Into The Woods .....

Adoption

2011-04-25T14:05:00.003-07:00

Ok, I know I haven't updated my blog in what, a year? And this doesn't really give you much information about our family.

But - we have these amazing friends who are looking to adopt again. They are fabulous parents and wonderful people and honestly I can't say enough good things about both of them. I know that it took a lot of courage for Eli's birth mother to give him up. Doing so gave his mom a chance to work some things out in her life and now she is happily married with a child, my awesome friends got a chance to be parents, and Eli got the happy home that he is in. We have had other family members and friends adopt with similar blessings for all involved. So I am promoting adoption and if you are looking or know someone that is, I can't think of a better home.

ORDERS!

2010-04-20T00:20:00.003-07:00

For those who may understand this, . . . we FINALLY got our orders today.

We've known what they would be for 4 1/2 months, and we are moving in 2 weeks. But receiving the orders means that yes we can move instead of just hoping.

Something's Wrong With My Ears

2010-03-31T14:21:00.007-07:00

Woodine helped the kids make some Easter Bunny Ears and even helped attach a tail on MaryP.

Woodine: MaryP, would you like to make some Easter Bunny Ears?

MaryP: Can we take off these ones? (pointing to her real ears)

I ♥ Washington

2010-03-17T13:11:00.013-07:00

Yesterday Woodine and I picked up a second child carrier backpack. On our way home we saw The Rainbow. I'm not saying we saw a rainbow. It was "The Rainbow". Probably straight from Genesis, or the Muppets, or Ireland. It was so bright. And unlike any other rainbow I have ever seen, it was in front of trees about 100 yards away. I have never seen a rainbow that shone in the foreground of the landscape view, but this one did and it was spectacular.

I have the day off, so this morning we went on a nearby hike. It's about 10-15 minutes away from our house and has a trail with 4 different loops and some elevation change as well as great views across the Hood Canal (the nearest fjord in our area). As it seems like always happens, our camera was out of juice. But we managed to take 3 pictures. It was low tide and we were able to go down to the shore and toss rocks into the water, look at oysters and barnacles find little sand crabs and enjoy the view. This was Atom's first hike and he enjoyed it in his own abnormally quiet way. He fell asleep on the way back to the car.

It was so muddy! MaryP ran around and got some mud on her shoes, but Woodine's and my shoe were caked. At first we tried to avoid the mud, but by the end we just tromped through it. MaryP got to feel how soft the moss ubiquitous in this area is with her little hands, I held a little crab in my hand for her.

Woodine and I are REALLY going to miss this area. We keep on saying that to each other. WE will miss the many wonderful people we have been lucky enough to rub shoulders with and to call friends. That is always the hardest part about moving. The people. We will also miss the views. I cannot think of a place that combines the beauties of nature better. Green forests, blue water, misty snow-capped mountains and bald eagles soaring overhead; this is a description of . . . my drive to work. I will sorely miss the scenery here. Now Amphibians and other creatures of the Arizona desert, do not mistake us, we are very excited to be close to ya'll, but probably not for the scenery.

And for some general humor, MaryP is a big fan of Disney's Sleeping Beauty. She often insists we call her Princess Aurora. During breakfast she dubbed me Malificent, and Mom was the Handsome Prince. Then she came and sat on my lap and gave me a big hug and said, "I love you so much, Malificent!" She then explained that handsome princes were good at killing dragons and Princess Aurora is really good at falling asleep. She pricks her finger everyday. What a role model! Every parent's dream at bedtime.

Here are some recent pictures of the family.

Picky Eater

2010-02-10T19:40:00.003-07:00

Any suggestions for a picky eater? She used to be so much better but gradually is refusing more and more foods - even foods we know she likes. We have tried different methods but are hitting a wall right now. I don't want this to become a worse habit than it already is. Suggestions? Please?

Visions of Christmas (Cards) Future

2009-12-20T21:58:00.010-07:00

Well, this is not really what our card will look like, but more of what it could have been. Mainly bloopers. I hope you enjoy.

Oooh Baby A, hold that pose!

A couple of Christmas Elves.

MaryP: grr. . . Look . . . at the. . . camera. . . Baby A!

Why are you looking at me that way?

Baby A sure likes to talk to anyone willing to respond. And apparently I do too. :)

Arizona.

2009-12-18T17:46:00.002-07:00

A one word sentence. That's what Woodine and I have been saying to each other for the last couple of days.

I will finish up my tour here in Washington in the Spring and we will be headed to Arizona for two years.

Woodine and I were surprised at first. We thought we might be going somewhere else, but as we have thought about it more and more, we are very happy to be headed south. I look forward to living close to so many sisters and friends.

I can look back in my life and see several times where the Lord has had something waiting for me while I had slightly different plans. So far His plans have turned out to be much better than how I would have done it. I expect this move may be that way as well.

I will miss our many friends in this area, as well as the stunning scenery. I am glad I could have the time up here to visit with my Aunt Betty before she passed away, as well as the time we have had to get to know my Uncle Leo and both sets of Woodine's Grandparents. We love this area enough that we have considered settling here, but we both feel that for now it is time to move somewhere else.

Wish us luck!

Taken care of

2009-12-14T09:40:00.004-07:00

I've been sick the last few days and as you moms all know, you can't take sick leave*. But I had a sweet moment this morning where I was the one being taken care of.

After getting MaryP her breakfast I sat down with my own bowl.

MP: Where's your cup Mommy?
Me: I don't have one yet, I'll get one in a minute.
MP: I will get a cup for you Mommy, I will get you one. (Climbs down and goes over to the dishwasher)
MP: Would you like a regular cup?
Me: Sure
MP: I will get you a regular cup. (Pulls out one) How about this one?
Me: That's great.
MP: Would you like some water?
Me: I'll get some in a minute.
MP: I'll get you some. I will scoot my chair. It's so loud! (We recently had some people move in below us so we've been discussing how scooting the chair over the linoleum would be really loud downstairs.)
MP: (Getting some water) Here's some water for you Mommy.
Me: Thank you MP
MP: You're welcome Mommy, you're welcome.

I just thought that was so sweet. And yes, the conversation really went like that. MaryP has become very articulate and deliberate in how she speaks. It's really cute.

*For the record, Wood is good at taking care of me when he's around. He just hasn't been around much recently.

Catching Up

2009-11-04T22:18:00.021-07:00

We've been delinquent in posting and so much has happened. Since time is of the essence right now I'm sticking primarily with pictures!

Grandmas are great! Thanks so much to my mother and MIL for the much appreciated help! It allowed me to get back on my feet much more quickly than I would have otherwise. It also preserved my sanity.

We've seen both sets of my grandparents but I only got pictures of one. I know I am grateful to have met and have memories of my great grandparents - I hope my children can say the same thing.
BabyA is one month old now. Yikes! He is so much more alert and smiling at us from time to time. I have yet to capture his smile on camera but I LOVE it. We all do!

She is such a good little mommy to her baby dolls.

Impromptu cat costume - just for fun.

Cinderella and Spiderman (UncleN) getting ready to go trick-or-treating.

I always loathed putting a coat over my own costume. But of course I made my daughter do the same - it was chilly!

Blessing day.

Brother and sister. (BabyA is actually very calm when MaryP is holding him and she sure loves her brother - it's a nice set-up).

Finished Product . . . I think

2009-10-31T15:22:00.005-07:00

So I have talked to someone from each family and I think everything is right now. I put some green question marks on expected children. Please let me know of any mistakes, suggestions, or catchy phrases to add to the basic design.

Thanks.

Maybe at reunion we could have an activity where groups would have to fill in the tree with different things: eye color, blood type, hair color, favorite food, names, anything else that comes to mind.

Progress

2009-10-29T23:12:00.006-07:00

I was talking with my wife (who is Biochemist by education) and we concluded that:

1. the person in charge of Family Reunion
2. the person in charge of Reunion Shirts
3. the wife of person #2

all like the DNA shirt the best. Therefore we will do idea number 3.

OK OK OK. . . fine.

We'll do the family tree. I think that would be the best one anyway. I just love #3 so much. I'll miss it. Here is what I got done today.I still need to hammer out Uncle Squash Eater's posterity - I'll call him tomorrow. Also, I will have to see if I can get a better spacing for the families. Please, Please, if you have any witty slogans or things to say and do, let me know. Also, if you catch an error, let me know.

I will include changes at a later date (ie. jr mint and boss's bun) when it is closer to reunion.

Question for Invisiblerabbits

2009-10-26T13:28:00.004-07:00

You sunk my reunion shirt!

I know that the shirts are kind of a surprise each reunion. So would it be bad if I posted a few ideas to see what you thought of them? Please chime in so I don't ruin anybody's reunion experience months before it even happens. If no one lets me know, I will be posting a possible design for feedback in about 1 week.

Note: I promise to not make the Reunion Shirts sexist like the above picture.

What do you think?

2009-10-26T13:20:00.007-07:00

I know that some people won't know what this is about, but for those who do: I would love some feedback. I give no promises that one of these will or will not be the design. But I do promise to read any feedback that I get. Especially awesome ideas. Obviously these are works in progress. If you don't understand what these are about, just ask, I'll explain more in comments.

----One Idea----

----Another Idea----

----A Third Idea----

Following a Trend

2009-10-08T17:49:00.004-07:00

So I have a few siblings that their children exhibited a certain trend (Woodine's older brother's kids also fit the trend) --

First baby: Petite

Second baby: Less Petite

In some cases the second child is taller or is on track to pass the first on the growth chart. MaryP has done her part to fit the first baby profile, and I think Baby Atom is going to follow the second baby profile as well.

Observe this short timeline
Tues 29 Sept: 8 lbs 2 oz (Baby Atom Born)
Thurs 1 Oct: 7 lbs 14 oz (Discharged from Hospital)
Mon 5 Oct: 8 lbs 13 oz! (First Checkup)

It may be a little early but I know MaryP didn't gain weight nearly that fast. We'll see.

Home

2009-10-02T09:31:00.004-07:00

It sure is nice to be home from the hospital and together as a family.

MaryP loves her baby brother and will often comment "he's so pretty". We can tell that she feels a difference - last night she was just having a bit of a hard time - but I don't think she quite pinpoints what the difference comes from. I know some days will be better then others depending on needs, situations, etc, but I hope I can learn to balance time spent with my children. She has been so sweet to her brother though - she's already a great big sister. Now we have 2 great kids!

Announcing

2009-09-29T08:52:00.006-07:00

Baby Atom!

as his older sister calls him
Born September 29, 2009 at 2:12 am
Height 20 1/2 "
Weight 8 lbs 2 oz
Born less than an hour after arriving at the hospital
Both Mom and Baby are doing OK.

Two of my favorite people

2009-09-26T22:11:00.004-07:00

Wood took MaryP to a wedding, reception, and then another reception this evening while I got ready for and attended the RS General Broadcast (and the yummy dinner they served us beforehand which I did not have to cook -always a treat!). Anyway, I thought these two look simply dashing as they got ready to go. How did I get so lucky/blessed to end up with these two*?!*Soon to be three - yes today was my due date. And yes I'm still pregnant.

Warm shoes

2009-09-07T16:01:00.006-07:00

Coming home from playing basketball this morning with some friends, Wood sat down in the front entry way to remove his shoes. (He'd been playing for several hours and was notably sweaty - as well he should be.)

MaryP - who has a special place in her heart for shoes - ran over to him, picked one up, and promptly stuck her foot in.

"Ooooh, Hot." she commented with delight "Nice, nice and warm!"

We couldn't help but laugh - and be somewhat disgusted at the same time.

I think I prefer nice cold shoes.

Emerged from the Deep

2009-09-06T21:24:00.016-07:00

I'm too lazy to write a long blog, so here is a spotty visual update on our lives.
So, I have returned from the deep.
- Bonus points to all that can identify the origin of this picture.

I earned my submarine warfare pin prior to the underway. This is a pretty big deal . . . at least to me.

But Woodine also won accolades prior to the underway:

Woodine enjoyed the Reunion we had at Reid Ranch so much last year that she organized one for her mother's side of the family this year. Yeah that's right, check out her muscles in the picture.
Going to the petting zoo with Grandma: cautious of chickens, adventurous with goats.Woodine has some sweet cake decorating skills.
Mary P sporting some birthday gifts.

Mary P having a lot of fun on the trampoline with her cute cousin.

I'm still excited about this. Awesome!

Literal

2009-08-02T21:11:00.003-07:00

Tonight at dinner MaryP was eating everything but her vegetables - I chose veggies she likes. Recently she's been, uh, suffering from a lack of fiber. So I told her that the vegetables would make her tummy feel better.

She picked up a tomato, lifted up her dress, and put the tomato on her tummy.

Guess I should have been a little more specific!

2009-06-11T21:16:00.007-07:00

Summer Olympics

2009-06-11T21:02:00.004-07:00

Watch out 2024 Olympics - she's already training!

Sunny weekend

2009-05-19T12:54:00.005-07:00

This last weekend was awesome. Sunshine on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, temperatures getting up to the low 70's - perfect weather. Saturday we went hiking with my grandparents and just enjoyed relaxing at their home. MaryP loved playing in their back yard. They also have a lot behind their yard with trees and little paths to walk on - as a kid I remember feeling like it was a mini-forest. She was in heaven being able to run around and explore and we had a fantastic time just relaxing and visiting.

That evening we met up at Alki beach with one of Wood's HS friends that he hadn't seen in 10 years. We even managed to get a good parking spot - parking was nighmareish, so it was nothing short of a miracle to find one! The friend and his wife have 2 little girls and we enjoyed socializing near the beach where the girls could play. The only bad part was that the restaurant we chose to eat dinner at was not kid friendly (at all) but we made up for it with ice cream cones afterward. Next time I think we'll stick with fish and chips. We didn't start heading home until 8:00 but I had no idea how late it was because it was still light out. I love summer.

This comic made me smile because it is cloudy and rainy again today and I am anxious for summer to really be here, but it sure made me appreciate this last weekend that much more!

Evening the Odds

2009-05-17T20:32:00.007-07:00

It appears that things will be evening up a bit around here - our little boy was very cooperative for our ultrasound and we were happy to find our the gender - I like having a "he" rather than an "it" or "the baby". We are excited to have a boy, and no, we don't have a name chosen. Although Wood has thrown some fabulous ideas out, like Alfonzo or Leonard Nemoy. Our boy seems very healthy, which is fabulous, and very active, which I guess is fabulous. I have a hunch that he and his sister are going to keep me on my toes! He was quite wiggly during the ultrasound and now that I can feel him, he is pretty active. I liked this picture the best because it is a good profile but more than that you can see his little hand just above his head pushing up on my uterus. And I feel like he is saying "hey, I need a little more space to move around here - I have places to go!" which makes me smile.

MaryP doesn't really understand boys vs. girls or the fact that we have a baby joining us in 19 weeks. She loves baby dolls and our neighbor's little baby boy, so we'll see how she deals with the new addition.

Preparing for a primary singing time a few weeks ago I needed a car or truck or something as part of an object lesson/teaching and the only thing I could find was MaryP's ABC's bus her grandparents sent her. We have a serious lack of cars, trucks, and heavy equipment - though we do have a puzzle with an assortment of vehicles that MaryP can identify. I guess we'll have to get a little more manly around here!

Our busy girl

2009-04-20T13:05:00.010-07:00

A while back I posted about some fevers MaryP had been having. They were gone for the entire month of March and I thought maybe we were in the clear. But this last week she had another stretch of fevers (only getting up to 104 this time, so not so bad) that were otherwise symptom-free. I was frustrated by this but we just watched her and by Friday the fevers were gone. Woo-hoo! Then on Saturday she started acting sick again and the fever was back on Sunday. Nuts. To add to that, on Sunday you could tell she was feeling miserable and she would stop mid-playing and just stand there and start crying an "I'm hurting" cry. No mother likes to see their child hurt and it is hard when you have no idea why. Is it your thoat, your ears, your stomach, what???

So, we took her to the doctor today (of course she was feeling better) and thankfully this time the doctor we saw suggested a blood draw and catheter. Neither of which were very fun for MaryP. But she was really a sweetie about the whole thing and even talked to the nurses (between sobs) while they were taking her blood. It didn't help that we had to swaddle her and pin her down. Anyway, long story short, she is healthy as a horse, everything looks normal which means ..... she is just one of those kids that gets fevers. Your kid and my kid may get the same thing and yours may act a little whiny for a day or two, and mine will spike a fever. Go figure. The pediatrician said she would probably grow out of this, which is good. Maybe around the same time she can eat peanutbutter, and we'll just have a big party. In the mean time I am so grateful they did those tests - it gives me such peace of mind to know that there isn't something else going on - it's just her.

On another note, MaryP is a delightful, busy, busy, busy little girl. Busy getting into things she shouldn't be. Busy eating the toothpaste, some paint, stuff like that. Seriously though, she is a lot of fun. She is talking so much more, is extremely social and rarely shy. She is very good at being polite and asking "please" with most things. She LOVES the fies and sings (slides and swings) and asks for them every day. Sometimes when we get her up in the morning the first words out of her mouth are "fies, sings" followed by "coat, shoes!" She is ready to go. 6:30 in the morning is too early for me to go to the park, so she has to wait and hope it is not a rainy day. I plan on spending a LOT of time at the park this summer. I think it will be good for both of us.

*A note about the bag picture - she put this on her head and thought she was soooooo funny.
She also loves all things baby. She loves real babies and wants to hold them. And if she ever sees a vacated baby car seat she makes a b-line for it. She can be content for an hour playing with a baby car seat.

MaryP is such a spunky little girl. She loves people and will yell "HI!!" to as we pass them. It often gets a smile. A few weeks ago in the grocery store the lady at the fish -counter yelled "HI!!" back to her and so they went back and forth yelling "HI!!!" as I pushed her through the store until she was finally distracted by something else. One of the things I love about her is how excited she is about the little things. She has great vision and often picks out birds and such before I see them and will excitedly point them out to me.

MaryP loved hunting for Easter eggs, so Wood hid them for her over and over again. Dying eggs was less exciting to her. It sure was exciting for us when she accidentally dumped the red dye on Wood's lap and carpet. Whoops! We were able to get the dye out of his pants and somewhat out of the carpet. And a big thanks to Lysol for removing the dye from our kitchen table! I think she'll enjoy it more next year, and we will be more prepared!

She loves to pretend to read and will often end her stories in "bye". Here is a short clip I caught of her - she had been "reading" before I got out the camera. Also note that she pulled the chair over to the counter ... I am running out of safe places to put things!
She is just such a delight and blessing to our family!

A few good meals

2009-04-02T19:14:00.004-07:00

It seems like we always eat the same-old, same-old, so I've been trying to spice up our eatin' around here. The following are three recipes we've tried recently and love.

Autumn Soup: *Thanks Bea for showing this to me. Credit goes to ward member MG for the awesome recipe! I love that it is so simple, affordable, and ridiculously delicious. Great with rolls too!

1/2 lb ground beef. Browned and drained - set aside
2 C. water or stock (Chicken or beef - I used chicken as per her recipe)
3/4 C. celery (* we didn't have any but the soup was still good)
3/4 C. potatoes cut into small pieces
1/4 C. chopped onion
3/4 to 1 C. chopped or shredded carrots

Combine everything except meat with 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 1/2 tsp basil. Add a small bay leaf. Add the meat and boil 10 minutes. Add 1 med. can diced tomatoes and simmer 20 min. more.

I know this sounds so easy (because it is) but trust me, you will love it!

Cream Cheese Enchiladas:

1 Onion chopped
1 Green pepper chopped
1 can sliced olives
1 lb mushrooms (*I don't like mushrooms so we omitted this)
1 sm. can diced green chilies
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese
12 corn tortillas
1 lb cheese (grated)
2 sm. cans enchilada sauce

Spread some enchilada sauce on bottom of a 9x13 pan, set aside.

Saute onion, green pepper, olives, mushrooms, and chilies together. Add cream cheese. Put mixture in shell* and top with cheese. Roll up, put in pan, cover with sauce and cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-30 min. Serves 4-6.

*For corn tortillas you want to cook them briefly in oil so they are golden, but not crispy, before using them. This was my first time, but you probably knew that.

Spaghetti - a meatless variation

My friend made this for me and it was soooo good. Just a variation on your typical spaghetti.

Spaghetti sauce (1/2 - 1 can)
Canned tomatoes
Vegetables of choice
Can of garbanzo beans (chick peas)
Black olives

Basically it's spaghetti sauce with the canned tomatoes to thin the sauce and veggies like carrots and peppers, etc for flavor. The garbanzo beans are in place of the meat and are surprisingly delightful in the sauce. I would never have thought to try them. And the black olives make the whole dish. We had this tonight and they were definitely our favorite part. Don't add the olives until the sauce is mostly done heating. We really enjoyed this change of pace for our spaghetti and will be having it again soon!

Protein

2009-03-26T08:24:00.002-07:00

You may remember that MaryP is allergic to peanut butter. Thankfully not scary anapylactic allergic - but just an inconvenient topical rash allergic. The pediatrician thinks the allergy should go away in a few years and we're keeping our fingers crossed. Meanwhile, we haven't been eating a whole lot of peanutbutter sandwhiches around here.

Yesterday we were at Costco when we spotted samples of their Almond butter on cracker. (Don't you just love free samples?!) Anyway, since I already knew MaryP was not allergic to almonds (or any other nuts) we gave it a go. And she LOVED it. Woo-hoo! So of course we had to buy a jar of the stuff. I have to say, I like my processed, sweetend PB better, but the almond butter isn't too bad. Now she can have AB&J and I'm so excited because lets face it, PB, or AB, is a staple for any household. Right?????

As long as we're discussing protein I should mention that Wood and I got a little extra protein today as well. We were eating our oatmeal when Wood stops and starts closely examining his food. A tiny brown bug to be specific. I stopped eating and looked more closely at my bowl. And yeah, the little brown flecks I assumed were from the oats were actually weevils!! Blech. I don't know, between lint and weevils I think I've had enough food excitement for one week, thank you very much.

Gross

2009-03-25T13:21:00.003-07:00

MaryP came up to me a few minutes ago saying "Yummmm". At a quick glance I thought she had chocolate around her mouth and I wondered where she'd found a piece of chocolate. Closer inspection, however, revealed that it was not chocolate but black lint around her mouth and on her hands. Gross!! I don't know if there had been a piece of food in there too or not, and I don't think I really want to know. There is a plastic grate that has been loose on the bottom of our refrigerator. She was playing with her magnets and must have gotten it off. The lint underneath was thick and has been collecting for who knows how many years. She'd shoved a bunch of her magnets under there as well. I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised she ate lint seeing as how she also eats dirt if you're not watching her. Maybe there is a deficiency in her diet? I'll have to have Wood see if he can fix the grate tonight before she gets another hankering. Yuck!

"Bring on the Beef" or "Great Expectations"

2009-03-09T20:06:00.002-07:00

So lately I have really wanted to eat beef. Lots of it. Not chicken or pork. Beef. Doesn't matter if its jerky, roast, hamburger, or steak.

Also, MaryP has been saying that there is a baby in my belly, her belly, and Dad's belly, or leg or whatever comes to her cute little mind.

I guess what I am beating around the bush trying to say, is that we are expecting a new addition in late September.

I have some morning sickness, but it is much better than with MaryP. Wood thinks it's because it is a boy. I just hope that this is a trend that will continue independent of the child's gender.

Well, there you have it. We're expecting, and we think it's great!

Paying the Piper

2009-03-08T20:24:00.007-07:00

Yes, all the heady giddiness at the prospect of getting hand made things from others is almost gone, but I still have something left to fulfill my half of the bargain. So here goes!

---- ATTENTION SHOPPERS ----

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me!

My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It’ll be done this year. {translation: you may be waiting a little while}
4. You have no clue what it’s going to be … it may be cards, a poem, a bookmark, something yummy or a complete surprise to you (and me!) … who knows? not you, that’s for sure!
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.
6. Most importantly, you must offer the same deal on your blog - the first 5 people to comment on your blog (or if you do not have a blog, facebook) get something made by YOU!

The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me …

---- THANK YOU ----

OK, I also have to share a picture of MaryP and her best friend for those that may not jump on this First Five band wagon.

MaryP is learning a lot of new things right now. Among other things she is putting things away, saying many more words, building rudimentary block towers, climbing more than ever, and showing love to most everybody she meets. We were waiting to be seated in Olive Garden the other day, and she saw a girl that was probably 3 years old. She just walked up to her and gave her the biggest, gentlest hug. Then she did it again about 3 minutes later, as well as hugging the girl's little brother. She is very good about showing love to others and being gentle (most of the time). She is a real cutie pie. I'm glad she has friends to play with and that she enjoys being with them.

Fashion

2009-02-24T15:52:00.012-07:00

MaryP is definitely developing her own sense of style. Just look.

(Left) Admiring her hat in the oven reflection. (Right) She put the turtleneck on herself and accessorized with the swimsuit.

(Left Top) Cutie. (Right) She wanted to wear the sparkly pink shoes - thank you Piper!
(Left Bottom) She is really into shoes these days. I think the black church shoes offset the oven mitt well, don't you?

(Left) Hat from Great Grandma. (Right) A little help from Dad with the coat.
(Left Bottom) A daring look: one boot and one Sunday shoe. I was impressed...she got the boot on all by herself.

A Memory of Aunt Betty

2009-02-14T23:29:00.003-07:00

I was driving home from Woodine's Grandparents (who taxied us to and from the airport) following a wonderful trip to San Diego. As I drove, I was reminded of my Aunt Betty. She passed away this last year, and is buried in a beautiful cemetery that is just off the road we take to drive home from the Seattle-Tacoma area.

In particular, I was reminded of her funeral and the comment that was made that, "Betty never said a mean thing about anyone - ever." I think that can be said about her two sisters as well. I am lucky to have one as a mom. I wish people would say that of me. . . and be truthful. Right now I don't think it would be, but after this evening I have more motivation to live and act like my mom and aunts and watch what I say (and think - because that's where it all starts) more carefully. Thank you Aunt Betty.

. . . with mint frosting

2009-01-24T17:42:00.007-07:00

Ever since MaryP was very young (about 2 weeks old), we have said that her favorite artist is Vincent Van Gogh. We liked listening to Don McLean's song Vincent because not only was it a nice song, but Elaine would quiet down and listen to the whole thing as content as a bug in a rug.

I still like the song, though we don't listen to it nearly as much.

Now Woodine is taking a cake decorating class. She brought home a

beautiful cake on Tuesday with white dots and pink flowers. I was reminded of a time when Gertrude and her "Sweethearts" date Hhil Punter made a cake resembling the namesake of MaryP's favorite song. Gertrude, do you have any pictures of that cake?

My family and friends are so talented, creative, and fun to be around. I just wanted to say thanks to all of you for blessing my life and lifting me up in big and little ways all throughout my life.

And for all those that get the title of this post, I'm still trying to get my Masters in Biochemistry Wife to make a cellular peptide cake for me (with mint frosting of course.)

Fever Gone

2009-01-17T13:52:00.004-07:00

Well, the fever is gone for now... I hope it doesn't come back! The pediatrician said it could be viral, but the real verdict is, we don't know. I felt justified in my confusion that he too was a little perplexed by the duration of the high fevers. I actually really like out pediatrician here and we talked about different possiblities of what it could have been, but on Friday for her well baby exam she was back to her normal, happy, busy self. So, I don't have any great answers which is frustrating and I'm just hoping we don't have to deal with this again anytime soon. And I'm so grateful to have my happy girl back. *This picture is from before Christmas - but I haven't downloaded any recent ones!

Fevers

2009-01-12T10:14:00.005-07:00

I'm a novice at this whole child/sick thing. I'd like to consider myself to be a reasonable person. I don't rush my child to the ER with a fever of 101. I don't freak out over a stuffy nose. But we've had three fever episodes recently that have me baffled. All right you veteran moms - I need affirmation that what we're dealing with is not crazy.

So MaryP in the last 4 months or so has had 3 episodes of high fevers with no other symptoms. Zero. Not a stuffy nose, sore throat, ear problems, cough, vomiting, nada. The first time it happened she was in the 103.something range, I gave her some tylenol and her fever jumped up to 104 - so yeah, we went to the ER. And they did all of those horrible tests and found - nothing. The fever lasted a few more days, and she did eventually get a cough/runny nose, so maybe that fever was a prelude to the cold. Fine, I can accept that.

Then a few weeks ago she spiked a high fever again - and I wondered if she had an ear infection - I could tell she didn't feel great, who does with a fever - so I took her in to the doctor. She checked out clean - no ear infection. Nothing wrong. That fever hovered between 102.5-104 for about 5 days. Two doctors visits (we had to go in a second time since it was persistent) confirmed that she was hunky-dory, minus the fever.

Yesterday Wood noticed she was acting sick so we took her temp - 103 and sent her off to bed with some motrin. He stayed home with her while I went to church. She was sleeping when I got home and woke up shortly after we finished dinner. She was burning up and shaking so we took her temperature again - 105.7 (rectal temp). Um, what?! So, off to the ER we go. And after a whole lot of waiting, some tylenol and motrin, and a catheter later we head home. No UTI. We did skip the chest X-ray since we'd already been there so long (don't get me started) and we were pretty (very) confident it wasn't pneumonia since she doesn't have any other symptoms. Zero. Nada. Zip. So it's the next day now. She is sleepy and not as energetic, but I wouldn't classify it as lethargic. Her fever is hovering between 101 (much, much better) with tylenol and motrin, and 103. I think for today we're just going to keep a close eye on her. This one also appears to be symptom-free (minus the aches and pains of the fever). I'd almost feel better if she got a runny nose or something like after the first one so that I'd have an idea of what is going on. I'm grateful that she is otherwise fine, but how do I know when to get worked up about it (ok, I'll get worked up about 105.7 every time) and when to say "hmmmmm....just another high fever."

Anyone? Thoughts?

Late pictures just because

2008-12-22T11:29:00.006-07:00

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

2008-12-08T23:30:00.005-07:00

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

2008-11-07T21:19:00.011-07:00

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

2008-11-01T09:51:00.005-07:00

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

2008-11-01T09:07:00.006-07:00

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

2008-10-22T14:39:00.003-07:00

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 . . .

2008-10-18T17:06:00.003-07:00

What we do for fun

2008-10-15T09:46:00.003-07:00

Caught Fishing

2008-09-21T15:52:00.005-07:00

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

2008-09-09T08:40:00.005-07:00

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

2008-08-18T23:14:00.005-07:00

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

2008-08-10T20:33:00.003-07:00

Baby Doll

2008-08-10T20:24:00.003-07:00

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?

2008-07-20T21:06:00.005-07:00

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?

2008-07-20T19:42:00.005-07:00

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

2008-07-13T15:33:00.007-07:00

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?

2008-07-11T10:39:00.002-07:00

Floor Hockey

2008-07-11T09:47:00.003-07:00

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

2008-07-06T19:06:00.005-07:00

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

2008-06-29T18:01:00.005-07:00

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

2008-06-20T08:42:00.014-07:00

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

2008-06-08T15:02:00.008-07:00

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

2008-05-26T22:11:00.022-07:00

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.

Gardening

2008-05-25T08:51:00.005-07:00

Updates On What We Have Been Up To In May

episode 1 of 3

Yesterday Woodine, MaryP, and I visited Woodine's grandparents. Her grandma mentioned we hadn't updated our blog and she's right. So here goes:

I haven't had to work for the last few weeks. (Kind of a reward for having to be at sea for a while) So Woodine and I unpacked our last tenaciously lingering boxes from our move. We also started a garden on our deck. We live on the second story, so understandably our garden is in planters. Our friend the Masked Mallard did some things with square foot gardening, so we decided to make a little square foot garden of our own. Our big problem (for gardening) is that there are big trees around our deck, and it faces west. Though not as bad as facing north, we get limited sunlight. Our solution was to put wheels on the bottom of the planter to we can move it around to the sunny spot as the day progresses.

We also determined that hanging plants on the southwest corner would get hours more sunlight than plants sitting on our deck. So we got two tomato plants and planted them upside-down in the hanging pots and put strawberries and chives in the tops of the two pots. We also planted flowers and herbs on planters hanging from our railings. We were anxiously awaiting our seeds to sprout, and a few days ago, most of them did. We are still waiting on the carrots and herb seeds, but our lettuce and spinach are looking good. You can watch our video tour of our garden below.

Other interesting events, I met a man with the same name as my brother, man. He was in the MTC at the same time as B. He remembered seeing her there. I called B up and she confirmed the fact. He is the son of the BYU Linguistics professor with the same last name as us and he lives in a neighboring ward to us.

Hat Hair

2008-05-09T13:38:00.001-07:00

Chatty

2008-05-02T14:43:00.003-07:00

Here's a cute clip of our chatty little girl. She loves to talk to herself or whoever will listen, which is cute and encouraged, except during sacrament meeting. We're working on that one. :) She and I talk and talk throughout the day. This became evident to me when I went to the grocery store by myself (Wood had the day off) and caught myself talking out loud. "How many tomatoes should we get?" "What kind of cereal should we get?" "Oooh, this looks good." Etc... I tried to catch myself, but the people around me probably thought I was crazy. Oh well.

Happy

2008-04-14T08:38:00.007-07:00

We sure love our happy girl!

Vaccinations

2008-03-27T10:34:00.002-07:00

When it comes to vaccinations, there are more opinions out there that I can count. My friend recently lent me a new book "The Vaccine Book" by Robert W. Sears , which I have yet to read. Overall I feel vaccinations are very important, though many raise questions about how many a person should get, when they should get them, etc.

And that brings me to the flu shot. This is not a "mandatory" vaccine, though it is often recommended. I had influenza once as a teenager and let me tell you, it was miserable. Since then I have been motivated to get my flu shot annually, though I missed a few years of it in college.

Today I am attending the funeral for 13 year old Katie Haggard. Their family used to live in our ward (before we moved here) and we actually met them when we moved to Connecticut. They are an amazing family. While visiting some friends here in Washington with her mom, Katie started feeling sick. Her mom took her to the doctor and within an hour she had almost passed out from lack of oxygen. Katie had MRSA pneumonia. MRSA is a drug resistant form of staph. The disease hit her lungs hard and she was put on ECMO (life support). ECMO is okay for awhile, but if you are on it for too long, it can create problems of its own.

So how does this relate to the flu shot? Doctors in this area are saying when immunocompromised by something like influenza, people are more susceptible to MRSA (which normal healthy people can be carriers of). They are encouraging people to get their shots.

So would a flu shot have helped Katie? I don't know. I don't think you really can spend too long on questions like that, because you really don't know what the circumstances were that led to the disease.

My heart has broken over and over this week for their family.

Katie passed away on Easter with her parents by her side, bitter-sweet in light of the holiday and the hope that comes through the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promise of eternal families.

undo

2008-03-24T12:24:00.002-07:00

Yesterday I dropped some papers and my first thought was

Ctrl Z

Have I been spending too much time on the computer?

8 Months

2008-03-18T15:02:00.008-07:00

I feel like there is an explosion of new things MaryP is learning to do. Every day it seems she figures out something new. I was certainly surprised to see her standing in her crib a few days ago!
She is a delight to have around. When I take her places people often comment on what a happy baby she is - she loves flashing her smile. She also loves to jump. And jump. And jump. Maybe she will more jump then walk when the time comes. But I'm not encouraging walking. This crawling business is keeping me busy enough! Exploring has also produced some bumps and bruises, but I guess that's part of the learning curve.

MaryP generally prefers regular household items (such as the pot we were playing with below) to colorful plastic toys, though she enjoys her toys if there is no wooden spoon or such available.

She has been sick the last two days and I believe she is much more pleasant to be around then I am when I'm sick! She gets that from her father. We sure love our sweet girl!!

Geek in Pink

2008-03-17T15:23:00.006-07:00

One of the things I really respect about my little brother is that he is a go-getter. It's motivational for me. When he was little he started a face painting business and actually made some money. When he was a little older he decided he wanted to get his black belt so he started in Tae Kwan Do and several years later, black belt. He may be skinny, but you don't want to mess with him! :) He decided to audition for school musicals and was the lead his sophomore year. He's not afraid to try new things, even if it means falling down sometimes. He always gets back up and keeps going. His freshman year of college he joined an a capella group. They were ok. After his mission he and one of the other guys decided to form a new group so they held auditions and got some good responses.

Here's one of the songs, Geek in Pink**, that they performed at the BYU a capella jam in the fall. For a start-up a capella group, I think they are pretty good!! My brother is the whistler and some background singing in this one. I'm so proud of him for always being willing to stretch himself and try new things. He's already accomplished so much, I'm excited to see where he will go in life....

**I'm experiencing technical difficulties - my lack of internet savviness being the difficulty. Until I can fix that you'll have to trust me, it's good!

2008-03-11T08:27:00.005-07:00

Mobility accomplished.

For your queue

2008-03-06T12:46:00.003-07:00

If you are looking for a good book to read just by yourself or with your kids, here are 2 I'd highly recommend.

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

This is not your typical Dave Barry writing. It is the story of before Peter Pan, and how he became the flying boy he's known to be. The chapters are short and action packed. My book group read it (before I showed up) and it's fun for adults, but is technically a children's book. It stirs the imagination. It is recommended for 10 and up because the bad guys are bad (though with comic relief, of course) and scary things do happen (how could they not with pirates and such). I know I would have loved, loved, loved it as a kid. At the end of each (short, kid friendly) chapter you wonder, what next?!! I give it 2 thumbs up. *As a side note, the next 2 books after this one have a much darker bad guy. If your kids are nightmare prone like I was, I'd say stick with book 1, it's fun and has closure.

The other recomendation is for Alcatraz Verses the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson. Again a kids book, but Wood and I read it together. It's a quick, fun read and while it's definitely aimed at kids, some of the jokes are pretty funny for adults too.

So there you go, if you have no good books on your queue, here are two. But you don't have to take my word for it (bud-duh-dump-dump.)

Ski Colorado

2008-03-06T11:51:00.009-07:00

Last week we made our way to Colorado to spend time with my parents and to ski. Things went so, so well!

For starters, it was a miracle (and I really mean a miracle) that we were able to go at all. Wood has to request leave (he can't just announce when he's taking time off, he has to get special permission) and he has been really busy working on his qualifications. Both of us thought he wouldn't get leave, but he put in the request anyway. We were amazed when it cleared.

Vacation planning is in my blood (it's genetic?) and so I'd already compared airline prices. We didn't find out that we definitely had leave until a few weeks before my parents were going skiing. Thankfully Southwest still had their amazing deals going and we were able to purchase very affordable tickets, hooray! We did not purchase a seat for MaryP, but since Southwest does not have assigned seating and there were open seats both ways we were able to take her in her car seat on the plane. One, I feel safer knowing that she is buckled in (though obviously if I had to I would have just held on tight). Two, she's much more likely to entertain herself in her car seat rather then on my lap. She was a good baby on both flights and enjoyed chatting with the people around us. Things just worked out so well.

I've missed skiing. Last year we didn't go at all because of the pregnancy. I'm not a pro at it by any means, but I've been skiing since I was 5 and I enjoy it.

*As a side note, one of the humbling things about being married to Wood is that he is just so good at everything he does. He's picked up on skiing really quickly which, while wounding my ski ego, makes it a ton of fun to ski together. He's so talented! :)

Anyway, growing up my family used to get up early, drive to the slopes, get dressed in all of our ski gear in the car, ski all day with a brief lunch break in the crowded, stuffy lodge, and fall asleep on the drive home. Skiing for multiple days and staying up in the mountains is a totally different experience. You wake up, have a relaxing breakfast, check out what the weather is like, finally decide to get ready, walk on out to the slopes, ski, come in for lunch, maybe a nap, and decide if you want to go back out in the afternoon or if you'd rather relax inside. Talk about luxurious. It was so fun.

Mom and hubby happened to be reading the same book

- the race was on to see who could get ahead.

Part of the invitation we were given was that my parents would watch MaryP so that we could ski together. It was nice to get a vacation for me, and MaryP loved her grandparents and all of the extra attention. I don't know if it was the altitude or attention, but for the first time in awhile she finally slept through the night. (Unfortunately with the grandparent factor gone, the waking up in the middle of the night has resumed....rats!)

One of the cutest things to me was that when my dad would give her horsie rides on his knee and then would stop and put his hands down, MaryP would reach out for his hands and start bouncing on his lap as if to say "again, again!" I also got a kick out of seeing my mom with MaryP in the elevator (as I was coming in) going to check out the building. Talk about living it up. Around here it's "I need you to play with your toys while I _______" (fill in the blank with some task). We do play together, but she sure had a lot more attention last week!

We skiied Copper Mountain. I wish I would have taken the camera out with me. The weather was perfect (30's-40's) and the views from the top of the lifts were absolutely spectacular. I can't even describe how amazing it was to look out over a snow covered expanse of the Rocky Mountains. Breathtaking. Oh, and since it's not spring break yet there were hardly any lift lines. Were we spoiled or what?!

Here is a picture I found online. It doesn't do the view justice, but you get the idea.
So we're already talking a fabulous ski vacation. But to top it all off as a birthday gift my parents watched MaryP one evening so that the two of us could go out to dinner. It's been awhile since we've really had a date and we haven't seen much of each other recently. So it was a perfect gift.

Sure there were little glitches here and there, but why dwell on those when, as you can see, things went so well.

Thanks Mom and Dad for a great time!

Brains

2008-02-16T23:44:00.003-07:00

So after reading the last post, my grandma sent me this clip about men's and women's brains. If you have a few minutes, check it out. I think it's so funny because it is (in part) so true. Enjoy!

Quintessential

2008-02-09T23:43:00.000-07:00

Last night laying in bed - I look over

Me: What are you thinking about?
Wood: Oh, not much really.
Me: Oh come on, what are you thinking about.
Wood: Tanks.....
(pause)
Wood: With really cool treads

I couldn't help but laugh - it just seems the quintessential boy/man. Of course, in his defense, I had been thinking about a chick flick ......... :)

6.something

2008-02-04T23:29:00.000-07:00

(The lighting is bad, I know, but I love the smile).

I seem to miss the month marks for MaryP, so here is a 6.something month update.

MaryP is a delight. Who knew babies could be so fun? She did well at her 6 month check up, and is average for both weight and height. She is also learning to recognize who her parents are and was all smiles for the doctor until he held her - then it was panic and crying until she was back with mom. Fortunately she doesn't do this with everyone (phew!) but I must admit that it's fun to think that she knows her mom and even wants her (on occasion). Babies can be good for your ego.

MaryP LOVES her daddy. When he comes home from work is smiles and happy noises and making eyes. It's really cute.

Her first 2 teeth are in!

She wasn't too happy when they were coming in (and I really can't blame her) but now that they're here she's back to her cheery self. She "chews" some of her food now and though that may seems like a small thing, I continue to marvel at the things she does without anyone teaching her.

The new teeth also mean increased drool

and she chews on everything that can fit in her mouth....as long as it's not fuzzy.
She sits up well, but still tips over when she gets distracted. Today she was rolling all over the place in her bedroom - I've never seen her do it quite that much - and was pushing herself up on her knees. I have a sneaking suspicion it won't be long before she's really mobile. I guess I'd better evaluate the baby-friendliness level of our home. Unfortunately we have floor heating, meaning hot electric heaters on the walls down low. I think that will be the place we will start in the "no touch" department. Any tips on teaching a baby to "no touch" would be appreciated.

MaryP still loves books (apparently they taste very good) and will turn the pages for me as we read. I have to hold a page up enough so that she can grab only that one page, but she knows just how to turn it. It's a good thing I can talk quickly (as those who have heard me get excited well know) because when she's really into turning the pages we fly through Brown Bear, Brown Bear, and other classics.

Happily, she is finally settling back into a routine (our move really cramped her style for awhile) which means both of us are sleeping more at night. Hooray!

We sure are lucky to have her in our lives.

Addicted

2008-01-30T22:39:00.001-07:00

61%

After I saw a friend do this, I had to try it. Just how addicted are you?

Just 15 minutes

2008-01-14T12:29:00.001-07:00

This hike is just 15 minutes from our home. I think we will be going there again, and again......

I guess I'm the worst at Tag

2008-01-13T21:16:00.000-07:00

Five things I was doing 10 years ago:
1. Getting ready to move out of my house in SJ and into my best friend Jay’s house.
2. Just finished a rigorous Christmas time singing schedule for my High School Madrigal Choir
3. Playing GURPS with my friends.
4. Talking on the phone for long periods of time with my little sister M who already moved to CA.
5. Participating actively in the Quill & Scroll Society, the Bread & Jam club* and the Croquet club.

Five things on my to do list today:
1. Study for the GRE
2. Hike in the Olympic mountains (in Washington - not Greece, though Greece would be nice too)
3. Play the Piano
4. Read scriptures
5. Catch up on my sleep – from my last underway on the submarine

Five things I will do when I'm a millionaire:
1. Get a house preferably close to family and a beautiful national park, or place to hike and camp
2. Save still
3. Go skiing with my father in law and wife
4. Try becoming a landlord
5. Go back to college

Five things I'll never wear again:
1. MC Hammer pants
2. The shirt “I got stitches from Sacred Heart Hospital” with a teddy bear on it, that I wore for two weeks straight in kindergarten before it got thrown away because it was filthy.
3. Diapers (hopefully)
4. Ensign Bars
5. Tights (for our Madrigal Medieval Banquet 10 yrs ago)

My favorite toys:
1. Hiking Boots
2. Ticket to Ride (board game)
3. the Computer
4. Settlers (board game)
5. Blokus (board game)

Five people to tag:
1. Ben
2. Jay
3. Tim
4. Bill
5. Caron

_____________________________________

* the bread and jam club was invented by some of my friends in High School as a club where we would meet after school and eat bread and jam. Someone would bring in homemade bread and homemade jam and it was delicious. I even listed being a member of the bread and jam club on some of my scholarship applications. You know, come to think of it, I got that scholarship too, probably only because of the B&J club!

Rolling

2008-01-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

About 2 weeks ago MaryP figured out how to roll from her back to her tummy. (She's been able to roll the other way for a few months now.) Today she made a new stride, or should I say roll, in her progression. I left her on a blanket in her room while I took care of a few things and when I came back she was part way across the room. Yikes! I guess this is just the forefront of the "nothing is safe" part of life. But it's fun to see the new changes and developments!

Feeling Good

2008-01-07T10:57:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago a friend was telling me about an awesome workout class that she attends, and from what she described I knew the class was definitely not for me. Not that something like that wouldn't be good for me, it's just I know that at present I'm out of shape enough that I would pass out mid-class and seriously embarrass myself.

I have been wanting to get back in shape. Nursing and not eating lunch (I forget to when Wood is at work and MaryP is napping - I just get busy doing other things) has brought me down to below my pre-pregnancy weight. This is great because I wanted to lose weight pre-pregnancy anyway.

Unfortunately 1. I'm not nursing anymore (which I'm sad about but there you go) 2. I'm going to make a concerted effort to eat lunch - it just makes me feel more normal, and 3. Just because I've lost weight does not mean I'm in shape. I get worn out too easily.

At the library we found this great DVD and I liked it so much I bought it. This is big for me because I don't usually enjoy work-out videos more then once or twice, but I love this one. No, it's not intense. No, I'm not maximizing my work-out time. But yes, I am moving. I'm getting up and doing something. And it makes me feel really good and gives me more energy for my day. And, I love that I can do it with MaryP - I enjoy spending that time with her. MaryP is still not so sure how she feels about the video, she looks at me like "Mom, what are we doing?" But she tolerates it. I also got Baby Reps. We want to do a lot of hiking in this area, so hopefully between the three I can get to a place where I really feel good.

Twilight on New Year's Day

2008-01-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

We drove to Port Angeles on Highway 101 today.

However, we didn't see any vampires, werewolves, or silver Volvos. Too bad.

Merry Christmas One and All

2007-12-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

To all our friends out there, we hope you have a wonderful Christmas. We hope that the love and spirit of Christ's mission on earth can warm each of your hearts. Merry Christmas from our family to you.

(Of course MaryP is our poster child) She's so cute!

Going Bald

2007-12-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

My older brother said that as a child I looked like a white Diana Ross. My hair has always been "large and in charge" so to speak. I've often had it intentionally thinned at hair appointments in an attempt to manage it. I usually still end up with a small afro by the evenings.

Lately though I've been worried about going bald. Well, not really, but about a month ago MaryP started taking more bottles (for a variety of reasons) and I'm only nursing about 1/3 of the time now. Ever since then my hair has been falling out and every time I brush it, especially right after I wash it, more hair ends up in my brush then I feel good about, and more in my hands too.

I've heard about post-pregnancy hair loss - how long does this go on for?

Hopefully not too long, or Diana Ross could end up looking like Sinead O'Connor.

The last month

2007-12-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

We've been busy this last month here in Washington. Wood's work is in full swing and he's actually been on his sub (woo-hoo!). We helped make the decorations for our ward Christmas party a Who-ville theme complete with a 13 foot cardboard mountain for the Grinch. The decorations looked awesome - I wish I'd taken pictures. We're still rooting through boxes and trying to find/make a place for everything. I'm a good pile mover - I move piles from one room to the other. So I really need a place for everything to reduce my piles. We are official Costco members and have purchased gross quantities of diapers, dishwasher detergent, toilet paper, and other "bulk" items. We're trying to get to know people from our ward and the boat. We've been able to visit some family and hope to visit more. We've had sunshine, snow, and rain. Since they don't believe in snowplows around here, any snow, especially the wet, sticky stuff is pretty debilitating. Church ended early 2 Sundays ago for 3-6 inches of snow. We barely made it home (seriously). The next day Wood came home early because of severe flooding in the area. Fortunately we were fine, though many of his co-workers were affected. I guess they usually have a storm like that this time of the year, so hopefully it's out of the way and we won't have another one like that for a year!

MaryP has been busy too. She'll hit her 5 month mark on Tuesday. It seems like she's learning something new all of the time. Like grabbing my dishes at the table. Those little hands can be pretty quick! She's as cute as ever and a delight to both of us. Here are just a few pictures of what she's been up to.

Outgrowing her pajamas

So she got her first trundlebundle
(aka: soft footie pajamas with a zipper)

All clean!

Finding her feet

Getting ready for the ward Christmas party

I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful husband and a wonderful daughter!

Six Things

2007-12-06T12:30:00.000-07:00

Someone challenged me to blog tag, so here are 6 interesting/little known things about me:

1. Thanks to my hubby, I now enjoy some techno music (particularly Daft Punk).

2. I've maneuvered the bucket on one of these bad boys for work.

3. My goal is to one day write a book/books for children - I love children's literature and storytelling.

4. As a child I though ET and the gremlins lived under my bed ..... I still won't watch those movies.

5. I don't have a problem with reading ahead in a book if I'm getting worried about the outcome. Then I'll go back and read the middle and thoroughly enjoy it.

6. I just discovered that I enjoy cranberries on turkey - who knew?!

Rice Cereal

2007-12-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

Yummmmmm......

*My baby spoon is somewhere in my home (where is a very good question) so we used a measuring spoon instead. MaryP didn't seem to mind.

Arrival

2007-11-18T00:48:00.000-07:00

So if you haven't been keeping in tune, we have moved from coast to coast.

We are safely in Silverdale, WA (right next to Bangor Subase). And what do you know! Only 4200 miles more on the odometer!

3 Months

2007-10-25T18:05:00.000-07:00

MaryP hit her 3 month mark a week ago. She loves standing (with our help) and looking around. She could stare down anyone, she hardly ever blinks, making her look all the more intent on studying her surroundings. Her face lights ups when she sees her daddy, she loves to coo and talk and will sometimes "sing" along with me. We are amazed at how much she has grown and changed - she is a delight and brings so much light to our family. We sure love our little girl!

Here are just a few pictures of her - my brain isn't functioning properly and I need to finish packing but I wanted to post them before we left - so I will just let the pictures speak for themselves.

Clues

2007-10-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

So, we are down to the last toilet paper roll
. . .and we like it that way.

We eat odd combinations of food:
like Pot stickers & soy sauce, BBQ chicken and rice, Jello, and oranges for dinner.

And we're making devious and conniving plans to confuse the mailman once again.

If you haven't guessed or heard the word, we're moving again. I think we are doing a better job of getting rid of all our food and supplies. I wonder if the post office will do a double forward? We are still getting mail forwarded from our last location.

The funniest thing of all to me is that back when Woodine name this blog "Into the Woods" I thought, "Oh that is so fitting, we live up north of Albany and there are lots of woods here." But we moved to Connecticuit, and Groton puts NY to shame for being woodsy. From what I saw of the Bangor WA area, it looks like we will continue the trend of moving deeper and deeper into the woods.

I'm really excited for this trip. We'll be able to see the PennHens (my brother & his family) in PA, John and Alison (two really good friends from BYU) in Wisconsin, Both sets of parents, four brothers and one or two sisters while we are in CO and UT.

We are looking for some good book on CDs or normal books to read on the trip. Woodine finished Eclipse, and I am reading Elantris. By the way, I really like Elantris and recommend it. Our problem is we usually get book on CDs from the library, and I don't think it would be prudent to take a library CD across the country. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

*This blog was started a few days ago and we're heading out tomorrow. Book suggestions would still be welcome. We didn't quite make it through our food. Does anyone need a large bag of sugar? Or an almost-full bottle of vinegar?

2007-10-05T08:46:00.001-07:00

Apparently this is very comfortable!

Early Start

2007-10-05T08:38:00.001-07:00

We got a great jump-start on our day today. A 3:40 AM jump start. MaryP was sleeping soundly, but Wood's alarm had gone off around 2:45 and we had fallen back asleep (can you blame us?). Somehow the time on his clock was set 4 hours ahead and so when we re-woke at "7:40" (aka 3:40) we thought we'd over-slept and that he was running late. We hopped out of bed and quickly started getting ready, only to notice the correct time on other clocks. With a relieved sigh we climbed back under the covers, almost with a sense of cheating time and getting extra sleep. Almost.

All dressed up

2007-10-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

So things are pretty laid back here in Connecticut. We have lots of time to spend together which is a nice reprieve before we get to the boat and life gets busy and Wood starts making trips out to sea. We do go out and about - to the library, on walks, etc. We also spend a lot of time around the house. Although after the conversation last night, I think maybe I've been a little too relaxed.

Scene: Me- dressed in jeans, a sweater, and my hair not in a bun (I really need to get it cut!).

Enter Wood, just coming home from a flag football game.

Wood: Hey, what are you all dressed up for?
Me: Um, I'm not dressed up. I just decided to change out of my exercise* clothes and put my hair down.
Wood: Oh, well it looks nice.

If jeans and a sweater is dressy, maybe I'd better re-think my daily routine! I guess it is a notch up from my semi-formal wear - jeans and a T-shirt!

*Wearing exercise clothes may or may not indicate actual exercise occurred.

Maine

2007-10-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago we headed up to Maine. It was only a 4 hour drive from here - though this was extended by Boston traffic and an unhappy baby - she was bored? Once we got into Maine we saw some really beautiful fall colors! By the time we made it to the Navy Lodge it was too dark to do any sight-seeing, so we made our way to a restaurant to try some Maine lobster. We shared the dinner and it was one of those things that is fun to do once, but we probably won't repeat. We had New England clam chowder, lobster, muscles, and crab-stuffed haddock. That haddock was our favorite. I wish we had taken a picture of the plate with the lobster and the muscles, it looked awesome!

We decided that lobster is really a glorified way to eat butter - but we couldn't pass up the opportunity while in Maine! However, I decided I do not enjoy seeing the whole creature I am eating while eating it. First of all, it looks like a bug. Not to mention those bug-like legs that were flailing around while Wood cracked the thing open. And removing the intestines - blech. I guess I've seen a fish cleaned before, but that doesn't bother me as much. Yep, I definitely am not a lobster lover. Once was enough for me.

Saturday we drove down two peninsulas and onto some little islands. The Maine coastline is truly a must-see in my book. We didn't get out to take pictures (someone was sleeping happily as long as we kept moving) but it was just incredible. A very rugged coastline with rock and sand formations jutting out into the sea. Combine this with fall colors and you have quite a scene.

We also made our way to the Portland Head Light - one of the most famous light houses, and commissioned by George Washington. The weather was not ideal, but the view was!

Shots

2007-10-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

Apparently our family is due for shots. MaryP just had hers (and is due for more soon) and Wood came home from work yesterday having received 5 shots, 1 PPD test for tuberculosis, and his blood drawn. Yuck. We are happy to report he does not have tuberculosis.

Great weekend

2007-10-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

This last weekend my dad came down for a little visit. He had business in Boston Wednesday through Saturday so he popped down for Saturday evening and Sunday before he flew to Rochester for more business on Monday. It was so nice to have him here! Saturday afternoon we took him to nearby Bluff Point which is the " last remaining significant piece of undeveloped land along the Connecticut coastline." It's about a 3 mile walk and really, really pretty. MaryP slept through most of it, but I'm sure she enjoyed it too!

Saturday evening we ordered out Applebee's (which makes it much easier with a baby). Disposable is definitely my favorite kind of dishes. Thanks Dad!

MaryP sure enjoyed seeing her Grandpa B. When he was playing with her she was smiling and making noises that were about as close to a laugh as I've heard yet. It was really fun to hear. She coos for Mom and Dad, but I guess right now the laughs are for Grandpa!

My favorite part of him being here was just talking and talking about anything. Our year + adventure on the East has convinced me that I could be very happy living in this area. But I sure miss being close to family, so it was a real treat. I sure love you Dad, it was great to see you!

Adjusting to a New Home

2007-09-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

So, I guess we've been in CT for 1 month of our 2 month, 1 week stay. Time has flown by. We haven't been able to visit Mark and Shana yet, but we did visit with Daniel and Brittney. We're going to Maine for the weekend to see the fall colors on the coast. I hope it turns out great.

My flag football team can't seem to win. But I still have fun. I also can't seem to keep the skin on my knees because I dive to much trying to pull flags, or catch passes. The grass is scratchy, I always hope it rains the day before we play. :(

In other news, MaryP is two months and one day old now. She got her shots yesterday. Four in her little legs, and one orally. I guess the oral one wasn't a shot. Here are her battle wounds.
The nurse said she was a very good baby and that we were lucky. I agree. Woodine did say that MaryP was very well behaved for the shots. The day after, she is not feeling as good.

I finished reading Twilight today, and Christine is almost finished Eragon. I think we'll swap. I also checked out a book called Thunder Below about Eugene B. Fluckey who died this last month. He was an amazing submariner who received the Congressional Medal of Honor, and a bunch of other awards for his daring raids on the Japanese during WWII. His submarine (USS Barb) sunk more Japanese Naval tonnage than any other American ship (including aircraft carriers).

And last of all - I wanted to let everybody know that I think MaryP is cute. And here is my evidence.

Double Vision

2007-08-31T09:28:00.000-07:00

Psyche!

2007-08-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

Have your children ever done this to you?

Right before our move MaryP started acting differently. It started on Saturday with her cry sounding scratchy. I don't know how else to describe it - it really sounded like she was becoming hoarse. Sunday she sounded worse, but no fever, so I called the on-call pediatrician because I'm a new mommy with a steep learning curve and a touch of paranoia. He said it may be something viral and it might be good to bring her in on Monday or Tuesday to our doctor. Except we were moving that day. So we made the drive to Connecticut and MaryP did well until the very end.

Monday she still sounded hoarse and, though no fever, was not herself. Instead of really crying if she was upset (like she normally does) she would make these whimpery little cries. And she was acting more mellow/clingy.

Enter paranoid new mommy.

I called the doctors Monday morning, but because we just moved here and it's a temporary duty assignment for Wood they had neither mine nor MaryP's medical records and would not allow me to make an appointment until all of the paper work was complete (don't they make exceptions for people who have been there less then 24 hours?). So, Wood came home for lunch and we started running around trying to get the paperwork done. I dropped him off at work so I could have the car and continued plowing ahead. A seemingly long time later, paperwork done!

MaryP still was acting whimpery. Kindly, the doctor made a special arrangement to see us that day because I'd been unable to make an appointment. Hooray.

About 3 minutes before the doctor sees us MaryP decides she's really hungry (I'm not good at nursing in public yet and she was happy if I swung her, so she was a little overdue for her lunch) and starts screaming. Loudly. It doesn't sound hoarse. She's not whimpering. Enter doctor.

*I feel so stupid at this point!

Me: Really, for the last 3 days she's had a hoarse voice.
Doctor: She doesn't sound hoarse to me.
Me: And she hasn't been crying much, more whimpering.
MaryP: "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"
Doctor: Sounds good to me.
Me: And she's been acting sort of lethargic.
Doctor: This doesn't look too lethargic.
Me: Sighhhhhhh

MaryP checked out just fine, though the doctor said we could use Tylenol and graciously remarked that mother's intuition is often best. He did re-define lethargic for me, which will be logged away into my catalog of "when to worry about your kid" definitions.

Yesterday MaryP was back to her amiable self, I'm so glad she is healthy. I'd rather wound my own pride and have her be healthy .... but I sure felt silly. I did speak with my older brother who laughed and said his 2 boys have done the same thing - be sick right up until the doctors appointment, then show no signs of having ever been ill.

Ah well, our paper work is done and hopefully I won't have to worry about anything here but well baby visits.

Update: Pictures of a Cutie Pie

2007-08-13T16:03:00.000-07:00

Here's some more cute pictures.

Dressed for a walk in the park.

Ready to go to Church

Practicing for a Bath

I have a few reservations about sharing this, but . . . but it's just so cute!

Cute Little Bottom

Progression

2007-08-07T10:49:00.000-07:00

For our 10 week stint in Connecticut we are only taking what we can fit in our car. Everything else will be stored, then shipped to Washington. The following progression is why we wish we could find a way to squeeze in the baby swing. Maybe we could strap it on top of the car?

She goes from this

to this

to this -hooray!

Getting along

2007-08-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

MaryP and Grandma SPH-1 seemed to get along pretty well......

most of the time.

Pretty in Pink

2007-08-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

So blessed

2007-08-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

We've been so blessed to have family here to be with us and MaryP.

My mom was here for the first week and that was wonderful. Not only to have someone cook, clean, burp the baby, change the baby, and rock the baby when I was too tired .... those things merit wonderful in and of themselves. But to have her there to just talk with - about baby stuff and about life. It was so nice to plop down on the couch and be able to talk about whatever. It always makes me sad when I hear people my age really griping about their parents - I really can't relate. She and I are such good friends - I can't imagine it any other way. I wondered what I would need a mom for when the baby came - just one little person, right? Even though the little person is a very good baby that sleeps well, I discovered that yes, it was really nice (and helpful) to have her there. We had such a good time together, it made it hard for me to say goodbye. Fortunately SPH-1 stepped in. I know she feels like she doesn't have as much to do - no running interference with other children, etc. But I sure appreciate the help with cleaning, cooking, and the chance to put my feet up for one more week! Not to mention being able to pick her brain about baby questions, or to just chat (or the sewing aid she is rendering at this moment - phew!). We have a few more days with her here and then we will be flying solo. Yikes!

I can't complain though. MaryP really is a very good baby who sleeps well for a new born at night and has an even temper. Except when she's being bathed - then watch out! So, we've decided to never bathe her again.Ok, maybe not. But it's a tempting alternative when I see her scream and thrash about. Ah well, hopefully she will learn to like it sooner rather then later.

Last weekend my dad and younger brother and Daddy-O, Nathan and SPH-1 joined us for MaryP's baby blessing. It was really nice to have family here (though Lady you were right about tight quarters - 8 people was just right for our apartment....hopefully we can pop by and visit your family soon!) I especially enjoyed seeing my brother who returned from his mission in Argentina the day after MaryP came. Unfortunately we don't seem to have any pictures of him on our camera (rats!). He heads to the Y in the fall and I hope to see him again as we visit family in UT on our way to WA. Anyway, it was really wonderful to have family here - we were sad to say goodbye but hope to see them again soon.
MaryP was so good for the blessing. I guess she was just calmly looking up as she was being blessed. We continue to be delighted to have her in our family!