Jared, Tina, and Clayton Fields

GOING PRIVATE

2010-03-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

I've decided to go private after having some weird comments left on some of my posts. Please email me at fieldstina@comcast.net with your email address or leave it on this post if you want me to add you so you can continue to read the blog which I plan on updating more often.

Snow Day

2010-01-01T17:02:00.001-08:00

On New Years' Eve, we had a decent amount of snow on the ground and reasonably clear weather, so I stayed home from work and we got out to play. Clayton has been wanting to play in the snow but most days have been too cold or there hasn't been snow on the ground. He loved just walking around in the backyard, but also did snow angels (completely unprompted--I think he must have seen it on one of his TV shows).We also built a little sledding hill with launch ramp on the small slope from the side of our house down to the backyard, and Clayton thought it was great a few times. But he got bored of it quickly. So we put Snoop on the sled.
Clayton was all decked out in his winter gear. It is hard to describe how many layers he was wearing. Think of the little brother in "A Christmas Story" for a rough approximation.
And Clayton relaxing at the top of the stairs in his snow bibs. Happy New Year, friends.

Christmas morning

2010-01-01T16:48:00.000-08:00

Overall, Clayton was apparently good enough this year to merit a visit from Santa Claus. Santa went with a bit of a sports theme this year, since Clayton seems to be interested in basketball and soccer in particular. He got an ESPN combination sports game for the basement, including a basketball hoop with ball return (see below--and yes, the shot went in). He also got a pop-up soccer goal that is currently in the basement but should also be fun in the backyard in the warm weather. Plus other miscellaneous stuff like a new sled and some race cars. Pretty rad.
Also a big hit was this simple toy, a building which houses Big Bird and Elmo.
And on Christmas Eve, pursuant to family tradition, he got a new set of Christmas pajamas, which he proudly modeled by the tree.

December Disney Trip

2010-01-01T16:39:00.000-08:00

We are a little delinquent in getting this updated. The second week of December, we took a trip to Southern California to go to Disneyland and (theoretically) escape to good weather. As it turned out, it was unusually cold and rainy for Anaheim, even for December. We still made it to Disneyland, but we had to deal with some rain and some cold weather. Tina's mom, sister, and niece and nephew also made the trip down.
Clayton has always been a fan of carousels, and this was no exception.
We stopped in Toontown to take a picture.
It was a good time to visit Disneyland because they had all of the Christmas decorations and activities going. Clayton really liked the Christmas parade, which was a little surprising because Tina and I cannot stand parades. But as parades go, this one wasn't really too bad.

Photo Shoot

2009-11-24T06:02:00.000-08:00

I attempted to do my own photo shoot with Clayton and Snoop but it didn't turn out as planned. He just isn't one of those kids that will sit still and take pictures. I was going to do my own pictures for my Christmas cards, but this was the best I could get so I might have to leave it to the professionals. Snoop did pretty well. He pretty much took direction, but Clayton was more focused on playing with his cars. But, the pictures did turn out cute and Clayton looks very handsome. As does Snoop.

Kathy Griffin

2009-11-24T05:57:00.000-08:00

My friend Jamil and I are huge Kathy Griffin fans and got tickets to see her last week. We sorta jumped the gun and bought the tickets back in July when the airline tickets were really cheap. As time grew near, it would have cost Jamil a lot to fly out so she sadly couldn't make it. :( But, I did take my friend Cherie for a girls night out and we had tons of fun!

Check these out....So Cute!!!!

2009-11-12T08:11:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! An old friend of mine makes the cutest tutu's and sells them on her blog. Check them out! Super cute!

http://lildivatutus.blogspot.com/

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T07:21:00.001-08:00

This year Clayton chose to be Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba. A lot of people in the neighborhood didn't know who he was so apparently they don't watch as much TV as we do. He only went to a few houses but I think overall he had fun. He also has a chicken costume that he wore to Jared's office party, but he didn't seem to like it so that is why we got Brobee at the last minute.

Fall Wedding

2009-10-17T05:59:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to Nick and Alli's wedding downtown and had a lot of fun. In one picture we have Brendan and Nick doing YMCA which was very entertaining. There is also one of us attempting to get a photo of the three of us but Clayton didn't want to participate too much. This is the best we could get.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-17T05:55:00.000-07:00

This year we found a cute place up in Draper to get our pumpkins from this year. Clayton wasn't too much into picking out his pumpkins but he did like climbing on them and getting pulled in the wagon.

Summer Vacation - Part Four

2009-10-04T03:33:00.000-07:00

The day before we left San Diego we went to Sea World. They have this play area with rides, a sandbox, and a huge jungle gym that Clayton played in for a while. Here he is with Jared on one of the rides and him playing in the sandbox. I just noticed out of all the posts and pictures that I just did, there are only two pictures that Jared and I are in. I am in the background of the one of Clayton just standing there and Jared is on the ride with Clayton. I'm not one to post pictures of myself all over the blog, but I promise we were there.

Anyways, Clayton loved all the fish and loved the Shamoo show. Although he called him Shampoo for the next few days. So cute.

All and all it was a good trip. We rented a car the whole trip and learned our way around San Diego and I think we will do the same trip next year.

Summer Vacation - Part Three

2009-10-04T03:23:00.000-07:00

We hit Mission Beach the fourth day we were there. It was really nice because a lot of the vacationers were gone so the beach wasn't too crowded. We got up early that morning and had breakfast at a cute place on the beach where the "locals" go and then set up on the beach for a few hours with all our beach toys. Clayton played in the sand for a few hours while Jared and I relaxed. We knew it was time to go when all the surfers showed up in the afternoon and the waves started to get huge. Once again, we had to drag Clayton away kicking and screaming. One funny thing though was that Clayton kept getting sand in his mouth but he couldn't figure out that each time he tried to get it out with his fingers he would just get more in his mouth. He was trying to lick his arm (which were covered in sand) or come over and lick us thinking it would get rid of the sand and would make it worse. So funny.

Summer Vacation - Part Two

2009-10-04T03:18:00.000-07:00

We stayed at the Hilton on Mission Bay and they had amazing parks right down the street. We hit the park the third day we were there and Clayton played and played! It seriously was the best park we have ever been too. It was huge! Here is just a few pics. We had to drag him away. I seriously think he had a better time at the park than he did at Disneyland.

Summer Vacation - Part One

2009-10-04T03:13:00.000-07:00

Last month Jared finally took some time off from work and we went to California. We flew in and out of San Diego and stayed in San Diego the full time but we drove up to Disneyland the second day we were there. Here Clayton is with Minnie and Goofy. We never did see Mickey. We had a good time there but realized that one day just wasn't enough time to do everything, so we are planning on going back in December and doing a few days at Disneyland.

My big 3 year old

2009-09-08T06:29:00.000-07:00

I love this picture. Grandpa Jim (also known as Pipa) took some pictures for us last week. Jared cropped this one so we could have a close up of him. I just thought it was cute and would post it. That's all.

Basement

2009-09-08T06:20:00.000-07:00

A lot of people have been asking for pictures of the basement. Well, here they are. I don't have any of the gym, playroom, or bathroom but here are some of the pool table, TV room, and kitchen/bar. It looks a little bare, but I haven't had time to put things on the walls or decorate yet. We are so happy it is finally done! It ended up taking about five weeks longer than we were told but totally worth it. I love the picture of Clayton playing pool. I will post more pictures in a few weeks with everything put together a little more.

Clayton turns 3

2009-09-08T06:09:00.001-07:00

Clayton turned 3 on August 29th and we had a big party for him. He had a Curious George party (it's his favorite show right now) and lots of food and fun. He got a new truck which was a big hit and tons of new toys from his friends. The party was a big hit. I just can't believe he is three years old already!

Clayton and his ladies

2009-08-19T17:36:00.001-07:00

Clayton had his girlfriends over a few weeks ago to play in the pool and on the playset. They were all drenched by the end of the night, but they had fun.

Park City

2009-08-19T17:25:00.001-07:00

We took Clayton to Park Silly up in Park City last week and visited the Olympic Park. Here is a picture of Clayton doing the hoola-hoop and you can't tell but that is Olivia and Casey doing the zip line. Okay, that's all.

Marli's Birthday Party

2009-07-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

Clayton went to his friend Marli's birthday party Tuesday night and we got a couple pictures of him. He loves their backyard and playing with their rocks (throwing them) and smelling the flowers. We had good food and yummy cake!

Tina's 30th!

2009-07-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

My birthday was last friday and I turned the big 30! Jared surprised me by flying Jamil into town and taking a group of us out to my favorite place Em's downtown. Jared was very generous this year. He got me the Wii Fit (is he trying to tell me something?), gift card to Nordstroms, dinner with friends, and Jamil. Not bad. I didn't get any pictures of us at dinner but her are a few of us just having some cake and ice cream with my mom. Clayton was loving the cake!

Relaxing Summer

2009-07-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

Clayton and I have been doing a lot of lounging around the house this summer. It's kinda nice. We usually have trips planned and are go, go, go all the time and we have been just hanging out and playing outside a lot. He loves playing in his backyard and in his little pool. With Jared's work schedule, and me taking classes during the summer, it has been hard to plan trips this summer but we have a few planned for the fall.

Our basement is almost finished and we will finally have a gym, a huge play room for Clayton, a wet bar with pool table, and a huge family/TV room. I am mostly excited about the gym and playroom. I am so sick of toys through out the house. I can't wait to have one designated room for all the toys.

Okay, that is all for now. I am going to try my hardest to update the blog weekly. Most likely it will be Wednesdays because that is the day Clayton goes up to MiMa's (Jared's mom) house so I get to get stuff done around the house and catch up on everything.

Clayton at the Fair

2009-07-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Clayton went to the fair with his friends Marli and Madison. He actually had a lot of fun although the pictures don't show it. He never looks like he is having fun while riding the ride but after he asks to go again. Even on the stupid quarter rides at the mall he rides, he has a straight face and looks miserable but gets upset when he has to get off.

My sweet Coconut

2009-06-23T14:39:00.001-07:00

June 2nd we had to put my pretty little princess down. I have had Coconut since I was 13 years old. She was my little angel. I call her my angel because she was always there for me. Through every boyfriend, every break up, every apartment, condo, and now our house. She has been there for all the good times and bad times in my life. It was literally the hardest thing I have ever done. I have lost great grandparents, and grandparents, but this didn't even compare. She was the most perfect cat. She slept with me every night, followed me around the house all day, took naps with me, and grew to love Clayton.

Coco started getting sick about a year ago. We had tons of tests done and she had the beginning signs of kidney disease and she had problems with her calcium in her liver. She was on a special diet and had to go in every few months to get steroid shots and fluids. Out of the blue the last week in May she started to get really weak and couldn't get up on the bed anymore and wouldn't eat or drink. It got to the point where she literally was dragging herself to the water bowl and couldn't hold her head up to drink. That's when I knew it was time. Long story short, I took her in and she passed away very peacefully.

I don't envy anyone who loses a pet. You don't really realize how much a part of your everyday life they become. I miss her very much, and she will not be forgotten.

Anyways, I am not a sappy person, so sorry for this long, depressing post. It's funny because all my friends write sappy stuff about their husbands and family members and I do about my cat.

Okay, that's all.

Riverton Fair

2009-06-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, we took Clayton up the street to the Riverton fair. He had so much fun! He loves the big slides and the bounce house. He also painted Papa a ceramic golf bag to give to him. Not only is he very intellectual, but he is quite the artist. Seriously, look at how he is holding the paint brush, he didn't just slop it on. He took his time and put a lot of detail into it.

Gardner Village

2009-05-14T14:37:00.001-07:00

Clayton and I went to Gardner Village this week with our friends Amber, Marli, and Madison. We tried to take some pictures, but for you that know Clayton, know that he doesn't pose for pictures. Madison and Marli on the other hand do. They are so cute together! I love the one of them from behind with Marli's shirt flipping up.

Nadia's Party

2009-05-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

Clayton's friend Nadia turned 3 last week and had a party at Liberty Park. We had a BBQ, and had cake and ice cream. The two of them were so cute together. They pretty much just wanted to examine the tree and run around. It got a little chilly, and we had to go to Casey's party that night so we left early, but they had so much fun together.

Casey's Birthday Party

2009-05-14T14:25:00.000-07:00

Clayton's cousin Casey had his birthday party last week, and we had so much fun. He had the reptile guy come and he brought tons of snakes, spiders, and a turtle. The first picture is of Casey holding three snakes. The second is of Casey and my mom holding two. My mom couldn't get enough of the snakes. Her birthday is at the end of the month, and she actually requested a reptile party. The third picture is of Olivia looking tough with the snake. It seriously was such a fun party. Clayton wasn't so much into it though. He sat in Casey's room and watched his his shows.

Today's events

2009-05-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

This week we are starting the process of getting our basement finished, and it has been very loud downstairs. I didn't know how I was going to be able to get Clayton down for naps in the next 8 weeks, but I was very surprised when I put him on the couch to watch TV while I caught up on my reality shows, and came out 2 minutes later and he was sound asleep. I can't even tell you how loud it is here. They have their music on, and with the sawing and nailing, it is SOOO loud. Yeah, I am feeling confident I will be able to get him down still in the afternoons. Plus, it's hard to tire him out because the gate is open for the guys to carry things to the basement, so we haven't been able to go out and play.

It's a bird

2009-05-07T14:10:00.000-07:00

I am SOOO not a nature or bird person but today Clayton and I were outside playing and saw what I think is a hawk flying around our backyard. This is the only picture that came out clear and I don't know if you will be able to see it, but still, kinda cool. Jared would probably tell me it's a duck. I got a picture of a fox last year and he said it was a cat until I proved him wrong and he saw one himself.

Bad day turned into a good day....

2009-05-05T11:52:00.000-07:00

Today didn't start off too good. While I was in the shower, Clayton decided it would be fun to take Coconut's food (Coco is the cat) and mix it in with her water, and pour it all over my brand new quilt on my bed. He specifically laid out the throw pillows perfectly and dumped it all over the pillows. It was like it was in slow motion. I could see he was up to something, but didn't know the extent of what he was doing. Needless to say, he had a very long time out in his bedroom. So I decided it would be time to go outside and tire him out so while he napped I could get to work on cleaning my quilt and all he wanted to do was to swing. So we sat in the swing for a good 30 minutes watching the planes (he loves to watch the planes fly over our house) and one second he was talking about the planes and the next second he was sound asleep. I actually got him out of the swing and into his bed without him waking up which is a huge accomplishment. It turned into a really good day. He hasn't napped for me for weeks, so this is seriously the best day ever!!!

Clayton Update

2009-05-04T20:04:00.000-07:00

Now that it's getting warmer Clayton and I have finally been able to go out and play in the backyard, but here are a couple of pictures we took when it was cold outside and we were stuck inside. The picture of Clayton on the chair is my wonderful fort I worked so hard on. I know, very creative.

I Love NY

2009-05-04T20:01:00.000-07:00

Jared had to work in New York last week, so my friend Amber and I tagged along and hung out in the city while Jared worked. I don't have any pictures of me and Amber (sorry Amber) so here is one of me at The Top of the Rock.

The Zoo

2009-05-04T19:58:00.001-07:00

Clayton and his friend Will went to the zoo last week, but this is the only picture that came out. ( Sara, if you took pics, send them my way). Ummm, that's all for this post. Short and sweet!

Clayton Visits Washington D.C.

2009-04-02T15:24:00.001-07:00

Jared had to work in NY for a week, so Clayton and I went out to DC to visit my friend Jamil and meet baby Mikey. Clayton didn't do so well on the plane out (he pretty much screamed the whole way, no joke) but the flight home he slept the whole way!

Hailey and Clayton played really well together. We played at their neighborhood park, attempted the grocery store twice, and went to Chuckee Cheese which is far better than ours in SLC. We had a good time and hope that next time Jamil, Hailey, and baby Mikey will come to us so we don't have to go on a plane again for a long time.

St. George Trip

2009-04-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

Jared has been doing a lot of traveling the last few months so Clayton and I decided last minute to fly to St. George and visit Papa and MaGra for a few days. Clayton loves sitting with Papa and having cheetos and watching golf. I wish I had a picture of it, but they also wash their golf clubs together and you can see the frustration with my dad dealing with Clayton splashing and trying to pour the water out of the bucket. We went to the park almost everyday and found a cute little place on Main Street where they have cupcakes, so we hit that place everyday. Sometimes twice.

Valentines Day in New York City!

2009-04-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know it has been a long time since I have blogged so I am going to try to catch up while Clayton is napping.

Jared took me to New York for a week for Valentines day. This is us at Morton's Steakhouse in Manhattan. It's not the greatest picture because I ended up getting bronchitis the fourth day there and barely made it to dinner that night. But we had a good time and did a lot of shopping! Jared had to work a few days, so I wondered around NY by myself.

This and that

2009-01-31T05:40:00.000-08:00

Not too much has been going on the last few weeks. Clayton and I keep passing a cold back and forth, and can't quite get back to feeling good, so we have been in the house most of the last few weeks. Here Clayton is in his Led Zeppelinn t-shirt he got from Uncle Logan just bumming around the house. Snoop (my dog I got from high school that lives with my parents) is here visiting for a week or two and Clayton loves having him around. I don't know how many treats Clayton has given him that I don't know about. I did catch him trying to give him Lucky Charms the other morning. He loves Snoop. They pal around with each other all day. I even found Clayton trying to read him books, and he tried to put him to bed the other day. He put a blanket on him and turned out the lights and shut the door and told him to go sleepy. So cute!

This last picture is of Clayton the other night on his love sac. Like I said, he has been sick and he didn't go down for a nap the whole day and at 6:00 pm I came up to get him for dinner and found him like this with the lights on and watching cartoons. He was so tired! He ended up sleeping until 5:00 am and he came down and turned on our lights in our room and announced "I'm awake" so that didn't start the morning off well.

Let's see, what else is going on. I am back in school and taking probably more classes than I should, but this whole school part time thing is taking way too long! Jared has been working a lot, but luckily I am keeping busy by doing tons of play dates, going to Clayton's music class, and having help from Jared's mom, and my mom.

Well, I guess that's all. I will try to update the blog more often. Clayton isn't a fan of me getting on the computer and always ends up trying to take over so I rarely get online.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-31T05:29:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I know it is the last day of January and I am just now getting this post done, but better late than never.

Christmas was good this year. Because of the weather my dad didn't make it up and we didn't get to make our rounds to Jared's parents houses. We did have my family here though.

Here we are Christmas morning opening presents. Clayton was happy to see his train set he has been asking for, which is good because Santa and Mrs. Claus were up pretty late putting that thing together. He also got a tool bench, a love sac, and tons of books and clothes. All and all, a good Christmas!

Feeling Festive

2008-12-06T21:37:00.000-08:00

Apparently Christmas is almost here. I know it must be coming soon because my wallet is hemorrhaging cash. But in the spirit of the holidays, we decided to take Clayton downtown with cousins Olivia and Casey to see the Christmas lights at Temple Square. I think it was the first time I have gone to see the lights since probably before I was in high school. We thought Clayton would like all the lights, but he was kind of tired and cold and didn't think it was such a big deal. You can get a pretty good sense of how excited he was to be there in the picture above.
All the lights are pretty elaborate, and it must take an insane amount of work to put them up. But Temple Square isn't as big as I remember it being as a kid. It was a pretty quick walk through. Mostly I just walked around thinking that wrapping lights around the tiniest tree branches is a crappy job. There are other jobs I would enjoy even less than that (like phlebotomist, Ikea assembler, or "community organizer"--whatever that is), but Christmas light hanger is right near the top of the list.

We took this picture of me and Tina in Temple Square. And Tina observed that we look exactly the same in every picture of the two of us. Which is pretty true. So we've got the consistency thing going for us.

My Martha Stewart Moment

2008-11-28T12:52:00.001-08:00

Yep! I did it! I made Thanksgiving. Jared helped of course. For you that know me, know that I can't cook. I can bake cookies, cakes, and pies, but not "real food". I can't even fry chicken, yet alone make a whole turkey! I think it went pretty good, and I learned a lot! I am happy to say that I bought a free-range turkey so it had a happy life before it was slaughtered. (I do everything Oprah tells me to do).We had Jared's brother Logan and his girlfriend Ashley over, along with Jared's mom Souzzann and Jim. Clayton fell asleep at the top of the stairs, so he missed much of the dinner, which honestly was nice. I rarely get to have a meal without having to try to force feed

him some food. Here's my man carving the turkey.

Thankful for Clayton, the Narcoleptic

2008-11-27T10:30:00.000-08:00

So, today is Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be thankful for, especially in these tough times. But mostly Clayton. That kid is rad.

Onto another update on Clayton's hijinks. Specifically, Clayton has developed a strange habit of falling asleep at the top of our stairs. For two mornings in a row, we got up in the morning and found Clayton sleeping in basically this same spot. I have no idea how early he gets up and moves from his bed in the morning. But he has also done it in the middle of the day. This picture was taken in the afternoon, shortly after I chastised Clayton for throwing something on the floor and took him up to his room to think about it. Clayton decided to think about it by passing out on the landing. Hey, whatever works.

Halloween is finally here!

2008-11-02T05:38:00.001-08:00

We started off the day with going to Casey's Halloween parade at school. Casey was a storm trooper. (I think) I'm not a fan of Star Wars, so he tried to explain to me which "trooper" he was and got confused. Anyways, my mom thought it would be fun to pretend Clayton was in the parade, so she walked him through the line after the other kids. Here they are. Clayton was not a fan.

And the top picture (I can't quite figure out how to get my pictures lined up how I want) is a picture of Clayton right before he headed out to trick-or-treat. He wouldn't put his mask all the way down, but Jared managed to get it on his head. Clayton seemed to have fun. Jared said he was really shy at first, but then once he got used to it, he was was saying trick-or-treat and thank you and I guess he tried to even go into some peoples homes.

Pumpkin Carving

2008-11-02T05:33:00.000-08:00

Clayton invited Casey and Olivia over to carve pumpkins Thursday night. Once Clayton saw us cleaning out the pumpkins, he didn't want much to do with it so he headed up to his room to play. That's why he isn't pictured. Good times!

Clayton's girlfriends

2008-11-02T05:27:00.001-08:00

Clayton and I met up with my friend Amber and her two little girls Madison and Marli for lunch at Gardner Village last week and took some pictures. Clayton loves the ladies!

Party Time

2008-10-26T06:18:00.000-07:00

Clayton was invited to his first Halloween party. The party was hosted by his cousin Casey, but I don't know why Casey isn't dressed up. I could have sworn he was dressed as a storm trooper when I picked Clayton up. Here Clayton is dressed up at Batman.

I also found this picture of Clayton last year dressed up as a spider. I remember he hated that costume. We didn't even end up taking him trick or treating because we put the outfit on him and he started screaming. I can't believe how big he has got!

Halloween Festivities

2008-10-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, so for you that know my family, we take Halloween pretty seriously. We even make Halloween gingerbread houses. Here is Clayton and his cousins Casey and Olivia working hard on their houses. Aunt Dina said that Clayton didn't decorate much, but he did enjoy the candy.

Jared's 29th Birthday

2008-10-20T08:57:00.001-07:00

On Saturday Jared turned 29 and we had a small party for him. We just had cake and ice cream and watched Boston College beat Virginia Tech. As you can see, the two of them had their BC shirts on. Go Eagles!

Clayton and Grandpa

2008-10-17T17:21:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was Grandpa's birthday, and Jared and Clayton went up to Bountiful to visit him. Here are a few cute pictures of them. Jared said in the second picture, Roger was sitting on the chair by himself, and Clayton walked over and climbed up into the chair with him. He really loves his grandparents.

Silly Clayton

2008-10-14T18:41:00.001-07:00

Clayton thinks he is so funny when he finds dad's shoes and wears them around the house. He even stops to look at his reflection in the oven and laughs. So cute!

Horror Movie

2008-10-14T18:35:00.001-07:00

Okay, so this is sort of a stupid post, but the freakiest thing happened yesterday afternoon. It was quiet in the house (Clayton was down for nap) and I was reading when I heard a loud squeaky noise outside. I ran to the front door and looked out and saw like 300 birds on my front lawn! It was so loud! I took these pictures. The weird part was that after they flew away, they went on the roof for like 30 minutes just walking around. I could hear their feet tapping and them fighting with each other on the roof. Yes, fighting. It was creepy. I just thought I would share.

Halloween Cookies!

2008-10-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

Saturday night Clayton decorated Halloween cookies. Well, he at ate more than he decorated. It was funny because instead of just pouring sprinkles on the cookies, he put sprinkles on one by one. We ended up spending an hour decorating a dozen cookies. He seemed to have fun though.

Clayton's Halloween costumes

2008-10-08T21:09:00.001-07:00

Clayton had these pictures done by Grandpa Jim last week. I couldn't decide on what to dress him as this year, so I bought a batman and a vampire costume.

New York

2008-10-08T21:04:00.001-07:00

Jared and I went to New York last week for his old college roommate Jeff's wedding. We also took our niece Olivia with us to scope out some colleges that she might apply to in a couple of years. We had tons of fun but we missed Clayton so much!

Here is a darling picture of Jared and I at Time Square the first night we were there.

Mommy's little helper.

2008-09-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

I just thought these were cute of him. The other night he got out the broom and cleaned the whole floor. He also likes to dust, and clean the fridge. He's a good little helper.

Clayton's 2nd Birthday!!!

2008-09-02T19:12:00.001-07:00

We had a small party with my family on the 29th with cake and ice cream. Aunt Dina, Uncle Chris, Casey, and Olivia gave him his big wheel which he is starting to get the hang of. He can't quite reach the pedals, but he can push off with his feet.

Clayton's new and improved bedroom.

2008-09-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

Clayton just turned 2 years old on the 29th, so we decided it was time to change his room up and change his crib into a big boy bed. He seems to really like it. So far he hasn't fallen out, but we put pillows under his bed just in case. He got a TV from us, and Grandma bought him the table and chairs.

Clayton at the park

2008-09-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

Jared and I dressed Clayton up and took him to the park hoping to get some cute pictures, but he wouldn't pose for us, so this is pretty much the best out of 20 pictures we took. He wouldn't sit still for one picture!

Wilderness Adventure

2008-07-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

Today we decided to get out of the valley for a little while, and thought it would be fun to do a picnic somewhere up in one of the many canyons that lie to the east of the Salt Lake area. We settled on Little Cottonwood Canyon, and drove a few miles up to a little campground/picnic area. We didn't really do much in the way of hiking around the area, but somehow Clayton managed to get himself dirty. Like, really dirty. Rambo dirty.
The main thing he did was sit down in a patch of dirt under some trees, pick up handfuls of dirt, and throw them. Which wouldn't have been as bad if he hadn't decided to throw into the wind. So handful after handful of dirt went flying and settled back on him (sticking easily on his freshly sunscreened skin). He is definitely all boy. I cannot imagine Clayton's dainty friend Hailey getting this dirty, under any circumstances. You will also notice Clayton wearing his new monkey backpack, which is really a covert harness. It may seem kind of like a leash, but with a boy who runs at the first sign of freedom, it is actually a kind of helpful way to keep him reined in.

Literally.

Hailey's Visit

2008-07-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

Tina's friend Jamil from high school and her daughter Hailey came to visit us for a week, and just left on Tuesday. Hailey is less than two months younger than Clayton, so they are pretty much into the same things and liked hanging out. We took tons of pictures of them together, but here are just a few.
Here is one of Hailey flashing gang signs.
Clayton had a lot of fun with Hailey. He also got this new monkey backpack, which he thinks is pretty rad.
Hailey liked playing on the swingset. Especially while holding a measuring spoon. Because, you know, swings just aren't the same without an accurately measured teaspoon.
Most of the time, Clayton and Hailey liked just hanging around, watching TV, and getting into trouble around the house. We were all glad to have them out here, and Clayton especially hopes Hailey comes back to visit again soon. Tina and I can tell that he misses her already.

Happy Birthday, Tina!

2008-07-17T21:32:00.000-07:00

Today was Tina's birthday. She has officially reached the ripe old age of 29, which is about as insignificant a number as you can imagine. We have Jamil and Hailey staying at the house with us right now, and we had Tina's mom and sister Dina's family stop by for some cake and ice cream. I think it was a decent birthday. We had cake.
And here is Clayton with cousin Casey. Clayton is wearing the new shirt he got especially for today's festivities. It's pretty rad. Also, Tina's Dad, Paul, couldn't make the trip up from St. George. But he did send a pretty awesome gift, which Kris brought with her. Yes, friends, it is a photo of Paul from 1985, which has been at their house in St. George and which Tina and I have been coveting for years. It's pretty much the greatest photo I've ever seen. To borrow a phrase I've heard Paul use before, what do you get the person who has everything? Answer: THIS PICTURE--
My photograph does not remotely do justice to the original. I cannot possibly express how awesome it is. Paul, you are a dashingly handsome man. And this particular phase in your fashion history would make Cotter and Borat proud. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Clean Cut and Ready to Play

2008-07-15T17:07:00.000-07:00

Clayton got his hair cut today, and it was definitely needed. You can see that he had gotten a little shaggy from the picture below (at Salt Lake's downtown library square a few weeks ago, with cousin Liv in the background). Tina had the good fortune of taking him for the haircut, which basically means holding him down while he screams bloody murder for 15 solid minutes. I've been there. This is why we procrastinate his haircuts as long as possible. But the end result wasn't too bad, and he now looks like a very proper little boy again. Clad in camo.

In other news, Clayton's friend Hailey from the D.C. area is coming to visit today, and she is bringing her mom Jamil. They will be here for a week, and Clayton is very excited.

Just the two of us!

2008-07-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, so Jared is out of town for the weekend visiting his friend Kevin from BC, so Clayton and I have the weekend and the house to ourselves. You can see he gets away with more when Jared isn't around. We had Arby's and sat on the counter in our pajamas. We also had movie night and watched the Bee Movie. For you that haven't seen it, it's pretty cute. Clayton actually sat through half of it. Of course we had popcorn and snacks to keep his attention during the movie. We miss daddy, and can't wait for him to be home Sunday!

Summer is here!!!

2008-06-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

I just thought these pictures were cute that we took this weekend when Grandma was in town. We went to the park, and played outside in his blow up pool. He loves the water!

Backyard

2008-06-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

Poor Jared. He spent almost five hours last night mowing our backyard. We took this picture after and he had 28 bags of grass when he was finished!

We love our backyard, but we didn't know how much time it would take on the weekends keeping up with it.

Vacuum or sweep?

2008-06-05T21:23:00.001-07:00

Okay, so for you that have been to our house, you have seen how much hardwood flooring we have. And for you that know me well, you know that I am a major clean freak! I have tried everything to get it clean! Mopping isn't so much the problem, its keeping it clean between moppings. It takes me about a hour to sweep our floors, and even then they don't look great. Does anyone know of a vacuum that is made for hardwood floors that won't scratch it? I bought the Swiffer vacuum, which works okay and it is quick and light weight, but the battery died after a few months. Sure, I can just buy another one and replace it every couple months, but if anyone knows of a vacuum or a shop vac that works better, please let me know.

My back is killing me! And it never fails, right after I clean the floor, Clayton decides he doesn't like what he is having for lunch, and the next thing I know, my floor is a mess again. I need something I can pull out quick and use a few times a day.

Mexico Trip

2008-06-05T20:45:00.000-07:00

Jared and I just got back from a week long vacation in Mexico. We went to the same resort we stayed in on our honeymoon. If anyone is interested in going toMexico, you have to go to the Mayan Riviera. It's about 45 minutes from the Cancun airport,and we stayed at the Barcelo resort. It's all inclusive, and only a 10 minute drive in a cab to Playa del Carmen, where you can shop and catch a boat over to Cozumel (which I wasn't that impressed with). Okay, so these aren't the most attractive pictures of us, but I have had a few people ask to see pictures, so here they are.

The first picture is of us at Carlo's and Charlie's in Playa del Carmen. We asked for large drinks, and got these!

The next picture is of Xel-Ha which is where we went snorkeling. This place is so much fun. You take a train up to the top of the river and then snorkel down, and when you get to the bottom there are tons of fish and reefs to look at. It is also all inclusive, so you can eat and drink

all you want. Good times! The last two pictures are just of our toes and the resort. We have other pictures, but I would prefer you all not see me in my swimsuit.

Will's Birthday Party!

2008-06-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

Clayton's friend Will had a birthday party a few weeks ago, and we went to the Tracy Aviary and had a BBQ afterwards. For you who don't know about the Tracy Aviary, it's a park like place with tons of birds. HUGE birds! It was a little chilly, but the kids had fun.

Game On!

2008-04-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

In the words of the New Zealanders in Flight of the Conchords (awesome HBO show), "It's Business Time." The Utah Jazz are in the playoffs, and Clayton is fired up. The Jazz are playing Houston in the first round. Houston happens to be the favorite team for Clayton's friend Hailey's dad, so there is a little bit of friendly rivalry there. Clayton has his Jazz gear and likes to point out the ball on screen. It's awesome.

We are having a good run of luck for the sports teams we follow in this house, with the Red Sox winning the World Series in the fall, BC football, and last week BC won the college hockey national championship. So look out, the Jazz are coming.

A day at the park

2008-04-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

It was so warm last weekend, that we decided to have a picnic at the park with his cousins Olivia and Casey. Clayton still isn't a huge fan of the slide, and doesn't like to go by himself, so here is a picture of Jared, Clayton, and Casey going down the slide. As you can see, Clayton wouldn't stay and eat his lunch on the blanket. He is so funny because he doesn't want to play on the toys, he just wants to run.

Backyard

2008-04-16T10:59:00.001-07:00

A few people have been asking to see pictures of our new backyard, so here they are. It is still a work in progress. We are getting the fence in this week, and hopefully a play set for Clayton within the next few weeks. As you can see, we have a lot of flower beds, so I still need to plant flowers and get our patio set out, but other than that we are all set for summer!

Clayton's big day!

2008-04-15T17:01:00.001-07:00

Clayton officially had his first pee pee in the potty this evening. He ran into the office and closed the door. I peeked through the door to see what trouble he was into and saw him sitting on his potty with his diaper on. I came in and he said "pee pee" so I took off his diaper and set him back down. He sat for a few minutes then just got up. I looked, and he had done a pee pee!!! I am so proud! He even carried his potty into the bathroom and flushed it himself. I know it's a little strange, but I took pictures.

St. Patricks/Easter/Chuck E Cheese Extravaganza

2008-03-18T21:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the weekend before last we decided to take Clayton to Chuck E. Cheese, thinking that he might have a good time on some of the kiddie rides and would like the robotic dancing band members on stage. WHOA, that place has gone downhill. Imagine an amusement park in the ghetto. It sort of felt like that. The clientele was sort of interesting, which we noticed right when we were walking in the door and heard a group of gentlemen standing by the door talking about a "drive by." Interesting. Anyway, Clayton wasn't crazy about the rides, but he let us take a picture or two.
Also, we just got him this T-shirt. It is awesome. Enough said.
Monday was St. Patrick's Day. For most of us growing up, I think St. Patrick's Day is a day where you wear green to school to avoid getting pinched. Then you get older, and you realize it is mostly a holiday to give Irish people (and people who are only a fraction Irish) an excuse to drink. As if the Irish need another excuse. There is sometimes green beer involved, too. Well, in Tina's family, St. Patrick's Day is an event. The leprechauns come. Yes, the leprechauns. They come to bring gifts, just like the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy. Which is not the strangest part. We're just getting started. You see, I was not aware of this, but according to Tina leprechauns eat saltine crackers. It's what they prefer. So you set out Saltines for them. Kind of like how Santa likes cookies, but with the leprechauns I guess they eat a lot of soup. Anyway, the crackers are not just set out on a plate, but under a trap. In Tina's family, you try to trap magical gift-bringers. So, anyway, I don't have a picture of it, but the apparatus involved an upside-down shoebox balancing precariously on a pencil. Under the traditional method, the pencil is attached to a string that the child holds onto, so he or she can pull the trap down onto the leprechaun when the little bastard is chomping saltines. However, because Clayton is so little, we just balanced the box on the pencil and counted on the clumsy leprechaun to trip over the pencil. No such luck. Alert--he is still on the loose.
More traditionally, we had some Easter photos taken of Clayton over the weekend, and he got all gussied up. This is one of the pictures. He did pretty well at the photo sitting, although there were about a hundred other families going to Kiddie Kandids for pictures at the same time, so it was kind of chaotic. Anyway, he looked quite handsome and smiled pretty well for the camera.

Spring Fever Setting In

2008-03-11T09:01:00.001-07:00

Recently a good friend of mine from college emailed me after seeing this blog and said something like "you and your family are so cute it makes me sick." I'll take that as a compliment. But if you think the other photos were cute, check this out. Yes, that's right, it's a heart-shaped pancake, and Tina made a bunch of them the other day. Mmm-hmm, there is no limit to the cuteness of our family. Just when you think we couldn't get much more wholesome and suburban, Tina raises her game. I'll have my pancakes chock-full of love, thank you.
Not too much other news here. A few recent photos of Clayton and his antics. We've got our landscaping contractor and plan lined up for the backyard, so they should be starting work on that any day now. Which will be not a day too soon, because we are definitely getting anxious for spring. It will be great to have a place for Clayton to go out and play in the warmer weather.
Tina and Clayton have been going to classes at Gymboree with Sara and Will, and Clayton seems to really like the classes. He's picking up new words almost every day, which is a mixed blessing. The other day I was putting him in his car seat in the garage and he pointed off to the right (where there is a horrific pile of random boxes, bins, and gardening equipment), and he said "a mess." Yes, Clayton, you're right. Thanks for pointing that out.

Things are still going well at work. It's been a busy start to the year, but generally not overwhelming. I have had to do a little travel, but so far I have been able to make most of the trips day trips rather than overnights. The next time I have to do any kind of extended trip to L.A., we might see if it will work for Tina (and maybe Clayton) to come down and visit for at least part of the time.

Oh, one more thing. Clayton just got his stuffed Moose and Zee (characters from the Noggin cable network), which Tina's friend Jamil makes in her home (see Jamil and Mike's link on the right). Clayton loves them. I've already seen him pretending to bounce Zee up and down on the coffee table, which may be a consequence of Zee being shaped sort of like a ball. Anyway, Jamil also sells the stuffed characters through her eBay page, and I would definitely recommend them for a kid who watches Noggin.

Clayton in St. George

2008-02-23T18:45:00.001-08:00

So, the week before last, while I was in L.A., Tina and Clayton went down to St. George, Utah, to hang out with Tina's parents. I think Clayton had a good time. The weather is so nice down there this time of year, so Clayton was able to go outside and play a little bit. And Tina got to play a little golf with Paul while Grandma watched Clayton. I flew back into Salt Lake on Friday morning, then drove down to St. George. We all drove back home on Sunday. Clayton does pretty well on the car ride, considering it is about four hours. We only had to stop once on the way back home.

Not much else going on right now. Tina and Clayton are still going to his Gymboree classes with Sara and Will. Spring is almost on the horizon, so we are starting the planning to landscape and fence our back yard. The hope is that this summer, it will be totally finished back there, so Clayton will be able to go out and play. And since it will be fenced, we will probably keep the dog, Snoop, here with us more often. He's been in St. George most of the time since we moved into this house.

Also not too much new with my work. I am still working mostly on litigation for accounting firms, with miscellaneous other things mixed in every once in a while. Not exactly glamorous, but it's not too bad. I am hoping that if I have to travel to L.A. much more for the case I have going on down there, that I can just do day trips, flying down in the morning and back in the evening. I just don't like being away from Tina and Clayton overnight if I can avoid it.

Lame Week Begins

2008-02-10T21:56:00.000-08:00

Well, this week is not going to be fun, at least for me (Jared). I have to go to Los Angeles for work from Tuesday afternoon until Friday morning. So Tina and Clayton are taking the opportunity to visit sunny Southern Utah for the week, and left this morning with Grandma to drive down to St. George. I know Clayton is excited to see his "Papa" in St. George, but I already miss him. After I get back on Friday, the plan is for me to drive down, and we'll all spend the weekend in St. George before driving back up together. I am hoping that I will have the chance to see my friend and old college roommate Kevin while I am in L.A., but I don't know how much free time I'll have. Anyway, Tina probably won't be posting anything this week, although she might be checking email occasionally on her phone. I am sure she'll be back in blogging action next week.

Super Bowl Sunday

2008-02-05T20:44:00.001-08:00

This Sunday, of course, was Super Bowl Sunday. We're not really big NFL fans, but Jared kind of likes the Patriots from his years in Boston. Even he admits it's not as much fun watching them now that they have been dominant, since it's kind of like they're the Yankees of football (and we hate the Yankees). The other factor is that Jared hates Eli Manning, supposedly because Eli was a jerk and refused to play for the team that drafted him out of college. Anyway, we didn't care too much about the outcome, but it was fun to see an exciting game for the Super Bowl. I took a picture of Jared and Clayton sitting together and eating popcorn during the game. Jared is looking especially attractive with his rolled-up jeans (he had just come inside from shoveling snow) and his sweatshirt. We had a lot of snow that day, so it was a good thing we didn't try to host a party or go out to one. We are getting SO sick of the snow this year. It seems like there's another storm every other day.

Clayton and I have been cooped up in the house a lot with the weather, and he has been pretty cute lately. He is getting to be quite the climber, and knows how to climb up and stand on pretty much any chair in the house. Here are a few recent pictures of his latest antics.

Snow Day

2008-01-21T15:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, time for another update. Today we were hit with a big snowstorm here in Draper. It was probably 8-10 inches deep. It's a good thing it is a holiday, and I didn't have to go into the office. I don't know how I would have even gotten my car out of the driveway. Anyway, we decided to take Clayton out to play for just a little bit. He hasn't ever really played in the snow before, and he didn't know exactly what to think of it. At one point he tried to crawl into the snow, but didn't realize that his hands would sink into it. He ended up with a face full of snow. Despite that, he eventually got to like it, and didn't want to come inside when we were done. We didn't stay out too long, because Clayton has had a bit of a cold this past week. But he seems to be feeling much better.

Also, we have some other recent pictures of the boy. Last week Tina took Clayton and Casey (Clayton's cousin) to the aquarium in Sandy.

I was at work, but I'm told Clayton had a good time. He seems to like animals and fish (he just recently started saying fish--although it's more like "ish" at this point), so I imagine looking at all of the different kinds of fish was exciting.

Last night, Clayton had a bath before bedtime. He usually takes his bath in the morning, so I think he was a little more enthusiastic about the change of pace. He started splashing and splashing out of control. Half of the bathroom floor was soaked, but it was pretty entertaining for me and Tina. It's a good thing he didn't get the camera wet.

Clayton continues to surprise us and amaze us on a daily basis. Today we found out first-hand that Clayton has figured out how to climb onto the top of the desk. We didn't even know he could climb onto the office chair, much less the desk itself. But I walked into the office and saw him on the desk, pointing at the background screen of the computer, which was showing a picture of him with Tina's dad, his "Papa." And Clayton was saying "Papa," which I have also never heard him say before. After the shock wore off (here I thought the office was childproofed), it was pretty funny, actually. Tina and I have noticed that he often seems to develop new things in quick spurts, and right now he seems to be taking up a bunch of new things. He is saying more words, like "yeah," and "Snoop" (the dog), and "shoes." And he's really starting to enjoy playing with his basketball hoop, and dunks the ball every time he finds his basketball. Except most of the time his basketball is unavailable because he has thrown it over the gate and down the stairs toward the basement. He's a lot of fun to watch.

It's Cold!!!

2008-01-02T12:04:00.000-08:00

Clayton and I have been spending a lot of time inside lately because it has been SO cold outside. He has developed a love for doing laundry. Whenever he hears me go into the laundry room and open up the washer or dryer, he comes running around the corner. He has to be the one to unload the washer and hand me the wet clothes, and then I can put them in the dryer. It's so funny!

Although I hate the cold and the snow, Clayton loves it! He loves putting on his boots, coat, hat, and mittens and going out in the cold.

I know I posted earlier how much he hated playing in his new ball pit that Santa brought, but he has learned to love it. Especially if mom or dad get in with him and play.

Clayton has never been much into his stuffed animals, but lately he loves playing with his cat he got at Build a Bear that he named Allen.

He has been carrying him around and giving him loves. He never showed any interest in him until now.

Christmas 2007

2007-12-26T20:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas was good this year. We can't believe all the stuff Clayton got. He was so funny Christmas morning. He woke up, and came downstairs and didn't know what to think. He slowly walked around all his toys and didn't know what to play with first. Santa brought him a ball pit (which he is now scared of), a basket ball hoop, tons of books and toys and that was just Santa! We spent Christmas morning with my family and spent the afternoon with Jared's family. It was good to see everyone, and Clayton had fun playing with his cousins.

Before we had our family Christmas parties, Clayton hosted a party with a couple of his friends, Will and Nadia. They had a lot of fun chasing each other around and playing.

Much longer overdue update

2007-12-20T20:28:00.001-08:00

Okay, it's been a REALLY long time since we updated this page. Far too long. So we are turning over a new leaf, and we are going to use this page to share updates about our family with everyone. And both of us will be contributing. So anyway, a lot has happened since the last time we updated this, which was in April. Construction on our new house in Draper, Utah was just getting started then. They finished building the house in September, and we moved in the week after labor day. Here's what the new house looks like.

Right after we moved into the house, my friend Jamil from high school came out to visit with her husband Mike and their cute daughter Hailey, who is about the same age as Clayton. They had a lot of fun playing together. It was great to have them out here, and we hope Hailey can come visit Clayton again soon.

Also since April, Clayton has been growing like crazy. He turned 1 year old on August 29, and now he is walking around the house and trying to talk to us. He had a luau party for his birthday with just a few of his friends, and they all went swimming in the pool at our old place. It was one of the only times we ever used the pool in the three years we had our townhouse, but Clayton was very cute. He thought swimming was great.

Clayton is very active and mischievous. One night Clayton was playing in the kitchen (we keep the sharp stuff out of the unlocked drawers so he can play), and then it got quiet. Jared went into the kitchen to see what Clayton was doing, and Clayton had figured out how to climb into the drawer. Jared took pictures.

Clayton also had a very cute Halloween costume. He was a spider. We didn't take him trick-or-treating, since he couldn't really eat most of the candy. But next year I think we will take him. Or at least Jared will. I won't go out in the cold.

Overall, Clayton is doing great. He's still big and healthy, and he likes music and books. He is very funny, and he always likes to be included in any joke, making a point to laugh whenever anyone else does. He doesn't quite realize what is going on with Christmas yet, but he likes the Christmas tree. His favorite word is "light," and his latest thing is to point at the light switch and keep repeating "ight" until Jared or I turn the lights on and off. It never gets old. Okay, it gets old.

In other news, not much else is going on. Jared has been working at his new firm, Howrey LLP (we hate the name) for almost a year, and he likes it a lot. It has been a good move, even though he has had to work very hard sometimes (like in July, when he was in D.C. for three weeks straight). We all got very excited when the Red Sox won the World Series, and again when Boston College made it up to #2 in the country, but it's been a bit of a letdown since then. I have been taking ceramics classes with Dina, Olivia, and Casey, and that has been fun. Clayton and I went to music classes with his friend Will and Will's mom, Sara, in the fall, and we will probably start some new classes soon. Mostly for the past few months I have been occupied with trying to put the house together and keep Clayton under control at the same time. We are still not completely settled in, but things are put together enough that it is starting to feel like home. One great thing about being in the house is that we are part of a neighborhood now, with lots of young kids around. I have been playing Bunko with the girls in the neighborhood, and everyone is really nice. We really like it here. Anyway, I guess that's all for now, but we plan to post on this page a lot more from now on. We have a guest room in our house, so we hope to have more friends come visit us soon.

Long overdue update

2007-04-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

When we created this blog last year, we had great intentions of frequently updating it with pictures of Clayton and family news and everything. As it turns out, babies are time- and energy-consuming (who knew?), so we haven't kept it up to date. In fact, we never updated it when The Boy was born. We will try to do better.

Here are a few recent pictures of Clayton, who is almost 8 months old. In other news, since this page was last updated, I have changed jobs. I left my old law firm, Parsons Behle, and am now in the Salt Lake office of the D.C.-based firm Howrey LLP. It was hard to leave a great place like Parsons, but overall the move has been good, and the people at Howrey are great.

Tina has had her hands full at home with Clayton (pictured with his uncle Logan). They took a music class with other moms and young kids this winter, and Clayton is showing early signs of being musically inclined. He thinks he's singing along to the radio whenever we're in the car, but he seems to have forgotten all the words. He also likes being sung to, particularly "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and some song about rolling off the bed that Tina and I had never heard before their music class. Now that Clayton is old enough to entertain himself a little, Tina will be taking some online classes during the summer semester. Also, next week, Tina and Clayton will be traveling with Clayton's cousin Olivia to Charlotte, North Carolina, so that Clayton can see his girlfriend, Hailey. It will also let Tina see Hailey's mom, Jamil, Tina's best friend from high school.

The main other news item for us is that we are building a house. The house will be in Draper, Utah, a little farther south than our current home in West Jordan, but not as far west. It will be pretty convenient for me to get onto I-15 for my commute. Here is a picture of our lot, which was taken before construction started. Since then, our hole has been dug, our foundation walls poured, and our underground utility connections have been installed. Framing should begin shortly. We'll try to post more pictures soon. We're pretty excited about the whole process. The new house will give us a lot more space and privacy than our current townhouse, which is quickly becoming too small as Clayton outgrows his clothes, toys, swings, and pretty much everything else.

Welcome!

2006-08-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

This is our first effort to create a page with news about the family. Tina and I have been married for nearly two years, and we are expecting our son (to be named Clayton) to be born in the next 4-5 weeks. We will use this page to post pictures of the boy when he arrives. In the meantime, he is busy gestating, as you can see.

According to the doctor's estimates so far, he's a healthy, big boy. If he gets any bigger, Tina just might tip over.

Until our genetic offspring makes his appearance, Tina demands that the pets be referred to as our "children." In that spirit, here is a picture of our boy Snoop:

He's a handsome one, and quite the protector. He has already staked out Clayton's room as his space, and won't let anyone else in there. Especially not his "sister," Coconut:

Well, there goes my last shred of masculinity and self-respect. I've posted a picture of a cat online. On that note, good night. We leave you with a picture of me and Tina in Newport Beach, California, in July. I'm the one on the left.

Jared