually Not Very Good, But I Enjoyed it Anyway" Category:

-Leatherheads: What can I say? You don't see a lot of screwball comedies made for grown-ups these days. And it had George Clooney and Jim from The Office in it. However, can we stop making movies with Renee Zellweger?

-Jumper: This is really a terrible movie and only confirms that Haydon Christenson is as wooden as he seemed in the Star Wars prequels. But it was fun. And it provided something for Samuel L. Jackson to do, because it seems like the guy just can't get any work these days.

-Pineapple Express: This movie got great reviews, and I did enjoy it the whole time, but it still left me strangely unsatisfied, like I didn't quite get the joke. To be fair, it is a movie about a bunch of potheads, and as I wasn't high, I probably didn't get the joke.

-Get Smart: It's strange- I really like Steve Carell and I loved watching reruns of Get Smart as a kid. From the first time I saw Steve Carell I thought he would be perfect for Maxwell Smart (he looks eerily like him). And I really enjoyed the movie. But it was missing something. I feel like some sort of studio executive tried to make it more mainstream than it needed to be.

-Hancock: This was a lot of fun and got a lot of credit for being "original." But hasn't this idea basically already been done, and much better, with The Incredibles? However, it does get major credit for not giving away the big twist in the trailers, something that must have taken enormous restraint these days. (and I love spoilers!)

The "This is Completely Different Than Anything You Have Ever Seen Except That You Have Already Seen All of This" Category:

-Cloverfield: Worn out Genre- Godzilla movies. New take: Godzilla meets Youtube. If the camera work didn't make you throw up, it was extremely interesting to "live through" a Gozilla type attack. In most monster movies, the audience knows everything that is going on and it is typically seen through the eyes of the military or some sort of hero. In Cloverfield, we are an average person on the street who has no idea what is going on and can't seem to get information or resources that are helpful. It's fascinating- and really scary.

-Be Kind Rewind: This is a movie with some serious soul. And it is the soul of everyman, of great music, and of countless movies. This is one of the strangest movies I have ever seen, and I absolutely loved it.

The "Robert Downey Jr. is Amazing" Category:
Seriously, did anyone see this coming?

-Iron Man: This is a great movie. It just missed out being in my top category, and it gets just a little predictable towards the end (except for the very, very end), but this is not a movie to be taken lightly. Equal parts funny and serious, political but not preachy, lots of action but plenty of quiet, and motivations that somehow seemed real (despite the absurdity all around). And Robert Downey Jr. was really, really good.

-Tropic Thunder: Most spoofs make the mistake of winking at the camera the whole way through, like everyone is in on the joke, but not Tropic Thunder. This is a serious spoof (if such a thing is possible) that is simply hilarious. And Robert Downey Jr. gives the most meta-strange/funny/serious performances I have ever seen. It would never happen, but there needs to be some sort of special award category for what he did in Tropic Thunder.

The "These Movie Get Added to the Dan Erickson's Movie Hall of Fame" Category:

-The Dark Knight: I know this isn't exactly an original selection, but there's a reason for that. This movie is that good. I absolutely loved Batman Begins and couldn't imagine Batman being done better than that. The script is air-tight, the motivations are real, and it really gets back to Batman's roots. And Heath Ledger's Joker is every bit as good as advertised. I haven't been as mesmerized by an acting performance since T0m Hanks in Forrest Gump. It's amazing that they could make a movie that feels like an Oscar-worthy drama but is actually a comic book action movie.

-WALL-E: We saw this movie the night we found out Nancy was pregnant, so maybe I have an irrational bias toward it. But still, there is something about this movie that speaks to me on a very deep level. The only word for the first 30 minutes or so is "genius." Who would have thought that a computer generated silent movie with a musical theater soundtrack could be made in this day and age? I know it's not completely without dialogue, but the best parts are, and those best parts are sublime. This movie contains extraordinary beauty, both visually and of thought. It is subtle and requires some work from the viewer, a rarity for a "children's movie." WALL-E may be appropriate for children, but it is NOT a children's movie. What it is, however, is the best movie of the year and one of my new favorites.
Note: Unfortunately, WALL-E has no chance to win the Best Picture Oscar, now that there is a category for Best Animated Movie, for which it is a shoe-in. I appreciate what they are trying to do, but WALL-E deserves to be mentioned with the best movies of the year, not with Kung Fu Panda.

Documentaries

We recently decided to try out Netflix. I'm not entirely sure why- it just seemed more convenient than going to the video store, and a (much) better value than either the video store or On-Demand cable movies. Along with the DVD rental service they are known for, Netflix has recently started streaming movies online free for members. The catalog of those movies isn't all that big yet, but there are a lot of documentaries. I really enjoy documentaries, but I generally don't choose to rent them. But, watching one for free on my computer while I also do some work at night? That, I am willing to do.

So, in the last couple of weeks, I have caught The King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters, Helvetica, Confessions of a Superhero, Word Wars, and The Future We Will Create. All of these movies interested me to differing degrees and in different ways, but they all had one thing in common: People who are obsessed, absolutely single-minded obsessed to an unhealthy degree, with one thing. These people sacrifice their jobs, their families, their lifestyles, and their physical & emotional health to pursue their obsessions, obsession which often have little to no reward. For example, "Word Wars" is about several of the world's top Scrabble players. Yes, there is a thing as competitive tournament Scrabble, and it pays money. Many of these players consider themselves "professional" Scrabble players, inasmuch as they have no other profession, in order to devote all of their time to Scrabble. To be sure, these players are exceptionally good. At one point, one of the players we are following wins a significant tournament. His cash reward? $875.

How does someone become so single-mindedly obsessed with something like Scrabble? Or Donkey Kong? Or a font? Or Superman? Or anything? I think the answer is that our culture says that in order to be successful, you have to sacrifice everything for that one purpose. In practice, if enough people do that, it becomes true. In general, people who outwork others are going to outperform them. I am a reasonably good Scrabble player, but I could not beat someone with no job who spends 6 hours a day doing anagrams and memorizing word lists. I'm a reasonably good businessman, but it's hard to compete with someone who works 18 hour days and ignores their family (or doesn't have one).

So, am I willing to do what it takes to be successful? Honestly, I don't know that I am. Or maybe I just have a different definition of "success." Is success limited to becoming the best at something? To making tons of money? Or can success be much more modest? Can success be found in moderation? Can a guy with a job he enjoys, a family he loves, meaningful friendships and a supportive church be considered successful? Obviously, the answer to me is "yes." But what about spiritually? Are we not called to live sacrificial lives? To lay down our families, give away our money, pick up our cross and follow him? Does this sound like something that can be done moderately or does it sound like something that requires a single-minded obsession? As Kierkegaard says, "Purity of heart is to will one thing." Not, "Purity of heart is to live a balanced life."

Do I need to stop watching documentaries about really strange people?

24 Movie

Coming this fall, Jack Bauer movie! This good news almost offsets the Steve Stone news, which I can't discuss here without saying things I will definitely regret later. Plus, I just don't need to get all riled up. So, lets focus on the good news: Jack Bauer!

Date Night

On Friday, Nancy & I went out on what the young people call a "date." We had some gift cards to Bonefish from Christmas (thank you Grandma!). We love the Bonefish. I swear, they have the best Au Gratin potatoes ever.

Anyway, after writing lovely poetry to Nancy on the Bonefish paper tablecloth, we headed over to the local moving picture show. Now, last time Nancy & I went to the moving picture show, it cost a quarter, and that included your drinks, cracker jacks, and the tip for the piano player. Now the pictures have sound and everything (sound must be very expensive)! We saw the movie Juno, which has been nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture. This is a fascinating movie. First, Michael Cera is in it, and he may be my new favorite actor. Second, the acting in it is all top-notch. Obviously, Ellen Page has been nominated for Best Actress, and much has been made about Jennifer Garner's performance as well. I, on the other hand, thought the best performance in the movie was by Jason Bateman, as the adoptive dad-to-be who has sold out everything that makes him him, until Juno calls him on it. There are a lot of details in this movie, that for some reason just rang true for me. Do I think it is the best movie of 2007? I did like it a lot, and it might take home #2, but for my money, the best movie of 2007 was Transformers...

Movie Reviews: Cloverfield

I haven't written a film review in a while, and for good reason- I don't real8/ly get to go out to movies any more. But, on Friday I was able to sneak out of work a little early and decided to take in a movie. I definitely wanted to see Juno, but Nancy & I have a rare date night scheduled next week and plan to see it then, so I decided to check out Cloverfield.

The basics of the movie are simple enough: Godzilla type monster attacks New York city. Chaos ensues. If you've seen the trailer, you know that movie is different from the typical movie in the genre mostly because it is shot with a handheld camcorder and from the point of view of an average person on the street. This may sound like only a gimmick, and it certainly is is, but it is an important distinction. The monster, frankly, isn't really even a character in the movie. It has a cameo, at best. Cloverfield isn't about the monster. It isn't about people trying to combat the monster. It isn't about the government or the military or the scientists. Surely those people are off doing their thing, but we've seen that movie before. What we haven't seen is a movie about the people who run away and scream (until now).

So the question is "Does this difference make the movie better or worse?" I'm not sure of the answer, although I know it does make the experience seem real in some way. Real in the sense that nobody really knows what's going on, and real that everyone has to fend for themselves. I guess that's a good thing. I found myself enjoying this movie, and I'm not really a monster movie type of guy. But I guess that makes sense, because this isn't a monster movie- it's a movie that happens to have a monster.

A Fun Week

We're back from our vacation and have lots of catching up to do...

Today is Nancy's 29th birthday. She now has only 365 more days to make fun of me for being 30, and it appears as though she is going to take advantage of that opportunity. Nonetheless, Nancy has a husband and a daughter who think she is the best wife and mother in the world.

In case you missed the match this morning, Roger Federer won Wimbledon for the fifth time in a row, beating Rafael Nadal in an amazing 5 set final. I can't say this was the best he's ever played, but it is the best he's had to play at Wimbledon. There are few things in life that I enjoy more than watching this guy play the game of tennis, and as it turns out, I get plenty of opportunity. He has made the last 9 grand slam finals. Not only is this a record, the next closest, 7, happened 70 years ago. He is dominating our sport in a way that that lacks any kind of comparison.

We had a very, very nice vacation, with the highlights as follows:
-Nancy & I spent our anniversary weekend in Chicago, taking in the town and going to a Cub game (as discussed in our previous post). This was the longest, and first overnight, that we had been away from Sophie. We really made the most of our time there; our 30 hour trip seemed more like a week. Thank you so much to both of our parents for watching Sophie and allowing us this opportunity!
-I played plenty of disc golf, getting smoked on a daily basis by my brother. I think I am going to have to start cheating like crazy. If anyone is aware of a performance enhancing drug of some kind that helps with disc golf, I am most definitely not interested, but may have a friend who is... I was also able to reconnect with Dan Weiss and get in a couple of rounds and a lunch with him. It's amazing how easy it is to let even the best people fall out of your life. I am very thankful for the opportunity to reestablish that friendship and hope that I don't let that or any other friendships vanish out of inconvenience. God is working in and through Dan & his family, and I'm excited to see what else He has in store for them in the future.
-We were also able to visit with Jason & Andrea Gingerich for a brief time on Thursday afternoon. I try to hook up with Jason every time I'm back in town, but when we saw them at Christmas, they weren't able to see Sophie. So, we decided to try to get both of our families together, which we were able to do. After visiting a bit, Jason, Asher & I went to see Transformers (which I highly recommend). Good times.-On Friday, we went to casa Peterson and visited Matt, Carrie, Brian, Carrie II, Corrie, Oliver, Dan & Linda (whew). The babies swam in the baby pool with the coolest mechanical fish, while the adults talked about the babies swimming in the baby pool with the mechanical fish (among other things). I always enjoy visiting with Matt, if for no reason other than the unpredictability of it. Love you brother!
-The highest highlight of the trip was watching Sophie interact with our families. It was such a joy to see her spend time with her grandparents, aunts, uncles, great-grandparents, great-aunts & uncles, first cousins once removed, second cousins, and all of the above-in laws. Considering the limited amount of time we have to spend with our families, it is such a relief to see her enjoying and bonding with them. Hopefully she can have much more time with them in the future!