Birthday Pie
The Berretts are a pie family. Some families (like my wife's family, the Sorensons) are cake families... not that there is anything wrong with that... but, I just prefer pies and I always have (and I probably always will). This certainly has everything to do with the fact that my Mother (God bless her) makes the best damn pies this side of the Mississippi (and probably the best on the other side too, but my pie-eating experience is somewhat limited to just the western US). Anyone can make a decent cake, and even a great cake is no better than an above-average pie. But, a great pie... well, it's art.

Today we had one of the time-honored Berrett "group all the close birthdays together and celebrate them at the same time" birthday parties to celebrate the late July birthdays (Berkeley/Shantell) and the August birthdays (Kristy/Brent/myself). And what Berrett Birthday Party would be complete without Berrett Birthday Pie?! No Berrett Birthday Party that I would care to attend... it would be sacrilege!

Well, tonight Mom did not disappoint (not that she ever has). The pie medley was both prodigious in variety and incomparable in taste. The heavyweights were all attendant: Mom's Banana Cream Pie, Mom's Chocolate Cream Pie, Mom's Coconut Cream Pie, and Mom's Strawberry Pie. As a dutiful aficionado of great pies, I forced myself to sample each one. Ah, bliss!

The Other Cousins
On our way home Thursday after spending the evening with Bryan/Jess/Rees (and Percy their cat), it became apparent to Berkeley that something was missing:

"Where are my other cousins?", Berkeley wondered.

Well, conveniently for Berkeley, we spent today predominantly down in Utah Valley and primarily at the Mark and Jen Berrett home in Alpine. We went down for lunch, attended the Utah County Fair in the afternoon (where we rendezvoused with Brent and Amanda/Tyler/Brielle... at least until Brent got sick on one of the rides and was forced to retire), met back in Alpine for Mark's Pre-eminent Pizza of Particular Prominence (of which I consumed probably the largest quantity), and then stayed well past our kids (and Mark/Jen's kids) bedtime. But we were having so much fun, I hope Mark/Jen will not hold that against us.

Their home is a great place for children, especially young children. Both of my kids felt right at home playing and interacting with their kids and the rest of the cousins. Eliana isn't really interested in playing with other kids so much as playing around other kids, but Berkeley and Ryan seemed to have had a thoroughly good time playing together. I listened in on some of their conversations:

"This is a rocket ship.", Ryan said pointing to a toy in his hand.

"Rocket ship?", parroted Berkeley.

"The rocket ship blasts off right through the roof!", Ryan exclaimed.

"What's happening to the roof?", parroted Berkeley.

That is classic Berkeley... repeating the last word of your sentence in a rising inquisitive tone and the "What's happening to the [insert object here]?"

I thought this was also funny:

"You can be batman or superman, that's your choice.", explained Ryan, trying to persuade Berkeley to role play superheroes with him.

Berkeley continued to play with some trains on Ryan's play table.

"Berkeley, you can be batman or superman... that's your choice.", repeated Ryan.

Berkeley paused, then stated, "I play with trains, that's my choice."

There was more like that... I followed them around whenever I could; they were pretty much inseparable.

Berkeley's Birthday
Berkeley officially turned three today. And even though he has already had one birthday party, he basically had another one today (and he'll have a third on Sunday). Berkeley made this observation for himself this morning, after having opened a gift he received from Grandma and Grandpa:

"This is my second birthday Grandma.", Berkeley flatly stated.

In the morning we met Jess/Rees and Jen/Ky/Taylor/Ryan/Heather at the Murray City outdoor pool. The main pool area is very kid friendly; it gradually slopes from the pool edges to a maximum depth of about 3 feet. But the main attraction, at least for our kids, was the open-air water slide that descends down about 50-ft of winding curves. We were at the pool about 2½ hours and probably spent 2 of those hours on the slide... Berkeley and Eliana just couldn't get enough. It was loads of fun.

After an afternoon nap, we spent the evening and a nice dinner over at the Dave/Heather Barnes home. Dave and Heather's eldest son, Braxton, shares a birthday with Berkeley (Braxton turned 7 today). The kids took their turns hitting a piñata and playing on an inflatable slide and inflatable obstacle course (rented for an earlier party Braxton had with his neighborhood friends). After a gift exchange between Berkeley and Braxton, we sang for Berkeley and he blew out some candles on a cake.

(Update Fri Mar 10 10:07:43 PST 2006 // changed URL for Berkeley Birthday Party gallery)

Not Undelicious
We had some dinner over at the Bryan/Jess/Rees Berrett house tonight. The food was not undelicious.

Utahr
We are in Utah for 10 days on vacation. We drove through the night in just under 12 hours (not too bad). Good to see the folks... more later.

Berkeley's Swimming Lessons
Last year we enrolled Berkeley in some "swimming lessons" at the local club (we aren't members, but they open kids swimming lessons up to non-members). Perhaps I had my expectations set too high, but the lessons really turned out to be nothing more than basic water orientation ("this is a swimming pool, learn to recognize it at a glance"). Perhaps I doth protest too much... because, on the whole, I think it was a positive experience for him at the age he was.

This summer, however, we stepped Berkeley up to the swimming lesson big leagues; namely, he is taking swimming lessons from the "Swim Nazi" (using a phrase that one of Kristy's friends coined... affectionately I'm sure). The class is the literal definition of "sink or swim", honestly. And there is "no crying in swimming lessons" as the Swim Nazi (or Kathie) is so apt to point out to any wayward slobbering 2-yr old. Or in other words, it's right up my alley from an expectations standpoint - and the "swim nazi" has delivered, big time.

After only eight lessons (the last one being today), Berkeley can doggy paddle across the shorter length of the pool. He can jump of the diving board and then swim over to the ladder, climb out and jump again. And he doesn't do these tasks begrudgingly, he does them with a big fat smile on his face, usually accompanied by an exclamation such as "Look at me Daddy!".

We already re-upped him for August and September.

(Update Sat Dec 3 06:33:08 PST 2005 // fixed a spelling error)

Where's Eliana?
Eliana loves to hide. And I'm not just talking about pulling a blanket over her head in the middle of room type of "hiding" either. I'm talking really hiding... like behind the shirts hung up in my closet, or behind the gazebo in the corner of the yard, or across the street in our neighbor's back yard... um, yeah, seriously... that happened once.

We had the missionaries over tonight and dined outside (hamburgers, hot dogs... the standard grilled fare). As we were sitting at the table eating and talking, the kids were roving around the backyard playing. Berkeley was entertaining himself in the middle of the grass with his basketball, his basketball hoop, and his tent and other various toys... all in plain sight. Eliana, however, was darting between our fairly dense pyramidalis hedge (see sample image of pyramidalis hedge), ducking under the magnolia tress, and sneaking behind the gazebo... jabbering to herself in the merriest way you can imagine.

It is interesting how much contact she allows between branches, bushes, and other flora to her own face and skin; for example, sometimes her entire face will be brushing up against a bush as she attempts to get from point A to point B. But Berkeley, on the contrary, has a specific aversion to such contact; if he can avoid it, he will contort his body in any way possible to squeeze through a tight passage or space. If he can't avoid the contact, then (in general) he will abandon the goal. Eliana just motors on through; no fear.

I think that sums up Eliana's adventurous spirit... no fear. It's amazing how different they are at such a very young age (I'll blog more on that later).

July 2005 Kitchen Repainting Project Photos
Since we moved into our current home back in 2000, we have been slowly transforming the kitchen space (who am I kidding? ...our whole house!) into one that is more compatible with our own personal style and taste. There wasn't much wrong with the out-of-the-box components of the kitchen per se, the look just needed some tweaking here and there.

In fact, now that I think about it, I believe the first project I completed in our current home was that of hanging a pot rack over our kitchen island. But that project (or even the project of installing the instant-hot water tap) pales in comparison to the monumental task I undertook in early summer of 2004 of painting all of our kitchen cabinetry black. Now that was a major endeavor.

More recently Kristy completed (just in time for Berkeley's Birthday Party) a makeover of the wall treatment in the kitchen. She applied a Ralph Lauren chocolate brown glaze over the walls and painted a mural over our range top. The result is a warm, rich, and cozy look. Here are some sample images of the kitchen that I snapped today:

I have posted large versions of our current kitchen photos together with some I took last year (2004) and some that I took back in 2001. You can find them all here:

July 2005 Kitchen Repainting Project

(Update Fri Mar 10 09:55:56 PST 2006 // changed URL to Berkeley Birthday Party)

The Machine
I took a good long ride (well, good and long for me) on my motorcycle today to Gig Harbor and back (100+ miles). On the way down I took the interstate route, but on the way back I travelled up State Route 18 and then along Issaquah-Hobart road to the Issaquah area and eventually back home.

The return home was quite nice... much greener along the "back roads" (Route 18 once was a back road anyway, it is currently being upgraded to a 4-lane divided highway). I just zoned out and concentrated on the road (and the speedo). No music, no radio... just the sound of the wind rushing past the helmet and the hum of the machine.

"Once On a Time" (an exerpt)
I promised some excerpts from Berkeley's stories... here is something from Berkeley's bedtime story to Kristy tonight:

"Once On a Time there was a dog and another dog...", Berkeley began.

(short pause)

Then came the clarification, "There were two dogs."

Heh.

Movie Review: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Title:	Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
Rating:	5/10

Overly melodramatic and poorly-acted, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is eye-catching only because it is "retro-futuristic" a la Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers. But other than that, this film is highly forgettable.

"Once On a Time"
Several weeks ago, I mentioned that we don't read bedtime stories to Berkeley any more, instead we have him close his eyes while he imagines the stories we make up on-the-fly. This was Kristy's fantastic idea and I must her props (That's gold, Kristy! Gold!).

Last night (Friday night) was no different than any other night, I had Berkeley close his eyes and told him a story. I always begin by saying "Once Upon a Time" and end by saying "The End". Whereupon Berkeley immediately blurted out "That's a great story, Daddy!" (every story is a "great story" to Berkeley). Then, since he loves to procrastinate my departure from his room, he will almost invariably have a question to ask.

"Daddy, tell another story to Berkeley? ...please.", he'll petition.

I usually tell him no, and that there will be another story tomorrow, that he should close his eyes and go to sleep. Then I'll give him a kiss and leave his room. However, last night I turned the tables on him.

"How about I close my eyes Berkeley, and you tell me a story?", I suggested.

"Okay, Daddy."

So he told me a story while I closed my eyes. It was fantastic. There was a dog and a cat and he took them to Grandma's house (we are traveling to Utah to see Berkeley's Grandma and Grandpa Berrett next week).

Tonight, we repeated the same routine. I told him a story while he closed his eyes, then he told me a story while I closed mine. Both nights he has started his story the same way:

"Once On a Time..."

I'll try and record some of his improvised narratives in future journal entries.

Movie Review: Spellbound

Title:	Spellbound (2002)
Rating:	7/10

Where do you draw the fine line between parental help and parental pressure? If you rent and watch the documentary, Spellbound (like we did tonight), you can follow 8 kids (and their parents) prepare for and compete in the 1999 National Spelling Bee. Each parent has their own philosophy when it comes to preparing for and competing in the national spelling bee, some are very much hands-off, whereas some are very much hands-on.

For example (and hopefully this won't be giving too much away), while the (*cough* redneck *cough*) parents of one child are sure their child takes time out of his day to do his peacock farming duties (why raise peacocks anyway?) and other chores, another set of (much wealthier) parents schedules their son's day around lessons with private tutors (not to mention also hiring 1,000 or so hungry people back in India to pray for their son's success in exchange for food).

What is most interesting about this movie isn't the spelling bee per se (although the drama of the spelling bee is quite intriguing); the spelling bee only provided the context for what is really interesting in this film... and that is the eminently diverse (albeit anecdotal) slice of Americana that it presents. Though, admittedly, the filmmakers could not provide a deep exploration of each family dynamic. Yet, each specific distillation featured did seem to speak broadly enough to get the point across (or perhaps I err when I conclude that I know all that I need to know about a mother after having learned that she designed "Bee Happy" magnetic notepads for her family refrigerator).

At its heart, this is a film about growing-up, living, and parenting in America. And it does quite well.

Programming Perl
I honestly can't think of a better job than the one I have right now. I sit around and code Perl all day on a wonderfully designed platform engineered on top of FreeBSD. The team I work with is exceptionally skilled. My current manager (the fifth I've had in the last five years) is easily the best I've had since Stacey Son (to be fair, Stacey sets the bar pretty high). On top of all that, I get to work at home and see my family throughout the day.

It's downhill for me from here I'm afraid. But I'll certainly enjoy it while it lasts.

"Buh buh, ruh ruh."
I continue to take the kids out on jog strolls. The weather has been nice and it is good exercise for me to jog the 3+ miles around Pine Lake. Before we set out on our jog strolls, I will give Berkeley and Eliana a lollipop. It seems to generally last about the duration of one of our jog strolls.

Today while we were out, I jog strolled toward a house (on the opposite side of the street) where a dog was out playing on the grass. Eliana noticed the dog, but Berkeley did not. Eliana took the lollipop out of her mouth, nudged Berkeley with one hand while pointing to the dog with the other, and began saying "ruh ruh". Berkeley was oblivious.

But, before the dog was completely past us, Eliana tried again.

"Buh buh, ruh ruh", said Eliana.

"Buh buh" is the best Eliana can do at Berkeley's name. Nonetheless, Berkeley has learned this is how Eliana refers to him (she refers to Berkeley in this way several times throughout the day). So, after Eliana said "Buh buh, ruh ruh"... or, essentially "Look Berkeley, a dog." Berkeley finally noticed.

"Look! A dog!", exclaimed Berkeley.

Eliana confirmed, "Ruh ruh."

I couldn't help but smile at this simple exchange of communication between my two kids.

Product Review: l'Occitane Cade After Shave Balm
After having blogged about my recent switch in razors, I would be remiss if I didn't write up something on my favorite after shave balm.

Shaving isn't exactly the most pleasant experience for a man's face. And my face seems to be more sensitive than some. Because of this, I have always required the use of after shave balm. I've tried most (if not all) of the alcohol-free supermarket products (if you eliminate the products that contain alcohol, there aren't that many to choose from), but none of the supermarket brands really seem to do very well.

A couple of years ago (for Father's Day I think) my wife got me a l'Occitane Shaving gift pack that included the Cade After Shave Balm and the Cade Shaving Cream. The Cade Shaving Cream is worthless (in my humble opinion), but the Cade After Shave Balm is hands-down the best after shave balm I have ever tried. There is simply no comparison between it and anything you can buy at a supermarket or drugstore. It is well worth the premium paid (and then some). The 2.5 ounce size doesn't seem like it is very big, but I've been using the same 2.5 ounce tube for more than 2 years. A little goes a long way.

Summary: The best after shave balm on the market.

Product Review: Gillette Sensor Excel
About a month ago I switched razors from the Schick Tracer FX to the Gillette Sensor Excel. This is probably the first time I've switched to a different razor in about 15+ years. Seriously. A man's razor preference (blade or electric, and what brand) is probably closely akin to a woman's preference in skincare (or makeup). Kristy has been a Lancôme user for as long as I can remember, and I have always shaved with a Schick Tracer. That - there's what it is.

Recently, I had been noticing that the replacement cartridges for the Schick Tracer have become harder and harder to find. There are plenty of newer three-blade (and four-blade) razor cartridges to choose from, but I have never been taken in by the marketing hype for the three (and four) blade razors. Two is good enough methinks. One day at Costco, I was intrigued to find that the Gillette Sensor Excel (two-blade) cartridges were stocked... some twenty replacement cartridges for less than $20 (anything under $1/cartridge is a pretty good deal).

So I decided to get a Sensor razor at a local drug store and give it a try. If it was as good or better than the Tracer then I would just drop the Tracer and go with the Sensor... pretty much solely based on the fact that the replacement cartridges seemed to be more readily available (and at bulk prices). I didn't even think to switch to an electric; I'm a razor guy.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Gillette Sensor Excel is a much better razor; in fact, it is quite superior to the Schick Tracer. The shave is much closer and the blades seem sharper and more durable. Where the Tracer blades would last 2 (maybe 3) shaves, the Sensor blades seem to shave exceptionally well for 6 or 7 shaves. Bonus. I'm hooked.

Summary: A extremeley good shave, give it a try.

The 0fers
I play on a softball team every Monday night. The team is comprised of a bunch of dentists and myself (the coach, an orthodontist, invited me to play). We are named the '0fers' (zero-f-e-r-s) because we have yet to win a game in league play.

I don't mind. I just like to play. I don't make any pretense that I'm any good. But if I once was good, I certainly have lost a step or two. Oh well.

Today, one of the players had his little-league-age son in attendance, fresh from a game of his own as he was still in uniform. He sat on the bench in the dugout and hardly moved... except when his Dad came up to bat. Then up this little boy would spring and press his face against the fence and grasp the chain-link with his young hands. Clearly he was interested in seeing his old man swing the bat. His dad usually made an out (like the rest of us on the 0fers), but the little boy and his old man would always exchange a smile when he made his way back to the dugout. Then down the little boy would sit until his old man was up to bat again.

I've got about six or seven years to work on my game.

Biff's Potato Salad
I've never really made potato salad from scratch until this year. Usually I'll just buy some from Larry's when I feel like serving it during a summer party. But a couple of months ago, Laura brought some potato salad to a dinner we were hosting and it was incredible. I asked her how she made it and she said she just combined an all-American potato salad recipe with a German potato salad recipe. So I took her advice to heart and created a potato salad of my own by picking and choosing from several other recipes.

4 large potatoes (I like the Yukon Gold, but Russet works too)
1 tsp salt
4 tbs cider vinegar
4 large hard-boiled eggs
4 slices bacon
1 medium sized sweet onion
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
8-10 cornichons, chopped
1 tsp dry mustard
½ tsp celery seed
½ tsp paprika
fresh ground pepper

Place potatoes (with skin) in 8-quart stockpot with enough water to cover potatoes. Bring to boil over high heat, add salt, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender. Drain water. While hot, place potato (one at a time) on cutting board and cut potato in half. Peel skin away with a butter knife (it should pull right off). Dice and place in small bowl. Drizzle 1 tbs vinegar over diced potato, toss gently, and then place in large mixing bowl. Repeat for each potato. (Use less vinegar - ½ tbs per potato - if a milder vinegar flavor is preferred... I like a strong vinegar "bite").

Meanwhile, cook bacon slices and chop. Add to mixing bowl. Reserve 1 tbs bacon grease in pan. Finely chop onion and sauté in bacon grease until translucent but not soggy (i.e. still crunchy). Add to mixing bowl. Chop hard-boiled eggs and add to mixing bowl and lightly toss to combine.

In smaller mixing bowl, blend mayonnaise, chopped fresh parsley, cornichons, dry mustard, celery seed, paprika, and freshly ground pepper (to taste). Add to potatoes and mix to combine. Refrigerate for a few hours and serve cold.

July 2005 Berkeley Birthday Party Photos
We celebrated Berkeley's third birthday today since it coincided with "A Day Out With Thomas". Berkeley is a big fan of Thomas the Tank Engine. So, when we heard that a life-sized Thomas was coming to town and found out that the visit was to be in July, we decided that we had to plan Berkeley's third birthday around the event.

The tickets sell out well in advance, so we had to buy the tickets back in March or April. So today's party was a long time in the planning process. In the afternoon, Berkeley and a few friends and family went to the Snoqualmie railway station. Berkeley got a big grin on his face when he saw the life-sized Thomas for the first time. It was cute. We snapped some pictures (see below for link) with him standing in front of Thomas with the whole family.

We took a little ride on Thomas and he pretended that we was on "Annie" (one of the passenger cars that Thomas pulls around). Then he and the rest of the kids jumped around inside an inflatable bouncy train (see below for link to pictures). They seemed to like jumping better than anything else.

Immediately following the afternoon activities at the railroad, we hosted a small dinner. The Sorensons, Thurmonds, Sharps, and Gendreaus were able to attend. The kids played on the grass and at "Berkeley's Park" and in the sand and had a great time running around while the adults had a very pleasant evening chatting and eating. It was threatening rain in the afternoon when we left for the railway, but it was perfect weather in the evening.... nice, sunny, and mild. It was very relaxing.

Berkeley was quite happy to receive several presents at his party, including some Thomas-themed toys from Kate and Isabella Schei, the Gendreaus, the Sorensons, and (of course) Mom and Dad. He also got a new trike, some basketball warm-ups (with matching arm bands) from the Thurmonds, and a tee-ball set from the Sharps (he has already clocked Elizabeth with the plastic bat... oops).

Here are some sample images from the party:

You can review the full Berkeley Birthday Party gallery here:

July 2005 Berkeley Birthday Party

Bowling in Snoqualmie
Berkeley, Eliana, and I went bowling tonight (after they made a mess with the milk, I figured that I'd get more done on Berkeley's birthday party after they were in bed). I've found that the local bowling alleys in the area are not very family friendly. The alley in Bellevue is pretty much booked with league play; the Kirkland bowling alley forbids bowling for kids under the age of 5. So we headed up to Snoqualmie to play at the little six-lane family-owned alley.

The Snoqualmie bowling alley is lightly trafficked, even on weekend nights. We were able to get a lane immediately, even at 7pm on a Friday night. They have a little ramp that can be pushed up to the head of the lane. Berkeley can hoist his 7-lb ball to the top of it and then push it down the ramp; giving the ball enough velocity to knock pins over, but not enough velocity to trigger the clearing mechanism.

So, I taught Berkeley to "push the white button" when his ball didn't come back. Before I knew it, he was quite adept at the routine. Get ball, put ball on ramp, push ball, wait to see if ball returns, hit button, get ball... repeat. Eliana would interrupt the routine from time to time to put her 6-lb ball on the ramp. But she was more interested in wandering around the bowling alley (thus my interest in getting Berkeley to self-govern).

After we (well, Berkeley) bowled for an hour, we came back home. It was nice to get out with the kids after having been gone for a few days.

"And Ana"
I was preparing some of the food for Berkeley's birthday party tonight while the kids were watching a video (Kristy was at a Young Ladies retreat for church). I had given Ana some milk (in a sippie cup) while she was at the kitchen table peering over the sofa watching the movie. But I was busy and hadn't noticed she had sauntered into the family room with her milk. You can probably guess what happened.

Well, I glanced up while preparing my potato salad (recipe will follow) and noticed Berkeley was shaking the sippie cup upside down getting milk on the carpet and on the ottoman.

"Berkeley! No, no, no, no." I gasped as I ran over to the family room.

I arrived at the scene of the crime, there was a pretty good amount of milk on the carpet and on the ottoman.

"Berkeley, you know better than this... don't turn sippie cups upside down and make messes. Go take a time out." I said.

"And Ana. Ana made mess too.", Berkeley responded.

And so it begins... fingering the other sibling. Heh.

Back Home
It's good to be back home. Kristy and the kids seems pretty happy to have me back. Gotta get to work on Berkeley birthday party preparations.

June 2005 Photos
Berkeley's and Eliana's photo galleries for the month of June are now complete. Some of the notables include Eliana leaning back against the ottoman and looking like a big girl, Eliana with a "don't mess with me" look on her face, and Berkeley caught in mid-laughter.

Here are some sample images:

You can review the full galleries either by accessing the "June 2005" links on Berkeley's web site or Eliana's web site or you can access the galleries directly:

Berkeley's June 2005 Gallery ... (2 years, 11 months old)
Eliana's June 2005 Gallery ... (1 year, 3½ months old)

Close Friends
I have a few friends that live close by (Redmond, Woodinville). And I have a some close friends that don't live where I do (like here in Utah... where I am today).

Given the fact that one my friends, Carl, lives so close to us (10 miles away in Redmond), it's seems peculiar that we were coincidentally travelling to Utah this week on business (unbeknownst to either of us). I hadn't seen Carl for some time, even those we live so close. But tonight, 850 miles away from our homes, my good friend Carl and I had dinner together, chewed the fat, and had a laugh or two. It was great to catch up. I've known Carl for almost 10 years; time sure does fly by.

The Boys
Had dinner with Dad, Brent, and Bryan tonight at the Red Rock in downtown SLC. I was meaning to raise a glass of freshly brewed root beer in honor of Mark (who was unable to attend due to a softball game conflict), but I forgot (sorry Mark). I can't remember exactly what we chatted about as we ate, but I had a good time. We stayed for dessert; no chocolate was consumed.

Movie Review: Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

Title:	Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
Rating:	6/10

We rented and watched Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events on Saturday night. I thought the movie was entertaining, but not incredible. Both Kristy and I very much enjoyed the artistic style of the film and must give high marks to the production design... especially the sets and the costumes and the illustrations (during the opening and closing credits). The cinematography was also fantastic. The overall feel of the movie is very Burtonesque, if you will... an extremely beautiful film from an artistic standpoint.

I haven't read the books, but the adaptation seemed to present the story in a somewhat rushed manner. I read that the film covers three of the Unfortunate Events books and this may have something to do with that. However, I was still intrigued by the overall eccentricity of the story. I wouldn't mind reading the series in the least (even if they are so-called "children's books" despite the seemingly dark nature of the stories).

The first two minutes of the film are extremely funny, if not a tad disorienting. I won't spoil it... just go and rent it and see for yourself.

K-l-ahh-k
When Berkeley was about Eliana's age, we would reinforce the same two words every morning as we walked down the stairs: "Jesus" and "clock". We did this because on our stairwell landing, we have a framed picture of Jesus. It is a beautiful picture of Jesus, standing and facing forward, with a dove flying away from an open hand. So, as we would walk down the first half-flight of stairs toward this picture, we would point to it as say "Jesus". Likewise, when we would turn and walk down the second half-flight of stairs, we would point to the clock hung on the wall opposite from the stairs and say "clock".

We have been doing this with Eliana for, oh I dunno, about a couple months now. When we first started, we didn't get much of a response (of course). But after a few weeks, she would attempt to say the words after we said it and point to the object it represents. Not too long after, she wouldn't need any prompting, but just make her attempt at the words as we walked down the stairs on her own.

Currently, she is at the point where she can't really enunciate any words very clearly.... she can say quite a few words, but most are really only intelligible to Kristy and myself. She can't enunciate "Jesus" just yet, but she parrots the rising and falling tones of the two syllables pretty well. She can parrot "clock" a little better and has been saying "k-l-aah" for quite a while now.

Well today during nursery she did a couple of things that I hadn't noticed before. The first event was that she recognized a completely different picture of Jesus (that was hanging on the wall of the nursery) for what is was and attempted to qualify it verbally... "eee-uhh". Again, only probably myself or Kristy would know what she said ("Jesus"). But I thought it was impressive nonetheless.

The second event occurred during clean-up time toward the end of nursery. I was in the back room. On the wall is a small clock; it is multi-colored and has no numbers, quite unlike the one we have at home (which has Roman numerals on a solid beige face). While I was putting away some toys and tidying up the counter area, Eliana ambled in, stopped, and pointed up at the clock on the wall... "k-l-ahh-k".

Good girl.

Candid Child Speech Causing Uncomfortable Moments, Chapter 1
Berkeley and I went to clean the church this morning. Well, while I cleaned (with some other volunteers), Berkeley played with some toys in the nursery. We stopped in at QFC to pick up some groceries on our way back home. During checkout, Berkeley needed a question answered:

"Who's that big lady?" Berkeley asked pointing to the rather well-proportioned female checkout clerk.

"This nice lady is helping us buy our groceries." I said, trying to suggest a new adjective.

Berkeley did rephrase, if not in an ideal way, "Who's that big nice lady Daddy?"

In the parking lot, I told him not to describe ladies as big. Ladies are always nice, but never big.

Berkeley's Pillow
My mom made Berkeley a pillowcase and a matching baby quilt for his birth. For whatever reason, the baby quilt didn't become Berkeley's security blanket. However, Berkeley has formed a very strong attachment to his pillow (see picture). He doesn't take it everywhere, but he must have it when he goes to sleep or he will become quite stressed. We found that out the hard way on a family vacation when we left his pillowcase at home.

Almost a month ago, Berkeley had an event which made it necessary to unexpectedly wash his pillow and cause it to become unavailable for bedtime. In fact, if I recall correctly, he may have been without it for two straight nights. He had to use his backup pillowcase (my mom actually made him two pillowcases, one that he has had since birth which matches the nursery... and one she made when Berkeley was about 1½ years old that matches the color scheme of his current room). We told him he couldn't use his favorite pillowcase because, well, he "got poo on the pillowcase".

He's had his pillowcase back for some time now, 3 weeks probably. But tonight while I was putting Berkeley down for the night...

"My pillow!" Berkeley exclaimed, falling down into bed with his head hitting the pillow squarely.

"Yes, it's your pillow... right where you left it." I said.

"There's no poo on it. Poo is all gone.", he observed.

I thought this was somewhat humorous since it has been some time since the event in question occurred. But not having his pillow for the night (or two) after he soiled it, must have been a significant event in his eys. It's funny how the little things to one person, seems so big to someone else.

May 2005 Photos
In May, the weather started to become much more inviting. This is evident in the amount of May pictures that were taken outside (especially toward the end of the month). You'll note that a few of the pictures indicate that I finally got around to finishing the lid on the kids sandbox.... almost a year later. And yes, in that picture of Berkeley where he is standing next to the chalkboard with the letters B-E-R-K crudely scrawled across it, Berkeley drew those letters himself. Impressive... no?

Here are some sample images:

You can review the full galleries either by accessing the "May 2005" links on Berkeley's web site or Eliana's web site or you can access the galleries directly:

Berkeley's May 2005 Gallery ... (2 years, 10 months old)
Eliana's May 2005 Gallery ... (1 year, 2½ months old)

Beverage Review: Juice: Newman's Own Lemonade and Limeade
Kristy and I hosted a barbecue party on the Fourth of July. We had the standard fare... hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, etc. We usually fill our cooler full of soda pop, but this year I bought a few half gallons of Newman's Own Lemonade, Pink Lemonade, and Limeade. It was on sale at Safeway (2 for $3).

I usually don't bother with fruit drinks that are anything less than 100% juice. I'm a purist I guess. But Kristy is a really big fan of lemonade (and limeade), so when I noted that the juice content is 15% (which is pretty high for lemonade), I decided to give them a try. Much to my surprise, the juice is actually quite good. It isn't so sickly sweet like just about every other lemonade on the market, but still is a bit sweet for my taste (the more tart the better imho). However, as a drink to compliment a summer lunch or dinner, it is more than satisfactory.

Summary: Very good; will likely purchase again

Biff's Angel Hair with Parmesan Sauce (for Kids)
I had to whip up something fast and easy for the kids tonight. I didn't just want to throw together some Easy Mac (which Berkeley loves) or nuke a hot dog (Eliana's favorite)... we do that too often I'm afraid. So in about 15 minutes, I improvised the following pasta dish which, much to my surprise, the kids just couldn't seem to get enough of. Eliana, over the course of the evening, had five helpings... so I thought that I should probably write it down so I can reproduce it at a later date.

angel hair pasta, enough for 4
olive oil
1 tbs butter
1 tbs flour
1½ cup milk
½ cup parmesan cheese
¼ cup frozen peas
cayenne pepper
1 slice bacon
1 clove garlic
1 chicken breast, cubed
¼ cup pine nuts
salt
pepper

Melt butter in 1-quart saucepan. Add flour and little bit of salt and pepper and stir until thickened. Add milk and bring to boil on medium-low heat. Add parmesan cheese and stir to melt. Mix in frozen peas and simmer. Add cayenne pepper to taste (I didn't add any tonight for the kids, but I put some tabasco on my own personal plated serving... yum).

Meanwhile, bring water to boil in 4-quart saucepan and add angel hair. Cook until al dente, about 4 minutes. Drain, rinse, and return to pan. Add a bit of olive oil and toss (keeps the noodles from sticking together).

On another burner, cook bacon in medium-sized frying pan. Remove bacon and chop, then add to cheese sauce. Mince garlic and sauté in bacon grease. Add chicken and pine nuts (and some salt and pepper), cook until chicken is tender. Add chicken and pine nuts to cheese sauce.

Add sauce to noodles. Toss to combine. Remove a serving or two for the kids and chop noodles into finger length bites. Serve.

Contender for 2005 Picture of the Year
Kristy snapped this picture last week (click to enlarge).

Eliana is fearless.

April 2005 Photos
I have just finished building Berkeley's and Eliana's April 2005 media galleries using pictures and video taken during that month. I'm very close to getting caught up. My goal is to actually post pictures in real time (i.e. the day or the day after they are taken)... only a couple more photo albums to go, and then I'll be right there.

There were some excellent pictures taken in April... most notable among them is the Kristy/Berkeley picture. Very nice. Here are some sample images:

You can review the full galleries either by accessing the "April 2005" links on Berkeley's web site or Eliana's web site or you can access the galleries directly:

Berkeley's April 2005 Gallery ... (2 years, 9 months old)
Eliana's April 2005 Gallery ... (1 year, 1½ months old)

Product Review: Stonyfield Farm YoBaby Yogurt
After I posted my raving review of Li'l Yami yogurt, Jess recommended that I try Stonyfield Farm YoBaby yogurt. I found the yogurt in the organic section of my local grocery store; I purchased the peach/pear pack. (Why do they separate all of the organic food into its own section anyway? Do organic shoppers really smell that bad?)

One thing I failed to note about the Li'l Yami yogurt in my previous review is that its consistency closely resembles that of a whipped mousse. The kids can scoop it out and hold the spoon upside-down and sideways and the stuff will not fall down. However, the consistency of the YoBaby yogurt is just a tad thicker than runny. This makes the yogurt quite unsuitable for self-serve. For example, during Berkeley's breakfast this morning, approximately one half made it into his mouth, the other half ended up on the table or in his lap. After he "finished" his YoBaby he asked for a "more yogurt... a round one" (Li'l Yami's are packaged in a small round container, YoBaby's are packaged in a rounded square).

"Do you want another one of those?" I asked, pointing to the YoBaby yogurt.

"No, not the oval one, the round one," Berkeley replied.

Now I'm not just going to take Berkeley's preference without a heaping grain of salt (after all.. he does thoroughly enjoy canned green beans straight from the can), so I tried the yogurt myself (both the peach and pear). I must admit that it is very tasty, but just not extraordinary - at the very least, it is on par with Yoplait.

Summary: Barely above average (sorry Jess)

Jog Strolling
For the past two or three weeks, the weather has been quite nice (70s). So I've taken some opportunities to go jogging with the kids (like this evening while the wife was at the Wednesday night Young Ladies activity). We don't have a fancy twin jogging stroller, but the twin stroller we do have (the Peg Perego Aria Twin) seems to get the job done.

Tonight I ran with the kids over to the location of the service project Kristy and the young ladies were doing... probably about a 3 mile jog round trip (I'm guessing). I usually give the kids a lollipop and then set out down the road. Tonight, Eliana fell asleep about 10 minutes into the half hour jog... still clutching her Cream Soda Dum Dum lollipop which was stuck on her new pink coat. Other than stirring just slightly when we passed a barking dog behind a fence, she remained totally zonked for the duration.

Berkeley pretty much does the "What's that?" routine on any jog stroll, and tonight was no different:

"What's that?", Berkeley asked pointing to a man walking on the other side of the street.

"A man," I replied.

"What's that man doing?", came the follow-up.

"He's walking," I said, in-between breaths.

"What's that man's walking name?", Brekeley pressed.

"Um.. I don't know buddy.. let's call him 'Bill'."

"Hi Bill." said Berkeley while waving, but we were already well past the man.

Berkeley is quite the chatterbox on our jog strolls. Hopefully, the weather will contine to stay nice and mild.

April 2005 Laura Birthday Pics and Video
(I'm still trying to bring my photo albums up-to-date. I'm up to April 2005, so I'm only 3 months behind.)

On the first Sunday in April (the 3rd), we had a small party to commemorate Laura's Birthday (which is on the 5th). The Corays came over for dinner, as did the Thurmonds and the Sorensons. We had a great time. However, I only have one picture from the event:

We did capture some video of the cousins dancing around... Laura was leading them up in the bonus room. It was very cute. There are two 30-second video clips of the dancing available here:

April 2005 Laura Birthday

The Beethoven Experience on BBC
Bryan is giving me all kinds of music tips (see previous post on Magnatune). Last month the BBC aired, on nine successive nights, the nine Beethoven symphonies as performed by the BBC Philharmonic and conducted by Gianandrea Noseda, collectively titled The Beethoven Experience. Not only that, but the BBC made each perforance available on the BBC web site to download for free. Nice.

Well, the one catch is that the downloads were only available for 10 days after their respective original airing. So today only symphonies 8 and 9 are still available. Fortunately, Bryan had a torrent file already googled and passed it along. In just a matter of minutes (okay, maybe half an hour) I was able to download the nine symphonies (all 340+ MB of them). This here new-fangled internet sure does whip the llama's arse!

The Blue Car
Berkeley and I went shopping this evening (while Kristy put tired little Eliana down early). When it is just he and I running errands, sometimes I'll give him a choice for transportation... the "grey car" (the Mercedes) or the "blue car" (the BMW). This evening he chose the blue car.

Our errand took us to Costco to get some milk and some other sundries, taking us down snake hill and on toward Issaquah. As we approached the bottom of the hill, the light was turning yellow... it was getting late, and I didn't want Costco to close without us inside... so, after a split-second decision, I gunned it. It must have taken Berkeley by surpise (he was busy fiddling with some buttons), because he was forced toward his right and into the door of the car as we banked left through the intersection. As we were passing underneath the traffic light, he looked up and said "Daddy, yellow... sloooooww." Heh. The blue car is fast.

We arrived at Costco in time, picked up all the groceries on our list, and made our way back home. While we were travelling up snake hill, I couldn't help but notice that Berkeley was leaning to his left and paying attention to all the console buttons again (he particuarly likes to illuminate the hazards). The sharp right hand curve was approaching, so I said "Berkeley, you need to sit up straight while we are driving." Oblivousness followed. So I accelerated into the curve and around it (the blue car is tight), forcing Berkeley to grab the door handle with his right hand to keep himself from falling over onto the left side of his face. "Too fast Daddy... (pause)... faster!", he said with a big smile on his face.

I'm not sure how to interpret that last response, but I'm quite sure that he loves riding in the blue car.

Magnatune: We Are Not Evil
A while back, Bryan sent me a link to an Internet music web site called Magnatune. I've only explored the classical section; where I found a "Classical Radio Mix" that I've queued up a couple of times when we have entertained guests. It's quite nice. I haven't yet explored the rest of the site.

March 2005 Photos
My pace of updating our on-line photo albums was slowed somewhat while browsing through the pictures taken back in March of 2005. We snapped quite a few pictures... most of them were either taken during Eliana's 1st Birthday Party or taken during our family vacation to Tahiti.

Outside of those two events, there wasn't too much photo or video content to speak of; just one or two photos here and there. But what we did have for March 2005 I've now posted to two new photo galleries (one for Berkeley and one for Eliana). In each of March photo galleries, I've created links to the the Birthday Party and Tahiti photo galleries.

Here are some sample images:

You can review the full galleries either by accessing the "March 2005" links on Berkeley's web site or Eliana's web site or you can access the galleries directly:

Berkeley's March 2005 Gallery ... (2 years, 8 months old)
Eliana's March 2005 Gallery ... (1 year old)

(Update Fri Mar 10 09:54:12 PST 2006 // changed gallery URLs for Tahiti and Eliana Birthday Party)

"I Want That"
Even though Eliana doesn't know too many words, she still can communicate some basic messages. One of them is "I want that". She does this by pointing to an object and then twisting her wrist (around the axis of her forearm) back and forth, which has the effect of moving her extended thumb from the 9 o'clock to the 12 o'clock position. She repeats this action until she gets what she wants (or she is told "no"). She does this quite often when she's hungry and she sees something she would like to eat.

It reminds me of what Berkeley used to do when he was the same age and wanted something. He would point at an object and then twist his wrist so that his finger pointed back to himself in one smooth motion (i.e. around a vertical axis). He would repeat it until he got the desired object (just like Eliana does). Sometimes he would use both hands for dramatic effect.

March 2005 Eliana Birthday Party Photos
We hosted a "flower-themed" birthday party to celebrate Eliana's 1st birthday. All of the usual suspects attended (the Thurmonds, the Corays, the Sorensons) as well as our good friends and neighbors, Jerrod and Tracy Schei (and daughter Isabella). Kristy did a fine job with the decorations and the preparations (we held it in the garage). And Eliana did a fine job making a mess of her first birthday cake. She was spoiled with plenty of presents including a doll and a stroller which have turned out to be her favorites.

Here are some sample images from the party:

You can review the full Eliana Birthday Party gallery (which includes one video of Eliana destroying her cake) here:

March 2005 Eliana Birthday Party

Bad Dad
I got pretty upset with Berkeley today for dropping a load in his drawers. It was more a response to a "high-strees" situation; but still it shows how weak I am. I was trying to get the kids ready for church (Kristy was already there attending some pre-church meetings) and get them there on time. I had already got Berkeley completely ready and was upstairs attending to a recently awakened Eliana. When I came downstairs, Berkeley had done the deed... and not 10 minutes after I had asked him if he needed to go (usually I don't ask him if he needs to go, I just ask him which bathroom he would like to visit and just presume he has to go).

Anyway, his outfit was completely soiled, so I had to strip him down and put him in the tub and clean him and his soiled clothes, then clean the carpet, then redress him, plus finish getting Eliana ready. It became obvious that instead of getting to church on time, I was easily going to be late by half an hour. Because I had been trying so hard to get to church on time, and because I had just asked him if he needed to go and he said he didn't... I simply lost it. (I wasn't expecting Kristy to return home, but she did; so with her help we were only late by 10 minutes).

But, really, who cares if we are late to church? Yeah... that's really worth getting upset over. Sometimes, I just don't think straight. Bad Dad.

March 2005 Tahiti Trip Photos
Our good friends Stacey and Val Son invited us to travel with them to Tahiti. Stacey and Val were planning on getting sealed in the temple there and spending a week vacationing. We accepted their kind invitation and made our plans. The Sons invited several other close friends and family. We later found out we would also be accompanied by our good friends, the Sharps (Dave and Lisa) and the Clarks (Mike and Lori).

We decided immediately that we would take Berkeley and Eliana and we made a two week vacation out of our Tahiti adventure, spending a couple of days before and after in San Diego with Kristy's parents and family. So, we flew down to San Diego on the 18th of March, and then drove up to LAX on the 19th to catch the plane to Tahiti.

Flight time was scheduled to be 8 hours. We had 2 kids and 3 seats. You get the idea. Eliana was up walking in the aisles the whole flight. She was quite active. Berkeley, by contrast, was pleased to confine himself mostly to his seat watching movies, reading books, or doing other activities that Kristy has prepared. But we made it. It really wasn't that bad... it was a day flight, so neither of them were cranky. It definitely could have gone a lot worse.

Tahiti Island. Our first stop was Tahiti Island, the main island of French Polynesia. We spent one night there and stayed at the InterContinental. On the morning of the 20th, Berkeley and Eliana woke up at their normal time - which was early for Tahiti time (Pacific time is 2 hours ahead of Tahiti Time). Once up, I decided to walk with Berkeley and Eliana down to the pool from our room. I snapped a few pictures while we walked around. Pretty much no one else was up except for the Sons (Val snapped a picture of the kids and me by the pool... the one where Berkeley is holding a coconut).

Here are a few sample images from Tahiti Island, all of which were taken early the morning of the 20th (between 6-6:30 am Tahiti time):

You can review the full Tahiti Island gallery here:

March 2005 Trip to Tahiti: Tahiti Island

Later that morning, after breakfast, all of the adults went to the Papeete temple to see the Sons sealed. It was quite nice... however, we forgot to bring our camera to the temple. Fortunately, the Sons did not forget and snapped plenty of pics on and around the temple grounds. Check them out.

Moorea Island. After the ceremony, we returned to the hotel, collected our gear (and our kids) and headed back to the airport. Once there, we island hopped from Tahiti island to Moorea island (almost literally, it was only a 15 minute plane ride to Moorea Island). We stayed at the Moorea Pearl Resort. Though we didn't stay in an over-the-water bungalow like the rest of the couples in our party, our accomodations were more than satisfactory. Our "family room" had two levels with one bedroom up (where Kristy and I stayed), and another bedroom down (where the kids stayed). It was very roomy; this gave the kids plenty of space to play around... and it was air-conditioned.

We spent two days on Moorea island. We spent most of the time either on the beach or at the pool (or in the room taking naps). However, one evening we attended the Tiki Village Theater for dinner and the dancing show. It made for a late night for the kids (it went well past midnight Pacific Time), but the show was so lively with lots of dancing and singing (and fire handling) that the kids never once looked like they were going to nod off during the show. And I must say myself, the show was quite captivating. The singing performances alone (mostly done by the entire cast) were mesmerizing.

Here are a few sample images from Moorea Island:

You can review the full Moorea Island gallery here:

March 2005 Trip to Tahiti: Moorea Island

Manihi Atoll. On the 22nd, we transferred from Moorea Island to the Manihi Atoll.... roughly a 1½ hour flight. The Manihi atoll (iirc) is populated by less than 1000 people. There is only one resort on Manihi, the Manihi Pearl Resort (which is where we stayed of course). When you look at the pictures, the first one listed is that of Kristy and Berkeley standing in front of the Manihi Terminal. It is basically a glorified lean-to hut. There is no screening, no wands, no ID check to speak of. You show your ticket, you get on the plane (the hotel took care of all of the baggage... nice).

At the Mahnihi Pearl Resort we stayed in an on-the-beach bungalow. It was small (one bedroom, one bathroom), but it was quite nice to be just 10 feet away from the water. Unfortunately, it was not air-conditioned (harder on the kids than on Kristy and I). I snapped a few pics of the bungalow which you can review below.

We spent quite a bit of time at the pool at Manihi (and had some great fun). But the resort also offered some other diversions. We took a boat ride over to a pearl farm and took the small (very small) tour and learned about pearl farming. We fed fish with the kids (something both of them loved to do), played billiards (see pictures), and went on bike rides (Val took some pics of our bike rides).

Kristy and I did manage to get out snorkeling once in Manihi. We saw a shark and quite a lot of fish and coral. The water was quite comfortable... almost warm to the touch. The water was a bit turbid however. Meanwhile, the Sons, Clarks, and Sharps did a lot of diving (twice a day, each day we were there).

Here are a few sample images from Manihi Atoll:

You can review the full Manihi Atoll gallery here:

March 2005 Trip to Tahiti: Manihi Atoll

We had a great time in Tahiti. The kids did wear us down by the end of the week (Eliana never did adjust to Tahiti Time the entire time we were there) and on some of the pictures we snapped (which I didn't care to post) it shows. But, I wouldn't have gone on the trip without them. They had a great time too and played hard... because they slept like rocks on the plane ride back to LAX.

Movie Review: National Treasure

Title:	National Treasure (2004)
Rating:	4/10

We rented and watched National Treasure on Friday night. Jerry Bruckheimer and Nicolas Cage have teamed up again - a la The Rock (5/10), Con Air (4/10), and Gone in Sixty Seconds (3/10) - to bring us another brainless "blockbuster". Blech.

December 2003 España Trip Photos
The month of December in 2003 was one that found us traveling quite heavily. In the early part of month, we travelled to New York and visited with the Dave and Heather Barnes family. After just a couple days rest in Sammamish, we were back in an airplane en route to the southern coast of Spain (Marbella) for one week and then on to the Balearic Islands (Mallorca) for another week.

As an aside... at the time of our travel to Spain (if you do the math), Berkeley was 17 months old, or just 1 month older than Eliana is now. I can't believe how time has flown by. And it seems impossible that our relatively recent trip seems so very long ago.

Marbella. Our first stop was in Marbella. We stayed at the Marriott Marbella Beach Resort and used that as a base camp to explore the surrounding area. Marbella is probably the largest town in the area, and it had some points of interest... most notably "Old Town Marbella" which is a compound of old houses (now all converted to retail shops and restaurants), fountains, parks, and a cathedral. We spent half of a day exploring Old Town Marbella and took lunch there. We had a good time.

Here are a few sample images from Marbella:

You can review the full Marbella gallery here:

December 2003 Trip to Spain: Marbella

Mijas. We used a half day during our stay in Marbella to travel to a small town called Mijas. Mijas is situated pretty much on the edge of the mountainside overlooking Marbella and the surrounding area. Mijas is not notable but for the fact that is home to one of the oldest bullfighting rings in Spain. All bullfights take place on Sunday in Spain (at least that was my presumption), so we did not attend one. We did however visit the Mijas bullfighting ring on a Monday, and dried blood could still be seen spattered about the ground in the ring.

I should mention that it was quite a climb up to the bullfighting ring from where we parked. At the top of the hill were the bullfighting ring, a park (with a nice lookout point), and a cathedral. We took some time to rest at the park and snapped quite a few pics of Berkeley playing there.

Here are a few sample images from Mijas:

You can review the full Mijas gallery here:

December 2003 Trip to Spain: Mijas

Gibraltar. On Tuesday the 16th, we packed in the car and set out for an all-day journey from Marbella down the coast to the Point of Gibraltar. We were traveling by rental car along the coastal highway for probably about two hours when all of a sudden we turned a corner and there it was, the 1400 ft high Rock of Gibraltar. It is an unmistakable landmark and it towers over the surrounding landscape... quite impressive.

Now, I wasn't aware of this at the time, but Gibraltar is actually a territory of and occupied by the United Kingdom. In fact, it has been in Great Britain's hands since the 1700s. So, we had to show our passports to the Spanish authorities before we were allowed to pass over into the territory. Once through the checkpoint, you immediately come upon a stoplight that marks the intersection between the road into Gibraltar and the main runway tarmac of the Gibraltar airport! It was quite a long intersection to say the least.

We spent some time in the retail district of Gibraltar and bought some Lladró (a beautiful piece of a mother, her son, and her daughter). Then we ventured up the mountain to have a look at the vast Nature Reserve (inhabited by Gibraltar's most famous residents, the Barbary Apes, the only wild primates in all Europe), the castle, and the huge network of caves and tunnels. It was all quite fascinating.

Here are a few sample images from Gibraltar:

You can review the full Gibraltar gallery here:

December 2003 Trip to Spain: Gibraltar

Alhambra. On Wednesday the 17th, we packed up the car for another all day journey. But this time we headed inland to the historic Alhambra of Granada. This citadel of castles, palaces, residences, reflecting pools, gardens, and fountains is impossible to see in just one day... it's huge. It is also incredibly beautiful. The architecture and finish work is so complex and ornate it defies description. It truly must be seen in person to be appreciated.

Here are a few sample images from Alhambra:

You can review the full Alhambra gallery here:

December 2003 Trip to Spain: Alhambra

After all that walking (Marbella, Mijas, Gibraltar, and Alhambra... not to mention all the walking we did in New York the week earlier), Kristy's body (she was 6½ months pregnant at the time) told her that was enough. She started having premature labor forcing us to visit the local hospital. The doctor said she was ok, but advised us to return to the US as soon as possible. So we complied (of course) and rearranged our travel to leave Spain one week early instead of traveling on to Mallorca in the Balearic Islands.

Kristy was quite worried about her prognosis as she was 6 months pregnant, was alreading dialating, and had contractions about 8 minutes apart. So I called up the nearby mission president and he was able to give me a phone number to the local english speaking LDS branch. I contacted an English ex-patriot who was happy to oblige in assisting me give Kristy a blessing. In the blessing I stated that Kristy would carry Eliana to full-term. Kristy recollects thinking "Full-term? I may not make it another 3 days, let alone 3 months." But make it she did... and, in fact, she had to be induced.

Málaga. We spent one night in Málaga (the hometown of Pablo Picasso) before our trip back to the US. We stayed at the Hotel Larios which is situated right in the heart of the downtown retail shopping district. While Kristy rested, Berkeley and I explored the town. We visited several shops and the beautiful cathedral there. We also visited the Museo Picasso and took the tour. It was a very fun little town.

I only have one sample image from Málaga:

You can review the full Málaga gallery (again... just one image, all my cathedral images came out poorly) here:

December 2003 Trip to Spain: Málaga

We had a great time in Spain on the whole, even though we were disappointed that we had to cut our visit short. Kristy had to take it easy for the duration of her pregnancy, but little Eliana ended up coming right on time. Perhaps, someday we can go back to Spain and see what we missed... this time with Eliana in tow.

(Update Mon Jul 4 07:42:04 PDT 2005 // added account of blessing)
(Update Fri Mar 10 09:59:38 PST 2006 // changed URL for New York gallery)

Product Review: Hartmann Luggage
About five years ago, I bought Kristy a couple of pieces of Hartmann Luggage (from their "Cognac Wings" collection"). The luggage is very attractive and quite well made (if not a bit pricey). Highly recommended.

On one of our recent trips, one of the feet of her wheeled garment bag was sheared off somehow, leaving only a small part of the shaft and the screw that held the foot in place. I didn't notice it until during our trip to Tahiti (in March). Recently, I went back to the place where I bought the luggage and asked if they sold a replacement part. No, they said, call Hartmann and they will ask you to ship the piece of luggage to them, fix it, and ship it back... which they implied would be at my own expense. They gave me the number and basically said... good luck.

Well, I wasn't very pleased about the result of my visit and the implied inconvenience (and additional cost) that the prospect of fixing this piece of luggage may entail. After all, I can fix the thing myself if I can just get the right part.

So, yesterday, I called up the Hartmann customer service line with very low expectations indeed. But after I explained the situation to the customer service representative, much to my surprise, I was informed that I would be over-nighted not one, but two, new feet... at their expense. Nice.

December 2003 New York Trip Photos
While looking through some pictures of our family vacations (specifically the vacation we took to Tahiti in March 2005), I noticed that I never posted pictures for a couple of trips that we took late in 2003. So, I'm going to add this entry (and one that documents our trip to Spain in 2003) as part of my effort to get our on-line photo albums up-to-date.

We travelled to New York in December of 2003, or more than a year and half ago (Kristy was six months pregnant with Eliana). We met Dave and Heather (Barnes) and their family (Braxton and Carson) in New York City and stayed at Times Square for a couple of nights. We walked around Times Square and Rockefeller Plaza and saw all of the Christmas decorations. We went to the top of the Empire State Building and rode the subway to Ground Zero.

After that we travelled (by car, in a blizzard) to the Barnes family home in upstate New York (Syracuse area). It was quite an adventure.

In upstate New York we had a great time. We mostly just hung out (their home was beautiful... but they have since moved back to Salt Lake City). However, we were able to visit some of the LDS Church historical sites such as the Sacred Grove, Hill Cumorah, and the Joseph Smith home.

Here are some sample images from the trip:

You can review the full gallery here:

December 2003 New York Trip

(Update Fri Mar 10 10:00:41 PST 2006 // changed URL for Spain gallery)