the slightly more formal shots

While we were camping last weekend we had a fun photo shoot one afternoon to get those annual family photos for the holidays. Here's what came of it ....


That's Conrad on the left, Burke on the right. Just watching these two boys makes me tired. Oh, but they're so cute!! They turned 1 in September, and now we're just waiting for that day when they figure out walking ... and then running. Look out world! (For more on the Dublets, as we call them, Lucas and Christie have started catching us up on their first year of life on their blog, http://dublets.blogspot.com.)



Here's one of the many family photos we took. Not only do we have to get all the adults to smile at the same time, but we have two babies and two dogs to contend with as well! So I'm actually quite impressed with us as a group. Don't we look great? (From L to R: Andrew with Wylie, Christie with Conrad, Lucas with Burke, Bob & Pam with Gerschwin, Caleb, Heidi).



Originally I was going to use this picture on a Christmas card, but the annual Christmas mailing might look a little different from my original plan. At any rate, its always nice to have a decent picture of ourselves NOT taken by holding my 2-second-delay camera myself while trying to stretch my arm far enough away to get us both in the frame.

Christmas Music, Part I

One of my absolute favorite things about Christmas is the music. Its festive, its thought-provoking, it ushers in that "Christmas feeling," and its the one time of the year you can hear praise music playing over the loudspeakers in the mall. Its that happy background reminder of why we celebrate this season at all. So I've decided to take the next several days to share with you some of my favorite Christmas albums. Perhaps you'll discover something new, or share in my enjoyment of a certain album. I also encourage you to share music with me that I may not know about! Happy listening everyone!

Today I'm going to start with a classic. Whether or not you're a country music fan, you can't help but be amazed at Martina McBride's beautiful, clean and powerful voice. I've seen her in concert, too, and I can attest to the fact that she's the real thing. This is her first Christmas album, entitled "White Christmas," originally released in 1999.

I often judge a Christmas album by its rendition of "O Holy Night," my favorite Christmas tune of all time, and a powerful song when done well. This album holds one of my absolute favorite versions of that song. She also covers all the favorites, exactly the way you already know them. And yet because she can sing, they're not boring at all.

She brings renewed love to classics like "White Christmas," Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow," "I'll Be Home for Christmas." And then she does beautiful renditions of favorite "reason for the season" songs like "Silent Night," "O Come All Ye Faithful," and "Do You Hear What I Hear." If you're looking for an album with all your favorite Christmas songs, sung by a true master of vocal control and power, I highly recommend this album. I've had it for years and its still one of my favorites.

bad hair decisions

This morning I made an executive decision and decided to cut my own bangs. Three minutes later, as I stared at my now too-short bangs, I decided my life might be better run by committee, perhaps with my hairdresser as CEO. I was also reminded a non-morning person should NEVER make such important decisions before noon.

negative calories

Wouldn't it be great if your body took into account all the foods you COULD have eaten, but didn't? I am daily tempted by things like office birthday cake, the M&M's dispenser, the stock of soda in the fridge, more creamer for my coffee, chips instead of fruit with my sandwich, the frozen pizza instead of chicken and broccoli for dinner. And yet I choose to exercise great restraint, which is very unlike me when it comes to my sweet tooth. Sometimes the most difficult part of my day is NOT eating something I want. And I just think these moments of hard-won victory should count toward the overall goal of weight loss. I want those 300 calories I DIDN'T eat to equal 30 minutes of cardio workout ... or maybe some push ups ... even a brisk walk.

I'm just having one of those days where I feel the need to complain about how HARD losing weight can be! Honestly, a small handful of M&M's can throw off my entire week's goal. Which I don't get, because they're so small ... surely an M&M has no calories. How do they fit in there??

OK, I'm done whining, which I'd have had some cheese with, but I'm stronger than that.

thanksgiving 2007

As is custom, we switch back and forth between our two families every year for the holidays. This year we joined the Westons in a Thanksgiving camping trip! We camped for four days in King City, off the 101 between Paso Robles and Salinas, in case you're wondering. The days were beautiful, the nights were frigid, the food was scrumptious and the relaxing was much enjoyed by all who partook. Following are a few pictures from the weekend. (Click on any of the pictures for a link to the rest from Thanksgiving.)

Bob, Lucas, Christie, Pam, Andrew, Heidi, Caleb ... enjoying our Thanksgiving meal complete with turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, yams, and stuffing. Mmmmm .... And then of course, we had pie for dinner.

This was the campsite. Bob, Pam and Andrew slept in the trailer on the left, Lucas and Christie and the boys slept in the tent trailer on the right ... Heidi and Caleb slept in a tent in the middle. It got down into the mid-20s every night, making for interesting sleeping for me and Caleb. But it worked!

I, of course, spent as much time knitting as the cold air would allow. Its a bit tricky to keep knitting when your hands are pretty much frozen through. But I got a lot done anyway!

On Friday, Andrew, Caleb, Lucas, Christie and I went for a hike in the nearby Pinnacles National Monument. It was a gorgeous day and a fun afternoon out.

And then of course, there were the cutest participants of the weekend, Conrad and Burke. They seemed to thoroughly enjoy their first camping Thanksgiving.

the shopping begins

My sister Amy and I decided to get a head start on Christmas shopping this year and spent all day last Saturday, the 17th, tackling the annual ritual of spending more than you've got, all in an effort to bless loved ones with the most thoughtful gift they'll receive this year. It was a very productive day, with both of us finishing about half our total lists. Considering Christmas is still a month away, I'd say significant progress was made. And we decided it needs to become an annual tradition, getting Christmas shopping out of the way before Thanksgiving. Happy Shopping everyone! May you enjoy as much success, if not more, as you search for that "most perfect gift" for everyone on your list.

It was a long day and we were exhausted when we got back.

But, even so, we spent the rest of the evening watching "Elf" and wrapping as many gifts as we could!

the latest knitting experiment

One of the reasons I decided it was finally time to learn to knit was because knitting has much broader possibilities for making clothing items than does crocheting. And since I started learning I've been happily knitting hats and gloves and baby sweaters ... each a little better than the one that preceded it.

So, a few weeks ago or so I decided it was time to attempt something larger and more complicated ... an adult-sized sweater. Still unsure of my skills, I settled for fairly cheap yarn (a decision I would later regret ... but I didn't want to buy expensive yarn and then have the whole thing come out a disaster!). The pattern wasn't a difficult one, but I still managed to mess it up enough to have to start over 3 times.

Eventually I got the pattern down, got into a rhythm, and what you see below is the fruits of my labor. The cheapness of the yarn resulted in a very stiff and overly heavy sweater, but I have to say, I am still quite impressed that it turned out looking like a sweater at all! One of these days I'll get a picture of myself wearing it. It'll have to be a really really cold day.

And the learning continues!

This is the back of the sweater, about 3/4 of the way done.

In order to knit on the collar, I had to sew all the pieces together to form one long row. This was the toughest part of the whole thing, as that sweater was HEAVY, and I had to knit on another 20 rows or so. During this part I actually had sore muscles in my hands.

And here it is! The finished sweater! I realize this is not a great picture. But you get the idea ... I made a sweater! And I just had to share my success with the masses. I was actually quite surprised that it came out at all. And, despite its heavy nature, its actually the perfect size for me. For now, I'm chalking that up to sheer accident.

A tie!

Looks like mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie tied for favorite Thanksgiving foods! Not sure if those alone would make a complete meal, but I'd eat it. Thanks for voting everyone!

on hospitals

These past two weeks I've either been visiting or talking about visiting the hospital. My grandma has taken up a reluctant residence there, hopefully for just a little while longer while they sort out her insides. We're all anxious to have her out, especially Grandma herself. She says the service is nice, but she's longing for home.

Hospitals are generally not relaxing destinations. Unless you're going to visit a new mom and baby, the reasons for a hospital visit are usually less than pleasant. As you pass countless other visitors, all talking in hushed whispers, some carrying balloons and flowers, some only carrying a far-off look, you're reminded that every person spending time in a hospital is someone's loved one, with a family, a lifetime of stories.

Even if the loved one you're visiting is NOT sitting at death's door, you can't help but notice the solemn nature of your surroundings. The walls are a mute taupe, the halls are wide enough for gurneys and entourages of nurses and doctors, everyone speaks quietly and the hospital staff and volunteers tend to be overly caring and concerned. Hospitals are the one place you can't help but stare your own mortality square in the eyes. And who wants to be reminded of that?

Death catches us all, as they say (I admit, I don't know who "they" are). We can't spend every moment of every day consumed by the inevitability of life's end. Life would feel meaningless, hopeless, pointless. And yet I definitely think it important that we are reminded now and again of our frailty. It forces us to contemplate life's meaning, purpose, and the afterlife. I happen to believe that death is just another step in the life of my soul. And through my faith in the saving grace of Jesus Christ, I believe my soul will live forever in heaven with Him. But I often wonder about hospital visitors without this assurance, or those who've contemplated it and haven't come to the same conclusion. How hopeless and meaningless life must feel!

My recent musings on death have been an important reminder that God is real, and that though my life is temporary, it is not insignificant. Because I have a hope in things to come, my life right now has meaning, if for no other reason than this is where God has me right now, and he expects me to live according to His plan for me. Discovering that plan is a daily adventure, but it is the adventure that I live for. Again, how sad for the one with no hope for the future, no answers to the age-old "Why are we here?" question.

My recent thoughts have also given me a perspective on the things I tend to get overly concerned about ... the size of my home, the weight on my hips, my limited wardrobe. In the grand eternal scheme of things these things don't matter either. They are only for this time, this short short time here on earth. And that is comforting. Though I love my life, I also recognize that what God has in store for me in the hereafter will be infinitely better. I wouldn't say I can't wait, but perhaps I can say I look forward to it.

Hospitals may be a less-than-pleasant place to visit, whether or not you are the patient, but it can be a reminder of the hope we have in Christ. Without it, hospitals would be a dreary place indeed.

lost in a picture

This picture was taken by my dad in Acadia National Park, Maine. I love pictures like this. It's peaceful, and yet there is a voice beckoning me to explore this still and quiet place. There's a kind of soft adventure to be found. What's beyond the ridge? What's to either side of this cairn (trail marker)? Why is the cairn even there? I can easily imagine myself getting lost in the silence, the solitude, wandering slowly along the ridge, through the trees. And today, as I hang on to the end of a somewhat emotional week, a picture like this helps me to be quiet, still, unspeaking. It is in places like this where it is easiest for me to settle, to be still, a place I often long for and yet rarely take time to pursue. It is often in the stillness I am finally able to hear myself, to process the thoughts that as of yet have done nothing but swirl in my head without order, without stopping. It is also in the stillness that I am able to connect once again with my ever-patient God. He is always waiting, wanting to take my swirling thoughts and emotions and give them order, meaning, and help to cope. Maybe its that need drawing me to quiet places right now. My need for God's presence and peace feels thick, overwhelming. And it can be difficult to find while working in an office painted taupe, with black metal filing cabinets, fake plants and too many piles on my desk, not to mention the intermittent ringing of the phone, requests of my boss and conversation of my coworkers. It seems the exact opposite of what my dad's picture is offering. Which is exactly why I love, and even need, this picture.

Thanks Dad.

Contentment

The idea of contentment has been a prominent one in my thoughts of late. What is it? How do you find it? Is it possible to be content on even the wantingest days? In America today there is so much pressure to have more, do more, be more. And yet God calls for me to be content today, leave the past behind and leave tomorrow for, well, tomorrow. What I have and who I am right now are exactly all I need to have and be. Take one day at a time, and "be where you are," as my grandma always says.

On a purely materialistic level, living in a country where accumulating things is so easy makes contentment even harder to come by. Because we're used to having so much, we've come to expect much. Even I, on my limited spending budget, seem to be able to afford the new jacket, another skein of yarn for that new project, enough food to be nourished and a little extra for the cravings, and I'm able to go out and see movies and take weekend trips, even as gas prices become simply ridiculous. My life is far from extravagant, but when it comes down to it, there's little I have to deny myself.

And yet I often find myself wanting more, or worried about wanting more in the future ... will we ever be able to afford a bigger home? Will we even be able to afford kids?! Will I ever get to have a cashmere sweater? And what about all the vacations we've talked about taking? And when we have the kids and the pets we can't afford, how will we afford the bigger car to cart them all around? How can you expect me to be content when there is so much I still want and worry I'll never have??

Hmm ... I think I might be on to something. Contentment is a lack of worry about these things; not necessarily a lack of want. And yet I think there can also be a peace about what IS that supersedes what I WISH were.

As you can see these questions center around finances, mostly. (Oh, how often I think a little lottery ticket would just solve everything! But then, I'd have to get up the guts to buy one, which I've never done, so as of yet my millions sit waiting for me to overcome embarrassment over lottery-ticket-buying-ignorance with an anonymous grocery store clerk.) Finances have to be one of the biggest areas of concern for us all. Living month to month, saving what we can, only to watch those savings drained by medical bills or license & registration renewals ... and coming up, Christmas. It can be really hard, and sometimes I really do think a few millions would solve a lot.

But I don't think that's the answer. Lessons are often learned through struggle, we are refined by fire. And so I have this sneaking feeling this is a lifelong battle, contentment. And yet I AM worried. Its not that I'm not content today, I think I'm more worried about not being content later. What if I have to work after kids? What if I have to raise kids in what will become a too-small condo? I feel like I need to solve these problems today in order to stave off discontent in the future. But does that make me discontent today? I'm actually not sure. I think on some levels I'm more worried about the future. I'm actually pretty happy with life as it stands right now. And yet, somehow, it seems that shouldn't be a concern if I were truly content today.

More later.

poll results

Well, it turns out nearly 100% of you have "innie" belly buttons ... except for that lone voter out there with an "other." Care to explain?

Thanks for voting everyone! Please vote in the new poll. Its time to start that mouth-watering anticipation of the year's best foods!

another knitted hat

This is my sister Amy and her boyfriend Hans. I believe this picture was taken at a USC game. A cute picture, don't you think? But what makes this picture over-the-top cute is the hat Amy is wearing. Why does the hat make the picture? Well, because I made it! It was knit from 100% cotton especially for Amy, who has a sensitivity to wool. I haven't been very good at photographing and posting my finished products, so the recipients of my knitting attempts are helping me out. Thanks Amy!

word of the day

I've long known this word exists, but whenever I try to recall it in conversation, I forget it. Today I came across it again, and decided that today it will be the word of the day. Let's all try to use it at least once in conversation today. Its the best way to remember it later.

Word: Circadian

Most Common Use: Circadian Rhythm

Dictionary Definition: noting or pertaining to rhythmic biological cycles recurring at approximately 24-hour intervals.

Wikipedia Definition: A circadian rhythm is a roughly-24-hour cycle in the physiological processes of living beings, including plants, animals, fungi and cyanabacteria. The term "circadian", coined by Franz Halberg, comes from the Latin circa, "around", and diem or dies, "day", meaning literally "about a day." The formal study of biological temporal rhythms such as daily, weekly, seasonal, and annual rhythms, is called chronobiology.

a dressed up weekend

This weekend Caleb and I drove to Phoenix for a 30th birthday party of one of his friends. Tammy's birthday is actually on Halloween, and loves dress-up parties. So this one was a costume party. We were loaned King and Queen costumes by friends of ours (thanks Slausons!). We were, of course, the handsomest couple there. But there were a few other clever entries. See the pictures below for the costume parade.

This is Jon and Tammy (the birthday girl) and their daughter Malena. We were all a little worried about Jon's short skirt, but thankfully there were no embarrassing Peter Pan moments.

This is Tammy's brother Kevin, his wife Crystal and their son Brody. Kevin won the Best Costume prize of the night ... perhaps merely for the guts to show off that midriff all night.

This is Andy and Mary. Andy was a Jr. High Basketball star (obviously) while Mary was the human whoopy cushion, complete with sound effects!

This is Rick and Helen, Tammy's parents. They were our hosts for the weekend, and totally got into the costumes!

This is Mark and Lisa ... er, Magnum P.I. and a classy woman from the 20s.

This is the Superhero family ... the Fryes! Travis as Batman, Jayden as Robin, Carrie as Batgirl, holding Gavyn, Bat BABY!

And presiding over this entire kingdom was the Burger King, and his Dairy Queen.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The following are pictures of two of the cutest girls of the weekend. They just needed to be added to the menagerie of pictures here.

This is Ashya Hupp ... the miracle baby. You might remember last year us asking for prayer for the baby born 3 months early to good friends of Caleb's, Paul and Deb? This is Ashya now, a healthy 14-month old! (Unfortunately, I missed getting pictures of Paul and Deb in costume ... they were awesome pirates, and Ashya was a monkey!)

This is Malena Mathis ... Jon and Tammy's little girl. They're now pregnant with their second, another girl, due in March.

wherein the doctor confirms I had correctly diagnosed and treated myself

I am NOT a hypochondriac. My mama raised me right, or least tough. "You're not throwing up, your temperature is under 104, you're fine. Get dressed and go to school." "I'm sure its not broken, if its still hurting tomorrow we'll go to the hospital." "I wouldn't call it 'gaping,' put a bandaid on it and go back outside and play." These are the mantras I grew up with and have come to call my own. I assume most things are not serious, take most pain in stride, and figure whatever it is it'll probably go away soon anyway. Kind of like the "check engine" light in my car. If you wait long enough, it just burns out.

So when the intense itching in my forearms started last Monday, on my way home from Orlando, I figured it was a heat rash and would go away in a few days. However, after a week of not sleeping well and 3 tubes of Benadryl lotion, those around me started insisting I see a doctor ... just to make sure. I hemmed and hawed a while longer, but finally gave in after another sleepless night left me near tears over just having to wake up. I was still sure the unexplained itching would go away soon, but there was simply no other way to silence the voices around me who, I imagine, were simply tired of hearing me complain.

Yesterday I made an appointment for today. I told my boss what the deal was and that I'd be gone a little longer during my lunch break, and off I drove for East Whittier. Yes, from Fullerton that takes a full 30 minutes, all side streets (another reason I try to avoid actually having to SEE the doctor). When the doctor finally came to my little doctor's office room, I started explaining to her my unexplainable itching. As I did I could hear in the back of my head my mother saying, "I can't believe you actually went to the doctor for some itchy arms." But I had to know, right? She confirmed it wasn't infectious, or it would have spread. It wasn't allergic, or there would be a rash. And since there was no rash, she couldn't really diagnose anything. It probably IS a heat rash that is simply taking a long time to go away. Much to my doctor's credit, she never looked at me like I was wasting her time. She's the reason I still drive cross-country for a doctor's visit.

She told me about some stronger anti-itch creams that I could get over-the-counter, and said if it was still a problem in a couple weeks, I could call her and she'd prescribe something even stronger. But basically, I was already doing the right things and I could rest easy that it would probably go away on its own. Exactly what I thought.

I'm still trying to silence the "I told you so" voice in my head. It probably WAS a good idea to double check that there wasn't something more wrong with me. And I am assured its not allergic, which had become my main suspicion. And she confirmed that I'm doing the right things with the anti-itch cream and the antihistamine to sleep through the night. (That's probably been the hugest help, as I'm more rested during the day and therefore less cranky with my ever-patient husband.)

So although I still heartily agree with my mother that few things actually need a doctor's advice or drugs to heal, I suppose I'm glad for the doctor's confirmation. And hopefully the "voices of reason" around me are appeased. I promise to complain less about my itching. Really.

**Disclaimer: My mom is a wonderful person with a caring heart, and isn't nearly as uncompassionate as this little tale makes her out to be. I've always been prone to a little exaggeration. Love you Mom!