Boys like Firefighters

For the past several days, we've had quite the visitors on our street!


Our next-door neighbor passed away and his family sold his home to a young family who are planning to demo it and build a new home there. Because the house is slated for demolition, they allowed the fire department free reign to practice drills and other skills in the vacant house. They've been chopping holes in the roof and knocking down doors but not actually setting any fires. :)


John kept wanting to "check" on their progress to see what they were up to. And he kept saying "Charlie wants to see what they're doing." Pretty soon I realized however, that the bigger boy in this picture was really the excited one.


We've seen quite a few different kinds of fire trucks the past few days and I kind of wish that this had happened when Charlie was old enough to appreciate how cool they are!

John and Charlie even made a new friend!



And he made Charlie an honorary firefighter!

Graduation!

After 9 long years, I have finally reached the end of my college experience! I have 2 more classes to complete this summer but I walked in commencement last Friday. It felt so good to be there in my cap and gown with all the other graduates and it was especially fun to see all of my teachers in their regalia. I was flooded with memories of the classes I've taken and the things I've learned.

I'm so grateful to my parents and John's parents who both have supported me through this journey. I had so much help with Charlie, especially from Kate, Chelsea, Sue, my mom, and Aunt Barb. I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful family. Speaking of Charlie, I'm so grateful to have such a happy and easy baby who truly loved his babysitters- it made it a lot less difficult to leave him. And most of all, I could not have done it without John. He was my biggest cheerleader and I really could not have done it without him.

Mothers

I'm beyond grateful for the mothers in my life and so blessed to be Charlie's mother!

Charlie- 13 months

Words: Ball (baw), hi, Mama, Dada, Bottle (ba)
New Words: bird (buh) and Grandma (ama)

Tricks: Gives hugs, gives kisses (wet, open-mouthed, slobbery ones), waves hi and bye, throws the ball (unassisted), kicks the ball (assisted), imitates an elephant, shakes his head from side to side when John makes the "swish swish" sound, dances, claps, sings, signs "more" and "all done".

Favorite foods: yogurt, milk!, toast, cereal, treats of any kind, oranges, beans, rice, and still prefers most vegetables over most fruits.

Fears: loud noises! The other day Grandpa T was coughing loudly and Charlie was so scared he cried for 5 minutes! He also really hates the blender or any loud appliance or toy or baby! Exception: the vacuum.

New skills: WALKING! Playing peekaboo by himself, putting things in and out of containers, holding a cup and a straw on his own (only spilling a little bit), and climbing (yikes!)

Loves: Balls, kids (especially his cousins!), watching Signing Time, music, looking at the aspen tree out the window, going outside, electronic devices, boxes, playing chase and peekaboo.

Charlie's first soccer portrait- totally not posed, I promise!

Sitting on the front lawn waiting for Daddy to get home

Beautiful spring flowers we saw out on a walk

Still snowing occasionally here! These are Charlie's handprints.

Beautiful video about NieNie

Easter 2010

The weather was inclement so the Easter Bunny hid his eggs inside the house (in a special Saturday appearance- thanks, Easter Bunny!) Sam, Lily and Charlie loved searching high and low for eggs filled with candy, stickers, toys, and even money. For Charlie, the eggs themselves (or "balls" as he called them) were the prize! We had a nice lunch together in between General Conference sessions and it was especially fun to have Catherine (visiting) and Aunt Barb (recently returned- that morning!) from the UAE.







Hootenanny pancakes!



We could not get a good picture of all three of them!






Sunday we had a lovely dinner at Grandma and Grandpa T's house after Conference and then the annual money hunt! The "kids" are getting older and older (we even have a second generation now!) but we still love searching all the nooks and crannies of the house looking for coins. Some favorite hiding spots (of Uncle Jim, who is the crafty hiding master): inside can lights in the ceiling, balanced on top of light switches, barely peeking out from the corner of a rug, and of course, balanced on top of the foosball players' heads.

Look who's walking!

Today, at 13 months, 1 week old, Charlie walked for the first time! He's been so very close for about a month- he could walk while pushing chairs, toys, even the big yoga ball, his balance was great, his legs were strong but he just didn't ever want to try walking! He finally started walking while holding our hands just in the last week. Then today as I was frantically trying to finish my final project before the 3 pm deadline, I looked over at Charlie to see him take 4 steps right in a row! Luckily, I had my phone next to me so I could capture some more of his first steps on video. It just clicked for him! What a great day.

Love this birthday girl!

Charlie gives hugs

Charlie's hugs are very sweet and as Aunt Barb informs me, in the style of the Dalai Lama.

source

But if he gets too enthusiastic about it and you aren't prepared, his hug feels more like a head butt to the face. :)

Poem in Your Pocket Day

This month is National Poetry Month and today is Poem in Your Pocket Day. This semester I took a poetry class at the U and it has been the best class I have ever taken! My professor, Dr. Janet Kaufman, is a talented teacher and our class was full of collaborative and interesting people. We had such a great dynamic community. I'm really sad it's over and I will miss it! This is my last English class and it's been such a joyful experience!!

our class at Red Butte Garden (my teacher is in the bottom left corner)

I have always loved poetry but I've really discovered how much it fits in my everyday life. Although I know poetry intimidates many people, it can actually be so much more accessible than other types of literature.

I could share dozens of poems with you that touched me this semester, but I've chosen just one of my very favorites.


“The Summer Day”
by Mary Oliver

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

Fictionist music video

This is the music video for Blue-Eyed Universe by Fictionist. I actually know these guys and they still continually impress me with their talent- check 'em out on their website and live in Salt Lake City on June 11th!

Blue-eyed Universe from Fictionist on Vimeo.

Charlie's 1st Birthday party

We had a family birthday party to celebrate Charlie's 1st birthday! It meant so much to us to have all of our family there. All of our siblings and their spouses, Sam, Lily, and James and both sets of grandparents (including Grandma and Grandpa S via Skype!) We, of course, had to make it a ball party!

The invitation

the birthday boy

Bakerella's recipe for cake balls- thanks to Cat who stayed up until 1 am making these with me

post-birthday cake

all the food we served was round to compliment the ball theme- meatballs, rolls, grapes, apples, oranges,
cheese ball and crackers

Thanks everyone for coming and for the thoughtful gifts (lots of balls and new toys- Charlie was in heaven). A special thanks to Cat for helping with the decor and food and Chelsea who brought homemade lemonade and hand sewed Charlie his very own birthday banner!

Great West Jordan Home for Sale

Check it out!

Sam & Tristan engagement photos

Ah, love is in the air! I love spring for so many reasons but one is that it means wedding season is upon us!

Thanks Sam and Tristan for letting me spend an afternoon with you!

Like Father, Like Son

Charlie might look more like me but his interests are right in line with his dad's!

This is the crib that Grandma T used for all of her kids, John included. Charlie was enthralled by the decorative "balls". John remembers playing with them (they move) as a child, too.

Both Charlie and Daddy like to rest on the couch- Charlie takes it to the next level, drinking a bottle and twirling Dad's eyebrows

Charlie is fascinated by mechanical things, just like his dad. He loves the stool at the doctor's office because it rolls and swivels.

Charlie (like Daddy) loves the Wii- he "helped" a lot during Uncle Richard's visit. Richard used some of his leisure vacation time to beat Super Mario Brothers on the Wii.

He "helps" Sam play, too.

But Daddy's most favorite thing in the world are Apple products. Check out the joy on Charlie's face as he's playing with that MacBook box!

Charlie says Uh-Oh