October (part 1)

In October (almost 8 months old) Hallie got this little walking toy from a friend and she loved it...she still does, but is getting much closer to walking on her own. This girl loves to be up! For the video click here

Back to UT--end of September

Michigan State Capitol

Missouri State Capitol

On the way back to UT we stopped in Michigan and Missouri to play croquet. That makes 41 state capitols!

We also stopped at Liberty Jail on the way home. The spirit was strong there and it was a wonderful reminder of the sacrifices made to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth.

And almost most importantly, we stopped at the largest hand dug well in America located in Greensburg, KS.

September 2010 (Europe)

Ashton and I left Hallie and took off for Europe at the end of August and spent 3 weeks in Europe. It was fantastic! We missed Hallie so much though, but it was wonderful to spend time with just us. I couldn't think of a better time to go. The more kids that come along, the harder it will be. Ashton was in between jobs, we don't own a house so we weren't paying for housing that whole time we were gone. Conditions were perfect.

We flew into Paris, went to the beaches of Normandy where Ashton's grandpa Buswell was a commanding officer during D-Day, flew to Milan, took a train to Cinque Terre, Pisa, Florence, then on to Rome, up to Venice, took a night train to Munich. From Munich we went to Fussen and Salzburg, Austria. Rode the Chunnel to London, and then back to Paris to fly home.

I loved Paris a lot more than I thought I would. I learned a lot at the beaches of Normandy tour...history came alive for me. Milan was kind of dumpy but held my most treasured cathedral of all we visited. Cinque Terre was quaint, colorful, and warm. Pisa was still leaning. Florence is the home of the most beautiful sculpture my eyes have ever beheld--David by Michealangelo was inspired by above. Also, the gelato was amazing as well as this Tuscan soup I had, it was the best soup I've ever had in my entire life. Rome holds something from every period of time which is incredible. The vatican would have been cooler if people were more reverent there. Venice is a port for all people. Bavaria and Austria has the prettiest country of all the places we were...it was so green and lush and I love the mountains there. London was busy and all in ENGLISH which was so nice.

I love to run and in every city we would put on our running clothes and run to all of the sites in a few hours and then after we had gotten all cleaned up we would go back to the places that we wanted to spend more time at. It was a great way to see a lot in a short amount of time for no money.

Here are some experiences that I wrote in my journal that were meaningful to me.

We didn’t go to the Uffizzi, but we did to go the Accademia and saw the Michaelangelo’s David. That was both our number one favorite thing about the whole trip. I don’t know why but it was so beautiful. David was just standing there in the soft white light. His intestse, yet calm eyes, the smoothness of the marble. Everything about it. The feeling you get when you see it. It is just simply amazing. Who knew you could love a sculpture so much?

After Rome we went to Venice. It was so nice and quiet there. No cars, no buggies, no scooters, not bikes even. Just pedestrians. We went on the most beautiful run. We took a boat the the end of the grand canal and ran all the way back. It was beautiful. I loved the colored buildings and the water. And again, the weather was wonderful. We spent a Sunday there and decided that we would go to church. So we looked up a church and a time. One that we knew we could actually get to. We took a train to a town called Padova. We had drawn a map for ourselves of how to get from the train station to the chapel and followed our map. The time we had was 10:50 am (although to find out later that they only post sacrament times not the time church starts and they had sacrament last). So we almost make it to the church when a guy, around our age, is stopped in a parking lot asks us if we need a ride to church. We say yes and hop on in. We asked him how he knew and he said that we just looked like we were going to church. I was wearing a skirt and flip flops and Ashton was wearing shorts and a polo with tennis shoes. Giole was his name. He had taken a church member to the train station and saw us on his way there and thought we looked like we were going to church and then when we were still headed that way on his way back he knew. I think that he was just in tune enough with the spirit that he knew. And it is wonderful and strengthening to know that the Lord knows us wherever we are in the world and helps us and he never stops taking care of us. My testimony was strengthened that day. Giole is soon getting married to Miriam and his sister and her husband were also there at church. Giole sat behind us and translated to English for us and then invited us over to dinner. (Ashton had kept saying that he was hoping someone would invite us to dinner). He gave us a ride to their house and made us cabonara, which is spaghetti with egg and nutmeg and parmesan and cream mixed with cooked bacon or ham. We really enjoyed our time with them and are grateful to them for their hospitality. We hope to be that way to people who cross our paths as well. That was such a wonderful day!


The next day we took a train to Fussen the next day to see the castle that Walt Disney fashioned his Disneyland castle after. It was so beautiful. And it was in the most beautiful spot. Up on a cliff in the mountains of Bavaria. All the mountains and the trees. While we were waiting in line to go into the castle Ashton saw some people who he thought were Mormons. So we decided to talk to them and tried to find out where they are from. Ashton decided that if he could find if they were Utah then he would almost certainly know that they were Mormon. And sure enough they were from West Jordan (Ashton could see their garments under their white shirt). We talked a while and went through the castle with them. Their names were Brett and Stacy Wall. They were on their 30 year wedding anniversary and Brett had served his mission in Germany. Anyway, they took us to lunch and I had some delicious raising pancakes with applesauce. And it was so yummy. They asked us if we wanted to ride back with them in the Mecedes that they rented. So they took us on the romantic road through all these little Mideval towns and then on the Autobahn back to Munich. Those towns were so cute and the ride on the autobahn was crazy. There were all these cars zooming past—lamberghini’s—I don’t even know how to spell that.  We decided to meet with them the next morning and go with them down to Austria, Salzburg, to be exact. We met with them at their hotel and then they took us to Dachau Concentration camp. That was a sobering experience. It is amazing to think of how many people died under the reign on hitler and how horribly people were treated. And how wonderful it is to think that people are now free.


It is still sobering to think that the Lord know who we are, wherever we are and that there are people who do good things all over the world. 

August 2010

August this past year was a great month. Hallie and I went on vacations ALL month long. For the first two weeks we went to Utah and San Diego for the APA conference. In Utah I left Hallie with Grandma Buswell and went canyoneering with my friends and it was fantastic! My favorite was the wet canyon and the 150 ft rappell of corona arch.

When we got back to North Carolina we went on even more vacations. North Carolina has much to offer as far as beautiful scenery--both the beach and mountains are not too far away. So we first ventured east to the beach. We went to the outer banks which holds the home of the first flight by the Wright brothers. So we went that the museum there, enjoyed the beach, and toured a coast full of old, stately lighthouses.

Then we ventured to the western side of the state to go camping in the mountains among other things. We went to Mt Airy where the Andy Griffith show is filmed after, we drove along the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway, went to the "Holy Smokies" (Smoky Mountain National Park), and toured through the amazing Biltmore Estate. I have never seen anything like that mansion. If anyone ever gets a chance, you must see it!

To finish up the month we traveled up to PA to visit my grandparents before we took off for a vacation for the whole month of September. We met up with Janice Smith who is a SAINT! I was talking to her one day on the phone telling her about how Ashton and I were going to Europe for a graduation gift for finishing my Master's degree and she asked if we were going to take Hallie. I said that I was still unsure and she said that she would fly from AZ to the East coast and pick Hallie up for us and watch her the whole time we were gone. And it was just that which she did. She flew out there, picked up dear Hallie, watched her not only while we were in Europe, but while we drove back across the country. We are so grateful for her in our lives.

Columbia

So I'm pretty sure this is our 39th State capitol or something like that. It's hard to keep track without my little map (that I accidentally left in UT). This weekend, we went down to South Carolina and played a rousing game of croquet on the lawn of the state capitol. These grounds were probably some of the most beautiful Ashton and I have ever seen. The landscaping was absolutely beautiful. Lots of southern looking trees and bushes, magnolia trees, the SC palm that flies on their flag, etc.

One thing that I have found interesting among visiting the southern states is how much the confederate states still means to these people. In the very front on the building is a confederate flag with a monument dedicated to those men. If you look closely in this picture, you can see that the statue of George Washington, his cane is broken off. This is because during the Civil War an angry mob of confederates broke off the bottom of his cane. I remember going to Alabama; that place is filled with confederate history: the place Jefferson Davis gave his inaugural speech, the first confederate white house, multiple statues recognizing the confederacy. It seems to still be quite alive in the South.

After our game we stayed with the Connell family. Ashton wrestled at UNC with their son Ben. It was great to be with them. They have 5 boys and 1 girl and seem to be a great family who love each other and are strong in the gospel. It goes to show that no matter where you live, among many members of the Church of few, strength comes from within the family, not from being around many members. It is what is taught in the home that matters most. We are grateful for their hospitality and love for us. We had a great time with you!

Appomattox Courthouse

This is the room where the final surrender for the Civil War was signed

This is the spot where the final shot of Appomattox was fired

Just last week, Hallie, Liz and I went to the Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia. It was a nice little road trip. We  learned a lot about where the surrender for the Civil War was signed. It was strange to think about how peaceful it is there now versus nearly 150 years ago when turmoil, anger, and dead bodies lined the fields. We are grateful for our great country and the rights and freedoms we have and try to keep protected.

Hallie's First Baseball Game

I can't believe this was our first baseball game all year long! There are not really any major teams here in North Carolina, but there are a lot of minor league teams. We went over to Greensboro to enjoy a great game and good company! And this little girl is so dang beautiful! She had a great time at the game (sleeping through part of it) and then did not even flinch at the loud fireworks afterwards.

Duke

In the Cameron Basketball Arena

Jessica, Me, Hallie and Ashton in front of Duke Chapel

The past little while we have been making little trips in the morning to check out the beautiful state of North Carolina. We took a visit to UNC, where Ashton wrestled before going to BYU and then we went to Duke. We forgot the camera for UNC, but we got some pictures at Duke. They are both beautiful campuses, filled with age and character.

Published!

In between motherhood, I have been working on getting some manuscripts ready for publication. I am happy to say that I have one article accepted for publication in the Journal of Family Psychology and another (my thesis) has just been submitted to the journal Fathering. And I will be attending the APA conference this summer in San Diego to present some research. It feels good to have these things off my plate. But I do enjoy this whole research thing. I have a good opportunity to continue research with my chair, Ramon, on projects he has and also analyzing my data more. No doubt it is a lot of work, but it is very rewarding.

Major findings from my thesis submitted to Fathering:

• Recreational activities that fathers do at home with their families are related to greater levels of family coheion, family adaptability and overall family functioning than activities out of the home such as tvacations, camp outs, or other big family events. This is true from a father and youth perspective
• Satisfaction with these everday activities is the single greatest predictor of family cohesion, family adaptability, and overall family functioning from both a father and youth perspective
• In other words, DAD MATTERS!!!! Also, not only is it the level, or amount, of everday activities that fathers participate in that predicts greater levels of family functioning, but also the quality of the interactions.

5 Months

Hallie turns 5 months tomorrow! My goodness how time flies! Hallie is starting to be able to do so many fun things. She likes to hold her own bottle, she loves to sing songs, she is still a great sleeper. One of my favorite things is when she wakes up and I come in to get her--she is always so excited and kicks and smiles and is so dang cute. She loves people and will easily go to anyone. She is eating solid foods and she loves bananas. She is very easy going--she'll sleep anywhere, will eat cold food as well as warm. (Traveling has been so easy with her.) She is very calm and hardly cries; when she wants something she grunts for it. She has found her feet and loves to hold onto them. She is getting stronger all the time. She loves to look in the mirror; she always stomps her feet and squeals with delight when she sees herself. We are just enjoying our little girl!

Beth Annie Comes to Visit

We spent some great time in Chapel Hill walking around UNC.

We ate dinner at The Top of the Hill.

And on this night Bethany caught her very first firefly!

We enjoyed time at Carolina Beach.

We all took a nap listening to the beautiful waves

and then ended the day right with Ritas.

We enjoyed the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte.

This place was amazing!
The had tons of stuff to do in the great outdoors.

 We enjoyed 2 rafting trips and some kayaking.

There was just not enough time to do everything...

biking, hiking, rockwalls, geo caching, etc.

Although not pictured, we went to the massive Farmers Market, we ate yummy food on the 4th of July and enjoyed the fireworks with you. We had a great time with you Bethany and were so sad to see you leave. You are such a great friend to us and a good example of doing what is right. We could just sit around at home just hanging out and laughing with you all the time. Who knows where we will be next summer...maybe another visit will be in order?

Ben is Married!

Ashton, Hallie and I flew to AZ for my little brother's wedding. He married Liberty Thompson in the Mesa temple on June 25th. It was a beautiful day...hot, but beautiful. Ashton stayed a few days and then flew back for work and Hallie and I stayed a bit longer. It was great to catch up with family and friends. One of our favorite things to do in AZ is get an agua from the agua shop--oh so yummy. And boy is it hot in AZ, but it is so nice and dry. It is blazing here in NC with this humidity.

Anyway, we are so happy for Ben. He and Liberty are so in love and they are so dang cute, always holding hands and hugging when they think no one is looking.Oh to be newly wed again!

1st Solids

At 4 months our doctor told us we can start giving Hallie solids in the evening before her last bottle for the day. We started her off on just rice cereal and needless to say, she wasn't crazy about it. But now we mix it in with a fruit or veggie and she is doing awesome! She loves everything that she has tried so far--pears, carrots, greenbeans, peaches, bananas--all but yucky, plain, rice cereal!

Bumbo Fun

Hallie was playing in her Bumbo enjoying her tinkle butterfly with me....

....when all of a sudden she got REALLY tired and just kept rubbing her eye.

She must have done it like 40 times in a row before we put her to bed.

It was just too funny to let her stop. She is so dang cute!

4 Months

So obvoiusly I'm not doing too great on this turning pictures thing and I am too lazy to take the time to figure it out. So we are all just going to have to deal with it, annoying as it is.

Height: 23.5 in

Weight: 12 lb

Head: 39.5 cm (I think I remember this one right?)

Well, dear Hallie,

you are 4 months old and can do so many things. Girl, you're amazing! You love to sit in your bumbo and play with your tinkling butterfly. You can grab things at are really good at eating them. You love to read books and look at all the pictures. You love to look in the mirror every morning, you always smile at yourself...so cute. You love to take baths: always splashing and laughing in the tub. You love your daddy, epecially when he makes silly noises with you. You always growl. You know when your bottle is ready and you always grunt when you see it. You also grunt when you want to be picked up. You are getting so strong and can stand up with a little help. You love car rides and singing. The doctor said we can start feeding you solid foods...which will be fun! You have the sweetest smile and funniest little squeal when you are happy. 

You can sleep all the way through the night. At 3 months I stopped feeding you in the middle of the night but you kept waking up around 4am and I would stick your binki in and you would fall right back asleep. Well after a few weeks I was tired of that....so, I put you in the other room's closet on the other side of the apartment and closed the closet door, the door to that bedroom, and our bedroom door and let you cry it out. The first night when I woke up at 6am to go running you were crying your lungs out. The next morning you were crying but not so bad. The next morning and ever since then you have been sound asleep! You figured it out and are a great sleeper. You sleep about 12 hours at night and then take 3 naps during the day. The morning nap is about 1-2 hours. The afternoon is 2-3 hours and then an hour nap in the evening. I couldn't ask for more sleeping!

We are so glad you are in our family little Hallie bear! You make us all so happy.