Stewartopia

Your Highness

2011-09-09T14:17:00.000-07:00

Whitney, you're my queen. Actually, you're Brighton High's Queen! Homecoming Queen! How will you reign? I suggest tyranny and a strict dictatorship... heehee! Seriously, I am so proud of you! And proud of Brighton for choosing such an awesome girl to represent them.

For those who may think that this was just a popularity contest, let me educate you in the ways of BHS's rigorous selection process:
1. First off, did you know there are over 600 Seniors at BHS? (There were almost 800 when I was there!) Let's assume that half of them are female, leaving us with 300 possible candidates.

2. Each "club" at Brighton nominates a girl. Whitney was nominated by the Men's Association. So she's off to a good start already. (When I was a senior, I was nominated by the Madrigals [the singing club]!) Now the pool is down to about 30 girls.

3. After getting nominated, the candidates must go through an interview with a panel of three adults not affiliated with BHS. (This was terrifying to me at age 17, and I totally choked.) Whitney did not choke. She prepared her answers, wore an incredible outfit, and won the judges over. 8 Candidates left.

4. Did you think the hard part was over? HA! (There's a slight chance I might have actually "thrown" the interview so I didn't have to do the next step...) The final 8 contestants must create a skit performed by them and them ALONE to be performed for the entire school. The rules this year: A-wear Brighton colors (Orange and Blue - hello!), B-incorporate a Brighton "Cheer" into your skit. This is where the Palmer Genes came into play. When you don't know what to do, make up a song! Whitney chose well in hiring Matt as her campaign manager, and he helped Whitney turn a football cheer into a clever and memorable song. Whitney played her ukelele (key) and let loose singing about Touchdowns here, there and everywhere.

5. The School Votes.

6. Whitney Wins! Do you know why? Because she's a-gorgeous, b- nice to everyone, c- not afraid to let loose with a cool ukelele song. You go girl. This is YOUR weekend! Love you!

Near Death Experience

2011-08-30T21:31:00.000-07:00

Oliver is obsessed with my iPhone 4. He uses it almost more than I do. We're both addicted, I admit.

Tonight, at Scout Pack Meeting, Oliver dropped my phone on the carpeted floor, and the screen went black. I couldn't get it to respond. My life flashed before my very eyes. I thought of all the good times we had together, and things I had planned for us to go and do and see together this weekend in San Francisco, and beyond! I thought of unwritten texts, untaken pictures, un-uploaded Instagrams. There were things I hadn't said to my iPhone. I cursed myself for being so cavalier - how could I let a 19-month-old come between us? I wasn't ready to let go. I vowed I would take better care of my phone. I would protect it from Oliver, the violent techno-toddler. I needed more time.

Thanks to a quick Google search, I figured out how to restore my iPhone back to life! It's called CPR. No, just kidding. It's called holding both buttons down while praying very sinceriously for at least 10 seconds. It was like magic!!

Tomorrow, Oliver and I are going to buy him his own phone --- at the Dollar Store. :)

Adam's High Fivin' San Fran

2011-08-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

Adam flew to San Francisco today for a work conference.

At the airport, by happenstance, he ran into his cousin Shannon, who was at the airport flying from SF to LA.

Then he met up with his sister, Megan.

While they were walking around town, Adam saw three people from work.

I think San Francisco is welcoming Adam back to his hometown!

I need a Retreat...

2011-08-28T23:58:00.000-07:00

I came home late last night and went in Ivy's room to tuck her in. She was giving her report:

"I said my prayers very sinceriously tonight."

She also told Lizzie yesterday that she was "scared out of her nerds" which I think is a combo of "nerves" and "wits", and I think it's great. I've definitely been "scared out of my nerds before, too.

We just got through the craziest choir week - we hashed out the recording this week and our annual retreat was this weekend, which was a raging success, but as always, ragingly exhausting as well. :)

Adam is leaving for San Fran tomorrow, and I'm not ready for a week without him! I hope we make it!

From today: Eli is a builder.

One of Ivy's dearest friends, Sophie, moved today. She practically lived here during the summer. I fed her many meals and she was a very good playmate of Ivy's. We will miss her!

(The last line says "I hope you like orange - No or Yes")

And we went to the Mesa Temple tonight as a family. We saw the Reflecting Pool, which is a favorite, and the evening dusk was so beautiful tonight.

I love my family!

Veteran of natural disasters here.

2011-08-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

I experienced my first earthquake! I am using the term "experienced" loosely.

Yesterday I was on the phone with Erin, who lives in Virginia, when I heard a sound over the phone like someone shaking a box full of stuff. Erin was confused at first but then started yelling, "It's an earthquake!" and put the phone down! And I could hear her checking on Maria. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was wild!

Brilliant at the Basics

2011-08-21T22:26:00.001-07:00

I love this - I've decided this is my motto for the week. We had an excellent Relief Society fireside tonight and I have come home with a desire to be better. Our home has been chaotic the last few weeks as it usually is this time of year, but I also have a tendency to live in crisis mode. I'm very good at figuring out what is urgent to get an important job done and then leaving the rest behind, but I struggle with the steady pace of constancy. As a result, my home feels chaotic at times. Sometimes this is okay. But this week, I feel that it's time to refocus on the basics. And a phrase I heard from Julie Beck tonight was to be "Brilliant at the Basics." This can be applied in many ways. For me this week, it means keeping the house in order, keeping schedules in order, making family prayer a meaningful priority, cooking dinner and making our home a pleasant place to be. Because how wonderful is it that I'm able to control this environment at this stage in my life?! Very wonderful.

Can I tell you about our delicious dinner tonight? We had grilled chicken salad, fruit salad and corn on the cob. We had a lot of fresh vegetables that needed to be eaten. But don't despair - we had sumptuous Ultimate Brownies for dessert.

Oh baby. They're good.

you know what's fun? Blogging!

2011-08-20T20:23:00.001-07:00

I forgot how fun it was to blog. :) Look at me - - two days in a row!

Today, I sang for almost 7 hours. I was making the practice cd for the CCC. Wow. I'm exhausted. Here's what it looked like from my view. Jenni is my sound engineer. We have fun laughing at my mistakes together!Then tonight we went to Desert Breeze Park and poor Oliver was so excited he promptly ran and tripped and fell. The worst part of it is covered by his hair. Poor poor baby. :(

Goodnight!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2011-08-19T21:28:00.001-07:00

I called my dad to wish him a happy birthday this morning, and do you know what he said to me? He said, "Hey, Aimee, it's been a while since you posted on your blog!"

"Yeah, I know, I've been busy."

"I keep checking it and there's NOTHING NEW!"

And I countered, "But, what about Instagram?! It's my new favorite diversion. I post every day! You can check me out there!"

And he brought it home with, "Hey, I know! - for my birthday, you can publish a new post on your blog!"

"AH! You got me there, Dad."

Now you know how much I love my dad! So here you go! A fresh new post from Stewartopia, complete with Lizzie's poetry, an Eli-ism, Ivy's wordies, and maybe an updated picture of our Baby Monster, Oliver

Okay, so first up is an "Ivy's Wordies" from TODAY:

We were looking at her papers after school today, and she was showing me her calendar. Ivy said:

"The first day of school was on the EIGHTH. Library is on the TWENTY-FOURTH. And Computer Lab is on the TWENTY-TWOOTH."

It makes a lot of sense when you think about it...

Ivy also wrote me a birthday card that said, "Dear Mommy, Happy Birthday. You make my heart feel good. Love Ivy"

Eli-ism from this summer:
Adam received a phone call at work from Eli.

"Hi Dad. I just have a quick question. I'm trying to make high voltage electricity and I need your help..."

Lizzie's Poetry Corner:

Sunset
At Sunset, when the mountains hide
against a bright orange sun, beside
The Great Blue Sky of old are clouds,
Clouds of puff, Clouds of wisp,
Its color to me was loud.

Against the Great Blue Sky of old,
The clouds of puff, clouds foretold,
The sun was sinking to the sky,
Lighting clouds to make them cry:
"O see me now, thou people low -
See me soar above the sky!"

Just their cry does make me wonder why.

For the bright orange sun sinking to the sky
Does turn light upon the sky up high
Lighting up clouds of fold
A bright pink tale against
The Great Blue Sky of old.

My kids have been having lots of fun lately with the computer camera and video. Here's the Fearsome Foursome:
And recently, Lizzie was inspired to make videos for Oliver on our computer. He loves to watch them. Here's an example:

Okay, nevermind, I forgot how videos suck the life out of you when you try to post them on blogger. Ugh. So a cute picture of the kids MAKING a video will have to suffice.

And an update on Adam: He hiked 75 miles in the Uintahs with J-MO this summer over four days. He lost 9 pounds and grew a beard. But he shaved it and I'm working on getting those 9 pounds back on him.

And we have been Choir Crazy the last three weeks - whoa! We opened our season yesterday - biggest day of the year for us! It was exhilarating.

Well, that's all for now. Love to all. Especially Dad: Happy Birthday! You are as youthful as ever! One of my highlights of our trip to Utah this summer was watching you play Capture the Flag at Eli's birthday party. You'll never be old! Love you tons!

Goodnight.

Big news in the Palmer Family

2011-03-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

The Palmers had 2 arrivals in March:

Baby Maria Elizabeth Morley born to Erin and John on March 14th, 2011! Isn't she beautiful!

Sweet new family:

AND, Elder Matt Palmer, missionary from Japan, came home on March 18th! (He's the one in the middle. They took this in one shot!)

Matt's arrival made the news. You see the huge family with the big flag making a proper raucous? Um, that's not us. So, since we Stewarts are in Phoenix, Erin's in VA and David's in CA. And Maria was born that week, so Mom was out in VA with Erin, Whitney was on a dance company tour to CA, so it was just my dad with his mini flag there to welcome Matt home!!
I mean, yeah Matt, we all wanted you to make more YouTube movies as soon as you got home, but I didn't think you would take us LITERALLY!!!
Can't wait to see you!

A Mutinous Birthday for Lizzie

2011-03-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Lizzie's 11th Birthday Party! It's a Mystery, Pirate Style.

If you dare to enter, you must walk the plank.

This is what the last Party Host looks like now:

Some of the snacks included Peg Legs (carrots), Octopus legs (Gummy Worms), Goldfish, Pirate's Teeth (yellow corn), Golden Nuggets (Hershey's nugget candies), and our favorite, Jellied Ocean with sunken treasure (blue Jello with diced peaches).

The Birthday "cake"

Now, let's introduce the characters: The notorious Captain Unibrow Petra (played by the Fantastic Alyssa Pike!)

Swashbuckler Sam (The Birthday Girl!)

Hook-Handed Holly (Nicolette)

Clam Bait (Eric)

Sleep Simon (Kaley) - love the beard!!

Nauseas Nikki (Audrey)

Kemo Swabby (Ashley)

Peg-Leg Chester (Jacob)

One-Eyed Wally (Ryan)

Pan-Head Pat (aka Sarah)

Toothless Terry (aka Sarah)

Mud, the Cook (aka Chris)

The Entire Crew

Now one of these innocent-looking underlings threw Capt. Unibrow overboard. Luckily, she was saved, and now she wants to know WHODUNNIT! Through 6 rounds of clues, the motives and suspicions unfolded.

Time to break for pirate snacks and swashbuckling practice.

ATTACK!

Awaiting their turn on deck...

The swarthy mates

Look out, Lizzie!

Now it's time to find out who the overboard-throwing buccaneers were!! It coulda been her. (Kemo Swabby)

Mighta been him. (Clam Bait)

Or Peg Leg Chester, or maybe Swashbuckler Sam...

Definitely could have been One-Eyed Wally...

In the end, it was 3 villianous Pirates - Nauseas Nikki (Audrey), Sleepy Simon (Kaley), and Toothless Terry (Sarah). BUT they decided to all commit mutiny and make the scurvy Captain Unibrow Petra WALK THAT PLANK!

To the Fathoms below!

Hooray! Naught but her bandanna is left now...

I guess the Captain can't have ALL the fun! Happy Birthday Lizzie!

Pirate Peek-a-boo

2011-03-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

In Pirate Peek-a-boo, you get to sneak a peek.

Oliver's Gone Vertical

2011-03-19T22:34:00.001-07:00

Eli and Ollie were puttering around in the early morning hours while we all slept... The photos tell the whole story. Photo credits go to Eli. :)

I made it!

Now, where do I start...

Well, I've explored everything and thrown it all off the table. My mission is complete.

Uh-oh. I can't get down...

Eli! Put the camera down and help me!

Birthday Twins!

2011-03-17T14:24:00.001-07:00

Lizzie is a Birthday Twin with her Grandma Vickie. How fun that they got to spend time together this year!

After properly celebrating,

including very cool presents for Lizzie of a Hedwig puppet owl (thanks G&G!), and a t-shirt that sums up her feelings about math precisely ("Dear Math, I am not a therapist. Solve your own problems."),

we went to the Phoenix Zoo.

We saw some exotic animals,

but the favorite of the day was a beautiful, friendly, white horse from the Petting Zoo.

The splash playground at the zoo was a hit!

We were so excited that Uncle Mark could come visit as well! He and Ivy got along swimmingly. Mark caught up on all uncle duties such as laughing every time Ivy said the word "stinkin'" and teaching her how to fake crack her nose and fake separate her thumb. She's now a walking carnival. Here they are in a rare calm moment, composing a silly letter to Adam, complete with 6 lines of exclamation points.

All good things must come to an end, and Ivy ended the visit by opening up a grocery store in the hallway. We all bought our plastic food obligingly, and Ivy was very good about bagging our groceries and giving us change. :)

Thank you for visiting, Vickie, Alan and Mark!!! What fun!

At the Playground

2011-03-09T06:36:00.000-08:00

The weather is perfect. We must play!

Funny note: Oliver LOVES the slide, and HATES the swings. He really resists any form of restraint, from high chairs to car seats, and apparently even swings at the park! But he's got the Slide System down, you know? Climb the stairs, flip around, hurl little self down the slide, repeat.

Rain Day!

2011-02-28T06:49:00.000-08:00

Not quite as fun as a Snow Day, but don't tell the Ollie and Ivy that! They love it!

Organizing the garage:

2011-02-28T06:45:00.000-08:00

Let's see. We'll put Eli here, and I think Lizzie can fit here...we need easy access to Ollie so we'll put him down here and that leaves just enough room for Ivy right...here. Done!

Report Central

2011-02-28T06:28:00.000-08:00

Ivy has had more homework this week than perhaps the entire previous Kindergarten homework combined: A farm animal report (Ivy chose to report on horses), and a Star Student report (all about Ivy). Do you see the 3-D nature of her Horse poster? I hope she gets extra credit for that. It also has googly eyes that are quite frightening.

Here's Ivy's Star Student Poster (the hardest part was printing out all these pictures! Hopefully by the time Oliver's a Star Kindergartner, I will be able to email all these pictures into the teacher.). If you're able to zoom in, the captions she wrote are completely worth the effort! (i.e. "Best Freds with Lizzie")

Go Ivy!

Overheard at the Dinner table tonight

2011-02-14T21:13:00.001-08:00

Me: "Did you hear who won at the Grammy's last night?"

Kids: "What are the Grammy's?"

Lizzie: "Wait...is it awards for Grandmas or something?"

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T20:41:00.000-08:00

One man, two beautiful dates. Is it polygamy? NO! It's the Daddy Daughter Dance!

For the first year, Ivy is old enough to attend. The night was danced away. Rugs were cut. Moves were busted. They got down. They grooved. They shimmied, they twisted, they rocked, and they rolled.

Hope you had a wonderful day with your loved ones too! :)

Egyptus and King Tut

2011-02-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

Vickie and Alan (& family) were in Egypt traveling recently. Yes, as recently as the last few weeks. As in they were there stranded in the Cairo airport overnight due to the riots and curfew. Well, they all made it home safely (for which we are grateful!), and we just opened a fun package from them tonight of gifts from the other side of the world. I wonder if the kids will appreciate just how much they went through to get these to them? Maybe these limericks from those on the trip will help:

This one from Adam's cousin Daniel sums it up pretty well:

In Cairo they’re having a riot.
Our hotel was really right by it.
It’ll kill Egypt’s biz,
But the funny thing is,
I swear I heard Janet prophesy it.

Or how about this one from Alan:

In Luxor on hard airport chairs,
The Muirs sit while time on them wears,
Ehab fights with his might
To reschedule their flight,
But at EgyptAir, nobody cares.

These from a fellow traveller Thelma paint quite a picture:

Why sleep on the airport floor,
A position we all abhor?
‘Cause we didn’t arrive
Until close to five
And the curfew began at four.

And finally:

The noise of the vast airport crowd
Lends a whole new meaning to “loud,”
And the way we’re compressed
From belly to chest
Would make a sardine packer proud.

Aren't those great! And the possibilities with these fun costumes are endless! Thank you Vickie and Alan! And welcome home!

Farm Field Trip

2011-02-14T20:31:00.000-08:00

I chaperoned the Kindergarten Field Trip last week. It was oh so exciting! Ivy rode her very first School Bus.

A Farmer stood in a Front End Loader to talk to the Kindergartners!

We toured the 1,000 cows that made up the Dairy Farm. *Pee-yew!*

At the Milk Bar, we chose flavored Milk. I tried "Moo-berry". Ivy had Strawberry. It was so delicious and fresh!

We had a picnic lunch and the kids burned off some energy jumping on haybales.

They fed and held animals.

We had a wonderful day together.

Take a box of Oranges...

2011-02-10T22:05:00.000-08:00

...and you get some O.J.!

How sweet.

Eli goes to ELIJAH

2011-02-10T21:10:00.000-08:00

Last week, the Phoenix Symphony performed Mendelssohn's Elijah. We had rehearsals Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, with concerts Thursday, Saturday and Sunday! Whew! It was totally wonderful and exhausting.

I thought it would be appropriate to invite Eli to his first Symphony concert, considering the material. We prepped him with the Old Testament story of Elijah the Prophet, so he would know when to jeer at the prophets of Baal. Happily, we sang it in English and there were supertitles as well. They also featured artwork illustrating the music throughout the entire work. It was really a wonderful introduction to the Symphony!

If that wasn't enough to keep him entertained, there's always the seeing-eye dog who sits onstage at every concert, in the very front with its owner, a half-blind second violinist. Rumor has it that once the dog got up and walked around the stage during a concert. I never saw it myself. But I bet that dog is cultured! Too bad it can't write the reviews, he might do a better job than the guy who wrote ours last weekend.

Before the concert, Eli played on the strange downtown Arizona sculptures. That's my EliBug! :)

Christmas Card Winners! ~ AMMENDED!

2011-02-05T15:50:00.000-08:00

Folks, we have had an Eleventh Hour submission, and therefore a NEW WINNER in our "Latest Card Received" category! See below!

Thank you for your patience as we have been feverishly working to wrap up this season's episode of "Look at THIS Christmas card!"

We are happy to announce our winners tonight. In the category of "Earliest Christmas Card Received" we have a new winner - The Taylor Family! Look at how they're all laughing at us for being so much later than them! They knew they had this one in the bag.

In contrast, we have the winner of the "Latest Card" - and I am thrilled to present to you a family who has never before sent letters out, and may never again after I embarrass them with this shout out! With no frills necessary, we got it straight from the heart of the Dave and Sabrina Litster family - complete with personalized note at the bottom!
Stop the presses! It appears I ended our contest one day too early! Postmarked February 3rd, received February 8th, we have a clear and unrivaled winner, the Rucker family.

I went to get the mail tonight, and what to my wondering eyes did appear, but a late Christmas card, from our friends, so dear. ;) This was a true Christmas card - no shame, no explanation. Just late. I love it. Complete with festive green paper, a family photo including a Christmas tree and grandchildren wearing Santa suits, and a two-page, single spaced family update, and a traditional Rucker plane-flying artwork card and well wishes that the spirit of Christmas may fill our home, this card may also be in the running for the "Most Elaborate Card"! But that would mess my post up too much, so they'll have to settle for being the Latest. Congratulations!

I hope you have noted the Christmas tree address label as well as the postmark date.

Which brings up an idea - why don't we just send cards all year long?

Moving on to the Distance categories: "It would have been cheaper to throw it over the fence" Award:

It's hard to compete with this family unless. . .well, unless you move in with us and then mail us a card. This card comes from our backyard neighbors, the Kippeses, complete with rhyming poem describing their year.

And with Erin and John spending Christmas in Paris this year, they get the "Card from Furthest Location" award. Isn't it so French and so pretty? How very foreign.

This year we are introducing some new categories: Most Elaborate/Most Efficient Cards. Under Most Elaborate Category, it seems only fitting that we have Subcategory A: Traditional and Subcategory B: Digital.

Winner of Most Elaborate: Traditional is Sister Meilstrup of Hershey PA! She sent a traditional Christmas card (that opened and closed!). Enclosed was a letter printed with an update on her beautiful family, complete with color pictures. And the reason that her card won me over - the hand written note inside, personalized to our family. Impressive!

Most Elaborate: Digital.

Undoubtably, this is a popular category this year. I mean, how many pictures CAN you squeeze onto one card, really? But to do it well takes an artist's eye. The winner goes to Allison and Jack. Gorgeous. Tells the whole story. Makes me feel reconnected with their lives and family. Well done!

Most Efficient

One word: Postcard. Was I was inspired! A Christmas card postcard! Did I feel slighted in the least? NO! This card had it all: family picture, Christmas wishes, names and ages of kids, even a return address! We received a few similar cards this year, but this was the only TRUE postcard - no envelope! Check it out, the postage was only 28 cents! Something to think about for next December...Congrats, Benson Family!

Best Family Picture:

Now we enter into the realm of the subjective. Look, I don't know why, but we have a lot of artistic, beautiful friends, okay, so I'm going to have to expand this category a little bit.

Subcategory: Composition

Winner: Furedy Family!

I have it on good authority (Carrie told me) that the entire Card layout was thrown out and reconfigured to align with this amazing photo. Good move! The moment captured here is priceless!

Picture to Layout Coordination:

Winner: The Watsons

I have to give props - they somehow made it look like it could be cold in AZ in this beautiful picture. And do you notice how their outfits match the card layout? It was so pretty hanging on my wall!

Child Model Category:

Winners: Morley Boys

Get these boys an agent already!

Overall Gorgeousness:

Winner:Telford Family

This includes card layout, theme, beautifulness of children and adults, amazing coordinating outfits, background. Seriously, this card could go into a Christmas card art museum. Is it weird if I frame this and hang it in my house?

And last but not least, we have our Literary Category. I noticed a trend this year in fewer written letters - maybe people figure that talking to friends all year on facebook and blogs was enough words? Anywho, it was lovely to sit down to some good old-fashioned snarkiness, typed, printed, and mailed directly to my house.

I leave you with this nugget of wisdom, ripped from the pages of the John Parmley Family Christmas letter:

"In a world of darkness and despair, where hope is lost and yesterday's dream home is today's foreclosure, where American's long slow sunset foretells doom for all, where can one turn for joy? Is it here? Does this letter, this mere trinket of holiday joy hold the ember to fan the flames of victory over terror, despair and recession? Maybe. It is quite good."

Yes, John, your letter did bring joy to our home, as did all of your Christmas letters. We love every one of them!

Congratulations to you all, and to all a good night!

A Pampered Citrus Tree

2011-02-05T14:41:00.000-08:00

I came home from a late rehearsal this week to find my husband in the front yard with his headlamp on. There was a "hard freeze" forecasted that night, which would ruin our 10 oranges. Adam put our tent over the tree to protect it. Very clever! I thought. Then I noticed an extension cord sticking out from under the tent. Hmm. Mysterious...
Turns out a tent was not enough for our diva-esque citrus tree. An electric blanket was underneath to keep it nice and toasty warm.

Luckily, I reminded Adam to turn off the sprinklers.

Otherwise, we might be saying, "Fried oranges, anyone?" ;)

Grandpa Palmer stops by!

2011-01-31T12:45:00.000-08:00

Grandpa Palmer stopped by on a quick trip to AZ!

We showed him our new car,
He brought hats - from my Grandpa and Grandma Morley
And we showed him Oliver's new trick - walking! :)

Crib Break-out!

2011-01-30T20:20:00.000-08:00

We were playing a board game while Oliver was supposedly going to sleep, when all of a sudden, he came walking into the kitchen giggling! I was so confused - I thought that Ivy must have carried him out of his crib, until we went back to inspect. Here's what we found. YIKES!!Some of the slats had come loose recently, and he must have figured out how the rest. The best part was how proud he was of himself - hilarious! Now, where's the wood glue...

We went for the SNOW but the best part was the LAKE

2011-01-25T11:19:00.000-08:00

The recipe for a perfect day: First, have someone cook you an amazing breakfast.Now, eat it with all your friends.Hop on a chairlift at Sunrise Ski Resort

And don't miss the blue skies and stunning vistas on your ride to the top!As you're swishing down the hill, get passed by your speeding bullet of a son with ski poles in racer position.

Come home to a firey sunset.

Walk out on the dock so you can take it in.

Feel as blessed as can be to be surrounded by good friends in a beautiful place.

Remember forever, repeat as necessary.

Baby Angel

2011-01-24T21:35:00.000-08:00

My mom just sent over some pictures we had taken from Thanksgiving.

Somehow he still manages to look angelic even here. Oh how I love that boy!

Ivy on MLK

2011-01-19T15:06:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the Kindergartners learned about MLK. Ivy told me all about him on the way home from school.

"Martin Luther King was a very special man - he was the President, just like his dad, who was also the President. He said that you should stop fighting. And he said that white people should sit in the front of the bus and dark people should sit in the back. He was a very special man."

So, yes, in concept, she has mostly missed the point here, but in practice, she is embracing the best of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his Dream.

Wild Animals

2011-01-19T14:54:00.000-08:00

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we went to the Phoenix Zoo! We saw:

Roar!

Oliver's First Haircut

2011-01-16T15:34:00.000-08:00

Sadly, it was time for these beautiful curls to go. Everyone who met him thought he was a darling little girl!

Even when he wore his cool red shoes.

Ivy stood by with a baggie to catch the curls as they fell.

All grown up!

Mom! What'd you do to me?!

Oliver's BIRTHDAY BASH!

2011-01-15T12:43:00.000-08:00

It's Oliver's big day!

We celebrated at home.

We got take-out from "Olive-r Garden",

Skyped with many family members wishing happy birthdays,

And then the big moment arrived - the CAKE!

He started cautiously enough,

Testing the texture,

And then he attacked!

What would we do without this sweet boy adding so much joy to our lives? We love you, Oliver!

Oliver is ONE!

2011-01-15T09:50:00.000-08:00

Oliver turned One Year Old yesterday, on January 14th, 2011. Here's a look back at how much he's changed in 12 months.

January 14, 2010 - Oliver is born.

4 days old and in Daddy's hand3 weeks old - Baby Blessing
6 weeks old - soft and new!

Chocolate Mousse BabyFirst Smiles

Holding his head up

4 months5 months
6 months

8 months
Crawling!

Standing!
9 months old
10 months old

11 months old

January 14, 2011 Oliver is one!

Eli Loves Books!

2011-01-11T17:24:00.001-08:00

He was asked to make a collection for Scouts and he decided to collect books. Tonight we took pictures of his collection. This is so HIM! And the best part, he's read almost every single one, several times.

I asked him tonight at dinnertime what his favorite picture book was, and he asked if the Encyclopedia counted. Love that boy!

Conquering Flatiron

2011-01-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

I have to get some new pictures up here so you aren't grossed out every time you look at my blog! So, here's some great pictures of Adam and Kevin's hike up Flatiron last week. I love the icy ones!

The ugly truth about abandoned homes.

2011-01-08T18:01:00.000-08:00

Once our kids had eaten the best parts of the Gingerbread House, we decided to relocate it to the backyard - thinking they might nibble on it in between jumping on the trampoline.

It was forgotten for a day or two, then we looked outside. Something was different...

Something was strange. I looked closer. That wasn't leftover frosting I was seeing, that frosting was buzzing and vibrating...

Apparently, some of the locals thought it was a *sweet* little place, and they told their friends about it. Next thing we knew, the house was under a massive bumblebee invasion.

I risked my life to take these pictures. I hope you appreciate that.

Let us review the Gingerbread House is its former glory... Ahhh! So Wholesome!

Delightful!

Even appetizing!

Oh, has it really sunk so low?! Gingerbread House of 2010, you'll always have a special place in my heart!

December, in a Post.

2011-01-04T13:23:00.000-08:00

It was a whirlwind month, so a whirlwind post will be appropriate!

In a nutshell. . .

We floated in a Parade in Chandler, singing "Hot Cup of Cocoa" (as taught to me by the great Whitner), "Let Those Merry Bells Ring" and Holiday Blessings. What a PARTY!

Oliver discovered that his finger fit perfectly inside his nostril, and, feeling that this was quite comfortable, decided to pose like this for most pictures in December. I'll only make you look at just this one.

Ivy discovered that our camera is easy enough for a Kindergartner to use. She practiced at the Ward Party.

Lizzie had Colonial Day at school. They came dressed in colonial clothes, played colonial games, and brought their lunches in a basket - so fun!

Ivy made a Gingerbread Man for Candy Cane Lane. It looks like it was raining Candy that day!

Oliver's hair grew enough so that he himself looked like a Gingerbread Man just in time for the holidays.

We built a house for him, but it turned out to be too small.

The kids all wrote letters to Santa. Mysteriously, over the next few days afterwards, their letters got longer and longer as they thought of more things to ask for. (Note to self: Send letters immediately next year!)

We met with the Andrews and walked through the beautiful lights at the Mesa Temple.

On Christmas Eve, we honored a three year tradition of eating lunch at Benihana's! Ohio!

We Skyped with the Palmers who were in Paris for Christmas, and talked with David who's in California and Matt in Japan. My side of the family was spread out all over the world this Christmas!

That night, as the kids were all taking baths, we heard some jingle bells and the doorbell rang. By the time the kids got outside, all they could see was a pile of new pj's! Too bad Oliver was asleep already...

Now the whole house is quiet, sleeping, but just barely, and hoping that the night will pass quickly and that Santa won't forget to stop by. Oh, the anticipation is sweet!

Christmas morning has finally arrived. We like to torture our children by taking pictures of them before we let them out into the living room. :)

Here's what they saw! WOW! :)

Lizzie quickly cashed in later that week of her gift of ice skating with her friends from G&G Palmer.

And Eli and Adam spent many hours perfecting a model rocket. The gift was for Eli from Adam. I mean to Adam. I mean Eli! Wait, yeah, it was for both of them.

And from Grandma Vickie and Grandpa Alan, we got tickets to the Polar Express! We've been wanting to do this for years!

Remember how I said we've been attracting snow storms this winter? Well, a doozy of a snowstorm followed us up to Williams. Our 3 hour drive turned into a 9 hour drive.

Was it worth it? Well, we got to meet Santa, so yeah, duh, it was totally worth it. We stayed at the Grand Canyon Railroad Hotel that was right across from the Train Station, and woke up to 2 NEW feet of snow! Adam dug our van out of the parking lot, re-adjusted the chains on the tires (THANK YOU KEVIN!!) and we got outta there driving on the closed freeways. The hotel lobby was threatening to turn into the Superdome, so we had to goooo!

Also this month, Oliver said his first words ("Bye bye!") and took his first steps (on Sunday, Dec. 26th!). We lost my friend and our accompanist for the CCC, Tiffany Brock due to complications of cystic fibrosis, and Adam's Grandpa Muir passed away on Nov. 22nd. Our 3 CCC concerts were joyous and magnificent, and the Stake Messiah I helped organize and 4 Phoenix Symphony Messiah's I sang in were inspiring and fulfilling.

It was truly an emotional and exhausting December, and I'm looking forward to 2011!

Catch up! - Trip to Utah wrap-up

2011-01-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

Hello, Blogger Readers!

Well, the kids are back in school, and I'm finding myself with two seconds to rub together, and lots of pictures to catch up on.

Back in November 22nd, Adam and I spent the day at Solitude skiing with Whitney, Lizzie and Eli. Finally, after years of teaching the kids, we reap the rewards of skiing together. It was true Skiing Bliss! No crowds, fresh powder, great company. Also noteworthy is that Whitney taught us the song "Hot Cup of Cocoa" which went on to be the theme song of our trip, as well as a new favorite for the CCC Christmas parade in December...but I'm getting ahead of myself.

The next day was our 12th Anniversary! We seem to attract snowstorms this year, and we certainly did that night. But we braved the icy weather for a French dinner at Franck's as the snow fell outside. Beautiful!

Oliver was making the rounds to get to know lots of family members. Here he is at the Eastman's house, happy, rosy, and chubby as can be.

The night before Thanksgiving, there was a cooking party at the Eastmans, and with the looming pie contest the next day, we made ourselves useful creating this amazing masterpiece. I love me some lemon meringue!

And don't think our Turkey bullies forgot us this year just because we traveled out of state to avoid them! This year, instead of a turkey, we got a warning. It was terrifying, it was shocking. I've just barely recovered enough to write about it. It was...

A RUBBER CHICKEN!!! Do you see the fear on my children's faces? Oh, make it stop!

Well, the big day finally arrived, cold and snowy, and filled with delicious food and lots of family! We spent the day with Adam's family, who were all there - Vickie, Alan, Lloyd, James, Jennie, Tom, Megan, Jason, and Jack the Dog. We had quite a group! We took lots of family pictures that morning, so I must have been pictured-out, because the only pictures I have of that wonderful day are this:

...which makes it look like we served toast for Thanksgiving... And this cute one of Megan and Jason:

And here we are helping the older generation with their texting. Where is Whitney when we need her?

The next day we visited some museums in downtown Salt Lake. Here we are doing anti-gravity stunts on the moon: (sorry your cool pose was obstructed by my arm, Whit-whan!)

...learning how to fly a helicopter,
And I had to include this picture to show you what Ivy wore that day. If you can't quite realize its whole glory, I will go ahead and describe to you: Electric lime colored leggings under a red and black plaid pleated school-girl skirt, a shaggy brown sweater under her favorite super-colorful t-shirt that reads "Friends are Forever". Wow.
Oliver! Don't touch that Dial!

We sang Christmas songs around the piano, and Ivy was her usual shy self. No wait, she wasn't.

The day after Thanksgiving is the first day the Christmas lights are turned on at Temple Square. We had primo seats and got to see them turn on that night!

Later we went down and braved the cold weather to see the sights in person.

We went inside the Assembly Hall where mom and I had our recital last year:

The next morning we left for home. Thank you Eastmans and Palmers for a wonderful Thanksgiving Week!

SNOW DAY!!!

2010-11-24T12:34:00.000-08:00

This is why it took us two days to get to Utah:
This is what we saw outside our motel in Panguitch when we woke up.
Don't tell Ollie he's wearing a girls' hat.
Mini Snow Beast:
The Canyon Lodge Motel parking lot!
Pitching the first snowball:
Now we're finally in Salt Lake!
On Monday, we went skiing at Solitude. There was no one there.

Here we are in G. Palmer's front yard this morning:

Ultra Mini Snow Beast:

Revenge:

Here's the final product! The Loch Ness Snow Monster!!

Fall festival!

2010-10-24T22:32:00.000-07:00

Everyone had their favorite part: Eli, the petting zoo.

Ivy, a pony ride.

Lizzie's thinking that maybe she's getting a little too old for pony rides...
But when you're not looking, she quite enjoyed herself!
And Oliver LOVED those roly, poly pumpkins!

Trumpet Buzz Twinkle. Don't miss it.

2010-10-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

Eli has a rare genetic talent that has been passed down to him through the Palmer side. It skips a generation and is usually found in males. Useful for entertaining in parking lots. We hope that one day, his own grandson will be able to duet with him too.

Fabulous Fall Break

2010-10-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

Disneyland!! We LOVE the Haunted Mansion - moohaha!!

do ya think they're related???

It IS a small world, after all. :)

observe the bib.

First time in Legoland!

Don't check your computer screen, 'cuz those ain't pixels. They be legos.

As are those. not the people, the pumpkin...

Legos in 3-D!

Who gave him a liscence???

Super-sized baby. No. Wait, Mini Washington DC...

they're all so MINI!

hanging with gramps.

Use the Legos. I mean, the FORCE!

Visiting great-grandma+pa Muir!

the young and the old

and the fearlessly bold.

Lizzie Made a Goal!

2010-10-10T20:55:00.000-07:00

Lizzie has played soccer for 2 seasons now and last Friday night, she scored her very first GOAL!!! She was SOOO excited and proud of herself - and we were too! Go Lizzie!

Now for something current...

2010-10-08T15:52:00.000-07:00

It's cool enough to swim finally! (I'm only exaggerating a little bit here.) We had Aaron and Rachel over to kick off the start to Fall Break!
Karate Jump!
Did I mention we have a new pet, Marvelous the Fish?
AND, it was Wacky Hair Day at school:

What fun!

Sedona

2010-10-08T12:21:00.001-07:00

Over Labor Day (yes, I am that far behind!), we went to Sedona, AZ with our friends, the Andrews. This picturesque redrock hippy town was a fun place to visit!

Improvising an obbligato

2010-10-08T12:00:00.001-07:00

Stewart Babies

2010-10-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

For a project Erin is doing, she asked for baby pictures of our whole family. I just can't resist sharing them with you!

Of course, you know Oliver:
Here is Ivy
Baby Eli at 6 weeks - smiling his first smile. I love this picture!
Little baby Lizzie
Okay, now we're going back in time! This baby is me! :)
And here is Baby Adam.

Bathtime!

2010-10-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

Wet, clean, and happy - at bathtime, we get all three at once!

Ivy's Fivey!

2010-09-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

Hooray! Today's the Day that Ivy's Fivey!

Erin's in town to celebrate!

Thank you Grandma Vickie and Grandpa Alan!

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Palmer!

Design-your-own Pet Shop from Erin:

We went to the Scottsdale Sugar Bowl with her friend Anabelle.

And ended the day with a new story.

Hey! How about a party favor for you for coming to Ivy's Fivey Blog Party? For your reading pleasure, a slew of new "Ivy's Wordies":

"I just memorized something!" (instead of "realized")

"I haven't dropped one sip of my water!" (meaning: "I haven't SIPPED one DROP!")

"Be-since it's my birthday, I get to go first!"

And the conversation Ivy had with Erin:

Erin: Ivy, what do you want for your birthday?
Ivy: ummm...
Erin: The love of a family?
Ivy: What IS that?

Ivy, we DO love you! Tons and tons. It was a wonderful day the day that you were born!

Mr. Bobcat

2010-09-01T11:09:00.001-07:00

As an 8-year old, Eli has started the Scouting program. Last week was his very first pack meeting. He was so ready!

His den was in charge of the flags for this meeting. Eli did very well!

He and his friend were both introduced as new members of the pack. Adam leaned over and asked me, "Is Andrew much older than Eli?" and I had to tell him, no, Andrew is a month and a half YOUNGER than Eli.

The big moment! Eli received his Bobcat award. I am new to Scouting, so I didn't realize this also means that the Mom receives a pin as well that the boy puts on her shirt. How cute!

We're so proud of you, Eli!

Message from Oliver

2010-09-01T10:53:00.001-07:00

I don't know if my mom has mentioned it yet,

but I started crawling recently (like, on August 11th).
I just thought you would want to know.

There must be an Old Man Snoring somewhere...

2010-09-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

"What?! It's over already? I was just getting going with my maracas!"

Beautiful Gift:

Baby Hair No More

2010-09-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

Oliver has a swath of hair. . .

. . .that as of late has taken on its own personality. . .

. . .and begun impeding the Big O's eyesight. . .
. . .Until Today:

I can see!

The BIG First Day.

2010-08-28T17:09:00.000-07:00

This year, we have three kids at the same school. This will be a first and a last for the Stewart family.
Most likely, this is the cleanest and put together they will be all at the same time this year:

Together in the schoolyard:

Finding our way to the Kindergarten Line-up:
The supremely confident 5th Grader plus posse:
The Studious Second-Grader: Bring it on!
The trepidatious Kindergartner! It's the class line-up. . .and. . . the moment of truth has arrived! The school BELL. But look! No Tears! What a great job, Ivy!

And finally, The Lone Stewart Child: "Who took my playmates?!"

I love the Mountains, I love the rolling Hills, I love the Flowers, I love the Daffodils!

2010-08-24T21:44:00.000-07:00

Vickie and Alan took us up to the Albion Basin up Little Cottonwood Canyon. We have skied here many times, but never come up during the summer. The pictures hardly do it justice, but I think you'll enjoy it anyway:

Later that night, everyone (and their dogs) came to the Millcreek Canyon Gathering.

We twisted the kids' arms and convinced them to perform a few songs from "Joseph." (Just kidding about the twisting arms. If you've ever met my kids, you know that is a joke. No twisting necessary. Unless you want them to stop.)
This is also where they performed the aforementioned Shakespeare scene.

And actually, not quite everyone was there - G&G Muir weren't feeling up to canyoneering, so we made a special visit later that night.

Our Utah visit has come to an end. We love the Beehive State! And especially all our family who lives there.

Sunset in Salt Lake

2010-08-24T21:11:00.001-07:00

Sunday afternoon Theater

2010-08-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you take one Stage, a closet-full of costumes, a bit of inspiration from Grandma Palmer and three performance-hungry children on a lazy Sunday afternoon?

Shakespeare!

Macbeth, to be specific.

My charming children were busy all afternoon practicing and memorizing the scene with the Three Witches - you know the one - "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble...." When we finally all sat down at the same time for them, we were blown away!

Ivy's line in a creaky little voice was my favorite: "Harpier cries:—'tis time! 'tis time!"

Witch #3:

Round about the caldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw.—

Cool it with a baboon's blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.

Of course, we had to reprise the scene for the Family Gathering in the Canyons the next night. This time, up in the mountains, it seemed all the more sinister...

Eli and Ivy (Witches #1 and #3) dutifully put the ingredients into the cauldron as Lizzie (Witch #2) rattles them off.
"Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;"

"Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,—
For a charm of powerful trouble,

Like a hell-broth boil and bubble."
Lizzie, who is much too proper to use words like "hell-broth," substituted "bad-broth." See, she's not such a bad witch after all.

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn, and caldron bubble!!

Eli is Baptized!!

2010-08-23T23:07:00.000-07:00

On July 31st, Eli was baptized up in Salt Lake City, Utah. We had a wonderful day to celebrate, with lots of family and friends.

The program:

Lizzie played prelude:

Grandma Vickie gave a talk:

Ivy and Jennie

Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Muir

Congratulations, Eli!

My Mother's Garden

2010-08-23T22:24:00.000-07:00

My mom has an amazing garden every year, but this year, she has really outdone herself.

One night, we got to take a little adventure tour of the garden. The kids learned the names of 4 flowers, and identified them in the garden, and then they counted all the different kinds of flowers they saw in a certain garden patch. That was the hardest part of all because there were so many!

At the end of the tour, we had a little picnic with hot dogs and s'mores! David, Tom, and Jack the Dog joined us as well.

Let's take a walk down Memory Lane, shall we?

2010-08-23T22:05:00.000-07:00

Our first day in Utah, we met our cousins Tyson and Tamara in downtown Salt Lake. We'll let these cutie-pie second-cousins, Miranda, Eli, Lizzie and Ivy, (who are sitting in the "Values" garden in front of the original house of Brigham Young) lead us on our tour.
First, our Tour Guides took us to the top of the Church Office Building to get a great view of the City. What's that behind us? Only the Utah State Capitol, most famously known as "The Place where Adam and Aimee First Kissed." Little did we know that 12 years and 4 kids later we'd be looking over the same place...(and no, the lady on the left is not one of our kids. She's Sparklebutt, if you will recall.)
Walking around, our Tour Guides spotted this spectacular fountain.
And finally, the Salt Lake Temple, where Adam and Aimee were married. Nice shot, Adam. Oh, and the picture you took is good too. har har.

Stewart Boys

2010-08-23T21:57:00.000-07:00

On our Utah visit in July, Oliver met his Grandpa Stewart!

He also met his Uncle Tom.
(It looks like his Uncle is already teaching him tricks.)

JOSEPH!

2010-08-15T22:40:00.000-07:00

Wait, don't forget...

We ate dinner first. :)

Whitney came to watch the show!

Mom and Whitney congratulate the stars

The kids hi-five the audience on their way out:

Grandma Vickie came down to see the show too! Here's Lizzie and Vickie singing "The Rainbow Connection."

Grandma Vickie brought a fun dance CD - a welcome diversion from the "Joseph" music!

Becoming a Man

2010-08-13T13:22:00.001-07:00

Awwwh! I wanna grow up too!

The summer is alive with Musicals!

2010-08-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

Our friends, the Andrews, spent 10 days in Austria this summer.

Whatever.

We did the more "abstract" trip to Salzburg - a theater camp of "The Sound of Music!" Lizzie and Eli had the greatest time at the Childsplay summer camp. Here's some shots of their end of the week performance.

My mommy is so cra-cra

2010-08-13T13:03:00.000-07:00

She keeps putting my paci in backwards, when it is so much more fun to chew it this way!

Also, she said to let you know she will be blogging about the past fun-filled month very soon! Stay tuned!

a very merry unbirthday!

2010-07-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

Oliver is Six Months Old Today! That means he's sitting on his own, grabbing objects, and of course very interested in eating real food!

It reminds me of Cookie Monster - a lot of show, but I don't know how much actually gets digested...

Studies have Proven...

2010-07-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

10 1/2 years ago, we were given the "Baby Mozart" video as a baby gift to Lizzie. Well. As many of the mothers of young children will confirm with me, this 30-minute video is a Life Saver. When nothing else would calm little Baby Lizzie, I would pop that VHS in and she'd be zoned out in a matter of seconds! With no adverse side affects!

I happen to believe it has more to do with the hypnotic toys they feature than with Mozart's genius music: pendulums and perpetual motion type games, alternated with lava lamps and puppets bouncing by: The true genius is that it is GUILT-FREE TV for mothers, because the video says that your baby will be smarter for watching it. Not surprisingly, the Baby Einstein company founder is now a millionaire.

The good mother that I am, I made sure Baby Lizzie, as well as all subsequent Stewart babies watched, or do currently watch, the Baby Mozart video at least once a day.

As you know, last week we took 10-year-old Lizzie to Mozart's The Magic Flute. Imagine my pride when we got home and told me - Mom! I've heard "Papageno's Wish" {a.k.a "Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen"} before - it's on Baby Mozart!" And as Oliver was taking his daily dose of Mozart, Lizzie and Eli started singing to the synthesized music, "...is Papageno's wish!" and she was right! There it was, right there, waiting all those years to be recognized.

See. There you go. Ten years of prepping, and we receive our reward!
Keep watching, Oliver, you'll be singing Mozart in no time!

Eli's Dragon Training Party

2010-07-11T17:17:00.001-07:00

Turning 8 is a Big Deal. So big, you need to invite a Dragon. So we did. We named him Smaug. Gwahaha! Ingredients to build your own dragon: 1 Giant Blue, Scaly-looking pool cover, 1 trampoline, 2 kid tents, lots of tunnels, tables and chairs. 3 pool noodles. Foil, cardboard and markers for the eyes. Mats and blankets to make an easy-on the knees pathway clearly marked for the kids to follow inside. Spraypaint and paper to make the dragon feet.
The idea was that the kids would get "swallowed" by the dragon, follow the tunnels through its insides,

. . .eventually getting spit out into the pool through the end of the dragon's tail. :) :) :) The night before the party, we brought Smaug to life and made him sleep outside till morning. His lunch the next day would be Eli and his birthday party friends. Moohaha!

Here they are! The unsuspecting victims! First up, we gave them a false sense of security by having them build their own shields. These will be no match for Smaug's ferocious bite!
Then we gave them foam swords and had battle practice. Beware, ye Dragons!

To defend against pinpoint precision dragon fire spewing, we practiced with Silly String.

Not pictured is the Horrendous battle between the Dragon Pinata and the army of viking kids. Let's just say that the Pinata lost. Big time. It's entrails went everywhere and the kids just ate them, just like that. They are seriously ferocious!

Ready or not, it's time to face the TERRIBLE BEAST!! The Monstrous Nightmare! The Hideous, Scaly-back, Flame-throwing Dragonzilla! Who dares to enter? Who will come out Conqueror?!

Eli! Dragon- Warrior! He passed his training!

So did all his friends!
BUT!! Alas and alack, there is still one more beast to conquer!

Just look at him staring at us with his wee beady eyes! And that smug look on his face! "Oh, you wanna eat my birthday cake!"
Can he exhaust the dragon's flames?
Hooray! A victor! Now, let's cut him up and divvie up the spoils!

A Sparkly Fourth in Santa Fe

2010-07-09T23:05:00.000-07:00

In the morning, we got to attend a super-schmantzy 'brunch' at an Art Gallery for all the Opera singers and their Patrons. And their moochable sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews. We're always up for crashing a schmantzy party!

We almost bought this fine sculpture for Oliver. Seems that human babies aren't the only ones that like to nibble on their toes:

The gardens were sublime, the food was even better. We met lots of interesting people, and eventually the crowds subsided and Erin was able to enjoy her brunch. It was quite the event. Luckily, there were other children there, and Lizzie quickly made a new friend, Effie, who's dad is in a different opera this summer. They're now fast friends and email buddies.

In fact, all the kids ended up making new friends. There were children from Toronto, Italy, and other places, some didn't even speak English. But they all spoke the language of "freeze tag" - tag knows no boundaries.
Later that night, we did some fireworks at Erin's pad. We decided to invite Mom, Dad, and Whitney:
I had fun with some camera tricks:

Then somehow, Ivy managed to stick her sparkler right in Erin's rear end. It burned right through, and from henceforth and forever, Erin will now be known hereafter in this blog as "Sparklebutt."
Eli, Lizzie, and Sparklebutt.
Lizzie, Sparklebutt, and Ivy.

Oliver and Sparklebutt enjoy the lights! ;>
Happy Fourth, and thanks to Sparklebutt for a WONDERFUL AWESOME trip to SANTA FE!!!! We love you!

Santa Fe, Part Dos

2010-07-06T23:21:00.000-07:00

We woke up in this magazine-worthy setting: But we had places to go, people to see!

Our schedule is just packed.
First up, horse riding!

Stick 'em up.

On our way to get the tire fixed, we saw this beautiful median, adopted by Cassidy's Landscaping, Inc. Let's keep Santa Fe beautiful! I love the way they used the Yield Sign. So artistic.

Next we went to the Plaza - the bustling center of Santa Fe!Gorgeous, cool, clear weather!

Love the hat.Lizzie made a few new friends as well:

At Gabriel's we ordered in Spanish and watched our guacamole prepared right in front of us!

Now it's opera time: Mozart's The Magic Flute.

The Santa Fe Opera has no walls. You watch the sun set during the show.
Erin was the Queen of the Night - literally, as well as her role title. She's the one in white, center stage - kind of hard to miss...
Here's a close-up of her costume. Bald cap + wig + outrageous Elizabethan dress = a terrifying queen. You better listen to her! Oh, what's that you say? You think this looks familiar somehow? Well, only if you've seen the new Alice in Wonderland...

Here's the Erin we know and love!

And I daresay, we love Santa Fe, too.