Surf Momma

Work in Progress...

2010-01-25T00:32:00.002-05:00

OK I fell behind, one reason being I was seriously bummed that a great picture of Ethan and I at the beach sitting next to my surfboard has gone MIA. I can see it in the HP photo program, but when I go to add the image its not in any of the folders where it should be.

SIGH.

So I have at last come back, and am slowly catching up, but you'll have to scroll past the pictures and belly button post, because what I just posted took place earlier.

Does that make any sense?

Seriously so handsome!

2009-12-09T10:15:00.005-05:00

Here are the 3 poses we got back from picture day at Northwood, grandparents let me know which pose you like and if you have a size preference. Thanks!

One cool dude

2009-11-15T08:15:00.001-05:00

Beluga's at Mystic Aquariam

2009-11-07T08:03:00.003-05:00

Today we went to Mystic Aquarium with our friends Lona, Ammon and Maddie. Ethan and Ammon had a great time watching the beluga whales swim by.

Ward Fall Festival

2009-10-30T09:50:00.004-04:00

Tonight was the Fall Festival and Halloween Party at our church. We actually got a picture of all of us together! Thanks Terry!

Ethan playing one of the games.

Ethan the Alligator at the Trunk-or-Treat.

My first time making challah bread, braiding 6 strands of dough is not easy! As you can see my second loaf came out much better.

I made a cheesecake with a pumpkin layer and a chocolate layer, it was yummy!

Belly Button!

2009-10-30T07:58:00.002-04:00

Pumpkin Carving Party

2009-10-24T07:50:00.002-04:00

Every year our neighbors down the road have a huge pumpkin carving party and line their stone wall with hundreds of carved pumpkins. This year we went down to help carve and had a blast. They had a tent set up with tables and carving utensils, and pots of chili and treats.

Ethan scooping out the seeds

And dumping them out

Ethan and Nathan

I love these owls!

Playground Day

2009-10-19T17:42:00.000-04:00

We had fun going to one of the playgrounds at the Woodstock Elementary School this afternoon. Ethan loved playing in the wooden plane and going headfirst down the slides.

First Snowflakes

2009-10-18T07:39:00.001-04:00

Ethan had fun catching snow on his tongue.

Bean town

2009-10-17T23:43:00.001-04:00

Here we are in front of the Congress Street Bridge, which is where the Boston Tea Party ships and museum will open in 2011.

I thought this building looked like a dead sheep lying upside down. What do you think?

We visited the Boston Fire Museum. It was full of old fire engines, artifacts and pictures.

Boston Children's Museum

2009-10-17T11:57:00.000-04:00

We had a great time exploring the Boston Children's Museum. Ethan loved climbing and exploring the three story high climbing sculpture.

We loved playing in the bubble room!

Playing in the contruction zone was a ton of fun!

We went outside and found some big stone scuptures to run through.

I loved watching this huge fish sculpture float by!

Pomfret Corn Maize!

2009-10-10T23:35:00.002-04:00

After the Hartford Marathon we headed to Pomfret to the corn maize. Ethan had a blast running through the corn and exploring.

Hartford Marathon

2009-10-10T10:25:00.000-04:00

On Saturday October 10th we hit the streets of Hartford along with over 10,000 other runners to participate in the 16th Hartford Marathon. Our team the Quiet Corner Cuties finished in 18th place with a time of 4:45:55. Sara, me, Rachel and Jenny are pictured above, Mary also ran with us. I ran 7.5 miles of the 26.2 miles in about an hour and 15 minutes. It was awesome and we had a blast! Can't wait to do it again next year! Team again or half marathon? Decisions, decisions.

More pictures coming soon.
Here they are!

Lapsley's Orchard

2009-10-09T02:38:00.002-04:00

We had fun at the orchard and enjoyed picking apples and taking a hayride.

Daddy's Helper

2009-10-04T02:32:00.002-04:00

Nate was connecting more cables to the dish this afternoon and Ethan was determined to help. No children were harmed in the shooting of these pictures.

Recipes

2009-09-27T02:27:00.000-04:00

Ethan was furiously scribbling down recipes on a little notepad he found today. Every so often he'd say 'No, this no good' then scribble through it and start over on a new sheet of paper.

Woodstock Ag Fair

2009-09-26T02:11:00.000-04:00

We had fun looking at the animals and going on the hayride at the Celebrating Agriculture Fair today.

Last days of summer

2009-09-18T01:46:00.000-04:00

Fairvue Farm

2009-09-13T07:54:00.003-04:00

Its always fun to see the calves when we stop to get our milk! Buy Local.

Newport!

2009-09-04T22:31:00.012-04:00

Today was a beautiful sunny day, and most importantly, the surf report was good. As in knee to waist high glassy sets. I don't want them much bigger than that! Anyways, thanks to a few good friends, I was able to surf for 2 hours while they kept on eye on Ethan at the beach. I have some pics from my phone of Ethan and I with the surfboard, but I can't find which folder they're in. (Nate can you help me with this?)

I picked up a board at Island Surf and Sport, where they gave me a real(fiberglass) board instead of the beginner(foam) board. Sweet! A guy in the back was putting a fresh coat of wax on it. I noticed he was missing one forearm. Maybe he was born like that and sharks had nothing to do with it. Speaking of sharks, I'm really glad I went surfing at Newport, and not the Cape, which had 12 Great Whites spotted and shut down numerous beaches this weekend.

Anyways, since it'd been 2 years and 11 months since I went surfing last time, and 12 months since the time before that, I was hoping I'd remember how to stand up. So I spent the first 30 minutes just pushing off into the whitewater and practicing popping up. Once I was doing that on a regular basis, I took the board and paddled out past the break zone to try both catching waves and standing up. I'm happy to say it came back and I was soon getting up on every wave I was able to catch. Note to self, when I think I have the wave, do a few more quick paddles, then stand up.

I had such a great time out there. I love being in the water, even just sitting on the board watching for sets. I even love when I'm all done and the salt from the ocean dries on my skin and makes my hair crunchy. I forgot how loud the roar of the wave is as it's about to crest and you're paddling hard and you feel the energy as the wave takes the board and carries it and you're hoping you can stand up and ride it in or you're going to die. Well, wipe out at the very least. It was all I could do to finally go back in, see how Ethan was doing, and let Lona's husband, Nathan, try the board. He hadn't surfed and wanted to give it a try, so we split the cost of renting the board.

Anyways I walk back down to the end of the beach where people were surfing to watch him for a few minutes. He takes the board and paddles out, then turns and starts paddling back to shore trying to catch a wave. He gets it and gets to his knees! Way to go! I give him a thumb's up. Then he heads back out, and soon finds another wave to try to catch. Which he does. Then he stands up. For a few seconds before he falls into the water. When he surfaces our eyes meet, and for a split second I debate whether to give him another thumb's up or the finger. I'm happy to say, the thumb's up won. Barely.

OK so it wasn't till the second time I tried surfing that I stood up. The first time was on Cape Cod with Kurt. I think there was a tropical storm or some leftovers from a hurricane offshore, but I'm not usually deterred when I set my mind on something. Here we are at the beach checking out the (angry)waves. I think Kurt is saying its probably not a good day to learn.

Here I am pointing out a seal. Hey look at that seal! Isn't that what sharks mistake surfers for?

Notice the waves in the background going in all directions...

At this point a lifeguard buzzed over on a fourwheeler and directed us down the shore to a sand bar where the waves might be smaller.
Here I am out on the sandbar, looking at the third wave behind me. I might have been thinking some bad words about now.

Waiting for a wave...

Proof I got to my knees...

Finished for the day, and happy to be alive.

Bronx Zoo

2009-08-19T21:04:00.012-04:00

This morning Ethan and I headed down with the Elliots for a much anticipated day trip to the Bronx Zoo. We were oh so grateful for a map of CT which allowed us to cleverly bypass delays on I-91 and for the DVD player installed in the van!

The first hint of trouble came several blocks from the zoo entrance, when we noticed huge trees uprooted and knocked down in the medians. Wow, looks like they had a big storm, we said. Wonder when that happened? Arriving at the ticket booth we discovered that the storm, packing 80 MPH winds, had come through the night before, and several parts of the zoo were closed from the damage. Basically, any exhibit featuring cool big animals, was closed. Except for the American Bison.

This is one of many downed trees in the African Plains exhibit...

So what did we see? Birds. Lots of birds. I didn't mind this, cuz hey-I work for whatbird! Except, a three year old boy has no interest in staying close by while his mom takes pictures of birds. Next time I go to this Zoo, I go alone. Here are some birds...

And here are some more birds...

The most fun Ethan had was playing in the bamboo and playing with some cones and caution tape with Anna.

Here are some pics of all the kids together...

It was, in the words of one of the Elliot boys, the dumbest zoo ever. However, being surrounded by New Yorkers did clue me in on the newest fashion trend: underwear with big bold letters across the butt, spelling out some word, then you layer see-through white pants or capris over them. What do you think? I bet I could pick up some Hot n Righteous undies at Seriouslysoblessed.com!

Beach Buddies

2009-08-18T22:49:00.003-04:00

Ethan and Annie are quite a pair at the beach. Here they have found an abandoned castle, complete with moat and resident hermit crabs, and they are gleefully setting about playing with it and readying it for eventual demolition.

Perfect Beach Day

2009-08-18T22:23:00.003-04:00

Except for losing Ethan when my back was turned while I got something out of the cooler. Luckily we found him about an 8th of a mile down the beach, happily digging in the sand. Luckily my sister Mary Beth just told me about this little device.

It really was the perfect beach day, the tide was really low, the water was ankle deep in some places, the sand bars were large and plentiful. Ethan really likes going to Rocky Neck for many reasons, but the ice cream truck is probably one of the best.

We drove down with Anne and the girls, and the Elliots arrived not long after. Here is Ethan helping himself to chips from Anne's cooler....

Here are the best shots I got of my wild child, running wild.

Back to Rocky Neck

2009-08-14T15:14:00.000-04:00

This may be the world's most perfect beach for young children. At low tide anyways. I really hope we have a warm September and we can go camping here. This is Ethan's fourth summer coming here!

What to do on a cold, rainy day.....

2009-08-13T21:46:00.003-04:00

Call friends and go to Coco Key for the day. Indoor water resort in Waterbury. It was fun and warm....could have been warmer but that's just me. Anne and the girls and Ethan and I had a great time. Here is Ethan enjoying an ice cream cone at the end of our day.

Buell's Orchard

2009-08-07T15:09:00.000-04:00

Today we met a few families from our church and went blueberry picking at Buell's Orchard. We can never have to many blueberries! Afterwards we went to our town pond and played in the sand and water. It was fun, but it could've been warmer!

This Called Perfect....

2009-08-03T14:49:00.004-04:00

Summer has finally arrived! I can't believe our first trip to the ocean didn't happen till August! It has been so cold and rainy, leaves are starting to turn and fall, and I thought about starting a fire in the fireplace.

Today was sunny and somewhat warm, so off to Rocky Neck we went with our friends the Elliots. Ethan and Annie were inseperable, and had a great day playing and splashing together.

My favorite part of the day was when we arrived, as we reached the end of the boardwalk and got our first look at the beach, Ethan turned to me and said, "This called perfect."

I couldn't agree more.

I Love Archery

2009-07-30T14:31:00.000-04:00

This week I've been in New Hampshire at Young Women's Camp with the girls from my church. New Hampshire has pretty big mosquitoes and more daddy longlegs than I've ever seen in my life. They move across the forest floor in herds, and I kill 1 or 2 that I find on my sleeping bag each night.

I helped run the archery, and discovered that I love it. I want my own bow, recurve, 62" and 20lb draw. Need to check out Cabella's.

2009 Danskin Triathlon

2009-07-26T23:46:00.002-04:00

Today I finished the New England Danskin Triathlon in 1 hour and 35 minutes, 10 minutes faster than last year. There were nearly 3000 entrants, my swim time was ranked 286, I was 839 overall. I was really happy just to be able to finish, as I am recovering from a pulled hamstring.

The swim was longer than last year, and I just took it at a comfortable pace, and was passing people who started in the waves ahead of me. The bike went really well, I averaged 15.4 MPH, and the run was OK, my pace was 10:49 per mile. I was very greatful my fervant prayers were answered and the storm clouds that were threatening as we started the swim parted and the sun came out by the end of the bike.

My dad came in the night before, and it was really great to see him, Nathan, and Ethan as I finished the bike course and did the run loop. I loved hearing Ethan shout "Run mommy run!" Seriously that kept me going the last mile of the run.

Fun with Grandpa

2009-07-26T00:34:00.000-04:00

Ethan and my dad had fun playing around when we got home from the triathlon.

Last Day at Camp

2009-07-12T23:09:00.003-04:00

This morning we attended the worst sacrament meeting ever. Okay, the whole thing wasn't awful, but wow-the talks. Senior missionaries. Maybe if we could have understood and heard what was being said it would have been better. Thank goodness for the ipod. It kept Ethan busy, although I was seriously wanting to play with it myself. On an interesting note, Sister Julie Beck was there. Yes, General Relief Society President Sister Beck, of the infamous Mothers who Know talk. I ran into her at the monument after the sacrament meeting. (See, I wasn't the only one had to leave ASAP afterwards.)

Anyways, here we are in front of the monument.

Ethan and Annie share a hug...

And a kiss...

At lunch Ethan got a little dirty playing in the previous nights firepit.

Ethan being his cheeky self.

Camp Capers

2009-07-11T23:06:00.001-04:00

A Boy and a Tree

2009-07-11T22:57:00.000-04:00

Cider Mill

2009-07-10T22:33:00.000-04:00

After Ben & Jerry's we drove down the road to visit Cold Hollow Cider Mill.

Ethan and Nate next to an old cider press.

Cider pop! Yummy!

Ethan and Nathan watch cider donuts being made.

Ethan enjoying a yummy cider donut.

Fun pics

Ben & Jerry's

2009-07-10T22:10:00.000-04:00

We had a great time up in Vermont at Camp Joseph, the campground near the birthplace of Joseph Smith. One thing we did this year was go to Ben & Jerry's. The tour is really fun, and we got huge samples of Sweet Cream and Oreo's at the end. Afterwards Ethan had fun playing on their playground, and we took some pictures.

As we were leaving two employees were walking around asking people if they wanted a free pint, so we scored some yummy Mission to Marzipan ice cream.

Putnam Fireworks

2009-07-05T21:55:00.000-04:00

We went to Putnam this evening to watch the fireworks. We had a great view up by the Putnam Science Academy. We didn't want to be very close to the fireworks in case they scared Ethan, this was his first time seeing them. We set up our chairs then went for a walk.

Ethan loved watching the water at Cargill Falls.

Ha! Finally a good pic of me and Ethan!

The sun is setting...almost time for fireworks!

When the first volley went off Nate quickly asked Ethan if he wanted to sit with him. "NO!" was the definite reply. Ethan loved the fireworks. "BOOM BOOM!" he yelled, eyes sparkling as he took it all in.

Mary Beth the Chef Creates....

2009-07-04T21:43:00.001-04:00

Pupusa with sour cream, vinegarette cabbage, fresh pico de gallo, shredded chicken with an ancho chile rub, topped with a chimichurri sauce.

Homemade hamburger buns to go with the Bleu Cheese stuffed hamburgers she made.

I am in awe of my sister the chef. You should see her with a knife.

This has never happened....

2009-07-04T21:35:00.001-04:00

I took Ethan out of the shower after we got home from the Jamboree, and I held him in my lap while Mary Beth and I watched some funny videos on her laptop, and Ethan fell asleep. In my arms. Priceless moment.

Guess he hasn't outgrown the need for an afternoon nap. Thank you God.

Woodstock Jamboree

2009-07-04T20:55:00.003-04:00

This afternoon we all went to the East Woodstock Congregational Church for their Fourth of July celebration.

We were planning on pulling Ethan in his wagon in the parade...

But the hayride got back just after the parade began. I love this pic of Mary Beth on the hayride.

It was more fun to sit and watch it go by anyways.

Ethan had a good seat on Nate's shoulders to watch the frog jumping contests...

There were alot of children's games, Ethan had fun playing the bean bag toss.

The Firemen's water polo is THE most anticipated event of the year.

Fairvue Farms

2009-07-04T09:33:00.002-04:00

Happy Fourth of July! Mary Beth, Ethan, and I went down to Fairvue Farms to show Mary Beth where we buy our local and yummy milk. Ethan and I usually go see the cows a few times a year, and Nathan and I buy all our milk right at the farmhouse. There is a cooler with milk and a box to put your money in, and pen and paper if you need to leave an I.O.U. Mary Beth pointed out that this is the only place in Woodstock that's open 24/7. Here are some pics in the milking shed...

Baby Cow Pictures!!!

2009-07-04T09:30:00.002-04:00

After visiting the milking shed we went outside to see the calves. They were very friendly and kind of cute, in a bovine type of way.

Bush Meadow Farm

2009-07-02T09:41:00.002-04:00

This morning Ethan, Auntee Mary Beth, and I went to visit Bush Meadow Farm in Union, CT. WE were joined by our friends Anne, Lee, Beckah, and Allie. We had a yummy brunch, we got a waffle and maple syrup, and a roll with lox and herbed goat cheese. Yummy! Mary Beth got a roll with BBQ goat meat and fresh goat cheese, it was also good. The portions were large and the prices were pretty good. After we ate the kids went outside to see the goats, and then we got to go inside the barn to see the baby goats. We had a lot of fun and I can't wait to go back again! Afterward we went to the UCONN dairy Bar for a tour(thanks Mike!) and some delicious ice cream.

Baby Goats!

2009-07-02T08:55:00.001-04:00

We all had fun going inside the barn to see the baby goats at Bush Meadow Farm.

Ethan with some adult goats who came over to say hello.

Mary Beth with the babies.

Ethan with the baby goats.

The adult goats are covered with hay, and Ethan has a huge smile...I wonder how they got hay on their heads? Hmm.

How does Ethan sleep?

2009-07-02T08:17:00.000-04:00

Ethan helps with dinner

2009-06-30T17:25:00.001-04:00

Ethan loves to help! Tonight he helped me make dinner by rolling out the pizza dough. He's not such a great help putting the toppings on, he'd rather eat the pepperoni and the mozzarella.

Popsicle Time

2009-06-27T20:10:00.000-04:00

Ethan enjoyed eating a popsicle after playing in the park.

Owen Bell Park

2009-06-27T17:13:00.000-04:00

Ethan and Daddy had a great time at the park today while I was at Youth Conference in Groton. Here are some pictures of Ethan having fun.

Strawberry Picking!

2009-06-22T17:08:00.000-04:00

This morning Ethan, Anne, and I went to Buell's Orchard to pick strawberries. Ethan made friends with everyone in the strawberry patch, and had fun filling his little basket. Every single berry in his basket had a big bite missing.

Never a Dull Moment

2009-06-18T17:01:00.002-04:00

I was not feeling well this morning so laid down on the couch while Ethan finished his cereal. BAD IDEA! While I was getting a few minutes of much needed R&R, Ethan was figuring out how to open my sugar containers. He was covered in sugar! So were the counters, chairs, and floor. Ethan went straight into the shower before I could even think to grab the camera. Here is the scene of the crime, though.

Playground with Daddy!

2009-06-16T16:34:00.000-04:00

Brooklyn Agricultural Fair

2009-06-07T16:20:00.004-04:00

Grandpa George and Nanette took Ethan for a few hours after church today while Nathan and I attended a wedding at Saint Clement's Castle. They had a great time at the Fair! Ethan loved going down the big slide!

More pictures!

2009-06-06T22:00:00.003-04:00

Ethan had fun with Boppa George while we were cleaning up after the party.

Paige and Jim found an awesome NASA helmet for Ethan!

Grandma Terry came to our house after the party and brought a very cool bouncy horse.

Ethan's Party!

2009-06-06T21:50:00.000-04:00

At last I have a minute to sit down and blog! We had Ethan's third birthday party in Roseland Park. We were blessed with wonderful weather and many good friends. Here are some pictures...

Ethan and I opening presents

Ethan loves his cool water bottle!

Ethan and Boppa George playing with bubbles

Blowing out candles!

Watch out! Alien Anne is on the loose!

Rocket Cake

2009-06-06T01:07:00.003-04:00

Did you know there are way more brown, green, yellow, and orange M&Ms in a bag than red and blue ones? Well now you do. Time to go to bed now!

How Ethan eats a cupcake...

2009-06-05T13:03:00.002-04:00

Mom, needs more frosting! More frosting now? Please?

All Aboard!

2009-05-30T23:36:00.001-04:00

This morning we went to the train museum in Portland. When we arrived they had no power, but we decided to hang around and ride the train. The train ride was great! The weather was nice and the scenery was terrific. When the train arrived back at the museum, the power was back on so we got to go inside. Ethan had fun checking out all the old train cars!

Ethan and Daddy waiting to go on the train

Checking out the engine

The conductor punching our tickets

Ethan and Daddy

One of the Casco Islands in the distance

Ethan is 3!

2009-05-29T23:16:00.005-04:00

Ethan turned three today! We had strawberry shortcake for breakfast, where he requested that we "sing my cake song!" We opened some great presents from Aunt Jessie and Grandma Deb, and Great Grandma Bowden sent a mini keyboard with a handle that Ethan played with for what seemed like the entire 3 hour car ride to Portland, Maine.

We arrived just after lunch, Nate dropped us off at the hotel then continued to drive 2 more hours up to Bangor do do some stuff for work. Ethan and I went across the street to the children's museum for a few hours. He had a blast playing with the water, climbing up a fire truck and a tree house, and most of all playing in the cockpit of the space shuttle. Here are some pictures.

Driving a tractor...

Playing with water...

Driving the fire truck...

Watching the video of himself that he made...

Playing in the space shuttle! He kept shouting 1 2 3 liftoff!

After the children's museum we went to the art museum next door. Ethan loved climbing the stairs most of all, I enjoyed looking at the paintings. It was a very big day!

Car Wash!

2009-05-25T23:01:00.003-04:00

Ethan loves helping Daddy wash his car!

Memorial Day Picnic

2009-05-25T22:50:00.005-04:00

We had fun at the Ashford Ward Picnic at Mansfield Hollow Today. Ethan and Ammon had a race to see who could run away from the picnic site the fastest-they got pretty far before we caught up to them! We had perfect weather and had lots of fun playing, flying kites, walking, and eating yummy food! We saw an Eastern Towhee that came in really close to us and was singing right over us, here is a pic from John Schwarz's site, birdpix.com.

Baby chick!

2009-05-23T22:43:00.000-04:00

Ethan and I went to Anne's house to give some riding lessons and have a fun lunch with the girls. While we were there the first bantam chick was hatching! There were 2 other eggs just about to hatch, you could hold them up to your ear and hear them peeking and pecking at the egg shell!

Fourth Annual 90 Bird Day at Pomfret Audubon Center

2009-05-17T16:54:00.005-04:00

Friday I joined about 10 other people for a 9 hour birding expedition, the goal of which was to see 90 different species of birds. We came close and saw 82. Ethan had a fun day at the McReynolds while I did this-thank you Kim!!! It was great fun and I can't wait to do it next year. We carpooled to different areas of Pomfret, Hampton, and Eastford and stopped at many locations to see different bird species. We called in a Red-shouldered Hawk and a Pileated Woodpecker who both came in right over our heads. We also called in a Yellow-billed Cuckoo who didn't want to leave once he came over to see us. He stayed right over our heads while we tried to get other birds to come in. My favorite was the Chestnut-sided Warbler, he came to check us out and found a bush about 4 feet away from us to have a better look.
My ibird Pro was great to have along, I used it all day long! Here are some great photos taken by John Schwarz of birdspix.com.
Chestnut-sided Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Cerulean Warbler

Birds continued....

2009-05-17T16:07:00.007-04:00

Here are some more pictures taken by John Schwarz of birdspix.com
Black-throated Green Warbler
Hooded Warbler

Prairie Warbler

American Redstart

Here is the list of all 82 birds we saw:
Great Blue Heron
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Turkey Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestral
Wild Turkey
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Black-billed Cuckoo
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Great-crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Warbling Vireo
White-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Barn Swallow
Tree Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Veery
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Cedar Waxwing
European Starling
Blue-winged Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Pine warbler
Priarie Warbler
Black-and-White Warbler
American Redstart
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Waterthrush
Louisiana Waterthrush
Ovenbird
Canada Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Northern Cardinal
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Eastern Meadowlark
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
American Goldfinch

Feels like Summer!

2009-04-26T08:02:00.000-04:00

Ethan and Mom enjoy the beautiful weather after church...

Ethan playing with his boats...

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

2009-04-25T07:56:00.000-04:00

This morning we had a Rose-breasted Grosbeak at our feeder! They are very bright and colorful birds, this is only the third one that I've seen. Here's a great photo taken by John Schwarz at birdspix.com.

Bakerwoods

2009-04-24T07:41:00.003-04:00

We went to Bakerwoods in Ashford today to see the Florian family and to remember and celebrate Joshua's life. Today would have been his third birthday, and Bakerwoods was one of his favorite places.

It was a beautiful, warm, and sunny day-it didn't feel like April! It was good to see Litzy and Lee and their family again. The Anderson family was also there, and Ethan and Ascher had a blast running around and splashing in the water. Here are some pics...

Ethan also had fun riding the horse. We need to work on heels down and eyes up though!

Kidcity!

2009-04-15T22:22:00.000-04:00

Today I picked up Ethan's friend Asher and we made the trip down to Middletown CT to go to the Kidcity Children's Museum. There we met up with another friend, Victoria! Here are all 3 of them with their backs to the camera....

Here are a few more pictures...

Easter Sunday

2009-04-12T09:58:00.000-04:00

Miracles did, and still do happen. This I know, and today I had one of my own. I woke up this morning with the sun shining on my face and a general feeling of happiness. I thought this was really odd, since I went to bed at 1:30 in the morning in tears with worry over my impending talk. I have never had such a hard time preparing for a talk, or felt so not sure of what direction to take it. I had prepared fervently, and prayed a lot that I would know and be able to say what the Lord would have me say. As I took my seat in the stand I had pages of notes in my hands, but still not one clue as to what I would say. When it was finally time for my talk, I was shaking the entire time, but I felt peaceful and the direction I needed to go, and what I needed to say all came to me. Many times I wasn't even looking at my notes, and I recalled the scriptural references as if I was telling a story. I have never had so many people comment on a talk I've given. Jenny Elliot even said that in Primary, the children remembered my talk and that it helped in the Sharing Time. To everyone who commented or complimented me on that talk, I replied that it wasn't me. I know I had help from above, and I had lived the promise given in Doctrines & Covenants section 84, verse 85. "Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man."

After church we went to the Elliots for an Easter egg hunt and then dinner. Ethan had a lot of fun finding the eggs. He would pick up each egg, inspect it, open it and then put it in his bucket. Here are some pictures...

The day before Easter...

2009-04-11T21:30:00.002-04:00

Getting ready for Easter was a bit hectic this year since I was asked to speak for 10-15 minutes in Sacrament about Jesus Christ from Gethsemane to the crucifixion. So that added quite a bit of stress, but it all turned out well as you'll see in my next post.

Anyways, I discovered 2 things while preparing for Easter. The first, is that making Easter Eggs is fun!!!! For some reason I was dreading this activity, but ended up really getting into it. Wouldn't mind dyeing eggs more often...Here's a picture...

I also discovered that Ethan loves Jarlsberg cheese. I had a piece leftover from making my potato casserole with cider, Gouda, and Jarlsberg. he wanted some so I gave him some thin slices. Those were quickly eaten and then he found-and finished-the rest of the block.

Preschool!?

2009-04-09T15:50:00.002-04:00

Ethan goes to a local daycare for four hours every other week or so. During this time I vacuum, mop, clean, etc. Today when I went to pick him up, he wasn't in the room with the older toddlers. I went to check the younger toddler room, and was informed that he was next door in the preschool room! I was told he had been insistent about joining the preschoolers, and when I went in there he was having a blast with the older kids! He had made Easter eggs, watched a bunny movie, and was busy playing when I arrived. He told me to go home, he was staying there! Finally I got him home, and took a picture of the eggs he dyed...

Pysanky!!!

2009-04-07T16:55:00.003-04:00

This morning I went over to my friend Jenny Elliot's home to learn how to make Ukrainian Easter Eggs, or Pysanky. You use a stylus full of wax that you heat over a candle and decorate the egg, then you dip it in dye, and repeat. About 12 times. I did not catch anything on fire, and I guess they don't have much to do in the Ukraine. Gwen Adzima and Jenny answered all my questions and helped me get started. An hour later this was the result....

You can learn more about Pysanky here, check out the pictures, they are amazing!

Happy Birthday to me!!!

2009-04-05T15:20:00.004-04:00

Today was a really fun day. Nathan went all out....he got me some makeup to replace some that Ethan got into, I thought that was really sweet and thoughtful, and he did pretty well on the colors, too! He also got me an ipod touch, which I LOVE, and him and Terry went in together on a scope for birding. The scope is fantastic, and we can use it to look at the moon also. I think our whole family will get many years of enjoyment out of the scope. Plus, both objects help me do my job whatbird, so can be written off next years taxes. I've already done a job that could only be done on my ipod using the ibird plus or pro application, so you see its an important work tool! Here I am with the scope...

George and Nanette took Ethan for a few hours after lunch, so Nate and I were able to watch some General Conference and have a really nice relaxing afternoon. We went down to the beaver pond with the scope, we could see ducks on the far side in great detail that weren't even visible with the naked eye. Afterwards George and Nanette brought pizza over, Ethan told us about his big day, and we had Strawberry Shortcake.

Nathan's New Car!

2009-03-30T15:12:00.000-04:00

Nathan just got a new car, a 2003 Audi. It is very fun and really wants to go fast!
He sold his other car just a few days after he bought this, so that was nice. He's been gunning for a new car for a long time, and I hope this one lasts us a while.

My Little Foodie

2009-03-30T15:05:00.000-04:00

Ethan LOVES getting into my spice cupboard. So far he's finished an old jar of cinnamon and my kosher salt. He pours them in his hand and tastes them, dumps them into plates and bowls, sprinkles them onto things, ending with "That's Enough!" My sister the chef is really proud of him!

Rainy Morning!

2009-03-29T16:17:00.003-04:00

This morning it was raining as we left for church. Ethan was very excited to wear his froggy rain gear that Grandma Deb, Aunt Jessie and Aunt Deedee got for him. Here are some pics:

Do You Remember When....

2009-03-29T16:00:00.002-04:00

Do you remember when Ethan was this little? Here are Ethan and his friend Layla at the Boston Science Museum in July of 2007 when they were just over a year old...

Providence Children's Museum

2009-03-28T16:08:00.002-04:00

Lona and I went to the Providence Children's Museum this morning, we did manage to get there, and her GPS unit helped, but it still took a few tries! When we finally arrived, though, the boys had a blast! Ethan loved the water room!

More Ducks!

2009-03-27T14:51:00.000-04:00

Last week I spotted two more species of ducks that I haven't seen before. The first was last Sunday morning, on Rebecca's pond as I drove to church. Ethan and I pulled over for a few minutes to have a better look. He likes to look through the binoculars after I am done! Anyways, there were a few Ring-necked Ducks. Here is a picture from John Schwarz of birdspix.com

The Ring-necked Duck does have a small chestnut ring around its neck, but you'd have to be pretty close to see it. The ring around its bill is a much more visible field mark.

Wednesday morning we were driving to Putnam to meet Nathan for lunch, and I turned down Joy Road to see what was on the pond across the street from the pond behind Sweet Evalina's. There were a few Common Goldeneyes out on the water. Here is a great photo taken by Christopher Taylor at kiwifoto.com.

Upon seeing that I parked my car and whipped out my binoculars they immediately did what every cool new duck I see does....they retreated to the far side of the pond as quickly as they could. Sometimes the ducks swim there, other times they take off and fly to the far side, unless they are a Canada Goose or Mallard, in which case they stay put or come closer. Its like they're saying "Hey! Look at me! I'm so common! You've seen me your whole life! Want a better look?"

A Crazy Day....or I HATE Providence

2009-03-26T15:19:00.007-04:00

This morning began with an unusual bird under my bird feeder:

Turns out my neighbor's rooster is behaving very badly and has started attacking the hens. His days are numbered, I think.

Then I tried to take Ethan to the Providence Children's Museum, armed with 3 sets of directions I thought surely I could find the place. Um, no. I HATE (insert very, very bad word here) Providence. I am following directions, I know where I am, I see Providence Place Mall, Federal Hill, the PPAC, I got off the right exit, and am looking for a specific road to turn on, however there are no street signs. So I end up on 6 West, then I get off to get back on 6 East, and try again. And again. Finally I just take 6 West back home. I am crying at this point, and Ethan is sobbing..."Go Museum Now" over and over.

When I get home its time to start making the frosting for the carrot cake I'm making for my friend Lona's baby shower. I turn around to find Ethan "helping" me. He opened both the sugar and flour containers and is happily using a measuring cup to dump flour into the sugar container. Here he is caught in the act:

Finally I got Ethan down for a nap so I can clean up my house-because the shower is here so I have to clean! So I deep cleaned and finished frosting the cake, and stressed thinking I may have to ask the sisters to use a bucket to flush the toilet because its not all going down, either due to mineral buildup or a loose flapper which Brother Fountain talked me through, step-by-step, how to fix 2 hours before the ladies were due to arrive. Thank you Brother Fountain! So between the chicken greeting my guests(no offense Paige-I love your chickens!) as they walk up to the house, and the possibility of having to hand them a bucket of water to flush the toilet, I am feeling like a hick from the sticks, seriously cue the Green Acres music here. Thankfully it all goes well and here is a picture we took before they all went home:

Lutz Museum

2009-03-24T15:08:00.000-04:00

My friend Lona and I took our boys to the Lutz Children's Museum this morning. Ethan and Ammon had a great time running around-but they were running in opposite directions the whole time! So, I have no pictures of the two of them together!
Here is Ethan playing with a bucket on a pulley and munching on some corn.

Ethan had a lot of fun playing in the submarine and driving the fishing boat also.

Common Mergansers

2009-03-19T00:18:00.008-04:00

This morning I saw both Common and Hooded Mergansers at the smaller beaver pond down Leavitt Road. Last year was the first time I saw the Common Mergansers, they are really a beautiful bird. They are also the most shy of the ducks I've seen around here-if they aren't swimming at the farthest side of the lake or pond, then they quickly swim there as soon as you approach. Here are some pics taken by John Schwarz of birdspix.com.

Besides the mergansers there was also a pair of Wood Ducks. Did you know this species was nearly hunted to extinction 100 years age? They are a conservation success story as we now have over a million of them today. They are quite common in my neck of the woods, and I think the male is one of the most beautiful birds around.

Off topic, but I actually had a baby Wood Duck as a pet for a time in college. Ms. Lampe, the Saddleseat instructor at William Woods University has quite a collection of ducks at Senior Lake in the middle of campus. One summer I worked at the campus barn, taking care of and riding some of our Hunter/Jumper string. Anyways the Wood Ducks had cute fuzzy ducklings that were being eaten by a turtle one by one as they swam in the pond. We decided to intervene when there were only 3 left. Using a lungeline thrown in the water to rein them in, my 2 friends who were working with me and at least 2 of the instructors began operation Baby Wood Duck. Unfortunately the turtle was hungry and snatched 2 ducklings during the rescue, but we saved one duckling and named him-what else?-Woody. He lived in a spacious box in our room for several weeks until he was big enough to release back onto the pond, where he continued to thrive and do well.

Red-Shouldered Hawks!

2009-03-18T00:01:00.003-04:00

This morning I was driving down Dodge Road to go up to Southbridge and get gasoline before heading over to the YMCA. Ethan and I slowed down to admire the Frank Lloyd Wright style home, then stopped on the little bridge to see if there was any ducks in the swampy area. Lovely thing about living out in the sticks, I can usually just stop my car and watch a bird for a few minutes. Ethan gets into it also, wanting to look through my binoculars when I'm finished. Anyways there were no ducks, but there was a pair of hawks sitting next to each other on a tree branch about 20 feet over the water. They were a beautiful golden brown color, with white bands on the tail, and light rufous underparts. Here is a picture, again taken by John Schwarz of birdpix.

Happy Saint Patricks Day!

2009-03-17T14:34:00.001-04:00

Today we had a few friends over for a small party. We had a baked potato bar, mac and cheese, and a rainbow cake. This was my first attempt using colored icing, I used a small sandwich bag with a corner cut off at first, then I just applied the rest of the icing with a butter knife. Here are the pictures:

After I got the rainbow on, I applied skittles and gold-wrapped chocolate kisses.

It was a beautiful spring day, so after lunch we took the kids outside to run around. I wish I'd taken some pics! Here are some pictures of Ethan after the party, the shirt says Patrick was a Saint, I Ain't!

Hooded Mergansers

2009-03-15T23:35:00.005-04:00

Today my neighbor Rebecca emailed me that the mergansers had returned to her pond. She and Michelle live almost right behind us and have a TERRIFIC view overlooking a beaver pond. I hurried over to see what I could see. I love this time of year when the ducks return, because you know Spring is really here. The Mallards, Canada Geese, and Wood Ducks usually stick around, but I don't think the mergansers do. I was pretty happy to see the Hooded Mergansers, as that is a new bird for me and I can add it to my life list. They are fun to watch, they dive a lot and their crests can go all the way up or down, so on the male especially you can watch the white on the crest go from a narrow line to a large patch. Here is a picture of a pair taken by John Schwarz at birdpix. Besides the Canada Geese, Mallards, and Wood Ducks, the beaver was out and about swimming and diving! That was fun to see!

My new workspace!!!

2009-03-13T23:58:00.003-04:00

Check out what Nate set up! The monitor times two! Thanks to a trade at work and the purchase of something called(I kid you not) a dongle.

Yes, whatbird really is busy/crazy enough to warrant this extreme set-up. And yes, I LOVE it!!!! The mouse just moves across(seamlessly as Nate would say) from one screen to the other, and I can leave webeditor open while I work and toggle through other webpages, like google spreadsheet, excel, Birds of North America, and any images of the bird I'm working on. How cool is that!!!!

The Children's Museum!

2009-03-12T22:24:00.005-04:00

Today we went to this museum in West Hartford with the Elliots. Ethan had been looking forward to this for days, especially when he learned we were Anna Elliot was coming also. He declared his love for Anna during sacrament on Sunday. Anyways, it was a blast! Except for Ethan taking off when my back was turned and having the museum staff notified to help look for this missing child who was found down three flights of stairs having a great time exploring the museum with us. That was scary for a few minutes. Here are some pictures!

Ethan and Nathaniel driving a safari jeep.

Ethan and Anna playing with water. Better than fire, right? ; )

DINOSAUR!

Ethan in the belly of the beast below! Just like Jonah in the book we've been reading!

Please pass the salt

2009-03-10T22:06:00.003-04:00

Ethan likes salt. Can you tell? He loves to pull a chair over to the counter, climb up and open the spice cupboard, and go to town opening the spices up, sprinkling them on his palm, and licking it off. I do not condone this behavior.

Red Lentil Balls

2009-03-09T10:42:00.001-04:00

Last weekend I met my friend Hilal at the Putnam Science Academy. She and her friends are organizing a cooking class and invited me to join them. Here are Ayesenur, Eman, Hanim, me, and Hilal. Today I learned how to make Red Lentil Balls, which is something I've had with them before and enjoyed. They were simple to make and I can't wait to try them on my own! Here is the recipe if you're curious...
RED LENTIL BALLS
Ingredients:
2 cups red lentils, rinsed
4 cups water
1 cup bulgar
1 onion, finely chopped(or green onion, used raw)
1 Tbs pepper paste
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
Paprika, cumin, salt, pepper
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and separated
Lemon

1. Boil lentils and water, covered, till soft and lentils easily mash, 15-20 minutes. Turn off heat and add bulgar, mix well and leave covered till bulgar is soft.
2. Sauté onion in olive oil till soft, add pepper paste and tomato paste, add to lentil mixture.
3. Add chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and spices to taste.
4. Use your hands to form the mixture into oval shapes, place in lettuce leaves arranged on a plate. Sprinkle lemon juice over all.

TAG!

2009-03-07T09:16:00.005-05:00

I have been tagged by my friend Lona!

I'm supposed to list 5 non important facts about myself...

1. I wish I could sing. I just move my lips in church...

2. I would be happy as a nudist. Maybe a reclusive solitary nudist. I am VERY uncomfortable talking to people. I try though, so if I've ever come off rude or short with you, its not you, it's me. Really.

3. Sometimes I love my son the most when he is asleep.

4. I wonder why God made me so not pretty, seriously beautiful people who can also sing make me sick. Don't you think He could have spread the pretty/talented genes around a bit more?

5. I HATE to sleep. I would love to take a pill so I didn't have to, because then I could maybe get everything done.

Okay now I tag 5 others...

1. Afton S
2. Jenny C
3. Jenny E
4. Jessica W
5. Andee B

Think Spring!

2009-03-05T14:21:00.004-05:00

Today I am on the porch working while Ethan naps, and I am not freezing cold! What a difference 15 degrees outside makes. The dripping of melting snow everywhere is beautiful music. I thought this wreath of little eggs was very springlike...

Nathan hates it! Well it'll only be up for a few more weeks. I think it'd look really good against a colored background, maybe I'll paint the door rich navy blue or mossy green this summer. I've been wanting to do that for a while. What do you think? Anyways Nate, these are for you....

Snowy Owl!

2009-03-01T17:28:00.013-05:00

Usually when I'm driving at night and I see some sort of owl fly up from the side of the road, by the time my brain registers what it was and to stop and look at it, I've already driven past. Tonight though, as I drove home from Book Club(Jeanette Walls, The Glass Castle-loved it!) a large white bird flew over the road and landed just ahead of me. Since it was almost 10:30 and, since I was driving home I was on a back road, I stopped my car and turned it slightly so the headlights shone where I estimated it had landed. Several seconds went by and I didn't see anything. I was about to drive away when out from behind a tree trunk appears a large, white owl. We gaze at each other for 10-15 seconds, then he spreads his very large wings and flies into the woods across the street. Wow! I am really excited-we hear owls quite often where we live but I've never had a good look at one! I'm pretty sure its a Snowy, but I rush home and use the visual search feature at whatbird.com (clicked on CT, owl shape, primary color: white) and it told me it could have been a Snowy or Barn Owl. Definitely the Snowy. Here is a picture of what he looked like:

photographs courtesy Philip Greenspun
You can learn more about this bird here.
(I wrote the interesting facts on this page-whatbird is my part-time job!)

The Dress Barn-Discovered(Defrumping Part II)

2009-02-24T15:12:00.005-05:00

I went inside my first Dress Barn today. I am helping Jessie find a cute dress to wear when she goes down to see her husband in a few weeks. I have NEVER gone to one of these stores before because 1. I HATE the name, like who wants to say you get your dresses at a barn, and 2. Well, lets not go there.

WOW! Did they have some great stuff!!!! That was my first realization. (Jessie did say its hit-or-miss though.) My second was that they have more than dresses. Shirts, sweaters, pants, jewelry, etc. Third, dress sizes run differently than jean sizes. Hence, the dress I pulled of the rack-size 10, was huge. I got the next size down, and the 8 was slightly baggy. Hmm, lets try the size 6. Perfect Fit! Ladies, when you need a pick-me-up cuz you're holdin' onto some baby weight or whatever-go dress shopping!!!!

I have two dresses on lay-a-way right now. ; )

Thank heavens we do NOT have a girl!!!

2009-02-24T15:07:00.000-05:00

We would be so broke. Check these ADORABLE dresses out! They are at TJMAXX by the way, for my friends who do have little girls. Happy shopping!!!

Caution-defrumping in progress!

2009-02-24T14:45:00.001-05:00

My little sisters Andee and Jessie informed me after the 2 days of funerals that I needed cute shoes and they were laughing at me for wearing comfy clogs with dresses. They invited me to go shoe shopping with them and I quickly declined. They shrugged and went out with my mom. Hours later they came back-heavily laden with bags and boxes. They spread out their loot and I had to admit there were some wicked cute shoes in there. Andee said she'd get a pair for me for my birthday so out we went the next day for more shoes.
I have to say I HATE shoe-shopping. This stems from my first trip to an outlet mall by the Ozarks with friends my freshman year of college. These girl spent SIX hours going from shoe store to shoe store...to shoe store. That was all they did. Oh my poke my eyes out!!!!
If you hate shoe shopping too, this is the way to do it. My sisters had scouted all the shoe stores at the mall the day before and knew where to go to find the cutest ones on sale. All I had to do was try a pair on. Done. Jessie got in on the act and got me a cute pair of shoes too, so now I have one cute black pair and one cute brown pair. Woohoo they are on their way to helping me defrump! Check the shoes out below...who knew something called Mudd could be so cute!

Who is that?

2009-02-24T14:28:00.000-05:00

My ever so on-top-of-the-Hollywood-world sister Jessica and I were decompressing from yesterdays road trip by looking at the pictures from the Oscars. Jessica was seriously bummed to be on the road during this event. When we stopped for dinner outside of Buffalo she made sure to sit where she could watch a TV that was showing them. I believe she even called her husband so they could watch a few minutes of it together. I think Jessie's main interest is the clothes-she doubled in Equestrian Science and Theater and I know she did a lot with costumes. She's a great seamstress and into all that, so it was with some degree of authority that she told me that my black and cream dress I wore to the viewing was too long, it needs to be hemmed 2-3 inches so it doesn't make my legs look stumpy. Ouch! Stumpy is a cruel word-almost cruel enough to make me haul out my detested sewing machine and hem that dress asap!

Anyways Jessie is giving critiques of the dresses, including their construction, and here is this pic of a somewhat hot-looking guy.

"Who is that?" I ask. "The host-Hugh Jackman" Jessie replies. I draw a blank and ask what he has done. Jessie stares at me incredulously. "Wolverine?!" she says. OOOH. Dang he cleans up well!

Home Sweet Home

2009-02-23T19:49:00.006-05:00

Wow am I so happy to be home! Ethan was great on the road trip and had fun at Grandma's home. Snow was our constant companion, so what I've learned is that people in Pennsylvania have no clue how to drive in it(2 huge accidents and delays when we went through) while Canada is used to it so roads are plowed better, people drive slower, which = no accidents/delays. We saw the mists over Niagara Falls as the sun was setting-it was very pretty. Ethan knew this trip was an adventure, so at completely random moments throughout the last 10 days he yells "Lakes, Rocks, Waterfall!" Dora-style.

When we left we were expecting a funeral Monday or Tuesday, when we arrived 19 hours later we found out the family was doing two days worth of funeral stuff, so a serious scramble for more clothes ensued. This was like the Never-ending Funeral. On Tuesday there was an afternoon viewing, an evening viewing, then a Rosary. Wednesday was the mass, luncheon(there was only cake and fruit) then the graveside service.
Here are some pics of my parents and Ethan at the luncheon. I think this is the first time I've seen my dad wear a tie-looks pretty good on you, Dad!

Can I just say, if you ever go to a Catholic funeral mass, sit in the back. The waaay back. That incense stuff is STRONG!!!!!

Road Trip

2009-02-14T08:50:00.003-05:00

Yesterday afternoon my Grandma Wolcott passed away. I am so grateful for the Plan of Salvation, and for the knowledge that we can be together again. Last night my sisters Marybeth and Jessie drove up, they arrived around 5 am. Ethan and I will leave with them this afternoon and drive straight through the night, we should arrive tomorrow morning. Ethan is really looking forward to our big roadtrip-he keeps asking if we're leaving yet!

Valentines Party!

2009-02-14T07:00:00.002-05:00

Today we went to our friends home for a Valentines Party. Ethan had a great time. He ate half a gluestick-nontoxic-and decorated cookies with frosting sprinkles. Then he decided his applesauce would be better with sprinkles also, and the other kids followed suit. Here are some pics..

Hurricane Ethan

2009-02-14T06:41:00.004-05:00

Well it happened so fast-there was no warnings, really. I was making lunch after church and Ethan was playing in the living room. Five minutes later I go get him for lunch, and this is the scene that greets me....
Cars overturned...

Couch cushions and box house moved...

Pillow half torn from pillowcase...

Round table moved across room, toys strewn and abandoned...

Mr. Bluebird

2009-02-11T11:55:00.000-05:00

Saw this guy in my yard today. I always love to see them, I think I've only seen bluebirds in my yard 4-5 times. We have a lot of trees and I think they like more field type settings. Well, the good news is that we have a backyard now, so maybe we'll see them more frequently. I'd love to get some nesting boxes up soon for them, maybe in the next few weeks so they're ready for them in the spring. I think Grandpa George volunteered to help...

Just relax and enjoy....

2009-02-10T18:50:00.002-05:00

enjoy the what? I am talking to my Grandma, who is dying and she is giving my this final piece of advice. I can't quite make it out...she keeps repeating something. Just relax and enjoy...the what? My life? My son? My time? Finally I ask her-I can't understand you Grandma...relax and enjoy the what? The SEX!!! she says!

There you have it. Dying words from my Grandma. Just relax and enjoy the sex, then you'll have a baby. Thanks gram.