This One Goes Out to Collin!

Strangely enough, after the first post, Justin's youngest brother was the first to request a blog update, so this is dedicated to Collin, rock star professor of the future! (There might have to be a part deux to this, because obviously this post does not contain the black-and-white-photos-of-Mika-with-animals montage that you requested, Collin.)

Believe it or not, we've spent the past four Christmases coast to coast and across the pond, all of them with Collin. Here's the rundown:


2008 - Oceanside, California. True to Lindsay's pregnancy schedule, it was another Rabe reunion. Chad and Lindsay were extremely gracious hosts, even deigning to play "Pass Around the Sick". Mika was 18 months old. The video shows her skill with a bean bag toss (thanks uncle collin).

2007 - Arlington, Virginia. Justin was doing an internship in DC and Collin was in his first year at Johns Hopkins so he joined us at the Haraguchi homestead. Mika was 6 months old.


2006 - Paris, France. (The Meal) Hooray, Ann didn't chicken out and we went to Europe! Collin was in Italy at the time so he joined us in Rome and came along to Paris, probably for the food. Le Odeon was it? Ask for the back room. Mika was a bun in the oven.

2005 - Cleveland, Ohio. (The Deal) A Rabe reunion featuring such highlights as a trip to Niagara Falls and of course the stick that looked like a dog. May May was a bun in Lindsay's oven.


Collin, how bout Seattle for Christmas '09?

Without Halos, Without Pride

I gave a talk in sacrament meeting a couple Sundays ago. Wanna hear something hilarious? I sang a solo. And I did really bad. My main comfort is that I apologized beforehand. Justin says it's fitting that I sang badly because after all, you can't say, "Sorry but I'm going to sing a song for you" and then sing pretty. Plus it was a camp song. Pretty singing not required. Here's the song:

Do your pants hang low

Does your bellybutton show

Is your shirt too tight

Can you breathe alright

Is your skirt too high

Are you showing too much thigh

Are you dressing modestly

And then at the end of the song you HAVE to say, "Remember, modest is hottest." I debated whether to omit the song or not because I knew it was self-inflicted humiliation. Ann Rabe sings a solo?? I still laugh when I think of it, usually during the hymns. Justin said one lady told him that she felt she had gotten to know me so much better thru my talk. I found that frightening. Actually, the whole business of giving a talk is frightening. Kinda fun, but mostly frightening. It was such a relief to have it over, I felt like the other speakers and I should go have a party.

The Inaugural Post

Let's start this off right.

Instead of discussing my current love/hate relationship with Pepto, I've decided to show one of my favorite home videos. It's called "Mika Gets a Stunt Double."

The following pictures are the real deal, doubles were not an option.

It's a neat trick! (Name the movie Susan and Mark)