A Favor to Ask

Please look at the blog news on the right of my blog. I would really like it if y'all could take time to do that for my posts. Thanks!

Hocus Pocus

Hocus Pocus

"Hocus Pocus"...one of the most well-known Halloween films... is a spooky film that all would love. Centered around a historic Salem story, a teenage boy, Max, his hopeful girlfriend, Allison, and his little sister, Dani, find out that lighting just one candle will bring three powerful witches back from a long sleep. Those three witches, Winifred, Sarah, and Mary, have plans to finish what they started three centuries ago, and the teenage boy has to figure out how to stop them before it's too late.

I personally love this story. It was originally aired on Disney Channel back in 1993, and I have seen it many times since. It is one that I wouldn't say no to watching ever year around Halloween time. I love the portrayal of many things. There is great chemistry between the Max and Allison, and I love watching the relationship between Max and his sister, Dani. Max at first didn't like hanging out with his sister, but as the film progressed they grew closer as Max protected her from the three witches. I also really enjoyed the background of the town of Salem, Massachusetts, and the house of the three witches. In summary, I love the plot, backdrop sets, and character development. That's why it's been a classic. Plus, this film is not very scary/jumpy like most horror films nowadays, so I would definitely let my children who are 10 years or older watch it.

There is no crude language except for one instance when the little sister mentions Allison's breasts as "yabos". There is a little bit of low cut dresses on one of the witches and one or two costumes at an adult Halloween dance that are a bit immodest. But for me those things do not have a negative impact on the film. As I said before I would feel comfortable letting my children who are 10 or older to watch it. There isn't any blood shown. It is a family-friendly film. It might be a little creepy for some kids though so parents, be a judge of that.

Overall, I give this a 5 Star rating!

If you want to see imdb.com's parental advisory thing, you can click on the film title above and there will be a link there to take you there.

The summary on IMDB.com is:

After three centuries, three witch sisters are resurrected in Salem Massachusetts on Halloween night, and it is up to two teen-agers, a young girl, and an immortal cat to put an end to the witches' reign of terror once and for all.

Pins from Pinterest! #23 [Roasted Pumpkin Seeds]

Last one of the three!

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/553450241681975197/

A gluten-free recipe for all of you who love roasted pumpkin seeds!

Stay tuned for Halloween next year! I will start off with a delicious-looking chocolate buttermilk pancake pin!

Pins from Pinterest! #22 [Ghost Bowling]

#2 of my last three for the year!

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/553450241681986958/

This is a great kid's activity for Halloween!

Pins from Pinterest! #21 [Pumpkin Idea: Dry Ice]

Here is one of the last three Halloween pins for this year since Halloween is just around the corner!

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/553450241681989405/

Just have some dry ice and water inside :) For neat effects put a glow stick or something inside!

BYU loses to Boise State

With another tough challenge to face, BYU loses again at Boise State in Boise, Idaho this last Friday, October 24, 2014, with a final score of 55-30. This gives them a 4-4 record, and this is the first 4-losses-in-a-row since 2010 and before that 1993.

Playmakers of the game: First of all, we have Jamaal Williams...running back who seemed to lead the team. After coming off an ankle injury, Williams led the team in rushing yards and got one of BYU's touchdowns. He said last night after the game that he will fight during every one of the four quarters of a game to help strive to insure a win for BYU. That is a true leader in my eyes. Second, we have Bronson Kafusi and Fred Warner who I think were the top defensive players. With a sack for a loss 8 yards, a pass broken up, and 7 total (5 solo) tackles, I think Bronson Kafusi led the defense last night. And Warner had a good play of execution when he recognized a pass and made a great interception AND ended that interception with a 20-yard run for a touchdown. Third we have Christian Stewart who continues to work well for BYU as their new starting quarterback after Taysom Hill got his leg broken. Even though he can still improve, he has been one of the best players on the team. Lastly, we have my boy from Blackfoot, Idaho (where I grew up), sophomore wide receiver Colby Pearson who led the receivers with 109 total yards and a long 81 yard touchdown pass.

Weaknesses I saw again were defensive execution and a couple of turnovers. The defense needs, needs, NEEDS to improve on their execution and tackling. There were too many missed tackles and not good enough pass protection which both gave up big plays that led to touchdown drives. The interception and fumble by the offense also didn't help BYU's situation. Yes BYU defense made an interception for a touchdown, but that is one bright spot amid a lot of mistakes. Bronco Mendenhall, the head coach, has stepped back this season from helping the defense and leaving it up to his coordinator, but now last night he is taking a more active role in calling the defensive plays. He said last night that he blames himself for not preparing the players enough. I give a lot of brownie points to him for doing that, but I think the blame also lands on the players. With longer than a week to prepare for a 5-3 Middle Tennessee team, let us hope the defense can step up the execution so that the offense's work can show with a win for BYU. I have faith in them and know that they can pull off a 4-0 finish to the season to make the record 8-4. Congrats to Jay Ajayi and Boise State for winning a big win with great plays on both offense and defense.

LET'S GO BYU COUGARS!!!

If y'all are interested, here is a link to the BYUtv post-game show for this game (just for your information, I'm not sure how long they will have this episode on their website, so I apologize if the link doesn't work. I'm guessing it should work for at least a week to two weeks):
http://www.byutv.org/watch/b1ddb319-305b-4ede-9fa4-59ec0d27ca3b/byutv-sports-post-game-boise-state-vs-byu-102414

The next football game will be this next Saturday, November 1, 2014 against Middle Tennessee back in the east in Tennessee at 1:30 PM MDT. There will be the usual pre- and post-game shows on BYUtv.

Here are some stats:
PASSING/RECEIVING (259 total yards, 1 touchdown)
Christian Stewart (QB): 23 completions of 38 attempts (60.5%), 1 TOUCHDOWN, longest pass for 81 yards, threw to 8 different players, 1 interception, 3 sacks
Colby Pearson (WR): 5 catches for 109 yards, 1 TOUCHDOWN, longest pass was 81 yards (the touchdown pass)
Jordan Leslie (WR): 5 catches for 34 yards, longest pass was 18 yards
Mitch Mathews (WR): 4 catches for 54 yards, longest pass was 19 yards
Paul Lasike (RB): 3 catches for 29 yards, longest pass was 11 yards
Mitchell Juergens (WR): 1 catch for 23 yards, 1 lost fumble
Other players with catches: Jamaal Williams (RB), Terenn Houk (WR), and Devin Mahina (TE)

RUSHING (63 total net yards (18 yards lost due to sacks and tackles-for-loss), 2 TOUCHDOWNS)
Jamaal Williams (RB): 70 net yards (2 yards lost) with 4.4 average, 1 TOUCHDOWN, longest rush was 17 yards
Christian Stewart (QB): 1 TOUCHDOWN, net yardage was -11
Other players with rushes: Paul Lasike (RB) and Nate Carter (RB)

PUNTING
Scott Arellano (P): longest punt was 76 yards, average punt yardage was 48.4

DEFENSE (78 total (54 solo) tackles, 2 SACKS, 1 INTERCEPTION, 1 TOUCHDOWN, 6 tackles for loss for 19 yards)
Skye PoVey (DB): 8 total (6 solo) tackles, 1 tackle for loss for 2 yards
Craig Bills (DB): 8 total (6 solo) tackles
Bronson Kaufusi (LB): 7 total (5 solo) tackles, 1 SACK, 1 tackle for loss for 8 yards, 1 pass broken up
Zac Stout (LB): 7 total (3 solo) tackles
Manoa Pikula (LB): 6 total (4 solo) tackles, 1 pass broken up
Jordan Preator (DB): 4 total (4 solo) tackles
Fred Warner (LB): 4 total (3 solo) tackles, 1 INTERCEPTION, 1 TOUCHDOWN
Dallin Leavitt (DB): 4 total (2 solo) tackles, 0.5 sack, 0.5 tackle for loss for 1 yard
Michael Alisa (LB): 3 total (3 solo) tackles
Robertson Daniel (DB): 3 total (3 solo) tackles
Remington Peck (DL): 3 total (2 solo) tackles, 0.5 sack, 0.5 tackle for loss for 1 yard
Graham Rowley (DL): 3 total (2 solo) tackles
Logan Taele (DL): 3 total (1 solo) tackles, 1 tackle for loss for 5 yards
Kai Nacua (DB): 2 total (2 solo) tackles
Jherremya Leuta-Douyere (LB): 1 tackle for loss for 1 yards
Tomasi Laulile (DL): 0.5 tackle for loss for 1 yard

Here is a link to the full page of stats:
http://byucougars.com/event-stats/m-football/box-score/105936

"Find Yourself"

I was just now listening to one of my favorite country songs from the Pixar's film, "Cars", and I had a feeling I needed to share the lyrics and why they are so special to me. 

There is a verse that talks about finding the one who changes your whole life...someone you fall in love with. My wife is that someone. She truly knows how to make me happy, and she fulfills my life. She has helped me become better every day since we got married, and I know she will continue to do so because she loves me.

I have a word of advice for all of you reading this. When you are feeling down and lost like this song talks about, turn to your friends, your wife, your family, and your spiritual beliefs. Not only do I personally turn to my wife when I am struggling, I also turn to my family, friends, God, and Jesus Christ...my Savior. I know that Christ, because He suffered the Atonement, knows what struggles we are going through and knows how to help us rise from those struggles. When I do turn to all of those people I mentioned, I find myself. I am able to rise up from my struggles and to find more peace and happiness than I did before.

In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

                                              "Find Yourself" by Brad Paisley

When you find yourself
In some far off place
And it causes you
To rethink some things

You start to sense
That slowly you're becoming someone else
And then you find yourself
When you make new friends
In a brand new town
And you start to think
About settlin' down

The things that would have been lost on you
Are now clear as a bell
And you find yourself
That's when you find yourself

When you go through life
So sure of where you're headin'
And you wind up lost
And it's the best thing that could have happened
'Cause sometimes when you lose your way
It's really just as well
Because you find yourself
Yeah, that's when you find yourself

When you meet the one
That you've been waitin' for
And she's everything
That you wanted and more
And you look at her and you finally start
To live for someone else
And then you find yourself
That's when you find yourself

We go through life
So sure of where we're headin'
And then we wind up lost
And it's the best thing that could have happened
'Cause sometimes when you lose your way
It's really just as well
Because you find yourself
Yeah, that's when you find yourself

BYU Basketball Oct 2014

Here is some BYU Basketball news!

The BYU Men's Basketball Cougar Tipoff will be on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 at 7:00 PM MST. It will be broadcasted on BYU Radio and KSL. I don't know if they will be playing it on BYUtv or not. The players will be showin' off their skills that evening at the Marriott Center. The exhibition games for both Men's and Women's Basketball begin on Saturday, November 1, 2014. I plan on writing a game summary post for at least the men's basketball team every week or two throughout the season for all of you BYU basketball fans. The first one will be after the exhibition games are over (there are three including the Cougar Tipoff for the men). I will probably also do some posts for the women games too.

BYU loses to Nevada

With a strong offensive presence racking up a ton of yards, BYU fell to Nevada this last Saturday, October 18, 2014 on homecoming night in Provo 42-35. They now have a record of 4-3.

With another tough loss, a few playmakers stood out, but sadly the mistakes also stood out too.

First the playmakers. The most logical one to start is of course the backup quarterback taking over for his second start after Taysom Hill broke his leg...Christian Stewart. Out of everyone, he was the y-factor of the game according to fans on Twitter. 408 yards passing, 4 passing touchdowns, 1 rushing touchdowns, and even running when needed, Stewart strove to keep BYU in the game the whole 60 minutes of playing time. Combined with the rushing players, he gave BYU a 601 total offense game! He is most definitely ending up to being a good replacement for injured Taysom Hill in my opinion. The next playmaker was Mitch Mathews. With 16 catches for 182 yards and 2 touchdowns, Mitch Mathews had a record performance. The 16 catches put him in the BYU football history record book for #2 below Jay Miller with 22 catches in 1973 against New Mexico. He was a huge contributor. Next we have Paul Lasike, a running back who along with my last playmaker, took  the rushing load with 3 other running backs (Williams, Hine, and Brown) down with injuries, and he did it very well. He also decently contributed in the passing game with the second-most amount of receiving yards. Nate Carter is the last for me. The fifth-string running back showed the true depth at the running back position with an average of 12.4 yards per rush and having the longest rush of 22 yards. When he had open fields, he went far.

Sadly with the offensive prowess shown, there were mistakes. There were six penalties for 75 yards (compared to Nevada who had 6 penalties for only 36 yards), and there were 3 fumbles (by the offense). The defense performed well during the first half, they seemed to lose focus as they allowed Nevada to score 4 straight touchdowns. BYU was winning 28-13, but lost that lead as the defense struggled to stop Nevada QB Cody Fajardo and his offense from scoring and winning the game. In their defense though they did have two short fields to deal with due to two of the fumbles.

But they still showed that they need to improve a lot. The offense showed that they will be able to score, but the defense needs to figure out where they went wrong and rise from the loss to beat Boise State. I believe that if they can do that, BYU has a very good chance of winning and raising their record up to 5-3. They have proven that they can do it, so I know they can do it again (even with a lot of starters out due to injuries; and hopefully those starters can fully heal and start trailing back in onto the field to help BYU overcome their struggles and win more games).

BYU's next game will be on Friday, October 24th at 7:00 PM MST @ Boise State in Boise, Idaho on ESPN. There will be the usual pre- and post-game shows on BYUtv.

For all of you who are BYU basketball fans, please make sure to see my recent post about the oncoming seasons for men's and women's basketball for BYU!

Here are some stats from the game:
PASSING/RECEIVING (408 total yards, 4 touchdowns)
Christian Stewart (QB): 39 completions of 63 attempts (61.9%), 4 TOUCHDOWNS, threw to 10 different players, longest pass was 23 yards, 0 interceptions, 4 sacks
Mitch Mathews (WR): 16 catches for 182 yards, 2 TOUCHDOWNS, longest catch was 23 yards
Jordan Leslie (WR): 6 catches for 47 yards, longest catch was 12 yards
Paul Lasike (RB): 5 catches for 69 yards, 1 TOUCHDOWN, longest catch was 20 yards
Mitchell Juergens (WR): 4 catches for 41 yards, longest catch was 23 yards
Keanu Nelson (WR): 2 catches for 13 yards, 1 TOUCHDOWN, longest catch was 8 yards
Other players with catches: Devin Mahina (TE), Colby Pearson (WR) [found out Saturday that Pearson is from Blackfoot!], Algernon Brown (RB), Terenn Houk (WR), and Trey Dye (WR)

RUSHING (193 total net yards (29 yards were lost due to sacks and a tackle for loss), 1 TOUCHDOWN)
Nate Carter (RB): 87 net yards with 12.4 average, longest rush was 22 yards
Christian Stewart (QB): 47 net yards (72 total yards) with 2.9 average, longest rush was 12 yards
Paul Lasike (RB): 46 net yards with 3.8 average, 1 TOUCHDOWN, longest rush was 9 yards
Algernon Brown (RB): 11 net yards with 11.0 average
Other players with rushes: Mitchell Juergens (WR), Jordan Leslie (WR), and Terren Houk (WR)

KICKING
Trevor Samson (K): 5 for 5 on extra points

PUNTING
Scott Arellano (P): 3 punts for 36.0 average, longest punt was 53 yards

DEFENSIVE (64 total (52 solo) tackles, 1 SACK, 8 passes broken up, 0 turnovers)
Michael Davis (DB): 9 total (8 solo) tackles, 2 passes broken up
Robertson Daniel (DB): 6 total (6 solo) tackles, 2 passes broken up
Bronson Kafusi (LB): 5 total (5 solo) tackles, 2 passes broken up, 2 tackles for loss for 3 yards
Manoa Pikula (LB): 5 total (4 solo) tackles
Kai Nacua (DB): 4 total (3 solo) tackles, 1 tackle for loss for 4 yards
Zac Stout (LB): 4 total (2 solo) tackles
Logan Taele (DL): 4 total (1 solo) tackles
Skye PoVey (DB): 3 total (3 solo) tackles
Harvey Jackson (DB): 3 total (3 solo) tackles, 1 pass broken up
Travis Tuiloma (DL): 3 total (3 solo) tackles, 1 tackle for loss for 1 yard
Dallin Leavitt (DB): 2 total (2 solo) tackles
Graham Rowley (DL): 2 total (2 solo) tackles, 1 tackle for loss for 1 yard
Harvey Langi (LB): 2 total (2 solo) tackles
Michael Alisa (LB): 1 total (1 solo) tackle, 1 SACK, 1 tackle for loss for 1 yard
Fred Warner (LB): 1 pass broken up

Here is a link to the full page of stats:
http://byucougars.com/event-stats/m-football/box-score/105935

Pins from Pinterest! #20 [Reese's HallowCupcakes]

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/553450241681876451/

If you want a delicious treat idea for Halloween, here's one in colors that happen to work very well for the holiday. 

Update on other BYU Sports Oct '14

Women's Volleyball
Current Record: 16-2
Current Ranking: #22
They have lost two very good teams but have won all of the rest basically sweeping every game 3-0 or 3-1.They have about a month and a week left before the chamionships in December. At this rate, I'm pretty sure that they will make it to the championships. Jennifer Hamson, who played women's basketball for BYU last year and got drafted to the WNBA, is playing volleyball for her last season. Then, she will have the decision of which sport she will pursue after college.

Top Players: Jennifer Hamson, Amy Boswell, Tambre Nobles, Alexa Gray, Camry Willardson, Hannah Robison, Tia Welling


Women's Soccer
Current Record: 9-3-2(ties)
Current Ranking: #51
They had a rough start with new players incoming this season. They were rocky with their three losses and two tied-games at the beginning of the season, but now with a little under a month left in the regular season, They have gone undefeated after their first six games. I believe they have found ways to win and will continue doing so up to the championships in mid-November. Overall BYU has scored 29 goals compared to their opponents who have only scored 12 goals. BYU has an average of 75.1 shots per game (opponents are 8.4), a .494 percentage of shots-on-goal vs. attempts (opponents have .466), and an average goals scored per game of 2.07 (opponents are 0.86

Top Players: Ashley Hatch (11 goals), Elena Medeiros (4 goals), Niki Fernandes (3 goals), Marissa Nimmer (3 goals), Michele Murphy (3 goals), Elisabeth Phillips (2 goals), Madie Lyons (2 goals), Nadia Gomes (1 goal); GOALIES: Katherine Snyder (28 saves, 9-0-0 record)


Men's/Women's Basketball
Basketball regular season starts in mid-November. Each team has some exhibition games starting at the beginning of November.
These are the players I will be especially watching as the season starts. They all had good seasons last year. My ultimate favorite players are bolded:
Women's: Lexi Eaton (Junior), Morgan Bailey (Senior), Ashley Garfield (Senior), Xojian Harry (Senior), and Kylie Maeda (Junior)
Men's: Nate Austin (Senior), Frank Bartley IV (Sophomore), Kyle Collinsworth (Junior), Skyler Halford (Senior), Tyler Haws (Senior), Corbin Kaufusi (Freshman), Josh Sharp (Senior), Anson Winder (Senior), Luke Worthington (Sophomore)

BYU Basketball Boom Shakalaka tonight!

Pins from Pinterest! #19 [Pumpkin Idea: Carving and Preservation]

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/157555686939554628/

If you want some tips on carving or preserving pumpkins so that they last longer after you carve them, here are some great ones. 

Pins from Pinterest! #18 [Pumpkin Idea: Candy Holder]

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/197595502376521868/

I thought this was a neat idea. It might take a little bit more work, but it looks fun...something I would possibly do one year.

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

A book with intricate details of the trail up to the Mt. Everest's summit, Jon Krakauer, a "veteran journalist and seasoned climber", tells his own personal account of one of the roughest seasons on the world's highest peak...1996. On the day that the group he was with climbed to the summit, eight people perished. He poses questions of possibly why it happened and also records the majestic points and challenging moments of climbing the amazing Mt. Everest.

I enjoyed, for one, the majestic descriptions of God's creations along the way up the trail to the summit. I think if anything that is the main reason why I liked this novel. I had never seen or heard about what the trail consisted of, so I enjoyed reading about it. Another thing I enjoyed was the stories the author told of the history of Mt. Everest's climbers. The history of the highest mountain on Earth was very intriguing for me. One last thing that I enjoyed from this book is reading about the reasoning of why climbers decide to take on the tallest summits on Earth. It was interesting to read what inspires them to do it. Some of the climbers in the book seem like great individuals...especially the guide of the group the author was in. He seemed to truly care for those members in his group.

The aspect of this novel I did not enjoy was some swearing the author included in the book. Intensity-wise, he includes a swear word at least 4 times that is the worst swear word for me. The other thing you readers need to be aware of with this book is the description...especially in the concluding sections of the book...of the injuries some of the climbers experienced. It's not a very gruesome description, but injuries are discussed like for example extreme frost-bite.

Overall, I would rate this book 3.5 stars out of 5. I especially recommend this book to those who are interested in mountaineering and climbing. 

The goodreads.com summary for this book is:

Into Thin Air is a riveting first-hand account of a catastrophic expedition up Mount Everest. In March 1996, Outside magazine sent veteran journalist and seasoned climber Jon Krakauer on an expedition led by celebrated Everest guide Rob Hall. Despite the expertise of Hall and the other leaders, by the end of summit day eight people were dead. Krakauer's book is at once the story of the ill-fated adventure and an analysis of the factors leading up to its tragic end. Written within months of the events it chronicles, Into Thin Air clearly evokes the majestic Everest landscape. As the journey up the mountain progresses, Krakauer puts it in context by recalling the triumphs and perils of other Everest trips throughout history. The author's own anguish over what happened on the mountain is palpable as he leads readers to ponder timeless questions.

A Hole in Heaven's Gate

A Hole in Heaven's Gate

This is another book by the author who wrote "Dinner Party" (my earlier review). In this short story, a boy finds himself attracted towards the city paradise. He just doesn't seem to fit in among all of the people dwelling in the city called hell. When he sneaks into paradise in order to "give...some character" to those who dwell there, he finds that there is a peace there his soul longs for. 

One thing I really enjoyed about this story was the character development of the boy. It was an insightful thing to read, and an interesting change to experience through his eyes and thoughts. He travels down a path, with the help of a special someone, that ultimately brings him to peace and happiness...filling a spot in his soul he probably didn't know needed filling. Then there was also a bit of character development with his friend too that I found neat. I also enjoyed the spiritual aspect, which I partly mentioned before with the character development. Christ desires with all of His heart that we can all join him in paradise and feel of his eternal and enfolding love. If we open our hearts, listen to His voice, and follow him, we, like the boy in the book, will feel peace, a sense of belonging, and a fullness of joy.

There were only a couple of things that were negative about this story. First of all there were a bit of grammatical errors found in the writing. The other is that a few times the use of the word, "hell", was offensive for me. Otherwise this story was spiritually-inspiring and definite great read.

Overall I would give this book a 4-star rating out of 5.

The book can be found in an ebook format at Amazon.com. Here is the link: A Hole in Heaven's Gate

The summary on goodreads.com for this book is an excerpt from the book:

“So you’re saying, you’ve broke in there, and messed with people, and nothing happened?” 

“Yeah! It was awesome!” 
“Hmmm… I don’t know. I can’t imagine you could even get a good reaction out of the good ol’ emotionless prigs.” 
“Yes, but that’s the funny part, I think I can break them down, and give them some character.” 
At that he just laughed, “oh Alan.” 
“What” I questioned. 
“So you’re trying to break into paradise to give the people there more character?” 
“No! Of course not. You were just saying it would be impossible to get a reaction out of them.”

Additional BYU Football News

I wanted to post some quotes from an article I read just the other day. I really enjoyed the article.

"Two weeks later, consecutive losses to Utah State and Central Florida - and the injuries suffered in those games - have turned BYU’s dream season into a nightmare.

The second half of the season begins Saturday when BYU plays host to Nevada (3-3) at LaVell Edwards Stadium (8:15 p.m. MDT, ESPN2).

It would be hard to find a two-game stretch in the 10-year Mendenhall era that has seen so many Cougars suffer such significant health setbacks.

"They are unified and they are tough," Mendenhall said after the 31-24 overtime loss at UCF when asked to describe the morale of his team. "They are determined, and they want to improve. They will be [eager] to play again, just like they were tonight. That’s what I learned this evening, and I am looking forward to coaching them again. I am disappointed we lost the game, but I liked watching my team play tonight." " [Mendenhall is Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall]

"It’s not just the number of injuries that have destroyed some lofty hopes this season, it is who is sustaining them. The injuries have grounded BYU’s best players."

""I am sure there is always an opportunity to lay blame in a loss, but I am going to resist that with myself, my coaches and players, and look at this as an opportunity [for other players to gain experience and improve]," Anae said." [Anae refers to the offensive coordinator, Robert Anae]

Here is the link where the full article is located.
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/58513799-77/byu-game-injuries-season.html.csp

Dinner Party

Dinner Party

A book written by an author starting to write, this book is very inspiring. An elderly gentleman living in England as one of the most amazing opportunities any one can. He has the opportunity to speak to great historical figures every week and glean from the lessons those individuals learned from their many different backgrounds and stories. He learns about principles like love, courage, 

faith, and forgiveness.

There were a lot of things that I really enjoyed from this book. First of all, there are some of the historical figures that I had didn't know about. It was very enlightening to learn of them and their stories...to learn of how their stories helped shape their views on life about those different principles (i.e. love, forgiveness). I also enjoyed the character development of not only the elderly gentleman but also of his little granddaughter. I believe she adds a lot to the story when she is introduced. She also helps add to the development of the elderly gentleman. Another thing I greatly enjoyed was

One thing that wasn't good about it was some grammatical errors, but it does not take away from the overall message. Plus, there was some language that didn't necessarily fit with the time these dinner parties occurred. Otherwise I really enjoyed this book. The negative things did not detract from the feeling and experience of the overall story and the principles learned by some of the most influential figures from Earth's history.

So after reading the book and writing this review I wholeheartedly give it a 4.5-star rating out of 5 for it's inspiring lessons and overall great plot.

I was asked to read this book and write a review by the author. The book can be found in ebook format at Amazon.com. Here is the link: Dinner Party

The goodreads.com summary for this book is:
Great people from history come to help Mr. Parker write the first part of the Eulogy for the World. Not that we are at the end of time, but it is time to write about how far we have come.

Pins from Pinterest! #17 [Pumpkin Idea: Family Name]

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/7881368068882259/

One neat idea I found on Pinterest is to get a fake pumpkin and put your family name on it. You can put that outside your front door every Halloween! 

One of My All-Time Favorite Pins from Pinterest! #16 [God Answers Prayers]

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/553450241681756828/

A simple counsel from a wise man. 

Just remember when you think God isn't listening, I testify that he is. I know He listens to my prayers, because they have been answered. I testify that yours will be answered too. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

BYU fights hard but loses @ UCF

Ending up to being an overall team effort with Christian Stewart as QB, BYU sadly lost a strong fight 31-24 in overtime against UCF over in Orlando, Florida last night Thursday, October 9, 2014.This brings them down to a 4-2 record. On Sunday we will find out if they drop further in the rankings or not.

In the first half the offense under Christian Stewart looked rusty. Stewart was working at finding the groove he needed while the defense were keeping UCF (University of Central Florida) at 10 points. At the end of the first half, Stewart got the offense down the field to score a field goal and make it 10-3 at halftime. In the third quarter, Stewart led the offense to three passing touchdowns to make the game 24-3. Then, the UCF stepped up and kept BYU from scoring in the fourth quarter while their offense made it a tie game 24-24. With two tries of a field goal for UCF in the last minute of the game, there was a problem with the snap the first try and Mitch Mathews (tall wide receiver for BYU) jumped up and tipped the second try. None of them made it through. In overtime, UCF scored first with a touchdown, then as Stewart threw the touchdown pass on fourth down, an easy pass interference penalty occurred and was uncalled as BYU got an incompletion and lost the game 31-24.

It was another tough night as BYU lost to UCF. It wasn't as tough as when Taysom Hill broke his leg, but it was tough because even if Stewart and BYU put up a good fight, they lost the game. Various players, including Stewart himself, said afterwards that this loss was tough, and that they are ready to win next week against Nevada.

With the learning experience and huge improvement BYU showed during the game, I personally believe they are ready to make an undefeated finish to the season. After watching how they played last night, I believe that they have the determination and skills to do it. One amazing thing was that with 5 injured starters out due to last week's game, and four more starters having to sit out last night due to injuries obtained during the game or before, the second string players performed very well...especially on defense (which is where the majority of the injured starters normally play). The only weakness I saw was special teams. So if they can fix that during this next week and keep improving in the other two aspects of the game, they will be a tough contender. It is tough and sad to see Taysom Hill be out for the rest of the season, but I believe Stewart is very capable in skills and leadership to take up the reigns and lead BYU to victory.

BYU plays their next game against an experienced dual-threat QB vs. Nevada in Provo on Saturday, October 18, 2014 at 8:15 PM MST on ESPN2. There will be the usual pre- and post-game shows on BYUtv.

Here are some quick stats from the game:
PASSING/RECEIVING (153 total yards)
Christian Stewart (QB): 22 completions of 37 attempts (59.5%), 3 TOUCHDOWNS, threw to 9 different players, longest pass was 19 yards, 1 interception, 2 sacks
Devin Mahina (TE): 4 catches for 46 yards, 2 TOUCHDOWNS, longest reception was 15 yards
Jordan Leslie (WR): 4 catches for 21 yards
Mitch Mathews (WR): 3 catches for 24 yards, longest reception was 13 yards
Colby Pearson (WR): 3 catches for 22 yards, 1 TOUCHDOWN, longest reception was 9 yards
Mitchell Jurgens (WR): 3 catches for 14 yards
Paul Lasike (RB): 1 catch for 19 yards, longest reception of the game for BYU
Other players with catches: Algernon Brown (RB), Keanu Nelson (WR), and Adam Hine (RB)

RUSHING (189 total net yards (total yards is 212; lost yards due to sacks and tackles-for-loss))
Algernon Brown (RB): 80 net yards with 5.0 average, longest rush was 10 yards
Christian Stewart (QB): 52 net yards with 4.0 average (65 total yards), longest rush was 20 yards
Paul Lasike (RB): 51 net yards with 4.3 average, longest rush was 13 yards
Other players with rushes: Adam Hine (RB), Mitchell Jurgens (WR), and Jamaal Williams (RB)

DEFENSIVE (78 total (48 solo) tackles; 2 sacks; 2 interceptions; 2 fumbles recovered; 2 forced fumbles)
Robertson Daniel (DB): 10 total (7 solo) tackles, 2 passes broken up
Kai Nacua (DB): 7 total (6 solo) tackles, 1 pass broken up, 1 INTERCEPTION for 15 yards
Fred Warner (LB): 6 total (4 solo) tackles
Skye PoVey (DB): 6 total (3 solo) tackles, 1 INTERCEPTION for 15 yards
Harvey Langi (LB): 5 total (4 solo) tackles
Travis Tuiloma (DL): 5 total (4 solo) tackles, 3 tackles for loss for 4 yards
Manoa Pikula (LB): 5 total (2 solo) tackles
Michael Davis (DB): 4 total (4 solo) tackles
Sione TakiTaki (LB): 2 total (2 solo) tackles, 2 SACKS, 2 tackles for loss for 18 yards, 1 forced fumble, 2 QB hits
Bronson Kafusi (LB): 2 total tackles, 0.5 tackle for loss for 1 yard, 1 QB hit
Graham Rowley (DL): 1 total (1 solo) tackle, 1 pass broken up
Logan Taele (DL): 1 pass broken up, 1 QB hit
Harvey Jackson (DB): 1 pass broken up
Mitch Mathews (WR): 1 field goal tipped!!!

KICKING
Trevor Samson (K): 1 for 1 on field goals, longest FG was 32 yards, 3 for 3 on extra points

PUNTING
Scott Arellano (P): 436 yards with 43.5 average, longest punt was 59 yards; Arellano is currently tied for #19 on longest punt for 65 yards in the FBS division of college football; Arellano is #27 on average yards per punt at 44.4 yards.

Forget Me Not

Forget Me Not

This is short, spiritually-uplifting, and inspiring book based off a sermon that an LDS leader, Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave in an LDS General Relief Society meeting. In it Dieter F Uchtdorf points out five things we must not forget. The flower, the forget-me-not, is one that you can forget even though it is so beautiful. Each of the five things corresponds to the one of the five petals of the flower. The five things (which you can read in the goodreads.com summary below) are five things that if we don't forget to do, will give us fulfillment, peace, and joy.

When I read this book, I learned that I could improve on following those five things. At those times when I do remember them, I find that I have more peace and fulfillment in my own life. I know you will to.

One thing I especially love about this book is how personal Dieter F. Uchtdorf is. He understands what a big difference the five things will make in our lives if we remember them and not forget. Because of that, I feel that this is a book that is worth anyone's time to read. It doesn't take very long, and the time you take to read it will definitely being some very well-spent time. There is nothing I find that is not good about this inspiring book.

Therefore after I pondered on how to rate this book overall, I wholeheartedly give it a 5-star rating. 

The summary from goodreads.com is:

Inspired by the five petals of the tiny forget-me-not flower, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf reminds us of five things we will be wise to never forget:

To be patient with ourselves
To distinguish between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice
To be happy now
To focus on the “why” of the gospel
To know that the Lord loves each of us infinitely.

I hope y'all enjoy this book as much as I did. It is mainly directed towards women, but it can equally be inspiring for men too.

New Beginnings for Jimmer

A little announcement...

Jimmer Fredette has found a new home with the New Orleans Pelicans this season and has started strong. During his first two preseason games he has scored 17 and 10 points with 4 three-pointers. Here's to a hopeful great season with the Pelicans for Jimmer, one of the greatest basketball players for BYU.

BYU has a double loss vs. Utah State

Concluding to be a solemn, sad night, BYU lost to Utah State at home in Provo last Friday, October 3, 2014 with a score of 35-20. They have fallen in rankings to be ranked #31 in the AP Top 25 and have a current season record of 4-1.

When I said a "double loss" in the title of this post, I meant not only the loss of the game but also of the loss of Taysom Hill. Taysom Hill started out strong by being responsible for the only two touchdowns scored in the game by BYU. On the first series, he started with a throw to Jordan Leslie for 53 yards and finished with a rush and a hurdle into the end zone to take an early lead. His other touchdown was a pass to Mitch Mathews. Near the end of the second half, Taysom Hill had a Utah State defender fall on his lower leg/ankle which fractured his fibula. He was taken off the field and taken for x-rays. He received a surgery the next morning, and it has been announced that he is out for the rest of the season. It is hard to see that happen to him, because he has been an amazing leader to the team guiding them through their first four wins. Plus, he was a possible Heisman candidate this season.

After his season-ending injury, Christian Stewart took over as quarterback and had a difficult time closing a deficit which extended to 28-14 at halftime. With only two field goals scored for BYU in the second half, BYU lost 35-20.

Penalties were still a problem, and the defense had troubles with pass protection, stopping the rush, and missed tackles. In the past games this season, the team had a lot of penalties but they had a true playmaker in Taysom Hill to make up for those. With the loss of Hill, Stewart just wasn't able to close that deficit.

With some days for Christian Stewart to get more ready to play and for the defense to clean up their weaknesses from the Utah State game, BYU should be able to get a win versus UCF (University of Central Florida) on Thursday. Let's go BYU!!!

They play their next game this Thursday, October 9, 2014 @ UCF in Orlando, Florida at 5:30 PM MST (7:30 Eastern) on ESPN. There will be the usual pre- and post-game shows on BYUtv.

Also additionally, if you want to watch interviews, etc..., go to this YouTube channel link: BYUtv Sports!

Here are some quick stats:
PASSING/RECEIVING (271 total yards)
Taysom Hill (QB): 8 completions of 11 attempts (72.7%; 99 total yards), longest pass was 53 yards, 1 TOUCHDOWN, 178.33 efficiency
Christian Stewart (QB): 10 completions of 29 attempts (34.5%; 172 total yards), longest pass was 41 yards, 3 interceptions, 63.61 efficiency
Mitch Mathews (WR): 8 catches for 117 yards, longest reception was 28 yards, 1 TOUCHDOWN
Jordan Leslie (WR): 4 catches for 135 yards, longest reception was 53 yards
Other players with catches: Terenn Houk (WR), Paul Lasike (RB), Adam Hine (RB), Jamaal Williams (RB)

RUSHING (154 total net yards (yards were lost due to 2 sacks; total yards is 174)
Jamaal Williams (RB): 102 yards with 6.4 average, longest rush was 20 yards
Taysom Hill (QB): 1 TOUCHDOWN, 32 yards with 4.0 average (10 yards lost), longest rush was 12 yards, 1 lost fumble
Other players with rushes: Christian Stewart (QB), Paul Lasike (RB), Algernon Brown (RB)

DEFENSIVE (71 total (51 solo) tackles; 1 sack; Utah State lost a fumble)
Craig Bills (DB): 9 total (8 solo) tackles
Alani Fua (LB): 6 total (4 solo) tackles, 0.5 tackle for loss for 1 yard
Fred Warner (LB): 5 total (5 solo) tackles, 1 tackle for loss for 7 yards
Dallin Leavitt (DB): 5 total (4 solo) tackles
Manoa Pikula (LB): 5 total (3 solo) tackles, 1 tackle for loss for 2 yards
Marques Johnson (DL): 4 total (4 solo) tackles
Jherremya Leuta-Douyere (LB): 4 total (3 solo) tackles
Remington Peck (DL): 1 sack, 1.5 tackles for loss for 3 yards
Robertson Daniel (DB): 3 total (2 solo) tackles, 1 pass broken up
Bronson Kafusi (LB): 3 total (2 solo) tackles, 2 passes broken up, 1 QB hit
Zac Stout (LB): 2 total (2 solo) tackles, 2 tackles for loss for 4 yards
Jordan Johnson (DB): 2 total (2 solo) tackles, 1 tackle for loss for 1 yard

KICKING
Trevor Samson (K): 2 for 2 on field goals, longest FG was 41 yards, 2 for 2 on extra points

PUNTING
Scott Arellano (P): 146 yards with 36.5 average, 2 out of 4 punts within the 20 yard line, longest was 43 yards