Getting Ready to Move

In preparation for moving we are thinking ahead to what we will need and want with us during our stay in Utah and the first few days of our arrival to Colorado. Tricia is packing up a few items for stamping and beading, her two current pass times and enjoyments.

I will be packing my camera and a few accessories, of course.

Some of the items will be going on the plane in our luggage, while others are being sent ahead by mail. This is when flat rate boxes come in handy.

All of this has to be prepared well in advance to give us time to rethink what we are taking so that no small but intricate peice be left our, nor scooped up by the movers when they come to our home.

Jeffrey is making a few repairs to his lawn mower before the big day. He wants it to be in good condition when it arrives in Colorado.

In the mean time, a good book passes the time until moving day.

Once all of the frames and wall hangings from around the house were down we realized just how much we had up on our walls. With just this change the place seems barren, just waiting in limbo to be packed up. Tricia did take photos of each of our larger frames in case of damage during the move. We need to be able to show them in good condition right before the move.

Jeffrey Cleaning

Jeffrey joins me in almost everything that I do, and that includes cleaning the house. One day he will be big enough to actually get something done, but for now it is enjoyable to watch him parrot what he has seen me do.

Picking Out a Movie

As much as we have tried to keep Jeffrey away from the DVD collection, player, and remote controls, he has managed to observe us enough to now be able to pick out the movie he wants, place the DVD in the tray, skip past the menu, and start watching his selected show. Last night I was at the computer for a short time when I became aware that the TV was on, and then noted that Wallace and Gromit was playing. All Jeffrey's doing.

Last Chance to Purchase

On our list of things to do to prepare to move was visit the Polish pottery store at the PX one last time. Until now we have only had one small sugar bowl from this pottery store that we have had out on our counter for years now, but seeing the opportunity slip away was too much for Tricia. It will be fun years from now to serve a Sunday meal to friends with some of the dishes we bought way back when we were in Germany.

Empty Spaces

The movers have come and taken away our first load of stuff. This will be available to us as soon as we find a home in Colorado so that we can have some of the essentials right away.

The movers did a good job of packing up the things that we had set out, but we sealed the deal with them by offering a few pasteries and drinks after their work was done. Our hope is that by adding this extra personal tip our items will be cared for after they have left our home.

I have my clearing papers and have been spending my days going to organizations and agencies to obtain their signature and affirmation that they have no business with me before I leave the country. Tricia and I have been taking time to relax amongst our moving preparations and spend some good afternoons with each other.

Root Beer Float

Even though it is cold outside, Tricia came up with a great treat idea for an after dinner desert. Everybody loves a root beer float, no matter the season.

Jeffrey and Cars

Jeffrey playing with some of his toy cars on the kitchen table.

Create

I loved this talk when I heard it. It was exactly what I needed to hear at the time (and probably still today) when I was researching for my talk tomorrow (Cory didn't screen calls like he was supposed to.) I saw this on the church website, they've got a YouTube channel too!

Photo Booth

I saw a photo booth photo on the internet the other day and it took me back to the days when it was common to find these machines at amuzements parks and zoos. I convinced Tricia to model for me last night so that I could try out this project. As I was doing some research on what these photos typically turn out to be in style I found that some are being rented for parties and family gatherings. Family and friends can have their photos taken at the event, and immediatley place their photos in a book where they can leave a message for the host. I suddenly had the idea that this would be a great addition to a wedding. One photographer could take the photos of the bride, groom, and co. in action, while another phototgrapher was at the back of the room with a small set up to take a photo and immediately print it to give back to the guest to place it in the guest book and write a message. This would also be a fun idea for birthday parties, family gatherings and anything that you want to make a book of guests, family and friends on the spot.

Shoes

Tricia liked my three photos of Jeffrey putting on his shoes so much that she asked me to take a fourth photo of just his shoes to go in a four photo frame that she bought at the PX. Out of the 56 photos I took, this shot filled the frame with shoes is the most dynamic way.

Hop On Pop

"Hop On Pop" has has become Jeffrey's new favorite book. He brings it to us several times a day and insits on us reading it to him. He even wants us to read it several times in a row if he can get it out of us. We have tucked the book a way in his full book shelf, but he is always able to find it among the others and bring it to us. I have recorded the story and placed it on my iPod for him to listen to, but to him it is just not the same. He wants to see the pictures and sit in a lap as he is read to.

Valentines

For Valentines Day Tricia made me a very nice card and gave me a play mobil set with a photographer with ring bearer and flower girl. She also gave me a coupon good for a new bag for my camera. I have done some research and have settled on the Tamrac 5606, but I will wait until I can try it out with my gear in it before making the purchase.

Putting On Shoes

I went into Jeffrey's room with camera and flash to get a few shots of him playing, but I found him hard at work putting on his shoes. He has once in a while put on my boots or Tricia's shoes and walked around the house, and even occasionally tries to put on his snow boots to clomp around the hallway in, but this is the first time I have found him so intent on completing a task. Not even my flash could distract him from the task of discovering the secret to getting his feet pushed into a shoe. He understands the principle of how the event works, but he does not yet have the dexterity to make the adjustments needed to his shoes to open them enough to pull one on. I watched him at this task for 20 minutes before he decided to move on, and even then he had not given up, just moved away from it as children suddenly do from even the most entertaining play.

Sunday Afternoon with Friends

We were invited to spend Sunday afternoon with our good friends the Davis family in their home. After an amazing Cafe Rio style lunch we stepped out into the cold to take some fun pictures. We did not stay out long as the cold was the type that can make most people miserable. Jeffrey took a tumble in the snow and immediatley called all outside activities off. Back inside we warmed up with a cup of cocoa and chatted until the evening came on. It is friends like the Davis family that will make it hard to leave Germany.

Dracula

While in Ireland we picked up a copy of Bramstoker's Dracula. I had inteded to bring it with me on the plane ride home to the USA to give me something to do, but I started reading it out loud to Tricia a day ago and come to thoroughly enjoy it. We may well finish it together before it is time to get on the plane.

Battle Staff is Done

I gathered all of the best photos I had taken during the battle staff course and put this short slide show together and gave a copy to each of the students as a momento. I had a great time in that class, one from the great learning experience, but also from having such good fun with great people.

Roll Your Hands

We have found a good way to get Jeffrey to fold his arms when we pray together. I am amazed at how obedient he is to put down his toys and join us in prayer for meals, at bed time and before church.

Lots of Updates!

Jeffrey has lots of friends, both real and stuffed. He always insists on carrying all of them at the same time. We've seen him struggle to carry two bears, two dogs, a frog and a hedgehog before. But I guess when you're popular you need an entourage right?

Two weeks ago our ward activities (which was two very dedicated ladies) held the greatest ward activity I've ever gone to. It was called the Amazing Race and was just like that too! They set up clues and activities all around the town of Vilseck and the couples raced to complete them all. We had to buy something for a care package for those who couldn't be there, play on all the toys at the park, ask a German fellow for a clue, play basketball, eat either a lot or a little (a little was fish covered in weird sauce with either sauerkraut or beet juice!). I'm sure it took so much work to set up but it was such a fun activity!

If you've seen the show you might question why we had the amazing race as our "couples" activity, but it was so much fun! It was freezing outside but we all finished and it was a good time for everyone. There's already talk of holding the Graf version in the summer and it's too bad we won't be there for it.

This is the Edwards, they won.

I love how my face always turns bright red!

The Plotts were second and the rest of our pictures didn't turn out, so you can't see everyone else who played.

Can you see what's Jeffrey's doing there? Well besides stuffing his face with cereal (Go-Rah for the Gorilla on the box) he's perching! So yes, he is my son! When I sit down to breakfast I like to sit with my legs up so that I'm perching on my chair. I've done it as long as I can remember and it used to bring lots of laughter to my family. It makes me happy that Jeffrey does it too!

Shur-Shot Jr.

Some time last year I was given Grandpa Jackmans Shur-Shot Jr. camera. I have meant to take a photo of the camera since I first recieved it with the idea of making the photo look old, as though another Shur-Shot Jr. had been used to take it. As I looked at the camera sitting on top of our book shelf this afternoon I thought it would be a lot more fun to take a photo holding the camera as though I was using to take a photo. It took 79 attempts before I came out with the two poses seen above. The hat I am wearing, one of my favorites, also once belonged to Grandpa Jackman.

Better Snacking

Tricia always makes a healthy dinner for us, and in the last few months has been especially concious of using wholesome ingredients. We eat more whole wheat bread, whole wheat pastas, organic milk, and drink a lot more water at dinner than we used to. Despite all of this my snacking habbits after coming home from work were not very good (See above photo). I have decided to be more careful about what I eat throughout the entire day. A few M&Ms are alright once in a while, but that is not how I was eating them.

Hamner Birthday Party

The Hamner family invited us to thier daughters first birthday party Mega Play, just around the corner from our home. We are excited to get back to the US for many of the things we miss there, but Chucky Cheese has nothing on Mega Play. Jeffrey had a lot of fun on the long slide and running around the giant play set. Sticking with Jeffrey every where he went was just my excuse for having a fun time with all of the other kids. In the play house Jeffrey kept poping out of the window in a game of peak-a-boo.

Battle Staff

My battle staff class is coming to a close. For the last four three weeks we have learned about graphics for maps, the decision making process, briefing presentation, and a few other skills to prepare us for next weeks exercise. The exercise will place us the the comand post of a unit arriving in Iraq and preparing to conduct the first three days of operations. We will go through all of the steps of planing and decision making that a staff would have to go through while dealing with situations given to us from external situations.

It really is magic!

So this is the Mr. Clean magic eraser. Any doubts? Today it "erased" an entire bottle of this...

from my floors. Jeffrey thought he'd help me test the magic by spreading a few sample spots onto my faux-hardwood floors. And...the miracle of miracles, the magic eraser erased it all! (Except the spots on the couch which I can't get off, but I'm recovering it soon so I didn't cry too hard.)

Building Up Invantory

Every day when I come home Tricia shows me the jewelry that she has made during the day in preparation for her jewelry making event in Utah. She has quite an invantory hanging on turn about displays and packaged in bags on the window seal. Every peice is unique and many have accompanying adornments such as bracelets and earrings.

Lights Out for a Story

I have been reading a story to Jeffrey after his nightly bath to help him calm down and get to sleep. Sometimes he lies still and listens, but other times he still has a lot of energy from his bath and needs something else to keep him in bed. I have found that turning out the lights in the room and using my head lamp to light my reading that he is much more likely help him want to sleep. Last night I only read half a chapter of "Tom Sawyer," before he was out when I looked up from the book.

Pretending

For the last few days Jeffrey has been carrying cups and spoons around the house as usual, but this time I have noticed that he is pretending to be cooking with them. He has long explored every object in the house, touched, moved, weighed, carried, thrown and made noise with everything possible, but this is distinct because it is obvious that he is mimiking our actions in the kitchen. He is using his imagination to perform what he has seen Tricia and I do in front of him. Tricia bought him a toy grill for Christmas which I noticed last night that he is using in a different way than before. When first given to him he played with it often, but moved its peices as though they were no more than toy blocks. Now he seems to understand that it represents tools used to cook and his actions much more closely match what is needed to put food on a stove.

Refrence Notes

While in ANCOC several years ago a fellow student showed me a way of taking notes that is perfect for the Battle Staff class that I am in now. At the outset of the lesson it can be quickly determined if the information being presented focuses more on what the teacher is saying, or the references to a book being offered. If what the instructor is saying is of greater weight than traditional notes suffice, but if the references are the focus then a different kink of notes are called for.

I use Excel to make several colums to the item being talked about, the reference page, and a short additional note that may be from the instructor or highlight what the reference talks about. The notes are great for study because I can focus on exactly the references cited in class rather than reading entire chapters unnesesarily and I can turn to the page needed during a test by looking in the left hand column that contains the subjects.

Holding the Scriptures

I have been doing most of my scripture reading lately from my laptop computer with the internet scriptures. I enjoy the ease with which I can look up multiple scriptures at the same time, instantly go to other reference citations and connect to general conference and Ensign talks using key word searches. Even with all of those advantages, there is still something special about holding a paper and leather copy of the book in my hands that cannot be replaced by the ease of the digital version. It requires no battery, plug or internet connection. The tactile sensations of weight, texture and the turning of pages adds an atmosphere to reading and study that a screen and keyboard cannot reproduce. I have decided to take advantage of my carrying case more and take this volume with me when I travel outside of the house.

A Major Award

It didn't come wrapped in a box that said "fragile" but I won this wonderful perfume collection yesterday at the PX. I've been calling it my major award since I never win anything! I thought I'd share it all with you, it's no leg lamp, but you know...