Typical Abel Christmas

Here is a follow-up to yesterday's post about Christmas Eve.

I woke up suddenly to the blaring alarm. It must have been 5:30. It was still fully dark outside. Aimee must have woken up too because the alarm was now off putting the entire house in complete silence. I knew the other three were up too because everyone was stirring.

"Merry Christmas!" Aimee said.

"Merry Christmas." We all replied in groggy voices.

I got up and started folding up the blankets that I slept with while others also either folded their own blankets or stumbled off to the bathroom.

Eventually, we were all ready to go wake up mom and dad. It didn't take long, we've been doing this same routine for most of our lives.

"Cover your eyes like this," Cherise said as Aimee and Cherise started to lead us through the family room. She put her hands around her eyes like a cup, forcing blinders on herself. We all followed suit with no questions or arguments. This was also a normal thing if we had to walk past the tree and presents. We also did this on Easter so we didn't see any clues, eggs or baskets.

Picture from gatesmillsvillage.com.

We trekked through the family room, past the kitchen and down the small hall towards the parent's room like a bunch of ducklings following their mother.

Once we got to the room, it was like a free-for-all. I attacked my dad, because he was always the hardest to get out of bed. Skylar tried to help me, but everyone else woke mom up.

Mom got up quickly and went to their bathroom to make sure her hair was in order with Aimee and Cherise. Taylor joined Skylar and I in waking my dad up. We knew he was awake, but he would fight it as long as he could. He did it every year.

After a little while, the girls would join us in waking dad up, but he wouldn't actually move until mom told him to get up. By that point, it seemed she was almost ready for the day.

"Alright, I'm up," my dad said as he sat up in bed. "I'm going to go shower."

"No, dad!" All of us kids said at once. He said this every year and never actually did it, but we still didn't want to risk having to wait longer.

Once he actually got out of bed, the rest of us would go into the kitchen where a spread of sweets was found. It always included orange sticks, homemade fudge, Cadbury chocolates and hard candy that I've only ever seen at Christmas time.

We snacked on these sweets for a bit until dad came out and joined us. Now it was time to go open presents.

"Let's say a family prayer," mom said. We would always pray that we would remember Christ and His life on this special day.

Picture from ldswallpapers.com.

After the prayer, we walked together until we were just outside the room where the tree and gifts were found.

"Dad's going to go check if Santa came," mom said.

Dad walked into the room while we all waited with anticipation, but patiently.

He would be gone for a few minutes before returning.

"Santa came!" He exclaimed as he came back to where we were.

We all walked in and dad directed us to our presents. Santa always separated our presents for each person at a place to sit. The gifts from family members for other family members still sat under the tree.

"Ok, Skylar will start," mom said.

We always started with the youngest and went to the oldest by opening one gift at a time until we finished Santa's presents.

The only free-for-all present was our stockings, which were also laid out by the Santa gifts. It always had a chocolate orange, which was always one of my favorite traditions.

"Alright, grab all the presents under the tree and pass them out," mom directed.

When they were all passed out, we would start the whole process again starting with Skylar.

Once the presents were all opened, we would set up our toys or games or whatever gifts we may have gotten and just play. We would have a spread of random food to snack on. This food usually included a cheese ball, toffee, Chex mix, ham, rolls and other random goodies.

Typical Abel Christmas Eve

It's Jordan again. I've been thinking about what I could write about Christmas, and I decided to write about a typical Christmas Eve when I was younger, so here it goes.

"Oh, look at that house!" My mom exclaimed as we turned down another street in our Christmas light looking adventure. The house looked like the Griswolds lived there with the amount of lights and decorations placed on the home.

"Wow," my younger brothers, Taylor and Skylar, said together, less excited than they were an hour ago when the trip started. It was starting to get later, and it was obvious all five of us kids were getting tired.

Everyone was dressed in their brand new pajamas that we opened before heading out on our light search. This year, I was adorned in Utah Utes pajama pants that had red and black plaid stripes and a black Under Armour shirt. It was always some type of pajama pants and a shirt, and we opened new ones every year.

We headed home in almost complete silence except for the soft Christmas music playing on the radio. Some of us drifted in and out of sleep, not fully falling asleep because of anticipation for the next morning.

We arrived home, and everyone gathered around our family room to read the Christmas story, say a family prayer and then get ready and go to bed.

My dad was the only one who ever pulled out his Bible to read the story, probably because none of the kids knew where the story was found at this point. I know I didn't. Every year, he would read in Luke chapter 2:

"1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

"Wise men still seek Him." Picture from lds.org.

By this point, everyone seemed to have heavy eyelids. It was time to get ready for bed. We all scattered to brush our teeth and gather blankets and pillows to create a makeshift bed, because all the kids slept in the same room.

"Ok, guys, here is our schedule," my oldest sister, Aimee, said. "We're going to wake up at 5:30. We're going to brush our teeth and clean up our beds. We will wake mom and dad up at 6."

Everyone agreed on the schedule. The schedule was an annual thing. It was generally the same every year. As we got older, we tried pushing the times back, but Taylor and Skylar didn't like that idea because they were still excited to get up as early as allowed to see what they would get.

We all climbed into our makeshift beds and fell asleep. Some faster than others as excitement kept us awake. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day.

Paris France Mission: 6 Years Later

I woke up for the third time of the flight. I was still holding Jesus the Christ in my hands. It was about the only thing that worked for me to get to sleep. I hadn’t slept long when I did fall asleep, but I did get a little bit of rest.

The stewardess was making her way down the aisle bringing breakfast/lunch. I looked at my watch, I probably had slept a grand total of three hours on the flight so far. It was only about 4 a.m. Utah time, but that meant it was noon in France. We still had about three more hours of flight.

I continued to read the New Testament and Jesus the Christ back and forth to try to get back to sleep but nothing worked. The three hours of flight time went quick and we finally seemed to be descending. I looked out the window and couldn’t see anything. It was too cloudy. Maybe we weren’t descending as much as I thought.

The plane dipped underneath a cloud. CRASH! The plane’s tiny wheels connected with the ground. Apparently, it wasn’t cloud cover. It was fog. There was a mist that seemed to guard the view of Paris as we descended. The plane bounced up and down as it came to a stop. Everyone that was asleep was now probably having their heart pounding out of their chest because I saw how it happened and mine was about doing the same thing.

We grabbed our carry-on bags and headed towards the front of the plane. I made sure I was in the back to count heads once again. Twenty-one people. We were all still together. We made our way to the baggage claim. As we walked towards it, a man, his wife, and another missionary holding a box stopped us.

“Elder Abel?” The man called out. He had thin, white hair on his head, wore thinly rimmed glasses and spoke with a soft tone.

“Yeah,” I responded when I made my way to the back. All the eyes followed me as the group stopped and I made my way to the front.

“I’m President Staheli. Good job, you made it with all twenty-one missionaries. We’ll take over from here,” President Staheli said.

We got our checked bags and headed towards the vehicles. Because there were so many of us, we weren’t going to be driving to the mission home. The missionary holding the box was apparently Elder Morgan. Two more missionaries, Elder Helvey and Elder Schwind, replaced President and Sister Staheli as they drove off in the van towards the mission home with all our luggage that we threw in the back.

“Alright, let’s head to the metros,” Elder Schwind said. He was shorter than the other and had red hair.

We headed underground and waited the minute for a metro to arrive. We jumped on and all of us were whisked away. Elder Morgan distributed the box to each of us. It was a proselyting Book of Mormon in French. Le Livre de Mormon. We were supposed to try to give it to someone.

‘I haven’t even learned French,’ I thought as we headed through the underground passages. ‘I doubt I’ll understand what they are saying.’

“Bonjour,” I said to the closest French person to me. It was an older woman and she gave me a look like I had just insulted her. I knew I had butchered it. I gave up trying to talk to someone by myself after that.

Elder Hayden was basically teaching one man about the entire Gospel. They were deep in conversation. Elder Hayden had successfully received the man’s phone number. The man went to get off and Elder Hayden offered him the Book of Mormon. The guy declined, but Elder Hayden insisted. Then he reached out and took it just before he jumped off the metro.

“Good job, Elder Hayden!” I said. I was closest to him during the whole conversation. “What did he say?”

“He was a good guy,” Elder Hayden responded. “I hope I get to serve in Paris so I can teach him.”

“That would be awesome,” I said as all of us got off the metro and onto another bigger metro, called an RER, heading to Versailles.

The people on the RER were quiet. Their faces seemed to light up when we walked in with our group of 25 missionaries. My it was just because they knew these were the people that were going to talk to them.

“...Georgia? How was that?” I heard Elder Pieper say. He was talking to Elder Morgan.

“It was good. It was nice having the opportunity to speak and teach in English for a little while,” Elder Morgan responded, he had a deep voice that didn’t necessarily fit his look. He was just taller than me and wasn’t any bigger than me either.

“Wait, what are you guys talking about?” I butted into their conversation.

“Elder Morgan served a transfer in Georgia before coming here today because he fast-tracked the MTC,” Elder Pieper explained. Fast-tracking was our way of saying someone knew the language well enough they only needed to spend three weeks in the MTC before being shipped out.

“Oh, that’s why you were here, I thought you were one of the office missionaries or something,” I said.

“No,” Elder Morgan said with a laugh. “Yeah right, not me.”

The RER came to our stop and the gigantic group of us jumped off and headed back up into the brisk December air. The humidity was obvious from the moment we stepped outside. It wouldn’t have been as cold if it wasn’t humid outside. By the time we got off the RER, it was beginning to get dark outside.

We trekked through mud and cobblestone until we finally reached the mission home. It was a beautiful home in the suburbs of Versailles. We went inside and Sister Staheli was finishing up dinner.

We washed up and sat down at a giant table as instructed by President Staheli. Dinner was served. Whether it was because I was so hungry or it was just that good, I don’t know, but it was one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time.

The conversation started with small talk and somehow found its way to the Utah/BYU game which took place nearly a month ago. Being at the MTC in Provo we had heard a lot of things about it and how BYU got screwed in the game. My family is die-hard for Utah, so I was told from my dad that everyone had been whining, but it was a fair call. The game ended with a blocked field goal by Utah’s Brandon Burton which gave Utah the 17-16 victory.

“I just watched it, actually,” President Staheli said. “Yeah, I don’t have the same rules as you. I am sent all the BYU games from BYU. It was a great game that was unfortunately decided by the referees.”

“Really?” I asked, surprising myself since I hadn’t said much the whole meal. “Because I heard it was the right call.”

“It wasn’t. I just watched it,” President Staheli responded.

“My family watched it and said it was right,” I said. I wasn’t trying to start an argument, especially since I hadn’t seen it, but I was just telling what I was told.

That was the end of that conversation and the conversations continued in a more neutral tone.

In the mission home, there were only a limited number of beds and out group was too big, so a group of us had to go to a hotel. It was alphabetical, so I was obviously chosen.

Elder Haas, one of the office elders, drove us to our hotel through Paris. He drove like a mad man and I thought I was going to die as he sped through traffic yelling at people. The van we were in whipped around corners and on tightest roads I had ever seen.

We made it there safely, and went straight to bed. I was so tired.

The next morning started early as we met Elder Haas outside the hotel at 6 am. It was still pitch black outside. I definitely didn't get enough sleep. We were swept off again to the mission home and the rest of the missionaries were already eating breakfast.

We sat down and had cereal, fruit, and yogurt. Then President Staheli appeared with his assistants Elder Schwind and Elder Helvey.

"Well, it's time to announce where you're all going to start your mission," President Staheli said.

He started listing people off and where they were heading. Apparently this wasn't alphabetical though because I wasn't first.

None of the places sounded familiar. They also received the name of their trainers. Some of the names were strange also. The strangest being an Elder Rakotondrainibe who was going to be Elder Hayden's trainer. He wasn't serving in Paris though, which was disappointing to me.

"Elder Abel, you will be serving in one of my favorite little cities,” President Staheli prefaced his telling me. “It’s a small town called Alençon. It’s in Normandy…”

‘Normandy,’ I thought upon hearing the word. ‘That’s the only place I have recognized.’

“...Your trainer will be Elder McQuay, who is a really hard working missionary. He is from Oregon. You two will do great things in Alençon,” President Staheli finished telling me.

“Alright,” President Staheli said after finishing telling everyone where they were headed and with who. “Now, we are going to go to Consecration Hill. Make sure you bring a notebook and something to write with.”

We trekked back out into the cool air and towards the RER’s. There seemed to be a mist in the air. It wasn’t raining, it was cloudy and gray, but not raining. The gray seemed to make everything look dimmer and uglier. It was such a beautiful place last night.

We got back on the RER and headed to some stop that I couldn’t pronounce, but was the last stop on the metro. We got off and walked a little ways to get to what was apparently Consecration Hill. We arrived and President Staheli was waiting for us.

“Here we are Elders and Sisters,” President Staheli started. “This is Consecration Hill. Usually you can see the Eiffel Tower from here, but its too foggy today. I want you all to find a quiet place and think about why you are here. I want you to write down your thoughts and how you feel about being here in France about to start your missions.”

I walked away from everyone a little bit and sat down on the fence that bordered the edge of the hill.

‘Why am I here?’ I repeated over and over again in my mind as if the answer was impossible to describe.

I’m here because I love my family. I began to write. From here the words seemed to come easier. My family means so much to me. The fact that we can live together forever is why I am here. I want to share that message with everyone I meet, because that is the greatest gift that God has given each one of us.

Tears started to form in my eyes thinking about my family. I knew that they knew I was in the right place though.

I’m so happy to be here in France today. I may not speak the language well, and I may not be able to understand anything anyone says, but I can’t wait until I can. I know that God has prepared some of these people specifically for me to come and find and teach them.

After some time, we started heading back down into the metros. To get to the RER though, we had to travel through what looked like a group of random kiosks. I took up the rear as I naturally did when in big groups to make sure nobody was left behind.

As the group passed one kiosk of flowers, Elder Hayden jumped into line. I didn’t want him to be left behind, so I turned and waited for him.

“Elder Hayden, what are you doing?” I asked in a hurried tone. “Everyone is going to leave us!”

“I want to buy flowers for my trainer,” He replied simply. I turned back towards the increasingly distant group. Elder Pieper must have seen me stop because he was about 20 yards from me looking at me.

Elder Hayden bought the flowers and the three of us ran down towards the RER.

“They’re gone.” I said in disbelief.

“It’s okay, we’ll just catch the next one,” Elder Hayden said, who was from Europe, so was more accustomed to these things.

We sat down on a train that had all the doors open and wasn’t moving. We sat for a few minutes without any movement. Another RER appeared going the opposite direction.

“Let’s jump on that one,” Elder Hayden suggested. We got on it and it whisked us away.

‘What if this is the wrong direction,’ I thought as the other train we had just vacated took off in the opposite direction. Then I realized it was the end of the line, so there was only one direction.

At the very next stop, Elder Schwind was waiting on the bench smiling.

“What happened?” Elder Schwind asked politely after we got off the RER.

“I wanted to buy my trainer a flower,” Elder Hayden responded.

We walked back to the mission home and received a sack lunch from Sister Staheli. We then loaded our bags into a vehicle and headed right back to the RER to go into Paris to meet our trainers.

Christmas Movies

Hey, Jordan here. 

I am a sucker for movies. I love being captivated by a new world, a new idea or a great story. Movies are a way that each of us can travel the world both real and fake. They take us on adventures and make us feel part of the action while watching Bond-like films. 

Christmas movies have all kinds of stories, both awful and fantastic. There are so many classic Christmas and/or Holiday movies that people love. Then, each year, we seem to get a few more that don't seem to have an edge on any of the classics.

My all-time favorite Christmas movie is Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Not the animated film, although that could be considered a classic also, but the Jim Carrey version.

Jim Carrey as the Grinch. Picture from fanpop.com.

I love the whole movie. From the beginning with Anthony Hopkins narration ("Inside of a snowflake, like the one on your sleeve..."), to some of the last lines ("Who wants the gizzard?" ... "I do!" ... "Too late! That'll be mine."). My family is obsessed with this movie. We quote it all the time. I'm pretty sure my sister, Cherise, watches it throughout the year (she blames her son, but we all know the truth). My nieces and nephews also will watch it year-round. It has amazing acting, a great concept and very quotable lines. I haven't watched it yet this year, but I am looking forward to it when I do.

My next favorite Christmas film is The Santa Clause. Tim Allen is one of the best actors ever. He's had some awful movie choices, but overall he is a great actor. If you don't believe me, you clearly never watched Home Improvement or Last Man Standing on TV. 

Tim Allen in The Santa Clause. Picture from top10films.co.uk.

This movie is just incredibly magic. It shows how the role of Santa Claus gets passed from one person to another. It's hilarious because Tim Allen is funny as an ornery business man, that is transformed into the lovable Santa Claus. It's just a classic Christmas film. If you haven't seen it, you need to.

My third favorite Christmas film is hard to choose. I could watch those first two over and over again all Christmas season without being bored. I don't know if I'll actually pick one, just mention a few here. 

While I was younger, I loved Miracle on 34th Street. It's a very magical movie also. I think Christmas Vacation could be placed here also, but I've only seen it a couple of times. Home Alone is great, but I don't really see that as a Christmas film. I also like Elf because I love Will Ferrel, but I don't rank it very high usually. Everyone loves A Christmas Story, but it's not really one of my favorites. It's ok, but not great.

What are your favorite Christmas/Holiday movies?

Week Fourteen - Championship Week

Rivalry weekend was without too much drama. Kaylee and I both picked identical picks last week, so we both ended up 5-1. That will put Kaylee at 48-30, and I am at 58-20 overall. This week is championship weekend for a lot of conferences, which leads to a lot of intriguing match ups. Some of them will be playing for a spot in the playoffs.

No. 8 Colorado vs. No. 4 Washington (at Levi Stadium)

Jordan's Pick: Washington Kaylee's Pick: Washington

The Pac-12 Championship features a match up that wasn't featured in the regular season. Washington needs to win to secure a spot in the Playoff, but Colorado is looking to spoil it, while also likely to lane the Rose Bowl either way. Two incredible coaches are going head-to-head here also. These two teams are incredibly similar as they rely on great defense and a solid offense. I think Washington has too much to play for to lose. They will win because they are the better version of essentially the same team.

No. 10 Oklahoma State at No. 9 Oklahoma

Jordan's Pick:  Oklahoma State Kaylee's Pick: Oklahoma

The Big 12 (Quasi) Championship. The Big 12 doesn't play a championship game, but this incredibly conveniently placed game looks like it is. Oklahoma looks like the winner when comparing stats. These two teams and everyone watching better be ready for an onslaught of points. The winner will probably make one more stop than the other. I'm going to go with Oklahoma State though. I don't really know why, but I really like Mason Rudolph's game. Nothing against Baker Mayfield though, he's an excellent athlete also.

No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 15 Florida (at Georgia Dome)

Jordan's Pick: Alabama Kaylee's Pick: Alabama

Alabama may not lose this year. Florida is an awful team that has coasted into the SEC Championship thanks to an easy schedule. Alabama's defense is great against great offenses, but Florida is boasting a poor offense. This shouldn't even be close unless Alabama can't get the offense going. Alabama rolls again.

No. 3 Clemson vs. No. 23 Virginia Tech (at Camping World Stadium)

Jordan's Pick: Clemson Kaylee's Pick: Clemson

The ACC Championship is a story of which teams will show up. Clemson has shown flashes of being a great team, but there have been other moments where they look awful. Virginia Tech has had a strange year. The Hokies have beaten teams I expected to destroy them, but lost to teams they should have dominated. They've also had a really easy schedule. I'm going with Clemson to get into the Playoff.

No. 6 Wisconsin vs. No. 7 Penn State (at Lucas Oil Stadium)

Jordan's Pick: Wisconsin Kaylee's Pick: Penn State

The Big Ten Championship is by far the most intriguing match up of the week. Wisconsin only lost to the two teams who should be playing in this game (and played last week) in Michigan and Ohio State. Penn State is the only team to have beaten Ohio State, but fell early in the year to Pitt and Michigan, This is an incredibly difficult game to pick, because Penn State's offense is better, but Wisconsin's defense is better. I think I'm going to have to pick the better defense though. I think Wisconsin will be able to score well enough while protecting its own end zone also.

Temple at No. 19 Navy

Jordan's Pick: Temple Kaylee's Pick: Navy

This doesn't sound interesting, but Temple has one of the better defenses, especially run defense, in the nation. The Midshipmen are and always have been very run oriented, but teams still can't stop them. Navy is going to have to step up defensively if it wants to keep up. I'd be surprised if Navy can figure out an offense that can score on this Temple defense. 

Week Thirteen

Week Twelve was a rough week for me as Utah fell to one of the worst teams in the conference. It was embarrassing, and I get mad still just thinking about it. As for the rest of the week, Kaylee went 3-3, so she is at 43-29 overall. I went 4-2 and am at 53-19 overall. This week has a lot of really good games because it is rivalry week. We've got the Rocky Mountain Rumble, the battle for the Wagon Wheel, the Apple Cup, The Game, the Iron Bowl and the Florida Cup on tap among others.

No. 22 Utah at No. 9 Colorado

Jordan's Pick: Utah Kaylee's Pick: Utah

After the excruciating loss to Oregon, Utah is looking to spoil its new rival's chance at winning the South division. Colorado is just trying to get a chance to play the winner of the Apple Cup in the Pac-12 Championship. Utah will need to play better defense if they want to win this game. The secondary will have to play their best game of the year, while the linebackers will have to learn how to tackle in just a week's time. Joe Williams will have to keep doing what he's been doing and Troy Williams will need to make some big throws to pull this off. If Utah's offense can keep the Buff's defense on their heels, they might sneak by. I'm going to go with Utah (surprise, surprise), because Utah is a great underdog, and Kyle Whittingham's teams don't quit.

Something to think about: If Utah wins, they will have beaten all other Pac-12 South teams, but won't win the division.

Utah State at BYU

Jordan's Pick: BYU Kaylee's Pick: BYU

Utah State is awful. BYU has gotten some good momentum going and the Aggies won't be able to slow them down. BYU needs to just keep playing like it has been the past few weeks and it won't be close. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if BYU sneaks into the polls this next week. If not, it might sneak in if it can win a bowl game against a ranked opponent.

No. 5 Washington at No. 23 Washington State

Jordan's Pick: Washington Kaylee's Pick: Washington

Two incredibly efficient offenses collide in the Apple Cup this year. Washington needs to win to keep its playoff hopes alive (and probably would make the playoffs). Washington State is just looking for a chance at the Pac-12 Championship game. These two offenses are poised to have a shootout, but I think Washington's defense will be able to hold Wazzu to under its 42.5 average. I'm going to take Washington because the Huskies are the better team, especially defensively. Washington will make stops that Wazzu can't match.

No. 3 Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State

Jordan's Pick: Ohio State Kaylee's Pick: Ohio State

The Game might actually be the game of the year. Two great coaches going at it with Harbaugh and Meyer. Both teams are coming off lackluster wins against inferior competition, probably looking forward to this game. Ohio State has the better quarterback. The Buckeyes' running back has the edge in yards, but I love the way De'Veon Smith runs for Michigan. Michigan has the better defense. It's going to be a great game that could come down to one of those plays we'll be talking about until next year. I'm going to take Ohio State because of J.T. Barrett and coach Urban Meyer though. I think Meyer will be victorious in the big game based on experience.

No. 13 Auburn at No. 1 Alabama

Jordan's Pick: Alabama Kaylee's Pick: Alabama

Will this be the week that Alabama finally loses? Remember 2013 when Auburn returned a missed field goal for a touchdown? Could that happen again this year? No. Alabama is too good. I wouldn't be surprised if Alabama rolls Auburn just to show off going into the conference championships and playoff. Auburn's only chance is to force Hurts to throw the ball, but even then, you need to be back also to stop the throw, which I don't think they will be able to accomplish both.

No. 15 Florida at No. 14 Florida State

Jordan's Pick: Florida State Kaylee's Pick: Florida State

This is an interesting game, because Florida's defense is good enough to win this game, but its offense isn't good enough to score points to win. Florida State, like I've said before, is a one-trick pony. If you can stop Dalvin Cook, you could beat them pretty easily. I think Florida will stop Cook, but I don't know if the Gator offense will score any points. I wouldn't be surprised to see a 3-0 game here for Florida State. I think FSU's offense will get a couple points (probably off a turnover), and Florida won't be able to get close enough to score. I'm taking Florida State in a close one.

Week Twelve

Last week was a crazy week in college football, but we mostly avoided the havoc because I didn't expect those teams to lose. Kaylee went 3-3, bringing her to 40-26 overall. I went 4-2 and am now sitting at 49-17 overall. Week 12 has some pretty good match ups, just not in Utah.

Oregon at No. 12 Utah

Jordan's Pick: Utah Kaylee's Pick: Utah

Oregon hasn't done much this season. They are in a position to just play spoiler at this point. The Ducks give up a ton of yards and a ton of points. They haven't been able to keep up with anyone in conference except Arizona State. Utah should roll.

Massachusetts at BYU

Jordan's Pick: BYU Kaylee's Pick: BYU

UMass is awful. BYU should be able to show up for this win. It shouldn't be close at any point once BYU scores its first points. BYU rolls.

Utah State at Nevada

Jordan's Pick: Utah State Kaylee's Pick: Utah State

Utah State finally is playing an opponent that it can beat. Nevada gives up a ton of rushing yards (nearly 300 a game). Utah State's strength is in the run game. When the run gets going, Kent Myers will be able to throw better. Utah State should win its fourth game.

No. 22 Washington State at No. 10 Colorado

Jordan's Pick: Colorado Kaylee's Pick: Colorado

This match up is super intriguing. Washington State hasn't lost in conference, while Colorado has an outside shot to the playoff if it continues winning. I am a huge fan of Sefo Liufau from Colorado, but there's also something about the air game of Washington State that makes me love their game play too. If Colorado isn't careful, they could end up in a shootout that doesn't bode well for the Buffaloes. I'm going to go with Colorado because of defense. Colorado's defense only allows 176 passing yards a game. Wazzu's Luke Falk will have a tough match up this week. Colorado will knock Washington State from going unscathed through conference play.

No. 23 Florida at No. 16 LSU

Jordan's Pick: Florida Kaylee's Pick: LSU

Who doesn't love a defensive battle? I know I do. This is going to be a slow, grind-it-out type of game. LSU may have the top running back in the nation (Leonard Fournette), but he has struggled this year, and Florida's defense is good enough to hold him to limited yardage. That will force Danny Etling to pass, which isn't a good sign for Tiger fans. Florida will be more balanced and be able to open up the field a bit more. Florida wins in a close one.

No. 9 Oklahoma at No. 14 West Virginia

Jordan's Pick: Oklahoma Kaylee's Pick: Oklahoma

West Virginia may be the most underrated team in the nation (just ask their fans on Twitter, they'll tell you). Oklahoma may be one of the most overrated teams...always...I mean, this year. Both teams are more willing to air it out than keep it on the ground. In that type of game, West Virginia is favored defensively, but the Mountaineers are a little more balanced than the Sooners. I think this is one of the closest games on paper. It's a toss-up. I'm going to take Oklahoma though because Baker Mayfield will be able to make more plays than West Virginia's whole offense.

Redefining 'Millennial'

I am 25 years old, so I am considered a millennial. Of all the titles I hold or will ever hold, millennial might be the worst one. I've spent some time thinking about this the last week or so as the election was in process and now afterwards thanks to the rioting.

Picture from searchenginejournal.com.

In case you don't know what a millennial is, here is a definition from urbandictionary.com (sure, not the best source, but I thought it was pretty accurate and funny):

"Special little snowflake.

Born between 1982 and 1994 this generation is something special, cause Mom and Dad and their 5th grade teacher Mrs. Winotsky told them so. Plus they have a whole shelf of participation trophies sitting at home so it has to be true.

They believe themselves to be highly intelligent, the teachers and lecturers constantly gave them "A"'s in order to keep Mom and Dad from complaining to the Dean. Unfortunately, nobody explained to them the difference between education and grade inflation so they tend to demonstrate poor spelling and even poorer grammar.

At work, millennials believe themselves to be overachievers who just aren't understood by their loser bosses. Even Mom said so when she showed up for the interview."

Not everyone agrees on dates, but most people agree the dates go from somewhere in the 1980s up to about 2000. Basically, millennials are regarded as lazy, entitled, spoiled, participation-trophy-needing individuals. The good things that people say about millennials are that they are technologically advanced.

This election cycle has brought out the worst of the millennials as they riot in the streets and think their candidate, whomever it might have been, should have won. 

Doesn't this seem so true? Ecard from theodysseyonline.com.

The future looks bleak if you think these people who are rioting in the streets, burning the American flag, calling for a war against Trump supporters, and sobbing over the election will one day run businesses, states and even this country.

I'll tell you this though, millennials that will eventually run this country are not in the news right now. These millennials are finishing up school, still in school, running their own businesses already, or working hard to make their way to the top of their profession. Millennials may have received participation trophies and whatnot, but the best millennials took that as motivation to be better next time.

The best millennials will eventually rise up to take over those top spots in the workplace and politics because eventually the "newsworthy," loud-mouthed, entitled, lazy and spoiled millennials will fall by the wayside expecting things in life to be given them on a silver platter (or in the form of a participation trophy).

Don't judge all millennials on what you see on the news, because the best millennials are working their way up to make this country better than it has ever been.

Picture from pinterest.com.

The best millennials realize that this picture is correct. We will be silent until it is our time to take over what is needed. We are not the loud ones yelling obscene things about Trump on your TV. We are the ones that are silent until it is necessary. Don't fear for future generations.

Post-Election Thoughts

America has a new president. Donald J. Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in an election for the history books. Trump proved that America is against corruption in the government by beating Clinton who has many different questionable attributes about her.

I'm not going to lie, I voted for Trump. If you think that makes me an awful, racist, sexist human being, then you should definitely keep reading so I can prove you wrong.

Here is a paragraph from ABC News (also where I got the picture) about what Trump plans to do on his first day in office:

"Trump said he will repeal and replace ‘Obamacare,' immediately suspend the admission of Syrian refugees, order a review of every single regulation issued over the last eight years, begin lifting all regulations that are hurting our workers and our businesses, terminate every single unconstitutional executive order signed by President Obama, restore the rule of law to our land, begin implementing plans for construction of a wall along our southern border and get rid of international gangs of thugs and drug cartels."

Although, I don't agree with all of these things, I think that is a great start to a presidency. 

President Obama, whom I disagree with a lot but respect and support 100 percent, said eight years ago he will bring about change. But there wasn't a lot of change that happened. Sure, he brought about the Affordable Care Act. He legalized gay marriage (after states already voted on it). He helped rid the world of Osama Bin Laden. I feel like Obama didn't bring about the change everyone needed.

President Barack Obama. Picture from whitehouse.gov.

I think Trump will be able to make changes that seem crazy, but will help everyone in the country that is a citizen. He wants to impose term limits on all members of congress. That's a great idea. He also wants to reduce the size of the government by freezing all hires. He will decrease taxes and will figure out our trading with other countries. We've been getting screwed by China lately, so we needed to do something about that. Decreasing taxes could be good or bad, we'll see.

Trump is also looking at replacing the Affordable Care Act. I understand the usefulness of this act for some people, but it also gouges others. I think with a lot of help from former presidential candidate and former surgeon Dr. Ben Carson, Trump will be able to put a more effective health care reformation in place.

Dr. Ben Carson. Picture from lifenews.com.

Trump will uphold the Constitution of the United States. He will fight and probably defeat ISIS. He will fix our educational issues. He will fight for the average American. He will take care of our veterans. He will make America great again!

Week Eleven

Last week, Kaylee and I both went 5-1. Kaylee is now at 37-23 overall, and I am at 45-15 overall. This week was a quick turnaround with the craziness of the election and Utah playing on a Thursday night. So here we go with week 11 picks.

No. 15 Utah at Arizona State

Jordan's Pick: Utah Kaylee's Pick: Utah

Both teams are coming off of bye weeks and losses before that. Utah needs to prove that it can still win the South portion of the conference while Arizona State is just looking to spoil Utah's chances at this point. Utah will need to play good in the secondary to win this game. ASU will need to have learned what defense is to win this game. I don't really see that happening in a two week span if they haven't figured it out thus far. Utah should win.

SUU at BYU

Jordan's Pick: BYU Kaylee's Pick: BYU

We attend SUU. Kaylee's cousin plays for BYU. This is an intriguing match up for us based on the teams playing. It shouldn't be intriguing outside of that. SUU is a solid football team, but I don't think that they will be able to pull this out. BYU has more speed, talent and better coaching. BYU should roll for only the second time this season.

New Mexico at Utah State

Jordan's Pick: New Mexico Kaylee's Pick: Utah State

Utah State is not doing well. The Aggies have not shown any progress either. I don't think Utah State has what it takes to finish this season strong in the last three games. The Aggies may be facing three more losses if they're not careful. New Mexico is a run heavy offense this year, and has a good defense against the run. Utah State's Kent Myers will have to throw to win this game. I don't think that is going to go well. New Mexico wins.

No. 20 USC at No. 4 Washington

Jordan's Pick: Washington Kaylee's Pick: Washington

This is by far the best match up of the week. USC is on a five-game winning streak and only Colorado was even close. Washington is undefeated and looking like a playoff contender, but this is a huge test for the Huskies. Washington has probably the best defense USC will face. USC has the most speed and talent in the Pac-12. USC's QB Sam Darnold is the real deal, but it will be a hostile environment in Washington. It will be incredibly close, but I am going to give the edge to Washington because it is at home.

No. 24 LSU at No. 25 Arkansas

Jordan's Pick: Arkansas Kaylee's Pick: LSU

LSU has a great defense, Arkansas doesn't. I want to pick Arkansas in this game, but I don't know why. Arkansas is coming off of a beat down of Florida. LSU is coming off a close game against Alabama. Arkansas' QB is 10 times better. You know what, I'm going to do it. I'm going to take Arkansas. I think they'll key on Leonard Fournette and make LSU beat them through the air, which won't happen. Arkansas will make enough plays, especially if they can flip the field and make it a difficult punting situation for LSU.

Ole Miss at No. 8 Texas A&M

Jordan's Pick: Ole Miss Kaylee's Pick: Texas A&M

These two teams are incredibly similar. Both teams are not great defensively, high-powered offenses and without their star quarterbacks. Ole Miss is looking for any type of momentum going forward in the SEC. Texas A&M is looking to rebound from an embarrassing loss to Mississippi State (speaking of, why are they ranked at 8? That's ridiculous). It'd be tough for Ole Miss to pull this one off if A&M comes out firing because of last week. A&M has a better rushing offense, but we'll see how it goes. I'm going to take Ole Miss in a big upset.

Election 2016

Hey guys, Jordan here getting a little political. Utah has always been predominantly a red (republican) state, so politics hasn't really interested me that much. In fact, the last time Utah voted democratic was in 1964 for Lyndon B. Johnson. Before Johnson, Utah voted democratic for Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman from 1932 to 1948.

  

            Franklin D. Roosevelt             

Harry S. Truman

Lyndon B. Johnson

Pictures from WhiteHouse.gov.    

It seems everyone I talk with is incredibly concerned about this election. Who wouldn't be? It seems like we have two of the worst candidates we've ever seen. I mean, both of them are being investigated for crimes committed in their past. Hillary Clinton has a lot of big question marks about her integrity, while Donald Trump has said many off-color things that have turned people away from voting for him.

Donald J. Trump

Hillary R. Clinton

Photos from cnn.com.

Many people in Utah are looking for another option. It seemed they were going to go for Gary Johnson until he couldn't name a foreign leader. Now, they've turned to someone that everyone seems to think is a moral vote in Evan McMullin.

I, too, was caught up in the idea of someone being different than Clinton or Trump that looked clean. He worked for the CIA for 10 years, he seems to know a lot about politics and is very professional. I have since stopped following McMullin. And I'll explain why.

First, let's look at his website. It's incredibly clean and well thought-out. I really only have one issue with his policies. From his website, evanmcmullin.com, it says, "Evan will impose tougher sanctions on Russia and increase America’s military presence in the Baltics in order to deter and reverse Putin’s aggression, rather than pretending that he is a partner for peace in Syria."

That's scary to me! I don't want to battle Putin. I think Putin is not someone to be messed with until he does something that is against America. There is only one thing that can come from "military presence in the Baltics." That's war. We don't want that.

Evan McMullin

Picture from Twitter.com.

Next, let's look at McMullin's past. Oh wait, there isn't any. It's all a big secret. He could be working for Clinton, Putin, Trump or anyone else for that matter. We know nothing about this guy. He is quoted on YouTube saying he is running to keep Clinton and Trump from the White House, but then continues saying if he keeps Trump out of the White House, he would be successful. That doesn't sound like a fellow republican/conservative.

I think Utahns are running in to vote for a man that they don't fully understand. They cite reasons like it's a moral option, but what if you found out he isn't actually Mormon? What if it came out that he is working for Hillary Clinton to dupe the Mormons? What if he is just trying to ensure Hillary Clinton wins the election? Would you vote for him then? I doubt it.

So that left me with the two viable candidates: Clinton or Trump. Email Scandal or rape case? Benghazi or Mexico/America wall? I ultimately had to pick Trump. It seemed easy once I found that Clinton will be looking to place three new liberal judges on the Supreme Court. If that happens, the Constitution will be obsolete (but more on that later if Clinton wins tomorrow). Clinton's running mate, Tim Kaine, has also been recorded saying that religion will have to change to make way for the new rulings. That's not OK with me.

Trump has vowed that he will make safer choices for the Supreme Court. He is pro-christian, pro-life and pro-America. He is being investigated for the rape case, but based on the number of big name rape cases that have been fabricated in the past for athletes, celebrities and others in the spotlight makes me skeptical if Clinton didn't pay someone to say things that aren't true (it wouldn't be the first time).

Trump's final election ad.

Trump may not be a saint, but he is willing to make America what it used to be. This is why I'll be voting for Donald J. Trump tomorrow. 

Whatever happens, keep America in your prayers because we will need it whether Clinton, Trump, McMullin or anyone else wins. God bless America!

Beautiful image from http://dave-amy.com/faith/god-bless-america.

Week Ten

Week nine saw the end of Kaylee's impressive win streak. Kaylee went 3-3, and I went 5-1. Utah losing hurt me on more than one level. It was a tough loss. Week ten will have Utah on a bye week, but I really want to pick the Colorado vs. UCLA game, so here it is on Thursday.

Utah State at Wyoming

Jordan's Pick: Wyoming Kaylee's Pick: Wyoming

Wyoming has been one of the biggest surprise teams in the nation. They are coming off a huge upset over Boise State. Utah State is having an awful year record-wise. I don't think Utah State will be able to sustain a run game against the Cowboys, which will make them lack a passing game also. Wyoming should win.

BYU at Cincinnati

Jordan's Pick: BYU Kaylee's Pick: BYU

BYU is coming off a bye week, which was good timing for them after an emotional loss to Boise State. Cincinnati is having a rough season against good opponents. I think Jamaal Williams will be able to run all day. Taysom Hill won't have to throw the ball much, which fits perfectly into BYU's strengths. BYU's secondary will have to play well, but I think they will be able to contain Hayden Moore. BYU should win easily.

UCLA at No. 15 Colorado

Jordan's Pick: UCLA Kaylee's Pick: Colorado

This game is incredibly intriguing. Colorado is the lone leader in the Pac-12 South. UCLA is on the verge of not even making a bowl game. UCLA has a great team, but has fallen short on too many games. This game will be on the shoulders of the Bruin defense. I think UCLA's Mike Fafaul will be able to throw over Colorado's defense, forcing Colorado to keep up. I don't think the Buffs will be able to keep up completely. Upset alert!

No. 1 Alabama at No. 13 LSU

Jordan's Pick: Alabama Kaylee's Pick: Alabama

This game should be an incredibly low-scoring affair. Remember LSU beating a team 3-2 a few years ago? That could potentially happen again. I think LSU will be able to contain Jalen Hurts in rushing, but Alabama will keep Leonard Fournette from rushing much also. This game will come down to which quarterback can throw better. I think Hurts will be able to pull off this victory through the air, but it won't be by much.

No. 10 Nebraska at No. 6 Ohio State

Jordan's Pick: Ohio State Kaylee's Pick: Ohio State

A huge battle of Big Ten opponents. Nebraska is coming off of its first loss against Wisconsin. Ohio State is trying to make its way into the top 4 of the College Football Playoff rankings after suffering a loss to Penn State two weeks ago. Nebraska gives up huge amounts of yards and JT Barrett will be able to execute fully. I think Ohio State will win, but I'd be surprised if they cover the 17-point spread.

Georgia Tech at No. 21 North Carolina

Jordan's Pick; North Carolina Kaylee's Pick: Georgia Tech

This is an interesting match up. UNC and GT are both incredibly similar teams. GT runs the ball much better than UNC, but UNC throws the ball much better. I'm going to have to go with North Carolina because passing is going to be a lot easier than the rushing in this game. I think GT will go home looking at another close loss to a ranked team.

Week Nine

Kaylee has been on a roll. She scored a perfect 6-0 again last week for the second week in a row. I missed the Memphis/Navy game, so I ended up 5-1. That puts Kaylee at 29-19 and I sit at 35-13. Here we go again this week. There's some big match ups. Utah State and Utah have very good games and BYU has a bye.

San Diego State at Utah State

Jordan's Pick: San Diego State Kaylee's Pick: Utah State

San Diego State has one of the best running backs in the nation. Utah State allows around 152 yards per game, but I think that is going to change. San Diego State will be able to hold Utah State in check while also running all over the Aggies. San Diego State should win big.

No. 4 Washington at No. 17 Utah

Jordan's Pick: Utah Kaylee's Pick: Utah

College GameDay will be coming to Utah to watch the best Pac-12 match up of the year. Washington hasn't had much competition, but QB Jake Browning has been gathering up Heisman hopes all year. He has only thrown two interceptions all year. Utah leads (tied) all teams in interceptions though. Utah's defense will be, by far, the toughest defense the Huskies have faced. Utah, on the other hand, has had some stiff competition, but Washington's defense will be the toughest test yet. Washington's defense also forces more turnovers than any other team. Washington will win if Jake Browning can prove he's the real deal. Utah will win if they can force Browning into tough situations. I think Utah's defense will be able to stay off the field enough to get the win.

No. 7 Nebraska at No. 11 Wisconsin

Jordan's Pick: Wisconsin Kaylee's Pick: Nebraska

Nebraska is undefeated and has had some tight games against some below-average opponents. Wisconsin has lost twice in incredibly close games to Ohio State and Michigan back-to-back. Nebraska won't be in the top 10 for much longer once the schedule gets tougher. Wisconsin should win this game.

No. 3 Clemson at No. 12 Florida State

Jordan's Pick: Clemson Kaylee's Pick: Clemson

Clemson's DeShaun Watson is a Heisman hopeful again this year and has already knocked off Louisville. Florida State's Dalvin Cook is also a Heisman hopeful. This game will come down to who can stop who more. Clemson has the better defense and Cook won't have the luxury of keeping the defense guessing without a strong QB. Clemson should be able to stop Florida State enough for the win.

No. 10 West Virginia at Oklahoma State

Jordan's Pick: Oklahoma State Kaylee's Pick: Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State will just try to outscore you. Don't expect them to stop anyone from scoring much. West Virginia has won some incredibly close games, but I don't know if they'll be able to keep up with Oklahoma State. I'm not sure why, but I think Oklahoma State will be capable of putting up big numbers and knocking off an undefeated West Virginia team.

No. 2 Michigan at Michigan State

Jordan's Pick: Michigan Kaylee's Pick: Michigan

Michigan State owns a three-game winning streak against bitter rival Michigan. The Spartans will be going for number four in a row, and it would take something crazier than last year's miracle finish to propel the Spartans to victory. Michigan will roll.