On The Road

We are now in the very small town of Mineral Wells, WV. It only took us 8 hours to go what should have been 5 1/2. Landon was pretty dang good for his first long road trip.

The highlight of the day was when we were driving through Ohio on pretty small roads, but were very busy we spotted almost a dozen Amish horse and buggies. We even saw a man riding on his plow (or whatever it was) being pulled by horses. Mike commented how much he loves me because I don't require fancy trips. All I want is to see an Amish horse and buggy.

We stopped at a park and had lunch and let Landon run around and of course had to stop at Hallie's least favorite store WalMart to buy windshield wiper blades.

Mike is off to go find us something to eat as it is almost 7:00 pm. Good night until another day.

He's Not A Baby Anymore

We took Landon to the real deal barber today. My baby is gone.

Here are the pictures to prove it.

This is his 4th cut. I can't handle the cutting, but this time it was pretty dang cute for $20.

A Busy and Fun Day

Yesterday, the three of us after Landon took his 2 1/2 hour nap went out on a day of adventure. (Everywhere Hallie and Landon go is an adventure or at least she likes to think so.) We first headed to the city so we could go and put Mike's office together. The secretaries in his department have been asking when Landon was coming again. Hallie thought about it and it has been almost 2 1/2 months since he has been. We dressed him up in cute overalls one of Mike's friends had sent recently and away we went.

He loves at least playing with his shades. He kept them on long enough for Hallie to snap a photo.

Hallie took pictures in as close to a 360 as possible. Hoping everyone could get a little taste for Mike's new digs. It is amazing how much bigger a double office is than his old one. There was plenty of room for Landon to move and get into things in this one.

We started to wind down on our day when Landon would not take an afternoon nap by going to the church and doing some light cleaning. It is really sad the lack of care our brand new building gets. Landon loved pushing the sweeper vacuum. Helpful? Ummm probably not, but so much fun to watch.

After the church we headed over to Costco for a few groceries and diapers to tide us over til we leave for South Carolina. Just 6 more days til we get to see places we have never seen and relatives we haven't seen in over a year. We got all of things on our list, but the digital camera. Unfortunately, it was not but it was a dang good price. We read about it once we got home and we did not do half bad. Now Natalie will have even more pics of Landon in October when her next book is made. 

Shared photo book from Hallie

View Project at Shutterfly

New Dos.

While sitting in the chair at the hairdressers today I decided to have her cut me some bangs. Why? I really have no idea. I actually like them. I had to take my own picture since Mike was busy getting the house and yard ready for Spring, whatever that means. It is over 60 here today and we have several crocuses that have bloomed in the front yard. Life is beginning again here in Michigan and it is exciting! I even walked to the hair dresser and the boys walked to the hardware store.

Diamond got a new do this past month as well. Her Dr. told her to shave her head due to having psoriasis. She did like the way it looked so her mom set her up with a great wig! I love it, but she does not like the bangs. To each their own. As long as you feel comfortable in your skin that is what matters. At least I was able to get a better picture of her than in the past. Hee Hee Hee!

An Answered Prayer

Even though our baptism did not go through today :(

Wal-Mart has my PHONE!

YEAH

I can't wait to have my little one back.

A Big Blur

What do I remember about yesterday:

• I had yummy poutine in Canada
  
• I ate a yummy mint brownie at Enrichment
• Learned how to save money/get things free at Enrichment
• Lost my phone

Yes, I lost my phone. I am currently carrying Mike's phone. So, please call me on that. If you do not have that number and would like it, please e-mail me and I will be happy to give it to you.

New Digs

The assistant dean over my division at the college asked me to change offices in order to be closer to the director of my program area and my other colleagues. This was an unexpected opportunity, but not one I was about to turn down. My current office is a typical 12' x 12' space for junior faculty. In all, I was impressed by the privacy, the corner desk, and the storage space I got. After all, it wasn't the cubicle I had as a grad student. While my current (old) office is a little far away from the action on the other end of the floor, I have been close to my secretary and to the copy room, and I have had friendly neighbors. The change in offices is an opportunity not only because I am closer to the other members of my program area, but also because it's effectively twice as large as my current space. In what is sure to be a contoversial move on the part of my assistant dean, I effectively have been given the kind of upgrade that is typically bestowed upon more senior faculty (i.e., those with tenure). For this reason, I don't know how long my good fortune will last before I am asked to switch again, and I am taking advantage in the meantime. My old office had a southern view of the Student Center Building and a fair amount of good, if intense, southern light (I'll take all the light I can in a city with an average 180 sunny days per year compared to the 273 per year I grew up with). My new office faces east and has views of the art building and the conference center through a row of shade trees along Gullen Mall. I'm looking forward to the extra space and the chances to interact with my new neighbors. The funny thing is that the two offices share essentially the same set of furniture. The only difference is that the new office has a slightly larger round table (for meeting with students) and another table along the window wall. So, I have the same amount of storage space in both offices. I'm looking forward to this new office with more room to stretch out and a nicer view (at least until I get asked to move again!).

Ready!

Landon was so ready for church today last Sunday. I even had his shirt tucked in. He had a new tie and everything. I can't wait till Easter when he will sport his first Bow Tie!

He Heard My Cries...

... for good weather! Just when we thought we could not stand the cold and snow one more day, Heavenly Father gave us 62 (at 1:30pm), sun, and a slight breeze. Mike and Landon made sure to start the day off right by getting their hands (and in Landon's case feet and clothes) dirty by playing in the backyard. This year we will be successful when it comes to our garden. He are a few pictures to entertain you.

A Little Perspective

This video's been making the rounds, but if you haven't seen it, here is Louis CK bringing a little perspective on our world on Conan O'Brien's show. Enjoy!

"Everything is so Amazing and Nobody is Happy . . ."

So, I looked this guy up and found the following little gem about public schools on his website:

"Public school is, to me, the most important thing in the whole world that actually exists. I seriously mean that. I think it's the solution to almost everything. Obviously, public school is in big trouble all over the country and in "this economy" it's about to get much worse.
I am a product of Public school. It's all I am a product of because I didn't go to college. My school had rich kids and poor kids. Mostly white kids though some black. Some of the teachers were incredible. Some weren't. There were good schools and bad, good years and bad. Kind of like everything else.
When I lived in Los Angeles, the public school system seemed terrible. I left before my daughter started Kindergarten so I didn't really experience it, but we had started to look for an alternative. Private schools, charter schools, Public schools in other districts that we'd have to finagle the system to move her to. There's this feeling when your local public school is not an option, that you are cast adrift. You start trying to find the perfect place. When you do, it's all filled up. you try to balance finances with education ideals, try to have just the right timing at just the right place.
When public schools are working, it's very simple. EVerybody that lives in that part of town goes to that school. That's just where everyone goes. And everyone has a stake in that school being good. If it's not good, people complain or get invovled. Sometimes they do that when it is good and the good school has to fight them off. But in any case, it's kind of a great self-cleaning system. It's a place where you have to put in a personal effort to get an above-average education. you have to be patient with the slow gears of beurocracy. There are many lumpy layers of paint on the walls. many generations of people from your area went there too. Some of them are teaching you. you can't avoid all kinds of people. Your parents can't mix the perfect coctail of diversity and political correctness that they can at private schools. Every part of society has to deal with every other part. And no one that teaches or works in a public school can be accused of doing it to get rich or for status or really anything else selfish. Firemen, policemen, public school teachers. Nuff said."

A Great Big Thank You!

Today Hallie is feeling full of gratitude. In the spirit of all the dumb lists on Facebook she is going to list what she is grateful for. So if you don't want to feel all warm and fuzzy inside then I suggest you hit the road jack! J/K!

1. For someone/s who wrote my brother who is in the Army. You are awesome whoever you are. I will have to admit you may not get a letter back as we have only received one in the month or so he has been gone. I do know however he really appreciated it. This was said to us through his wife. 
2. For the unbelievable event that our FSA chapter had last night. Satan worked hard on me and others who wanted to start their fast for adoption. But, those of us who came, ate, fasted, and attended the temple prevailed! 
3. Thankful to those who helped with the function last night. Especially Michelle and Diamond. I know I would have had to have taken a full Xanax to have tried it by myself. 
4. I am grateful for Landon being able to sign more and up. Even if those are the only two words he can do in well over 2 months.
5. A great husband who is willing to spend a majority of his Saturday with our little one so I can do my calling.
6. Thankful for vacations that are not coming fast enough so that we can get out of the frigid temps here in Michigan.
7. That Landon still takes long and sometimes 2 naps a day. When else could I play my Wii Fit?
8. Grateful for my electric blanket on these dang cold winter nights.
9. For Diamond and her inexperience with so many things I have experienced. It is so much fun to show her all of things that I love and it makes me feel like a kid again.
10. That Mike can stay home most mornings and that we can be in bed while Landon play for close to an hour every day. That makes up for all of the other crazy times he is gone.
11. For great articles in the Ensign and Friend magazines.
12. Landon being part Irish. Now we can have corned beef and cabbage and not feel like we were trying to "fit in".