The Girls (all included) are taking a quick nap this afternoon and I thought to myself how Charlotte still needs naps but rarely takes them. Hazel needs naps but only sleeps for a short time and is angry the rest of the time. And Jari - well she just wants a nap but never gets them because of Hazel and Charlotte. Funny how those who want naps never get them, and those who need them the most refuse.
The girls are all doing so well. Our health is good - and we truly have so much to be thankful for. So rather than attempt to dialogue the last 8 months, here is a spread of pictures that show some of the things we have done.
A song popped in my head as I thought about naps...
...suddenly I realized just how much each of the girls has changed and how much has happened over the last 8 months since we last shared a few pictures.The girls are all doing so well. Our health is good - and we truly have so much to be thankful for. So rather than attempt to dialogue the last 8 months, here is a spread of pictures that show some of the things we have done.
JANUARY
I finally used my membership at Front Site to go and learn some defensive handgun skills. The shooting was something we did growing up and Dad taught me to respect weapons and be careful with them, but I will say I learned a great deal in just 2 days. I hope to go back again this fall.
FEBRUARY
Jari found a recipe for butter-free cookies (peanut butter). The big change was more peanut butter which makes sense but I did not believe her. So we had a bake-off and let Charlotte and Rebecca decide. The ones on the left were mine, the right belong to Jari. Don't let looks deceive you because after all was said and done, the vote was clearly in favor of Jari's cookies.
MARCH
Charlotte made some friends and bounced her heart out with some other kids that belong to my co-workers. Thanks for the bouncy house Ali, the kids loved it!
Charlotte realized she could interact with Hazel and have fun. The park across the street is a fun place to go - when it is not 110 degrees outside that is.
Hazel loves to go for rides and Charlotte was happy to push her around (still does but not always in a mutually agreeable manner)
Matt Hawks (friend and co-worker) and I ran the Zion Half Marathon. I was not quite ready for that run...
And Mustache March! Behold the glory. Again I was awarded the prestigious "Frenchie" award.
APRIL
Hazel turned 1 - Yeah!!! And from this moment on, chocolate anything was her favorite food.
Disneyland Trip! Super glad we found a used Bob Stroller to use while there. Made a huge difference.
This was day one, a few hours after both Charlotte and Hazel had an allergic reaction to the sunblock we sprayed on them. Awesome... but they bounced back and had a great time, as long as we did not have to stand in line for too long :)
Hazel loved riding the Carousel
There was not a single character that Charlotte did not want to meet. She would get so excited to see them but then be so shy that she would bury her face in her hands
13 years and counting. A very bumpy ride but she had a great time driving the car. Oddly enough, when we went back the next day and Jari went with her, she had a meltdown and cried due to the bumpy road.
We waited FOREVER to see Tinkerbell. But I will say it was worth it because she took 5 + minutes talking with Charlotte and asking her about her likes and dislikes. I was impressed she took such care to make each child feel important.
Our favorite part about Disneyland was the parade in the afternoon. Hazel danced through the whole thing. And the next day, they enjoyed it just as much.
A fed child is a happy child. Chicken nuggets and fries were a familiar and filling food for Charlotte. Never mind the price...
Last day, made a quick trip to the temple. As we uploaded this photo Charlotte exclaimed, "Oh, I want to get married in the temple!"
Jari's Birthday! It would be rude to say how old she is, but it is somewhere around 20 :)
MAY
Back to Zion National Park for some hiking with family
Love Angles Landing. Miraculous view.
The family was the best part of the trip. Here is my brother Joey.
Happy Birthday to Asa Alex while in St. George.
Date night with kids in tow.
Charlotte did great. Each bowl lasted 1+ minutes. It was kind of painful yet funny watching the ball roll down the lane, wondering if it would make it or not.
Jari showed me up with a strike or two and several spares. Way to go Jari.
JUNE
Fishing Trip with Grandpa Nielson!
Charlotte watching Grandpa putting a worm on the hook
Charlotte's first fish. She was excited yet disturbed by the whole process. I have never felt bad about fishing until Charlotte asked with a sad and concerned voice, "Dad, why are you hurting the fish?"
So I decided to kiss it better. It did not make her feel any better but in the end, she was okay.
Utah Valley Marathon: This was Jari's first half marathon. She rocked - completing the course in 1 hour 49 min.
I guess it went well enough that she signed up for the half next year as well. She has her work cut out for her if she is going to beat her time
JULY
(Picture Wanted...)
Craft Week! We welcomed in the Petrie clan (ladies that is) for a week for crafts. I am normally outnumbered by women in the house, but this brought things to a new level. Everyone seemed to have a great time. Thanks to everyone for coming. And if any of you have any pictures of the event, please send them so we can add them to the post.
AUGUST
While the month is ongoing, I guess one event was my trip to Kansas City for the American Academy of Family Physicians, Medical Student, and Resident Conference. I was fortunate enough to have Dr. Servey from USUHS contact me and ask me to help her co-present during the conference: Common Dermatological Conditions in Primary Care. It was a great experience and I learned a lot from both the experience itself as well as from Dr. Servey.
Kansas City is a neat city - buildings from 1880 standing next to buildings from 2010. The downtown Power and Light district hosts free country concerts every other week so we got to see a new artist Matt Gray (I think, Google is not sure that is his name) followed by Gloriana.
I stayed at the Hotel Savoy, built circa 1880, "refurbished" in the 1940s and again in the 1990's - at least that is what they claim. I felt like I was living in the movie "The Sting." While it was not nice, it made the experience all the more unique.
Quick project while Charlotte, Jari, and Hazel were in Utah. Jari had been asking for a bookshelf to try to keep some of Charlotte's books out of our room so while they were gone I built this. I also discovered Velcro picture hangers that don't damage the walls as you simply pull the sticker off the wall. Awesome!
We hope all is well with our friends and family. I hope that we can make a mid-year resolution to better document our lives. If this much can happen in 8 months, just imagine what will happen over the next few years.
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