It's Always Fun When Grandma Comes!

Let's travel back in time again to the middle of March when Grandma Susie came to visit during Spring Break. We had so much fun!

Here we are picnicking outside the Henry Doorly Zoo.  Yummy bananas!  They'd fit right in with the orangutans.

Our kids don't get much punch, so Eli's drink was a real treat.

Our Brooklyn McCall is certainly growing up.

A few years ago they tore down Rosenblatt and built a new stadium to host the College World Series.  This commemorative ball diamond marks the spot where the stadium used to stand.  Here's Eli rounding third.

Talia on her way home.

NomiAnn and Papa Kay were able to join us for the zoo picnic and excursion.

When riding a komodo dragon, it's best to mount a sculpture instead of a live one.

Susie and Brooklyn's turtle is a bit less dangerous.

Wow, something's sure got Papa K amused!

Grandma Susie likewise seems quite entertained.  So what is it?

This Siamang gibbon was hilarious, marking its territory through the most outrageous hoots and howls.  As you can see, Siamangs inflate their entire throat to "sing."  And I thought my kids were noisy!

A visit from Grandma Susie was the perfect excuse to ride the carousel.

Here's Brooklyn with Baby Annika.  Brooklyn is so wonderful with her little sister!

The peacocks are some of my favorite zoo residents.

Eli asks the kid goat, "So when I'm done brushing your hair, do you think you could help me with mine?"

Talia Lily has been working very hard at growing some new teeth.

Annie Mae hitches a ride back to the car on Papa K's shoulders.  Fortunately she seems to be behaving herself.  A few times she's taken after Mike Tyson and chomped her grandpa's ears.

Saturday March 15th found us in Red Oak, Iowa where we ran the Shamrock Shuffle.

We were so lucky to have Grandma Susie there as crowd control, even guiding the troops through the 1 mile course.

Our speedy Daddy took first for the entire race, a feat that Brooklyn considered worthy of a homemade ribbon.

Jason and I stood out as the only ones not dressed in green.  Oops!

When the race was over I looked down and decided that I need new running shoes--pronto.  Thanks to the small field of competition, I also took first for my gender and age division.  As this was the inaugural year for Red Oak's Shamrock Shuffle, we look forward to defending our titles next year.

And now for our annual St. Patty's Day dinner.  Eli looked quite dashing in his green vest and beads.

Brooklyn snuggled in with Papa K in their favorite recliner, checking out some hilarious limericks like: "There once was an old man of Esser, whose knowledge grew lesser and lesser.  It at last grew so small, he knew nothing at all, and now he's a college professor!"

Annika in her cute green bows...

...and Grandma Susie in her fantastic top hat.

Many thanks to my parents for hosting our St. Patrick's Day dinner, including some lovely decorations.

On the menu, of course, was corned beef, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, green beans, green jello, Irish soda bread, and a yummy key lime parfait.  What a perfect farewell meal before saying goodbye to our grandma the next morning.

Thanks again for your visit, Susie.  We love you!

Memories of Mississippi

Seeing as to how I've officially given up on printing and creating photo albums beyond the digital record found in this blog, it is time to CATCH UP!  Please bear with me as we travel back in time for a little while.  We might just go some place fun...like Mississippi!

Back in the beginning of March, Jason and I drove thirteen hours to Greenwood, Mississippi for a Rose Fellow alumni reunion.  Even though the distance was far, it was definitely worth the time and money to reconnect with close friends and colleagues that have been so influential in Jason's life, both professionally and personally.

Originally we were only going to take Annika with us, but Eli came along at the last moment because his babysitter (NomiAnn) got terribly ill.  In the end, I was glad he came--not only is Eli a champion car traveler, but he was great company while Jason was busy with meetings.  The Alluvian hotel that we stayed in was quite luxurious, so we thoroughly enjoyed having some downtime to hang out in our room and play trains.

It was 1:00 am by the time we arrived the first night.  Eli saw this plush purple chair and immediately claimed it as his own.

Annika, on the other hand, slept for a good six hours during the car ride and was AWAKE!  As much as we wanted to sleep, she wanted to play.  She was pretty cute in Jason's suitcase, even if she can't see past all that hair.

Speaking of cute, here's my hubby.

Esther preferred cute cuddles from Annika.

One afternoon all the fellows gathered to work on a service project designing a community center in Baptist Town.  This young man (wish I could remember his name) hung out with Annika, Eli and I the entire time we were there.

This vintage pedal-propelled merry-go-round was a classic.

Like Michael Jordan, Jason's athletic prowess increases when his tongue is hanging out of his mouth.

In this picture, Eli shows off the perfected sport of Hat Hockey.   Eli would use his train whistle to send a coin wildly flying for Dan to catch in the bucket of his hat.

A slightly pampered group, the Enterprise Rose Fellows have their own photographer, Harry, who accompanies them to big events like reunions and retreats.  (Nice job, right?)  Besides taking excellent photos, Harry is also a super great guy who lets us share his pictures.  The rights to all of the following photos belong exclusively to him.

A photo of all the fellows, past and present, who were able to make it to Mississippi.

In addition to being the Cotton Capital of the World, Greenwood has a few other claims to fame: this is the town where The Help was filmed, as well as home to the Viking Range Corporation.

Robert Johnson likewise hailed from Greenwood--one of the greatest blues musicians of all time, Robert supposedly traded his soul to the devil in exchange for his remarkable talent.  Visitors pay homage to this site by leaving him a shot of whiskey.

Having never been to Mississippi before, I relished the chance to soak in as much Southern culture as possible, including dinner with Rosie the roast pig.  While this may be a hard sight for vegetarians, I personally think that if you're going to eat bacon, you need to come to terms with where it came from.  Magnificently plated on a bed of turnips and roses, I felt like at least there was a sense of respect for Rosie and her sacrifice.  This barbecue was a masterpiece the chef had worked on for days--and I must say, it was excellent.

Fried fish and hush puppies form Larry's Fish House--another meal to remember.  It's probably best for my arteries that I don't live in Mississippi.

Baptist Town is hard to describe--you cross the train tracks and immediately feel like you've traveled back in time to the 1940s.  Poverty is obviously rampant, but there's also a rich sense of cultural heritage and history.

A Baptist Town resident--come to provide input on the future of her community.

And here's our friend again--come to hold Annie.

Before signing off for the evening, I'd like to write just a snippet about a few of the Rose Fellows that have made such a big difference in our lives--supporting our family through everything from Annika's birth to the dissolution of Color Country to Jason's work in the Rockaways.  Even though I haven't spent nearly as much time with them as Jason, they welcomed me and our children so warmly that they feel like my friends as well.

Here's Wayne Mortenson, Jason's confidant and fellow Nebraskan who's as big as I am small.  When Wayne enters the room, he fills it, not with his size but with his ideas--always looking forward instead of just accepting the norm.

And here we have Dan, the fellow that Jason describes as positively brilliant, but without any of the ego that generally accompanies such a gift.  I'll always remember him as the guy who took time to really play with Eli, making him feel like the most important kid in the room.

Next we have Kelly, the friend who took Jason for long bike rides across Manhattan and through Central Park while Jason was in New York.  When I asked Jason who he missed most from New York, he mentioned family first and Kelly right after.

This contemplative picture of Joann seems to capture her personality.  One of Jason's class of fellows, Joann is quiet and observant, but remarkably caring and considerate.  With Joann, there's never any feeling of pretense--she's glad to get to know you just as you are.

Had to throw a picture of this "Rural Mural" in the mix.  Now while I don't know for sure who drew what, that silo makes me awfully suspicious, Peanut Butter.  :)  I hope you never stop dreaming.

Any Rose fellow montage would be incomplete without Esther, a fellow New Yorker who also connected with Jason while he was in the city.  As you can tell by the photos, Esther was so good with Annika, kidnapping her whenever possible.  Even more, she is kind of like "mom" to all the fellows--checking in with us to make sure we were safe during our late arrival, bringing dinner over to Kelly in the hotel when he was sick, and generally helping everyone stay in touch.  Plus, she gave us our favorite froggy hat.  (You're right, that's an owl.  See below.)

There's the green frog.  Now where's Annika?

Here we have Ceara, one of the first fellows I got to meet in person.  Several years ago she got to bond with Eli when he was just a little tike, thanks to a short trip where we connected in Salt Lake City.  To the left of Ceara is Mark, the one and only guy to make Jason feel truly famous by recognizing him during the Solar Decathlon.  On Ceara's right is Juan, the fellow who will forever be famous for organizing the best retreat ever in Puerto Rico. 

Here you can meet Jamie Blosser, a fellow that Jason worked with in Utah.  He has great respect for the culturally sensitive design work she is doing with the Ohkay Owingeh tribes.

And showing off his stellar dance moves, we have Nate--an Iowa farm boy who quite literally stands head and shoulders above the rest.  While passing through Omaha, he stopped to have pizza with Jason and I and pretty nearly convinced us to settle in Red Oak by showing us what extraordinary men Iowa makes.  (There's just a shortage of family in Iowa...)

Last but not least, we have Katie Swenson--master organizer, motivator, and fundraiser for the Rose Fellows.  A single mom who skillfully balances parenthood with a very high profile career, I doubt Katie really understands why a well-educated woman like me would choose to stay home with her children.  Yet despite our differences, we owe a lot to Katie.  She has been an advocate for our entire family during both the best and the hardest of times. 

Last but not least, a few more fun pictures.  Here's Eli on the steps of the Elks Lodge.  So much for warm weather in Mississippi!

Happy parents and sleepy babes.

The musician at our farewell dinner.

So long Mississipi!  Thanks for the memories.

Spotlight on E-L-I

 Ask our four year-old what his name is and he will proudly tell you, E-L-I, Eli!

This past weekend our little Eli got to bask in the limelight as a Violin Sprout.  The city of Omaha just began this fantastic program where they offer free violin lessons (and instruments) to 3 and 4 year-olds.  While the lessons are available to all, they are primarily located at schools in under-served areas of the community.  Eli began taking lessons in January at nearby Liberty Elementary, just across from the Omaha Children's Museum.  After several months of instruction, he and 350 other Violin Sprouts performed with the Omaha Symphony at the Holland Center.

Just to give an idea of the scale of the venue.

A closer up glimpse of the Sprouts and the Omaha symphony.

If you look under the "D" on the giant screen, you'll spy Eli and his Daddy.

I wasn't sure how Eli would react to the crowds, but as you can see, he was all smiles.

The performance was fantastic.  I never thought I would so tremendously enjoy Mississippi stop stops played on the E and A strings en masse.  Talk about adorable!

I am so impressed with the vision and scope of this program.  Despite its new beginnings, our instructor is outstanding and the curriculum well-developed and age-appropriate.  Even better, Violin Sprouts will continue all the way up until fourth grade when the school orchestral programs take over.  Given the program's long term level of commitment to its students, I believe Violin Sprouts will have a tremendously positive impact and become a model for other communities to follow.  In the meantime, keep sending sixteenth size violins our way: Omaha wants them!
 
Here are a few more photos from Eli's Sprouting Up ceremony.

Despite the fact that he is a violist, Eli's teacher Mr. Jesse did a great job entertaining the kids by playing on a tiny violin.

The kids receive a new bead for their Violin Tag each time they "Sprout Up."

Eli performs "Rockabilly Blues."

Last but not least, a performance by the Caregivers.  I love how the program promotes ample parental involvement.

Eli is doing well beyond the world of violin as well.  While we never got a preschool arranged for this school year, I think we've secured a spot as a language role model in an Early Childhood Special Education classroom for next year.  Not only will this give him a great opportunity to sensitively interact with a diverse population of children, but it's close and free.  :)

In the meantime, he loves his Music Makers playgroup every other Thursday, story time at the library, and hanging out with the other kids at the YMCA.  Now that the weather is getting better, hanging out with Mom isn't so bad either.  Here are a few photos from our trip to the zoo yesterday:

Love you Eli!

And now for everyone's entertainment, here are some gems that have escaped from Eli's mouth, whether back in St. George or more recently.

Eli's Quote Board:

Loud proclamation during Sharing Time at church:  This has been going on FOREVER!

Rebuttal when asked by his Primary teacher to remove his hand from his pants:  But I have new Batman undies!

Totally random statement from the back of the mini-van :  Missionaries sleep in the same room but not in the same bed.

After reading The Magic School Bus:  We have lots of white blood cells, and just one can sink buses!

While discussing his future career:  I wanna be a dog when I grow up.  Mom: Most people grow up to be people.  Eli:  Well...you grow up to be what you like, and I'm gonna be a dog when I grow up.  You'll see.

While pondering the garage door opener:  Where does the magic in the garage come from?

And my all time favorite:  Mommy, I'm always right--like Brooklyn."

April Fools Fun

This morning we had puppy chow for breakfast.  JaSpot, Bwooflyn, Tally Waggle, and Elick quite enjoyed their meals, particularly since the grub tasted remarkably like cocoa puffs.

Who needs spoons when you have a tongue for lapping?

When dinner arrived we said, "Let them eat cake!" 

This lovely concoction is my new favorite non-meatloaf: tangy apple chicken loaf, a recipe worth saving.

Since we ate our cake for dinner, we had mashed potatoes for dessert.

The best April Fools surprise of all, however, is pictured right beside me.  Callie flew in for a visit on Saturday, surprising my parents and utterly confusing a poor lady at church who couldn't figure out why I showed up to Sunday school in duplicate.

So how did your family celebrate April Fools?