The Luttrell Family Blog

Easter Egg Hunt!

2010-04-03T18:34:00.004-04:00

Today we took Natalie and Owen to an Easter Egg Hunt. I am going to get back into blogging slowly, so I don't have a big story to tell. The Readers Digest version is this:

The kids had a blast.
It was hot (almost 90).
Natalie's favorite part was the bouncy house (anyone remember her foot???).
Natalie told everyone that the Easter Bunny that was there is not the real one because she could see human skin under the costume.

Check out this link for a collection of pictures: http://gallery.me.com/ljluttrell#100322

One of my favorite pictures of the day was when Owen opened up an egg to find some candy and proclaimed his dominance over the candy egg:

Owen's 1st Birthday!

2010-04-03T17:37:00.007-04:00

Before we get started, I think it is only right that I clear up a few things...since I haven't made a blog entry since the fall...

We moved from PA to TX in December. I got a new job (with my same employer) and we have been extremely busy for the past few months, as you can imagine when moving across the country. We have taken some great pictures in the past week, and after a few guilt trips, I am back on the blog!

Wednesday was Owen's 1st birthday. It is hard to believe that it has been a full years since he joined our family...in fact, it is hard to think of our lives without the little guy. He is a very happy kid, and is starting to get a personality more and more each day (meaning, he puts up with less attitude from his older sister each day). He can't quite hold his own, but I have a feeling it will not be long. I don't want you to get the wrong idea though, because Natalie is very sweet to her little brother...most of the time.

Anyways, back to this week's events...like I said, Owen turned 1 on Wednesday. We had a small birthday for him at our house.

The festivities started with a small snack for Owen, and burgers/hot dogs for the rest of us. Owen has really started to pack in the food now that he is walking. No lie, I think he is eating over double. Notice the decorated high chair, complements of his mother:

Every party needs party hats!

After everyone was done eating, it was cake time!

Of course, Owen got his own cake to completely destroy...or at least that was the plan.

Owen started by calmly sticking his fingers into the cake. He wasn't really interested in eating it quite yet...I think he just wanted to see what was really in front of him. Come to think of it, nothing that big has ever been put in front of him on his high chair, so I can't blame the guy for taking a few test touches.

Eventually, he had done what every 1 yr old does on their first birthday...he made a mess of himself.

Next it was time to open presents, and this one was from G-Ma and G-dad. Owen needed help opening it up, but he managed to climb all over it with no help at all.

What was in the box turned out to be a basketball goal, and with a little help from his old man, he made his first dunk.

Although the loud cheering from the adoring crowd scared him a little bit.

But, Owen quickly regained his mojo and wants everyone to know that if they have a problem with the new 1 yr old on the block, "we can take it outside!"

For all the pictures in a convenient format, checkout here: http://gallery.me.com/ljluttrell#100314

5 States in 1 Afternoon

2009-10-13T22:38:00.013-04:00

I have been needing to go and see several of my customers in the Northeast for awhile, so I decided that this week would be as good of time as any. I realized peak foliage in VT is right around this week every year, so I decided to bring Kristin and the kids along for the car ride. They could hang out at the hotel (play in the pool, etc.), while I go and visit customers during the day.

We left home late Monday afternoon, after Owen was given a clean bill of health at his 6 month appointment. His weight and head size are literally off the chart. His measurements have made their own parallel line to the typical chart, just above it. His height is within the expected range, but around the 80th percentile.

We drove straight north from our house for a few hours and left PA for NY:

We stayed just north of Albany in a town called Saratoga Springs, which is known for horse racing and their natural springs. After my meetings in the morning, we went is search of one of the natural springs in the town. I was told by the receptionist at the hotel that there are springs all over town, and that each has its own history, and they are all free flowing. She gave me a map to a few that she knew of, and off we were.

We stopped at the first one on her map, Old Red Spring, which started being used around 1784.

I was warned that these springs did not produce the clean tasting water that you buy in the store, but that it was not bad for you, it just might leave a bad taste in your mouth. There was no way I was convincing Kristin to try a sip, but thinking about all the streams I drank from as a Boy Scout, this shouldn't be too bad.

It actually didn't taste too bad, but definitely high in iron as the sign indicates. I should have probably taken a bath in it, as they did back in the 1700's, but I was with the kids, I needed to be a good example. :)

Natalie thought the spring was a bird bath, and was not about to drink out of it, so she just opted for a picture with mommy and Owen.

After my swig of spring water, we headed east, to drive through the mountains in southern Vermont. We made a slight detour to drive through the Revolutionary War battlefield at Saratoga. The kids were asleep, so we didn't get out to take any pictures, but it would have been nice. As I drove through the National Park, I felt more and more like my father, who would stop to read every historical marker on a roadtrip...it is funny how things change?!

After about an hour of driving, we crossed the state line into Vermont:

Right after we crossed the border, I had to pull over to take a picture of an old covered bridge which looked amazing in the fall colors:

After we accended into the the mountains for a little bit, we found a picnic area that was perfect for a family picture. I am glad that we took the time to stop because the picture turned out well:

The whole area had these large historical markers, so this one is for you Dad:

We then weaved our way through the Green Mountains, until we reached what seemed to be the peak of the range. At the top was a gift shop called Hogback Mountain:

The view from up there was tough to beat. It is advertised as a 100 mile view, and it did not disappoint (although it was a little cold).

Poor Owen was all bundled up, and kept close to Kristin to stay warm in the picture.

And of course, I couldn't resist taking a picture of my Red Raider front license plate that was experiencing fall foliage with us as well.

In the gift shop, you could buy ANYTHING that is known to come from Vermont or has Vermont on it...cheese, wine, beer, etc...but the biggest selection is Maple Syrup, and by the gallon, literally, which will run you about $63 if you are interested.

After buying a piece of maple syrup candy for Natalie, a Christmas ornament, 3 pieces of fresh fudge (which I forgot about until just now...I need to find those...), and some cheese, we continued east towards New Hampshire:

We didn't stay in New Hampshire long, probably about 30 minutes, but it was long enough for me to figure out that people come to NH to buy liquor and cigarettes, as the taxes are much lower than the surrounding states. As much as I have been dying to buy a few cartons of menthals, I decided to just keep driving. :)

By this point, Owen was sick of his car seat, and we needed to find a place to eat dinner. The sun had just gone down, and we were focused on getting into Massachusetts. I take the ramp to south on I-91, and a MA State Trooper turns his lights on to pull me over. I know I wasn't speeding, so I thought that he was after someone else, but when I started to ease over, I knew he was wanting to talk to me. So, here we are, in my company car, Owen screaming his head off in the back seat, and Natalie wanting to know why the Policeman is walking up to our car...like the perfect storm of road trips. It reminded me of the scene in National Lampoons Vacation where Clark was pulled over after he tied his mother-in-laws dog to the bumper and drove for 30 minutes...great movie...anyways, where was I...So, as the officer gets to my window, I have my license out, Owen magically stops crying, I ask him what the problem is, and he said that he clocked me going 68 in a 55...I KNOW I wasn't going that fast, not even close. So, I tell him, "I am sorry officer, I wasn't going that fast. I haven't gone over 60." We go back and forth a few times, and then he says, "oh, well, I guess my radar must have had an error, drive safely" and then walks away...didn't even look at my license or ask for any paperwork...weird.

So, of course, Natalie wants to fully understand what just happened, and we try to explain it to her in a way she can understand. We quickly find a restaurant to eat dinner, while I utilize my cruise control just to be on the safe side.

After dinner, Kristin and the kids fall asleep in the back seat, and I entertain myself with music from my iPod as we drive into Connecticut.

And there you have it, 5 States in 1 Afternoon.

Landon

Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-11T23:19:00.003-04:00

After we got home from Merrymead, I decided to get my hands dirty and start carving the pumpkins we just purchased. Natalie didn't like sticking her hands deep into the pump to get the seeds out, but we took turns and she helped out. She did however find it easy to wipe her hands on my shirt and pants after each scoop with her bare hand...nice.

We let Natalie pick what she wanted on her pumpkin, and she picked Tinkerbell.

After a good win last night, I decided that we needed a little tribute to Texas Tech on our porch, so I did a pirate with a Double T.

Here are a few pictures of the final creations:

Both kids wore their skeleton pajamas tonight, and Natalie really wanted to get her picture taken with the pumpkins, so we got them both out on the front porch.

Landon

Pumpkin Patch 2009

2009-10-11T23:02:00.002-04:00

Today we went to Merrymead Farm to pick out pumpkins and have fun as a family. Merrymead is a local dairy farm where we get our milk and ice cream. Every fall they have activities for the kids and a large pumpkin selection. This is the same place we went last fall, and I wrote about it then: link

We didn't have time to do all the rides this year as we had to slip this between Church and Life Group today due to bad weather yesterday. We focused on taking pictures of the kids and picking out pumpkins to carve.

Here are the best pictures:

This one cracks me up because both are spacing off:

Landon

Fall

2009-10-11T22:41:00.006-04:00

Fall is officially here, although, I wasn't expecting it this soon! It seems like we only had about 2 weeks of summer this year, so hopefully the fall will be extra long to make up for it.

We took a few pictures of Natalie and Owen after getting back from Church. Poor Owen doesn't know how to take pictures yet. He is usually too busy checking out his surroundings to care about someone calling his name, hoping he will smile. Natalie tried her best to coach him though:

Owen is now 6 months old (hard to believe). He is sitting up, eating select baby foods, and the best part...LOVES his big sister. Natalie tries her best to make him laugh...always calls him "buddy"...and Owen just giggles. Natalie can get him to laugh the best, although now he is starting to get into her toys, and she doesn't like that too much. Owen is almost crawling. He can get into anything that we wants, but it is by rolling his way around. He is very curious, and when he wants to get something, he focuses, and gets it. Here is a picture we took of him today:

Natalie has started this "fake smiling" phase for taking pictures. She will yell "CHEEEEEEEEESE" and squint her eyes. It is getting tough to get a good picture with her because she only wants to "fake smile." Here is the best one that we got of both together:

I know it has been awhile since I have updated the blog...trust me, I have heard about it!! So, Natalie told me...

"Dad, you better update the blog tonight!!"

...actually she didn't say that, but I really like the picture. :)

Landon

A Few New Videos

2009-07-19T18:59:00.002-04:00

Owen learns to stick out his tongue.

Natalie and Owen talk to each other.

You will need the blog username and password to watch. Give me a call or send me an email if you need it.

Landon

Natalie's catches her first fish!

2009-07-12T22:53:00.005-04:00

On Saturday, I took Natalie and her second cousin Adam to a pond in Iowa to go fishing. And by fishing, I mean, waiting for the fish to fight over your bait...there is quite an over population in the pond to put it lightly. But, for me, going solo with two young kids to catch fish like this, was better than a guided tour with Bill Dance.

So we head out there with a small box of night crawlers, which at this point to the kids, was just a little white box. We borrow some fishing poles from the neighbors and head out to the pond. Little did we know, the pond was home to a snapping turtle, or so we were told later. We didn't see the little guy, but I was carrying a solid metal tackle box, and I knew how to use it!

When we got out to the pond, we headed out to the south-west corner, where the locals had already told us was the extra sweet spot (not that we were going to need any help catching fish). Here is where it got interesting...

We get all setup...poles have bobbers, weights, hooks, etc., the only thing missing is the worms. Natalie was holding the box of night crawlers, knowing that we were going to put the worms on next, but not really understanding what all was involved...I almost think that she thought these were gummy worms, and this was going to be another craft project from preschool...boy did this project go beyond what she was taught in school!!

So I open the box, after prying it out of Natalie's eager fingers, and much to Adam and Natalie's surprise, the worms were quite active and did not like the sunlight they were now exposed too. I quickly asked them who wanted to put the first worm on the hook....no response. I thought I would go a little easier with the next question, "who wants to pick out the first worm?"...still silence...only the chirping frogs and buzzing mosquitoes could be heard (which by the way were out of control...deep woods off was not taming these beasts).

As you could imagine, I got to pick out the worm, and tear a portion off because the hooks were small, and then put the worm on the hook. Natalie explained that this was not very nice to the worm, but we had come too far to let the worms feelings ruin our fishing trip.

I thought I would test the waters first before letting the kids loose. I throw the line in, and instantly the bobber goes under. I set the hook and starting reeling in. I get the first to shore and pull him out of the water. He was a little 6 inch pan fish. Both kids are excited. I look over at Natalie and she says, "dad, I want to catch a bigger one than that." Ouch.

Trying to regain my manhood, I ask the kids which one wanted to throw the first back in, and again, the peanut gallery was silent. So, manly dad gets to throw it back in, and I start to regain my position as alpha fisherman.

Hoping to build on their excitement, I try to get one of them to pick out another worm, but I had no luck. I get the pole setup again, throw the line in, and let Natalie take it for a spin (Adam politely let Natalie go first, a true 6 yr old gentleman). Just as before, we had a fish on the hook in less than 5 seconds. I helped her bring it in, and here is what came out:

This little guy was half the size of what I caught a few minutes before, but Natalie was in heaven, and I couldn't be happier for her either. She did not have any interest in taking the fish off the hook, or putting him back in the water, but she was happy to have caught it!

Next was Adam's turn, and he was eager to catch one of his own, and I don't blame him. I get him all setup and get the line in the water. We get a bite, but the sneaky fish stole the worm. We bait the hook again and try one more time. Boom, another fish is on the line. We reel him in, and here is what came out:

Adam and Natalie either caught the same fish, or a very close relative, because they looked exactly the same. Adam was going to help me throw the fish back, but after I explained that the fish had a spiky dorsal fin and how to hold the fish, he let me take care of it.

Once both kids had caught their fish, they were ready to go home. We loaded up the gear, still no sight of the turtle, and headed back to the house. As I am typing this story, in the comfort of my basement in PA, I remembered that I left the box of night crawlers in the basement of my inlaws...Al/Terri, if you are reading this, can you please throw the worms outside for me...sorry, I forgot to do that!!

Natalie's First Run!

2009-07-11T11:34:00.001-04:00

We have been in Iowa for over a week now visiting family. It is hard to believe that our trip is almost over! We are going to the County Fair today in Thompson. Natalie is excited to go and see the various animals...and eat some goodies.

This morning Mara and I went for a run, and Natalie wanted to go as well. We knew that she was serious about going when she freely but on shorts and a tee-shirt. You see, Natalie is a "dress only" type of girl these days. Whether it is the whole "princesses wear dresses" or just because she likes them, I am not sure, but it is always a battle for her to wear anything BUT a dress.

So Mara and I went for a run, and then came back and got Natalie for the last part. We planned for it to be our cool down, but Natalie wanted to run a little further than what I thought! We ran down the driveway, and out onto the street, which on an Iowa farm consists of a gravel road. We ran along the corn and soy beans for about 5 minutes, and then walked back.

Natalie's Aunt Kelly took a few pictures for us while we were running:

After we got back from our run, we had to do what every running does, STRETCH!

Getting Grandpa Wet!

2009-07-10T11:46:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, when it was HOT, we decided to get Natalie outside and in the kiddie pool. I decided that the kiddie pool by itself wasn't as fun as it "could be", but if you put it at the bottom of the slide, it could be like a small water park...or a redneck version of one.

Natalie went up-and-down the slide what felt like a hundred times! Her favorite thing to do is to get grandpa at the bottom and drench him with water. I got a few good pics of how it went down:

Driving Grandpa's Tractor

2009-07-09T11:50:00.000-04:00

One of the benefits of having a grandpa that is a farmer, is the ability to ride a tractor every once in awhile. Instead of breaking out the real expensive tractors, the lawn mower is a little more "Natalie-sized".

Al was cutting the grass a few days ago and took Natalie for a spin. He let her drive it around the yard for a little bit...with him on there of course.

Just Hanging Out

2009-07-08T11:44:00.000-04:00

The best part of being on vacation is hanging out, and we caught Owen doing just that!

Owen is growing and changing everyday. He is a little over 3 months old now, and weighs close to 18 lbs! He is becoming more interactive everyday. Natalie likes to come up and talk to him in a little baby voice ("gaga, googoo"), and Owen has started to talk back to her...or squeal.

July 4th

2009-07-05T12:07:00.000-04:00

This year we celebrated July 4th in Iowa with Kristin's family. We spent part of the morning at the annual parade in Scarville, IA which is just down the road. I think everyone that lives in the vicinity came out for the parade because there were several hundred people either in the parade or watching.

As with any parade, throwing of candy was involved, and Natalie got her fair share. She was deathly afraid of the fire engine sirens, so she didn't venture too far out in the street, which I was happy for. Her second cousin, Ellie, sat next to Natalie and was not afraid of the sirens, so Ellie did much of the leg-work for the two of them. Ellie was very thoughtful and gave half of what she picked up to Natalie. Natalie did grab anything that came close to her chair though!

Natalie's Great-grandparents came out to the parade, and I was able to get a good picture with them:

The rest of the day we spent at Kristin's 10 year high school reunion. Natalie had fun with all of the other kids, and blowing bubbles.

Springtime, FINALLY!

2009-04-26T16:13:00.003-04:00

This weekend we officially welcomed in Spring. It is in the 80's today and I even had to put sun screen on Natalie yesterday when we went to the park. I really hope that this is not just a teaser, but I don't think that it is. I am very excited to start wearing flip flops again.

After church today, we took the kids (I have to start getting used to the plural version of that word!) outside to take some pictures. The trees/bushes/flowers are starting to bloom here, and it makes for a very pretty backdrop. I was able to get several pictures of Natalie that look nice (without her infamous "fake" smile).

Other than taking pictures, nothing too exciting happened today, so I will leave you with a few of Natalie's comments to us this past week:

1. "Mommy, you shouldn't spank my bottom, because bottoms are private."
2. "Dad, the bible says that parents should be nice to the children."
3. "Dad, the handles on the side of my potty seat are for leverage."

Here is is a link to all the pictures we took today: Pictures.

Landon

Easter

2009-04-26T15:34:00.005-04:00

This is our second Easter in Pennsylvania, and once again, it wasn't warm. Kristin's mom, Terri, was still in town helping with Owen, so she was able to enjoy the day with us.

Natalie was very excited for the Easter Bunny to come and visit her house. The night before she wanted to stay up so that she could see the Easter Bunny, but we had to explain to her that the Easter Bunny wouldn't come if she didn't sleep. She went to bed without a problem, much to my surprise.

In the morning, she was very excited to come downstairs and see what the Easter Bunny left her. Thankfully, the Easter Bunny was able to get up just in time to hide a few eggs around the house.

The funniest part of the whole day was not when Natalie found all the eggs, it was how she tried to hide candy for the rest of the day. Like a little squirrel getting ready for the winter, Natalie too jelly beans out of her plastic eggs and proceeded to hide them throughout the house. We would catch her walking off to some obscure part of the house to eat the candy that she had hidden. I guess I can't blame her, I probably would have done the same thing to sneak in a little more candy.

Owen celebrated Easter in style by sleeping the day away...Exhibit A:

It is hard to believe that it has been a year since last Easter...Natalie has grown so much. Check out the blog from 1 year ago!

Here is a comparison of Natalie in 2008:

Here is a similar picture from 2009:

We took numerous other pictures throughout the day, which can be viewed here: Link to other Easter pictures.

Landon

Don't Mess With My Toys!

2009-04-20T20:41:00.002-04:00

When Natalie came to the basement today while I was working, she was wearing my sunglasses. I took a few pictures just playing around, but this one was too funny not to share.

Word to the wise, don't mess with Natalie's toys! She might take you downtown and book you.

Dancing with the Stars

2009-04-15T17:54:00.003-04:00

Natalie LOVES the TV show Dancing with the Stars. I guess I can blame my parents for introducing the show to her, but she really likes to watch it. Although, watching it is almost a workout, because she wants to dance every time anyone is dancing on tv.

Since she likes it so much, I decided to make our own version of Dancing with the Stars...enjoy!

Link to the movie

Photobook for Owen

2009-04-10T20:54:00.002-04:00

I made a photobook for Owen's first week and converted it to a slideshow. Here is a link to the slideshow: Slideshow

Landon

Little Brother, Big Sister

2009-04-10T11:49:00.003-04:00

Natalie still asks to hold Owen every chance she gets. We received a few matching shirts as gifts for them to wear, or as Natalie says, "Me and Owen are matchy-matchy." She can still be a little too rough with him, but overall, very loving.

Here is a picture of the both of them. Owen looks to be pouting a little bit:

Owen says he is #1:

Natalie and Owen

2009-04-06T16:25:00.003-04:00

One fear that Kristin and I had when we talked about having a second child was how Natalie would deal with a brother and sister, and how she would treat him/her. Throughout the pregnancy we tried to teach Natalie how she could help us and help her brother. She has always been interested in listening how she can be a helper. As we got closer to Owen being born, we still didn't know if all of our work was going to pay off, or if she would not like her little brother.

I am proud to report that Natalie has been the best Big Sister to Owen! She is constantly asking to hold him, or sing to him, or kiss on him. She can be a little rough at times, but I just don't think she understands how fragile a 1 week old can be.

That's not to say that Natalie has not been trying to get our attention by acting out, but we were expecting that, and it hasn't been bad at all. The best story I can share about Natalie adjusting to Owen coming home was two nights ago...

Natalie had a bad dream and came to our bed. She quickly climbed up and fell asleep between us. In short order, Owen was up and screaming in our room. At first, Natalie covered her eyes with one hand, and pet Owen's hair with her other to try and calm him down. She then progressed to covering up both of her ears because the screaming got a little too loud for her. She never complained, never asked him to stop crying, she just controlled what she could and tried to stay asleep.

Here are a few recent pictures of Natalie with her brother:

Coming Home

2009-04-03T15:17:00.002-04:00

Owen and mom came home today from the hospital. Owen is still either eating, sleeping, or pooping. Mom is now trying to rest back up, since she has had a few long days. Our hospital "encourages" the parents to keep their baby in the room with them all the time. And by "encourage" we mean refusing to take the baby at 2 in the morning in the nursery, even for 30 minutes. Oh well, I guess too many people have abused the system.

The other big highlight of the day was getting a parking ticket for parking in the fire lane in front of the hospital. The fire lane that is beyond the 15 minute parking (which was full with overnight guests), and is no where near the building. If they had to use this lane to fight a fire, they may need to bring a golf cart to escort the firemen to the building. I REALLY want to show up to court next week and dispute my ticket, because the hospital does not provide enough parking to pick up patients. The fine is $15, which is low enough to not waste my time with going to the courthouse, but high enough to get a steady revenue from the ferocious and highly dangerous hospital patients trying to leave.....okay, enough about that...

Here is a few pictures we took when we got home. G-Ma makes the blog again!

Day 3

2009-04-02T11:07:00.001-04:00

We have made it to Day 3 and Owen and mom are still doing great. Natalie is having fun with G-Ma and is looking forward to coming to seeing Owen again this afternoon. We should be coming home tomorrow, but may stay until Saturday. Here are a few more pictures:

First off, Owen would like to send a shout-out to his peeps, WAZZAAP!!

A few of you have asked about Owen's hands and feet. They are long and skinny.

Owen still sleeps almost all day, so this is probably what he looks like as you are reading the blog:

Natalie Sees Owen for the First Time

2009-04-01T21:36:00.003-04:00

Here is a video that I captured while G-Ma held Natalie as they saw Owen for the first time. To view the video you must have a username and password. Give me a call or send me an email and I will give you the info.

Link to Video

Owen, Day 2

2009-04-01T09:28:00.001-04:00

Mom and Owen are still doing great. We got a few hours of sleep, which we are thankful for. Owen has not fussed much, only when he wants to eat, or needs to burp, or has a dirty diaper. We are waiting for Natalie and G-Ma to come and visit.

Check out all this hair!!

Link to all pictures

Owen James Luttrell is here!

2009-03-31T15:19:00.000-04:00

Owen was born at 11:01 AM Eastern time this morning. Owen weighs 9 lbs 5 oz and is 21 1/2 inches long. Mom and baby are doing great. Owen has slept most of the day and mom is looking forward to sleeping as well. G-Ma is holding Owen right now, and enjoying her new grandson. Natalie keeps asking to hold Owen and wanting to take him home.

Nut Experiment

2009-03-21T13:15:00.005-04:00

Natalie loves nuts. She loves all kinds of nuts. She has never eaten a nut that she didn't like eating. She has tried peanuts, walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios, cashews, macadamias, sunflower seeds, and maybe a few other ones that I can't think of right now.

We were sitting down to eat dinner one night recently, and Natalie found a bag of nuts in our pantry, and she wanted some. We convinced her that she could have some if she finished her dinner, and she agreed. At the end of dinner, I gave her some of the nuts, and then an idea came to mind. I was going to do an experiment....I guess I will always be an Engineer...

So, I took 5 different kinds of nuts (peanuts, pecans, pistachios, almonds, and cashews) and neatly lined up 5 of each variety in parallel lines. I told Natalie that she could only eat one nut at a time. So she sat there and ate all 25 nuts, but here is the interesting part...

She started with the peanuts, and ate every single one until all the peanuts were gone. Then she moved to the almonds and did the same thing. Then she ate the cashews the same way, then the pistachios, and then the pecans. It took her about 5 minutes to eat all of them, and as she would reach for the next nut, she would look at the other types as if to 'think' about it, but she ultimately went with the variety she was currently chewing on.

I found this very interesting, but I have NO CLUE what this says about her personality. Maybe someone with a psychology degree can help explain it to me.

Natalie's Bum Foot (part 2)

2009-03-21T12:57:00.004-04:00

Natalie had her temporary cast taken off this past week, and what we found underneath was a little shocking, and painful for Natalie. The cast had caused a pressure sore on her heel, which has now progressed into a huge blister. We hope that we have seen the worst of it, and that it will start to decrease. Natalie is still not able to walk yet, so I continue to be the resident pack mule. The most popular destination still continues to be the bathroom, and we are usually not a moment too late.

Kristin decided to give Natalie a treat that would take her mind off of her heal....painting her fingernails and toenails for the first time! Natalie was very excited for this, because she saw her friend Annie with painted nails at Church this past week. Most of the time she likes to match Annie (i.e. clothes), but when picking her nail color, she did not want purple like Annie, she wanted PINK. I guess I am not too surprised, as she has a pink room, and tries to wear pink whenever she has the chance.

Here are some pictures she gladly posed for:

Natalie's Bum Foot

2009-03-15T16:01:00.003-04:00

On Friday, I took Natalie to Kidz Rule, an indoor inflatable playland, so she could play with a few kids from Church (Kate and Joshua). The last time I was at Kidz Rule was for Joshua's 2nd birthday party. At that time, Natalie was scared to climb out of sight in several of the mazes, and was even a little scared to do some of the slides. Well, things have changed in the months since then, because she was EVERYWHERE this time. She was leading the way to sections that were designed for kids much taller than her, but of course I got to be 4th kid to jump in and play, and help them through it.

We were about to finish up and go home, when Natalie's bow started to fall off. She looked through the mesh wall that was keeping her in the play gym and asked me to fix her bow. I told her that I would fix it when she got out, so she proceeded to the exit. With bow in-hand, she jumped off the inflatable onto a gymnastics mat (something she has done too many times to count). This time, she didn't judge the distance to the floor very well and didn't get her feet out far enough. When she landed, her feet curled underneath her, with her left foot taking the full weight of her body. She immediately started to cry, and I was right there to sit with her. I thought that she was just a little scared, but I soon realized that she couldn't stand up on her own. We iced her foot, but we didn't see any swelling.

We said goodbye to the other kids (and parents) and went home. Natalie fell asleep in the car, so I thought that she was going to be fine. We laid her down in bed when I got home, and then called the doctor. They asked us to take her to the ER to get it checked out.

The ER wasn't as bad as I had prepared myself for on the ride over there. We were in and out in a few hours. The most difficult part of the visit was getting Natalie to lay still on a metal table for a dozen X-rays of her foot. She did NOT like any part of that. The X-ray tech even had to "lead-up" and help hold her still.

They couldn't find any breaks, but due to her age and growth plates, there could still be one:

So, Natalie got fitted for a temporary cast, which you can imagine how much she "loves". This picture probably represents her complete opposite feeling for the cast....but we got her in a silly mood for the picture:

She can't walk on the cast, so we have to carry her everywhere. I think the carpet between the couch and bathroom is starting to show above-average wear.

We go back to the doctor in a few days to get it removed. If she walks like normal, we can move on without anymore treatment. If she can't walk, it is broken, and she will need to have a real cast put on. Say a little prayer for Natalie (and us), because we do NOT want to think about her in a cast for 6-8 weeks, and bringing a new born home.

Landon

Let the countdown begin!

2009-03-06T14:21:00.004-05:00

Kristin had her last ultrasound this morning. It is hard to believe that she is at 35 weeks already! I decided to add a countdown to the scheduled c-section on the blog (on the toolbar to the right). This is of course assuming that she makes it to scheduled c-section, which we are all hoping and praying for!

For those of you that do not already know, we are going to name our son Owen James. We kept Natalie's name such a secret before she was born, but I have always heard that everything changes with the second kid...so we thought this could be the first of many "changes".

Here is one of the pictures that was taken today. It is a face shot, and as good of a picture as we could get without paying extra for the 3D version. And just in case you were wondering, no, we did not do the 3D for Natalie.

For the second picture, he put his right hand in front of his face, so you don't get a clear view. This picture was taken at the end of the session, so he might been fed up with getting poked.

24 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes, and 51 seconds....and counting.....

New Location for Movies

2009-03-05T20:37:00.002-05:00

I have found a better place for me to post movies, instead of youtube. You can watch higher quality movies and even download them for your iphone, ipod, or computer. With this added functionality also comes added risk. For this reason, you will need a password to access these videos (I don't want anyone to download family videos, go figure). So, if you would like to view or download videos in the future, please give me a call or send me an email.

Here is a link to the last video.

Landon

Opal Luttrell

2009-03-03T10:53:00.003-05:00

This post should have been made on February 2nd.

The biggest event that is going on with us these days is my grandmother, Opal Luttrell, passed away in January. I am making this post, not to be a big downer on a Tuesday, but to remember the relationship Natalie had with Opal.

Natalie and Opal loved each other very much, and we were lucky to live in Houston at the same time for the first year or so of Natalie's life. Opal called Natalie her "doll baby" and Natalie loved to entertain Opal.

Our family all met up in Arlington, VA at the beginning of February, as she elected to be laid to rest at the Arlington National Cemetery. One of the more memorable things we did was to take a picture of all the great grandkids surrounding Granddad:

I took a few other pictures during our trip, which can be found here:

Link to all the pictures in Arlington

I searched through all of the other pictures that I had of Opal and the family, and here are my highlights:

Link to pictures of Opal and family

You can download the album, or even add your own pictures to it.

We love you and miss you Grandma!

Video Update

2009-03-02T18:11:00.003-05:00

Get your popcorn and enjoy!!

Exploring the wildlife in Pennsylvania

2009-02-28T18:49:00.011-05:00

This post actually happened today, 2/28/09.

Today Natalie and I took a trip up into the Pennsylvania mountains to try and see some wildlife. Kristin stayed at home to "nest". Kristin is now 8 months pregnant and we are in the full stages of nesting. As an example, she dusted the chair railing in our dining room this morning...glad we don't have to worry about that project anymore! :)

We drove about an hour northwest of our house, right at the edge of the Pocono Mountains. Without even realizing it, we walked up to an unbelievable scene:

We tried to keep quiet and not to disturb the animals. We slowly walked away, and then we saw a black bear playing with a tree:

I think that the bear was partially watching the animals just up the mountain from him. Luckily, I have quick reflexes and a fast shutter speed on my camera. I caught this mountain goat jumping from one rock to another!

As we were coming down the mountain, we were surrounded by Elk, and since I hadn't put my camera away yet, I took another picture:

Well, thankfully we weren't outside for all these pictures, because it is still rather cold up here. We were actually roughing it in Cabella's!

I wanted to go and get a few camping items and Natalie was my shopping buddy. She was actually more interested in all the animals, and I don't blame her, they were very cool. She got to hang out with some Bison and wolves:

Natalie's favorite thing to do, by far, was watch the fish. You could buy fish food in a candy dispensing machine, but they were all out. She REALLY wanted to feed the fish, but all she could do is just watch them. Which we did for 20 minutes. You can see the fish in this picture:

I will leave you with my favorite picture, with a little bit of homework for you. Which one is Natalie, and which one is the 9 foot brown bear from Alaska??

I feel like I should reintroduce myself...

2009-02-28T18:23:00.002-05:00

Well, I think that it has been several MONTHS since I have last posted on the blog. I could tell you that I have been busy with work, or busy getting the house ready for our second child, or busy with Church activities....and they would all be true, but I am just going to just simply say....

I am sorry (English)
Je suis désolé (French)
Es tut mir leid (German)
Mi dispiace (Italian)
申し訳ありませんが (Japanese)
Jeg beklager (Norwegian)
Я прошу прощения (Russian)
Lo siento (Spanish)

Over the next few days I will be catching up on the blog, and will likely reference the date when I "should have" posted to the blog.

Landon

Texas Tech vs aTm

2008-10-19T07:52:00.002-04:00

This weekend Kristin, Natalie, and myself flew down to Houston to visit my parents and grandparents. My folks got me tickets to the Texas Tech vs Texas A&M for my birthday, and I wasn't going to miss the game! Kristin was originally going to go with me, and was looking forward to it because she had never "experienced" College Station. Kristin wasn't feel well, so my mom was a happy gameday substitution. She had never "experienced" College Station either.

We had to leave early from Houston because the game was at 11 AM...which I am sure disappointed many college students who where planning on tailgating all day. As a visiting fan, I didn't really care, other than having to sit in the sun for 5 hours...it was HOT.

This first picture is me with my mom as we were coming into the stadium:

aTm reserved all the "good" seats for the visitors, and here is a picture from ours:

These were actually good seats in my opinion. It was almost like watching a video game because you could see plays develop and see all the spacing. You know you have a good aerial view when birds are flying below you during the game.

This is a picture of opening kick-off:

The last picture maybe the most important one...because we needed this win to keep conference championship hopes alive.

Overall, I had a great time at the game, and a great time with my mom (everyone together, "aahhh").

Landon

Merrymead Pumpkin Farm

2008-10-11T21:41:00.004-04:00

This weekend was the annual Pumpkin/October/Fall festival at Merrymead Farm, where we buy our milk/ice cream/etc. Numerous people from Church were going together, so Natalie had several other kids to run around with. Our good friends, the Garrett's, just had their second child, so we took their first, Joshua, with us.

We all rode on a hay ride together:

Kristin took this picture right before watching the local ER helicopter take off. Don't worry, no one was hurt, they were just making a PR appearance. We took an almost identical picture a year ago, that can be found here.

At the end of the day, all the kids got to pick out a pumpkin to take home. Natalie and Joshua each picked 10+ pounders, and it made for a long walk to the car.

To see the rest of the pictures, click this link.

Please Touch Museum Philadelphia

2008-10-05T15:07:00.007-04:00

This past weekend, Kristin and pretty much all the ladies at church went on a Ladies Retreat to a camp that our Church sponsors 30-40 miles west of Philadelphia called Camp Manatawny. It was a good time for the ladies, half of which are pregnant it seems, to get together and spend a few days studying God's word. I am sure there was lots of "talking" and "conversing" and "gabbing" and "some more talking"...which is wonderful.

All of the abandoned husbands decided to have a Man's Night on Friday, and nothing says Man's Night like grilling red meat...oh, and all the kids were there too, but they were too busy destroying the Clark's house and playing the popular game of "who can hold the most toys while trying to take everyone else's." Very popular these days with the 2 year olds. We had to break up a few skirmishes, but nothing serious. I didn't have my camera with me, as it wasn't on my list of things to bring for "Man's Night."

The next day was the grand opening of the new location for the Please Touch Museum of Philadelphia. The museum was previously located in downtown Philadelphia, in part of an old building with no parking. It was difficult to get to, small, and outdated. I guess they stopped putting money into it a few years ago when they started working on the new location. I say "new location" and not "new building" because the building that they moved into is this, Memorial Hall:

Memorial Hall was originally built to be the Art Gallery of the 1876 Centennial Exhibition and first home to the renowned Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Art Museum has since moved towards downtown Philadelphia (think the movie Rocky). Memorial Hall has 38,000 square feet of new exhibits dedicated to kids 7 and under.

I said that it was the Grand Opening, but it was actually the first time that the public was allowed in, and only for members who had RSVPed for the event. Knowing that Kristin was going to be out-of-town, I thought this would be a perfect time to go. Since our membership allowed for 2 kids and 2 adults, I invited Chris and Annie to come with us. Natalie and Annie were in heaven for almost 3 hours. We could have spent all day there...actually, we could have spent all day in only a portion of the museum. The place was HUGE!

Here is a picture of Annie and Natalie walking into the building:

Like any good parent would do, we let them go to the water exhibit first, so that they could be wet for the rest of the trip. It wasn't until they were wet that we realized they have aprons for the kids to wear. None of the other kids were wearing them, so it wasn't just our kids that were wet.

The next section was dedicated to pond animals. Natalie really enjoyed jumping from lilly pad to lilly pad as it made noise with each jump.

She stopped to take a picture with a swan, although she kept insisting that it was a "goose."

One of Natalie's favorite section of the museum was the "Philadelphia Hospital." Natalie quickly grabbed a baby from the nursery, and took it over to the exam table, along with a doctors kit. Well, actually, before she could get a doctors kit, she tried to take a few instruments from another kids bag.

She checked the baby's ears:

She even gave the baby a shot, "gently":

While Natalie was playing in the Alice and Wonderland section, a reporter from the Philadelphia Inquirer took a picture of Natalie having a tea party with Mr. Rabbit. He took her name down and where we were from. He said that they would be running a special section on the museum in next Sunday's paper (10/12). We do get the paper, and will keep an eye out for the report. If she makes it into the paper, I will post it on the blog, but I am sure that he took numerous pictures, so I am not getting my hopes up.

We finished up our trip with a few rides on the carousel. The second time around I went to go and put her on a donkey/goat/etc. and she looked at me and said, "no daddy, I ride horsey." OOOOkkay then. We found a horse, and all was well with the world again.

Overall, we had a blast, and I would gladly go again. To see the rest of the pictures I took on the trip, please see here:
All pictures

p.s. I had to take my camera to the Best Buy doctor to get fixed, and they won't have it back to me for 2-4 weeks. I broke it on our trip to Iowa in September, but have been making due. Most pictures are too bright, so I think that a sensor is broken. I was hoping that they would just replace it, but I wasn't that lucky. I have a back-up camera, thanks to Kristin's sister Mara.

First Day of Preschool

2008-09-25T15:07:00.002-04:00

It was Natalie's first day of Preschool, and she could cry if she wants to...

She wasn't crying because she had to be away from Mommy or Daddy for a few hours. She wasn't crying because it was too early. She definitely wasn't crying because she didn't want to go. She was crying because she wanted to wear different clothes...

She cheered up enough to pose with Mommy before leaving...

But then the bottom lip came back out as she headed for the door.

I wish I had pictures of her getting out of the car at Preschool, because from what Kristin told me later, she turned to Kristin and said "c-ya Mommy!" and ran right in to play with the kids. We were thinking that this could be just a one day thing for her, and that she would be sad the next day of school. A few days later, we found out that this was not a one-time occurrence. She asks to go to school, tells us about school, will point to the school when we drive by on our way somewhere else, and when we drop her off, she almost forgets to say goodbye!

I guess each kid is different, but Natalie loves going to school!

Natalie Gets a Puppy!

2008-09-16T15:06:00.003-04:00

We started rewarding Natalie for going to the bathroom in the potty. She isn't 100% there yet, but she is getting closer.

Natalie has been wanting a little toy puppy that she had seen in Target a few times, so we bought it for her and told her that if she was able to use the potty so many times, she could get it. Let's just say that she was motivated to play with that toy puppy, and exceeded our expectations quickly.

I must say, it is a neat little toy. It came with a doctor's kit, which Natalie uses to check the dogs heartbeat and blood pressure. They also have a syringe, bone, and bottle. When you pet the dog it whines, and when you pat it on the back it barks.

Natalie named the dog "Blackie" and she will often compare other dogs she sees while riding in the carseat to Blackie. From time to time, I catch her checking Blackie's vital signs in the living room when she is playing by herself.

So, she doesn't have a "real" puppy like her cousins, but this is all she is going to be getting for awhile. We will need to have our own backyard before thinking about getting a dog.

Here are a few pictures of Natalie and Blackie:

Trip to Iowa

2008-09-07T15:06:00.005-04:00

Over Labor Day Weekend, Kristin, Natalie and I took a trip to Iowa to see Kristin's parents and relatives. We have been calling Kristin's parents, Grandpa Al and Grandma Terri. Natalie, on the other hand, calls them "Granpa Owl" and "Gramma Terri." At first we thought that she was saying "Al," but it is clearly "Owl." Al has been a good sport about it, and the name has stuck for now.

I had a busy week of work before going to Iowa, so being on the farm for a week was very relaxing. As with any vacation, you forget to take pictures sometimes, and I would put this vacation into that category. We did however take the camera out when we went to a local yearly event just across the border in MN. As a side story, you will notice that the pictures below are a little bright at times. When I went to get our camera out of the bag the lens was broken. Not the glass part, but the focusing function, and I am guessing the aperture adjustment. Good thing I bought the Best Buy warranty...I just have to find time to take it up there.

We went on a Sunday afternoon following church with Kristin's parents and grandparents. Here are a few pictures of Natalie with Grandma Terri, Great Grandpa (Clarence) and Great Grandma (Esther):

I think both Natalie and Terri enjoyed looking at all the animals. They looked at sheep:

They looked at chickens and roosters:

And Natalie even got to pet a pony:

I will leave you with pictures of some unique tractors. Natalie's favorite one was the pink one at the bottom. She even talked about it on the way home. Somehow she thought it was "her pink tractor"...not sure where she got that idea though.

New Jersey's Adventure Aquarium

2008-08-16T16:12:00.010-04:00

I feel like I need to reintroduce myself again. We are still alive here in Philadelphia, just busy. We have been doing some very fun stuff lately, but getting everything posted on the blog has been a problem. As I am typing this, Natalie is running circles around the basement, singing portions of Disney songs, and playing with her dolls. Oh wait, she just broke her routine to come over to the desk to sing along to music playing on the computer and to ask me what the object she was playing with was. Somehow she got the lens cover to our digital camera. I have no clue how she got this, or where she got it from, but she did....she is 2, what do you expect?! So, as you can see, we have our hands full right now, so I apologize for not blogging. Any of you regular blog readers are welcome to visit and have Natalie entertain you while I write a blog entry. :)

Okay, let me recreate the highlights from the last month of Natalie's life...it may take a few days to catch up, so please come back.

About a month ago, I took Natalie down to the Aquarium in Camden, NJ. Camden is right across the Delaware River from downtown Philadelphia. Kristin stayed at home to get some work done in the house, so this was a dad/Natalie event, and I was excited to spend some special time with her since I think I was traveling the week before. Before we left the house, I pulled up the aquarium on the internet to buy tickets (www.adventureaquarium.com), but realized that they wanted $2-3 per ticket for a "handling fee." The only "handling" that was going to be done was me taking the tickets off my printer, and I wasn't going to give them the extra money. I decided I would just buy tickets when we got there and "save" the money. More on this later...

As I was driving down there, which would normally be a 1 hour drive, I hit bad traffic as they had the entire interstate down to 1 lane. I quickly changed my route, but it still look me 2 hours to get there. During my "extra" time in the car, I started thinking about how expensive the food in the aquarium was probably going to be. It was at this moment, stuck in traffic, that I came up with the "brilliant" idea of eating lunch in Camden before going to the aquarium. Food is food, right? I didn't realize this, but Camden isn't exactly Smalltown, USA or Safetown, USA. It is more like, WishIWasPackingHeat, USA or IHopeTheColorsIAmWearingAreSafe, USA. So, we quickly ate our lunch at McDonalds...and got back in the car. Maybe I am being a little dramatic, but hey, its genetic.

We finally make it to the aquarium, pay for parking, and walk towards the entrance. I realize there must be something else going on here, because there was a really REALLY long line and it wasn't moving. Turns out that the aquarium is the only thing in Camden that people would line up for, and this line is the one for tickets. If you already HAD tickets, you could walk right in. So much for saving a few dollars! I spent the next hour in line trying to keep Natalie entertained without losing our spot in line. Amazingly, she was so well behaved, I didn't have to chase after her once. Here is a picture of her as we get towards the front:

We get our tickets and start heading for the entrance. We stopped to take a few pictures while watching boats on the Delaware river. That is Philadelphia on the other side of the water.

Here is a picture of the Ben Franklin bridge:

We go inside, and the first exhibit is dedicated to coastal fish. They have a large, yet shallow, tank that filled with tons of pan shaped fish. Here is a few pictures we took in front of the tank:

The next thing that Natalie really enjoyed was the hippo. They have a few hippos and we got to see them swim right by us. These animals are huge! If you have ever watched Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel, there is one episode where Mike Rowe has to clean this very tank. Definately a "dirty job", because there was lot of "dirty" water.

I did take a few pictures of various other fishtanks, but they didn't really turn out. Too much flash, and not a steady enough hand to take pictures without a flash. I am sure if you check out the website linked above you can see more. They have plenty of sharks to look at.

Natalie really enjoyed looking at the jellyfish. Even when she sees this picture now, she says "NEMO! NEMO! NEMO!" I think Disney knows what they are doing!!

Walla Walla

2008-08-03T14:38:00.008-04:00

We just got back from our yearly trip to the west coast to spend time with Kristin's side of the family. This year our trip was centered around one of Kristin's cousins getting married in Walla Walla, Washington. The locals say that the town is so special, they had to name it twice. For those of you that have not been to the southeastern part of Washington (which was me until last week), it is a dry place, and reminded me of west Texas at times. When you get near the Blue Mountains, you start to see wheat fields and vineyards. Here is a picture that I took from where Kristin's parents were staying for the week:

When we got to Washington, Kristin's parents picked us up at the small airport in Pasco, which is near where Kristin's grandmother lives. We stayed at her house for a few days while everyone else flew into town. Natalie stayed busy playing with their dog, Babe, which reminded me of my sister's old dog Kavu and playing in yard with a sprinkler Kristin's Aunt Mary bought her. I think she was doing her little Saturday Night Fever pose in this one:

Most of our time was not spent in the Pasco area, but in Walla Walla. More specifically, we spend more time hanging out at a house in the country where Kristin's parents were staying. If I were to turn around from the picture I posted at the top, you would see the salt water pool for their place. This pool was extremely popular with the kids, and some of the adult kids. Although I didn't get any pictures of it (because I was in the pool), Natalie's favorite thing to do was to jump off the diving board! She didn't want any help either. She would walk out to the end of the diving board, we would all say, "Jack be nimble, Jack be cool, Jack jumped into the swimming pool!" And with no delay (sometimes before we even finished the song), Natalie would jump into the pool. The diving board was a typical one, about 2-3 feet off the water.

She is getting good with her shoulder floaties, and would then swim to the pool ladder. I would stay in the deep end, treading water, until she got back up on the diving board. This routene quickly changed to me hanging from the diving board while I waited (treading water is a workout, and I was on vacation, and I had just eaten Mexican food...okay, I think my manhood is not in question anymore, I will move-on). We played the "jump from the diving board game" for 20 minutes, and then we just hung out in the shallow end. Here is a picture of Natalie playing with her cousin Elise and the two grandmothers, Mary and Terri:

On Saturday, Kristin's cousin Bryce was married to Sarah, and Natalie spent most of the ceremony playing the nursary with Dad. We have been trying to extend her time in church before she melts down, but on vacation, at a wedding, was not going to be one of those teaching lessons. On the other hand, at the reception, Natalie was in her true form on the dance floor....even before the music started. Here is a picture of her and Elise burning off some energy:

Natalie did try to start her own dance, but it didn't really catch on. Well, I don't think that she was given enough time from Mom for it to really catch on anyways. She literally, stopped dancing, sat on the ground, lifted up her legs, put them back down, got up again, and kept on dancing. She did this several times before we put a stop to her crazy dance moves.

We left Walla Walla the next morning, and then flew home the next day. I took more pictures of our trip, and they can be seen here:

Trip to Walla Walla

Fun with Photobooth!

2008-07-19T11:50:00.004-04:00

We spent part of Saturday morning having fun with the camera on our computer. There is a program called "Photobooth" and we just made a few silly pictures. Natalie really enjoys doing this, and I guess I can only blame myself for this part of her genetics. My mom would say that she gets it from G-Ma's side of the family, along with her music ability and rythm :).

I found this picture from when we lived in Houston. It is a picture of Natalie and her twin (she, I mean "they", were so little then!):

Today's version (our computer is in the basement, next to the junk shelves, so please excuse the background):

Natalie really enjoyed making the last two:

We then took a few minutes to capture a video. I am not sure if this means she watches too much Noggin or has natural music ability from her G-Ma...probably a little bit of both!

This weekend is going to go by quickly as we get ready to leave for Walla Walla, Washington. We are headed there for vacation with Kristin's family, and to see her cousin get married. I going to try to post while we are there, but I can't promise anything (based on my lack of posts for over a month this summer!).

Happy 60th Anniversary GG-Ma and GG-Dad!!

2008-07-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Thursday was my grandparents 60th Wedding Anniversary! My parents are throwing them a party tonight in Houston, but we couldn't make the trip. We wish that we could be there!

Instead, we decided to make them a video of Natalie. Enjoy!

July 4th 2008

2008-07-17T17:50:00.000-04:00

For July 4th this year, we went to Skippack, PA to watch their annual parade and to have a bbq at the Young's for lunch. Natalie really enjoyed the parade, but was very scared of the fire trucks at the end. And when I say fire trucks, I mean ALL of the working fire trucks in existence in the northern part of Philly. There must have been 50 of them. I was hoping that our house wouldn't burn down while we were at the parade because there wouldn't be anyone to go and put the fire out!

Later that day, we went over to another church friend's house to play in the pool and eat more bbq! We have been so blessed to have such a good church home up here. It has definately made things easier for us.

Here is some pictures that I took of the parade:

Link to all the pictures

BBQ at the Clarks!

2008-07-17T17:40:00.000-04:00

One of Natalie's close friends is Annie. Her parents moved to PA from Midland, TX a few months before we moved up here. They go to church with us, and we have some mutual friends in Midland. Small world, huh?

Natalie and Annie enjoy running around the church building together, so we try to get them together every once and awhile so they can play. Around the July 4th weekend, we went over to their house for a bbq and to light fireworks. This was the first time that Natalie has seen fireworks, and to my surprise, they didn't scare her. She really wanted to help me light them, but THAT was not going to happen.

The last picture is Natalie and Annie sitting in the kitchen, watch the fireworks as they drank their juice.

Strawberry Picking

2008-07-17T17:30:00.000-04:00

On a recent, hot, sweaty, Saturday morning, we loaded up in the car and met up with all the kids from church to pick strawberries at a local organic farm. No, we did not ride our bikes to the organic farm, we chose to burn some gasoline so we could stay cool...and the fact that the farm was 15 miles away.

Here is a picture of Natalie as we get ready to pick. At this point she is covered in sunblock and bug spray, both non-organic substances, so we made sure that we didn't rub up against too many plants. I didn't want the Al Gore police to follow us home. :)

The strawberries we very ripe (some were too ripe) and it took Natalie a few minutes to figure out that you can't just grab them on the red part with the middle of your hand and pull. For those of you that do not know this, Natalie does NOT like to get her hands dirty. She will literally stop eating at the dinner table if she gets food on her hands, until she can get them cleaned off. I am not sure where she picked this up. I guess if she starts wiping her hands on her jeans then I will know it is from me.

After Natalie got the hang of picking strawberries, she became more interested in running around with all the other kids. So, I was the designated picker for the family (I actually enjoyed it, but I am not going to quit my day job) and picked several pounds of strawberries. Once we got our basket full, we had to go and weigh them, and pay for them. They were a little more expensive than buying normal strawberries at the store, but much cheaper than buying organic at the store. Plus, they tasted better than what you can buy at the store anyways, so I wasn't going to complain.

There were several older ladies that brought HUGE baskets to fill up. They looked like they were going to go home and make jam or something...yummy...but after picking a few pounds myself, I am glad that we didn't plan on making jam ourselves. A few pounds was enough for me to get the "full experience".

After picking, we went over to the Young's house for ice cream and strawberries...at 10 in the morning! I guess it is never too early to eat ice cream. We had a great time, and I did take more pictures, which can be seen here:

Link to all the pictures

Crayola Factory and Yankee Stadium

2008-07-17T17:20:00.000-04:00

Kristin and I have been trying to see one new thing each weekend this summer in the Philadelphia area. A few weeks ago, we were able to see 2 in one weekend.

The first was to go to the Crayola Factory in Easton, PA. Easton is about an hour from our house. It is situated on the border of NJ, and is an old industrial type town. We got to see them make crayons in a demonstration, which Natalie barely sat through, before she booked it to more of the "hands-on" type exhibits. Her favorite by far was the section where you can play with Crayola's version of Playdough.

Here is a picture of Natalie standing next to the world's largest crayon:

The second place we went was Yankee Stadium. We tried to go to a game a few months ago, but it was rained out. This was the rescheduled game for the rainout. It was the first of a subway double-header. The Mets played the Yankees in Yankee Stadium in the afternoon, and then they both traveled down to Shea and played in the Mets Stadium in the evening. Ironically, the Mets killed the Yankees at the game we were at, and then Yankees returned the favor in Shea.

Going to this game was important to me as a fan of baseball because it is the last year Yankee Stadium (the house that Ruth built) will be standing. After this season, it will be torn down. I hope Natalie can look back at these pictures one day and know that she watched a game in THE Yankee Stadium.

I took several other pictures on our trip, and they can be found here:

Link to all the pictures

Gulf Shores 2008

2008-07-17T17:10:00.000-04:00

In June, my whole side of the family met up in Gulf Shores, Alabama for a week long vacation at the beach. It was my parents idea, well, I guess my mom's idea really, and what a great idea it was!! We had a blast with my sister and her family, my parents, my grandmother, and all of my mom's brothers and sister (including their families as well).

It was a full week, but most of it was spent on the beach or in the pool.

I could probably write a few pages of all the details that week, but I am going to rely on the old phrase "a picture is worth 1000 words"...and just give you a link to roughly 39,000 words worth of pictures, enjoy...

Link to all the pictures

My New Bike

2008-07-17T17:00:00.000-04:00

Well, it has been WAY too long since I last posted to our blog. I have several events to post on, so I hope you are having fun catching up!

One of the summer activities we have been getting into is riding bikes. I started using Kristin's bike to run errands in town (I felt like a big tree hugging hippie at first, but now I am okay with it). I told myself it was for exercise anyways, and actually, it is quite popular in the northeast. Once I proved to myself that biking wasn't just one of my latest "obsessions" as the other adult in the house likes to put it, we decided to get a second bike so we could ride together. And, what fun would it be if Natalie couldn't go with us?! So, we got her a pull-cart. Yes, the cart is built for two kids...No, that doesn't mean that we are hiding something from everyone...I just didn't want to buy another in a few years.

Here is Natalie when I put her in the cart for the first time:

One of the reasons we wanted to get bikes is because there are very extensive bike trails throughout the Philadelphia area. In fact, you can get on a trail near our house and connect to other trails all the way to downtown Philly. It would take riding your bike 50+ miles, but you could do it.

We decided to go from one Park to another on the bike trails, which was 2-3 miles each way. When we got to the park, we had a picnic lunch, and Natalie really wanted to play on the swings:

Natalie didn't eat with us at the park, as the other kids and playground were too much of a distraction. However, once she got back in the cart, she was ready for lunch:

Once we got back home, we put Natalie on the couch while we unpacked everything from the trip. It wasn't long before we realized we weren't hearing her run around or talk to the TV, and this is what we found:

I guess you could say the whole family was exhausted after our biking!

Landon

Memorial Day 2008

2008-05-27T18:10:00.002-04:00

Happy Memorial Day 2008...a few days late!

We had our friends Jason, Janna, and their new addition, Nathan, over for Memorial Day this year. Natalie was very interested in anything Nathan did, and kept saying "ahhh, cuuute...ahhh, cuuute" when looking at him (I am not sure where she learned this).

Natalie does not only like Nathan, but I think she has a crush on Jason. I know she is only 2, but it is so funny to watch her around Jason. She loves taking his hand and dragging him around the house. And, being the good sport that he is, Jason lets her take him all over the place. I have heard that if your daughter likes men it is because she has a very good relationship with her father...so I am going to stick with that.

Any Holiday calls for special clothes. Natalie wasn't interested in wearing the scarf until Kristin told her that it was a Cinderella hat that she wears when she is cleaning. Instantly, the hat was no longer an issue and she wanted to keep it on for the rest of the day.

We had a typical Memorial Day...grilling out and eating too much. We made burgers and hot dogs, go figure, and Natalie had her own hotdog. What is it with kids and processed food??

We did buy a watermellon, but we didn't eat it because we were too full on Memorial Day. So, yesterday, we broke it out, and let's just say it was an instant hit. We didn't know if she remembered having it last summer, but I don't think that it mattered. She literally ate more than I did. She had 3-4 slices of the stuff.

My sister's blog, which is linked on the side of this page, Hacienda del Hirst, has a tribute to my grandparents for Memorial Day. I think that she did a great job, so I don't want to repeat everything that she said, but our family is very thankful for all of the servicemen/women in the armed forces and their families. We are very proud of all our veterans and especially our family members. Amoung them are my dad's parents, my grandfather on my mom's side who is no longer with us, and both of Kristin's grandparents. THANK YOU!!

Philly

2008-05-24T20:24:00.007-04:00

Today we decided to go to downtown Philly and check out the historical district. We went there a few months ago with Mara and Kyle, but we only stayed for a few hours. This time we decided to come and take a tour of entire area on one of the "tourist" type tours...our choice was the Duck tour, which took you through the Philly historical district via land and through the Delaware river on one of these:

The tour guide explained that Philadelphia has the most historical sites in a 1 mile square than any location in the country, and I believe it. In our 70 minute tour we drove past Independence Hall, the home of George Washington, the Liberty Bell, the original Upper and Lower houses of Congress, Betsy Ross' house, Penn's Landing, the first US residential street, the first US Capital, etc. Needless to say, I don't think Natalie appreciated the history very much. She was enjoying just riding a bus/boat.

After we got done with our tour, we hung out around Independence Hall because they were going to have an official hot dog eating contest. Natalie and I posed for a picture:

The winning person, "Humble Bob" (who is the world's 6th highest ranked competitive eater), ate 38 hot dogs in 10 minutes. We stood there and watched this guy inhale all these hot dogs...bun and all in these 10 minutes. Here is a picture of him holding the trophy:

I couldn't believe what I was watching when he was eating, it was unreal. I did some rough math, and he probably consumed 9,500 calories in 10 minutes...that is nuts!!!

I will leave you with 2 pictures that I took by Independence Hall. It is a Memorial Day display for all the PA fallen soldiers in the war. Here is the first shot, facing Independence Hall, and the second one is facing away.

NYC or Bust!

2008-05-17T20:01:00.011-04:00

On Friday, we drove up to New York City to go to the Yankees game. They were playing the Mets, and it was going to be a great game. We checked into the hotel around 4, hung out for a little bit, and then headed to the game. It was raining at the time, but we thought that it might clear up for the game. We were staying near Time Square, which is south of Central Park by 10 blocks or so. The Yankees will be playing in Yankee Stadium one more year ("The Stadium that Ruth Built"). It is located in the Bronx, which is just north of Manhattan.

We decided to take the subway to the game, which was a first for Natalie and Kristin in NYC. Here is a picture of Natalie and me waiting for our train to get to the station:

Just after this picture was taken, Natalie was looking onto the tracks, and started saying, "mommy, mouse...mommy, mouse...mommy, mouse" and I didn't know what in the world she was talking about. At first I thought that she might be talking about someone wearing a Disney shirt, referring to Mickey Mouse...but alas, she wasn't talking about a figurative character...she was talking about a factual character walking on the subway tracks below us...a good ol' subway rat!

The next thing Natalie noticed, and loudly pointed out to us, was the trash on the tracks. We had to keep reassuring her, "yes, Natalie, there is a mouse, and trash, on the tracks."

We then got on the train, with numerous Yankee and Met fans. Natalie spent most of the time on the train in her mom's lap, and telling everyone about the mouse and trash:

After changing trains once, we made it to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. It was still raining, but we went ahead and went into the stadium. We had tickets to the Sony Lounge, which was an overpriced bar and buffet, but hey, it was out of the rain. While we were eating supper, they cancelled the game.

So, we fought the crowd again, and got back on the subway, headed back to Time Square. We decided to get a picture of us in Time Square:

We made it back to the hotel, and got some rest, because Saturday was going to be a long day.

We started the day with walking towards Central Park and got side-tracked by the M&M store. We picked out some pink candies just in case we needed them later in the day. Natalie wanted to stay in the stroller because there was a 10 foot M&M character in the store (she was a little too scared to get out of the stroller).

Once we made it to the park, we wanted to walk around and take a few pictures. Natalie got to play in one of the playgrounds that is part of the park.

I took a picture of Kristin and Natalie walking in the middle of the park:

Natalie was very interested in the fountain in Central Park:

We then started our journey out of Central Park, but not before taking a few pictures with a famous bridge:

This is the view if you turn around:

Here are a few more pictures we took while in the park:

Before going any further, we needed to get some lunch. We walked a few blocks down to a diner near Carnegie Hall called Lindy's, famous for their cheesecake. After splitting a sandwich, we decided to taste-test their cheesecake. As you can see, we though it was "okay".

Before:

During:

After:

We then got on the subway, and headed to the south side of Manhattan, which is the Financial District, and just across the Hudson River from the Statue of Liberty. By this time, Natalie was sound asleep:

We boarded a water taxi:

They took us up the Hudson River, down near Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, up the East River, under the Brooklyn Bridge, and then back to Battery Park.

Here is a picture we took of the Statue of Liberty:

This is the view of Mahattan from the Statue of Liberty:

We are now back home, and exhausted. Natalie didn't want to go to bed tonight, she thought that the party should continue. It was a busy day, but I am glad we were able to go.

Landon

No, My's!!

2008-05-13T09:43:00.002-04:00

Okay class, can everyone say "Terrible Twos?" (it isn't that bad, but it is the only thing that can explain the rest of the blog).

I don't have any pictures to go with this blog entry, but I wanted to share Natalie's three favorite phrases these days:

"No, My's"

Natalie uses this one when she puts her kung-foo death grip on anything she has that someone else wants. This morning it was her pajamas that we were trying to take off and replace with her clothes for the day. She also uses this phrase to protect her toys from other kids. When using this phrase, she likes to repeat it over and over again until she gets her desired result...or lands herself in time-out, or gets herself a spanking.

"No like it"

Written words do not accurately represent how this is actually spoken by Natalie. It is more like "noooo liiikit, nooo liikit, nolikit." Half the time Kristin and I have to bite our lip because we want to laugh, but it will only encourage the behavior (or so we are told). I would love to laugh at this everytime she says it, because it is hillarious! She says this when she doesn't like something.

Example:
Landon: "Natalie, are you ready to take a bath?"
Natalie: "No like it."

Kristin: "Oh Natalie, let's go play in the basement."
Natalie: "No like it."

The last phrase is "No, Daddy, Stop" (with her her hand out in front of her like a traffic cop).

She uses this one when we do something she doesn't like. She used this one just right as I am typing this because I wouldn't let her play with a picture of her from Disney World. I think she got this one from watching Diego, because they learn to tell the monkey's "Freeze Bobos" with their hands out.

I guess it is called Terrible Twos, but I wouldn't trade these moments for the world.

Landon

More Birthday Cake

2008-05-11T21:25:00.004-04:00

Based on the request from G-Dad, Kristin baked Natalie a chocolate cake for her to enjoy at the house for her "real" birthday (her party was a week early). Tonight we had the cake, 2 days after her birthday so Grandma could be part of the celebration.

Natalie has started to get good at using her fork and spoon lately, but there is just something about cake and toddlers...nothing can really prevent a mess from happening. As you can see from the pictures, she had a great time.

Because it was Mother's day, I decided to take a few pictures with Mom and Grandma as well.

Enjoy...

Natalie trying to blow out the candle:

Finger licking good...

Gardening with Grandma

2008-05-11T21:04:00.004-04:00

Natalie had a blast with Grandma today. We started the day by going to church and then out to eat for Mother's Day. We ate at Ruby Tuesday, which is in the same parking lot as Lowe's. So after lunch, we headed to Lowe's to get some plants for our front porch. Grandma has the greenest thumb that we know, so we had to use her talents while she was in town.

After naptime (which was a short 30 minutes today), we headed outside to do a little work. Grandma bought Natalie some Dora gardening gloves:

Natalie soon ditched the gloves and decided to grab the nearest tool she could find, which was a weeding tool. I selfishly hoped that she already knew how to use it:

Grandma, Kristin, and Natalie worked on getting a few plants in pots and then showed them off to me:

Video from Natalie's Birthday

2008-05-10T21:27:00.001-04:00

Here are a few videos from Natalie's birthday party. Sorry if they are a little long...

Natalie Turns 2!

2008-05-10T20:26:00.005-04:00

Well, Natalie is officially 2 now! We celebrated her birthday in style last week with a Dora party. If we thought that she had enough Dora DVD's and toys before, she REALLY has quite the collection now. She absolutely loves all of her new toys, and has been playing with them non-stop for the past week.

Natalie had several friends come to her party, which was held at Tumbleweeds, a local toddler tumbling business. All of the kids enjoyed running around for a couple hours, and then filled their stomachs with sugar so they could go home and continue the fun.

Here is a link to all the pictures that we took during the party: link

There is one more picture that I want to include on the blog, which is a picture of Natalie's birthday cake:

Kristin was brave enough to make the 'Dora Cake' at home, and I think that it turned out wonderful! It was tiring enough just to watch her make it, I can't imagine what it was like to actually do all the work. Although, I did get to participate in the cleaning of the kitchen, which one could argue was half of the "fun". I guess Kristin has set the bar for the next birthday party...I can't wait to see what disney/noggin/nickelodeon/etc. character will be Natalie's favorite in a year!

I feel like a stranger to my own blog, and it is hard to believe that it has been a month since I have posted anything on it. Life still continues to go at lightning speed here in Philly. We are excited that it has started to get warmer, although it has been in the 50's all week and rainy.

Kristin's mother Terri is in town from Iowa this weekend, so hopefully I can post a few more times while she is here.

Landon

Happy Birthday Aunt Kay-Lynn!

2008-04-08T07:56:00.002-04:00

We would like to wish Aunt Kay-Lynn a Happy Birthday today! As you can see from the pictures above, we did get Natalie to participate for 1 good picture, and then she "lost it." The last picture had to be "southern Engineered" to include Natalie in the picture. I could have tried to photoshop her into the picture, but I don't have photoshop, and I wouldn't know how to do it even if I owned it.

We asked her to write her name on a sheet of paper, and this is what she made for you:

We hope that you have a wonderful day!

Landon, Kristin, and Natalie

Bakin' Cookies and Trombone Playin'

2008-04-06T16:56:00.003-04:00

Natalie got into a cooking mood this week, and wanted to get her apron and hat on, and play in her kitchen. She enjoyed pretending to cook so much that later in the week we decided to get her involved with baking cookies. It was tough to keep her from eating the cookie dough, especially when I wanted to eat it too. But under the constant watch of the Salmonella Nazi, Natalie and I refrained...well, at least Natalie didn't have any.

We are continuing to get the basement in order, and get the house exactly the way that we want. I was putting my trombone into one of our basement closets, and decided to get it out and play it. I don't think that Natalie has seen me play it before, but she was INSTANTLY intrigued by the noise and the way the slide moved. So much so that she wanted to play as well, ghee, I didn't see that one coming?!

I tried to teach her how to make the noise come out right, but she was more interested in singing through it. It was actually pretty entertaining to say the least.

Same Zoo, Different Year

2008-04-02T08:54:00.008-04:00

A few years ago, when Natalie's cousin Mary Alice was a little younger than Natalie is today, my sister and her family came to visit us in Houston. They lived in Lubbock at the time...the good old days I guess we could call it.

One of the days they were with us, we all went to the Houston Zoo for Mary Alice. I wanted to post a few of these pictures last week when we were back in Houston and at the zoo with Natalie.

Mary Alice in 2004:

Natalie in 2008 at the same petting zoo. The animals might/might not be the same:

Well, we are finally back at home. I don't know what it is about our flying problems lately, but yesterday ranked towards the top of the "this is why I hate to fly with a toddler" list. Our flight from Houston to Philly was scheduled to leave at 1 PM. We knew that it was going to be delayed by an hour, but of course you need to be at the airport for the originally schedule time just in case you are cleared to leave. So, as the good passengers that we are, we were through security by noon.

The 1 PM flight was moved to 2 PM. Okay, fine.
The 2 PM flight was moved to 3 PM. Not okay, but we can deal with it.
The 3 PM flight was moved to 4 PM. Really not okay, but what can we do??
The 4 PM flight was moved to 5 PM. Seriously, there must a mistake, you can't really mean 5 PM???

During this whole time, we start to notice that Natalie is feeling warmer and warmer. We think that she is getting sick, but the best thing for her is to get her home.

We get on the plane at 4:30, but the plane doesn't take off until 6. Luckily, we found an extra seat so Natalie could have her own space (we were being cheap and listed Natalie as a lap child...which we can't do in 1 month anymore!). Unfortunately, our seats were at the back of the plane, so we were serenated with toilet flushing the entire flight...oh, and the smells, let's not forget that!

Anyways, we make it to Philly around 10 PM, and home a little after 11. We checked Natalie's temperature when we got home, and it was 103.5-104, not good. We got her cooled down a little bit, and she went right to bed, and so did we.

She is still running a fever today, but we are keeping it down as best we can. She isn't acting sick, as she was playing in her kitchen, playing in our kitchen, singing along to Diego and Dora...not sure what she has, but hoping she will kick it soon.

Landon

Day at the zoo

2008-03-29T15:09:00.006-04:00

We made it to Houston safely, and are halfway through our visit. We have a full weekend planned of visiting old friends, and most importantly enjoying the warm weather while we can. I gladly put on shorts and flip-flops this morning, and it took a few minutes before my toes remembered what flip-flops felt like.

We decided to go to the zoo this morning, so Natalie could run around a little bit and get to see some exotic animals. She was a very big fan of the tropical birds and monkeys. Here is her posing with a monkey:

This next picture is a little more "National Geographic"esk, but I really wanted to include it. Natalie didn't know what to think of one monkey searching for bugs on another monkey's tail and then eating them:

Natalie made sure to wear her sunglasses to protect her eyes from damaging UV rays, or I guess to look stylish. Although the sun wasn't out much of the time, but the humidity DEFINITELY was. I am glad that we went early, because by the time we left it was getting a little too hot.

Towards the end of our visit to the zoo, we took Natalie to the petting area, or should I say the "brushing area." They have little brushes that you can use, and Natalie took to the brushing, more than the petting. She selected a few goats to give 1 stroke each as she made her way through the fenced in area. I was lucky enough to catch her in the act with one goat:

We finished up our visit with a ride on the carousel, but Natalie was too afraid of the various animals you could ride on. Instead, she opted for the comfortable spot next to G-Ma. It looks like they both enjoyed her choice:

Landon

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T22:19:00.006-04:00

Nothing says 'Easter' than the excitement of finding hidden candy and then getting to eat it in your Church clothes!

For the first time in her life, Natalie got to experience Easter on all levels. She got to do the typical Easter egg hunt at Church (link to the pictures below), she got an Easter basket on Sunday morning, and then look for more eggs in our living room. We didn't want to hide eggs in the yard because it is still too cold outside. I can't explain to you how much we are looking forward to warmer weather!!

Since it is a few days after Easter, I am happy to say that Natalie is still finding candy in our living room. If we are in the kitchen, and she is playing in the living room, we know that if it gets a little "too quiet" that we need to check on her. On several occasions now, she has a mouthful of candy that she hid somewhere in our living room. It is so hard to keep from laughing with her mouth full or chocolate or with her tongue colored blue from jellybeans. I think she has found all the candy now, so we are good to go until Halloween comes around.

Natalie has added a few more words to her vocabulary recently. If you ask her a question now, her typical response is "ooookkaaaaay." "Natalie, do you want to go for a walk?" "Ooookkaaaayy!" "Natalie, do you want to go to the store?" "Ooookkaaaayy!"

She has also become more vocal with things she does not like. For example, when we are dressing her in something that she doesn't want to wear, she will throw a fit, and keep saying, "NO LIKE IT, NO LIKE IT, NO LIKE IT." I guess this is all part of "the terrible two's."

One really sweet thing she did today that I think Kristin really enjoyed was while we were hanging pictures in my office. We got to a picture of Kristin on our wedding day which I kept on my desk, and Natalie took it. Kristin asked Natalie who it was, and Natalie said, "Mommy Princess, Mommy Princess."

I have put up more pictures from the past week online, check out the following link: Link to all the pictures

We leave for Houston tomorrow morning for about a week. Hopefully I can post while we are there.

Landon

The Franklin Institute

2008-03-09T22:14:00.007-04:00

Since I have been traveling so much lately, I wanted to do something special with Natalie and give Kristin a little time to herself to recharge. I have heard so many good things about the Philadelphia Children's Museum ever since we moved here. I thought it might be fun to take Natalie downtown to the Museum this Saturday. So I grabbed the GPS and headed downtown!

When I got downtown, the streets were packed, and I couldn't find a place to park near the Museum. I drove around the block a few times, but it didn't get any better. Plus, it was POURING outside, so I didn't want to park too far away. I finally found a parking garage for the Franklin Institute, which is another Museum in the area, but geared more towards older kids.

As I was pulling into the garage, I read the parking rates. It would cost $25 for 2 hours of parking (are you kidding me??), and of course, it was too late for me to turn around. As we were taking the elevator down to the street-level I overheard two other people in the elevator talking about how they got their parking ticket validated at the Franklin Institute. Right then, I decided we should try out the Franklin Institute today, and we can come back on another day and try the other Museum (plus I think Kristin wants to go with us to the other one too).

Natalie and I placed membership, and we are off...the first stop was the Children's exhibit, and Natalie played with some blocks. (please excuse the quality of these pics, they were taken on my camera phone)

The next stop was the cardio room. Natalie got to spin a few wheels to pump blood through the body (I think she just liked spinning the wheels).

She was also a big fan of crawling through the large veins (again, I think she just liked crawling through tubes).

We then went to the weather section, and Natalie tried to control the weather in North America (again, I think she just liked pushing the buttons and moving the joystick).

The last picture is Natalie playing on a mat that lights up and tracks your movement (by this time, I think Natalie was just enjoying running around in an open space with other kids).

Overall, we had a blast! Most of the exhibits are a little above her knowledge capability, but she did enjoy getting her hands on so many different things, even if she didn't understand it all.

Landon

Bedtime Video

2008-03-09T22:08:00.003-04:00

A few days ago Kristin and I made a few videos of Natalie before bed. She has become very fond of the alphabet, and likes to tell us what specific letters are.

Even tonight, as we were putting her to bed, she pointed to her bookshelf and said "me want read, me want read" in her half talk, half crying voice. What parent wouldn't read a book to her after that?! So, we read her a book and then she wanted to sleep with the book.

I hope you enjoy the video...

A few pictures

2008-03-03T21:19:00.003-05:00

Well, the last few weeks have been extremely busy for us. I have been through more winter storms that I can count while traveling for business. I have had completely cancelled flights in Philadelphia, New York, and Chicago in the last two weeks, and you just know that I was the only one that needed to get on another flight (yah right!). I am convinced that airlines cancel flights when it is convenient for them to do so, and not when it is physically impossible for them to fly. For instance, I had a customer service rep with United tell me that no airline was flying to Rochester when my flight from Chicago to Rochester was cancelled due to "weather". I told him that I just saw a flight leave 5 minutes ago for Rochester. He acted shocked, and wanted to know what airline...I said, "oh, this little one, right over there (pointing to the gate), UNITED!!!" Needless to say, he dropped this issue, but it didn't solve my problem as I had to get a hotel in Chicago, cancel my meeting in Rochester, and fly to Buffalo the next morning for another meeting. So if anyone wants to know about a specific airline, or airport, especially in the Northeast, I can hook you up.

With all those traveling problems being said, it is such a joy to come home to Kristin and Natalie. I do get to hear all of the stories while I am on the road, but nothing can replace experiencing them for yourself.

For instance, the day after I got back from a week long trip, I had to go out and shovel snow off our driveway and sidewalk. Of course, Natalie wanted to participate. So there we were, two partners in crime, shoveling snow. Natalie kept falling down in her large pink snow suit. It reminded me of the snow suits in "The Christmas Story."

Once we got done shoveling snow, Natalie talked me practicing our golf swings with snow balls. I have a short 7 iron that my dad gave me when I was a kid, and so that is Natalie's to play with. My weapon of choice was a 2 iron my grandad gave me years ago. I figure I can practice on snow with the 2 iron because I am never going to be able to hit a real golf ball with it (for non-golfers, hitting a 2 iron is typically reserved for the Tiger Woods of this world).

The next two pictures were taken while I was not at home. Kristin called me to tell me that Natalie had sat down with her baby doll and was rocking her and singing "Jesus Loves Me" to her. Even though I wasn't there, I find it amazing how she decided to do this on her own. Natalie definitely has a mind of her own these days, and I am glad that that little mind is starting to know Jesus. Even if it is just a small moment in time, and a simple song, it still makes a father proud.

After she got done playing with her doll, she pulled up her sun glasses and struck a pose for Kristin.

Sorry for the delay in posting....

We miss everyone!

Landon

Weekend "fun"

2008-02-17T15:13:00.003-05:00

It was another typical Saturday at our house, full of cleaning and chores which didn't get done during the week. Natalie wanted to participate a little more this time. There is a little song that she loves to sing, which she learned from some of her second cousins in Iowa. The song goes "Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere. Clean up, clean up, everybody do your share." She is so fond of this song that she will even make a mess just so she can sing it! You might think I am kidding, but I am serious! She will take her snack bowl, dump it on the floor, and then will start singing the song while eating the rest of her snack off the floor and putting "most" of it back into her bowl. We may find little pieces of her snack under the coffee table a few days later though.

It is amazing to us how much this song motivates Natalie. We could ask her to pick up her mess, and she won't do it. However, once we start singing the song, she is totally into the clean-up game.

We might just have to write a few songs for "potty-time" or "don't talk back" or "no is not a word we say to our parents" or my favorite in 14 years from now "boys have cooties". Hey, whatever it takes...

While cleaning the house, Natalie found a packet of smiley face stickers. As you can see, she enjoyed them very much. She managed to get several on her face, hands, clothes, and hair before we noticed she was playing with them.

As we were getting her ready for bed, she decided to sport her new doo-rag as an accessory to her glow-in-the-dark skeleton pajamas.

I apologize for not updating the blog in a few weeks. I have been traveling extensively the past few weeks for my job, and it looks like the trend will continue. I will try to update the blog more often in the coming weeks though.

We miss everyone.

Landon

I Love Dora

2008-01-31T22:29:00.000-05:00

Well, we now have a child who is in love with Dora. I shouldn't say "now" as she has been in love with Dora for awhile, but I think she has taken her affection to a new level.

When she wakes up in the morning, she says "Dora? Dora? Dora?" In the middle of the day she walks to the TV, grabs the remote, points it at the TV and says "Dora? Dora? Dora?" Before going to bed every night, we have to explain that Dora went to bed too and that she can see her when she gets up. Maybe that is why she asks for Dora when she gets up (as it now just hits me)?!

We have two DVDs of Dora, which she has watched at least a hundred times a piece it seems like, but she never gets tired of watching them. She especially likes to have a snack and juice, and sit in her, you guessed it, Dora couch, and watch the show.

When the music comes on for the show, she sings along. When Swipper says "Oh, man!" she echoes him by saying it too. She tries to repeat the Spanish words as well. You really can't get her eyes unglued from the TV.

When we went to Lowe’s a few weeks ago, she found ON HER OWN the section that has the Dora room decorations and camped out.

Anytime we walk through Wal-Mart and she sees Dora on a cereal box or snack bag she starts up again, "Dora? Dora? Dora?"

She has Dora shoes and even a Dora doll in the bathtub.

Even when I try to give her a kiss when I am headed out the door to go run errands and Dora is on, she could care less that I am saying bye. All she cares about is that I don't stand in front of the TV.

I am sure that Nickelodeon has spent millions of dollars to figure out how to keep kids attention, and it really works.

Now I don't want you to think that we went out and bought her 'everything Dora' in one trip. She has slowly accumulated all of these things her entire life, but they NEVER get old to her.

So if you are looking for the next gift for Natalie, anything with Dora on it would be perfect. On the other hand, she really REALLY doesn't need anymore Dora paraphernalia.

Landon

We may not live in Texas anymore...

2008-01-27T21:44:00.000-05:00

But that isn't going to stop us from getting Natalie a cowboy hat and boots! Of course, we did make sure to get her the pink variety.

We just got home from Houston, and just like clock-work, Natalie and I got sick. I think that Natalie had it a little worse than I did, but I had the pleasure of flying home sick. Thankfully, the Southwest plane we were on was only half full, so Natalie had her own seat...which we have found to be the recipe for successful travel with her (we had to find out the hard way though, i.e. hours of screaming on the plane).

We are trying to figure out how to make it back for the Houston Livestock and Rodeo Show while we are living in Philly. We have such fond memories of going to the Rodeo, and just want to continue them. Kristin and I went to the Rodeo every year we were in Houston. I can remember pushing her around in a wheel chair when she was almost 8 months pregnant and on bed rest so we could see George Strait and Martina McBride. We took Natalie when she was almost 1, and now when she could really get into seeing the animals, we most likely will not be able to make it this year.

Fortunately, the boots and hat Natalie have are very big on her right now, so they should fit perfectly next year. Mark it down, we will be in Houston for the Rodeo in 2009. Anyone else want to go??

We don't have any travel plans for at least a month as a family, and we are looking forward to getting into a routine. We have a great church home that we are with 3 times a week. Natalie and Kristin will be going to a swimming class and toddler tumbling once a week at the YMCA. I will be traveling a little more for work, but not for a few more weeks. I will try to keep the blog updated as we get into our routine.

Landon

These are a few of my favorite things...

2008-01-10T15:22:00.000-05:00

Over our Christmas vacation to Iowa, we were watching The Sound of Music, which Natalie thoroughly enjoyed (and even tried to sing along a few times). Well, just when I thought that I had gotten all of those songs out of my head, I was sitting in my office this afternoon and I start to hear the voice of Julia Andrews, and what do you know, one song still remained...

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things..."

I started thinking about all of the favorite things that Natalie has in her life right now, and I thought I would share it with everyone.

First of all, Natalie loves juice. But then again, I guess what kid doesn't love juice. We never give her juice "straight up," but usually mix it with 1-2 times as much water. You would think that she would care what percentage of juice she actually gets, but she really doesn't. It either has juice in it, or it doesn't. We used to be able to fool her a little and just give her water when she asked for juice, but there is no fooling this kid anymore. She will let you know that she knows she isn't getting juice, and just won't drink it. So, we usually take it, and add a small splash of juice to a full sippy-cup, and she is good-to-go.

The second thing that Natalie loves right now is puppies. Every time she sees, hears, thinks about, smells, you name it, a dog, she gets real excited and keeps saying "puppy, puppy, puppy." Kristin even gave her a puppy purse and she sleeps with it, and will kiss it on the nose. Just this week she started saying "oh, puppies." Kristin and I get such a kick out of it, I hope technology will help me out and let me play it for you:

Oh Puppies!

And just in case you are wondering when we are going to be getting her a dog...it won't be anytime soon because it wouldn't be fair to the dog living in a town home. Once we get a nice yard, we can "think" about getting a dog.

The third thing that Natalie loves right now is ice cream. Whenever we have ice cream, she always has to have a little. We usually just give her little bites out of our bowl, and she is very happy with that. She doesn't sit down and eat the ice cream like we do, she almost uses it as an energy source in the middle of her playing or running around the house. She will come into the living room, run to either Kristin or me, look at us and say "iise creem? iise creem??" She takes her little bite, and before she can swallow it, she is back to running around the house or playing on the floor. I guess we only have to worry about us gaining weight from the ice cream and not her.

The fourth, and the last one I am going to mention today, thing that Natalie loves right now is shoes. She has always had an affinity towards shoes. Maybe this is something they put in the vaccinations for girls when they are born in the hospital?! Probably not, but I am going to go with that for now. The first thing she wants to do (right before getting juice) in the morning is to put on a pair of shoes. Not just "any" shoes, but a matching pair of shoes. Again, two words, girl vaccine. Anyways, the last thing that she takes off every night is shoes. Sometimes she doesn't even take them off. She has a pair of white slippers that she wears to bed.

Here is a picture of Natalie doing her best to try and get a pair of Kristin's shoes on me. I tried to explain that they wouldn't fit, but she had to keep trying. I finally had to get a pair of my own shoes on so she would stop trying to dress me in drag.

Natalie says hi to everyone.

Landon

Home again, home again, jiggity jig

2008-01-06T13:40:00.000-05:00

We finally made it home late Wednesday night, or should I say, really early Thursday morning at about 2. We were flying out of Minneapolis, connecting through Cleveland, and arriving into Allentown, PA. We should have made it home around 5, but ended up having a 3 hour delay in Minneapolis, and a 5 hour delay in Cleveland. I think that we were the last flight out of Cleveland that night. Thank goodness for Little Tikes and their plant outside of Cleveland. They donated several of their large play centers and they have them scattered throughout the entire airport. Natalie spend most of the evening running from playset to playset, while Kristin and I took turns trying to keep up with her. She refused to go to sleep in the airport, and finally fell asleep on the flight to Allentown after Midnight.

I finally got all of our pictures downloaded from the trip, and even managed to put a video together of Natalie sledding. You have seen a picture, but I think that the video is a little more exciting, enjoy...

I forgot to mention that Natalie taught herself how to put on lipstick while we were in Iowa, at the expense of Grandma's lipstick. We tried to warn Grandma that she liked to play with Kristin's lipstick, but I don't think anything could prepare her for what she would find when Natalie wandered off into the corner of the house with a tube of lipstick. Terri (Grandma) had given it to her after she had taken out all of lipstick out of the tube (or what she thought was all of it). Natalie opened up the lipstick, twisted it until it was fully extended, and then proceeded to mine out every ounce of remaining lipstick goodness.

Here is what we found...and mind you, she gladly posed for this picture, as if she was truly proud of her work...

I will leave you with a few scenic shots I took, while freezing in the Iowa tundra.

Landon

Wii wish you a Merry Christmas

2007-12-29T12:17:00.000-05:00

Kristin and her parents went together to get me a Wii for Christmas, but due to the demand this Christmas season, they couldn't find one. Al even went to 4 different Best Buys on the way to the airport to pick us up on Monday.

Al and I went to Mason City (for those of you that are geographically challenged or unfamiliar with Iowa, it is a town about an hour from Thompson and one of the closest big box shopping options) to take care of a few "honey-dos." We decided to try our luck at finding a Wii at the Best Buy while we were in town. As we were walking in, I saw a girl at the checkout with one. As a kid on Christmas morning, my blood pressure and pulse started to increase. I think it was more of the "thrill of the chase" than actually owning a Wii. My mind instantly went back to the classic movie, "The Christmas Story," hoping that when I asked for a Wii from the closest associate they wouldn't tell me, "a Wii? You'll poke your eye out."

Al and I made it to the display case just in time to see that there were NONE. So, tactically, we split up, as if we were on a safari and our kill was in sight. I went to the front in search of the nearest Best Buy employee. I found my person at the front, who radioed to the back of the store to get someone to help me. She didn't say that they had any, and I didn't want to ask, for fear that I might jinx it. As I was walking to the back of the store, I saw Al grinning, and holding a brand new Wii in his hands with the care that a delivery nurse might hold a new born. In the same motion, he handed over the Wii to the over joyed father, being careful to support the neck of the box.

Okay, enough of the literary drama...we bought the Wii and finished our shopping and went home. Al seemed to think that I was a very demotivated shopper after we found the Wii, but I think he was just goosing me a little.

When we got home, I set the game system up and we broke it in as a family by playing a game of bowling. Natalie even got to participate with Al.

Before I forget, Natalie would like to send a shot out to "her peeps". "Haulla!"

I would also like to tell everyone how Natalie has been a good helper this morning. She helped Grandma wash dishes, as we are getting ready for our family Christmas dinner at Natalie's Great Grandparents house down the road. Thank you Natalie!

Landon

Iowa in the snow

2007-12-27T09:24:00.000-05:00

It snowed a few inches over night, and there was just enough snow on the ground to go out and sled in the front yard. Natalie’s second cousins, Madison and Jake, came over to play for the day. Natalie had to learn how to share her new Christmas toys, which was difficult at first, but by the end of the day she was a pro. Let’s hope that the trend continues.

Here are a few pictures of the kids playing in the snow. Natalie was a huge fan of going down the little hill in the sled. She would say “weeee, weeee!” as she went down the hill. Once she was at the bottom, she would look at grandpa and say, “again? again?” I think that Al got his workout for the day taking the kids up and down the hill.

Once they were done in the snow, we went inside to have some cocoa and make sugar cookies with grandma. Natalie made a Christmas tree cookie, and even got to ice it and put sprinkles on it.

After we were done with our snack, we all played on the piano together. It was very cute, but the music was a little, well, let’s just say, harsh.

Later that night, Kristin’s friend Brooke came over and read Natalie a bedtime story.

The latest thing that Natalie does now is she says “owee, owee” and wants you to kiss whatever she says is her “owee.” She is turning into our little drama queen, as she makes these faces when she says “owee” such that you would think her arm, finger, leg, etc. is going to fall off if someone doesn’t kiss it quickly.

Landon

Santa comes to Iowa

2007-12-25T21:01:00.000-05:00

Kristin, Natalie, and I made it safely to Iowa yesterday. We were greeted by Kristin’s father Al, and sub 10 degree weather. It is cold in Philadelphia, but it hasn’t been this cold. Natalie was very happy to see “pan-pa” and was ready to get in his arms after a minute of playing shy. Natalie was a very good sport all day, and never really had a breakdown, which is unbelievable considering that we were either on a plane or in a car for over 8 hours.

Natalie got sick last night, so Kristin and I took turns taking care of her. It was the first time that she has thrown up multiple times during the night. It was difficult to see her be sick, much less on Christmas Eve.

We did sleep enough for Santa to come, and he brought Natalie some wonderful gifts. Among her favorites from Santa was a baby doll and a big red skirt. Grandma and Grandpa gave her a baby doll stroller, so Santa must have known that a doll was the perfect gift.

Natalie wasn’t took keen on putting the doll in her stroller at first. Not that she didn’t like the doll, or didn’t like the stroller, but she just wanted to play with them separately. We finally convinced her that they go together, and she has been walking circles around the house with the doll in the stroller.

Natalie continues to entertain us with her singing and dancing. Tomorrow we are going to put on her new snow suit and play in the snow. We have a sled to pull her around in, and if it snows enough tonight we will try to make a snowman (something I haven’t done in a very VERY long time).

I will try to take some pictures to share with everyone.

Landon

George Washington is Natalie's friend

2007-12-22T23:39:00.000-05:00

For Mara and Kyle's last day in Philadelphia, we decided to go into downtown Philly and see some of the historical sites. We didn't have much time to spend in downtown because they needed to catch their flight, so we prioritized the visit down to 2 things...The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.

We made it just in time to make the start of the guided tour of Independence Hall. They start you off by having everyone sit in one large room and listen to one of the rangers talk about the history of Independence Hall, etc. As you can imagine, it was like trying to keep Natalie quiet throughout an entire church service...not gunna happen. So I took her outside, and we found Mr. George Washington, and he graciously agreed to pose for a picture, although I had to do a little begging with Natalie.

After Natalie got to run off a little steam, we caught back up with the group, just in time to walk into the old courtroom. Kristin looked at me and said, "I just got goosebumps." It was surreal to stand in the very room where our forefathers could have tried early citizens for treason, or other crimes. All of the furnishing were made to look like the originals, as the room was later used by the British, and much of the original furnishings were destroyed.

Next they lead us to the room that was used to write the constitution. Again, the history in the room really captured the moment. We decided to take a family picture while were in Independence Hall.

The last stop on our quick visit was to see the Liberty Bell. We didn't have enough time to go through the tour inside, but you can see the bell from the outside, which was a good enough view for us.

I think that I have officially taken one more step closer to becoming like my father when it comes to history. If I would have come here as a kid with my parents, I would be the one running out in the grass next to the Liberty Bell or Independence Hall. My dad would have been the guy with his camera around his neck, reading every poster and taking every tour that was given. I now get to be the father that will drag my kid(s) around the country looking at historical monuments. I guess I turned out okay after all, and that is what I will tell Natalie when she gets old enough to ask me why we are stopping on the side of the road to read a historical marker (you didn't think I would forget that would you dad?!)

Landon

p.s. After we took Kyle and Mara to the airport, we (pronounced 'Kristin' in this context) really wanted to go to the King of Prussia mall. For those that are not aware of this mall, it is the second largest mall in America (don't feel bad, I didn't know that either until we moved here).

While Kristin was doing some shopping, Natalie and I walked around and went to a few different stores. The last one on our tour was the golf megastore, where Natalie did one of the cutest things she has ever done.

I wanted to try out a new style of putter, and Natalie was content with watching me putt 1 ball, but then after that, she wanted to "help" me. I didn't mind, so I had her stand in front of me, and she would grab the shaft of the putter, and we would putt together. We putted 3 8-10 ft putts, and what do you know, we made the 3rd one! I celebrate to show Natalie that we did it, expecting her to want to try again with me.

She turns around, looks at me, and I think I see the light in her head go off, but with a little confusion mixed in as well. She quickly bends down, picks up a golf ball and walks over to the hole we were putting to. I thought that she was going to grab the ball that we just made, but she didn't. She set the other ball in the hole, and then stood back up and starting saying "yay, yay!" and clapping her hands.

I couldn't stop laughing! It was one of the cuttest things I think she has ever done...but then again, I am her sports crazed father...she hit one right up my alley. If that wasn't enough, she walked back, and got another ball and did the same thing.

I look forward to experiencing many more moments like the one tonight.

Christmas 2007 (a little early)

2007-12-22T11:29:00.000-05:00

This is the last day that Mara and Kyle will be visiting us in Philadelphia, but it won't be our typical "goodbye" as we will be flying to Iowa in two days to spend Christmas and New Years. So, it will be more of a "see you in a few days".

This morning we decided to open some of our Christmas presents while Kyle and Mara were still in town, since we can't take all the gifts with us on the plane. Natalie got to open the gifts from everyone, and is having a blast this morning with all of her new toys. Santa did not come last night because it was too early for him to come. I did however arrange for him to show up one day early (I am glad that he is so flexible).

As I am typing this she is climbing into the Radio Flyer wagon my parents got her. Check out her stylish look:

Yesterday, Kyle and Mara put the play kitchen together for us. Kristin's parents are the ones that gave Natalie the kitchen. Needless to say, she absolutely loves it! Check out the video that we took:

My mothers sister Georgetta sent Natalie a stuffed reindeer named Ralphie, and she has been taking him everywhere around the house. She got to play with a similar reindeer in North Carolina during Thanksgiving, and now she has her very own. Another perfect gift!

This afternoon we are going to go into Philadephia and see the Liberty Bell and a few other historical places before heading to the airport. We have really enjoyed having Mara and Kyle stay with us, and look forward to spending Christmas in Iowa.

Landon

Visiting the Big Apple

2007-12-20T11:31:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday Kyle, Mara, Kristin, Natalie, and myself drove up to New York City to spend the entire day. Kristin and Natalie had only been in "The City" once before, which was earlier this year. I took some pictures of their trip, and they can been seen here: http://gallery.mac.com/ljluttrell#100026

For Kyle and Mara, this was the first time to see the city.

It took us about 1:45 to get from our house to Manhattan, and 30 minutes to drive from the exit of the Lincoln Tunnel to our parking garage near the Empire State Building. For those that have never driven in NYC, you should add it to your "must do in your lifetime" list, as I can assure you, it is definitely an experience you will NEVER forget.

Once we got our car parked (which involves handing over your car keys to an attendant who's main goal is to squeeze as many cars into an underground garage as possible. I don't think that they could have fit anymore cars in the lot, it was unbelievable!), it was time to get bundled up for the winter weather.

One of my customers gave us what looks like a sleeping bag for your stroller as a "welcome to the Northeast" gift. At the time he gave it to us, we still had our A/C on full blast in Houston, never imagining the day we would actually use it. Well, that day was yesterday, and it turned out to be one of the most useful gifts we have ever received. Here is a picture of Natalie in it (I was jealous of our little burrito a few times yesterday).

We ate at a little restaurant in the basement of Macy's, and then went up to the 8th floor to see Santa Land (yes, Macy's has over 8 floors). I was secretly hoping that we would find Will Farell at the North Pole, but he wasn't there (for those that are challenged in the pop culture arena, this was a joke about Elf, a movie staring Will Farell, who worked at the Christmas display at Macy's, and...never mind, watch the movie).

Here are a few pictures I took at Santa Land:

The next stop on our trip was to the Empire State Building. For those that have never been to NYC, the Empire State Building is a few blocks down from Macy's on 34th Street (you know, Miracle on 34th Street?...I know, I am torturing those that have no pop culture knowledge, but if you don't know what Miracle on 34th Street is, you need to stop reading this blog right now, and google "how to get a life" or go to Barnes and Noble and buy "Earth, Yes, You Life on It for Dummies").

You pay about $16 to take 3 separate elevators to get to the top of the building. Between the 3 elevator rides, you walk through rope guided lines similar to a theme park. Strategically placed along the way are souvenir shops trying to sell you anything that has the word "New York" or "Empire State Building" on it. What they don't tell you is that you can buy the same thing on the street outside for 3 times less.

We finally got to the top, just in time for Natalie's good behavior and patience to run out. So we took turns taking care of her inside the gift shop at the top (go figure, another one). We got some really cool pictures of the city. To see all the pictures we took at the top, as well as the rest of the pictures from the trip, check out this link: http://gallery.mac.com/ljluttrell#100059

The next stop on our trip was Rockefeller Center, home of New York City Christmas Tree, NBC Studios, and the ice skating rink that you always see on TV. Here is a picture of the tree:

As we started walking away from the tree, we saw an area adjacent to the tree, full of millions of pennies. Come to find out, it is actually 100 million pennies, and for those of you that are a little slow with math, that is one million dollars!! (I really hope that no one who is reading this both lacks math skills and pop culture, because I would really feel bad). I asked one of the attendants what the pennies were for, and she explained that the kids of NYC have been collecting pennies through their school for the past month, and that they raised 1 million dollars, which will be redistributed back to their schools after Christmas. The kids at the various schools will then decide which charity they would like to donate their portion to. I thought it was a neat display of giving this Holiday season, and truly shows you how something as little as a penny, can add up to something significant when it is all put together. As a side note, it was very tempting for Natalie to try and play in the sea of pennies.

Next on our trip was the world famous toy store, FAO Schwartz. I don't think that I need to explain, but Natalie had a blast! The keyboard that Tom Hanks (a.k.a. Josh Baskin / David Moscow) played on in "Big" is still setup on the second floor, and they let kids play on it, and they even put on a show every hour or so. Here is Natalie playing the piano:

Once we got done at FAO Schwartz, it was time to start heading back to the car. While we were looking at toys, it started to rain outside. It was that perfect temperature that was too high for snow, but just cold enough to see your breath and be cold and wet. Trying to keep Natalie dry and in the stroller, we tried to catch a cab, along with half of New York. I don't think that I have ever seen so many cabs with their "off duty" light lit up. We needed to catch a cab or take the subway because our car was parked over 20 blocks away. I have been to NY numerous times, but I am not a subway expert, and it was during rush hour, and Natalie was in the stroller...so it wasn't the best time to learn. We weren't able to get a cab, so we started walking back in the rain. Halfway back to our garage we found a place to eat, and it was the perfect place....a fresh soup and coffee restaurant. We had our fill, and then finished the trek back to the car.

The last thing that we did was drive through Time Square (sorry, no pictures, I was driving), and it was a zoo on the streets. I think that I was the only non cab on the road as we dissected the city on Broadway. We drove all the way down to the financial district (area of ground zero), and got into the Holland Tunnel and under the Hudson river, which puts you back into New Jersey.

I drove home to the sound of dueling snoring...or maybe it was the three snorers....actually they made a quartet, so I am going to go with The Barbershop Snorers. In any case, everyone was exhausted!!

I hope you enjoyed my long, LONG, citation of the day. I enjoyed living it, and reliving it while writing this.

Landon

Got Cocoa??

2007-12-18T20:53:00.001-05:00

While sporting her Cocoa Pajamas, Natalie insisted on getting cocoa tonight. Actually, it went down like this...

Kristin: Natalie, do you want cocoa tonight?

Natalie: (dead stare at Kristin).

(everyone goes back to watching tv, Natalie exits left).

Natalie: (standing alone in the kitchen, and starts speaking quietly) cocoa? Cocoa? COcoa? COCoa? COCOa? COCOA? COO-COOA??

Kristin: Okay Natalie, dad will make you some cocoa.

Natalie: (runs around the corner to come and get me. She grabs my by the finger and leads me into the kitchen to make some cocoa).

We proceeded to make cocoa together in the kitchen, and while we were making it, Natalie kept saying "cocoa, me? Me, cocoa?" I explained to her that we were almost done, and she would have her own cup. What she didn't know was that I was making her cocoa with half the mix and half cold water to cut the temperature, but she didn't care, she wanted "cocoa, me."

After drinking half of a full coffee cup of cocoa, and spilling some of it on the carpet, I took the above picture. It reminds me of the "got milk" ads that you see on tv and in magazines. You can download a higher resolution by clicking on the picture.

Kyle and Mara are visiting us from Iowa this week, and Mara let Natatlie wear her scarf. Natalie walked around the house with it on until it fell off while she was ripping ornaments off the Christmas tree.

When Natalie got tired of me taking all the pictures, she found a Nikon add in a magazine and did her best impression of the paparazzi.

That is all for now. Be sure to check back in the next few days. I will be adding pictures of NYC and Philly and we do our touristic duties with Kyle and Mara.

Landon

Natalie and Lipstick

2007-12-17T12:25:00.000-05:00

Well, I guess I got a glimpse into what it is going to be like raising a girl today. Natalie has recently started becoming very interested in playing with Kristin's makeup. From blush, to lipstick, to creams, to all that other stuff women put on their faces (sorry ladies, I just don't keep up with the 'terminology').

A few weeks ago while Al, Terri, and Mimi were visiting, we gave Natalie a set of play makeup. She played with it for several days before losing all of the pieces throughout the house. I am sure that we will find them one day, but Natalie would have outgrown the 'play with makeup' stage by then.

So today, Natalie found one of Kristin's lipsticks, and immediately started trying to put it on her lips. We had to quickly grab it to remove the actual makeup because she really did get it on her lips.

When we gave her the lipstick back, she was simply overjoyed! So much so, that we had to get the moment on tape. Enjoy the show!

Landon

Natalie meets Semper Fi

2007-12-16T07:17:00.000-05:00

Last night the whole family went to the mall to do some last minute Christmas shopping, which you could argue was not the best decision if you want to be an efficient shopper (the goal and desire of every male on the planet). So, you can see that I cashed in my chips before even leaving the house...this trip was for the females in the family. My one hope was to go to Home Depot, which is right next to the mall, but that ambition quickly faded with the sight of a packed mall. Oh well, I guess I will save the trip to Home Depot for another day.

Anyways, while we were at the mall, the local Marine Corp recruits had the regions mascot, Semper Fi, on hand for petting and taking pictures. Natalie is getting more and more curious and excited when she gets around dogs and she is getting very good at saying "puppy, puppy, Puppy, PupPy, PUPPY, PUPPY!!!" when she sees a dog nearby.

So, here is to you, GG-Ma and GG-Dad, Natalie with Semper Fi. Although she doesn't fully understand who the Marine Corp is or what Semper Fi means (always loyal), rest assured she will know someday. We told her that we were taking a picture to send to GG, and she gladly stood with the dog.

I was amazed at how calm the dog was. I came to the conclusion that they probably medicated the thing before into the mall. After we took the picture, the Marine that takes care of Semper Fi gave him a biscuit, and it took him a few seconds to figure out what he was smelling.

Got to run...getting ready for church.

Landon

View from my office

2007-12-15T11:44:00.000-05:00

I finally have my office setup, although I still need to unpack a few book and file boxes. These are not a priority right now, so they may stay in the boxes for a few more weeks until I can get time to organize them.

I wanted to post a few pictures of the view from my office. The scenery is so different than Houston that I strategically positioned my computer so that I have the trees and creek in the background of my workspace.

The area is very popular with the local birds, and both our neighbors have feeders. If I ever get bored with selling plastic (which rairly happens :) ), I can entertain myself with the creative and hungry squirls trying to outsmart the bird feeders, or just watch the numerous species of birds that land on the trees and feeders. I am sure that I will be able to tell you what kind of birds they are in a few months, after I get tired of not knowing and start researching online. But right now, I am content with just watching the colorful birds fly by and get a bite to eat.

I also have enjoyed watching the weather change from the comfort of my office. I got to see the rest of the leaves fall from the trees, and now I get to see snow blanket the landscape. It is such a different environment than Houston, and I enjoy the newness and beauty of the area. I look forward to working hard in my office, and watch all the weather God brings our way.

Now that I have done my tribute to Mother Earth and I have punched my Al-Gore-Tree-Hugging-Hippie-Global-Warming-Card for today, I will get back to my normal day of unpacking and chasing Natalie around.

Landon

Natalie dancing while Jason plays the piano

2007-12-15T07:07:00.000-05:00

On Friday night, we had our good friends Jason & Janna over for dinner and to hang out, which was one of our favorite things to do when we both lived in Houston. We are so happy to be able to spend time with them again, especially considering that Janna is 6 months pregnant, and we will be able to be around during this special time in their lives.

For those that do not know this, Natalie LOVES music. She loves listening to it, playing it on her little toys, singing at the top of her lungs, and dancing to it. For some reason she really likes dancing to the bluegrass station on tv. Kristin says it is because I am from Kentucky originally...maybe so. I know that I don't mind listening to bluegrass while she dances, double the fun for me!

Last night when Jason & Janna (& baby Nathan) were over, Jason started playing the piano at my request because he can actually play well (which is more than what I can say for Kristin and me, unfortunately). Natalie instantly grabbed her magic wand and started "shaking her boodie." Jason played as many Christmas songs and kid songs that he could think of. Janna, Kristin, and I sang to the melody and Natalie entertained all of us with her dance moves. Jason also played some classical pieces and a few rock tunes, which Natalie enjoyed.

When Jason had played all that he could think of, he got up and sat back down in the living room. Natalie looked at Jason and said "noo, noo" in a "I don't like what just happened" kind of voice. She walked over to Jason, grabbed his index finger and middle finger in her little hand, and started leading him across the living room. Jason played along, not knowing for sure where she was leading him. Sure enough, it was straight back to the piano for Jason. Right when they got to the piano, she took off running for her spot in the middle of the floor for dancing. It was quite funny to watch the whole thing transpire. Jason graciously abliged and played a few more songs for Natalie.

After that it was "night, night" for Natalie, which she never likes. I will leave you with a picture of Natalie dancing in the middle of the floor.

Landon

Gift from Texas

2007-12-14T13:49:00.001-05:00

Natalie recently got her first Nativity Scene from our friend Amy in Houston. We think Natalie misses Texas, as she has been walking around the saying 'Texas, Texas' for the past few days. Thanks Amy, she loves it!!

Videos from Thanksgiving

2007-11-25T15:00:00.000-05:00

Here are the videos from Thanksgiving this year. I hope you enjoy!

Landon

What I want for Christmas:

Everyone goes bowling:

Trees by Mary Alice:

Unknown by Natalie:

Farewell:

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-11-24T15:00:00.000-05:00

Kristin, Natalie, and I drove down to North Carolina for Thanksgiving this year. It was about an 8 1/2 hour drive, but it went quickly. We had a great time with my folks and my sister’s family. I think that Natalie learned a few things from her cousins Mary Alice and Charlie. Mostly how to play and get in trouble....I think she had the “getting in trouble” part down already though.

Natalie had a blast with Charlie. Every day we were there she would wake up and say “Charlie? Charlie??” She really like playing with her cousin Charlie. Now that we are back home, she still says “Charlie” when she sees his picture on the computer. I am curious to see how long she keeps saying his name.

The best story from the visit was with Mary Alice....

We were in the car driving back to the house from doing something, and Mary Alice was complaining about the rain, and how she didn’t like the rain because she couldn’t get outside and play. Kristin and I explained to her that the rain helps to feed all of the plants and trees, and that the trees create oxygen for humans to breath. I was getting a little scientific with her, thinking that it would be above her head and that she wouldn’t remember a word of it.

Okay...fast forward a day....

My sister Kay-Lynn is recording video of all the kids saying what they want from Santa this year, and Mary Alice starts singing a song that she made up about how she loves trees. As if she was a famous rock star, she starts telling a story before singing her song, to explain where the song came from. And what do you know, she explained how trees consume CO2 and make O2 for us to breathe...I was completely floored!! I am REALLY going to have to watch what I say in front of her!!

Here are some pictures from Thanksgiving: http://gallery.mac.com/ljluttrell#100050

Landon

Grandma & Grandpa Van Hove & Mimi visit Philly

2007-11-18T17:00:00.000-05:00

For the first week in our new home, Kristin’s parents and grandmother came to stay with us. We felt bad at first because the movers were a few days late and everyone showed up at the house at the same time. We wanted to be settled in a little bit, but as it turns out it was a huge blessing! We could all take turns playing with Natalie and keeping her out of trouble, while everyone else worked on unpacking boxes.

In one very short weekend, we were able to unpack the main living spaces, hang window treatments in the living room, dining room, master bedroom, and master bath. Don’t get me wrong, we still have plenty of work to do, but we could never have done what we did without them coming into town. THANK YOU GUYS!!

Here are some photos that we took during the weekend: http://gallery.mac.com/ljluttrell#100034

Landon

Packing Day!

2007-11-05T15:00:00.000-05:00

Well, the day we have been dreading is finally here...it is packing day! As I type this entry, I am being serenaded by the sound of boxes being filled and the lovely sound of unrolling packing tape. We are on the verge of shutting down the computer, and I had to post one more time. Since I do all of my posting on our mac at home, I am not going to be able to update the blog until we get moved into Philadelphia. I guess that is one down-side to using this service and not blogspot.

It is always interesting packing up your stuff to move. You find so many things that you either forgot about or didn’t realize that you owned (which is a little scary). We are so blessed with material things, that we can’t even keep track of all of them! Packing is also a blessing, in that it forces you to get rid of things that you should have pitched years ago, but now have a good excuse to part with it. We have been doing that all weekend, and will continue to do it through the moving process.

The last thing I enjoy about packing day, is finding something, or seeing something that takes you back to a moment in time, or several moments in time. Let me share with you the funny one that happened just a few minutes ago...

We had someone come in and take down our crib...well, actually Dow did, and I wasn’t going to stop the guy they sent. After he was done, he took me in to show me how to put it back together, since it has been almost two years since I put it together. Halfway through his explanation, I saw something on the crib that I had never seen before, TEETH MARKS! I had to grab my camera and share it with everyone, because I never knew that she was chewing on her crib. It is only in one spot, the spot where she would stand in the crib and cry wanting us to come back and get her. I imagine she would stand there, and work herself into a real stink, and then take it out on the crib. As part of our parenting as Natalie has gotten older, we would let her “cry it out” for a little bit. Well, I guess the joke is on us a little bit. She, in her own little way, was hiding her little secret, the gnawed up crib rail!

Landon

Natalie gets a blackeye

2007-11-02T15:00:00.000-04:00

While I was on the way home from work on Thursday, Natalie slipped off the couch and hit her head on the coffee table. She has hit her head on things before and got a few bumps and bruises, but nothing this close to her eyes. By the time that I got home, Kristin had already called our Pediatricians office and left a message. We were concerned that she could have fractured something close to her eye.

After waiting an hour to get a call back from the doctor’s office, they told us that if her eye was not swollen shut, she could make it until tomorrow, and then bring her into the office. So, the night progressed as normal...we had supper, and then bathtime, and then we watched one of Natalie’s shows. Natalie drank her milk and went to bed.

Halfway through watching a recorded episode of The Office, I was laughing a little too loud and woke Natalie up. I think that it was the part where Jim, Dwight, and Michael dressed up as warehouse workers and went to sabotage the nearby office...hilarious stuff. Anyways, I pause the show and get up to check on Natalie. When I go in there, her eye is about 2 millimeters away from being swollen shut. I think that she was sleeping on her bum eye, and it really focused the swelling.

Kristin and I got Natalie in the car and took her to the hospital. The above picture was taken on my Treo while in Texas Children’s Hospital in downtown Houston. By the time that I took the picture, the swelling in her eye had gone down, but we were already there, so we decided to stay.

Apparently we were not the only parents who had their kids at the ER. There was a 3 hour wait to be seen by a doctor! So, I went back to the car to get some cash for food (it was about midnight), and Natalie was following around the snack cart, pointing to a bag of chips, saying, “Peas, peas, peas.” There is just something about seeing your kid with a swollen eye follow around a snack cart...the chips could have been $10, and I might have bought her a bag to make her happy. It was hard to see her look like she went 12 rounds with Mike Tyson (minus the bloody ears of course).

So I go to the car, and when I am almost back to the hospital entrance, Kristin comes out with Natalie. I am puzzled, and before I could say anything, Kristin says, “well, I guess God was watching out for us.” Apparently, Natalie was running around the waiting room and almost ran into the an ER doctor passing through. Kristin caught her at just the last moment, but not before Natalie caught his attention. He asked if her eye was the only reason she was in the ER. Kristin said yes, and he asked if it was okay for him to look at her eye right there. What was Kristin going to say?!

The ER doctor felt around on Natalie face and determined that she did not have any type of fracture, and that she should go home.

We made it home around 1 in the morning, which is less than 2 hours from the time we left. I can’t say that I have ever been to and from the ER in that short amount of time.

Today Natalie’s eye continues to look painful, but she is as active as ever. I wish she could live in a pillow covered house for a few days, but we don’t have that many pillows. I guess this is all part of being a kid and being a parent, but it is still difficult at times.

Landon

Trick or Treat?

2007-11-01T01:00:00.000-04:00

Tonight Kristin and I took Natalie to Independence Park in Pearland for a little “Trick or Treating.” All of the local businesses sponsor the party and setup all throughout the park. All the kids (and some adult kids) walk around the park going booth to booth getting candy. While the kiddos are getting candy, the businesses give the parents an ad, or coupon, or something to remember their business by. The businesses are a little confused with the adult kids in their costumes because they don’t know if they should give them candy or try and give them a flier...somewhat amusing for me.

Natalie of course had a blast, although our timing and planning wasn’t the greatest. Natalie refused to take a nap this afternoon and it was right before supper time, so halfway through we had a melt-down.

See exhibit A:

Before long, she back to her normal self...that is, after she figured out how to eat through the wrappers on her new candy. We didn’t know what she was doing until it was too late and she had half of a Nutter Butter on her face. I am guessing that the other half went into her stomach along with the wrapper surrounding it.

We had high expectations for the costume contest after the local paper took her picture and told us that they would put it in the paper. However, I was in charge of introducing her in the contest and totally botched her costume name...mom should have been the one with her, and dad should have been the “supportive parent taking pictures from the crowd.” Oh well, there is always next year!

Landon

Dinner with the G's

2007-10-31T15:00:00.000-04:00

Natalie always enjoys going over to see G-Ma, G-Dad, GG-Ma, and GG-Dad. These names were started my Natalie’s cousin Mary Alice when she was Natalie’s age, and I guess they have stuck. Here is the secret decoder ring:

G-Ma: Natalie’s grandma, Kathy (my mom)
G-Dad: Natalie’s granddad, Rob (my dad)
GG-Ma: Natalie’s great-grandma (Rob’s mom)
GG-Dad: Natalie’s great-granddad (Rob’s dad)

When Natalie was a baby (well, a real baby, a drink a bottle and burp kind of baby), we used to take her over to stay with my parents. It is amazing to think how much she has changed since we used to take her over there or the first time.

She loves going to their apartment to see everyone, and to “Ca-Ca”....she is trying to say “color”. Every time we pull up to their place, Natalie starts saying “Pol, Pol”...which is her version of “pool” because my parents have spoiled her by taking her to the pool every time she comes over.

The other things she loves to do at my parents place is ride with GG-Ma on her wheelchair. Natalie loves to go for a “Rii, rii” on the wheelchair.

Oh, and she loves watching Dancing With The Stars, which is always on at my parents place. She gets out in the middle of the floor and shakes her booty and taps her feet. It is hilarious!

Landon

A Drive Through the Northeast

2007-10-30T15:00:00.000-04:00

Last week I was driving through Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Ohio visiting customers for my new job. It was so amazing to see all of the changing trees as I drove through the hills. I have spent so much of my life in Texas that I haven’t been able to enjoy the changing of the seasons.

So the one thing that I enjoyed while being away from Natalie for a few days was the scenery. I wish that Natalie and Kristin could have been with me to see the beautiful trees, but they would not have enjoyed seeing Plastic Manufacturing Plants, which was the main reason for me to go on the trip.

I hope that we can get up to the northeast in time to see the changing of the seasons, but I think we might miss it by a week. Keep your fingers crossed for us!
To see the pictures I took, check out this link: http://gallery.mac.com/ljluttrell#100016

Landon

Afternoon at the Pumpkin Farm

2007-10-28T15:00:00.000-04:00

This afternoon we all went to the Dewberry Farm in Brookshire, TX which is northwest of Houston about 45 miles. Dewberry Farm is a 16 acre pumpkin patch with a corn maze, petting zoo, hayrides, pig races, and all that yummy carnival food. Here is the website for the farm: http://www.dewberryfarm.com/

We decided to take Natalie out there to get some pictures in the pumpkins and to run off some energy. I think that she took care of both, including getting extremely dirty!
The pumpkins were spread out in a bare field that still had the planting rows dug. Natalie had more than a difficult time walking through the field because she wanted to run to the next pumpkin she saw. Needless to say, she got a few grass stains on her “Gymbo” jeans, and got a little dirt and grass in her matching sweater. Nothing out of the ordinary for an adventurous 18 month old.

After exploring the pumpkin patch, we took a ride through the farm and the played in the petting zoo. Natalie got to pet a bunny, chase a few chickens, and stare eye-to-eye with a horse.
I think we got a few good pictures of our afternoon at the Farm, check them out: http://gallery.mac.com/ljluttrell#100002

Landon

Natalie and her laptop

2007-10-27T15:00:00.000-04:00

Since Natalie is always trying to get on our computer, we decided to get her a toy laptop while we were at Target this weekend. She refused to let it out of her hands in the store, and it was the first thing she wanted to play with when we got home. She spent the next hour or so on the floor playing with it. She liked to lay on her belly and push the buttons and move the mouse. I am guessing that she has learned exactly how to do this from watching us....makes you wonder what else she is going to mimic!

Natalie has such a mind of her own right now. She knows what she wants to do, and does her best to get her way so she can do it. I guess I cannot complain too much, as I was the same way when I was her age. I guess I should have known that she would be strong willed...my parents have been warning me all my life that my children would pay me back for all the wonderful moments I gave them.

Landon

My New Winter Clothes

2007-09-07T15:00:00.000-04:00

My mom is always trying to find cute clothes for me, and this week she hit the jackpot for this winter. I got several new hats and a few coats. I can’t wait to move up north so I can use them in the snow.

Mom and dad are busy keeping the house clean for potential buyers to come and look at it. I do my best to keep my toys put away, but I am only 15 months old...what do you expect?!

I had watermelon for dinner tonight, and I liked it so much I had to eat daddy’s too.

Daddy is staying busy at work these days. He still has to do his previous job, and his new job, as well as try to get us moved. I like it when he comes home though, because we get to play.

Love,
Natalie

The Luttrell Family Blog

Easter Egg Hunt!

Owen's 1st Birthday!

5 States in 1 Afternoon

Pumpkin Carving

Pumpkin Patch 2009

Fall

A Few New Videos

Natalie's catches her first fish!

Natalie's First Run!

Getting Grandpa Wet!

Driving Grandpa's Tractor

Just Hanging Out

July 4th

Springtime, FINALLY!

Easter

Don't Mess With My Toys!

Dancing with the Stars

Photobook for Owen

Little Brother, Big Sister

Natalie and Owen

Coming Home

More Video

Day 3

Natalie Sees Owen for the First Time

Owen, Day 2

Owen James Luttrell is here!

Nut Experiment

Natalie's Bum Foot (part 2)

Natalie's Bum Foot

Let the countdown begin!

New Location for Movies

Opal Luttrell

Video Update

Exploring the wildlife in Pennsylvania

I feel like I should reintroduce myself...

Texas Tech vs aTm

Merrymead Pumpkin Farm

Please Touch Museum Philadelphia

First Day of Preschool

Natalie Gets a Puppy!

Trip to Iowa

New Jersey's Adventure Aquarium

Walla Walla

Fun with Photobooth!

Happy 60th Anniversary GG-Ma and GG-Dad!!

July 4th 2008

BBQ at the Clarks!

Strawberry Picking

Crayola Factory and Yankee Stadium

Gulf Shores 2008

My New Bike

Memorial Day 2008

Philly

NYC or Bust!

No, My's!!

More Birthday Cake

Gardening with Grandma

Video from Natalie's Birthday

Natalie Turns 2!

Happy Birthday Aunt Kay-Lynn!

Bakin' Cookies and Trombone Playin'

Same Zoo, Different Year

Day at the zoo

Happy Easter

The Franklin Institute

Bedtime Video

A few pictures

Weekend "fun"

I Love Dora

We may not live in Texas anymore...

These are a few of my favorite things...

Home again, home again, jiggity jig

Wii wish you a Merry Christmas

Iowa in the snow

Santa comes to Iowa

George Washington is Natalie's friend

Christmas 2007 (a little early)

Visiting the Big Apple

Got Cocoa??