So, the holiday weekend is over... but the beauty of summer is that is like a very long holiday. In a way, I feel like my holiday is just beginning! So, we had a good weekend. I particularly enjoyed X-Men 3. It wasn't quite as great as the first two, but I was very entertained - it was very suspenseful and surprising as well. The tone of the movie was a little different than the first two, but I enjoyed the plethera of new mutants and their intriguing powers. I think if I could have any power, I would want to be like the Ice man. Then, I could always have a cold drink, and make it snow at Christmas. :)
I know I've posted a lot of pictures of Emma playing in the water, but that is practically all she does lately with the hot weather. So, here are some more pictures taken at Ben's parents house on Memorial Day. We had a barbeque and played outside; it was a lovely day! Oh, and we also watched "Nanny McPhee" and it was great! I recommend it - it's currently available for rent and purchase.
Hooray for Summer! With the heat, summer just wouldn't be fun without lots of water! We took the kids to the Tempe Splash Playground this afternoon. It was really fun. We went there last summer, but Emma was still so small, she couldn't really enjoy like she can now. As you see from the pictures (and be sure to check the Flickr badge for more), Adam and Emma both enjoyed themselves. Emma particularly enjoyed "sunbathing". She is such a girl... already trying to get a tan. :)
So, we are no longer planning on camping since we didn't try to find reservations till a couple of days ago. Apparently, lots of people like to camp on Memorial Day weekend, because all the campgrounds we called around to were all booked up. Instead, we will be hanging around town with family and watching movies. Tomorrow we are planning on having an X-Men marathon. We're going to watch the first two at home, and then go to the theatre and see X-Men 3. I'm quite excited, especially since we have a babysitter coming to watch the kiddies (Emma and Adam). That always makes for an especially fun evening... not that I don't enjoy the babies around... they are cute and real blessing... but not so much at the movie theatre ;)
I hope you all have a happy holiday weekend! Be sure to celebrate by eating some watermelon and playing in the sprinklers because summer is here!
So, I've been occupying my time in ways other than blogging lately... which is probably a good thing: moderation in all things, I suppose. I cleaned the house a lot today and did some much needed grocery shopping. I hate running out of food. It kind of creeps up on you... you start out having plenty of things to eat (lots of unneccessary snacking items, plenty of lovely yellow bananas, etc)... then all of a sudden, you are eating leftover chocolate chips as an afternoon treat and the bananas are all covered in brown spots. Anyway, I remedied that this afternoon.
(Spoiler Alert!)So, LOST was unbelievable last night! We watched it with some friends; it was fun to all be gasping at the same parts and simulatenously shouting "obscenities" at Michael. That Michael... I kind of felt bad for him until he actually just left his friends like that... all tied up with those crazies about to take them away. And I thought Hurley was going to attack him when he found out it was him who shot Libby. I can't believe he kept his cool. And pressing the button is what's been keeping that huge magnet from bringing death and destruction to everything in its path!.... and it was Desmond's missed "button pressing" that caused the plane to crash! WO! That was a big piece of information, eh?! Anyway, in true Lost style, I came away from the season finale with way more questions than I had previously, but also very satified with my entertainment for the evening. Oh, and how could I forget?! What was up with the 4 toed giant statue leg?! And is Echo, Locke, and Desmond really dead?! And has Desmond's girlfriend actually located the island?! Holy cow!
So, another week is coming to an end... I always thought of Sunday as the last day of the week and the Monday the beginning of the next; however, the calendar says otherwise. We had a pleasant evening last night with family visiting to eat dinner, play games, and eat ice cream. Emma and Adam are particularly entertaining together as Adam likes to play the big brother, and Emma likes to imitate what Adam does. They are funny pair (as is exhibited in the video above). "The other Ben" and I completed the final challenge of the DaVinci Code Quest in about 8 minutes. I am highly doubtful that will win us any fame and glory, but it was a fun challenge.
Les Mis on Friday was really great. The music was lovely and the performance was quite impressive. Also, the DaVinci Code movie was impressive as well. Despite its' poor reviews, I really enjoyed it. It followed the book well, and it was everything I hoped it would be. I'm not sure why the "critics" didn't like it. Honestly, I sometimes think movie critics have seen too many movies to be a good judge of what is entertaining any more. Is that a logical thing to say?
Well, have a nice Sunday evening! I hope the "end" of your week is relaxing and rejuvinating enough for the "beginning" of the next.
Hello! So, Ben is just now taking his last med school final of his first year.... so when he returns he will officially be a second year medical student! I am so proud of him. He has done so well. I have such a smart hubby. :)
Emma has a doctors appointment this morning... for her 15 month well-baby check up. She is growing up so fast. After the appointment, Ben and I will be traveling across the valley to see The DaVinci Code with Emily and Ben. We even are going to have a babysitter for the kiddies. How pleasant. The reviews seem to be rather poor for the movie, but I am still too interested not to go see it. Oh, and this evening, I'll be going to see Les Miserables with Emily! What a fun day! I've never seen Les Mis; I guess I am kind of a cultural outcast to have never seen it. I'll be sure to let you know what I think.
I found this really amusing video clip. It's a real life Simpsons intro. I'm not sure where it came from, other than I picked it up off of "You Tube".
Oh, and I also found this really amazing video of some incredible machines. The show was made in Japan. Ben and I particularly liked the little Japanese jingle at the end of each machine demonstration. Anyway, just watch it and you'll see.
So, I found another great blog gadget that I just couldn't resist. This particular one is called BubbleShare and would be especially fun to use for vacation pictures or something. And apparently it automatically brings up these bubbles that show people's thoughts... kind of creepy. ;) Anyway, I was more or less looking for a set of pictures to experiment with... so of coarse, I used some more Emma photos (because it's not like we ever take pictures of ourselves... or anyone other than Emma).... I guess you could say I am a new mom. To view the pictures at a larger size, click on the picture and you can then view them through BubbleShare. Let me know what you think. Like I've said before, the possibilities are endless in the life of a blogger!
Hello! So, thanks to my brother-in-law, Ben (a.k.a. "the other Ben), he and I (among 9,998 others) are finalists in Google's DaVinci Code Quest! The first 10,000 people to complete all 24 puzzles were selected as a "finalist" and sent a cryptex in the mail. Well, I received my cryptex, much to my excitement. It is not often that I actually win anything. I had supposed that the Google people would email with a clue to determine the code to open the cryptex, however, I was soon directed to discover that the "mystery" to unlock the ancient artifact was merely written on the back of the box that it came in.... kind of diminishes the magic of it all, eh? By entering "GRAIL" into the dials, the cryptex unlocks... once again, I was anxious for bounteous treasures to spill out before me... but once again, it was a mere piece of paper directing me to view a specific website for further instruction. Oh well... I must say, I was pleased with the cryptex itself, despite its' having minimal mystique. It is constructed with a heavy material and is a fun keepsake. The next step, as a finalist, is to wait until the 19th (when, 'coincidentally', the movie is also released), when 5 new puzzles will be available through my personalized Google webpage. The person to complete these puzzles in the fastest time (from the time the person is logged in) will receive a multiplicity of riches! I'm already packing my bags! :)
Emma once again, enjoyed another dip in her little Emma-sized pool. She's taken a particular fancy to dunking herself with cupfulls of water and giggling each time. It is a fun game for her and entertaining for me to watch. Assuming the pool doesn't blow away or rip, I think it will bring Emma many Summer days of fun. In addition to the video below, be sure to click on the flickr icon for a couple new photos of Emma. And in case, you've never experimented with flickr, you can click on any of the mini-thumbnails on the icon on the right and it will bring up the particular picture you click on. You can then view all of the pictures by clicking on "susand's photostream" or viewing the pictures as a slideshow.
What a wonderful Mother's Day I had yesterday! I actually feel rejuvinated having had a day to really relax and not feel guilty about. Ben took really good care of me and Emma to ensure that I had a pleasant day. I woke up to a clean house and a wonderful breakfast and even a mother's greeting on power point (isn't that just like Ben?). The best part is I didn't have to change a diaper all day! Woohoo! Oh, and Emma was particularly good during Sacrament meeting. She didn't have to be taken out even once. What a day!
To backtrack, on Saturday afternoon Emma and I went to Target and purchased some fun outdoor items for her summer enjoyment: sidewalk chalk, a beach ball, and an inflatable baby pool. We tried out the pool right away when we got home. Since we don't have a hose, I had to fill it up in shifts of about 10 pitchers of water and it still wasn't that full, but enough for Emma to really enjoy herself. I think an expression of Emma's true feelings for her new pool are portrayed quite accurately in the picture above. We may try out the sidewalk chalk sometime today. We'll see if I have a budding artist on my hands.
So, Emma continues to improve her signing abilities. She can now officially do all of the signs on the first 3 DVD's of Signing Time. That's almost 80 signs! I really think signing is great for kids this age. I feel like she can communicate with me so much more than she would otherwise. I also think it will help her start to speak even sooner and more efficiently because she is starting early to make language connections and better understand communcation. It's very exciting! I've added a couple videos of Emma doing various signs: one below and another called "Signing Emma 3" on the sidebar.
Hello! I hope you are having a relaxing Saturday afternoon. I don't know about you, but Saturday's are usually anything but relaxing. Ben is usually studying a ton and Emma and I try to keep busy as much as we can. This morning, Emma and I went to Taya's house for another birthday party, but this time for their little Trevi. She is a cutie, who has now turned the big TWO. Wow. Emma is now taking her afternoon nap. She went to sleep very quickly, as the sun made her all sleepy. If you ever want to knock out a baby, take them swimming or take them out on a hot day. Emma gets so sleepy whenever we do that.
Yesterday, Ben, Emma, Emily, Adam, and I went to the Outlets at Anthem. It was a nice outing. They have a few outlets that are particularly worth visiting: Gap, Ann Taylor, and some fun kids clothes stores. We also were sure to stop for ice cream while we were there. Yum!
So, tomorrow is Mother's Day. I don't believe I will be blogging tomorrow, so I need to include a Mother's Day tribute a day early. I've decided to record my greeting as an audio clip. Just click the play button on the gabcast icon below. I am also very much looking forward to chatting with Elder Aaron on the phone tomorrow. He is to be calling the family tonight to arrange the time of his call for Sunday. It will be so nice to hear his lovely voice... and soon we will be seeing his lovely face! :)
I've added a quick video to the side from the birthday party this morning. I also added a unique link I discovered through my Google personalized webpage - neave.com. I recommend trying the retro games, and pinwheel illusion.
So, how about last night's Lost, eh? That show is so intriguing. I think a lot of people who have never watched it before think it is like some Survivor show, and don't want to watch it... but it is so much more than that. There's my ABC plug for the day. No, it's okay ABC, you don't have to pay me or anything.... no, no, I insist... yes, I know I have thousands of viewers on my blog that are now going to all be clammoring to the television to get their Lost fix, all thanks to me and my free advertising... but this one's on me, no problem.
So, Emma has been continuing to learn new skillz... ;) First of all, she is becoming quite proficient at coloring, of which I have so lovingly provided a video of below. Also, she can now climb up onto our bed (which is quite high!) by herself, as well as get off in a very efficient manner. We are so proud. And also, I don't know if this is really a skill, but she now enjoys popping bubbles. Good for her. I was thinking the other day that I should really be journaling her new found abilities... but then I realized that I am, but on my blog, instead of on paper. I have been finding that blogging, at least for the time being, is much more motivating and satisfying than recording my daily events and special occasions in a paper journal. It's fun to so easily post pictures, videos, and links, to supplement my feelings and the going's on of the life of my family. Anyway, I encourage any of you (aka: Mom) to start a blog and see if you like it.... no, no... it's okay Google. I know I am once again being the self-sacrificing soul that I am and so willingly giving away free advertising for your oh-so-user-friendly Blogger, but let me take this one for the team. You can pay me back later.... maybe babysit Emma. Oooo! That's a clever idea for a new Google product: Google-Babysitter. Yes, you think it is a far fetched plan, but just check out this very popular Google application: GoogleRomance ;)
Before ending this oh-so-wonderful post. Let me direct your eye to a few more links. I've added a few new "fun websites" to the list on the right... one of which being another blog that I found that is stocked full with a variety of optical illusions. It is awesome! I particularly recommend looking at the 3D painted rooms and other 3D "Sidewalk Art" on the site. It is mind boggling stuff. Also, there is another video I posted of Emma "talking", entitled "How Are You Emma?".
I'm also experimenting with a fun way for me to post audio directly to my blog through gabcast.com. This first clip is just a test, but let me know what you think. Sakes alive! This post has turned into a media frenzy... pictures, video, links, and cool new audio! Oh blogger... the possibilities are endless!
Good afternoon! I hope you are all having a good Tuesday. Mine has been rather mundane, but I've had a good day nonetheless. Emma and I did some chores this morning (well, Emma didn't really help... just walked through my dirt piles as I swept), and we went to the library and restocked Emma with some more board books and I picked out a few movies. I also made Aaron a birthday card, which I'll send off this afternoon. Aaron's birthday is tomorrow! He is turning 21! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AARON!
This past weekend, Ben and I went to one of our new favorite stores, Cost Plus World Market. It's kind of like a discount Pier One. It even has foreign candies, foods, and a fine array of chocolates. Mmmm. We finally found some curtains for our bedroom, as well as some pillows for our bed. We actually got away with just buying one curtain panel, since it is a small window. We are very pleased. Now if we could finally take care of putting some pictures on the wall, we'll have a completed room. We are rather slow decorators. ;)
I'll leave you with a funny picture from this morning of Emma eating her breakfast. She loves to eat, and she has a cute face.
Ben and I went to a friends house last night and watched the Suns game. I was surprised it was such a one-sided game. You would think being a Game 7, the Lakers would have put up more of a fight. Well, now it appears the Suns will be playing the Clippers in the next round. Hmmm... the Clippers. Weird to see them in the playoffs... especially weird to see them in the playoffs and not the Lakers. Things have changed quite a bit I guess... since the good old days when the Jazz were a respectable team. I never thought I'd see the day when the Clippers were in the Conference Semifinals, while the Jazz are no where to be found. Oh well... I have moved on.
Emma ate watermelon for the first time yesterday. She enjoyed it very much. She practically ate half a watermelon. Below are some pictures of her on our porch while eating watermelon. As you can see, they turned into a funny combination of images.
Hi friends and family! I have been rather busy this week with various responsibilities and have been unable to blog as much as I would like. Speaking of blogging, I heard an amusing thought on NPR the other day regarding blogs. It can be said that blogs are like answering machines. Back when answering machines were new, many people were overexcited about regularly changing the greeting... you know, on Day 1 you leave a greeting about how excited you are to get messages... Day 2, you have your kid say the greeting... Day 3, you start making funny jokes (like, "Hello? (pause....)", giving the unsupecting caller the impression that someone just answered the phone, so they start talking, only to soon discover they have been fooled!) The point is, after a while you start to not care about your answering machine, and you end up with the same old greeting for years to come. The same can be said for blogging, I guess... right now I enjoy leaving new posts quite a bit, but I am sure that in time it will become old hat. So, I guess the moral of the story is: enjoy it while it lasts, if in fact, you enjoy visiting at all. ;)
I thought I would post a couple more videos, because Emma has learned some new tricks! She has figured out how to spin in circles and get rather dizzy as well as climb up on the couch (and even get off without hurting herself). She is very proud of her newfound talents. One of these videos can viewed below... the other is posted as a link on the side (Climbing Emma). I've also updated my Book Review, so be sure to leave your comments to support the "Motivate Susan to Read More" fund.
Good afternoon guys and gals! I hope you all had a splendid weekend. Mine was good and bad. Saturday, Ben, Emma, and I spent the day with Peter and the rest of the family. Peter came into town from "the Y" and it was very nice to see his happy face. We spent Saturday afternoon at a place called "Rawhide". It's a western town on the outskirts of Chandler. We had a good time... Ben rode the mechanical bull (and has some great bruises to show for it!), Adam rode the camel and Peter got arrested by the local sherrif. Even the Adam and Emma spent some time in the local jail. ;)
I mentioned earlier that this weekend was good and bad. Well, Sunday I came down with the stomach flu all of a sudden. I won't disgust you with the details, but I was quite miserable for the day. After a very long nap, however, I started to feel much better. This morning when I awoke I felt great... thank goodness! I was able to relish in my quick recovery and spend a little more time with Peter before he went back to Utah. Peter, Emily, Adam, Emma, and I spent our Monday morning at the zoo. I find my way there quite often, but this time I finally got some pictures taken of our excursion. A couple of these pictures have been uploaded as links to the side. Some quick notes to describe our outing: Adam ate a lot of fruit snacks, the train was very informative, Emma was a daredevil in the water, among many other things.
I've added a new link to the side, thanks to the direction of "the other Ben". Google is sponsoring a DaVinci Code Quest, in which they post a new puzzle everyday until the movie release. Most are simple, and some are more tricky. If you want to be a cheater you can find the answers straight out on several webpages (but how would I know that?). The puzzles are getting a little more puzzling each day. Anyway, look more into it, or play the puzzles yourself, by clicking on the link I've provided. Also, ABC is now offering their popular shows as streaming video on their website! I've added this link as well to the sidebar. So, you can now watch new episodes of Lost (apparently not past episodes, just the most recent one and upcoming ones will be posted as they air) and the entire 5th season (thus far) of Alias! It's just great. The best part is you can view it with "limited commercials", so less time wasted. So, if you end up missing any episodes, they are now there for the taking. How nice! I hope more channels will start offering the same service.
So, the holiday weekend is over... but the beauty of summer is that is like a very long holiday. In a way, I feel like my holiday is just beginning! So, we had a good weekend. I particularly enjoyed X-Men 3. It wasn't quite as great as the first two, but I was very entertained - it was very suspenseful and surprising as well. The tone of the movie was a little different than the first two, but I enjoyed the plethera of new mutants and their intriguing powers. I think if I could have any power, I would want to be like the Ice man. Then, I could always have a cold drink, and make it snow at Christmas. :) 
