Monday, September 19, 2011
Rugby
Posted by Mark:
I became a fan of rugby later in life. In fact it wasn't till my mission that I knew anything about the sport. I flew into Melbourne on June 10th 2002, after getting my first companion and doing a little grocery shopping, we headed to the chapel where a group of elders were getting together to watch that weeks rugby game. (We were allowed to watch sports on our P-Day) Maybe it was the fact that I had just got off a 15 hour flight, or that I knew nothing of the sport, but either way I quickly fell asleep in the corner quite bored with my first day in Australia. Quickly though I learned to love the sport through weekly game watching and by playing touch rugby with the elders for a little exercise. Since a lot of the elders who served in my mission were from New Zealand we ALWAYS watched the All Blacks. They soon became my favorite team but I still held a place in my heart for the Wallabys since they were the national team of Australia. Anyway, after the mission I lost touch with Rugby. I of course went to a few of the U of U rugby games but never got to see anything to the level I got used to on the mission. Lately however, things have changed.
Currently the 2011 Rugby world cup is being played and I couldn't be happier to watch a few games on my TV at home. Kimmi and Spencer of course could care less but for my sake, to help with the spirit of the whole thing I pulled out my souvenir ruby ball and made Spencer wear the coolest little Wallaby's jersey ever that we recently got sent to us by some good friends in Australia. I always say that if Spencer ever wants to play football he's going to have to be the kicker cause I'd rather he not get hurt.... However, Contrary to what I just said, if he wants to play rugby I have absolutely no problem with that... Kimmi of course does not concur with my thinking. Either way he's pretty dang cute.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Something to read about...
Posted By Kimmi:
We have decided we are pretty boring as of late, and really don't have much going on. Work, play, sleep...repeat. We went through our camera though and thought we might as well post about what we have been doing. Even if it is boring. So, here we go, enjoy!
As most of you know, we came to the hard decision back in June to give up our dog, little Miss Beatrice. While we loved having her in our home, she wasn't getting the attention she deserved once Spencer came along. We were lucky enough to find a wonderful women to adopt Beatrice into her home. Mona was a past co-worker of mine in Idaho. She was living alone in a newly bought country house. Perfect for Beatrice who loves to run and be outside, who can bark to her hearts content, and best of all someone to love her and get love back. So Mark and I made the weekend trip to Idaho to take Beatrice to her new home, visit old friends, and of course check out the Twin falls. As for a Beatrice update, the last I have heard, things are going wonderfully.
Saying our last good byes to Beatrice
Beatrice's new mom
Family at the waterfall. Spencer was transfixed.
At the end of June I had the priviledge to attend an educational meeting in Seattle for work. It was a great experience to go and learn about new things progressing in my field. I also had the opportunity (I am still making myself look at it that way) to present a case study from our lab! In front of 100+ people! Who have all been in the field YEARS compared to me! Talk about nerve racking! But I did it, and I did well according to the two people I knew there. The rest of the time was spent going to classes, checking out new instrumentation and test kits, walking through the streets of Seattle, checking out Pike's Place, and eating delicious fish at the restuarant at the top of the Space Needle. All in all it was a good experience.
Riding the Monorail with my friend from work Lori
Outside Pike's Place
Whale carved out of driftwood!
Next we headed to Roosevelt for a family reunion with my grandpa Billy's side. Its a chance to sit on a ranch with good company and good food. Mark, of course, had to go off to shoot things with guns, while I stayed around and chatted. Spencer was a hit with the grandma's (as always).
The boys out shooting stuff
Spencer and me hanging out with the fam.
July finished out with the Day's of 47 Rodeo and Parade. We went to the rodeo with Mark's parents, his sister, Sarah, and her kiddos. Since Sarah's kids live on the East Coast and since New England doesn't believe in rodeos, the three kids had never seen one! They seemed to really enjoy it of course. Spencer did not. He spent the first ten minutes crying and clinging to me until he got used to the noise and chaos that exsists at the rodeo. At that point, he just sat around as the content boy he usually is. Mark of course dressed up in is customary Rodeo attire since this really is the only chance he gets to wear his cowboy boots and hat.
Wild cow milking. Always a favorite.
The Clan
Spencer and Mark
We took our awesome friends Ashley and Tim and their little Emery to the parade. The parade was only seen by the adults because Spencer and Emmy were to busy making out. Kids these days.....
Romantically slides his hand behind her head....
Then he goes in for the kill!!
We have decided we are pretty boring as of late, and really don't have much going on. Work, play, sleep...repeat. We went through our camera though and thought we might as well post about what we have been doing. Even if it is boring. So, here we go, enjoy!
As most of you know, we came to the hard decision back in June to give up our dog, little Miss Beatrice. While we loved having her in our home, she wasn't getting the attention she deserved once Spencer came along. We were lucky enough to find a wonderful women to adopt Beatrice into her home. Mona was a past co-worker of mine in Idaho. She was living alone in a newly bought country house. Perfect for Beatrice who loves to run and be outside, who can bark to her hearts content, and best of all someone to love her and get love back. So Mark and I made the weekend trip to Idaho to take Beatrice to her new home, visit old friends, and of course check out the Twin falls. As for a Beatrice update, the last I have heard, things are going wonderfully.
Saying our last good byes to Beatrice
Beatrice's new mom
Family at the waterfall. Spencer was transfixed.
At the end of June I had the priviledge to attend an educational meeting in Seattle for work. It was a great experience to go and learn about new things progressing in my field. I also had the opportunity (I am still making myself look at it that way) to present a case study from our lab! In front of 100+ people! Who have all been in the field YEARS compared to me! Talk about nerve racking! But I did it, and I did well according to the two people I knew there. The rest of the time was spent going to classes, checking out new instrumentation and test kits, walking through the streets of Seattle, checking out Pike's Place, and eating delicious fish at the restuarant at the top of the Space Needle. All in all it was a good experience.
Riding the Monorail with my friend from work Lori
Outside Pike's Place
Whale carved out of driftwood!
Next we headed to Roosevelt for a family reunion with my grandpa Billy's side. Its a chance to sit on a ranch with good company and good food. Mark, of course, had to go off to shoot things with guns, while I stayed around and chatted. Spencer was a hit with the grandma's (as always).
The boys out shooting stuff
Spencer and me hanging out with the fam.
July finished out with the Day's of 47 Rodeo and Parade. We went to the rodeo with Mark's parents, his sister, Sarah, and her kiddos. Since Sarah's kids live on the East Coast and since New England doesn't believe in rodeos, the three kids had never seen one! They seemed to really enjoy it of course. Spencer did not. He spent the first ten minutes crying and clinging to me until he got used to the noise and chaos that exsists at the rodeo. At that point, he just sat around as the content boy he usually is. Mark of course dressed up in is customary Rodeo attire since this really is the only chance he gets to wear his cowboy boots and hat.
Wild cow milking. Always a favorite.
The Clan
Spencer and Mark
We took our awesome friends Ashley and Tim and their little Emery to the parade. The parade was only seen by the adults because Spencer and Emmy were to busy making out. Kids these days.....
Romantically slides his hand behind her head....
Then he goes in for the kill!!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
I Heart Glasses
I know some of you reading this will be confused by this statement. I recently switched to contacts because of my adorable little boy's grabby hands. Even at three months old he was able to grab my glass right off my face and into his mouth they went. This got old fast. So I took the plunge and attempted contacts. Amazingly enough, I can put contacts in and my eyeballs don't fall out! I have really enjoyed contacts these past couple months and now Mark and Spencer can look deeply into my eyes all they want.
However, I still need those trusty glasses from time to time. Plus, I feel like they have become part of my indentity. So my quest for a new exciting pair of glasses began. Luckily, I came across a company named Warby Parker through a blog I read. This company is wonderful and I hope you will take some time and read up on them.
Here are some quick facts:
A. This company was started by four friends who got tired of the high price of glasses (usually 300.00+!). They began producing high quality, vintage inspired glasses that are both stylish and affordable.
B. You can order and try on 5 pairs of frames for 5 days, free of charge! You get on their website, pick your favorite 5, then they send you a box with the frames in a matter of days with a paid shipping label to ship them back when you are done.
C. All of the glasses are $95 for frames AND prescription lenses and again, free shipping!
D. Now for the best part. For every pair of glasses you purchase, a pair is donated to someone who does not have access to glasses. To date the company has distributed over 50,000 pairs around the world.
Pretty awesome if you ask me. So here is my final choice! What do you think?! (please excuse my inability to take a good picture)
However, I still need those trusty glasses from time to time. Plus, I feel like they have become part of my indentity. So my quest for a new exciting pair of glasses began. Luckily, I came across a company named Warby Parker through a blog I read. This company is wonderful and I hope you will take some time and read up on them.
Here are some quick facts:
A. This company was started by four friends who got tired of the high price of glasses (usually 300.00+!). They began producing high quality, vintage inspired glasses that are both stylish and affordable.
B. You can order and try on 5 pairs of frames for 5 days, free of charge! You get on their website, pick your favorite 5, then they send you a box with the frames in a matter of days with a paid shipping label to ship them back when you are done.
C. All of the glasses are $95 for frames AND prescription lenses and again, free shipping!
D. Now for the best part. For every pair of glasses you purchase, a pair is donated to someone who does not have access to glasses. To date the company has distributed over 50,000 pairs around the world.
Pretty awesome if you ask me. So here is my final choice! What do you think?! (please excuse my inability to take a good picture)
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
The changes nine months can bring...
And I mean that two ways. Nine months to incubate something that will change your life forever for the better (i.e Spencer) and a nine month old little man who is growing and changing too fast for my liking.
Spencer just had his nine month appointment and here are his stats:
height 27 3/4 inches 90%
weight 19.2 lbs 30%
head circ 18 inches 60%
Spencer is now a crawling machine. While he can crawl on his knees and does so often, he prefers the army crawl if he wants to get somewhere fast. My favorite thing is to be in another room and hear Spencer trying to find me. Sounds are amplified on our wood floors, so you hear a 'boom, boom, slide' for the two forarms and then pulling the rest of his body. Then I hear his heavy breathing because he is so excited to be getting somewhere. He is so proud of himself! He loves to follow us from room to room.
Spencer is also a eating machine. He loves his milk and oatmeal. We have added fruit, veggies and rice puffs to the menu as well. I think he will eat pretty much anything. He really seems to like watermelon, applesauce, carrots, green beans and sweet potatoes. He can successfully use sign language for 'eat' and 'more.'
He has figured out how to pull himself up on things, and he is really good at it. He can pull up on anything from chairs, tables, pant legs, church pews, etc. As long as he can get a good grip, he's up. He also love to just stand there for 10 minutes at a time or longer. His favorite excersize at night while we are watching our favorite show is to stand up to the coffee table, sit back down, then crawl to the entertainment center, stand up, sit down, and back to the coffee table to repeat it again.
He mimics Mark and I with sounds, facial expressions, clapping, etc. Its so funny to watch him!
I am starting to notice his favorite things. He regularly sleeps with his bear. His favorite book is "In My Tree." Favorite toys is anything he can get in his mouth. And he finally likes taking baths! Finally!
I like I said he is growing to fast! Our next check up appointment is for his one year old birthday! Has it really come that soon!?
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
The derailment of my productive summer
Posted by Mark:
For those who haven't heard, I broke my hand on Friday. Needless to say, it sucks. I was at my ward softball game in an intense double overtime grudge match. After hitting the ball, I rounded first base. Then half way to second, I was called back to first by the first base coach. I turned around and in fear of getting tagged out I dove towards the bag in the most ungraceful way imaginable (chalk that up to bad sports genes). My right hand was outstretched towards the base, my left hand down towards the ground to break my fall. It defiantly broke my fall, but it also broke my hand when my fatness landed on top of it. The good news was I was safe and thanks to the adrenalin rush, I was able to run the final three bases to score a run without too much discomfort. The good news was that we won the game. The bad news was I knew my hand was munted when I couldn't put my glove on when it was our turn to field.
We went to the IHC Instacare where they confirmed my suspicions...something was broken.
The doctor didn't let me down gently. He walked in the room and immediately said I will need surgery and pins. This made me extremely cross. I in no way desired surgery nor the bills that accompany such events. They put me in a splint and sent me on my way to suffer the long weekend waiting until I could go see a hand specialist/surgeon.
Well today was the day and expecting the worst I went to the appointment. My spirits weren't at all lifted when they took my splint off. With all the swelling and bruising my hand looked disgusting.
After a few more x-rays, the hand doctor came in and gave me some unexpected good news. No pins, no surgery, and all I needed was a little hand cast that will get taken off in four weeks! I couldn't believe it!! This new cast is 100% better then the original splint. And a lot less restrictive.
It was dumb to dive for a base in ward softball, but I'm glad my painful lesson won't cost me the entire summer of productivity.
For those who haven't heard, I broke my hand on Friday. Needless to say, it sucks. I was at my ward softball game in an intense double overtime grudge match. After hitting the ball, I rounded first base. Then half way to second, I was called back to first by the first base coach. I turned around and in fear of getting tagged out I dove towards the bag in the most ungraceful way imaginable (chalk that up to bad sports genes). My right hand was outstretched towards the base, my left hand down towards the ground to break my fall. It defiantly broke my fall, but it also broke my hand when my fatness landed on top of it. The good news was I was safe and thanks to the adrenalin rush, I was able to run the final three bases to score a run without too much discomfort. The good news was that we won the game. The bad news was I knew my hand was munted when I couldn't put my glove on when it was our turn to field.
We went to the IHC Instacare where they confirmed my suspicions...something was broken.
The doctor didn't let me down gently. He walked in the room and immediately said I will need surgery and pins. This made me extremely cross. I in no way desired surgery nor the bills that accompany such events. They put me in a splint and sent me on my way to suffer the long weekend waiting until I could go see a hand specialist/surgeon.
Well today was the day and expecting the worst I went to the appointment. My spirits weren't at all lifted when they took my splint off. With all the swelling and bruising my hand looked disgusting.
After a few more x-rays, the hand doctor came in and gave me some unexpected good news. No pins, no surgery, and all I needed was a little hand cast that will get taken off in four weeks! I couldn't believe it!! This new cast is 100% better then the original splint. And a lot less restrictive.
It was dumb to dive for a base in ward softball, but I'm glad my painful lesson won't cost me the entire summer of productivity.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Pool Party
Posted by Mark:
Spencer has never been a fan of baths. Thus when Spencer was invited to go to a kiddie pool party for a 3 year old girl in our ward we just assumed Spencer would have nothing to do with the water. We dressed him in a white polo and shorts and headed on down to the party. Since it was one of Utah's first hot days I decided to dangle Spencer's feet in one of the pools that was set up. Spencer seemed to love it! after a bit more experimentation with his feet and legs in the water we finally just sat him down in the pool and let him have at it. As you'll see from the video below HE LOVED IT!
Spencer has never been a fan of baths. Thus when Spencer was invited to go to a kiddie pool party for a 3 year old girl in our ward we just assumed Spencer would have nothing to do with the water. We dressed him in a white polo and shorts and headed on down to the party. Since it was one of Utah's first hot days I decided to dangle Spencer's feet in one of the pools that was set up. Spencer seemed to love it! after a bit more experimentation with his feet and legs in the water we finally just sat him down in the pool and let him have at it. As you'll see from the video below HE LOVED IT!
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