Midsummer Night Eve

Did you know that today is a holiday? Today is Midsummer Night Eve! Traditionally summer solstice celebrations occur on the 24th of June, making the 23rd the Eve of the longest day of the year. Apparently, the 24th is no longer the longest day of the year. Over time, it has moved to now be the 21st of June. Nonetheless, summer solstice celebrations are often celebrated on the 23rd and 24th, and from reading Wikipedia, I learned that a variety of countries have midsummer celebrations, most of which involve bonfires. In Latvia, it is a national holiday and almost as important as Christmas! So, I bring all this up because Ben's family has always had a Midsummer Night Eve celebration themselves. Since much of the family was going to be out of town this weekend, we celebrated last Sunday, while we were together for Father's Day. Their tradition is to 'float a cake', while singing songs and taking turns reading a favorite poem or piece of literature. Here's a video of our cake float; we sang a few songs, including "I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home" in honor of our wonderful fathers. The best part is then getting to eat the cake!

So, I started a new job this past week as a playground/premise inspector for the Arizona School Risk Retention Trust (also known simply as "The Trust"). They are basically an insurance company for Arizona schools. It's an interesting, but great summer job. I'm coordinating Emma watching with Ben and Emily (who is working as an inspector as well!). I inspected my first schools this morning. I woke up at 4:30 and was out the door at 5:00. I went to three schools near downtown Phoenix area. It was pretty quick, but it should become even smoother as I visit more schools. It was actually pretty fun! I just take pictures of safety violations and jot down notes and sketches of the playgrounds, in addition to filling out some checklists. I also check janitor closets and locker rooms for water damage and mold. Yipee... mold! :) After inspecting the schools I have to put together reports. That is what apparently takes the most time. There's a lot of forms that need to be filled out and pictures to organize. The good part is that I can do it on my own time, like after Emma goes to sleep. I'm grateful to have found a flexible, decent paying job to get us through the summer!

Happy Father's Day!

Hooray! It is Father's Day. Don't we all just love our dads?! It's fun to have a day to celebrate their greatness. This post won't be long, because most of what I have to say I've recorded as an audio clip. In it I recite a Father's Day poem, entitled, "My Dad" (not a very clever title, but hopefully the poem will make up for it). This poem can be listened to by all, but it was written and recorded specifically with my own "Dadoo" in mind. :)


To view in a written form, click here.

Happy Father's Day!

Flag Day

So, yesterday (June 14th) was Flag Day. Flag Day celebrates the "birthday" of the American flag. It actually didn't become an official holiday until 1949, but was unofficially celebrated for many years prior. It was on June 14, 1777, that the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act, as a means of officially establishing a flag for the United States. Anyway, the tradition in Ben's family was to make a flag cake on Flag Day. So, I did. It was officially my first time making such a cake. Technically, I guess you should use blueberries, but I used blackberries for the corner... because I don't really like blueberries. This was Emily's suggestion, as she doesn't enjoy blueberries either.

I've started work on a new website, entitled Thoughts for the Home. You are welcome to browse it (through the link on the side), but be warned, it is very incomplete. Many links lead to nowhere. ;) I discovered Google Page Creator and I just had to come up with a reason to use it, so take a look. I have a large portion of the "cooking" section complete, but not much else.

As a side note, Emma swam in her pool this morning, and as you can see she had a lovely time!

Practical living

So, since I've been out of town for the last couple of weeks, I've gotten out of my routines. Yesterday, I decided to get back on track, so Emma and I were up and ready for our walk at 6:30 - stroller, water, snacks, keys, tennis shoes - the works. We stepped outside and... YUCK! HOT!... we quickly came back inside. I jumped onto weather.com and discovered that it was 85 degrees outside at 6:30 in the morning!! The high was to be 109!! Oh good grief.... so much for my morning walk routine, which I had proudly done for the last few weeks (before going out of town). I was quite distressed about this yesterday, but was soon rejuvinated from Enrichment last night. We had dinner and then classes focussed on organization, cleaning, and time management. It was very informative. I even learned how to make my own laundry detergent (powder and liquid)! During the time management class, we talked briefly about fitting exercise into our schedules. As part of the discussion, I shared my woes in trying to go walking that morning... many sisters excitedly shared their ideas, the best being 'mall walking'. I remembered Emily had mentioned she had been doing this recently. Apparently, our nearby mall (as well as most others, I am sure) opens at 6:00 am, even though most stores stay closed till 10. So, you can walk the halls of what I thought would be a deserted mall. This morning, I tried it out - it takes about 10 minutes to get there, but it was very worthwhile. I loved it because it was air conditioned, and Emma loved it because of the music being played over the loud speaker (she danced in her stroller much of the way). We were there from about 7:30-8:15 this morning. There were a couple of things open... Mervyns, and Paradise Cafe. I was mostly surprised at how many people were there walking - it was mostly old women, but also a handful of stroller pushers, couples, and lone walkers with their headphones on. It was quite pleasant. And the children's play area was even open for use, so next time I think I'll leave 30 minutes earlier so there is more time for Emma to play (and get her exercise) as well!

Anyhoo, that is my story. Today, I don't have a whole lot planned. I need to make a meal plan for the week. I may even try making a monthly meal plan - it was one of the suggestions at Enrichment last night from the time management class. I've already made a list of our favorite meals; now I may try putting it into a calendar. Oh, the joys of motherhood and of being a wife... I'm always surprised at the things I find to make mundane tasks new and interesting. It's definitely important to keep busy. Speaking of busy, I have a new tutoring student that I've started working with a couple times a week. I'm helping his mom prep him for Kindergarten in the fall. I also start training next week for a summer playground inspection job. So, I'll be plenty busy this summer!

Oh, here are some of the cleaning solution recipes I received last night:

Powdered Laundry Detergent-
1 cup grated soap
1/2 cup washing soda (can find this in laundry isle, and comes in a 55 oz yellow box, made by Arm & Hammer, but very different from baking soda)
1/2 cup borax
Put ingredients in a container and shake up. Apparently you only need to use a Tablespoon of this detergent for a light load and 2 T for a large or heavily soiled load.

Laundry Softener-
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups baking soda
4 cups water
Combine slowly and carefully over sink. The baking soda and vinegar will fizz. Pour into plastic bottle, cover, and shake.

All Purpose Cleaner and Disinfectant-
1 teaspoon borax
1/2 teaspoon washing soda
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
In a spray bottle that will hold at least a pint, combine the ingredients. Add 1 cup very hot wather and shake well, mixing and dissolving the dry ingredients. To use, simply spray and wipe. This can be used indefinitely.

Automatic Dishwasher Soap-
2 cups borax
2 cups washing soda
Mix the washing soda and the borax and store in a plastic covered container. To use, add 2 tablespoons to the dishwasher soap compartment. If you have hard water, add 1 to 1 1/2 cups white vinegar to the rinse compartment (in place of Jet Dry) before washing.

This is just a handfull of the cleaning recipes I gathered last night. I was amazed at how they all basically use the same set of ingredients, so this would be very cost effective! I haven't tried any of it myself yet, but the lady who taught this portion swears it all works wonders (just as good or better than store bought products). Let me know if any of you have a different cleaning recipe or advice or thoughts on any of the ones listed above.

Guatemala!

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Above are all of the pictures that Ben took while in Guatemala. To view the pictures individually just click on the slideshow or the link under "Pictures" on the sidebar.



Ben finally returned from Guatemala last night. His plane was delayed, so Emma and I had a late night; we picked him up from the airport at 10:00 pm. It was a very happy reunion, for we haven't been together as a family for a week and half. That can be a long time. Anyway, Ben came bearing gifts of curious workmanship. I received several necklaces, one of which is pink quartz with matching earings from a well known jade factory in Antigua. It is my early birthday present. Ben is so thoughtful. He also got Emma a cute summer dress, himself some sandals, and a couple Mayan masks and a set of weights that use the same system as described in the Book of Mormon; Guatemala still uses this system of weight and volume today. Very interesting, eh?

So, I'll post some of my favorite pictures taken from Ben's trip with this post. My favorite pictures he took are of the people in the areas he visited. He says that they all (even the poor) wear the bright colored clothing. It is quite striking, especially with a large crowd.



This picture to the right shows the crowd that was in line one morning to see the doctors Ben was with at the clinic. He said that it was a contant line of people. This picture was taken at the clinic in San Antonio Polopo. Ben said that this area was the worst regarding the health of the people they saw. They were the most malnourished of the places they went. They spent two days in San Antonio and two days in Chuacruz, serving in the medical clinics. The other few days they spent touring in Panajachel and Antigua.

This is of Ben and Jim, the doctor he translated for during the week. He is in his 40's and has kids Ben's age. He is LDS, attended BYU, and is now an ER doctor in Washington. Ben says they had a good time working together and he was glad for their similarities, since they had to room together as well. This picture was taken in Chuacruz.

This is the hotel that the group stayed in during most of the week. It is located in Panajachel, which is is about 30 minutes from San Antonio and 45 minutes from Chuacruz. They spent the nights here and would drive out to the areas they would do medical work in. He says the hotel was nice and they were quite comfortable during their stay.

The picture at the top of the post was taken in Antigua, a tourist city that hundreds of years ago was the capital of Guatemala. Guatemala City is now the capital, and it wasn't until 50-100 years ago that Antigua was restored and remade into the beautiful city it is today. Ben and his group spent a couple days at the end of their trip touring and shopping Antigua. I love the bright colored buildings! Below is a picture of the majority of Ben's group after hiking to a hill overlooking Antigua. Ben says the group he was with were all wonderful and great to work with. He was really glad for this experience and chance to visit Guatemala again after serving his mission there.

Past the long necks and over the rivers that burn.....

So, I've been gone the past week and a half to play in Utah. I got to spend a lot of time with family, which was especially nice. While I've been in Utah, Ben has been galavanting around in Guatemala, performing medical service and providing translating help. What a good young man he is! He gets home tomorrow and I just can't wait to see him! He got priority to take the camera, since he was off to a much more interesting place, so sadly I have no pictures from my Utah visit. However, Monday I will post some pictures from Ben's trip to tropical Central America. I'm sure they will be culturally uplifting!

So, I did some fun things this past week, while playing with family. For one thing, I visited the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi. It was a great place! It was especially fantastic for the kids. They had some very impressive exhibits and activities for young ones to do (and I had fun with them as well!). To play some silly dinosaur games, click here. Later in the week, we rode on the Heber Creeper up Provo Canyon and back. I don't remember ever having rode on a real train before. It was very fun, but also made me thankful that we now have cars, because they sure are a slow and bumpy way to travel!

Oh, Dadoo just emailed me some pictures taken while visiting the Hogle Zoo, one of the many fun outings I had while in Utah. And I forgot to mention, that I also visited Wheeler Farm! Emma thought the chickens were the greatest. By the way, the picture to the right was taken while aboard the zoo train. Sarah kept busy by taking documentary footage of our travels.

Anyway, I hope you are all doing well! I'll post again soon...

Ice Man

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.

Sunbathing

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!

Four-Toed Giant Statue Leg

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!

Critical Critics

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.

Lots of Entertainment!

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.

Mind Reader

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!

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I'm a Finalist!

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.
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Early Summer Pleasures

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.


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Happy Mother's Day!

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.

Free Advertising!

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 ;)

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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!




Oh, and here's a funny story: It's a Miracle!

Bedroom Decor

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.

See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil

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.

Hello?..........

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.

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Zoo Fun

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.