Devin Despain blog-o-matic

2011-06-30T16:01:00.001-06:00

Hello to whomever may be reading this! We haven't updated our blog in SUCH a long time, I'm just wondering if anyone still checks on it. Comment if you do, and you'll make my day ;-)

Pee stinks!

2009-03-24T13:10:00.003-06:00

Dallin is learning to use the toilet, he he's a BOY and it's a lot different than my first time around with a girl. For one thing, it's a lot more messy! He doesn't quite get "aiming" yet and although he does try sometimes, he doesn't really know what he's doing. For now I'm teaching him to sit down to pee, but ya know that little space between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl? Somehow he almost always manages to shoot right there! I'm getting tired of getting peed on. Any advice??

The big update with a funny story

2009-03-23T23:27:00.003-06:00

I know that this will blow you all away, but I'm actually going to update our blog!!! I was talking with my sister-in-law today and she was giving me a hard time for not updating our blog in such a long time. So, thanks Linnaea (I know you're reading this) for the push to update once again.

Things at our house weren't too buisy (except for the normal life of a family) until a little over two months ago... Our stake was rearranging boundaries and the ward we were in before was being dissolved. Devin and I were excited to see what our new ward would be like and to make more friends in Billings. By the time the Saturday after we learned of the new ward boundaries rolled around, I was pretty confident that neither Devin nor I would be called in to see the bishop for any presidency callings. Well, I thought too soon because Saturday afternoon I got a phone call wondering if Devin and I could meet with the bishop that evening. Our wedding anniversary was on Sunday so we had decided to go out to dinner on Saturday. Before we went out we stopped by the church and Devin and I were teasing eachother about who the calling would be for. Well, to make a long story short, it was for ME and the bishop asked if I would be the PRIMARY PRESIDENT. Holy Cow.... I was very surprised, especially to be the president! I said yes with my eyes and mouth open real wide. I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I don't know how many of you have been a new Primary president to a brand new ward, but it's a lot of work to get a program up and running for at least 75 kids and 21 callings to fill! We didn't even have one piece of paper or a pencil to start with. Soon after that Devin was called to be the 2nd counselor in the Elder's Quorum. He's been in the Elder's Quorum presidency a few times before, so he looked forward to serving there and still enjoys it. So, needless to say, our lives got a kick-start and then a good revving to liven things up. I don't know much about computers and like it that way, but I can say I am truly thankful for email and Microsoft Word. Without inheriting some computer files from another Primary, getting organized would have been a nightmare. My patient husband has given me many computer lessons since this calling, and boy am I GLAD he's around! Thanks, babe! Things have slowed down lately and I'm grateful to finally feel like I'm getting a handle on things. I do really like the calling :) That pretty much sums up our last couple of months.

Oh, I do have to add that two weekends ago, Billings hosted the Class C State Boys Basketball Tournament. And, Twin Bridges (the tiny town I grew up in) was there! My dad and Cheryl and Charlotte and her family came to visit for the weekend and we all went to the games together. We had a lot of fun and got to see some VERY exciting basketball! I don't want to leave you hanging because I know you all are just itching to know how Twin did in the tournament, so I'll tell you. Of course they WON!!! State Champs! It was a lot of fun and I've never been more proud to be a Falcon. OK, maybe that's going a little too far, but it was pretty cool. The next weekend I had withdrawal from family visiting and basketball excitement, but I managed to push through. Come visit again! I have to admit that I took advantage of the situation a bit. Devin went to high school in Gardiner, another Class C basketball town. However, they didn't make it to the state tournament. So, I enjoyed rubbing it in (just a little bit) that my team made it and WON, and not his. I'm just sure it's because I have such pure Twin Bridges Falcon blood and it still runs thick (even though I played volleyball and not basketball)!! LOL

Now, as I work my way up to the present, I need to include a funny story that happened earlier today. Lucy pushes the kitchen chairs around the kitchen so she can wash her hands (really it's to play in the water) and reach things she wouldn't otherwise be able to. Well this afternoon she had done it again and this time she was after a slice of bread and honey, her favorite snack. I was talking with Linnaea on the phone and Devin was in the middle of building us a computer in the living room, so I guess she wasn't as supervised as maybe she ought to have been. Not only did she get out the bread and honey, but she also got out the cinnamon/sugar shaker and the sugar. I walked in the kitchen and saw that she was putting honey on the bread, so I wondered out and after awhile wondered back in. She had poured a small mountain of sugar on top of her bread and was proceeding to lick it off, one delicious lick at a time... yummm. Like the responsible mother that I am, I confiscated the sugar and wondered out the kitchen again, knowing that I had done my duty to save this child's teeth from sugar rot! When I walked back into the kitchen the third time, I gasped in fear of the mess I would soon discover, but then couldn't hold in my giggles as Lucy turned to me and held up her hands like big bear claws and said, "ROAR, MOM! I'M A BEAR!", with honey dripping from every finger and each wrist. She must have dipped each hand into the honey jar and then had been slowly licking off the honey as it dripped. She's one funny girl. I think sugar and honey are her two favorite food groups.

There you go, Linnaea. I hope you've enjoyed the update.

-Susan

A post?...why not

2008-12-22T17:41:00.002-07:00

Christmas is coming and kids are excited! They both rushed this morning to wrap their presents for their mama while she was in the shower. Thanks to the scissors, too much wrapping paper, scotch tape, and bows coupled with Dallin and Lucy's sweet skills resulted in wrapping jobs at least as good as I can do. We went to Red Lodge MT to cut a tree a few weeks ago and ended up driving through some very Christmas-like precipitation. Highlights included a very nordic diaper change for Dallin on the open tailgate of the pickup, a beautiful tree right off the road and delicious hot chocolate at a little cafe. Lots of fun was had by all and afterward we enjoyed a band concert at our nephew's middle school. We'll be spending the big day in Buffalo with Susan's sister, her family and Grandpa G. It promises to be lots of fun. There's been lots of snow and sub-zero weather to get us in the mood.

Thanksgiving and Family pics

2008-12-04T20:39:00.004-07:00

We had a great time over Thanksgiving visiting my brother and his family in Laramie WY. He smoked a turkey and it was delicious! we had a huge selection of pie. My brother and I went out early to look for deals the day after. The best deal was the tank of gas my bro got for $18!! not bad, maybe lowering fuel costs will help spur some increases in consumer confidence coupled with lowered interest rates and soon people will stop saying we're in trouble. We had fun at the Laramie swim center and hanging out. We took advantage of my brothers photography hobby too: look pretty good huh?

Wall-E...From my phone

2008-12-01T16:39:00.003-07:00

here's a video of Lucy and Dallin trying to say "Wall-E" like the movie. They saw it at their cousins' house and liked it. Lucy especially nailed it on the last one I think.

If you don't know what movie this is you'll get what they're trying to do by clicking here.

Thanks and Calling for help again

2008-11-24T22:38:00.002-07:00

Thanks everyone for your help picking out pillows. It was fun to see your opinions. After much deliberations (and nudging from my husband) I picked........ the diamond pillows with the tassels. They were a little more feminine and I liked the variety of style. Thanks again for your opinions and I'm enjoying my new living room colors (light blue and dark brown - in case you couldn't tell.)

Also, one of my children (I won't name names for their sake) has a REAL bad habbit of nose picking. This habbit doesn't harm anybody, it just grosses me out, so I'm willing to just wait it out if need be, but if you have any pointers (pun intended) please let me know! Thanks

KIM'S COOL STUFF!

2008-11-24T22:31:00.002-07:00

My friend, Kim, has a fun website where she's selling cute things she's made. There's lots of items ranging from hair bows to clothing to homemade cards. Have fun checking it out!

Dancing and a plea for help

2008-11-23T14:43:00.005-07:00

Here's a video of Lucy and Dallin (mostly Lucy) dancing this morning:

Pretty cute (Lucy smashed her head on the bookcase at the end)

Susan has been looking for some new pillows to go on our couch. Instead of waiting for her in stores while she goes through piles and piles of pillows I got an idea of what she was looking for and brought these two home. She likes them both but can't bring herself to pick one so I can take the losing pair back to the store. If you could voice your opinion maybe that'd help.

slick blue with tassles:

Stripes:

Susan took a little break after breakfast the other day.

Some Pictures and ... um brief commentary

2008-11-14T19:19:00.012-07:00

Last Monday, I shot this beautiful buck between Big Timber and Two Dot MT. Susan and I had fun chasing him around for a little bit then I lined up a shot at about 200yds. It took us 20min to dress him and about 1 hour to drag him down a drainage, under a fence and across a field. By then Susan had met up with her dad and he met me along the fence line in his truck. It was dark by then.

Dallin finally had enough hair that he needed a trim.

Dallin's Birthday was a success, we had a delicious and lovely Thomas the train cake but the blue frosting had a way of getting everywhere and the cake kind of crashed on its own.

First week of October we got 2 feet of snow, we had a good time playing and shoveling. It was soon gone and we had some great weather! Especially for Halloween (where are the costume pictures anyway?)

Please leave a comment, Susan loves 'em.

Here we are!

2008-11-02T19:07:00.003-07:00

Some of you have been wondering about our situation since our lack of blogging has left a small void in your life. We're doing well but were without internet for awhile. Now we're back online a bit. We've moved to Billings and are renting a duplex with a garage and a yard! I'm splitting my time between a private practice and doing eye exams at Sears. I'm always busy at the private practice and things are picking up at Sears slowly but I can pretty much do things my own way which is nice. Lucy is in preschool with her aunt here and LOVES it. When I take her to school she says "you don't have to walk me in just go Dad" She's so loving and cute. Dallin is such a great little boy two years old now! We'll get some birthday pics and stuff soon. We had a couple feet of snow the first weekend in October and had a lot of fun but it all melted quickly and gave way to a beautiful fall/indian summer that is still hanging on. Halloween was so much fun we had lots of cousins for our kids to trick-or-treat with and the weather was super! We love being in Billings close to family and are making some friends. Montanans are very friendly and we just plain feel at home. In other news, I've got a sweet new mountain bike and have really enjoyed breaking it in at two moon park and up on the rims. We're pretty happy. More stuff coming soon.

3 little comments

2008-07-28T01:33:00.002-06:00

The other day Devin was trying to hook up our little DVD player to the t.v. so the kids could watch a movie. There are a bunch of cords behind the t.v. and while he was searching for the right cords, or something like that, he ended up accidentally pulling a bunch of stuff down and all crashed behind the entertainment center. Lucy, in much despair, said, "Dad, you're ruining our house!" I thought it was very funny and I hope her house doesn't just revolve around the t.v.!

We bought Dallin a Superman baseball cap a couple of weeks ago and he's pretty attatched. Don't even think about taking it off his head without his permission. He's so adorable when he takes his hat off, scratches his head with his other hand, and then puts it back on. I crack up laughing every time.

We got home late Saturday night from my ten-year h.s. class reunion (which was a lot of fun) and I was very, very tired. After I bathed the kids Devin sent me to bed and he put the kids to bed by himself. What a great man I married! Thanks.

never done a tag before

2008-07-20T21:56:00.000-06:00

1. As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember! If we're only blogging friends, write about a post that is most memorable. If you don't have a blog and don't know how to sign in, please comment as anonymous.
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll be sure to write one about you... either on your blog, in my comment box, or I will email you back!
3. If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all ☺ Okay, let's see what you've got!

also here's a funny parody on young mormon wives you might like (or it might hurt your feelings) http://seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com

plus: the filming is over! (next: editing and later submission to film festivals probly next year) and I'm doing paperwork to start working in Billings MT! One job as an associate to a doc at a private practice 2 days a week and a sublease at the local Sears. excited but a bit nervous.

How do I love my kids? Let me count the ways...

2008-07-07T00:32:00.000-06:00

I just love my kids!

~DALLIN~
Often Dallin will come up to me while I'm standing up doing something and give my leg a tight, quick bear hug and then leave. It warms my heart every time. Yesterday (ok, two days ago since it's now 1 am Mon. morning-I took a nap today) Devin and I were all worn out. Devin and his Dad were busy leveling some ground (in this case a harder job than one might expect) in the backyard for the sandbox they're going to make-I'm very excited for my kids- and I was tired from cleaning the house and making dinner for my family and the in-laws, which included my mother-in-law's delicious rolls that in my case turned out more closely resembling hockey pucks. They're worth a second try, though. Anyway, we were both worn out after dinner and I was washing the dishes. Devin was holding Dallin and walked up beside me to get him a drink of water. I asked Dallin for a kiss and he cordially obliged, which followed by giving Devin a kiss, then Mommy, then Daddy, then Mommy, then Daddy, then Mommy, then Daddy, and on and on and on. We were trying hard to hold back the laughs b/c I wanted to see how long he would go on. Eventually it turned into two kisses for mommy and one kiss for daddy, two for mom, one for dad, and that continued for a while. Then, continuing with the two for mom and one for dad, he alternated between kisses on the cheek and kisses on the lips. Minutes later his kisser finally got tired out. Ahh, what a cutie. Sometimes these kids of ours can sure lighten our loads!

~LUCY~
I love it when Lucy walks up to me and throws her arms around me and says, "I like you Mommy." or "Are you happy, Mommy?"
Devin was browsing the internet earlier that same day with Lucy on his lap. He found a video of these amazingly flexible girls bending their bodies in all these gut-wrenching angles. Lucy was quite intrigued and proceeded to ask her dad "why" this and "why" that. Being the "extraordinary" parents that we are we try to answer all the "why" questions any human adult can possibly muster up the energy and patience to answer. And so began the hour of "whys". Well, probably not an hour, but Devin did count the number of "whys" she asked in one minute and concluded that if she continued asking "why" at that same rate all day she would have asked "why" (I think this is right) 2,160 times by bedtime! I'm tired just thinking about that. The number of whys during that minute were fairly high, but some days seem like the questions will never end!

And so.... that leads to my big question I'm dying to see your answers to. How many times does your little critter ask you "why" in one day? Take any given one or two minutes and count how many times they ask and then multiply that by whatever number you need to to get the answer for the whole day. I'm looking forward to seeing your answers!

My other question is.... How many times do you have to ask your child to do something before they actually do what you asked them to do? Sometimes I want to pull my hair out! Do I hear any amens??? Remember what I said earlier about how kids can lighten the load? well, sometimes I think they're pull too (in the opposite direction!) :)

~Today's Recap~
We have church at 9a.m. which, although we love getting out at 12pm, presents a challenge getting there on time. This morning was no exception. I woke up later than I should have. Lucy was grumpy and didn't want to comply with anything we asked her to do. Dallin didn't want anything to do with me and Lucy decided she needed a second breakfast while Dallin was eatting his which was minutes before we had to go. Luckily we have an amazing Dad in the house who got us all ready and to church with the diaper bag packed complete with lunch for the drive home! After church Devin reported to me that the nursery teacher said both kids were great and Lucy was so happy and helpful the whole time (where was that sweet little girl this morning?).
We had dinner with Grandma and Grandpa today and we were enjoying a nice gospel discussion when Devin left to find the kids. Soon after he called for me and I followed a disgusting smell down the hall to the back bedroom. To my horror I found him there taking off Dallin's shoes and Lucy commenting about the stinky smell. One of Wendy's (Devin's sister) dogs had pooped in there and Dallin stepped in it and traced it all over the bedroom. Luckily he stayed in one room, though. I immediately took his shoes outside and began cleaning off the poop. Devin and Wendy started cleaning the poop off of the carpet. Not long after that Devin hears water being sloshed around in his parents' bathroom. He investigates the noise and finds Dallin with the plunger in the toilet working like he meant it. About the same time this is happening Devin's Dad accidentally leaves the front door a little ajar. Wendy's two dogs figure out how to open it the rest of the way and escape outside. Neither one likes to come back very quickly, but one is particularly difficult to get back. I'm in the backyard cleaning off the shoe and I see both dogs run down to the road below me. Devin and Wendy were soon to follow with Lucy offering her help as well. To wrap up a big ordeal, the dogs were finally caught, I got the shoe clean, and the carpet is looking better (not to mention smelling better too). It's been an interesting Sunday....

Happy 4th of July everyone! We stood and sang "The Star Spangled Banner" in church today and it brought tears to my eyes. I sure do love this country we live in. I am so appreciative to the men and women in the armed forces!!! They volunteer to sacrifice more than I can imagine. The other thing that brings tears to my eyes is during the 4th of July parade watching the old men walk or ride down the street in uniform holding the flag high. Gratitude and admiration fills me from head to toe!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! So, the next time you hear someone (usually the media) complaining about the US, just remember and help them remember, too, what we have -our priviledges, rights, and responsibilities- just because we live in the United States. We are truly blessed!

Something new to do

2008-06-27T09:37:00.000-06:00

The other day the guy that runs the slate (the clacking thing that's used to sync up the sound and video) was asked to participate in the scene they were shooting so I got to take over for him (a very nice guy, film student in Bozeman also an excellent juggler). This job is a little bit more complicated than it looks at first, there's more paying attention and writing things down than one would guess. Though no major errors slipped by, I've decided that it's best to leave the film making to the pros.

Here goes...

2008-06-22T20:47:00.000-06:00

A lot has been going on. May was a busy month what with finishing school (for good), having some family for graduation (fun) and moving (fun in a lame kind of way). June has been exciting too so here's a quick rundown of what's been going on with a few pictures to bring sense to my rambling.

Graduation was a lot of fun. Mom and Dad came to visit and join the festivities along with Eric, Linnaea, Jordon and Andrea. It was great to have fun with them and show them a very little of the area we'd been in for the last four years. There were two graduation ceremonies, the first was strictly for our college and we were handed our hoods. The second included all the professional programs at the university and was really hot but not too long. I got the hood put on me and a real diploma! I hope everyone enjoyed it. Susan took off early to go and pick up the cool cake she'd ordered along with our friends for our delicious taco celebration after graduation with the Gerritsens. It was so much fun spending time with them again and with our families. We're going to miss the Gerritsens VERY much. I'm sure they'll do just fine in life and I hope our paths will cross again soon. We made a lot of good friends in our class partly because of the shared suffering and common lot I hope we can stay in touch. (ie. read this blog every once in a while) Staying in touch is something I've not been very good at.

(hood distripution)

(it's a phoropter! refractions have never been so delicious!)

A few days after graduation we finished packing (Susan had already started in April) and loaded up an over-sized Budget truck with our stuff and drove it all to Bozeman Montana (specifically my folk's house), just before a big spike in diesel fuel. I should relate also that providence was on our side the whole time. Many things worked together for our good on our move. We are grateful. We're also really thankful for my mom and dad who helped so much with the move and my brother Duane who even avoided leaving work early to help me unload into a storage locker. I hope someday we'll be able to take care of ourselves but I doubt it.

Our car took it easy during the move and spent the entire time on a rented trailer behind our rented truck. It's inactivity worked to its detriment however. If you're interested in a gross story about what got stuck and how it got out, read on otherwise, skip the colored writing and move on to Lucy's birthday party.

So, the Sunday morning after our move we piled into our car to go to church. When I started the car, a terrible thumping sound started to come from the passenger's side of the car. Startled, I turned off the car and tried again. The noise continued. Using a little reasoning I started down my list of differential diagnoses and started ruling them out. A kind of relief came over me when I discovered the noise subsided when I turned the ventilation fan off. The thumping increased in frequency when the fan was on high and decreased when on low. Something was wrong with the fan and the chances of our wheels falling off on our way to church seemed low enough to chance it. The next day, or was it two days, I decided to see if the problem was simple enough for a new eye doctor to fix or if it was one we could afford. I took parts off and kept track of most of the screws and weird little bolts under the dash and watched the fan motor gyrate rhythmically while I adjusted the speed of the fan. Looking back, I don't know why I figured I had to see it rattling and thudding around so much. After investigating further, I figured taking the fan motor out of the car and opening it up was too big a job for me, so I tried going at it from the air intake under the hood. After more parts came off and getting a little light down there I found the source of the noise. A little dead mouse and found its way into my fan and built a little nest. I guess thought the little mouse was not dead when it spent all afternoon and evening building a nest in a ford focus death contraption. Long story short, he's out and lysol was applied liberally to any vent I could reach. (thanks again dad).

Wow, that was longer than I expected. Anyway on to Lucy's big birthday celebration! Our little girl turned 3! and we had a party for her at the Missouri headwaters with both sets of grandparents, a great aunt and uncle, uncle Shawn, some cousins, Aunt Wendy and her little dogs too. We had a really good time. Lucy was very cute and grateful, she got lots of nice toys out of the deal too. Thanks to everyone who participated. We chased bubbles, played ball and frisbee and pin the bow on the princess. We had hotdogs (Dallin had to cook his own thank you very much) and an awesome princess castle cake. A little rain blew through at the very end and sent us home with full bellys and tired eyes. A good time.

(ta-dah, great job Susan!)

(worth a thousand words)

(pin)

(nice shirt, thanks Grandpa)

(fake food! she got some cool toy kitchen tools too, thanks everybody!)

(real backpack thanks Grandma)

While waiting for licensure to go through, I decided to look for some kind of employment both permenent after license and temporary to keep busy and get some of that elusive income. While perusing the classifieds I came accross an ad for auditions for a feature film being shot in Helena during June. After some emails, I figured it would be a fun way to spend a few days of June having never been in a movie. I have been in several plays and I even took an acting class in undergrad. Anyway, I was told the maximum amount of time commitment would be 10 days out of June. Shooting will be done on the last day of June, a little while before optometry licenses are issued. So, I headed to Helena and read some lines and was told I'd be called. I went back to Bozeman and filed an application with a temp agency, and started looking at local bike shops for a minimum wage-style job. Then I got a phone call and a script in my email inbox. After some thinking and stuff I decided to take the part they'd offered me: a slow guy. The slow guy does have a pretty big role though and so I've been at the dorms at Carroll college most of the days of June. Susan and the kiddoes came to visit a few days as well as Jordon and Andrea. It's been fun and interesting seeing what goes into puting a film together. All the work and organization has been pretty impressive. We've got a great cinematographer, sound guy, costume designer and script supervisor who all seem to know what they're doing. Seeing how it comes out on screen makes it look pretty good. I'm learning about apple boxes, lollipops, and C-47's (even C-74's). Also, Gaff tape is awesome stuff and I'll probably get a roll some day to keep handy. After seeing all that goes on in filmmaking and what's really important I think that when the credits roll at the end of a movie, the crew's names should come before the cast's. It's easy to say a movie was bad, but I bet you heard every word and all the images were in focus and smooth, lighting was probably great and things mostly made sense. You can read more about the movie shoot by clicking here. Anyway, Here are some pictures from when Susan and Lucy and Dallin all came and were extras also some of me on set.

(he's getting so big!)

(two lovely ladies on the carrousel)

("roll sound"..."sound is speeding", "roll camera"..."camera has speed" *marker* action)

It makes me think of the days I was thinking about becoming a professional actor. I'm really glad I didn't, being an eye doctor is much better, especially for family life.

These last few days Susan has been in Buffalo and Cheyenne Wyoming. I miss her and the kids but job prospects seem to be taking shape and the NBEO posted a passing score for me which is good. Things are going well for us in a way and we have a lot to be thankful for.

A brief post

2008-06-10T12:27:00.000-06:00

So much has happened since our last post! I was waiting for some pictures to come to me but if I don't do something now I'll be way behind. So here's a minimalist's approach to a blog post: Just to whet the appetite:

May:
Graduation!
Move to MT
Lucy's B-day!
Audition for a low budget movie

June:
start filming

job search throughout and waiting and waiting for the NBEO to get on the ball

that's all for now, stay tuned for more later

a little catch-up

2008-05-04T23:56:00.000-06:00

This is actually Susan blogging this time, not Devin.
I check back on our blog often to read the comments, so PLEASE leave a comment so I can enjoy the little squirt of excited I get when I see someone has been here. The comments are my favorite part about blogging. I'll try to do the same. Thanks for humoring me!

One night for family home evening we rocked out to some music in our living room. Although I didn't catch the best parts on this video, Lucy and Dallin were really gettin' down! It's awesome to have such energetic and playful kids!

I decided to take the kids to the Children's Museum on the spur of the moment Thursday. They both fell asleep on the way there after they ate their sandwiches, so they even got a little snooze beforehand. I couldn't have planned it better - wait, I didn't plan on them sleeping, but it sure worked out great. Can you ever plan on kids sleeping when you want them to?

It's a good thing we played in the water last b/c Lucy and Dallin were both soaked by the end!

Lucy reading to her baby to put her to sleep. Dallin liked the shopping cart. Just his size!

I couldn't for the life of me get Dallin to look at me with a smile for either of these photos. He liked the tool belt and hard hat a lot but put up with humoring me with the fireman jacket. I think he's adorable!

Lucy ate up the stage and loved the zebra costume. I couldn't tell if she liked her zebra striped face or not, but I thought she was pretty cute. Dallin had little whiskers on his face (I'm not very creative).

Since we have giant pieces of packing paper around, the kids love coloring and drawing on it. Here they're using up the last of their glitter pens so I can throw them away instead of pack them. I'm looking forward to unpacking the paper and seeing their cute scribbles.

Daddy and Lucy took naps together on the couch last Sunday and I couldn't resist the picture. Aahhh. Lucy LOVES her daddy.

We went to a minor league baseball game last Monday in Portland but Lucy's attention was all on their beaver mascot. We took a walk down by him to say hi. She was pretty shy but managed to get up the courage to shake his hand and tail and do a little jig for him. Since it was a Monday night not very many people were there and Lucy was so captivated by the beaver that we couldn't resist and moved our seat right next to him so she could enjoy him the rest of the game. I think I left the camera out in the car so I don't have any pics unfortunately. It was a chilly evening but we got free hot chocolate which Lucy and Dallin each drank their own entire cup of.

We're trying to do some more fun activities around this area before we leave. Portland is a fun town with lots to do, so we'll miss the entertainment. We even scored free tickets to a Trail Blazer game a few months ago through the laser eye surgery office Devin was externing at! We were on the "Lexus Level" (I know, we were important that night!) and got all sorts of free food. It was a close game, but the Blazers pulled it off in the end so it was exciting and a great memory.

Saturday we went to the Chinese Garden in Portland and enjoyed the beauty there. All of the plants, trees, rocks, water, etc. are very symbolic and it helped me appreciate the Chinese culture, traditions, and way of life a little more. This beautiful, peaceful garden is in the middle of downtown Portland so it's cool it can be so serene at the same time. It was beautiful. We'll miss a lot of things about this area when we move and a lot of people too. I just had to say goodbye this evening to a good friend whom I admire a whole lot. Bye Heather and I can't wait to check your new blog!

On a happier note, I'm looking forward next week to seeing a lot of friends we haven't seen since May of last year. It will be fun to visit one last time before graduation and see how their kids have grown. Wow! We're really going out into the real world now, huh?!

Unfortunately, no word yet on a solid job offer in Livingston, MT yet, but we're hoping for the best and know of some availability in Billings if Livingston doesn't work out. I'm looking forward to being back in MT near family and having a yard for my kids to play on this summer!! No more creepy people please!

When we hear back about a job we'll be sure to post!

Desert fun

2008-04-19T22:45:00.000-06:00

We had ice cream sandwiches for desert the other evening. I love watching my kids eatting something they love b/c it's all buisness when it comes to eatting it. There's no throwing food on the floor or, "I don't want it. It's yucky." (doesn't that make the cook feel like cooking them yet another meal tomorrow:( ). Anyway, they had a great time enjoying their ice cream and Dallin tried to get every last lick he could out of the bowl as you can see by the chocolate on his forehead. They make life funny!

After the delicious desert I guess my kids thought they better check for cavities!

Daddy, Dallin, and Lucy had fun this afternoon playing dentist with a little keychain flashlight. I'm just about to throw the thing in the garbage, though b/c it is a source of "I want it. No, I want it. No, I want it." almost every day. It's so true that we buy kids all these expensive toys and then the ones they like the best are the free/cheap ones!

GOOD LUCK DEVIN ON PRACTICAL BOARDS IN THE MORNING! IT'S THE FINAL CHALLENGE AND I KNOW YOU'RE UP TO IT. I'LL BE THINKING OF YOU ALL MORNING. I LOVE YOU AND APPRECIATE YOU. GO GET 'EM!

Sringtime Posts....still

2008-04-13T23:21:00.000-06:00

These are just some cute pics and a video I took of Dallin one morning when he was in a real playful mood. Boy, kids can be a lot of fun :)

Easter egg hunt in Oregon versus Easter egg hunt in Montana! Can you guess which is which?

Lucy and Dallin both love the bath! When I say it's bathtime they get super excited and bolt up the stairs to the bathroom. Dallin hasn't discovered the fun of bubbles quite as much as his sister has, though. He does have fun with them, but usually I think he thinks they're just a nuisance since they make it harder for him to find the toys.

Sringtime Posts

2008-04-13T22:58:00.000-06:00

This is my (Susan's) first post, so I hope you enjoy my attempts. I was looking for my cell phone one day and after looking in all the kids' usual hiding spots I still came up empty. I finally had to put my tail between my legs and ask our neighbor friends to call it so I could find it. Although it took a few calls I finally found it and when I did I busted up laughing! Dallin loves to shove little things into this toy that blows balls out of the top and if they're not small enough they often get stuck about the same place as you can see my phone got stuck. The toy makers must have kids too b/c luckily they thought it through enough to make the toy so that it comes apart and goes back together easily. I just had to take the whole shabang to our neighbors to show them Dallin's handywork. We all had a big laugh.

A post at last!

2008-03-02T22:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since we've had a post, but that doesn't mean things haven't been busy around here. We're getting by and hoping for a job. The kiddos are doing great and are so cute to watch grow up!

Lucy is a terrific kid, but here's a picture of her being upset over something or other apparently at breakfast

Here's Dallin looking like a big boy!

When these two are tired of eating but not done, we'll make their food into helicopters for them to eat. I imagine this trick has been around for as long as helicopters (or longer). Now they've figured out how to do it on their own.

Bye-Bye Beardie!

2008-01-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

these videos are dark but cute

2008-01-19T14:43:00.000-07:00

Recap

2008-01-19T13:27:00.000-07:00

beard from Sunday before Christmas to 1/18

over-worked and under-paid

we went to zoo lights

lotsa bounty

neighborhood Nick

Christmas Eve Dinner

So much has happened since my last post. I took part 2 of the national board exams and am waiting for the results (Feb 2 at the latest). We had a terrific Christmas even though we were disappointed that Linnaea didn't come on account of her fighting shingles (first picked up by an O.D. by the way as it started out on her conj). We welcomed the new year in Moses Lake with Jordon and Andrea and her family we had a great time and even learned a new card game called telefunque from Andrea's grandma. I didn't shave for my time off and had a good start on a beard so I decided not to shave it until boards results get back. (It's been a fun project I guess, kind of itchy and it's all anyone wants to talk about when they see you for the first time. I also understand that federal regulations limit pilot's facial hair because it can interfere with suction from their oxygen masks if they need them.) Dallin also started walking much better at Moses Lake and he loves it. I've been enjoying my rotation at the laser surgery center and I'm getting anxious for graduation. I've applied to some pediatric residencies and will hopefully have everything ironed out in March with them. Lucy continues to grow and is such a great little girl. She loves her family and wrestling her brother. She continues her tantrum hobby with some vigor however, but we're starting to see eye to eye more and more.

Thankful

2007-11-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

I was lucky to get most of the week off for Thanksgiving this week. We had a terrific dinner at a family's house here in FG and had a great time complete with football and Xbox360. I've been thinking lately about all the things I have to be thankful for (ok everybody's doing it) and I thought I'd blog one or two. The big one weighing on my mind is my own little family. Wow, I never would have guessed it would be so fun to have a wife and kids. It makes all day worthwhile just to be able to come home to smiles and cheers and spend some time with everybody having fun. It's tough to describe but those of you out there who've been treated like the man of the year and felt that good ol' love at home know what I'm talking about. That said, this is a great country to enjoy that kind of feeling for a couple of main reasons: Number one, I can worship the Lord in a way that invites those loving feelings and deep changes into my home. The official stance of the country is that I should be able to do that. cool! Number two, for more than 200 years thousands of men have fought and died in brutal, painful ways to allow me the safety and security to enjoy my home life and rights of worship. I understand that many men and women have contributed in other ways to military protection of our country but the vast majority of those who have sacrificed their lives and futures have been young men about my age. I've always had a feeling of gratitude for these men, but now that I've had a taste of the pure joy life can bring, I understand more what these brave men have actually sacrificed. Their opportunity to see what I see and feel what I feel and do what I do has been set aside for mine and others' benefit. My prayer and trust is that the Lord will look on their sacrifices and those of their families will be honored for eternity and in many of them reveals a true conviction and love for God's children which will serve them well in the eternities. They can count on my gratitude when I meet them.

getting around

2007-11-17T00:09:00.000-07:00

Dallin's never really crawled using any of the standardly accepted methods but he's sure cute scooting around the way he does. Plus, walking seems to be in sight soon!

Our cute kids

2007-11-16T16:21:00.001-07:00

We took some pictures of the kiddos on campus a few days ago. enjoy!

Back in Oregon

2007-11-09T17:07:00.001-07:00

Well, we made it back to Oregon for my last two rotations and we now have internet connection! that's going to make posting more regularly a lot easier.

We had a good move with a couple of exciting weeks including Dallin's B-day! and Halloween. Dallin dressed as Charlie Brown and Lucy was...Lucy (get it?) costume pictures will come later.

Birthday:

We had a party at our friends' house with some little boys. The theme was dump trucks so Susan made dump cake that we ate in little trucks with icecream. Balloons? yes, streamers? yes recipe for first-birthday-fun. He's a great kid and we're all glad he's around. We love his chearful nature and quick smile.

Lucy is growing fast too! she's abandoning the diapers!!!! for more civilized methods. That's got us all very excited.

The sad news about coming back was that our good friends were ready to leave for rotations too. We've been together through a lot of things and they have been true friends for a long time now. Sadness, for sure. Hopefully we'll be able to keep in touch.

Time for an update

2007-10-01T11:31:00.000-06:00

It's been a long time since we've had enough time on the internet to update the ol' blog. Naturally, a lot of things have happened too. We've moved to Washington for my rotation at an Indian Health Service clinic. I really like the rotation and am getting lots of good experience. Lucy and Dallin love their new neighbors, a llama, four horses, a yellow mixed-up dog, and a breeding pair of beagles who are selling their puppies. We've even made some friends that have been nice to us and taking in some high school football games. We were able to spend time with family before our move and really enjoyed our trip minus some now-taken-care-of car troubles. Soon after the move, we made a trip to northern Wyoming for my grandpa's 90th birthday party!! It was a great time to see all my brothers and sisters and many many cousins.

We have had a tough month of September however. We've been trying to fight a bogus eviction from our apartment in Oregon with a lot of great help from family and friends. Things seem to be working out in our favor but you never know with these folks.

Also, Susan's nephew was shot after moving to a new town, and Susan has been very concerned for him while during his recovery. (physically nearly good as new!) She's planning on spending time with him and his family soon.

In short, time is going by fast and graduation is looming! We're excited for the future. Dallin is growing so fast we can't believe he's turning one this month and Lucy is no baby any more that's for sure.

Update

2007-07-29T10:33:00.000-06:00

Well, we're excited about moving to Washington for the next rotation. We will miss our pool and the friends here we've made but we won't miss the cockroaches (there are no roaches in Colorado you say?) Lucy and Dallin seem to have grown up so much lately. Lucy has always had a lot to say but now we can understand most of it! Dallin rolls around all over the place but is getting interested in crawling I think. Still super happy baby boy. We've enjoyed being near family a lot and will miss my brother and sister.

My Bro took these pictures of my incredible disc golf skills, clearly I need more practice. You've got to admit though, the cheesy look on my face helps a lot.

Exciting times in Denver

2007-07-15T18:39:00.000-06:00

We can't believe we're almost done living here in Denver. It's been a lot of fun and a good educaitonal experience for Devin. Lucy and Dallin are growing so much! They both have loved going to the pool on hot days. We've had a good time exploring around Denver and spending time with nearby family.

Some pictures as promised

2007-06-12T21:03:00.000-06:00

Lucy driving a boat at Elitch's!

On the Train

Dallin, Strapped in for his favorite ride

Lucy's B-day

2007-06-09T20:58:00.000-06:00

Lucy had a birthday (shout hooray) we can finally post some pictures. She had some cousins over for the festivities including cake, swimming, presents, streemers, balloons and a big nap for Dad afterward

In other news, Dallin has two teeth!! It's tough to take a picture of them though

We were also fortunate enough to score some free passes to Elitch Gardens!! (thanks N from HVC) it was great though only some rides were available to kids under 30 inches. We had a terrific time!! Maybe more pictures soon but for now I'm tired.

Denver!

2007-06-01T12:22:00.000-06:00

We're alive and well in Denver now though internet access is limited. I'm starting to finally enjoy my rotation here. Happy birthday to LUCY!! we'll try to get some pictures up soon. Dallin is a big boy now sitting up and biting with two teeth now! We like it here and had a good time visiting family before settling in. Hopefully, more to come soon.

Special Day!!

2007-04-22T19:28:00.000-06:00

Friday April 20 marked the last day of my classroom education!! This last year is clinical experience at different practices but no more lecture-style classes. YIPPEE!!! Today is also a big day for little Dallin, He's six months old!! Can he sit up? You bet! Does he smile all day? Pretty much! Is he chunky and happy? yep! Solid food? Doesn't go for it, though he liked the pickle we let him try. We love him and really enjoy playing with him. After I got outa class, we spent the afternoon at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival for a good time. Enjoy the pics:

Happy Easter!

2007-04-08T22:38:00.000-06:00

Lucy really enjoyed Easter this year. She loves candy but no egg salad sandwiches. She had a good time looking for plastic eggs filled with candy this morning with her friend. She was pretty well behaved at church too. Dallin was pretty sleepy today. I suspect a growth spurt. He doesn't eat candy but was full of sweet smiles all around. We sure enjoyed a day to celebrate the resurrection of the Savior. Happy Easter everyone!!

Back from Belize

2007-04-03T22:24:00.000-06:00

I spent my spring break in some villages in Belize doing eye exams with a humanitarian organization. It was a lot of fun and we were able to help some people that don't have great access to eye care. Fortunately, we had some time for fun too including kayaking around an island, snorkeling over coral and sting rays, swimming in a cave with life vest and head lamp, and seeing Mayan ruins. We came across lots of bugs, some snakes and a huge tarantula. pretty cool.

ring around the rosey

2007-03-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

2007-02-26T22:15:00.000-07:00

Our little family is growing up so fast. We're doing well and enjoying life!

Progress ...

2007-02-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

We've been enjoying the new year in spite of the typical colds and sniffles. I'm really glad to be in my last semester of class work but it's harder and harder to find motivation with the light at the end of the tunnel in sight.

Lucy is better and better at letting us know what she wants. She has no problem asking for cookies and candy but she's not as good at dealing with the disapointment when we say "not this time". (Who knows where she learned to throw a fit so well?) The tantrums are getting fewer and further between and her vocabulary is expanding. Her aim at throwing things at her brother (in love) is pretty good.

Dallin loves to smile and laugh most of the day and is so busy growing that he has no time for pesky naps or going to sleep at night. He will do it, but not without getting his two cents broadcasted throughout the neighborhood. He's so big! We really like his company and he really likes to "play" with his big sister. The other night, we played hide and seek with Lucy seeking and Dallin and I hiding. Dallin hid underneath a blanket and kicked and giggled and I (Dad) hid behind Lucy's inflatable sled. Lucy ran in and checked the closet (her preferred hiding place) and almost stepped on the wiggly blanket. After lots of clues, Mom helped Lucy find Dallin from under the blanket (but, by that time he'd escaped most of the way out) and she found me easily, talk about fun.

quick note

2006-12-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

We're doing pretty well. Susan is fighting off a cold and Lucy has a bit of a runny nose, but we're pretty happy. Dallin is really growing fast and is smiling at us and laughing sometimes. Finals week is next week and yesterday was my last day in clinic for the semester. I need to get on the ball for studying or Santa won't be stopping by our apartment for me. Maybe I can mooch off the kids' presents. Thanksgiving was a lot of fun. We missed seeing family, but we didn't miss the traveling. We got a few inches of snow the other day and enjoyed it for a little while before it melted, kinda made us home sick.

Almost a month with two

2006-11-19T11:35:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we've had two kids now for almost a month. We've been very grateful that Dallin has been such an easy baby and Lucy is fitting in well to her new role as big sister. Even Susan is fealing better. We're especially thankful that grandparents were able to come help out for a few weeks. We really appreciated the help and support. Dallin has been to the doc a few times and has been growing just like he should. He is already well over 9 lbs! We're not used to having such a big (normal-sized) baby. He only cries when he's hungry and usually sleeps really well. I think he's the "strong, silent type". Susan is recovering mostly without problems just a few little things cropping up now and then and we've had some tough nights but we've managed to get by and it's a real blessing to see our family grow. School is going well, I'm counting down to my second to last finals week ever!

Dallin's here!!

2006-10-22T22:59:00.000-06:00

Dallin Glen was born on the 20th at 4:34am he weighed 7lbs 5oz and was 20 inches long. He and his mom are doing just fine. We're all home now and doing fine, with help from Grandma, neighors and church. enjoy the pictures and you can watch the videos by pushing the play button.

Getting by

2006-09-29T16:09:00.000-06:00

Nice stitches

We've been doing well in our neck of the woods. Susan has progressed well and Lucy is doing great. A few weeks ago she banged her head and Susan thought she'd take her to the doctor to see if the cut she got would need stitches. Her doctor put two in to keep it from scarring too much. She was very brave. She's getting good at mimicking mom and dad and is getting more consistent at saying some words, especially "more" "bye-bye" and "mom" and "dad". She's really good at blowing kisses too. Susan's tummy is almost big enough. We're starting to count the weeks down. I've really enjoyed clinic this semester and class is just fine. The good news is that I passed part one of boards! That's a real relief.

a hug for the new baby

Turns out people look at this

2006-08-24T12:12:00.000-06:00

update: After taking part one of national boards in optometry (two days 450 questions, results pending) We took a trip to Montana for some well needed vacation time.

We first arrived in Alder near the Ruby reservoir and spent a week with Susan's dad. We spent our time looking for deer and mountain sheep, hiking, riding in grandpa's boat, and exploring Virginia City. We had a great time and with great company. We also visited some of Susan's friends and took Lucy to the Madison County fair so she could work on learning her animal noises.

After that, we went to Idaho Falls to see Jacob's wedding and spend some time with Susan's uncle and cousins. They went through with it and we had a great time. Lucy got to see her great-grandpa (and snap his suspenders) and some other family and we got some good rest with Susan's family. We gave a ride to Charlotte's kids who had been visiting too. On our way, we saw a street called Vision Drive, but there was no house with a 2020 address.

Then it was on to Bozeman for a week. We were able to play with my folks and had a great time hiking, playing dominoes, and spending time with grandpa, grandma and aunt Wendy.

We spent the rest of our time in Dillon with Susan's mom. Lucy loved Grandma's wading pool and scooter. We had a picnic and played games and got some rest before starting the long trip back.

Lucy did pretty well in the car. With a few toys, stops, and naps.

The First Birthday!

2006-06-04T22:09:00.000-06:00

We managed to keep her alive for a whole year so we had a party.

Lucy's first birthday was Wednesday May 31st! To celebrate, she opened some presents that morning before I went to clinic. she got a swimming pool, and some bubbles!

Then on Friday we had a party for her with some of her friends. Mom made a goose cake (delicious, tasted nothing like goose)

We all enjoyed the cake, but especially Lucy

Some of her friends got Lucy some cool gifts

And Grandma got her a popper (she loves it!)

I scream...

2006-03-18T18:21:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Lucy tried her first icecream cone. It was cotton candy flavored and she loved it! I guess all this time she's be screaming for icecream.

In other news: Susan is doing well, I'm managing to keep my head above water in school and we're both looking forward to having Mom and Dad visit over spring break.

How to get your next clue

2006-03-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

February 22 started out as a normal day. Lucy helped me finish my orange juice at breakfast then I went to work at the clinic where I translate for the interns doing exams. When I got home Lucy had news. Call Susan for your next clue.

We had a merry Christmas!

2005-12-31T17:46:00.000-07:00

We had a nice relaxing Christmas day and a good break from school. Susan is off to MT this week and I'm leaving for Mexico early tomorrow morning. enjoy the pictures!

First food and other news

2005-11-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

A while ago we let Lucy try sucking on a banana, then an orange. She REALLY liked them. In fact, anytime we held her on our laps during a meal she'd attack our plate even if it meant she could suck on the rim. And if we ate in front of her without giving her a taste she'd get very upset quickly. So she had to join us for dinner from the comfort of a blanket on the floor. Last night she got her first rice cereal meal. She ate it really well, swollowing and everything! She took it very seriously and was all business. Her doctor apointment went well, she's growing but is still tiny (12 lbs, 24 inches 1st percentile weight, 10th for height). Our doctor isn't worried though and pointed out that Lucy is a name for a petitte person anyway. She got 5 vaccinations but didn't cry as bad as she has for her other shots. She can sit on her own for around ten seconds and makes lots of cute noises.

In other news, school is demanding and difficult but I've managed to keep my head above water. I'm excited to go on an Amigos trip to Baja over Christmas break. We'll spend a week giving free eye care and glasses to anyone who needs it. With all this school work it'll be nice to see if my skills really will be of benefit to mankind. I went on a vision screening for special olympics athletes on Saturday and enjoyed it very much.

We're getting ready for a great Thanksgiving here too! Isaac's sister is on a mission near here and she's coming to join us for the day. Also my cousin Jake who is in my class will be here too. We're looking forward to a relaxing day and rest of the week.

Lucy can smile

2005-09-22T21:39:00.000-06:00

Lucy talks, smiles and laughs every day now. She's getting cuter and cuter and bigger. Here are some pics of Lucy and her grandpas when she was in Montana.

Bad news...bad, bad news.

2005-09-22T21:26:00.000-06:00

My bike was stolen Saturday night. The lock was cut on campus. The police are looking. In fact, I saw three of them parked outside a coffee shop this evening. They must have a lead there. Too bad. You can see more pictures of my bike (sometimes nicknamed Babieca) at http://refractiveerrorphotos.blogspot.com The good news is, that Susan and Lucy are back!! They had a good trip even though it was for a sad purpose.

Missing the girls

2005-09-10T12:06:00.000-06:00

Susan and lucy will be home monday evening! In the meantime, my sister Wendy was kind enough to make some videos available. Here are links:
Susan and lucy playing

she sneezes in this one

On my own

2005-09-03T11:55:00.000-06:00

Well, due to a death in the family Susan is in Montana with Lucy. Things are pretty quiet around here, but as soon as she left dozens of flies somehow moved into our apartment. I tried to turn some of them into pets with a little success but the rest are getting swatted with my dollar-store fly killa 2000. School is back if FULL swing and keeping me almost too busy to miss the ladies of the house. They'll be home soon.

Recent photos

2005-08-23T22:57:00.000-06:00

We've got some pretty darn cute pictures that haven't been posted yet, thought we'd better let you see 'em. Does she look like a 10 pounder? We haven't checked lately but we're thinkin' so. She'll be three months old before too long! It's hard to believe.

Grumpy pants

Not for long

Sleep!

2005-08-14T11:07:00.000-06:00

Lucy slept from 10pm last night to 6am! It was great! we've usually had a hard time keeping her awake at night without damaging our ears. Last night we baby sat a two-year old and a five-month old maybe the commotion was enough to keep her awake. She's just getting cuter and cuter!

2 month checka check

2005-08-01T13:11:00.000-06:00

Lucy survived her 2 month Dr. apointment on Thursday and came away with 2 band-aids from three immunizations. We gave her a dose of grape-flavored baby tylenol which seemed to help. It still wasn't fun seeing her get poked (mom chose to leave the room). Lucy is doing very well though and now weighs in at 8lbs 9oz! she's 21 1/2 inches long. Our doc says she's in about the 25th percentile which is good. Lucy can look around at things and smile too. We'll try to get some pictures soon.
She was happy to have her cousins visit from Belgrade too!

Dancing Queen

2005-07-20T16:55:00.000-06:00

Here's Lucy Dancing in her pajamas just before bedtime last night. She slep 'til 4:30!

7 weeks old, at the grocery store the other day she came in over 8lbs!

Got your nose!

2005-07-13T20:31:00.000-06:00

Lucy's Cousin Elizabeth has learned how to steal noses. Here she is showing off her skills. (Who could resist that nose anyway?) Lucy graciously played along.

2005-07-13T13:17:00.000-06:00

Here she is looking beautiful in her blessing dress that grandma made for her

2005-07-13T13:15:00.000-06:00

Lucy and Grandpa

2005-07-13T13:14:00.001-06:00

Lucy and Grandpa

2005-07-13T13:14:00.000-06:00

Lucy and her cousin Keegan

2005-07-13T13:13:00.002-06:00

Lucy and Grandma

2005-07-13T13:13:00.001-06:00

Lucy and Cheryl

2005-07-13T13:13:00.000-06:00

Lucy and her cousin Alexandra

2005-07-13T13:12:00.000-06:00

Lucy and her cousin Mia

2005-07-13T13:11:00.000-06:00

Lucy, Mom, and Grandma

2005-07-13T13:10:00.000-06:00

Lucy and her great great uncle John

Lucy's Four Week Check 'em up

2005-06-28T10:46:00.000-06:00

6 lbs 10 oz !! can you believe it!? she's also 19 1/2 inches long now. She's healthy and almost always happy. Here she is taking her first bottle! She downed it pretty quickly but I think she still prefers the old-fashioned milk dispensing method she gets from mom. We're getting excited to go to Montana to show her off to family and friends and bottle training is part of our preparations for a looong car ride.
In order for you to get to know her better, here's a little profile on Lucy:

Name: Lucy Michelle
Occupation: infant
Hobbies: infant, eating, sleeping, crying, pushing out gas and poops.
Favorite color: green (or maybe bright light)
Favorite song: "Dream a Little Dream" as performed by Lauren Kilgore or in a pinch her dad at the top of his lungs with revisions on lyrics he don't remember.
Favorite games: "wave my arms game", "kick my legs game", "make faces game", "spit 'em up game" and "look at bright light game" (also "sleeping through baseball game")
Favorite food: milk
Favorite drink: milk
Most embarrassing moment: not breathing right away in the hospital (talk about embarrassing)
Person I most admire: That blurry lady who feeds me in the middle of the night
Things I don't like: getting weighed at the doctor, giving blood samples, baths (not showers as much), cheap diapers, and cold hands.
My idea of a perfect date: I meet my favorite guy for icecream and dad pops up from behind the bushes and beats him within an inch of his life.

2005-06-25T12:26:00.000-06:00

swimming in space! (not easy)

2005-06-25T12:25:00.001-06:00

hands up and eyes open

2005-06-25T12:25:00.000-06:00

in one of Grandma's gift outfits

2005-06-25T12:24:00.000-06:00

cutie

2005-06-25T12:23:00.000-06:00

life's tough

Gaining weight

2005-06-21T10:55:00.001-06:00

Lucy's gaining a little more than an ounce a day, her face is filling out and her arms and legs are squishier. We noticed the other day that most of the photos on this page had Lucy's eyes closed so we took a few with her eyes open and not crying.

2005-06-21T10:55:00.000-06:00

mom combed lucy's hair funny but she seems to like it

2005-06-21T10:53:00.000-06:00

taking a break with mom

2005-06-21T10:52:00.001-06:00

looking at the camera

2005-06-21T10:52:00.000-06:00

wide eyes

2005-06-15T13:06:00.000-06:00

Which parent does Lucy look like most?

Mom

Dad

2005-06-12T14:09:00.000-06:00

not enjoying bathtime

2005-06-12T14:04:00.001-06:00

a sleeping cutie

2005-06-12T14:04:00.000-06:00

sleepin'

2005-06-12T14:03:00.000-06:00

very photogenic when sleeping

New

2005-06-05T10:05:00.001-06:00

Some more photos from the last couple of days follow. Mom and baby are still doing very well.

2005-06-05T10:05:00.000-06:00

naptime

2005-06-05T10:03:00.001-06:00

too cute

2005-06-05T10:03:00.000-06:00

Lucy with her friend Paul who was born in December

2005-06-05T10:02:00.001-06:00

close up

2005-06-05T10:02:00.000-06:00

asleep at home

2005-06-05T10:01:00.000-06:00

A demonstration of the Babkin reflex (kind of)

2005-06-05T09:58:00.001-06:00

working on her moves

2005-06-05T09:58:00.000-06:00

matching hospital bracelets

2005-06-05T09:57:00.003-06:00

finding her hands

2005-06-05T09:57:00.002-06:00

hand sucking

2005-06-05T09:57:00.001-06:00

she likes to suck on her hands

2005-06-05T09:57:00.000-06:00

a big yawn after she got home

2005-06-05T09:56:00.001-06:00

look how excited she is to go home