Photo Shoot #612

It's official. Clara has had more pictures taken in four months than I did during my entire childhood. Hooray for the advent of the digital camera. Here are a few cute photos from Friday morning:

Photographic evidence of her love for her toes.

Just a cute picture. I think she's silently willing me to get the camera out of her face.
She loves her Baby Einstein soft blocks...mainly to use as chew toys, of course.

And now for the most terrifying of all. She loves to stand and can bear all her weight on her own now; all she needs is a little support for balance. So I decided to see what would happen if I stood her up next to the couch. Behold the results.

A Fine Weekend: Day 1, PM Edition

Tonight we had dinner at Pedro & Diana's house. They are new in our congregation and were gracious enough to invite us for an evening of food and games. When they queried about allergies or food aversions, I replied with the following:

No allergies.
As a rule, when others cook we don't have aversions.
Suggestions? I love spinach, prefer ground beef over steak, pork and chicken equal, garbanzo over pinto beans, and who ever went wrong with anything that was nicely spiced. I have a thing for cumin. Not so much a spicy food fan. And will kill for a good curry.
Or, more succinctly said, we're game for pretty much anything.

They responded by making one of the best curries I have ever tasted. There were so many flavors, yet no one flavor overpowered the dish. By concentrating the palate, one could taste each individual flavor, then by relaxing focus, enjoy a combined taste that was completely balanced. I really enjoyed it. For dessert they served fresh berries with cream. Right now is a good time for berries; they were sweet and wonderful.

After dinner they introduced us to a new game: Killer Bunnies. A card game with the object to collect as many carrots as possible, Killer Bunnies combines warped humor, five bunnies (Gleeful, Congenial, Lumbering, Timid, and Sinister, in order above) with weapons such as the Ebola virus and a kitchen whisk, and more expansion packs than Settlers of Catan. It is a truly amazing game. We had a great time playing it, actually loving it so much that Kristin went out and bought it for our family. It is a BRILLIANT game. Let me know if any of you have played it before in the comments, okay?

P.S. Oh, and I got a nap on Saturday afternoon. It was great!

A Fine Weekend: Day 1

To day was the first day of a fine weekend. Friday night ended up being a complete blast, between the Dance Festival, chatting with Kathy & Hal, and then seeing Clara roll over at Bonnie & David's house. David had suggested, Friday night, that we go get breakfast together Saturday morning. At a specific place: The Metro 29 Diner.

The Metro 29 Diner is located in Arlington, about 20 minutes from our house. We first took Bonnie & David there one Saturday when we all heading downtown for some reason or another. As they did this time, on that first visit I told them they had to order the french toast. They make their french toast with challah bread. When you order it, you get two huge pieces. It's a breakfast fit for carbohydrate-loving royalty. The fact that David said he wanted french toast, rather than requesting the Metro 29 Diner, says something as to the power of this particular dish.

The diner is very different on the weekends. I usually go there during the week with my buddy Stuart. During the week it is an odd collection of business people, old people, and groups of men with Bibles. I kid you not. On average I would say there are three to four groups of Bible-toting men each time Stuart and I dine there. But I digress. We were quickly seated and ordered. David, Bonnie, and Kristin all order the french toast. I opted for an omelet. I felt the need. And it was very satisfying. The waiter was a total jerk, and I tried not to be a jerk back. Ask one of the others if I succeeded.

Afterwards, since we were so close, we headed to Heidelberg. I've Heidelberg before. It is the greatest bakery in the whole world. Much like the diner, it was totally different on the weekend! They had a wurst cart out in front (11a-2p, weather permitting) and inside the pastry chef was giving samples of one of his dishes, and it was packed full of people. We didn't end up buying anything, but David's curiosity is now sufficiently peaked that he wants to come back and try a few things. I can't wait.

Oh, and I love my Honda Pilot. Just like our last trip with David & Bonnie, we all piled into the car and travelled in comfort. Sigh. What a great car.

Modest Clara: We'll All Roll On

While no where as rolly-polly as Nuala and Bran, our little one has started rolling over! The first time was right when I arrived home from work. I think I freaked out Clara when I jumped up and started cheering with delight. I'm not home during the day and was excited to be there for one of those big events!

That was a stomach to back roll and happened a couple of weeks ago. Friday night after we left Hal & Kathy's, we stopped by David & Bonnie's for a quick visit. Clara took her place on a blanket in the middle of their family room, pulling up her legs, and playing with a toy. As we sat staring at her, she pulled her legs to her stomach, leaned to the side, and rolled from her back to her stomach! She's done each way once. Now all we need is a repeat!

Ms. Clara Goes to Fairfax

Tonight we went to the Stake Youth Dance Festival. Each Ward's youth prepared an up-to-10-minute number set to music from a Broadway musical. Our Ward's contribution, Thoroughly Modern Millie, was a crowd favorite - I feel - based on the fact that our youth were clearly enjoying themselves on stage. The choreography was brilliant. You haven't lived until you've heard an early-forty-something accountant belt out, while demonstrating the steps, "Charleston, Charleston, lay it out, lay it out. Now Fosse! Fosse!" They really put on an amazing show.

The cultural hall was pretty warm, so I was out in the foyer at one point and ran into Natalie. Natalie is the older sister of Carrie, who had a baby at the same hosptial the day Clara was born. I first met Natalie when I moved back to D.C. in 1999. As I approached her to see her new baby she said, "I love your blog!" We then set out to figure what brought her to this little corner of the internet and settled on a link from Heidi's blog. I love it when people find my/our blog.

It was a beautiful night, so Kristin and I drove home with the windows down. Kristin and you drove, you say? Where was Clara? I'm glad you asked!

Clara had a play date tonight. Hal and Kathy live in our Ward. Both Kristin and I have had various interactions with Hal and Kathy over the years. When I was the CTR 6 teacher in Primary, Kathy taught CTR 5. Also, Hal and I were home teaching companions for a while. They are incredibly pleasant people and Hal has one of the best senses of humor I've ever encountered. If you don't listen closely, you're apt to many a hilarious comment delivered in a very dry and understated style.

When Clara was born, Kathy sent an e-mail detailing their qualifications and requesting surrogate Grandparent status for both Hal and her. It was quite a composition! A few Sundays ago, Kathy asked when Clara would be coming over for a visit, and we decided the night of the Dance Festival would be perfect. The sheets on the crib at their house were changed, the toys were brought out, and we packed a bag of Clara stuff for the evening. Clara has been out of sorts for the past few weeks. Just as she was getting over her jet lag from the Portland trip, she had a doctor's appointment and received five shots. It's kept her off-kilter this past week. When we dropped Clara off, Kathy assured us that, in spite of the cranky pants Clara was obviously wearing, everyone would have a wonderful time.

When we came to pick Clara up a few hours later, Clara was in Hal's arms looking as content as could be. When Clara caught sight of us, she let out a quick cry, then settled back down. It looks like our little girl is starting to recognize her parents! We stayed and chatted a while, thanking them profusely for the night out, and promising them the next time Clara came for a visit she would be a better-adjusted girl.

Welcome Beth!

A few months ago at church, my friend Beth asked me a question about Clara. I asked her if she'd seen the blog, she hadn't, so I told her how the child was doing and pointed her to the blog for pictures, videos, and anecdotes galore. She went!

She also gave me the link to her blog 5under7. It's a fun blog full of pictures of her adorable children. I don't think I've ever seen two people so consistently produce perfect babies. Each one is more cute than the next. It's fun every week to see them in the front pew at church, Mom at one end, Dad at the other, and five little blond heads poking up over the back of the pew.

A new blog added to my Friends list. Go check it out and enjoy! (The January 20th post is especially good.)

Overheard

"Let's go to bed. I mean, I want to hug you but let's just go to bed."

Lost Recap: D.O.C.

1. Net Character Growth: +1. McPatchy is back? AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!! Slight redemption in Jin kicking his...
2. 815? Everyone dead? Purgatory was a theory on week one. Lame.
3. Eu não estou só = I am not alone. And I didn't even need a translator.

Our Giant Baby

Clara had her four-month check-up today and it seems that Oliver and I really are her parents. She weighed in at 15 lbs, 10 oz (90th percentile) and is 26 1/2 inches long (off the charts). That's 4 pounds and 3 inches gained in two months. Her pediatrician proclaimed her "perfect, albeit expensive."

She is becoming more and more vocal all the time and laughs over the funniest things. For some reason being called a "big strong standing girl" while pulling her into a standing position gets her every time. Oh, and so does the alphabet song. Don't ask me why. She's rolling from side to side but hasn't made it all the way over from front to back yet. She has also developed a great affinity for her feet and loves it when we help her get her toes into her mouth. Again, further proof that she is my daughter; apparently my toes were my favorite chew toy as a baby. Her coordination is much better and she's getting her toys into her mouth now instead of poking herself in the eye with them.

All in all, she's an adorable, funny little girl and I love watching her learn something new every day. Here are a couple of pics I took of her playing on the floor the other day (she was having some "air out the diaper area" time):

Bluetooth Headsets

I just walked through the lobby of my company's offices. While there, some visitor walked past me with his oxford, jacket, and no tie and a Bluetooth headset to his ear.

Is there anything more tool-esque than walking around with a Bluetooth headset on?

Lost Recap: Catch-22

1. Net Character Growth: +1. Remains to be seen if possibly-Brazilian/Brazilian-looking new girl will be of any value.
2. An entire flashback of Scottish accents. Ear candy.
3. At the end of season two when we saw the two men playing chess some people kept saying the chess players were speaking Russian. I said they were speaking Portuguese. Just looked on Lostpedia and saw that the Joseph Heller novel found last night was in Portuguese. Which makes #1 on this list all the more correct. I rock.

The Plane Ride Home

Well, we made it home. We're in one piece, the luggage showed up without event, and Bruce was there to pick us up. The flights weren't too bad. The first leg, from PDX to SLC, Clara was a little fussy. The guy with which we shared a row was nice and didn't complain. Towards the end of the flight Clara fell asleep and slept through the layover and the first two hours of the SLC to IAD flight. For the remaining two hours of the flight she was good, not really crying, downing a 5-ounce bottle in no time flat, and making friends with everyone around us once we landed. We're thankful the long flight was the good flight.

Now that we're home we're graduating Clara from her Pack 'n Play bassinet to her crib overnight. Oh! she just started crying. Off I go.

Homeward Bound

Today we bid adieu to Debbie & Dirk and their wonderful hospitality. They have been so gracious in providing us a place to stay, a car to drive, food to eat, a DVR that records "Lost," and plenty of good conversation. Until the next time, we'll definitely miss everyone we saw during our stay in Portland.

Saturday in the Park with Randi

We saw Randi!!!

Randi is a dear friend from BYU that we last saw in Boston. We rendezvoused on a street corner near downtown crossing during the 2004 Democratic National Convention. A group of La Rouche-ites were singing choral music and passing out fliers all around us. It was a surreal experience.

Randi recently completed culinary school and is a pastry chef for Tom Douglas' Dahlia Bakery, attached to the popular Dahlia Lounge restaurant in downtown Seattle. We met her at her bakery and walked down to the waterfront, with the intent to go to a new sculpture garden. Then we found out it would be a mile-and-a-half walk. With Clara in the Björn, we decided to forgo the gardens for a different view of the city: The view from Alki beach.

Alki Beach sits across Puget Sound from downtown Seattle. On our way from the waterfront to the car, we picked up a humbow - a filled pastry, we all opted for the curried beef, they were incredibly tasty - from the Mee Sum Pastry bakery, and some treats from Randi's bakery. Oh, and here is a freak we saw on Pike Street.

We jumped in the car and headed over to Alki. The view was *amazing* (see top of post). We sat on a park bench and caught up on life, dreams that we are living, dreams that we wish we were living, and everything in between. Randi talked us through the box of pastries, not only telling us the ingredients but also stories of who makes it, why or why it isn't good, and how the chocolate chip cookies are TO DIE FOR fresh out of the oven.

My two favorites were the Chocolate Pecan Creme Cookie and the Maple Éclair. The creme cookie consisted of two dark chocolate cookies with a filling of butter and pecan goodness. The power of the dark chocolate was balanced against a very buttery filling. The éclair is usually Randi's domain, but someone else made the one we ate. Of course it was inferior, but we had to do with what was available. The topping was a mixture of white chocolate, butter, and maple syrup. The filling had butter, heavy cream, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla bean, and - I swear - crack cocaine. It was so very tasty. Sadly, we only had one. My arteries were grateful.

NOTE: We did try the signature coconut cream pie, which had been recommended. I wasn't a fan. I'm not a big cream pie fan in general, but this didn't have enough cream and had way too much coconut, along with a topping of whipped cream that didn't match the proportion of the filling.

It didn't seem like that long ago we were hanging out in Canyon Terrace making a menace of ourselves. Always fun to see how easy it is to pick up when it's a good friend.

The drive back to Seattle was a sad one as we knew we had to drop Randi off at a bus stop so she could head home. It was a great visit. Hope we get to see her again soon.

Cousin Party in Seattle

We drove up to Seattle today to see Melissa and Justin's new house and have a cousins party. Everyone in the Seattle area came by, including Aunt Debbie, not to be confused with Grandma Debbie, who was supposed to be out of town. We took a bunch of fun pictures and Aunt Debbie took some video.

Aunt Melissa and Uncle Justin provided snacks, which we munched on while swapping stories of Kristin and her cousins' childhood, our current adventures, all mixed together with a healthy dose of Clara and her second cousin Dylan. Pictures follow.

Clara and Aunt Melissa sharing smiles


Cousin Brandon and his wife, Lindsay


Cousin Scott practicing his uncle skills


Cousins Kristin and Shara with their offspring, Clara and Dylan, respectively


Dylan with his dad, Jason


Dylan demonstrating the proper technique for eating a huge piece of pineapple


Clara and Daddy; Clara and Aunt Smelly-Melly

Sadly, there were no pictures of Grandma Debbie, Aunt Debbie, or Uncle Justin. And we didn't get a picture of Dylan playing with the Roomba; it was quite funny. However the video, included below, has Grandma Debbie and Uncle Justin.

A Friday Update

Today we had two fun experiences. The first was discovering Applebee's Garlic Fries. Served in a tower and topped with shaved Parmesan cheese, they came alongside the Bruschetta Burger Kristin ordered for lunch. They were incredibly good. Though I'd never been to an Applebee's before, this might get me to come back.

The second was dinner and a visit with Jeff and Sabrina, Ashley and Aaron, Britney and David, and Grammy. Sabrina cooked an amazing meal and we had a grand time chatting and playing with Clara. She especially like playing with her Aunt Ashley (picture right) and Grandma Sabrina. Sadly, none of the pictures with Grandpa Jeff and Grandma Sabrina turned out!

Blogging About Donut World

On our way back from lunch, we drove past Donut World. I had to get out to take pictures. You can see them down the left side of this post.

I love donuts. ASIDE: Jared has a friend, Aaron, who has named his blog The Forbidden Donut. I so should have come up with that name. Aaron did a great series on Christmas. Check it out. END_ASIDE. I have always loved donuts. I can't remember a time when I haven't had positive thoughts toward donuts. It is part of who I am. I have fond memories selling Krispy Kreme donuts door to door as a fundraiser for Boy Scouts. Krispy Kreme was truly my first donut love. As a teenager, my friends and I would often trek half way across the DC area to the Krispy Kreme factory on Route 1 for hot, fresh donuts. When I was in college, I composed a haiku:

Round, fried orbs of fat
Bathed in oil, baptized in sug'r
I'll have mine cream filled.

I think every geeky college student goes through a haiku phase - you know, where you have whole conversations in non-rhyming 5/7/5? One late night at Denny's, I'm loathe to admit I ever ate there, we composed a haiku for the hostess. Sadly, I can't recall it. But I digress.

And Krispy Kreme will always be that first donut love. As time has passed, I have learned how to love other donuts. The Colossal Donuts at Shopper's, particularly the chocolate frosted-creme filled ones, are amazing. But it wasn't until my 20s that I discovered the joys of mom and pop donut shops. On a trip to Michigan to see my older brother Matthew, I found Dale's Donut Shop - founded the year I was born. Olin's bakery, near my brother Jared's house, is the source of breakfast when I go visit Boston. And in the case of Portland: Donut World.

When in high school, Kristin used to come here with friends, when they should have been attending class, to get a donut and coffee. She took me there on our first trip to Portland, knowing of my affinity for such places, and it's become half joke/half tradition that we have to go there each time we visit Portland. I'm fond of saying, each time we drive past, "Wow! Did you see? We just passed the home of THE donut. I wonder how he's doing?" Kristin never asks whether The Donut is male or female; please discuss in the comments section. And, as is often the case, Kristin is much less amused by that comment than I.

This trip, on Thursday morning, I went to Donut World and bought us a dozen donuts for breakfast. I ate eight and a half of the donuts on Thursday. I have powers that Voldemort knows not.

This post was brought to you buy Jared. Ask and ye shall receive.

Lost Recap: One of Us

Original Air Date: 4/11/2007
Oliver Air Date: 4/12/2007
I love my in-law's DVR.

Watched Wednesday's "Lost" tonight. Was so right with last week's episode and the mind game. Here is this week's list:

1. Net Character Growth: 0. Random associated comment: Benry's round glasses work the retro feel.
2. The sub is sooooooo fake (Sequel comment to Claire's wig). Can also be said: There is no sub.
3. Juliet standing up to Sawyer and Sayid: H. O. T. I sense myself falling.

A Visit from Val, Brian, and Jim

Tonight Debbie's family came over for dinner and a visit. Jim was in town from Arizona, which was the main reason we scheduled our trip when we did. He was incredibly tan from a recent trip south of the border. It was fun to catch up with him as we haven't had a chance to see each other in a number of years. Clara liked her Great-Grandpa and played with him for a while. Cute pic below to the left.

Valerie, seen above right, also came over. Valerie lives in another suburb of Portland. She's always good for a story and a laugh or two. We really enjoyed visiting with her and hope to see Clara's two other Great Aunts who live in California on our next visit.

Here's a random picture of Debbie and Dirk's cat, Kitty, taken Thursday night. I dislike all cats and Kitty is no exception. Usually when we visit Kitty gets some attention from Kristin, Kitty has an odd habit of crawling up on Kristin's shoulders, but this time all attention went to Clara. Kitty was NOT pleased.

Dinner that night was pacific salmon cooked on the grill by Dirk with fresh strawberry shortcake from Debbie. Dirk prepared the salmon with mayonnaise, vinegar, olive oil, and a bunch of spices. When I first heard what he was putting on, I had my doubts, but it turned out delicious!

Brian, Kristin's cousin, was also there, sans wife Cassie. Brian is a total crack up with a dryer sense of humor than his mother. Jeff also stopped by for a while. Clara hadn't been in the best mood the night before at Jeff's house, so it was good for him to be able to experience a happy Clara. It was a fun night and everyone had to head home way too soon.

Grammy & Me

My Grammy came by to visit today. She brought Mommy and Daddy lunch. Daddy tried to share his chocolate shake with me, but Mommy wouldn't let him. Killjoy.

Grammy and I had fun playing. Here are some pictures of us together.

I tired out after a little while, so I fell asleep and let Mommy and Daddy talk with Grammy for a little while. I think she was there for almost five hours. I'm such a draw!

Lost Recap: Left Behind

1. Net Character Growth: 0. Nice use of Sawyer's Baby Momma in the Kate flashback.
2. My Fair Sawyer with Professor Hugo Higgins. "Guess I'm not getting the Korean vote."
3. Juliet & Kate match up. Physically and mentally. (I'm not buying that they really left Juliet behind. Has got to be a Benry mind game.)

Blogging From Donut World

Last night we stopped by Jeff's house for a visit. It was 10p eastern time, so Clara had her cranky pants firmly on both legs. We managed to keep her fairly calm and even got a few fun pictures of her with Grandpa Jeff and with Aunt Delaney.

At one point I took Clara into the office to try to get her to calm down and go to sleep. I eventually won, she closed her eyes, and I came back into the family room to be with everyone. Ashley turned to me and said, "It's cool to see you being a dad." I smiled and replied, "It's tiring to be a dad."

Looking back four months, back before Clara was born, I didn't have much to do as the Dad. Kristin was doing all the work, providing Clara the nutrients she needed to grow. Comparing the four-month-back Oliver to today's Oliver, I'm pretty amazed at all that I've proven I can do, how readily I can react to Clara's needs. Sure, I'm still nervous and don't know what to do 50% of the time, but I'm figuring it out and helping Clara the best I know how.

So I guess Ashley is right. It is pretty cool.

First Plane Ride

Thought I'd share some pictures from Clara's first plane rides.

At home, ready to head to the airport.

Getting used to the plane.

Family portrait from the last leg.

Mommy and Clara looking out the window.

Blogging From Zion

We're here in Utah. Ahh, the good old SLC airport. As my friend John likes to say when referencing his trips to Utah to ski, "I'm going to Zion!" Well, we're here.

Flying in over Salt Lake City was an interesting experience. I, unexpectedly, felt the desire to stay for a visit. I felt pulled by wanting to see the parts of town where I spent time with my Grandmother and Grandfather, to visit my younger brother, Eric, in Logan, maybe to traipse down to Provo and see how things have changed at the Y, to buy a suit at Mr. Mac's. It's been a long five years since Kristin and I were last in Utah for my Grandmother's funeral.

There are a lot of people I'd like to see. One is Kelly, my mission companion who, together with his wife, lived with Kristin and I the first summer after Kristin and I married. I've yet to meet their daughter, Olivia, and son, JJ. I'd love to see my friend Laura, her husband Jason, and their son. I first met Laura in South America and have never met someone with such love for life.

But the thing I'd love to do most is take Clara to the Salt Lake City Cemetery to visit the grave of her great-grandmother and namesake, Clara Dean. Someday I wish to sit among the tombstones on the green slopes over looking the Great Salt Lake Valley, and tell her the stories of that great woman who had such an impact on my life that I decided to name my first child after her.

Clara taking in the sights at the Salt Lake City airport.

Blogging From The Plane

Time: 8:15am MDT
Location: Just north of Lake Francis Case
Speed: 476 mph

Welcome to "Blogging From The Plane". Kristin, the little one, and I are en route to Portland, OR, to visit Kristin’s family for a week. Our early morning flight out of Dulles International Airport has been uneventful thus far. The plane is fairly empty so we have three seats to ourselves. Our delightful friend David was kind enough to drive us to the airport this morning at 5:30am. That is a true friend.

We checked the car seat and Pack N Play. As a result we only had the diaper bag, my laptop bag, and Kristin's bag o' miscellany as carry ons. I got to carry Clara through the airport and was the recipient of many warms smiles and comments of "What a beautiful daughter you have!"

I haven't flown out of Dulles in a while and this was my first opportunity to experience the underground walkway connecting the B and Main terminals. What a glorious experience! No people movers crammed full of early-morning travelers. Only a long hallway with moving sidewalks. And what could make it even better? Check it out:
I so need to get this printed on a t-shirt.

Walk Left | Stand Right is the cornerstone and keystone of escalator and moving sidewalk etiquette. An variation on "slower traffic keep right," the concept allows people who like to walk to get past those who want to stand. I judge not whether you are a walker or a rider, I myself have experienced the joy of the ride many times, but ask that you help keep a sense of order. That’s all.

Okay, we’re about to descend into Salt Lake City, where we have a one-hour lay over. I need to shut down my portable electronic device. Before I go, two quick other notes:

1) Clara has been charming the flight crew. One of the flight attendants offered the opinion that Clara will be breaking hearts in no time.

2) Real men change messy diapers at 8,000 feet. I rule.

Video From Gather, Gorge & Gab

Clara and Michael providing us entertainment after our Easter Sunday dinner.

First Video: Fighting Over the Toy


Second Video: Face to Face

Gather, Gorge & Gab

Easter Dinner. A time for friends to gather, gorge, and gab. Last year we hosted fifteen at our house. This year David & Bonnie hosted nine. The menu included honeybaked ham, Bonnie's homemade rolls, a Jello salad, funeral potatoes, and a green salad. Everything was tasty and those doing The Plan decided to take point-free days. Though most of you know what a Jello salad is, I'm guessing that many of you are not familiar with Funeral Potatoes. Both hold special places in the parthenon of Mormon cooking.

Jello. That wonderful byproduct of horse hooves. Jello has taken on mythic proportions in Mormon culture. In particular, green jello salad is a favorite dish at Ward functions and meals in Mormon households. While not part of the doctrine, it is such a mainstay in Utah that during the 2002 Winter Olympics a collector's pin title "Mormon Soul Food" was released (see pic at right). Growing up my mom made a green jello salad every Christmas that had Cool Whip, grated cheddar cheese, and pomegranate seeds in it. [DISCLAIMER: Though my grandparents we all Utahans, neither I nor my parents have ever lived in Utah except for university.]

The second dish, Funeral Potatoes, is also a big dish in Utah, but is not a Mormon-only tradition. Truthfully, I'd never had it until last Easter when someone brought it to the feast at our house. You can't truly understand funeral potatoes without seeing the ingredient list:

2 lbs. frozen hash browns

2 cup grated cheese

1/2 cup melted butter

1 pint sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup diced union

Topping: 2 cup crushed cornflakes

Topping: 1/2 cup melted butter

To put it lightly, we're talking about death in a pan here. Kristin put it best when she said, "I never realized how terrible these things are for you until I made them!" They are often served at the post-funeral luncheons that are popular in many faiths and were also commemorated by a pin at the SLC 2002 Olympics (see pic at right). They are mighty tasty, but death on a plate. They've sort of become a tradition with our group of friends as that one dish that you like to eat, but is to fattening that you'll only dare eat it once a year. And Easter is that time for us.

After dinner we sat around talking. I crashed on the couch with Clara and the two of us took a nap for an hour or so. Helped to digest dinner and make room for cake. A word on the cake.

It's David's birthday today. For a birthday cake, Bonnie contacted a catering company David's company uses and asked them to make this chocolate-raspberry cake David is in love with. They usually don't do one-off orders for individuals, but she was able to talk them into it. She had to drive thirty minutes away to pick up the cake yesterday, but it was so worth it.

After cake, we decided we needed some entertainment, so we laid Clara and Michael, Clara's betrothed, down on the floor and let them kick and squeal. Kristin had the camera ready and we especially like the two below. The first we call Stink Eye; the second, Tasty.

We took some video of the two little ones which I'll post once they're done processing on Google Video. Until then, hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

Daddy Sure Is Weird

Hey there, everyone! It's been a while since Mommy and Daddy held me in front of the keyboard. Lest you think I don't appreciate you all, my greatest fans, I'm here to update you on some happenings in my life.

Friday, Daddy came home from work at a decent time and found Mommy and me on the floor. I was kicking and shaking a rattle. I gave Daddy a big smile when he walked in. Mommy put a toy behind me to see if I would show Daddy how I've been rolling on my side. Mommy told Daddy, "She gets on her side but just can't figure out what to do with her arm, so she never quite makes it all the way over." When I wouldn't roll on to my side Mommy put me on my tummy for some tummy time.

Daddy lay down next to me and I leaned over towards Daddy and then rolled over from my stomach to my back. I'm not sure why, but Daddy started freaking out, yelling "Woo hoo! She rolled over for the first time and I was here to see it!" and making a general ruckus. It scared me, so I started to cry. Mommy told Daddy to chill out.

The next thing I knew, I was back on my stomach with the camera in my face. Daddy kept saying, "Do it again, do it again," but I had no idea what he was talking about, so I sat there for a second, realized I didn't want to be on my stomach, and communicated that to Mommy and Daddy by starting to cry.

Mommy took pity on me and lay me down so I could kick and play with my toys. I eventually calmed down and all was well with the world.

I still haven't rolled over again. Maybe I'll wait until Daddy is at work Monday so I don't have to deal with his yells of excitement.

Enjoy the pictures.