Beautiful Boy

I took Jeffrey out to the grass outside to give Tricia some Tricia time on her own. Jeffrey was still pretty nervous about grass. It took him a long time to get used to it. For a long time he sat very still while he worked up the courage to touch it with one finger once in a while. Before long he was chasing me on all fours and laughing all the time. I ended up with many good photos of Jeffrey and this experience. Making this video was a fun way to show them all off.

Sunday Walk

After church the weather was so great that we simply had to get out and enjoy it. We noticed that all of the Germans are still wrapped up in jackets and all kids are dressed in a warm hat. Our walk took us to the park where Jeffrey had another experience with grass. He was funny to watch trying to move around without touching the ground.

I found in the town center the Easter display still set up. Each town sets up its own Easter display with many colored eggs on display. They are hung the way that Americans would hang Christmas ornaments on a tree at the mall.

A Morning Spent with Jeffrey

Jeffrey awoke early in the morning in his crib and cried for a few moments until I went to get him and take him to our own bed. Once we all awoke for the morning it was time to get Jeffrey ready first. As I made Jeffrey a bowl of cereal and yogurt I thought about these simple and ordinary times as being truly the most memorable and uplifting to draw upon later. I recall Presidnet Hinckly advising in his old age that he had found that not all of life can be a grand adventure. Most of the time it is like riding on a train. The secret is to learn to enjoy the ride.

Even as I am writing this and reflecting upon this mornings activities I am ejoying the photos that I have turned to monochrome with some soft 1920's big band music while Tricia rests beside me on the bed with Jeffrey asleep in her arms.

Fun With Egg Rolls

After our afternoon in Amberg we came home to make egg rolls. I diced the vegetables while Tricia cooked the pork and Jeffrey invatoried the contents of the fridge. Family time in the kitchen has become one of our best times together where we can work and enjoy each others conversations.

An Afternoon In Amberg

After running a few errands with Tricia we decided to make a visit to the city of Amberg while we were out. We went back to our usual visit of the market street where we went to the H&M to look for some summer clothes. Jeffrey tried on a few hats, but could not find one that would fit him for very long into the future.

It was nice just to get out of the area for the day and see something new.

Monochrome

Our library does not have much to check out when it comes to photography, but I did find two books containing some of the photographs of Ansel Adams. I have seen his works as posters in nearly every poster shop I have been to, and are hanging up in the front offices of businesses all over, but not until this week have I ever taken time to look closely at his work.

I am most intrigued by his photographs of nature close up, such as a patch of leaves and grass taken at a college in California or the dead wood he photographed in Sierra Nevada. Color photographs would not nearly be as interesting or captivating for many of his shots. After looking at his works I have reconsidered going back to photographing in black and white my self. Tricia suggested that as a beginning photographer this would be a good exercise for me as it would encourage me to concentrate on contrast before moving back into color.

I have learned to take my photographs in color and then convert them to black and white later. The JPEG contains all of the color information for later use if desired, and it allows me to select from the many variations of just what colors will turn what shade of the 256 available between black and white.

In Memoriam

On the days that I am out of cycle I get out of bed at around 0600, which for me is two hours of sleeping in. I enjoy beginning the day early even on days off to get the very most out of the day. My noise in the house invariably wakes up a sleeping Tricia so she asks as each cycle comes to a close that I sleep in with her each morning. I slept until 0900 yesterday which gave me great energy for the whole day, but this morning I woke up promptly at 0600 with no desire to return to sleep. I decided to compromise and stay in bed with something good and quiet to read.

Our March Ensign had finally arrived yesterday and with it a copy of “In Memoriam: President Gordon B. Hinckley.” Tricia and I turned on the internet several weeks ago to view the funeral services of President Hinckley. In reading the memoriam I could hear the voices of Virginia Pearce, H. David Burton, Earl C. Tingey, Boyd K. Packer, Henry B. Eyring, and President Monson as though I was watching the services again.

It is inspiring to reflect upon what good one man can do for both family and the community. Reading others words about his significance in their lives gives me desires to do my very best every day at all I do so that I can be as significant for good to others.

Growing Up

While watching Jeffrey frolic in the bath tub I thought about how much he has grown even in something as simple as his behavior in the bath tub. Jeffrey has always been excited about bath time with Pop, but what he is able to do in the bath has expanded. On this evening he was not at all satisfied laying in the tub and splashing with his legs. With the rubber matting we have put in the tub Jeffrey is able to stand up and explore. When he stands I know to put my hand over the faucet to keep him from learning what hot water is too early. It is getting harder each night to get him out of the bath and into a dry diaper. With an ever growing awareness of what is around him his desire to reach out for all of it increases and his patients to get dressed wanes.

Weird Weather

Bah! So I'm not in love with Germany this week. Two weeks ago it was heavenly weather, sunny and warm and made us decide that it was time to switch out the winter sweaters for short sleeved shirts. Thankfully we didn't change out the snow tires on the car (In Germany it's the law that you have to have snow tires during the winter, they'll ticket you if you are in an accident and don't have snow tires. Also accidents are automatically your fault because your car wasn't equipped properly. The Germans don't mess around when it comes to cars.) It's been snowy every single morning for the last two weeks. Freezing and just icky. It's more annoying than having a cold winter (which we did) because I was mentally done with winter, I was moving on to spring and then BAM! winter again. Yuck!

Jeffrey's New Way to Sleep

Lately we have noticed Jeffrey with his head up againt the bars of his crib with his bum in the air. I do not find this comfortable myself, but he seems to like it as he goes to it nearly every night now.

Happy Easter

For Easter Tricia and I decorated eggs as always. The we colored brown paper bags as our traditional Easter bag and hid them from each other until the morning. Tricia found hers when she went to the dryer to get some socks. The Edwards family invited us over for a wonderful dinner with games afterword. Jeffrey got to play with the Edward boys and was excited about playing with some of their toys.

Happy Feet

As requested, here are a few photos of Jeffrey featuring his new shoes.

Drill is a subject taught at the Academy, but often it gets out of hand as the companies try to out do each other on the day of the Acadmey competition. Time that should be spent in the class learning other subjects is cut short to get more time on the field for practice.

Changing Weather

The weather in Grafenwohr, Germany can change very quickly and unexpectedly. While out at STX we went from beautiful warm spring time weather, to a fast regression into winter again. A blizard can blow in here quickly and be gone in ten minutes with the sun shining deceptively the entire time. We are celebrating a white Easter.

St. Patrick's Day Ceili

We had a party yesterday with my dancers. It was fun! So casual and informal but I loved it. I'm not all about the high stress of competing and performing. I just had fun with my little dancers. And let's talk about an answered prayer. I only had 45 minutes to get into the room we were using, clean the mirrors, set the tarp and chairs down and get everything worked out. I was so worried that it wouldn't happen, but it did, people showed up early and we got everything set up with plenty of time to spare.
Practicing in the hall right before.
Waiting to go on!
My little dance group!

My dance Planxty Drury. (The girls kept asking why I didn't have a skirt too. I told them it was because I had a baby and they did not!)

Tagged again.

10 years ago i was...Living in Layton enjoying my junior year? I was struggling to make it through AP American History and dreaming about being drum major the next year. Thinking I was as cool as a bag of fritos. Oh how mistaken I was. ;)

5 things on my to do list:
1. Clean the kitchen (we neglected it after last night's performance)
2. Grocery Shop (Ugh. That's all I have to say about that)
3. Buy Paige chocolate.
4. Finish choreographing the spring dances.
5. Read to Jeffers because he likes it (or so I tell myself)

5 snacks i enjoy:
1. Runts (which I CAN'T get in Germany)
2. Pistacios (I was on a bag a day habit when I was preggers.)
3. Popcorn
4. Cold water in a straw
5. Chocolate

5 places i have lived: Germany, Colorado Springs, South Jordan, Kaysville, Layton, Kearns, West Jordan, West Valley (in reverse order, that's everywhere I lived)

5 jobs i have had: Jeffrey's Mum, Dance Teacher, Medical Receptionist, Secretary, Assistant to the President

5 things you don't know about me:
1. I am quite adept at using my feet for hands, so should I ever have a terrible accident and loose the ability to use my arms, I could use my toes to do stuff. I have incredibly muscular feet from dance. (Though Paige and most of my family knew that already.)
2. I hate laundry with a capital H! I don't know what it is, it just feels like slave labor to me. Maybe because in another three days there's yet another mountain to do again. Can someone please tell me how adding one TINY member to the family triples the laundry?
3. I can remember everything about my shoes. I remember when I bought them, where I first wore them, what I was wearing with most of them and I feel quite an attachment to them. They are my pretties.
4. I've always wished I could climb Mt. Everest.
5. When I was little I used to pretend that when I grew up I would be discovered as a long lost princess and I would never have to clean my room again. (I had lofty goals then.)

New Toy

We got this for Jeffrey recently. It's not made for hardwood floors because we end up chasing the balls all over the place, but he still thinks it's hilarious to watch. He tries to catch them as they first come out, he doesn't get that they roll down and he'd have more time to get them then.

Jewelry for Spring!

I updated the jewelry blog and the website so you can check out a few of my new designs, I'm running a little special for anyone who's interested and does a little hunting (check out the blog! or the website!)

Happy St. Patty's Pics from my dancers' Ceili party later!

Going to Work

Jeffrey decided to take his chances as a stow away in Dad's bag while he got ready for work.

Standing On His Own

Jeffrey is more and more determined to stand on his own. Anything solid is subject to his testing for supporting properties. Just a day ago he stood on his own with no support for several seconds before falling to the floor on his bottom.

Jasper Morris's Birthday Party

Jeffrey was invited to Jasper Morris's birthday party, which of course meant that Tricia and I would attend too, along with all other parents of primary children invited. I jumped at the chance to take my camera and get candid photos of all of the children at the party. After returning home from the party I printed off 14 of the best photos and Tricia made a book from scratch to hold them. We will give the book to Cori Morris on another day.