newmania

crazy weather

2012-01-09T05:09:00.001-06:00

this winter has been strange indeed. we have received snow, but then we also have had warm enough weather to play outside with just jackets. i love it, but at the same time hold my breath for when winter does come with a vengeance.

the bikes were put away, but then taken back out a few weeks ago

my old roommate from byu came to visit us this past monday with her cute family. they told as (as we played at the park) that this weather was like it was back home in arizona.

it is a good thing todd hasn't purchased a tarp to cover our play structure yet

"check out our super lush, dead grass."

we had to pry ellie away

abby sincerely hopes ellie gets a bike for her birthday next month, so she can inherit the radio flyer.

new year's eve

2012-01-09T04:52:00.001-06:00

new year's eve has always been a big event for my family. we grew up having our favorite snacks and treats and were able to drink as much soda as we liked. this was big since the only other time we drank soda was when my mom made pizza. so, the tradition lives on as we gather together in both portland, oregon and here in utah. this year we hosted the utah crew. it was a fun night of food, movies, food, games, and food.

abby looking oh so cute "working" in the kitchen

felicity and ellie as snow white and sleeping beauty

thanks, grandma karen! the dress-up clothes and beads were a big hit

you have to be quick to catch abby, i mean cinderella, in motion

playing this year's new game- word on the street. verdict: a very fun game and was especially great for a group

aunt jessica heading up the games for the youngins

loving the sister shots

getting ready for the countdown

annalise getting into the new year's spirit

Christmas

2012-01-09T02:46:00.002-06:00

Christmas day was a wonderful time spent with family. the girls woke up to having nona and papa at the house to see what santa brought them (the joy of having young children that you have to wake up for Christmas morning!). unfortunately, we only took video of their time here- so no photos of the beginning of the day...

a lot of our friends talked about how wonderful it was to have church on Christmas. i respectfully disagree. i found it challenging having our kids open gifts, enjoy their gifts, have breakfast, and get ready for church in the morning. plus, when we got to church, all our girls wanted to do was go home and play with their new toys. we spent the majority of our time in the hallway. getting off my soapbox...

we returned home just in time for grandma karen & grandpa kent and grandma & grandpa smith to come to our home. we got the girls back in their comfy pjs and spent time with our sweet grandparents.

abby with grandma karen. abby is a cuddly girl and grandma karen is happy to take full advantage of it.
(michael, i know- we are planning to pull the binkie after this next group of teeth come in, she is too addicted to it.)

ellie showing grandpa kent her cool barbie car. it is a joy having a husband who plays the piano so well- listening to him play is one of my favorite things!

the evening was spent at my brother's home with a delicious Christmas dinner and time to play with cousins. it was such a special day seeing so much family!!!

Family Christmas Gatherings

2012-01-04T15:09:00.000-06:00

we got together with some family from my mom's side for some appetizers, singing, talking and games. it was nice having everyone together- i hadn't seen my cousin jilene & her family in years!

it was so fun seeing all the Christmas decorations i grew up with in my parents' new home. i remember playing with this toy for hours when i was young.

singing Christmas carols with Jake, the wonderful pianist.

playing games & chatting

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Christmas eve was spent with Todd's mom's family for dinner and the nativity. this is the best part of Christmas- seeing everyone together!

uncle greg with emma and ellie.

professor brian imparting his knowledge upon us.

just have to throw this in: todd's family are huge university of utah fans, but brian teaches at my alma mater byu. this may be why i love brian so much- he really is a genius. :)

todd played the music for the nativity.

final pose with all the cast.

2011-12-24T05:01:00.001-06:00

wishing all our loved ones a very merry Christmas!

downtown

2011-12-24T04:56:00.002-06:00

it is our family tradition to take trax downtown to see the lights at temple square. this year we added going to the grand america hotel to see their window displays. the addition did not disappoint.

on our way downtown.

side story: todd forgot to scan his i.d. card to ride trax (you can get a ticket for not scanning it) and jumped off at a random stop to do so. i was in charge of continually pushing the button to open the door. however, it closed after the third or fourth time pushing it. i was left alone on the train unsure of where i was going and how to get there. we only have one cell phone, and todd had it, so i prepared to get off the train at the next stop, praying todd would think the same thing and meet me there. as i began pushing the stroller out the door, todd came jumping in! he apparently realized he wouldn't make it to our train car in time, so got in another one. you can't imagine my relief seeing him- i was sure our night would be ruined before it had even begun!

we went to the grand america first. the window displays were a story that you follow along throughout the hotel (they even had it published into a book as well). we were given a scavenger hunt, of sorts, to find a hidden star in each display. at the end, we all received a delicious cookie from their bakery. it was a fun activity i hope the grand america will continue next year.

one of the "pages" (window displays)

after that, we headed over to temple square to see the beautiful lights. (as you can see, the stranger that took this photo thought it was equally important getting the pavement as the temple- i guarantee you when i took his family's photo, i got the temple spires!)

it is amazing how beautiful the lights are

inside the joseph smith building

it was such a fun night! i think next year, we might make it a two evening adventure, so we can really enjoy each spot. the end of the night bonus was seeing cousins at the bookstore on our way to trax. so, we got to ride home with ellie's "cousin friends" tyler and brayden. it definitely made the trip home faster and less painful for our tired children. thanks kathy and scott!

fun with the newmans

2011-12-24T04:24:00.002-06:00

Christmas tradition: matching pajamas from grandma and grandpa!

playing "santa" with cousins matthew and josh

all in the sleigh together

i'm trying to be good, santa!

2011-12-24T04:07:00.000-06:00

i love that my girls hold hands. they hold hands to dance together, to walk through the house together, and they hold hands in the car. it is seriously cute stuff.
as we drove home the other night, abby began to fuss. i asked ellie what the problem was. she said that abby wanted to hold hands, but that her hands were cold, so ellie didn't want to. i reminded ellie that it was important to be a good big sister and make good choices. i also slipped in that santa was watching.
a few moments later i hear ellie saying quietly, "i'm holding abby's hand, santa, but it's cold!"
way to go, sport.

2011-12-18T04:48:00.001-06:00

last weekend, we had our good friends the evers over for dinner and a trip to gardner village to see the elves.

ellie liked hanging out with "easton and the brothers."

couldn't get all four to look at the same time

watching the elves baking for Christmas

there were some fun window displays

rockin' out

watching elves play music

after taking a few photos, jackson took his hood off, posed and said, "here, take another now."

the nice list. and upon closer inspection, you will notice...

the names of ellie, todd, and abby, but nowhere was there jeanette (on naughty or nice)

she was actually still and smiling long enough for me to take a photo!!!

under the careful (and spooky) watch of an elf

housekeeping

2011-12-18T04:44:00.002-06:00

i love that ellie insists on wearing that red hat whenever she picks up her bubble gun

ellie teaching abby how to dust

on to the piano

music time after the housework is complete

"abby's turn!"

2011-12-15T15:24:00.001-06:00

my kids love taking baths. it is always sad when they get out, so we take turns who gets out first. and that child also gets to choose which washcloth to use. the other day it was ellie's turn to get out first, thus she got to choose which washcloth she wanted. i was holding both out for her to choose from and she kept saying, "abby can choose first." she was being so nice, letting abby choose, but i kept telling her she got to choose. finally, abby just grabbed one. ellie exclaimed, "abby chose first, abby's turn to get out!" ellie is getting a little too smart.

we've tried getting abby out of the bath chair, but she doesn't like not having it. this way she can focus on her splashing.

i am glad for many things

2011-11-27T04:18:00.001-06:00

sorry- forgot to publish this post a couple weeks ago!
"i am glad for many things"
that's the new hymn our family learned this past week from the primary hymnbook. in preparation for thanksgiving, we discussed blessings in our lives and what we are each thankful for. we made a turkey showing some of the things that we are glad for and that make us happy.

todd's hands say: work, football, family

jeanette's hands say: gospel, freedom, our home, talents

ellie's hands say: temples, books, nona & papa, snowman, animals, grandma karen & grandpa kent, toys & games

abby's hands say: naps, binkie, walking, blankie, food

we spent thanksgiving with my family this year. we ate way too much and had a lot of fun together.

the spread. yes, there were 3 types of stuffing.

and of all this, ellie would only eat the grapes!

my parents moved into their new home one month after we did and they already have nearly everything up on the walls and their boxes are unpacked. i'm jealous. they got our old family photos up in the basement just in time for thanksgiving. the grandchildren had a good time looking at all of them, especially those where papa had a mustache.

fun with cousin-friends

2011-11-27T03:55:00.001-06:00

when todd and i were first married, we lived in omaha, nebraska (winter quarters for those who are pioneer buffs). todd had a cousin who lived about an hour away from us and we got together with he and his wife (scott & kathy) once in awhile. well, when we moved to our new home, we ended up one mile away from them as well (it's kind of like we are stalking them, but i swear we are not... at least not consciously). we have play dates and swap babysitting since our children are the same age. but what is the family relationship between our kids? first cousins once removed, second cousins, or just "cousin-friends?"

ellie & tyler racing from the craft table...

... to the bean bag.

over, and over, and over again.

(i think todd's favorite part of our house is that the basement was 100% finished. the family room downstairs is perfect for our family to play in.)

trying to get a photo of everyone.

tyler making his way through the tunnel.

ellie is right behind him.

once there were three snowmen

2011-11-21T22:34:00.001-06:00

last weekend it snowed. this isn't the first snow, but ellie was very excited to get out there and play. see, i'm not from snow country. so, snow is best for a 2 year-old when it comes on the weekend and her daddy, who is from snow country, is home. i make the hot chocolate (and keep the baby inside-to her sadness).

getting dressed for the snow.

someday... someday.

snowman #1

(with a pumpkin hat)

snowmen #2 & #3

cabela's = field trip

2011-11-21T21:53:00.001-06:00

i'm trying to organize myself lately. i have always struggled with being late to ... well, everything. i have a tendency to try and pack in too much into too small a time frame. also, i found that we would go weeks without doing a fun project or a fun outing. then i would try and overcompensate by doing a ton of fun stuff, thus getting behind in housework. so, in an effort to improve and organize myself, i have made a weekly schedule.

why am i confessing? in order to explain why we went to cabela's. we go on a "field trip" once a week to do something fun (and hopefully educational). i had planned to go to the monte l. bean life science museum at byu this past week with the girls. however, we went to visit my parents in lehi, and they happen to live near cabela's.

have you ever been to cabela's? if not, it is pretty great for kids. there are a bunch of animals- and not just deer and elk (although there are plenty of those). ellie had a blast and she loves looking at her flashcards with the animals we saw there.

abby pointing out the huge animals!

ellie and papa checking out the wildlife.

there is nothing like a scalp massage from a polar bear.

a rare photograph of ... jeanette. (i'm usually taking the photos.)

ellie got to feed some fish, then we went to the aquariums where there were some huge fish. ellie liked the catfish (i think she liked their name best). we got to see the fish in the aquariums be fed. they ate fat worms (you can see them in the photo above). they also fed them goldfish. live goldfish. big, live goldfish. i couldn't get a photo of the goldfish, though, because they didn't last long enough for me to focus the camera and push the button.

here is a big guy coming right at us.

you can't get this close to a bear at the zoo!

ellie liked this yellow plane.

i miss horseback riding.

nonna supervising ellie's driving.

messy abby

2011-11-12T01:07:00.001-06:00

my girls are similar in some ways, but completely opposite in many others.

when ellie was in her first year, she measured in the 50th percentile for height and under 5th for weight. abby measured at the 75th-90th percentile for height and 50th for weight. ellie quit napping before her first birthday (at least she goes for a quiet time now). abby needs her nap, and while there is only one (she just won't fall asleep in the morning), it is usually 3 hours. ellie has a list of 22 items she will eat (peanut butter, jam, and bread are 3 items). she also likes processed food more than my cooking. abby will try nearly anything, eats most things, and does not like things from a can or box as much as she likes her mama's meals.

ellie does not like to get messy inside the house (outside is a different story). when painting, she wants me to wipe her hands whenever paint gets on them. when a clothing item gets dirty from life's activities, she changes out of the dirty item. and when eating, she prefers an adult to help her so as to not get messy.

abby is a different story. she loves to get messy- especially when eating. she eats better when we put the plate on her highchair and hand her the fork. and she does not mind getting the food all over her hands, face, and hair. rinsing abby off after a meal usually consists of rinsing her hands, mouth & cheeks, and taking the sprayer and rinsing out her hair. it is like a beauty parlor multiple times a day.

i love that i just wrote how abby doesn't like processed food and here she is eating it. i swear, this doesn't happen very often.

sad story. we purchased our new home (you know that feeling when you see your hard-earned money that you have watched slowly build disappear- for a great reason, but gone none the less). two months later, my car's tires are so bald the auto shop guy told me they were illegal. bought new tires. same month, our laptop finally died (we had multiple difficulties with it). so, i didn't use my camera for fear of losing those photos that had been saved on the now dead laptop but not the external hard drive (i had filled my memory card).
then, on abby's first birthday party, we check the tape in our video camera to see how much space is left. it needs a new tape. we are out of tapes, so todd runs to walmart and picks up a pack. we load the new tape and the door to hold the tape in won't close. seriously. todd checks online and apparently this type of thing happens more often than one might think. i am panicking. we don't have a camera or a video camera for our daughter's first birthday party. we quickly call family to bring their camera equipment to cover us. sad ending: we missed recording abby's birthday and first steps.
happy news. we decorated cookies for family home evening the other night. abby went to town on it. as i photograph it, todd says, "i think this almost makes up for her birthday cake."

and while my girls are different in so many ways, i couldn't love both of them any more than i already do!!!

halloween

2011-11-04T04:45:00.000-05:00

remember how halloween was on a monday? well, the saturday before halloween we went to a party at the rec center near our home. it was a lot of fun for the girls (the games and activities for ellie and the wide open spaces for abby to go walking). ellie rocked the donut on the string activity. seriously, each time she went in for it, she came out with a big bite. i'm wondering if todd has been training with her when i'm not around. ;)

but, back to our story...

at the end, we got popcorn and drinks. we took them over to the large window where you can sit and look inside the pool area. this, of course, got the girls excited about swimming. so, i ran home, got all our gear, and todd took the girls swimming while i went upstairs and worked out. what can i say... todd is an awesome husband and daddy. what a fun evening, right?!!

well, it was ellie's first time swimming without a swim diaper, so there were some repercussions with that. just think along the lines of going down a slide at least 20 times in the 10 minutes i was watching her. ellie went 15 hours before she couldn't "hold it" any longer and wet her pants for the first time since her first day of potty training. i was so nervous this would take her a couple of steps back, but (thank goodness) it was back to old hat and she has been doing great since. it may have helped that i was determined to clean up the mess before cleaning her, so she had to stay in her saturated pants for an uncomfortable little while.

that was sunday.

monday (halloween) morning, we were eating breakfast. it wasn't ellie's favorite, so when she was reluctant to eat, i assumed it had to do with the oatmeal. she didn't eat well the night before, either, but this is ellie- queen of the picky eaters. after telling her that she wouldn't have another opportunity to eat until lunch unless she ate now, she turned her head and threw up. again, this is ellie- queen of the picky eaters and president of the obstinate club. while she hasn't ever made herself throw-up, she does make herself gag whenever we try and force her to take a bite of food when she doesn't want it. so, i didn't think anything of this. but then it happened again, and a third time. all within about a two minute time frame. having had limited experience with a sick child (knock on wood), i gave her juice and crackers soon after. and that came up as well, only this time on my carpet.

ellie was sick on halloween.

all i can say is i am sooo thankful for my sisters. sisters-in-law technically, but since i grew up with four brothers, i am lucky they all married such awesome women who each have specialties that i am able to glean from. i called a couple of my sisters, got a most likely diagnoses, some "how-to" information on cleaning the mess up, taking care of my sick little girl, and what to expect next. i was ready to go.
once again, i was completely lucky. we told ellie she would be able to go trick or treating if she took a nap. ellie gave up regular naps at nine months old and her last one was easily 2-4 months ago, so i just prayed this would work. it did. she laid down and actually fell asleep! and for three hours!!! i had to keep checking on her breathing for my own sanity.
ellie woke up and immediately asked to go trick or treating. after having her eat a decent meal, prove she could keep it down, and show us she was back to her old self, ellie was able to go out trick or treating. we kept her away from the other kids and todd brought her back once to drop off abby. she was feeling well and ready to continue, so was out awhile longer. all-in-all, ellie had a fun halloween night.

the cowgirls in their wagon

ellie loves the little pumpkin she got at nona and papa's halloween party. we had to give it a bath so it could come into our home and live with us. it presently is in her bedroom. she loves to carry it around. it is a pie pumpkin, so come thanksgiving...

p.s. i made ellie's costume. it was one of those many times i am glad my mom and dad moved out here so she could hold me by the hand while i did some parts- but i did it!

p.p.s. i didn't make abby's costume. i found it at gymboree for $5 this summer, but it was what created the cowboy theme.

pumpkin patch

2011-11-03T07:33:00.001-05:00

um, i don't really know where begin. i think i'll just admit defeat and start from two weeks ago.

we went to the pumpkin patch recently. todd pointed out that it was more of a pumpkin drop-off, since they didn't grow there. however there were corn mazes, tractors, a hay ride, wheelbarrows, and tons of pumpkins, so i was happy.

abby liked touching all the big pumpkins

ellie liked picking pumpkins and saying, "um, this is a good one." and putting it in her wheelbarrow. by pumpkin #3 she couldn't steer any longer.

abby behind the wheel.

ellie at work

i love this photo. todd is such a wonderful daddy.

if i ever truly learn to photoshop, i will be able to get things out like the houses in the background and todd spotting the girls. :)

ellie loved the corn maze. i think we went through it seven times.

hopefully i can get back into blogging. no promises.

birthdays

2010-02-20T23:04:00.008-06:00

cousins matthew and josh with ellie and grandma karen & grandpa kent

in january, we celebrated grandma karen's birthday all together. it was fun having everybody over at our new home!

singing to grandma

ellie's 1st birthday!!!
ellie, todd, grandpa kent
it isn't the best photo of ellie, but her daddy is sure cute!

grandpa kent (todd's dad) thomas (my brother) and felicity (thomas' daughter)

todd, cousin felicity, and ellieellie was very lucky- two pair of great grandparents live close enough to share her birthday with her: grandpa & grandma smith (todd's mom's parents) and grandpa & grandma newman (todd's dad's parents)i love my new kitchen. we were able to get about 20 people in it for dinner.
some of the crew enjoying our cafe rio salads... yummy!!!grandma karen reading to ellie and cousins felicity, milo, and quintonellie's birthday cake. everyone got a cupcake with a "paw print" on it (a thin mint and 3 extra large chocolate chips)our little family.
i've never made a decorative cake before. i was really scared. between my mom and sisters, jessica & kim, i got enough nerve & a great idea to actually make it.ellie wasn't sure what to do with her cake.so todd got her startedhe actually had to help her a lot.grandma smith visiting with ellie.she is so cute with ellieellie sharing with grandma karen. cousins annalise & milo were near to watch ellie's progress.while she did eat some cake, ellie mainly enjoyed smooshing her hands in it.happy birthday, our little one year-old!

Christmas

2010-01-24T22:25:00.009-06:00

i'd like to dedicate this post to my dear sister kim. each time i speak to her, she somehow is able to slide in how great it is to blog and keep updates and.... "oh, yeah, if only you updated, jeanette; i'd know what ellie looks like and could imagine her doing what you describe."
so, here we are. :)
with so many things changing in our lives, i did get behind in photo taking. plus, when we were somewhere with family, everyone else was taking photos, so i didn't. lame, i know. and now that i am back, i'll get better.
there are only a few photos from Christmas, but i'm sure nobody wants to see an entire album. ;)

our little family at my brother's home
ellie with her cousin annalise, looking at the Christmas tree
playing at grandma karen's with cousins matthew and josh
ellie playing with our indoor snowballs
on Christmas eve we had a pageant with the smith family (todd's mom's side). ellie was an angel
a little closeup of our angel
Christmas morning. we quickly opened gifts at home before the marathon day of visiting family. it is wonderful being so close to so many family members!

now, just watch- i'm going to become crazy-nuts and blog all the time!

we're here, you just can't tell

2009-10-12T11:32:00.002-05:00

"what ever happened to our friends todd, jeanette, and ellie?"

the story of updating:
we are here, and i have plenty of photos to prove it. a number of times i have tried to update our blog. i had the todd studying for the bar theme, the our summer fun photos, the us moving from omaha to utah story, then the our summer was... but, alas, it may be awhile before anyone gets to see any of that.
you see, todd's parents have generously let us live with them while we are in life limbo. it has been great getting to know them better and to save all that money on rent! however, all of our stuff is packed to the ceiling (truly) in todd's old bedroom in the basement [come winter, i'm not sure if i get to go on a shopping spree or if we are digging for winter clothes ;) ]. and, the internet isn't fast enough for the posting of blog photos.
so, i am sorry to say, our blog has been put on temporary hiatus. a big apology especially to our family we don't get to see often enough and our good friends back in omaha who i promised regular updates to. as soon as possible, i will update.

ellie's blessing

2009-07-01T00:04:00.004-05:00

as an attempt to entice our family to omaha, todd and i decided to make a super weekend that they couldn't resist. we planned for ellie to be blest at church the same weekend as graduation. we had a couple bail (you know who you are and so do we), but many still followed through and we were so glad to have them in our home and to share with them this part of our lives.

todd gave ellie her name and a blessing may 17th. for those friends who are not familiar with our church, we believe in being baptized after the age of accountability (8 years old). so babies are not baptized. however, a priesthood holder (todd) gives the baby their name and a blessing. it was such a special opportunity where family and friends participated and showed their support towards our little family. todd gave a beautiful blessing to ellie.

ellie's dress was made by grandma melanson and her blanket was made by grandma karen. both were amazing, ellie looked like a princess. (i will add some photos that show this better later)

todd with ellie and todd's brother blake with his son ike (the first cousin ellie met)

ellie & ike

Graduation

2009-06-30T23:53:00.003-05:00

todd graduated from law school may 15th and we are so excited! i am so proud of all that he has worked for. todd is an excellent example of preparation and dedication. he has worked very hard throughout the entire three years. it was a pity that he had to begin bar exam prep classes on the 18th- what a way to celebrate completing his jd!!! this is the only picture that we had on our camera, but when i get some from our parents, i'll add another couple.

i'm told it all began with conversation over the term "hooding."

we will be back

2009-06-30T10:52:00.003-05:00

i have every intention on updating the blog: graduation, family visiting omaha, visiting family in utah/california/oregon, summer fun, anniversary, and of course... ellie updates! i no longer have my own laptop (had to give it back to the school when i retired), so i can only work on todd's laptop. that proves to be a bit tricky when he is away studying all day and evening. so, the only times i have ready access to the computer is when i have access to my husband, which i am learning to relish every last second more than ever! i will update, though, i promise!!!

catch up!!!

2009-04-27T23:05:00.005-05:00

well, i'm back to work and things are busy, busy, busy! here is my attempt to catch loved ones up in photos....mommy and ellie time! (i actually got a photo of me with ellie).
ellie at the pediatric orthopedic's office, right after getting her harness removed. it took her a little while to move her legs out of the position they had been in for the past 3 weeks.
finally kicking her legs!!
out for a stroll- our favorite pastime. note: pants and socks are part of her wardrobe again;)
happy to be out of her harness.
ellie has taken up cuddling with stuffed animals. here she is with sprinkles.
so, i swore i would never put more than a small bow in my daughter's hair. however, even i could not fight the trend. this past week i learned how to make headbands with a friend.
it's a pity such a cute photo had to have this background. (when i went to take photos, todd insisted i take a couple with the utah utes blanket).
we love this sweater aunt darlene made and expect more in the future- in every color!

2 month check-up

2009-04-08T14:10:00.004-05:00

ellie had her 2 month check-up on monday. that means shots- yuck! ellie did beautifully. she barely flinched on the first one, in her left leg. when the second one came along, in her right leg, her eyes got bigger than i've ever seen before and a tear came from her eye. then the last one, also in her right leg, made her cry. but by the time the nurse put the bandages on, ellie had stopped crying, and as i put her back in her carseat, she was cooing and smiling again. thank goodness!!! here are ellie's 2 month stats:
weight: 11 lbs. 7 oz. (75th percentile)
length: 23 1/2 inches (75th percentile)
head circumference: 15 1/2 inches (unsure of percentile)

todd and ellie enjoying some tummy time together:

ellie discovered her thumb a few weeks ago. it is so cute when she sucks on it, plus it buys me a few extra minutes of sleep in the morning! it isn't so cute, however, when she sticks her whole hand in her mouth and gags!!!
i can already hear todd's family cheering with her blanket and my family plotting their revenge!

good morning!

2009-03-30T11:19:00.008-05:00

i tried emailing this video to ellie's grandparents, but it was too big. so, watch if you like, but it is over 2 minutes long and isn't required by any means. :)

ellie's new look

2009-03-27T15:13:00.008-05:00

when ellie was born, the pediatrician discovered she had hip dysplasia. ellie had an ultrasound and met with a pediatric orthopedic, where it was decided we would wait a month to see if the socket improved. last week we went back for another ultrasound at childrens' hospital then went to the orthopedic again. while ellie's socket had improved from 51/52 degrees to 58/59 degrees (you want 60/61 degrees), the doctor thought it would be best to put her in a brace to help the progression.

so, this is ellie's new look for three weeks. we only take the top of her brace off to change her onsie & give sponge baths (typically babies don't get to wear the onsie underneath, but ellie developed a rash from the harness). ellie has been wonderful about all of it. after the three weeks, we will go in for another ultrasound. if all goes as planned, she will only need to wear the harness at nights for 2-3 months after the initial three weeks.
what is hip dysplasia? it is where the hip socket is shallower than it should be. this causes the hip to be unstable, due to the top of the femur (leg bone) not being properly located in the hip socket or not located where the hip socket is expected to develop. the pediatrician and pediatric orthopedic checked for a popping in her hip. it happens in 4 per 1000 births and is most frequently found in girls who are in breech position (which she wasn't) and are first-borns (which she is). if left untreated, it could result in a shorter leg & limp and premature arthritis & hip pain. we are so grateful it was discovered and is being treated now.

Sick Days

2009-03-21T09:29:00.014-05:00

ellie had her first sick day(s). totally freaked me out. i am a nervous mother and having a baby under 2 months old with a fever and other uncharacteristic events just about made me pull my hair out. thank goodness for both grandmas, daddy, wonderful friends who live so close, and ellie's nurse. each has been a great resource for me for information, comfort, and wise advice.

in grievance for her sick days, ellie wore black on day 2. she loved snuggling up in her super soft white blanket.

by the end of the week, she was feeling much better.

the video above is for those who just like to watch ellie move. nothing spectacular like first words or walking- that's for next week! ;) oh, but on sunday night/monday morning, ellie rolled to her side completely! i layed her in the crib on her back, went into the hallway to grab lotion, came back in and she was on her left side. it really shocked me- is that normal at 5 1/2 weeks?! i'm sure it is, i had just been taken by surprise.

another week bites the dust...

2009-03-15T18:35:00.007-05:00

todd's mom came to see us last week (okay, we no longer factor in for visits- she came for ellie). it was great having her here: she helped with cooking, laundry, cleaning, and holding ellie lots and lots. it was especially sad for me to see her leave because i felt like i was able to get so much more done while she was here.

since we just can't get enough of our ellie bear, we thought we'd share some photos from this past week (notice we get more photos on weeks when grandmas are in town!).

ellie with daddy

ellie Loves going on walks- she likes seeing the outdoors
(and hates it when we cover the stroller!)

napping in daddy's arms

i wanna pumP...you up!!!

she loves baths- although is looking a little guilty of something here...our cute little family

dear grandpa kent,

2009-03-10T22:07:00.003-05:00

we are having so much fun with grandma karen here. in fact, i am so sorry to tell you that she will be unable to return home. we have arranged for you to instead pick her up when you come for daddy's graduation and my baby blessing in may. i know you are going to miss grandma lots and lots, but see- i have never had such wonderful naps and mommy gets so much done around the house. we have just decided to keep her. we look forward to seeing you in may.

love,
ellie

first bottle

2009-03-10T21:57:00.004-05:00

in an effort to prepare ellie for my return to work, we have begun feeding her one bottle a day. it is her daddy's special time to cuddle and be with her. she did an incredible job for her first time- she took it right away. to date, she has taken the bottle 3 out of 3 attempts. dare i dream... a little freedom? maybe in a little while.

Ellie is 1!!!

2009-03-10T21:50:00.002-05:00

one month, that is. i can't believe she is already a month old. she is such a joy to have as an addition to our little family. i may get nothing done other than feeding her, changing diapers, and holding her; but it is wonderful. we love our little peanut.

First REAL Bath!!!

2009-02-27T23:49:00.002-06:00

Feel free to play the following game: spot the error in this video... ;)

Ellie's got the hiccups!!!

2009-02-27T23:41:00.002-06:00

L is for the way you Look at me...

2009-02-15T16:31:00.021-06:00

ellie is our little smiler. she smiles so often, i am just hoping she is one of those happy to be alive kids. it is fun to see those smiles, and i am not sure, but think i may have seen something that could resemble a dimple on her right cheek. i know many think it is just gas, etc., and that is what i thought the first few days, but i really am beginning to be a believer that she is a smiley baby.
i realize i have been posting a lot, but family keeps encouraging it. so, i continue. now that grandma melanson is gone, however, i think the photo sessions will decrease significantly. my mom left here with over 150 photos of our little peanut.

see?!!! cuteness, huh?

last year todd had one valentine. this year he had three. the poor guy. but he pulled through getting something for each of his valentines and taking us out to eat to celebrate. i really did marry the very best man in the world. i could go and tell you all the reasons, but it would embarrass him, so you will just have to trust me on this.

weather

2009-02-15T15:53:00.009-06:00

we had a pretty big snow fall friday. i'm not sure the exact amount, but when my mom went to measure outside our door, it was something like 9 inches. this is crazy because the first part of the week was sunny and warm with temperatures in the 60s. as one of the news anchormen said something like this, "some places have changing weather through seasons, ours changes through the week."

these photos are from right outside our door. in the first photo you can see the hill where todd went sledding a couple of times. we used kim's idea of a cookie sheet, as we don't have a sled. todd lucked out and a couple of friends were out at the same time and shared their equipment with him, so he didn't have to use his "ghetto sled" as much. in the second photo, to the left of the fence, is the ruler mom melanson used to measure.
mom melanson was so sweet and baked and baked friday morning. i was her assistant. we made a ton of brownies and rice crispie treats to give to neighbors and todd's work for valentines day.
well, then todd and i tried to get him to work. we had a very scary experience where our car slid down the hill a bit, turning 180 degrees, and he and one of our maintenance workers laid down dirt and pushed on the car while i gunned it in reverse to try to get back into our parking lot. needless to say, todd didn't make it into work friday. that left us with more treats than we had bargained for. i will have to catch todd's office on st. patricks day i guess.

Quality Time

2009-02-15T11:40:00.007-06:00

ellie loves to cuddle with grandma melanson. she actually discovered her favorite position with grandma. ellie loves to lay against our shoulder. it nearly guarantees a great nap- boy, ellie is going to be sad when grandma leaves!

actually, ellie won't be the only one who is sad with grandma melanson gone. it has been so wonderful having her here. not only is my mom an incredible support and resource with the birth of our first baby; but she has also been cooking, cleaning, doing the laundry, and so much more. it will be really difficult having her gone, but we look forward to when she will return with grandpa melanson in may for her blessing.

this is from ellie's first bath at home. while not her favorite thing in the world, ellie is getting better at them. last night we gave her one last bath with grandma melanson helping and having todd help, too. she actually didn't cry that much. she might actually like them once she can get into the warm water.

todd is reading miss spider to ellie. he read to her while i was pregnant many nights. i have loved and collected children's books since i was a teenager. it is wonderful to finally be using them with our own baby.

i'm so glad when daddy comes home...

2009-02-11T10:19:00.007-06:00

todd has been incredible with ellie!!! he is totally into doing everything- changing diapers and cleaning breast pump equipment included. last night he took ellie during her two hardest times of the night- when she just cried and cried and cried some more. the last shift, from 11:30pm-12:30am (must apologize to our connecting townhouse neighbors) she just wailed. and todd took care of her the entire time without any complaints (and grandma and i slept).

i was able to feed ellie after that, and she slept beautifully. both she and i actually were able to sleep in our beds for consecutive hours- i was in heaven. i am so grateful to have married such a wonderful man who is showing what a wonderful father he is, too.

ellie in her camouflage mode with grandma karen's blanket.
she slept so beautifully last night and this morning- if only that is how it could always be! :)

home is where the heart is

2009-02-09T02:36:00.007-06:00

ellie's coming home from the hospital outfit
our little family has expanded to three! (note the pretty pink roses from todd- i love them!)
we are so grateful grandma melanson is here helping!!! thanks for letting us have her, grandpa melanson... even if it isn't as long as we'd like! ;) ellie is also laying on one of our favorite blankets, which was made by grandma karen.
ellie is home now! she is doing great. a few of her favorite things so far: daddy reading to her, sleeping on grandma melanson's shoulder, pooping, eating, being sung/talked to. some not- so-much favorites: wardrobe changes and waiting on mommy to feed her.

hi, i'm new here

2009-02-06T21:44:00.004-06:00

here she is...ellie.
She was born on thursday at about 3:20 in the afternoon. she weighed in at 7 lbs. 4 oz, 20 inches long, and is presently crying- so i'd better go feed her!

ice! i mean... snow!!!

2008-12-26T10:11:00.005-06:00

well, we are in the midst of winter. omaha does nearly guarantee a white Christmas, however, it isn't like the lovely snow of utah (it is utah's theme after all- "greatest snow on earth"). this past weekend it was as low as -10 degrees and could get as low as -30 with the wonderful omaha windchill factor. add humidity and we have an awesome mix for miserable cold!

todd finally convinced me to bundle up and go outside to "enjoy the snow." i think the love of my life has forgotten he married a californian. :) we don't have a sled, so todd got a box and, with some imagination... voila!!!

we tried to make a snowman but the snow didn't pack. so todd made a pile with sheets of ice instead. i am so glad that he likes the snow so much. i am confident he will love taking ellie out in it as many times as she likes!

baby showers

2008-12-26T09:06:00.011-06:00

i have been very blest in that i have been able to have many sweet people in my life. those here in omaha have been wonderful in sharing the exciting introduction of our little baby girl. i actually had two showers at work. what a lucky girl! the wednesday before thanksgiving was the shower i knew about. but, since the paraprofessionals were not going to be at work that day, they instead surprised me the day before with snacks, a diaper cake and other thoughtful gifts. these ladies are those who give me sanity with my day. they are the ones who make copies, watch over my kiddos during lunch, work the office, and are my technology salvation.

then on wednesday the teachers had a shower for ellie. there was a tasty luncheon first. the staff was very kind and generous, we received the bouncy chair and high chair todd and i registered for, along with other nice gifts.

i really despise this photo of myself, however it is worth it to show you my dear friend anna. anna teaches kindergarten at columbian. she is a fantastic teacher and a wonderful friend. anna is the sweet one who put this shower all together. the decorations were super cute and everything was fun. so, big props to anna!

one of my students and her mom also gave me a shower at their home with some of my class and their parents. it was very nice to see everyone outside of the classroom in a beautiful home. there were fun games, yummy food, and thoughtful gifts. it was a book theme (how appropriate for their 3rd grade teacher!), so we received board books among other things.

i have to admit, the shower with my students was probably the least embarrassing one. it is all fun and games when you go to a shower, stand, watch, and cheer on another. it is a far different tune when you are the one who is the "star" and being surrounded, watched, and embarrassed. however, at least with my students i was able to involve them in the fun. they were more than anxious to play the games, see the gifts, clamor around me and be a part of the fun.

2008-12-26T08:53:00.002-06:00

since i am playing catch up in order of photos, the elusive pregnant jeanette is next. this was a month ago, so i was about 31 weeks along. (see, we really did intend to keep up on our blog!)

there are only two outfits that fit for church now: this black jumper and a black skirt. a big thanks to my friend angie for providing both of them. i had spent so much money on maternity work clothes, i really procrastinated getting church things. angie gave me her clothes after giving birth to her sweet little girl and they have saved me!

disc golf

2008-12-26T08:39:00.006-06:00

before the winter season set in we were able to get in a last disc golf game. it got dark really fast, so we could only get in a portion of the course, but we knew this would be the last time there for a few months.

A Tribute to Utah's Victory over TCU!!

2008-11-07T10:12:00.000-06:00

half marathon

2008-10-21T20:27:00.005-05:00

this past weekend we drove to sioux city, iowa. todd ran a half marathon! just for those who, like me, didn't know what a half marathon actually is... it is a 13.1 mile run. crazy, right?

just so happens i married a runner. and, not to brag, but he is a pretty darn good runner. todd "trained" for the last month or so. by "trained" i mean he went running 2 times a week. (i think that sort of training would prepare me for a 1/2 mile marathon.) well, todd did fantastic. he completed the half marathon in 1 hour 37 minutes. that is a 7 minute 27 second mile... for 13.1 miles. wow. that's about all i can say is wow.

we went with a few friends. it is actually thanks to them that todd did it. mitch sold a textbook of todd's and told him some of the money had to go to the application fee- so he couldn't find an excuse not to. we missed mitch, allie, and their boys; but did have a good time with the goates and gordons.

at first todd said he never wanted to do that over, but he is already talking about other ones in the future. we saw one guy finish by scooping up his little daughter (about 2 years old) and crossing with her over the finish line. that was motivation for me to really encourage him to do it again. ;) todd talks about us doing it as a family; however, i've never heard of an elliptical half marathon. :)

laundry

2008-09-28T22:39:00.006-05:00

it looks as though elizabeth jean is winning the race. the whole "peanut" idea hasn't worked as well as i had hoped. todd loves to call the baby "elizabeth" or "ellie." so i think it will take a lot for this little girl to come out being anything other than elizabeth. :)

i have been sick the last few days. i think the 10-11 hour days at work for the past two weeks has worn me down. i have been feeling so well, i haven't been acting much like i am pregnant. so, my body decided to teach me a lesson. i've been sleeping and catching up on laundry all weekend (10 loads by the way- todd helped, too). point has been taken and i will try to be better at getting the proper rest needed.

since i didn't go into work on friday, my sweet husband surprised me with these red roses in hopes of boosting my spirits. he is definitely a keeper. ;)

it's a girl!

2008-09-21T22:48:00.003-05:00

we went to the doctor on wednesday and everything is going well. we found out we are going to be having a girl and are ecstatic! it is so nice knowing that "it" is a she. two names we are thinking of as of now are elizabeth jean (both family names) and sophia marie (the latter is a family name). we are just calling her "peanut" for now.

peanut is also quite the mover. i've been feeling her a lot in the last week. todd is still not able to feel her yet, but it is fun talking about her. todd is so very cute with the whole thing. he talks, reads, and sings to her. he is going to be such a great daddy. also, at church today i noticed he was noticing friends' daughters a lot more than the sons. there was a fun glimmer in his eye. i can just tell how excited he is.

i apologize for the distance in blog postings. school has begun for both of us, thus, life is incredibly full. wonderfully full, yet full. and our camera is on the fritz, so the first day of school photos i took are not accessible. i'll get them up as soon as i get access to them.

nauvoo, st. louis, vacation!!!

2008-08-06T22:11:00.012-05:00

we traveled to st. louis for todd's brother's baby blessing this weekend. we decided to make it an extended weekend by going to nauvoo and carthage first. we discovered one day in nauvoo really wasn't enough time to see everything, so it was a bit rushed. we were so glad to be able to spend what time we could there. i can't wait to go back when we have kids. there were a lot of activities to attract children.
we got there in time for the nauvoo pageant thursday evening. it was a really wonderful way to start our visit there. friday we went to the temple. it was my favorite part of the trip. there was a wonderful feeling there and the temple is beautiful inside.
this is looking down the street of old nauvoo. we had limited time, but went in as many of the buildings as we could. it was neat having missionaries to give guided tours, give us some of the history of the location, and bear their testimony to us. this is the mansion house, the second house joseph and emma smith lived in while in nauvoo. their first home is kiddy-corner to this one. we were suppose to go on a tour to get in the other house, but just didn't have time to, so we just snuck in to see it!

as we left nauvoo, we continued to st. louis via carthage. we were in the last tour of the day to see the carthage jail where joseph smith and his brother hyrum were killed. it was a great experience putting all the things we've learned of throughout our lives and seeing the actual places where some of them occurred. there was an incredible spirit in this room, where they were when the mob came. this is the window joseph fell through.
we got to st. louis late friday night. saturday todd's brother and his wife played tour guide taking us to an awesome botanical garden, the famous arch, and a farmers' market (where we discovered after 3pm bargains are in abundance). todd went to blake's school to see where the magic happens and a beautiful cathedral just around the corner from blake's apartment.todd's dad with us leaning against the arch.
todd and i in st. louis. i realized as i downloaded the photos we didn't take any of blake's baby boy, issac. we did get video footage of him, but no photos.

come january...

2008-07-21T13:15:00.004-05:00

well, i have spent little bits of free time this morning adding several posts so that we could get to this part. so, if you continue scrolling, you will see a lot of new stuff. we have wanted to post this for the last two weeks, but have been slow going. our apologies!
if you can tell what this photo is, they are booties with the creighton university mascot on them. so, that is our announcement... we are expecting!!! i am 13 weeks along. the baby is due january 31st. we have been waiting to tell everyone until after we heard the heartbeat, which we did two weeks ago.

i've been feeling sick and "icky" (todd said that was my favorite word for a while), so everything appears to be going well. :) just when we thought we were out of the woods, i got really sick a couple of nights ago. so, maybe this will be our first week of being icky-free. todd has been great, helping with the house and not complaining about eating cereal for dinner two nights in a row. we are very excited and also thinking of names (suggestions are willingly to accepted) .

you're my best friend

2008-07-21T12:31:00.012-05:00

ooh you make me live
whatever this world can give to me
it's you; you're all i see
ooh you're the best friend that i ever had
i really love you

"you're my best friend" (the lyrics above) by queen is todd and my song. unfortunately, we weren't able to be together for our first wedding anniversary. but, we are kind of celebrating over a span of time. when i returned from oregon, todd and i celebrated our anniversary by finally having omaha steaks. while the restaurant wasn't what we had expected, the steak was great. we are also going to nauvoo in a couple weeks for our first time. we are very excited.

it has been a wonderful year being together; especially after we have had to spend so much time apart before getting married. it is amazing how much we have grown closer and more in love- sappy, i know. i really have married my best friend, todd is incredible. i look forward to the many years to come!!!

melanson family reunion

2008-07-21T11:44:00.011-05:00

the week of july 4th, i (jeanette) was in oregon at the melanson family reunion. it was a lot of fun seeing all the family, spending time with parents, siblings, and lots of nieces and nephews. todd was stuck in omaha, working. so, we spent our first anniversary apart... sad. :(

jessica, quinton, and connor enjoying ice cream.
the view outside our cabins was amazing.

it was nice being able to be in the outdoors without frying. we spent the first half of the week at a beautiful campsite. we were in cabins. i think i have discovered a new way of camping! :) that is thomas, posing for the camera.

dad melanson with quin. he spent a lot of time holding and reading with the grandchildren.
t.j. with some of the cousins (annalise, milo and luke)

some of the boy cousins gathered in bob's family cabin to watch national treasurer in preparation of watching the sequel later at bob's house in his awesome new game/media room.

the later part of the week we returned to town and had family olympics (tug-o-war between the kids and dads above), movie night, boy cousin sleepover, fourth of july barbeque and family fireworks. it was a great week!!!

omaha storms

2008-07-21T10:39:00.002-05:00

while we have experienced a tornado and crazy storms, i think the scariest has been the one on june 27th. it was the friday evening before i flew out to oregon. todd and i were running errands and were in bed, bath & beyond. we got the beyond part that day.

we could see the gray sky in the west as we drove around. several minutes later, the tornado sirens began going off. we decided to go into bb&b as to look for some gifts. employees were listening to the weather radio and said the storms weren't being reported. we started shopping. about 20 minutes later, the workers began gathering all the people in the store and took us to the back area.

when entering the store, you go through two sets of glass doors, with a little entry having display items between the two sets. while we were in the back, we could see out to the glass entrance doors. pretty soon we could see the sky turning as dark as night. the streetlights turned on and the wind began to pick up. the wind broke through the first set of doors; we could see the display items blowing all around the little area and hail pouring in.

turns out the winds were up to 100 mph and the hail was nickel-sized. our little village green townhouse complex seemed to be hit the worst we saw all around omaha and council bluffs. driving in, it looked like a war zone. the roads were covered with leaves, sticks, and branches. the hail looked like little piles of snow.

trees were down everywhere. there was one that was inches from the front of our friend's home. another friend had a porch swing blow into their window. the electricity was out at our home for just a day or two, but for others in omaha it was several days. we were so grateful that we had no damage to our home or vehicles. it sure has been a adventure living in omaha this past year!!!

summer fun

2008-07-21T09:47:00.003-05:00

well, there is a bit to get caught up on, so i'll enter them in separately- pretending that i was up to date the entire time! ;)

we have been wanting a croquet set for some fun in the sun, so todd received the game for father's day. he actually got it a couple of days early so we could play with our friends matt and melissa. however, i didn't take into account the hot, humid, and mosquito-filled summer we'd be experiencing. so, we haven't had a ton of opportunity for breaking in the mallets.

The Newmans @ the College World Series

2008-06-15T17:11:00.005-05:00

Here is a video of the fireworks show at Rosenblatt Stadium, the night before the game. Rosenblatt Stadium is where Omaha hosts the College World Series. Rosenblatt Stadium is probably a mile and a half away from where we live. Anyway this video was taken just down the street from where we live. Jeanette did a great job videotaping the finale.

This is a photo of us attending Game #2 of the opening round of the College World Series. Jeanette and I waited for almost 2 hours under the hot sun, trying to get into the game. That's what you get for taking free general admissions tickets from Creighton University. Game #2 featured Georgia vs. Miami. Miami led for most of the game, but then in the ninth inning, Georgia came back to win 7-4. We didn't stay for the whole game, mainly because neither Jeanette nor myself are huge baseball fans. Plus, we were sitting in the bleachers with some crazy, annoying Georgia fans who kept encouraging our section of the stadium to start the "wave". The game was pretty fun, but it was also quite hot.

OH BOY, FREE COKE ZERO!!!!!! So, as we were leaving the game early, we went to the main gate of the stadium, and there were a couple of vendors passing out free cans of Coke Zero, as a promotion gimmick. We just want to say thanks to Coca-Cola, its subsidiaries and affiliates ;)

baby, oh baby

2008-06-11T17:50:00.004-05:00

marie gave birth to isaac joseph newman monday afternoon (june 9th). we are so excited to have such a cute addition to the family. now we have two nephews named ike! both mom and baby are doing well. todd and i are hoping to travel to st. louis in august for his blessing. congratulations blake and marie!!!

watch out, dorothy!!!

2008-06-08T22:14:00.002-05:00

i thought we lived in nebraska, but i'm beginning to believe we are actually in kansas now, toto. :)

this past week , we have had severe weather warnings and tornado watches nearly every evening. we lucked out earlier this week when one that my pal al roker ("today" show shout out) was warning us of made an unexpected turn south that missed omaha. the young women from our ward had girls' camp this week. they spent every night in their tornado shelters (3 train cars) until finally they were evacuated to a church building thursday.

then, this morning at about 2:30 in the morning, tornado sirens rang loud and true. while our neighbors all moved to their basements for shelter, i slept soundly in bed. yes, it is true... i didn't wake up to the wind of the storm or the tornado siren! todd woke up and turned on the news, saw that it had already passed, watched an incredible lightning storm, then went back to sleep.

according to the local news reports, the tornado was rated as an ef-2, meaning that the storm contained winds of 111-135 mph. i tried to download some photos of where it actually hit (about 10 miles away from us), but to no success. the photo above is one i stole from my friend's blog that she stole from someone else. if you'd like to see some photos, the site is: http://www.ketv.com/slideshow/16541673/detail.html?taf=oma

i haven't been handling the last tornado watches with much poise... i've been glued to the news tracking their paths. i think todd didn't want to scare me once he realized the threat wasn't there. it does make me nervous, however, knowing that i can sleep through the siren. i told todd he isn't allowed to leave me during tornado season!

The blog keeps on rollin'

2008-06-05T21:54:00.003-05:00

Well, little by little our blog is improving. We'd like to thank our avid fans and readers who continue to watch for exciting new material on the 'Newmania' blog. Here is a wacky pic that we took on the Photo Booth program of Jeanette's school laptop.

P.S. We tip our hats off to the Celtics and wish them the best.

Pardon our dust...

2008-06-04T22:58:00.000-05:00

We apologize for any inconvenience! We are currently tweaking our blog, fine-tuning, etc. So, keep checking back for regular updates!!! Stay tuned!

Almost an attorney...

2008-06-02T22:53:00.000-05:00

Well, this morning I had an exciting opportunity at my internship. First, a little background information: I have a letter signed by the dean of my law school that allows me to "practice law" under the direction of a supervising attorney. This is called "senior certification". All third year law students can attain "senior certification" by getting a signed letter from the dean of their law school. Anyway, now to the point: This morning, I interviewed some clients, asking them questions about whether or not they are paying child support, looking for jobs, currently have a job, etc. And I did this ALL BY MYSELF (look who's a big boy now!!!) Next, I negotiated with a prosecutor, with a supervising attorney. Then, I participated in a hearing with the district court referee (basically a judge). During the hearing, the only persons present were myself, my client, the judge, and the prosecutor. I must say that actually DOING STUFF is 10x more exciting than watching others do it. Needless to say, it was a very beneficial experience and I really enjoyed it.

Jeanette started her summer teaching job. It was fine.
Tomorrow I start my "job" as a law clerk at my law firm downtown. I am really, really excited!!!!

I would like to say thanks to our devoted readers and fans ;)

P.S. The photo above is one of Jeanette's favorites...

Todd
(GO UTES)

first timers!

2008-05-31T20:23:00.000-05:00

well, we aren't committing to anything here, but wanted to get a blogspot out there in the cyber space. let's be honest... we were jealous of the family blogs and wanted to be cool, too. ;) ours won't be nearly as fancy...

todd and i spent today at the henry doorly zoo. it was todd's first time there. we saw everything and were there for 5 hours. our favorite area was the aquarium. it had a penguin exhibit, which was very entertaining, and the awesome shark tank. we were able to walk in a tunnel that gave the feeling of being on the ocean floor. it was a lot of fun. we were able to test out the video camera we received for Christmas.