the haystack: December 2011

Friday, December 30, 2011

rendezvous in so-Cal

My adorable nephew Byron and my nieces Olivia and Juliet. These talented kids are also amazing at getting laughs out of their cousin Liesel, doing loop jumps (in ice skates or tennis shoes) and throwing rocks in the creek. They're growing up so fast!

At Devil's Punchbowl near Palmdale, CA

My brother Ryan and his wife Kiyomi live in L.A.-- in Santa Monica a mile and a half from a warm sunny beach where we could surf and build sand castles. So naturally we had he and his family meet us in Palmdale California to hike at Devil's Punchbowl in the wind. Honestly though, it was SO great. And even greater because Liesel got to meet her uncle, aunt and cousins for the first time-- and she loved it! And I really loved it. Ryan is easy to talk to and he's interesting. He's smart, sarcastic and funny. He's easy going and is genuinely interested in you. He knows how to make people feel special. I never say enough about my brothers on my blog, but they are seriously cool people. His wife Kie is equally awesome. She is always cheerful and amazing with people and has a great sense of humor (and style). I can't say enough about how great it was for me to see them!! And what's even better is that I think we may have convinced them to come visit us in Moab next spring. . .

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

new toy

I'm pretty excited about my new Christmas present from Brian-- a Nikon D90. Love it! We're kickin' it in warm and sunny St. George right now. Hope everyone's holiday was wonderful!

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Babyhood

I haven't posted in a while due to the stress and demands of my baby life. You know, things like balancing for 10 seconds at a time in my "surfer" pose while being applauded, picking my stuffed animals up and setting them on the table-- then taking them off again-- and of course pulling all the books off the bookshelf and flipping through the pages while humming.

I've discovered the joy of making messes the past few weeks. Do you know how cool it is to drop blocks/stacking rings/giant legos through the railing on the top floor and watch it bounce down the stairs and hit the tile? It is the. coolest. thing. ever. Plus mom then runs around like a crazy person and brings them all back to me and organizes the bookshelf again so I can mess it up. It's great. Another favorite pastime is taking all the ziplock bags out of draws, removing all Q-tips, chewing on toothbrushes (which is ironic, because I REALLY hate it when mom and dad try and brush my teeth) and swishing mom's dirt pile while she's sweeping or playing in the mop bucket when she's moping. Great times.

I don't know what is going on with mom and dad. They've kept me up past my bedtime THREE nights this week. (?!!) They never do that. Although last night I did get to dance to some killer 70s songs in disco lighting at the bowling alley. . . oh, and eat kiwi. Which I loved the first time mom gave it to me and promptly dropped on the floor the second. I like to keep them wondering.

I'm still in love with dogs and go crazy laughing when ever I see one. They are so funny. They try and lick my face. It's funny. Dogs are so funny. They are great. I want one.

I might be growing up fast, but mom says there's nothing like footed ballerina pjs and a pacifier to make me look like a little baby. And lets be honest, being a little baby isn't bad at all.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

class of '01

Brian and I graduated the same year-- June 2001. He was making his valedictorian speech on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in front of the El Tovar and I was walking with 400 other students into Cameron indoor stadium (Duke University's basketball stadium) ready to throw my cap and say goodbye to JHS. It has been 10 years since then (?!) and my reunion was a few weeks ago. While I din't make it, I did pause for a minute to think back.

I remember singing to Tim McGraw and Alabama in Zak's jeep. I remember developing black and white photographs in the dark room. I remember writing for the Falcon's Cry (the school paper) and eating doughnuts in the library over production weekend. I remember getting a red card on the soccer field. I remember reading Candid, Cold Mountain, 1984, The Inferno and The Merchant of Venice in Ms. Kopeck's class. I remember singing with Cath in our auditorium. I remember talking to Rachael Miller every minute of every lesson every Sunday. I remember fighting for my rights on student council. I remember making a fake lunch pass for off campus to save $10-- and almost getting suspended after getting caught. I remember eating my moms homemade sandwiches every day. I remember wishing I could trade places with my sleeping cat while waking up for seminary. I remember being scared of Byron Martin. I remember almost every detail of Erin Barr's room. I remember fighting with my sisters about clothes. I remember Seesaw Studio, the giant fish painted on the wall and the hours of art projects. I remember laughing hysterically with Will Jeck in the middle of Chemistry. I remember my hip hop dance class after school. And I remember being really really really glad when it was all over.