tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84412073464970333022011-09-27T09:51:30.076-06:00The Derek and Lori White family blogDerek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.comBlogger241100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-21582232396193030722011-07-06T01:04:00.003-06:002011-07-07T08:48:21.465-06:00

Through the window I can see Kelly Sobotka draping red-white-and-blue tablecloths over the folding tables in my backyard. As a baseball-loving father of five, he doesn’t seem the least bit self-conscious about doing the decorating. As I step out of my house I’m enveloped by the smells of a perfect summer morning. The tang of dewy grass, sweet honeysuckle, and a scented cornucopia of blooming

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-80317799827084908332010-12-03T00:57:00.003-07:002010-12-03T17:55:59.189-07:00

So if you’re one of those people that had one of those super-romantic, exotic honeymoons to some faraway place, I don’t want to talk to you. Our honeymoon consisted of driving along 1-84 and I-15 from Portland, Oregon to Highland, Utah—most of which passes through some of the most yawn-inducing landscape the West has to offer. You know when the highlight of your honeymoon is staying at the Boise

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-76668090369786694542010-09-23T22:20:00.000-06:002010-09-23T22:20:49.019-06:00

Maybe it’s the harvest moon. Or maybe it’s our close encounter with Jupiter. Then again, perhaps it’s just what happens when a dad smiles and piles his kids into an old pickup truck and takes them to the Pumpkin Walk. Ryan and Tanner were excited all week. Their elementary school puts on a special show every fall. For weeks the teachers and kids in each class put together a pumpkin patch of

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-2068739180693411102009-10-27T21:19:00.051-06:002009-10-28T15:49:51.220-06:00

I have one of those super-economical man brains.You know, the kind of brain that doesn't remember anything it doesn't have to. I am the perfect example of “use it or lose it.”And I seem to lose plenty.Remove me from a situation for a couple of days and the brain cells that are responsible for that particular memory immediately begin self-destructing—like fizz from a pop can. If I were a cartoon

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-32396245099403813502009-08-06T22:09:00.028-06:002009-08-07T10:30:55.817-06:00

Pleased to meetcha. I’m Max.I guess you could say I’m the newest addition to the White family of cars.‘Sep, I’m a truck a’course. A ’99 Chevy Silverado with a whole lotta miles, to be exact.I’m what Derek calls a twenty-footer.Now, I’m not talkin’ 'bout my length here—although that happens to be 20 foot too.No, when Derek calls me a twenty-footer he means that at that distance I still look pretty

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-1098859132468527672009-06-06T22:52:00.048-06:002009-08-04T00:16:28.309-06:00

Last November we moved into a new house because Tanner was sleeping in the hallway. There just wasn’t enough room for him anywhere else. And he only weighs, like, 25 pounds. Standing, he only takes up half a square foot. It’s not like he’s chunky—I mean, nobody’s ever asked him to buy a second seat on Delta.But if you take 8 people and all their stuff and ask them to live in a small house, it’s

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-18742931975823817062009-03-01T21:15:00.005-07:002009-03-01T21:28:08.708-07:00

We’re jumping the gun here.March 1st is hardly spring in Utah, but the months of snow are gone.There’s a warmth in the air and the sense that winter’s ending. The idea of an impromptu hotdog roast is simply too good to pass up.A bit of backyard bliss with the smell of smoke, mustard, and Ballpark franks….

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-42519103708950335832009-01-22T23:30:00.076-07:002009-01-24T21:12:24.169-07:00

Step 1Find Yourself an Ol’ Codger Who’s Done it a Hundred Times.In this case, he’s easy to find. Look no further than my dad. A year and a half shy of 80 years old and he can still work circles around me.I work with old people every day—so I know old. This guy's in better health than most people half his age. He could’ve been a card-carrying member of AARP for the last 28 years—but he doesn’t

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-87306369398717432122009-01-14T23:15:00.042-07:002009-11-13T21:16:55.201-07:00

burger \BĔR-gĕr\ noun.1: booger.Word Origin: When a father wishes to call his child a booger but is afraid that the neighbors may not approve, he uses the euphemism, burger, instead.Unintended but Inevitable Word Usage:Ryan: “Dad, can you get this burger out of my nose?”but-but (BŬT- BŬT) noun.1: butter.Word Origin: A classic Derek word-morph. Used extensively and with gusto by Emily, who knows

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-35969532693905484592009-01-06T22:46:00.005-07:002009-01-06T22:54:57.174-07:00

Years ago, as a kid, on nights like this I would dress myself from head to toe in all my warmest clothes—thermal underwear, snow-pants, puffy coat, scarf, gloves, and hat—and I’d wander out into our yard amazed by the silence.The low clouds, gently falling snow, and the powdery fluff underfoot muffled all the usual noises.And it was oddly warm, with no breeze stirring the air.I would lie out on

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-40808938083389003762008-12-26T12:33:00.037-07:002009-01-10T10:58:57.993-07:00

Wow.Christmas came fast this year.I guess that’s what happens when you move into a new home the week before Thanksgiving.Last July marked the 9th month that we had been looking for a new house for our family. 9 months of looking on the internet, marking neighborhoods on a map, touring homes for sale, and driving miles and miles of roads to find our new house. We ended up walking through over a

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-17976669303657824952008-12-26T12:13:00.007-07:002008-12-26T15:05:53.497-07:00

“So Wendy wants me to audition for the voice of the KBYU Kids’ Club. I can’t do that!”Lori said that 10 years ago.People have always told Lori that she has a young-sounding voice. And I suppose they’re right. In fact, it’s not unusual for her to be dealing with a rude customer service rep over the phone—and they think they can bully her because she sounds like a kid. Then suddenly this

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-65233845358564529702008-11-04T20:42:00.030-07:002008-11-07T18:04:49.786-07:00

Don’t ask me where Ryan gets his acting skills. Far be it from me to dabble in such silliness.But put the kid in a costume and he becomes the character.What you see here, my friends, is the strong, silent type—broad in the shoulders, narrow in the hips. Heck on wheels with a gun. He’s not lookin’ for trouble, but if trouble comes lookin’ for him he’s not gonna shy away from it.Straight out of a

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-12477205974970832832008-10-29T21:44:00.010-06:002008-10-31T22:07:05.682-06:00

One of our favorite shows is Nightmare Before Christmas. The two little boys love it. Okay, I love it too. Just enough scary—yet not too threatening. We love the opening song, This is Halloween—or if you’re a 4 year-old, This is Hoddaween.After the show Ryan creeps around the house—claws in the air—and sings it just like that… “This is Hoddaween. This is Hoddaween, Hoddaween Hoddaween.”Last

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-30508431918012003352008-08-03T23:14:00.047-06:002008-12-11T20:34:00.305-07:00

Out on the trail night birds are callin'Singin' their wild melodyDown in the canyon cottonwood whispersA Song of Wyoming for me.--John Denver, from Song of WyomingThe kids always know when we’re getting close to the campground.That's because I change the music from whatever we’re currently listening to (an eclectic mix of new and old spanning Sara Bareilles, Sting, Keb’ Mo’ and James Taylor), to

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-54356556582401630672008-07-31T23:23:00.078-06:002008-12-11T20:34:02.867-07:00

Needless to say, we got some weird reactions.When you tell your friends that you’re going to Disneyland and you’re only taking one of your kids, their immediate thought is: But what about all your other deprived, neglected kids? Surely they’re going to weep every day that you’re gone and hold it against you and when you’re old they’ll put you in a nursing home much earlier than necessary.But hey,

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-7464823951299596802008-05-10T00:03:00.002-06:002008-12-11T20:34:03.082-07:00

She's the glue that holds us all together. We're lucky to have her.

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-47920601413782902102008-04-22T21:22:00.031-06:002008-12-11T20:34:05.072-07:00

We actually scheduled a spring break vacation. Yup, in 18 years of marriage this was the first spring break that didn’t take us by surprise.It’s always just “snuck” up on us…. A couple of weeks before spring break we’d suddenly realize that it was coming—then I’d frantically try to get some time off from work and invariably find that my coworkers had covered the week with their names…so guess who

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-27181888331213074932008-02-22T22:53:00.158-07:002008-12-11T20:34:13.950-07:00

At about 2:00 AM, On June 22, 1986 I finally decided it was time for bed. I told my companion, Paul Lemon, that I was heading to the tent on the other side of the island. He was ready for bed too, so we walked together through the pine trees—our footsteps muffled by a thick carpet of pine needles.It was Juhannus or Summer Solstice.It had been quite a day. I’ll always be grateful to that bunch of

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-3484983915432510772008-01-09T19:37:00.005-07:002008-12-11T20:34:16.333-07:00

In August 1996 Lori and I rounded a curve on I-79 in Mercer County, Pennsylvania and pointed our loaded-down cars westward on I-80. Although we were still over 1600 miles from home, hopping onto I-80, never to look back, was heaven. The relief was palpable.So why go back?Ah, how time changes things. The stressful memories of graduate school had all but disappeared. What was left was fond memories

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-33249639508981849172008-01-05T02:04:00.002-07:002008-12-11T20:34:18.160-07:00

I guess the credit goes to Jason.What else could get us to break out of our camping-vacation-mold and head for the beach? For years we’ve been faithfully trekking to Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Park to hang out with bison and chipmunks. We’ve had this sort of unspoken White family code that goes like this: family vacation = camping.But that was before the Steel Institute.You see,

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-87186581555987826152007-12-25T19:44:00.002-07:002008-12-11T20:34:19.538-07:00

Chicken cordon bleu over rice drizzled with a cream-of-chicken sauce, peas, salad, festive drinks....After dinner it was time for the nativity. This year Connor produced a full show--including narration (by me) interspersed with Christmas hymns and carols. Connor played the piano and the rest of us made up the not-so-heavenly-but-certainly-trying-our-best choir. Emily was our official angel

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-21740955378761888662007-12-24T14:42:00.000-07:002008-12-11T20:34:20.464-07:00

We stayed up pretty late last night. This morning the kids were cacooned in their blankets lying all over the family room--only Annie the dog popped her head up as I walked in.Breakfast this morning was hot riisipuuro (rice pudding) smothered in cold kiisseli (berry sauce). Yum. Lori made the riisipuuro better than I've ever made it.As I was cleaning out my office, Ryan came in with two paper

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8441207346497033302.post-70915870894063543722007-12-24T01:13:00.000-07:002008-12-11T20:34:20.672-07:00

It's Christmas Eve Eve. The older kids are sleeping in the family room. Angel chimes are tinkling in the corner, the tree is lit, and Kenny Loggins is singing The Christmas Song. Jason an I are the only ones awake. He's reading a book and I'm writing a blog.Lori's sleeping upstairs--worn out by all the Christmas preparations. She's been making blankets for everyone. She insisted that each one of

Derek Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04071290821460996271noreply@blogger.com0