All Things Howe

The Photo Shoot

2011-12-21T22:55:00.006-07:00

So the other evening, just before taking our annual (sort of) family Christmas card photo, Ava scampered over to me, demanded "Up!", immediately struggled in my arms (as always), and somewhat angrily gestured towards the point and shoot camera with a crazy half-smile. In my usual pathetic inability to understand my children, I asked Harrison to interpret. He rolled his eyes and told me she wanted to take some pictures. I picked up the camera, turned towards her, and she was in full mugging mode, no instructions necessary. A small sampling of the results:

Ava is a wild, hilarious little girl, who has me seriously wrapped around her finger. Just when I think that her level of cuteness can't get cuter (sorry for the parental overspeak -- I get in this bloggin' atmosphere and I just can't help myself), she figures out a way to step it up and give me a right hook to my heart. Like how she started speaking little words here and there, with "da-da" being one of them, and "mmm-hmm" as an answer to every yes/no question (but never to an open ended question -- that was always "ummmmmm ..."), now she's graduated to exclaiming "DA-DDY!" every time I turn the lock on the door coming home from work, answering "Yesh", "O-shay!", or a defiant "No!" to every yes/no question, and answering most open-ended questions by naming a Sesame Street character -- "Eerrnie", "Melmo" or my favorite, always said with an almost Southern accent, "Ahh-bay!" (Abby). Can't wait to see her reactions to things Christmas morning. Love my daughter. -- Guest blogger Jordan

A Christmas Twist - by Harrison

2011-12-01T08:23:00.008-07:00

Currently in my living room, the Autobots are saving baby Jesus from the three bad guy kings...who were then promptly eaten by a T-Rex.

Happy December from the Howe Family!

Introducing.....

2011-11-08T14:07:00.006-07:00

Matthew Clason Howe

October 15, 2011

9:15pm 7 lbs 1 oz

A bit crazy getting him here - but all is well. A perfect little one.

A Tough One

2011-01-15T21:31:00.002-07:00

Those lips!

When Mom chooses....When the 3-year-old chooses

2011-01-15T21:29:00.001-07:00

Siblings

2011-01-15T21:17:00.003-07:00

The Birthday Princess

2011-01-13T11:10:00.001-07:00

We had a little family dinner/birthday party for Ava where she got to dig into a little personal pink frosted chocolate cake. She was hesitant at first, ate a little, smushed it around really well, and tired of it quickly. She received some lovely gifts and had LOTS of fun with the wrapping paper and her cousins. I would have loved to have done a big outdoor party in the warm sunshine, but alas, it is winter and we live in Utah. January has been bitter cold - endlessly cold - but fun was still had by all, and my baby is one. A really cute one.

Ava Grace - 12 months

2011-01-07T10:16:00.000-07:00

She is wild and fun and full of energy - and we wouldn't have it any other way. A few things about her so I don't forget:

Height: 31 inches - 95% Weight: 24.4 lbs - 91%
Love love loves to clap on cue and any other time she hears or sees others clapping
Has four teeth - 2 bottom middle, her right front tooth and right incisor (random)
First word: Dada - even though I have tried my best to get her to say Mama
Makes car noises as she pushes Harrison's cars around the house
Takes 3-6 steps on her own before grabbing onto something or lowering herself slowly to the ground
Is in LOVE with books - she sits and 'reads' by herself a lot and loves to be a part of reading time with Harrison
Has destroyed the sides of her crib with her little chompers - black paint flecks were a regular in her neck chubs before the teething coverings went on
Sleeps with the same blanket every night and likes it up around her face at all times
HATES cooked carrots - spits them out every time
LOVES cheese - especially Colby jack
Plays with her 'kid kitchen' A LOT - she loves opening and closing the compartments and filling them with pretend food
Is a CRAZY woman in the tub. Splashing and thrashing, climbing and falling best describe tubby time
Loves to give high-fives and slobbery open mouth kisses
Follows her brother everywhere
Crawls faster than the speed of light if she sees an open bathroom door
Loves to dump out trash cans
Signs - 'all done' 'milk' 'more' and 'please'
Sleeps like an angel - stick to her schedule and she is a happy girl
Loves to empty the kitchen cupboards

What a beautiful and blessed year we have had with this little one. My Ava.

New Year's Eve

2010-12-31T22:53:00.001-07:00

We actually went out on a date! Dinner and movie with Heath and Liz while Dave watched the kiddos at the house. It was so fun to be out - and I had high hopes of making it to midnight. But we didn't. In bed and asleep by 11:00pm.

Check out Ava's THREE chompers!

A Howe Christmas

2010-12-25T21:03:00.001-07:00

Harrison had his Preschool Christmas Program just a couple of days before Christmas. We were so excited to hear him sing the songs he had been practicing for so long and to be a part of his first 'school program.' We had the camera ready, the video camera rolling - proud parents to be sure. He did smile for about the first two minutes, sang 'I'm a V.I.P. in my family,' and then it went downhill. He frowned, sat in silence, took off his Santa Hat, took off his V.I.P. necklace, picked his nose, and finally left the stage all together to come and stand with us. He said he didn't know any of the words to the songs when I asked him why he didn't sing. And then he sang them all the way home in the car.

We spent Christmas Eve with the Garner Family - which ended with two out of three boys in tears. Harrison gave Jackson something he already had, and Jackson gave Harrison something he already had - all in all an unsuccessful gift exchange between the boys. It was hard not to laugh at how excited they were to give each other gifts and then witness TOTAL disappointment when they were actually opened. But the night was full of great food and even better company - and I am sure the boys have forgotten the botched gift exchange completely.

Christmas really is magical with children. Harrison couldn't have been any cuter during the build up to the big day and on Christmas itself. He couldn't speak when he saw his Thomas Trains and was overjoyed at FINALLY having a "kid kitchen." We spent the morning opening gifts and playing with everything new and exciting. Ava napped, Jordan assembled his new bike and gave Harrison the inaugural ride while I prepared Christmas Dinner. Colleen and Ernie joined us for the afternoon - and the feast was enjoyed by all. A beautiful Christmas.

An Attempt at Christmas Spirit

2010-12-21T10:46:00.000-07:00

We talked about the true meaning of Christmas. We talked about the Nativity and who was present. We attempted to create a little Nativity that he could color. Which he did - in Spiderman red, blue, and black - and only after putting on Spiderman paraphernalia and saving 'MJ' from the likes of "robbers" on the kitchen floor.

A Christmas Night with H

2010-12-20T21:34:00.004-07:00

Building a gingerbread house with a three-year-old for the first time = magical. Harrison was in heaven putting everything on "right right right." He only ate five (or so) pieces of candy, and even asked me before putting each one in his mouth. It was fun. Just plain fun. We followed it up with games on the kitchen counter, which he of course won - every time. :) We missed our little Ava-lovey, but I'm sure she was much happier getting her beauty sleep.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The Lights on Temple Square

2010-12-14T22:10:00.001-07:00

Driving up to see the lights, Harrison would shout from the backseat EVERY time we saw ANY lights on houses...."MOMMY! LOOK AT THAT CHRISTMAS!" So, needless to say, his mind was sufficiently blown at the millions of lights on temple square. It was a little chilly, but we had a great time. Harrison ran around like a maniac at first climbing into any and every bush he could find. He was on an "adventure" that eventually became too "muddy and smelly", so he resorted to running as fast as he could and yelling at the top of his lungs. Isn't it great to be three and not care what anyone else thinks?

And my little Ava got her first two teeth yesterday....at the same time. Two bottom chompers right in the middle. She spent most of the day flicking them with her tongue trying to figure out what is happening in her mouth. And it couldn't be any cuter.

Harrisonisms

2010-12-08T15:09:00.003-07:00

Just ran across these little doozies from Harrison that I wrote down just before Halloween....

H: Nanna and I got married last night when I was older.
___________________________________

H: Where is our video camera?
Me: It's gone honey. We need to buy a new one.
H: Did the robbers take it?
Me: Yes.
H: I guess I need to hit the robbers down. Mommy? Is it OK if I hit them down? I'll find them and hit them down. With swords. And daddy.
______________________________________

H: A-N-N-I-E. Do you know what that spells?
Me: Yes - Annie.
H: No. It spells Football Stadium Months. Where you were born. I was born there too last night. Football Stadium Months.
Me: Oh.
______________________________________

H: (giving me a giant hug...) Annie? I sure love you. And I am sorry that the robbers made you sad.
______________________________________

SO...here is the question. My child is obviously quite shaken up by the whole break-in thing. He talks about it almost daily even though Jordan and I never do. What should I do? We try to explain that we are all safe and that the things taken don't matter, but he always brings it up.

SUGGESTIONS??

11 Months

2010-12-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

This little one had a big month.......a lot of firsts. Clapping on cue, giving kisses, waving on cue, and signing 'milk' and 'all done!' But she is most proud of her new found standing abilities. Any time she can, she tries to show you this little trick of hers. We of course clap and cheer - causing her to clap and then fall down. Love her.

Thankful

2010-11-25T14:22:00.001-07:00

Thankful for my Harrison - who corrected me each time I said Thanksgiving DINNER - "It's a FEAST mom." Being the world's pickiest eater.....his FEAST consisted of goldfish and ice cream.

Thankful for my Ava - who ate both her share and her brothers share of the FEAST.

Thankful for my Jordan - who loves Thanksgiving FEAST day above all other days of the year....

Thankful. Thankful. Thankful.

Happenings

2010-11-21T21:09:00.008-07:00

So.....I put up the Christmas Decor.....on November 16th. I know - ridiculous. But my kiddos sure love it.

Cute Cousin Claire came over and entertained us all with Harrison.......

Dan and Cat came for a visit - we LOVE it when that happens!

Saturday we did this......

24 hours later we did this in 10 inches of snow.......

Harrisonisms

2010-11-11T21:42:00.003-07:00

While passing a large rack of black bras at Target the other day he shouted: "WOW! Mom! Look at all these mask-es!

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Just before his third birthday while being potty trained, Harrison was sitting on the toilet deep in thought when he wowed me with this.....

"I just don't get it mom. Does the poop start in my toes, go up my legs, into my tummy and out my bottom?"

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While trying to get him to try something new the other day, I told him he would like it because it was sweet. To which he replied.....

"Mom. Boys are handsome. Not sweet. I won't like that."

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He is very into referencing everything with some sort of age time line of when it happened or will happen - but he gets them all mixed up......for example:

"When I was 10 last night I flew on a plane to Disneyland."
"When I am seven I will eat spaghetti with sauce, but it is not for me. I'm three."
"Last night when I was older I turned 2."
"Yesterday I went to Oregon and I was twenty."
"Last year when I was a baby....well actually I was never a baby.....only Ava is a baby and she is crazy. And why does she have diarrhea?"

10 months

2010-11-11T21:32:00.003-07:00

This little one has my heart. She is wild and all over the place - but sweet as can be, and we love her. Harrison told me today "Mommy, I love my little sister." Agreed.

She is starting to stand on her own, letting go for a few seconds at a time. And just today clapped on cue - and it made me smile. Love her.

Missing

2010-11-07T21:15:00.004-07:00

For the past eight months (I think that is how long it has been since I blogged...) I have thought on multiple occasions - that I should just sit down and blog. Do a little here and a little there and eventually you will catch up. I took hundreds of pictures of my kids this summer, hundreds of Ava growing from a newborn to a crawling wild little one, hundreds of Harrison turning three and becoming my little man. I should have done it. About five weeks ago our home was broken into and amoungst all the replaceable items that were taken, it is the things I cannot replace that has caused my heart to ache. You see, I, like a lot of other people I know - do not print my pictures as I take them. Back in the days of film - this was not a problem. I kept meaning to, but I just never did. So my photos from the last two years are gone, as well as all the video I have taken over the last three years of my kids.

So I write this not for sympathy - but just as maybe a little kick start for others. Put your memories onto cd or external hard drives outside of your home. Because hard drives in the home get taken too. Anyway, I hope people don't mind if I take a picture or two off their blogs of things that involved my family in the past. I am going to try and piece together events from others photos.

Anyway - I have made a vow with myself to be more diligent about not only blogging, but printing pictures and becoming more organized altogether. So stick with me as I begin blog catch-up!

Halloween Festivities

2010-10-31T22:04:00.002-06:00

Harrison was Spiderman for the second year in a row - so we thought it only fitting to spend Halloween with his cousins who are also obsessed with Spiderman. Alex and Harrison are just six months apart in age and looked like twins in their costumes. Jordan and I put together his Doctor Octopus costume the night before and the boys LOVED it!

Our little pumpkin Ava made it to three houses trick-or-treating and then lost it. I was secretly thrilled - and she and I headed back to the house where it was nice and warm. This was Harrison's first year trick-or-treating and he just couldn't believe he could just knock on doors and they gave him candy! It was so fun to see the boys together - wrestling, shooting webs, and of course eating all the candy possible!

Halloween at PreSchool

2010-10-28T21:57:00.002-06:00

Getting to wear his Spiderman costume to school, a costume parade with their decorated pumpkins, donuts and witches brew for a snack, and Harrison's best friend Bjork, came dressed as EVE from WALL-E. Pretty much a perfect day in Harrison's book.

First Snow

2010-10-27T20:15:00.001-06:00

A few days before Halloween we had a lovely dumping of snow - Harrison was in heaven and spent most of the day outside. It lasted one day and it was gone - for now. He is SO ready for winter and asks every day if he can put on his snow clothes, I wish it would stay fall forever.

Football and a visit from the Greats...

2010-10-22T21:04:00.001-06:00

Football season is upon us, which means Harrison wears his football helmet more often than not and is constantly holding some object up to my mouth as a microphone so that I can do the play by play of his actions. He tackles himself, fumbles, catches, runs, stiff arms imaginary opponents - all right from our living room. Ava gets in on the action occasionally....

My grandmother and grandpa Frank also came for a visit - we loved having them here. Frank wired our garage we built last spring for lights and plugs - we are SO grateful! Harrison was obsessed with Franks cane and used it as a fire-knife while he spun it around in the living room. I am so happy that my kids are getting to know their great grandparents - I hope we didn't wear them out too much!

9 Months

2010-10-07T20:12:00.001-06:00

My little one is nine months old. She crawls, opens any drawer or cupboard she can find, and is keeping me on my toes. She has started to answer with her own little coos and sounds when you talk to her - and melts her daddy's heart on a regular basis. Love this little one.

A trip to Southern California

2010-10-01T13:30:00.002-06:00

We spent 5 days in Southern California with Jordan's family(most of which I think we secretly spent wishing we still lived at the beach :) and had a great time. We went for morning walks on the beach, spent a couple of days at a very hot disneyland, saw old friends, met my Uncle Peter at the Santa Monica pier for lunch at our favorite place WAHOO'S, went to a USC football game, and just enjoyed being away. Doesn't that picture of Ava in her Minnie ears just make your heart melt?

The Cousins are here!

2010-09-13T13:52:00.001-06:00

A three week visit from the Dubai Clason's was wild and crazy and SUPER FUN! Costumes were worn sun-up to sun-down by Ivy and Harrison, buckets of cold cereal were consumed by all (especially Uncle John:), hikes were attempted and sometimes completed, Park City was taken by storm, Otter Pops were an essential part of the kids' diet, Canyon and Harrison had numerous semi-violent encounters, and we loved it.

The Heaton Ranch

2010-09-12T14:23:00.009-06:00

Just before John and Toria and the kids headed back to Dubai - we got to together for a long overdue Clason family reunion in Southern Utah. We all headed down to the Heaton Ranch, just minutes from Bryce Canyon National Park for a weekend of no TV or phone service....and it was just perfect. We fished on the little lake, hiked in the mountains, held a 'kid' olympics with all the great grandkids, had a smore cook-off, told stories of the 'good ole days', laughed at how much everyone has changed, and had our very own polynesian fire knife dance put on by the cousins.

I think my Grandma enjoyed it more than we all realized at the time. I have since looked through all my many pictures from that weekend and in several of them she is just sitting quietly with a big grin on her face watching her grandkids and greatgrandkids have a blast. It was the first time in many many years that the entire family had been together - I hope we can do it again soon.

To PreSchool He Goes....

2010-09-07T13:42:00.001-06:00

To preschool he went. Complete with a breakfast of choice: Chocolate milk and plain spaghetti noodles. He didn't cry but I sure did - all the way home and most of the morning.

5 Months

2010-06-07T14:56:00.000-06:00

Little Miss Ava - 2 months

2010-03-10T12:47:00.005-07:00

Length: 24 inches - 95% Weight: 11 pounds - 54%

Random Notes

2010-03-10T12:17:00.007-07:00

So I have decided that I am going to try to take more pictures with me AND my kids - even if that means spiderman beanies and blurry self-portraits taken in the mirror....

Potty Conversations:

After changing a particularly disgusting diaper....

Me: Harrison, do you think today is the day you would like to start using the potty? Then you wouldn't have to have diapers.

Harrison: Well.....yes.

Me: You would? Lets choose some underwear to try on. Do you think that will be fun?

Harrison: Well.....OK. But R2D2 had snow on his head. It was funny.

There you have it.

And one more thing......Happy Spring from Salt Lake.

Bedtime

2010-03-01T15:07:00.001-07:00

Cabin Fever

2010-03-01T14:38:00.009-07:00

makes us take self-portraits.......

Harrison tries his hand at photography........

we build legos and do our own version of the Olympics.......

we act silly...........

but mostly we just wish it were spring.

Yesterday was a good day.....

2010-02-18T08:59:00.008-07:00

even though I didn't sleep well. I kept waiting for this little one to wake up. But she didn't.
10pm to 7am - at six weeks. Incredible.

Harrison painted and painted and painted....

Ava smiled at me.......a lot......

Harrison did his own version of snowboard cross in our living room (Olympics how we love thee!)....

and we had a new faucet installed in our kitchen - I love it.

I capped off the day with a night out with two of my nearest and dearest girlfriends - a much needed dinner that made me get OUT of my sweats and into real jeans (no belly panel here folks!). Loved it!

-------and-------

Harrison's first artistic rendition of his family......
not too shabby for a 2 1/2 year old. Love him.

Harrisonisms

2010-02-10T21:11:00.001-07:00

Me: Have you finished your lunch?
H: Yeah......I did.......but.......it was horrible.

_________________________________

Me: H? Would you like your vitamin?
H: Yes. But don't eat it. It's yucky for you - not me.

_________________________________

Harrison praying: Bless to be careful with the computer and please be nice to mommy.

_________________________________

Me: Would you like the crust?
H: No. It's not for my body. It's just for you.

My Little Ones

2010-02-06T14:07:00.002-07:00

Ava is four weeks old, and Harrison can't wait for her to grow up. After every nap he asks - 'Is she big yet?'

Conversations with Harrison at 2 1/2

2010-01-29T13:14:00.003-07:00

Me: Harrison? Would you like to come lay down with me and take a nap?

Harrison: (Thinking....) Well.........no.

Me: Why not?

Harrison: Well.....you are bothering me.

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Harrison: (holding up his empty hands) Hey mommy, look at this sacrament.

Me: Sacrament? What is a sacrament?

Harrison: It is this mountain volcano where Bobafet (Star Wars) and Raja the Giant Tiger (Aladdin) live.

Me: Are you sure it is not taking the bread and water at church?

Harrison: No. It is a volcano that spits out hot lava and smoke and fire. And.....I don't like bread.

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Trying to feed the baby

2010-01-28T09:11:00.002-07:00

For the most part, Harrison has adjusted very well to a new baby sister in the house. He occasionally acts like a baby, or has a minute or two of "HOLD ME!" episodes, but for the most part he is doing really well. Until the other day...

Nursing the baby is proving to be an issue. While roaring at the baby like a T-Rex, climbing all over me trying to push me off of the couch, and trying to pull the baby's hair while she was eating - he alternated shouting the following two phrases at me:

"DON'T FEED THE BABY! SHE IS NOT HUNGRY!"

and then real kicker.....over and over and over.....

"GET THAT DRINKING THING OUT OF HER MOUTH!!"

Overheard

2010-01-28T06:00:00.002-07:00

H talking on his phone (the TV remote):

Hi Nanna - its me - Harrison David Howe.
(pause)
Yep.
(pause)
I'm just hanging here. I got your message.
(pause)
I love grape juice.
Does Uncle John like grape juice?
Does Asher like grape juice
Does Ivy like grape juice?
(pause)
Oh she does? She is so cute.
(pause)
Yes I read my book - the caterpillar was very hungry. Then it turned into a butterfly --- called metamorphosis.
(pause)
OK - I sure love you - bye.

The last two weeks...

2010-01-24T08:59:00.004-07:00

Little Ava - two weeks old

Watercolors with Nanna - and a nap with Ava

Daddy and his little ones - Harrison in Daddy's shoes

Harrison loves to have Ava hold onto his finger

Perfecting funny faces with cousin Claire

While I was in the hospital, Nanna taught my little guy to write an 'H'

Introducing baby...

2010-01-14T22:19:00.002-07:00

Ava Grace Howe
Born 1/7/2010
7 lbs 5 oz
21 inches

And it begins....

2009-11-05T15:54:00.003-07:00

Baby sister is officially on her way - her first pair of shoes have made their way into the house.

Good Morning

2009-11-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

6:35am - Harrison enters our room....

Harrison: Hi Mommy. I'm done restin'.

Me: Sweetie, it is still very early - why don't you play with the toys in your room for a little while?

-PAUSE-

Harrison: I don't think I understand you. I'm DONE RESTIN'!

Halloween Festivities

2009-10-31T13:58:00.004-06:00

A trip to Jordan's office for the company Halloween lunch and trick-or-treat, where Jordan won best original costume for being a building that Spiderman climbs....

The ward trunk-or-treat and dinner where Harrison was captivated by the clown....

Carving pumpkins at home before the trick-or-treaters showed up......Harrison was disgusted by the entire process until he realized that fire would be burning inside them at the end....

We decided to stay home this year since it will probably be the last year we don't actually have to go out trick-or-treating. Harrison handed out candy and shot everyone who came to the door with webs - it was hilarious. Loved it.

Halloween lives on at our house, Harrison wears his costume everyday - during naps, to the store, at the park - everywhere.

A Weekend Away

2009-10-25T12:47:00.002-06:00

I did it. I left town. All by myself. On an airplane back to sunny, warm Huntington Beach. One of my dearest friends was getting married - and the girls were gathering. We ate at all of our favorite restaurants, shopped at beautiful South Coast Plaza, danced and danced at a wedding celebration, reconnected with old friends - and I feel rejuvenated. Jordan stayed home with my little Harrison and they were fine. They went to a movie, watched lots of football, skipped naps, visited family, and ate their weight in M&M's. I think all three of us had a WONDERFUL time.

Conversations with Harrison at 27 months

2009-10-19T12:44:00.004-06:00

HARRISON: Where is my black spiderman jacket?

ME: It is on the couch in the living room.

HARRISON: Mommy, how did you remember that?

ME: Because I am a smart mommy.

HARRISON: And I'M the smartest boy EVER.

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HARRISON: Mommy, where did your lunch go?

ME: It went to my tummy.

HARRISON: (Silence.......)

HARRISON: NO! Baby Sister is in your tummy.

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Getting him up from his nap.....
ME: Harrison? Do you want to go to a birthday party tonight? We need to go soon! There will be games and pizza!

HARRISON: (Stands up on his bed) I NEED CAKE! FANCY CAKE!

Baby #2 - dates to remember

2009-10-18T12:26:00.000-06:00

5/14/09: Our four year wedding anniversary - found out we were expecting

6/15/09: Saw the baby and heartbeat for the first time

8/26/09: Felt first kicks at almost 20 weeks

8/28/09: Found out we are having a GIRL! And Harrison has decided that she can only be named one of three names:

1) SPIDERMAN (the clear front-runner)
2) GREEN ALIEN
3) ISAAC

Take your pick.

Pumpkin Harvest

2009-10-03T12:19:00.000-06:00

Everyday, all summer, we watered and watched. Harrison grew 7 pumpkins. Not too bad for a two year old eh?

Go Jazz

2009-10-02T11:59:00.005-06:00

Quote from Jordan: "I NEVER thought this day would come."

Meaning this: Harrison was a little tough on us at first (I have actually mentally blocked out the first 10 months of his life so I don't have an anxiety attack about baby #2). So when Jordan looked at me during the fourth quarter of Harrison's first professional basketball game and said the above quote - I knew what he meant. Our lives have never included any sort of outing with him after 6pm - EVER.

We would leave family dinners after being there just a short while because he had worked himself into a sweating vomiting tizzy, restaurants were attempted a time or two only to have one of us outside with the screamer while the other wished they were any place but there, etc etc etc.

So when Harrison calmly sat on our laps, transfixed by everything around him - for four entire quarters of basketball - we couldn't help but smile. He loved the crowd - mimicking everything that others were doing (shouting, pointing, fists in the air), the infamous Jazz Bear and all his crazy game antics, and of course the treats! The day has finally come - Harrison functions in public even late into the evening. Oh happy day.

An English Grandmother...

2009-09-30T11:51:00.001-06:00

Happy 88th Birthday to my Nanna!

I stole the description below off of my aunts blog - hope she doesn't mind - and I hope I look as fabulous as she does on my 88th!

My Nanna is an amazing woman! She has lived in several countries and traveled all the way around the world. She is an artist. She is very good at starting over and making a new life for herself. As a young woman during World War II she served in the Women's Land Army in England. The "land girls" did the farm work of the men who were away fighting in the War. She emigrated to the United States with her husband and children while expecting her fourth child. She is the mother of five children, whom she raised in northern Utah. She is always reading and learning. When you have a conversation with her, you realize how well-educated she is. This is through her own efforts to add to her British education, which ended when she was fourteen. She then completed a 3-year apprenticeship at a hair-dressing shop. She has a lot of "spunk." While living in New Zealand, she became an art teacher under her husband's tutelage. She has taught watercolor painting in Germany and has exhibited her watercolors and stitcheries in California. Now she lives in England, the land of her birth. Her posterity totals 15 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

First Attempt

2009-09-29T11:41:00.000-06:00

Now that we are homeowners, we attempted a garden this year. We weren't quite sure what would grow if anything in our long neglected soil - but we took a chance.

It was quite beautiful by the end of the summer (of course I didn't take a picture) but we really didn't enjoy the harvest:

Reason #1: Being pregnant, the very idea of any kind of squash or vegetable being cooked in my kitchen sent me running to the bathroom.

Reason #2: Our zucchini turned out to be orange. Pumpkin Orange. So in addition to me being grossed out by veggies in general - the thought of orange zucchini made it even worse.

Reason #3: Jordan doesn't really like squash - and we had a lot of it.

Reason #4: We planted our tomatoes too late, and only got a few cherry tomatoes and one big one off the vine before it froze.

Better luck next year I suppose.

A Spiderman Obsession

2009-09-25T11:26:00.000-06:00

No matter where we are or what we are doing - Harrison's left hand is ALWAYS shooting a spiderman web and he is making a swishing sound. Just last week, he made it through an entire gymnastics class without breaking form in his left hand. He was of course a little puzzled as to why he was not able to hang on the bars properly, and his somersaults were quite crooked, but he stayed true and shot webs the whole time. He got his teachers, his fellow tumblers, and most often aimed directly at my growing tummy and proclaimed "I'm shooting the baby!" Fantastic.

We build all different colors of spidermen each day with legos, when he drinks any kind of juice - it is of course spiderman juice and his red football is his spiderman football. And for Halloween? You guessed it - SPIDERMAN. That is, if the cheapo Wal-Mart costume can make it to the end of October, he naps in it everyday and insists on running around in it outside every afternoon. All the while of course shooting cars, dogs, trees and people with his webs.

Coloring

2009-09-16T11:18:00.003-06:00

Finally he will sit down and color. Most of the time he just wants to destroy the house with his T-Rex and Spiderman. So when I saw this I had to snap a few pics from across the room. I love how he is concentrating so hard - the tongue sticks out just a little. Love this little guy.

Look Mom.......I'm Uncle Matt!!!

2009-09-15T15:02:00.003-06:00

While we were home in Ashland this summer, my brother Matt had a bandana on his head a couple of times, so Harrison found a headband that Jordan received at a 5K he ran, put it on his head and shouted "Look Mom! I'm Uncle Matt!!"

A little while later, as I was hanging a green T-shirt of Jordan's on the drying rack, Harrison runs over and says "Hey......that's Uncle Matt's shirt!" And ran off. I love that he remembered these two things he saw two months ago in Oregon. Too funny.

Harrison at the Fair

2009-09-12T15:02:00.003-06:00

Lizzy and Heath were so kind to watch Harrison while Jordan and I went out to celebrate my birthday. Not only did they babysit him, but they took him to the State Fair. Troopers I tell ya. He pretty much had the time of his life and didn't miss his parents one bit. He rode the carousel, ate his blue juice, sat in a skid steer and an excavator, looked at all the animals (he was expecting tigers but got chickens), rode a real pony and took a ride in a helicopter. Thanks guys for letting us get away on my birthday and for making your nephew love you even more!

Legos with Grumpa

2009-09-08T15:01:00.003-06:00

Harrison has a new love - Legos. We play for at least two hours a day and he is obsessed with them. Each day we build new versions of tractors, cars, towers, and of course Spiderman. We have been lucky that Harrison has never really eaten or chewed on any of his toys - so Legos have been perfect even though he just turned two. Thanks for building Grumpa! (and giving me a break!)

Tech Saavy Toddlers

2009-09-06T15:00:00.001-06:00

An evening of iPhone activities as only Claire and Harrison can do it.

Waiting for Daddy

2009-08-20T14:57:00.004-06:00

Harrison climbs up on a chair in the living room and waits for his daddy to come home from work. Sometimes he does it just minutes after he says goodbye in the morning, other times he is a little more realistic and does it in the late afternoon - each time it is precious. He shouts at the top of his lungs "DADDY! WHERE ARE YOU? COME HOME!"

Summer Swimming Fun

2009-08-17T14:56:00.002-06:00

Pure joy...and totally fun.

Harrison and Claire.

A little one on the way....

2009-07-22T08:38:00.002-06:00

I have been embarrassingly absent from my blog for quite sometime now - chalk it up to summer craziness, a total lack of energy, and 24 hour nausea.

Baby #2 will join us in early January - making me 15 weeks along. We are a little nervous, but mostly just really excited to give Harrison a little sibling.

High Points so far:

Harrison sitting on my lap resting his hand on my tummy saying: "Hey mommy, there's a baby in there!"

Harrison driving his tractors around the coffee table saying: "I'm going to be a big brother!"

Low Point:

Harrison pounding on the bathroom door as I threw up crying: "MOMMY! Are you okay? Are you sick? MOMMY!!"

Hopefully no permanent damage done.

Happy Birthday Jordan

2009-07-19T14:53:00.004-06:00

Laid back Sunday afternoon + family and friends + chocolate cake = perfect

Happy Birthday Love!

Full House

2009-07-15T14:52:00.003-06:00

My mom, my sister in law Toria and her three kids spent some time with us the past little while. Our tiny house was bursting at the seams - and it was awesome. This is the only picture I have of all 5 Clason grandkids....do you think my mom looks happy?

A Trip Home to Ashland

2009-07-05T14:50:00.010-06:00

We spent a week in Ashland for the fourth of July - there were forklift and tractor rides, a wedding with lots of dancing, a day trip to Lake Shasta with dear friends from yesteryear...

fun with cousins galore...

dinner and fun at Lithia Park...

stories with Uncle Matt, tin foil dinners at the infamous fire pit, water parks, shoulder rides...

swings and go cart rides...

oh how we love going to Nanna and Grumpa's house!

Dinosaur Museum

2009-06-16T14:46:00.002-06:00

My child is OBSESSED with dinosaurs. He stomps around the house, roaring as loud as he can, while jamming whatever will fit into his T-Rex's wide open mouth. It's hilarious. So we met up with some friends at Thanksgiving Point to visit their incredible dinosaur museum. Harrison was totally captivated by the entire thing. He gasped when he saw the T-Rex skeleton, hugged a small statue of a Triceratops, and couldn't get over the giant great while shark on display. Loved it.

Park City

2009-06-14T14:42:00.001-06:00

My sister Cat and her hubby Dan were down for the weekend, so we headed up to Park City for the day. Delicious food was enjoyed, the outdoor market was explored, and Harrison was spoiled once again. I love that Main Street Park City is just a 20 minute drive from my house, what a beautiful place. It feels like you are away for the weekend, out of the city and just enjoying the beautiful, clean, mountain air. Come back again soon Cat and Dan!

Harrison turns TWO!

2009-06-13T14:14:00.006-06:00

Harrison's outdoor bounce-house, BBQ and games birthday party quickly turned into a windy, cold, torrential downpour of an afternoon. The BBQ was moved into the garage, the kiddos were all bundled in their coats and slickers, everyone eventually ended up inside, but the party went on. Presents were opened, my little guy blew out his two candles on his cupcake, delicious BBQ was enjoyed, cupcakes were eaten while seated on the kitchen floor, and eventually the rain stopped just enough to blow up the bounce house and have a little jump before the rain began again.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRISON!

Air Show

2009-06-06T13:51:00.002-06:00

Jordan, Grandpa Howe, Harrison and Jackson went to the airshow and had a blast! Harrison can't stop 'flying' his new planes around the house from Grandpa Howe, talking about the train ride up to the airfield, and of course "eating his juice" (snowcone). He loved it!

Memorial Weekend

2009-05-27T21:45:00.001-06:00

Memorial weekend was just right. We did house projects, ate some delicious BBQ with Kim and Tim, had Cat and Dan stay with us, celebrated Claire's second birthday, and had a visit from my dear cousin Marla, her husband Kevin and their new little guy Ezra. A relaxing, wonderful weekend. Loved it - every minute.

Marla & Kevin.........Cat and baby Ez

Lizzy and Heath.......Claire giving Harrison a hug

Garage Project: Part 6 - The Privacy Fence

2009-05-20T20:35:00.000-06:00

Our giant backyard project is done. Trees have been ripped out, new concrete has been poured, the garage is up, and finally the privacy fence. And cannot describe what a difference it has made to our home. Every day that I am in the back yard - I can't believe it. What a change and I am LOVING it.

Now we are on to some cosmetic changes - I moved all the stones from the old front walkway to a little area in the back that is shaded most of the day. I want to put a little bench here and some big pots of flowers - but one thing a time. We also put up some new house numbers that my dad made - they look great. Taking the old ones down will be for another day when we are patching holes and painting. I am so grateful that all the really big stuff is done - now we can just make it look pretty!

4 Years

2009-05-14T21:29:00.002-06:00

I love this picture of us. Jordan surprised me with a trip to England and we had just arrived in London after traveling for what seemed like forever. I was pregnant with Harrison, and Jordan was doing EVERYTHING in his power to try to keep me awake for a few more hours. We walked from our hotel down to the River Thames, past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, and onto Westminster Abbey.

I love that he does things like that for me. I love that we have been married for four years, and I love that he takes such good care of me. Happy Anniversary babe.

23 Months

2009-05-13T20:06:00.003-06:00

Harrisonisms at almost two....

He likes to put 'me' at the end of sentences when he is talking about himself:
'I wanna wrestle me.'
'I wanna take a bath me.'
'Play in sandbox me.'
'Want brek-sit (breakfast) me.'

He loves anything big boy. Big boy chair, big boy hat, big boy shovel and rake, big boy couch.

He has a toy in each hand EVERY time we leave the house. Most recently it is little rubber sharks, a hammer, and of course cars.

He likes to sing and knows most of the words to Twinkle Twinkle, ABC's, and Incy Wincy Spider - and it is hilarious.

He is obsessed with saying 'pweese' and 'fank you' for everything. Even when he picks up a toy himself, he says 'fank you.'

He loves his green and yellow T-Rex (a Bi-mart special), and points out all the body parts he can - followed by pointing to his lower back and saying "I have a tail too!" or "I have two eyes too!"

Perhaps best of all - when you say "where is Harrison?" he goes completely still and closes his eyes- he thinks he is invisible. This works particularly well when we are trying to change his diaper, give him a bath, slather him with lotion, etc. Just last night he disappeared before his bath and didn't return until he was dry, changed, lotioned, and clothed. I love it. I have put him down for naps and even to bed when he has been 'invisible', and still he plays along.

Occasionally he will have to walk while he is invisible, so he just squints as hard as he can - so as not to reappear. It is hilarious.

He is talking up a storm - and I love my little guy. Can't believe he is almost two.

Ice Cream in the Park...

2009-05-10T20:53:00.001-06:00

...or as Harrison called it "Pine Cone Ice Cream!"
I am not sure why pine cone ice cream is what he got from ice cream cone, but whatever.

Ice cream with daddy + swinging in the park = perfect

New Hair

2009-05-09T17:45:00.007-06:00

I have given Harrison four little haircuts in the past. Trimming the bangs, making the back at little less mullet-y, etc. In fact his last haircut involved him screaming in terror as the hair I snipped floated around him in the tub. So I had my doubts about a 'real' haircut.

He proved me wrong. While watching Monsters Inc., he sat in his 'big boy chair' eating Cheerios for twenty minutes while I snipped away. I couldn't believe how in control he was.

I do miss the curls terribly - but I guess he has all summer to grow those back. Right?

He looks like a little boy now - such a big difference.

After the big cut, we went outside to brush off - where he of course took the toy of the week. A green dinosaur that he is convinced loves to eat bark chips he finds in the yard. 'Dinosaur hungee Mommy. I feed it.'

And then to make sure I haven't forgotten that anything with four wheels does in fact belong in a tipped-over state, he takes care of business with the fire engine.

A Big Boy

2009-05-06T17:23:00.000-06:00

All Harrison wants to be - is a big boy. He always wants to sit in the 'big boy chairs' (barstools),
he wears his 'big boy hat' so he can be like Daddy, and his 'big boy gwasses' so he can be like Mommy.

And as I was looking at the above photos - I realized that Harrison is
almost smiling. Something very very rare for him to do for the camera.
It usually plays out a little more like this..... when I shove a camera in
his face and ask him to smile............commence meltdown.

A new trick

2009-04-30T16:39:00.000-06:00

Harrison LOVES the movie CARS. He loves 'Lie Maqueen' (Lightening McQueen) and especially Mater. In one scene in the movie - the two of them go tractor tipping and then get chased by a giant harvester. We watch this scene over and over and over - he just can't get enough.

So lately - every time he plays with his cars and trucks - they end up tipped over just like the movie. He lines them up very carefully and then throws his arms around them. It is so funny. No matter where he is - he will tip the car or truck and say 'Look mommy! The car fell down!'

I love it.

Graduation Day

2009-04-10T15:56:00.003-06:00

Seriously - who wouldn't kill for that dimple and smile. My little sister Catherine graduated with her Bachelors of Science from BYU-I. I couldn't be more proud.

She is beautiful, talented, kind, caring, smart, articulate, strong - and I love her.

Our entire family (minus John, Toria and the kiddos) made the trek up to Rexburg, Idaho for the event. I got teary eyed as I watched my parents beaming with pride as their little girl walked across the stage. I love my parents. They are proud of each of their six kids. They are supportive in whatever decisios we make, and do all that they can to help us reach our goals. They are awesome.

I did miss a good chunk of the ceremony due to MY little chunk named Harrison - but I did get hear Cats name called, and see her walk across the stage to accept her diploma. Way to go Cat! Harrison showed his support in his own special way - acting like a raving lunatic, climbing benches in the uppermost part of the auditorium, and making those watching him work up a sweat.

Graduations + almost two-year-old = disaster

Matt and I.....the proud parents and the supportive/wonderful hubby Dan...

Congrats to Catherine....if only the real world were as fun as college....

Lizzy the Grad......a visit from Mom and Dad

2009-04-08T16:31:00.006-06:00

My parents came to town for a whirlwind couple of days. My baby sister Lizzy graduated from the Business College here in Salt Lake - she opted not to walk - so no cap and gown photo - but I love this picture of her with our niece Claire and her wonderful husband Heath.

She has worked very hard and it has finally paid off. I can't believe the baby of our family is now going to venture into the crazy wild world of real jobs.

We are so proud of you Lizzy!

Initailly we were supposed to all go out for a fun graduation dinner - but when you have these two little ones and it is almost their bedtime - that option becomes less and less appealing by the second.

Instead we ordered in some super yummy gourmet pizzas, and just enjoyed ourselves. We just enjoyed being together.

Mom and Dad got to see all of the big changes we have made to our home, Harrison got to play with his Nanna and Grumpa, Great Grandma Ruthie and Great Grandpa Frank were able to come for a short visit from Arizona, and my brother Matt got to ski the fabulous Utah slopes. It was a wonderful couple of days - congrats again Lizzy!

Harrison's new favorites....

2009-04-06T15:28:00.000-06:00

Meet Kate and Jo. Our lovely visitors from Australia. If Harrison had his way - he would be stowed away on a plane returning home with them to tropical and sunny Darwin (he cries on a REGULAR basis for the beach). I am positive Harrison prefers these two to his mummy.

Jordan met Kate about 10 years ago - while he was on a mission. They have kept in touch through the years and we were lucky enough to make her itinerary on her 6 week holiday to the states. She popped in and out over a few weeks as she traveled around - each time Harrison growing more and more fond of her.

When she first arrived, she brought her friend Jo (who is on a 9 MONTH holiday - can I get an AMEN to moving to Australia), and stayed for a few nights. Harrison was smitten. He woke up in the morning asking for Jo and Jack (Kates name at first....not sure why), loved playing with them, and receiving lots of undivided attention.

We visited the beautiful Temple Square downtown, braved eating out, and just had a super leisurely weekend. When they left - Harrison cried all the way home "Jo! Jack! Wanna see them!"

Kate returned a couple of times throughout the month - Harrison forgot he used to call her 'Jack' and wouldn't let her out of his sight. They read stories, watched Monsters Inc. and Cars, and took a ride on a train at a nearby monument. Kate had him saying the word 'driver' (of the train) but pronouncing it 'dry-vuh' with a perfect accent. We laughed and laughed which of course encouraged Harrison to keep repeating it over and over.

It was so much fun to take her to our favorite restaurants, to see movies that haven't come out in Australia yet, and just listen to her talk. We became fast friends and I enjoyed every minute of her visit. Please come again! Maybe we will be lucky enough to vacation in Australia some day!

Cousins

2009-04-04T15:11:00.001-06:00

When cousin Claire comes to visit - a bath is taken.....

Dinosaur PJ's are shared and stories are enjoyed (at least by H).....

balls are thrown, and the climbing continues.

Garage Project: Part 5 - The Garage

2009-03-30T19:33:00.005-06:00

IT'S DONE!!!!

The privacy fence down the side of the driveway goes in this week - and then we are DONE!

Garage Project: Part 4 - The Concrete

2009-03-20T20:20:00.006-06:00

The last cement mixer left today (much to Harrison's great sadness) and we are left with a beautiful new patio, driveway, retaining wall, and sidewalks. Oh Happy Day! Here are the before and after shots...

The front walkway...

the driveway...

side walkway...

back patio and approach to garage...

Harrison stood on the front porch yelling "bye bye mixer!" over and over when the last truck finally pulled away. After his nap we went outsde and the first thing he said was "Paul and Eric, see 'em" - the two guys that have been here everyday for a week. So cute.

Jordan & I stood out there this evening - and we just can't believe the difference.

Happy? Yes.

Excited? Yes.

Relieved? Yes.

Next up: Garage and privacy fence

Exploring

2009-03-19T04:52:00.003-06:00

It is 4am - and I cannot sleep - again. So here I sit - obsessing over the crazy mess that is just outside my door. The driveway is torn to shreds, dirt and mud are making their way into my house at an alarming rate, weeds are multiplying by the second, the grape hyacinth that infects my yard is back with a vengeance, and my mind is racing. So I blog for documentation sake instead of sleeping.

During all of the construction - and because the weather is finally tolerable - we have spent the majority of our days outside. Harrison has found a favorite place in my 'very much a work in progress' yard. Under the giant pine tree with all the stray rocks I pile there. He makes rock 'towers', digs with his shovel, fills and dumps his bucket....

and of course NEVER cracks a smile for the camera...

and because we spend so much of our time there, I have lots and lots of time to think about what to do with this lovely piece of land. Gone is the dead apple tree, stray tree stumps, giant bushes, and about a million rocks. Suggestions? I think we will lay sod on most of it and keep a small bit for a vegetable garden - what do you think? Of course we might just have to leave the rock tower area in tact - and heaven help me with all those weeds.

Gymnastics 101

2009-03-19T04:30:00.006-06:00

Today was Harrison's very first day in Mommy-and-me tumbling class. He did manage to do some jumping and running, tunnel crawling, mat climbing, and even a few somersaults - but most of the 40 minute class was spent like this....

Until he found an orange rubber star that he would not put down (he does have a thing for finding something and carrying it around FOREVER)...

a tumbling pro - clutching his star.

At the end of the class all the kids sat in a circle while the two instructors went around and gave each child a stamp on both hands - one of a flower and one of a gymnast. After Harrison got his first stamp - he looked up and shouted "MORE FLOWERS PWEEESE!" And I smiled a great big 'my heart just melted' smile.

Garage Project: Part 3 - The Big Dig

2009-03-13T14:29:00.008-06:00

During the last 24 hours....

Skid Steer has become Harrison's NEW favorite word (excavator has been temporarily replaced)...

Three giant dump trucks have rumbled up to the house - and have been filled with this:

The house has been shaking due to massive 1930's concrete slabs being removed like this:

The back patio and driveway went from before to after:

and Harrison made the rounds and supervised the entire thing.

21 Months

2009-03-13T13:38:00.005-06:00

At 21 months - my little guy is almost two. I write this not to bore you - but so that I don't forget.

When he sits on the couch, on a bar stool, in a regular chair, drinks out of a normal cup - he is a BEE BOY (big boy). I love that he wants to be grown up.

Every time I ask him "How ya doin'? He replies immediately: "Doin' good." I laugh every time.

He has started to sing. Bits and pieces of songs - but enough to figure out what the song actually is. Sometimes he combines them - for example (to no particular tune): "Happy Birfday little star X Y Z sing wif me."

He wants to count EVERYTHING. Snacks, fingers, shoes, rocks, etc. And almost ALWAYS it goes like this: "One, Two, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Fourteen, Seventeen." Apparently he has no need for three, eight, and most of the teens. It cracks me up.

He is obsessed with the Alphabet - and just this week started to try to sing it. He skips a few letters, puts some where they shouldn't be, but he is on the right track.

He says "AGAIN" about a gajillion times whenever I sing something he likes. At first it is endearing, but after yelling it over and over - it becomes (dare I say) a little less endearing.

When I put him down for naps or to bed at night - he rarely cries - but just says "OKAY!" when I tell him we will play some more when he wakes up.

He loves to climb -anything and everything. When he reaches the top of whatever it is, he declares "I TALL!"

He can't wait for his dad to get home - he runs up to him and yells "WANNA WRESTLE!" Then chaos ensues.

Small sentences are beginning to take form: "Another book, read it." "More milk please!" and perhaps the most popular "Golden Triangle of Destiny!" (a sesame street spoof on Indiana Jones that he loves).

His favorite toy is the "Phone-mote" (his word not mine) - which is the DVD remote that in his world moonlights as a phone.

And he knows that saying PLEASE gets him just about anything. How can you say no to "PWEEEEESE?"

Love my little guy.

Garage Project: Part 2 - Concrete Garage Slab

2009-03-11T21:11:00.009-06:00

At 8:30am this morning two trucks pulled up to my house - and unloaded this:

Harrison was in heaven (his favorite word just happens to be excavator) and we spent most of our day like this:

Digging, leveling, footings and forms.....

when the mixers arrived my heart stopped briefly. This is the view from a window inside the house....

pouring...

and then a little boys dream came true (the truck was actually running)...

Garage Project: Part 1 - Tree Removal

2009-03-04T20:29:00.003-07:00

Finally after living in our house for almost exactly one year - we have started the garage project. In our neighborhood almost all of the homes have detached garages and we are doing the same.

First item on the checklist: REMOVAL OF TWO GIANT-NOT-SO-ATTRACTIVE-TREES

We were sad to lose the shade but not the anxiety of thinking a branch is going to come crashing through your back window every time the wind blows. However, I am from Oregon......so two trees out - and two will go back in (eventually).

The trees were cut down, stumps destroyed, wood hauled off and everything cleaned up in under two hours. These guys did their thing. Harrison was in heaven with all the loud power equipment used - and he added chipper and chain saw to his vocab.

Looking down the driveway from the street and then looking at them from the backyard.

I told you they weren't pretty.....

And the Box Elder is history...

Next is the Sumac.....I was thrilled to see this one go. Just a couple of weeks ago a giant branch broke off and missed our window by inches.

Down came the trunks.....

Then the stump grinder....

and they are gone.

Now I realize the yard still looks absolutely horrific - there is MUCH more to come...

Snackin' Cousins

2009-03-03T20:22:00.000-07:00

At least Claire will smile when asked - Harrison not so much.

Passing the time

2009-02-25T09:05:00.003-07:00

When the mornings are too cold - we get creative with tape.

Car Trouble

2009-02-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

Jordan was in a car accident last week. Thank goodness he is okay - nothing a good chiropractor can't fix. But we are so so so very frustrated.

The other guy is claiming it was Jordan's fault (it wasn't).

His insurance is a joke - some mom & pop thing back east.

They are NO help to us (shock).

The guy that hit him was in a rental car - so his life has gone on as normal while we are dealing with rentals, tow yards, body shops, etc.

We find out today from our insurance if they deem it a total loss or if it can be fixed. The body shop guys told us they are certain it cannot be fixed (broken axle and all) - so that means car shopping (right up there on the fun list with job hunting) and a car payment.

So basically, the guy that was speeding down a one way and plowed into Jordan, has had to change NOTHING about his everyday life while we have inherited deductibles, injury, inconvenience, and a future car payment. Annoying to be sure.

A Snow Day

2009-02-10T20:02:00.011-07:00

I knew the last week or so was too good to be true. The sidewalks were clear, grass (although gross looking) was poking through the snow, walks were taken, the backyard was explored and a small glimmer of hope that an early spring was coming consumed my thoughts.

But today we woke up to more snow - both on the ground and falling from the sky. Harrison climbed up on his look-out chair in the living room - his hopes dashed of another day outside. He just kept saying "snowing.... snowing......cold......cold."

So we tried to keep busy doing other things........we played with animal magnets on the fridge which he transferred from fridge to the salad spinner and back about 100 times........we watched a little Mickey Mouse...which he tired of in about 5 minutes........

He played with his beloved fire truck and he demonstrated his brave climbing and balancing abilities.....

He dumped the sea creatures from his Cubs bucket and proudly wore it as a hat most of the morning (including through snack time)...........

And stayed in our pajamas until 2pm. Loved it - but I will love my days even more when we can leave the house!

Happy Birthday to my Dad

2009-02-08T21:54:00.002-07:00

I just love this picture of him. It was taken at some sort of activity at the church when I was in high school and Emily was in middle school.

I love it because he is a little teary eyed - and I don't know for sure why. But I do remember the way I felt that night - and I KNEW he was proud of me.

Now that I am a parent, I realize sometimes you just tear up when you look at your child/children because you just plain LOVE them.

And I just plain LOVE my Dad - and want to wish him the happiest of birthdays!

Harrison learned two special words for the occasion...."Haw Birfday!"

The Sick House

2009-02-03T12:09:00.004-07:00

14 days of sickness. You name it....Harrison or myself has had it.

Pneumonia.
Ear Infections.
Coughs.
Fevers.
Chills.
Congestion.
Constant Nasal Drip.
Nausea.
Aches and Pains.
Insomnia.
Diarrhea (those diapers are awesome).

-all around misery-

Luckily Jordan has been able to ward off the sickness (so far) but Harrison and I are going stir crazy.

Oh yeah - and my entire house looks like this:

and Harrison can't get enough of the kitchen cupboards............

After two weeks of this, we are finally on the mend. I went out with Jordan last night to a Jazz game (wonderful), while Lizzy and Heath stayed with a sleeping Harrison. It felt so so so good to be out of the house. I am not 100% yet - but I am optimistic.

Oh yeah - I took down my Christmas decorations just a few days ago, and my child is now addicted to TV since that is about all we have had the energy to do recently. That about sums it up.

The Big Three

2009-02-02T13:02:00.005-07:00

I have seen lots of kids who like to carry around something small in their hand/s at all times. My friend Kjersten's little girl Kennidy always carried around a plastic Barbie shoe. She never lost it - and always knew where it was. Harrison does the same (minus the Barbie shoe of course).

He has THREE things that at any given time during the day - he will have at least one of them clutched tightly is his chubby little fingers.

I give you the big THREE.....(all of which are wooden puzzle pieces).......

The Fire Engine (the most popular)

The School Bus (which is now beginning to peel away)

The Number 4 (the most recent addition now that he knows all his numbers)

It is so funny to watch. I will go into his room as he wakes up from a nap and the first thing he says to me is "fie ingin. Ah need it. Ah wan it. Fine it."

Occasionally he throws us a curveball and needs something else.....like one Saturday morning after Christmas we woke up to him yelling from his crib: "double-you! double-you! Ah can't fine it!" Over and Over and Over. Jordan and I just laid in bed cracking up. He loves his new letter puzzles and magnets and for some reason he needed the 'W' right then and there. He can now identify and name all the the letters in the alphabet and shouts them out as he sees them while we are driving down the street:

"E........F........X........D!!!!!!" as we followed a FedEx truck down the road. Precious to be sure.

He has also started to put little sentances together:
"Ah wan et"
"Chris es running"
"Take a bite"
"Ah wanna see em, Daddy - see em"
"Daddy.....where are you?"
"Cwaire.....where are you?"
"Jackson....has stairs n carsn twucks"
"Daddy! ah wanna westle"
and my personal favorite any time he drops something or falls over or whatever....."Ah jees."

It is hilarious. I love watching him try new words - and say them over and over until he gets them almost right. The best is probably Sesame Street. When he wants to watch it he says: "SeeSwee Stweet!!"

Enough is enough

2009-01-19T15:09:00.007-07:00

We had had it with the snow. We had had it with the cold. So we left. We FINALLY went back to visit Huntington Beach after a year and a half. Oh how I miss the sunshine. We picked a perfect week to go - the Santa Ana winds were blowing and it was 80 degrees the entire 5 days we were there. I loved it.

Our friends Jan and Dave were so kind to let us stay with them - it was so nice to have a home base for Harrison and his VERY necessary daily nap!

After driving 11 hours on Wednesday - and arriving around midnight - we got up the next day ready for warm fun! We relaxed all morning - Harrison took a nap, and then we met up with Jordan's sister Kim and her husband and two little boys at Disneyland. We ate at the Blue Bayou - which is a wonderful place if you don't have kids - but ours were not at all impressed. It was a hurried, crazy affair that made us all vow to not return for at least 10 years.

We spent the afternoon walking around - all Harrison cared about was pushing the stroller he was supposed to be riding in. We took him on Pirates of the Carribbean, Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear - he LOVED it. We had corn dogs at California Adventure - and just enjoyed a beautiful day in the sunshine. The hi-light of Harrison's day was meeting Mickey Mouse who has recently captured his heart. He just kept touching his face saying 'MICKEY!' We returned the evening and crashed - I had one of my migraine headaches which never mixes well with amusment parks but we still had a wonderful time.

Friday was spent having lunch with some of our old co-workers and friends. Jordan went to TK Burger in Costa Mesa, and I went to the Lazy Dog Cafe in Huntington Beach. Harrison was the star of the show of course - no one had seen him since he was just a few weeks old - so it was really fun to see their reactions. I dropped Jordan off and then headed to my old workplace - Huntington Valley Healthcare - and met up with my dear friend Mary for lunch. It was fun to catch up and see my old co-workers. Wow - how my life has changed.

I spent the rest of the afternoon back at Jan and Dave's house letting Harrison play - he loved running around in the sunshine, opening and closing the screen door, climbing the one porch step, and NOT wearing shoes! Throughout the time we were there, Harrison became OBSESSED with Dave's truck. He was constantly asking to 'ride it', pounding on the front door trying to get outside to see it, touching the tires when he was near it etc. It was so cute - Dave was such a good sport and indulged Harrison several times by letting him sit in it. It is probably the most manly truck I have ever seen so I am totally okay with H thinking it is IT.

That night Jan and Dave were SO wonderful and stayed with Harrison while we met a big group of friends in Long Beach at Lucille's - an AMAZING smokehouse BBQ. We laughed and caught up with everyone - it was so nice to take our time with dinner and really enjoy it. I love my little Harrison - but mealtime in restaurants is much more enjoyable when he is safely tucked in bed.

On Saturday, my Uncle Peter came down from Hollywood to spend the afternoon with us. He is such an amazing and talented artist and fabulous uncle on top of that! We went to Wahoo's down on Main Street for fish tacos, then walked along the pier, watched the surfers, then went down to the sand and water. Harrison wasn't too sure about the 'dirty dirty' sand on feet at first - but he got used to it and had a wonderful time. He fell over into the water pretty much straight away but once his wet pants came off and he realized his juice was okay - he loved the water. It was really cold, but he kept inching forward daring it to come higher than his ankles. It was really cute to see. We sat on the sand, soaked up the sunshine, and had a wonderful afternoon. Peter coming down made an amazing day PERFECT!

That night we had a BBQ at Dave and Jan's house - of course I didn't take any pictures - but it was so wonderful to see old friends and have them get to know each other. Nanda and his wife Sumana came down from North LA, Ryan and Alison - our dear friends rode their bikes over (I love that), Jaquie and her boyfriend Jesse made an appearance (mainly to see H), and then us and Jan and Dave. Dave grilled up some delicious meat - and Jan put out quite the spread. After dinner all the girls went and saw Bride Wars - and the guys stayed and watched a UFC fight - and H slept through it all :)

Sunday we went to church and were able to see so many dear friends and catch up on lives that of course have gone on in our absence (sometimes I like to think time stands still when I am not there - this of course is never the case). We visited the Morgan family, took a walk on the beach, and finished off the evening with a visit with some of my dearest girlfriends (and Jordan). I love those kind of friends that even though you haven't seen each other in a while - conversation is easy and it feels as though no time has passed since you last saw each other. Melissa, Jen, Emily, Susan, and Julie are those kind of girls. Love them.

We capped off the night with a nostalgic game of Mexican Train dominoes with Jan & Dave. They were our game buddies when we lived there before - so it was a perfect end to a much needed vacation.

We drove home the next day - it seemed to take an eternity - as return trips always do, but I am so grateful we had the chance to go. Huntington feels like another home to us - besides who doesn't love picking fresh lemons off the tree in the backyard, walking along the beach, and year round perfect weather? We miss it - but it was good to get home. I guess that is how life goes.

So I don't forget.....

2009-01-13T13:23:00.001-07:00

What Harrison is saying at nineteen months....

cruh-ler=color(as in...with crayons)
crans=crayons
neen-gers=fingers
yins=raisins
lie-vou=love you
ron-ka-ree= wrinkly (as in fingers after his bath)
twuck..ride it=I want a ride in that truck
da-wish-us=delicious

A funny story about 'delicious.' We went to our nephew Jackson's 4th birthday party where Harrison tried ice cream for the first time. He took a bite, his eyes lit up, he looked up at Jordan and I and said "DA-WISH-US!" My heart melted! I couldn't believe he actually knew what it meant. We had a good laugh - and Harrison continued to eat the delicious ice cream.

A visit from old friends to bring in the new year......

2008-12-31T12:43:00.000-07:00

A few weeks after Jordan and I were married, we went to a beach BBQ hosted by some friends of ours. While we were there we met Dave and Jan. They had been married a month longer than us and we hit it off immediately. We got together all the time for game nights, football games, movies, etc. - needless to say - we miss them. Since we moved to Utah - we have of course kept in touch, they visited us here last October and then we were lucky enough to have them here for a couple of days just after Christmas. For the life of me - I cannot get my child to pose, smile or even look at the camera!

We ate food from our favorite restaurants (take-out mostly because lets be honest...dining with the H isn't always the most relaxing), the boys went skiing/boarding while the girls had a lunch with other girlfriends (which ended abruptly with a Harrison diaper blowout-very appetizing I am sure for the rest of the people trying to enjoy their lunch), we saw some sights downtown, and spent New Years Eve playing games, making homemade pizzas and brownies, and just enjoyed being together! We miss them - and can't wait to go back and visit Huntington Beach!

A Howe Christmas

2008-12-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

Not everyone on the Howe side could be together on Christmas day proper, so we had a Howe Christmas a couple of days after. We got together at Kim and Tim's house again in Eagle Mountain, had an incredible Christmas feast, opened gifts, and had a wonderful time. The boys played together while the girls (and Jenn's boyfriend JP from Chicago) all saw a movie. It was wonderful.

I made the dessert for the meal - apple pie, cherry pie, and a traditional English trifle (my first attempt)! Everything turned our beautifully - and was enjoyed by all.

Christmas Day

2008-12-25T23:04:00.000-07:00

Christmas morning was all about the H. We set out four vehicles on the coffee table and watched as he sucked in his breath with happiness. I wish I could capture a smile from him on film - a task that is proving to be near impossible. He LOVES buses, fire engines, ambulances, and tractors - and we were lucky enough to find these online.

Then he opened his magnetic letters for the fridge.....they were a perfect companion to the magnetic animals that Nanna and Grumpa sent (those were opened several days before Christmas due to one afternoon when I was losing it and needed a new toy for entertainment)

A book from Nanna and Grumpa........he loves it - it's all about animals....

An airplane from Daddy.......

and he was happy as could be!

After we opened gifts and got ready for the day - we attempted to go down to Kim and Tim's house to spend Christmas day. We got about 15 minutes into the one hour drive and had to turn around. The freeways were covered in snow and it was almost a complete white-out. When we left it was clear at our house - how quickly things change.

Once we made it home (to clear skies) we all took a long nap - and attempted the drive once again once the storm had passed completely. The boys had a wonderful time together - playing with their new toys and in Harrison's case, going up and down the stairs a gazillion times (his newest triumph!).

Harrison strutting his stuff..... and cute cute Alex showing off......

Aunt Jenn flew in from Chicago and the boys monopolized all her time! Jackson wanted to make sure she LOVED his new Spiderman slippers!

Harrison is in heaven when we are there, so many new toys! Alex LOVES the Woody doll!

We didn't end up leaving until late into the night - and when we walked outside snow had begun to fall and the roads were beginning to be dusted with snow. As we continued to drive - it became a total white-out with snow swirling and blowing all over the place. Visibility was just a few feet - and I was terrified. Jordan put up with my backseat driving and two and a half hours later we were home safe. Have I mentioned before that I miss California?

Here is the aftermath of the storm the next morning - I think 15 inches fell in all. Lovely.

Jordan put on all his snow gear and began the hour long process of shoveling out our corner lot. Although snow is freezing and puts a damper on getting out of the house - I love how quiet it makes everything - I guess I should be thankful for a white Christmas!

Harrison spent the day climbing up and down the newest addition to our kitchen - my stepladder! He loves it just as much as I do! (it's tough being 5'1")