Late pictures just because

I don't have tons of time to write, but here are a few pictures from the past month or so. As you can see we've been working on self - feeding. MaryP is improving significantly with both the spoon and fork, though I don't have any recent pictures to prove it. She does demonstrate that if the spoon* is too slow, using your hands or drinking the yogurt is more effective.

And here are some pictures from Thansgiving (yes, I know Christmas is in 4 days). We had the opportunity to visit my family. I haven't been with both of my brothers in several years, and I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. I love inside jokes and family stories you'd forgotten, and of course singing jingle bells in a minor key. I loved that when we played Taboo obscure references were used to help people guess the words - references that brought back funny memories. I wish we could have stayed longer but I should be grateful for the time we had. MaryP enjoyed her cousins B and K. My mom said a few days ago when he came to visit B was walking around the housing saying "MaryP? MaryP?" I'm glad they had a good time together too. I also got to catch up with some old friends, all in all is was a fabulous trip.

My grandparents graciously drove us to and from the airport so we got to spend some extra time with them too. (She's mad about the picture, not the people.)

Top Heavy

We finally put up our Christmas tree today. Woo-hoo! Note that the tree is looking a wee-bit top-heavy. All the better to keep ornaments out of little hands. MaryP is excited about all of the 'balls' on the tree. I love homemade ornaments and we have some from both Wood and my growing up years - maybe the tree doesn't look too sophistocated, but I love all of the associated memories!

MaryP clearly thinks box lids and baby dolls to make good tree decorations. Whatever works!

Hiker at heart

MaryP is a hiker at heart. A few weeks ago when Wood had a rare day off we headed off to a nearby trail. As we got out the child carrier MaryP giggled with delight and stomped her feet with approval. She found two leaves she loved carrying and though she would get temporarily distracted, she would always come back to those two. She also loves leaf collecting on our regular walks.We had a great time as a family and she even got to do a little of the trail by herself!

I love the size of some of the leaves here!

Tolerance and Proposition 8

As election day nears (thankfully) several issues have been weighing heavily on my mind. One of them is California's proposition 8.

I am not a resident of California. Some people say Prop 8 - a proposal to amend California's constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman - does not affect me. I believe it does. Deeply.

Unfortunately we live in a world where some claim that if you stand up for any belief - if you assert that there is such a thing as right and wrong - you must be intolerant and hateful. For some, there is no tolerance for morals. There is no tolerance for religious beliefs. There is no tolerance for those who believe there are still some sacred things in this world. I have found that those most loudly shouting for tolerance have very little of it to give.

Tolerance is not the acceptance of another persons beliefs or conduct. Tolerance does not condone or support another persons actions. Rather, tolerance is a love for the individual, despite differences. I have friends whose beliefs differ greatly from my own, and yet we remain friends because of our love for one another. I do not compromise my views and they do not compromise theirs, but we are still friends. That is tolerance. That is love.

On the issue of Prop 8, those opposed to it suggest that anyone who seeks to protect that which they hold sacred, those who won't compromise on what they see to be a fundamental institution of our society, must be hateful, intolerant, homophobics. The labels are ugly and untrue. I do not wish to deny civil liberties to anyone. In the state of California homosexual couples are granted the same civil rights and privileges as married couples. Then Prop 8 is not about rights, it is about redefining marriage. It is not about being "homophobic". It is about protecting a time-honored institution.

I have often thought that it is like a group insisting that they have the "right" to paint on the Mona Lisa. "No!" others insist, "It is beautiful, one of a kind, irreplaceable. There are many other canvases on which to paint. We would never deny you your right to paint. But please not on this canvas that we hold sacred!" "Ah-ha!", the opposition screams, "You want to deny us our right to do as we please. Da Vinci had the right to paint on that canvas. Why not us? You must hate us. You must be afraid of us. You are intolerant of us!" And so the arguments go until they are granted them the right to paint on the Mona Lisa and that masterpiece is changed forever.

Prop 8 is not about denying homosexual couples their rights. But to say that one group has a right to redefine an institution that has existed since the beginning of recorded history is to suggest that any group has the right to redefine the definition of any institution if it does not meet their desired specifications.

Furthermore, in the state of Massachusetts where same-sex marriage has been legislated as legal, students are now taught this concept in schools - and it is deemed mandatory curriculum that parents do not need to be informed of prior to their children's instruction and that the children may not be exempt from. That state government has seen fit to regulate the moral education of its students with complete disregard to parental consent is both infuriating and frightening. Often when we speak of separation of church and state it is in reference to churches not being involved with state affairs. But as we have seen in Massachusetts with the closing of Catholic adoptions since they would not support same-sex couples, the state has decided that it has the right to regulate the churches.

Where do we cross the line? How far will this go?

What are the rights for those who wish to protect marriage? Must we watch everything we hold dear be changed in the name of tolerance?

Cute as a bug

We didn't actually end up going out trick-or-treating but we did go to a Haunted Forest put on by the youth from our church - and she dressed up for that and a photo shoot with her friend N. It's fun to have that little pumpkin so close by for play dates and baby swaps and get togethers where the girls can entertain themselves so that the grownups can talk.

That's one cute little lady.

Yummmm

If you're in the mood for something yummy we would highly recommendend vanilla ice cream with hot Cook & Serve pudding - the best is chocolate. Just cook the pudding according to directions and as it starts to thicken, pour some over your ice cream. It's like a hot fudge sundae but better .... much better.

Due to popular demand . . .

What we do for fun

Caught Fishing

I caught M fishing. She said she spends all her time on Seminary and work, but still she found time to catch a whole string of fish. See.OK, fine it is not really M. It is SPH-1 taken 53 years ago. Here is one with both SPHs, Betty and Grandpa.
I figured Man would like to see these pictures. And finally, another one without Betty. I think my mom looks a lot like B in this picture. And I think SPH-2 looks a lot like a certain Daisy Sandybanks. What do you think?

Busy

Sometimes, meaning more then I would care to admit, I get to the end of the day and wonder exactly what I have accomplished. In college I could check off a long list every day - homework, check, more homework, check, class, class, class, check, study group, check, dinner group, check, etc... I still make check lists for myself but it looks something like this - laundry - um well I started a load or two but then I got distracted with something else so there's a pile on the couch waiting to be folded and laundry in the dryer that needs to come out and I really should start another load ... do I get half a check?

Here's part of my dilemma - I was driven when it came to academia and I'm less motivated when it comes to housework. Don't get me wrong, the toilets get cleaned, the laundry gets done (and folded and put away), the carpets get vacuumed - but I'm not as organized or driven as I used to be and I know I could get more done every day if I would be. I know life will get exponentially busier, but right now with one little one at home who still naps twice a day I don't always check as many things off as I think I should - not that I'm complaining about not going at a break-neck pace. It's just, I almost feel like I should, like somehow I don't make the rank of good moms if I'm not. That being said, perhaps I should start adding things to my list like - take MaryP to park and push her on swing. Check. Pull wood-chips out of her mouth multiple times and wonder who thought it was a good idea to use wood-chips at park. Check. Watch her go up and down slide several times. Check. Run around house playing peek-a-boo. Check. Read "Have you seen my cat" enough times in a row that I hide the book. Check. Change diapers. Check. Breakfast, lunch, dinner - check, check, check. I'm feeling better already....

But enough about me. We're doing well as a family. Wood has been very busy with qualifications. I had no idea when he started on the boat that he had so many things that he had to qualify for, meaning he has to certify over different areas of the boat before he can oversee that particular area or work without supervision on a particular thing. Recently he has qualified contact coordinator and Diving officer of the watch - diving refers to the boat - not Wood himself. I'm proud of what he's accomplished so far, but he's so different from me. If it were me I would come home and say "you wouldn't believe what I had to do today" and for him it goes something like this. Me: So how's work going ... good, busy? Him: Oh, well things have been pretty busy lately. Me: How so? Him: Oh, like last Monday I had four tests. Me: What? You never told me about that, how was it, how'd it go?! Him: Fine, it was a long day, but, you know, that's life.
How did I end up with this guy? And I mean that in the best way possible - he works so hard and takes it all in stride.

MaryP has been busy too. She's learned how to climb, much to my chagrin, and loves it. I don't mind the coffee table so much, but I put the kabosh on the kitchen table and the whole wheels-by-the-piano set up.

She is also exploring her world. Wipes, emptying her diaper pail, discovering the crasins bag, etc.

One of the things we love about living here is we are only a drive away from both sets of my grandparents whom we've been able to visit semi-regularly. I don't have any pictures with my dad's parents (I need some!) but here is MaryP with my mom's parents when they came up our way for a visit. She particularly took a shine to my grandpa and his hat.

She loves playing with our phone that broke and thinks it's great to push the buttons since they still make noise. I'm convinced that kids toys should be more real-to-life. MaryP knows the difference between the plastic imitations and the real-deal and always goes for the true to life toys. And I love the sweet expression on the bottom middle picture. She found my headband and was trying to put it on so I put it on her and was surprised that she left it there. She is a real sweetheart. She has a smile for almost everyone. She loves peek a boo, loves laughing, loves running up to give me hugs, and always wants to be involved in what is going on. When I am cooking she will get out her bowl and spoon and "mix-it, mix-it" as we call it right along with me. She is happy and easy to please (most of the time) and she is just a delight. We sure love her and are grateful to have her in our family.

Splish Splash

The first time we went to the splash park MaryP was not to thrilled about the fountains shooting out water or the cool (temperature-wise) pools around them.

This time she had a ball. She did not seem to mind the fountains except when she was directly under one and I didn't get to her in time - whoops! She loved splashing in the pools. It was a nice way to cool off on a hot summer day.

Pig Tails

Baby Doll

After watching MaryP play with her cousins' baby dolls we decided to get one for her with some of her birthday money (thanks Great Grandparents). She picked it out (from a few choices). It is amazing to me how she loves that doll - the way she will pat it's head or try to feed it the bottle it came with (or her food for that matter). Watching my baby show love reaffirms for me that she is not just developing her personality, it is also being uncovered - she was someone special before she ever came to this earth.

Calling?

My wife was called into the Primary Presidency about 2 months ago. I was released from teaching the Sunbeams at that time, but not given a new calling*. I still don't have one, but that's ok. I'm kinda the "spare dude" the Primary Presidency turns to when they need something done. I have been the Primary Chorister now for every week except once when I substituted for Sunbeams.

I've really liked the not-calling quite a bit. I was daunted at the realization that these kids had to know:
I am a Child of God (3 vs)
Called to Serve (2 vs)
We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet (3 vs)
Home (3 vs)
Tell Me the Stories of Jesus
I Love to See the Temple (2 vs)

and probably some others that I can't think of right now. I had been in the Jr Primary for the whole year, and I knew how weak we were at most of these songs. Luckily with a lot of help from my wife, a whole lot of sweat (it's hot in the Primary room when you are up there trying to encourage and direct a bunch of kids), and an internet search engine connected to a lot of clip art the primary children are doing much better at all the songs.

Woodine had a great idea of using signs that had opposites on them:
mouse = sing quietly / Lion = sing loud
rabbit = sing fast / turtle = sing slow
Smiling face mouth open = sing / smiling face mouth closed = hum
The kids really like the signs and love it even more when they hold them.

I pinned the pictures up to a bulletin board that I could wheel around so the kids could see. But this week I got wise and taped them to some brown butcher paper so that I don't have to furiously pin pictures up during sharing time. I also made this giant pointer ~ 4 ft long out of a dowel that works great to point at pictures while not obscuring any child's view. I probably won't be doing this very much longer, and I am really going to miss it.

Here are a couple of my favorite pictures:
Seriously, how many times can you legitimately paste a picture of 2 ninjas fighting in front of Primary kids in church?


- I couldn't think of anything else for smitten, but the kids sure loved this one!


Anyway, I have had a lot of fun, I look forward to actually getting a calling*, but I'm not in any hurry. Until then . . .


*(besides home teaching)

A Year? Already?

So MaryP has now traveled a complete revolution around the sun. I don't know what to say really.

She still regularly gets comments about her big blue eyes when we are out at the grocery store or the mall or wherever. She seems to always put her best foot forward out in public. She says hi to Woodine or me when we greet her - she is a little more reserved with strangers. She is learning and mimicking so quickly. One of our friends in church today said "MaryP is growing up too fast." I agree. I think she cut 3 more teeth this week . . . no wonder she hates brushing her teeth. She is at the point where getting a present is great. MaryP didn't want to open up her birthday presents from her grandparents because we had already given her a ball and she wanted to play with that!

She loves talking to people. She loves making noise (including high pitched screams). MaryP especially loves bouncing. MaryP likes to wake up early and play hard. She loves to run, loves to dance, loves Don McLean's Vincent, loves Mahna Mahna, loves pears and pasta and even loves peanut butter - though she is allergic to it.

I love her.

When I was out to sea and hadn't seen her for several weeks, Woodine sent me a collage of pictures of her when we were resupplied. She had learned to stand up in her crib and really crawl while I was gone. The change in that short amount of time amazed me and made me miss her so much. I cried in my rack (navy term for bed) and later fell asleep looking at it. I slept on the collage (ruining one of my favorite pictures of her).

I have really enjoyed the time I have had to reconnect with MaryP and Woodine.

I really look forward to seeing many of you at reunion. It's been 4 years since I was up at Reid Ranch. Back then my family was a third the size it is now - and a lot less cute and pretty. See you on Tuesday/Wednesday!

Garden Update

I just wanted to let you know that our garden is doing pretty well. We had a few casualties (our basil, and yellow pepper plants died) but all in all I am very happy with it.

Here are our Oregon tomato and 5 cherry tomatoes.












And this is a tour. We have already eaten some spinach, But we need to eat more. I look forward to the carrots and tomatoes!


We have also harvested 3 strawberries (one perfect looking one that the birds got to and ate the morning before we were going to pick it, one that Woodine and I shared, and an itty-bitty one that MaryP cautiously ate and liked).

I'm glad it has turned out so well.

Desitin anyone?

Floor Hockey

My back aches, my arm is bruised, my ankle is swollen, and I plan on returning for more punishment - yes, I have begun playing floor hockey.

When we first moved here one of the questions I was asked most often was "Are you coming to floor hockey?" Apparently the sisters in our Stake got together weekly for a friendly match. We were new, Wood was busy with the boat, I was still adjusting, so I'd politely decline. The weeks went on, the invitations kept coming, and I would continue to decline. My two major inhibitions were that 1. Evenings are my time. MaryP is down for bed and I can spend the time with Wood when he is home (this is very important to me) or read, or get a few things done if it has been a particularly crazy day.

2. I have major sports-phobia. I get a big adrenaline rush before any athletic competition and have been this way since elementary school - it's true. I don't mind if the only person on the team is me - like in a running race. If I win, great. If I lose, no big deal. But team sports is another matter entirely (especially if I don't know my teammates). It's funny because if someone else on my team makes a mistake I think "Hey, no big deal, it's just a game!" and I forget about it. But if I make a mistake I feel like I've let the whole team down. Silly, I know, but silly or not, that's my struggle. Added to this is that I'm OK athletically, but nothing to write home about. So the idea of playing a sport I've never played in front of a bunch of women I barely knew was a terrifying prospect. *Wood, though very loving and supportive, found this difficult to understand as he enjoys getting to know people by playing sports with them - and he loves any form of hockey.

The months went by and although the stake season ended, some sisters in our ward enjoyed it so much that they continued to play. So continued the friendly invitations and so continued my polite refusals. I got to know sisters through activities, book groups, etc and was happy with that.

One evening Wood was the priesthood holder there (floor hockey takes place late in the evening) so I reluctantly went along. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed playing. I am no star athlete and the ball passes right by my stick more times then I care to admit, but it was so much fun to run around after the ball and learning to pass and shoot. And this sisters are so friendly (this is no surprise) that I felt more encouraged for my (few) good moves then I felt bad for all of my mistakes. That was two weeks ago. I went again this past week and enjoyed myself again - though I plan on investing in a set of shin-guards. Thank you Wood for encouraging me and thank you sisters for including me - I've enjoyed this step out of my comfort zone!

Robert Jordan's Heir

So, not to disappoint any of you, but this post is about fantasy fiction and GURPS. . . so if you don't care for either, consider yourself warned.

I'm sure that all of you who care already know, but Robert Jordan died of a rare blood disease prior to finishing his 12th and final book in the Wheel of Time series. I enjoyed the series, and would have preferred if he would have finished before passing on. I guess no one thought to ask me. Well, Robert Jordan's wife was left with the task of choosing someone to finish the series. She chose a BYU English professor named Brandon Sanderson.

I highly recommend Sanderson's writing. I have read Elantris, Mistborn, Well of Ascension, Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians, and Warbreaker. I just finished Warbreaker on Friday night (actually Saturday morning) and I really liked it.

Brandon Sanderson has a way of writing that is full of unexpected twists and turns that surprise the reader and make the story so interesting. He is an ideal choice for finishing the Wheel of Time series.

My favorite of his works are Elantris and Warbreaker. While I was reading the latter, I was reminded of when I played GURPS with my buddies and I as game master included some plot twists and misdirections for the party to deal with.

I loved it when Ashitaka, Dante, Louie Lebeaux, Martin Luther, the Maxwell, and Reginald Whitlock debated for the entire play session about whether they were fighting for the right side. I was glad that they chose well and came out on the side of good.

I also enjoyed when they (in a different campaign) blindly followed an evil priest to slaughter several pacifistic healer clerics. Oops.

I miss those times. I doubt we'll ever get together and play again, but it sure was fun.

Words to the Wise Upon Joining the Pedestrian World

da da

mom

eeeee. eeeee? eeeee!

For those of you not acquainted with what eeeee is, it is a pronoun/proverb/proadjective/article used to describe or refer to anything not a mommy, or a daddy.

Yep, that's pretty much it. That's all she has to say. She will say da da or mom pretty reliably around the respective parent. But MaryP has started walking - and not of her own will.

We took MaryP to Bremerton Waterfront Park on Friday. There they have 5 fountains shaped like the sails of submarines with shallow (~6 in) pools around each in which you are allowed to play. We set her standing in the water and she hated it. The water was a little cold, but it was a pretty warm day. Still no deal, she would not play or do anything. In any normal situation, she would have dropped down and crawled wherever she wanted to, but not when there is water that she didn't want to be in.

So, she decided to start walking.

I am impressed at how quickly she has improved. Today she has figured out how to stand up without using a piece of furniture. Who knows what's next.

Our video is a blend of 3 different videos of MaryP showing her pedestrian prowess. I hope you enjoy.

Tillykke med bryllupsdagen

No - that was not a typo. It's Danish for Happy Anniversary! (Inspired by one of MaryP's library books we are celebrating our anniversary in 17 different languages.)

Happy 2 Years to us!

Part of me can't believe it's already been two years (time sure does fly) and the other part of me can't believe that it has only been two years - we sure packed a lot into that time. Moving across the country - twice. Trips to NYC, Boston, Maine, Palmyra, PA, just to name a few. Crazy snow/ice storms. Fabulous hikes. Busyness with church involvement. Making great friends. A few tears. Laughing so hard that my sides hurt. Our beautiful daughter (almost one year old now!). And the list goes on. Wood is a fantastic husband -I cannot imagine anyone else I'd rather be with! He is always for an adventure and willing to try new things. I have tried a lot of new things as a result and (for the most part) I've been grateful for it! I love that he loves me the same at my best and worst. I love that we can have intellectual conversations, and also be ridiculously silly. Last night we were working on a project together and I thought about how one of the things I love is working as a team. I am so grateful that we were married for time and all eternity in the temple - I cannot imagine being without my best friend.
I love you!

Ginyumilul chuka hamida!!

Everything Else in May

Updates On What We Have Been Up To In May

episode 3 of 3

So I must admit this is pretty late for May. Sorry.

We injured ourselves/got sick a lot in May. I sprained my ankle playing none other than Ultimate Frisbee. Then I dropped a clamp on my foot a few days later that bruised my foot (hurts still . . . but just a little bit ~ 1 month later). Woodine's knee was bothering her. MaryP had an allergic reaction to Peanut Butter (I'm really sad about it. No peanut butter? How can you live? And I know you are not supposed to give babies PB until they are 1 yr, but honestly would everything have been different if we waited 50 more days to find out she was allergic to it?). Woodine burned her palm pretty badly one night when we were making cookies. She leaned on the table, not realizing the pan that just came out of the oven was there. Since she was leaning with her weight, she couldn't pull away especially quickly. Her hand blistered up. We thought about little Piper, and I just can't imagine how much she must have hurt when she burned her hands. Anyway, Woodine slept on the sofa so she could elevate the hand because it hurt so bad. We wrapped it with ice, and I slept on the floor beside the sofa. But she was blessed to heal very quickly, and we have rediscovered our Mayo Clinic Family Health Book that Woodine's grandparents gave us for Christmas (we've spent some quality time looking through it recently - and not just out of necessity, but because it is also interesting).

But enough about our medical woes. I also modified my favorite pair of pants with my intrepid wife's help. I wanted a drawstring on the cuffs of my pant legs so that I could tighten them to keep out bugs and water and such as I am hiking. But my pants have a zipper down there to enable loosening of the cuff. I didn't want to disable the zipper action, so I designed a draw string that could be detached on one side so if I wanted to unzip the cuff, I still could but I could also tighten it using the drawstring.

I found some small hooks (like those found on dresses) and some elastic at Joanne's Fabric. The fabric store regulars made comments about me (a man) looking for dress hooks and elastic bands - but I gave them no heed, intent on my purposes. I anchored the elastic on one side of the zipper, sewed the elastic into a new hem around the bottom of the leg, and attached a drawstring clip on the elastic and ended with an overhand knot pulled super tight which could be inserted into the dress hook sewn to the location where I anchored the elastic. It works great!
At the end of the month, Woodine's parents visited. It was a lot of fun to see them. Not only do I have the best wife in the world, but I have the best in-laws in the world too. We went hiking at the Sol Duc river again, and enjoyed the scenic car ride and good company. They took us out for Mexican food, and we enjoyed going to church together. I love this area a lot, but I wish we lived a little closer to Woodine's parents, and mine. Or maybe I just wish air travel was cheaper and faster. In any case, I love it when people visit us, or when I can get away to visit others. I am really excited for Reunion this July.

Hiking the Olympics

Updates On What We Have Been Up To In May

episode 2 of 3

No, not in China.

We went to the Olympic National Park earlier this week. I felt like I was walking through the forests of Endor in The Return of the Jedi. The trees were impressive, the greenery beautiful, but you don't have to take my word for it.

MaryP is a hiker at heart. We drove about two hours to get to our first hike, passing an incredibly beautiful Lake Crescent with its teal glacial fed waters surrounded by steep mountains entirely covered by pine. Unfortunately we have no pictures of it. We got out of the car and put MaryP in our backpack carrier and hiked to Sol Duc Falls. It was raining (it's a rain forest) so we cut a hole in a garbage bag and used it on MaryP for a poncho. She couldn't run around, but she loved looking around, seeing the sights as we hike. I don't think I've ever heard her complain on a hike. I think that is saying something considering the two hour drive just before.

We then headed back to the Pacific Coast Highway (US 101) and headed through Forks (watching out for Vampires, Volvos, Quillute Werewolves and rusted pick-up trucks) to the Hoh Rainforest. There we saw a forest never touched by lumberjack saw or axe. Trees growing upwards of 300 feet in height.

This tree was a measly 190 ft tall when it lost its battle with gravity.

I was also able to go hiking up the Duckabush River Trail on Memorial Day with my old room mate from when I lived in South Carolina. It’s always fun to get out especially as a family and enjoy the wondrous natural creations around us. There have been neat things to see in Utah, Colorado, South Carolina, New York, Connecticut, and Washington. I hope that as our family grows more we can still get out hiking or camping to see these National Parks and appreciate God’s creations.