Sam's Circus Party

Look how big he is! This little boy is already one year old. It's amazing to me how much can happen in one year. Our little newborn has become a boy with a delightfully vibrant personality. How I love him!

It turns out that the boys are really starting to think their birthday cakes are a big deal. Henry and Ellis have had many conversations recently trying to remember what type of cake they had for each birthday. They now can recite them easily ("Henry had a monster, then a racetrack, then a fish cake . . ."), and I'm feeling the pressure to continue the tradition! Can I make a themed birthday cake for each child, every year, without any repeats? I'm not making any promises, but for now, I'll give it a shot.

We chose a monkey for Sam because he makes some really great monkey sounds while reading That's Not My Monkey (one of his favorite books).

And then when we realized how many people would be invited to the party, we decided to bake cupcakes too. One thing led to another, and we decided to turn it into a full-fledged Circus Party (based on Sam's circus wall-hangings -- remember them?) . . .

complete with popcorn, cotton candy,

juggling,

and magic tricks

by the Great Bendini!

The best part was getting to share it all with friends and family! Yes Shug, you saw it right -- Robbie was able to attend, since he lives in Utah now. And Jacob also happened to be in town and got to stop by as well. These are two of the most amazing boys/men ever, and it just so happens that each of them is still single (ladies?).

Andrea, Autumn, and Sadie

Jennica and Grandma I.

Daxen with his cotton candy

Uncle Dan with the birthday boy and Ben

Sierra and Grandma Whitesides

the cool teenager texting corner

Robbie and Grandpa I. talking in front of the month-to-month Sammy photo display (soon to appear on this blog -- hold your breath!).

Grandma and Grandpa Griffin -- whew! That's a lot of people that love Sam, all in one place (and there are even more that love him and got sick and couldn't make it).

Sam's curiosity almost got the best of him!

Phew! Safely blown out (with some help from Ellis).

Cake time!

This was his first experience with anything sweeter than the rare graham cracker (I am extra paranoid about sugar after our experience with Ellis).

It appears that he approved.

And how about a little more cake?

Yes, please.

He certainly needed a bath by the end of it! Looking at this boy just melts my heart. Even after a full year, I can't quite get over him! I am in love.

February in Utah

Now that Henry is in Kindergarten, his school vacation schedule rules our lives. His school had ONE week of vacation for Christmas, and another week of vacation for Presidents' Day. We figured there were a lot of good reasons to travel to Utah in February. Let me name a few:

#1. The giant bathtub at Grandma Lori's

#2: Cousins to play with (doesn't Isaac look awesome? My boys have so much fun with their cousins. I wish they lived next door!)

#3. An excuse to re-live Ellis' birthday party for Presidents' Day!

It was bigger and fancier at my mom's house.

We skipped the American flag cake and had some delicious little cherry pies (What's more American?).

My mom had a great spot to hang the President cards (and the Barack-o-rama magnets). Ben spelled out "Happy Presidents' Day Dear Everybody" with the letter magnets!

If you didn't notice, my brother Brady loves to pose for pictures. :)

Best of all, we got to have the Presidents party with family! This is my sister Kati and little Max.

And Ellis was happy to take the stage for the President Name-Off!

He was a pretty happy guy!

#4: Wide open spaces

After a while of being in New England, I start to feel claustrophobic and need to get away where I can breathe. Utah has a lot of these places.

We spent this day on Antelope Island with Ben's parents.

I had never been to the Garr Ranch on the island before, but it was a great place to take little boys! They had a lot of space to run and lots of fun things to climb on.

We also got to tour the historic house and other areas of the ranch. The ranch was started by Fielding Garr in 1848 as an assignment from the Mormon church. The ranch was operated by the Church until the 1970's.

It has now been restored and is open for touring. Very fun and interesting!

Sammy loved having some time with Grandma . . .

. . . and the other boys loved searching for wildlife.

Nothing is cooler than Grandpa's "binocliers" (Ellis' name for them)

Even Sammy joined in the fun! After watching his brothers carefully, he snatched a pair out of Grandma's hands and knew just what to do!

Finally! A buffalo! The big herd seemed to be hiding somewhere, but we did find a few good ones.

#5: Outings with cousins! The boys loved our outing to the Hill Aerospace Museum. For this picture, they wanted to pose with "Sarge" from Cars.

#6: Family Home Evening with cousins (okay, so we love pretty much anything with cousins!). We were so excited that Ben's brother Dan decided to come to Utah at the same time as us so the boys could play with Audrey (and Sadie).

#7: Getting the three babies together! Sam had a great time with Max and James. My mom bought them matching outfits and really wanted to get their pictures taken together. We decided to go when all 3 of them needed a nap to add a little extra excitement to the outing. Sam looks happy, but let me assure you, he had his fair share of screaming.

Look how cute we are with our babies! We didn't plan to have this picture taken, but when the babies all wanted their mommies to hold them, this is what happened. This is the only picture I got of Brady's wife McCall -- but can I just say how much I love her? And I love Kati too! We just had a great time being with all of these great people.

#8: The chance to celebrate a very special birthday with LOTS of loved ones. More details on this birthday soon!

U.S. Presidents Choose the Right

Happy President's Day everyone!  We think that Ellis' U.S. Presidents obsession may be winding down, but he delivered this gem of a performance for us the other day and we thought we'd better post it for everyone's edification on this very special day.  If you haven't seen Jenn's Primary production "We Choose the Right," you might want to watch at least part of that first to understand what's going on in this one.  Enjoy!

A Really Long Chocolate Story

Most of you who know me well know that I haven't eaten chocolate for 16 years. When I was 14, my mom offered me $100 to go without chocolate for a year. I did it, and I got my money! But then I never started eating chocolate again. During that year I didn't miss it too much, and I started to realize that chocolate wasn't my favorite thing in the world. I tend to prefer my sugar in other forms: caramel, peanut butter, fruity flavors, jelly beans, etc. So it seemed like, since I was already used to not eating chocolate, and since I didn't miss it too much, that I might as well go on avoiding it. It was nice to have one category of dessert that I always turned down without having to think about it. I also think that, deep down, I was afraid that if I started eating chocolate again, I would gain ten pounds in the first week! It just seemed too dangerous to me!

Fast forward 16 years. I'm about to turn 30, realizing that it seems like a perfect time for a momentous life change. I keep hearing about people's New Year's resolutions, people who are committing to eliminate sugar or processed foods from their diets, people who are committing to exercise regularly, and people who are going to start being more adventurous. I decide that now might be as good of a time as any to start eating chocolate again. How's that for a new goal for myself? I have to laugh when I realize how it sounds like the OPPOSITE of a good, healthy life change. But here's the thing: I feel like, at 30, I can finally trust myself to eat chocolate again. I am not going to eat a whole pan of brownies in an hour [and now that this is published on the Internet for everyone to read, I have to stick to that :)].

I go back and forth with Ben over whether I really want to make what seems like such a HUGE life change. He offers a suggestion: how about a birthday party where I get to try chocolate for one day, and then at the end of the day I can make my final decision? I'm sold!

It didn't take much to convince a few friends to come over and try to woo me with their best chocolate creations. I love these people (and more, as they didn't all get in the pictures).

Eliza with her chocolate pie

Becky and Heather

Jamie and Mary

Susan and Christy (sorry, these pictures are a little blurry)

Me with Christy and Mary

and my two Loves

There were husbands and kids here too (Chad, Tim, and Romney above). It was actually a pretty wild and crazy party!

[aside: Sam and Lucy had a little moment -- as they often do -- she is obsessed with him!]

[another aside: I found this on my desk at the end of the party: a stack of freshly sharpened pencils! One of my favorite things! Probably a service/present from one of Henry's friends (I think it's awesome how much kids like to sharpen pencils)].

And here I am, posing for the Martha Stewart look-alike contest! And eating chocolate! WOW, I tried some yummy things. I had to take it really SLOW. It was pretty overwhelming, after so many years of not having chocolate.

And the consensus? It was a hard decision, but I think I will be going forward with the life change. I'm going to become a chocolate eater! I was a little surprised to discover that the rich, chocolate-based stuff really was too much for me -- so I'm not afraid of going overboard because I know I'll get sick if I do. The stuff I LOVED was the same stuff I always love - the caramel stuff, the peanut butter stuff, and the non-chocolate based stuff with chocolate chips in them. Now I just don't have to pick the chocolate chips out (which really was a silly annoyance -- if I'm going to eat the cookie, I might as well just eat the cookie!).

Welcome back, chocolate! I'm excited to get reacquainted over the next decade. And if I really do put on ten or fifteen pounds in the next little while, you'll all know the reason. And then I might be announcing a more traditional life change for my 40th. :)

30 things I have learned about ME in the past 30 years

People keep telling me that 30 is the new 20.  Whatever that means, I do feel pretty settled about turning 30 yesterday.  I think my thirties may just well be the prime of my life!  I feel great on so many levels -- physically, emotionally, spiritually, etc.  I'm miles away from having learned it all, but I do feel like I've learned a lot about myself that I didn't know when I turned 20.  For that reason, it seems like the next ten years are pretty much destined to be even more awesome than the last ten years.

You may not care to read, but I had a good time articulating 30 things I have learned about myself (mostly in the past decade) that make me happy to be where I'm at right now:

1. Exercise feels good and makes me happy.  Jogging is not a race, just a great way to start the day.
2. It is ALWAYS better to dress warmly than to not dress warmly enough.  Yes, bring your coat!
3. Keeping a scripture journal -- writing as I read -- helps me get so much more out of my study time.
4. My hair turns out SO much better if I let it air-dry most of the way.
5. I could spend all day cleaning my house.  But cleaning for 20 minutes in the morning (with a timer) can make a huge difference and makes me feel very free the rest of the day.
6. I am a small-group, small-party kind of girl.
7. I will never have the body of a J.Crew model, no matter what I do.  And that's okay!
8. I need one night a week to sit on the couch with Ben to plan, unwind, and "talk it all out."  We call it "Couple Home Evening."  :)
9. I feel so much better about myself if I screen my movies on the Netflix "Guide for Parents" before watching them.  If a 14-year-old can't handle it, neither can I!
10. I get a whole lot of happiness out of simple things: a sharp knife, Scotch brand packaging tape, Avery labels of all shapes and sizes, a good gel pen, and a sharp pencil.
11. If I can make my kids laugh, I can save us all from crying.  I can do some pretty silly [embarrassing] things.
12. Let's face it - I can try as hard as I like to diversify my wardrobe, but when it comes down to it, I should probably just buy the pink thing.  It will definitely get worn!
13. I can't be trusted with a computer on.  I'm not allowed to turn it on until my "jobs" are done.
14. My best diet consultant is my own gut.  If I eat what sounds really good to me -- and don't eat it if it doesn't sound really good -- then I feel great.  My favorite is stopping when there are only three bites on my plate and saying, "I'm full!"  It can either go in my belly or down the disposal.  Why not give the calories to the disposal?
15. My prayers are so much better when I consider them to be a personal planning session with God.  He is an amazing counselor.
16. I am nicer to my kids and husband when they are dressed nicely.  I know this reflects badly on my personality, but it's still good to know about myself . . . you know, to help me be nice in the meantime while I'm working on that character flaw.  :)
17. I do much better if there is ALWAYS candy in the cupboard and ice cream in the freezer.  When it's there all the time, it doesn't feel like a race to eat it all before everyone else.
18. Earrings are one of my greatest assets (I started wearing them at 25 and have felt much more feminine and lovely since then).
19. A magazine in the bathroom is a good idea for so many reasons (I won't elaborate).
20. I CAN keep a journal if I only write one paragraph a day.  I've been writing about how I see the hand of God in my life (and He is SO much in my life).
21. If I don't want to ruin the rest of the day, I shouldn't chop onions without wearing my safety goggles!
22. Hungry, Thirsty, and Tired all feel mysteriously the same to me.  I need to take several minutes to figure out which one I am actually feeling.
23. If I intentionally leave my Chapstick, Listerine strips, and wedding ring in my bedroom, I will eventually come back for them and remember to say my prayers.
24. On that same topic, I'll go absolutely crazy if I run out of Curél lotion, mint Chapstick, or Listerine breath strips.  I need to keep them in stock!
25. Looking at pictures of my babies can help me get through almost anything (natural birth? yep).
26. Eating something between breakfast and lunch is not a sin.  But I have a personal rule that it has to be a piece of fruit.
27. Getting dressed and putting my SHOES on first thing in the morning (regular clothes or exercise clothes) probably shaves about 20 minutes of laziness off my day.
28. Being creative is so vital to my happiness . . . but I need to remember that I can CREATE things in my normal role as a mother - I can create a good feeling in a room; I can create laughter; I can create smiles; and I can create pretty good paper snowflakes.
29. If I pray right before I take a shower, some pretty good pondering happens in the 10 minutes I have to MYSELF every day.  I can't tell you how many solutions have come to me while I've been pondering in the shower.
30. Whatever happened in the day can be fixed by a bedtime story, a hug, and a kiss.

I think it's a pretty good list!  I still have lots to learn.  Let's hope in the next decade I will learn to fork over the money for a good haircut, stay awake in the temple, say no gracefully, remember other people's birthdays, stop caring about what other people think, be completely honest, communicate with my husband about what I really want, and learn to talk on the phone without making everyone feel awkward.

The Ramble: Lewis & Clark

A couple of months ago I finished a stellar book called Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose, about the Lewis and Clark Expedition (the link will take you to my review of the book).  It was utterly fascinating.  As I read it, I kept thinking about how cool it was for those early Americans to have such a vivid and real frontier.  They literally knew almost nothing about what the continent looked like further west than St. Louis.  I kept wondering about the frontiers that we face now, and I feel like they aren't quite as well-defined as they were 200 years ago.

That's not to say that we don't have frontiers now.  There is, of course, space (the final frontier!), and I think that we know relatively little about the deep ocean environment as well.  But beyond physical exploration, we have many frontiers of knowledge.  Cancer research comes to mind very quickly, for example.  How to create green energy in a way that makes economic sense is another frontier that we face.  Pretty much every research institution out there is chipping away at its own frontier in one way or another, and I'm really glad to be a (minuscule) part of that effort.  These frontiers are just as real as the Wild West, but they are perhaps not quite as easy to identify, or they are at least not as widely applicable-- i.e. pretty much everyone in the U.S. had an interest in exploring the West in the early 1800s, but not everyone cares whether I discover some new intricacy of U.S. Bankruptcy Courts.

So, where am I going with all of this?  Well, it's interesting that Lewis & Clark were funded by the U.S. government, to the tune of about $100,000.  That's about $1.5 million in today's dollars, which is a very small amount in the budget of the U.S. government.  But remember that back in 1804, the U.S. was not even 30 years old; it was far from the behemoth that it is today.  This represented a hefty investment by the government, pushed through by a visionary President Jefferson.

And, it very nearly was all wasted.  In fact, it's a miracle that Lewis and Clark actually survived the trek.  Between wars with the Indians and the elements, they were within a hair's breadth of death for most of the journey.  Can you imagine trying to prepare for a journey that would take two years, when you have no idea how hostile the Indians might be, how plentiful the game is, how harsh the winters are, if the mountains are even passable at all, or if there are navigable rivers to help transport your gear?  Lewis and Clark and their men were taking huge personal risks to even attempt this journey.  But Jefferson was taking a huge political risk as well, because if they never heard from the men again, Congress would have been rather upset about losing their $100,000 on a "sure to fail" venture.

We rightly honor and praise Lewis and Clark and Jefferson for their incredible vision, daring, planning, and ability to pull off such a journey.  But what if Lewis and Clark had been slaughtered in South Dakota?  Or frozen to death while wintering in North Dakota?  Or gone over a waterfall in Idaho?  Jefferson would have been ridiculed at the time, and the expedition would be but a footnote in history today.  So, here's my question: was this a good risk to take?  Was it a worthy use of government money?  You cannot justify the trip based on its success--that they succeeded was merely a stroke of incredible good fortune.  Put yourself in Jefferson's shoes in 1804, and imagine the probability of them making it was somewhere less than 10%.  Should he have done it?

I obviously can't answer that question, but it's important to think about because it directly applies to some of the arguments going on today.  Obama made a similar gamble in 2009 when he used part of the stimulus to fund green energy firms.  The poster child was a company called Solyndra, which as you probably know has now gone bankrupt.  A few others have gone bankrupt as well.  Obama has been roundly criticized for writing checks to these companies, only to see them go belly up.  Does Obama deserve any more criticism than Jefferson for their decision to fund these ventures?  I don't think so.  I'm not saying that Obama or Jefferson made the right or wrong decision--that's a tough call for sure.  But it is certainly unfair to judge them completely based on the results, because Jefferson just got lucky while Obama got unlucky.  With decisions like this, you have to judge based on the information that was available beforehand, not on what happened in the end.

More broadly, to what extent should the government be paying for frontier exploration?  To answer this question, you have to think about two things.  First, if the government didn't fund it, would anyone else?  Second, is the government better at picking the right projects than the private sector?  In my opinion, the answer to the second question is usually no.  It takes omniscience to pick the right projects, and the government just isn't all-knowing.  The free market is the closest thing we've got to omniscience, I'm afraid.  That's why I'm often skeptical of efforts by the government to promote particular industries (like green tech, agriculture, or auto manufacturing).

But, there are many instances where the private market would not fund early-stage research that is vitally important for breaking through knowledge frontiers.  This research has value.  Most venture capitalists are not going to fund some quack academic who is studying something that isn't marketable.  This is where the government has a huge role to play, and does so quite well, in my opinion.  A large number of research projects are funded by government grants, and this is needed in order to push the envelope of knowledge.  But, once a project is economically viable, it's time for the government to step out of the way to let the private sector take over.

Billionaire's Shortbread

Over ten years ago, I was on study abroad in London and ate some amazing shortbread/caramel/white chocolate bars at a Starbucks there.  Then I ate them a few more times.  And then I came home and spent the next five years searching American Starbucks stores for these bars, to no avail.  And then I spent the next five years just dreaming about them.  And then at Christmas this past year I finally did something about it and recreated the recipe myself.  I must say that I got pretty darn close to getting the recipe right!  If I do say so myself, they are amazing . . . which is why I named them Billionaire's Shortbread (a few steps up from Millionaire's Shortbread).

And now, I finally got around to typing up and posting the recipe.  It is a mix of several different recipes, including Ben's mom's caramel as the middle layer.  Imagine it: shortbread, pecans (if you wish), chewy caramel, white chocolate, and a tiny drizzle of semisweet.  If your mouth is watering, you can view the recipe here.

We Choose the Right

Here is a little project I have been working on for our Primary. With the yearly theme of "Choose the Right," we are trying to find as many opportunities as possible for our kids, teachers, and leaders to share experiences when they have chosen to do what is right. I have found that hearing these experiences already makes ME want to be a better person, to be a little bit more careful about what I say and do.

Enjoy the show:

What have YOU done to choose the right?

Look-Alikes

We thought this picture of Sam looked a little familiar.

Henry had a similar sneezy/blink face not too long ago:

Too bad our scanner isn't working, or you would get to see the 5th grade class picture in which their mom just happened to be sneezing for the camera as well. I guess we'll have to save that one for another day!

Wit and wisdom for your weekend

E: "Did the Quahog see his shadow?" (Henry found this to be the most hilarious thing he had ever heard and ran around the house laughing for 5 minutes)

H: "This is how you can tell if you're gonna throw up: it feels like there's tongues in your belly and they taste granola bars."

E: "My grand-sister goes by 'Pentagon.'"

Happy Quahog day, everyone!