Paisley concert

Last night was the long awaited Brad Paisley concert. We've wanted to see him in concert for a long time but just never got around to it. So last night was big stuff for us. Our neighbor Jess came over to watch the kids for us (Thanks so much Jess!!!). Jonathan had been on call Wednesday night and had not been able to get a wink of sleep, so he was a bit tired when he got home and I asked him to look up the directions on how to get there. He did so, but I could tell he was having a hard time staying awake and even nodded off a few times while trying to look it up. So it wasn't much of a surprise when we got up to Hartford and quickly realized that the directions he had couldn't be right. I finally asked, "are you sure you looked up the right place?" That's when we noticed that he had actually looked and gotten directions on how to get to the Administration offices of the music center. Hahahahah!!! So we made a quick call to Dan (thanks so much Dan) and had him look up the actual directions. We eventually made it there and parked in a muddy field (it's been raining here for the past 2 days) and made our way in. There were three others who performed before Brad. The first was Julianne Hough, then Chuck Wicks and last was Jewel. I actually really enjoyed Jewel. Brad was just as entertaining as we had both heard. We really had a lot of fun!!! It was entertaining enough that even almost 48 hours without sleep Jonathan was able to stay awake and totally get into it! The first picture shows where our seats were. We had a pretty good view.
Happy Birthday/Father's day Jonathan! Glad you had so much fun!

The house

I know a lot of our family has been asking for pictures of the house we are in the process of buying. So here's a few. I'm proud to announce that Jonathan has finally seen the house with his own eyes. (yes we bought a house without my husband even seeing it, until yesterday) Crazy, yes, but what can you do when your husband can't get off work? You put a lot of faith in your wonderful spouse, that's what. :-) I had taken lots and lots of pictures of the house and drawn out a detailed floorplan (with a ruler, I'm such a perfectionist! Jon was laughing at me when he saw me doing it. It's my dad's fault. Thanks dad!) We had gone over the pictures and I had told him as much as I could about what this and that looked like, and what would need to be done to it etc. I'm also pleased to say that even after seeing the house himself, he still wants to buy it! So that's a good thing. We're both really excited about this, but
it's going to be a lot of work, so ask us in a few months if we still feel the same.
The first five pictures are...
Another picture of the front of the house (to see a better pic of the main part of house see one of the previous posts), pictures of both sides of the house as well as pictures of the backyard (as seen through the dinning room window). And yes that is a cemetery behind the back fence. As our realtor said "Atleast you'll have quiet neighbors".





View standing in the front entry looking into living room with dining room in distance.

Living room

The lovely original 1950's kitchen.

The only bathrm in the house, which is on the second floor just at the top of the stairs. We think that the sink is the original and the inspector thought that the toilet might be too. Yes the wall tiles are pink and black and the floor tiles are peach and black. Maybe the original owner was colorblind?

Closing is set for the 15th of August. Cross your fingers that everything keeps going smoothly!

YAY!

I just took my second architectural registration exam. I wont know for a few weeks whether I passed them or not, but by then I'll be taking my third. I took the building systems (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire safety) yesterday . . . and I could've sworn I'd studied for it. Walking into the test I didn't think there was much more I could study to be ready. However, as I went through question after question of . . . minutia I began to think the writers had alterior motives, "Ha Ha! Unless he's got a mechanical engineering degree and thirty years experience there's no way he'll figure this one out! Carry on, Boys!" On the flip side, when it was time to draw the reflected ceiling plan with lighting and mechanical, I flew through it.

This morning I actually had fun going through the schematic design exam. There were no questions on it . . . Just two drawings to do. The first was an office layout, the second was a building layout. I finished drawing the offices, and was halfway through my check when my time ran out for the first vignette. The second vignette was to last four hours, but I finished it with a little over two hours left.

Now I need to be off to study for my next test. I love you all,
Rob

Addendum: This is the place (Louis Lunch, contested site of the first hamburger served in America in 1895) that I so wanted to visit last November when we all went to CT together (except for free-spirit David and Mindy). Yeah, I paid $16 for 3 (yes, three) hamburgers, which left a lot to be desired. There is only one way to get the burger: 2 slices of sandwich bread, meat, cheese spread, tomata (their pronunciation) and onion. That's all. That is how it has been served since its first inception back in the day. And there wasn't much flavor.
Heidi's and Jon's reaction was classic: look at each other, ever so slyly (not sly to yours truly), and shoot the look of, "Hmmm...so over-rated!" Yeah, so I guess it's worth it for a piece of history, but as for flavor and satiation...not so much.
I did thoroughly enjoy just hangin out and I think that one day is far too short. If I had the luxury of Mom and Dad spending mega amounts of time, then that would be stellar. But, as it is...

So, I just thought I would post a pic of my fabulous NYC trip. I decided to call it New York Lovin. Anyway, it was a load of fun and I think that I can most certainly move to the Big Apple at the drop of a hat. One of the highlights of the week was seeing Jon Heidi Mae Jackson Cooper and Douglas (whose child is he truly?) The pic is my cute little self, Kari (a friend), and Jess, my roommate, at the Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Fun game! Well, we all should take a trip there together. Yeah. Peace

Our Willy B.

Okay, my last post for the night. We have not taken too many pictures of our sweet William, of which I am lamenting. But this is the latest and shows best how he is growing so fast. I cannot believe it!This is my dad holding Will's cousin, Aspen, and Will. Aspen was born March 31st and William was born May 23rd. So almost two months difference yet look how big he is. He is really holding on to that chub but he is oh so cute. And so long, I cannot believe how fast he changed and how small he used to be. He as started to smile and "talk" a tiny bit. I cannot remember when it was that he started to focus his eyes on me but it is too fun to talk to him and have him watch me. He is a good eater, a light sleeper during the days but does well at night. Caleb and Peter love him a lot. Caleb is a great big brother and very loving and helpful. Peter is a jealous big brother with a rough love, but he can also be very helpful. And William is just sweet.

The Magic Garden

Oh yes, we are magic. Truly, we are! I, Diedre, am a fan of yard work and gardening, when my children actually let me get down and dirty with it, I do. So, last year we planted a garden and had so much fun with it. I love watching things start to happen with the little seeds and I love pointing it out to the boys. Well, if you will remember last year, in one spot of our yard we planted watermelon seeds and they grew, we got some fruit on the vine and magically our watermelon turned orange. You guessed it, it was a pumpkin plant not a watermelon plant. How did that happen?
Well, again this year - same exact spot as last year - we planted a cantaloupe (Caleb loves them, sorry Jon). Things started to grow, we were so excited. Then all of a sudden I noticed a fruit starting to grow on the vine, a rather greenish oblong shaped fruit that really resembles a zucchini. Yes, you guessed it, our cantaloupe plant magically turned into a zucchini plant. We now have at least 5 zucchinis growing in our magic garden. Is that not so cool!!! I am proud to say that our other plants have also taken off and started to grow. A pumpkin, squash, tomato, several sunflowers and what I am guessing is a cantaloupe (we will have to wait and see on that mystery plant). But it is true, we have a magic garden. I am not sure how it happens, maybe Caleb slips a special seed in there when I am not looking, but it happens; two years in a row.The plant directly behind Caleb is our miraculous cantaloupe turned zucchini plant. Everywhere else you see raspberries, tomatoes and sunflowers (Caleb's favorite thing to plant).

Caleb's Birthday

Here are some pictures of Caleb's week long celebration. He turned 5 and was very excited to watch "His" fireworks, to go to the cabin and play, to go to the rodeo, to have the primary sing to him and to have party after party. I think we celebrated pretty well.

We love the rodeo! It is so fun to watch. Even the temper tantrum right before we leave the house (due to a lack of nap, two years in a row mind you) has not stopped us from going.
Before the friend swimming party, William was oh too excited to be in this picture. :)
The swimming party was great! The kids had a blast, oh and if you are wondering about the girl with the plastic bag on her head, she just had her hair done like the day before and could not get it wet. So, we had to tie the bag around her hair to keep in dry. Yeah right!
Caleb wanted a boot cake with fireworks so, I did the best I could. I think it turned out rather well. Caleb added the explosions of sprinkles because as we all know, sprinkles make it all taste better. Happy Birthday, Caleb! We love you!

Ahh, I hit the wrong button!

Happy Birthday, Caleb! He turned 5 today and he had a great day. He woke up this morning, in Scofield, and said, "Am I 5?" I said yes, and he said, "Well, I don't feel 5." What a cool kid. We went to Scofield to watch Caleb's fireworks and play at the lake. He had a blast and told everyone around that those were his fireworks! Then we came home early so that the primary at our ward could sing to him. He is such a good little boy! We are so glad that he is in our family! We love you, Caleb!

Hey, look at that!

www.greatestjournal.com/quiz.bml?Q=16354&m=-1

Quiz - Results

Which Disney Princess Are You?

You Are Ariel!

Headstrong and fiesty. You have a mind of your own that's full of romantic dreams about the world around you. Exploring exotic places is your ultimate dream, and although you can be a little naive you'll realize that there is something to be gained from your family's wisdom.

It sure sounds like me. At least I think so. Oh, Diedre took this quiz, not Rob. :)

Haircuts 'N Pancakes

So I was sitting at the computer last night, preparing a lesson for church. I had just cut the boys' hair earlier that day, and my own. In fact, I cut my hair with a #2 attachment on the clippers--shorter than ever before.

In the midst of a rare moment of stillness (for him), Jonathan was sitting on the couch that was next to the computer, observing my preparations. All of the sudden he said, "Dad, when I grow up, I'm going to be bald just like you!"






Does anyone remember the ward pancakes/parades we participated in when we were kids? With Willie Hammond, Jack Macdonald, etc. under or overcookin' the food, and the games, and bike decorating, and stuff? I thought they were awesome, and could NOT wait to pull out my bike every year to decorate it and ride in that parade. Then eat pancakes...

Well, our ward did something similar for Flag Day this year, a Parade and pancake breakfast. Being the lazy dad that I am, I forgot to let the kids know in advance for the bike decorating part. It's all good though. The parade route was about 100 feet long, from one side of the church parking lot to the other. And back. Lots of times if you were ambitious.

At least the pancakes were good.

Reminds me of the pancakes Jon, Jackson, Cooper, Grandpa Gray and I enjoyed a couple of years ago in Thousand Oaks for one of their ward breakfasts. They were so good that Cooper and Jackson had to fend off Grandpa the Pancake Thief.

Happy Day, Emily!

Ok, so this post is WAY late in going up. But that's alright, since all of us Utah Grays (except Stephen--and both Jon and Dave are no longer Utah Grays) forgot to wish Emily happy birthday ON her birthday. (Enough pandering already?)

Happy Birthday Favorite Sister/Single Aunt in the Whole Wide World!!

Old Town San Diego

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Farmer's Market, Oceanside

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

So, I think I should finally put a wee pic of my new car on here, since some of all y'all live on the wrong side of the country! Enjoy that, ya hear?