Daddy works for Cosmo

We have had a good week. Emily and Peter Gordon came up to campus on Tuesday to eat lunch with me and it was great to hang out with them. We sat out on some grass by the Talmage Building and enjoyed a little picnic lunch. Peter Gordon and Emily played with a little ball. They thought it was great to eat lunch with Dad. Dad thought it was pretty cool as well. I have been working on an exhibit at work that will talk about the history of Brigham Young University and one of the panels that I have put together is on the BYU Experience. It features images of athletics, mentored learning, and students enjoying the campus scene. It also has an image of Cosmo and, as you all know, Peter Gordon is obsessed with Cosmo. He saw the picture when he and Emily picked me up for lunch and spent most of his visit with me talking about Cosmo. He informed me that I work for Cosmo and that when he gets big he is going to work for Cosmo as well. My colleagues got a kick out of that. He is a pretty funny kid. Hannah is doing awesome at the piano. This week she is learning how to play with both hands. Part of her piano practice is singing along to some songs that will help her learn proper pitch and tone. The whole family joins in the singing--maybe we'll get lucky and it will help me learn how to sing as well. Becca is enjoying soccer but doesn't like chasing the ball all that much. She can really boot it though and so makes a pretty good defender. She is memorizing a piece to play in a recital on Saturday and is excited about it. She is more like her Uncle Brad than her Dad in the fact that she enjoys being on the stage. Chantel is trying to stay sane and was up until the wee hours of the night last night finishing the final installment of Harry Potter. I am having loads of fun with my digital camera and have been playing around with an electronic book that I checked out from the library. I've decided that I like the physical book better than the e-book. There is something about holding something tangible in your hands. Besides I like to skip around in a book. Yesterday we went to the Springville Art Museum after the soccer games and participated in a scavenger hunt. They had a list of clues and we had to find the right painting or sculpture. It was pretty fun. The kids also got to do an art project. A couple of the pictures are of the kids at work on their projects.

Life is good

I was in Chicago all of last week attending the Society of American Archivists annual meeting. It was fun to be back in the city and to wander through Hyde Park. I wish that I'd had my new digital camera last week but it didn't arrive until yesterday. I have had fun taking pictures and thought I share a few with you all.


We put Becca, Hannah and Peter Gordon to work this evening doing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen. As you can probably tell they rather enjoyed themselves.

Emily danced on the coffee table while the other kids worked.

Here are some cute pictures of the kids. My camera came with software that lets me edit the images however I want to and it has been fun to play with this utility.

Soccer adventures

Today was the first day of soccer! Becca (blue 4)had a morning game. They did great--won by 2 goals. Hannah's game wasn't until noon (it was about 90 degrees) and they only had seven players so she played the whole game. She was hot with a very red face. She was like a wilted flower by the second quarter! Becca helped out Hannah's team, her face was red too! We love watching the soccer scrums!!






Peter Gordon is growing canadew melons--he loves to help in the garden and is the main harvester. The great thing is that if it grew in the garden he will eat it (with the exception of the beets!). He has his first soccer game Tuesday! He can hardly wait.

Emily just hangs out and follows after her siblings and is almost as fast as they are! She loves to eat (especially cookies) and loves drinking from her cup like the rest of the family. She was done with sippy cups around her birthday.

All else is great. I have had several quiet afternoons now that the girls are in school. I guess it is time to get my projects out.

School has begun once again

School began today for Becca and Hannah. Becca is a third grader and is actually beginning to enjoy school--even though she will tell you that she doesn't like it. She was up before I was this morning fully dressed and ready to practice the piano. Hannah is a first grader and continues to believe that there is nothing better than school. She is excited about everything. Becca and Hannah both are heading out the door to soccer practice.

Peter Gordon is all boy and loves being outside. He has a neighbor friend behind our house and they play in the dirt together. Emily is a whirlwind. She is always walking all over the place and she is convinced that the world owes her something (and maybe it does after her horrendous first year of life!)--her tantrums are something to behold. She spins around and drops on the ground before yelling and glaring at you.

Chantel is busy trying to create some order to our life and keeping everyone out of trouble. She wasn't sure what to do today with a quiet house--Becca and Hannah at school, Emily sleeping and Peter Gordon off playing with friends.

I am busy at work with various projects. It seems like I am always in a meeting or writing something. I never have an opportunity to catch my breath. I head off to Chicago for a week on Sunday for meetings--I hope they are interesting. I am excited to wander around the city.

Super Summer

We have had a really fun summer this year--quite the contrast to last year's drama with Emily. Becca and Hannah got to spend a week by themselves at Grandma Susan's and Grandpa Pete's and thought it was awesome. Becca, Hannah and Peter Gordon all had swimming lessons at Seven Peaks. It rained two days and they still swam. We took the best family trip ever to the Pacific Northwest. We spent five days in Seattle hanging out with Brian, Carly and Cole. Gordon thoroughly enjoyed sitting on their porch watching the rain. The kids loved going to the Zoo with Aunt Carly and Cole. They also had a blast cruising Elliott Bay and visiting the Seattle Aquarium. We also spent some time on the Oregon coast and had fun hanging out at three different beaches (Beverly Beach, Cannon Beach and Cape Kiwanda Beach). We also enjoyed our stop over at Tillamook--good ice cream and great cheese. Last weekend we spent time with Chantel's family at Bear Lake. We enjoyed yummy raspberry milkshakes--the best ever according to Hannah and had a blast riding waverunners on the lake. Becca is apprehensive about starting school next week and Hannah can't wait. Peter Gordon just wants soccer to start and Emily is oblivious.

This tiny bundle is now walking around and demanding the world from everyone.