Such a Deal of Wonder

Our Anniversary Cruise

2010-05-15T00:02:00.001-07:00

We've been home less than a month, so I feel like I am doing really well posting this now. :^D

For our tenth, we celebrated on the Carnival Paradise. It was my very first cruise, and thanks to many family members (that means you too, Lindsay!), we were able to go without the kids.

Monday we left from Long Beach and got to know the ship and our tablemates, who were all couples close to our age, including another couple from Utah.

Tuesday morning we woke up early enough to watch the ship pull into Catalina Island. This was my favorite day of the trip. We took a tender out to Avalon and first went on a glass bottom boat. We were able to see some of the fish in the cove and the kelp beds without having to get into the freezing cold water.

Then we rented a tandem bicycle. Both Nate and I have decided that they are harder to operate than they look but still a lot of fun. We rode from Lovers Cove to the Casino, which is an iconic picture spot in Avalon that happens to be undergoing renovation and was completely draped in black. I wanted to see inside because in the '30s and '40s, it was where all the big bands came and performed, but they only had one tour inside and it was kind of pricey.

Instead, we rode up the canyon to the Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Gardens, named after the Wrigley of chewing gum and Chicago Cubs fame. It started raining as soon as we got there, but we still hike up and around it.

After getting a flat on the way down the canyon, we waited in line for almost a half hour to get on a tender back to the ship and saw a baby sea lion wandering up onto the pier.

Wednesday we went to Ensenada, Mexico. We dis a tour that took us to La Bufadora, one of three natural blowholes in the world. While there we bought fish and carne asada tacos and churros. The food was awesome!! I love comida autentico de Mexico, real Mezican food.

We also toured the convention center, which was a hotel/casino built by Capone. The painted murals and ceilings were still pretty much in tact.

Thursday, our actual anniversary, we spent at sea. We read our books (not on the deck because of the rain and rough seas), played some trivia games, watched an ice carving demonstration, and learned how to fold towels into animals. At lunch we were seated with another couple that was also celebrating their tenth anniversary that day.

Overall, there were a lot of things I loved about the cruise. The food was amazing; I could seriously go on and on about it. They had an excellent sushi station (my favorite) and amazing dishes like mango cream soup and chocolate melting cake. The service was also wonderful, and we felt like the people in the dining room were old friends by the end of the cruise.

And our room was fabulous! We were right off the central atrium, close to the theater and the dining, but from inside the room it was so quiet you would never know it was all a few steps away. And we had a window. I loved being able to look out when the sun was coming out to see our next port.

I also just loved being able to walk along the decks and watch the sea. It was hard to sit still for very long though because the rocking often put me to sleep.

My complaints are few. Some had nothing to do with the ship like missing the kids terribly or waking up ridiculously early (4:30 one morning). But Thursday I was really feeling the ship rocking a lot. Not so much too make me throw up, like one of our dinner companions, but enough that I didn't feel entirely comfortable. And the day we got off the ship, my sea legs were so bad when we were at Disneyland, I would start to tip over while waiting in line. That night I dreamed I was on a little boat and rocked all night long, and Saturday was the worst. Just sitting still made me feel like I was rocking all over.

But we had a great time and lots of great memories!!

The Best Ten Years

2010-04-19T08:14:00.001-07:00

All right, after months and months of making my friends and family all look good because I never write a blog, I'm done! Time to take my place in the blogosphere again.

This week we will be celebrating our tenth anniversary on Earth Day. It's a happy coincidence to have it on the same day. To celebrate, we are taking a short cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico, and then spending a day a Disneyland and one at Magic Mountain. We are so grateful to the friends and family that are watching the kids for us, so we can spend some time alone.

To celebrate the last ten years, I thought I'd list my top ten favorite things about being married to Nate.
1. He loves me absolutely and completely and is more patient with me than I sometimes deserve.
2. He brings out the best in me and makes me a better person: I have learned to not get so stressed out and I know I have his absolute support so I am willing to try new things.
3. He works hard and plays hard, and he has taught me that it is important to do both.
4. I almost never have to do dishes. :)
5. He knows how to make the whole family's boo-boos go away.
6. There is never a day that goes by where he doesn't make me laugh . . . a lot.
7. He always puts our family first, and I always know that we are his top priority.
8. I can talk to him about everything; he is my therapist, spiritual advisor, and best friend.
9. He is loyal to his friends and family and stands by them no matter what.
10. He is open-minded and fair with everyone he meets.

The last ten years have been amazing, and I suspect the next ten will be even more so!

Happy Birthday, Ryan!

2009-10-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

Ryan turned four this year, and to celebrate being such a big boy, he planned his whole day himself. First, we went to story time at the Bean Museum. Then Ryan got to choose where we ate our weekly lunch with Nate (El Pollo Loco-"the tortilla place").

Ryan helped plan and decorate his Scooby-Doo cake. He was so excited! We got some Papa John's pizza and then went to Fat Cats for bowling.

We all had a great time, and he's already making plans for next year!

Happy Birthday, Sofie!

2009-10-04T19:44:00.001-07:00

It's a couple of days late, but I thought I'd share some highlights from her second birthday.

The kids and I went to Hogle Zoo with Warren, Lindsay, Megan, and Peter. The kids loved the train.

We loved all the baby animals, especially the baby elephant, Zuri. She was adorable and such an entertainer. We also watched baby monkeys, baby cats, baby snow leopard, and the baby giraffe.

The kids also enjoyed the carousel (who doesn't love riding on a tiger or a panda?).

Sofie loved opening her presents and was so excited for each one that she wouldn't pit any down and we had to encourage her to open more. Among her presents was a Minnie Mouse purse with a gigantic lipstick.

Her cake was pink with pink frosting and Disney princesses dancing around a castle.

I love my independent little chatterbox with a heart of gold!

It's Fall!

2009-09-28T22:58:00.001-07:00

This is always my favorite season of the year: crunchy colorful leaves, apple and pumpkin pie, crisp breezes, warm sweaters, corn mazes. . .

This year, I'm loving it even more. It's so fun getting ready for the kids' birthdays just a week apart (Sofie wants a pink bunny cake, and Ryan wants an Oreo train).

We've been out enjoying the beautiful weather. This is Ryan on a walk around Cascade Springs. The fall color was wonderful (see the leaves above), but I also loved how his red jacket stood out.

We also took the kids to the Tracy Aviary. Sofie wore this sweater-hoodie and the pigtails to match!

And though I'm still in the middle of making applesauce (with no more mishaps, I hope), I am already pleased with my progress. So here's to a glorious fall!

Harvest

2009-09-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

With the summer (and two weeks in California) behind me, I've been learning how to can and use what I've started harvesting. A big shout out to Machelle and her sisters for teaching me the wonders of canned peaches (see below) and to Lindsay for letting me help make applesauce.

I've been gathering tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and the occasional pepper or strawberry. I have also kept some basil, rosemary, and dill alive; there's nothing better than thinking an herb would be perfect and then using a sprig I just cut.

And I just discovered a quince tree hidden behind our roses. I had no idea there was anything there until I cut the roses way back this year and the twigs behind it started producing squat apple-like fruit. Apparently, they were really popular when our house was built. So I'm going to learn how to make quince jelly!

Though many have learned the joys of planting, harvesting, and storing from their own garden, this is a new discovery for me and I'm loving it!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

In Memoriam: Arlene Mickelsen Waters 1936-2009

2009-07-27T15:01:00.003-07:00

(Thanks to Lauren for the picture.)
My dear Aunt Arlene died yesterday after a short battle with cancer (she was diagnosed just over a month ago). I haven't yet written my post about my anchors in Christ, but Arlene was one of them. She is one of the most wonderful people I have ever known. She had the patience of Job in caring for my grandmother. Her marriage was long, deep, and truly unifying. Her love for her family and for the Savior was evident in everything she did. Nate and I have often said that Arlene and Ted are who we want to be like when we grow up. She blessed us with her hospitality, generosity, care, and devotion.

For her sake, I am glad that she did not have to suffer long and that she has returned to her Savior and loved ones. For myself, I am grateful to have had her in my life, and especially to have gotten to know her much better in the last few years. I will sorely miss her, but I hope to eventually become the kind of person that she was.

A week in the life

2009-07-08T14:03:00.005-07:00

This is our most recent family photo (thanks for all your skill, Dan!).
I posted a lot of pictures in my Facebook album (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=281188&id=593110721&l=0cea2a5525), but I thought I'd also write a short blog about my crazy busy week last week.

Last Saturday, my beautiful niece, Mandy, was baptized.
It was wonderful, and it was such a great opportunity to feel our Savior's love and to remember those things that keep up us anchored in Christ. In addition to all the family meals on Saturday and Sunday, we also took family pictures (including the one above).

Monday, my mom went with me and the kids to Sundance to pick up tickets to the Utah Symphony concert on Friday night. Then we had a picnic lunch at Bridal Veil Falls.
In the evening, we took a FHE to Battle Creek Falls, which was very pleasant.

On Wednesday, we picked Joey, one of the young men from our Phoenix ward, up at the airport and took him to lunch before we dropped him off at the MTC. I loved getting to hear Nate share his mission stories with Joey and see how he has grown and how excited he is to serve a mission.
Thursday, bright and early, I went up to Camp Mia Shalom with a couple of other leaders. We got to Girls' Camp in time for the five mile hike.

We also participated in the humanitarian project and were there for the testimony meeting. I particularly liked the theme of this year's camp: Anchored in Christ (I'm going to post something about it later).

Friday morning the kids woke up in time to see some of the hot air balloons flying. We missed takeoff, but the sleep was necessary.

After a pancake breakfast, we went to Colonial Days and some of the other downtown festivities. Ryan even got to help Grandpa print out a copy of the Declaration of Independence.

That night we went to Sundance for the Utah Symphony. Ryan and Sofie loved the music (what's not to love? Star Wars, The Planets, swing and patriotic music). Ryan's absolute favorite, though,was Beethoven's Fifth. He could even sing a few bars of it (he recognized it from Little Einsteins).

I woke up with a bad sinus infection on the Fourth, so our activities were pretty low key, just hot dogs for dinner and a $7 pack of fireworks.

However, our neighbors down the street were having a huge fireworks program, so we got to enjoy that, and my mom enjoyed the kids watching fireworks so much that she went out and bought a lot of them for the 24th (which is truly a first in the Daynes family).

After a long week like that, I'm exhausted!! But I'm really looking forward to our trip to Cedar City starting tomorrow and Pioneer Day!

Welcome to the garden!

2009-06-17T15:17:00.003-07:00

So after months of planning and weeks of work on the new sprinklers, I finally put my garden in last night. First I started with Klay's truck full of topsoil (Nate won 2 cubic yards of it in a contest). I shoveled most of it out by myself to add to the garden, which looked like this before I started:

Nate helped me put in the drip system, and I was able to plant most of it last night. Ryan helped me plant some seeds in the rain this morning.

I found these beautiful flowers along with some lemon mint that actually survived from last year (this is a real surprise since I thought I killed all the herbs I planted).

Here are the trellises. So far we've planted a few winter squashes, zucchini, crookneck squash, watermelon, pumpkin, sunflowers, spinach, tomatoes, basil, peppers, strawberries, dill, parsley, and summer savory.
I'm still preparing the side and flower gardens with extra soil we have from the project, currently housed under the carport. Great motivation to get it finished. Anyway, I hope to share our bounty later in the season. :D

To Zoo or Not to Zoo

2009-06-12T10:24:00.002-07:00

Tuesday the kids and I met Keri and Sadie at the Hogle Zoo. The kids had a great time (my kids were there for five hours!), and we still didn't see everything. It reminded me of a discussion that I had with a coworker once who told me she hated zoos because it is unnatural to keep animals in captivity like that. I've thought a lot about it, and I respectfully disagree.

I mean, I've been to zoos that have made me extremely sad for the animals in chainlink cages and an environment that is totally unsuited for them. However, most of the zoos I have been to have genuinely tried to provide appropriate living conditions, participated in coordinated breeding efforts, and have tried to educate the public not only about the animals themselves but our impact on the world around us.

Because of zoos, my kids love animals and have developed concern for their world. There are other ways to develop that, I know: hiking, camping, etc. I love to spend time outdoors, but the zoo allows them to see the animals up close.

So now we're proud members of the Hogle Zoo, and the kids are really excited for our next trip (me too)!The kids try to show how big they are.

Getting a drink out of the lion's head.

Ryan, Sofia, and Sadie make friends with a little tiger.

Greeting the bald eagle after the World of Flight show. Sofie was fascinated and kept telling the keeper, "That's a bird!"

I'm still alive and grateful!

2009-06-07T20:02:00.002-07:00

So it's been more than six weeks since my last post, so I thought I'd check in and say that despite the atrocious behavior of my kids of late, I have a lot to be thankful for.

We have sprinklers! Thanks to the efforts of a LOT of people (Matt, Dan, Dad, Mom, Ryan at times, and especially Nate, Ben, Warren, and Lindsey), we now have water at the touch of a button. The drip systems for the gardens will follow this week. :D
I have an amazing support system! I am surrounded by family members that love me, friends who lift me up and remind me I'm not insane, and ward members who are there to help.
We are out of debt! I know I've already said it before, but I can't tell you the peace I have not owing other people.
I'm surrounded by amazing mothers! This may sound like #2, but this is something that has meant a lot to me lately. I am inspired by the women who surround me.
I am going to plant my garden this week! Though it's been delayed because of the sprinkler project, I am finally going to get to plant at least some of what I planned this year. And my goal is to have at least 60% of it come up (last year, I got 30%).
I am married to my best friend and my best tether to sanity!
I have kids who usually try to behave and are usually extremely good (at least for other people).
We have a slide! Jen and Klay got a Little Tikes play structure from someone in their neighborhood and brought it over; it makes a HUGE difference when we're outside trying to get something done.

The Best Nine Years!

2009-04-22T09:48:00.004-07:00

Nate and I have been married nine years today! As the years go by, we grow together more and more. So thank you to my best friend, the yang to my yin, the Bert to my Mary Poppins. You are my wailing wall, my consolation, my warm snuggly blanket. And you're my sanity, my everyday vacation, and my favorite pastime.

I'm a much better person for being married to you and can't wait to see what the next nine years bring!

I'm Thankful For . . .

2009-02-25T21:48:00.002-08:00

Nate's patience with me and the kids. Sofia potty training herself (yes, that's right). Ryan deciding to use the potty . . . again. Disneyland!! Getting to see family in Las Vegas (I'd love to see as many of you as I can!) and in California. Traveling with people that I really enjoy. Getting to spend Linda's birthday with her. Grandpa's haircuts. My dad's surgery going well. Water aerobics with Mom. Sofie finally liking child care. Getting to go on the BOM retreat. Singing with the choir. Fabulous spring weather in February. Book club starting again. Oscar parties and actor tributes and Ben Stiller spoofing Joaquin Phoenix. Getting to go through the Draper temple. Ryan trying to make me happy by playing "All Creatures of Our God and King" on the CD player.

Book of Mormon Retreat

2009-02-25T21:41:00.002-08:00

Thanks to Nate, I got to go with the Laurels on a retreat last weekend. We went up to the Wildings' property, which is overwhelming in both size and beauty. They were so kind to let us stay up there. A couple of the girls were able to bring their mothers. We ate great food and enjoyed reading the Book of Mormon for hours on end. After 10 hours of hard reading, we were able to get to the beginning of Alma! I appreciated the spiritual discussions and especially being able to see how everything fits together. Below are Whitney, Lauren, and Katie as we read!

Finally . . .

2009-02-08T15:24:00.005-08:00

. . . I think that we've turned the corner. We started trying to potty train Ryan last year in September. He had been showing a lot of signs of being ready: interest, telling me when he was dirty, actually using the potty a few times. Once we started trying to teach him in earnest, however, he seemed to want nothing to do with it. We begged, pleaded, reasoned, cajoled . . . and nothing. We prayed, cried, tore our hair out . . . and still nothing. We took him out for ice cream to celebrate a dry diaper all day . . . and didn't see another one for days.

We promised him a trip to Disneyland when he could go to the potty when he needed to and kept underwear dry for three days. This was back when they had just put out the Halloween decorations. I started getting really excited and thought that he would be more motivated. He talked about Disneyland all the time, but it didn't move things along any faster. Last week, we made plans to go in March before our passports ran out for one last trip despite his potty habits.

But finally this week, with no fanfare and no warning, Ryan started keeping his diaper dry, asking to go to the potty, and going when asked. After three days of dry diapers, he started wearing underwear during the day and keeping them just as dry. So congratulations, Ryan, on taking that next step! I couldn't be more proud or relieved, and I'm fully aware that it had nothing to do with what Nate and I did and everything to do with Ryan's will to do it on his own schedule!

A Winter Story

2009-02-04T13:37:00.002-08:00

One winter day, Sofie wanted to play out in the deep winter snow,

So out we all went, and some time was spent making a snowman grow.And then for more fun, we walked in the sun,
And Austen read in a chair.
And then they desired to sit by the fire. Oh, what a busy pair!

25 Random Things about Me

2009-02-02T15:40:00.000-08:00

This was actually started by several people I know on Facebook, but I thought that I'd also post it here.

I am a Hoosier (or was for the first 12 years of my life). Nothing takes me back like corn on the cob, covered bridges, basketball, or the Indy 500.
I only met both of my grandfathers a couple of times, so I really don't have any clear memories of them, part of the reason I wanted my kids to live close to our parents.
I love the Little House books and wish I could write books similar to those.
One of my life goals is to sing in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
I love to travel. My favorite places I've been so far include lots of places in SoCal, San Francisco, Washington DC, Mexico City, Victoria, and England.But I'm always up for a trip anywhere.
I taught Mexican women to read one summer in a village, an experience that reminded me how blessed I am and how much we have in common despite large barriers.
I am constantly working on improving my bad temper.
Though I've lived in Utah for 16 years, I have never been downhill skiing (although I'll be remedying that soon).
I love to cross-stitch, but I stopped doing it in middle school and didn't start again until after I got married.
I really enjoy editing things; now if I could just get work again.
I sat on a jury for a capital murder case when I was eight months pregnant with Ryan; it was absolutely fascinating and gut-wrenching.
I am a total list person. I write lists about everything . . . and I find them all over the house, in my car, in my pockets. I lose my lists a lot too, so I end up rewriting them all the time. :D
My jazz piano teacher in high school gave me one of the most helpful exercises I've ever done: she had me write out a list of 100 goals and told me that writing things down is the first step to accomplishing things. I ran across the list ten years later, and I was shocked at how many of them I had actually accomplished.
I love to cook and read cookbooks for fun, though I didn't really start using recipes for anything but cookies until a couple of years ago.
I used to have a CDL and drove tour buses in Juneau one summer.
I have never hiked to the top of Mt. Timpanogos, although I hope to do it in the next summer or two.
I love couponing; between clipping and watching sales, I've started saving a lot of money when I go grocery shopping.
My favorite foods include sushi, stroganoff, soup, salads, and almost anything breakfast related.
Growing up my heroes were Jesus, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. I have many more heroes now, especially my two moms, who are amazing examples to me.
I attended the 30th anniversary of MLK's March on Washington.
I started reading when I was three, and I've never stopped. I especially love reading mysteries and biographies.
My two kids are full of spitfire and energy, and I wouldn't have it any other way (though it is forcing me to work on my patience a bit).
I am married to my best friend.
I am named after my mom's sister, Elizabeth, who died before I was born.
I am currently the Laurel advisor, which I think is one of the best callings in the world.

A sure-fire way to get out of debt

2009-02-02T11:03:00.004-08:00

Thanks, Jandee, for posting this on your blog. These may be the the truest words SNL ever spoke!

Five courses later . . .

2009-01-31T21:35:00.004-08:00

Tonight Nate and I threw a "Fancypants dinner" for some of our friends as a belated Christmas gift. I don't have any pictures (I totally spaced it!), but we went to Mom and Dad Burt's house and brought over our china and silver (we haven't used it in almost six years, so I thought we should break it out again). Mom put together a beautiful centerpiece with angels and candles, and she and Dad did all the serving and plating. They were amazing. Thanks to them and Nate for their help.

I did almost all the cooking and spent the better part of two days doing it. And though it was all eaten within an hour, I enjoyed getting dressed up, leaving the kids at home, and having some great food and adult (and some not-so-adult) conversation. :D Below are the courses:

Appetizer: Poppers (I had avocado and bacon deviled eggs planned, but the eggs ended up not cooked enough . . . so thank you, Nate, for bailing me out).
Soup: Ginger pumpkin (finally got to use the pumpkin that we bought to make Ryan a jack-o-lantern; I really am behind)
Salad: Pear, almond, feta, and bacon on greens with berry vinaigrette
Entree: Chicken Teresa (with a balsamic orange sauce), caramelized onions, mushroom rice pilaf, and broiled zucchini with asiago
Breads: Sourdough wheat and banana
Dessert: Lemon-lime sorbet
Drink: Cranberry mango punch

Thanks to everyone who came and made it a wonderful night!

Food for thought: "Cooking is at once child's play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love." Craig Clairborne

Need a Laugh?

2009-01-31T11:44:00.008-08:00

This is a complaint letter written to millionaire Richard Branson, head of Virgin Airlines, and it is seriously one of the funniest things I've read in a long time. Thanks for sending it to me, Nate. Enjoy!

Dear Mr Branson

REF: Mumbai to Heathrow 7th December 2008

I love the Virgin brand, I really do which is why I continue to use it despite a series of unfortunate incidents over the last few years. This latest incident takes the biscuit.

Ironically, by the end of the flight I would have gladly paid over a thousand rupees for a single biscuit following the culinary journey of hell I was subjected to at thehands of your corporation.

Look at this Richard. Just look at it:

I imagine the same questions are racing through your brilliant mind as were racing through mine on that fateful day. What is this? Why have I been given it? What have I done to deserve this? And, which one is the starter, which one is the desert?

You don’t get to a position like yours Richard with anything less than a generous sprinkling of observational power so I KNOW you will have spotted the tomato next to the two yellow shafts of sponge on the left. Yes, it’s next to the sponge shaft without the green paste. That’s got to be the clue hasn’t it. No sane person would serve a desert with a tomato would they. Well answer me this Richard, what sort of animal would serve a desert with peas in:

I know it looks like a baaji but it’s in custard Richard, custard. It must be the pudding. Well you’ll be fascinated to hear that it wasn't custard. It was a sour gel with a clear oil on top. It’s only redeeming feature was that it managed to be so alien to my palette that it took away the taste of the curry emanating from our miscellaneous central cuboid of beige matter. Perhaps the meal on the left might be the desert after all.

Anyway, this is all irrelevant at the moment. I was raised strictly but neatly by my parents and if they knew I had started desert before the main course, a sponge shaft would be the least of my worries. So lets peel back the tin-foil on the main dish and see what’s on offer.

I’ll try and explain how this felt. Imagine being a twelve year old boy Richard. Now imagine it’s Christmas morning and you’re sat their with your final present to open. It’s a big one, and you know what it is. It’s that Goodmans stereo you picked out the catalogue and wrote to Santa about.

Only you open the present and it’s not in there. It’s your hamster Richard. It’s your hamster in the box and it’s not breathing. That’s how I felt when I peeled back the foil and saw this:

Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking it’s more of that Baaji custard. I admit I thought the same too, but no. It’s mustard Richard. MUSTARD. More mustard than any man could consume in a month. On the left we have a piece of broccoli and some peppers in a brown glue-like oil and on the right the chef had prepared some mashed potato. The potato masher had obviously broken and so it was decided the next best thing would be to pass the potatoes through the digestive tract of a bird.

Once it was regurgitated it was clearly then blended and mixed with a bit of mustard. Everybody likes a bit of mustard Richard.

By now I was actually starting to feel a little hypoglycaemic. I needed a sugar hit. Luckily there was a small cookie provided. It had caught my eye earlier due to it’s baffling presentation:

It appears to be in an evidence bag from the scene of a crime. A CRIME AGAINST BLOODY COOKING. Either that or some sort of back-street underground cookie, purchased off a gun-toting maniac high on his own supply of yeast. You certainly wouldn’t want to be caught carrying one of these through customs. Imagine biting into a piece of brass Richard. That would be softer on the teeth than the specimen above.

I was exhausted. All I wanted to do was relax but obviously I had to sit with that mess in front of me for half an hour. I swear the sponge shafts moved at one point.

Once cleared, I decided to relax with a bit of your world-famous onboard entertainment. I switched it on:

I apologise for the quality of the photo, it’s just it was incredibly hard to capture Boris Johnson’s face through the flickering white lines running up and down the screen. Perhaps it would be better on another channel:

Is that Ray Liotta? A question I found myself asking over and over again throughout the gruelling half-hour I attempted to watch the film like this. After that I switched off. I’d had enough. I was the hungriest I’d been in my adult life and I had a splitting headache from squinting at a crackling screen.

My only option was to simply stare at the seat in front and wait for either food, or sleep. Neither came for an incredibly long time. But when it did it surpassed my wildest expectations:

Yes! It’s another crime-scene cookie. Only this time you dunk it in the white stuff.

Richard…. What is that white stuff? It looked like it was going to be yoghurt. It finally dawned on me what it was after staring at it. It was a mixture between the Baaji custard and the Mustard sauce. It reminded me of my first week at university. I had overheard that you could make a drink by mixing vodka and refreshers. I lied to my new friends and told them I’d done it loads of times. When I attempted to make the drink in a big bowl it formed a cheese Richard, a cheese. That cheese looked a lot like your baaji-mustard.

So that was that Richard. I didn’t eat a bloody thing. My only question is: How can you live like this? I can’t imagine what dinner round your house is like, it must be like something out of a nature documentary.

As I said at the start I love your brand, I really do. It’s just a shame such a simple thing could bring it crashing to it’s knees and begging for sustenance.

Yours Sincerely,

XXXX

2009-01-28T22:02:00.004-08:00

Rocking Horses

2009-01-23T21:02:00.002-08:00

So this rocking horse is what took up almost all of my free time in December. Nate's grandpa made rocking horses for Nate and his brothers 32 years ago out of scrap lumber. Mom and Dad Burt found Nate's and Ben's horses in their shed this fall. They were in really rough condition (Nate's horse literally lost its head), but I decided that I really wanted to try to refinish Ben's horse for him for Christmas. Now, I've never refinished anything, so I was really flying by the seat of my pants, learning as I went and making plenty of mistakes.

I bought power tools (the Dremel is my new favorite gadget) and learned about different kinds of stains and glues. About a week before Christmas, I started getting really worried that Ben would hate it, that he would see all of my mistakes (did I mention there were many?) and wish he had refinished it himself.

The lowest point was when I thought I was almost done . . . the horse was sanded and screwed back together, but when I went to nail on a leg for stability, the horse broke in half. I thought that I had fixed a crack with wood filler . . . instead I had to take it apart and glue it together with Sumo glue (that stuff is awesome). I'm ultimately glad it happened because it ended up much stronger than it would be otherwise.

Anyway, I stained it, lacquered it . . . my children fell in love with it right before I took it to the Christmas Eve party (kids, I'm still working on Daddy's). Mom and Dad decided that the horse should be the last gift of the night, so I had to wait through the entire night with my stomach in knots. When we finally brought it out and Ben opened it, he started crying almost immediately. He loved it . . . it was a better reaction than I could have hoped for!

Roller Coasters

2009-01-23T09:56:00.003-08:00

Yes, life has been a roller coaster the last little while, especially since Nate found out last week that there will be layoffs at IMFT. After the panic and agony of waiting, we both came to a place where we knew we would be fine either way . . . and then we had to wait some more. Thankfully, we are keeping the job (choruses of angels are singing "Allelujah!" in my head), but I have to say that this scare has given me some real perspective.

First of all, losing a job is not the worst thing in the world. Granted, I really feel for all the people who are looking for a job in this economy, but when I found out that one of my dear friends miscarried last week, it reminded me that there really are worse things that could happen.

Which leads me to the second thing I realized. I am sooo blessed. We have our health and we have each other and we have so many amazing friends and family. Thank you for all your prayers and your encouragement! I have rarely felt so loved by so many people, including so many people in our ward who have been checking on us and keeping us in their thoughts.

Third, it certainly has been a financial wakeup call. We have been doing really well getting ourselves out of debt ($17K paid off last year), and now we only owe on the car, but we still don't have much in the way of a financial reserve. I have also been doing well at couponing and trying to build up our food supply, but this reminded me yet again how important it is to store as much as we can.

Fourth, it reminded me how lucky I am to stay at home with the kids. There have been a few times lately, especially when the kids are screaming or crying at each other all day, that I have thought how lucky my friends who work are. Then as I started looking for work last week to see what our options were, I realized that I actually do want to be at home and that I serve a very valuable function in my family (not that I don't think stay-at-home moms are valuable; it's just sometimes we all need reminding of our own worth).

Thanks to everyone for your love and support!

Deck the Halls

2008-12-10T09:55:00.003-08:00

I love Christmas! It is the only holiday for which I really have any decorations. Each year we get a live wreath (thanks, Mom!), which this year I decorated with my wooden gingerbread men instead of a bow. The other wreath, which hangs on the front door, was made for us by Nate's co-worker, Robin, who is very talented. I love nativities and advent calendars (and would love to start collecting more). This advent calendar is my first, and I wanted it specifically to make sure that the kids remember the reason for the season. They love getting to take their turn opening the door (and yes, Ryan chose to put all the camels on top of the manger this year). Usually I also put up a Christmas village, but this year, in the spirit of de-stressing, I decided to not worry about it. I might put it up after Christmas as a winter village, but I don't have time to deal with it right now.

My most favorite part of Christmas is my tree. I love putting it up (especially now that we have one that is pre-lit) and then taking out all the ornaments and talking about our memories of them as we put them on the tree. Nate and I collect at least one on each trip we take and then at least one that represents a significant event of the year.

Last Christmas, Nate's parents gave us the beautiful tree skirt that they made. They actually made one for each of the brothers, and they are personalized for our own families. Some got country Christmas colors or gingerbread men, but mine (I mean, ours) has Christmas songs all around it. They have quilted it by hand, and I love all the detail. I also love that the colors match the angel that is on top of our tree. We bought it our very first Christmas, and I've never seen one that I like more.

Not-so-obvious Blessings

2008-11-26T16:09:00.003-08:00

I figured now was a good time to express my gratitude for a few things that I may not have been grateful for earlier but have come to really appreciate.

Nate losing his job in Arizona was one of the best things that could have happened because it enabled him to get a job back in Utah that was so much better than any previous job and that lets us live so close to our family.
Sofia crying so much for so many months has helped me really appreciate how happy she is now. It also makes it a little easier to wink at some of the messes, etc. that she's always getting into.
Not getting any work this year (except for the one manuscript that paid for all the car problems) has given me more time to spend with the kids and to renew friendships. I've gotten to have nearly weekly lunches with Jenny, go scrapbooking with Mom and Keri, spend more time with Mike and Megan, learn all sorts of new things like how to make bread and pie, and learn to budget and coupon.

I'm so grateful for so many things, and I hope you each have a happy Thanksgiving!

My Last Supper

2008-11-26T15:51:00.003-08:00

A photographer named Melanie Dunea asked professional chefs from around the world to share what they would eat for their last meal, what they would drink, what the setting would be, who would be there, and who would prepare it. It's had me thinking about it all day. What would I want to eat? The easiest part is who I would want to eat it with--all my friends and family would be invited. Might as well make my last meal on earth into a party, right?

The setting could be anywhere, as long as people are willing to crowd in, but I guess in a perfect world it'd be nice to find some luxury cabin with picture windows and a stunning view of Yellowstone or a huge house right on the beach. I'd like to pitch in on the prep. I love to cook, and I really enjoy cooking with other people, so I think I'd want in the kitchen (or on the grill) anyone who wanted to help in the kitchen. And maybe hire a professional sushi chef for the night. There would be plenty of drinks: sparkling juices, fresh fruit lemonades (especially blueberry), cider, wassail, and hot chocolate.

Now the real question is what this perfect last meal would entail. I really think I'd like a buffet that has all of my favorite foods in it, so everybody else could have a taste and so that I could have a tiny bit of tons of things that I love. Yes, I'd have sushi; Dad's BBQ chicken; Nate's grilled salmon; sweet potatoes; salad with craisins, feta, and walnuts; stroganoff and rice; chili and cornbread; and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables to munch on. For dessert, warm peach and apple pies, key lime pie, and brownies ala mode.

So now I want to know what your last supper would be. Feel free to be as detailed as you want!

"Pushing Daisies" is pushing daisies!

2008-11-24T22:43:00.002-08:00

I'm just writing this post to lament the passing of one of my favorite shows. Quirky, original, colorful, the show never ceases to entertain. It has lively banter and fabulous narration by Jim Dale (how could you not love the man's voice?), and it has everything that I love: mystery, comedy, and romance. The actors are all phenomenal, particularly Lee Pace as Ned the pie man and Kristin Chenoweth as Olive Snook.

I'm still in disbelief that ABC has canceled it, especially given the three Emmys it won and the dozen others that it was nominated for. It just needed more time to gain an audience. I keep hoping that some other network will see it for the gem it is and pick it up. In a perfect world, I suppose.

In the meantime, here's to the awesome show that almost was!

Giving Thanks

2008-11-20T15:07:00.004-08:00

I love this time of the year so much! It's great to pause and remember all of our blessings, so here are a few of my recent favorite things: A letter from Lauren, one of my Laurels, to tell me how much she loves me, right when I needed a pick-me-up. Sofie finally toddling all over the place and learning to sign "please" and "thank you" because she cries at least 50% less now that she can get around and communicate a little bit. Ryan asking to use the potty two times in a row; it didn't last, but it gives me hope. Running with Warren and Lindsay (2 miles!!). Finding a great deal thanks to the Savvy Shopper! Finding an awesome deal on my own! The Mentalist and Pushing Daisies. Being a pirate for Halloween and finding the whole outfit in my closet. Ryan and Sofie laughing together, even when it means a big mess to clean up later. My coupon organizer. Mom helping me put together 20 tiles! The new Smith's Marketplace across from IMFT. Weekly lunches with Nate (2.3 years and haven't missed a week!). Dishing with Megan. Sanity lunches with Jenny. "It's a New Day!" And the best husband in the entire world!

Thanks to all veterans

2008-11-11T15:32:00.001-08:00

Thank you to those who have bravely served our country, especially to Dad Burt, Uncle Bob, Uncle Dick, Don, Richard, Ben, Grandpa Daynes, and Mr. Glenn.

(Below is excerpted from an essay I wrote in high school)

The path veered to the right, and as I rounded the corner, I saw it. There, engulfed by a reverent silence, was the Wall. The black marble monument, know as the Vietnam Memorial, was set in a hillside, effectively blocking the omnipresent din of Washington traffic.It was so quiet that I thought to myself in whispers, though I was fairly sure no one else was listening.

I walked slowly down the declining trail and tried to take in everything at once: the people lining the walks, the sun gleaming off the polished black stone, the sudden cool air that brushed against my skin. At the base of the wall, I reached out to touch it. The black should have been super-heated after spending the entire day in the sun; instead, it was pleasantly cool. The columns of names were each deeply carved under the year in which they died or were declared missing in action. I traced a name in front of me with my finger. The name felt like fine sandpaper, tugging at my skin.Because I was too young to remember the war, I watched as other people reflected on it.

The crowd thinned a little, and I saw a woman in a pale pink dress approach the wall. Her chestnut hair was graying at the temples and base poorly concealed her wrinkles. She knelt at the gutter that ran the length of the wall to gently place an offering in it. Her breath stuttered as a tear escaped down her cheek, then she kissed her fingers, touched them to a name, and walked briskly away. I crept closer to see a mud-encrusted combat boot, creased and cracking at the toes and holding a crimson rose.

Further up the wall was a man in a hospital-issue wheelchair, stringy hair and beard in need of shampoo. His army fatigues were tucked neatly back under his legs at the knees. Between the stumps sat a bottle of whiskey. I fully expected him to take a few swigs from the bottle, but instead he opened it and poured it into the gutter, his piercing gaze only half in the present. A bitter tang rose into the air, and I shuddered.

A whimper broke the silence. Under the "1970" mark, a young father showed his young son and infant daughter a name, while bouncing her in his arms. "This is your grandfather, my father.""When are we gonna see him, huh?" the boy asked impatiently."We can't, Josh. He died a long time before you were born. But you would have liked him. He liked baseball, just like you, and loved to fish and wrestle." They stood there a long while after that, but it was getting late and I had to get home.

I took one last long look at the names in front of me. To my surprise, I noticed behind the neatly engraved names and numbers my faint reflection. I was on the wall too. The dead silently charged the living there that day to remember.

Happy Birthday, Ryan!

2008-10-11T09:11:00.003-07:00

Okay, so it is a little late, but I wanted to tell my little guy how much I love him! I love his enthusiasm, his love for other people (especially his family), and his singing. He is such a good big brother, playing and sharing with his little sister. He loves to learn and asks to ride the school bus to school every other day (not for a couple of years, kiddo!). His smile is infectious, and he can always make me laugh. Thanks, Ryan, for being such a great son!!

Happy Birthday, Sofia!

2008-10-01T10:07:00.002-07:00

A year goes by sooo fast! We are so grateful to have our little climber in our lives (she just learned how to climb up on the rocking chair on her own and goes up and down the stairs). She is so happy (is there anything better than a child's laugh?) and a bundle of independence and determination wrapped in a little package (this outfit is 3-6 months!).

To celebrate the good times, we're heading to Thanksgiving Point to play in the Corn Maze. Don't know if she'll like it, but Ryan's still free until his birthday next week, so we thought we'd take advantage of it while we can!

A Breath of Fresh Air

2008-09-27T00:22:00.004-07:00

The kids have been sick all week, and I've been going nearly crazy cooped up in the house. Finally, today I couldn't take it any longer. Trying to put Ryan to sleep, I decided to drive up Provo Canyon (Ryan wanted to see the waterfall and the tunnel). I kept going past Sundance and up over the mountain. I was really excited that I didn't have to pay anything, just drive through all the beautiful colors and enjoy the fresh air coming through the windows. It reminded me of all the many things I love about fall: clarity of crisp air, the smell of dying leaves, yellow aspens, orange oaks, red maples . . . I highly recommend making the drive before it snows!

I'm grateful for . . .

2008-08-13T22:31:00.003-07:00

[I haven't blogged for a while because we were on vacation and then my computer broke down--but I'll post more about that when I can get my pictures back (I hope!).]

Dad and Nate's marathon efforts to resurrect my computer. Only bouncing on the Pirate Lair dock during the earthquake (instead of being stuck in the swaying 17th floor room in downtown LA). How excited Ryan got at the character breakfast. Ryan getting to unlock and open the doors at the restaurant (and the balloons and autographed pictures to go with it). Business-class tickets to Vienna and family willing to watch the kids so we can go next spring. Finding new things I had never done at Disneyland (watching them retiring the colors, Toy Story Mania, the Zephyr rockets). Seeing Disneyland through the eyes of a child. Learning to drive in LA rush hour traffic without getting ulcers or in an accident. Kids who travel really well. Finally figuring out what I was doing wrong on my cleanup project. Riding the ski lift at Sundance and enjoying the peace and beauty of soaring over the mountains. Playing games with friends and family. Learning how to parent (thanks for all the conversations, Jen). Chocolate covered potato chips (they're a lot better than they sound). Sofia using toys to walk across the living room. Having a chance every two years to celebrate individual achievement and unity with the rest of the world (even if it's only for a few days). Having a husband who could care less that I still can't find the keys.

I'm grateful for . . .

2008-07-23T20:39:00.002-07:00

Wednesday lunches with Jenny. Long car rides with Megan. Seeing plays again (I always pick more up the second time). Seeing really well from the cheap seats. Nate laughing out loud at Psych. Nate talking me out of being out-of-my-mind stressed. Child leashes that masquerade as little backpacks. Lessons from a milk jug (see Ensign July 2008). Sharing the bounty of my garden, like supersweet and crunchy grape tomatoes. Others sharing with me, like fresh lettuce and zucchini. Colored pencils (that won't melt in the car). Relatives that let us crash with them when we travel! Tortoises eating right out of Ryan's hand. Cruise control. Singing songs from Newsies at the top of my lungs. Waking Ned Devine. Taking vacations with Nate and the kids, even if we don't get to spend the whole time with Daddy.

Tag

2008-07-20T20:52:00.004-07:00

My friend Rachel tagged me, so if you want to play too, post your answers on your blog or as a comment to this one.

Two names you go by:
1. Mommy
2. Marie

Two things you're wearing right now:
1. A T-shirt with a pic of Shakespeare composed with the name of his plays
2. A cute new hat from the Shakespeare festival (it looks like the hats the Russian peasants wore in Fiddler on the Roof) with new metal buttons to replace the mother-of-pearl ones that the kids broke

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. To get over my cold
2. A nap :D

Two people who will fill this out:
1. Nate
2. Megan

Two things you did last night:
1. Watched Cyrano de Bergerac with Nate, Mike, and Megan in Cedar City
2. Discussed Taming of the Shrew, which we saw as a matinee

Two things you ate yesterday:
1. A pub salad from the Pastry Pub, made of lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, muenster and cheddar cheese, carrots, sprouts, turkey, and balsamic vinaigrette
2.Humbug drops (buttermints)

The last two people you talked to:
1. Nate
2. Ryan

Two things you did or are doing today:
1. Went swimming in the hotel pool
2. Picked grape tomatoes from my garden to put in a salad

Two longest car rides:
1. Provo, UT, to Juneau, AK
2. Provo, UT, to Washington, DC

Two favorite beverages:
1. Fresh squeezed lemonade with fruit (I really like it with raspberries or blueberries)
2. Ice cold water with slices of lemon/lime

Color of the Sea

2008-07-18T08:02:00.002-07:00

I started reading Color of the Sea by John Hamamura because I found a reading list about Japanese American internment during World War II and decided to read through it to see which were really worth reading. (This is one of my dad's big interests; he even designed a class that teaches around this.)

Anyway, the first book on the list wasn't very good, so I wasn't expecting much out of this one. However, I loved this book. It tells the story of Sam, born in Hawaii, raised in Japan, educated in the U.S., his early samurai training, his falling in love with a beautiful "samurai woman," and how World War II affects both them and those they love.

The story itself is compelling; it wasn't predictable, it was human, and you care about the people. Even better, though, is how the story is written. Hamamura conveys the beauty of the Japanese culture using vivid poetry and imagery. (It is so vivid that I often found myself dreaming in poetry on the nights I read the book.)

Unfortunately, I do not have his command of language to praise him highly enough, but if you are interested in this time period, I highly recommend this book.

Memory Lane

2008-07-16T21:30:00.002-07:00

My friend Rachel started this on her blog, and I thought it was a great idea! And it would be really fun if everyone participates! So here are the ground rules:

1. As a comment to this post, write a memory that you and I have together. It doesn't matter how well you know me. It can be a big or little memory, good or bad, just be nice about it.

2. Put a memory lane on your blog for me to comment on. Or if you don't want to post it on your blog or don't have a blog, I'll leave a memory of you in my comments.

I think this will be really fun! So go to it, my friends!

Random Acts of Kindness

2008-07-09T08:40:00.003-07:00

A special thanks to the woman (Sharon?) who helped me out yesterday. I biked to Costco to pick up some diapers and a few other things . . . I had loaded the kids and groceries into the trailer when I discovered that the back wheel had completely separated from the frame. I tried to figure out what to do, but Sofia was screaming and I was at a complete loss. Originally, I planned to walk home with the kids to pick up the car and then come back for the groceries, which an employee was going to put in a cooler for me.

Sharon asked what she could do. I asked to borrow her phone to call Nate and tell him that I'd be really late for lunch. After she heard my plan, she offered to drive the kids, the groceries, and me home. We loaded everything up and were home very quickly. I left all my money in her van, so she came back and returned that too. It took so much stress off, especially since Sofia was ready for a nap and had just had it. I only hope that if I am in a similar situation that I can have the presence of mind to help someone else in just the way that they need it.

And a special thanks to Warren for then fixing my bike. I told him my adventure and without hesitation, he offered to go over to Costco with me, assessed the situation, and quickly fixed it. I don't know what I'd do without you!! (And Nate, I know you would have fixed it when you got home, but this way it was completely fixed before you got home, so I could make dinner and the family could eat before Webelos. :D)

I'm grateful for . . .

2008-07-07T09:39:00.003-07:00

Cuddling with the kids in the morning. Grandad playing with Ryan. Naps (either for them or me). Warren coming to Cedar City. Attending the Utah Shakespearean Festival for 16 years. A husband who loves to watch plays with me. Child care! My first project all year. Opportunities to travel. Living in such a beautiful and varied place. The opportunity to get such a great education and to pursue the career I want to. The many freedoms I enjoy and those who have served the country in numerous ways to ensure that they remain. Water fights. An active imagination. Ryan loving to read. Spending time at Thanksgiving Point as a family. A husband who is positive and optimistic and tries to do the right thing.

The Utah Shakespearean Festival!

2008-07-06T20:41:00.004-07:00

One of the highlights of my year has come and gone again, and I must say I had a wonderful time. Six plays in three days and both kids in child care. :D I love the women there; they still remembered Ryan 9 months after the last time we were there. He woke up every morning really excited to go back. Sofia, on the other hand, did not deal with it well; we haven't moved past the separation anxiety phase yet, but to the child care center's credit, they made it very easy to leave her. (But then, so did getting to see the plays!)

Megan, I know you've been waiting for the reviews. Here they are in the order of my preference from least liked to best.

The School for Wives: The basic story is a man, Arnolphe, who has had numerous affairs decides that for his own wife he needs an absolute innocent so she can never be false to him. The girl he had raised in a convent, Agnes, is released to get ready for the wedding day, but while he's away, Agnes is seduced by young Horace and they fall in love. Horace confides his plans in Arnolphe because he is a friend of Horace's father, so Arnolphe thinks he is keeping one step ahead of the couple. The festival does plays so well, and this one has excellent actors, costumes, and direction. The problem is that they weren't given much to work with. Moliere, the French Shakespeare, wrote it, and it is funny in places. However, most of the laughs came from dumb shows in between scenes and the notary's amusing costume.

Cyrano de Bergerac: The classic love story about the triangle amidst the man who thinks himself ugly but who has a tremendous soul, the beautiful Christian who is not so bright, and the radiant Roxane. Cyrano, the great poet, is madly in love with Roxane who is madly in love with Christian. Cyrano writes love letters for Christian and eventually wins Roxane's heart, but Christian is killed before he can tell Roxane the truth. He keeps the secret for 15 more years until minutes before his death. It should tell you how much I liked the other plays that this is ranked 5 of 6. This was the play I was most looking forward to because Cyrano and Roxane are performed by a husband and wife team who actually met on the Cedar City stage and it was directed by another favorite actor. However, there were slow moments, and I found the play itself frustrating. Megan, you'd love this play, but I found the unrequited love depressing! However, the poetry of Romanticized love and the main performances themselves were beautiful.

Two Gentlemen of Verona: Two friends, Proteus and Valentine, graduate from high school and go out into the world to seek their fortunes. Valentine falls in love with the duke's daughter, Sylvia. Proteus, leaving his love Julia at home, goes to court and falls in love with Sylvia himself. He gets Valentine banished and then sets about wooing Sylvia himself, while Julia dresses as a boy and becomes Proteus' page. As with all the comedies, everything ends well though abruptly. This was by far Austen's favorite play because they have a live dog in it! This is not one of Shakespeare's most popular plays, but this was by far the most memorable performance I've seen of it, full of great bits and a couple of beautiful comic pieces by Brian Vaughn.

Fiddler on the Roof: This is the classic musical about a Jewish family in Anatevka, a Russian village. Tevye, the milkman, sees three of his daughters married, grows closer to his wife, and then has to leave his home along with all the other Jews. Of course, this synopsis doesn't give any indication how funny and moving this production was in turn. The songs are beautiful, the performances fabulous, and the dances were incredible, especially at the wedding (bottle dance anyone?). Of course, I hardly stopped crying the whole second half, but I was in good company; I heard sniffles all around me. It was life-affirming and gave me a lot to think about, including how communities interact with each other, how parents deal with and are affected by the choices of their children, and about how the Mormon community was also driven about in our earlier history. I would love to see it again this season!

Othello: Desdemona marries Othello, a great black general, while his assistant Iago decides to ruin Othello's life because he heard a rumor that Othello had slept with his wife, Emilia. He proceeds to convince Othello that Desdemona has been having an affair with his lieutenant, Cassio, to the point that Othello kills Desdemona and then himself. That is the basic synopsis, but it hardly gives an idea of how brilliant this play is and how interesting it is to watch Iago work. This may be a definitive production for me. I've seen numerous versions, but this was hands down the best Iago I have ever seen. You could see the wheels turning in his mind as he devises his plot, and he was very ratlike. Desdemona was played assertively, which is completely supported by the text, though I have never seen her played that way. Othello was quite good too, though maybe not definitive (I don't think I have found him yet). The set suggests a chessboard, appropriate to Iago moving about people like pawns. I was blown away by the performance, but I'm not sure I could go back and see it again quickly, if only because it is emotionally draining.

Taming of the Shrew: This is my very favorite play this season. Bianca the beautiful cannot get married until Kate the shrew gets married, so Bianca's suitors arrange for Petruchio to marry Kate and get her out of the way. The suitors try to outwit each other for Bianca's hand, while Petruchio attempts to tame Kate. This production was set in Italy just after WWII. Petruchio is a swaggering American GI, but one who is not abusive to Kate, merely trying to mirror her behavior, though he regrets some of what he feels he has to do. There are so many comic bits that I laughed pretty much all the way through the play. This is a problematic play, to be sure, but I've rarely seen it done better. Hopefully, we'll be going back next month to see it again.

Colonial Days

2008-07-02T21:20:00.005-07:00

This morning, Jenny, Camilla, and I met Warren and took our kids to Colonial Days outside of the Crandall Historical Printing Press (200 East Center Street). If you are in Provo July 3, 4, or 5, I highly recommend it. They had colonial games (like this one where you try to roll a marble through the arches--it's a lot harder than it looks):
They had a partial model of the Mayflower:
They had colonial craftspeople, like a blacksmith, a gunsmith, a candle maker, lace weavers, and a basket weaver.
Ryan tried on this basket backpack from the Adirondacks:
The blacksmith had interesting things, including a toaster, waffle iron, and trivet:
Ryan enjoyed playing the hoop and stick game:
I enjoyed spending time talking to Revolutionary reenacters. They have a number of historical documents, colonial dancing, and plenty of other things to see as well. Enjoy!

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!

2008-06-30T21:54:00.003-07:00

Thanksgiving Point has Family Night activities every Monday night. This week the Gardens did a Pirate night, and given Ryan's current obsession, we thought it was a great idea to go. They're allowing picnics for their FHE activities, so I packed a dinner of curried chicken salad sandwiches, Sun Chips, watermelon, cantaloupe, and lemonade. It was so refreshing, and we ate in the shade in a little bend of the stream.

Immediately after, Ryan wanted to get started. You can see the pirate boats they constructed. You could throw soaked sponges at the other ship or try to attack other pirates with water pistols. With the amazing heat, it felt really good, and it was Ryan's favorite part by far. By the look on my face, I apparently got into it a little too much!
They had storytelling, mapmaking (complete with a little gold coin), and a range of birds. We got to pet one, and then we just admired the blue macaw, the peregrine falcon, and the golden eagle below.

Afterward, they gave us popsicles! Arrh, what a fun evening!

First harvest

2008-06-29T19:29:00.004-07:00

Well, here are the first fruits (or vegetables) of my labor. Now, those of you who garden already know there is a problem with this story. I should have pulled my radishes three weeks ago (or more), and you could tell. As my dad put it, there was a lot of texture to them . . . And I should have left a lot more room between the seedlings because a lot of them were way too skinny to be any good.

However, I'm still pleased. They looked and smelled like radishes. :D And next year, I know what to do to make them actually edible.

I'm grateful for . . .

2008-06-28T22:36:00.005-07:00

S'mores made with Nutella (yum!). Sofia's dandelion-leaf goatee. Warming up around hot coals under the stars. Ryan telling me that I'm his best friend! Ryan and Sofia loving and playing with their cousins. Hiking, no matter how brief the trip. Flavored honey from the Trappist monastery. Having a good backbone, breastbone, and funny bone. Nate the Great. Reading books with the kids. Sofia happy that she can finally crawl. Corn on the cob. Anything Nate barbecues. Friends who let me be myself without having to worry about causing permanent damage if I screw up. Ryan singing the pirate song (Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!). The Utah Shakespeare Festival (we're going in less than a week :D). Getting to see where Nate works (and seeing stuff he's never seen). Ryan's IMFT badge. Snow cones on superhot days. Finding one raspberry alive! Satchmo. Having Mike and Megan over for dinner and entertaining discussion. Being able to keep to a budget. Being the Laurel advisor. Preparing lessons that help me at least as much as they help the girls. Bike rides that are starting to get easier.

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T21:16:00.003-07:00

I just wanted to give Nate a public shoutout for being such a great dad! Here are some of the reasons that you are so wonderful:

You're willing to get up at 3 a.m. to get Ryan some ice.
You sing Bulgarian lullabies to the kids when they're sad.
You can always make Ryan laugh, even when he's crying.
You cleaned Ryan up the night he threw up all over the place.
You are the king of the BBQ and breakfast grill.
You do the dishes!
You're patient with me, even when I'm being difficult.
You're willing to help me, my family, and your family, even when you're feeling miserable.
You are able to find the best in a situation, no matter how bad.
You love us!!

Thanks for being my best friend . . . Our children are so lucky to have you as a dad!

Lemon-Lovers' Ricotta Pancakes

2008-06-11T22:21:00.002-07:00

I found this recipe in the Herald before Mother's Day. We have made it a couple of times since then. They have great lemon flavor and are light and tender. However, I have found that we had to turn the heat up a little bit and cook them slightly longer on our oven. Experiment with it a little bit.

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tsp. (or more) grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. canola oil (divided)

Preheat the oven to 200 F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon oil. Using a rubber spatula or wooden sppon, fold this mixture into the dry ingredients to make a thick batter.

Brush a nonstick skillet with 1/2-teaspoon oil, then heat over medium-low. With a 1/4-cup measure, droop the batter onto the skillet, spreading it slightly. Multiple pancakes may be cooked at once. Cook the pancakes until browned on the underside and beginning to set, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the second side and cooked at the center, about 2 minutes longer.

Transfer the cooked pancakes to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. Brush the skillet with the remaining oil and repeat with the remaining batter.

Melancholy is incompatible with bicycling. --James E. Starrs

2008-06-10T22:50:00.002-07:00

I love biking. Especially when I was in junior high and high school, I rode my bike everywhere. I started up again when we moved back to Utah a couple of years ago, buying a bike trailer to carry Ryan around in. I rode quite a lot last year until pregnancy really slowed me down in July. However, I've started biking again this year, and I'm in heaven!

I've decided to ride my bike as much as possible as long as I'm running errands, etc., around Provo and Orem. Between the health benefits, saving a lot on gas, and helping out the environment, I'm one happy camper. (Now that Sofia is getting used to the trailer--and a helmet twice as big as her head--the kids are enjoying it too!)

I don't mind that things take a little longer because it means that I have to plan when and where I go and I enjoy the chance to think. However, I am finding that, especially with an extra passenger in the trailer, I'm running out of cargo room. Plus I can't put too much weight in it for fear of having the bottom drop out (although you'd be surprised how much the little thing can carry).

Anyway, to make my bicycle truly capable of carrying everything that I need it to, I am going to extend it with an xtracycle attachment (see the picture above). The basic unit comes with a board that can support up to 200 pounds (which means carrying not just children, but adults as well) and bags that attach to it. Eventually, I will also get platforms to support wider loads (like multiple Costco boxes). And when Ryan is too tall for the trailer (at the rate he's growing, that will be next year), he can sit on the platform behind me.

I'm still saving up, but I'm getting really excited! I can't wait have my own Sport Utility Bicycle (as they say).

The ideal pet?

2008-06-08T21:47:00.003-07:00

Nate finally went to go see an allergist a week ago, and he found out that he's allergic to everything (well, except cedar). He's not as allergic to cats as he is to dogs, and he's nowhere near as allergic to dogs as he is to horses (sorry, kids, no pony!). So when the cats shuffle off this mortal coil, we won't be getting any more furries.

That's got me thinking about what we might get later. I love the idea of the kids having a pet because it teaches them to treat animals well and to take an interest in something outside of themselves. (As they get older, they might even learn a bit of responsibility.)

My aunt and uncle have 3 desert tortoises in their back yard. Every time we go visit them, Ryan gets really excited about feeding them. They're low maintenance; they eat the grass in the back yard (and sometimes a little zucchini or lettuce that Ted and Arlene leave out), they hibernate for six months of the year, they don't need to be cleaned, etc. However, they live in Las Vegas. It might be a little more complicated here because you have to prepare a place for them to hibernate (like a box in the basement). . . .

Hopefully, we'll have plenty of time to figure out our next pet, but I'd love to hear if anyone has a great non-furry pet idea. :D

Microlending

2008-06-05T22:23:00.003-07:00

When I was at BYU, I remember hearing about microlending revolutionizing the way we help people. The basic principle is giving small loans to individuals or small groups to help them establish or further their businesses by buying essential equipment (e.g., sewing machine or fridge) or inventory. Warren introduced me to Kiva.org, which accepts $25 donations. When the loans are paid back, donors can choose to either withdraw their money or reloan it to someone else. I like that they provide profiles of the people and their businesses, so you can choose a specific person to support.

Another organization that I really like is Heifer International (heifer.org), which allows you to purchase an animal or a share of an animal to give to a family in a developing country to help feed them and provide them a way to support their income (selling eggs, milk, etc.). The recipients also agree to share young with those in need to pay it forward.

I like that these organizations fill a real need while empowering those who are being helped to in turn help others. :D

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

2008-06-05T09:29:00.006-07:00

This is Michael Pollan's whole argument from In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto condensed into 8 words. This is one of those books that has made me think a lot. In the book, he shows how the way humans eat has dramatically shifted in the last 150 years, but especially in the last 30+, although it has not made us healthier. Those who eat a Western diet, high in shelf-stable, processed, and convenience food, are getting sicker and sicker; we have seen a sharp increase in obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, called Western diseases because they are rarely present in cultures that follow traditional diets.

He establishes what we know about our current diet: we have moved from whole grains to highly refined ones (which we're now finding out is detrimental to our health), from a complex diet and a complex way of caring for the soil to a diet mostly based on corn and soy and treating soils with fix-all fertilizers, from producing quality food to producing lower quality in great abundance, and from eating based on culture to eating based on science (in which scientists spend their time trying to isolate the benefits of individual compounds when foods are generally greater than the sum of their parts).

He also corrective steps that we can take; I'll just include a few, so as not to completely bore you.

Don't eat anything that your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food (no imitations or food products with unfamiliar and unpronounceable ingredients or high-fructose corn syrup).
Avoid food products that make health claims (if they have to tell you it's good for you, it's probably not; there is no magic bullet for health).
Shop mostly the peripheries of the supermarket (where you'll find dairy, meat, fresh produce) and stay out of the middle as much as possible (where you'll find highly refined and processed foods). However, the middle does provide beans, rice, spices, etc. So I won't completely avoid it. :D
Get out of the supermarket when possible (farmers markets and individual growers are often more committed to producing high quality foods that are more nutritious and using healthy soils). If you have room, buy a freezer to preserve more from these sources and from those who sell pasture-fed meats (animals fed on a mostly corn/grain diet will not be as nutritious for you as those who have eaten grasses).
Wild foods are good for you. These animals and plants have had to fend for themselves, so they have more antioxidants and other good compounds in them.
Eat meals (instead of constant snacks), eat with other people, try to eat at a table, take your time eating. All of these foster us listening to our body, so we stop eating when full or close to full instead of just eating until the package is gone.
Pay more for your food, and eat less of it (but eat more plants, especially leaves). To eat food from farmers markets, etc., is more expensive, but the food is more nutritious. Those who typically eat a Western diet are overfed but undernourished.
Spend time in the kitchen and the garden, if possible. Taking more time to prepare food means that more is made using whole ingredients instead of convenience foods. Gardening gives you some control over the quality of your food or at least a greater appreciation for what some foods might be like.

I can't go into all his arguments here--but I highly recommend the book.

Note: After a day of watching what I am eating, I am realizing that this will be a lot harder than I thought. . . . But I figure I can try to do a little here or there and keep working at it: planting a garden, going to farmers markets more often, trying to buy less processed food, and cooking from scratch more.

"Despite the gardener's best intentions, Nature will improvise." --Michael P. Garafalo

2008-06-04T23:29:00.002-07:00

So I've been working on the garden for the last month, and I am trying to let my few triumphs outweigh my larger failures. I am terrible with plants and kill things with regularity, and so far the tally is not in my favor. Despite my best efforts, I killed all the raspberries and boysenberries and mint (I'll have to try replanting them next year, but as someone said, every time one of my plants dies, I die a little inside too), but I have managed to keep the tomatoes and pepper plants alive and got radishes, squash, and zucchini to sprout.

I'm having a hard time because there are so many unknown variables, and I really don't know what I am doing. Honestly, the unpredictability is killing me. They say that anticipation is one of the best rewards of a garden. I'm merely hoping that this year I can eat something from the garden that tastes approximately like a vegetable.

As I've read about gardening, some people wax rapturously about the serenity, the glory of it. I keep tiptoeing around trying not to crush what might be a seedling (or possibly a weed--I'm still working on figuring it all out; and yes, next year I'll make visible hills and label them, so I actually can figure out where I've planted things). However, some have also written that gardens bestow humility, that they can be unpredictable. The variables are killing me, but I think it's really valuable for me to learn to let go some, to try something that I don't feel comfortable with and learn as much as I can this year so I can try it again next year.

Some day I hope to feel like Douglas William Jerrold, who said "Earth is here so kind, that just tickle her with a hoe and she laughs with a harvest." Until then, I'm hoping for patience with both the garden and myself and maybe a little unexpected joy when I finally get to eat something out of it!

If it's too loud, you're too old.

2008-06-02T21:33:00.003-07:00

I saw this strip on Saturday, and I couldn't stop laughing. I know I'm turning 30 this year, but I didn't think that I'd already crossed the generational divide! Thankfully, I can still blame Sofia for having to get up in the middle of the night, but there are too many times lately where I'll wake up and then can't get back to sleep . . . or can't go to sleep to begin with.

Sad thing is my brother is only four years younger than I am, but he's not on the same side of the divide. (Of course, he'd say that is blatantly obvious from my resistance to new technology too--I have yet to use an iPod, and I don't even have a texting plan!)

Take me out to the ballgame

2008-05-30T22:20:00.002-07:00

IMFT softball has started again! This year, Sarah's Slayers have great red and white baseball shirts, and they sure look great. Ryan is having difficulty with not being able to get out on the field and play himself. We got him a cloth ball and velcro glove with a foam bat; he thinks he's a big boy now.

I'm looking forward to picnic dinners, keeping score, and cheering Nate on ("Go, Daddy!"), at least once a week for the next couple of months. Ah, family time with the country's past time!

"Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world." --Walt Disney

2008-05-26T21:17:00.002-07:00

We got to spend three days at Disneyland/California Adventure, and we had a wonderful time! It was a total night and day difference for Sofia: instead of screaming and crying, most of the time, she was fascinated by characters and loved the music. I was really glad that I had been to Universal Studios first so that I could truly appreciate how much better Disneyland was for our kids.

Buzz Lightyear was the first character we met, and I was really excited for Ryan to meet him, since he is one of Ryan's current favorites (the only thing better would have been meeting Emperor Zurg!). However, he was still intimidated after the Simpsons experience, so it took all the courage that he could summon to walk up to him, touch his leg briefly, and then run.

Sofia loved meeting characters. Here we are meeting Alice. She also loved the Queen of Hearts, grabbing her white gloves and trying to suck her fingers.

Here is Sofia as Minnie!
Sofia also loved Mickey . . . she kept grabbing his nose!

We met Pooh and all his friends. Ryan by this time was completely comfortable with the characters again and gave them all lots of hugs.

The second day, Nate's dad finally joined us, as did his grandparents. Grandpa Ted was in a wheelchair, and Ryan was absolutely insistent that he be the one to push, even though he could see over or around him. :D Ah, my little independent helper!

Some characters we met that morning included Pluto and Cruella de Vil. She was Nate's favorite because she sneered so well and asked if the autograph book was for "it," looking at Ryan. Speaking of the autograph book, I actually made it before we went to California. We had all the characters we met sign it, and then when we got home, I turned it into a mini scrapbook, complete with pictures of each of the characters and other favorite Disneyland picture. It was the first scrapbook I was able to do so quickly.

Captain Jack was at the Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer's Island. He was amazing; he had all the mannerisms from the movie, and he was quick on his feet with very clever responses to everything that people said.

At California Adventure, they have King Triton's Carousel. They often pick a girl or boy to be the prince or princess for the ride. Ryan was chosen once to be "Prince Ryan" (even though he kept calling himself "princess"), so he got to say it was time to start the ride and wear a gold paper crown.

We also watched the Pixar Play Parade, which had floats with characters from every Pixar movie. We all enjoyed it, but Ryan was in seventh heaven because those are his favorite movies. Plus he loved that the characters would spray water at the crowds and bubbles blew over us. It was great fun.

Because Nate has a convention in LA at the end of July and we could put our admission tickets toward an annual pass that would cost less than a day's admission, we now have annual passes so that I can take the kids while Nate's at his convention.

Ryan's already started planning our next trip: flying boats of Peter Pan, the Main Street Electrical Parade (so he can see Pete's Dragon, one of his other favorites), Dumbo, the rockets, Buzz, Pirates of the Carribean, Tarzan's Treehouse, the train with the dinosaurs, Autopia, the Playhouse Disney puppet show (he loved dancing with Mickey, Pooh, Handy Manny, and the Little Einsteins), the Monsters Inc. ride.

"The beautiful souls are they that are Universal, open, and ready for all things" --Montaigne

2008-05-23T20:44:00.004-07:00

Nate and I went to California around New Year's in 2001, and we had a wonderful time at Universal Studios doing the tour and riding all the rides (I especially liked Jurassic Park). However, we learned very quickly this is not a theme park for young kids. It was very loud and overwhelming for Sofia. She hated the studio tour (we were all disappointed by the many changes toward it being one long commercial for Universal instead of letting you in on the movie magic); she started screaming on the earthquake set and pretty much didn't stop until the end of the tour. Of course, she started up again soon thereafter, but by that time, I was ready to cry too! We ended up leaving after only three and a half hours, but I was so relieved to get away from the noise (both Sofia crying and the auditory bombardment) that I didn't mind.

Despite all this, there were a few highlights for all of us. Ryan is a huge fan of Curious George (note the CG outfit and stuffed George). I didn't realize that Universal Studios had completely overhauled one of its sections (the Nickelodeon Blast Zone) to be the new Adventures of Curious George playground. We got our first sign of CG in the parking lot. I was so excited I had to get a picture!

The elevators also had pictures from the movie, so we thought we'd take a couple more. I particularly like the picture where Ryan put CG on his shoulders to be like the Man in the Yellow Hat.

It was Ryan's idea to meet the Simpsons (they were characters--and who doesn't want to meet a character?). However, they nearly did him in for characters for the rest of the trip. Homer pretended to throttle a guy in the family taking pictures in front of us, which intimidated Ryan. Bart completely did him in by blowing a raspberry at him as we passed. I didn't realize until I looked at the picture later that Bart was trying to pat Ryan on the back to make him feel better; I just knew that Ryan was crying and totally upset. (Of course, Marge smoothed everything over, at least temporarily, by giving him a Simpsons poster.)

Ryan was really scared to meet CG after the above event, but eventually he kissed his cheek. And I was so excited that Ryan was able to meet one of his "friends."

Then it was on to the CG playground. He had such a good time running around and playing on the slides. We even found a cool handcranked trolley that Ryan really enjoyed riding on.
Our favorite place was the ball room. It was filled with foam balls that you could do all sorts of things with. There were air guns that you could use to try and shoot balls through targets (or at people!), vacuums that would suck balls through hoses and deposit them all over the place (including in buckets that people were running around with).

Our favorite project in the ball room was filling a giant hopper that was near the ceiling and that would dump all over when it got full enough. We scrambled all over the room filling up buckets and bringing them back to the tube that was sucking up the balls. Mom broke a sweat, and Ryan kept squealing with excitement. When the balls tipped out, we were well showered (and the picture that Mom got seemed well worth all the effort).

I'm looking forward to going back there when the kids are older. Of course, by that time, it might seem even louder to me!

"It's all happening at the zoo" --Paul Simon

2008-05-22T22:25:00.003-07:00

The San Diego Zoo is the best zoo I've ever been to. Not only do they have a huge collection of animals and amazing exhibits that house them, but they also rescue animals in danger from all over the world. Below are pictures of some of our favorite animals: Mom loves the giraffes (and I was really impressed that Nate was able to get all five of them in the same picture!), giant pandas have been my favorite since I was 10, and the polar bears have become a family favorite because they are so much fun to watch in the water!

We love getting the deluxe tickets, which include unlimited trips on the Skyfari (see pics of us below) and the buses. Especially when it's hot, there is nothing better than climbing on the bus and just riding around for a while. Sometimes the kids even take a nap for a little while, but not this year.
After nearly dehydrating ourselves at Sea World the day before, we smartened up and bought a souvenir cup that could be refilled as many times as necessary (we loved the lemonade and ice water). All of us felt much better health-wise and we loved seeing the animals from the shady bus.

We bought Sofia this cute bucket hat. She wasn't as thrilled with it as we were, but it has an elastic strap to keep it on her head and we've gotten plenty of use out of it since. And honestly, isn't she a cutie?

Ryan befriended this sweet orangutan. She is an older resident of the zoo and loves kids. Ryan loved getting close to the glass and saying hello.
After the zoo, we picked Matt up from the airport because he was overnighting in San Diego. We bought some BBQ and enjoyed it on the roof of Linda's apartment (like we did last year).

Then we walked out on some sandstone cliffs to watch the sunset. Ryan enjoyed watching the waves with Uncle Matt.

All in all, another fine day in paradise!

"For whatever we lose (like a you or a me)/It's always our self we find in the sea"--e.e. cummings

2008-05-15T22:08:00.005-07:00

This was my very first trip to Sea World, and I absolutely loved it! It was nearly perfect. The animal exhibits were interesting and well done, and the animal shows were amazing. The only problem was the heat. It was 90 degrees, and there was very little shade. Here we are after only a couple of hours . . . we didn't drink enough either, so we were all pretty wiped out.

That said, I had a blast. I loved the Arctic exhibit. It had polar bears, walruses, and belugas. Nate was particularly proud of this pic of a polar bear scratching its back.

Here's a rescued walrus (like the San Diego Zoo, Sea World rescues and rehabilitates animals from all over the world).

Ryan was fascinated with this tortoise: it was a lot bigger than the one at my aunt and uncle's house.

We enjoyed watching them feeding the penguins; these are temperate penguins that live in warmer areas (but they didn't care much for the extreme heat either). It was so interesting because the trainer knew each individual penguin and they would shake their heads when they had had enough fish (they don't eat when they're full).

This is the shark exhibit. Ryan liked it so much we saw it three times. There is a moving walkway that goes through this acrylic tube underneath the shark tank. It was fascinating to see all those teeth up close!

Sea World has started a relationship with Sesame Street. They were constructing and about to open a huge Sesame Street play area, but we were able to see their 3-D movie (very fun) and the Beach Party Bash (not as fun for the adults, but Ryan loved it, so it was very worth it).

We loved all of the animal shows and interactions with animals. Unfortunately, our camera battery ran out, so I don't have pictures of the dolphin or sea lion and otter shows. However, I am very glad I got this on film (even if it didn't turn out very well). Mom and I were both able to pet a dolphin!! We were both really excited. It felt like soft wet rubber. My excitement was tempered a little by the fact that neither Ryan nor Nate were able to touch one. But I was still so happy to do something that I'd always wanted to do.

Of course, we had to go to the Shamu show. For days afterwards, Ryan would shout, "Left fin, right fin, Shamu, Shamu!" (That's the command the entire audience shouts to get the orca to splash.) We loved the show (all of the shows, really), and I was so pleased to get these shots to share!

"If you come home as happy as you leave, then you've had a good vacation"

2008-05-14T22:19:00.002-07:00

And boy, did I! After months of planning, researching, and meticulously trying to control every detail, I finally had to let go and actually go on our vacation. As always, there were a number of things that didn't go according to plan, but all in all, it was absolutely fabulous.

Kudos to Nate for fitting everything that I had on my list into the car. There was concern about how we'd fit everything in the car, including the double stroller. However, Nate made it, and we were all so grateful for it.

The first day, we made our leisurely way down to Las Vegas. When we got there, we decided to take the kids to see the Dancing Fountains at the Bellagio. We parked a distance away and walked through the dust and smut to get there; at first, I thought all our efforts were in vain because Ryan seemed pretty nervous about them, but then he was really excited about them (he started calling them the "bubble bath").

After that adventure, we spent the rest of the evening at my aunt and uncle's house. We had a tasty dinner, enjoyed great conversation, and got a great night of sleep (not something we could say about every night of our trip!).

The next morning we drove to San Diego and met Mom Burt. Within the hour, we had changed into swimsuits and headed to the beach to build sand castles, fly kites, and race in the waves (sometimes all at the same time--no kidding!).
Ryan was so excited to see his Grandma:
Sofia was having a fabulous time feeling the sand, but of course, with her fingers constantly in her mouth, she ended up eating a lot of it too. The poor thing had sandpaper in her diaper the next day, but I thought this picture was priceless!

That's all for tonight (I'm already turning into a pumpkin). For tomorrow, Sea World and the San Diego Zoo!

Filling My Well

2008-04-17T10:34:00.005-07:00

Elder Ballard gave one of the only talks in General Conference that I could actually hear over crying, screaming, and laughing children. Thankfully, it was specifically the talk that I needed to hear. One of the things he told mothers to do is to make sure that we fill up our wells so that we have the ability to deal with everything that life brings.

As I felt overwhelmed by children, and life in general, I decided to sit down and figure out some things that I am doing to replenish my spirit.

Play the piano: This is a challenge because every time I sit down to play, Ryan immediately feels like he needs to do it too. But there are few things that make me feel better than spending a few minutes playing favorite songs or learning a new one (I just learned a new Beethoven sonata).
Read: I try to sneak a chapter or article in frequently throughout the day, although that's not nearly as relaxing as being able to curl up on the couch with a book after the kids go to bed.
Book clubs: In the last couple of months, I've joined a couple of book clubs, and I'm loving every second of it. I'm reading books I might never otherwise and get to discuss them with intelligent and fun women. :D
Family and friend dinners/activities: I love spending time with my family and friends and eating good food. But I've also been loving getting together with Keri and Sadie (and sometimes Mom, Ruth, and Graden) to do things once a week. We've been to Wheeler Farm, the Hogle Zoo, the Utah Museum of Natural History, the Bean Museum, and the Museum of Art. Tons of free fun! And I love getting together with Jenny and Dylan once a week too! I get to gab and nosh, and she's so great with my kids, I just feel so much more relaxed. And I'm really looking forward to spending time with Mom and sisters at the Scrapbook Expo tomorrow (thanks, Megan, for taking Ryan so I can go!).
Talking to Nate: I love hanging out with him, and I really don't care what we're doing. I love going out for lunch once a week and watching movies together. I'm lucky to spend so much time with my best friend.

All of these things are great, and I certainly wouldn't survive without quality adult time and some quality alone time. But I have a list of things that I would like to do too.

Travel: I love to travel, and the only thing we've been talking about in our house the last few weeks is our trip to California. We'll get to spend some time with family in Vegas and LA, go to the beach, and visit the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, Universal Studios, and Disneyland. It will be a whirlwind, but I can't wait! :D And we're planning on doing some camping and hiking this summer, so we can get away from the house without spending a lot of money.
Guitar: I've had a guitar for a long time and the idea of learning how to play has really intimidated me. However, I've decided to make great strides and start learning it this year.
Cooking club: I love to cook (most of the time), and my friend Juli, who invited me to one of the book clubs, invited me to her cooking club as well. She gets together with friends and family once every month or two to learn new recipes and tips based around a theme. I'm excited to get involved.

Thanks to all of you! You make a difference in my life. You help to fill my well, expose me to new ideas, and make me a better person and mom!

Family Birth Order Study

2008-03-20T08:12:00.002-08:00

I've read a lot about birth order and how it affects personalities and outcomes, etc. Firstborn children are often higher achievers, get more schooling, and often have greater financial success. Finally, some people at BYU have done a study that may give us a clue as to why birth order affects who children become.

Its main finding is that parents give more quality time to their firstborn children from the ages of 4-13 than they do with subsequent children between those ages. This is for a number of reasons. Often parents are busier themselves as their children get older, often because of changes in jobs or mothers returning to the workforce; they also tend to get involved in the activities of their older children (i.e., sports) and drag the younger siblings along. Additionally, parents are much more likely to use the TV with younger children than with the oldest, which is not considered quality time. The trends seem to be consistent whether parents have 2, 3, 4, or more children (the youngest in any family tends to get about the same amount of time).

Basically, their conclusions are that parents who want to buck the trend need to spend more time participating in activities with their younger children, whether that be reading or playing together. Additionally, they are pursuing another line of research with the same data set that they believe will show that parental involvement and time trumps money when it comes to children's success later on.

I can already see the difficulty with trying to give both children equal amounts of time. Ryan literally demands a lot of attention and always wants me to play with him or read books with him. I do a lot for Sofia too, but it is mostly attending to physical needs right now (although I do try to get some playtime in as well). But that doesn't even count all the time I have to spend cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc. (we try to make that into quality time, even though it doesn't always/often work). And then I want to have a least a little personal time to write in my journal or my blog, to read, to scrapbook (which is mostly so I can document the family like the journal), or just to decompress.

It is so hard to find a balance, especially when there are so many demands (and more all the time) and I feel so exhausted! But I'm glad that I've read this now so it gives me something to think about.

Do any of you have any secrets for balancing your time?

Bean Museum Birthday Bash!

2008-03-20T07:54:00.003-08:00

For all of us born in 1978, this year is a significant milestone (can you believe it's been thirty years?). The Monte L. Bean Museum was also created in 1978, so next week they're having a big birthday bash. Here is their schedule in case anyone would like to join us in celebrating.

Monday: Family Night Activities
Treasure Hunt (5-9pm)
Animal Balloons (6-7:30pm)
Live Animal Show (7:30pm)

Tuesday: Birthday Lunch (it's for people turning 30 and a guest)

Wednesday: Taking pictures with Shasta the Liger (6-8pm)

Thursday: Tanner Lecture on Galapagos Tortoises (7pm)

Friday: Open Collections Night (6-8pm)
They're opening the collections that are normally kept behind closed doors. I know they have amazing things collected, including a nest made out of barbed wire, that I am really anxious to see.

Saturday: Birthday Party
Live animal passports (11am-noon) [No, I don't know what this means]
Birthday cake at noon
Cosmo (1-2pm)
Live animal show (2:15pm)

I am most excited about Monday and Friday, but I also submitted a request to go to the luncheon, which could be fun too!

Planting a Garden

2008-03-19T21:27:00.003-08:00

Big thanks to Jenny for helping me out in the back yard today! We dug up a place for a raspberry patch and then she rototilled it and another large patch by the house (go, Wonder Woman!). Ryan had a fabulous time digging around in the dirt and then helping Jen spread fertilizer. The babies both enjoyed the sunshine.

So, I really know nothing about gardening (although I have planted bulbs that have now come up successfully two years in a row). In fact, my track record is pretty bad when it comes to plants. But I've decided that the effort is still worth it. As Nate's mom says, nothing is impossible, so I figure I'll keep trying until I figure it out.

I also decided there are a lot of reasons that I want to garden:

It's excellent exercise! I am definitely getting definition in my arms and legs from digging, squatting, etc.
It is a great excuse to get me and the kids outside.
I really want my kids to know where some of the food they eat comes from.
I'd like to be able to grow and preserve some of my own food, partly for self-sufficiency and partly for the feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment that comes from doing it (I'd assume).
There is a lot of value in doing things that take time: they teach patience, perseverance, and planning.
I'm trying to constantly learn how to do new things. I figure I am only going to grow a few things this year, and if I figure them out (at least enough to not kill them), then we'll add more next year. :D

So I'm getting excited. Here's to a happy growing season!

Free Activities

2008-03-02T22:23:00.003-08:00

Nate and I have been doing really well the last month of staying on a budget. I've started developing a list of things to do for free (or really cheap).

Bean Museum (BYU): Full of animals from all over the world
Earth Science Museum (BYU): Very small, but it has beautiful rocks and dinosaur skeletons
Museum of People and Cultures (BYU): Another museum that has a lot of interesting collections, especially Native American artifacts
Museum of Art (BYU): Offers paintings, photography, permanent and traveling exhibitions, and a peaceful sculpture garden.
Carillon concerts: Free concerts are sometimes given from the BYU bell tower. The Freedom Festival one will be held June 19 this year.
Parks: There are so many parks in the area. All of them have fun equipment and provide opportunities to socialize with other parents and kids. One of my favorites is Discovery Park in Pleasant Grove, where you can play in a space shuttle, a volcano, beehives, and play music on all sorts of things.
Walking/biking/hiking: I can’t wait for spring with warmer weather and Sofia sitting up on her own, so I can do my favorite outdoor activities. We usually walk or bike every day somewhere to run errands, but I also love to hike at least a short distance with Ryan. My favorite biking trail is the Provo River Trail—paved, relatively level, and gorgeous scenery, all so close to my house!
Temple Square and other church buildings: There are so many activities in and around the area—the Church Museum, the visitor’s centers, tours, free concerts, movies. Additionally, all the construction in the area provides hours of entertainment for little boys.
Public libraries: Both the Orem and Provo libraries provide scores of free activities, including story hours, puppet shows, movies, family night activities. And we get lots of books and music to take home with us.
Other free concerts: There are plenty of places to attend free concerts, including BYU, the Provo Tabernacle, and UVU.
Free days: A lot of places have one or two free days a year, like Hogle Zoo (see the blog below; the next one will be in November) and the Museum of Natural History (their free day will be Monday, March 3). I will have to find out about more free days like these in the area.
Dinners with friends and family: This is by far one of my favorite activities. I love to get together with the people I love to eat, talk, etc.
Game Night: I also love to spend time playing games because it provides more opportunities to talk.

In addition, I have joined a book group and have been scrapbooking for free either at people’s houses or at Roberts, which has started a free scrap night once a month. And Nate will start IMFT softball again soon (the whole family goes to watch him play).

So do you have any other free activities that you enjoy doing?

Fun pictures of the kids from February

2008-03-02T17:30:00.003-08:00

Trip to the zoo!

2008-03-02T17:21:00.002-08:00

My sister-in-law Keri and I took our kids to the Hogle Zoo last Wednesday because it was it's free day.

We had a wonderful time; it wasn't too crowded, the weather was beautiful,

and we got to see the new baby giraffe.

The kids especially enjoyed watching the construction trucks building a new plaza.

Ryan was very pleased to see the elephants.

He sat concentrating with his hands deep in his pockets--he's growing up so fast.

Campaign Slogans

2008-02-20T14:13:00.002-08:00

By now, you know that I'm an Obama supporter, so this will no doubt be a biased reading, but I thought that by looking at campaign slogans of the remaining candidates might be interesting.

McCain: Ready to Lead on Day One
This slogan goes hand in hand with his repeated insistence that he has the most experience of all the candidates. However, it does little to inspire followers, and I can't really see people chanting it at a rally.

Huckabee: Faith. Family. Freedom.
This slogan speaks to his conservative core. It has great alliteration, which makes it easy to remember, and it lays out his priorities. All in all, it is a very good slogan, certainly the best from the Republicans.

Paul: Hope for America
This might belong to any of the candidates, but I'm most surprised that it belongs to him. Reading over his stand on the issues, his paranoia about government seems in direct contrast to his message of "hope." It is short and sweet but hardly a standout.

Clinton: Make History!
Clearly, she is appealing to those who are eager to elect a woman to the White House. Not only that, but it would make history to have the first ex-President as First Gent. However, it would also make history to elect either Obama (the first black president) or McCain (the oldest president to take office). Additionally, it says little about how she would govern as much as about what it means if she's elected. All in all, I was disappointed with this slogan--it seems to speak more to those who vote their gender or who want the Clinton dynasty back.

Obama: Yes, We Can!
I know that he's my candidate, but I genuinely like his slogan. He has repeatedly asked voters to not only commit to helping him win the campaign but also to keep going to help make positive changes once he's elected. Michelle said in her speech here in Utah that voting for Barack is voting to become involved in our communities and our country. In fact, on his website, the header reads, "I'm asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington . . . but in yours." I like that his slogan is inclusive and reflects not only his positive approach to the campaign but also inspiring others to participate in campaigns, communities, and the entire country (the complete opposite of the isolationist tendencies of Paul).

What do you think about the slogans?

The Total Money Makeover

2008-02-13T16:21:00.002-08:00

Nate and I just finished reading this book and spent all last night working on our budget. I was first impressed with Dave Ramsey's plan when I heard that he advocated the Debt Snowball, which I first heard advocated by Elder Marvin Ashton (I'll explain what it is below). As Nate and I have been working on this, I've been really pleased. Not that I was excited to learn we have more debt than I realized, but I am excited about working on our finances together and working to make sacrifices that will greatly benefit our family in the long run.

So here are his seven steps to becoming completely debt free and building wealth:

Step 1: Set aside $1000 for an emergency fund. The goal is no longer use credit cards for anything, so you have to have an emergency fund to pay for a real emergency and not use the credit cards.

Step 2: The Debt Snowball. Write down a list of all of your debts from smallest to largest (don't factor in interest rates because part of the point is to have some early successes paying off debts so you'll keep at it and don't include the mortgage). Make minimum payments on all of your debts but the smallest, and put as much as you can on the first. Once you've paid that first one off, use what you were paying on the first to add to the minimum payments on the second until you've paid that off. Then add the accumulated payment to the third and so on. He says that most people who are really committed are able to finish this step in 18-24 months. All extra money made by supplementing income or selling things should be used to pay off the debt.

Step 3: Fully fund your emergency fund. Once all of your debt is paid off, use those payments to build your emergency fund so it equals 3-6 months of what you would require to live on. Again, this step is right in line with what the church says (the new emergency preparedness guidelines include 3 months of food that your family already eats, a 3-6 month financial buffer, and then long-term storage).

Step 4: Invest 15% of your income toward retirement. He says you should put whatever your company matches into your 401K and then put the balance into an IRA. We're still learning about investing, but we have already been contributing heavily to the 401K at IMFT.

Step 5: Invest in education funds for your children's college, so they can go to school without being in debt. We are lucky in Utah because the state and the church heavily subsidize tuition to make it much more affordable. Additionally, Utah has one of the three best 529s in the country (you can invest in any state's plan, but it's cool that ours is so good).

Step 6: Pay off your mortgage. He suggests only ever getting a 15-year mortgage, and we're looking into seeing whether it would be worth refinancing at this point depending on the interest rate and closing costs. People who are really committed to the plan pay their homes off in an average of seven years. I am very excited about this step; I watched my parents become wealthy for the first time once they paid off their house.

Step 7: Build your wealth. This involves charitable giving, investing, and spending some for fun.

So this is our plan. We will be living very frugally for a while, and it will be challenging, but I have decided that this is just pushing me to be more creative in terms of shopping, etc. Can we do this? Yes, we can!

Btw, it has come to my attention that some people reading would like to make comment but don't know how. At the end of every blog is a little link that shows you how many comments there are. Click on it, and it will take you to a screen where you can read what has already been written and make your own comments.

Getting fit

2008-02-11T09:27:00.000-08:00

So, I'm adding to my resolutions . . . I'm trying to get spiritually, financially, and physically fit. I decided that all of them are really important, and Nate's been very supportive.

To get more spiritually fit, I've just been redoubling my efforts to make sure that we're having Family Home Evening, family prayer, and family scripture study (challenging to say the least with both Ryan and Sofia) and to make sure that I'm doing everything I can for my calling as Webelos leader. I also want to go with Nate to the temple several times this year; kids seem to make it all the more difficult.

To get more physically fit, I switched to skim milk, I have been exercising using my balance ball or jogging tramp at least 5 times a week (to get active until I can break out the bike trailer and stroller this spring), and I'm trying to be better about getting proper sleep.

To become more financially fit, Nate and I were introduced to Dave Ramsey by a friend. We've been reading his book The Total Money Makeover, which gives step-by-step instructions on how to get out of debt and how to build wealth no matter what your income. We don't have a ton of debt, but it's about how to completely change your lifestyle to become financially independent and make wise decisions. Nate and I are planning to write out a budget tonight and start saving cash in envelopes for various things to ensure that we keep to the budget. Being faithful to our plan, we hope to have our house paid off in 10 years (give or take a year).

My brother, Warren, who has studied a lot about money and wants to become a financial planner, is a great cheerleader and has been very supportive, bringing us other things to read and giving us all sorts of suggestions.

So anyway, I figure if I write down these three fitness goals they're more real and I'll have to be accountable. :D

Yes, We Can!

2008-02-06T22:12:00.000-08:00

Megan, this post is for you. This covers at least some of the things that were talked about at the rally.

First of all, the man who introduced her is actually from Utah, he's served several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and now works for the State Department in the Middle East. Before the primary runs started, he flew home to meet with several of the potential candidates on both sides of the aisle, and he decided that Barack is the real deal. His second flight home in the last while was to come introduce Michelle Obama. (As he said, "Yes, there are donkeys in Deseret!")

Michelle was an intelligent and dynamic speaker (it's so nice to have women in the campaign that are articulate and powerful!). She mentioned how children like Ryan and Joy are so full of hope and that it is our responsibility to see that they have opportunities and that we give them a world where they can dream because dreams are so important. She mentioned that as she and Barack have been traveling across the country she's been amazed at how we are all trying to live and be decent people and we all pretty much want the same thing: that if we work hard every day, we can make enough to live decently and provide for our children; that our kids get a good education in the public schools; that after working hard throughout our lives, seniors can retire without fear of losing their pensions or going into bankruptcy because of health problems. She talked about how most families would love to have a parent stay at home with their young children, but that those who do often do so at their financial peril. Because so many households have both parents working, grandparents are more important than ever in young lives.

She talked about her own parents who worked blue collar jobs. Her father continued going to work after contracting MS, proud to go to work because he could. The kids went to public school. He and his wife put both of their kids through Princeton. She said that this is what most families want to be able to do, but our quality of life has been declining.

She also dismissed the attacks that have been made against Barack. She said that they've heard them all before when he was running for the Senate: he doesn't have enough experience, he's too black, he's not black enough, he's too young, he should wait his turn, etc. She said that he's the kind of man who comes around only once in a lifetime. (I completely agree, btw. My father and others have compared him to Kennedy with his vision and inspirational leadership.)

After yesterday, I'm feeling even more hopeful (especially since Hillary has just had to inject $5 million of her own money to try and keep up with Barack). Yes, we can!

Michelle Obama rally

2008-02-05T21:56:00.001-08:00

Yes, I am a Democrat and an Obama supporter. So when Megan told me about Michelle Obama speaking in SLC on Monday, I knew I had to go. I wasn't sure how it work with taking the kids, but I figured that they did really well on Friday for four hours to see Pres. Hinckley, so they'd probably be okay for an hour or two for the rally.

We parked under the Salt Palace, so I didn't have to walk with the kids in the snow. Ryan was viewing this as an adventure. We had packed his backpack full of toys and goodies, so he carried it happily as we went up and down the elevators and escalators (I told him if he was good, I'd let him do all of the escalators in the convention center--and we did!).

When we first showed up to the room, right when the doors opened, there weren't many people there. I was really worried that Utah was going to give her a lousy showing. I shouldn't have been worried; by the time she came 45 minutes later, the room was completely filled.

We ended up sitting right behind a father and his two-year-old daughter, Joy. She and Ryan became fast friends. They played with her blocks, his coloring book, and they shared goldfish and oranges.

In fact, I was worried because they were running around when Michelle Obama started speaking (they chased each other around the Secret Service agent's legs for a minute).

She actually looked over at them though, and then she started talking about how "children like these" (pointing at Ryan and Joy) come to us so pure, so full of love and life, and about how we want to give them every opportunity and we have to think about the world that we want to give them. I was pleased.

Jane Austen quiz

2008-02-05T21:50:00.000-08:00

Take the Quiz here!

You are Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see.

My friend had this on her blog, so I took the quiz. I don't know how well it describes me, but I really like Elinor, so I'm happy with it.

Paying Respects to Pres. Hinckley

2008-02-02T21:22:00.000-08:00

Spontaneously, my brother Warren and I decided to take the kids up to Salt Lake to attend the viewing of President Hinckley. I thought the whole process might take a couple of hours because people on Thursday were walking right in. We came completely unprepared, sans diapers, food, or toys. It took us two hours to get into the Conference Center, and the kids braved the cold fairly well.

When we got in, they seated us in orderly fashion and we were told it would be another two hours at least. They were playing the tribute to him on his 95th birthday, and we had to come up with all sorts of ways to keep Ryan occupied: going through wallets to look at pictures and cards, drawing with pen on old receipts and hands/arms, singing along to some of the music, learning to take pictures with camera phones, dropping things behind chairs to let him go after them, flipping him upside down, and playing peek-a-boo. Ryan never got upset, but after about three hours, he did start telling us that he was done. Instead of food, I only had a couple of mini Reese's cups in my pocket, so I gave him one each hour we were in the Conference Center.

When we finally were able to walk past the casket, we were only there for twenty or thirty seconds. I decided that it wasn't so much actually seeing President Hinckley--it is just a body and they never look the same. But we were able to pay our respects and someday I'll be able to tell the kids that I took them there.

With that, I'd like to say how much I loved him. He was in the First Presidency from the time I was four, and I really felt like he was my prophet. I loved his optimism, his sense of humor, his love for other people, his intelligence, and his vision. I will miss him.

My cute kids!

2008-01-31T23:12:00.001-08:00

I am not generally an outdoor-winter person, but some women from the ward were taking there kids sledding and Ryan has so desperately been wanting to go play in the snow that I decided to bundle the kids up and go. (Note to self: we really need some snowproof clothes!) There was a brisk wind blowing, and Sofia cried almost the entire time we were there, but Ryan had fun (until we got in the car and he realized just how cold and wet he was, so he cried all the way home).

The hill surrounds the track/football field at Mountain View High School. It was so steep I tried to get to the top twice, but I couldn't without feeling like I was going to put Sofia, strapped to my front, in danger.

You can see how cold Ryan's face was, but he was a trooper and ended up going down the hill several times.

Since I was trying to comfort Sofia, my friend Amanda took really good care of Ryan and even sledded down with him a couple of times!

I'm going to have to look into boots, snow pants, a sled . . . I never spent much time in the snow as a kid, so I feel totally unprepared as a parent of a kid who has no fear or no problem getting cold and wet. But I'm sure I'll learn!

I had to also include this picture of Sofia. I took it a couple of weeks ago. She was smiling at our cat Othello, and I thought it was too cute not to share. :D

New Year's Resolutions

2008-01-14T22:22:00.000-08:00

I actually started my resolutions at Thanksgiving, so I wouldn't procrastinate and could work on being less stressed during the holidays. I chose three; I figured if I kept them simple, I might have a better chance or working on them all year. :D

1. Be less stressed. I've been wound up so much of my life, which affects my health and happiness (not to mention my family's happiness). I've already been doing better; I have my lapses, but I've been trying to be more flexible in my plans, more pleased with my best efforts (instead of tearing all the efforts apart), and trying not to take on too much.

2. Improve my posture. My lower back hurts a lot because I slouch, so I'm trying to correct that and working out to strengthen my core muscles.

3. Do things that scare me or that are difficult for me. This list could be ridiculously long if I wanted it to be, but the main goal here is to get more comfortable with taking risks and learning that failure is not the worst thing in the world (of course, if I can actually learn to do some of these things, so much the better). High on my list are baking bread, playing the guitar, visiting teaching, and using the phone (I'm terrified of it, but I'm starting to get a little better).

I figure the more places I write this, the more accountability I'll have!

Happy Birthday, Ryan!

2007-11-03T16:26:00.000-08:00

So I realize that I'm way behind on blogging, but I wanted to celebrate Ryan turning 2, even if this post is almost a month late. We had a great time--it was a potluck dinner, so I didn't have to worry about much (thank goodness; Sofia was really jaundiced, so I was busy worrying about that).

Ryan loved his cake (thanks, Mom!). He's been playing with the figures that were on top all month.

He loved opening gifts (who doesn't), which largely featured Pooh and Curious George, two of his very favorite characters.
But his very favorite part of his birthday was playing with his cousins and uncles. Dogpile!!

I can't believe how much Ryan has grown in the last two years. We are so glad to have him in our family to enjoy his energy and enthusiasm!!

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-03T16:16:00.000-08:00

This year Ryan went as Pooh and Sofia was Eeyore.

Ryan certainly got the hang of trick-or-treating early. We originally planned on only going to our cul-de-sac and then a couple of other homes in the ward before visiting our family, but he learned that houses that had lights on were giving out candy, so we made a lot more stops than we were planning on. :D He was having such a great time! (The only problem has been since then--candy makes for some severe temper tantrums!!)

Here's a picture of the whole family. Originally, I was hoping to put together a Tigger costume for Nate and a Piglet one for me, but Sofia came along and costumes went way down the list on things to do. So I put on some PJs and grabbed my stuffed tiger, and Nate put together a baseball outfit.

Welcome, Sofia!!

2007-10-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

So, on October 1, we welcomed the newest member of our family! This C-section went infinitely better than with Ryan: I was well-rested and prepared for it, and the nurses and doctors all listened to my concerns. Sofia is healthy; she sleeps well, eats well, and is cute as a button! I just thought I'd share some pictures from the hospital. :D

After the procedure:
Bright-eyed and alert little girl:

Ryan adores his little sister!
Sleeping peacefully:

Going home from the hospital:

My Favorite Season

2007-09-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

Fall is probably my very favorite season for so many reasons:

Cooler weather: It's perfect for wearing sweaters, cuddling under blankets, and enjoying warm drinks like hot chocolate, apple cider, and wassail.
Autumn leaves: The crunch under my feet, the musty smell, the gorgeous colors. And who doesn't love playing in piles of leaves in the back yard?
Fall foods: Apple pies and cobblers, baked apples with raisins and nuts, pumpkin pie and breads, melt-in-your-mouth squash, and Thanksgiving feasts.
Holidays: Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday (next to Christmas) because I love getting together with family and friends, especially to celebrate our gratitude. And I've gained a new appreciation for Halloween seeing how much fun the kids have with it.
Activities: I love going to corn mazes, hay rides, decorating pumpkins, making scarecrows, and planning costumes for Halloween.
Smells: My favorite smells are in November. Besides the smells of autumn leaves, baking pies, and Thanksgiving, I love the transition to the smells of Christmas: pine, peppermint, cinnamon.

What do you love about fall? What is your favorite season?

Utah Shakespearean Festival Fall 2007

2007-09-24T20:33:00.000-07:00

There are three plays this fall, The Tempest, Art, and The Mousetrap. In my opinion, they were all excellent. I liked them all for very different reasons.

The Tempest: This is certainly not my favorite of Shakespeare's plays. I don't really identify with any of the characters, and I don't find the play compelling. In the play, Prospero and his daughter have been stranded on a desert island for 12 years because his brother usurps him as the Duke and sets them adrift in a boat. Ariel, a wind spirit, does his bidding, and Caliban, a beastly half-human, grudgingly serves Prospero also. When Prospero finds out his brother is on a ship, he arranges to "shipwreck" him and everyone else on the ship. In the course of two days, he arranges the marriage of Miranda and the Prince of Naples, torments the people who sent him adrift until they feel very guilty, and arranges to become the Duke again and return to Milan.

Despite not loving the play script, I thought the performances were phenomenal and the interpretation was very interesting. They visually compare Prospero to Leonardo da Vinci by including his writings and drawings on Prospero's coat and Ariel's wings were designed to look like something da Vinci created. The idea is both were very close to being more than human. Caliban was very animalistic, the best I've seen. I also loved Chris Mixon as Trinculo, the jester. He stole the stage any time he was on. It was the best production of The Tempest that I've seen, though I still don't like the play that much.

Art: Nate really didn't like this play because he doesn't enjoy watching people argue. I, however, enjoyed the play. It was the one I was most looking forward to seeing because it's won several awards and it was playing both times that I was in London, though I didn't have the chance to see it. The story is simple: Serge buys a painting that is white on white, his friend Marc thinks he's insane to do it, and their friend Yvan gets caught in the middle. Basically, the whole play is a series of conversations, not just about art, but also about friendship and what keeps us together or tears us apart.

It reminded me a lot of a Tom Stoppard play because watching the play required a lot of intellectual work. However, I appreciated hearing the different arguments and having them come to some sort of resolution. And the performances were extremely good.

The Mousetrap: This is a classic Agatha Christie whodunit play. I've seen it a couple of times before and actually remembered whodunit, but I still enjoyed the journey. It's a fun play . . . something easy on the eyes and the mind.

Despite heavy rain on Saturday, we really enjoyed the plays. And I highly recommend them all.

A Week in the Life

2007-09-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

So this week has been jam-packed (I'm trying to squeeze as much as humanly possible into the little time left before Sofia--btw, 10 days and counting!). Last Friday, we went up to Big Cottonwood Canyon for the annual Burt Family Campout. We had a beautiful location surrounded by the trees and mountains; best of all, it was just across the road from a bathroom with a flush toilet and running water (really important when you're 38 weeks pregnant!).

Ryan immediately was in heaven, playing with his cousins, watching the fire, trying to roast hot dogs:
Saturday we went on a hike. Keri, my sister-in-law, remembered it being about 1/2 mile up to Doughnut Falls. I thought a mile round trip sounded great, especially since she said there wasn't much in the way of elevation gains. We probably ended up hiking more like four miles or so; I was pretty darn sore and exhausted at the end of it, but it was still fun and the falls were beautiful. A long nap in the afternoon made it all better.

Ryan had a hard time leaving his cousins at the end of the trip, but Nate and I were grateful to get home where we could sleep in our own bed! Ryan loved everything about camping except for sleeping in the tent . . . Poor Nate sacrificed himself every night while Ryan rolled all over him, pushed him off his camping pad, stole his blankets. But then Ryan would turn around and do really cute things in the morning, like helping Grandma roll up her camping pad.

On Tuesday, Mom Burt, my sisters-in-law Keri and Machelle, my niece Sadie, Ryan, and I went to Gardner Village to do a little shopping and have lunch. There are a lot of boutique shops in historical buildings. My two favorites are the Storybook Nook, a cute toy and bookstore, and the Village Christmas Shoppe, which has ornaments, villages, nativities, and all sorts of other Christmas things year round.

We tried on hats for fun, watched ducks (at Ryan's repeated insistence), and enjoyed lunch at Archibald's, located in an old mill with a waterwheel.
Oh, and to top off the week, Ryan posed for this really cute picture in the bathtub:

Whew! What a week! And this next week promises to be just as busy--as long as Sofia waits until October 1st. :D

Our San Diego Trip

2007-09-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

Last week, Ryan and I went with my brother Warren and his friend Sarah and met Mom and Dad Burt in San Diego. Mom's best friend has an efficiency apartment in Ocean Beach, just off the fishing pier. We had a great time, especially watching Ryan enjoy his first experience at the beach and getting so excited over what the fishermen caught.

Here is what the OB pier looks like at sunset:
We ate dinner up on the roof of Linda's place to enjoy it after a long day at the zoo:
At the zoo, my favorites were the polar bears (they were roughhousing in the water for a really long time right in front of the window), the pandas (they did nothing but sleep in the trees, but they're still pandas), the new baby giraffe (need I say more?), and the hippos (they were putting on a water ballet for us). Ryan's favorites were the pandas, the snakes, the turtles, and the new baby monkey who was just learning to walk (and dropping all over the place like he was drunk).

We had a great day at the beach. Ryan was so excited about scooping sand into his bucket that he almost didn't let us take him a little way into the water to jump in the waves. He loved everything about the beach and was very upset about having to leave it.

We also spent some time on Dog Beach, where Ryan got up close and personal with some pooches:

We also went to Cabrillo National Monument, where we toured the lighthouse and watched an aircraft carrier leaving port to go up to its home port in Washington.
Of course, Ryan's favorite activity was to walk up and down the fishing pier and check all the fishermen's buckets. By the last day, he had worked out a system. If they had a lot of fish, he would bend over with his hands on his hips, scrutinize it, and say, "Oh, fish!" If they didn't have anything, he'd throw his hands up in the air and say, "No fish!" and hurry to the next bucket. It was hilarious, and he kept everyone highly entertained.

At the end of the trip, Mom drove home with Ryan and me, which was so wonderful!! It was nice to have someone else who could help keep Ryan entertained on the long car ride home. :D

Things to Be Thankful For

2007-09-03T20:22:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd write a list of a few things I've been grateful for lately.
1. Getting to go on vacation--I had a great time in Cedar City with Nate, Ryan, my parents, and Austen. The UT Shakespeare Festival is one of the milestones of my year and something I look forward to greatly. And then I was lucky enough to go with Ryan, Warren, and Sarah to meet Nate's parents in San Diego. I loved going to the zoo and hanging out at the beach! While I came home exhausted, it was oh so worth it! Plenty of memories to get me through the rough time ahead of not sleeping, etc. And I had a wonderful road trip with Nate's mom on the way home!
2. The beach--Did I mention how much I love the beach? I haven't been there in several years, but there is something about the waves, the crashing surf, the sand under your feet. And every time I go, it reminds me of Nate proposing.
3. A healthy pregnancy--As much as I ache and can't sleep and keep getting kicked, I am very grateful that everything is going along smoothly. Sofia is active and healthy. Oh, yeah, and I only have four weeks to go! The official date is October 1, unless she decides to come early, which none of us really thinks is going to happen.
4. Nate--Nate's been giving me lots of chances lately to sleep, keeping Ryan busy, and letting me have some time to myself (I went to Becoming Jane today, and I've been scrapbooking a few times with Keri and Mom Burt). And Nate's been extremely understanding through all my mood swings and complaints. Nate, you're the best!

USF Summer 2007 Reviews

2007-09-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

Since we saw this the week before the season was over, unfortunately I can’t recommend any of these to go see . . . except to say that everyone should go to the Utah Shakespeare Festival!!

This year at the Utah Shakespearean Festival was probably one of the most pleasant surprises we’ve had in years. I was looking forward to seeing Twelfth Night, possibly my favorite Shakespeare comedy, but I didn’t have overly high expectations for any of the others. However, not only did we enjoy all the plays, but the cast was also possibly the strongest we’ve ever seen. And Ryan, just like last year, really enjoyed going to child care to play with the sand and the toys.

Without further ado, here are my reviews of the plays in the order that we saw them:

Candida: This play by George Bernard Shaw is about a woman who is married to a minister who doesn’t realize how much she does for him and who is loved by an 18-year-old poet who is artistic but not much more. I was prepared not to like this play because I don’t like the idea of a married woman entertaining the idea of leaving her husband for another man. However, there was never any danger of that—the poet, while romantic, had nothing to offer. And Candida does teach her husband that she does a lot more than he realizes so that he can live the life that he wants. All of the performances were wonderful, and the play has given me a lot to think about, particularly about marriage.

Twelfth Night: I’ve seen this play probably more than any other. This particular one was set in the Middle East, so the set was covered in blue and gold geometric designs and turbaned or veiled costumes. It had the best Viola I’ve ever seen; I loved the choices that she made that really made her seem uncomfortable in her own skin as a man. It also had the best swordfight; Viola and Sir Andrew were so afraid of each other that they couldn’t look at one another, so Sir Toby uses his own sword to hit both of their swords and they think they’re fighting each other. Olivia was also extremely strong. As much as I love the Trevor Nunn movie, it can be very dark and serious, more than I think is warranted by the play. I would love to take this production and include the Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Malvolio from the first time that I saw it (they were very funny, complete with eye-popping and wild gestures). But this was a very solid performance.

Lend Me a Tenor: The Musical: There has been a lot of buzz about this one. Two of the festival regulars turned this play into a musical with the playwright’s blessing, and they did a fabulous job, such a wonderful job that producers have been coming from Broadway to see it. It’s a wild farcical romp about a womanizing opera star coming to Cleveland, losing his wife (temporarily), and being replaced by shy assistant director in the big show. The songs were a lot of fun, and we laughed and smiled all the way through. Especially since we weren’t expecting much, we were really pleasantly surprised and gave them a well-deserved standing ovation.

Coriolanus: This is not Shakespeare’s best play, but I was glad to see it on stage, especially with James Newcombe in the starring role. It is the story of a very proud soldier who is unwilling to humble himself in order to become a senator. And while it is not as compelling a tragedy as some, we have discussed this play more than almost any other, contemplating pride, duty, family bonds, etc.

The Matchmaker: Thornton Wilder’s play was the basis for Hello, Dolly! Leslie Brott did a fabulous job as Dolly; actually, the entire cast was amazing! It’s a fun play that focuses on learning to really live life and appreciating the joys and small adventures that life can offer.

King Lear: Dan Kremer was by far the best Lear I’ve ever seen, so good that I forgot who was playing Lear—he just was Lear. All of the performances were strong, and it was directed by one of my favorite directors at the Festival (he directed the only version of Macbeth I’ve ever liked). This will stand as my definitive version of Lear for a long time.

The only complaint I have is I really don’t like the person who’s been running the literary seminars where people discuss the plays. She doesn’t know anything about the plays, even by the end of summer . . . I don’t think she read any books, articles, or anything else about any of them. However, we’ve decided that talking amongst ourselves is almost as good as talking with someone who’s an expert. So on the balance, it was an excellent year.

Shakespeare Related Things

2007-08-22T12:16:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow my family makes its annual summer trip to Cedar City for the Utah Shakespearean Festival. In honor of this beloved event, I decided to write my five favorite Shakespeare-related books/plays/movies (with two honorable mentions). Next week, I'll write my reviews of the plays and have pictures from my subsequent trip to San Diego!

Honorable Mentions:
Shakespeare in Love
To Be or Not To Be

I've seen both movies only once and like them both. I'm sure you all know Shakespeare in Love better than I (I generally can't remember a movie plot five days after I saw it), and the other starred Carole Lombard and Jack Benny as heads of a Jewish theatrical troupe performing Hamlet while trying to escape the Nazis.

#5. 10 Things I Hate about You
Yes, the movie is somewhat cheesy, but I've seen it a number of times, and it captures the idea of Shakespeare better than most of its teenybopper counterparts (almost as well as Cluesless captures Emma). I like Julia Stiles, and it was one of the first things I had seen Heath Ledger in. And I still find myself laughing and appreciating Taming of the Shrew each time I see the movie.

#4. March Tale
This play was written by Tim Slover, originally a professor at BYU and now at the U. It tells the story of Shakespeare's troupe going to perform Merry Wives of Windsor for a dying Queen Elizabeth and getting themselves into Elizabethan plots and high hijinks. I actually saw this play in one of its first readings/writings at the Shakespeare Festival and then again at BYU after Tim rewrote it a little bit. It has since won several awards and the rights have been purchased to make a movie with Tim writing the screenplay (I hope it happens!).

#3. The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged)
This is a very fun play that manages to do at least snippets from every single play. The better you know the plays, the funnier it is, but anyone can appreciate the history plays performed as a football game or a rap version of Othello.

#2. The Eyre Affair
Actually, every novel by Jasper Fforde contains at least some allusions to the Bard of Avon, but my favorite is in this book. Thursday Next, the heroine, goes to a performance of Richard III that is much like The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The audience completely participates, shouting out things, providing props, and even getting involved in the final battle at the end. (What a fantastic idea!! It would be exciting to live in a world that loved Shakespeare that much!)

#1. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
My all-time favorite Shakespeare-related play is this one. I have seen it a number of times (including the movie version, though I wouldn't recommend it). The first time, though, probably had the greatest impact. All the tickets were sold out at BYU, but my dad happened to know the director (his wife had babysat Warren when we lived in Indiana), so he let the two of us sit up in the catwalks behind the spotlights. The stage was almost completely bare, so the characters and the words came alive. It's a great romp through existentialist thought and Hamlet, written by one of the world's finest playwrights, Tom Stoppard.

Christianity in Harry Potter

2007-08-05T22:01:00.000-07:00

There has long been a question about whether or not Harry Potter is meant to be a Christ figure. Many ultraconservatives who are convinced the books are evil laugh at the idea. Orson Scott Card has posted a number of blogs on Beliefnet.com about this subject, contending that while Harry is not a Christ figure, he represents a moral universe.

Rowling is certainly no C.S. Lewis, who made his stories allegorical in order to make the Christian story easier to understand and relate to. She is more like Tolkein, whose stories were highly influenced by British folklore and culture, which is also influenced by the Christian story, although she is not a theologian like Tolkein was.

Harry Potter is certainly its own story, not an allegory to illustrate the Christ story. But there are certainly parallels that are impossible to ignore--that are given greater power because they are at least reminiscent of the Christian story.

***Spoiler Alert***
For example, Harry walks to his own death, makes a willing sacrifice of himself to save everyone else. He does so at the behest of his spiritual father figure, Dumbledore, who he then meets in "King's Cross" and has a conversation with (according to Newsweek) " a father figure with 'long sliver hair and a beard' whose supernatural powers are accompanied by a profound message of love." And then, whether or not Harry was actually dead, he appears to come back to life to finally defeat evil.

Every culture has myriad stories of good vs. evil, so it is only natural to look for parallels with our greatest good vs. evil story. However, I still enjoy looking for some of them, especially because Harry is more like the rest of us. I especially appreciate the intimate relationship between Harry and Dumbledore--while both are mortal, it is a good reminder of what we can try to make our relationship with our Heavenly Father like. And the story is an inspiration to struggle against evil in our own lives, especially through unity with those around us. :D

My favorite TV shows

2007-08-02T21:10:00.000-07:00

I really like TV, but there are very few shows that I have followed religiously. Here are my all-time favorites.

Quantum Leap: This is the first show that really had an impact on me. It caused me to think about social issues and to really think about stepping into other people's shoes. It also exposed me to a number of historical events in the recent past that I was able to think about in a different way (about how people were actually affected instead of just what happened).
This is where I first learned about Man of La Mancha, now one of my very favorite musicals.
Star Trek: TNG: This again exposed me to social issues in a different way. I loved watching Patrick Stewart on screen; Picard was such a great role model. And I enjoyed the idea of exploring new worlds. Both this and QL were shows that were very formative in my teenage years.
Frasier: This was such an intelligently written show, I just found it a lot of fun to watch. I love the titles in between segments, and I honestly think that some of its moments are the funniest I've seen on TV (most of them involved David Hyde Pierce, who I consider to be a comedic genius).
The Office: I really enjoy this show (especially the Jim and Pam relationship), even though some of the characters are extremely painful to watch!
The Cosby Show: I love the parenting on the show--they are intelligent, loving, and funny.
24: It's an adrenaline rush a minute, and though I really hate all the torture and I know it's not at all realistic, at the same time I think it's a lot of fun to watch.
Scrubs: Well, at least seasons 1-5. I love how offbeat it is, the acapella group singing at times, the random side thoughts, and the fresh writing. My favorite episodes are "My Way Home" (the Wizard of Oz episode) and "My Mistake" with Brendan Fraser.
Law and Order and Law and Order: Criminal Intent: I love procedural dramas, and these are by far my favorite--I'll watch them any time I can find them on. I love that they're topical and that they usually give Nate and me something to talk about.
Monk: I really love detective shows, and the best detectives have something that set them apart, make them quirky, and give them an edge. (For example, my favorite detective, Poirot, is obsessed with neatness, order, and his own intelligence--but he's always right.) Monk has major OCD and can be frustrating, but he's also endearing and amazing.

There are a lot of other shows that I've enjoyed in the past and continue to enjoy, although I'm not sure if they qualify as my all-time favorites . . . They include, in no particular order, Psych, Angel, Jack and Bobby, The Wonder Years, I Love Lucy, and seasons 1-4 of Buffy. I'm sure I'll be able to come up with others, but these are the ones that come most quickly to mind.

My favorite movies

2007-08-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to do this blog for a long time. As I've thought about, I realize that my taste is fairly unsophisticated. I enjoy a movie that makes me think, but I won't necessarily watch it over and over. So, in no particular order, here are the movies that most enjoy watching repeatedly.

The Princess Bride: This is both a wonderful movie and book (if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it). It's very quotable and has everything--adventure, romance, comedy, drama. This movie has long been my "sick movie," the one I watch when I need comfort. :D
Monsters Inc.: My favorite Pixar movie. I think it is funny, and I absolutely love Boo. . . . I always loved her, but I love her even more now that Ryan is starting to remind me of her.
Remember the Titans: We originally went to see this because I went to T.C. Williams High School when I lived in VA, but I fell in love with it because it deals with overcoming racial issues (which has always been important to me). It may be overly sentimental in places, but I still love it.
The Lion King: My favorite Disney movie (see the previous post as to why).
Anne of Green Gables (and the sequels): This is one of the first movies my mom recorded on our VCR, so I've been watching this most of my life. I love Anne's spirit, her intelligence, and I'm not afraid to watch eight hours of her to get to that final kiss!
Star Wars IV, V, VI: My brothers and I introduced ourselves to these watching cable TV. I love the stories, the characters, the epic battle of good and evil, and the redemption of the father at the end.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: I love Sean Connery and Harrison Ford, and I love WWII stuff. I love all of the Indy movies, but this is the best because of the father/son relationship.

Disneyland

2007-07-17T19:46:00.001-07:00

It's been entirely too long since I've blogged. . . . I have plenty of excuses, mostly work and family things that have been going on lately. However, I couldn't wait to blog about our trip to Disneyland. We drove to California for Nate's cousin's wedding, but it was also a convenient excuse to get to Southern California to take Ryan for his first trip to Disneyland. It was so fun and better than I could have hoped! Nate's parents came with us to share the experience (thanks!) and Ryan didn't go through any of the trauma that some toddlers do (screaming when meeting characters, too terrified to do any of the rides, crying all day). He was really nervous for Dumbo and Peter Pan, his first rides . . .
but he started warming up to the rides after he got to do the first one of his choice, the carousel. He spent most of the ride looking up the top of the pole to try to figure out how it worked.
Ryan enjoyed spending time with Dad and Grandpa . . . and he was fascinated by everything around him:

He immediately took to meeting the characters. He ran over to Minnie as soon as she came out of the cast entrance, before any of the rest of us even knew what was going on. He was the first in line to give her a big hug!
We also met Goofy, Pluto, and Mickey in Toontown.
One of Nate's highlights of the trip was when Ryan really wanted to go on Gadget's Go Coaster, the smallest roller coaster in the park. Ryan was just tall enough to ride it, and he and his dad had a great time! Nate hopes this means that Ryan will pick up his father's love of roller coasters.

He certainly got the hang of rides: by the end of the day, he begged to ride the rockets and he had a great time!
My favorite highlight was Ryan getting to see Pooh. . . . At first, he and I stood in line for a half hour, only to find out four people away from the front of the line that Pooh was going on break and Tigger and Eeyore were going to take his place. Pooh was nice enough to say "Hi" to Ryan as he passed. A few minutes later, Ryan held his hands up looking around and saying, "No Pooh!" (It was dang cute!) Then when he saw Tigger and Eeyore coming out, he got really excited:
We stood in line again to see Pooh, and Ryan could barely contain himself as he got close to the front of the line. When I finally put him down, he ran to give Pooh a couple of hugs, and Pooh kept blowing kisses at him. :D

Anyway, all in all, it was an absolutely wonderful day, and we can't wait to go again!!

And the winner is . . .

2007-05-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

So after much deliberation, we've decided on Sofia Marie Burt. Why? Well, first, I just have to have a name (I know . . . it's my obsessive-compulsive side coming out). But honestly, it has a lot of significance because Nate lived in Sofia, Bulgaria, for two years while he served his mission and it is the name of Nate's great-grandmother. Besides, as I kept thinking about it, Sofia is the name I kept coming back to . . . Yes, I ultimately decided because Nate didn't want to put any pressure on me. So this is my story, and I'm sticking to it!! :D

Ryan Helps Out

2007-05-17T21:45:00.000-07:00

Lately, Ryan has been trying to help out around the house. He's been doing laundry . . .

. . . watering the lawn . . .

. . . playing with his cousin . . .

. . . shelving books on the bookshelves that Nate built (and I unpacked all the books on) . . .

. . . and he'd even like to help with driving!

Race for the Cure

2007-05-17T21:19:00.000-07:00

So I thought I'd share some of the things that I've been doing when I wasn't blogging. Every year, the Saturday before Mother's Day, they hold the Race for the Cure in Salt Lake. It raises money for breast cancer research. Mom Burt is a four-year breast cancer survivor, so we have made it a family tradition to participate every year. This year there were more than 16,000 people officially running in the race and a large number of others also (including kids, etc.). This was our race team: Nate, Ryan, my nephews Austin and Adam, and me. We all walked the 5K. (Most of the family ran the 5K.)

There were a LOT of people there:

We finished the race in 55 minutes. We would have finished it sooner, but Austin and Adam started getting really tired (or bored), so we had to help drag them along; Nate even gave them piggyback rides for part of the race. At the end, Mom walked in the March of the Survivors:

And Ryan cheered her on!

It's a . . .

2007-05-15T15:58:00.000-07:00

We had the ultrasound today, and just so you all know, it's a girl! She looks very healthy and she is developing well. We're very excited, especially that she is looking so healthy, but we are still working on a name (it's between Sofia Marie and Katherine Anne).

Anyway, pregnancy has made me really tired, so I haven't been online much recently, but my work is picking up again, which ensures I'll be on the computer plenty. So I should be blogging more often again. :D

Be Thankful

2007-05-02T07:10:00.000-07:00

For my first gratitude blog, I wanted to share something Mom Burt gave to me when I was writing a talk on gratitude. I really like this quote and try to always keep it in mind because it is very true and can help foster a greater attitude of gratitude.

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire; if you did, what would you have to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something; it gives you an opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for difficult times; during those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations; they give you an opportunity for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge; it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes; they will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary; it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks. Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles; they can become your blessings. --Author Unknown

Things I Never Thought I'd Do

2007-04-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

I’m still a kid at heart, as much as anyone I know. We owned most of our Disney movies long before I ever got pregnant with Ryan. I sing and dance randomly with or without Ryan around. I’ve always enjoyed playing with kids, but despite all that, there were things that I never thought I would do before Ryan came along . . . and yet somehow, I’ve done them anyway.

Watch Teletubbies or Barney—Neither is yet a staple in our house, but they are specifically geared to kids Ryan’s age, and he really responds to them, holding whole conversations with the characters on screen and dancing with abandon to the music. Though I’m still not a huge fan myself, he learns important concepts and really enjoys himself.
Watch the same movies over and over again—We have quite a few Disney movies, yet because Ryan is really only interested in animated or Muppet movies, we have seen them over and over . . . I’m getting pretty good at tuning them out now, but I’m thinking we’ve got to get some new ones soon before I stop enjoying the ones we have
Change a diaper on the seat of the car—If I had thought about it enough, I would have realized that I would need to at some point . . . but probably not as much as I’ve had to up to now.
Chase a soccer ball through Costco—Ryan has a little soccer ball that he absolutely loves and that we take nearly everywhere (he even prefers sleeping with the ball to any stuffed animal). Anyway, we often bring it shopping, and sometimes when he needs to run off some energy, I roll the ball down the aisle in front of me and he runs after it. I try to get there before he does, so I can control where the ball goes. We must look like quite a pair—a toddler and his pregnant mom running after a ball in the store aisles.

I know there are others, but these are the ones that I can think of right now!

Five Random Things

2007-04-15T21:02:00.000-07:00

My friend Megan did a post like this, and I ended up learning a lot, so I thought I’d take a stab at it too! Here are five random things that you may or may not know about me.

1. Names are both interesting and important to me. My first name is actually Elizabeth, but I’ve never been called it; my parents liked the sound of Elizabeth Marie better than Marie Elizabeth, but they always planned on calling me Marie. My brothers and I each have a family name. I was named after my mom’s sister Elizabeth (not my grandmother, whose first name also was Elizabeth). My older brother’s is Laurence after Mom’s brother, and my younger one’s is Joseph after Joseph J. Daynes, my great-great-grandfather who was also the first Tabernacle organist. All of our children will more than likely have family names. Ryan’s middle name is Woodruff after another great-great-grandfather, Wilford Woodruff. Our next boy will be Alexander Reese (Reese is my father-in-law’s middle name). Of course, we haven’t picked a girl’s name yet, so I don’t know about that.

2. I used to think I was born in the wrong era; when I was younger, I was fascinated with both World War II and the civil rights movement. I used to read a lot of what Martin Luther King wrote, and when I was 15, I attended a march on Washington D.C. that commemorated the 30^th anniversary of the one when Martin Luther King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. Racial diversity and harmony is really important to me, and I’m so glad that my family embodies it. Between my dad and mom’s sides of the family, I am related to Mexicans, Navajos, Tongans, Asians, and, now that one of my cousins is in the process of adopting two children, Ethiopians. I love that at my uncle’s funeral, there was a traditional Tongan ceremony and that everyone has always been accepted without question.

3. I might as well come out of the closet—I’m a tree hugger. From the time I was a little girl, I remember watching the Earth Day TV specials and thinking how important it was to take care of the planet. Now that I’m older, I still believe firmly that we are the stewards of this planet and that at some point we will be called to account for how we handled that stewardship. I’m pleased to say that Nate and I are trying to do our parts. We recycle almost twice as much as we throw away. I bike to do a lot of my errands (which is also valuable exercise for me and a lot of fun). We have tried to buy Energy Star appliances and look for other ways to conserve energy. And I’m probably going to start a compost heap soon. Oh, and I also learned a few years ago that Nate and I were married on Earth Day. It wasn’t intentional, but I’m quite pleased with the fact now that I know.

4. I love to travel, and my favorite way to do it is to live in a place for a month or more to really get to know the people, customs, and place better. My first foray into this kind of travel was in high school. I nagged my father into supervising BYU’s Washington D.C. program for a semester. I loved it!! We spent every weekend going to historical sites or being at the Smithsonian (I had the luxury of getting to read every plaque of a number of the exhibits at the Museum of American History—sooo fun!). When I was 19, I went to a village called Nealtican in Puebla, Mexico, to teach literacy. I was able to get to know and love the Mexican culture, as well as see Mayan and Aztec ruins and beautiful cathedrals and eat absolutely amazing food (popsicles made out of fresh fruit and water, an amazing chocolate-chile-nut sauce called mole poblano, corn on a stick smothered in cheese, cream, and chile, fried bananas with evaporated milk and chocolate, I could go on and on). And then I was able to live in London twice, where I went to see a number of play, visited a number of parks, spent some serious time in Stratford-upon-Avon, Cambridge, the Cotswolds, and Chichester. I loved being able to get to know London so well and walk all over visiting historic sites and museums.

5. Last thing. I don’t normally consider myself a “crafty” person, but I really enjoy cross-stitching. I first did it in third grade, but then I stopped doing it until middle school when I did a number of projects. I got too busy in high school, so I didn’t start cross-stitching again until I got married. Since then, I’ve done a number of projects that I’m quite pleased with: baby afghans, curtains, samplers and other pictures, ornaments, and a stocking for Nate, which I finished stitching but still need to sew together. I stopped after Ryan was born, but I hope to get back into it. In the meantime, I have picked up knitting and crocheting because they don’t require as much intense concentration or exactness. :D

Recognizing Beauty

2007-04-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

My mom sent me an article about Joshua Bell, one of the world’s greatest violinists, playing some of the world’s greatest music in a DC Metro station on his multimillion dollar violin. (See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html.) What happened surprised me, but probably not as much as it should have. Out of more than 1,000 people that went past him during the morning rush hour, almost no one stopped. He made around $32.

The basic argument is whether we are too busy to truly appreciate beauty. Without fail, the only demographic that consistently stopped (or at least tried) was children. They were always dragged away by hurried parents, but they continued to crane their necks until they were completely out of earshot.

As I read the article, I wondered what I would have done. It’s hard to find a balance, especially in the work world that is ruled by the clock and deadlines. I love being a mom because the pace is a little slower (not much, though). And I try to let Ryan explore the world around him. At the same time, though, I know I get focused on what needs to get done and forget to appreciate what’s around me.

I hope that can recognize beauty when it happens in my life and that I can take the time to appreciate it.

Happy Easter

2007-04-08T20:35:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite paintings called "He Lives." It is by an artist named Simon Dewey and we have a more complete version of it hanging on our wall. (A big thanks to Mom and Dad Burt for giving it to us for our wedding; it has given us seven years of joy so far.)

Anyway, I just wanted to wish everyone a happy Easter and say that I am so grateful for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who has made it possible for us to repent and return to our Father in Heaven and gave us a perfect example to follow!

I hope that everyone has enjoyed this weekend. We were able to spend it with family, which is one of the greatest blessings in the world!!

Fourteen Weeks

2007-04-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

So I went in for an ultrasound today to determine our due date. The answer shocked me: I'm already in my second trimester! I'm fourteen weeks along, and the due date is October 4, three days before Ryan's birthday.

Ryan's New Bed

2007-04-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

We bought Ryan a toddler bed yesterday. I probably would have waited a little while, but I found it used for a really good deal. Ryan was sooo excited when he figured out it was a bed for him that I thought maybe we should have him sleep in it. (We don't want Ryan to feel displaced when the baby takes the crib, so we wanted him to get used to this change now.)

These pictures are from before we mentioned bedtime last night.

Nate mentioned later that these pictures are such a lie because as soon as we mentioned bedtime, he started sobbing uncontrollably and his face went all red. I sang to him for a few minutes to try to calm him down and he eventually fell asleep.

Today was even better. I had to close the door for his naptime, but he stopped crying after about 5 minutes and fell alseep on the bed. Tonight after we closed the door, he sang himself to sleep in about 3 minutes.

Hopefully, he will soon be happy and adjusted to the new change.

My Favorite Disney Movie

2007-03-31T20:33:00.000-08:00

I love a lot of Disney movies, and as far as animation and great stories go, almost no one can beat Pixar. However, we were watching a DVD today, and I was reminded of my very favorite animated movie—The Lion King. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how much I love it. So in no particular order, here are the many things I love about it.

1. So many great voices like Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Rowan Atkinson, Robert Guillame, Jeremy Irons, Matthew Broderick . . . of course, no one can compare to James Earl Jones. His voice alone would make this my favorite.
2. I have always loved African music, and the partnership between Hans Zimmer and Lebo M (who also did The Power of One) produces some of my very favorite.
3. It emphasizes the circle and balance of life. That idea is so important, both in the natural world and in our own.
4. “Remember who you are.” Mufasa’s advice translates so well to real life; we need to remember who we are and where we have come from (and where we’re going) in order to make the very best choices we can.
5. I love the allusions to Hamlet on the savannah. The storyline of the uncle killing the father and son having to deal with the consequences is so classic and resonates through our great literature.
6. A couple of years ago, Nate and I were able to go see the musical based on the film. It includes more amazing music, and the combination of sophisticated puppetry, masks, and dance turn it into stage magic. I would definitely pay to go see it again.
7. The opening sequence/closing sequence is not only gorgeous, but beginning and ending it the same way also drives home the idea of life being an eternal round.
8. There is at least one homage to another film style: during the “Be Prepared” sequence, as the hyenas all march by Scar, there are a lot of techniques used from Nazi propaganda films. It creates the perfect feel for the scene.
9. I love that this movie was the underdog the year it was made. It was considered Disney’s B movie (the A movie was Pocahontas). In my opinion, it is so much better than Pocahontas. It’s always nice when such an underdog can do so well.
10. “He Lives in You” is a song not from the movie, but it was included in the musical. It talks about how Mufasa ‘s (and all the elders’) influence can be felt through everything. It has the same feel as the “remember who you are” sequence. We are not alone and we have a purpose.

What is your favorite Disney movie?