The Clawsons

Valentine's Day Bowel Resection---HOW SEXY IS THAT?

2012-02-06T18:09:00.000-08:00

Seth will finally have his bowel resection surgery on Tuesday, February 14th. It will be 6-8 weeks after that before he will be able to return to work at Nakashima Woodworker They have been amazingly patient with our situation and we are so grateful for their willingness to wait for Seth.

"Intelligent Design" The Opening at Michener Art Museum, Doyestown

2012-02-06T17:55:00.000-08:00

Seth, John Hopkins, Nancy Hopkins, Janet Adamusko at the wine and cheese reception to open a new installation of local artists, mainly furniture makers and craftsmen/women. Nakashima work was featured so employees and their families were invited to the opening.

When we walked in, Seth recognized the table he had helped finish during his first week of work.

Pipersville misses the Mladineos (tear)

2012-02-06T17:44:00.000-08:00

This picture exemplifies Jessica's presence in our home. We had a standing Monday morning playdate with the kids. Elijah and Josh paired off and Julia and Eve reached their first year milestones together.

Usually, Jess would show up with a gingerbread house for the kids to build, or a bag of homemade meatballs...and one time...an actual fresh off the frying pan funnel cake! She is just like that.

At the Manhattan Temple several weeks before they left for Chicago. We miss you!

Newest Member of Our Family: Chloe

2011-07-01T06:25:00.000-07:00

Meg Roth found us Chloe, a black lab rescue dog from Kentucky. She is one of nine and all eight of her siblings died from a K-9 virus. We met with Chole and she is great with kids: affectionate but gentle. We will pick her up when we get back from Utah. Just look at those eyes!

Summer Mornings

2011-07-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

6 Week Check-Up

2011-05-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

My 6 Wk Post-Op appointment went well and all signs pointed toward me not having to visit the Cardiologist again for another year...or better yet, until I am 80. I was thrilled to hear that the SVT path had been completely ablated. However, the day after my appointment I had a 5 second long SVT. My morale plummeted with the thought that my heart was still capable of going into those bouts. I called my doctor who said that it really is something he hears a lot throughout the healing process after an SVT ablation. The short rev of my heart could have been my heart trying to go into an SVT, without being successful. Like a match being struck, but not lighting. It also could mean that during the ablation he destroyed the circuits which create the long SVT's, and that I simply will have to live with the short ones (which I am totally fine with). He did order me another 2 week heart monitor to wear starting today just in case. I am feeling good and back to full exercising and activity, yay!

This and That

2011-04-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

Josh and Emma finish a floor puzzle.

We have officially left a bygone era of handwashing all our dishes. Seth installed an apartment size dishwasher last week and we are loving it.

Jessica holding Julia, Eve and Monkey.

A Mighty Change of Heart

2011-04-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

Here I am after the procedure still enjoying the drugs. I was so lucky to get in this man's schedule early. This is Dr. Harding who is BRILLIANT. My friend Rachel said, it must take a lot to get the title of electrophysiologist and she is right. He has done over 1200 ablation procedures and I am grateful he is at Doylestown Hospital.

And, this little lady is my nurse Jamie. We had so much fun talking and realized we had a lot in common. My Aunt Patty sent me a card that said, "don't think of it as a day at the hospital, think of it as a day at the spa." And, Jamie really did make my experience as enjoyable as possible. I didn't ask her for a foot rub, but I know if I did she would have given me one. Seriously, she is that good.

2011-03-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

This Thursday I will be having an ablation done on my heart to stop the SVT's, or super ventriculair tachychardia from happening. I am really excited to have the procedure behind me so I can not have my heart race uncontrollably anymore. Since 2008 I have had episodes where my heart will go up to excess of 280 beats per minute, always associated with some type of activity. For several years, I thought it must be anxiety, even though I never felt "anxious" on the onset of one. Or, when I had them while I was pregnant, the docs attributed it to the pregnancy. This month I finally decided to go back to the cardiologist who said we had to catch one on a heart monitor or else they could not treat it. So, I left the office with a heart monitor for 30 days. Last week I had a major episode and I recorded it on the monitor, and exactly one week after recording that episode I am having an ablation which will burn out cells in my heart that are responsible for the excess heart rate. Originally they told me there would be a wait list of at least 2 months to get the procedure. However, a spot just "happened" to open up this Thursday! Thank you to everyone who is helping me with childcare and meals and prayers that all will go well.

Trapped in the Asylum all week without a day pass...Aka...Snow, Ice, Rain, Snow

2011-02-08T16:58:00.000-08:00

Three weeks ago I reached a breaking point with Josh and his willful, tantrum behavior. As soon as Seth got home that day I went to the library looking for something... anything, that could help me gain some insight into what his needs are at this time. I also sent an S.O.S. e-mail to people I knew raised strong-willed children. I got some amazing advice and have been feeling the benefit of reaching out for help ever since.

Last week Josh had almost no tantrums! During the stormy weather we played with everything in the house and had so much fun.

We made forts,

Locked closets with scallions (doesn't that go without saying?)

And, took pictures of Eve.

Then our awesome neighbor, Hank, plowed us out. One of the blessings of living here is our neighbors and how even though we are not in close proximity to them (probably because of that reason) they are always looking out for one another.

Thanks Hank. You're a stand up guy, especially when sitting on your John Deere.

Chris' and Nancy's Birthday Party

2011-01-26T09:35:00.000-08:00

Kim made 2 Boston Creme Cakes, one for Nancy and one for Chris.

Chris let Josh blow out his candles. What a guy.

Jake Smith horizontal. Josh and Eve vertical.

Wintertime at Sea World

2011-01-23T12:04:00.000-08:00

At Sea World during the "winter" they shut down most of the water games except for this lone alternating water spout in the ground.

And, let me just preface this by saying that this is how people in southern California dress when it is 60 degrees.

Eve was drawn to the water...

Then Joshua too...

They couldn't help themselves. They LOVED it.

Soon, they and their clothes were soaked!

Look at the shock and awe in the sensibly dressed little girl as she watches my son!!

Shock and awe. As my children played in the water in their clothes I noticed that systematically all the parents began to slowly clear the area and take their children with them. They didn't want their kids to think they could play in the water on this "cold" day. I almost felt like a bad mom. Almost.

Dolphins

2011-01-23T11:46:00.000-08:00

Seth said that while I was petting the dolphins I forgot that I had kids. He was right: it reminded me of when I interned at Dolphin Human Therapy in Key Largo, Fl. and got to play with these guys every day. I am really grateful to Seth for making sure our kids didn't fall into the water or run away while I was communing with flipper.

The dolphins show was really over the top with a large cast of performers, acrobats and a score that sounded like it was written by Andrew Lloyd Weber. I kept waiting for the dolphins to come back out and perform.

San Diego, California

2011-01-06T06:20:00.000-08:00

This is Seth's grandfather, Kink. He is 85 years old, he rides 22 miles every morning on a stationary bike, and he has an iphone. He is hip.

Auntie Liz, master photographer

The petting zoo

Tia Jackie with Eve

Pinnacle Peak Restaurant, California - The Tie Cutting

2011-01-05T12:59:00.000-08:00

When Seth was a boy he wore a thrift store tie to Pinnacle Peak Restaurant but he would not let the waitress cut it off. We all wondered if Joshua would follow suit, but as you can see in the video, he was eager for the tie cutting ritual!

The restaurant is covered with ties that have been cut off of mostly willing patrons.

Tio Isaac supplied the tie for the occasion. His wife, Tia Jackie is pregnant with their first baby, Logan.

Seth and Evey

What cut of meat will I be getting?? Kink and I were the only ones who ordered seafood. Isaac trumped us all by ordering...and finishing a 28 oz. steak!

The Evolution of the Garden

2011-01-05T10:31:00.000-08:00

Before

We had so much help from willing able bodied young men! I think I can't wait until my kids are teenagers.

Kalin has never met a camera he doesn't like.

The Bentrims came over to help. Amanda and I took the kids for a hike while the guys built the 8 foot high raptor... I mean deer fence.

After

All ready for Spring!

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T03:11:00.001-07:00

The Kindness of Neighbors

2010-09-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

Our wonderful neighbor Victoria is a local polo player and lives on a horse farm. She offered Joshua the opportunity to ride their pony and in his usual fearless fashion he enjoyed every minute.

2010-08-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

We have Chickens

2010-07-07T09:32:00.001-07:00

Our friends gave us their 5 egg laying chickens! Seth and the Hopkins guys built this coup for them and here we are transitioning the chickens.

We collect 5 eggs every day!
And Josh harasses them.

More Outer Banks

2010-07-07T09:17:00.001-07:00

Josh has completely lost any fear of the water and the only way to fight him running into the surf, past the breakers, was to join him. So, these two were in the water almost all day, every day.

Eve spent a lot of time inside due to the excessive heat.

Need I say more?

2010-06-27T18:47:00.000-07:00

Josh on the back deck of my mom's beach house in Nags Head, North Carolina. We were able to all go down last week with my brother Eric's family.

Memorial Day Tree Cutting

2010-06-02T05:39:00.000-07:00

We cut down the Spruce next to the house in order to make room for a small orchard.

Can you tell I LOVE watching this man brandish a chain saw. Seth got the entire tree chopped in about a half hour. He is amazing. Some of the guys over helped haul the branches into the woods.

Morning Traffic Jam

2010-06-02T05:30:00.001-07:00

This morning three dump trucks full of dirt arrived but could not pull into the driveway. The dump trucks they had were too big! Smaller Dump Trucks have been delivering all week for the septic system so we were surprised when the larger ones could not fit.

This caused a small traffic jam on the Lane.
Needless to say, the bus driver was not happy waiting there for 10 minutes. But I am sure the kids on the bus were giddy to be late for school.

Bulldozers and Backhoes!!

2010-05-29T18:42:00.001-07:00

The New Septic system is being installed and we currently have a bulldozer and a backhoe on the property. The crew offered Joshua a ride in the bulldozer!

The Ballad of the Binky

2010-05-29T18:25:00.001-07:00

Binky: Dec 11 2007 - May 20 2010 Joshua willingly buried his binky and said goodbye while he placed markers made from milk caps on the binky site in the flower bed.

Megan's musings

2010-04-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

Here is the black vinyl lettering I did with Jen's cricket (sp?).
The original fireplace is covered due to fire marshal regulations when oil heat was added. So for now we can at least enjoy the old mantel in the kitchen.

I picked these up at my friend Susan's store; wouldn't they make a great mother's day present?

Eve

2010-04-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

I think those eyes are blue to stay!

Why I haven't posted in two months...

2010-03-30T18:54:00.000-07:00

We were busy shoveling...
...ourselves out of the house...
and cleaning up spills...
and cuddling.

Four Generations of Great Men

2010-03-30T18:52:00.001-07:00

Grandpa Hopkins, Joshua, Seth, my father-in-law, Kevan

In the Cottage There is Joy

2010-02-01T08:26:00.000-08:00

At the closing table, Class-Harlan real estate.
We are homeowners!! Thanks to many miracles, family members, and our own hard work and determination to live within our means.

And, of course, our wonderful realtor, Meg!
There she is on the right holding Eve. On the left is her daughter Jane who offered to watch Josh in the foyer during the closing Friday afternoon. Meg has been our realtor since our first little apartment in Hilltown.

Josh was so curious about what was happening in the boardroom he joined us.

Here we are with the previous owners (from left) Sue, and Bill, me standing, their realtor, Bonnie, Seth and Meg Roth. The previous owners were so wonderful to work with!

Over the years Meg has become a great friend and "Auntie" to Josh and Eve. But she can still get down to business as you can see.

Blogspeak (my 2 cents)

2010-01-19T07:24:00.001-08:00

It's 3:00 in the afternoon. And, I know where my children are.

But the real question persists...

Did I brush my teeth this morning?

I honestly can't remember.

I probably should have considering I ate chocolate pudding for breakfast.

What is a Baby Blessing?

2010-01-02T16:04:00.001-08:00

Eve's blessing is today, Sunday, January 3rd. Everyone is welcome to come! During church Seth and other priesthood holders will announce her name and give her a blessing directed by the spirit. It is unlike a Christening because she is not being baptized. In the church, the youngest someone can be baptized is 8 years old (the age of accountability, i.e., knowing right from wrong). If she wants to be baptized she can make the choice when she is 8 years old. But for now, we are excited to have this blessing and to celebrate her entrance into the world.
My friend Jenny crocheted Eve's blessing gown complete with booties and bonnet! It is so beautiful and exactly what I would have picked out if I had been in a store.

2010-01-01T10:01:00.000-08:00

I wish I could say that Josh kisses Eve all the time. So far he is either kissing her or making an attempt on her life by throwing something in her direction. Overall he does much more kissing than throwing. It really is like having two babies and I can't leave them alone together because Josh thinks he can pick her up no problem. Never a dull moment around here!

The details

2009-12-20T12:15:00.000-08:00

Monday morning my water broke at 1:15am out of a sound sleep. From that moment I knew that Eve was low and my only concern was getting to the hospital as soon as possible. There was not going to be any casual walking around the house looking for the missing items on my hospital list. I wanted to be teleported to the hospital. I wanted to be beamed to the hospital. Since we lack the technology to do so I told Seth, "You need to call Brett NOW." Brett was the first person on our list of people to come get Josh. And, he was in our driveway within 15 minutes. During those 15 minutes I knew deep down that I would most likely make it to the hospital; however, I kept perfectly still on the bathroom floor just in case. Seth helped me into the car and we left when Brett pulled into the driveway. Seth asked me what I wanted on the ipod and I said Enya. So, I listened to "time" by Enya and counted contractions that were 7 minutes apart. I only had 3 in the car so I guess we got there in 21 minutes. Yay Seth!

Anyone who knows about my first birth experience knows that it was long and at times traumatic. All I wanted this time around was to have a much less dramatic, much less painful experience. Even though emergencies can always come up I wanted to feel safe. So, I had completely given myself permission to have an epidural and was actually looking forward to not having to be a hero.

We pulled into the ER and Seth ran out to get a wheelchair for me which I could NOT sit on. I felt like if I sat down I would have the baby. So, I kneeled on the wheelchair leaning over the back of the chair. All I remember was seeing everyone's shoes. The black loafers of the ER tech who was waiting by the door. The white and yellow Nike's of the labor and delivery nurse. Seth's New Balance sneakers. I told those who visited me in the hospital that I actually had the thought right then and there that if I needed to identify the people who helped us I could do a shoe line-up with 100% accuracy, just not their faces.

Upon entering the labor and delivery floor my first question for the nurse was I imagine a common one among women in labor:

THE QUESTION: "Is the anesthesiologist available? Can I have an epidural?"

THE WRONG ANSWER: "Oh, honey, you may be way past an epidural."

Well, I got the wrong answer and I was not pleased. I wonder if they get HR training to give answers like that? I didn't think it was nice and I would have preferred something along the lines of, "sure, we will do the best we can." Soon after I got checked and it turned out I wasn't past and epidural and 45 minutes later I got one. 3 hours after that I was holding a baby in my arms. How easy is that??? So easy, in fact, and so different from my first experience that I am tempted to say, "Let's do that all again next week!"

The Best Laid Plans...

2009-12-16T19:50:00.000-08:00

At 1:15am Monday morning my water broke at home and we checked into Doylestown Hospital at 2:00am. Eve was born at 6:15am, 45 minutes before we were to check in for the induction. ...(details to follow)

Our friend and home teacher, Brett had a cake for Eve when we got home from the hospital today. The Smith's also watched Joshua for two days. I can't say how nice it was to know that Joshua was well taken care of and I didn't have to worry about him.

Eve Shirley Clawson

Born: December 14th 2009
6:13am at Doylestown Hospital

7lbs 15 oz 20 inches

'Twas the eve of Eve

2009-12-13T18:24:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I am being induced at Doylestown Hospital bright and early in the morning. On the night before Eve will join our family we decorated our Christmas tree. This is our first year with a tree and I must admit it makes the house feel even more like a home this time of year. I will be sure to post some pictures of Eve from the hospital; we are so thrilled to meet her!

I will now attempt to get sleep before tomorrow.

Hunting (Sitting and Waiting)

2009-12-09T19:28:00.001-08:00

CAVEAT: Lindsay B. and others who are sensitive to animals PLEASE DON'T HATE US.

Seth, Brett Smith, Ben Smith
In our attempts to live within a food budget this year we decided to live off the land a bit. We are planning on killing a deer, taking it to the butcher for processing and then coming home with 3 cubic feet of meat for our freezer. Again, Lindsay, I am sorry.

Seth got his hunting license, which we obtained at the proverbial Walmart (after he took the required safety course).

Our friend Brett Smith has been coming over and hunting (sitting and waiting) since deer season started, the Monday after Thanksgiving.

So far, when they are hunting (sitting and waiting) the deer seem to be elsewhere. But, as soon as they stop hunting, the deer then come out in droves, walking across our driveway and all through the yard. Hopefully they will have more luck this week.

Josh turns 2!

2009-12-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Josh's b-day a week early in case Eve decided to come before the 11th. It was a small gathering; a good time was had by all and Elmo cake was consumed.

p.s. Josh is going to be a freshman at Harvard in the Fall. He did early acceptance.

Eve has been a great tenant...

2009-11-20T18:04:00.000-08:00

Even though it could still be another month before Eve gets her security deposit back, I am preparing for her arrival to be at any time now. My hospital bag is packed. Joshua's overnight bag is ready. There is even a pumpkin roll in the freezer at the ready for the Doylestown Hospital nurses. After all, there is no such thing as being too nice to the nurses who hold the power to make or break a hospital experience. I am keeping my fingers crossed for my own room...maybe I should include some cash in the pumpkin roll. Hmmmm.

In the spirit of this last month of pregnancy I am posting a link to Tiz Studios, where there is a small slide show of pregnancy pictures of me.

Seth and his siblings are all very talented in many ways. One of Liz' talents is photography. You'll have to just go to the link to see what I mean. She is able to capture so much in her photography and I am grateful she was able to take pictures of me when I was pregnant with Joshua. Thank you Liz!

At this point, I oscillate between being a little sad at the thought of Eve leaving the protective cavern of the womb and entering the big scary world, and being excited to finally meet her and learn of her personality.

Room Escaping: The New Crib Escaping

2009-11-17T10:35:00.000-08:00

When we moved into our wonderful abode Joshua's room did not have a door. Instead, it has a 24 inch wide opening, with one side backing up to the chimney. In case you are wondering, all manufacturers of baby gates, and dog gates do not make a product narrower than 26 inches.

Since we could not contain Joshua in his room, he decided IF and WHERE he would be taking a nap as well as sleeping at night (usually in our bed).

Needless to say, I was not happy with this arrangement.

Who, meeee...take a nap? Why, I am the king of the cottage.

Does anyone know a good woodworker??

So Seth built a cute dutch door for Joshua's room (with Josh's help).

And, the results the first time I closed him in his room for a nap...

Please know that I put him in his bed with NO SHOES ON. He got out of bed, tromped around a little, put on one of each boot and then passed out on his big boy bed. Success!

Finders Keepers

2009-10-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

Look what I picked up in the produce department today!

Pumpkin Rolls

2009-10-26T19:10:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, my mom came over with her recipe book to bake pumpkin rolls. Growing up we used to do this and then give them as gifts to teachers and friends. They keep really well frozen in the freezer until you are ready to give one away.

My aunts and grandma in Western PA used to get together in the fall and bake them in true assembly line fashion. But today we just made 5 (which is really like 10 because they get cut in half).
The cream cheese filling station.
The Pumpkin Station.

As a child, was there any sweeter question uttered from an adults mouth than, "Would you like to lick the beaters?" Rhiannon said, "yes".
In order to show one of our finished products I also have to show myself in this third trimester state. Yikes. The horizontal stripes don't help any.

Josh takes Swimming Lessons!

2009-10-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

Josh has absolutely no problem leaving me to get in the pool because his instructor is his Aunt Kim whom he adores.
He also loves the water and so here Kim is teaching him how to get himself to the side of the pool.
My mother-in-law, Terri gave some of her medical services to Chris Hopkins (Kim's husband) in exchange for swimming lessons for Josh. Don't you just love exchanging services without money!!

A Spontaneous Trip to the Beach

2009-09-30T13:07:00.001-07:00

On Sunday my friend Eliza asked if I wanted to come to Belmar beach with her and her kids on Monday. I love the beach on the off season and the weather was nice.

There is something so restorative about the beach any time of year. It is no wonder that while at the beach the headache I had been having for 3 days went away.

Joshua and Abby on the ride down. They are in nursery together at church. Abby is the only toddler I know who says Joshua's full name so clearly! She is really good with name recognition.

I love this picture. Joshua, Morgan and Tyler

They all ate Philly soft pretzels leftover from the Eagles game.
The wind on the beach got so bad that the sand was especially painful to anyone less than 3 feet tall. So, the kids spent a lot of time on this playground on the beach, next to the boardwalk.

Visit from a Friend

2009-09-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

My friend Shannon came over and planted a winter herb garden. It is such a wonderful thing to have these kitchen herbs greet me at the door.
Shannon is amazing. She is always doing something for someone. Always.
Look at this Golden Sage, the variegated greens are so pretty, and the copper label looks great against it.
The finished product: a cute little Zen herb garden, mulched and everything! Thank you Shannon.

A Walk to Discover the Pond

2009-09-23T09:59:00.001-07:00

There is a trailhead across the street that leads to the Ockanickon pond. It is just a 5 minute hike from our house.

It has swimming docks and is stocked with fish.

The Pipersville Library

2009-09-01T11:15:00.001-07:00

All Joshua wants to do lately is have me read to him and it seems like I read the same 30 books all day long so I decided to have a library trip once a week in order to add some variety.
The Pipersville branch of the Bucks County Library System is a one-room library; how CHARMING! When I asked the librarian if she had The Scarlet Letter (this month's book club pick) she said, "I don't know, let me look it up in the card catalog." They don't have a computer.
There is a sweet kids section.
With great wooden toys.
Josh was either reading or staring down this other boy in the rocker. I think he reminded Josh of Connor Hopkins.

He sits down at the little kids table and looks at book after book.

They even sell penny candy. 25 cents for a ziplock baggie of gummie bears lovingly put together by a librarian.

Some Scenes from the Homestead

2009-08-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

There is a butterfly bush right outside the living room window.

Turkeys in a row.

Moving Day

2009-08-30T10:25:00.001-07:00

We had a great turnout of generous people who helped us move! Thank you to everyone! And thanks to everyone who wanted to help but couldn't because we picked an inconvenient time to move (Friday during rush hour).

This is our trailer that has been full of our worldly possessions for over a year. It took everyone half and hour to get the whole thing unloaded. Wow.

We had a spread of pizza and hoagies set up in the garage.

Ed finds one of Seth's swords.

The dilemma: fitting a queen size mattress and box spring up the stairs...

Luckily, there is a "trapped door" (as the Nelson young men were calling it) in the floor to get large objects upstairs. The previous owner made five of the wooden planks removable. Of course he did.

Here they are lifting the mattress through the floor

Many Hands Make Light Work.

However, the box spring would not fit. But my dad was nice enough to have two twin box springs delivered to our door! Does anyone need a queen box spring??

We are moving...

2009-07-31T10:45:00.001-07:00

This is the antique cape in Pipersville where we are moving on August 14th. I'll send more pics of the inside when we move in. The house is tiny, just two bedrooms and one bath but it is on 7 ACRES of private wooded property.

We have signed a lease-purchase option which means for the next year we will be leasing the property. At the end of the year, we have the option to buy it at the price we lock in now.

This is the detached garage for Clawson Custom Woodworks! It has a heated office as well.

2009-07-31T10:23:00.001-07:00

Free Glitter Graphics, It's A Girl Glitter Graphics
We had our ultrasound appointment this morning; Seth, my mom, Terri (seth's mom) and Liz (Seth's sister) were all able to be there. We were so lucky because Seth's parents and sister happen to be visiting from the South Pacific and Utah.

That is her hand under her chin. How feminine.

Crib Escaping Reaches Peak: Mother considering big boy bed.

2009-07-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

Here he is UNDER his crib. I have been leaving the side of the crib down since he is going to crawl out anyway.
Again, with the hard objects as pillows. This time a wooden puzzle for a pillow. That's going to leave a mark.

Crib Escaping On The Rise

2009-07-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

This is where I found Joshua today after putting him down for a nap...in his crib. I mean, why sleep on a mattress with soft bedding when you can sprawl out on an antique wicker box that isn't long enough for your entire body? Right?

Even though he looks comfortable I still move him back into the crib each time I find him somewhere else.

I now think of his room as one giant crib.

Surprise

2009-07-25T17:42:00.001-07:00

This was where I left Joshua this afternoon for his nap. And, yes, the crib was empty when I went to peek in on his cute sleeping face.
This is where I found Joshua. Asleep in his play tent using his keyboard as a pillow!

I always thought that when babies learn to crawl out of their cribs the parent hears the famed big bang of the child hitting the floor. Well, I was next door to his room the whole time and I tell you I heard nothing! The boy soundlessly scales down the side of his crib, apparently with an invisible belayer I am unaware of.

A Surfin' kind of baby

2009-06-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

Joshua and I went to my mom's beach house on the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Seth had to stay home to work on some woodworking jobs. We missed him but were glad for the work.
Let me check out the surf this morning.

Joshua eating his first donut with cousins Noah and Liam.
I'm not sure if he likes it.

Trip to Utah for Memorial Day

2009-05-28T11:31:00.003-07:00

We took a tour of Temple Square.

The Great Salt Lake

2009-05-28T11:16:00.003-07:00

Most people who live in Salt Lake City think the Great Salt Lake is just smelly and inhospitable (nothing but Brine shrimp live in it). But I think the lake is amazing and want to float in it like that guy.
Kink, Josh's great-grandfather, takes a picture of Josh wading by the Salt Lake.

Antelope Island, Utah

2009-05-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

We drove over a land bridge to Antelope Island, which is famous for...
...its Bison!
...and Antelopes.
We stopped at the Maddox Family Drive-In for some Bison Burgers. Did you know Bison meat is leaner than beef or chicken?
Waiting in the car for our food.
A Bison Burger!

Brunch at Grand America Hotel, Salt Lake City

2009-05-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

Seth and Joshua waiting at our table for the glutenous over-consumption of food to begin. Brunch at Grand America usually means we don't eat breakfast or dinner that day because it is so filling. I took a few shots of some of the food stations. I did not take pictures of our plates spilling over with crepes and crab legs because that would just be embarrassing.
The Omelet Station
The Smoothie and Yogurt Station
The Sushi Station!
The dessert station complete with chocolate fountain.

Willard Bay, Utah (Seth's childhood playground)

2009-05-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

The Zoo

2009-05-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

Megan, Seth and Joshua at the Zoo.
Kingsley, Seth and Joshua at the Zoo.
For some reason, the animals at the zoo never look as happy and thriving as the animals on the Discovery Channel.

European Vacation

2009-05-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

Our friends, the Seguines, just got back from a trip to Europe and it made me remember our trip in June 08. Since I didn't have a blog last year I am going to post some of the highlights. So, Enjoy.

Baby Bjorn

2009-05-14T10:21:00.001-07:00

This nifty little piece of equipment was our best friend during the trip. Actually, it was Joshua's best friend. Those two spent a lot of time together.

Rome, Italy

2009-05-14T10:17:00.001-07:00

The Colosseum...A dream come true to see!
The Arch of Constantine

Venice, Italy

2009-05-14T10:14:00.001-07:00

Florence, Italy

2009-05-14T10:08:00.001-07:00

This is the outdoor replica of Michaelangelo's David for those of us who didn't want to wait in line for 3 hours to see the real thing.

While waiting in line for 2 hours to get into a museum, I had my portrait painted.

Ravenna, Italy

2009-05-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

The baptismal font in this ancient baptistry is large enough for full immersion baptisms!!!!
The dome ceiling of the baptistry had a mosaic of Christ being baptized by John the Baptist.
A detail from the ceiling mosaic of Christ being baptized

Montembrero, Italy

2009-05-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

Heidelberg, Germany

2009-05-14T09:49:00.000-07:00

Heidelberg Castle

The Louvre

2009-05-14T09:47:00.001-07:00

Woodcarvings that Seth enjoyed.

Paris

2009-05-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

Thinking

2009-05-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

Hmmmmmm, how should I conclude my dissertation?

Special Olympics

2009-05-04T09:35:00.001-07:00

Grant Hopkins watches one of the athletes dig for objects in a huge bucket of sand. This picture reminds me of why I loved working with this population of people. They just bring out so much joy in people and remind us of what is important: a strong commitment to friends and family.
Some of the youth from our ward made a human pyramid to honor the athletes as they walked by.
During the opening exercises all the athletes walk around the track.
Last week I went to the local special olympics to volunteer with some of the youth from our ward. We met this little girl Katherine, but everyone calls her Kitty. She is a huge football enthusiast.

Joshua and toilet brushes

2009-04-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

For some reason Joshua loves toilet brushes. I went upstairs for one minute and came back to find he was in the powder room with not one, but two toilet brushes. The funny thing was, he had to have gone to another bathroom, retrieved the green brush, then brought it back to the powder room where the blue brush already was.

Happy Birthday Uncle Dave

2009-04-24T14:33:00.000-07:00

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

Our friends the Bayless' had a Easter egg hunt for some small children and their families. Joshua picked up the concept really fast and when his basket was full of eggs, he started filling up the other kids' baskets. It was so cute.