tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364673172012-02-16T10:33:47.247-06:00Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.comBlogger801100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-80233641067558139112009-02-21T23:45:00.002-06:002009-02-21T23:58:32.979-06:00

Our efforts to teach Elaina how to read have had mixed results. She can recognize certain words, but the whole concept of phonics hasn't sunk in yet. Heather tries, asking her things like "What starts with M?" Elaina's replies are sometimes correct, but usually not.This morning we went to Krispy Kream for breakfast, and as we drove past Fred Meyer on the way home Elaina pointed and said "

TorryJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04205836839037044921noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-20775778306889779992009-02-21T23:29:00.005-06:002009-02-22T00:02:15.792-06:00

So today we took our (roughly) annual trip to Kiddie Kandids - for the first weekend in about 2 months, the kids aren't sick and are looking pretty good. Elaina is still recovering from a basketball injury - she bumped her head taking a fall in the gym. The bruise is now a nickel-sized green spot on her forehead, but her bangs cover it up pretty well. Heather's been looking for a window of

TorryJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04205836839037044921noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-3228721260753595252009-02-09T03:26:00.006-06:002009-02-11T17:20:49.474-06:00

One of the few (but awesome) highlights of this time of year is the many great TV shows that start up, and because of sweeps, they really make every effort to entertain! It's a little pathetic how much TV Torry and I have been watching. To help facilitate this pastime, we have been enabled by our TiVo. Seriously - how did people live before this wonderful invention? Word to the wise: don't

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-72912304239045778702008-12-31T00:29:00.003-06:002008-12-31T00:32:38.519-06:00

Torry's sister, Stephanie, got married a couple days before Christmas. Unfortunatly, it was so cold and windy, we weren't able to get many pictures. But the kids looked so cute in these outside the temple, that I just had to post them.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-85714107823579080402008-12-31T00:12:00.001-06:002008-12-31T00:26:21.654-06:00

So, this year it's been really fun because it is the first year that Elaina "gets" Santa Claus. I asked her what she wanted Santa to bring her and she said "colors" - meaning the bath tablets you put in the bath water to color it. I thought that was a doable request. I asked her if she wanted to see Santa and she said "yes" Well, when we finally got to see him, she was so sacred, she looked

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-19523711092001034672008-12-30T23:46:00.004-06:002008-12-31T00:07:29.183-06:00

So I found another outlet for my creativity. I really like the magnitude of the project of decorating a wedding cake - and there is something oddly satisfying that soon after you are done finishing this very expensive, very time consuming piece of art - you cut it up into a bunch of tiny pieces and people eat it. I don't think I have the energy to do this very often though - even with my

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-16142405089438784682008-11-07T17:35:00.004-06:002008-11-08T01:57:11.002-06:00

I've never done a tag before because I have a hard time thinking of these kind of things, but I enjoy reading other people's lists so much, I thought I'd give it a shot. So here it is:7 Things I plan to do before I die 1. Learn how to oil paint2. Sing in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir3. Tour Europe4. Get all my pictures into a nice album with commentary5. Have at least 4 kids6. Eat something that

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-89992212349146970532008-11-05T19:27:00.014-06:002008-11-06T01:08:59.659-06:00

Okay, so I think Halloween is the coolest. I don't feel any stress, and it's just a ton of fun - candy, costumes and cute kids. Elaina had a blast trick-or-treating. The first door we knocked on, she walked right in and started petting the dog. We had quite a time trying to get her to leave. After that she got the hang of it and loved it - also we went with some friends which added to our

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-59731832740104788212008-11-04T15:19:00.003-06:002008-11-04T15:33:59.632-06:00

So, Elaina loves the story of the Gingerbread man - what child wouldn't? It's about a cookie that comes to life - cool, huh? Anyway, I thought I would be a super neat mom and bake a gingerbread man/woman with her. We had tons of fun and she loved dumping pink and purple sugar all over it. After it came out of the oven, I asked if she wanted to eat it and she said "yes", but she didn't watch

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-82365490514810742332008-10-28T18:49:00.011-05:002008-11-03T01:50:20.305-06:00

Okay, so I know what ya'll are thinking - Heather doesn't take pictures of her son - is he ugly, does he have a hideous birth defect she doesn't want us to know about? Seriously - I feel like a bad mom with the lack of pictures of Camden - and he is just about the most handsome little man that I have ever laid eyes on (no bias there). I think with all the moving and upheaval of our lives, I have

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-50699042175249095872008-10-28T01:43:00.001-05:002008-10-28T01:45:02.336-05:00

Saw this watching House on hulu.com tonight. It cracked us up. Look at Bobby's face when he yells "It's good!"Real post w/ updates coming.

TorryJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04205836839037044921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-24062684614566095122008-09-16T00:30:00.005-05:002008-09-16T19:41:57.183-05:00

Oh yeah, we got a job, oh yeah! After a whole summer of grueling (and there isn't a better word to describe it) job hunting, it has finally paid off and we are heading for Seattle! Torry got a Product Management position with Zillow (an online real estate company) and he starts at the beginning of October. The job is everything he was looking for(except that it's not near family) - so I am

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-4223144034761214122008-08-19T15:02:00.002-05:002008-08-19T15:18:10.384-05:00

Well, I keep on wanting to update our blog - but I have to say that I just don't feel like there is much to say. We have been living with Torry's parents since June and Torry works on finding a job everyday while I hang out with the kids and Torry's mom. It's been a really laid back summer with playing in the backyard and the occasional trip to the city pool. We've gone up to Montana to visit

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-42379871907562745972008-07-29T13:27:00.003-05:002008-07-29T13:43:28.535-05:00

My mother-in-law gets Family Circle every month and on the cover of July's issue was a picture of a cupcake - I just thought that it was taken up-close, but no - it was a giant cupcake pan (from Wilton)! I knew that I wanted one right away - how much fun is that? It takes almost 2 cake mixes and you cook the top and the bottom separately and then "glue" them together with frosting. It worked

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-28796248169725484432008-07-22T17:34:00.002-05:002008-07-27T22:15:16.550-05:00

Elaina had a pretty good birthday. We did a lot of her favorite things - she got to eat Lucky Charms for breakfast, we went and picked out some balloons, we went out to eat at McDonalds, went to Kungfoo Panda and opened presents and ate birthday cake. I asked her what she wanted for her birthday and she said she wanted candles. It's fun when their requests are so simple!

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-71868072045049171382008-06-17T08:26:00.003-05:002008-06-20T11:24:56.001-05:00

After 2 very fast years of school, we only have 1 day left here in Chicago. The time has flown by so fast, I can't believe it is almost over. Before we came, it felt like two years was a long time to live here. Things I will miss:1. My wonderful friends I've made here. They have made my Chicago experience a wonderful one. They are some of the best friends I have and I am sorry to see us all

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-5508935133290902942008-06-06T21:33:00.002-05:002008-06-06T22:21:52.055-05:00

We took Elaina to the University campus and tried taking some cute pictures of her. I think I took over 50 some odd pictures and these ended up being the only ones that turned out (the last one being my favorite). She was looking everywhere but the camera and moving everywhere but where I wanted her to go. I guess we'll have to settle for candids for the next couple years.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-28317086270645711502008-06-06T20:45:00.003-05:002008-06-06T21:32:30.882-05:00

After two years of school, Torry is finally done! We have really enjoyed our time in Chicago and Torry has loved school. I think both of us are a little sad to see our time here come to a close, but we are also very excited for the making money part our lives to start. This time around, Torry will hopefully enjoy doing it! Graduation is on the 15th of June and both of our parents are going to

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-34761312303820044372008-05-21T21:25:00.002-05:002008-05-21T21:54:58.073-05:00

Life is never boring with a two-year-old around. Today, Elaina decided that it would be neat to stick some plastic beads up her nostrils, one in one side, and two in the other. She came up to me and asked me to help her with her beads. I thought that she wanted help cleaning them up, but she started pointing to her nose and that's when I saw the first bead. I was able to get it out with a

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-60765309163102134922008-05-16T23:22:00.003-05:002008-05-16T23:45:01.979-05:00

Subjected to the tyranny of a 3-year-old's bladder, we've had to dramatically curb our activities away from home. She's picked it up in about a day, and stays dry very well now. However, the #2 portion of the affair has been a tough nut to crack. The first time scared her, so now she holds it as long as possible. This leads to constipation, then pain when it finally does come, and thus more

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-41392151400255094802008-05-16T22:56:00.006-05:002008-05-16T23:16:47.311-05:00

OK, so we haven't had the blessing yet, but we had to get pictures while he's still small since we won't be blessing him until he's 3 months old. We're waiting until Father's Day because our families will be in town for Torry's graduation. We were pretty impressed that these turned out pretty well, seeing as they came from Target. We had a sub-par experience at JC Penney with Elaina when she was

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-89097785830982553512008-04-20T15:39:00.004-05:002008-04-20T22:48:14.181-05:00

The time has really flown by this past month. I can't believe that Camden is already 5 weeks old! If time goes by as fast as it has , I better not blink or I'll miss everything. Camden has been a good sleeper from day one. He doesn't really cry when he's hungry. I kind of wonder how often he'd eat if I didn't wake him up. It certainly makes my day predicable. I can choose when I want to

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-35372431520477943722008-03-19T01:43:00.003-05:002008-03-19T02:06:59.597-05:00

A friend from church pointed out that if he were born on 3/14, he would be a "pi baby". At first I dismissed this as a mere contrivance, but the thought nagged a bit. To be fair, this friend is not particularly nerdy, but was pointing it out to her preteen son who happened to be working on math homework.Now, I won't do Camden (btw: thanks, Howells) the disservice of making him think this is

TorryJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04205836839037044921noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-56683577591127966222008-03-15T11:39:00.005-05:002008-03-19T01:42:07.433-05:00

Camden was born yesterday at 12:51 pm. Once again, Heather couldn't be rushed, laboring for 38 hours. At least it was a 57.78% reduction from the 90 hours needed last time. Most impressive of all: she did it unmedicated. How she managed after over over 48 hours without sleep, I'll never know. This is something I could never do. Heather's take: "I'm never doing that again." (Also, you know how

TorryJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04205836839037044921noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-13196642566298670302008-03-04T07:04:00.003-06:002008-03-04T07:38:16.572-06:00

Am I in labor yet? I wake up at about 4 or 5 in the morning each morning with contractions that keep me from sleeping, but they go away in the late morning. I am really getting sick of this! I'm usually not able to fall asleep until about 1 in the morning, so my sleep hasn't been all that great - sorry to anyone I'm cranky to in the next little while. I'm thinking that when real labor starts

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-24976822390980362032008-03-02T23:47:00.003-06:002008-03-02T23:55:09.723-06:00

My little Miss Potato Head. I'm just glad she doesn't try sticking the nose up her nostril.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-51117945466362476412008-03-02T23:27:00.003-06:002008-03-02T23:46:44.431-06:00

Elaina and her friend Lucy like to get together for some girl time every-so-often. They both seem to enjoy doing girly things together - have tea parties, dance and play in the "princess house" (as Lucy likes to call it) It's fun having a little girl who is so into all of this fun stuff - it's like I get a second childhood again, experiencing it all through her.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-72374600969227146302008-03-02T22:40:00.002-06:002008-03-02T23:25:25.564-06:00

Okay, so I've been a super-slacker and haven't blogged in a while, but I wanted the grandparents to see how much Elaina loved the Valentine's that they sent. She absolutely loved the candy and we let her just go for it. I didn't think that she would be able to pound almost all of the goodie bag from Grandma Johnson in one sitting and also eat quite a few M&M's (her favorite) from Grandma Guest.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-32303003442806133622008-01-06T20:30:00.000-06:002008-01-06T20:31:00.628-06:00

I got a kick out of this:

TorryJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04205836839037044921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-81586078444408028712008-01-01T16:20:00.001-06:002008-01-01T16:41:57.074-06:00

It has snowed and snowed since we've gotten here. We've had a lot of fun playing on the frozen lake in front of my parents house.Four-wheeler + plow + frozen lake = easily made pile of snow for a snow cave. Heather's brother-in-law Seth hollowed most of it out, with help from Daniel and Torry clearing out debris.Elaina didn't want to get out of the cave.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-73835517959666576292008-01-01T16:04:00.001-06:002008-01-25T22:21:43.157-06:00

Cute girls!Elaina started zoning out half way through the Christmas present opening. Her favorite thing ended up being a pack of M&Ms.My parents have a bird that Elaina loves. She has been asking for the bird to get out of the cage the whole time we've been here. Too bad she'll never get a pet.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-59603680471185321292007-12-31T19:04:00.001-06:002007-12-31T19:29:14.325-06:00

Every Christmas we go over to my Grandpa and Grandma Guest's house (right next door to my parents). We have a Christmas program, eat and exchange gifts with extended family members.I Like Punch.This is all of us, my brother, my two sisters and their husbands, Torry and me. It's been fun having us all together.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-73970373638710428072007-12-31T18:47:00.001-06:002007-12-31T19:01:11.774-06:00

Elaina immediately warmed up to her cousin Haley. They are only 13 days apart and it's like having twins around. They took turns riding up front as my dad pushed them around. Decorating sugar cookies. Elaina had fun putting the sprinkles on.My brand new neice! She is only 2 weeks old and so, so cute! I feel bad for my sister - she is nursing all the time.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-53405347679279647382007-12-31T18:31:00.001-06:002007-12-31T18:46:30.140-06:00

We pretended that the 21st of December was Christmas with the Johnson side, because we were leaving the next day for Montana. We went to Osaka for lunch (our favorite Japanese restaurant in Provo). Elaina got the coolest kid's meal in a boat.Elaina kept crawling under the rug in the living room - she seemed to think that it made a good blanket.We cooked Christmas dinner - complete with ham,

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-82727300003605180062007-12-31T18:22:00.000-06:002007-12-31T18:31:29.100-06:00

We always enjoy our visits with Grandma Powell. We had a wonderful lunch and Elaina had fun playing with grandmas wicker rocking horse.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-36601625140247192802007-12-31T18:05:00.001-06:002007-12-31T18:22:47.982-06:00

Every year Torry's dad's bank does a stuffed animal drive for abused children. As part of their therapy they get to pick out a stuffed animal. Elaina loved looking at all the stuffed animals. She especially liked the stuffed Whinnie the Pooh.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-20439966394654283272007-12-31T17:54:00.001-06:002007-12-31T17:58:37.120-06:00

We got to visit with Grandma Payne this Christmas. She lives in Salt Lake in a care home. We don't get to see her very often and she was really happy to see Elaina.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-21421534570498162042007-12-31T17:20:00.000-06:002007-12-31T17:53:55.116-06:00

We had another Christmas party with my side of the family in Utah. We have a lot of fun together.We did another white elephant game, but we always try to bring gifts that we think everyone will like. We have a lot of fun fighting over the presents.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-71551397688116778402007-12-31T17:01:00.001-06:002007-12-31T17:20:33.529-06:00

Elaina is in love with her cousin Brock. As soon as she saw him, she had him by the finger and having him follow her around. He loves her too - he says he wants a little sister just like her.Our family played the white elephant game - I ended up with a cork screw opener. Yeh! Just what I needed.Elaina got lucky (I think our aunt planted the gift just for her and made sure she opened it) She

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-24613853120694603282007-12-31T16:51:00.001-06:002007-12-31T17:00:02.377-06:00

I didn't get a lot of great pictures, but we had a wonderful time looking at the lights. Normally it is too crowded to enjoy, but we went on a Thursday night during the MTB choir Christmas concert and the place was practically deserted. Elaina loved looking at the Christis and we ended going up there twice during our visit. She is so cute!

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-877744394532282552007-12-31T16:43:00.001-06:002007-12-31T16:51:07.713-06:00

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-9951421301075176082007-12-31T16:28:00.001-06:002007-12-31T16:43:51.605-06:00

Elaina loves popcorn and hot chocolate - probably because her mommy loves it too and that is what I feed her when we come in from the cold. She loves watching the popcorn pop and she will sit with me until all of it is gone.Hot Chocolate thru a straw anyone?

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-88989158548186013992007-12-31T16:17:00.001-06:002007-12-31T16:28:05.165-06:00

Elaina loved dancing with Grandma, and Grandma loved dancing with Elaina. Dancing mostly consisted of going around in circles.The night we arrived in Salt Lake there was a snow storm. Torry was a sweetie a shoveled the drive.Yum! Snow!

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-77599979844573695462007-12-31T16:07:00.000-06:002007-12-31T20:56:40.204-06:00

As many of you know, going home for Christmas isn't optional for our family. I look forward to this time with my family and letting Elaina get reacquainted with her Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Elaina was so excited to ride an airplane. She was so good through the whole experience. I usually get uncomfortable looks from fellow passangers as we board the plane and then end up

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-71296724771296623282007-12-05T23:25:00.000-06:002007-12-05T23:43:59.684-06:00

So I spent some time last week doing my other job (full time student is job #1, but assistant to the POLO co-chair is job #2) all for what turned out to be a pretty cool party. As Heather predicted, the graham cracker gingerbread houses turned out to be a big hit, and not just because of the vast amounts of candy at that table that were easily in the reach of even the smallest kids. Elaina ate

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-89944106188058017162007-12-05T23:14:00.001-06:002007-12-07T12:47:28.179-06:00

First of all, thanks to Anita and Breanne for throwing me a beautiful baby shower! The food was delicious and everyone had a great time. Thanks also to everyone who came and helped us celebrate - it wouldn't have been the same without any one of you. I am truly blessed to have such great friends here in Chicago.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-63804260160163746052007-12-04T20:33:00.000-06:002007-12-04T20:35:34.064-06:00

Ever wondered what the famous Jones Soda holiday flavors actually taste like? So have I, yet I'm way too cheap to spend money on something like that. So instead I found this amusing review of this year's Christmas flavors. You still won't know what they taste like, but it is an entertaining read:"Imagine a Christmas ham, sealed in plastic and defrosting in the fridge. Imagine the cloudy ham

TorryJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04205836839037044921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-42622966552803400542007-11-25T20:14:00.000-06:002007-11-25T20:35:55.810-06:00

I kind of wondered if it would be worth the hassle of getting all our Christmas decorations out this year since we will be leaving the second weekend in December, but it was! Elaina loved unwrapping all the ornaments and nativity characters. She likes holding the Baby Jesus like a real baby, patting it's back and everything - even though it is only 2 inches long. Tonight in her prayers she

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-61956242478091428792007-11-22T23:48:00.000-06:002007-11-23T00:00:24.717-06:00

Here are some things I'm thankful for:One of us is still under 30, and it's the one I'd preferCream cheese, because it's delicious and played a key role in two awesome dishes todayCrockpotsFootball, Frisbees and foodAvocados - they don't really taste like anything, but they make things taste better (much like the mysterious German food ingredient known only as "gewuerz")Sleeping to a normal hour

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-62669336519947591382007-11-21T22:10:00.001-06:002007-11-22T23:20:43.693-06:00

I'm married to an old guy now! Torry has officially left his twenties and entered his thirties. Having a kid; no sweat. Having another one on the way; no big deal. Turning thirty - ahhh! We are turning into our parents - they we in their thirties most of the time I was living at home. I am so thankful to have Torry as my husband. I couldn't imagine going through life without him. You

TorryJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04205836839037044921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-52653073953575151782007-11-21T21:54:00.001-06:002007-11-21T22:09:15.513-06:00

Elaina and I were feeling a little stir-crazy one cold day, so we decided that regardless of the weather, we were going to go out and blow some bubbles. I'm glad we did! The pictures of Elaina turned out so cute! She is getting so big. In the background of the first picture you can see our apartment building.

TorryJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04205836839037044921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-90433785013071572932007-11-06T22:15:00.000-06:002007-11-06T22:37:44.720-06:00

So last Friday there was a big gala at school, dedicating the building now that it has been renamed the "Charles M. Harper Center". Getting your name on the building costs about $50 Million, and Mr. Harper ponied up. It's yet another sign of progress for the GSB (Now #1 in both BusinessWeek and The Economist).Back to the gala: the decor included a stadium-sized jumbotron (in a

TorryJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04205836839037044921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-57847009685125489702007-10-28T17:40:00.001-05:002007-10-28T17:48:19.476-05:00

Here is a better look at Elaina as Dorothy. We went trunk-or-treating at our ward's Halloween party on Saturday. She loved it! I know her favorite candy is M&Ms, because when someone put that in her basket, she finally wanted to stop and start eating. She got the black balloon at an earlier party and insisted on taking it with her, so that's the reason for the balloon. It turned out to be a

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-51932072696952642572007-10-25T21:52:00.000-05:002007-10-26T08:02:50.098-05:00

We went downtown for the city's Halloween parade and trick-or-treating. All of the little kids were dressed up and everything was really busy. On the way back, we walked past the Wicked Theatre and Torry thought it would be cute to have her picture taken with the musical poster. For anyone who hasn't seen Wicked - we highly recommend it.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-40827333585110411602007-10-25T21:41:00.000-05:002007-10-25T21:51:04.850-05:00

We finally got Elaina a birthday present - super belated! But the wait was well worth it - she loves her new chair. I'm afraid it's made a couch potato out of her - she reads in it, watches movies in it and holds tea parties with her stuffed animals in it. So cute! I never thought that a piece of furniture could make such an amazing toy!

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-29792146605177343112007-10-25T21:21:00.000-05:002007-10-25T21:39:46.139-05:00

I love this time of year! The change in the weather, the colors and, of course Halloween! We went to the Pumpkin Patch with our business school playgroup. Elaina loved getting muddy and crawling around the pumpkins. They also had a big, yellow slide that she couldn't get enough of. Afterward, we hit McDonald's and got her favorite lunch - a cheeseburger, fries and a soda.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-88934506888225561002007-10-14T21:32:00.001-05:002007-10-14T21:46:50.401-05:00

We went downtown Chicago to the Haunted Village in Daley Plaza. They had a show with fire jugglers, a dog that did flips and a ton of gymnasts and acrobats. Elaina was facinated by all the performers, especially the dog. Unfortunately, our camera's batteries died before we could take any pictures. Elaina loved coloring her pumpkin and the slide/statue. And thankfully Torry "forgot" the

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-59690305409776655442007-10-14T21:01:00.000-05:002007-10-14T21:09:12.662-05:00

Certain people who don't see me often, have been clamoring to see my pregnant belly. (I also regret not having any pictures of Elaina's pregnancy) So here I am - 18 weeks and counting.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-46620332888436474742007-10-12T22:52:00.000-05:002007-10-26T08:26:42.649-05:00

Torry and I can't seem to agree on a single name - (I think Torry has vetoed every name I've mentioned.) I know names are a big personal preference thing, but what are your favorite boy names? We need help!

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1399517243861173612007-10-12T09:23:00.001-05:002007-10-12T09:41:10.458-05:00

We are going to be having a little boy - due March 14th! We are happy to be assured of at least one son in the family. I'm almost half way through my pregnancy and it sure has gone by quickly. I can't believe that our little family is getting bigger - it almost seems like yesterday when we brought home Elaina. And she is already two! We keep trying to explain to her about the new addition to our

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1164138444598650282006-11-21T13:31:00.000-06:002006-11-21T13:47:25.680-06:00

Torry's birthday party. We invited some of our new friends over for cake and icecream.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1164137160969331192006-11-21T13:15:00.000-06:002006-11-21T13:29:50.820-06:00

Halloween night we carved our pumpkin into a clown. Daddy was the designer, Elaina scooped and mommy carved.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1164135502018783712006-11-21T12:51:00.000-06:002006-11-21T13:12:32.476-06:00

Here we are at our ward Halloween party. We are in the parking lot trunk-or- treating.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1161637574375857872006-10-23T16:02:00.000-05:002006-10-23T16:06:14.376-05:00

My lighting was off on the camera, but I kind of like the way this picture turned out. We are outside the Art Institute of Chicago, which is downtown. Everyone kept on commenting about how cute Elaina was.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1161637015646645512006-10-23T15:48:00.000-05:002006-10-23T16:00:25.806-05:00

Our trip to the Pumpkin Patch. We climbed on Pumpkins, went on small and really tall slides, rode a pony and a choo-choo train and had lots of fun with our friends.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1161636420092918782006-10-23T15:35:00.000-05:002006-10-23T16:02:21.013-05:00

Grandma Powell, Elaina and I went to Graceland Cemetary, here in Chicago, where my Great Great Grandparents and their family are buried - Sam and Sarah Powell. It took us forever to find because there is no marker. The patch of grass that Elaina is standing on is right where they are buried.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1161635683973989952006-10-23T15:27:00.000-05:002006-10-23T15:34:43.983-05:00

Grandma Powell came to visit and Elaina took to her right away.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1161581261045871652006-10-23T00:16:00.000-05:002006-10-23T00:27:41.053-05:00

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1161580484470127482006-10-23T00:10:00.000-05:002006-10-23T00:14:44.473-05:00

Another day at the aquarium, this time with Torry. The view of the city is really neat from there.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1161580241775584522006-10-23T00:06:00.000-05:002006-10-23T00:10:41.776-05:00

Elaina loves to swing. I think I could push her all day and she would be happy. It's a very dramatic time when we have to go...

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1161579490640631702006-10-22T23:51:00.000-05:002006-10-22T23:58:10.643-05:00

Our lovely apartment and our view. It's starting to feel like home.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1161579046283141702006-10-22T23:44:00.000-05:002006-10-23T00:03:56.703-05:00

Our first time downtown. We walked the magnificent mile which is the main shopping district downtown. Later we went to the cheesecake factory where we got the best cheesecake ever.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1161578451775933212006-10-22T23:30:00.000-05:002006-10-23T00:05:10.873-05:00

Fun in the park. Walking is the favorite now. She really likes the leaves.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1161577277125581592006-10-22T23:17:00.000-05:002006-10-22T23:21:17.130-05:00

Oh the cuteness. Elaina loves her new room and messes it up just as fast as I can clean it up.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1161576961554807042006-10-22T23:12:00.000-05:002006-10-22T23:16:01.556-05:00

Elaina will sit like this for awhile and just read to herself. How did I luck out to have such a low maintance baby?

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1161576651795845932006-10-22T22:48:00.000-05:002006-10-22T23:10:51.803-05:00

I went to check on Elaina, and found her playing in her clothes basket with her stuffed animals. So Cute! I luckily got this picture before she saw me.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1161575333136716422006-10-22T22:43:00.000-05:002006-10-22T22:48:53.136-05:00

Elaina at the Aquarium. She loves watching all the fish. We got a annual pass and we've already gone 3 times.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1161575018199909482006-10-22T22:35:00.000-05:002006-10-22T22:43:38.200-05:00

Elaina trying out our new kitchen. I think she likes it.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1161574395723978982006-10-22T22:25:00.000-05:002006-10-22T22:33:15.736-05:00

This isn't a great picture because our camera takes lame pictures in low light. We had a great view of the game. Torry's school provided us with $25 in White Sox Bucks, which equals 2 hot dogs, nachos, a funnel cake, 2 snickers ice cream bars and bottled water. I better not eat like this all the time. Chicago seems to speicalize in the foods that one should never eat.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36467317.post-1161573790830829132006-10-22T22:08:00.000-05:002006-10-22T22:23:10.836-05:00

This is during our first week in Chicago. Torry's school took us to a White Sox game. This picture was taken from the upper deck at US Cellular Field, looking toward the city.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12836104399723787694noreply@blogger.com0