Random Sampler

I have been busy lately, and just a little sleep deprived, so I haven't been able to blog in a long time. Although Roy has blogged plently for the both of us. Nothing wildly new and exciting going on, but I have some amusing pictures to share.

First, at Mom's request (who said she couldn't wait till Wednesday): my new hair. I am still getting used to how short it is but I love it. Evan, however, didn't recognize me at first and just looked at me funny while reaching for Roy. I was so sad. I had to do lots of things that only I do, sing "If Your Happy and You Know It" while changing his diaper, reciting "Good Night Moon," playing "Peek-a-boo." Finally, he was okay with me and loved me again.

Next, we have a few sunflowers growing in our backyard. I took a picture of the one that opened first. The funny thing is, we didn't plant sunflowers this year! These are the remnants of the seeds eaten by the birds off of last year's sunflowers (which we actually did plant). I loved having the birds in the backyard all the time, and I guess we get them again.

Last, but not least, have your kids done this? Isaac threw such a fit this week and when put in his room for some time alone, fell fast asleep. I was going to take a picture half an hour later since he was in the same exact position, but thought this would suffice.

My question is (and I guess it's one of those unanswerable "chicken/egg" questions): do they throw fits because they are tired? Or are they tired because they throw fits? I may never know.

Finger Painting, or so I'm Told

Tuesday was a very fun day around here. I was home relatively early and was able to play outside with the kids. But earlier in the day, things were apparently even better. Since I was at work, this is all conjecture, but the pictures speak volumes.

Summer and the older kids took advantage of a nice Evan nap to make finger paints and decorate a bit. Here is Ryan getting in touch with his inner artist:
And here's the whole crew:
The paint was made of vanilla pudding mixed with food coloring, so it was nontoxic and water soluble, a key to any kid-based messiness. Here is Isaac proving why we don't paint with oils:
Allyson is more deliberate than the boys, as shown here:
Isaac, it would appear, revelled in a mom-approved mess:

As you can see, much fun was had by all. The summer months can be long for the kids, who thrive on the structure of the school schedule. Allyson has taken to sleeping late, and as the day wears on, the kids tend to get at each other's throats. So it's fun to see this kind of cooperation:
And to see them not flinging paint at each other:
And here we have the final work:
I came home to three of these large posterboard-sized murals. Pretty nice.

Trips Updated, Or Oh-So Fickle

So, at the risk of seeming completely unable to make a decision, we have changed plans and will be at the Evans family reunion. I've even rescheduled classes (and my students didn't whine at all about class being cancelled). So we will get to Utah Valley sometime Wednesday and catch the Owlz game that evening for Isaac's early birthday (it's $1 ticket, popcorn, hot dog, drink night--woo hoo!), and any who can make it are welcome to join us. Likewise, we would like to celebrate Isaac's birth Thursday in Evanston; again all are welcome for cake and general merriment.

Mom, we got the roof racks on the car, so we can take the car topper off your hands and out of your garage. Thanks. Dad, what are the plans for building stuff at your place? I'll bring my work shoes (such as they are). Speaking of work, at Summer's insistence, she and I fixed our doorbell yesterday. And nobody got electrocuted. That's what I call a good day...

Trips

We are contemplating some upcoming trips, including some camping in the near future and a Turner-clan get-together in the long-term. But first, I mentioned to Dad last week that we were considering making it to the Evans family reunion in a few weeks, but on further review, we won't be able to do it. It turns out that, eager to encourage my students to attend class right before the 4th of July, I made some assignments that make it impossible for me to skip town early for that weekend. I believe they call that poetic justice.

So instead we are planning a camping trip for the near future, and pictures and accounts will follow. If anyone nearby wants to join us on a camping trip sometime this summer, let us know.

But the most exciting idea--one that has been percolating for some time--was mentioned in my Fathers Day phone call to Dad. We talked about another trip akin to the 2005 Yellowstone trip, and I proposed doing something like that over Christmas, perhaps to the Grand Canyon or Mexico. I think other warm-weather locations would also be fun. So, my question is, what interest is there among the children of Roy & LeAnn in something like that this December? And, if the interest is as high as I hope, where should we go?

My preference would be to reserve a large cabin where we could all stay in separate rooms and then frolic in an outdoor wonderland. Zion, Arches, Grand Canyon all come to mind. Here is one possible destination near the Grand Canyon (there's also a photo album here). And here's a place near Zion (this cabin looks big enough for us all, even thought it says it sleeps up to 13; there's a big lodge that sleeps up to 20 as well).But your research assistance and input is requested.

Butterflies and More

On Friday we decided to celebrate springtime (nearly summer, and feels like it here) by visiting the Botanic Gardens at the BioPark and seeing the just-opened-that-day Butterfly Pavilion. This is an annual staple of our summertime recreation, and it's much fun. The structure is filled with butterfly-attracting plants and is a cool oasis. Here are Summer and the kids:
We also strolled the grounds around the duck pond. Here is the crew by the water's edge:
Isaac looks like he want to jump, no?

And here are the kids looking for fish or ducks (I'm not sure which):
We also spent some time lounging on the grass, which eventually devolved into Evan crawling away and trying to eat grass. Here's a picture of the former:
And here's the latter:
This is his new favorite game: "Does this taste good?"

Today we visited one of the city's grower's markets and picked up some fresh produce, as well as some tomato plants, which we planted, along with some bell peppers and basil from our new nursery in town. Pictures of the veggies will follow. We are also harvesting some strawberries, but that will deserve its own entry.

Celtics vs. Lakers

Not much in the way of sports-related entries here, but it's been a slow week, so here's what's on my mind. I watched part of the NBA Finals game 2 on Sunday, and I plan on watching some of tonight's game (Thursday I was at the Stake center all evening, so I missed game 1), and something interesting happened. You see, I grew up a Jazz fan, as dad and I would go to a few games every season. Even after we moved out East, we were able to see the Jazz periodically--I went to away games in DC, Philly, and NYC. (I also remember a Bullets preseason game in Baltimore, but I don't think it was against Utah.)

But at the time the Jazz were not contenders, so I defaulted to rooting for the Lakers once Utah was eliminated--even though it was often LA that did the eliminating. I liked Magic and Kareem and Worthy, and, more importantly, I disliked Bird and McHale and DJ. So I would root for Showtime and against the Cs.

This year presents a different dilemma. I still have a soft spot in my heart for the Purple and Gold, and Boston still reminds me of Bird's faux-'fro, but I find Kobe and Phil Jackson repugnant--always have, always will. The '04 finals were tough for me, because I wanted Karl Malone to get a ring, even with the Lakers, but I could not root for that team.

But it's hard to root for the Celtics, in part because of Carolyn's pseudo-Boston hubby and Beantown's annoying string of athletic successes. If the Patriots had won the Super Bowl, this would be a no-brainer and I'd root for LA. Luckily, they lost in a crushing manner, so the issue remains.

While watching Sunday's game, however, it became clear. as much as I cringe at the thought of another Boston title, I find myself cheering for the Celtics for one reason--Kevin Garnett. He's the kind of player I respect--hard-working, respectful of the game, a good teammate, intense but grounded, loyal to his first team (even when they collapsed around him like a poorly-built bridge). And to see him with a solid team is exciting. So, against my history and my good sense of rooting against the Bay State--Go Celtics!

Another Serious Post?!?

One of my regular website rituals is to visits the Newsroom page on the Church's site to see what's up in the world of Mormonness. This may be a result of having gotten the Church News as a kid and not getting it now, or simply my way of making up for wasting time at the ESPN website everyday. Anyhow, one of my favorite features is the commentary, which is, I suppose, related to the regular commentary feature in the print Church News.

A recent piece on the newsroom interested me. It's called "The Religious Experience of Mormonism," and while it's not anything earth-shattering, it for me confirms and articulates some things I find important.

The main thrust of the piece is that the gospel we embrace is rooted in a personal relationship with Deity that transcends traditional Christian ideas of theology. I have heard the critique that Mormons have doctrine, not theology (there's not school of theology at BYU, for example), but I find that idea attractive. Theology is too much of an insular, theoretical construct for my taste; I like the idea that conversion (a lifelong process) is rooted not in creed, but in what the article refers to as " much deeper level of experience that motivates individuals to action." It's not just what or how you believe, it's how you feel and how you act on those beliefs.

I think about this in particular in terms of raising children. They ask insightful and often challenging questions about religion and ethics, but ultimately what they want to know is "what will make me happy?" and "what should I do with my beliefs?" This helps me to realize that the answers we give--and, in fact, all of our religious instruction--should focus on developing a relationship with God that is both personal and outward-reaching, both feeling something for the Lord and doing something for others based on that feeling. I want our children to love God and to therefore share that love with others through meaningful and sincere service and charity.

Now, how to do that...