Its been a good month

Thanks to all for posting your various adventures. We posted more this month than ever before. (granted it is a short history) It really is fun to see what everyone is doing. I feel like I was partially there in Maine at the 1/2 sib reunion, going snow caving with David and a part of many other things written about here. Being so far apart it is hard to feel togetherness sometimes. I'm glad everyone contributes to this forum and shares their lives. This month we celebrated a ton of birthdays and celebrated a new one. Welcome to the pigpen and all its madness Jaylin!

Watch out for the FROG

We found a new exibit at one of our favorite haunts, the Baltimore Aquarium ....

Joe posed with the biggest frog in the world, he isn't even a little bit scared. Only in Baltimore, folks. Only in Baltimore.

Charm City Fun

Joe and I went on an adventure. Our first stop was at the Patterson Park Pagoda, we climbed up the spiral staircase for a view of the top. We thought Grandma Great (i.e., the newly promoted LaRee) would like to see that it was decorated for Halloween.

We could see many parts of Charm City!

We learned that the park has over 50 different types of trees and different species of birds (as documented by the Audubon Society). Joe read the signs to mom and learned lotsa big words like "Victorian era," "succumbed" and "architect." He also made a donation to the Friends of Patterson Park and picked up a birding list for Grandma and Grandpa Great's visit!

mmmm...Ichiban

I am traveling this week for business. Oddly enough I am still in Atlanta. Howver, I am in the part of town that it is almost impossible to get to my house from in under two hours, so I am staying in a hotel on the other side of town. It is only a 30 mile drive but at rush hour it takes 2 hours to drive!

We were looking for a place to eat tonight after work. I asked the hotel staff if they could reccomend any place good to eat. The part of town I am in is kind of hoity toity so there were several nice places to choose from. We finally decided on a Japanese Steakhouse called Ichiban. It was excellent!!

I didn't take the picture you see but we got the same treatment from the chef! He put on quite a show with his cooking utensils including throwing an egg ten feet in the air and cracking it on the side of a spatula, juggling utensils, making a volcano out of a sliced onion (extremly cool) and generally entertaining us as he did his job. If you have never had the chance to go to Japanese steakhouse I would encourage you to save up your money and enjoy the experience!

New Hampshire

I went to the White Mountains on Saturday to ride the cog railroad up to the top of Mount Washington. It was the last weekend that it would be going all the way to the top so I decided to "seize the day" and go out there. The directions that I printed were to the Mount Washington motor road rather than the Mount Washington Cog Railway and unfortunately they are on opposite sides of the mountain. So I missed my reserved trip up the mountain and got rescheduled on the second trip of the day. By the time my train left there were sustained winds over 70 mph on top of the mountain so we only went part way up.

A covered bridge that I encountered along the way.

A view of the river from inside the bridge

This is the engine at the bottom of the hill.

Here is the detail of the cog rail. The incline is so steep that the engine has a cog wheel that clicks into these grooves all the way up. Otherwise it could not hold on.


This is pretty representative of what we were able to see at the point where we stopped. Even though we could not see anything up there we certainly got the sense that we were in the place with the "worst weather on earth". The wind was probably blowing at 50-60 mph where we were and you could tell that to the crew it was nothing all that unusual.


I took this as I was leaving the White Mountain area. It was raining so hard by this point that I am amazed that I could distinguish any mountains at all. I think that the tall Shadow might be Mount Washington but I am not sure.

Its Pumpkin time!

It is almost that time of year. On saturday the kids got to go to the store and pick out a pumpkin. After that we went to soccer and then came home and the carving began in earnest. Each of the kids designed and carved their own jack-o-lanterns this year. That is a first for us! From left to right you can see Emma's, Katie's and Chas' works of art. After the carving we hurried and got everyone in the car for the Trunk or Treat/chili contest at church. Lots of candy for them and lots of different kinds of chili for us. A bargain for both sides! The kids got a ton of candy and can't wait until wednesday to get even more! The best part of pumpkin carving in my opinion is the seeds! We always save the seeds we scoop out, soak them in salt water and then roast them up. We spent the last part of sunday evening sitting on our deck swing and eating warm pumpkin seeds fresh from the oven!

The Great Baltimore Latern Parade

Last night Joe and I (along with about a thousand other Baltimoreans) marched in the 8th Annual Great Lattern Parade. The event is held the weekend prior to Halloween in Patterson Park, which is just a few blocks from our house. Folks get dressed up in costume and the parade is filled with bands (as you can hear we were marching next to a drum corps) and laterns from the mundane to the fantastic. At the end of the route is the PP Pagoda, beautifully lit for the festivities, a live band (Luna) and a shadow puppet show - supported by the live band (the other video). Joe looks a little bored in all the pictures, but he rated the event an "8" of "10" and voted to do it again next year.

Lobster

Joe, E and I went out to dinner at Red Lobster. Why? We LOVE the staff. We were seated by a handsome boy named Clay (or Ole, if you can't read the small print on the name tags) and waited on by an equally handsome server named Nate.

Our waiter even had our orders memorized. A salad for mom, lobster pizza without the lobster for Joe and a whole steamed lobster for E.

Sometimes the most special occasions are made of the everyday ordinary.

Go get 'em Josh!

I'm finding it hard to post these pictures and I'll admit to bawling as I'm doing it. As most of you know Josh has left for Parris Island. He'll graduate on January 11, 2008 (if you can attend let me know so we can coordinate). We miss him terribly .... and it's always a little hard on mommy to admit that another child has left home and though he will return, he'll only come back for visits. It still shocks me when Jayson and Jaqui leave and they say, "time to go home" ... when i'm quite sure they allready are. I'm guessing mom is the only one of you who will not think I sound crazy :-)

Josh filled up so much space around here and we miss him each and every day. We're also incredibly proud of Josh. He worked so hard to make this dream come true. He's a good boy and strong -- we know that what he is going through will test every ounce of that goodness and strengh and we also know that he'll come back a better and stronger man. Please let me know if you didn't get his address (I sent it via e-mail) and I'll get it to you. Josh can't call and he can't access the internet, but he can get letters (NO packages .. not even for the holidays!) and those letters are what will sustain him through the 13 weeks it takes to become a Marine. He's lucky to have a big strong family to write to him!

Pics from his goodby parties ... notice that we took time to measure Clay and Josh. The rate Clay is growing you might just see Clay taller than Josh in January. As you can see, he outgrew Papa Jon and myself (and Jay and Nate!) a long time ago and Joe is the very tallest kid in the family. Em won't be the tallest (sorry tiny tim), but she is so loved by her big bros - who stay watching over her no matter how far away they are!

We love you Josh!

Dad and Brent

Dad is in AZ taking care of business and taking care of Brent. Brent isn't doing well--he needs more care than an assisted living home can provide for him. His stubbornness has kicked in to the nth degree and he won't cooperate with anyone. I think Dad is going to have to find another place for him. Some good news, Kelly has decided not to live in OR and will come back to the cabin next summer. He wants to be closer to Grandma so he can help her. Dad finished his year as president of AZ Masonry Guild last night with the annual auction and banquet. I haven't been there to support him in the last few activities and I feel bad (and guilty) about that. I finished my physical therapy yesterday--yeah--now I have to do it at home for the next six months three times a week to strengthen the tendon and give collagen a good chance to rebuild. After our trip to MD I'm going to go back to AZ and maybe I can be a better support to Dad. He really loves his little brother and it is hard to see him struggle and decline. I love this blog and I love all of you. Mom

A video of Jaylin (by Emilia)

This is a video that I ,Emilia, made for Jaylin. I woke up early and decided to make a video for fun. I saw many pics of little Jaylin so I decided to make one for her. I went onto Itunes to find the location of a few songs that you'll hear in the video. I used Little Moments by Brad Paisley, Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle, and Angel by Areosmith. I used pictures from Jaqui and Jayson's myspace's and blog. I also used pictures we took when we went to vist them. I hope you enjoy it.

Woo Hoo!

Emma loves to ride her bike! Tonight when everyone else was gone she asked me if she could try to ride. I was a little skeptical but said I would help her. I should know better by now. She started on a scooter and then moved right on to her trusty bike. I love her spunky spirit!! Ride on Sweet Girl! I seem to remember hearing a story about another young Ward riding a bike with two casts..... This video is for you, Grandpa!

Jaylin growing ...!

Jaylin gets bigger every day. She is now 7 lbs 5 oz (almost as big as her daddy was when he was born). Isn't she adorable in her little red dress? Her mommy and daddy take such good care of her and they take good care of the other things in their life too. Jaqui is finishing a semester of school and Jay is getting ready to teach at the rifle range on Parris Island. He didn't tell me this, but I KNOW they only pick the best Marines to train the new Marines ... I'm so proud of all three of them.

You can watch Jaylin grow, hear about what she is up to and read (in English and Spanish) what all the people who love her have to say about her at http://www.babyhomepages.net/jaylin2007/index.php

Andre Rieu

Mom LaRee, Dad Doug, Grandma Margie, Breck and I (Charlie) went to an Andre Rieu concert on Monday night after I flew home from the East Coast. André Rieu (Pronounced Ree-er) is a Dutch violinist and conductor. He is famous for creating an international revival in waltz music and for his many top selling recordings with his “Johann Strauss Orchestra”. His concerts are a mixture of world class performance and world class fun as the orchestra often "goof off" during performances. Audience members clap, sing, and dance in the aisles and enjoy the fun of a balloon drop at the end of the show and throughout multiple scripted "encores".

It was fantastic and a fun night together. My camera was still in my bag as I came directly from the airport to the concert, but here's a video of Andre to help share the memory. (Click the play button twice).

Chas' Pumpkin

Chas brought home this picture from school and I thought you all might like to see it. We are getting our pumpkins this weekend and will have a great time carving them up!

Cabin in Eden on HOLD

I want all of you to know that we have canceled our offer to buy the house in Eden. The reason? We want to sell our Bountiful house before we buy another one ... so we're going to do just that. I know mom is a bit disappointed but I also know she was and is, as concerned as I am about being over committed. We're still going to buy a cabin it is just going to take a little longer.
Dad

popcorn rocks

You might have heard this before, but Maine is pretty darn amazing. I can't tell you all how glad I am that Charlie thought to come to my house and we thought to go to Kristi's and that Kristi was generous enough to say SURE! when we invited ourselves up to Maine.

Everything about MDI is incredible. I could write for hours and use every adjective that I know and I wouldn't even come close to describing it. Still, we all have our favorite things - Charlie, Kristi and I all loved Little Hunter Beach.

I've enjoyed Kristi's blogs and photographs of this place, but being there was all the better. What surprised me the most was the sound of the ocean on the cobblestone beach. It sounded to me like bursts of popcorn popping. I tried to capture it in the video below, but will admit that it is a poor approximation. If you listen closely you will hear some "wahoooos!" off in the distance. That is the sound of Kristi and Chuck delighting in the big waves crashing high atop the rock bound coast of Maine.

Run Libras Run

Josh and I ran the Baltimore 5K on Joshua's 20th Birthday. This photo was taken after the race - we are eating breakfast in a local pub. I am more happy than Josh because I beat him by a good nine minutes. There are numerous reasons why I beat Josh, but they are not important. There are two things that are important to remember. First, I will NEVER beat Josh in a race again and second, I'm not EVER going to let him forget that I did it once.

At the starting line he said, "I do not know how you talked me into this!" at the finish line he said, "I will never do this again!" after I ribbed him about loosing to me over breakfast he said, "You just wait till I get home from boot camp!"

I found the whole experience intoxicating. I finished with a time of 31.43; forty-third out of 95 women in my age group (heck yes I'm in the "masters" age group!). I'm already planning my next run, only this time I'm going to train .... there is no way I'm going to make beating me easy for Josh!

Meet Hannah!

Clay and the abtly named Hanna JOY got all dressed up and had their picture taken in honor of the Watkins Mill homecoming celebration. Hanna is a cheerleader and we've been to the varsity game to watch her cheer ... she is very talented. We like sooooo many things about Hannah! She is sweet, funny, interesting and smart and she brings out the best in Clay (who was, let's face it, already remarkably fabulous!). She is also a good friend to E, who also goes to the same high school as Hannah and Clay. I hope you enjoyed meeting our Hannah!

Acadia: The Movies

They say a picture is worth a thousand words... and they also say, when you have no skill at photography, take a video. Ok, so they don't say that, but, well, who cares what they say anyway. Here's some video from our recent "half the sibs reunion". Please note, no animals (including bike riders) were harmed in the production of this video and you must click the play button twice (on each of the videos) to make them play. Hope you enjoy.

Act One: "The Sister Hunter"
My attempt at art school videography



Act Two: "The Porcubeaver"


Act Three: "The Ride"
Wow! Was this fun!






This was far and away one of the best trips of my life and will forever be a great memory. It was so much fun to reconnect with my sisters. Kristie is living in one of the most stunningly beautiful natural areas in our country and it was great fun to visit her and and enjoy the memory of her time there together. Along with biking, hiking (the great "near death hiking acident" video will be posted later), and exploring we played cards, chatted and ate great food (I had clam chowder every where we went). I've long believed that the best gift you can give is time and happy memories. I hope that someday soon the rest of the sibs (and our sibmates and the parental units) can get together for a similar adventure. Olympic National Park anyone? Love and miss you all!

Charlie

Prologue: "The Beach" I asked a man from the UK to take a photo but forgot to change the settings. I'm always forgetting to do that... and although we don't move much, the waves are fun to watch. Very Short.

Bonus Material: "Cut. Cut. Cut. or Oops! I've got it on filming" Again. I keep forgetting to change the camera/video settings. There are a lot more where these came from, but i'll spare you. The sisters kept ribbing me about it all weekend. I have to have at least ONE flaw, right?

Never too Early to Shop

Mike make sure you read this. I don't want you to mess this up.

Lana seems to be the one to keep track of this. So this is the gift exchange for 2007.

1st pig has 5th pig
2nd pig has 6th pig
3rd pig has 1st pig
4th pig has 2nd pig
5th pig has 3rd pig
6th pig has 4th pig

Broncos Win

Denver beat the mighty Steeler's with a last second field goal. Watch out they might win all the rest and end up in the playoffs.

Happy Birthday to the 13th Grandpig!

Katie has reached her Double Digit birthday. She is 10 years old now and we love having her in our family! It is hard to believe that she has been with us for 10 years. She is a great kid! We have had quite a run of birthdays in the ward family this month!!!

Charlie & Debby's visit to Mount Desert Island

Charlie and Debby came to visit me this weekend. We had a great time! I talked about it in "The Adventurer" as well. We went on two bike rides, one hike, and ate a lot. Charlie and Debby also took some fun video to look forward to seeing! It was the first time that I had ridden on the carriage roads. John D. Rockefeller built 50+ miles of road on the island that were to be used for horse carriages and foot traffic but never for automobiles. Bikes are allowed on them now (probably the only national park where you can ride a mountain bike!) but cars are still not allowed. Rockefeller built these roads to highlight his favorite spots and vistas on the island and he built bridges which were unique and specially designed for each spot.

This is the pine tree that had to be cut down because it was leaning against the bridge

On top of the Amphitheatre Bridge

Charlie overlooking Otter Creek

The stormy weather made for fantastic crashing waves!! The best that I have seen since I have been here. This is the same beach that I blogged about with the plum pudding rocks.

This was one of the surprises of fall in "The Pine tree State" The leaves from the deciduous tress fall onto the pine trees. The leaves look like they have been carefully placed. I thought that they looked like decorated Christmas trees and Debby called them confetti trees.

The perspective of seeing the fall leaves from a bike on the winding roads was incredible. I think that this picture really captures how beautiful the two bike rides were. That is Charlie up ahead on the road.

The bridge at Eagle Lake

This was taken on Eagle Lake towards the end of the bike ride. It was a beautiful lake that I had not yet seen other than overlooking it from the road.

Sunset from The Beehive. I shared this hike once before on the blog. It was beautiful the first time that I did it but even better once the leaves popped so I took Charlie & Debby up it even though we had just finished a 20+ mile bike ride.

Sunrise on Cadillac Mountain. It was very chilly but the view was very beautiful. The sun rose earlier than it was supposed to so we saw glimpses of the sunrise as we were driving up the mountain.

Shelby's New Locks & Liberty Seeds

Shelby donated her hair to a charity called locks of love. She gave up 18" of hair to them they said with her thick hair they will be able to make 2 to 3 wigs with it. The give the wigs to kids with Cancer. Her new hair cut looks great. The picture show her new hair and her new rope for the school choir.

We came home this weekend to this great rainbow from our deck.

This is Liberty's contribution to the ward canning photos. We dried her one of her sunflowers and she picked out the seeds. Then Lana roasted them in the oven. They taste better than store bought, but that's a lot of work for something the don't sell for very much in the store.

Emma's Cool Casts

Emma's heel cord surgery was yesterday and she was tough and couragous as always. She told the surgeon that she wanted a purple cast and a blue cast. There must have been a creative cast assistant because she came out fashionably striped. Emma was the sweetheart of all the Day Surgery Nurses. They took one look at her chart that showed this as her 5th surgery in 4 years and then saw her sweet, happy smile and fell in love with her! She is doing very well today. She can bear her own weight for short amounts of time but was carried around like a princess today. Emma hasn't complained one time and doesn't like pain medicine so it is hard to tell if it hurts! She is very thankful to her Daddy for being her transportation. Emma got to ride in the golf cart at the soccer field so that made her day! A big thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for the delivery, she keeps it all right by the couch so she can "feel cheered up"!

Here is a link to more pictures!

http://crystal-images.smugmug.com/gallery/3683362#210676714

Brent's New Home

Here are pictures of Uncle Brent's new apartment in Arizona. He is settling in pretty well.

Welcome Brent ... room #211. Note the skier and the biker on the welcome sign.

Notice all the pictures above the air conditioner and his TV is nice and close so he can see and hear it.

His bathroom with the shower reflected in the mirror.

Here's the Starbucks

If he needs help he pushes the button on the pendant that hangs around his neck .

Eating lunch in the dinning room ... the food is pretty good!

David has been to the store to pick up supplies.

Bed with dresser and reading light close at hand