H-Squared

Bryson the Artist

2008-08-04T12:35:00.002-06:00

Busy Summer...

2008-08-04T12:32:00.002-06:00

From our trip to North Carolina... good times!

More Pictures From Krista

2008-04-21T08:16:00.008-06:00

Krista had some additional pictures on her camera... including a rare picture of me with Mr. B, and another picture of the two of us. I'll say it again Krista- when are you moving to Colorado? :-)

Old Friends

2008-04-17T12:40:00.006-06:00

I wouldn't call us "old" quite yet, but we have known each other for a very long time. Since First Grade Orientation Day to be exact. I won't add up just how many years that is!

Krista was here in Colorado last weekend, and Capn' Rob snapped a few photos. I think my eyes definitely show how little sleep I get. As in they aren't fully open. The joys of being a Mommy!

Krista got to meet Bryson and Rob, and we caught up on hashing and rehashing all the old time stories we could possibly dredge up. When you find yourself laughing about black naugahyde and shag carpet, I guess maybe we are old. Nah! (I have no idea how to spell naugahyde... and it seems the spell checker is confused too.)

I think Krista got some better pictures with her camera... we'll have to get her into blogging next so she can post them. Then we need to convince her to move here! Colorful Colorado has a certain draw... we'll see if she caught the Boulder Valley Curse. Krista, are you reading this? I'll help you unpack. ;-)

Recent Pictures

2008-04-10T08:02:00.001-06:00

Uncle Bob, You'll Be Missed

2008-04-01T11:33:00.003-06:00

Our dear Uncle Bob passed away unexpectedly, from a head injury, last month. I wanted to write about him before posting anything else, and every time I started, the pain was too fresh. I realize though, it will hurt for some time to come. So here goes...

Above are pictures of Uncle Bob with Bryson, taken last Thanksgiving. The first one he was singing the "Wonder Dog" Theme song-- Bryson loved it. The second I took after coming home from the mall with Aunt Sally. Uncle Bob was Bryson's very first babysitter. Uncle Bob also made sure he received his first instruction on how to use the TV remote control (an essential lesson for any boy). These pictures will always be very special to us.

Uncle Bob brought only positive energy and happiness into the world. Although I am normally quite verbose in these matters, my ability to write more is still too charged with the pain of our loss. We will miss you Uncle Bob and we loved you very much.

Bryson's Night Out

2008-03-05T10:06:00.003-07:00

Thanks to our friends Chontel, Gordon and Kateri- Rob and I had a night out to dinner last Friday (Rob was honored at a work event!). What could have been stressful for us, ended up being fun... Bryson just LOVES Kateri!! As you can see from the pictures he had lots of fun. :-) He can't take his eyes off pretty Kateri!

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures...

2008-02-27T11:22:00.010-07:00

Here are a few recent pictures from the North Carolina trip. Enjoy!

Turn Signals

2008-02-22T07:40:00.004-07:00

So Rob and I have this long standing joke about turn signals. I, true to my OCD-like nature, use them religiously. He uses them like a race car driver (read--> very seldom). I tease him about it, and he teases me.

During the trip to North Carolina I drove from Charlotte to Beaver Dam and noticed a trend. Maybe it's the NASCAR influence, but turn signals were few and far between and driving on the highway had more to do with the Vulcan mind meld than any outward "signals".

Of course I had to bring this up to Rob. Now I understand his driving style. The punch line came on our way back to the Charlotte Airport. A State Trooper pulled in front of us on the highway and, you guessed it, DIDN'T SIGNAL. I am now silent on the topic... turn signals are for the weak!

Happy Friday!

Things I Didn't Realize I Didn't Know

2008-02-21T14:23:00.007-07:00

We're back from beautiful Shelby, North Carolina and just as soon as possible we'll have photos uploaded to share. Needless to say, Bryson got lots of attention from his family and it was hard to leave all the love. :-)

And just because I need a comedic break from my "OMG-I'm-Never-taking-Vacation-Again" Day... here's what I didn't even realize I didn't know:

1. Pimento Cheese is a really popular sandwich
2. "Butt Bone" is a cut of meat offered for sale at local grocery stores in Shelby
3. You can get AWESOME Pad Thai at Joe's Place in downtown Shelby
4. Shelby is also known as the "Livermush Capitol of the World"

(Check out the links! What did we do before Google??)

I was completely lacking in that good ol' adventuresome spirit and did not try the pimento cheese, Livermush, or Butt Bone (we're still not sure how you use a Butt Bone). But I can tell ya that if we were still in Shelby I'd be going back for more of that Pad Thai!

I must be hungry...

The Six Million Dollar Dog and His Twin Sister

2008-02-14T09:13:00.002-07:00

It seems like this blog is all about Bryson lately (and can you blame us?). Yet we don't want to neglect the first "babies" in the family... so here's a recent picture of Sampson and Sadie. Sampson still has some weakness in his back legs, but seems to be entirely recovered from his back surgery last summer.

Here's a random thought--> why do some infant's pants have pockets?

Happy Valentine's Day!!

It's "Me" and "Mini-Me"

2008-02-12T13:57:00.001-07:00

Aren't they cute??

Talk to the Hand!

2008-01-25T08:02:00.001-07:00

Who needs toys when the hand is so much more interesting?? Dad, of course, added a very funny voice and Bryson was mesmerized. There's something to be said for the simple things in life.

It's been wicked cold here this week. Now that we're supposed to warm up (the local news called our 30 degree weather this morning "mild"), the wind has picked up. If you listen to the wind on our top floor, where we sleep, it sounds like we'll wake up in Oz. Needless to say Rob and I are VERY, VERY ready for spring!

Happy Friday!!!!

Dad's Post

2008-01-21T20:14:00.000-07:00

Only now, after months or years of reading the posted blogs from Heidi and all the pics of Bryson, I've decided it's time to join in. I have finally made the leap into blogville and hopefully it will provide some meaninglessful chatter for the masses.

I love being a dad and learning the importance of pee shields during diaper changes and blow out maintenance procedures. Bryson is a handful and keeping him smiling keeps me smiling. Sometimes I wonder how we could be so lucky.

I've taught Bryson the man rules of the house including remote control management, sport channel locks, and lifting the seat. He also knows how to use my computers and is watching my hands as I type this blog entry. I think he likes his own pics and he likes to correct my spelling. Between to two of us, we keep mom from losing her mind and her smile.

More Cute Bryson Pictures

2008-01-21T18:01:00.000-07:00

Bryson is such a smiley baby we just love to take his picture. He recently got a new Jumparoo and that's given him even more reasons to smile (he LOVES that blue frog)! You can also see that, though he's growing very fast, Dad's baseball caps are a bit big for him.

Mom's still working on getting used to daycare, but Bryson is all acclimated. He is always smiling and enjoying the other kids when I get there. It was 5 degrees (yes, you read that correctly!) when I picked him up today... and he kept smiling.

AND, next month will bring Bryson's very first plane trip when we travel to NC to meet the whole Humphries clan. Let's hope the other passengers on the plane get to see the smiley Bryson! :-)

New Things

2008-01-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, during a visit with his little friend Logan, Bryson tried out an Exersaucer for the very first time! The first picture is his typical "What is that silver thing you're pointing at me??" look. The second picture we actually see his delight with the new toy, and a look that says "Please buy me one of these things as soon as possible!"

I couldn't resist posting these... he is just so CUTE!

Sleep

2008-01-08T07:04:00.000-07:00

You could probably tell I was tired yesterday. Just when we begin to think we'll be tired forever, BRYSON SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!!! Yeah Bryson!!! We are so excited this morning... :-)

Life Changes

2008-01-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

Yep... that's an understatement! Just when I had maternity leave down, now I'm back at work and Bryson's in daycare.

And here I am today attempting to concentrate on "work stuff" and analytical concepts, all while struggling with sleep deprivation that only a newborn can cause. I mean, I had a hard time reading for hours at the laptop when I was sleeping at night.

So here's a digression that has nothing to do with statistical process control, continuous improvement, or program management concepts:

1. One thing I can't believe: Rob and I watched Beerfest (yep, you read that right) TWICE. And it got funnier the second time. And I'm actually admitting this on the blog.

2. A funny pet moment that flitted by so quickly it's not on film: Both Nickey and Sadie attempted to use the boy's bouncy chair as a pet bed. Although Nickey fit until I tossed her out, tell me what that dog was thinking when I caught her with one paw hovering over the chair--> "I know I weigh fifty odd pounds, but the faux-fleece covering on this itsy bitsy chair is just soooo inviting!"

3. Another thing I can't believe has happened twice since the birth of Cute Boy: I got carded. Maybe there is something to taking eight weeks off work and spending so much time cuddling with the most adorable baby in the world.

4. My latest soapbox: Just because I work from home does NOT mean we get to save all this money on daycare. If babies had an on/off button maybe it'd work. We might also be sleeping through the night.

So yes, life changes.

"Cheerful" Baby Bryson

2008-01-06T14:24:00.001-07:00

Yes... we made it. Okay- Heidi made it. Bryson started daycare last Thursday and I am officially back at work. Aside from a typical, frantic food-meltdown on the first day (they called me at 2:30 to come get him), he seemed to enjoy his social time out in the world. They gave us a sheet at the end of each day with how much he ate, how much he slept, and what his disposition was. Bryson was labeled "cheerful". When you look at this picture it's easy to see that side-- the "give-me-food-NOW" side is a bit different. ;-)

We also managed to buy out the children's section of the bookstore this weekend (yep- he likes to read already!). And he was up much of last night so Rob and I are thinking it's about nap time now... for US.

My first full work week starts tomorrow. :-) Yeehaw!

It's a New Year Already

2008-01-04T07:55:00.001-07:00

Happy New Year!!

The time vacuum is still in full effect, although I am back to work and little Bryson is at his second day of daycare today. I also noticed that Laurel added a bunch of very cute Bryson pictures to her blog, but I had to add a couple too. (Thanks Laurel-- you take such great photos!)

The elusive smile is tough to catch (he likes to concentrate hard, furrow his brows, and study the camera as soon as he sees it), but Rob managed one with his phone. The other picture is bathtime when Bryson first discovered the very cute baby in the mirror.

Rob and I are loving parenthood, and Bryson usually wakes up only once during the night. I understand we're lucky there, so we try to ignore the tired feelings. Bryson's first Christmas was a WHITE one... an unpredicted snow storm for Denver when they put our chances of a snowy Christmas at 12%! It was a great year to be home and snuggled in our own beds-- we just can't wait for Bryson to be old enough to open his own presents. How fun that will be! As it was, Nickel Cat indulged in her ribbon fetish and made off with any box small enough for her to carry. Thus, we spent some time searching for a few smaller gifts under the couch etc. Then she played with the boxes (why is it that cats just LOVE cardboard??).

Happy New Year to all... we'll see what major life change(s) Rob and I can dream up for 2008! ;-)

The "New-Mom-Time-Vacuum"

2007-11-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

Can it really be only a month until Christmas?? I knew life would change, and I knew time would be much harder to come by... and yes-- sleep is a dream (pardon the pun). ;-) As most of you already know, here's our big news:

Little Bryson joined us on October 17th (also Aunt Barb's birthday). Our day started early (4:30 a.m.), but he waited to make his appearance, by C-section, at almost 8 o'clock that night. I have to say the whole process wasn't half as hard/painful/bad as I had imagined it to be. Or perhaps the appearance of the little man really did just supercede anything else I recall from the day.

He is, of course, perfect in every way. He's also, of course, the cutest baby that we've ever seen. :-)

He's ready for me to hold him again. This is what I'll call the "New-Mom-Time-Vacuum". Before I know it, Rob's home from work and I've spent all day cuddling with our little guy. :-) More pictures to come soon!!

The Barrel

2007-08-15T10:17:00.001-06:00

Yes... you know you watch too much TV when "Simpsonize Me!" is a phrase you're familiar with. Since when did televised advertising take on this cultural dimension? Truth be told we really like South Park better anyway. Edginess in animated characters is so critical!

Ah well- I needed something to smile about. And at this point in the pregnancy I was thrilled to see that a barrel was one of the clothing choices. Now if they just came in more colors...

Halfway through the week and "OMFD". I realize a limited audience will get that inside acronym, but it also makes me smile.

Doh!!

Summertime and Babytime

2007-08-06T13:10:00.000-06:00

I'm sure it's fairly obvious to our small and dedicated readership that we've been working a lot again. Maybe "as usual" is better wording, but when I go almost a month without blogging it's a good assumption that work is taking over. I heard the old phrase "Our favorite company, God, then Family" the other day and had to cringe. We certainly need to rewrite that mantra before our little boy makes his appearance!

We did make it to a Rockies Game (thus the picture of Rob and Izzy all decked out for the Dodgers). And we did order a crib (now THAT makes it all feel real, if the motion in my belly wasn't enough). What else have we been up to? Mmmmm... the tough questions. I am, sadly, drawing a blank. Trust me- if I hadn't imposed the no-blogging-about-work rule I'd have plenty to ramble on (or vent) about. :-)

Now that I'm solidly in the third trimester, here's what I am very much looking forward to:

* Holding little man for the first time
* Seeing the look on Rob's face when he first lays eyes on him
* Getting a break from work (labor-- bring it on!)
* Starting to run again

Of course, I could go on forever with that list, but I thought I'd focus on a few positives for the moment.

Pictures as Promised

2007-07-14T09:01:00.000-06:00

It's time for pictures from our trip to North Carolina! In random order are family, friends and some additional wedding (yes OUR wedding) pictures from Bill...

Here's the family BBQ'ing for the 4th of July...

And here's a wedding picture Bill took back in May '06...

Another wedding picture, taken by Bill just after the ceremony...

This is Heidi and Rob comparing Bellies :-)

Maw-maw and Paw-paw Humphries on one hot day in North Carolina...

Captain Rob, Bill and Marc smile big...

Can it really be July already?

2007-07-10T07:32:00.000-06:00

Yes... it's been far too long since I checked in with blog-land. What have we been up to?

We had a wonderful and relaxing trip to North Carolina where we visited the Humphries clan. I saw my first lightning bug (yep- they don't "grow" in Oregon!), got lucky with fairly "cool" southern weather, and spent some quality time eating crab legs with friends. (This was Rob's first experience with Alaskan King Crab Legs too... makes sense that we had easier access in Oregon to those, despite being deprived of lightning bugs!) Once I take a moment to download pictures- I'll post a few here.

Sampson (the dog) is on the mend. His back surgery went off without any complications, Rob built him a handy handicap ramp for the front yard, and he looks awfully cute in the bright green polo the vet gave him (to cover the scar down his spine). All I can say there is "He is the bionic dog... we had the technology... we DID rebuild him."

Our little baby boy is busy moving around in my belly. The unreal energy I had at the beginning of the second trimester has now converted to a NEED to organize and clean every last nook and drawer in our house.

And... Laurel is all signed up for the NYC Marathon (YEAH Laurel!!). She's also running for a wonderful, wonderful cause. Check out her blog for more information on how to donate, if you feel so inclined. :-)

We're also thinking of our dear friend Jaimee as she studies her little behind off for the Bar!!

To close, in my never-ending quest for perspective, check out this website. :-)

Olivia Rose

2007-06-12T07:43:00.001-06:00

Little Olivia joined us all early last Saturday!! We visited at the hospital that afternoon and just couldn't believe how small she is. Here's a picture of us thinking "four more months"!

Chelsea looked absolutely beautiful and all is well. This is a good year for babies!

Snips 'N Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

2007-06-08T14:25:00.000-06:00

Yes... it's the big announcement!! We had the 20-week ultrasound yesterday and it's a BOY!!!!!!!!!! And even more important, he looked healthy and moved around A LOT. Just like the 12-week ultrasound-- if in-utero activity is any indication I may just have a little running partner growing in there. :-) Of course we're (okay, maybe just me) already planning the awfully cute sailboat-themed nursery!

TGIF!!!!

The Fan Club

2007-06-04T12:50:00.001-06:00

Yes, Rob has a new following for his guitar performances. The picture shows our friends' little boys rockin' out (to the theme from Young Guns, if I remember correctly!). We celebrated Memorial Day BBQing with Gregory, Eva, Gavin and Spencer... enjoying the time together before they pull up roots and move to Austria.

Spending more time around kids makes us more and more excited to welcome Baby Humphries. This is the big "Is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl-week", so we feel like Christmas is around the corner. :-)

Here's another picture of Rob with little Spencer. Yep-- he's a natural Dad (and Gavin and Spencer as just WONDERFUL boys). You bet we want to visit in Austria!!!!

Oh yes... and Rob's Hawaii goatee met the razor last night.

Safe BBQ'ing

2007-05-25T07:37:00.001-06:00

Rob took this picture from the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, and I thought it was appropriate as we go into the Memorial Day Weekend. I hope everyone gets to enjoy the day off...and remembers the meaning of the day.

Oh yeah-- and pay attention to safe BBQ'ing!!

The week isn't quite over yet for us, and it's been a long one. Thankfully I DON'T have to work on Sunday this week. I'll count myself lucky.

We wish we were still in Waikiki, enjoying a drink happily decorated with one of those paper umbrellas. This picture was taken on our anniversary night, at a restaurant on the beach. We're hoping Baby Humphries adapts well to travel... whether it's cliche or not, we can't wait to see Disney World through the eyes of a child!

TGIF and all that. Despite any stress from earlier this week, life is good. I'm reminded of an earlier post where I was focused on the word perspective. It's always a good reminder.

Keep the view, keep the faith, and keep the smile :-)

The Karmic Aloha Spirit

2007-05-22T07:13:00.000-06:00

Yes, we finally did it! We took a day off (well, more like ten) and went to Ohau. This photo is us in Waikiki, taken by a nice lady that was walking by the pretty waterfall on the beach.

We stayed in the most wonderful place in Waikiki (Ocean Towers...soon to be "Hotel Renew"). If you happen to be in the neighborhood, ask for Leonor. She is a superstar!! We had champagne (sparkling cider for me, of course!) and cake and chocolates and leis and mints and cookies and more Aloha spirit than we thought imaginable. All in honor of our anniversary.

It's ironic-- we thought the romantic, "award winning" Bed & Breakfast near Lanakai Beach would be the one to rave about. But, I won't go into that.

My question for today is this: Why is it that after taking a vacation we seem to somehow work double (or triple)? I know I'm slightly bending the aforementioned "no-talk-about-work-rule", but I can't resist. I was on conference calls (yes, meaning multiple people involved) at 9pm, 11pm, 4am, 6:30am, and the day keeps going. It is still Monday isn't it??

This is the "Karmic Law of Vacation" in the corporate world. After achieving a nice state of relaxation, the fickle scales of stress tip even more in the opposite direction. Yep- I'm a little punchy...

Although our little Hawaiian interlude deserves more description, I'll end it for now with another picture Rob took on day one of the vacation. This is me at 17 weeks pregnant for those that are trying to imagine the burgeoning belly.

An "Olivia" Celebration and Family

2007-05-07T10:44:00.000-06:00

Yes...another girls picture, this time from Chelsea's baby shower. I love it when we have fun things planned every weekend!

Little Olivia Rose will be all decked out in lots of pretty pink things. Here's hoping the ultrasounds are right! (Just kidding Chels-- we know it's a girl.) :-)

And last weekend while Laurel was in town, Rob captured this great picture of us with Grandma Marge. It was wonderful to have some family time. This week Laurel graduates with her Masters Degree-- yeah Laurel!!

Girls' Trip 2007... it rocks!

2007-05-03T08:48:00.000-06:00

A little time with the girls in Steamboat Springs last weekend was just what I needed. We lounged in the hot springs (see picture below), ate some GREAT food, and most of all--> enjoyed the time with some very QUALITY women.

I know I've been slacking on blog writing. Work is work (although I'm abiding by my self-enforced "no-work-talk-rule". And we are ready for our little babymoon next week in Hawaii!! (Read this as --> more than ready!)

Hope y'all are enjoying spring and taking some time to be with family and friends :-)

Can anyone else see Rob's chin??

2007-04-16T09:12:00.000-06:00

We had our 12-week ultrasound last week, and thanks to Brenna we have a picture to post here. It amazes me that our little tadpole is a fully-formed human now, and I definitely see Rob's chin in this profile shot!

If in-utero activity is any indicator, this will be one active baby. We also saw it do somersaults in my belly and the doctor captured a couple of headstands in the pictures. I can't feel it yet, but we were excited to see so much action!

The technician guessed a boy, but the doctor made sure we knew it was too early for any definitive predictions. Girl names, we're finding, are hard! (Not that naming a person is any small task...)

Cap'n Rob

2007-04-13T08:35:00.000-06:00

I couldn't resist... check out what Cap'n Rob and his buddies do on sailing trips! It helps that Rob's life-long friend Bill is a talented film maker. Rob also had a cool role in the movie "Unresolved".

The trailer for "Unresolved" is also on YouTube-- although to see Rob you have to purchase the movie from Guerrilla Pictures.

Happy Friday the 13th!!

Just for Fun

2007-04-12T12:50:00.000-06:00

In the vein of keeping "perspective"... here's a fun thing. I'm sure you've seen the commercials. Not only do I love M&Ms, why wouldn't you want to be one?? Certainly takes the serious look off MY face for the moment!

Yep- I'm wearing my Uggs because it's still dang cold here! And thank goodness I get one cup of coffee a day... it's a far cry from consuming the entire pot before noon, but I've adjusted for "junior's" sake.

Is it spring yet??

2007-04-11T13:20:00.000-06:00

Yes... we're slated to get yet more snow tonight. Can I just say I'm ready for summer?

And just so everyone doesn't think I'll blog regularly about such a riveting topic as the weather, here's our BIG news. I am days away from the second trimester of pregnancy- and we've heard the heartbeat twice!! Despite our cautious optimism in sharing the news, we're ready to let down our guards and THINK POSITIVE.

In case you're curious, here's what our new little human looks like this week. The estimated due date is October 21st, and of course we'll find out the gender just as soon as they'll tell us! Anyone that knows me knows I struggle to not open gifts just AS SOON AS I GET THEM... how could we actually WAIT to find out such an important thing??

(And just in case anyone was wondering, I will NOT emulate pregnant Britney, and I will NOT buy any T-shirts that say "I've got the golden ticket!")

My word for the day is PERSPECTIVE. And it's a lesson that's resurfaced a couple of times this week already-- just where do our priorities lie, and how do we change them when we decide to?

Let it snow...

2007-03-29T07:04:00.000-06:00

Laurel, you inspired me! After months of work, work, work I'm back to write a little.

First-- it's snowing! This picture is actually from our December blizzard, but take away about 10 inches and you have a picture of lovely Colorado this morning. Of course, it'll be 60 degrees by the weekend and I wore shorts yesterday. Ah... spring in the Rockies!

Second-- I was thinking about ground rules for blogging:
* I will not discuss work, satire focused on work (no matter how funny), or vent my work frustrations. We all have a clear enough picture of the American business environment right now. It'll be like an episode of Wheel of Fortune:

"Good evening Heidi, they tell me you've travelled here from Colorado..."
"Thanks Pat! I'm excited to be here!! I do live in Colorado where I work for a large technology firm [wink, wink]... and my wonderful husband is here in the audience!!"

* No other rules apply other than how I happen to feel about a topic or what my mental filters choose to sift through.

Third-- Okay, that's it for now. It's early and I'm still enjoying my cuppa Joe. I'd say that I'll be better about checking in to blog-land, but history has a way of speaking for itself. We'll see...

(As you can probably guess, we've taken no exciting trips yet in 2007, but we're hoping to change that soon.)

Happy Thursday!

Happy New Year!!

2007-01-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

Can you tell we've been working a LOT?? Okay, so we did take time over Christmas to visit my family in Minnesota... and then it was back to work at that technology company where we spend so much of our time.

I started a new position at work-- we could wax on about all the details, but it's better bedtime reading than blog reading. Rob keeps at his manager position and promises to be busier than ever in 2007.

Yes... we survived the Christmas blizzard of 2006. And the one after that too. It's been a tougher winter than either one of us can remember in Colorado. However, six years doesn't give us a very representative sample!

Despite my best intentions to write more often... work has pulled me back in that direction. Sounds like there's cause for a New Years Resolution here! We'll see...

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!!

Local Hauntings

2006-10-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween to all... in an effort to create a new Halloween tradition, Rob and I took a small jaunt up to Estes Park yesterday. We settled in for lunch and drinks at the Stanley Hotel bar, ate some dang good nachos, and kept our eyes peeled for ghosts.

Although there are a bunch of cool pictures on the walls from various "Shining" events, the spirits were quiet at the Stanley. We did get to see the "TAPS" van and staff as they checked in for Halloween week. How cool is that?? :-)

Trick or Treat safely and enjoy the sugar rush y'all!!

Starting a Blog and Writing Books

2006-10-17T11:43:00.000-06:00

Word for the day: enumerate (to count or list), transitive verb

I think starting a blog is like trying to start a book. Even though I once possessed at least 40 story beginnings on an old hard drive, not one of them seemed worthy of continuing thought, effort and patience at the keyboard. Just how do you start writing and hope that what you have to say will 1) be coherent, 2) be more interesting than a cheap tabloid, and 3) be WORTHY of reading for more than three seconds.

Let's enumerate the reason for blogging, at least for writing in THIS blog. (Yep- there's the word for the day. I've returned to an old college trick for writing: think of a word for the day and let it guide you. This worked well for essay writing too.) Here's my initial list of reasons we started this blog:

1. It's an easy way to keep in touch with friends and family, without sending short and pointless emails that invariably follow this outline--> a) How are you?, b) I am [fill in the adjective], c) Here's why I am [fill in the adjective], and d) We really should get together/talk/phone/write more soon.

2. It's a better way to share pictures than either filling up limited email space or posting on websites that require membership and create more spam mail.

3. It's somewhat like sharing and reading a story... or am I being too hopeful?

4. It's ????

Okay- so the number one reason I liked the idea of a blog was #3. I want life to be a story because stories have interest and meaning and spark. And why wouldn't we want all that in our lives? Sure this blog has the obligatory wedding and cute pet start-up photos... but I hope we can also move onto to other, adventuresome chapters :-)

October 17th--> The first day of snow in Broomfield!
-Heidi

The Cutest Cat Ever

2006-10-16T15:39:00.000-06:00

The title says it all!

On Saturday, before we feasted on Birthday fondue at the Louisville Melting Pot... Rob took me to the Denver Zoo. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed just ambling around checking out the animals (the Red River Hogs were, by far, my favorite).

We brought home a stuffed tiger from the gift shop and Nickel Cat (aka Nickey) adopted it right away. After she chewed off half of its whiskers, she made herself comfortable on its back and slept for a few hours. I need to get a picture of that next!

This picture is Nickey making herself at home in a package that had just arrived-- next to stuffed tigers, cardboard boxes are her favorite.

* And for those of you who are still saying to yourself "What's a Red River Hog?", here's an interesting link--> http://www.ultimateungulate.com

THE Wedding

2006-10-16T13:44:00.000-06:00

How could we start a blog and not post a wedding picture? Here's a cutting-the-cake photo from Gina B's camera... even though we "eloped", we couldn't resist the small cake with the by-the-sea motif. The star fish are now in a vase in our living room.

The meal and the cake took place at 1587: a small, harbor side restaurant in Manteo, NC (http://www.1587.com/). It was so good that we went back a couple of times before we sailed our "Home on the Water" out toward the Intercoastal Waterway.

The seas were calm, the wine was plenty, and Rob and Heidi lived happily ever after. Of course the honeymoon had to wrap up and then we were suddenly back at work. If only we could slow down time when we choose... and fast forward through the rest.

* Note--> All of our engagement and wedding pictures can still be found at www.pictage.com. Search for event name "Heidi and Rob" and two should be listed. The Denver one is our engagement pictures, taken in January near the Natural History Museum. The White Doe Inn event is our wedding. :-)

Our Very First Blog

2006-10-16T12:41:00.000-06:00

We thought this blog would be a great way to keep our family and friends updated on the day-to-day (or week-to-week) lives of Heidi and Rob. Of course this means we'll need to find the time to post something that's mildly interesting, including pictures taken with our new digital camera. Given Heidi's love of writing, getting something up here shouldn't be a problem. Making sure you all don't fall asleep... well... we'll give it our best shot (keeping you awake that is!).

This picture was taken just a day before our May 17th wedding... Rob successfully made it across the Pamlico Sound from Ocracoke to Manteo, North Carolina- despite rough seas. I'm smiling because he made it safe and sound!

Happy day from Colorado! :-)