Moving

I need to comment on the amount of help we had with our recent move. Our friends need to know how grateful we are for them and how amazing they are. We feel very fortunate to have so many people willing to help us with such an undertaking.

We closed on our old home in early April but negotiated a rent-back period so we could stay in the home until we finalized the purchase of the new house. By late April we had closed on the new house and were ready to move. We figured we would move most of the boxes piecemeal throughout the week and then enlist the help of friends and U-haul to get the big stuff on a Saturday.

As the week started several family members and ladies from the ward brought their SUVs and mini-vans and started loading up boxes and whatever they could fit to take to the new house. They made many, many trips, and there were many who didn't help with the physical move but did volunteer to watch the kids so they wouldn't be underfoot while the move was ongoing. By the time Wednesday rolled around a huge portion of the smaller things had already been taken care of.

At this point we were nervous because the weather forecast was calling for very cold temperatures and lots of rain on Saturday. So, I called up U-haul and switched the rental to that evening. I sent out an email asking friends and family if they would be able to help that evening on such short notice. Later that afternoon the trucks started arriving. I was still working and people were already loading up couches and bookshelves and whatever they could get their hands on and taking it to the new place. By the time I was ready to pitch in, it was suggested that a U-haul would not be necessary. We had enough trucks and people that we could probably handle everything in one or two more trips. It would take more time to go over and pick up the U-haul and bring it back than it was worth.

So, everyone redoubled their efforts and put their shoulders into the work and before we knew it the house was virtually empty. Everyone simply made their way over to the other house and unloaded there as well. People came after they got off work and helped move things from the garage into the new house. Other people called later in the evening anxious to come and help, and I had to tell them there was not really anything for them to do. It was absolutely amazing how much was done in such a short space of time. Over the next few days I told several people that I, personally, probably moved fewer items during this move than I had on several of the moves I had previously helped other people with. And I don't believe I was exaggerating when I said that.

We had a few more loads to make over the next several days, and we were even able to do a lot of work on that Saturday (the forecast of apocalyptic weather turned out to be greatly overblown!). In the end I did manage to do quite a bit of work on the move, but I have to offer my complete gratitude to the many, many people who came to my family's aid and helped. My sisters, my niece and so many ward members that I'm really not sure what the count of people who helped might be. I would speculate that it was probably in the thirties somewhere by the time you consider everyone who helped in the early part of the week and on the Wednesday. Simply remarkable. We love the people who are part of our lives, and we will miss mightily the ward we are leaving. Eliza's middle name is McKay for a very real reason. That ward family has taken care of us on more than one occasion. So, thanks everyone! We love you, and we are exceedingly grateful for your service and love. We're also grateful that we're only a few miles away so we can all still hang out. Now we get to make new friends and enjoy a new ward while still maintaining the ties and friendships we've been fortunate to build over the past eight years. It almost feels like we're cheating to be so lucky! Life is good.

Maddie's Choices

This may surprise some parents, but our children often get on each others' nerves (and their parents' nerves, for that matter) while driving in the van.  The whining, complaining and pestering start, and I realize that something must be done to keep my inner beast in lockdown.  So, I turn to the time honored tool of the parent--distraction!  My favorite method of late is to give the kids choices.  The choices aren't meant to be taken seriously--they're simply meant to get the kids' attention and make them think for 1/2 second.  I'll ask questions along the lines of the following . . .

Which do you prefer:

- an apple or an orange

- Smashburger or Famous Dave's

- Mario Party or Mario Kart

- Phineas & Ferb or Suite Life

- California or Georgia

- basketball or soccer

- snow or rain

- Bolt or Kung Fu Panda

- crepes or german pancakes

- dogs or cats

- flying or being invisible

- Dumbledore or Sirius

You get the idea.  

Well, the other day we were in the van, and I started up the game and Maddie really got into the spirit of it.  So much so that she started asking her own questions.  A sample . . .

Which do you prefer:

- pink or lipstick

- maps or Princess & the Pea

- buses or doors

- playdates or stop lights

- temples or stores

- medicine or rocks

We were all cracking up!  Madison seemed a bit offended at our laughter, and questioned Brenna and me about it.  What could we say?  We simply told her it was very fun to hear her coming up with her own questions, and we were enjoying it very much.  That seemed to mollify her . . . somewhat.  

Thank goodness for Madison.  She really challenges us at times, but she has such vigor and enthusiasm that you can't help but smile.  Oh, and I would definitely take a playdate over a stop light anytime!

A Weekend for Remembering

NOTE:  This post is quite long and not terribly coherent.  I'm viewing it as a personal journal entry simply to help me remember the weekend.  So, with that warning, proceed at your own risk.

Several weeks ago I got a Facebook message from Kevin, one of my high school basketball teammates, telling me that MHS was having its alumni basketball tournament the week of March 16.  He said I should come play.  I mulled it over for a bit and realized that I could probably make it work.  The tourney is broken into two parts:  pool play followed by single elimination rounds.  Pool play would happen Mon - Wed and the top two teams from each pool would advance to the quarterfinals on Thu night.  Kevin figured our team would make it out of pool play, and I could join for the quarterfinals and beyond.  

It sounded too fun to pass up, so I checked with Brenna, and she willingly supported me.  I bought a ticket to fly out on Thu afternoon and return Sun morning.

The week of the tourney came, and I was on pins and needles each day waiting for the results of the games.  Another teammate, Ryan, provided the good news on Mon--a big win.  Tue was sobering with a narrow loss.  It all came down to the Wed game as to whether the guys would advance.  Ryan called about 11 that night to let me know they had won.  Whew!  The ticket purchase was not in vain!

So I flew out Thu afternoon and my mom and dad picked me up at the airport.  It's a fine feeling to have your parents meet you at the airport.  I can't say enough good things about my parents and how they support me in everything I do.  It's always been like that, and I am very fortunate.

That night we played the 2004 team, and it was quite a battle.  Due to their youth they had to spot us 12 points, and we needed them as we ended up winning by 5 or so.  It was a very physical game, but both sides were pretty cool about it.  They had two main guns--one was a big kid--probably about 6' 7" or so who was a good post player, and the other was the outside gunner.  We went to a box & one in the second half to slow down the gunner, and that worked out well.  I huffed and puffed and concluded that I wasn't playing church ball!  I felt fine about the way I played, but I came away impressed with two things:

1. I don't feel old, but after running up and down the court with the '04 grads, it definitely hit home that I'm getting there.  I haven't been sore after playing basketball for a long time, but I was sore on Friday.

2. I hadn't had that much fun playing ball in a long, long time.  So many memories of high school ball.  Watching Kevin pull up for a three pointer, seeing Joey do his little shimmy-shake on the wing before starting a drive to the hoop, watching Brian slash to the basket with perfect timing, seeing Ryan get feisty going after rebounds down low, and watching Eric battle for position and be a complete team player.  I played with all five of them at MHS, and it just thrilled me to be on the court with them again.  That doesn't even bring up the other guys who played with us and were just amazing in their effort.  Carl, Tyler, Nick, Jess--all of them were just a riot to play with.  Nobody seemed to care that much about who played the minutes or scored--we all just wanted to be part of a team that wins.  It was really cool!  It was also fun to see some of the people in the stands.  My friend Ben had come to cheer us on as well as others that I hadn't seen for a long time.  It's always nice to have people cheering you on.

I went home and stayed up til 11 or so talking basketball, family, church, politics and all kinds of other stuff with my parents.  I savor those opportunities.  Just me and my parents.  While growing up I never really made an effort to spend good, quality conversation time with my folks.  Now, I really enjoy it!  Just making up for missed chances, I suppose.

Friday was filled with work and family.  I had taken my laptop so I hooked into my parents broadband and worked away.  With all my work files on a jump drive and the ability to access my email wherever I have an internet connection, I can pretty much work anywhere I like.  So that was fun.  Mom and dad got to see a little of what I do as I prepared a presentation to provide training to folks in various countries around the world.  Cool stuff!  

I also helped my dad better navigate the internet and gain some familiarity with Facebook, and worked with my mom on her desktop wallpaper and screensaver.  Little fun things like that did take place throughout the day.  Linda came over for lunch, so we sat around and did what we do best--amuse ourselves and laugh.  Thanks, Lin, for being such a great sis!  

That night we went to Sizzler for dinner.  What a great place to people watch on an early Friday evening.  We sat around for 15 minutes or so just kind of finishing up our meal, but mostly watching the people around us.  What a diverse place the world is!

Saturday was the piece de resistance of the weekend.  A few weeks ago I found out the Taeoaliis were moving to a new house on Saturday.  I realized that it was likely I would be able to help.  So I walked over to their house around 10 Sat morning.  I took the route I used to take as a kid--cutting through the Grant Elementary school grounds.  I hadn't walked through those grounds in probably 20 - 25 years.  Talk about a flood of memories:  Prisoner's Ball, Soccer, Mr Laney, Miss Glenn, Wall Ball, 6th grade presentation on Ecuador, Joe Nelson getting hit in the head with a baseball bat, giant snowballs at recess, Mrs Taylor, Mr Gray, 2 against 15 football games, and all of my dear, dear friends.  What a great time I had in elementary school.

Soon I was at the Taeoaliis' house.  The people there brought back more memories--Daela, Fred, Jer, Semi, etc., etc.  Of course I had to think about riding around on the hood of Shirley's car through the neighborhood and so many sleepovers at Jer's house.  

At any rate, we got the big items loaded in short order and the crew headed to their new house.  They told me to come because there would be BBQ!  I went home to borrow mom and dad's car, and took the opportunity to do a video chat with Brenna and the munchkins.  Eliza still doesn't know quite what to think of the video chat.  So strange to see Dad's face on a computer screen.

At length I headed to the new house, but by the time I got there all the unloading was done, so what could I do but help them eat the food.  I excelled in that area!  Jer cooks up some mean BBQ chicken--almost like a satay flavor.  Really good!  Fotu also showed up while I was there.  More memories--9th grade football and lots of pickup basketball.  

I helped Jer with the BBQ and even got to hold his baby girl and watch her fall asleep in my arms.  It made me feel like I was at home!  Way too fun for words.  Thanks, Jer, for all the memories created over a lifetime.  You are the best.  

I drove back to mom and dad's, and we made our way to MHS for the tournament semis.  Several more people in the stands, including Jed and his son Jacob.  I really enjoyed taking a few minutes to talk to Jacob and to let him know that his dad used to run around and play ball with us (now all his athletic time is devoted simply to running--or biking).  Jacob made me laugh when he indicated that he could probably take his dad in a game of basketball.  Jed didn't protest very strongly, so I'm only left to think that it may be true!

Our game in the semis was against 2002.  They had to spot us 10 points (5 in each half), so that was very helpful.  The game was fairly intense, but not as physical as the quarterfinals.  For the most part we took the lead and held onto it, with them making a run or two here and there.  Each of our team members made tremendous contributions with timely three pointers, rebounds and steals to seal the victory.  We ended up winning by right around 10 points.  I think I enjoyed this game the most of all of them because we again beat a much younger team who didn't know anything about us.  There's just some satisfaction in that.  Plus, I actually sank my two free throws and a three pointer!  What's not to like?

We then had a 1 1/2 hour break while we watched the other semifinal in which 1997 defeated another (very good) team from the 2000s.  In fact, it was the team that had defeated us in pool play.  So, we weren't disappointed to see them go down.  And, we got the added benefit of playing against a team of guys that we knew pretty well.  Several younger brothers of our classmates were on the 97 team, so it made for a friendly atmosphere in the championship.  In addition, they were gassed big time from their hard fought semi win, and with only one sub they simply didn't have the stamina to put up the fight they wanted.  There wasn't too much drama in the championship as we led be a good amount most of the way and ended up winning by 15 or so.  Ryan, Brian, Kevin and Joey all played great games--again with some timely outside shooting and good inside post play.  We were disappointed that Jess didn't shoot a three-pointer at the end, but I'm sure he will next year!

So, we emerged as the Alumni Tournament champions and got some slick t-shirts as a reward for our efforts.  I can't think of a better prize.  Lots of family members of my teammates were there.  So good to see the parents of these guys.  I had spent a lot of time in each of their houses during my high school years, so it was a real treat to see the Johnsens, Wells, Carlstons and Prices and remember the amazing support they always gave us over the years.  I also was able to meet the wives of several of my teammates and Jed came back for the championship and brought Brooke with him.  I only wish I'd been able to spend a bit more time with them this trip.  So many dear friends, so little time.

After the game a group of us went to Eric's house (gorgeous by the way--well done Eric and Jenn) and enjoyed some pizza benders from IV and just sat around and talked and laughed.  As usual, Joey had us all laughing at stories of his various misadventures--his life and death experience in Costa Rica was particularly memorable.  I just basked in the fun of being with them all again.  Memories galore!  And very fine people, too.  Thanks guys, for letting me come ball and hang out.  I'm already looking forward to next year! 

Here's a picture of the tourney champs.  Go 92!

Daddy's Girl

I just finished putting Eliza to bed.  It's hard to believe that next month she will be a year old.  Watching her learn and grow has been the most amazing experience.  The kids, Brenna and I are all simply enthralled by every little thing she does.  It's fun to watch her learning how to crawl and sit up, and she's even started pulling herself up to standing position now.  All standard fare for the first year of a baby's life, but remembering how hard she worked just to get here to our home with us makes us treasure every little thing she does.  

It's been particularly rewarding for me, because she treats me like a rock star!  As far as she's concerned Daddy is the greatest person on earth.  I was sitting with her in Sunday School today, and my friend, Jared, took her to hold her for a second.  She immediately reached her arms out to me making it clear that she had no intention of letting someone else hold her when Daddy was so close by.  Not unusual that a child would behave in such fashion toward someone who is not her parent, you say?  True.  However, when you see her do the same thing to Mommy, you'll know how cool she thinks Daddy is.  Observe . . .

Fortunately Brenna takes it all in stride and is glad Eliza loves her dad.  We laugh about it frequently and are just glad she's home with us.  Here's to being a parent!

Atomic Root Beer

Saturday was my Dad's birthday, so I called him and we chatted for a while. In the course of our conversation he talked about making Atomic Root Beer for a recent Pack Meeting and a Reunion. He gave me the recipe, and I decided to give it a try today.

5 Gallons Water

2 Lb Brown Sugar

3 Lb White Sugar

1 Container Root Beer Extract

5 Lb Dry Ice

Put in about half the water and mix the sugars and extract in. Add remaining water and then the dry ice. Let sit for about 15 minutes.

I halved the above recipe, and we had plenty of beverage for a little get together we had at our house with some friends. The only difficult part was tracking down the dry ice and the root beer extract. Safeway carries dry ice but no RB extract, Wal-Mart carries RB extract, but no dry ice. Weird stuff.

Anyhow, the kids loved the dry ice experiment. Here's a little video and a couple pictures of the excitement. Thanks for the recipe, Dad! And Happy Birthday!

Reunion

Fillerup Family Reunion in Park City a couple of weeks ago. Here we are riding the lift to go on the Alpine Slide. Eliza stayed behind at the lodge with Aunt Jeanne. The rest of us had gone alpine sliding here in Denver a few weeks prior, so the kids were primed and ready to go. Maddie went down with me and we flew! Savannah went on her own and did well, and Brenna and Hunter made for a speedy team. What a great time--and, of course, we enjoyed ice cream after getting to the bottom of the hill.

So much fun being with family. Sadly, though, we didn't take a big group photo. I guess we were just too busy having fun--water balloon toss, ultimate frisbee, lots of food, Running Charades, music, Olympic Park, church, basketball, tug o war, etc., etc.

We missed Derek and Sara who are serving missions, and we missed Bry, San, Katie and Elise who were stuck in some place called England. Everyone else was able to make it for at least part of the time. The kids loved being with cousins, and I loved being with my folks, sisters, bros in law, and all my fantastic nieces and nephews. Simply put, a great crowd!

Savannah, Hunter and Maddie then spent five days and four nights at Aunt Jeanne's house. A few bumps in the road with Maddie having a bit of homesickness, but I know they would do it again in a heartbeat. Thanks to Ron, Jeanne, Erin, Matthew and Jordan for putting life on pause to entertain the munchkins.

Brenna and I were amazed at how quiet the house was and how we were able to get some things done. It was nice for a few days. Soon, though, we were ready for their return. When we got them back, it was a great reunion after the reunion!

Best Job Ever

Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of this, but the other night Eliza was fussing, and Brenna needed a break for a bit. I took Eliza and put her in the "magic hold," where I have her back/left side against my stomach and the left side of her head resting on my left forearm with my left hand and right arm/hand supporting her body. She really seems to enjoy that. She drools all over my arm, but I really don't mind.

I walked around with her for a bit, and soon enough she was asleep. That definitely has to be the best job ever!

Here is a pic of the little princess in all her current glory (now five months old) followed by one of her with her adoring siblings looking on. She's doing great, and we feel very fortunate!

Catching Up

Let's see, lots going on over the last several days.

Family

My niece, Rebecca, and her husband, Davis went on a road trip from Provo to Denver last week and stayed with us for a few days while they were here. The kids loved having their oldest cousin in town, and R&D were great with them. In addition, Rebecca is a nurse and knows a lot more than we do about taking care of premies, so it was fun to watch her hold Eliza knowing that Rebecca understood what a journey Eliza had taken to get here. The oldest and youngest grandchildren for my parents. Pretty cool! Come again, soon R&D. We loved having you here!

As an added bonus, with Nelson in town at the Dunfords, we had Tom, Nelson, Curtis, Davis and me all at Wednesday night basketball. Quite the festival! We played hard and had a good time. Davis and Tom can man the point, Nelson and Curtis are supreme at banging in the paint and hauling in the boards, and I just fill in where I can. It was a ball to play with so many family members.

This week Brenna and the kids have gone to Georgia. I took them to the airport Tuesday afternoon, and although Brenna was very nervous about traveling with the four of them, they all did very well. (We did have to have some serious discussions with them beforehand to ensure they wouldn't give Mom any trouble--and they didn't. They know how to rise to the occasion when they need to. Good job guys!) They've been loving Grandma and Grandpa's swimming pool and living the good life with their cousins. It's quiet here, but that brings me to my next topic...

Work

Once again, quarter end close is upon us. I thought I was getting out of the stress of quarter close when I took this new job six months ago. Not so. My job has morphed a bit, and I now have responsibility for reviewing some revenue calculations for multiple deals on a world-wide basis. Very interesting how things can be so different from one area of the world to the next. I delivered the same training to all Regions--US, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific, but the quality of submissions has varied drastically from one region to the next. You can really tell which regions believe this aspect of the accounting is important and which don't. I recognize it's a big headache for them, but it's also a key area the auditors look at so we must be thorough and consistent worldwide. It makes for a challenge when I have to send things back to some regions and ask them redo the work.

I know that's boring for most of you to read, but it becomes all-consuming for me for a week to two weeks every three months. Fortunately, I'm able to focus on other things for most of the rest of each quarter.

Church

A couple of things in this category. First, since last Sunday was the fifth Sunday, the Bishop presented a lesson on finances to all the adults. I wish I could report to you on how it went, but instead of attending his class, the Bishop asked me to present the same topic to the youth. In order to understand the magnitude of that request, please understand that we have around 30 active youth, and about 20 of those are young men. Plenty of Deacons and Priests. So, the audience was diverse in their attention span, interest level and ability to comprehend. We spent a very interesting 50 minutes together to say the least. I knew with such a topic that I couldn't reasonably expect to keep their attention on a consistent basis, but I also knew that various aspects of the lesson would be interesting and would stick with some of the youth. So I really made an effort to be patient with all the whispering and side conversations, and it turned out pretty well. Much of what we discussed was new information even to the oldest of the youth. We discussed interest and mortgages very briefly, and it was quite remarkable to see the shock register on some of their faces when I mentioned how much interest they could expect to pay on a 30-year 250K mortgage. Rude awakening. I also rattled them with my old school sayings, such as "he's a loose cannon," and "toot your own horn." It was funny to see the blank stares and realize they had no idea what I meant when I said those things. Ah, the generation gap--it's getting wider for me.

The second item is one I'm quite enthused about. We have had a huge influx of new families in our ward over the past two to three months. (Side bar: most of these families are quite young, and Brenna and I are in the unfamiliar position of starting to feel we are in the middle-aged group in our ward. When we moved in six years ago, we were far and away on the young side of the ward--probably about the youngest family, in fact. Now, we are approaching median age, I would say. Pretty amazing!)

Anyway, the Bishop had a get together at his home on Monday night and invited the new families as well as a few long-term members. While there I was able to chat for a while with Ryan Gunderson, who is the owner of the Riches For Good blog at richesforgood.blogspot.com.

I have briefly mentioned in the past that I would like to get more involved in the world of microcredit and the like. Well, Ryan has a decided interest in that topic, and we're already making plans to get me more involved. Call it an effort to do something larger with my life. At one point, I thought I would get a job that would make a real difference in the world. Well, not to disparage my current job, but let's just say it's not the idealist's dream. So, why not make it a hobby and a passion. I'll keep you updated how things develop, but I really hope to be able to jump in with both feet now that I have someone around who can show me the ropes, so to speak.

I'm looking forward to it.

Whirlwind Weekend

I woke up at 4AM Saturday, gave Brenna a quick kiss, ate a quick bowl of cereal (gotta have my breakfast!), loaded my two small carry-ons into Roscoe and headed for the airport. Uneventful drive--I took I-25 to I-270 to I-70 to Pena Blvd and Pike's Peak parking lot. I listened to the NPR classical music station all the way. Parked at Pike's Peak and hopped on the shuttle bus just as it was about to leave the parking lot. One of life's little pleasures--catching the bus at just the right time!

By 5:10 I was standing in a short security line, listening to my iPod and feeling good about things. I noticed the "Clear" security lanes with the flyclear.com website being advertised. I never saw anyone actually use the Clear lane, but I thought what a time saver it would be if you traveled frequently. Then I thought, if you traveled that frequently you're probably already an elite member of some airline and you're allowed to use the security lane for "important" travelers anyway. So, I'm not sure how many people actually use Clear. Anyone have experience?

At any rate, I rumbled right on through security--even was waived to a completely open x-ray line that other travelers had simply overlooked. You just can't beat that. I headed down the escalator (side note: why are we Americans so useless at escalator etiquette? Stand on the right, walk on the left--Europeans do this flawlessly. But not the States. Oh no, we must stand so that we take up as much of the escalator width as possible ensuring that someone who is in a hurry or simply doesn't like to perpetuate the inactive culture must wait in an exasperated heap until the escalator arrives at its destination. Yes, I spend too much time worrying about these things.) and waited for the train to take me to Terminal C. Jaunty little tune accompanying the arrival and departure of the train. Far better than the tune they used to have.

I got to my gate and found a spot to sit where I could read the morning paper and pass the 20 minutes or so until boarding. Leisurely review of the sports page (with an all-too-brief recap of the unbelievable Turkey/Croatia Euro 2008 quarterfinal game--stunning in every respect) with a bit of dabbling at the Main Section and a half-hearted attempt at the crossword. Plane boarding soon began, and I settled into my seat by the window and promptly learned there were mechanical problems and we were delayed 1/2 hour or so. Not a big deal, but seriously. This was a 6:10 AM flight. It's not like the plane had just arrived from somewhere else and been jostled for its efforts. No, this plane had been sitting overnight--shouldn't they have figured out the mechanical problem at that point? Again, an extremely minor inconvenience, but I just don't understand how it works.

Flight was completely uneventful--I slept right through it, waking up with only a slight kink in my neck. Not bad for a 70 or so minute snooze. Arrived in SLC and headed for the exit all the while hopefully scanning the faces for someone I might recognize. Am I the only one who does that? I mean, I've just arrived back "home," and I know plenty of Utahns, so I'm bound to run into an old friend or acquaintance sometime in the SLC airport, right? Well, nothing of the kind this time around--just out to passenger pick up after calling mom on the cell. Mom and Dad were there in the F250 in short order and off we went. I-215 to Redwood Road, then up Winchester to 7th West and home. Wow. The place gets more amazing every time I see it--the yard had been inundated with larkspur, and it was beautiful. So much shade from the trees, with quail and hummingbirds providing some animal life to the nature scene. Well done, mom and dad, for keeping your little oasis going.

Ron and Jeanne were there though Erin, Matthew and Jordan had opted to stay in Provo with Rebecca and Davis. I had to work very hard to not be offended! We all enjoyed some lovely banter over a breakfast of German Pancakes, for which mom had misplaced her recipe. When was the last time my mom did that? I ran through the ingredients with her, and Jeanne told her what temp to cook it at and we were good to go. Mom whipped it up and we were eating like kings with light syrup only 20 minutes later.

Jeanne then had to make a run to the store to find some black nylons and she went out with attitude (wearing a t-shirt and skirt and firmly declaring that she didn't care if it looked silly). Good for her, I say!

Ron and I had a thoroughly enjoyable chat about Euro 2008--great, great soccer for those who haven't been following and soon enough it was time for Ron & Jeanne to head down to Highland/Alpine to help finish setting up for the reception. I retired to the basement to gather my thoughts and try to write something meaningful in a card for Heidi and Isaac. What a fine pair they are, and how happy I am for them and their marriage.

As a guy I have taken the liberty of not buying wedding gifts. Basically, I'm just too lazy, but I also enjoy simply writing a check knowing that the couple will be able to do whatever they choose with the money. So, skewer me for it if you like, but I just show up to weddings with a card and a check and it's worked well for me. I am grateful for those people, though, who do go to the extra effort of making the trip to the store and purchasing something tangible. It would be tough as newlyweds to have to go out and buy everything you needed--could be fun, but that would be a lot of shopping!

Well, I penned a note in the card, sealed it up and put it with my suit. I handed my iPod over to Dad so he could watch a Foghorn Leghorn cartoon, and that made me smile. What cool technology we have, and here I am years later enjoying Foghorn Leghorn and thinking of my dad when I do. I had to let him see it on the iPod! I then sat in the red room and leafed through a photo album my mom has kept of my life. Quite remarkable to look back on pictures of my son at one year and see how much my niece Lauren's son, Barrett, looks like him. Barrett has bit more heft going for him (all of our children have been exceedingly lean), but their facial features have remarkable similarities. Loved seeing my grade school pictures and looking at pictures of some of the classes I was in--Mr. Gray, fifth grade with Jeremy Taeoalii, Scott Burbidge, Steve Rasband, Dane Reid and others--including the heartthrob Heidi Jensen, though none of the boys wanted to admit it. I also saw a picture of a simply incredible basketball team--maybe third grade or so--Dave Hooper, Jeremy Taeoalii, Chad Christensen, me, Christian Matsumori, Scott Hamblin and Tyler Bloxham--coached by Bob Hooper and Mike Christensen. Cool! What good times we had.

Anyhow, what a flood of memories. Thanks, mom, for keeping all of that stuff together for me. Aren't good parents the greatest blessing in the world?

I soon had to get up and don my suit. We hopped in mom and dad's car and headed to Linda's to pick her up. Lovely strawberries in the Townes front yard. I wish ours were doing so well, but the birds seem to be getting at ours--similar problem voiced by my dad.

Linda and I settled into the backseat and carried on a lovely conversation the entire trip down to the Mt Timpanogos temple. I don't have a clue what all the topics of conversation were, but I do recall there was a lot of laughter, cheer and good times. I also specifically recall a reference to Cumet de Fois (Kewmit de Fwog) that threw Linda for a loop. Not sure why it was so funny to us, but that is the nature of a brother/sister relationship. Also, the point that I have not lived in Utah for almost 10 years now was pointedly driven home by my shock at the number of chapels seen during the section of the drive from I-15 to the temple. Seriously, at one point I thought there were more chapels than houses. The Mormon contingent (I threw that word in here just for Paul Jensen if he's reading!) of the population in that area is something to behold. Whew!

At length we arrived at the temple and headed for the sealing room. So good to see Kelsey, Davis, Rebecca, and other family members. Heidi and Isaac arrived in the sealing room several minutes after the rest of us, and they looked fantastic. What a beautiful bride was my niece. I am so proud of her for all that she is and will be. I'm certain this couple is headed for great things. I won't go into much detail about the ceremony, but suffice to say that the sealer, who was also the temple president, did a simply beautiful job of bringing in the spirit and ensuring we all understood the beauty and importance of marriage. Tears came to my eyes as I contemplated my own family and pondered how my life and priorities have changed in the 11 years Brenna and I have been married. Such a wonderful thing to be reminded of the reality and grandeur of the eternal family. Thanks to Heidi and Isaac for the invite and the opportunity to be involved in their wedding and to be reminded of my own at the same time. I love going to temple weddings--they are so beautifully simple.

Lots of pictures, lots of heat and plenty more laughs as we were joined outside the temple by Erin, Matthew and Jordan. We wish Sara and Derek had been able to be there as well, but we're glad they are where they are--after all, the worth of souls is great in the sight of God and nothing can take precedence over sharing the gospel when the time comes.

Another brief anecdote from childhood upon which Linda and I reminisced a bit. When Beth and Linda were still home and I was a pre-teen they enjoyed calling me Gomer. I guess it was kind of the insult du jour in high school those days (or maybe just for the two of them). Anyhow, one day they were folding laundry and taking the stacks to the appropriate rooms and Beth pointed to my stack of laundry and asked Linda, "Is this Gomer's pile?" They both burst out laughing hysterically, and though used to being called Gomer, the added amusement gained from the pile appendage was a mystery to me. After wiping tears of laughter from their eyes they were actually kind enough to inform me of the origins of Gomer and his last name being Pyle. Beth had made a funny without meaning to, and it tickled them to no end. So, there you have it--a brief glimpse into the arduous life I lived as the younger brother of five sisters! ;-)

Well, on to the wedding dinner and reception. They were both held at Isaac's grandfather's house in Highland (or was it Alpine--I'm not straight on that). The property was great--a creek running through the back, plenty of green lawn, trees and flowers. There was also a well situated basketball hoop, but I maintained a slight sense of decorum and managed to control the urge to find a ball. Nelson, Carmen, Jordan, Trent, Ed, Riley and Lennon were soon in the fold along with the previously mentioned family members. Feasting, speechifying, hysterical laughing over a scene from the animated "Babar the Elephant" movie and many other experiences too numerous to mention. I soaked it all in and enjoyed every moment. Davis and Rebecca even made plans to come to Denver this week for a little vacation. Whoopee! More family whose company we can enjoy.

Well, we finally had to make an end and I headed home in the Townes' van with Trent also included. Trent is now a hi-up specialist. This means that he washes windows on tall buildings. We all liked the idea of having a title like hi-up specialist and we eagerly await reports from Trent to know how working with such a lofty title plays out in actuality.

I don't really recall what time they dropped me off at mom and dad's, but it wasn't too late. Mom asked if I needed any food, to which I responded in the negative. Heidi and Isaac had provided a sumptuous feast that was still keeping me going. I chatted with mom and dad for a bit, but they were soon ready for bed. I stayed up just a bit longer to leaf through the albums some more, and then I retired to the blue room--my room growing up--for a night's rest. I no longer sleep with the door closed completely because I am no longer used to sleeping in the pitch dark. In high school my friends and I called my room the dungeon because there are no windows and when the light is turned off and the door is closed you can't see your own hand in front of your face. Well, I'm no longer conditioned for that so the door was left open for "visionary" purposes. I would have perished at such a thought when I was in high school.

My dad's footsteps on the stairs woke me at 6 the next morning just as planned. A quick breakfast and then back to the airport for the return flight home. The return flight had the added bonus of Nelson and Carmen being aboard as well. We hung out at the gate, I slept on the flight and then we took the bus back to Pike's Peak lot where we found Roscoe ready and waiting. The old boy got us home in short order where I was reunited with those I love most! A quick change into my suit (I wore shorts and a short-sleeve shirt on the plane) and then off to church.

Yes, a whirlwind weekend that was enjoyable in every sense of the word. Thank you, dear family, for the love we share. Thank you, Heidi and Isaac, for getting married and continuing to set an example that my children can look up to. It's a good life!

A Perfect Day in England

NOTE: Conveniently, what I'm writing about took place a year ago today (May 23), but Brenna and I journaled it, and I have long wanted to get it online so we could have the pics and the narrative together. This was part of our trip to Europe for our 10th anniversary. We stayed in Esher, England with my sister and her family. Days like this just don't come along very often. As recorded in our journal:

23 May, 2007 (Wednesday)

Today was a perfect day. The sun was shining all day, and we did amazing things.

First, we slept in until about 8:30 or so. Then we ate cereal for breakfast and hung out trying to decide what to do. Kelsey and Stephanie [my niece and her friend--both on a break from college] were coming with us today, and we all agreed we wanted to go to Stonehenge, but other than that we weren't really sure. Some wanted to go to Bath, some wanted to go to Salisbury, while I wanted to drive into the west country. Unfortunately, we realized we probably wouldn't have enough time to do those things because of the additional driving from Stonehenge. So we decided to simply play it by ear once we got to Stonehenge.

(Stephanie, Kelsey and Jesse showing off our ride)

We left the McGregors around 11:00 and arrived at Stonehenge around noon. It's an incredible sight to be driving along the road and come over a rise and see these stones in the distance.

(Stonehenge from a distance)

They don't look massive at first glance, but as you get nearer you see how large they truly are. We parked and got into the sight using Bryon's English Heritage membership card. We also got audio guides, which provided a very useful and informative accompaniment to the visit. The largest stone weighs 45 tons, and there is no consensus on how they were placed in their locations. However, it is believed that the henge was begun around 3500 BC with the large stones put in place some time between 3000 and 2500 BC. Pretty remarkable.

(Stonehenge up close. I know it's over used, but this really was awe-inspiring!)

There is something amazing about standing in proximity to those stones and absorbing the magnitude of the effort to place them where they are and for the intelligence and knowledge behind their placement. There was clearly knowledge of astronomy and the workings of earth's energy fields.

We all started chatting with the English Heritage employees who were on site, and we learned so much. They talked about the history of the site and the conservation of the stones. They showed us carvings of a dagger and an axe in the stones as well as where birds were nesting. They showed us where energy fields crossed (by using copper rods),
and we could just tell how much they loved their jobs and loved the history of the site.

(Kelsey & Brenna checking out the energy fields)

The back of the Stonehenge pamphlet mentioned a Wardour Castle that is within 20 miles of Stonehenge. We asked one of the guides about that, and she wrote down directions on how to get there for us. She was so helpful. It was great!

So we left Stonehenge and headed on a drive through the English countryside.

(Brenna enjoying some of that countryside)

(Jesse joining Brenna to enjoy the countryside)

The directions she had provided were impeccable. They led us directly to the castle, but not before we drove through the most sumptuous countryside. We saw sheep, cows, lakes, rivers, rolling hills, flowering trees, horses, thatched roof cottages, small towns, one lane roads, arches over the road and so many beautiful scenes. I absolutely loved the drive--it was remarkable!

(This arch was just a few miles before Tisbury on our way to Wardour. We turned onto this little road and saw the arch and accompanying wall in front of us and got the feeling we were about to enter some private gardens. The views on the other side and the tranquility of the tranquility of the scene were unforgettable.)

Wardour Castle itself was also an amazing site. It is a castle in ruins, but we were able to walk around inside, climb the steps to the upper tower and get a feel for what the castle was like. The audio guide was extremely helpful. Interestingly, there was a wedding at the castle while we were there. I asked the guides what you had to do to have a wedding there, and the answer was simply that you had to "pay loads of money!" Too funny! It was fantastic visiting the castle, and we took many, many photos.

(Brenna improving the Wardour scenery)

(Picnic @ Wardour--Jesse, Stephanie, Kelsey)

(Jesse in Wardour's main room/dining hall)

(Wardour's missing roof--with a beautiful sky)

We then got back in the car to head home. We drove through the town of Tisbury and stopped on High Street to get Magnum Ice Cream bars. Kelsey and Stephanie hadn't had them before, and they were well impressed.

(Jesse & Brenna enjoying Magnum bars)

We also stopped at the local church and wandered among the gravestones and admired the beauty of the building. Most of the gravestones were from the 1800s. The town was simply charming and gave a beautiful feeling to our day.

(The town of Tisbury in sepia)

(More sepia - Tisbury's church)

As we drove out of town we saw some men throwing a ball in a field. We slowed down to look and realized they were practicing cricket. Some were bowling the ball while others were batting. One of them turned and saw us slowing down so he motioned us to come play . . . and we did! I pulled in and told them we were Americans and didn't understand the game. They were only too happy to explain some of the fundamentals, and they invited me out onto the pitch to practice with them. It was so fun! I got to bowl a few times and catch the ball and get a few of the batters "out."

(Jesse practicing his bowling skills)

I thoroughly enjoyed being out there with them and asking questions about the sport, which they readily answered. There are 11 people a side with one bowler, one "catcher" (I can't remember the proper name) and nine in the field. The batting team sends two batters up at a time. When one gets out he is done for the innings and a teammate joins the other batter. You can get out by hitting a ball that is caught, by not making it to the far wicket on a live ball before the fielding team hits your wicket with the ball or by allowing the bowler to hit the wickets you are protecting. Pretty cool! Once ten of the batting team's players get out the innings is over.

(Jesse on the cricket pitch!)

After about 1/2 hour I thanked them, and we continued our journey. 1 1/2 hours later we were back at the Macs. What a wonderful day! I loved spending it with Brenna and enjoying her company. Our marriage is a blessing.

Big Weekend

This is one of those weekends we will always remember at our house. On Saturday Savannah was baptized and Eliza was blessed. What a great day! Little Eliza has come so far so fast that it all is just a bit incredible to think that we're doing regular baby things with her now. And Savannah was so pleased to be able to share her amazing day with her little sister.

The three girls looking good!

This picture of Eliza reminds me a lot of Madison when she was getting blessed. It's fun to be able to look back and have those memories. After having seen Savannah and Madison develop their personalities I am very eager to see what Eliza will be like. My guess is she will have a fighting spirit but be very insightful as to others emotions and needs. Time will tell. I just love being a dad and seeing these wonderful people become who they are.

The oldest and the youngest. It's very enjoyable to see how much the older children love holding Eliza and how cautious they are with her. She does lend a certain air of calm at times!

The whole gang! What a beautiful day, and what fun we had! Thanks to our family who traveled to be with us, and thanks to our wonderful friends who participated. I really felt the strength of the great men with whom I stood in those two circles. I can't think of another feeling to compare it with, but I won't forget it.

FHE

This video was taken a couple of weeks before Eliza came home, and I've just remembered to post it. There is actually another video about five minutes long that started at the beginning of the lesson. It was hilarious, but it's too big to post here, and I'm too lazy to figure out how to parse it. I wish it were easier to share though, because it is a microcosm for all FHE lessons. Very good times! So, if you know what FHE stands for and you've battled through it with small children, watch, enjoy and take heart. They don't just ignore their parents, they also ignore each other!

Eliza at Home

OK, I'm finally getting around to putting up some pics of Eliza in her new habitat. Give the old guy a break--it's tough being a parent to a newborn. Brenna and I have are experiencing the strange rollercoaster emotions of euphoria over having our baby home and exhaustion because our baby is home. Overall she's doing great, but we're remembering that newborns don't sleep through the night. And this particular newborn has reflux and routinely spits up with the added bonus that it often gets stuck in her throat making it very difficult for her to breathe. As you might expect Brenna has had some exceedingly stressful moments watching our little girl turn very red as she struggles to get oxygen into her system. No wonder she was having bradies in the hospital! So, we're finding it a challenge, but a challenge we embrace. She is absolutely lovely and we love holding her and watching her. So, that's the big update. Let me now get to the pictures:

Here we are leaving the hospital. Woohoo! We spent a couple of hours there making sure everything was in order, and then the nurse walked us out the door and down to our van (she had to make sure we knew how to buckle in her car seat)!



The big moment! I had gone back to church while Bren and Eliza stayed at home. When I brought the kids back Eliza was snoozing in her bassinett. So we took them up to our room and here are their expressions!

Such well-behaved children--sitting so peacefully while mommy feeds Eliza. You can guess how long that lasted!

The star of the show posing for all of her adoring fans.

Big sister looking the part.

All Together

Eliza was released from the hospital today! Brenna and I went down to the hospital about 10:00 and returned home at 12:30 or so. Eliza left the hospital weighing 5 lb 12 oz, which is exactly twice as much as she weighed when she was born eight weeks ago. Something about that little factoid that really sits well with the accountant in me. The nurse walked with us down to the van and checked the car seat to make sure all was in order and then we were off. Eliza was a great traveler, and we made it home with no complaints.

The children were at church, so I went over for the 3rd hour and was congratulated by quite a few of our gracious ward members. Often it seems they are as excited about Eliza coming home as we are. At length I collected the kids and we headed home. They could barely contain their enthusiasm. We walked in through the garage and had to go up the stairs where Brenna had Eliza sleeping in our room. Brenna had the video camera out and got footage of the kids heading up the stairs with smiles on their faces. I went into the room before them so I could watch their expressions as they saw her. She was sound asleep in her bassinet. When the children saw her they all got somewhat sheepish and shy smiles on their faces that soon turned into wide, wide grins.

We spent the rest of the day monitoring the kids and trying to ensure they didn't love Eliza too much. On the whole they did great. It's just hard to speak softly. For Eliza it must be like us going to a rock concert. Her tolerance for noise and rambunctiousness will definitely have to increase. But she took it all in stride and is doing great.

Hunter and Madison enjoy Eliza's presence, but Savannah is particularly taken with her. She just wanted to stay in our room and be near Eliza the whole day. After a while we were able to distract Hunter and Madison so Savannah could have a turn holding Eliza. We got her all set up on the bed, and she probably held Eliza for 45 minutes or so--both of them as content as could be. I can tell that Savannah is going to be a second mother for Eliza--and I mean that in the best way possible. She takes the responsibility of being the big sister very seriously, and I believe that will only be more true with such a little one now in our home.

The only downers at all with the whole situation are that Eliza still has oxygen, albeit a tiny amount. So she still has the tubes in her nose and a little oxygen tank that we can carry around in a shoulder bag. We hope that she won't need the oxygen too much longer, but we just don't know. It is nice that it is so portable, though. Also, apparently she has reflux, which means a lot of spitting up. Hunter was similar, and he soldiered through it all like a champ, so we'll just have to see how Eliza does. As a parent it's just painful to watch them go through the seemingly continual spit up routine. Also, because of the reflux she makes a lot of grunting and groaning noises. She rarely cries, but she is plenty noisy. Poor girl. When she finally gets into a deep sleep though, she is so peaceful and angelic.

We love having her home and are bracing ourselves for the real parenting work that has now begun. What a blessing!

As a postscript, we took lots of photos and video today, but we had to send Bren's laptop away to be fixed this week, and my desktop is such a dinosaur that it doesn't have the proper interfaces to download the photos or video. So, my apologies, but I can't give you any visual proof. You'll just have to trust me that she's home, and as soon as Bren's laptop returns we'll get on the stick!

My Fair Lady

Brenna and I bought tickets to My Fair Lady and gave them to Savannah as a birthday present back in February. Savannah has loved musicals since the time she could talk. We have vivid and fond memories of her dancing in front of TV during the "Goin' Courtin'" scene in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. We took her to see Dr. Dolittle a few years ago, and she has also been to high school productions of West Side Story, Seven Brides... and Bye Bye Birdie. She was bitterly disappointed when we didn't take her to see Wicked three years ago. But she loves them all. During our recent trip to Utah she was listening to her MP3 player and piped up from the back seat of the van, "Dad, we are going to watch The Music Man when we get home." It's a pleasure to have her love musicals so much. I remember loving sitting down with my mom to watch musicals when I was growing up. So much fun. Now I get to see the wonder of them again through my daughter's eyes.

At any rate, the day for My Fair Lady was yesterday. We headed downtown to the Denver Performing Arts Center, had a bit of an adventure with traffic and parking, but settled into some wonderful seats and were enthralled from the moment the curtain was raised. This is the touring version of the UK production that was introduced two years ago for the 50th anniversary of the original. Lisa O'Hare, who played Eliza, was amazing. The man who played Professor Higgins was good, but the guy who was Alfred P. Dolittle absolutely stole the show. The music, choreography, dialogue and story were all incredible--entertaining, thought-provoking, engaging and memorable. Very worthwhile, and Savannah's smile through the whole thing is memory enough for me.

I look forward to many more such experiences in the years to come with my children.

Fillerups descend on SLC

Over the last four days Brenna had her first extended stretch of silence since Savannah was born. On Wednesday Savannah, Hunter, Madison and I piled into the van and headed on a road trip to SLC. My niece, Kelsey, got married on Friday, and we were headed over to be part of the festivities. Brenna wanted to go with us of course, but the draw of staying near Eliza and being able to spend a lot of time with her made Brenna's choice to stay home fairly easy. So, Bren spent four or five hours a day at the hospital and loved the opportunity to really feel like a mom to Eliza. On the other hand, the silence at home was a bit unsettling. All in all though, I think she wouldn't mind being unsettled in that manner once a year or so!


As for the rest of us, we partied and lived off the fat of the land (that is, off the generosity and kindness of my family). We stopped the first night in Vernal with my oldest sister and her family. Always a good time in Vernal--I was able to go to soccer practice with my nephew and then hoop it up with my niece and her gang later that night (a fierce rebounder is Sara). The kids enjoy spending time with their older cousins, and Aunt Jeanne always makes them feel important and loved. Ron and I get to chill on the couch and talk sports, and it's simply a good time all around.


The next day we headed to SLC where the family was gathering. After a few hours at my parents house visiting with Beth, Linda, mom and dad, we headed to my niece, Rebecca and her husband, Davis's, house. They're housesitting for his grandparents while they are on a mission in New York. So, we were able to stay in that lovely home and be the recipients of even lovelier hospitality. Rebecca and Davis, you did yourselves proud. Thanks for taking such good care of us. I especially enjoy watching how much Madison is just drawn to Rebecca. It's really cool. It started 1 1/2 years ago at Beth's wedding when Rebecca took Maddie under her wing. Time did not diminish the affection Maddie has for Rebecca. Nothing is as good for a parent's heart as knowing their children are loved and in good hands. The below pic is from Beth's wedding, but it beautifully captures how comfortable Maddie is with her.

Anyway, they picked up right where they left off, and Rebecca even made them their favorite for dinner--Kraft macaroni & cheese. Woohoo! You just can't beat it. Thanks, Rebecca for the pot stickers and egg rolls for the rest of us--very much preferred to the mac & cheese.

The rest of the SLC visit was just fantastic. We picked up a baptism dress and scriptures for Savannah. Hunter and Maddie were so distraught that they weren't getting scriptures that I went ahead and bought them travel-size copies of the Book of Mormon. It was priceless watching Hunter during the rest of the trip because he would frequently sit down with the book and just read--his finger tracing the words and his lips mouthing them.

The wedding was Friday afternoon at the SLC temple. I met Jordan for the first time, and was not at all surprised that the man Kelsey chose to marry is an absolute gentleman with a confident air coupled with a sense of humility. Very impressive. The wedding was so beautiful. I loved being in the temple and sharing that time with family and friends and especially being there to see Kelsey get married. After spending several days with her in London last year, I gained a real appreciation for the person she is. It is really cool to see nieces and nephews grow up and become an example that I enjoy looking up to.

I also got to meet Heidi's fiance Isaac, who is ridiculously impressive as well. Just surrounded by good people everywhere I turned. I love them all. Thanks Bryon and Sandra for raising Kelsey right so we all had a wonderful excuse to get together.

Now, for a couple of anecdotes: one funny and one serious.

Funny: at the wedding reception Kelsey and Jordan had their first dance and then invited everyone else onto the dance floor. I was dancing with Maddie when Hunter walked up to me with sad eyes and said he needed someone to dance with. I suggested he dance with Savannah, but he told me she was already dancing with Elise. So I suggested Aunt Jeanne, but he said she was too tall. So I apologized and said I was out of ideas. He turned away, and I kept dancing with Maddie. A couple minutes later I spotted him across the dance floor and he had found Jordan's youngest sister, Breanna to dance with. She is also six years old and in kindergarten, and they were an adorable pair. Needless to say, they attracted quite a crowd of picture takers and admirers. So, for those of you who took a picture of this moment please forward to me so I can post it (Brenna is seriously disappointed in me for my lack of picture taking during the trip, but I told her that lots of people took pictures, and I'm expecting my inbox to soon be flooded).

Serious: as we drove away from my parent's house on Saturday leaving the whole family behind I had the most wonderfully conflicting feeling in my heart. I was incredibly anxious to get back home to be with Brenna again, but at the same time I was so sad to be parting from my family. It brought tears to my eyes to think of the incredible influences they have been in my life and in my children's lives. Nothing can compare to the joy of family. From basketball games (side note: Hunter made his first unassisted basket on a 10 foot rim on Saturday) to Easter Egg hunts to E*Trade commercials to M&Ms to Wii to grand snackers and everything in between the past several days have been an absolute joy. Thanks, family. I love you all very much!

Continued Progress

Eliza is out of her isolette! They moved her into a regular crib on Sunday evening. She is now over 4 lbs and doing extremely well. She's doing great with her oxygen levels, her body temperature, her bradies and everything else she's tried. Now it's mostly a question of feeding. We're looking forward to her starting on the bottle either late this week or early next. Everything seems to be going well, so we're keeping our fingers crossed and sending prayers heavenward. Still no real time frame for her coming home, but it's likely four to six weeks or so. Seems like a long time, but when we think of how long she'll be with us we know we can wait these few, brief weeks to ensure she is completely ready to come home and be part of the family.

In related good news, and hopefully as a foreshadow of things to come, Eliza's first roomies, Preston and Sophia went home this last week. We didn't get to see their parents before they left, but Brenna spotted the Polaroid of them on the departure board. We're very happy for those fine families.

The only downer this week is that I didn't get to see Eliza at all. In most senses of the word I feel perfectly fine, but I do have a small tickle in my throat that leads to three or four coughing outbreaks a day, and the risk of getting Eliza (or any of the other premies) sick is just not worth it. So Brenna has been representing the parental units for our little one and doing a better job of it than I could muster anyhow. She comes home from her visits looking radiant. It is so fun to hear her talk about Eliza and see the growth of our daughter through Brenna's eyes. I'm glad Eliza has her for a mom.

It's been a while since I mentioned the effect this is having on the other three children, and the reason for that is because they are handling the situation like champs. Of course, having Brenna home with us and nearly back to her regular self makes all the difference. The kids are anxious for Eliza to come home, but since they don't know any differently, they are just rolling along from day to day and looking forward to seeing her. I'm really excited for that moment--I know she will be loved to the brink of danger when she makes her grand entrance. Of course, there will be a full report when that day arrives.

In other news, the kids and I are heading out to Utah this Wednesday for my niece's wedding. The kids are on spring break, so it's perfect timing. I'm excited to spend time with family and to be a part of the wedding. My nieces and nephews are such a blessing in my life. I really admire the people they are. And, I appreciate the fine example they set for my children. It's a great comfort to be able to point my children to any of their cousins and tell them it would be A-OK to follow in their footsteps.

Brenna will be living the high life for a few days and spending a lot of time with Eliza. She's even threatened to do a bit of organization around the house. I will be eager to return home to see how serious she is about the threat!

Now, we do have some picture updates this week, and our little girl is definitely changing. Without further ado...

This was taken about mid-week, I believe. You can see she was at 3 lb 11 oz at that point. She is now up to 4 lb 2 oz. It's amazing how she has just taken off. Perhaps by next week she'll be up around 5 lb. If she keeps going at this rate, she will be. But I guess I should slow down and just take one step at a time.

I love this picture. It really shows how much she has changed. She looks more filled out and older, somehow. For one so small a couple of weeks is a long time, and she is getting older. My heart just goes out to her. Her journey to our home will always amaze me. Life is simply incredible.

Yay! No more isolette. Eliza is the envy of the other premies as she enjoys her open-air crib with personal guard bunny. All the premies received bunnies on Easter, and it does serve to remind that Eliza is still pretty tiny. Frankly, the position Brenna has the bunny in for this pic is a little worrisome. I'm afraid the bunny is going to pounce. Reminds me of Monty Python's infamous "large, wooden rabbit."

All snuggled up with no isolette to regulate her temp. Don't you just want to hold her?

Week 3

All good news this week! Eliza is getting extra calories with her feedings and she's been handling it very well. This evening she weighed in at 3 lb 3 oz. She's a regular Paul Bunyan! Here's hoping she keeps it up. She's still on very low oxygen flow and she wasn't under the lights at all this week. So she's doing very well. Every time we go in to see her she is just snuggled up like a papoose, and we feel bad about waking her up to take her temperature and change her diaper. But it's such a pleasure to see her wide open eyes and watch her stretch and wiggle around.


Tonight she had pulled the little oxygen tubes completely out of her nose and was breathing wholly unaided when I arrived. I don't know how long she had been like that but her oxygen level was exactly where it needed to be and the nurse (who is a very good nurse) was surprised to learn that the tubes weren't even in her nose. She was impressed with Eliza's lungs and we agreed that she is getting closer to the time when the tubes will be removed permanently. Every day we're getting a little nearer to her coming home.


As a side note about the hospital, we've really enjoyed getting to know Eliza's two "roommates" and their parents. Eliza is in a co-ed dorm with Sophia and Preston. They will both probably go home in the next three weeks or so, so they're a bit ahead of Eliza, but it's been fun to share the joys of seeing our children progress with those parents. It's comforting to be able to share experiences and realize that they know exactly what the difficulties are. In fact, both of them have had a far rougher time than we've had. Sophia was born at 26 weeks and weighed only 1 lb 8 oz. while Preston was born in a rural area at 31 weeks, but had no high tech equipment to monitor him and keep his lungs going, etc. Both sets of parents have had some stressful times over the last few months and we are so impressed with how they have handled everything. We're enjoying becoming part of that little community and are glad to have friends we can cheer for as their children do well.


At home Brenna is making great progress. She's been driving for the past few days and will make her first solo trip to the hospital tomorrow. That's a huge jump from where she was last week. She still gets worn out a lot more quickly than she used to, but every day is getting better. She tries to limit her trips up and down stairs, but she has resumed her role as boss, and the children are loving having mommy up and functioning. I'm pretty happy about it, too :-)


My oldest sister was in town for the past week and she did a great job of fitting right in and helping us wherever help was needed. Thanks, Aunt Jeanne, for your love and your willingness to help. We love you for it. And, thanks to the Cushings for letting us borrow their mom. We have been so fortunate to have family members willing to come out and help. What a huge difference that has made. We're so far in people's debt that we'll never be able to make it up, but the comforting thing is that we know people simply do it out of the goodness of their hearts. I was telling Preston's mom tonight that we read so many terrible things in the newspaper and see so many dreadful things on the news about what people do to each other, but my life's experiences have taught me just the opposite. There are so many good people who want to help and take care of others. People from all walks of life--we're all just people and kindness is something everyone can understand.


Anyway, enough verbiage. For this week just a few photos to share. Thanks everyone for your continued prayers and support. We know there are heavenly forces at work here.




Week 3 close up. We really enjoy the time we have with her when her eyes are open and she is looking around.





Here is Eliza's space--basically just her condo. When we come for a visit they bring in a glider (or two) for us to sit in. And that is how we spend our time with her.




Here's the first photo of all three of us. I'm looking forward to the first photo of all six (!) of us. That will be a very fun day.

Good Times with Billy

Not sure if I'm allowed to post anything non-Eliza related, but I'm going to go ahead with it. However, just so you won't think I'm completely callous, the little one is doing great. They have her under the lights again, but she is growing and consuming lots of milk. I plan to post an update on her Sunday to cover the preceding week.

As for today's post, it's all about yesterday, which was a very good day. Many may not know, but I basically work entirely out of my house these days. That has had some serious benefits with the recent family issues. I've been able to be home for the kids and now to support Brenna as she continues getting better. I love the commute (rolling out of bed), and I find that I am pretty effective. All of my colleagues are scattered across the US (as well as UK and Australia), and none of them are in Colorado, so it really doesn't matter whether I'm in the office or not. At any rate, that lengthy preamble explains why I was able to go to Parent-Teacher conferences yesterday. I have to tell you what a pleasure it is to go to these conferences. I enjoy seeing the kids' classrooms and watching their faces light up as they get to show dad and mom all of the things they've been working on. You can't beat that. Plus, I really enjoy the teachers my children have had--they have been such amazing influences and right on top of everything. They give great feedback as to what we can do to help the kids, and I can tell by their actions that they love what they do and that they love the kids they teach. So, to Mrs Haile, Mrs Beard and Miss Duskis--thank you! You know you are loved at our house.

Anyway, in conjunction with the conferences, the school has a book fair. I'm thrilled that Savannah has inherited my love of reading and that Hunter is showing real skill in that area as well. There are few things I would rather bestow upon them than a love of reading. So I enjoy going to the book fair and picking out a few books for them. They all went to the Children's Museum with our friend, Teri, yesterday so I was alone at the book fair and was able to bring the books home and put them on their beds for a bedtime surprise.

Unfortunately, I wasn't there for bedtime last night, which brings us to the reason for my post title. I have loved Billy Joel since high school but never been to one of his concerts, so a few months ago when Brenna and I saw he was going to play Pepsi Center we bought tickets. Brenna encouraged me to get expensive tix, but I told her, "Look, Billy isn't all that handsome a man and I'm sure I'll be able to hear just fine wherever we sit," so we bought tix in the nosebleeds. Well, as you know Brenna is in no position to be going to a concert so I had to resort to alternative measures. Not a problem as my dear friend Paul is a big Billy fan as well.

Paul picked me up last evening and we headed downtown for some grub and chatting before the concert. Paul and I have been friends for almost 20 years now, and we never lack for things to discuss. I truly cherish the time I'm able to spend with friends in such situations because the opportunities are so few and far between these days. I'm grateful for the reasons that cause the scarcity of these opportunities, but being a husband, father, and contributing member of society does pretty much minimize the quality friendship time! So, when the chances come along I enjoy making the most of them. Conversation ranged from books and movies (No Country For Old Men was the subject of quite a conversation--I having read the book and Paul having seen the movie, so we could compare notes) to sports (shocker) to children to friends to work to politics. Pretty standard fare, but thoroughly enjoyable. Thanks, Paul, for your good insights and the food for thought you provided.

Eventually we headed over to Pepsi Center and got to our seats just a few minutes before the concert began. Billy had some pretty funny moments mocking himself--his age, his looks, his past indiscretions, etc. He was lighthearted and seemed to be enjoying himself. He played several songs I'm not familiar with, but the bulk of the concert was his quality stuff from the 70s and a few from the 90s with a bit of late 80s sprinkled in. The crowd did a respectable job singing along and it was fun. It cracked me up to look around that 20,000 seat stadium and see so many basically middle-aged folks sitting in their seats and crooning along with the piano man. I don't think I've been to a concert since high school, so this was quite a departure from my previous experiences. A few folks were up and dancing, but for the most part we all kicked back and soaked it in. I love Billy because he does such a great job telling stories through his music. He really evokes mental images and emotion through his lyrics. I appreciate that. Scenes From an Italian Restaurant, Piano Man, and The Entertainer were great examples of that last night. A couple of my all time favorites from him in that regard are Leningrad and The Downeaster Alexa. Sadly, he didn't play them last night. But all considered, it was a night well worth the time. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

There was one very disorienting moment during the concert. About halfway through he invited one of his stagehands up to perform. Apparently the stagehand had been passed over by American Idol because he "didn't fit the format." Hmmm. Hard to see why. Billy introduces Chainsaw and this very large man (both muscular and overweight) strides onto the stage with a wifebeater, shorts and combat boots--heavily tatted and looking for all the world like he was meant for nothing else than to be the poster boy for the song he was about to sing. The band bursts into a cacophony of noise, and at first I thought we were in for AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long. Well, not far from the truth. Instead we got AC/DC's Highway to Hell. Interestingly enough, the crowd was really into it. Pretty funny to watch this guy stomp around the stage and scream into the microphone. What that had to do with anything related to Billy Joel is still a mystery to me. As I said, disorienting.

After acting like the concert was over no less than three times Billy closed with Piano Man, the house lights came on and everyone went home happy. When I walked in the house, I went upstairs and gave Savannah a hug and kiss that partially woke her up. She rolled over and gave me a hug, too and then promptly fell back asleep. I checked on Hunter and Maddie and gave them kisses as well. Then I went to my bedroom to find a note from Savannah:

Dad,

Will you try to wake me up, and if you can't just give me a hug and kiss while I'm sleeping ;)

I (heart) U!

Love,

Your daughter Savannah

P.S. I missed you while you were at the concert.


Man, you just can't beat that. Good times with Billy. To borrow from U2--a beautiful day.