Picture taken last weekend at an Oscar party. I love my new hipster glasses.
Family
23
Jan
2011
Muir Woods
Rachel’s family was in town this weekend (parents, brother, sister) so we did some site-seeing. We went to Muir Woods and it was breathtaking. Beautiful redwood trees that climb and climb and climb into the sky. It was really cool. Sam just soaked it all in and really enjoyed it. Stuff like this is 10x more fun with the little guy.
27
Dec
2010
A few pics from Christmas…
Here are a few pics from this last week. They were shared throughout the week on Twitter.
The night we got into Utah, it snowed a lot. I love snow during Christmas time. Feels right. Below we’re helping my grandpa shovel snow.
Early in the week Rachel showed me some of her interior design work that she’d done with some clients in SLC. Amazing work. So much more than just this.
I love my little guy. Spent a lot of time playing with him this week.
Sam at Barnes & Noble, helping me do a little Christmas shopping.
On Christmas Eve, we had a killer party with all my cousins/relatives. Lots of gifts. Talent Show (Rachel and I sang a duet, “Baby, it’s cold outside” — Glee version). We also had a Gingerbread House contest. Of course our family won.
Sam opening some Christmas presents. I still believe in Santa.
My bro-in-law is going on a Mormon mission to Korea. So we did a quick trip down to Arizona to hear his farewell address. We also did family pictures. Below is all grandkids on wife’s side of the fam. Sam is the one screaming his head off. Not happy.
Sam in the airplane on our way back to Utah. We’ll be here one more week.
17
Dec
2010
Hungry Sam
We had our Zinch Christmas party last night. Good times. I rarely do video of Sam, but I think i’m gonna start doing more. Here he is in action. My favorite part is him trying to grab the camera. He’s in the mode of just grabbing everything. It’s so cute.
20
Sep
2010
Updates from Beijing
My wife and son left today. They spent a little over 2 weeks here with me. I already feel a little bit empty without them. I loved coming home from work to hug them and hear how about their daily explorations of Beijing. I loved having them here and I already miss them. I know Rachel was nervous about doing the long flight with Sam. Hopefully it worked out fine.
I won’t see them for 2.5 weeks. I leave China in a week and once in the states I have more traveling. Rachel is going directly to Utah because she has some interior design engagements for a few weeks. So I’m gonna miss them dearly. I love them so much.
Below are a few pics from the Great Wall on Saturday. I tweeted a few of these. All from the iPhone. These two are the joy of my life.
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Rachel looking hot. The clouds would quickly come and go.
When we first got there, it was really cold. So we kept Sam warm. He looks like ET.
It warmed up quickly so we took the layers off Sam. Here he is just chilling. Someday he’ll brag about how cool this was.
Rachel sitting in a corner in one of the towers…nursing the little guy. Both are such troopers.
1
Aug
2010
Abuelos
We had a talent show on Thursday night with much of my extended family. My grandparents did a little dancing. They are now in their seventies. It’s amazing to me how well they can still move. Wow. They are awesome.
28
Feb
2009
Pixi the Sock Head
PETA is proly gonna come after me for this one. I’m sorry. But I just had to do it. Sometimes, when Pixi is bad, I discipline her. I usually try to keep it non-violent. This is the best solution i’ve found so far. She hates it. She gets frustrated. But at least it doesn’t hurt (unless she accidentally bangs her head against the wall, which never happens). This is how I discipline her. I put a sock over her head. I’ve called it “dog waterboarding.” This is discipline. Someday Pixi will thank me.
Sock Head Pixi from Mick Hagen on Vimeo.
14
Jan
2009
Happy New Year!
Sorry this is 13 days late. One is from Rachel and I and the other is from my parents/family. Hope you have a Happy New Year!
1
Jan
2009
River Rafting in Costa Rica
We went river rafting on Tuesday in Costa Rica. We went with h2O adventures. Professional. Experienced. Great company.
So I have to admit…this little adventure of ours is probably the most terrifying experience I have ever had. Terrifying in the sense that I basically thought I was gonna die. I thought my life was gonna end. I fell into these level 5 rapids a couple times…I’m convinced I felt the early sensations of drowning. I panicked. I freaked out. Cold cold ice water. It freezes you up. The rocks….they bang you up and mug you. White water splashing everywhere…if you fall in….getting a good breath of air is practically impossible. This was a level V run according to our guides. Not for beginners. We were all beginners. We wanted something tough. Little did we know it would be this tough.
Someone at the beach later in the day told us that someone recently died in that same river doing the same thing we were doing. This river run was intense. It was dangerous. It was terrifying.
Having survived it all, now a little bruised and a little battered (emotionally and physically) I can now say I have never had such a huge adrenaline rush. My heart has never raced faster than in those rapids. If you asked me to do it again, i’m not sure i’d say yes. I’d have to really think about that one. I’m just glad we all made it out alive. The helpless feeling like a rag doll in those rapids isn’t very pleasant. Here are a few pics from the adventure.
Yes…it was very intense. Yes, I would go river rafting again. I’m just not sure i’d do Level 5 rapids. Maybe 3. The company also does other levels in other parts of the river or in other rivers. h20 adventures did a great job and we all really enjoyed it (only after knowing we were gonna live another day).
This was by far the most exhilarating experience of the trip and probably of my life up to this point. I was staring at death in the face on multiple occassions.
5
Nov
2008
Church Responds to Prop 8 Results
First off, I have a bunch of gay friends (mainly from back at Princeton) and I appreciate their differences and enjoy their friendships as I much as I do with anyone. I haven’t really said much on this blog regarding Prop 8, the controversial constitutional amendment that bans same-sex marriage in California.
But today The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement regarding results of the Prop 8 vote from yesterday. This statement from the church resonates well with my feelings and thoughts on the whole issue. Read the entire release here, but below is the excerpt I really like:
It is important to understand that this issue for the Church has always been about the sacred and divine institution of marriage — a union between a man and a woman.
Allegations of bigotry or persecution made against the Church were and are simply wrong. The Church’s opposition to same-sex marriage neither constitutes nor condones any kind of hostility toward gays and lesbians. Even more, the Church does not object to rights for same-sex couples regarding hospitalization and medical care, fair housing and employment rights, or probate rights, so long as these do not infringe on the integrity of the traditional family or the constitutional rights of churches.
Some, however, have mistakenly asserted that churches should not ever be involved in politics when moral issues are involved. In fact, churches and religious organizations are well within their constitutional rights to speak out and be engaged in the many moral and ethical problems facing society. While the Church does not endorse candidates or platforms, it does reserve the right to speak out on important issues.
It’s never been about rights; it’s always been about protecting the institution of marriage. People may not agree with that but that’s always been the position.