Snowmobiling - Winter 2009/2010

This winter, we spent some time snowmobiling. While Liam was either quite serious about it (as seen in the pictures below) or just didn't love being bundled up, he really loved it.

On Christmas day, Megan pulled the sled behind the snowmobile in our backyard. Liam first rode with my cousin Kaitlyn and then Will decided to get in on the fun.

After riding on the sled for a while, he wasn't ready to go in, so he rode with Megan on the snowmobile. He ended up taking his nap on the snowmobile and was mad when she was ready to come in.

Later on Christmas, Brynley came over and borrowed Liam's snowclothes to go on the snowmobile with her mom and dad.  And, last but not least, Liam was going to go snowmobiling with me in Island Park but couldn't stay awake to even get going!

Liam's First Christmas - December 2009

We actually have another picture of Liam sitting on Santa's lap at a mall in Rhode Island in which he is awake, but I think I lost it in the move.  Who knows.  These were taken at our Rudd Family Christmas Party and he really did not want to wake up for a picture.

Liam on (one of) the huge piles of gifts I wrapped this year.  For some reason, I was very excited to be home for Christmas preparations and overdid the preparation a little by wrapping every single gift my parents bought.  Usually said wrapping was done between the hours of 10 pm and 2 am.  Liam is about three feet off the ground in this picture.  That was a lot of presents!

Speaking of presents, Liam was pretty chill about the presents.  He liked the paper (have I mentioned really likes to eat paper?  Just yesterday he ate half of my voter registration card!) and liked watching everything happening.  

The best part about Christmas was the time we got to spend with family!  Because Will's brother and family were planning on coming to Utah for part of Christmas, we convinced his parents to come to Utah for Christmas.  Liam got to have all four grandparents at his first Christmas!

We also got to spend time with my siblings!  It was especially fun to have Taylor, Marisha and Brynley here from Colorado (Taylor rarely gets time off for fun!) and Megan home for Christmas break.  

Here is Liam showing off his Christmas suit.  He looks so ginormous next to baby Porter!

Dave, Alecia and Brett came the day after Christmas.  We got Brett some cowboy apparel so he could fit in in Texas and I think he liked it!  

From there, Christmas vacation went slightly downhill...  The week after Christmas, when we were supposed to be playing with Will's family and doing all sorts of fun things, we all came down (over the course of a week) with a nasty stomach bug.  In addition, Brett had a really bad ear infection.  We hope that doesn't mean that we won't be able to convince everyone to come to us for Christmas again in the future!

Merry Christmas 2009!

Shooting Guns - December 2009

I'm almost done catching up with last year!  Almost every time my family gets together, they get out the guns and shoot skeet off the back porch.  Is that really rednecky, shooting guns off the back porch??  Will and Bill joined in on the fun this time.  Bill was an impressive shot.  I can't remember now how well Will shot...

Saying Goodbye to Rhode Island - November 2009

We weren't ready to leave Rhode Island.  I have moved a lot in my life and generally really like moving.  I look forward to change and new adventures.  But, we were both hesitant to leave Providence.  It may be because it was the first place we started out together as a family (we had lived as singles in the DC area for years before we were married), because we had such great friends, because that is where Liam was born,  that we have an affinity for New England or all of the above.  Whatever the reason, leaving was hard.

One of the hardest things about leaving was saying goodbye to our church family.  The second week that we were in Providence, we were assigned to work with the 8-11 year old youth during Sunday school and also Cub Scouts.  It meant that we felt like we didn't know any adults for a while (eventually we made some great adult friends as well!), but we had some fabulous young friends.  We're glad that some of them keep in touch (even if it is only to get paid for their grades once a quarter!).  

Rockport, Mass and Ogunquit, Maine - November 2009

To celebrate my (31st - aaack!!) birthday in November and to make the most of our last weekend in New England, we took a short weekend trip up the coast to Rockport, Mass and Ogunquit, Maine, two of my favorite spots.  It was cool but beautiful and we spent a lot of time walking and soaking in the ocean (not literally - way too cold) before leaving it for the desert that is Utah.  

We stayed in Ogunquit, at the Beachmere Inn and walked the Marginal Way.  Our room was amazing, the sunrise was perfect, and Will spoiled me by letting me get Liam some handmade local toys (including the cutest wooden lobster pull toy ever) and myself some souvenirs.  

Of course the best part of the weekend was spending it together.  It was great to be away from home and not working and especially to escape the misery that was packing all of our stuff for a couple days.  We made up for it with some late nights when we got home but it was definitely worth it.

We will be back, New England.

Grandma and Grandpa Doutre - October and November 2009

While we were still close, we made a couple trips to visit Grandma and Grandpa in Pennsylvania.  While we were there in October, Liam made himself useful by helping grandpa paint the deck.

In November, their house made the perfect first stop on our move across the country.  The timing worked out great and we were able to be there for Thanksgiving and the annual Christmas decorating.  Liam enjoyed having two extra people entertaining him full time and especially loved walking in the walker in the basement (unfortunately I didn't capture any photos).

It's pretty amazing that we haven't been to New Hope for five months.  Will and I have not gone that long without visiting since we met.  We hope to make a trip this summer - maybe a 4th of July repeat from last year.  I'm sure Liam will be much more active in the pool this year!

Speaking of last year, now that I have figured out how to post video, I can add this video of Grandpa doing his 4th of July/Birthday dance with Liam.  

He was so tiny!

Today!

Rockies' Opening Day at Coors Field (we beat the Padres, 7-0)

Avalanche game against the Chicago Blackhawks (we lost, 4-2)

For Christmas and his birthday, I got Will tickets to the Avs and the Rockies.  It's fun to have a little weekend away and the extra bonuses of getting to hang out with my brother and sister-in-law, Taylor and Marisha, and Will's dad, Bill (who is in town for work).

I am amazed at how awesome Liam was today.  The picture at the hockey game is taken at about 9:20 pm, a good hour after Liam's normal bedtime and he went and went and went today.  What a good baby!  Maybe he was high on non-stop compliments all day about his good looks and charming nature.  

He was especially entertaining during the hockey game.  We had great seats and ended up sitting next to some Chicago fans.  Liam really enjoyed the music and cheering but seemed to save his claps for when the Hawks scored.  The Chicago fans were loving it and the Avs fans near us were teasing him about being a traitor.  He really couldn't have been cuter.  He also sweet-talked (maybe sweet-gestured is more accurate) a woman near us into some of her fries!

Some may remember that we went to Opening Day last year, at Fenway Park.  Things have really changed in one year!  We will have to hide these pictures from Liam when he's old enough to want to go to professional sporting events - he may think we were establishing some type of tradition...

New Jersey - October 2009

I realized today that I missed a trip in my trying to catch up.  We clearly had a very busy Fall with little time at home.  In October I did some work in Trenton, NJ and, of course, Will and Liam came along.  The highlights of the trip were a visit to the Trenton Aquarium (it has hippos!) and a weekend with Grandma and Grandpa Doutre on the way home.

Will and Liam - Liam isn't quite sure if he's a fan of the fish.

Liam and I petting a shark.  He was a fan of the water!

Penguins - maybe he was tired?

Feeding the birds.  One actually ate out of Liam's hand but I didn't get a picture.

With Grandma Doutre in the gift shop.  With the justification of Halloween coming up, he had to have the hat!

Boston - November 2009

In November, Will had a job interview in Boston.  Liam and I decided to join him and go exploring.  Liam loved the train.  He really is a fan of moving quickly, especially when he doesn't have to be strapped into his carseat.  An added bonus of the trip to Boston was that Bill and Marie (Will's parents) were in Boston for a meeting so we met up with them for a fun train ride back to Providence and a fun weekend at our house!

This makes me smile...

...every time!

San Francisco - November 2009

In November, I had a meeting in San Francisco and Liam and Will tagged along. 

We were very lucky to see our friend Colleen who was also in town.  She picked us up at the airport and drove us to our hotel.

Colleen laughed very hard when Will started unpacking our suitcases.  In them was, in addition to the typical clothes and toiletries for three people, diapers and wipes, dishwashing supplies, a lot of toys, a bumbo, and even a baby swing!  The days of pretending like I'm able to travel light are definitely over.

While I was in meetings, Will and Liam explored San Francisco.  They went to Alcatraz, Muir Woods, saw the sights, etc.

The one afternoon I had free, we rented bikes and rode across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito.  We had an amazing experience until my bike got a flat tire.  Luckily, after a lot of crying and praying, a kind man stopped and picked me and Liam up and drove us to the ferry in Sausalito.  

General Conference

Today we attended Music and the Spoken Word and a session of LDS General Conference.  The Easter music and sermons about Jesus Christ were so refreshing.  I am so grateful for the hope of Easter and Spring.

This message from Music and the Spoken Word this morning resonated with me.  I love light and look forward to spending some time in the sun in the near future!

Light of Life

by Lloyd D. Newell

April 4, 2010

Something within us loves light.  We need light for life.  Both physically and spiritually, we thrive when we see and feel the light  Who doesn't feel drawn to a window, not just for the view it affords, but especially for the light it invites?

The natural world shows how essential light is to life.  Delicate flowers push their way through the darkness of the cold, hard soil just to drink from the sun's warm light.  Spring's bold display of blossoms is a direct response to longer days of more direct light.

In ancient times, people were more dependent on natural light than we are today.  And when the sun went down, they could not simply flip a switch or press a button to illuminate their dwellings.

Long ago, early on that first Easter morning, "it was yet dark" when Mary went to the garden tomb (see John 20:1).  The darkness in the world around her was likely easier to bear than the darkness and emptiness she felt in her heart.  Soon the sun would rise, however, and soon the Light of Life would illuminate her soul.

In a sense, each of us walks a part of life's journey in the dark.  But each step of faith leads to more light, more reason to believe, greater cause to hope, until we finally find the Light of Life.  As the Psalmist said, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feed, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119: 105).  

The more we yearn for the Light of Life, the more our spirits, like the flowers of spring, blossom with the fruits of faith: peace, joy, love, and hope.  without the light that shines in darkness, we could not gather "fruit unto life eternal" (John 4:36).  We could not feel the light of everlasting life.

Attempts at a Family Picture

Cute Pictures of Liam from November 2009

It's amazing how quickly he's changing!

Our Blog's First Videos

I didn't really want to start my re-entry into blogging with all of the boring catch-up posts I need to do (Christmas, etc.).  So, I give you our blog's first videos.  Liam has not been in a hurry to become mobile and I'm trying not to push him because I know I will be missing the days of his sitting captive next to me while I work soon enough.  I think his hesitancy is due in part to him having an uncanny ability to entertain himself with whatever is within hand's reach (including his other hand) and in part to his build (that's a heavy tummy to be lifting off the ground.)

Two weeks ago when Megan was here visiting, he decided to show off.  The results of this have been having to watch out for him if I back my chair up too quickly from my desk and the installation of a gate at the top of the stairs.  Today he entertained himself (and his mommy) for about twenty minutes pushing his toys through the gate.  

Enjoy the videos.  Now that I've learned how to get them on the blog, I may have to post some cute ones from the days when we had to work hard to get a smile out of Liam (eons ago, really).

So I haven't blogged much in 2010...

But, in 2010 I have:

• Watched Liam learn to (army) crawl and pull himself up;
• Watched a baby calf be born;
• Taken a photography class (if you are close to Cache Valley and are looking for one, I highly recommend Brooke);
• Since finishing the class, taken every picture in manual mode;
• Been bowling twice;
• Helped my cousin Jake with his Eagle Scout project;
• Started running (I'm doing the couch-to-5K program, but I'm calling it running);
• Registered for a triathlon (of which the 5K is part);
• Been to a baptism;
• Watched in awe as my husband takes care of me and Liam so well;
• Worked part time (trying to keep to 24 hours a week) for the University of Oregon;
• Helped Will teach 11-year old scouts a couple times (thank goodness he has a great assistant now!);
• Commuted by plane one day (to Sacramento);
• Let Liam teeth on my fingers, toes, chin, etc.;
• Taught Sunday School once and Relief Society once;
• Fixed my grandma's phones twice;
• Been skiing once;
• Attended two family funerals;
• Picked up Liam's toys approximately 275 times;
• Kept up my consulting business and even secured a new contract last week;
• Spent a weekend in Island Park; 
• Kissed Will a few times;
• Taken a month off of facebook (still easing back in);
• Had my stitches out (my finger still looks gross);
• Walked at least 20 miles pushing Liam's stroller;
• Finished all but the open dive to become SCUBA certified (the cancellation of the open dive opened up some time for this blog to be written!);
• Read "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?" approximately 126 times;
• Traveled to Oregon with Liam for meetings; 
• Made a few meals (including a fabulous birthday dinner for my mom);
• Changed more diapers than I care to count;
• Filed taxes, by myself(!), for us and my business;
• Registered to vote and attended the caucus meeting;
• Purchased a baby seat for the bike and taken Liam on several bike rides;
• Lost 32 lbs;
• Taken Liam to six doctors appointments;
• Spun out and slid off the freeway (the truck and I were both okay and Liam was in the car with dad);
• Used my sewing machine and serger to make cute Valentines' outfits and a wallet for my cousin, Joe;
• Been house shopping (window shopping for now);
• Seen two bald eagles;
• Planned a bridal shower for my brother's fiancee;
• Done some laundry (but not as much as Will).

I could go on but that about sums it up.  I've been busy and pretty productive most days.  I still haven't figured out how to be a good mom and a good employee and not feel guilty about not being extraordinary at both all the time.  I'm working on it.

I'm going to start blogging again.  In order to catch up and get myself going again, I'm going to post every day in April!  I'm sure you can't wait (if you're still checking).  I may even post again before April.  Maybe.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Our favorite love bug!

I do plan to return to the blogging world, soon!  I've been a little consumed with figuring out how to be a happy working mom.  I can get two out of three at any given time, but can't quite get all three.  Any insights are appreciated.

Liam's First Snow

Technically Liam experienced his first snow while we were in Alaska in September.  But, the week before Christmas he played in it for the first time.  He didn't like it very much.  However, he really enjoyed sledding behind the snowmobile and riding the snowmobile with Megan on Christmas day so I'm hopeful he's going to like the greatest snow on earth!

My excuse for taking a couple of weeks off

My first excuse was that I started spending my evening blogging time wrapping presents for my mom.  Then, on December 22nd, while trying to be crafty and make advent calendars for my siblings, I sliced a large chunk of my finger almost completely off.  Sorry for the graphic pictures.  :)

As is probably obvious, the injury affected (and continues to hamper) my typing ability.  However, it is healing and I've already lost the four stitches in the middle finger.  Mr. Pointer has three internal stitches and 14 on the outside.  Quite the holiday adventure.

Christmas updates and more frequent blogging to come in the very near future!