JEFF, CAMILLE, & GABBY

Climbing Mt. Shasta to help cure Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy!!!

2010-02-26T12:32:00.000-08:00

On June 19, 2010, I will be hiking Mount Shasta to help cure Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The team I'm on is attempting to raise at least $5,000 to help fund research to find a cure! Please help us by donating below. Every little bit helps and 100% of the donation is used toward research!

What is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy?

Boys with Duchenne are typically diagnosed before the age of five. Their muscles swell and joints become restricted. They are easily fatigued and have difficulty keeping up with others their age. Most Duchenne boys need a wheelchair between the ages of 10 and 12. The simplest of tasks, such as holding a fork or turning over in bed, becomes very difficult. In the later stages, heart and breathing muscles begin to fail. Historically, most boys with Duchenne have not survived their teens.

Gene therapy and stem cell research have made huge advances in just the last year. These actual cures could be any where from 5-20 years away. There is however, a new class of drugs and therapies which will not cure the disease, but will fool the body into producing dystrophin or will upregulate other proteins that could take the place of dystophin, while at the same time eliminate some of the damage that occurs in the muscle cells of Duchenne boys. Although boys treated with these drugs will never be world class athletes, there is hope that they could lead a relatively normal life, much like diabetics.

Please visit http://www.cureduchenne.org/ for more information.

Another Update

2010-02-12T15:40:00.000-08:00

So another update for all of you. My life is pretty boring right now. I passed the bar and now I am currently looking for a job, which sucks. If you know of any attorneys hiring in California let me know!!! Camille is doing great. Her book Stop Overeating Today! was featured as Book of the Week on the Dr. Laura show in January and today an interview about her book aired on 560 AM in Denver. You can catch both on her website at http://www.stopovereatingtips.com.

Gabby is Walking!!!

2010-02-12T15:28:00.000-08:00

Its hard to believe how fast Gabby is growing up. It seems like in a week she'll be dating she growing so fast! She is now walking. Craziness I say! Below are two videos of her. The second video is the most recent. She gets better and better every day.

The Bar...and more

2009-12-05T01:19:00.000-08:00

Wow, so I'm actually semi on top of the blog. So, on November 20th we found out that I passed the California Bar Examination!!! This is great because it means that I'm employable and we won't have to go into hiding down in Mexico to get away from the loan company! On December 3, I was sworn in at a ceremony held at Chapman University. Unfortunately, I've had the flu for the past week and Camille had to work so it wasn't anything spectacular, but it was cool to have it finally happen. I'm still trying to figure out who to file my first lawsuit against, so I'd steer clear for a few months. Now, for the job hunt. I would ideally like to work for the county as a prosecutor but most the counties in California have hiring freezes, so I may end up working for a criminal defense firm for a little while until that changes. Thanksgiving was fun. We were able to have a fun Thanksgiving gathering with Camille's family on the 24th and then we went down to San Diego and spent some time with my side of the family. It was great seeing all the family. I love this time of year. Finally, Christmas time will not be ruined by law school!!!

Update...

2009-10-27T15:48:00.000-07:00

O.K., yes I know. It has been a very long time since I have written anything. So, here we go. End of July, I took the infamous three day California State Bar Exam. It was as awful as everyone said it would be, and more. I don't think I've worked so hard before, and honestly, I don't care to ever work that hard again. I find out if I passed the end of November. I have a good feeling about it.

In August, Camille published her first book, Stop Overeating Today (http://www.stopovereatingtips.com). The book is a fun read and very well written. Its great because it can apply to everyone, not just people with serious food addictions and it doesn't focus on dieting! We're so proud of her huge accomplishment. By the way, it would make a great gift for the holidays!

In early September I hiked Mt. Whitney for the second time. This time I did it in 5 days, backpacking with my Dad. It was a really cool experience. We didn't meet a lot of people on the trip because we were in the backcountry. It was just us, the wilderness, and the bears! Well, we didn't actually run into any bears, only some tracks. We did see a lot of deer and marmots though. I include a picture of a marmot below for those who have not heard of them. Basically the are over-sized rodents. The trip was quite a challenge, but we both made it to the top and back alive.

Gabby is getting older. She is now 7 months old and almost crawling! She scoots and rolls to whereever she wants, keeping Camille and I on our feet. She's as cute as ever though!

So, there is a quick update for everyone. I'll do a better job in the future of keeping the blog up to date. I took a hiatus during the summer. As always you can check out pictures I take at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcm81/.

Mt. Whitney Day Hike

2009-08-24T21:18:00.000-07:00

For some strange reason I had the urge to wake up at 2:30 a.m. and climb the highest mountain in the continental United States! I went with the Packer clan and had a great time. Though the journey was strenuous and fraught with dangerous marmots, all six of us were able to reach the summit and arrive safely back at the Whitney Portal. We made it back around 8:45 p.m. My favorite place had to be Lone Pine Lake. What a beautiful place! Kate, Jeff, and I all made the 3 mile hike to the lake the day before the summit hike as a practice. I was able to take beautiful pictures and I even took a dip in the lake. It was cold! By the end of the trip we all were extremely worn out and tired, but it is cool to be able to say that we all made it!

You can see pictures of our trip at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcm81/sets/72157622133729934/. Click on the slideshow button so you can REALLY get a good look at the pictures!

Family Videos

2009-05-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

Tonight was great. Camille had Gabby on a blanket on the floor. We like to let her be free and kick around. She loves to move her legs. So, then Camille sat down with Gabby and showed her home video on our video camera that we took of Gabby when she was a brand new baby. It was hilarious! Gabby loved watching herself on the video camera. This is one vain baby! It was so much fun to watch. She gets cuter every day!

Jeff Graduated!!!

2009-05-25T23:51:00.000-07:00

Well, the blog has taken a back seat lately due to my busy schedule. I had finals, graduation, and now I have started bar prep. I figured I should add a quick little blurb though. This last Friday I graduated law school! Despite having the bar ahead of me, it was a very cool feeling. I earned a couple awards as well. CALI award for highest grade in First Amendment Law, Service in Excellence award, and the Advocacy and Dispute Resolution emphasis. I start my main bar prep class tomorrow and I'm actually excited. I've heard enough horror stories of the bar and the study schedule and I'm ready to attack it!

This is why I love soccer!

2009-04-20T18:31:00.001-07:00

I think there's ice...

2009-04-20T18:30:00.001-07:00

Really?

2009-04-16T15:22:00.001-07:00

see more pwn and owned pictures

Gabby photos added...

2009-04-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcm81/sets/72157615610457108/. She's sleeping in most of them, I know. I'll work on getting some smiles soon!

Why alcohol is bad for you...

2009-04-01T12:10:00.001-07:00

see more pwn and owned pictures

This guy needs a little practice

2009-03-31T12:57:00.000-07:00

Gabby 2.0

2009-03-31T12:51:00.000-07:00

Well, you wanted more, so here it is. Mom, plenty of little baby squeaks for you! Christie, I tried to keep the cheese to a minimum. ;)

Video of Gabby!

2009-03-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

So its not very long, but its kind of fun seeing her on video. The first shot of her is right after she was born!

What!?!

2009-03-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

We will not be taking Gabby here!

see more pwn and owned pictures

Careful on the court!

2009-03-23T17:33:00.001-07:00

Hopefully we don't have this problem on Mt. Whitney...

2009-03-23T17:28:00.000-07:00

Driving Problems

2009-03-23T17:18:00.001-07:00

The official Gabby online photo album

2009-03-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

It will be at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcm81/sets/72157615610457108/. This is where I'll be posting all new pictures of Gabby. The best way to view all the photos is to click on "slideshow" in the top right corner of the screen.

More Gabby Pics

2009-03-19T00:37:00.001-07:00

To see many more go to: http://jcmphotography.blogspot.com/

Gabby is born

2009-03-15T01:12:00.000-07:00

Gabrielle Kathleen McConnell was born on March 14th 2009 at 5:28 pm. She weighs 7 lbs 14 oz and is 20.5 inches long. Once we get home from the hospital I'll post lots of pictures!

-
Jeffrey C. McConnell

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

Karaoke Queen!

2009-03-02T23:59:00.000-08:00

That's right! Camille and I went back to Dave & Busters so that she could perform again. She sang Wide Open Spaces by the Dixie Chicks. This time we were joined by our friends Chandra and Matt as well as Camille's parents. Winners are chosen by the crowd and despite my crazy screaming last time, it wasn't enough to secure a win for Camille. Well, this time we were prepared and Camille easily won! We all screamed insanely loud and the other contestants didn't stand a chance! Camille will be invited back in about a month for the finals which will include about 12 other winners from different nights. The grand prize includes dinner for four at Dave & Busters along with the opportunity to record two songs with professional music producers. The producers judge the final competition. Go CAMILLE!!!

Sick, Sick, Sick!

2009-02-21T23:34:00.000-08:00

So those really aren't pictures of Camille and I but we have both been sick and its miserable!!! It seems like one of us has always been sick lately. Hopefully, we'll both get better before Gabby arrives!

Much Needed Update

2009-02-17T23:14:00.000-08:00

Wow, its been a while. I'm a little sick so this will have to serve as a quick update until I'm feeling better. Two weeks ago Camille and I went to Karaoke night at Dave and Busters in Santa Ana. It was a blast!!! We started the night off by stealing someone's table. They were saving like half the room, but its first come first serve so we plotted down. Some lady got in Camille's face while I was in the bathroom. No worries though. We ALL know Camille. She didn't back down one bit and we ended up sitting with a really nice couple from San Diego the rest of the night. How the Karaoke competition works is for the next few weeks two winners are picked each night. Then, there will be a sing off for all the winners. The Grand Prize winner gets to record a few demo songs with people from the music industry.

Well, that night Camille sang a warm up song and it went all right. She sang well and it was awesome to see her perform, but it wasn't a great song choice (all you American Idol fans will understand this). After watching other people's warm up songs, Camille decided to change the song she was going to sing. She was going to try and practice it to make sure it would work well before the actual competition, but time ran out. So, Camille was something like the eighth singer to sing...and she KILLED IT! I wish I could remember the name of the song she sang. She did amazing!!! She couldn't have done any better. You could tell she was enjoying herself too because she was dancing up there and getting the entire room into it. The night was a blast. The competition is a little screwy in that the top two winners are chosen by how loud everyone cheers. The top two people were having birthday parties and so, in spite of my thunderous applause and yelling, Camille wasn't chosen as top two. It was cool though because I could tell that the Karaoke DJ thought she should have one. He gave Camille more than one compliment about her voice. Needless to say we are going to try and make it back with a force of friends so that Camille can make it to the final competition!

4D Ultrasound

2009-01-06T01:02:00.000-08:00

For Christmas I gave Camille a 4D ultrasound. It was perfect because she really wanted one, but wasn't expecting to get one at all. I actually gave her a homemade coupon for one on Christmas day and we went and got it done at a place in San Diego the next day. It was great. Its amazing how detailed they are. The place gave us a video along with a bunch of pictures. She's a gorgeous baby and we can't wait to see and hold her in person! Below are some pictures from the ultrasound.

Santa Barbara

2009-01-01T23:23:00.000-08:00

Well, this is a little out of order but before Christmas Break Camille and I were able to spend the weekend in Santa Barbara. We love it there. We stayed at the Secret Garden, which is where we stayed for our honeymoon. During our trip we visited the historic courthouse, the historical society, and had a nice walk down State Street. We also visited our favorite Mexican food place, la Super Rica, multiple times. We had to skip out on sushi this trip since Camille is pregnant. You can check out pictures at:

Santa Barbara

Jeff's new photo blog

2008-12-31T22:10:00.001-08:00

So I have delved into the wonderful hobby of photography the past few months and I decided to make a photography blog. Its basically just fun shots I take that I want to share. Check it out periodically. Thanks!

http://www.jcmphotography.blogspot.com/

Xmas 2008

2008-12-31T16:36:00.000-08:00

It was great! Camille and I spent a week in San Diego. It was a blast. The entire family was able to be together. Unfortunately little Jeffrey gave everyone a nasty cold!!! Check out photos at:


Xmas 2008

The Office is taking over!!!

2008-11-26T09:34:00.000-08:00

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

2008-11-22T10:54:00.000-08:00

Camille and I got four free box tickets to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra last night at the Honda Center and so we went with a couple she knows through her networking group. I pride myself on being musically inclined so it was rather embarrassing when we finally figured out after maybe 20 minutes of watching that the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is a band, not an orchestra. It was a lot of fun to watch though. They had about 5 guitarists, 2 people playing keyboards, drums, electric violin, and about 8 strings from the Anaheim Symphony playing all at once. It was a very interesting show. I wish I could post pictures but they didn't let us take cameras into the Honda Center. Anyway, it was fun to get out. The funniest part of the night was Gabby kicking Camille throughout the concert (she's still in the oven). We're not sure if it was because she liked the music or annoyed by it...but I have a guess.

Prop 8 Passed!!!

2008-11-06T01:11:00.001-08:00

Now the true test will be whether it survives the litigation that "NO" supporters are going to send to the courts. Will the courts impute their own will again? I wouldn't be surprised. I'd also like to address the protests that occurred after Prop 8 won. I think a picture can say a thousand words...

Where's the love...

Mormons make up less than 2% of the population of California. There are approximately 800,000 LDS out of a total population of approximately 34 million.

Mormon voters were less than 5% of the yes vote. If one estimates that 250,000 LDS are registered voters (the rest being children), then LDS voters made up 4.6% of the Yes vote and 2.4% of the total Proposition 8 vote.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) donated no money to the Yes on 8 campaign. Individual members of the Church were encouraged to support the Yes on 8 efforts and, exercising their constitutional right to free speech, donated whatever they felt like
donating.

The No on 8 campaign raised more money than the Yes on 8 campaign. Unofficial estimates put No on 8 at $38 million and Yes on 8 at $32 million, making it the most expensive non-presidential election in the country.

Advertising messages for the Yes on 8 campaign are based on case law and real-life situations. The No on 8 supporters have insisted that the Yes on 8 messaging is based on lies. Every Yes on 8 claim is supported.

The majority of our friends and neighbors voted Yes on 8. Los Angeles County voted in favor of Yes on 8. Ventura County voted in favor of Yes on 8.

African Americans overwhelmingly supported Yes on 8. Exit polls show that 70% of Black voters chose Yes on 8. This was interesting because the majority of these voters voted for President-elect Obama. No on 8 supporters had assumed that Obama voters would vote No on 8.

The majority of Latino voters voted Yes on 8. Exit polls show that the majority of Latinos supported Yes on 8 and cited religious beliefs (assumed to be primarily Catholic).

The Yes on 8 coalition was a broad spectrum of religious organizations. Catholics, Evangelicals, Protestants, Orthodox Jews, Muslims – all supported Yes on 8. It is estimated that there are 10 million Catholics and 10 million Protestants in California. Mormons were a tiny fraction of the population represented by Yes on 8 coalition members.

Periodic update

2008-10-27T19:46:00.000-07:00

You can always tell when I'm busy because I won't have posted anything on here for a while. Well, I'm bored in a night class right now so I figured its time for another update. Camille and I have moved to a different apartment in Costa Mesa. We decided to find a 2 bedroom place so that Gabby will have her own room. The new place is working out great so far. It's a safer neighborhood and we are close to the back bay which is nice. One of the best "perks" of the new place is we have a dishwasher that doesn't ruin our silverware! I think we went through something like four different sets at our old place because the dishwasher kept ruining them. Eventually we were forced to just hand wash it. Its nice to be able to clean the silverware in the dishwasher!

Camille is still doing well and so is little Gabby. We have been collecting things in preparation for her. We have a stroller and car seat and we're currently looking for a crib. All I can say is thank goodness for craigslist! Everything Gabby has will be secondhand. Camille is starting to show a lot more which is exciting. She really looks pregnant now!

School is kicking my butt right now. I'm super busy with a number of different things. I won't have a ton of finals, which is great, but I'm busy with mock trial tryouts, my writing requirement, and studying for the MPRE (Professional Responsibility test). Luckily my last semester is just around the corner and it will be a lot less stressful!

Protecting marriage

2008-09-30T23:18:00.001-07:00

Protecting marriage to protect children

Marriage as a human institution is constantly evolving. But in all societies, marriage shapes the rights and obligations of parenthood.

By David Blankenhorn
September 19, 2008

» Discuss Article (74 Comments)

I'm a liberal Democrat. And I do not favor same-sex marriage. Do those positions sound contradictory? To me, they fit together.

Many seem to believe that marriage is simply a private love relationship between two people. They accept this view, in part, because Americans have increasingly emphasized and come to value the intimate, emotional side of marriage, and in part because almost all opinion leaders today, from journalists to judges, strongly embrace this position. That's certainly the idea that underpinned the California Supreme Court's legalization of same-sex marriage.

But I spent a year studying the history and anthropology of marriage, and I've come to a different conclusion.

Marriage as a human institution is constantly evolving, and many of its features vary across groups and cultures. But there is one constant. In all societies, marriage shapes the rights and obligations of parenthood. Among us humans, the scholars report, marriage is not primarily a license to have sex. Nor is it primarily a license to receive benefits or social recognition. It is primarily a license to have children.

In this sense, marriage is a gift that society bestows on its next generation. Marriage (and only marriage) unites the three core dimensions of parenthood -- biological, social and legal -- into one pro-child form: the married couple. Marriage says to a child: The man and the woman whose sexual union made you will also be there to love and raise you. Marriage says to society as a whole: For every child born, there is a recognized mother and a father, accountable to the child and to each other.

These days, because of the gay marriage debate, one can be sent to bed without supper for saying such things. But until very recently, almost no one denied this core fact about marriage. Summing up the cross-cultural evidence, the anthropologist Helen Fisher in 1992 put it simply: "People wed primarily to reproduce." The philosopher and Nobel laureate Bertrand Russell, certainly no friend of conventional sexual morality, was only repeating the obvious a few decades earlier when he concluded that "it is through children alone that sexual relations become important to society, and worthy to be taken cognizance of by a legal institution."

Marriage is society's most pro-child institution. In 2002 -- just moments before it became highly unfashionable to say so -- a team of researchers from Child Trends, a nonpartisan research center, reported that "family structure clearly matters for children, and the family structure that helps children the most is a family headed by two biological parents in a low-conflict marriage."

All our scholarly instruments seem to agree: For healthy development, what a child needs more than anything else is the mother and father who together made the child, who love the child and love each other.

For these reasons, children have the right, insofar as society can make it possible, to know and to be cared for by the two parents who brought them into this world. The foundational human rights document in the world today regarding children, the 1989 U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, specifically guarantees children this right. The last time I checked, liberals like me were supposed to be in favor of internationally recognized human rights, particularly concerning children, who are typically society's most voiceless and vulnerable group. Or have I now said something I shouldn't?

Every child being raised by gay or lesbian couples will be denied his birthright to both parents who made him. Every single one. Moreover, losing that right will not be a consequence of something that at least most of us view as tragic, such as a marriage that didn't last, or an unexpected pregnancy where the father-to-be has no intention of sticking around. On the contrary, in the case of same-sex marriage and the children of those unions, it will be explained to everyone, including the children, that something wonderful has happened!

For me, what we are encouraged or permitted to say, or not say, to one another about what our society owes its children is crucially important in the debate over initiatives like California's Proposition 8, which would reinstate marriage's customary man-woman form. Do you think that every child deserves his mother and father, with adoption available for those children whose natural parents cannot care for them? Do you suspect that fathers and mothers are different from one another? Do you imagine that biological ties matter to children? How many parents per child is best? Do you think that "two" is a better answer than one, three, four or whatever? If you do, be careful. In making the case for same-sex marriage, more than a few grown-ups will be quite willing to question your integrity and goodwill. Children, of course, are rarely consulted.

The liberal philosopher Isaiah Berlin famously argued that, in many cases, the real conflict we face is not good versus bad but good versus good. Reducing homophobia is good. Protecting the birthright of the child is good. How should we reason together as a society when these two good things conflict?

Here is my reasoning. I reject homophobia and believe in the equal dignity of gay and lesbian love. Because I also believe with all my heart in the right of the child to the mother and father who made her, I believe that we as a society should seek to maintain and to strengthen the only human institution -- marriage -- that is specifically intended to safeguard that right and make it real for our children.

Legalized same-sex marriage almost certainly benefits those same-sex couples who choose to marry, as well as the children being raised in those homes. But changing the meaning of marriage to accommodate homosexual orientation further and perhaps definitively undermines for all of us the very thing -- the gift, the birthright -- that is marriage's most distinctive contribution to human society. That's a change that, in the final analysis, I cannot support.

David Blankenhorn is president of the New York-based Institute for American Values and the author of "The Future of Marriage."

Its a girl!!!

2008-09-27T22:37:00.000-07:00

Camille and I could not wait any longer so we went to a private clinic to get an ultrasound so we could find out what sex the baby is. Camille was right all along. We will be having a cute little girl. Barring any last minute name changes, she will be called Gabrielle Kathleen McConnell. We are so excited!!!

Prop 8

2008-09-17T17:39:00.001-07:00

The movies

2008-09-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

Camille at the movies...the ONLY person who wears sunglasses at the movies!

Camille and Freddy

2008-08-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

Aren't they cute together!

The first ultrasound

2008-08-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday we went in to the doctor and Camille had her first ultrasound. It was a very cool experience. The experience definitely brought me a little closer to reality in realizing that there IS actually a baby growing inside of Camille. And according to the doctor, the baby is perfectly healthy! I didn't expect anything less, but it is nice to get that confirmation from the doctor. Below are the first pictures taken of our baby. Enjoy!

The Beginning of the End

2008-08-19T23:33:00.000-07:00

So I (Jeff) have started my last year of law school. Summer just flew by!!! I wish I had another week to relax but at the same time I'm excited to get started so I can finish up this chapter of my life. This semester should actually be a fun semester for me. I'm externing with the Honorable Judge Erithe Smith in Federal Bankruptcy Court which has been a wonderful learning opportunity so far. Besides that externship I am taking Lincoln's Constitutionalism, Trial Practice, Negotiations, and Professional Responsibility.

Lincoln's Constitutionalism is my writing requirement course and I am taking it from a world renouned Lincoln scholar. Dr. Jaffa graduated from Yale...about 65 years ago. That's right, my professor is 90! He can just sit there and talk for three hours and keep the entire class mesmorized. He's brilliant and I am sure I will learn a lot from him. I'm excited to learn more about Lincoln. My trial practice class has been great so far. I am taking it from Judge Rogan, a state judge who works up in North Court. By the end of the class he promises that we will be able to walk into a courtroom and perform an entire trial without giving off the scent of a wet, new attorney to everyone in the courtroom. Negotiations was great as well. The first class we received a negotiation assignment. I'm negotiating for the plaintiff who was struck by a car and is suing for 5 million dollars. I'm going to get every penny of it!!! Even Professional Responsibility was interesting. We explored different philosophies of exploring truth. We covered moral relativity as compared with utilitarianism. Very interesting stuff and very much unlike law school. I felt like I was back in a psychology class at BYU again! Anyway, it should shape up to be a great semester.

Now we've gone and done it!

2008-08-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

Well...the rumors are true! Camille is pregnant!!! She is going on about week 11 right now. In about another week she will be having her first ultrasound. Apparently we won't be finding out the sex of the little devil until about week 20. No worries though, I'm confident its a boy! Camille has a pretty strong feeling that it will be a girl. Either way we will be very happy. The news came to us as bit of a surprise since we were not trying, but hey, what can ya do? The due date is March 11, 2009. Mom, you'll be happy to know its not a December baby.

So far we have a few names that we agree on. Our two girl names are Gabrielle Kathleen (she will be called Gabby) and Rachel Anette. I want to throw Rebecca in there but I'm not sure I'll be able to get Camille to go for it. Only time will tell. The only boy name we agree on so far is Chad Jeffrey. I particularly like this name! Camille also REALLY likes William Nathan but I REALLY don't want him to ever be called Bill or Billy. I don't know why, but I just don't like that and unfortunately a lot of "William's" get called Bill. I do like the name William though so we'll have to see.

So far Camille isn't really "showing" too much. She does feel bloated and she is tired all the time and has nausea. As bad as that sounds she is really doing quite well. Anyway, we are really excited and we will definitely keep everyone updated on the little one's progress!

Packer Family Reunion

2008-07-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

Well we returned in one piece from the Packer family reunion and I must say we had a blast. Since it was such a long trip I am going to section off the reunion into parts (Michigan, Kirtland, Niagra Falls, Palmyra, NYC).

ALL the pictures can be viewed at http://picasaweb.google.com/Catalyst81.

MICHIGAN

We started the reunion by arriving somewhat early. We took a red eye flight into Michigan. It was the worst flying experience I have ever had! Needless to say it took everyone a while to recover from the red eye and adjust to the new time zone. I was stuck in the middle seat and I couldn't sleep at all!!! The reason we flew into Michigan was to take a look at some cool apartment rental properties that John is investing in. Before getting to the rental property we had breakfast at Big Boy. Talk about greasy food! The hot chocolate was amazing though. The rental property was way cool! First off everything over there is green. REALLY green! Also, the property is set up next to a lake. These people have a lake right next door to their apartments! We were able to take a little boat ride on the lake. The lake was first created by Ford. It was dammed up to create energy. While taking our lake tour we even saw one of Henry Ford's old homes that he stayed in. That was pretty cool. There is an island in the middle of the lake where people camp at and every Thursday night people in the township boat to the island and roast marshmellows together!

KIRTLAND

Kirtland was a lot of fun. We were able to take a lot of tours. We took a tour through the temple which is still not currently owned by the church. The RLDS church has done a great job of preserving the temple though. If the Lord wanted our church to have the temple, he would give it to us. So, for now, they are great stewards over it. It was a great spiritual experience being in that temple. It was interesting because we visited the temple a few times. Before we toured the inside it was just a beautiful building to looks at. But, after visiting the inside and feeling the spirit, it became much more meaningful and we looked at it in a different light. We also toured sites the Whitney store where the School of the Prophets occurred. It was there that revelation was given about the Word of Wisdom. We also saw the Morely farm, a mill, and we visited the Quarry where stone was taken for the temple.

One activity that was particularly cool was we had lunch hosted by some Amish people. We drove out to Amish country and they made us a big lunch. It consisted of bread, chicken, pie, mashed potatoes, and corn. It was great! They told us that it was a typical meal served at a wedding. They took some of the kids on a pony ride with a Shetland pony and a buggy. I learned that all Amish speak a form of German in their households and then they are taught English in school. They don't use electricity in their houses but they do for work. They don't drive cars but they can be driven by others. They are very interesting people. They kids love sports and we threw a football around with some of the boys after eating.

Another very cool thing that happened in Kirtland is that Nate received his mission call. He will be serving in the Everett Washington mission. Nate was actually born in this area of Washington so it will be a very cool experience for him. Go Nate!

NIAGRA FALLS

We visited Niagra Falls right after leaving Kirtland on our way to Palmyra. It was very cool. It is basically just a big waterfall. For some reason I was expecting it to be bigger, but it was still really amazing. There are like 3-4 different falls. If you're feeling adventurous you are able to get a raincoat and go to the bottom of the falls. It was really cool at night because they have huge spotlights on the Canada side that they turn on at night and they shine on the falls making the water look really amazing. We lucked out and for some reason they had a fireworks show at night when we were there. It was a short but fun visit.

PALMYRA

Palmyra was very cool. When we got into town the first thing we did was drive over by the temple. We didn't get a great look at it and I wish we had gone back to it. After doing that drive-by we headed straight for the sacred grove. I was very excited about this part of our trip. When you get there, the first take you on a tour of where the log cabin was built that Joseph Smith and his family lived in and also a house on the Smith farm where they lived. The tour was interesting but seemed similar to other tours we had taken. They had the rooms restored and decorated to how they thought they were when they were alive but there wasn't tremendous meaning to them.

The Grove was very different. We walked over to the grove after the tour. It is literally right next to their farm. For some reason I had always imagined it would be a way off from their farm. At this point we split off so we could wander the grove alone and meditate and prayer. It was a very peaceful experience. The grove is very large and I wondered in it for at least 45 minutes. It was great. The spirit was very strong in there and I have no doubt that the Father and Son appeared to Joseph Smith there.

We also watched the Palmyra pageant. It was fun to watch. The show went through different stories in the Book of Mormon. It was held at the Hill Cumorah. Before the pageant we were able to walk up the hill. It was a very cool view. So far they haven't found the spot where Joseph Smith found the plates but give me a good day and a half tromping around up there and I'll find it! ;)

NEW YORK CITY

We had a short but action packed visit in New York City. We actually started off in New Jersey where Katie served her mission. She showed us some of the area and we actually found a lost Elder. He had been separated from his companion and we were able to reunite them. Our trip to New York consisted of visits to the Empire State Building, Central Park, Ellis Island, Ground Zero, and the Statue of Liberty.

The Empire State Building is very cool but I would only visit it once. We went up to something like the 86th floor. All around the terrace are spikey fencing to deter thrill seekers and suicide jumpers. I think the best time to visit it would be at night rather than in the day when we did. Then the city would be lit up.

Central Park was very cool. This is not your everyday park. It is ginormous!!! We walked around for close to 5 hours and we only explored like 1/3 of the park. It has numerous lakes, bridges, and fields to play baseball. It is smack dab in the middle of a bunch of tall skyscrapers too. This was one of my favorite spots. Very cool!

Ellis Island was very interesting. We got to learn about immigration into the United States. Some of the conditions the immigrants went through were pretty amazing. It took a lot to get here and make it through the immigration process and a lot of times families were separated. Its worth spending at least half a day there.

Ground Zero was a little anti-climatic because it is all under construction, but its cool to be able to say I've been there. The Statute of Liberty was fun too see. Not much to do there though. Its just a big statute and you can't go up into any more thanks to stupid terrorists. We also went to see the temple but it was closed for renovation. It is just in a skyscraper but up close you can tell more that its actually a temple and there is an Angel Moroni on top. One of our last stops was the diner where Seinfeld was filmed. It was alright. The food was mediocre and the staff was always rushed and it felt like they wanted you out as soon as you were done eating. It was a cool experience though.

LAKERS

2008-06-17T23:12:00.000-07:00

Well, a lot could be said about this year's NBA finals between the Lakers and the Celtics, but I think one word sums it all up pretty nicely after tonights slaughter. EMBARRASSING!!! I'm not sure what team was out there playing the Celtics, but I know that it wasn't the Los Angeles Lakers. It was some other team that was beaten around like a rag doll. At least that's what I'll repeatedly tell myself to soften the shock of such an embarrassing loss.

In all reality the Celtics are the better team this year and deserved to win, but I only wish it hadn't come at the expense of such a disastrous end to the season for the Lakers. Although maybe the slaughter was a good thing. It will definitely give the golden boys from LA something to think about for a few months. And while they are thinking about the shouldas and couldas I will bore myself to death this summer with baseball. It truly is a sad life. ;)

San Diego

2008-05-29T20:22:00.001-07:00

Camille and I spent Memorial Weekend with family in San Diego. We had all the family together. It was a blast. It was the first time we got to really get to know little Jeffrey (my namesake). On Friday the boys went and watched Iron Man which rocked! I need one of those suits! The girls went and got pedicures. Saturday was a lazy day where we all relaxed and took it easy. We also flew some cheap kites from Walmart. We had a lot of fun with those kites! After kite flying we went bowling. It was a fun time but once we finished up I think everyone was ready to leave. After bowling we headed out to dinner at Outback. That was a lot of fun. Camille gets her favorite salad there and I always enjoy the porterhouse. I tried something new on this trip and was a little disappointed...never again! Later that night we relaxed in the hot tub. Saturday night Stacee and little Jeffrey arrived from Utah. He was really shy at first but he warmed up pretty quickly. We spent the night chasing him around the house.

Sunday we enjoyed church and in the afternoon we went to Torrey Pines beach. We flew kites there and watched little Jeffrey run in the ocean and play in the sand. We had a kite chasing adventure there. It was really windy and Camille wanted to see how far her kite would fly if she let go of it. Well, it flew past the sand, over the road, and down the embankment on the other side of the road! Her kite lived for a few more hours until it got tangled with mine and ripped. RIP Barbie kite, RIP.

On Monday we took a trip to the World Famous San Diego Zoo. Both Camille and I decided the zoo isn't as magical as when we were children but we still had a blast. By far the most entertaining animals were the monkeys. They are the craziest creatures! The coolest looking animals were the zebras. They really look a lot thicker and more horselike in real life. Once again I was disappointed in seeing the tigers. They had at the top of their enclosure where no one can see them. The zoo really needs to fix that. They're the COOLEST animal and I NEVER get to see them!

It was a wonderful trip. With Rick and Christie moving to Indiana soon for dental school and with Stacee and little Jeffrey living in Richfield, UT the family probably won't be all together again for a while. It was a wonderful vacation.

(To get a better view of all the fun pictures click on view all images)

BBQ

2008-05-10T01:12:00.001-07:00

We had a blast tonight with our friends Scott and Amy Gneiting! We went to a BBQ charity event for Hogue Hospital. They had gambling, booze, and BBQ set up for us all night. There was also a live and silent auction. Needless to say we drank tons and tons of sprite and ate some great food! They had tri-tip steak, ribs, BBQ chopped salad, baked beans, and a nice cherry cobbler for desert. Simply amazing! The auction was interesting. Unfortunately Camille and I are deaf now because we had the bad luck of sitting right next to the loud speaker. I almost placed a bid on a nice looking shotgun but once the price jumped up to $2000 I knew I didn't have a chance. ;) The night was a blast though. We finished it off by relaxing back at Scott and Amy's by watching the Office. Enjoy some pictures below.

Another year under the belt

2008-05-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

Its true. Camille and I have survived another round of finals in law school. I say we, because she truly suffers through it with me. It will be nice to relax for a few days and just enjoy life. Its hard to believe I just have one more year left of school. As much as I don't like law school, I am going to miss the freedom of not being stuck in an office all day once I'm working. I am definitely going to enjoy this summer as it will be my last "free" summer. Next summer will be the California bar and then the "real world" will be here. Yuck!

Life goes on...

2008-04-14T22:59:00.000-07:00

Well, its that time of the year again. Two weeks until I have to endure finals. The process always makes me wonder why I decided to go to law school. It's good practice for the California Bar though. However, once finals are over it will be nice to be working and have a break from school. This summer I'll be working for the Cooper law firm. They practice employment law. Specifically, they deal with class action plaintiff cases focusing on wage and break violations. And then, during the Fall I'll have the tremendous opportunity to clerk with the Honorable Erithe A. Smith, a Federal Bankruptcy Judge in Santa Ana.

Camille is also very busy building her Life Coaching business. She will be holding a small business boot camp soon that is bound to be a success. Work with a small business never seems to end and Camille is always coming up with new innovative ways to help her business grow.

Dental School

2008-03-31T23:02:00.000-07:00

My sister Christie and her husband Rick will be moving to Indiana this summer for dental school. Congratulations you two!!! We're sooooo excited for you! We'll miss not having you close but it will be an awesome adventure for you.

* F/A 18 Hornet Fighter Pilots *

2008-02-22T23:46:00.000-08:00

Camille and I are official fighter pilots now! Through her networking contacts, Camille was able to get us a night of flight simulation in F/A 18 Hornets for free. It was amazing! We suited up in flight suits and after a brief training, we stepped up the ladders into our cockpits. I looked very studly in the flight suit by the way. It took a little time to get used to the controls, but once we got the hang of the them we had a blast! At the end of the night I was the Top Gun with 18 kills and Camille came in a close second with 16. Landing was definitely the most challenging part of the experience. We did a runway landing and a carrier landing during day and night time conditions. I was a natural when it came to landing. They even threw a night time carrier landing with only one working engine at me to give me a challenge. I made it safely, though it was pretty challenging. The fun filled night reinforced our desires to get our pilot's licenses in the future!

Bowling, bowling, bowling

2008-02-02T23:15:00.000-08:00

We had the chance to go bowling this weekend with our good friends Brody and Ann Foy. It was a blast! It was very fun-filled. Everyone had their unique way of tossing the bowling ball. Brody would launch the ball as hard as possible. Ann would scoot up to the line and give it a magical toss so that the ball would spin just the right way for her. Camille implemented her Wii strategy and would end her toss with a Statue of Liberty type pose. And Jeff, would put a wicked awesome spin on the ball which combined the perfect amount of speed and precision. At the end of the day Camille was the champion of the first game with a come from behind win. She scored the best she has ever done...ever...with bowling. The second game was dominated by Jeff, though we only had time to finish half of the second game.

Boo on the flu

2008-01-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

Poor Jeff has been sick with the flu for 6 days now. He's been coughing, achy, stuck with a fever, and sleeping on the couch so we can keep Camille healthy. Luckily, she has been able to escape the same dismal fate. Some home remedies have been used in an attempt to remedy the situation such as a special brew of lemonade with cayenne pepper. Also, sticking a q-tip laced with peppermint extract up the nose to clear the sinuses has been attempted twice. Still, the awful illness continues to harass him. Luckily he does appear to be slowly getting better, which is good news since he can't afford to miss anymore of his classes. Tonight he will dream of sleeping in a real bed (instead of the couch) and eating something other than bread and chicken noodle soup. Moral of the story...get a flu shot!!!

Good Bye Tom!!!

2008-01-23T12:30:00.000-08:00

So last Saturday we attended a B-day bash for Adrien and Tom/Going away party for Tom. Our good friend Tom Bartlett is moving to Arkansas to pursue work there. Tom holds a special place in both of our hearts. Tom and Jeff used to be roommates in Orange and about a year ago it was his suggestion that Jeff and him attend a party at the Packer's where Jeff would first meet Camille. Tom is also the one who set up the first date. We owe a lot to this good friend. Below are a few pictures from that fun night. We'll miss you Thomas!!!

So you want an update huh....

2008-01-14T23:22:00.000-08:00

Well, yes it has been a while since we have shared our lives with millions and billions of people out there who won't end up reading this...so how about another update. Well, Christmas was spent with Camille's family this year. We arrived at around two in the afternoon to open presents with everyone, except for Sam and Connie who decided to brave the cold winter weather in Utah for Christmas this year. It was a good time.

Between Christmas and New Years we had another fun trip up to Santa Barbara. We hiked in the morning in the mountains. We now only have one more trail to do in that area. We enjoyed a nice lunch at our favorite hole-in-the wall Mexican place, La SuperRica. After lunch we flew Camille's kite for the first time over on the beach (and broke it), and finished the trip off at our favorite Sushi place! Overall it was a fun day trip.

New Years was spent up at a cabin in Big Bear. The drive up was a windy one, which was not even close to enjoyable. It made us both sick. And, unfortunately, we had to make the trip a few times due to a speaking engagement in Sacrament meeting on Sunday that we couldn't weasel out of. However, once we made it up the mountain and stayed we had a great time with the family. One day was spent snowboarding and skiing in which Camille went skiing down the mountain and Jeff went down after her falling on his bum every few seconds. Despite the sore bodies the next day, the trip to the slopes was well worth it. We also, had fun entertaining Raine and Rio for a while, but by the end of the trip I think everyone was ready to get home...Cabin fever.

We were also able to make it down to San Diego for a fun weekend to see family there before Jeff started up classes again. The trip was planned for December but had to be postponed due to a battle with the stomach flu which most everyone down in San Diego lost, courtesy of Dad. The trip was a fun one though, filled with hot tubbing, our favorite game Sorry, and a nice relaxing time.

As for now, Jeff is once again being tormented by law school classes and looking for a summer internship while Camille is continuing to expand her Success Coaching and Tutoring empire throughout Orange County!

Another Birthday!!

2007-12-18T00:04:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know the funny coincidence, Jeff's birthday is exactly a month after Camille's. He turned a nice young 26 yesterday and is still getting used to the thought of being that old. He had a wonderful birthday weekend though. The culmination of finals was followed by a four day count down to his birthday with thoughtful gifts from his lovely wife each day leading up to his birthday. She is so sweet! Saturday night was spent having dinner with the in laws who were so gracious as to take him out for dinner (and give him a cool book called "What color is your parachute"). Sunday, we were able to have dinner at the Packers and then visit Grandma McConnell in Laguna and were joined by Mom, Dad, Brett, Caitlan, and Uncle Win and Aunt Donna. It was a wonderful evening. He got some very sweet presents that he is excited about such as a cool long sleeved shirt, a new billabong hoodie, and itunes gift cards to last him forever! His birthday was so special that he is very sad that it is another 365 days until the next one.

The Great Escape!!!

2007-12-17T23:50:00.000-08:00

Well, it is the close of another semester of law school for Jeff and he managed to escape with his sanity intact! He finished his last of 5 finals late last Thursday afternoon in what will probably end up being his toughest semester in law school. Both Jeff and Camille are happy that they will not have to deal with finals again for another 5 months. Unfortunately, you can never real escape law school and as such, Jeff will be working on finding a paid internship for the summer during the 3 weeks he has off for Christmas break.

Camille's Birthday!!!!!!!!!

2007-11-18T21:56:00.001-08:00

Camille's birthday weekend was a huge success! With an abundance of family, friends, and food how could it not be! November 16th, her actually birthday day, was full of tennis, the hot tub, and a fun sushi dinner with the family at our favorite hole in the wall sushi place, Sushi Wave. Saturday was also amazing with a fun filled afternoon full of the Wii and cake decorating. Dinner at Tileo's with the family (including Jeff, Katie, and the girls) was also a blast and the night was topped off with a fun party with friends from the singles ward and a few of our good married friends. Overall, it had to have been the best birthday she has ever had (because it was the first one she had with me)!

Birthday Bash!!!

2007-11-07T14:11:00.000-08:00

Celebrate CAMILLE'S birthday with us!!!!!!

Host:	Jeff & Camille
Location:	Mom & Dad's 1951 Port Weybridge Place, Newport Beach, CA 92660 US View Map Find a Hotel
When:	Saturday, November 17, 8:00PM
Phone:	949-209-7582

It's about time we all got together and dressed in our favorite 80's apparel. We will be taking a walk down memory lane with our favorite 80's drinks (bringing back the cactus cooler and cherry 7up) and our favorite 80's songs (TV themes and a prize for who can guess them the quickest). Come eat some vanilla funfetti cake with rainbow chip icing, chocolate cherry cake (my bday favorite) root beer floats, Nintendo Wii, and ping-pong extreme. Prizes will be given to the best 80's outfit, best Punky Brewster look-a-like, and best rendition of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" (now it's your time to shine).

Blog #1 - Daylight Savings Time

2007-11-05T09:31:00.001-08:00

I have to say I did not enjoy entering the law building with it nice and sunny and leaving today with it pitch black outside! Who stole my daylight! At first thought I would lay blame to law school which keeps me cooped up in that freezing building all day, but alas, up until a few days ago I would still emerge from that cave with the sun hitting my face. Today, however, I was greeted with the unwelcoming chill of night. It's clear that the criminal, daylight savings, is being phased out, so why not just chuck it?!?!