July 2008
In July Joel's company, which is targeting a fall release, moved into crunch mode and few were spared. So Jenica and the boys took off for Bear Lake and left Joel to work away. They camped on the beach with Jenica's extended Nielsen relatives. Lots of kids, sand, boat rides, and (unfortunately) mosquitoes. The showers and electrical outlets made it easy. Having lots of family around made it even easier. Hopefully the boys will remember seeing how crystal clear the water was and hearing an older cousin play "Come, Come Ye Saints" on the harmonica by the campfire just like their Great Grandfather once did.
A few days after their return Jenica and the boys left Joel again for more fun in the north country. This time they drove up to Mack's Inn in northeast Idaho and met up with Jenica's brother and family. The lodge that gave Mack's Inn its name was originally built at the beginning of the Prohibition Era just after the US highway to West Yellowstone was completed. Jenica's great grandfather - Harvey Schwendiman - bought the place in the early forties and opened a new lodge in 1948. It was a grand lodge in the old style and families would come to vacation there for a few weeks at a time during the hot of summer - like the old "hill stations" of India you might read about in a novel, but in Idaho for wealthy farmers and upscale out of staters. Jenica spent some wonderful times there as a child canoeing on the Henry's Fork and staying in "Nana's cabin". Unfortunately the Inn burnt to the ground some time ago, and a swarm of dilapidated cabins stand there now. Fortunately the river is still glassy and absolutely pristine. So they rented a raft to accommodate the 4 adults and 6 kids and paddled down the river. It's probably as close to heaven as is possible on earth.
Utah, as far as we know, is the only state where you get two fireworks holidays in July (unless Louisiana does Bastille Day). On the 4th we celebrated Brad's birthday and that night drove out to the construction lot to watch the Thanksgiving Points fireworks display. Sitting on the cement stoop under the unfinished wooden porch we actually felt quite comfortable - far from the endless line of cars we usually join along the frontage road. We could see neighborhood sparks flying up here and there. At one point a mysterious little group of men carrying a pyrotechnic (was it?) bundle walked down to the end of the cul-de-sac and down onto the river trail. To do what exactly? The night seemed full of possibilities. On the 24th we hiked up in Little Cottonwood Canyon to an abandoned mine shaft along with all of Jenica's siblings, her mom, and a host of Mortensen relations. The Motensens seem to have made a minor tradition of anchoring their family reunions to some grueling physical trial and this was the first time Joel has had the "pleasure" of attending. Hale napped and Silas was laid up with a sliced toe from some mishap at Mack's Inn, but Koen and Jonah hiked well. Jonah was even among a much whittled down ground that went all the way to Honeycomb Cliffs up above the mine. Meanwhile Koen suckered his aunts and uncle into carrying him practically the whole way back down the trail. After the hike, and a meal, and a little break, it was time for... fireworks! Traditionally Joel lights up all the fireworks in the street to our south, Jenica warns him not to catch the ailanthus tree on fire, and the kids all watch from the lawn above the little retaining wall. This year was no different but with the added excitement of having both Nielsen families over to help us test Joel's nerves by throwing pop-it's at his feet as he was setting fuses. And we ate apricot gelato made by Jenica.
Speaking of apricots... we had such a cool, wet spring that the apricot tree waited until the very end of July to ripen. We will dearly miss our tree (and the gelato) next year. It's like the 7th member of our family - *sniff* - the closest thing to a pet we'll ever have. *Whhaaaaaa*
Hale update: he's started walking for real this month and by the end of the month he was driving Jenica crazy climbing up on the kitchen table and every other flat surface he can reach.
Overheard at 517 N Center St.:
K: "King Link is going out on a date to fight his evil enemies."
Jenica Joel Jonah Si Koen Hale
Friday, August 8, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Normal Weather?
We moved to Iowa from Chicago 11 months ago. Honestly, we didn’t expect a huge change in weather. Chicago is only a 5-hour drive away. However, since our move Iowa we have experienced the following weather phenomena’s: the wettest August on record, 6 months of sustained temperatures below 50 degrees with more snow & ice fall than any of the local folks can remember in a long time, and the most severe spring including several tornados and of course the Floods of ’08. Luckily we have a nice home that has protected us well from the elements. We have really only been affected by the heating bills, and now the record mosquito population resulting from the floods. Everyone keeps telling us that this is not normal weather, but after 11 months of abnormal weather, we don’t really believe them anymore.
Summer is off to a good start. Thankfully we have been having fabulous weather. Not too hot or muggy. I am still waiting for our schedule to slow down a bit, but I suppose that’s not really ever going to happen. Zak has had a day camp at Living History Farms where he had fun. Both of the boys went through two weeks of swimming lessons and showed significant improvement afterwards. Zak had a golf camp and proved his new skills to Jared on the course last Saturday.
We enjoyed a great July 4th Carnival complete with rides, temporary tattoos, cotton candy and a great Fireworks display. Owen danced for about 90 minutes on the dance floor. Yes, he is a dancing fool. As we were walking to the car we were the first to come upon a man who had just fallen down. Jared started CPR and with the help of a few other physicians saved the man’s life. Others quickly spread this news around the office so someone made up a superman body graphic with Jared’s head on it. I will try to get a hold of the file and post it later. It’s pretty amusing as you can imagine. Grandpa Steve has been to visit twice and Grandma Hatt stayed with us for 10 days so we have been blessed with some great Grandparent time. We entertained them both by making trips to the farmer’s market which is always fun. Grandma joined us for an Iowa Cubs game and our 4th of July Carnival.
We are all doing well and anxious to see many of you next week. If you have some time, we have some new movies posted on our gallery at gallery.mac.com/jarednielsen and pictures at homepage.mac.com/jarednielsen
Sunday, July 6, 2008
May and June 2008
May 2008
With Mother's Day, a wedding anniversary, and two birthdays our May was overstuffed from the start. So the marriage turned 13, which is spooooky because Hale turned 1 and Koen turned 3 (okay 4, but it's close). But perhaps the more exciting milestones this month were that we put our house up for sale and they finished framing our new house. At last we were able to look at the river through our real live window holes, a view we'd spent a fair amount of time trying to prefigure. Verdict? Joel: not bad. Jenica: as good as we could have hoped for.
Readers may recall the chilly baseball game from last month's report. It had been on the last day of April and on May Day we awoke to a dusting of snow on the lawn. Evening games continued through the month and temperatures gradually rose. Si and Koen were just as excited about going to the games as Jonah was (maybe more so, since they didn't have to worry about getting hit by a pitch). They mostly hung around the playground but spent enough time on the bleachers for Koen to decide that it's bad manners to cheer for players on Jonah's team if you don't know their name.
On Mother's Day we went to church with Jenica's grandmother, Bonnie, who is in an Alzheimer's facility in Sandy. Even though she didn't recognize the boys she was excited to see them. They sang the songs they'd practiced for our ward. Afterward we had strawberry shortcake together in a dinning room at the facility. On the way home we stopped by the newly built office building for Jenica's mom's company, where - with no one there to bother - the boys had unusually free reign.
Hale and Koen had a combined family birthday party this year and Koen also had a party for friends. Despite his previous exclusive rules about whom to invite he ended up with 10 guests. He told Jenica he wanted a dinosaur / golf / picnic party and she went all supermom and delivered across the board! The pizza man was less super, arriving 30 minutes late (apparently Papa John's online ordering doesn't relay the city name) but the kids all had fun golfing, playing with bubbles, and wearing dinosaur birthday hats. Koen really enjoyed being the host.
On top of all other busy-ness, May was the month of the Grand 2nd Biannual Family Reunion on Isle of Palm in South Carolina. The weather was great, our house was right on the beach, the cousins seemed to get along well, and we had a great time seeing everyone and crushing them at Crosswords. Thanks to Mom and Dad Barber for making it possible.
If President Grover Cleveland (whom Lori and Scott so admire that they named their first born son after him) were still alive today he probably would have enjoyed our vacation to Disney World in May, occupying as it did two uniform but non-consecutive terms. During the first term - before the family reunion - it was hot, and we stayed at Port Orleans, and went to Magic Kingdom. During the second term - after the reunion - it was hot, and we stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, and went to Animal Kingdom. What was the best thing about Disney World?
Hale: [the Bone Yard at Animal Kingdom]
Koen: "Riding on that 'Enjoy Sinking' thing."
Silas: "The hotel. Did we ever ride the monorail?"
Jonah: "The Laugh Floor."
Joel: "No one got lost, threw up, or wet themselves."
Jenica: "Being inside It's A Small World during a thunderstorm"
Overheard at 517 N Center St.:
Si: "Did you know if you hold your nose you can't hum?"
June 2008
June didn't really start until we got back from vacation. After the South Carolina reunion we drove south (minus Silas) and flew home out of Orlando. At the airport security checkpoint we realized we still had in our backpack a half full bottle of cherry cider we'd purchased at a little roadside shop in Georgia. If any of the other travelers in line were alarmed to see a mother pushing a baby stroller hastily throw back a large quantity of wine-colored liquid right from the bottle they gave no sign.
Arriving back in Utah on the 3rd we found it as cold and rainy as it had been at the start of May. We had a near repeat of Jonah's first icy nightgame but by the end of the month it was scorching hot and we traded our jackets and blankets for sunscreen and snow cones. The Cubs placed 8th out of 16 teams and made the tournament, much to the delight of the high-pressure parents on our team.
Silas was in Tennessee for the first part of the month, so we got a taste of life as a family of 3 kids again and also took the opportunity to indulge in every kind of dairy-filled food or dessert we could think of. Si reports that the food was good in Tennessee as well. He also describes the trip as "hot" and "fun." He felt "kind of sad" being away from his family "but not too much." He got to visit the houses of all his cousins there and says the highlight of the trip was sleeping in the secret passage at the all-boy sleepover.
Koen always seems to have something to announce when he or anyone else in the family arrives home. Sometimes he serves as town crier, passing the latest news from the home front or abroad. This usually begins "Oh, did you know". Sometimes his reports are more personal, like the day he returned from church and declared in a sing-song voice, "I'm ba-ack! And I've got a manna game." Exciting news. Then he added a bit of advice in a whisper, "And Dad, don't - eat - too - much."
Hale is really walking now - thanks to the squeaky shoes that Jenica bought for him. Before he would take a few steps now and then, but lacked the motivation that being able to squeak with each step now richly provides. He is also saying "Mama" now. It does not mean "Jenica" exactly but instead means - and I'm pretty sure this is not a first in our family - "Give me the thing that I want, PLEASE!"
The Lehi Roundup was a great time as always. This year the primary's float was Wizard of Oz themed. Koen dressed as a very convincing Tin Man. Si was a serious Professor Marvel. Jonah had his Lollipop Guild act together - right down to the screwed up expression on his face. And Jenica scared little kids up and down the parade route with her Wicked Witch of the West costume. Joel and Hale had the great pleasure of watching the whole thing from folding chairs in the shade along the park.
Overheard at 517 N Center St.:
K: "But I'm too tired"
J: "You can't keep using that excuse."
K: "Uh-huh. I just did."
With Mother's Day, a wedding anniversary, and two birthdays our May was overstuffed from the start. So the marriage turned 13, which is spooooky because Hale turned 1 and Koen turned 3 (okay 4, but it's close). But perhaps the more exciting milestones this month were that we put our house up for sale and they finished framing our new house. At last we were able to look at the river through our real live window holes, a view we'd spent a fair amount of time trying to prefigure. Verdict? Joel: not bad. Jenica: as good as we could have hoped for.
Readers may recall the chilly baseball game from last month's report. It had been on the last day of April and on May Day we awoke to a dusting of snow on the lawn. Evening games continued through the month and temperatures gradually rose. Si and Koen were just as excited about going to the games as Jonah was (maybe more so, since they didn't have to worry about getting hit by a pitch). They mostly hung around the playground but spent enough time on the bleachers for Koen to decide that it's bad manners to cheer for players on Jonah's team if you don't know their name.
On Mother's Day we went to church with Jenica's grandmother, Bonnie, who is in an Alzheimer's facility in Sandy. Even though she didn't recognize the boys she was excited to see them. They sang the songs they'd practiced for our ward. Afterward we had strawberry shortcake together in a dinning room at the facility. On the way home we stopped by the newly built office building for Jenica's mom's company, where - with no one there to bother - the boys had unusually free reign.
Hale and Koen had a combined family birthday party this year and Koen also had a party for friends. Despite his previous exclusive rules about whom to invite he ended up with 10 guests. He told Jenica he wanted a dinosaur / golf / picnic party and she went all supermom and delivered across the board! The pizza man was less super, arriving 30 minutes late (apparently Papa John's online ordering doesn't relay the city name) but the kids all had fun golfing, playing with bubbles, and wearing dinosaur birthday hats. Koen really enjoyed being the host.
On top of all other busy-ness, May was the month of the Grand 2nd Biannual Family Reunion on Isle of Palm in South Carolina. The weather was great, our house was right on the beach, the cousins seemed to get along well, and we had a great time seeing everyone and crushing them at Crosswords. Thanks to Mom and Dad Barber for making it possible.
If President Grover Cleveland (whom Lori and Scott so admire that they named their first born son after him) were still alive today he probably would have enjoyed our vacation to Disney World in May, occupying as it did two uniform but non-consecutive terms. During the first term - before the family reunion - it was hot, and we stayed at Port Orleans, and went to Magic Kingdom. During the second term - after the reunion - it was hot, and we stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, and went to Animal Kingdom. What was the best thing about Disney World?
Hale: [the Bone Yard at Animal Kingdom]
Koen: "Riding on that 'Enjoy Sinking' thing."
Silas: "The hotel. Did we ever ride the monorail?"
Jonah: "The Laugh Floor."
Joel: "No one got lost, threw up, or wet themselves."
Jenica: "Being inside It's A Small World during a thunderstorm"
Overheard at 517 N Center St.:
Si: "Did you know if you hold your nose you can't hum?"
June 2008
June didn't really start until we got back from vacation. After the South Carolina reunion we drove south (minus Silas) and flew home out of Orlando. At the airport security checkpoint we realized we still had in our backpack a half full bottle of cherry cider we'd purchased at a little roadside shop in Georgia. If any of the other travelers in line were alarmed to see a mother pushing a baby stroller hastily throw back a large quantity of wine-colored liquid right from the bottle they gave no sign.
Arriving back in Utah on the 3rd we found it as cold and rainy as it had been at the start of May. We had a near repeat of Jonah's first icy nightgame but by the end of the month it was scorching hot and we traded our jackets and blankets for sunscreen and snow cones. The Cubs placed 8th out of 16 teams and made the tournament, much to the delight of the high-pressure parents on our team.
Silas was in Tennessee for the first part of the month, so we got a taste of life as a family of 3 kids again and also took the opportunity to indulge in every kind of dairy-filled food or dessert we could think of. Si reports that the food was good in Tennessee as well. He also describes the trip as "hot" and "fun." He felt "kind of sad" being away from his family "but not too much." He got to visit the houses of all his cousins there and says the highlight of the trip was sleeping in the secret passage at the all-boy sleepover.
Koen always seems to have something to announce when he or anyone else in the family arrives home. Sometimes he serves as town crier, passing the latest news from the home front or abroad. This usually begins "Oh, did you know". Sometimes his reports are more personal, like the day he returned from church and declared in a sing-song voice, "I'm ba-ack! And I've got a manna game." Exciting news. Then he added a bit of advice in a whisper, "And Dad, don't - eat - too - much."
Hale is really walking now - thanks to the squeaky shoes that Jenica bought for him. Before he would take a few steps now and then, but lacked the motivation that being able to squeak with each step now richly provides. He is also saying "Mama" now. It does not mean "Jenica" exactly but instead means - and I'm pretty sure this is not a first in our family - "Give me the thing that I want, PLEASE!"
The Lehi Roundup was a great time as always. This year the primary's float was Wizard of Oz themed. Koen dressed as a very convincing Tin Man. Si was a serious Professor Marvel. Jonah had his Lollipop Guild act together - right down to the screwed up expression on his face. And Jenica scared little kids up and down the parade route with her Wicked Witch of the West costume. Joel and Hale had the great pleasure of watching the whole thing from folding chairs in the shade along the park.
Overheard at 517 N Center St.:
K: "But I'm too tired"
J: "You can't keep using that excuse."
K: "Uh-huh. I just did."
Sunday, April 20, 2008
March 2008
I think the blog is great. No one has to do anything but post! But, that means when I'm late on one month, it's going to get posted in the next. Sorry, you will all just have to endure my constant belated-ness.
March 2008
Koen played "Itty-Bitty Ball" (a 6 sport sampler for preschool aged kids) for the first time this month. Each day of the program they played a different sport and every day Koen declared that sport his "favorite sport." But he was particularly apt at flag football. Whenever someone got the ball, irrespective of which team they were on, Koen would rip off not just their flag but their whole flag belt and then proceed to whip it around his head with victorious glee while the other kid stood there either oblivious or dejected and sometimes in tears. Over time he would pile up his scalps near a certain safety cone. He was, as Jenica would say, amped.
Hale loves 4x4 crawling over any obstacles. Brothers, cardboard blocks, open dishwashers, and Koen's bed are all favorite challenges. He also has a fascination for wallets and a special talent for finding and throwing out the cash and plastic cards. Every time he sees Jenica's wallet it's sure to produce a protest. His ears continue to be invaded and colonized by evil bacteria. Jenica is contemplating sending money with the neighborhood runner to Mexico for meds (the legal kind) so that Hale could just be on Omnicef 365 days a year and we wouldn't have to worry about late nights and doctor visits. (just kidding Uncle Jared!)
At the end of March Joel and Jonah went to a orchestra concert for video game music downtown at Abravanel Hall. The show was - not surprisingly - multimedia and interactive. There was a video screen, disco lighting effects, snow/soap-sud machine (?), costume contest, Frogger play-off, and a sort of VR Space Invaders where the contestant moves back and forth across the stage to control the on-screen ship. The mission of the production was to raise the profile of video games as a legitimate art form (which they are, of course). But for the most part the orchestra only served as background music for a crowd of under-dressed geeks to woot and holler as highlight clips of their favorite games played on the big screen. When they played to a montage of Zelda games, Jonah cheered/screamed so loud that the man sitting on the other side of him had to turn and look at him more than once to make sure he was okay.
What kids in Silas's class want to be when they grow up:
Boys
3 - Cowboy, Athlete
2 - Astronaut (Silas)
1 - Pilot, Policeman, Doctor, Architect, Game Retailer, Missionary
Girls
3 - Teacher
2 - Zoo Keeper
1 - Cowgirl, Athlete, Veterinarian, Homemaker, Doctor, "A Kitty"
Easter this year found us this year with more family around than usual. We decorated cookie eggs of course, but this year our tiny kitchen held 8 kids and 6 adults. Joel's sister Julie and her family were visiting Utah, and with Brad's family nearby we had quite a crew. The cookies were decorated in no time with many vertical, multi-layered frosting types. High art. Very sweet. We had enough kids for 2 hunts. One over easy, one hard boiled. Almost all the Barber and Utah Nielsens and Nilsses helped hide the eggs for the big boys. They have only found 3 stragglers since Easter, so they kids must be getting good. It was a great day.
While family was in town Jenica, Jonah and Silas were able to go skiing with cousins. Over all it was fun, even if it was more of a learning day than anticipated. We can hardly wait to see Zak and Owen flying down the slopes. Joel was able to take a bobsled ride with his brother-in-law Allen. The orientation meeting for their bobsled run was kind of like a legal waiver you can't skip over reading. Bruises were promised. The sled flipping over at 80 mph and snapping the necks of all passengers - though extremely unlikely - could not be ruled out (okay, not the neck-breaking part but it logically follows). As it turned out they had the final run of the session. At the appointed time they took the #2 and #3 position in the (almost) regulation sled behind an aging world-class driver and in front of an 18-year-old kid headed for BYU in the fall. At the top of the run they were cordial; after reaching the bottom they were downright chummy. And champions! Their time bested all of the 9 previous "competitors." See you in Vancouver, losers. USA! USA!
Overheard at 517 N Center St.:
Koen: "Hey Jonah, remember that time when you were a prophet?"
Parent: "Do you still like Egypt?"
Koen: "Yeah...I like desserts, shaped like a pyramid"
Si: "Whoa. I can't believe no one got hurt."
Joel Jenica Jonah Silas Koen Hale
March 2008
Koen played "Itty-Bitty Ball" (a 6 sport sampler for preschool aged kids) for the first time this month. Each day of the program they played a different sport and every day Koen declared that sport his "favorite sport." But he was particularly apt at flag football. Whenever someone got the ball, irrespective of which team they were on, Koen would rip off not just their flag but their whole flag belt and then proceed to whip it around his head with victorious glee while the other kid stood there either oblivious or dejected and sometimes in tears. Over time he would pile up his scalps near a certain safety cone. He was, as Jenica would say, amped.
Hale loves 4x4 crawling over any obstacles. Brothers, cardboard blocks, open dishwashers, and Koen's bed are all favorite challenges. He also has a fascination for wallets and a special talent for finding and throwing out the cash and plastic cards. Every time he sees Jenica's wallet it's sure to produce a protest. His ears continue to be invaded and colonized by evil bacteria. Jenica is contemplating sending money with the neighborhood runner to Mexico for meds (the legal kind) so that Hale could just be on Omnicef 365 days a year and we wouldn't have to worry about late nights and doctor visits. (just kidding Uncle Jared!)
At the end of March Joel and Jonah went to a orchestra concert for video game music downtown at Abravanel Hall. The show was - not surprisingly - multimedia and interactive. There was a video screen, disco lighting effects, snow/soap-sud machine (?), costume contest, Frogger play-off, and a sort of VR Space Invaders where the contestant moves back and forth across the stage to control the on-screen ship. The mission of the production was to raise the profile of video games as a legitimate art form (which they are, of course). But for the most part the orchestra only served as background music for a crowd of under-dressed geeks to woot and holler as highlight clips of their favorite games played on the big screen. When they played to a montage of Zelda games, Jonah cheered/screamed so loud that the man sitting on the other side of him had to turn and look at him more than once to make sure he was okay.
What kids in Silas's class want to be when they grow up:
Boys
3 - Cowboy, Athlete
2 - Astronaut (Silas)
1 - Pilot, Policeman, Doctor, Architect, Game Retailer, Missionary
Girls
3 - Teacher
2 - Zoo Keeper
1 - Cowgirl, Athlete, Veterinarian, Homemaker, Doctor, "A Kitty"
Easter this year found us this year with more family around than usual. We decorated cookie eggs of course, but this year our tiny kitchen held 8 kids and 6 adults. Joel's sister Julie and her family were visiting Utah, and with Brad's family nearby we had quite a crew. The cookies were decorated in no time with many vertical, multi-layered frosting types. High art. Very sweet. We had enough kids for 2 hunts. One over easy, one hard boiled. Almost all the Barber and Utah Nielsens and Nilsses helped hide the eggs for the big boys. They have only found 3 stragglers since Easter, so they kids must be getting good. It was a great day.
While family was in town Jenica, Jonah and Silas were able to go skiing with cousins. Over all it was fun, even if it was more of a learning day than anticipated. We can hardly wait to see Zak and Owen flying down the slopes. Joel was able to take a bobsled ride with his brother-in-law Allen. The orientation meeting for their bobsled run was kind of like a legal waiver you can't skip over reading. Bruises were promised. The sled flipping over at 80 mph and snapping the necks of all passengers - though extremely unlikely - could not be ruled out (okay, not the neck-breaking part but it logically follows). As it turned out they had the final run of the session. At the appointed time they took the #2 and #3 position in the (almost) regulation sled behind an aging world-class driver and in front of an 18-year-old kid headed for BYU in the fall. At the top of the run they were cordial; after reaching the bottom they were downright chummy. And champions! Their time bested all of the 9 previous "competitors." See you in Vancouver, losers. USA! USA!
Overheard at 517 N Center St.:
Koen: "Hey Jonah, remember that time when you were a prophet?"
Parent: "Do you still like Egypt?"
Koen: "Yeah...I like desserts, shaped like a pyramid"
Si: "Whoa. I can't believe no one got hurt."
Joel Jenica Jonah Silas Koen Hale
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Barbados Birthday Funnies
In February we took a wonderful vacation to Barbados. We brought along Grandpa Steve and Jodi for some extra company. Our villa was perfect. Well situated on a cliff above the ocean we enjoyed many beautiful sunsets and even spotted a green flash. The approximately one acre grounds were so luxurious that a family of about 7 monkeys came to play on the grounds daily. Usually about 8am for a breakfast of bananas and mangoes that the boys would toss them through the bars of the front porch. It was an reverse zoo experience. We were locked in the villa throwing food out to the monkeys. The boys of course loved this start to each day. One monkey came up quite close and had shoved as many bananas in his mouth that he could fit then grabbed a piece in each hand and then walked away upright. Zak and Owen laughed pretty hard at that and now we look for monkeys in every tree- even in Iowa. Each of us tried to get Steve to leave his briefcase in the car or at the villa when we would go to the beach each day. It wasn’t until the third day that Jared remarked “You never take anything out of it and it’s just going to get sand in it,” that Steve was able to relax a little more on the beach without his briefcase. The beaches were beautiful, the food was excellent and the company enjoyable. It was a fabulous vacation.
On Monday Aoril 14th, our baby, Owen, turned three. He was never one of those kids who would tell you his name or how old he is- too shy. But that day he proudly announced “ I’m three”. His favorite breakfast of two pancakes and two sausages with berries was topped with a candle. He was very excited about his breakfast candle and afterward said with great realization in his eyes and voice “It’s Owen’s Happy Birthday”. After a fun playgroup birthday party we took Jared his lunch. Owen wanted to bring his green lightsabre and wear his birthday crown which all of the office staff enjoyed. We had a fun family party that evening with the family of one of Owen’s favorite playmates.
Zachary received a medal for his participation in the school science fair on Tuesday. His project was on Binocular vision and he showed people how to create a hole appear in their hand with some PVC pipe (an optical illusion).
Zak is also playing soccer and t-ball this spring and is enjoying honing his skills in both sports. Zak and Hillary received their Orange belts in Tae Kwon Do.
Funny Things at the Nielsen Residence
Owen loves to sing his own version of Old MacDonald had a farm- “Heavenly Father had a farm!”
Owen loves to say “Cheese, Grommit, Cheese” from the Wallace and Grommit adventures! Sometimes very loudly in church, but it’s still cute.
Owen taken up playing Lego Star Wars with Zak. He finally started letting Mom steer for him while he shoots, forces, grapple hooks and jumps. Now everyone is happy.
Jared likes to call Owen –Mr. Oedipal. He has definitely been exhibiting a preference for Mom, even screaming her name when Jared tries to hold him.
When we woke up on Apr 12 to snow on the ground and still falling. Zak remarked “Mom, It’s just like Horton hears a who- Maybe we are living on a tiny speck.”
Zak has become Mr. Environment. He requested that we walk to soccer practice the other day so we wouldn’t create un-necessary smog(It was a mile away and we were late-I agreed that we would take our bikes next time). He also found something on the top of the garbage that he recognized could be recycled and tried to find the culprit who improperly disposed of the item. Finally Hillary has a recycling ally!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Steve and Jodi Cruize Europe
Central Europe/Danube River Cruise, Jodi & Steve, March 28th to April 7th, 2008
We wanted to maximize the trip in terms of a learning opportunity. We are happy to report, mission accomplished. I’d be glad to do it again by car with anyone who wants to join us. Life aboard the cruise vessel was 5 Star. We took guided city tours at every destination with plenty of free time ashore as well.
Germany (Bavaria): I had no idea how much my mother was a Bavarian woman. Personality, manner and gesture are all strongly influenced by genetics, more than I ever realized. I saw her everywhere I turned. I enjoyed standing in an emotionally charged pro-Tibet rally with 500 people in the main plaza of Munich in front of the city hall on Saturday afternoon. Later, Jodi and I found a neighborhood restaurant for a real sausage and sour cabbage dinner. The cleanliness of their shops, houses, farms and cities is a beautiful thing. The current Pope is from Bavaria. Jodi and I enjoyed attending Sunday mass in Munich’s main cathedral. The country side has both deciduous and evergreen trees. The Alps are near Munich. The quaint villages with narrow cobblestone streets are picturesque. The people are proud to be Bavarians first and Germans second. They were quick to remind us that Germany is a Republic comprised of separate States.
Austria: The language is German. I sensed more diversity in Vienna than Munich. We enjoyed getting all dressed up one night for an opera. As we traversed the city, I saw architecture and statues dating back to medieval time everywhere I looked. The cathedrals and palaces are literally breathtaking. The Hapsburg dynasty is everywhere. The battles with the Turks dominate their history. They are rightly proud of their cultural contributions with the likes of Mozart and Johann Strauss. I especially enjoyed the open air cafés at noon. I engaged Austrians frequently. They are concerned about the influx of Muslims. They are intrigued by our presidential candidates. Vienna is a center for Jews in Central Europe. I visited at length with an Austrian dentist. His wife is a physician. We plan to stay in touch via email. Our tour guide said that the exclusive jewelry and clothing store owners are happiest when they see Saudi and Russian women approaching their stores. These ladies have body guards that wait outside the store. I saw the famous Spanish riding school founded in 1735 with Lipizzaner horses. The same stables where the real General George Patton road these horses. You’ll recall in the movie that it’s here where he tells the press corps that the Russians are the new enemy and that he should be allowed to march his army into Russia. The pastries and chocolate candies are great, and the later are called Bon Bons. I got blank stares when I asked locals where I could buy chocolate candies.
Hungary: Much history and architecture. A significant portion of the populace remains oppressed in their demeanor by 50 years of harsh Nazi and communist rule. In the Buda side of Budapest I saw a woman selling doilies outside a museum. She was cutting a loaf of bread for her lunch with a big knife. She was wearing a long dark dress, heavy black shoes, gloves and a black scarf on her head. She is my image of a communist survivor. The tour guide said openly that many of her countryman lack optimism. However, there are splashes of new wealth. Jodi and I took a peak inside the Four Seasons Gresham’s Palace Hotel where our ship was moored. Within ten feet of the Hotel’s front door there was a black Cadillac Escalade with dressy wheels, dark glass and Kuwaiti license plates. My guess was that it had been off-loaded from the owners 747 at the airport a few hours before. The rate for a suite is $5,000 UR per night or about $7,500 US. At night on board after dinner we enjoyed a show with traditional Hungarian folk dancers. However, Jodi and I were seated to close to the performers. They literally hauled Jodi and I out of our seats and we danced Hungarian in front of 200 on-lookers. The cardio workout was far in excess of the recommended target heart rate.
Slovakia: Same level of history and architecture, but even more communist oppression lingers. They became a free nation in the late 80’s. Their capital is 2 kilometers from the Austrian border and freedom during communist rule. Our guide’s sister escaped one night with her husband 25 years ago. This couple lives in Seattle now and their 16 year old daughter is currently the 4th ranked US tennis amateur tennis player. The communists built a new city of concrete block apartment buildings across the river from the old city. The also built a new bridge over the river with a very high watch tower to prevent escapes. In the town square Jodi and I enjoyed hot chocolate, not like our cocoa. Their hot chocolate is thick like drinking Hershey’s syrup from the bottle. It’s delicious.
We feel like we gained valuable insights about others. Hopefully some of what we learned will enable us help others as well.
We wanted to maximize the trip in terms of a learning opportunity. We are happy to report, mission accomplished. I’d be glad to do it again by car with anyone who wants to join us. Life aboard the cruise vessel was 5 Star. We took guided city tours at every destination with plenty of free time ashore as well.
Germany (Bavaria): I had no idea how much my mother was a Bavarian woman. Personality, manner and gesture are all strongly influenced by genetics, more than I ever realized. I saw her everywhere I turned. I enjoyed standing in an emotionally charged pro-Tibet rally with 500 people in the main plaza of Munich in front of the city hall on Saturday afternoon. Later, Jodi and I found a neighborhood restaurant for a real sausage and sour cabbage dinner. The cleanliness of their shops, houses, farms and cities is a beautiful thing. The current Pope is from Bavaria. Jodi and I enjoyed attending Sunday mass in Munich’s main cathedral. The country side has both deciduous and evergreen trees. The Alps are near Munich. The quaint villages with narrow cobblestone streets are picturesque. The people are proud to be Bavarians first and Germans second. They were quick to remind us that Germany is a Republic comprised of separate States.
Austria: The language is German. I sensed more diversity in Vienna than Munich. We enjoyed getting all dressed up one night for an opera. As we traversed the city, I saw architecture and statues dating back to medieval time everywhere I looked. The cathedrals and palaces are literally breathtaking. The Hapsburg dynasty is everywhere. The battles with the Turks dominate their history. They are rightly proud of their cultural contributions with the likes of Mozart and Johann Strauss. I especially enjoyed the open air cafés at noon. I engaged Austrians frequently. They are concerned about the influx of Muslims. They are intrigued by our presidential candidates. Vienna is a center for Jews in Central Europe. I visited at length with an Austrian dentist. His wife is a physician. We plan to stay in touch via email. Our tour guide said that the exclusive jewelry and clothing store owners are happiest when they see Saudi and Russian women approaching their stores. These ladies have body guards that wait outside the store. I saw the famous Spanish riding school founded in 1735 with Lipizzaner horses. The same stables where the real General George Patton road these horses. You’ll recall in the movie that it’s here where he tells the press corps that the Russians are the new enemy and that he should be allowed to march his army into Russia. The pastries and chocolate candies are great, and the later are called Bon Bons. I got blank stares when I asked locals where I could buy chocolate candies.
Hungary: Much history and architecture. A significant portion of the populace remains oppressed in their demeanor by 50 years of harsh Nazi and communist rule. In the Buda side of Budapest I saw a woman selling doilies outside a museum. She was cutting a loaf of bread for her lunch with a big knife. She was wearing a long dark dress, heavy black shoes, gloves and a black scarf on her head. She is my image of a communist survivor. The tour guide said openly that many of her countryman lack optimism. However, there are splashes of new wealth. Jodi and I took a peak inside the Four Seasons Gresham’s Palace Hotel where our ship was moored. Within ten feet of the Hotel’s front door there was a black Cadillac Escalade with dressy wheels, dark glass and Kuwaiti license plates. My guess was that it had been off-loaded from the owners 747 at the airport a few hours before. The rate for a suite is $5,000 UR per night or about $7,500 US. At night on board after dinner we enjoyed a show with traditional Hungarian folk dancers. However, Jodi and I were seated to close to the performers. They literally hauled Jodi and I out of our seats and we danced Hungarian in front of 200 on-lookers. The cardio workout was far in excess of the recommended target heart rate.
Slovakia: Same level of history and architecture, but even more communist oppression lingers. They became a free nation in the late 80’s. Their capital is 2 kilometers from the Austrian border and freedom during communist rule. Our guide’s sister escaped one night with her husband 25 years ago. This couple lives in Seattle now and their 16 year old daughter is currently the 4th ranked US tennis amateur tennis player. The communists built a new city of concrete block apartment buildings across the river from the old city. The also built a new bridge over the river with a very high watch tower to prevent escapes. In the town square Jodi and I enjoyed hot chocolate, not like our cocoa. Their hot chocolate is thick like drinking Hershey’s syrup from the bottle. It’s delicious.
We feel like we gained valuable insights about others. Hopefully some of what we learned will enable us help others as well.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Snowy Hearts Sunbeam Music House Crawl
SNOW! It was a fun January. Now we are pretty much done enjoying the snow. The kids don't really want to sled or sculpt with it anymore. And that is the epitome of February.
Valentines Day was filled with a lot of love. More so than usual. Jonah with out any indication of embarrassment revealed that he is in love with a girl in his class. As he told Joel, he is not a secret admirer as he isn't shy. So apparently EVERYONE knew about this but his dear ole Ma and Pa. Now that we do know we have philosophical discussions over snacks on the topic. Like today when Jonah told his brothers "some people [at school] think that having a crush is gross, but actually it feels good." So Jonah. So lovable.
Koen is a very happy Sunbeam. He has a fantastic teacher, and lots of friends in his class. The one dark cloud in is universe is that his birthday is taking way too long to get here. EVERY day he asks me if its his birthday, tells me that he isn't going to invite Si (because he "treats him poorly") and his heart is broken when I tell him that May 20th is still after Easter. Finally today he asked "can we make a cake and pretend that its my birthday?" So this weekend (I promise!) we will be making a cake with candles. I hope it works.
Silas started piano. He loves playing this instrument. And although Joel and I never planned on owning anything that heavy, it looks like after we move we will be acquiring one. He also spends all the free time he can playing Roller coaster Tycoon. When his computer privileges are tapped, he will play it on paper by drawing it.
Joel and I have been doing house stuff. Our plans came out of engineering abyss, and then went back in, but hopefully briefly this time. The hole may get dug in the next week or two. And Joel and I are scrambling to get colors and stuff picked out.
Hale is crawling and chewing on things in an adorable way. Here is a thousand words on Hale:
Valentines Day was filled with a lot of love. More so than usual. Jonah with out any indication of embarrassment revealed that he is in love with a girl in his class. As he told Joel, he is not a secret admirer as he isn't shy. So apparently EVERYONE knew about this but his dear ole Ma and Pa. Now that we do know we have philosophical discussions over snacks on the topic. Like today when Jonah told his brothers "some people [at school] think that having a crush is gross, but actually it feels good." So Jonah. So lovable.
Koen is a very happy Sunbeam. He has a fantastic teacher, and lots of friends in his class. The one dark cloud in is universe is that his birthday is taking way too long to get here. EVERY day he asks me if its his birthday, tells me that he isn't going to invite Si (because he "treats him poorly") and his heart is broken when I tell him that May 20th is still after Easter. Finally today he asked "can we make a cake and pretend that its my birthday?" So this weekend (I promise!) we will be making a cake with candles. I hope it works.
Silas started piano. He loves playing this instrument. And although Joel and I never planned on owning anything that heavy, it looks like after we move we will be acquiring one. He also spends all the free time he can playing Roller coaster Tycoon. When his computer privileges are tapped, he will play it on paper by drawing it.
Joel and I have been doing house stuff. Our plans came out of engineering abyss, and then went back in, but hopefully briefly this time. The hole may get dug in the next week or two. And Joel and I are scrambling to get colors and stuff picked out.
Hale is crawling and chewing on things in an adorable way. Here is a thousand words on Hale:
Thursday, February 7, 2008
January in Iowa
Overheard in Iowa:
On the car ride home from seeing the movie National Treasure in the theatre:
Zak: Is there really a golden city?
Parent: Not that anyone has found?
Zak: We should go look for it. But we should probably leave Owen with a babysitter. He is too little.
We survived January 2008. The schedule became very busy and the weather almost unbearable at times (at -20 during the day for a few days), but we made it through. We enjoyed a couple games at our local bowling alley where Owen (using rails and a ramp) beat Jared (several high speed gutter balls) in our second game. We also went to our first in a long time movie in a theatre with the boys. Zak loved it. Owen sat on my lap for the first third of the movie. The next third he walked around in the end of our row and out to the aisle. The last third he enjoyed watching Chicken Run on his ipod in his own chair. Jared and Hillary made a day trip with some friends to the Winter Quarters Temple. It was fun to spend some time with our friends and see our new little Temple. The boys had fun playing with their friends and a med school couple who needed a dose of birth control by watching 6 kids for a day. Hillary received her yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do and now she matches Zak in belt rank as the two prepare together to test for their orange belts next month. Zak lost his first two teeth on the last Sunday night of January. They have been loose for several months. His parents have been trying to get him to wiggle them out, because with the new adult teeth growing in behind he was starting to look like a shark. Surprisingly, Zak had no real interest in wiggling or losing the teeth despite all of our teasing to tie the teeth to the bumper of the car. Sunday night as he brushed his teeth the loose ones started to bleed a bit so Hillary-remembering how her uncles had flicked her teeth out fairly painlessly onto the diary barn floor- easily yanked Zak’s teeth out. He exclaimed, “That didn’t hurt hardly at all!” He was really excited. He was even more excited the next morning to find two gold dollar coins under his pillow. Now we are working on the next two teeth.
Hillary took the boys ice skating one afternoon. The rink has construction cones that the little kids can hold on to to help them skate. A great idea! Zak got himself a cone and started racing around the rink with his friend. Owen wanted nothing to do with the cones. Mom was a more sure thing. He loved skating while holding mom's hands and Mom skating while holding him. Hillary literally had to drag him kicking and screaming from the ice. I think we may have a hockey player on our hands. Zak announced while turning in his skates that he is ready (skill-wise) for a hockey team.
Have a fabulous day!
Jared, Hillary, Zachary & Owen
Steve & Jodi
Talking to Zak on his Dad’s cell phone about everything he is learning in school is always a special treat. He was excited to tell me about it while he was riding with his family to the theater to see American Treasure on a Saturday afternoon. He also called later in the month to report with appropriate great pride that he lost two teeth.
Building Pinewood Derby race cars with the Barber boys is a grand father’s dream come true. Thanks to Jenica and Joel, we all got the cars as Christmas gifts. Jenica even bought a book with secrets about making extra fast racers. When the cars are finished we’ll send everyone photos.
Meri’s Pilates coaching continues to be a blessing. A stronger core makes everything better. It was neat to listen as she described her Pilates’ business plans for 2008-09 and her “A” grade success in a very difficult kinesiology class last semester.
David and I enjoyed the drive to Springville to pick up his “sweet” Ford F-150 truck. David searched the classifieds until he found a great deal. Its “sweet” because it’s a 2000 in excellent shape with only 59,000 miles and Doug, the mechanic who you all remember in Orem, proclaimed it “sweet.” I’ll let David tell you the rest of the details.
It was great to listen to Karalee’s account of her successful presentation to a local citizen’s group about the “sustainable” Charleston version of Taco Boy. I’ve been telling people about its 100 ft. high wind turbine. Later in the month, I was moved by Karalee’s sharing the awe, gratitude and patriotism she felt at Tim’s father’s honor guard service at Arlington Cemetery. I remember the feeling I had when I read the sign at the entrance which rightly proclaimed it to be “hallowed ground.”
Many thanks to Joel and Jenica who helped me unravel my email service. It was all likely my fault. I managed to get tangled up while trying to installing the Qwest bundled high-speed internet service. At one point Joel and I had three other technicians on a conference call.
Also, thanks to Hillary for her Essig family history work. As a result I experienced the special sense of connection as I did the temple work for my grand father, Albert Carl Essig. He truly was, is, a wonderful person. His successes in business are still an inspiration to me and I think of him often in my own pursuits. My father said of him, “Everyone likes Al, I’ve never heard him say anything bad about anyone.”
Jared helped me provide much needed advice to one of my clients. The client couldn’t afford to continue his injections for treatment of Age-related Macular Degeneration. The patient had already lost sight in one eye. Jared helped me locate a foundation that is providing financial support for patients in this situation.
Jodi’s father, Joe T. Covington, has been visiting with us off and on for the past few weeks. His many successful ventures as a cattle breeder rewarded him with interesting experiences as well as industry acclaim. We’ve enjoyed retracing events that have taken him to many parts of the world.
I had the special opportunity to attend Sacrament meeting in the Manti Tabernacle. It was dedicated in the 1870’s. I was moved as I observed the building’s evidence of the incredible dedication and sacrifice of so many courageous and noble persons. While singing the opening hymn I was impressed by the tremendous amount of service that has been rendered to people all around the world by the saints who have worshiped in that building over the years since it was dedicated.
I’ll close by saying that My Medical Home project continues to be exciting, even though the rate of progress is glacial. As you all know I have been studying about innovation for the past year. In the last two months I’ve read three particularly good books that some of you may find interesting. Innovation – The Five Disciplines for Creating What Customers Want by Carlson & Wilmot; Made To Stick – Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Heath & Heath and The Art of Woo – Using Strategic Persuasion to Sell Your Ideas by Shell & Moussa. They were all available from the library even though they’re relatively recent publications.
Please pardon the length of this edition. There’s just so many good things to share.
Steve & Jodi
Building Pinewood Derby race cars with the Barber boys is a grand father’s dream come true. Thanks to Jenica and Joel, we all got the cars as Christmas gifts. Jenica even bought a book with secrets about making extra fast racers. When the cars are finished we’ll send everyone photos.
Meri’s Pilates coaching continues to be a blessing. A stronger core makes everything better. It was neat to listen as she described her Pilates’ business plans for 2008-09 and her “A” grade success in a very difficult kinesiology class last semester.
David and I enjoyed the drive to Springville to pick up his “sweet” Ford F-150 truck. David searched the classifieds until he found a great deal. Its “sweet” because it’s a 2000 in excellent shape with only 59,000 miles and Doug, the mechanic who you all remember in Orem, proclaimed it “sweet.” I’ll let David tell you the rest of the details.
It was great to listen to Karalee’s account of her successful presentation to a local citizen’s group about the “sustainable” Charleston version of Taco Boy. I’ve been telling people about its 100 ft. high wind turbine. Later in the month, I was moved by Karalee’s sharing the awe, gratitude and patriotism she felt at Tim’s father’s honor guard service at Arlington Cemetery. I remember the feeling I had when I read the sign at the entrance which rightly proclaimed it to be “hallowed ground.”
Many thanks to Joel and Jenica who helped me unravel my email service. It was all likely my fault. I managed to get tangled up while trying to installing the Qwest bundled high-speed internet service. At one point Joel and I had three other technicians on a conference call.
Also, thanks to Hillary for her Essig family history work. As a result I experienced the special sense of connection as I did the temple work for my grand father, Albert Carl Essig. He truly was, is, a wonderful person. His successes in business are still an inspiration to me and I think of him often in my own pursuits. My father said of him, “Everyone likes Al, I’ve never heard him say anything bad about anyone.”
Jared helped me provide much needed advice to one of my clients. The client couldn’t afford to continue his injections for treatment of Age-related Macular Degeneration. The patient had already lost sight in one eye. Jared helped me locate a foundation that is providing financial support for patients in this situation.
Jodi’s father, Joe T. Covington, has been visiting with us off and on for the past few weeks. His many successful ventures as a cattle breeder rewarded him with interesting experiences as well as industry acclaim. We’ve enjoyed retracing events that have taken him to many parts of the world.
I had the special opportunity to attend Sacrament meeting in the Manti Tabernacle. It was dedicated in the 1870’s. I was moved as I observed the building’s evidence of the incredible dedication and sacrifice of so many courageous and noble persons. While singing the opening hymn I was impressed by the tremendous amount of service that has been rendered to people all around the world by the saints who have worshiped in that building over the years since it was dedicated.
I’ll close by saying that My Medical Home project continues to be exciting, even though the rate of progress is glacial. As you all know I have been studying about innovation for the past year. In the last two months I’ve read three particularly good books that some of you may find interesting. Innovation – The Five Disciplines for Creating What Customers Want by Carlson & Wilmot; Made To Stick – Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Heath & Heath and The Art of Woo – Using Strategic Persuasion to Sell Your Ideas by Shell & Moussa. They were all available from the library even though they’re relatively recent publications.
Please pardon the length of this edition. There’s just so many good things to share.
Steve & Jodi
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