The Hunters at Home

The Best Birthday Cake Ever

2011-08-28T19:29:00.002-07:00

Mason had his birthday party a little early this year, since we thought it would be fun to have the party with the SLC crew. When asked what kind of cake he wanted he said he wanted a pirate cake, and Michele indulged him with the best birthday cake ever. Look at the execution of the concept! Look at the attention to detail! It tasted good too!

A walk with the boys

2011-05-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

Some shots I took today while on a hike with the boys. I took these shots with my new Canon 60D which I am learning how to use. All of the pictures except for the first one were taken with a 40 year old Nikon 50mm manual lens. I am really liking mixing old lenses with the new camera body.

Statistical Analysis

2011-04-12T14:19:00.000-07:00

Spring Break! Yeah, no middle-schoolers for an entire week. So why do I feel so stressed? And why am I wondering what the statistical probability of two people having the same birthday while writing a paper about the history of discrete mathematics meeting on a train traveling 75 m.p.h towards New York City could possibly be?

Oh yeah, I am in a Master's Program! I am not actually on spring break, instead I have a whole week to read, write and compute for my program. It is bitter-sweet my friend, bitter-sweet indeed.

All is not lost though. Douglas and I enjoyed a fabulous date night last Saturday evening. I was completely surprised. He arranged for a sitter and everything. We drove down to Hollywood to listen to live music at a little place called the Hotel Cafe. It was one of those, someone he knows at work has a band, and was playing, and there we were, surrounded by twenty-somethings in fedoras. It was a lot of fun. And I learned that I need to get me some skinny jeans and some hot boots! Boo-yah!

Happy Spring.

I Blame It On the Cat

2011-03-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

When the cat kneads me for food at 3 am

Is he surprised when he is tossed out the door?

The restless dreams that follow my rude awakening

transfer my anger at being awoken to

my poor sleeping husband.

When I wake, I am determined to continue

the argument in real time.

The poor bewildered man cannot know that he is

Fighting a battle he has already lost.

Hey, Whatta Ya Know!

2011-03-20T21:30:00.001-07:00

Look at me. Writing for two weeks in a row.

Being Mormon, we don't observe Lent in an official way. But I do love the idea of Lent. I see it as an opportunity to become spiritually prepared for the celebration of Easter. I love the story of Jesus fasting in the wilderness for forty days, preparing for His ministry and mission. Certainly, one take home lesson in His story, is that we could all use more spiritual preparation in our lives.

So with the idea of spiritual preparation, I spent a few days asking myself what spiritual need did I have. The answer came to me suddenly on the morning of Ash Wednesday. I had already decided what I thought I should give up for Lent. But, as we gathered for family prayer, the thought came to me that I waste my time. Not only do I waste my time, but it bothers me that I am not spending my time as wisely as I should. And I knew that one huge time sucker for me was playing games on Facebook. So I gave it up. Cold turkey. I let all my crops die, my buildings go unbuilt, and my game missions left uncompleted. And guess what? I am okay.

It turns out, that I can get a lot more done with my time when I am not frittering away precious hours on frivolous, virtual realities. Of course, you who are so much wiser than me knew that already. But this is my life and I am slowly learning my own lessons! Thank goodness I am learning.

This quote seemed appropriate to me:

The prophet Brigham Young said: 'We should never permit ourselves to do anything that we are not willing to see our children do. We should set them an example that we wish them to imitate.' Each of us can start today by being that good example” (Mary N. Cook, “Be an Example of the Believers,” Oct. 2010 general conference).

Today

2011-03-13T09:35:00.001-07:00

As I sit down to update our blog the Crosby Stills Nash lyrics play through my head, "It's been a long time coming."

Regularly updating a blog is a force of habit that, once you let slip, is hard to regain the necessary momentum to start again. One week turns into a month, turns into several months and before you know it, you don't remember your blog password!

A few months ago, I started a Masters Program through Western Governor's University. The degree I am working on is called the Masters of Arts in Mathematics Education (5 - 12). The program consists of a mix of pedagogy classes and math classes. I just finished Trig, am working on Probability and Statistics and will start a Calculus class in a few months. Am I crazy? I am beginning to think I might be.

Between working full-time, family life, church life and now school life, things are very busy. Thankfully, Douglas has been very supportive. His current lack of work has been a blessing in disguise. Since Douglas returned from the East Coast, he has finished writing his second Self-Coach Climber book. Even though he is constantly looking for work, he just hasn't found anything yet. In the meantime, he is able to bless our home life immensely!

Douglas is currently the axel that keeps our crazy wheel spinning. He takes the kids to school and picks them up. He plays with the boys at the park so I can study. He makes dinner several times a week. And of course, the apartment is cleaner than it has ever been under my rather lackadaisical efforts. He is a good man and I am grateful!

The National Zoo

2010-11-09T17:50:00.000-08:00

While on the East Coast we are taking some trips to enjoy the resources of places like Washington DC. So today the boys and I went to the National Zoo with Elizabeth. It was a good day to go, it was sunny and warm, and since its November 9th it was not crowded at all!

The boys had a blast and really enjoyed the bird house, and the pandas, and the otters, and everything else. My only disapointment was not getting a better shot of the pandas. The spent most of the time with their backs to us.

Here are some photos from the day.

Images from the VIneyard

2010-10-19T18:59:00.001-07:00

Just a few shots I've taken in the past couple of days.

Harvest 2010

2010-09-15T18:02:00.001-07:00

I grew up in the wine business and didn't really notice that I missed it until this summer. This has been an amazing year for wine grapes in the mid atlantic region, the conditions have been perfect for creating a great vintage. This is espically the case here at Seven Valleys Vineyard where we are having the best crop in over a decade. My father would be proud. As For me I am feeling more than a bit nostalgic, The smell of the grapes as they are being picked, the nightly ritual of walking up the hill and tasting the grapes, the way the arms of the vines sway in the wind, the physical work of picking and loading trucks, the smell of fresh pressed juice; at moments it feels as if I never left this place. So for folks who don't know how it all works here are some photos.

Here is a view of the vineyard looking down the right hand side of the hill at our fields of Seyval (Brix of 23.8, Ph of 3.49, and tartaric acid of .61- yes those numbers rock) and Cayuga. If Americans were smart they would stop drinking all that Chardonnay and drink some wine made from this stuff!

Here is the Cayuga on the day we picked it, beautiful!

The picking crew at work.

As we pick the grapes are put into lugs.

Then the lugs are loaded onto the truck and delivered to the wineries. The photos below were taken at Boordy Winery in Maryland. They are a big operation selling hundreds of thousands of bottles of wine a year, so the three and a half tons of grapes we delivered to them was a drop in the bucket, so to speak.

The guy in the white shirt is Ron Wates, the vineyard manager at Boordy who is the most friendly guy you could meet, I really enjoyed working with him. We unloaded the truck together, but I stopped to get up on the cab and take a few pictures. The day we unloaded there were hundreds of people at the winery enjoying a concert and a farmers market so we were on center stage. As we worked, tourists sat a few yards away munching on snacks, drinking wine, and watching the fever pitched work on the crush pad.

The grapes are unloaded into large bins holding about 900 lbs each and then put into the stemmer / crusher seen here behind the bin. Also in the background is Tom Burns, the winemaker at Boordy, and a great guy.

As the grapes go through the stemmer / crusher, the result, called "must" is pumped into the press, this one holds 9 tons.

As the juice leaves the press it's pumped into setteling tanks and the wine making process has begun!

How to Make Apple Sauce on a Rainy Day

2010-09-12T20:03:00.001-07:00

Find two happy boys and take them to the orchard near the garden.

Have the boys pick the apples.

Put them in the pot.

Carry them back to the house.

Slice them up.

Cook them until soft.

Mash them as the boys would say.

Enjoy.

This Summer

2010-08-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

This summer has been unusual for us as neither Michele and I have a job. Knowing this would be the case we decided to save as much money as possible and travel. I realize that we should have been posing every step of the way but only now are we doing it. The summer started out in SLC with a visit to Michele's Parents. Then I went to West Virginia to drown in the rain. Then we all met up again at the vineyard, and today we drove from the vineyard to Barrington New Hampshire where we spent the afternoon / evening with my life long friends the Shipleys. Here are some photos from Ayers Pond:

Grandma Lynn Relaxes after the 10 hour drive from PA to NH.

The grey house the Shipleys have owned since 1957.

Michele and Addison try Kayaking.

Dinner on the porch of the house. I had my first meal here, in 1971.

Addison, Mason, Elias, William, and Chris Shipley who introduced me to rock climbing.

Swimming after dinner: Mason, Douglas, Eddie, and Liz

Mason enjoys the water.

As the day ends.

Eulogy for my Father

2010-04-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

I admit that I have really been dragging my feet on everything pertaining to my Dad, its very difficult to let go and doing things like posting my eulogy bring the reality of his departure too close. But I wanted to honor him here by posting the words that were spoken in his honor. So 3 months later here is what I said at his service.

Welcome, welcome, welcome . . . .

Earlier in the reading from Isaiah, there was mention of feasts and wine, images that are literal and metaphorical for my father. His life was a feast: A feast not just of Bouillabaisse, fillet Minion and good wine but also of curiosity, of learning, of listening, of wonder, of tireless energy, of relationships, of creativity and love. I have sat at the table of my father's feast, drank deeply of the wine of his imagination and the food of his love. It’s in that spirit that I celebrate him.

I begin by celebrating my father's listening. He understood that listening is a layered act, that we listen to words, but its more important to hear the emotional meaning behind the words, and that in listening we seek the reason such emotions find the expressions they do. What my father sought was a connection to that which lay behind words. He sought the inner emotional life of the speaker, even if the act of speaking is often at attempt to hide that inner life.

It wasn't until Michele and I got married that I could better understand the importance of this kind of listening. Our relationship has some stormy moments. Its in those moments, when we are both miserable during and after a fight, that if I can listen to her words and hear the frustration, the hurt and the fear that lay behind them. That is the moment the healing process can begin.

I also want to celebrate my father's tears. Like so many men, my father didn't cry often but the few times I saw him cry told me a lot about him as a man.

The first memory I have of his crying was on a Friday night drive from Philadelphia to the vineyard. Chris and I were in the car when he rolled through a rural stop sign without coming to a complete stop; and was nabbed by a police officer waiting for just such an offense. As the officer stood buy the side of the car I could see my dad starting fight back tears. For an 11 year old this was a surprising moment. I couldn't put it in words at the time, but what Chris and I witnessed was his emotional vulnerability. Despite how imposing any father is in the eyes of his young children here was a moment that showed us he didn't like getting in trouble either, and that his response wasn't all that different from our own. And that maybe we perceived him to be more imposing than he actually was.

Another time I witnessed my father’s tears was at the reception we had at the vineyard for my grandmother after she passed away. My dad stood on the road, enthusiastically greeting his friend Rev. Bob Miller who had just arrived, when another car came rolling down the dirt road. The car came to a stop and we could see that it was my sister Elizabeth, who we thought wouldn't be able to attend. As soon as my father saw her, he burst into uncontrolled tears of gratitude and love.

While being very good with other people's emotions he was not nearly so good with his own. He has many friends, and people that I know he loved deeply, but he had difficulty expressing that love, sometimes the only sense one could get of his profound attachment to others, was to be there when he was taken by surprise and his emotions overflowed his ability to control them.

One last crying example. On the occasion of his 80th birthday I gave my father a volume of poems by Robert Frost signed by the author. We sat at the table appreciating Frost's words, when my father asked me to read, the poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. " Which I gladly did, when I got to the final lines of the poem, I looked up to see him sobbing as I spoke the words ". . .and many miles to go before I sleep." In this case he cried over the beauty of the poem, and the way it points directly to our mortality. I also wonder if his own mortality felt a little too close at that moment, that maybe he mourned the fact that the poem of our lives, of his children and grand children would go on, yet at some point he would not be here to live it with us. There would be verses to which he would not know the end.

Now at the beginning of this holiday season, Michele, the kids and I arrived at the vineyard a few days before Christmas. Our four year old, Elias had not see his grand father for some time and so was a bit uneasy with the intimacy of my encouragement to "give grand-pa a kiss" and all that. Our second evening here dad responded to Elias' turning away from him by saying slyly "you don't kiss old men."

But the next morning while Michele and I were still in bed Dad took Elias to his office and showed him a painting of the two of them sitting together on the beach in Maine. It’s a wonderful painting because they both have the same joyous smile. Pointing to the painting Dad said "Look Elias, that's us together, in Maine." "Yea, it is!" Elias responded. "Do you think we were having fun together?" "Yeea." Was the reply. Then Dad said "Elias, I love you very much."

"You DOOO?" Elias said, showing his surprise.

"Yes, I do" Dad Said. Elias paused then gave a n affirming "I love you too grand-pa." That moment cemented their relationship and Elias gave Dad many hugs and kisses in the following days. What I love about this exchange, though is that my dad was showing Elias how they could be in relationship together. He made the relationship safe, and showed a path through uncertainty, in a way that Elias could understand.

Now, let me go a bit deeper, and celebrate a certain kind of my father's images. He appreciated poetry but there was also a way in which he lived his own sort of poetry that left images in its wake acknowledging the more mysterious aspects of life. For example. prior to building a cabin on our land in Maine, we camped just off the beach on a little platform that rested between the rocky shore and the dense forest. During the day we would play and explore by the water's edge, build fires, skip rocks on the water, we would do everything out on the rocks and then drag ourselves, exhausted, to the tent after night fell and the bon fires on the beach dwindled to glowing coals. Nights in Maine are always cool and if there aren't clouds you can clearly see the milky-way and more stars than just about anywhere you can imagine.
On some of those nights after mom, and Chris and I drifted off to sleep, my father would lie in his sleeping bag, peaking out of tent flap to the sky and listen to the wave's slow rumbling on the beach; followed the momentary quiet before the next wave broke over the rocks. What he told me about those nights was that in the silence between waves he could often hear the sounds of children laughing and playing out there, on the rocks, under the stars, between the waves.

My father's second image begins with my mother, who woke up very late one night to the sound of my father having a conversation with someone in their bedroom. She asked him what he was doing, and he replied that he was talking to aunt Joan. My mother protested but dad insisted that Joan was sitting in the chair at their bedside, and that she was saying good-bye. Confused and sleepy my mother rolled over and resumed her slumber. It was the next day that we got the phone call informing us Joan had passed away.

My father's third image, involves something that most people don't know, this being that Seven Valleys Vineyard has a ghost. It has not been seen for many years but in our early days there an apparition was spotted by several people. But my father did more than get a glimpse of a shadowy figure, he actually encountered it. On two occasions when the rest of us were in Philadelphia, and he was spending several winter days alone at the vineyard, he encountered the apparition in the farm house. As dad was undressing by the light of a single lamp in his room, he stepped into the hallway and found himself standing before the dark figure of a Civil War soldier. This soldier wore a long blue wool coat, he had a rifle slung over his shoulder and a cap pulled down low concealing his face. My father and the solider stood before each other for a moment before the solider stepped away and vanished. This happened not once but twice; and regardless if one believes in ghosts or not what is wonderful is how my dad described these encounters to the rest of us. He didn't want to scare us, what he wanted to convey was his sense that the solider was a sentry, a protector, someone whose purpose was to watch over him and watch over the vineyard. It was an image of safety and of comfort.

These images, are small fragments from my father's life, but he gave them to us like magical little gifts in old wooden boxes, to be opened slowly and considered for a long time. What I like most about them is that while he was a very rational man, even having the word "clinical" in his job title, these images show his openness to the possibility of mystery, the unknown, the delicious yet uncertain poetry of life that lays just beyond everyday experience.

So now after describing all that it seem fitting, that we do more than reflect and celebrate. If its alright with you. A commitment that connects the best of who we each seek to be, to the best of who my father was seems fitting. So I'd like to ask a few questions, and if you are so inclined please answer by saying "we will" ( This is an audience participation )

First, can we remember to pause, to drop our defenses now and again, so as to be open and that we may allow for the possibility of that uncertain poetry, and the mysteries of life? "we will"

Can we strengthen our commitment to listening, to listening past the intentionally constructed edifices, in order to be attuned to the emotional needs behind those words, and seek to find and address the reasons for those needs.

(The congregation responds "we will")

Can we do for others what my father did for my Elias? Can we serve as agents of healing, seeking out opportunities to gather others around us, and model ways in which we can be in relationship with one another even in the presence of fear or uncertainty?

(The congregation responds "we will")

Finally, it has long been my father's tradition, that when a close friend or relative dies, he plants a tree on the vineyard and dedicates it to them as an act or remembrance. So this spring when the ground thaws and the rain falls, and the earth becomes green again, would you be willing to find a fitting place to plant a tree and dedicate it to my father's name?

(The congregation responds "we will")

There is so much more to say but my time is done, so let us keep speaking with each other in the days and the seasons to come. Thanks to my father, and thanks to you all gathered here today.

Math Makes My Head Hurt, But in a Good Way

2010-03-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

In the next few months, I have to teach the quadratic equation to my algebra students. I already know a lot about the "formula" and how to solve it, graph it, describe it, find its zeros, the discrimants, domain, range . . . aaaaaggggghhhh! Somebody stop me.

Back in 2003, the quadratic equation become the subject of national debate in the UK. The quadratic equation was held aloft to that great nation as an example of the cruel torture inflicted by mathematicians upon poor unsuspecting school children. The question then, is the quadratic really useless and should we actually bother teaching it anymore?

So I wanted to know, what are quadratic equations actually good for? Turns out, quite a few things indeed.

Did you know?

A quadratic equation is the product of two linear equations?

The area of a square is a simple quadratic and the area of a rectangle is a slightly more complicated quadratic.

A graphed quadratic looks like a parabola.

Quadratics are used to describe the orbits of planets, comets and other celestial bodies.

Quadratics (because of their parabolic nature) aided in the creation of reflective telescopes.

Because of quadratics we have architecture, electronics, micro-chips, fridges, car brakes that work, radio, quantum theory, flight differential equations and so much more.

I don't pretend to have an indepth understanding of how it all works, but I do have a deeper appreciation.

Oh! Bandersnatch!

2010-03-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

Twas' brillig and the slithy tove

did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogroves,

and the mom raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird,

and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:

Long time the manxome foe he sought - -

So rested he by the Tumtum tree,

And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,

And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head

He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?

Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!

He chortled in his joy.

Twas' brillig and the slithy tove

did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogroves,

and the mom raths outgrabe.

And Alice reacts: "It seems very pretty," she said when she had finished it, "but it's rather hard to understand!" (You see she didn't like to confess even to herself, that she couldn't make it out at all._ "Somehow it seems to fill my head with ideas - only I don't exactly know what they are! However, somebody killed something: that's clear, at any rate . . . "

Spring

2010-03-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

Cadbury mini eggs, asparagus and strawberries. After dinner walks and it is still light at 7. Onion sets begin to poke from the soil. The air smells of orange blossom and jasmine. Throw the windows wide open for sleeping. Shine the rust off the bicycles. Roll in the grass and breathe deeply.

Funnies . . .

2010-03-05T14:40:00.000-08:00

Several weeks ago I told Elias that mommies were very special because God had given us power to make bodies. I guess he needed this information to percolate for a while. Because, yesterday morning when he woke up he asked [read demanded] , "Mom, show me how to make a body!" I told him that I was done making bodies, that I had already made three and I was very tired now. He was quite disappointed.

Mason on the other hand is really working on talking. And he loves vehicles. Everywhere we drive he has to point out every truck, school bus, city bus, fire engine . . . and so on. He yells from the back seat, "Mommy, look, look, truck, truck." . . . . There is one small problem though, he cannot yet say the 'tr' sound. Instead he makes a 'ffff' sound. I'm sure you can feel my alarm.

The Hearts of the Children . . .

2010-03-02T17:01:00.000-08:00

Several years ago I asked Douglas about his grandparents. I think I was trying to fill out a family tree for Addison's baby book. His response was something like, "umm. . . Grandma? I think she was married to Grandpa. " Needless to say, he wasn't very helpful. It was this moment that started me researching Douglas' family tree.

It is several years and a few hundred family names later and I am still working on his genealogy. And, I really love doing it too. It is really exciting for me to find a name or a family and fit them into our growing family tree.

So while I was in Utah, I decided to take a trip to the Church Family History Library. I wanted to try and begin tackling the lines from Germany. I've been putting this off because, well, all the documents are in German. And yes, I did take German in highschool. And yes, I can sing several wonderful beer drinking songs and probably ask you, Where is the train station? But reading census and church records - not so much.

The whole morning I was really reluctant and couldn't get my "genealogy psyche" on. Thank you to mom for getting me there because that trip ended up being a miracle. I have never had much luck in the German research, but this trip was so different. Everything fell into place as though it had just been waiting for me to walk in the door. My big find was a 500 page book about the town of Sulzfeld in Baden, Germany. Some poor sucker had compiled all of the town's records from 1750 to 1950 in one giant book. I'm talking birth dates, spouses, marriage dates, children and children's spouses. notes on people's occupations and when and where people died. And guess what, almost everyone in that town is related to Douglas' great-grandmother, Anna Hoffmann.

My first thought was that since I found this book at the church library, all the work will have been done for these people. Ah, not so. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of names in that book that need their temple work done. People, I am talking about an entire town here!

So, next time you are going to the temple - let me know. I can hook you up with names, some of which have been waiting over 200 years for someone to find them.

Is It March Already?

2010-02-28T20:17:00.000-08:00

February has flown by. Here are the bullet points of the past month:

Douglas started working on Feb 1 for the Greif company in Santa Monica.

Michele still teaches 8th graders Algebra three times a day and tries not to pull her hair out.

Michele travels to SLC for much needed R&R. Only mistakenly schedules her trip over President's Day weekend which turns out to also be Valentine's Day thus creating strife and contention at home. (I have to say, it was worth it.)

We discover Elias is allergic to amoxycillin.

Addison's Green Team cleans up after the Pasadena Marathon.

Doug receives a new calling as Stake Sunday School President.

Douglas and Michele have birthdays (I am 36 and Douglas is 42).

And of course, we have been selling Girl Scout cookies all month.

Good times, good times. I hope March is just as exciting.

Words for my Father

2010-01-31T19:16:00.000-08:00

Now that I am back, I want to post the four eulogies that we part of the memorial service for my father. Each one provides a different perspective on who my dad was, how people thought of him, and his impact on others. This first one is a brief statement from Max Gaspar, my father's uncle, who could not attend the service due to illness. Max is an amazing man of 93 years. He knew my father for 77 years. His letter was read by my Aunt Karen.

I met Fred Hunter in 1932 when he was a lad in Sioux City Iowa. His sister Gee-Gee, was my high school girlfriend and eventually my beloved wife. Fred and I bonded early, and I taught him to swim when he was seven years old, we remained good friends forever.

When he returned from the South Pacific [WWII] where he contracted Tuberculosis he was in Barlow sanitarium in Los Angeles. He kept his brilliant mind active with reading, racing model cars and running a betting pool.

Our son Jim visited Fred and Lynn where the talk was about cars, good wine and guns. Lia [Max's second wife] and I also visited them in Pennsylvania and Fred and Lynn were often favorite guests in our home in Sun Valley Idaho.

Fred was multifaceted. He was an expert on wines, poker, automobiles, history, and of course psychology. Above all he was always friendly, warm-hearted, and upbeat in spite of his travails, Lia and I will miss his phone calls, his visits and his friendship.

May God treat him kindly as he so well deserves.

-Max Gaspar January 5, 2010

Winter on the vineyard

2010-01-28T12:15:00.000-08:00

In the presence of grief and uncertainty beauty persists.

They Call It The Blues

2010-01-23T09:21:00.000-08:00

This has been such a sad month. First Douglas' father passed away on New Year's Eve. Then we lost our dear friend Nancy Wright to cancer. And the devastation in Haiti this past week has been heart-breaking.

Douglas has spent the past month in Pennsylvania trying to take care of his father's affairs. The more time he spends there, the more apparent it has become how seriously ill his mother is. His mother is having serious issues as well. It looks as though she has Alzeheimer's. Her disease is farther advanced than anyone had realized. Douglas feels as though he lost both his parents over Christmas.

Meanwhile back in Pasadena, I have been running solo with the kids. It sounds like it should be awful, but it hasn't been bad. We have a good babysitter and a wonderful ward who are very helpful. Douglas in Pennsylvania is not that much different from Douglas working in Santa Monica. On the upside, I can sleep in the middle of the bed!

Please don't ask me what we are going to do about Douglas' mother. I don't know. I don't know anything. And that, on top of everything else, makes me feel very sad.

On the First Day of Christmas . . .

2009-12-13T20:49:00.000-08:00

This month seems to be flying by! I realized this week that today marks the beginning of a countdown to Christmas - only 12 days to go. I felt a swift kick in my rear reminding me to take advantage of this season to teach my children about Christ and the true meaning of Christmas. It is time to stop worrying about gifts, cards and decorations and to focus instead on building family memories that are centered on the Savior. (Of course, gifts, cards and decorations are still part of the fun!)

Today was a beautiful day, balmy and clear after days of cold and rain. Doesn't it always seem the best weather comes on a Sunday? We attended church today, I played the organ in sacrament meeting, and Addison and I practiced with the choir for next week's Christmas program.

But the highlight of the day was spending the afternoon at our friends' annual Christmas party. The agenda always includes decorating cookies, crafts for the kiddies, and lots of live music and singing. Laurie, Addison's violin teacher and hostess of the great event, always encourages her guests to bring an instrument to play. We had violins galore, a guitar, a piano and even a mandolin. And of course, everyone had a voice to contribute to the festivities. It was magical and beautiful!

Afterward, we drove around and looked at Christmas lights. Once home, we finally got around to watching the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional. I loved the choir's singing of For, Unto Us a Child is Born and Oh, Holy Night. These are two of my most favorite Christmas songs. Ever.

And then it was time for baths and jammies. We read the story of Samuel the Lamanite and everyone was finally tucked into bed.

My heart is warm tonight. I feel that the spirit of Christmas has arrived in our home today. I just had to write it down so I wouldn't forget the feeling in the next few weeks.

Some people's children!

2009-12-07T20:56:00.000-08:00

Mason is killing me! He has started a new "game." The game goes like this: I put him in his pj's and tuck him into bed. He gets his kiss, his drink of water and his song. Then I turn out the lights. Then sometime around 2 or 3 in the morning he wakes up crying. I go in to find that he has taken off all of his clothes and thrown his blankets out of his crib. He is crying because he is cold. Go figure!

Tis the Season

2009-12-05T07:41:00.000-08:00

to remind oneself why candy is not good for your health. This morning I feel like I've been punched in the jaw. Probably related to the molar I had pulled yesterday.

I am pretty sad about this, especially since I now have to find the money to pay for the implant to replace it. I was surprised though at how fast pulling a tooth out is. I'm so used to sitting in the dentist chair for at least an hour. But of course a repair takes more time than a yank!

So today I am slurping down oatmeal and soup and trying to ignore the giant hole in my mouth. I'd post a picture but it's awfully dark in there!

Speaking of teeth, Addison had her first visit to the orthodontist this week. The doctor described her as having eight-year-old teeth in a five-year-old mouth. (And yes, she is ten) She has to have 7 baby teeth yanked out to make room for 4 molars to grow in. And when those molars arrive, out they come.

2009-11-29T16:38:00.000-08:00

Sunday afternoon, the boys are playing blocks in their room. Addison is practicing violin. Douglas is reading in the kitchen and I sit here again at the computer.

We have had a very lovely Thanksgiving weekend and I am not eager to go back to the school/ work grind again tomorrow. I want to be home making cookies and decorating and wrapping presents and sewing and . . . Well. I look forward to these next three weeks zipping by. We will be leaving for PA on December 21. Christmas on the vineyard will be beautiful and homey.

We enjoyed Thanksgiving Day at the Potter's home. Serena posted some nice pictures. The one problem with having dinner at someone else's home is the lack of leftovers. (Which are, in my opinion, the best part of the holiday.) So last night we cooked our own turkey dinner complete with stuffing, yams, braised fennel and fresh clams steamed in beer and garlic. Sooo good. And now we have turkey for sandwiches and soup. Love it!

Today in Sacrament meeting, the talks were all about gratitude. I love this subject. The first time I really thought about gratitude was in college when a friend left on her mission. At her farewell she spoke about gratitude and its importance. I remember thinking, what a weird topic for a farewell talk. But, as I listened to her speak, I realized that this was a virtue completely lacking in my life - or at least very undervalued. This was a "bookmark" moment in my life - a point that I look to and know spiritual growth occurred. What a blessing - thank you Tricia Smith, where ever you are now!

Since that day I have strived to be grateful in all things. I have found gratitude to be my antidote to pride. My little family is not wealthy, we are not even always comfortable and struggle to make ends meet. At times this is frustrating and I feel my spirit becoming depressed or angry. When I remember to turn to the Lord for strength during these times, the Spirit reminds me to be grateful. When I truly look at my blessings and humbly thank the Lord, I always realize that I have everything I need. I'm grateful for the speakers today for reminding me of this, I needed a true shot of gratitude this week.

And at this very moment I am truly grateful to Douglas for taking care of yet another dirty diaper. I am so lucky to have married such a good father. I love you honey!

Love the Planet your on is back!

2009-11-27T11:19:00.000-08:00

Addison has finally decided to start blogging again on her blog, Love the Planet Your On. She has alot of things to post about, so keep watching her blog for new posts. To visit, just click on the link.

Love the Planet

Handel's Messiah and Thanksgiving

2009-11-21T08:26:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here this morning listening to the Messiah. And the chorus playing while I type is Rejoice Greatly!

Today I am rejoicing greatly in my three munchkins. Our breakfast conversation went something like:

Addison: Since I'm on the green team at school I need to participate in the school clean-up.

Elias: Who's on the Red Team?

Mason: Me too taste, Me too taste! (As he grabs for my orange juice.)

I wonder what else I will have to Rejoice in today?

I swear I only keep this blog so that I can have a handy place to store links to other blogs.

2009-09-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

We have a lot going on in our lives. I swear! I blog all the time inside my head. Unfortunately, I seem to be allergic to the actual writing part of blogging.

So, to fool myself into thinking that I'm not actually writing, I'm going to make a list of things that have happened to us in the past month. (Like brainstorming - you know, not reeeeal writing)

And maybe I'll throw in a picture or two for kicks.

1. Got really gripped about not having jobs.

2. Got really happy because Douglas got a job.

3. Douglas started new job.

4. Took the family to Utah to visit grandma and grandpa.

5. Rode more miles on a bicycle than is good for my tender, nether regions.

6. Celebrated Mason's 2nd birthday.

7. Saw dinosaurs.

8. Got a great new haircut.

9. Drove 800 miles by myself with three kids in the back seat.

10. Stayed inside for an entire week while trying not to breathe ashes from humongous forest fire in the mountains above our town.

11. Casually looked around for teaching jobs in SoCal.

12. Was told that no teaching jobs were available.

13. Was told by same person that I was to interview for non-existent job.

14. Was offered teaching position. ( I think it was the haircut)

15. Now scrambling to arrange daycare and lesson plans.

And I now have a good reason to keep posting updates on this blog - to prove that teaching algebra to middler schoolers hasn't actually killed me.

Mom's Beach Day

2009-08-08T08:44:00.000-07:00

Lounging on the sand, listening to the gentle swishing of the waves on the shore, the cry of the seagulls . . ahhhh the beach. For my next trip, I think I'll try it without the kids.

Wahoo!

2009-08-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

Douglas has a new job and starts tomorrow. This is a wonderful job and is an answer to our prayers and the prayers of family and friends in our behalf.

We are so grateful to the Lord for His grace and His love for our family. Douglas has been out of work for over five months now, and during this period we have had some real ups and downs emotionally. But, our prayers and pleadings with Heavenly Father were always answered with the peaceful feelings that only come from the Comforter. Time and time again, Heavenly Father made us aware of His great love for our family and His awareness of our situation.

Not all of our trials our over, not by far! But it is very nice to see one piece of the puzzle fall into place. We continue to pray for guidance and direction for our family. We are trying to follow God's plan for us, because we think it just might be a lot better than we can figure out for ourselves! LOL.

A little bit about the job: Douglas will be working for the in-house promotions department of ABC. He is working in the post production department as a line producer. He has been hired on as a free-lancer, but the job has no immediate ending point. So we are employed for the foreseeable future. He was recommended for the job by a woman in our ward who works there. We are so grateful to Patti for her generosity of spirit. The job has a few perks - it is relatively close by. No more long hauls to Santa Monica through hours of awful traffic - yeah! And, it is a regular work week - 40 hours. So no more crazy weeks where Douglas gets home at midnight and is back out the door at 8.

We love you all. Thank you again for your prayers in our behalf.

Corona del Mar

2009-07-31T20:15:00.000-07:00

Thursday took us south of LA county to the O.C. Our darling cousin Eloise invited us to help her celebrate her eleventh birthday by getting sand between our toes at the beach. (And sand in our ears, and our hair, and between our . . . you get the picture.) It was a lovely day.

Addison swam with dad and got tumbled around a bit in the rough water. Douglas did a little boogie boarding and the boys played in the sand getting splendidly filthy! I seemed to be the only one who suffered from sunburn. Completely my own fault. Here is a person who for several years now has avoided the sun like the plague, uses sunscreen everyday and stays generally away from tan lines. So why I thought it would be a good idea to get a "little color" is beyond me. I plead temporary insanity.

This picture is from the California-Beaches-something-or-other website. This little cove is a nature preserve with some very cool tide pools. Unfortunately, the tide was pretty high when we were there. But we did see a seal bobbing in the water. And because you aren't allowed to take anything of the beach, there were many cools shells for the kids to find.

However, Don't be Fooled by the beautiful picture. Here are our advertising dollars at work. In reality, the sand was far from pristine! Imagine it covered instead by piles of kelp and seaweed. These mounds of kelp held a treasure trove of crab claws, lobster tails and other nifty treats. It was pretty messy, perhaps a weather phenomenon is churning things up more than usual? I don't know.

Addi Goes to Summer School

2009-07-24T20:57:00.001-07:00

At the end of June we received a surprise phone call from one of Addison's fourth-grade teachers. She wanted to invite Addison to be part of an exclusive summer program at the Westridge Girl's Academy. The program is sponsored by a few local, private schools and designed to target high-achieving girls in Pasadena public schools. Once a girl is invited to the program, she can return to the program, every year, all the way through high school. Normally, each school is only allowed to invite two girls entering into the fifth grade, and two future sixth-graders. Hamilton had already chosen girls. Fortunately for us, one week into the program, they still had four spots to fill. And, yeah! Addison was called.

The Summer Enrichment Program, or SEP, was held everyday from 8 to 3 at the Westridge Girls Academy. Addison had several classes every day, including math, science. language arts, PE and a journalism class. She came home everyday with something new to tell us about. One day, she interviewed students and teachers for the program's magazine. Another day, she told us that she extracted DNA from a strawberry. And the next day she dissected owl pellets. The girls also had a fun field trip to the Rose Bowl for swimming and hiking in the nearby Arroyo where they learned to identify the local trees by name. She also completed five book reports and read twice that number of books.

The last week of the program included an Etiquette Tea where the girls got to dress up and put on their best manners, and an Open House Night for parents. The next day the girls had a Science Day, where teams of girls participated in designing a safe way to drop an egg onto a target.

Today was the last day of the program and they finished with a bang! The girls had a carnival in the morning. The paraded around their favorite stuffed animals, and in the afternoon they had water play.

The kid is exhausted! Addison loved the program and was very sad to see it come to an end. She is looking forward to participating again next year.

Photo Update

2009-07-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

The corpse flower at the Huntington Gardens bloomed this year, a rare event which last occurred in 2002.

The boys love to play in the fountains in the Children's Garden at the Huntington.

We have enjoyed our membership at the Huntington Gardens. We love to spend a Sunday afternoon walking around, or simply sitting and watching the koi in the Japanese gardens.

This summer has included some lovely friend time. And I have had fun experimenting with bread making.

Nevada Adventure

2009-07-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

Way back in April, we traveled to Utah to enjoy Easter with family. On the way home we took a detour around Lake Mead and over the Hoover Dam. It was a gorgeous day, and we stopped to enjoy the desert scenery. These are a few of the pictures from that day.

The Hoover Dam itself is an amazing site. We took the dam tour (I giggle a little when I say that) and got to go down inside the dam and see the turbines. There also happens to be a huge highway construction project going on near the dam. A new bridge across the canyon is being built. The project is awe-inspiring to say the least. It is difficult to describe just how big this bridge is going to be. The bridge will divert traffic off of the dam itself, which is currently a two-lane highway that slows to a 5mph crawl. Not very efficient if you just want to pass by. They bridge will really change the way traffic flows.

(And here I apologize to these strangers for the unflattering view of their rear ends.)

A Kid With Lots of Heart

2009-05-09T13:44:00.001-07:00

I received a wonderful letter in the mail today and thought I'd share a bit . . .

We are pleased to inform you that your child, Addison has been chosen as one of the honorees of the third annual Kids with Heart, a recognition event sponsored by Pasadena Educational Foundation.

Your child was nominated by Christine Wielgosz (her teacher) for exemplifying wonderful qualities of caring and kindness that make them stand apart. Addison will receive a certificate of recognition, a $100 gift card to Paseo Colorado for themselves, and a certificate of recognition from Assembly member Anthony Portantino. . .

The award ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 14, 2009 from 4:00 - 5:30 in the main courtyard at Paseo Colorado.

Addison's teacher nominated her for all her hard work organizing school wide events for Earth Week. What a cool kid - and what a cool teacher!

The Constant Process Wins Best Doc Award!

2009-04-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

See here for the details.

Home again, home again, jiggety-jig

2009-04-25T15:03:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful two week break from sunny California. It was wonderful to pretend for a little while that real life wasn't waiting with all of its stressors and uncertainties.

Our trip included a stop in Zion, Mom and Dad get-away (see picture) lots of cousin fun and a stop at Hoover Dam. (I like a little ed-u-ma-ca-tion with me vay-ca-tion)

April 15, 2009

2009-04-15T14:55:00.000-07:00

While everyone else was, napping, or out shopping, or out playing with cousins. Elias and I had a few hours together.

It has been a snowy and beautiful day here in salt Lake City. Elias was very excited about playing in the snow so he went on a back yard expedition.

The Constant Process news

2009-04-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

we are traveling and not being very good about keeping up with the blogging but I did just post on my Durations blog concerning three up coming screenings and an award won by The Constant Process. We will be back soon with stories of adventures from Utah!

The Reckless and Irresponsible Purchase of a New TV and Other Birthday Gifts

2009-03-15T20:25:00.000-07:00

I asked Douglas what I should blog about, and he suggested the above title.

We've been very busy around here and my birthday was a bit neglected, or rather, the giving of a gift was postponed. So Saturday Douglas decided that we should take care of my birthday and buy a new television set. Its not very fancy as far as televisions go, but to us, it feels as though we have come up in the world. (We have not.) So now I can enjoy LOST with a clean picture on a 32" screen from the comfort of my own bed. Sounds pretty good to me. Thank you honey, it is a very fun birthday present!

My other birthday gift, is a bicycle. It is actually an old bicycle from my sister, Amber. But it is new to me and very exciting! I especially love that the bike is bright yellow, dubbed by my friend Liz, The Hornet. I have been riding my bike to work everyday. It's only a two mile commute, but I love the feel of the wind in my face. Riding a bicycle gives one a sense of freedom. I must make quite an image though, with my little backpack and all my fluffiness! But I keep pedaling along anyway.

Next time, I'll write a quick update on the boys. They are growing up so fast and Mason is such a crack-up!

Will I even blog again?

2009-03-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned. HaHaHaHaHaHaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA (Is that enough crazy laughter?)

A new blog

2009-03-01T22:24:00.000-08:00

Considering that I have a great deal to write about these days that is not really family related I have decided to experiment with having my own blog. One dedicated to all things pertaining to The Constant Process and also to religion, ethics, aesthetics and of course film. For what ever reason these things are all closely related in my mind. My first two posts are an announcement of the screening of The Constant Process at the upcoming Sunstone West conference, and a short essay on finding ways to be brought into community.

Check it out here. and link it up.

On Screenings and Speaking

2009-02-24T20:29:00.000-08:00

On Sunday there was a screening of The Constant Process at All Saints Church in Pasadena. It was a wonderful event with a great turn out of people who really appreciate Susan and who gave the film such a warm reception. As a filmmaker it was the kind of event you really hope for, in that it was a wonderful moment when a film found a community, this is something that is essential to making films.

Another aspect of the even was the discussion afterwards which I really value because the discussion around this film is about so much more than the film. The discussion is about theology, ethics, current events, faith, sexuality, interfaith dialogue, the way we strive for understanding etc. Again the audience at the event showed they have thought more deeply and know more about these things than I have. So it was a humbling experience.

The few days after speaking publicly I spend a fair amount of time thinking about what resonated with the audience and also was not said, or what I wish I had said, and ways I can improve my message. Some thoughts.

1)We all speak of God
I need to find a more expansive way to express wonder at the common feeling of connection to God and the workings of the divine in our lives. This is something that transcends ideology and politics, cultural context, economics, and education; its a fundamental component faith. I find it thrilling that going to different churches one can be moved by the testimony of very conservative Mormons and also be moved by the gratitude and faith very liberal members of the UCC. We are all telling the stories of a powerful and caring God at work in our lives. I so want to see us uniting around these shared experiences, uniting around our shared joy over and gratitude for our encounters with the divine.

2) Dialogue is not a strategy
The question of how we engage the other is a central question of being Christian. Do we see the other as a threat? What are we willing or able to do for and for the sake of the other? Are we willing to allow the other to make demands of us? Do we allow our lives to be intertwined with the lives of others? These are only a few important questions, but one of the things that I think is problematic in the public sphere today is that we give in to the temptation to see dialogue as pragmatic, or as a strategy. As if the point of having a dialogue is to present an argument or to convince the other, to win them over, or to show them the error of their ways. I would love to see a different kind of dialogue. Dialogue as practice, dialogue for the sake of something else, a dialogue that is invested in the process and most importantly dialogue because it is essential to being Christian. How can we really engage the other if we are not willing to listen to them, to hear and learn from their stories, to be challenged by them, to hear their needs, and to hear their relation to God? This is dialogue without agenda without calculation or attempting to hold onto a specific (defensive) position in relation to the voice of the other. It is dialogue with no trace of force.

3) Ideology and theology are not the same
One of the negative effects of the rise of the Christian right is that they have been very successful at selling the idea that theology and ideology are one and the same. They successfully sold this idea to both their followers and to the rest of us as well. It is a very attractive idea, but it is terribly misguided and it creates a situation in which we are willing to allow our faith to be shaped by our politics; but one of the great challenges and pleasures of being a person of faith is undergoing continuous self examination to find better ways for faith to blossom beyond the confines of ideology. Further we have the opportunity to be self critical to ask how and why we speak, act and believe as we do. To examine our actions in the public sphere asking what motivates them and how well they reflect our faith as faith rather than as a program.

4) Work from a place of vulnerability
This is something I did say: that we should not fear speaking and even acting from our own most vulnerable place, and even from uncertainty. This is something that I have only learned in the past few months, it is striking and new to me, also unexpected. I never really understood how much more honest it is and meaningful it is to speak from the place of one's own weakness. I am sick of making arguments and of making great efforts to be effective or convincing. I have a new commitment to weakness and to being willing to admit vulnerability to the community.

5) I am not brave
Over the past few months I have heard many times that I am "courageous", "brave", and "bold". I reject this outright. The past six months have been deeply marked by fear, and uncertainty. Not one time have I felt brave or in control or had a strong sense that I know what I am doing. I have just decided to try to craft a certain type of public ethical / religious discourse and see what happens. But the bigger point is that its not about me. The need for healing, understanding, compassion, and empathy and listening is limitless. We all need to do what we can to address various aspects of these needs in what ever ways we are able to. One of the things that impressed both Michele and I on Sunday at All Saints is that we just caught a glimpse of how much pain, alienation, and anger there is around issues of religion and sexuality. That is one place where The Constant Process may be able to do some good. I hope to find others.

It's My Birthday - I Can Blog About What I Want

2009-02-22T14:47:00.000-08:00

I don't know if you have ever played the game - if I were to start a charitable foundation . . . Okay, maybe not. But Douglas and I have played this game. You should give it a try - it's great for a party.

For me, when it comes to the world's problems I am drawn to organizations that are concerned with hunger and that advocate for children. It is absolutely unconscionable to me that in our modern world people go to bed hungry. Of course, my parents, on their latest health kick, might argue a little hunger never hurt anyone. I guess I am not taking about a little hunger, I am speaking of malnutrition and the economic inability to make basic food purchases. Organizations like Heifer International, The World Food Bank, and the amazing resources of the Bishop's Storehouse of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are where I like to donate money when I can.

The Constant Process Screens This Sunday

2009-02-18T17:16:00.000-08:00

This coming Sunday The Constant Process is screening at All Saints Church in Pasadena as part of the rector's forum. The screening will take place at 10:15 am. Both Susan and I will be present. Ed Bacon of All Saints (who was on Oprah two times last month) will introduce us. Then we will screen the film and there will be a discussion after. So PLEASE come and see the film and participate in the discussion. I am looking forward to a wonderful event.

Driving and parking directions are on the website at:

http://www.allsaints-pas.org/site/PageServer?pagename=directions

The Forum is located on the lower level of Regas House (the building
along the east side of the quad lawn just north of the church itself)
Enter through the double glass doors and go down the stairs to the right there is also an elevator.

Other screening are in the works, with a Utah screening being worked on for March. So stay tuned!

The LA Times Article

2009-02-10T10:33:00.000-08:00

So here is the link to the story that ran in the LA Times on Saturday. It was a bit surprising to see a photo on the front page of the paper. So far the response has been very positive. I am really thankful to all the folks who took the time to call or send an email to express their thanks and support to me, Susan, and Duke. Its great to see how many people are really interested in building bridges and seeking greater understanding.

Click here to see the article.

We are still here!

2008-12-30T20:24:00.000-08:00

Well, Michele has not been bloging that much as of late. It probably has to do with the relative busy ratio going through the roof. Here are some highlights.

-Two weeks ago Michele and I gave the talks in Sacrament Meeting with only a few days notice. In addition I also had to present the Elders Quroum lesson and Michele had to play the piano in primary so that was a busy day and several busy days trying to crank out our talks. Sunday morning was particularly busy as Michele and I were committed to ignoring the kids in order to finish our talks. The kids loved it.

- I have been wrapping up a show for the past few weeks which meant long hours, including working right up until about 5pm on Christmas eve. This meant that Michele really did all the Christmas shopping on her own.

-Speaking of Christmas eve, Elias started a new tradition this year. It's called throwing up all over yourself while sleeping. Michele went into the kids room noting that there was quite a pong. Naturally, she thought it was the baby, but no, his diaper was just fine, thank you. Going back into the kids room a second time, now with the advantage of light the real problem was clear. So we launched into a round of late night laundry while Elias slept on our bed. Talk about tempting fate!

- Christmas morning was pretty normal, kids thrilled by their gifts followed by fighting over who gets to play with what.

-The big deal this year was Addison got a special gift. A few days on her own with Grandma and Grandpa. So on Friday, she got to take her first solo air plane flight ever! Yes she was nervous, but she handled it well. What's more, is that on the return flight she traveled first class! Neither Michele or I have ever done that. Addison informs us that the seats are very large, they bring snacks around not once but twice, and that she met some very nice girls sitting behind her who also like webkins. And that they had made a play date. an online play date that is. That is something I had never heard of before, 8 & 9 years olds making virtual play dates. Who knew?

So, those are some highlights. here are some photos from our attempt at a Christmas card photo shoot (you'll notice I wrote attempt.):

Here Comes Santa Claus . . .

2008-12-24T08:06:00.000-08:00

Christmas is supposed to be a time of peace and joy. So why am I not feeling it today?!!!! Aaaarrrghhhh. In the spirit of Christmas fun - here is a link to the Norad Santa Tracker. We like to know that the weather isn't holding him back. :)

Ådvent

2008-12-08T17:27:00.000-08:00

This year we have been using our advent calendar to help us focus more on Christ. We have two ways of doing this. On December 1st we made a paper chain, on on each link we wrote Christmas is a Time of . . . . (happiness, charity, visiting, etc). Each link has a scripture that is tied to the daily theme. As part of the bedtime routine we tear off another link, read the scripture together and sing a Christmas song.

I also have an advent calendar that I bought at Starbucks. It has all these cool little drawers that you turn around each night to slowly reveal a picture. In the past I've filled each little box with a chocolate. Of course, I usually had to fill it a few times since I would eat them, and then of course the kids start to fight over who gets the chocolate. So, this year instead of filling my Advent calendar with chocolates, I filled them with an activity. I choose different things such as take cookies to a neighbor or watch a Christmas movie and eat popcorn or go see the lights in our pajamas. The kids get to read the activity in the morning and then look forward to doing it together in the evening.

Home From the Holidays-Pictures needed

2008-12-01T14:03:00.001-08:00

We spent a fabulous week in Salt Lake City for the Thanksgiving Holiday. It was a mini family reunion on my dad's side of the family. Siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles galore. Family came in from all over including Arizona, Sacramento and Los Angeles. We totaled 37 strong, with a dozen of those being children. The only people missing were my brother Jacob and his beautiful wife Jeni. Apparently New Zealand is too far away to make a weekend trip to Utah feasible. Whatever.

We have no pictures. None. I packed the camera in the car, brought it into the house and never looked at it again. So, if anyone has pictures from the weekend, we would love it if you would send us copies.

Now we are full swing into Christmas. Today, I am unpacking, cleaning up and setting up decorations. I need to get our Advent activities started (more on that later.) Visions of sugarplums and holiday activities are dancing through my head as I try to get everything organized. I love this time of year, and hope that my children will have warm memories.

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Let the Little Ones Come Unto Me

2008-11-28T10:25:00.001-08:00

This year our family decided to celebrate Thanksgiving on Friday instead of the traditional Thursday. So today, we gather at the ward, thirty-seven strong to eat turkey and all the rest of the required delicacies. Everyone is pitching in with the food and entertainment. As part of this special day, we have the privilege of blessing my cousin's new baby. Which will be wonderful, since the entire family will be able to witness and partipate in her blessing.

And this brings me to what I am thankful for today. I am grateful for children. I am grateful for their innocence and exburance. I delight in watching them grow and learn. It is amazing to me how varied each little personality is from the moment they join this great human family.

We talk of children teaching us, and this is true. The experience of working with or raising children changes a person for the better. To be a caregiver for children requires us to develop and strengthen our best characteristics. We learn to love more, to have more patience, to teach, to serve. I find that my children help me to reflect on areas of strength and weakness and in doing so, I can resolve to be a better person. I understand myself better because I try to understand them.

I am especially grateful for my own beautiful children. I am overwhelmed when I realize that the Lord has entrusted me with the care and nurturing of these little spirits. I pray constantly to be up to the task and often fall short. Yet, despite my own shortcomings, my children are able to love me and forgive me. I love my little ones, and am grateful for the experience of motherhood.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T08:25:00.000-08:00

Today is Turkey Day! Happy Thanksgiving.

I am very grateful today for food. I have access to an abundance and variety of delicious foods and this weekend I will celebrate this abundance with family and dear friends. Lately, I have been made more aware of what a great blessing this is.

Information on poverty and hunger in the US for 2007 has recently been released. According to our government, 13% of Americans experience hunger and are unable to meet basic food needs. That number is huge! That means that millions of Americans go to bed hungry every day. That is a staggering number for a country that has the ability to feed the world. It is horrifying to think about.

Thank you to my friend Valerie for reminding me of King Benjamin's sermon to the Nephites where he asks, "For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment . . . O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another."

For more information on how to help alleviate hunger in the world please check out these organizations:

Heifer International
Salvation Army
Feed the World
Food not Bombs

Modern Medicine

2008-11-26T12:52:00.000-08:00

This week I had an argument with a tooth of mine. For awhile, I thought the tooth would win, but thanks to the modern miracle that is dentistry - I shall triumph. Actually, I needed oral surgery on an old root canal. The surgery involved cutting the gums and drilling the bone. Good times.

As I sat in the chair at the endodontist, listening to the drill reverberate through my jaw bone and into my skull, I was so grateful that I couldn't feel a thing. I feel like it is a great blessing to live in modern times where so much physical discomfort has been removed from daily life. This tooth for example, I don't have to live in excessive pain, waiting for the tooth to just decay and fall out. I don't have to have my tooth extracted after taking a big swig of whiskey. And even though I am a bit swollen and bruised right now, it will pass easily because of the wonders of iboprofen and lortab.

I am thankful for modern medicine!

A Week of Thanksgiving

2008-11-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving coming this week, I've been thinking about all of the things for which I am grateful. I have so much to be grateful for, I'm sure we all do. So I decided to spend each day this week blogging about the things that make me feel the most grateful.

Today I am grateful that I know how to cook and bake. I am glad that I have this skill, no matter how unsophisticated or basic it may be. Its great to be able to make good, healthful (well, most of the time) meals for my family.

My mother is an excellent cook and she had a great influence on my learning how to do the basics in the kitchen. At an early age she would let me watch her cook and eventually, begin to help her and finally to make my own dishes. I remember one summer in particular when my brother and I experimented with all the possible ways to make Kraft macaroni and cheese. (There aren't that many.) We ate it everyday for a month. And then of course, I loved to make cookie dough - not cookies mind you, just the dough. Then we would eat until we were sick. I think we could only do this when my mom left me in charge - because I was really responsible that way.

Douglas also had a great influence on my culinary tastes. He introduced me to new, exotic flavors that came from far away places like "the east coast" and places called "sushi bars." mmmm. sushi. From Douglas I leaned all about cooking with butter and garlic - very naughty of him don't you think?

I do enjoy cooking, and sometimes I am pretty good at it. (Don't ask about the other times.) And I really love baking. Cookies, cakes, breads, so many, many yummy things. I get very excited to learn about the science of baking, things like the difference between baking powder and baking soda, what makes cookies and cakes rise, why cookie dough should be refrigerated before baking. These things fascinate me.

I am grateful that I've had influences in my life that have taught me about food.

Pop Culture Hang Over!

2008-11-19T20:06:00.000-08:00

I have not posted here in ages and what I really want to post about Michele probably would not approve of so, instead of doing that, I am going to try to recover from watching Ironman last night. FEH! I admit it I am the one guy who did not like that movie at all. Sorry, my inner 12, no, 10 year old has locked himself in a closet and will not come out to play.

Anyway, at first I hated youtube, thinking that it's only content was home videos of bar fights and "real" bigfoot videos. I was wrong. Youtube also has things that really help one heal the splitting head ache, and double vision that define the hangover created by a night of pop culture indulgences.

Pop culture hang over cure #1 Minimalism!

Minimalism is admittedly hard going for some. But actually seeing it performed can bring new appreciation. This was the case for Michele when two years ago she took me to see the PREMIERE of Steve Reich's Daniel Variations. Even Michele was very much impressed seeing the work performed. Myself, I was moved to tears. This video is of a group performing one of the best sections of Reich's Music for 18 Musicians. The video gives some idea of the complexity and challenge of performing such a composition.

Pop culture hang over cure #2 Post Structural Theory!

Anyone familiar with Derrida either loves of hates him. I love him, his work has had a dramatic impact on my thought and led me down roads that I have throughly enjoyed and benefitted from. In this clip Derrida talks about forgiveness and how the only thing that actually calls for forgiveness, the only thing that is forgivable, is the unforgivable. Good stuff.

So there you have it. How to use youtube, the central clearinghouse of all pop culture dreck, to find a cure for pop culture. Other things to check out on youtube include: Guy Debord's Society of the Spectacle, videos of John Luther Adam's music, and just for fun all the Pat Metheny videos (here) the most absurdly skilled guitarist on the planet.

Of course the true cure for a bad pop movie is the visual poetry of the great one himself!

Hyperbole is the BEST Thing Ever!

2008-11-19T11:54:00.001-08:00

Sadly I realize now, that no one is reading this. Because if you were - you would have been laughing your head off at the last post! That video is Hillllllarrriouus!

Oh, for some very funny tshirts - check out Mental Floss.

So here are a few more pics for Grandma (I think you still read this on occasion.) This is what Addison has been up to at school - Harry Potter Dioramas, Field trips and crazy hair day. I swear they do No work at school anymore.

Star Wars Rocks! Or What A Geek Am I?

2008-11-15T10:48:00.000-08:00

if you haven't seen this yet - enjoy!

Conversation with Elias

2008-11-13T15:41:00.000-08:00

Sitting in the living room, I can hear Elias rummaging around quietly on the kitchen counter. So I call to him.

Me: Elias, don't put your fingers in the cake.

Now I hear more shuffling as he gets down from the stool and comes into the living room.

Elias, holding up his hand to me: Mom, this is my tasty hand!

Me: Your tasty hand?

Elias: Yes, it tastes cake.

Pause . . .

Elias: Two times, uummm three times. (Longer pause) No five times.

Birthday Pics

2008-11-11T20:32:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday

2008-11-10T18:07:00.000-08:00

Addis0n turned nine this weekend. She celebrated with a few friends, tea party style. The girls made 'fancy' hats, ate finger sandwiches and sipped hot cocoa from china tea cups. We played a few party games, opened presents and finished off the afternoon with cake - just in time to spoil everyones' dinners. The girls had a lovely time.

Ouch! Just in Time to Play Piano for the Primary Program

2008-11-09T11:18:00.000-08:00

Last night I did this.

With this.

Can I Get a "Yes We Can!"

2008-11-05T07:20:00.000-08:00

The vote was Baracked! Prop 8 has probably passed (we're still keeping our fingers crossed because it's very close.) And I am so glad that the election is over. Let's move on now to rebuilding our economy, ending the two wars we started, reforming health care, mending our political ties here and abroad.

And as members of the church, let us look at how we can strengthen our communities through service and the sharing of the gospel. If we truly want to address the moral issues of our day such as abortion, defense of marriage and the strengthening of families, let us do it by reaching out in our communities and living lives that exemplify the gospel.

Three Little Words

2008-11-03T21:11:00.001-08:00

I found that I can summarize my parenting philosophy in three words:

Love

Teach

Clean

Things I REALLY, REALLY Want

2008-10-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

1. Mason to sleep more.

2. Elias to whine less.

3. Three bedrooms.

4. Obama to win on Tuesday. (This one even more than the other three.)

It's The End of the World As We Know It? Or Do You Have Your 3 Month Supply?

2008-10-23T17:09:00.000-07:00

We are on the verge of having a new president elect in only a few short weeks. As the election draws closer, the claws are really coming out. It's ugly out there people. Ugly. Lies, spin, and accusations are flying fast and furiously from both sides of the aisle. And I have to ask, Can't we all just get along?

Being as this is an historical election and all, I thought perhaps it is time to really sit and ponder - Are We Ready for the END of the World? Because apparently, that is what is going to happen immediately after the elections.

So I've been looking through our emergency preparedness supplies. You may have noticed my link on the side to the Safely Gathered In blog. I've been really motivated by their simple, straight forward approach. They break everything down in sections and work on one simple thing at a time. Currently, they are working on 72 hour kits.

My 72 hour kit is currently contained in a rolling garbage can which I keep near the car. It seemed easier than in the storage area since then I would need a key to get anything out. This way, no matter how little time I have, I can get to things easily. Where do you keep yours?

Here is a 72 hour kit list, the items I have 'gathered' are in red'?

container w/ wheels or sturdy backpack

1 change of clothes person (I have the kids, but not the grown-ups)

1 set of scriptures per family

1 flashlight per person

batteries

small first aid kit

personal documents (copies of birth certificates, ss cards, wills, patriarchal blessing, insurance card, etc.)

2 gallons water per person - MINIMUM

$100 cash (change and small bills)

ax & shovel

bucket

battery powered radio and light

small sewing kit

Food

2 light sticks

hand warmer/ canned heat

blankets or sleeping bags to be accessible at moments notice

1 small toothbrush per person

toothpaste, soap & shampoo (travel size)

silver foil emergency blankets

mosquito repellent

entertainment (crayons, card games, pencil paper, etc.)

camp stove

work gloves (2 per family)

mess kits

pet supplies

candles, matches

aluminum foil

can opener

disinfectant

garbage bags

tarp

So TAG - What do you have ready?

Happy Third Birthday Elias

2008-10-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

Elias turns three today. We celebrated yesterday with a family trip to the zoo and then had a few friends over in the evening for cake and ice cream. Douglas had fun with the doubler getting close-ups of the animals.

Elias had a great time and has been playing with his presents all day. The Potter's brought Elias a great helicopter toy. On the very first launch, the helicopter flew into a tree and got stuck. Poor Franz had to stand on a step ladder and whack the tree until it finally released its prey. So this morning, Douglas decided the best place to use this toy was at the park. The 'boys' had a great time launching it there.

The other theme of the day was matchbox cars. Grandma sent him a giant box full of cars and our friends, the Kriders, donated a handy car carrying case. Even the birthday cake got into the swing of things!

Award Winning Author - Addison Hunter

2008-10-12T23:08:00.000-07:00

Friday night we watched as Addison won second place in the grades 4-6 short story contest for the Pasadena Public Library. We trecked over to the Central Library in Old Town Pasadena for the awards ceremony. Because it was ArtNight, there were people everywhere sampling the free art, crafts and activities at the library and all the local museums. When we arrived, the winners were all given red sashes to identify them. Then they were taken into the auditorium where the library director presented them with a certificate and a check. Addison's prize - a whopping $50! I say she's taking us all out to dinner.

Here are all the winners.

And here is Addison reading her story aloud at the main circulation desk.

We are very proud of our girl!

To read Addi's story - go here.

Working Woman

2008-10-10T16:33:00.000-07:00

This past week I have again started substitute teaching. I am trying to work into a regular routine of working 3 days a week. I am generally torn about this, on one hand I miss hanging out with the boys all day. On the other hand, I don't have to spend everyday hanging out with the boys.

It seems that my working has solved a lot of Elias' bad behavior. Apparently, I bore him. Well no more! He has entered into the exciting world of daycare where he runs wild with another little boy just his age. When I pick him up, he and his friend are usually in their underwear, running around with plastic swords or dinosaurs or race cars, or, well, you get the picture. In fact, the first 3 times I came to pick him up and take him home, I literally had to fireman carry him while he screamed - "I want to live here, I want to live here". Hmm. good times.

But Mason still loves me. He cries when I leave and smiles when I come to get him. Maybe I only need one boy?

As for subbing itself, I actually really like it. I'm also not too bad at it. After the first day, I remembered - oh yeah, bring treats! With a little "incentive" I usually can have a lot of fun with whatever lesson plans have been left. And let me tell you - lesson plans for subs can be very hit and miss. It's always a good idea to bring something extra. Expecially when subbing middle school history classes. Like today, I watched a 50 minute video about Babe Ruth 3 times, one History Channel recording of the "Byzantine Empire" and the first half of the movie "War Games" starring a very young Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy. I was really glad I had a bag of smarties and a good book.

Our Week in Review

2008-10-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

What we've been up to.

Michele's Week

Last week, I was the chairperson for the Book Fair at Addison's school. This involved moving a lot of books around, coordinating volunteers, and sweating through the 97 degree heat in the auditorium with no AC. I thought our poor volunteers would simply melt away. Fortunately, we are all still solid, and we sold a whole bunch of books, helping the school library and also putting books into classrooms.

Douglas' Week

Driving, driving and more driving. (His current work commute is over an hour each direction.)

Addison's Week

Addison made the transition from Brownie Girl Scout to Junior Girl Scout. Her troop had a lovely ceremony at Cal Tech. It was raining very lightly, which made everyone a little damp, but that didn't bother the girls. Each girl walked across a bridge, in the middle they stopped and traded in their brownie vest for a girl scout sash. Addison is very excited to start working on her new badges.

Elias' Week

Someone got a hair cut - poor kid. We had a fun field trip to Descanso Gardens. He loves wide open space where he can run around and chase after other children. Other than that, his week sounded a lot like whining and tantrums. What do you do with a two-year old boy?!!! Seriously, what do you do?

Mason's Week

Worked on his walking. Perfected the actions to Eensy Weensy Spider. And, learned how to climb the ladder to the top bunk bed. Yikes! And here he is trying to climb into this pond.

A Call for Soup Recipes

2008-10-01T09:11:00.001-07:00

There are a few things, that when asked about, most people have very definite opinions. Politics, religion, and of course, what constitutes good food. Get ready to sound off people!

Today begins October, and in honor of fall, I'd like to know what is your favorite soup or chili recipe? If you send it to me, I will make it and post it on my food blog.

To kick this off, Chicken Soup with Rice.

This was recommended to me by Serena Potter. It is a truly yummy way to warm your tummy on a cool autumn day. (Or, if you live in Pasadena, on very hot autumn day.) Check it out. And please, send me your recipes. I am in need of good soup.

Sarah Palin - The Movie

2008-09-29T17:30:00.000-07:00

Check out this movie trailer for a good laugh.

Endlessly Creative and Compassionate

2008-09-27T21:44:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was privileged to attend the general Relief Society Meeting for the women of the church. It was wonderfully uplifting. I got to enjoy the company of many amazing women, and was spiritually fed in the process.

Here is the truth. Most of the time I miss these meetings. Usually I have good intentions, but then life gets in the way, and I just don't go. But yesterday, my friend called me up and said, let me pick you up, we'll go together. At that point we were both committed - and I am so glad. I have never not been inspired or spiritually renewed when I attend these types of meetings, and yet, I can always find an excuse not to go. And I know that I am not the only one, several friends there said, "I almost didn't come, but . . ." There is an adversarial force working to keep us women from these meetings, a force that knows that a spiritually renewed woman is a strong woman. Strong women = strong family.

For me, the right spirit, the Holy Spirit, was very present at this meeting. I was once again converted to the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the power and purpose of the Relief Society.

I was struck by several thoughts and feelings tonight as I watched the satellite broadcast. The first thought was, Wow, Utah sure has a lot of white people. But once I got past that little idiosyncrasy I was able to focus better. Each member of the Relief Society Presidency spoke in turn. Sister Beck began by expressing her love for the sisters around the world. Her voice welled with emotion, and I knew that she truly loves the women of the church and desires to serve and guide this organization.

As the cameras panned over the choir and the completely full conference center I thought, look at all those women! What beautiful daughters of God. There are so many of us, and God loves each one individually. What a force for good we could be in the world - what a force for good we ARE. Isn't that amazing?

The final speaker this evening was President Uchtdorf . If you didn't get a chance to hear him, read his talk when you can. He reminded us that we are the spirit daughters of an endlessly creative and compassionate God. And having been created to experience a fullness of joy, we also have the capability and the obligation to emulate our Father in Heaven through the things we create and the compassion with which we live our lives. Wow.

So now, I am spiritually revved up. I am totally pumped! I want to create something beautiful, I want to have more compassion, I want to serve more. And I am writing this all down tonight, so that when I wake up in the morning I can read this and not forget. My love to you all.

Life IS About Living!

2008-09-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking lately how life is all about the process and then my saavy sister-in-law posts this. If you have been wondering lately what it's all about - this is a great reminder. Please give it a read. Thanks for sharing Amanda!

Ups and Downs

2008-09-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

This has been an interesting week to say the least.

The past few days the mercury has reached 97 degrees F. Yucky.

Addison performed with her Suzuki group's Symphony Orchestra on Monday. They sounded pretty good I thought. I really like her Suzuki group. It is so inspiring to go every week and hear all of these kids doing such amazing things.

This week, after an eight week hiatus, Douglas landed and started a job on yet another television show. A collective sigh of relief was heard around the room! This free lance stuff can be so tough.

Douglas was also accepted into a film festival in Chicago. Yeah. We're keeping our fingers crossed that more festivals can find a spot for his piece.

I jumped into the sewing trend this week (I know, I'm a couple years behind the curve). I

recovered our living room pillows following this tutorial from house on hill road. I felt mighty proud! You see, there are zippers involved!

Our bank, Washington Mutual, was seized by the FDIC and then bought by JP Morgan Chase Thursday night.

And, there is that little thing about the $700 billion government bailout - but let's not get started on that. The current financial situation deserves a whole post in which I can rant and rave properly.

Hmmm. Hope your week has been a good one.

The Zen of Quilting

2008-09-21T21:08:00.001-07:00

I finished a quilt top last night. Yeah me! And I am working on blocks for another quilt (that's one of my stars which was inspired by this quilt-along). I am not too excited yet, it's only a quilt top. I still need to quilt the darn thing and bind it. You may need to check back next year for a finished product.

Because the truth is, I am horrible at quilting. Well not necessarily at quilting itself, just the part where you finish the project. In fact, this quilt top idea was conceived before Elias was.

There are several reasons I am not great at finishing projects like this one: having an attention deficit personality disorder being one, the inconvenience of living in a small space being another. In order to sew, I have to actually clean the kitchen table off. I ask you, besides my mother, who out there with small children and a husband can keep their kitchen table cleaned off? If you can, my hat is off to you. In addition, I have to take everything out of the closet every time I want to sew, and I have to put everything back before the next meal. It's a pain. But wah, wah, wah. I push past the pain.

Despite my handicaps, I am very drawn to quilting. When I see what other people have created with color, shape, geometry, symmetry . . . I get so excited and inspired. I love the idea that small bits of fabric can be carefully crafted into beautiful quilts. Its art I tell ya, pure and simple.

As I was working on quilt blocks and this quilt top, I realized that quilting had some life lessons for me. First, the art is in the details. I tend to be a very impatient person, I am big picture oriented and have a hard time focusing on the details. This drives Douglas crazy! But with quilting, so much of the quality of the finished product relies on the details. If your seam is not exactly 1/4", your blocks will not fit together properly. If you don't pay attention to sewing right sides together - you're going to have to start over. It's about precision.

Second, it is all about the process. It was a really good exercise for me to try and find the zen of quilting and focus on the process rather than the product. Translation: I spent a great deal of time picking out stitches and resewing pieces together. As I went along, I thought of certain rug makers in Africa who weave deliberate mistakes into their work. The reason behind this? to remind themselves that only God is perfect. Amazing! Can you imagine being good enough to have to make mistakes on purpose? Not a problem here.

So the lesson to myself - the sweetness of life is in the details and the process. And now I promise myself that tomorrow I will take time to really focus on the details of life. I will think more about my prayers, I will really read my scriptures, I will listen to my children and laugh at them, I mean, with them. I won't get to see the final product of my life until it's all over - so I may as well slow down and try to make each day as right as I can.

Mason walks

2008-09-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

Mason has been practicing his walking lately, he's getting pretty good, but its still arms up and stagger steps, awesome!

Daddy Daughter Camp Out 2008

2008-09-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the famed Daddy-Daughter camp out for the Pasadena Stake. As usual the event was held at the Arcadia wilderness park. The event was well attended and a lot of fun. What I always think is funny, is that the dads always groan about all the "girly" activities that are part of the Daddy-Daughter camp out such as:

Climbing Trees.

Hanging out with dads.

Playing football.

Building a fort.

"Fear Factor" eating contest.

Making pirate faces.

Packing in their gear.

Setting up their tents.

Living in tent city.

Making the scene.

Partying all night long.

Waiting for the breakfast to be served. . . .

By these slackers.

End of Summer Party

2008-09-08T14:42:00.001-07:00

These are the kids in our neighborhood, in our neighborhood, in our neighborhood. . .

This past weekend was the annual Grand Oaks Block Party and Potluck. We had a great time reconnecting with our neighbors, eating yummy food and enjoying the beautiful evening weather. One of the neighbors opened their beautiful pool for the children to play in. This made the event especially enjoyable as we could actually hear each other speak.

Back to School

2008-09-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

It is back to school time here in Pasadena and Addison has returned to Hamilton for another year of adventure in education. She is a big fourth grader now and everything is different! She now gets to play on the upperschool yard, her class has 35 students instead of 20, the fourth grade teachers rotate subjects so she has to move from class to class, and she has a planner! To top it all off she also has two new skinned knees to get the ball rolling. (She fell off a friends scooter after school - there were water works.)

Her homeroom teacher this year is Ms. Wielgosz (pronounced WELL - gosh!) Most of her friends are in her class again. I sense several phone calls on the horizon concerning talking and note passing during class.

We have signed up for an after school Spanish class that begins in a few weeks. It is through Berlitz which emphasizes language immersion. We'll see how she does. Speaking of languages, we are still working on our Latin and can now construct sentences like: poetae sunt sed tabulas numquam portant. (Translation: They are poets, but they never carry writing tablets.) I tell you, this is all very helpful - or at least it will be when one day we meet tablet carrying poets who speak latin?

Birthday Cake

2008-09-04T18:34:00.000-07:00

I made a delicious carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for Mason's birthday. This is a departure from the usual chocolate cake with mounds of fluffy buttercream frosting that I have made for other birthdays. I have some concerns with Mason and food allergies. There are no signs that he actually has any, but his skin is so sensitive that I worry. So I decided, in my strange way, that carrot cake would probably be the safest bet. He liked it. He like the ice cream more. (I guess we're not worried about milk allergies.)

Happy First Birthday Mason

2008-08-31T11:17:00.000-07:00

Amazingly, Mason's first birthday is here. A year ago today on a blistering August afternoon, our little guy was born. He was 8 lbs 8 oz (or so we think) and 21 inches long. He had a mop of dark hair.

A year later Mason now crawls at break neck speeds, cruises the furniture and has even taken his first few steps. He says Mama and waves bye-bye. He signs "more." He adores his big brother Elias and follows him everywhere. This boy is very easy-going and is quick to smile and laugh. He is curious and always wants to know what "the big people" are up to.

Can't wait to see what the next year will bring!

Worm poop makes the best compost!

2008-08-26T15:40:00.003-07:00

A couple of years ago, I started a worm composting bin with my fourth graders. The bin is a simple plastic box with air holes which you fill with damp newpaper strips and red wriggler worms. The wrigglers are easy to care for, they just need to stay damp and be fed everynow and again. They are not picky eaters and will devour vegetable and fruit peelings, grains, coffee grounds and filters, newspaper and other organic materials. They eat up and then 'cast' out beautiful, rich garden compost.

Since I've been at home, I've kept the worm bin on the porch. Sometimes I pay attention to them, most of the time I don't. In fact the last time I peeked in the box I was frightened away by a large infestation of soldier flies. They look like giant wasps. So I screamed, and closed the lid, deciding that the worms could just fend for themselves from now on. After I calmed down, I discovered, that though nasty looking, these flies just meant I had damp, organic material in an advanced stage of decomposition. Basically, I needed to empty out my worm bin and give my wigglers more to eat.

Thanks to a little prodding from Douglas, we decided to have a family night centered around harvesting our worm compost. We emptied out our bin and found it full of several pounds of dark, rich compost and a healthy colony of worms. The compost went on the plants and the worms went back in the bin. (Mostly.)

Here's what our beauties look like.

Photo Journal

2008-08-26T15:24:00.000-07:00

Aunt Amber sharing the love.

Love Ruby's laugh! She's the cutest. Maybe her good nature will rub off on Elias. Oops, apparently not.

These girls got along famously. Lovin' the hats - and Ruby's bum.

Grandpa is very proud of all his grandkids.

We went for a short walk at the top of Millcreek Canyon and had to get our feet wet. That water was so cold!

Where Have You Been!?!

2008-08-17T20:32:00.000-07:00

I've been off my blogger for awhile and can't seem to get back on. But I'll give it a try. Here's a recap from our last month.

We had a wonderful time in Salt Lake visiting Grandma and Grandpa. Our original purpose for going, was to attend cousin Gracie's baptism. We were so glad that we could be there for her special day. Grace looked beautiful and very happy. So proud of you! Addison was flattered to be asked to play her violin during the service. She did a great job.

We had originally planned on staying through the 24th of July so that we could attend the parade and fireworks that are part of Utah's Pioneer Day celebration. Douglas stuck to the original plans, but the kids and I ended up staying, and staying and staying . . .

Visiting Grandma's is like staying at a five star luxury resort, complete with individual suites and matching bathrobes. (Well not really the bathrobes.) Even the baby got his own room - the magical "chamber of sleep," where our little one learned to finally sleep through the night without keeping the rest of the family, or the neighbors awake too. Heaven, pure heaven.

Our five star resort had the best of everything! Yummy homemade food, a fun pool with all sorts of floaty toys, an entire room dedicated to toys for kids, and a television that finally allowed Addison to watch her fill of Hannah Montana and whatever other obnoxious drivel Disney channel provides. (I am so glad we don't have Disney channel! But I am kind of sad that we can't watch the Olympics now that I chucked the TV antenna. Oh well.)

Elias and his cousin Kenny got in hours of playtime together. Mostly, they got along swimmingly. Elias really fell in love with his big cousin. After we got home, every night for a week he prayed, "Nank you, Heavenly Fader for playing wif my cousin Kenny." I thought it was incredibly sweet.

The kids had a TON of cousin time. They wore themselves out, and in turn we completely wore out Grandma. After we had stayed and stayed and then stayed some more, she finally threatened to drive us home. So, we took the hint and skedaddled out of there. Thank you, mom for putting up with all the chaos!

So now we are back home, nothing much doing. Douglas is still mostly out of work. He did have a fun three day gig working for the CBS show NUMBER3. He got paid to be a "climbing consultant" for an episode that featured rock climbing. I think it was the most fun he's had in a while. Since then, we've been doing all the usual job hunting stuff, praying hard, going to the temple, abstaining from food for periods of time (mostly cuz we're low on grocery money - ha ha ha), burning incense and putting fruit on our altar of unemployment insurance. You know, the usual. So it should all work out eventually.

This being just a quick recap, I have left out several important, fun details, such as Our Day With the Potters, and Watching the Olympics With the Kriders. But to make up for it, here are some cute pictures instead.

Just kidding. My camera battery died. I'll have to post pictures - Later!

Vale Television

2008-07-15T14:35:00.000-07:00

I really appreciate the various suggestions for a preschool name. Unfortunately, there was no clear cut winner. Though I did get a good laugh over Live and Learn and Demure Daycare. "I signed my precious child up for preschool, and it was a disaster. Oh well, live and learn." or "We think our child is much too outgoing and is lacking subtlety, so Demure Daycare sounded like an answer to prayers." I may be leaning towards Addison's suggestion of Happy Hour. We'll see. I think I still have time. The preschool portion of my plan will not get into full swing until Fall 2009. I'll start my enrollment drive in January and February of next year. So I'll need a name before then.

Now that I have been spending so much time preoccupied with plans for educating little ones, I have been painfully reminded of an area in which I have totally let go of all convictions and boundaries.

Television.

Television has become like child care crack to me. It is the babysitter that keeps the two-year-old happy so that I can mess around and solve my crosswords. It is the, get-out-of-my-hair-I-don't-want-to-have-to-entertain-you pill. Oh, bad mom, bad mom.

Any parent who has not been hiding in the backwoods has heard that children under the age of two should not even see a television turned on, ever. (There is even a campaign on this subject.) Not to mention the first three years of life being the most important and blahedy, blah, blah. So I've had just a little bit of guilt. But no more - this morning I took the rabbit ears off of our TV (don't laugh at me, we refuse to pay for cable.), walked outside and tossed them in the dumpster. Bye, bye television.

I'm thinking that there will be a short mourning period. But we should fill it up pretty quickly with web surfing and video watching. In case you were worried.

Some Pictures from the Long Weekend

2008-07-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

A Doozy of a Daycare Contest

2008-07-03T18:55:00.001-07:00

Okay - here's the big moment you have all been waiting for. Hardy-har-har. THE CONTEST.

I need a name for the preschool and family daycare that I am starting. Here are the parameters, the name needs to reflect a certain level of sophistication. I don't want names that have any of these words: playtime, playhouse, cute, cozy, cuddly, etc. I don't want to use my name, though the kids names are fair game. Tell me what you can come up with and you could win a prize.

What type of prize you ask? A really, really good one! If I use your name, here is what you could win:

Local contestants: A date night: dinner coupons, movie passes and free babysitting!

Long Distance Participants: Date night without the free babysitting. (Sorry, the cost of traveling to you would really be uneconomical on my part.)

Sooo - get creative. Let me know what you come up with. The contest ends on July 13th. And now - It Is On!

Thieves and Murderers

2008-07-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

Note to self: do not run outside with loaded shotgun when angry.

I was very saddened and disturbed by the latest story from Texas this week. Apparently, in that grand state, property has more value than human life. Try explaining that one to your children.

What do you say to them? If someone is doing something bad on our property, we shoot them. So, kids, you'd better behave!

We are taught, "if a man or woman shall rob, he or she shall be delivered up unto the law of the land. And if he or she shall steal, he or she shall be delivered up unto the law of the land." D&C 42: 84-85

"Ye have heard it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That you resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on they right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven . . .

For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

Matt 5

A Little Contest!

2008-06-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

I am having a contest - complete with a prize. (The prize is to be announced later.) Stay tuned for more details.

Pasadena Pops Weekend

2008-06-23T21:56:00.000-07:00

Whew! Summer has officially begun and we have started off running!

Last Friday night Douglas and I attended an open air concert at the Desconso Gardens featuring the Pasadena Pops and Singing Cowboy Poet, Michael Martin Murphy. Addison's violin teacher, Laurie Niles plays with them and was kind enough to give us tickets. The whole evening was a blast for me - even though it was stinkin' hot. Since I love folk music and Aaron Copland, it was apple pie for my ears. Delicious.

I only had one problem with the evening - the Pops music director, Rachael Worby, was a total spaz! She actually introduced Mr. Murphey by saying he was there because "I hold a special place in his heart." I do have to admit it was very fun to watch her conduct because she had A TON of energy and was completely over the top. And she is a great advocate for the orchestra - you go girl!

If you get a chance, check out their summer season.

Various and Assundry

2008-06-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

I haven't felt much like blogging lately, some days are just like that I guess. But even though I don't feel like writing, I keep checking my blog, wondering if it has changed despite my lack of effort. It never has. I must therefore, bite the proverbial bullet and write something myself.

This past weekend was Father's Day. Addison surprised Douglas with a felt tie she had made when we were visiting my parent's ward in SLC. It was darling! (See picture) And to attest to Douglas' greatness of character, he wore it proudly to church. All of the other fathers were jealous, of course.

My own Funky Fresh Father is currently tooling around Ireland with my Fabulous Mom. I hear they are having a wonderful time. Love you Dad!

This past weekend Douglas and I celebrated our 10th anniversary. (Woo-Hoo!)

We celebrated our "family birthday party" with the kids (thanks Valerie for the great idea!) We retold our wedding day story, and all the mushy, lovey-dovey stuff we remember best. Then we took the kids for ice cream. I wanted to get out the wedding albums, but somehow they got put into cold storage. The best part of the weekend though, was when Douglas and I forked out the $4000 to hire a babysitter and go out for an evening. This year we opted for sushi - yum, yum!

And now for the kids:

Addison and I have started studying Latin together. So far: Sum non nauta et lego ergo sum! (Translation for you non-Latin speakers: I am not a sailor and I read, therefore, I am.) In two more days she will be officially done with third grade and I will have a fourth grader on my hands. The horror, the horror.

Elias wiped out and hit his chin hard. He has a horrible bruise. Everytime he looks in the mirror, he fake cries and says his chin hurts.

Big milestone of the past week - Mason is officially crawling! Ta-dum. He is everywhere and into everything. He particularly likes the cat food. You gotta love the crawling stage.

Life Lesson in Empathy?

2008-05-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

For several weeks now we have been watching a sunflower grow out of our strawberry bed. The seed most likely came from our birdfeeder, but wasn't planted on purpose. But we watched as the stalk grew and grew until it was as high as the fence. This week the bud began to form and we watched each morning in anticipation of the day it would open. Well today was the day! At breakfast, we looked out the window and saw the yellow petals beginning to unfurl. Happy day.

What followed was a fairly normal morning routine, take Addison to school, run a few errands and home by 9:20am. As I pulled into the driveway I looked over at our sunflower and did a double take. The head was missing. Not broken or dead, but completely gone. Gnawed off by some fuzzy, tree-dwelling, fluffy-tail having rodent that in some circles passes for cute. I stared slack jawed for several minutes, then pulled the beheaded stalk out of the pot and began stomping around looking for a squirrel to whack. But alas, no squirrel was to be found - they must have seen me coming.

Now, I know many people whose gardens have fallen victim to various small critters. And I've always felt badly for them, in a vague, pat-on-the-shoulder kind of way. I guess you just never know until it happens to you.

So say we all.

We Have Lift Off!

2008-05-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I set Mason down on the rug to play with his toys. If you give this baby a box of colorful toys, he'll sit for an hour pulling each item out one at a time and tasting them. Yum-yum. Meanwhile, mom (that's me) sits down to get some work done. All of a sudden I feel something on my leg. Surprise! It's Mason. He has mysteriously moved from one side of the room to the other. I looked around for someone to blame, like the cat or Elias, but to no avail. Mason has become mobile!

LACE Award for Susan Russell

2008-05-11T11:09:00.001-07:00

Susan Russell the priest I have been making my documentary about was honored two weeks ago with a LACE award. It's an award given by the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center for activity in the community. Being LA the award is given at a big gala and a good number of super glam Hollywood types show up. As part of the award there is a small video made to introduce the award recipients at the gala. I was contacted to be interviewed on tape for the video. Naturally I was glad to sing Susan's praises on tape. I also let the people making the video use some of the footage that I shot with Susan. Here are the results.

It was a bit frightening to be on the wrong side of the camera, so I just went on and on and on, its a tribute to the magic of editing that I actually appear to say anything coherent!

What Would You Do

2008-05-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

if you hadn't showered in two days, the house was a disaster and your child had a fever of 102 and . . . your old friend/flame from college calls and says I'm in town for one night and would love to get together and meet the fam. Do you . . .

1. Begin cleaning like crazy, after lamely telling your friend what a lousy housekeeper you are.

2. Call your hairdresser for an emergency appointment, take a shower and buy a new outfit.

3. Go to the gym and try to lose 20 lbs in 2 hours.

4. Say, this isn't a good time for me - maybe next time. (The smart choice - which should make it obvious this was not the choice I made!)

So can you guess what I ended up doing?

Tribute to a Great Kid!

2008-05-05T15:58:00.000-07:00

Dramatic, enthusiastic, smart, bossy, sweet, helpful, impertinent, kind, loving . . .

My sweet little girl is growing up and becoming an amazing young lady. I am so proud of her and all of her accomplishments. This little girl is so much bigger than her tiny little frame would have you believe. That brain of hers is constantly ticking away and her heart is full of enthusiasm for everyone and everything. There is so much that she wants to do and try.

This past month, my dear daughter organized a week of Earth Day activities for her school. She created an agenda for the principal to approve, chose an event for each day and spent her recess and lunch times running these activities. She stood up in front of the entire school, announcing her plans and challenging everyone to adopt her motto : "Make everyday Earth Day!" she shouted to the assembly. That week she was able to help over 130 students make pledges to help the planet. Her enthusiasm carried the school. And this past Friday, she was awarded student of the month for all her efforts.

This little slip of a girl has a strong soul! Her enthusiasm and curiosity is a constant lesson to me. I just hope I can keep up and give her the love and support she needs to be her best self. At the same time, I also wish she didn't want to grow up so fast. "Slow down," I tell her constantly. And in my heart I say, be my little girl just a little longer.

This weekend she began complaining that she didn't feel well, and last night it hit full force. High fever, headache, sore throat. She is very dramatic about the whole thing - as is to be expected. She was most upset about having to miss state testing this week. She burst into tears until I could convince her that she could make up the tests next week. What a kid! You gotta love her.

And Now For Something Completely Fluffy

2008-04-25T16:25:00.001-07:00

I got this idea from my favorite Logan librarian on whose blog I shamelessly lurk. Here are seven guilty pleasures. (Remember I said guilty.) Only, here's the twist. Five are true and two are totally false. Do you know which is which?

Air Conditioning. I am fully aware of the damage to the environment and my green reputation - but I hate sweating. I like nothing better than driving my small SUV with the AC cranked.

Red Wine. Because cooking with the stuff is pure bliss. The smell sends me every time.

Playing possum when the baby cries at 3am - I love winning that one!

Cheese Crunchies - They are my crunchy, cheesy crack.

Dr. Laura - Sometimes you just need to hear it the way it is!

Cosmo - It makes me feel so dirty, but the tips are worth it.

Bodice Ripper Romance Novels - No one will ever, ever, ever actually see me reading one, but it doesn't mean that I don't.

Happy Earth Day - Why Bother?

2008-04-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

Today, April 22, is Earth Day. A day when tree huggers, earth lovers and kooky environmentalists everywhere pledge to do more to help our ailing Mother Earth. This special day was initiated in 1970 by Senator Gaylord Nelson in an effort to educate and inform the general populace about the growing environmental problems facing our nation and the world. Today, thirty -eight years later, we have to wonder if it's done any good?

When it comes to the trend of "going green," does it make a difference? Sure, I changed a few light bulbs and have started carrying reusable grocery bags. I recycle here and there and at times try to conserve water. I dream of purchasing a hybrid car one day. But is that enough when on the other side of the planet, my twin in China or India is undoing all of my small efforts. (It is estimated that even if the U.S. reduced its CO2 output by 25% this year - which would take a HUGE effort, China will have increased theirs by the same amount in only nine months.)

Or what if I turn my life upside down in an effort to reduce my CO2 emissions. I could plant a big garden and get rid of my car, start biking everywhere, eliminate meat from my diet and become a "locavore." I could trade in my dryer for an old fashioned clothes line and start wearing sweaters instead of turning up the heater. Then would I be making a significant difference? Frankly, probably not. Because of the enormity of the problem, one person's carbon footprint will probably not shift the balance one way or the other.

So again, why bother?

Well, here are a couple of reasons why I think we still need to care and make a bigger effort. You may or may not agree with my reasoning, but then if you have a better idea let me know. There are millions of people out there much smarter and wiser than me!

How about simply to set an example? If enough people bother, we could set off a chain of events that changes our way of life. Let's go viral! 30 years ago, Wendell Berry, a Kentucky farmer and writer, argued that the environmental crisis would have to be addressed first at home. He was impatient with people who wrote checks to environmental agencies but didn't actually do anything at home. (Think SUVs, McMansions, etc.) Here is what he said: "Once our personal connection to what is wrong becomes clear, then we have to chose: we can go on as before, recognizing our dishonesty and living with it the best we can, or we can begin the effort to change the way we think and live."

As member of the LDS Faith we believe that we will be held accountable for our actions, and that we are stewards over the earth. I hear far too often, oh, we've made such a mess of this planet already, only God will be able to fix it. And while that may be true, it doesn't let us off the hook. I can't imagine our Heavenly Father saying to us - by the time you got to the planet, it was too far gone; therefore your actions didn't matter. Not going to happen!

In fact, if we look at the counsel of the prophets - they have been very environmental at times. The greatest example of this is the counsel to plant a garden. Planting a garden may sound very benign, but it is one of the most powerful things an individual can do to reduce his or her carbon footprint. But more so, to reduce our sense of dependence and to increase our understanding of our relationship to this beautiful planet. Whether you have a large backyard garden or a few small pots on the balcony, gardening teaches us that our relationship to the planet is not a zero-sum game.

Here's another idea completely in line with the gospel. Observe a stricter Sabbath. Once a week completely refrain from economic activity, no shopping, no electronics, and where possible no driving. Imagine if everyone in our nation went back to that practice once a week! If we all turned off the tvs, computers and "crackberries" and we walked with our neighbors to worship instead of driving to the mall- it would be amazing.

When it comes to environmental "sin", I am as guilty as the next person. I am still attempting to align what I do with what I know. But I am willing to take it one small step at a time. This year I have pledged the simple act of eliminating plastic grocery bags from my life. It's been a little painful to start because I am not yet in the habit of always having my reusable bags with me. But it's getting easier. I am also trying to observe the Sabbath more strictly - to turn off the computer and the television. We are too far from our ward building to walk, but we can eliminate unnecessary driving. And we are growing a small garden in pots by the driveway.

So that's why I bother. I know that my efforts are small and probably don't change the planet, but I might change my neighborhood. (A few neighbors have started growing their own veggies next to ours.) And lest we forget, it is by small and simple things that great things are brought to pass.

My hope is that this year - you can be bothered to change just a little bit too.

Happy Earth Day

Good Times

2008-04-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

Last night Addi's school had a family art night. The school partners with the Art Armory, which sends volunteers to the school to work in the classroom every year. This was an Armory sponsored event. They had three different stations for the kids, crown making, leaf prints and bug sculptures. Elias was so proud of his hat and his clay "capper". He wanted to carry that caterpillar to bed and to music class this morning.

The Waiting is Over - temporarily, until it is replaced by new waiting just waiting to happen.

2008-04-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

Douglas started a new job today working for Sony. He's doing the same type of work - post production. This time the show is a 30 minute sitcom. Unfortunately it doesn't pay that well and it's only through June. On the upside, he's working at the Paramount lot in Hollywood which means he doesn't have to drive 2 1/2 hours every day. This means we will actually see him in the evenings. Yeah!

And . . . his documentary is almost done. The time between jobs was a real blessing in that regard - he was able to complete the shooting he needed to finish the project. So after a bunch more steps (believe me, it takes forever to finish a film!), the final step will be to submit it to a bunch of film festivals and keep our fingers crossed. There are several submission deadlines coming up in the next month or two which gives a deadline to aim for. Wish us luck.