Waterbabies

Among other things, Noah currently has quite a fascination with sharks. So, here he is in his sharky swim getup. He was pretty excited about our new elephant swimming pool too (he has four different elephants that he takes to bed with him right now).

And here is Noah pretending to be a shark - "biting" Mark's knee.

Noah thought it was pretty cool when he found out that there was a song that he could associate with sharks (thank you "Jaws"). He kept swimming around while singing it...and of course it's always fun to splash the person with the camera, right?


Lincoln was such a champ getting in the pool. He's never been in cold water like that, so we were surprised how readily he took to it. He just sat on Mark's lap, looked around and smiled and splashed.


Noah has started being so evasive when he sees me pull out the camera. For every picture that I have of him, there are probably a dozen unsuccessful tries at taking that shot. Just before I took this picture Noah was standing near me smiling and jabbering...I pulled the camera up and he spun around and ran away. Here he is taking refuge in the pool as he looks back to see if I'm following him with the camera. *sigh*

Eventually it was time to call it an evening. Here's Lincoln sticking his chin out and yammering in gentle protest at getting a bit chilly.

His cozy little swimsuit cover-up warmed him right up though, so we let him lay on the grass just a little longer until Noah was ready to be done.

Then inside we went and on to a warmer water source. Bathtime!

First Snow Cone

Yes, I am documenting Noah's first snow cone :) And we made an evening out of it. Really. I found this little (used) motorized car, with detachable parent handle, for an amazing steal and Noah was excited to try it out. So, when Mark got home from work we headed up the street several blocks to our local snow cone shack. Mind you, the car goes really slow - and Noah would forget to keep pushing the button on the steering wheel now and then (until he was either reminded, or he noticed that the car had stopped)...so, our little adventure literally took us 2 hours round trip! It was a nice, relaxing (and yummy!) evening though.

Now, it has been years since I've had a snow cone. So, unless they have all evolved - this place serves up some pretty special snow cones (although I'm sure it's no "Sno-Ball" Becky T.)! They offer cream or ice cream as mix-ins along with your flavor choice. It may not be the low fat way to go, but yuuuum! I don't remember what the name of mine was, but of course it had to have "Tiger's Blood" in it!

A clip of Noah multi-tasking. Driving and sipping on his Pina Colada snow cone. "Delicious!" and "Colada..mmmm" he says...



The trip home took a lot longer than the one to get the snow cones. Let's just say we made frequent stops like this :)

Random cuteness x 10 (and one clip too)

I'll just get right to the customary apology for putting up so many pictures on this post, and yes they're of my kids. This is my family blog though, right? So why do I feel like I have to apologize? I dunno. Either way, as we're nearing the end of this month, I'm just throwing in a random assortment of pictures that didn't necessarily warrant a post of their own or fit into another category. So, here are our two sweet peas...

I know that I just included a couple of pictures of Lincoln in his cowboy hat with his 7 month post, but I couldn't help but throw in a couple more (in full color) from another day. He just looks too cute!


Any time we visit Mark's parents Noah is especially excited for grandpa to take him to see the chickens and the horses. Here is a shot of the two of them making their way back to the house after their excursion. (By the way - there is a pathway that they're walking on, you just can't see it from my angle)

I can't not smile when I watch this clip. Here's a little background: Weeks ago while shopping with the boys for Mark's Father's Day card we ran across those cards that have music when you open them. Noah was enthralled with them. So we opened dozens of them and Noah loooved this one. It sings that "Kung Fu Fighting" song. He insisted that we wanted that one. He held on to it, opening it over & over (and over) again to hear the song repeat. In fact he was reluctant to release his clutch on it so I could purchase it. I wasn't sure why he was so smitten with it until I listened closely to the lyrics that he sang, which were "Kung Fu Lightning" as in Lightning McQueen of course (instead of Kung Fu Fighting"). Pretty cute. He's a lot of fun to listen to sing, I love his little voice. Take a listen to this clip, it's worth it.


The boys and I had lunch in the backyard the other day (more often than not lately). As I started to clean up Lincoln I decided that I should grab a couple pictures of him with the messy face. Mmmm. Sweet potatoes.


Honestly, I don't remember what was funny, but I love when Noah smiles so big like this that his eyes get all squinty.

Just a few more of Linc. Don't you just want to squeeze him?

Now that's fishy...

Here are a couple more pictures from about a week & 1/2 ago when Mark and his dad went fishing. This is Mont smooching one of the trout he caught.

Just a neat shot of Mark with his line cast out. I love the mossy rocks and the waterfall. Too bad that the sun from above, as well as all the light reflecting off that water, gave Mark a pretty mean sunburn. Other than that I think it was a perfect day for him.

Now on to a different little fish! Here is Noah playing "make believe" (Mark has instructed me that it is NOT dress up) in his Nemo costume. I scored it for a few bucks on a sweet deal online. Noah thinks it's lots of fun to act out (or recite along with the characters) what is going on in in whatever show he's watching - preferably with a prop of some kind. If we don't have a character that he wants then he just finds something to substitute. For example he has a zebra that he pretends is Pumba (from the Lion King)...not much of a resemblance, but it works. So! He thinks it's lots of fun to be able to dress up as his beloved clown fish and act out the show.

This is a 60 second clip of Noah. It's funny though - he is like a really cute version of the annoying guy in at the movies who likes to not only recite the lines of the movie, but also tell you all about what part is coming up next and who everyone is. I love our funny little fish.

Birthday review

I'm just barely getting around to posting a few pictures from Mark's birthday celebration. Enjoy!

Here he is blowing out candles on his birthday cake...er, pie. (He requested lemon meringue pie)

We enjoyed some time relaxing at the park. Here's our little Lincoln chillin' on a blanket.

Noah decided to stop feeding the birds the bread and enjoy some himself.

Enjoying some Sugarhouse BBQ at the park with Mark's parents.

Noah tired out grandma's, and then dad's, legs running around the big pond. Here is Mark coaxing Noah back.

Bottoms up!

And before anyone starts trying to report us to DCFS - here's a picture to clarify exactly what he was drinking. Henry Weinhard's...mmmm. (Mark's fav)

7 months (& 3 days) old

Now, some of you are thinking, "Didn't they just get Lincoln's pictures done not too long ago?"...the answer is "Yup! One month ago!". We got Noah's pictures done every month during his first year, so I swore that I'd do that for each of my kids. It's definitely more of an endeavor to keep that up with having more than one kiddo, but so far so good! I splurged on his newborn & 6 month photos, but other than that I've spent hardly anything on photos because I've been able to score some really great deals! This photographer was advertising on ksl.com asking for babies & kids to model so she can increase her portfolio - so, for super cheap I got the photo session and a CD with all the edited pictures (over 100 of them). Sweet, huh? Anyone with kids (locally) that wants her info just email me & I'll pass it on - she's still looking for baby/kid models & her studio is in North Salt Lake.

Mark's mom hand-made this adorable quilt for Lincoln, and we just love it. Her mom (so, Linc's great-grandma) even hand stitched a square on the back. When he's not rolling across the room, he likes to lay on it and look at all the cute animals. As for this photo, I love how square his face looks in this picture with those big cheeks!

Our little cowboy.
Howdy.

This soft blanky is the one Lincoln sleeps with at night. Noah's sweet birthmother sent it to Lincoln after he was born. He was enjoying playing with it during the photo session. I love how he's peeking from behind it in this shot...how I adore his gorgeous eyes & lashes!
That's our smiley guy.


As you can see, we don't starve our little sweet pea. He eats really well & hasn't rejected anything that we've offered him, although now that he's got a more expanded repertoire he seems to not prefer green beans as much. Anyway, his current weight now is a solid 22 pounds, 13 ounces! Don't you just love the rolls on his arms?! He's such a sweet, happy, cuddly ball of chub and we love him so much. Happy seven months, Lincoln.

My Guy

I have been "tagged" by two different people & have yet to post a response yet (sorry Leslie & Amber!). One tag was a list of things about me, and the other was questions about my hubby. So! I've decided that since Mark's birthday was two days ago, and Father's Day is tomorrow...that I'll kinda meld the two together and do a combination of the two on Mark!
First, here's a picture of Mark fishing today...
Since Mark just turned thirty-one, here are 31 gee-whiz facts about Mark:
1.He was born in Long Beach, California & moved from there to small town Morgan, Utah when he was 3 years old. 2.When he was a little boy he had a make believe friend (a bull) named "Wipeout". 3.Mark can juggle. 4.He is mildly claustrophobic (due to an incident being trapped behind a couch as a kid). 5.He served a mission for our church in Holland & still speaks pretty good Dutch! 6.His undergraduate degree is in Zoology. 7.He learned woodworking from his grandfather, and fishing from his father. He loves both, and hopes to make more time for doing both in the coming years. 8.He couldn't burp until about a year & a half ago. Seriously. 9.He's a huge tease. Even as a tiny kid, he'd wait hiding behind the counter for someone to walk in the room to jump out and scare them. 10.He loves watching documentaries and discovery channel shows. 11.He loves to cook new things - and is really good at it (lucky me)! 12.He graduated medical school (podiatry program) from Des Moines University. 13.He is very competitive - whether it's cards, croquet, soccer, racquetball, fencing, or any other sport. In fact, he blew his ACL out 3 years ago while playing indoor soccer (his mind remembered how to play like he was 17 years old, but his body didn't), and having it replaced was his first major surgery. 14.He was just on the radio for the first time 3 days ago. 15.He is great at fixing things. 16.He made me several pieces of jewelry when we were in high school. They all got stolen when our apartment was robbed 4 years ago. 17.He enjoys playing backgammon & chess. 18.After knowing each other for 6 years, Mark proposed to me under a windmill in the Dutch countryside at sunset (yes, he can be very romantic). 19.He totaled a car on the autobahn in Germany. And, since we're on the topic of driving...he got a ticket once on Thanksgiving Day driving in Missouri, and another time when coming home from Illinois. On the latter he complimented the officer (sincerely) for being "full service" when he provided Mark with an envelope to mail in payment for his ticket. Mark is actually a really good driver though, I swear. 20.He is quite proud of his unattached earlobes. 21.He loves Henry Weinhard's Root Beer. 22.He enjoys yard work & gardening (must've gotten that from his dad), and can often be found toting Noah around in a backpack while he works outside. 23.He likes hiking & enjoys an annual hike with two good friends from high school where they hike a high point in a different state each year. One tradition he started with that hike is to brush his teeth once they reach the peak (it must be refreshing?). 24.He has sung a song in Dutch to Noah at night since he was a new baby. 25.He enjoys golfing, and worked part time as a valet at a country club (during med school) so that he could get free golfing. 26.He also worked a construction job & a job as a phlebotomist at a hospital during med school, as well as having worked at two different hospitals with crazy hours during undergrad. So, even though his schedule during residency has been hectic at times, he's not a stranger to being busy or working hard. 27.He is such a great, hands-on dad with our two boys! He is always helps out with feeding, bathing, diapers, etc. and often takes them with him on errands. He loves reading to Noah, and wrestling with him. And Lincoln's face lights up when Mark walks in the room. 28.When on a long road trip Mark stays awake by eating baby carrots and drinking Coke. 29.He is quite particular about the way things are organized in the kitchen cupboards - not that that's a bad thing! 30.He has quite a sweet tooth & enjoys anything sweet, but his favorite candy is Junior Mints, and if he has chocolate he prefers dark. 31.He laughs at me if I ever call him by his full (first, middle & last) name when I'm mad/frustrated at him...cause he says that not even his mom ever did that.
Mark - I love you so much. And, I am so grateful for every part of the last 31 years that made you into who you are today. You are such a wonderful husband and daddy and I'm so blessed to have you in my life. Happy Birthday & Happy Father's Day, sweetheart!

The Worth of Soles...

Some months ago I was moved by an organization called Shoe4Africa. There are so many good causes out there to donate your time and money to, but some just particularly speak to you and drive you to action. This was one of those for me. Maybe it's that I'm the wife of a foot doctor...more likely though, I think what drew me to it was the simple, easy way that anyone could make a difference with very little time or money. Just like I said a few months ago during my post on cord blood - it's just a matter of awareness.

So! I have started putting together a shoe drive for shoe4africa to send used shoes (particularly running shoes) to Kibera - Africa's second largest slum. Partners in Medicine, a nonprofit organization that I sit on the board for, has generously agreed to sponsor this philanthropy project - and they will be paying to ship all shoes that I can get my hands on! This is where YOU come in! Yes, you. If you are reading this, you can help.

I am accepting donations, large or small, of used running shoes - and they can either be dropped off at my house, mailed to me, or I can arrange a pick up if you live relatively close to me. You can email me at holly@utahpim.com. And, if you feel particularly moved by this cause, then organize a simple shoe drive in your neighborhood, church, workplace, etc! Most people have old running shoes (which will end up in a landfill somewhere) that could help drastically improve the quality of someone's life!

Please take 2 minutes and watch this short video clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBQcMbU3Z6w

Since you are still reading this post, I'll assume that your interested. So here's some more information on the project: Shoe4Africa is “dedicated to promoting social empowerment, health initiatives and AIDS awareness”. They do most of this by sponsoring running races & soccer leagues where donated shoes/cleats are provided to participants, and have thereby reached communities otherwise resistant to traditional HIV/AIDS initiatives. The organization has been very popular in Africa and highly successful at accomplishing its initiatives. They recently have even begun collecting donations to build a children's hospital there! (feel free to read details about that on their website)

Another goal of the organization is hookworm reduction (which they state 92% of students age 8-20 have). The intestinal worms enter the body through the feet and affect everything from a child’s cognitive development to a woman’s ability to carry a child full-term (and, yes, that really is a picture of a hookworm parasite). The Kibera slums have an incredibly high mortality rate. Your donated shoes could help decrease the rate of diseases spread through the foot, as well as drastically improve someone's overall health, happiness, and perhaps even length of life. So please, consider donating a pair of used running shoes or cleats.

If you are interested in hearing more about how the shoe4africa organization started, and what it's developed into (and would like to see some footage, pun intended, of the people benefiting from it) here is another you tube clip for you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ5pXKfd9AQ&feature=related

And, lastly, don't forget that Uncle Sam has given us the incentive to give charitable contributions. Yes, this counts as a tax deduction if you itemize on your taxes. So, even though I'm sure you'd be donating shoes for humanitarian reasons, there's certainly nothing wrong with giving yourself a little tax break along the way, right? Now, I'm certainly no tax guru, but I did a quick search and this link includes pretty easy to understand information on when/how to do that.

I am planning on sending off the shipment of shoes in September, but the sooner you can get shoes to me (and start your own shoe drive if you feel so inclined) the better! Thanks for reading this post, and may we all be more grateful for the comfortable, sanitary conditions that we are able to enjoy each day.

Perfect Zoo Day

Just wanted to include a few pictures from our trip to the zoo yesterday. The weather was absolutely perfect & the boys were great. We went with my friend Claire and her boys Drew & Michael. Noah thinks Michael (pronounced "Geikol" by Noah) is pretty cool stuff, and Michael (who's about 16 months older) is really cute with Noah too. Here they are holding hands while walking around the zoo...

Linc did a pretty good job just chillin' in the stroller.

Lunch time! Everything is better with "sauce"!

This picture looks like Michael is attacking his pizza! Cute :) And don't you just love his curls?

A Popsicle Progression

Not much narration necessary on this one. After enjoying a picnic in the backyard, I snapped these pictures between licks of my own chilly treat. Enjoy these 6 photos of Noah savoring his chocolate popsicle. Teeth marks. Smirky smirk. Tongue licks. Chocolate drips.