Rogers Rogues

newest family member

2011-01-17T17:45:00.003-07:00

Announcing our new pooch, Apollo! Yes, we finally joined the ranks of dog owners. We have been wanting a doggie for a while, and recently Isaac has especially expressed interest in one and has agreed to help care for one. We got the go-ahead from our landlady and found this little guy on Craigslist. His family was moving and wouldn't be able to take him with them.

Apollo is a Pomanauze--a Pomeranian/Schnauzer mix--and full-grown at one year old (9 pounds). He is an ultra-sweet little poochy who loves to traipse and play but is also content to settle down to snug in your lap. He rarely barks and is already house- and kennel-trained. His fur is getting quite long and he's probably due for a trim--but his previous family said they kept it long in the winter to help him stay warm. He is very smart and has already learned how to go to his bed and follow simple commands. We sure love him already! :)

holiday highlights

2010-12-29T15:47:00.005-07:00

I thought a nice photo montage could sum up our holiday:

Isaac helped Lincoln and his preschool class sing Rudolph at the Missoula Carousel. And a visit from Santa! We got some amazing gifts from our amazing friends! Thanks, Caitlin and Kath! Link loves his little art set and Ike loves his Harry Potter set. :)

Reading a letter from our very own elf, Nutmeg Jim Christmas Eve is always magical! Isaac got to play the Grinch A gift opened that night: Bob Bear and Bear Burt from Grammy and Grampy Great. Santa came! I made the boys Harry Potter cloaks, scarves, and wands. Here they are casting spells! Hope you all had a merry Christmas and have a happy and healthy New Year!

happy 7

2010-12-29T15:20:00.004-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, IKEY BUG!

We love you so much, big 7-year-old boy.

Snuggin and watching a movie Sharing cupcakes with his class . . . and he gets the first bite!

school solo

2010-12-29T13:58:00.004-07:00

not a charlie brown tree this year

2010-12-29T13:40:00.007-07:00

One of our most favorite yearly traditions is to hunt for our very own Christmas tree. In past Decembers we have had to choose from a selection of Charlie-Brownesque trees, although we never minded. However, this year--our first foray into Montana woods--we were awed by the selection of picture-perfect trees! It wasn't hard to find one, although of course we still dragged it out for suspense-building earning points (not to mention to burn a few after-Thanksgiving calories ;).

We enjoyed some hot chocolate--still hot--before heading out Num! We found our tree! At Missoula's tree-lighting parade later that night Link was fascinated by the tree! He had quite an eye for ornament placement and kept moving them around until he deemed it perfect (and I didn't even have to reshuffle any when he was done :).

happy thanksgiving birthday

2010-12-29T13:28:00.004-07:00

Thanksgiving this year happened to fall on Jed's birthday! (no, not the other way around :). And we were pleased as punch to be joined by Lisa/Jer/Suz/Ani and our Auntie Caitlin. I think Jed is pretty used to having pie in lieu of b-day cake. But heck, why not?

We loved the snow! Made for fun sledding outings and x-skiing in the streets. Gotta bundle 'em up! Birthday pie! Besides, who else gets to choose from four tasty treats on their special day? Cutie girls Cookin' together in the kitchen was the funnest part! And the kids treated us to a special concert. Thanks for coming to be with us, Lisa and fam! We love and miss you guys!

rogers potter

2010-11-02T10:33:00.003-06:00

Our last hike of fall mysteriously morphed into a full-fledged Rogers Potter adventure!

(Love this wand shot purely for the motion) Ron and Harry, in the Chamber of Forest Secrets, contemplate their next move Dumble-Dad and Harry decode a message Her-Mommy (Hermoine) brandishes her wand to ward off an attack from You-Know-Who!

halloween-weekend-a-thon madness

2010-11-02T09:14:00.005-06:00

Halloween was just one big, fat party all weekend! First the boys had parties and wore their costumes to school on Friday. . . and that night we had a party at our house . . .

Isaac is Kurt from The Sound of Music and Link was a turtle (even though Isaac's pal Clara was a cowgirl for Halloween, for our party on Friday night she dressed like Brigitta from The Sound of Music to partner up with Isaac! :) The kids had a ball wrapping up their parents as Mummies! Here is Mummified Mary wrapped up by Clara and Link. Rick was bound by Ikey and Greyson And poor faceless Aki was blinded by Alex and Grace! I was a kitty (though my tail was misplaced. . .) And the winner for best costume goes to. . . . Yep! You guessed it! We had a surprise appearance by Napoleon Dynamite! (as much as Jed does look like Napoleon, his impersonations are even better!) When Lincoln announced earlier in the month that he wanted to be a turtle, I was ecstatic that he could wear an old frog costume I had sewn for Isaac when he was that age. All I needed was a shell. Thanks to the local Goodwill store, I found a pet bed with a perfect turtle design on the back, and after hastily sewing on elastic bands to go around his arms, voila! (I was pretty excited about it, anyway :) . . . Saturday night was another party at Clara's house! And finally trick-or-treating on Halloween! Phew! The boys and their haul . . . this pretty much sums up our crazy, exhausting, spooky, but fun Halloween weekend!

hist whist

2010-11-02T09:11:00.000-06:00

Link's posture in the last half says it all about how exhausted we all were by the end of the weekend!

napoleon grooves

2010-11-02T09:10:00.000-06:00

family pics

2010-10-26T11:32:00.004-06:00

I love having a budding photographer in the family! My niece Brittany took these snazzy shots of us at my Grandma's farm!

i {heart} heavenly hailey

2010-10-26T10:44:00.006-06:00

We met up with my sistas at a condo in Hailey, Idaho, and we had a blast hanging out with Jed's Uncle Lawrence and Laura who live there!

Ikey {hearts} his cousin Keira

What a beautiful place! All the kids lined up at the Sun Valley resort U. Lawrence mesmerized the kids with some tunes Isaac was especially enthralled and wanted to learn everything he could from his musical uncle! (Did I mention that Lawrence makes mandolins for a living? Pretty sweet!)

Girls against Boys family football game!!! Girls made the rules! ha ha ha

My cutie girls Lawrence and Laura were SO sweet with the kids! The kiddies followed Lawrence around like he was the Pied Piper! :) Lawrence and Laura took us to this Cottonwood "heart" tree where fans wedge heart-shaped rocks in the bark or drop off at the base. We {heart} Hailey!

craters of the moon

2010-10-26T10:18:00.004-06:00

On our trip through Sun Valley, Idaho, we stopped off at Craters of the Moon National Park, site of an extinct volcanic eruption. I've always wanted to go there, so it was fun to finally check it out. It was so fascinating for the boys!

We scrambled through an underground cave and here the boys are climbing out We learned all about A-a and Pa-hoy-hoy lava!

my grandma: 90 years and still going strong!

2010-10-26T10:10:00.003-06:00

We were giddy to attend my Grandma's 90th birthday bash! This amazing woman is still active, smart, classy, and sassy! Seriously, does she look 90??? I only hope I inherit her vitality and longevity!

snuggle bunny

2010-10-26T10:08:00.004-06:00

Link loves to be swaddled like a little baby in his towel when he gets out of the bath, all toasty and snug.

kimmie's visit

2010-10-25T13:14:00.004-06:00

My amazing sister Kimmie and her two cute boys, Brandon and Blake, visited us recently! It's awesome that Kim's boys are about the same age as mine and they play so well together!

On our hike at MacClay Flats: On your marks, get set. . . Go!!! Link, Blake, Ike, and Brandon Aunt Kimmie reads to the boys We love Aunt Kimmie! (and Isaac had a hard time saying goodbye) Buds Link is a little lover of animals We spent a blissful afternoon watching the boys play in the Bitterroot river at MacClay Flats We love you, Kimmie, Brandon, and Blake!

bozeman lovin'

2010-09-27T17:34:00.005-06:00

How's this for a half-birthday present? Our "Auntie" Caitlin promised Isaac a trip to any Montana dino museum of his choosing! After much see-sawing, he finally settled on the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, a 3-hour drive from Missoula. We had incredible 70-degree weather to cap off an amazing time!

Caitlin with Link and Cheky Lou The boys were just a little bit intimidated of the life-sized dino models! Can you detect a bit of fear in their faces?

This cool bone had T-Rex bite marks in it! In the late 80s this nearly complete T-Rex skeleton was discovered in Montana. The museum also houses the most extensive triceratops collection in the world! What would a fun trip with Auntie "Taitlin" (as Link calls her) be without ice cream? We camped near a gorgeous river and capped off the night with some fine soaking at Norris Hot Springs complete with a live musician. We took the long route home through Ennis and Virginia City and enjoyed the sites there. Thanks for a fantastic time, Caitlin!!!

farewell, summer

2010-09-19T13:55:00.004-06:00

Ah, summer. Tis always sad to see you fade into Fall. Some highlights from our summer:

Link riding his new bike Playing with Andi and Henry at the Bob Dylan concert! Link and his pal, Mr. Fuzzy Bunz Simple pleasures Scary wolf and lion! . . . don't ask! . . . Hiking in Blodgett Canyon Welcome, Autumn!

coeur d'alene

2010-09-19T13:40:00.003-06:00

For a little Labor Day vacay, we headed west for 2.5 hours and hit up Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The lake there is so gorgeous!

Found a few amazing hikes

Jed telling the boys the legend of Bigfoot in our tent Meese art (dedicated to Madison :) More meese art!

preschool

2010-09-19T13:38:00.003-06:00

Link started preschool!

a visit from britt

2010-08-27T14:07:00.004-06:00

Wow! FOUR--yes, count them--4 weekends in a row we had out-of-town guests. FUN! We loved every minute of every visit. The last visitor to crash our place was my awesome niece Brittany and her friend, Liz, who came just for the Brandi Carlile concert. We had an amazing time!The highlight was, you guessed it, the Brandi concert in the historic Wilma theater. It was a gorgeous evening and an incredible concert!

Brittany and Liz were so sweet to play with the boys (I think Link even developed a mini crush on Liz. . . early one morning I overheard him, still laying in bed, whisper to himself, "I love Liz." :) Thanks for coming and the great time, girls!

a visit from lisa

2010-08-12T16:13:00.007-06:00

Wow! 3 weekends in a row we had family in town! This time Lisa, Suz, and Ani braved the 536-mile drive (Lisa alone!) to see us. We had a ball!

Kids lined up on our hike in Pattee Canyon

Playing at Bonner park Ani and Link getting into Lisa's lip gloss! (We also went tubing, as you can see :) Lots of bike rides! Dragon Park, revisited What would a trip to Missoula be without a ride on the Carousel? We were nearly rained out at the Celtic Festival, but we managed to stay long enough for Young Dubliners live (and loud!) performance! Picnic dinner at Caras Park, Clark Fork River in background Link and Ani LOVED the Celtic music and danced their hearts out--but Suzy, who is scared of loud noise--cried and covered her ears! *sisters* But we couldn't outrun the storm forever. . .on our bike ride home, we were caught in a drenching deluge! I was proud of Isaac, though, for making it without complaining!

We also took a trip to Splash Montana for an afternoon, which was really fun! Thanks for the amazing time, guys!!!

a visit from oma and bek

2010-08-11T13:45:00.011-06:00

The very next weekend after Michelle and Nate visited we were spoiled to have a visit from Jed's mom and sister, Rebekah, and her family. We had a marvelous time! The kids love playing with their cousins and amazing Oma!

The kids riding the Missoula carousel with Oma Ike and Henry play along the riverbed Ellie and Ike It was a Star-Wars-filled weekend! We even made our own movie. And for his half birthday, Ikey got an erector set from Oma! Ellie, Madison, Henry (refusing to look at the camera), and Bekah Enjoying one of summer's favorite past times! Watermelon: YUM! Those Rogers and their gorgeous sky-blue eyes! Cutie cousins--Ellie, Henry, Isaac, and Link On our hike up to the "L." Oma had the utmost patience to stay close to Link. But all the kids made it! Gorgeous pictures courtesy of Bek Floating the Bitterroot River with Bek Enjoying our black cherry sodas! ;) Bikes! Thanks for the amazing time you guys! We love you.

a visit from shell & nate

2010-07-22T10:28:00.002-06:00

We had a rootin-and-a-tootin time with my sister Michelle, her husband Nate, and their two beautiful girls, Avery and Keira when they visited us here in Missoula last weekend. We loved every minute of it!

Link and Ike couldn't get enough of their 5-month-old baby cuz; they wanted to hold and play with her. We took a short hike of a Missoula overlook (can you find Yoda in the pic?) These two, 3 months apart in age, have a major love-hate relationship! One minute they'd be pushing each other's buttons and the next they'd be holding hands. Strolling downtown along the Clark Fork River Link was pulling the girls in this wagon around the house We took a trip together up to Glacier National Park and on the way stopped for lunch by the gorgeous Flathead Lake Isaac was sooooo sweet with Baby Keira Cute little fam Camping at Fish Creek. Though we doused ourselves with bug spray, we were eaten alive by mosquitos--mostly on our feet! Clever little critters. . . Doncha love Keira in the football hold? Avalanche Falls. Quite possibly the clearest and bluest water I've ever seen Sticky S'mores! Jed helping Aves and Link on the slushy hike up to Hidden Lake Hidden Lake hike This mama and baby mountain goat didn't fear us at all! They came straight at us. . . they must have wanted our lunch! Keira's small little head! Isn't she pretty? Playing at the Dragon Park Happy Birthday, Aves! Thanks for coming, guys!

my little garden

2010-07-19T13:44:00.005-06:00

This is my first honest-to-goodness garden, and believe it or not, it's thriving!

Indulge me here, just a bit, by giving a shout-out to my first ripe tomato. Ah, summer harvest! How I savor this time of year. Tasty daily salads. Little hands combing pea vines for a sugar-snap snack. I wonder how many raspberries will ripen, pink and unscathed, before the kids get to them first? Ha! No better way to get them stoked about local, healthy grubs, I guess. Little herb garden in front

running fools

2010-07-19T13:33:00.006-06:00

It's running season, and it's hit (the boys at least) in full force!

Jed was 3rd in a Mountain-to-Meadow half marathon at Lolo Pass

Isaac trained for the Missoula kids marathon where they log 25 of their training miles and run the last 1.2 miles on race day. Way to go, buddy!

Then Jed placed 9th in the Missoula marathon, with a respectable time of 2:52:01. [This just in! We heard that there was likely a--ahem--cheater who jumped in the race somewhere near the end just before Jed. . . which would put Jed in 8th place!] Way to go, sweetie pie!

half birthday

2010-07-19T12:41:00.008-06:00

As you may know, we celebrate Isaac's half birthday in lieu of the actual day. It's the best you can do when, as a parent, you resist violently the idea of your child being smothered with gifts over a 2-day period, or the notion that he would have to wait 363 whole days for the two biggest look-forward-to events in his life to be celebrated back-to-back in an overwhelming rush (kind of like this sentence). And let's face it: a birthday just does NOT get celebrated properly when it falls within 48 hours of the biggest overblown holiday in our country. Hence, the half birthday!

(My attempt at a baseball mitt cupcake-cake, in case you were wondering what that is.) After receiving a new storm trooper helmet, the boys went hog wild with it!See what I mean? New Luke Skywalker costume! The birthday party was Star-Wars themed, complete with Jedi tunics for kids who didn't wear costumes. Here the kids are lined up for a Jedi-training obstacle course! And then water balloons to defeat the (sidewalk-chalk sketched) Death Star spaceships. What's a Star Wars party without a little light-saber sparring? Rescuing Han Solo from the Carbonate!

Easy solution for the cake--line cupcakes up as a light saber! Leia Clara, Isaac's cute little friend. This was the first party we've had for Isaac where friends brought gifts. He was stoked! Left, Elena, and Aunty Caitlin! She was a godsend, helping out behind the scenes as Jed and I ran the show (or should I say, flew the Millennial Falcon). Lily and Ike Taeven, Elliot, and Nicholas The kids were visited by a very non-threatening (I am tempted to say "comical") Darth Vader! (Didn't know Darth had such gentle blue eyes or sported such a hip 'fro!)

a gorgeous day for a hike

2010-07-12T15:30:00.002-06:00

We saw our first moose in the wild! Wow.

We visited the Bernard DeVoto Memorial Grove on the Idaho/Montana border--a grove of mammoth cedar trees, the oldest in Idaho. Tree "hugging"

the best dad

2010-06-21T10:35:00.003-06:00

(written mostly by Ike with a little help from Mom, Paul, and John :)

heart my boys' daddy

2010-06-21T09:31:00.003-06:00

mama bear

2010-06-09T09:40:00.002-06:00

Today’s weather was absurd. Part of the day was clear and calm while other times the rain torrented down in gusty sideways sheets. It was during the deluge that Isaac’s school bus rumbled up the street to the stop, about four houses away.

Now, maybe this is a bad-mama disclosure, but I sometimes slack off when it comes to watching Isaac walk home (though I’m militant at watching him go to the stop in the morning). But today while the sleeted sheets pounded the house, I dutifully watched the bus come and my kindergartner disembark.

He looked so small. So fragile and umbrella-less. He clutched a blue plastic animal-covered bag that I knew held his special things from being Star of the Week. I hoped he would manage to run home, but he just wandered, disoriented.

I started to tug on my shoes to run out to him. When a voice of reason in me whispered, “Oh, he’ll be okay. It’s only 4 houses down—in fact, it will be 3 or 2 houses by the time you even get to him. He’ll make it on his own.”

But another instinctual voice—what I have come to recognize as my “Mama Bear” voice—overrode it, and I responded to the stronger urge that sprang from my breast to rescue my child.

I finished pulling on my shoes, hastily grabbed our neon yellow Pooh-bear umbrella, and sprinted out in the storm.

He hadn’t made it far. He was still several houses down, slowly making his way bewilderedly against a ferocious headwind.

I reached out my hand with the umbrella first, enveloping him protectively under it, and wrapped my other arm around him. He looked up at me. In his face: bliss. We half-ran together the rest of the way and shook ourselves off on the front step.

Later that night I eavesdropped as Isaac told his dad, “Today when I got off the bus it was raining so hard I couldn’t even see. And I was getting so wet! So I cried out to Mommy to come help me. And guess what. She came!”

Then he turned to me. “Did you hear me, Mommy?”

rite of passage

2010-06-07T11:14:00.005-06:00

Isaac--in the most serious, non-joking way--just had to document what happened on our hike yesterday to Link (with a little help from Dad):

Oh, to be a boy. The world is your urinal!

192 miles and an aching tush later. . .

2010-05-25T15:28:00.003-06:00

(photo courtesy of Lincoln!)

My new adorable friend (and personal cheerleader) is Caitlin Copple, who as my new biking buddy somehow convinced me to do the seemingly impossible: ride my bike 220 miles in two days with only two weeks of training. She was convincing; and I somehow insanely agreed to it!

With the threat of rainy, windy, cold weather looming, we headed out anyway on Saturday. Although the clouds threatened us more than once, amazingly the roads remained dry, and we rode 112 miles in near bliss on Saturday.

Sunday morning dawned cold and rainy, so we determined to fudge--just a bit--by starting out about a quarter of the way on the return trip. Although Caitlin's willpower and gusto were intact, a pain in her poor knees was sending sharp pains to her head--not a good sign to continue. And though she bowed out she still cheered me on, offering her ipod and booties, and even met me at the finish along with Jed and the boys.

I truly surprised myself by biking 192 miles, part of it alone. In all honesty, I didn't think I could do it. I guess it goes to show the power of your own will, but especially the championing of a good friend.

ikey's kindergarten music program

2010-05-25T15:26:00.002-06:00

mr. moose

2010-05-25T15:18:00.003-06:00

all i want for Christmas. . .

2010-05-18T18:01:00.003-06:00

I was so glad I happened to be with Isaac when he lost his first front tooth. I had volunteered to chaperone a school field trip and during lunch one of his classmates pointed out that his tooth was bleeding. As I soothed him and quickly yanked it out, many of the kids gathered around, asking to see the tooth, peer into the new hole in his mouth, and to gush their own tooth stories about this shared rite of passage. Back at school he got to add a sticker to his tooth ornament on the tooth tree. A very generous (daddy) tooth fairy brought him $5! (The stingy mommy tooth fairy had no such plans of repeating that amount.)

A few days later, the other front tooth succumbed, and this time dad was out of town and the mommy tooth faith accidentally--ahem--forgot. The following morning I went to say good morning and he announced, gleam in eye, "I'm going to check under my pillow now!" A stab of shame hit me as I realized that I was about to witness my child's keen disappointment--due to my neglect. On a whim I declared, "Isaac, close your eyes for just a minute!" He did, and I grabbed the $5 still sitting on his dresser from the previous visit, slipped it under his pillow while slipping out the tooth, and announced he could open his eyes. Miraculously, it worked! He never saw the switcheroo! But man, this tooth fairy was broke.

Later that day, with a slight new lisp, Isaac asked, "Mom, are you the tooth fairy?"

"What do you think?" I replied.

"I think you are. You're aren't? You are."

"It's whatever you believe, Isaac."

A pause. "I just don't believe fairies are real. I think you are."

"You're right. It's just something moms and dads like to do for their kids, for fun."

A wide, toothless grin spread across his face, so proud of himself for figuring it out!

my baby is 3

2010-05-02T19:17:00.007-06:00

For his birthday, Lincoln wanted to play at the dragon park, ride the horsie on the Carousel, and eat pizza, so that's what we did. (Can you find him in the pic?) And I'm not going to lie. I was proud of the way the stegosaurus cake turned out! I think I can say this because I have never experienced any level of success in birthday-cake making. Of course, I had a wee bit of help from Jed. ;) All day long Link sang happy birthday to "Stegosaurus." (The boys are being dinosaurs)

Lincoln. Sunshine boy. Little goose, raggy bear, snugger, peaceful guy. Does a hilarious crusty face. Asks questions all day. “Whaz dat?” I will supply the answer. Then “oh,” in a tone that sounds like his little universe now makes perfect sense. In prayers goes through the gamut of animals, thanking God for them all. Adores Yoda, anything Star Wars, including “Jabba Dabba Hut.” Scribbles and colors and creates for hours at a time. So happy. So lovey. Is inseparable from big brother yet plays independently. Hums to himself, his own little tune. Gives the best woodpecker kisses, always purposefully placed. Calls himself “T-Rex” and “Yoda” and “Leen-ton” and his brother “Isaat.”

I don’t get angry at this kid often, but one day I was upset about something completely unrelated but very unfairly blew up at him. I don’t even remember what it was about. But I vividly recall hollering at him. He stopped in his tracks. Dropped his head. Quietly lifted his gaze. Then a whisper, “I-uv-oo, Mommy.”

That was all. Uninvited—on his own—when I was least deserving of it. All blended together into one sound, “I-uv-oo,” but unmistakably clear and sweeter than any other sound I have ever heard.

And it happened to be his very first time saying it.

ikey's first race

2010-05-02T19:02:00.000-06:00

We were super proud of Isaac for running a mile all by himself! (Here he is with his kindergarten teacher, Ms. LaRance) Way to go, Bud!

monday's child

2010-04-18T14:44:00.003-06:00

Which child are you?

Monday's child is fair of face

Tuesday's child is full of grace

Wednesday's child is full of woe

Thursday's child has far to go

Friday's child is loving and giving

Saturday's child works hard for a living

And the child that is born on the sabbath day is bonny and blithe and good and gay

Is bonny and blithe and good and gay

latest art

2010-04-18T14:36:00.002-06:00

Lincoln (2 1/2 at age of drawing) sketched this little barn scene. Can you make out a mommy and baby zebra and big horn sheep in a barn, with a giraffe chilling outside?

My favorite part of this picture by Ikey is the hair. Didn't he get is just right?

Celebrating Holly!

2010-04-17T07:38:00.004-06:00

Vegan gluten-free double-mint chocolate chip cake and frosting. Delicious.

Photo courtesy of Isaac

Happy Birthday, Holly.

33 reasons to absolutely, positively, unflinchingly ADORE you:

you sparkle, inside and out
you can still do two-tone
your love for all creatures
your utter goodness
your longsuffering as my wife
your sweet piano skills …
… and melodious voice
your strong thighs good for wrestlin’ …
… wide hips good for bearin’ children
your devotion to helping others
your love of God and Light
your combined intellect and compassion
your mean curry dishes
your brilliant future and inspiring past
your perseverance in the face of debilitating headaches
you still trust and love me
the softness of your skin
you mend my socks …
… and my soul
your toned biceps strong enough to do boy pushups
your compassion for the underdog
your delight in life’s simple pleasures
your companionship on road trips
you say you don’t need many things – and mean it
you support my hobbies and craziness
you give all your energy to your boys
you can be trusted with secrets
you nurture seedlings to life
because you are you
you always play piano nice and softly (Isaac)
you like to ride bikes with me (Isaac)
you help me practice piano (Isaac)
you like to read to your family (Isaac)

Feel free to add to the list!

The world is lucky to have you on it, Holly.

baby keira

2010-04-12T10:26:00.006-06:00

Isaac, Lincoln, and I were thrilled to have a chance to visit Utah over spring break to visit family and especially to meet our newest little niece/cousin: Baby Keira. She is the sweetest little doll! As a bonus we even got to stay with Michelle, Nate, Aves, and Keira.

Isaac loved the baby and would hold her for a long time. A visit to Oma Grandma and cousins visiting Wheeler Farm The boys even awoke to Easter at Aunt Shella's! Cousins down the line: Carlie, Isaac, Maddie, Brandon, Suzy, Blake, Kennedy, Lincoln, Avery, Anika, and Keira

baby "ti-yah"

2010-03-22T11:03:00.003-06:00

Lincoln doesn't know that his little cousin Keira is in the hospital today. But we have caught him going around the house with this little dolly, giving her a bottle, cuddling her, wrapping her in a blanket. Sleeping with her. Calling her "Baby Ti-Yah" (Keira).

ike on his bike

2010-03-22T11:00:00.002-06:00

Oh, the joys of watching your child ride his bike for the first time.

piano

2010-03-22T10:07:00.000-06:00

Isaac diligently practices the piano for about 30 minutes every day. His little brother likes to squeeze right next to him, too, on the piano bench.

i am the lorax, i speak for the trees!

2010-03-22T09:51:00.002-06:00

new home

2010-03-22T09:14:00.002-06:00

Just thought it'd be fun to post a few pics of our home.

Love the tree fort/slide/swing/sandbox for the boys. And we have two great garden spots. And I adore my cheery green kitchen. It gets so much light in the afternoons.

silly boys

2010-02-25T23:03:00.006-07:00

Just wanted to post a few shots of my silly/sweet/funny/happy little boys. They really are happy little bugs. Link insists on dressing himself lately and says he is "a li'l uh-oh" (monkey). Most of the time he gets it close enough, despite backwards/inside-out The merging of two obsessions: legos and animals (oh, and R2D2 thrown in for good measure . . .can you tell which one?). Built all by himself! Building forts, whispering secrets All bundled up, ready for the cold! At the Missoula Symphony family concert with friends (the boys dig the masks) Sledding/chilling/hiking at Pattee Canyon (thanks Aunt Bek for the groovy scarves!)

photo update

2010-02-08T08:11:00.005-07:00

With the move, I never got around to posting some pictures from December. For posterity!

We had a 70th birthday celebration for my Dad Boys with Avery all bundled up for Temple Square lights Lincoln got a wee chilled when we went sledding for Ikey's birthday. Thanks, Aunt Lisa, for the coat! Sledding with Suz on Isaac's birthday Big 6-year-old boy (In case you can't tell, the cake was an open book) Christmas morning. . . waiting for the floodgates to open! Yeah! Animals! Goose, crab, doggies, ostrich, manatee (not enough arm space for them all) Little cutie cousin, Evie And light sabers! It was a Star Wars Christmas. Santa included a note: "These light sabers are not for harming others. . . only for combatting sadness or hard feelings." Homemade giraffe and zebra--Link's two favorite animals (made with love by Mommy and Isaac) Hansen family nativity. Blake: shepherd, Avery: Mary, Lincoln: Joseph, Maddie and Isaac: Wisemen Joseph decided he wanted to ride the donkey (Brit) to Bethlehem, too! Hansen cousins

missoula update

2010-01-28T17:33:00.002-07:00

Well. We made it. Whew! Here we are in our new life—a new city and state, a new job, a new school, a new place to live, new friends (hopefully forthcoming), a new beginning. Missoula, nestled on all sides by white-tipped mountains, seems like a very cool little city. It doesn’t take long to reach the outskirts of town, to wilderness, and there is a family-friendly communal feeling here. I adore the charming historic homes and overprotective mature trees, but I’m adjusting to the crazy maze of slanted and one-way streets that make an adventure of driving. We are antsy to get out to that wilderness and explore—so far we’ve been hindered by winter’s sea of ice and lack of daylight. Still, on balmy 40-degree days when we do venture out on the city bike trail, just a few blocks from our home, I have been surprised by how many runners, dog-walkers, and bikers are out. We’ve also been delighted to see how every motorist, seemingly, stops for us when we attempt to cross a street. What might that reveal about the mindset of residents?—perhaps that they revere a slower lifestyle and value the efforts of those on foot.

Jed started his new job at HRA and so far (he thinks) he likes it. They put him right to work on an extensive project. He is happy to be freed from a confining cubicle and doesn’t mind sharing the space with a fellow historian. And he digs the view from his 4^th floor window—a sweeping panorama of the ample Clark Fork River (that slices Missoula in two) and the historic Wilma Theater just across Higgins Avenue. The window is west facing so he gets to see some spectacular displays of color and light in the late afternoon sunsets. He can take a stroll through the historic and hip downtown streets on his lunch hour or go on a run with a colleague who might be slightly faster than him (perfect for training purposes). In just a few minutes’ time from their office they can be pounding a mountain trail in Rattlesnake Recreation area. As for the commute, Jed can hop on a bus or even walk the 1.75 distance from work and be home by five, easily. It’s lovely.

Isaac, meanwhile, is jubilantly beginning his new adventure called full-day Kindergarten. Here’s how the transition from half-day went: after the first day he lamented, “I wish school got out at 6 o’clock, not 3!” His school is Paxson Elementary and teacher Mrs. LaRance, a top-notch educator from the looks of it. When I observed the class for an hour I was impressed with her teaching style and the attentiveness of the kids. Her classroom includes a science corner with all kinds of fun items for small hands to explore, and even two guinea pigs, a snake, and a 60-year-old turtle (or so Isaac claims). I’m glad that he can have a mid-day snack and even a rest time with his world-map blanket. Isaac is a fan of riding the bus to and from school (as is Mom :) and is already buddies with his 19 fellow classmates.

As for me, one of my first items of business is to make new friends. I’ve dragged the family to a school game night and service project in hopes of mingling with other parents, and we’ve met some tentative friends at church (there are a lot of families our age). One new friend, Jennifer, drove me around some nearby recreation areas for two hours and very generously watched the boys for us on our anniversary. We were pleased to discover relatives—my Dad’s cousin and his wife—in town, and they have welcomed us with open arms and act as surrogate grandparents to the kids. I am stoked about an electric piano from Kristen and Ed, and daily I’ve been tinkering out Broadway tunes and compelling Jed to be Jean Valjean, Marius, The Phantom, Raoul. Isaac even sings “Castle on a Cloud” along with me. Jed and I do yoga together as a new morning ritual along with running and exercising. I’m also reading, writing, and preparing myself to get back on the work scene part time, and I am toying with the idea of a master’s degree. Hm.

In Colorado one of our favorite stomping grounds was Green Mountain: here it will be replaced, I hope, with the nearby Blue Mountain. This weekend we got a dusty cover of new snow so we bundled the kids to scope it out. Jed pulled the boys along in a sled as we hiked, then we joined some sledders on a superb sloping hill.

Lincoln is the happy little clam that he usually is (unless occupied in a belligerent pout. Is it the age?). His day is spent in bliss working puzzles, exploring our new fort/swing/slide, drawing and coloring animals with their light sabers, and playing with his animal toys. He is often singing a little childish tune or ready with a "chish" (kiss) or snuggle. Sometimes we venture out together on walks and I relish holding his tiny mittened hand while he points out airplanes, chickens, doggies, light sabers (well, sticks in the shape of light sabers. We have Isaac to thank for the Star Wars/light saber obsession around here). We push our toes on the edges of ice and wonder at the sound as it crackles and breaks.

a brother's love

2010-01-14T11:46:00.002-07:00

I came inside one night from an errand and after starting to make a light-hearted comment I stopped—so struck was I by Jed’s unusually grim demeanor. He somberly informed me that Isaac was in big trouble—a rarity around here. Why? Because during play sparring with light sabers, Isaac had smacked his little brother on the head with his—hard enough to make Lincoln cry—though Jed wasn’t there to see firsthand just how hard or intentional it was. The light sabers had been shelved for a week and the offender was sequestered in time-out.

Lincoln was gently whimpering and had retreated under his “Bee Tee”—his beloved hand-sewn-by-Great-Grandma blanket—on the living room floor.

I went to the door and murmured, “We’re disappointed in you, Isaac,” before closing it shut. But judging from his ashen expression, Isaac seemed pretty penitent about his crime. He even appeared to me to be in a self-punishing position—head squished into the crevice of the seat of the glider, feet awkwardly splayed over the arm rest.

I proceeded with dinner preparations. After about ten minutes I had all but forgotten the severity of the incident and called out, “Dinner time! Isaac, you can come out of time out! Come eat, Boys!”

Typically they quickly scurry in at meal times, but after several minutes neither had emerged. And it struck me that the house was curiously quiet.

“Dinner!” I again hollered. “Isaac, you can come out! The food is ready!”

After several more moments of boys MIA, I began to be perplexed. These are hungry little critters. So I went to find them. Lincoln had abandoned his cocoon in the living room, so I proceeded to their bedroom. But when I pushed open the door I stopped in my tracks—totally unprepared for the site.

Lincoln had snuck into the room and had squeezed his little body onto the glider beside the perpetrator; they were coiled up, one practically on top of the other, little towheads pressed together. In silence. Lincoln’s Bee Tee was wrapped protectively around them, his tiny arm squeezed snug, comfortingly, lovingly, around his big brother’s shoulders.

when lincoln finds the camera

2009-12-05T13:51:00.002-07:00

31

2009-11-28T18:08:00.003-07:00

Happy 31 years, Jed! We absolutely adore you. But you know that.

welcome home grandma and grandpa!

2009-11-28T18:00:00.003-07:00

Two weeks ago my parents returned home from their two-year mission in Malaysia. They flew halfway around the world to New York, packed up a moving truck, and drove out to Utah, stopping to see us in Denver on the way. We were SO happy to see them again! They both looked great and we loved hearing amazing stories from their mission.

our big news

2009-11-24T10:35:00.000-07:00

It's official!

Our family is picking up here in Lakewood, Colorado next month, and moving to Missoula, Montana! So we are excitedly and busily planning our future, making our counter-clockwise rounds in the states surrounding Utah (Arizona to Colorado and now to Montana).

Jed was offered a job as a research historian for a company called HRA (Historical Research Associates). HRA is hired by outside companies and the government to research litigation issues and write official reports, mostly about water, land, and environmental issues, right up Jed's alley. Jed will be traveling a lot around the country. He will still be working on his dissertation and will likely finish it next year.

We are super excited about this and know that it is a perfect move for our family. Missoula is about an 8-hour drive north of Salt Lake and is located on the western edge of the state (close to the Idaho border). It is gorgeous country surrounded by rivers and mountains and wilderness galore (think: "A River Runs Through It"). The University of Montana is also located there, called the Harvard of the West. The population is around 70,000 (not too big, not too small) and it has a great community atmosphere. The city has received numerous awards, including an award for one of the top 100 great US cities to raise a family, Tree City award, and recognition for being a very bike-friendly city. They have a thriving music and arts scene and place a lot of emphasis on historical preservation. Missoula is close to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, Idaho, Canada, Oregon, Washington. It's not as cold as other areas of Montana (elevation is only 3,000 feet as it's closer to the coast) and gets about as much snow as Salt Lake City. When I talked to one prospective landlord, he told me that people go to Missoula to visit and they never want to leave.

We will pack up the moving truck here around December 18, drive to Utah and spend the holidays with family, then head up to our new home at the end of December. Wish us well!

love to grandma rogers

2009-11-24T09:21:00.003-07:00

LaVon Solomon Rogers, Jed's grandma, passed away this month and we attended her funeral in Salt Lake City. She lived a full life and was blessed with a peaceful passing. She was a terrific lady who brought joy to others around her. She loved dancing and even tap-danced in her later years. Even though I personally never got to know her, Jed and I had the chance to live in her home rent-free during the early years in our marriage--a huge blessing to us. We are so grateful for her good life.

With Uncle Steve and Aunt Jana Rebekah, Madison, Henry, Ed, Kristen, Jed, Lincoln, Isaac, and Holly

congrats, ikey!

2009-11-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

We're so proud of Isaac for receiving the "Responsible Husky Award" at school. Way to go, buddy!

pottying

2009-11-18T07:28:00.003-07:00

It's definitely true what they say. Parenting, in some ways, is easier the second time around. Now I have the retrospective wisdom that the timing of potty training is not about me or whether I'm a good parent, but only about my child and his own readiness. Poor Isaac had to suffer before I could gain this precious parenting gem.

Lincoln has responded well to the 3-Day Potty Training method (let me know if you want a copy of the ebook) and of all the methods I've read about it seems like one of the best. You have to be extremely consistent and vigilant through the 3-day period and you need the guts to go cold turkey into undies (we threw out all the diapers--even at night--but he almost always stayed dry). But it has saved a lot of grief for all of us!

been trick-or-treating like a dog

2009-11-02T09:24:00.006-07:00

The boys--as can be expected--LOVED Halloween and trick-or-treating this year! We were overjoyed that the weather--though blizzardy only two days before, dumping two feet of snow--cooperated on the night of, and it was actually pretty warm and pleasant. Lincoln was a trooper, traipsing close behind Isaac despite the cumbersome kangaroo suit. We lucked out in our neighborhood--we didn't even go to many houses but the boys brought in quite a haul, including 4 huge candy bars each.

Isaac was John Lennon--his favorite Beatle. We tried to get him to bring his guitar to serenade the candy-givers, but no such luck.

"It's been a hard-day's night.

Been trick-or-treating like a dog.

And when I get to my home

I'll dump my loot on the floor

And I will eat all night."

Link loved his little Joey and kept trying to take it out and kiss it.

the coyote and the horsie

2009-10-30T17:14:00.003-06:00

The other day I heard a sound coming from the top of the stairs, so I grabbed my camera to catch this impromptu moment (I did NOT set this up). Yep, there's a new band around these parts. . . a two-man group that loves to jive to the younger's favorite tunes. After this song, they proceeded on to the other two songs in their repertoire, "Baa Baa Black Sheep" then "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."

welcome, little one!

2009-10-27T14:39:00.003-06:00

We wanted to introduce the newest member of our family. . . Evelyn Juliet Rogers, born to Spence and Juliet Rogers!

not your typical harvestival

2009-10-13T11:33:00.002-06:00

All fall we've been looking forward to attending Harvestival! It's a fall event sponsored by Grant Family Farms, the CSA (community supported agriculture) we've been members of this year. We paid in advance in the spring and each week for six months we've had mouth-watering local, fresh, organic veggies and fruit delivered to our neighborhood pick-up location. It has also saved on shopping time and packaging. We have really loved being a part of this and the food is incredible! The Harvestival was a big event where we could visit the farm, listen to live tunes, and the kids could pick pumpkins.

However. . . . we were hit this year with an early blizzard--smack dab on the weekend of the event! But we insanely decided to brave it anyway. Kristen was visiting the same weekend and came along (she was a godsend to help out with the boys!). The boys ADORE their Oma. They followed her around like puppies all weekend. Tractor/hay bale ride through a wintery wonderland Pumpkin patch??? Lincoln could have stayed all day at the petting zoo, even if his toes froze. Well, you can't say we're not adventurous! But we might have to hit another fall event later in the month. It wasn't quite the same . . .

jammin' with oma

2009-10-13T11:32:00.000-06:00

congrats, grampy great!

2009-10-13T11:27:00.005-06:00

We want to send out a big congratulations to Jed's grandpa, Bill Smart, for winning the Evans Handcart Award for a book he wrote about his great-grandfather, William B. Smart, who was a colonizer of the Uinta Basin. It's the same award Jed won last year. We were so happy we could make the trip to Logan to attend the ceremony.

Lincoln saw his cousin Audrey for the first time in over a year! They're the same age. All the cousins on Jed's side: Henry, Lincoln, Isaac, Ellie, Andrew, and Audrey (c'mon Spence, we're waiting on yours! :) Will, Emily, Audrey and Andrew Madison, Rebekah, Henry, and Ellie

granddaughter day

2009-10-13T11:26:00.000-06:00

The same weekend we attended Jed's Grandpa's award ceremony, I snuck up to Idaho with my sisters and girl cousins for our annual Granddaughter Day get-together at my Grandma Smith's house. We scrapbooked gorgeous black-and-while heritage photos of Grandma and Grandpa and their ancestors this year. Wendy, Grandma, and Julie Sam, Steph, Grandma, Suzy, Sally, and Skye Sherrie, Lisa, Grandma, Michelle, Kim, me

hooray for ouray

2009-10-13T10:45:00.006-06:00

We made our second annual trip to Ouray and Telluride Colorado last month for Jed's Imogene trail race. The race begins in Ouray around 8,000 feet and the racers climb 17 miles up and over Imogene mountain pass at 13,000 ft., and back down to 8,700 ft. at Telluride. Out of 1500 runners, Jed placed 17th overall at a time of 2:41:44. I was proud of him for beating his time last year by nearly 9 minutes.

Jed and our friend, Jeff Roberts, who also ran the race

southern colorado trip

2009-10-13T10:10:00.000-06:00

As part of our Ouray/Telluride trip, we decided to travel south through Silverton and Durango (for a research trip).

From Telluride to Mountain Village, CO, there is a free public transportation system--the only one of its kind in the world--a gondola ride over the mountain! The boys loved it. Ouray, nestled on all sides by steep, pictorial mountain cliffs, is GORGEOUS. The famed train that travels between Silverton and Durango Silverton is a quaint little touristy town famous for ore mining of yore and the Silverton train. Link with a Lynx! Wildlife museum in Durango We LOVED Durango! So much that we want to live there. No joke.

the tiger and the tree

2009-09-09T10:11:00.001-06:00

little link

2009-09-09T10:07:00.007-06:00

loosening the apron strings

2009-08-25T10:35:00.003-06:00

Can I really be embarking on this new life’s chapter? Six years ago it was easy to picture myself with a newborn baby in tow. Somehow at that time I failed to envision myself with a grade-schooler, but whoa—babies grow up, and fast.

I used to scoff at those cheesy parents on the first day of school, dabbing at tears with a bittersweet send-off to their children.

But today I was that mom exactly, down to the choked-back tears and thumping heart, waving disbelieving goodbye as my, MY little boy marched into Kindergarten. But I wasn’t the only sniffling parent, and I was grateful I didn’t have to pry a tear-streaked child from my arms to coax through the doors.

Isaac stood ready and straight in line, bright eyed, eager to follow his teacher where glossy books and new best friends and adventure all awaited like a hidden treasure.

But I had memorized our walk to school: how his small hand felt cupped protectively in mine, the way his eyes gleamed trustingly at me, his solemn words: “Mommy. I’m going to miss you when I’m at school.”

1964

2009-08-25T10:29:00.003-06:00

On August 22, after a long-awaited countdown, Isaac attended the 1964 Beatles Tribute concert with his Dad at the amazing Red Rocks amphitheater. It was truly a dream come true for this kid. Isaac is a huge Beatles fan. This particular tribute band has been playing for 25 years, so they know their stuff. When we went outside to snap the photo of the concert boys, Lincoln raced inside, grabbed his little guitar, and joined in the pic too!

At the amphitheater before the concert the boys went on a treasure hunt, and Jed had tucked the booty, a gift from mom, into a hole in the rocks. It was a little Yellow Submarine lunch pail, wrapped up and full of candy. After Isaac opened it he exclaimed, “It’s a Beatles Treasure Box!” Later at home when I asked about the present he whispered to me, “Mom, how’d you get that up in the rocks?”

I have to include a cute conversation we had with Isaac while camping the previous weekend:

Me: “Are you gonna have a band when you grow up?”

Isaac: “Yes!”

Me: “Can Lincoln be in your band?”

I: “Well. . . I think he’ll be one of the people who watch.”

Me: "A groupie?"

Jed: “Can I be in it?”

I: “No, Dad! You’ll be 60!”

Me: “But you’ll be 35 by then. I thought you were going to be president at 35.”

I: “I will do both.”

Jed: “Who will run the country?”

I: “Me, sometimes.”

rocky mountain high

2009-08-25T10:19:00.004-06:00

This month we took a weekend trip to gorgeous Rocky Mountain National Park. And OF COURSE we listened to John Denver's greatest hits the whole time. How could you not? Jed biked up to near the summit of the longest paved continuous road in North America.

We drove to the top visitor center then hiked up to the summit at 12,000 feet. You can't tell from the pictures, but it was W-I-N-D-Y and COLD!!!

(It was so windy that Isaac futiley tried to take shelter behind this dinky sign.)

We met up with Jed's BYU colleague, Adam and family: Stephanee, Grace, Emma, and Maggie May (yes, just like both songs).

Long's Peak looming in the background

Check out the knarly way this trunk is growing!

family photo

2009-08-25T10:17:00.001-06:00

When we were in Utah, we finally had some family pictures taken by Rachel's friend. Thanks, Sheyla!

visiting the fam

2009-08-25T09:54:00.008-06:00

Most of my fam (wait. . .maybe it's just half) at the temple open house. Michelle with Avery; Kim with Kelly, Brandon, and Blake; Aaron with Amanda, Madelyn and Kennedy; me with Jed, Isaac, and Lincoln; Lisa with Jeremy, Suzy, and Anika; Carol with Rich, Brittany, and McKenzie, and Rach! (not pictured: Mom and Dad; Michelle's hubby Nate; David with Wendy, Macy, Mead, Coleman, Clayton, Ella, and Lily; Laura with Pete, Tyler, CJ, Audrey, and Jeremy; and Sherrie with Bill, Carlie, and Anna. Yup. This is just half.)

Link checking out the geese.

Giving doggie a view of the geese (with Avery, too)

Cutie little Ani!!!

Shell and Aves at Wheeler Farm

Love the lips!

Ikey, Link, and Suzy doll

Lincoln's first pony ride! He loved it.

At Classic water park

Link took a real liking to his cute cuz Carlie

Cousins at the zoo (Anna, Isaac, Suzy, Carlie, Link)

Okay, we saw THE MOST ADORABLE thing EVER: a 3-day-old baby giraffe! I couldn't get enough of it, and neither could Lincoln (can you spot the baby in the pic?).

Cousin Brittany loves giraffes, too!

Mother Love

Kisses!

And more snugs from Mom. Like I said, I couldn't get enough!

Splashing in the pool at Bear Lake

Grammy Great Smart, Lincoln, Henry, Ellie, Grampy Great Smart, and Isaac

Isaac's cousins threw him an unbirthday party! (since we never celebrate it in December)

botanic gardens

2009-08-25T09:49:00.003-06:00

summer reading

2009-08-25T09:48:00.002-06:00

Just like last year, this summer the boys participated in the library’s reading program. After completing 8 hours of reading (Link being read to, Isaac reading on his own this year) they received a free book and coupons to local parks. We hit Lakeside Amusement Park and Link rode on his first roller coaster!

air guitar

2009-08-25T09:36:00.002-06:00

(sorry it's sideways. . .)

when life hands you lemons. . .

2009-07-23T08:49:00.001-06:00

random races and rides

2009-07-23T08:42:00.005-06:00

The whole family (minus Link) has enjoyed racing and riding this summer.

In June my sisters Lisa and Michelle and I rode a 62-mile women's bike ride (The Little Red Riding Hood) in Logan, Utah. We had a blast!

In June Jed ran a half marathon in Frisco, Colorado--taking fourth place overall and first in his age division. In May, Jed's work sponsored a 5k for adults and 1K for kids for all Denver area federal employees and their families. Isaac did great for his first-ever race! And Jed won the 5K, with a time of 17:38.

granby 4th of july

2009-07-23T08:35:00.001-06:00

Our friends Alicia and Josh Skelton invited us to the beautiful and quaint mountain town of Granby, Colorado, for the 4th weekend. (Link with their cute son, Levi)

It was Lincoln's first time riding on a boat, and he loved it!Isaac made new friends with Alicia's nieces. Can you find the silhouette of a famous US president in the mountain?

Hiking near the headwaters of the Colorado River.

co plateau trip

2009-07-22T18:58:00.008-06:00

I'm finally getting around to updating my shamefully overdue blog (for my own posterity's sake :). Starting with our research/pleasure trip (way back in April) around and across and through the Colorado Plateau.

Link cuddles a birthday monkey from Aunt Sherrie. Jed scopes out U-95 along Comb Ridge near Blanding. They blasted out a heck of a lot of rock for that road. . . We met up for fun times with my fam in Moab. Hanging with Aaron, Kennedy, and Madelyn Then we hooked up with Jed's fam in St. George. Link and Bek at Zion I love the name of this at Zion: "The Great White Throne" Ellie, Oma, and Ikey near the Weeping Rock at Zion Link with Unca Spence at the Snow Canyon Sand Dunes Rogers rogues at some favorite stomping grounds: Snow Canyon (Petrified Sand Dunes)Gorgeous orchards in Capital Reef Quaint Hanksville Tabernacle Spence and Juliet (and bun in oven) at Zion Hiking near Blanding, Utah Isaac and Lincoln with cousins Carlie and Anna at Moab Cousins down the line from top to bottom: Carlie, Isaac, Maddie, Suzy, Brandon, Anna, Blake, Lincoln, Avery (with) Anika in a chokehold. :) Picnic at Comb Ridge overlook Four Corners Petrified Sand Dunes Ike with buddy Ellie

belated b-day

2009-07-22T18:40:00.000-06:00

Tsk tsk. . . I should at least post some pics of Lincoln's birthday! He turned two during our Colorado plateau trip in April. He greatly enjoyed cake in St. George (can you tell?)

(And we had more cake for me and Link at home) And I thought this was a funny pic I took of him on his actual birthday. We spent most of the day driving through the Navajo reservation, and he was such a good sport.

lincoln lark

2009-07-22T18:36:00.003-06:00

Singing about himself (Ee ee) with monkeys (uh oh), giraffes (foe), and lions (nanny).

dad day

2009-06-21T09:00:00.004-06:00

I asked Isaac the other day if the choice were between gifts from Dad or spending time with Dad, what would he choose? Without hesitation he answered, "Time with Dad."

A reminder that our presence means perhaps more than presents.

(Except that when I asked the same question about mom, Ike laughed and said, "presents." Dads, remember: you are a novelty to your kids!)

TenderTots

2009-05-26T15:34:00.001-06:00

So our family has embarked on a new project. Check it out! If you live near us, we hope you will join us on our new adventure!

crib-slat kisses

2009-05-19T09:59:00.003-06:00

One of my favorite bedtime rituals with little Link is our crib-slat kisses: he reaches his puckered lips through each successive slat and plants smooches on me as we move along the length of the crib. I also have my own ritual of checking on the boys right before I retire to smooth their blankets and whisper my love to them. Last night I was surprised that the little bug was still awake--though droopy-eyed he smiled sweetly at me. Neither of us made a sound, but for at least 10 minutes we simply gazed at each other through the crib slats, at times bending forward for a few well-placed kisses. At last I sang to him about angels watching over his crib and whispered goodnight, uttering a prayer of thanks to God for my own little angels.

the new family pet: "dee"

2009-04-16T08:30:00.006-06:00

For a long time now I have wanted a pet. But for various reasons cats and dogs have been vetoed, despite begging and cajoling on my part. So we finally settled on an alternative family pet: a squirrel! This frisky little guy resides in our backyard tree and scurries around the yard. Lincoln yelps, "Dee! Dee!" when he spots our furry friend, so we named his as such. He is a bold little feller too--scampering up to the porch, even perching right outside the sliding glass door and peering in at us (perhaps because we have never tried scaring him off). We've spotted Dee scrambling in and out of the compost, where he will clutch a grapefruit rind all the way to a flower pot--a sort of dinner table for him--and feast like a king. Dee does appears chunkier than other squirrels around, so he obviously dines well on our leftovers. Are we simply encouraging an unwanted rodent, you may well wonder? It reminds me of something Brigham Young said about grasshoppers (remember the seagull story?): "Last season when the grasshoppers came on my crops, I said, ‘Nibble away, I may as well feed you as to have my neighbors do it; I have sown plenty, and you have not raised any yourselves.’ And when the harvest came you would not have known that there had been a grasshopper there. . . Pay attention to what the Lord requires of you and let the balance go” (3:159:55). And “according to present appearances, next year [1868] we may expect grasshoppers to eat up nearly all our crops. But if we have provisions enough to last us another year, we can say to the grasshoppers—these creatures of God—you are welcome. I have never had a feeling to drive them from one plant in my garden; but I look upon them as the armies of the Lord” (12:121:67). I guess a dog or cat can wait.

sprouts 'n such

2009-04-16T08:16:00.002-06:00

It's probably just a phase, but I have been totally into growing my own sprouts and wheatgrass as of late. I'll leave it to you to read up on the merits of these healthy little whole foods, but just a fun fact: alfalfa sprouts (pictured) have Vitamins A, B1, B3, B5, B6, B12, C, D, E, K, calcium, copper, potassium, magnesium, iron, selenium, zinc, protein, saponins (lowers cholesterol), plant sterols (builds up immune system), chlorophyll, and canavanine (amino acid that protects against cancers).

Sprouts, goat cheese, walnuts, and avacado on a bed of spinach, tomatoes, cranberries and sunflower seeds. Yum! Kamut (Ka-moot) grass (an ancient Egyptian grain) sprouted like wheatgrass. Kamut all growed up. Wheatgrass acts as a powerful detox to cleanse blood (among lots of other cool things).

playing with little sis

2009-04-15T07:44:00.005-06:00

My sister Michelle and her darling little daughter Avery came to visit us in March. It was a blast! Shell and I galavanted around town with the kids and stayed up late with much-needed girl talk. Avery is so adorable and a little smarty pants! She talks up a storm. My favorite thing was her version of "share." Of course kids at this age have a hard time sharing, so when they would go to take away a toy, we would tell them "share." Avery would say "share" to Link, implying, "You give that toy to me" or "Don't you dare take this toy away." It was hilarious!

Link and Avery--little friends--with matching leash/backpacks. We walked along the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver. The boys LOVE their cute cousin. We celebrated Shell's birthday and Aves blew out the candles (before we even sang!). {Poor Shell was such a good sport to partake of my "healthy" cooking--you can see here the semi-healthy carrot cake sans frosting. Ah! At least she didn't have to eat my wheatgrass or sprouts} Pals. . . despite all the "sharing" We visited Hammond's candy factory and watched how candy is made and ate yummy candy but laughed out loud at the movie when they claimed their candy is made from "3 all-natural ingredients: pure water from the Rocky Mountains, sugar from the Colorado plains, and corn syrup." At the Lookout Mountain Nature Center where the kiddies got to find out about animal homes and search for spiders under rocks. We went to the Denver Nature Science Museum and the kids loved the "stuffed" animals. Gotta love this shot Isaac took of Shell and me (we're in a psychedelic whirl!)

It was awesome having you here, Shell! We love visitors!

best brothers

2009-03-24T19:00:00.004-06:00

While on vacation, the boys were stoked to sleep in the same bed. I thought maybe they were just snuggling when we put them down. . .

but when I came back I found them like this. :)

florida

2009-03-24T18:39:00.005-06:00

Jed was headed to Florida at the end of February for a conference, so the boys and tagged along and stayed with Jed's Aunt Eileen and family. We had a blast!

Jungle Adventures Alligator park And me holding a baby alligator! Pretty cool feeling. Here I am with a snake. . . And I conquered my biggest fear--a tarantula! Imax theater at Kennedy Space Station Hiking in the gorgeous jungle/forests of Florida Kennedy Space Center Boys posing with Eileen, Stan, Molly and Doogie (the family dogs) Link with Aunt Eileen--his first time at the beach More hiking adventures Can you find the turtle in the picture? That bear backpack is practically attached to Lincoln. . . he never wants to part with it! Can you find the squirrel in the picture? Thanks Stan and Eileen for a wonderful time!

3 awesome visits in 30 days

2009-02-16T13:00:00.009-07:00

We were SO lucky to have 3 visits from loved ones within 30 days. In early January our pal Natalie Taysom from AZ visited us for a week, a few days later my sister Lisa and her girls Suzy and Anika came for an extended weekend, and then in early February Jed's parents came to play. We had the best time with all of them! There's so much to do here in Denver. (hint hint: come and see us!)

We did lots of hiking. One of our favorites: Green Mountain. Ed and I took the boys up to Lookout Mountain for some hiking and to visit the Lookout Mountain Nature Center and Buffalo Bill's grave. With took two trips to the Butterfly Pavilion with Jed's parents and Lisa. The kids (and Ed) loved it! Lincoln checking out a nearby butterfly. Right when I was taking a photo, a butterfly landed on my lens! We love the Denver Children's Museum. It's the best I've ever visited. Hiking near Red Rocks ampitheater with Lisa and girls. Being from AZ, Natalie is not used to snow. We had a nice snowstorm and I think she enjoyed it more than the boys! Lincoln was bundled up like Ralphie, and he was not too happy. The Denver Zoo with Nat.

Ahh.... the simple joys of making a snow angel, especially for an adult who's never played in snow!

little goose

2009-02-09T15:52:00.002-07:00

is ups hiring?

2009-02-09T15:34:00.004-07:00

So when we were visiting the Lookout Mountain Nature center, while enjoying lunch outside with friends, a UPS truck pulled up to the curb. Before I knew it, I looked over at my toddler climbing inside the cab, so proud of himself!

more of my little lover boy

2009-01-28T21:24:00.002-07:00

I couldn't resist posting this of my little affectionate guy.

little lover boy

2009-01-28T15:24:00.008-07:00

Our little Link is such a sweet boy! He's 21 months now and though not talking much, he sure understands a lot. He's good at following instructions and cleaning up his toys. He knows his place in the family. He will kneel, press his little hands together, and squint his eyes during prayers. He is quite independent but also fiercely attached to Dad, Isaac, and me. He adores animals and will squeal in delight whenever he spots one--be it the real-life doggy Finnegan across the street or a tiny image of one in a book. He is lastly a little lover boy--and exceedingly attached to stuffed animals. Hm. That reminds me just a tad of someone I know.

(Noteworthy here is that these are some of the very few photos of me from my childhood. And in almost every one I am grasping a beloved stuff animal. :)

animal sounds

2009-01-28T15:20:00.002-07:00