Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Tech Pro

Landon hard at work -- about 5 days old :)

We have been amazed at how normal any kind of technology is for Landon. A videochat with Daddy mid-air on Jordan's way to New York - nothing strange about that. Playing music throughout the house from our computer with the airport express - that's just how things work. ipod touch screens or Jordan's android are easily enough maneuvered, unlocked, phone calls made... playing super nintendo in the van on the road trip to California - haven't all kids always had such great entertainment? So far the only time I've seen Landon amazed at technology was when he got to play a Clifford game on the computer which made a cool little picture and he was able to print it. Printing? Amazing!
(Ellie has caught on pretty quickly too. We skyped with April on Christmas morning while we all opened presents together - the next day someone asked 'where's April?' and Ellie answered quickly "In the computer!")

This morning, Kathie was talking to her Dad on the phone and let Landon say hello to Great Grandpa. She passed him the phone with something like "Do you want to talk to Great Grandpa?" to which Landon responded with a bit of surprise. "Is he in heaven?" Apparently no distance is too great in Landon's mind for a cell phone to reach. :)

Friday, December 24, 2010

This time last year



This time last year, we were searching the world for the best place for our family to live. One thing we did often is open a map of all of the temples and search the areas surrounding those. Here were some of our top choices -->

Although we did do some searching around Provo, we felt like we were ready to say good-bye to Provo and try out a new adventure.

Like Curitiba, Brazil?? The time zone difference would have given Jordan a work schedule of noon to 9:00 pm which seemed like it would be just too hard for our family. Still, maybe someday this adventure will be for us.

Maybe Manhattan? How would our family do in the hustle and bustle and energy of New York life? We've grown to love New York but for now we are happy to keep visiting a few times a year and instead enjoy our spacious Logan home and Jordan's walk-down-the-stairs commute.

We spent part of our Christmas vacation last year searching google maps and checking out homes around Brentwood, CA (near the Oakland temple)- trying to envision what life would be like with such warm, green Christmastimes.

A week in Lubbock, TX convinced us that the people in Texas really are some of the nicest and friendliest around. We found our dream home here, but decided that proximity to grandparents, aunts and uncles and some beautiful canyons were top priorities. (More than once we were asked something like 'you could choose anywhere in the world to live and you're thinking about Lubbock?!?' It was crazy even to us but we really did like it. :)


And now we're happily settled in Logan, UT - a happy little city that I fell in love with during college. We realized somewhere along our deliberations that we probably could and would be very happy and could do good in any of the places we were searching, but that we really just needed to make a decision. And now we are just happily enjoying our life in the lovely Logan!





Merry Christmas!


Here's our animoto version of the year :)


Mostly, right now we are loving our family and feeling so grateful for our wonderful children, for the gospel and the Savior of the world so tenderly born, and for all of our abundant blessings.


Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Deer Country

(not our pic -- we haven't yet captured a great pic ourselves :)

We've been seeing deer all around our neighborhood in the past few snowy weeks - more and more frequently in the last few days. Since we don't yet have a garden for them to be eating up, we've just been delighted to see them.

"I will tell mommy the amazing thing we did!!"

This evening Ellie and I went to the fabric store while Jordan and Landon went on a snow-shoeing adventure across the street at the park. They took their flashlight and spotted some deer tracks then followed them until they 'found lots of reindeer!!!' (Several deer meandering around the park -- Landon's favorite song this season is Rudolph, hence the reindeer confusion :)

It seems so magical to me for a little boy to go snow shoeing with Daddy, to search for reindeer, and to find and watch the deer so close.


Other magical moments today --

Jordan and Landon sitting on the front porch just talking after naptime today. I came home from visiting teaching and saw that happy sight as I pulled in the driveway. Jordan is taking this week and next week off from work and enjoying some happy family time.

A Christmasy picnic lunch on the living room floor. We spread out a cheery tablecloth and had peanutbutter sandwiches (cut into fun shapes) clementines, and crackers and cheese (on toothpicks!) Not such fancy fare, but all set out in Christmas-y dishes that amazed Landon ("Wow! Wow! Look at this! Wow!") and delighted Ellie (eating her whole lunch by toothpick was just so exciting)

We're having such a happy Christmas time with our little children!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Winter time fun


We were in Salt Lake today for a wedding and were amazed at how warm and how snow-less it was compared to our new home in Logan! Here are some fun pics of our winter wonderland adventures lately -->

The view out our back door for a long while

One of the last clear green-grass-viewable days of the season (I must admit I had hoped for snow this day to cause a change of plans...) Jordan, Landon and Grandpa went shooting with an Elders Quorum Activity.

Intermission at the Nutcracker Ballet with Jordan, Kathie, my mom and Jenny

Remember all the talk about the crazy blizzard coming on Thanksgiving weekend? Jordan and his brothers decided to take advantage of the chance to try out their winter gear mid-blizzard and do some extreme sledding at the park across the street.

Landon working on a snowman


Just a funny site Jordan caught - a santa bike ride through Central Park

Setting off on our first adventure of Jordan's Christmas vacation: snowshoeing in Green Canyon (about 8 minutes from our house- amazing!!)

And two cute Christmas-y kids!

(Ellie happily obedient just standing by the wall :)
(Landon excited and dancing through the pre-church picture taking)



Sunday, December 12, 2010

Welcome Home Daddy!




Jordan returned yesterday from a week in New York and we are so happy to have him home. Kathie and Winslow stayed extra long to help me while he was gone which made things immeasurably more happy. (Super low stress kid taking-care-of with two helping hands and a million times less lonely with such good company!) Still, it is always hard to be missing each other so!


April and Nathan spent the week there too, so Jordan got to spend some of his after-work time with them doing the fun New York City things (all bundled up in Times Square above).

Jordan always has a great time seeing everybody and getting to spend some time with the Animoto guys face-to-face and experiencing the fun of New York life. It is also always so wonderful to be home sweet home together again!
(A crowd gathering to see the excitement while all of the Animoto employees get a group shot on the way out to their Christmas party)

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Tree House Museum





Kathie made a great animoto (above) of our fun trip to the Treehouse Museum in Ogden. This was one of my favorite children's museums that we've visited -- I was so impressed with all the great exhibits they had and Landon and Ellie had a super time. Everything was geared very much toward imagining and pretending which was just perfect for Landon.

Views from a Tree House