Oh the things you will do...

Once upon a time I would gloat of my snowboarding exploits of great achievements in sports or video games... today I am nearly breathless with excitement to say that Charity made it the whole day with dry Dora panties. It's amazing what thrills a parent.Yea!

Down on the Farm

Charity loves animals and we love taking her to see them. After the UVU Auto Show we took her to the Thanksgiving Point Farm Country. She got to ride on a wagon, talk to goats and sheep, feed several animals and ride a pony. All in all a good day.

My Little Gearhead

Charity came with us to the UVU Auto Show. she loved this 1954 GMC Bus.

The Cute Receptionist

At Naturally Yours we have the cutest part-time receptionist (sorry Amber, she's got you beat). she not very good at keeping the books and I am pretty sure she keeps using the cash in the drawer to buy M&Ms but everyone loves her including me.

My Girls on the Trax

Charity has been wanting to ride a train since Vegas so tonight we tok her on Trax. not quite the same but the hotel tram in Vegas isn't exactly a "train" either.

The Jaxie's Adict

Charity knows a hand full of retaurants by name but the one she knows and likes the best is Jaxies

Mac and Cheese Champ

Charity loves her mac and cheese and Red Robin has some of the best. while I was typing this on my phone she just downed all of her manderine oranges in one shot.

Party Animal

Charity had a ton of fun with her aunts Megan and Brittany today. the minute she got in my car she was out

Charity Cleaning

Charity loves to help clean up the salon. she doesn't quite have the reach for a broom yet.

Helping at the Salon

Charity is a good helper

Charity at PF Changs

she loves these horses

A Little Time With Dad

Some times you feel so busy it's nice just to get to stop and hold your little one.

Getting Lost

This morning Camille was dressing Charity for the day. As she was doing this she struggled getting Charity's head through the hole in her shirt. Once Charity finally emerged she looked up at Camille and said "la lost mommy?"

The saying goes "kid's say the darnd'est things" but it is amazing the insight they have!

Charity's 18 Months

Charity just turned 18 months on the 4th. She is such a happy little girl and is constantly laughing and playing. She loves her mommy and daddy and loves her bampa (interchangeable for both Grandpa and Grandma as of yet) and she adores her "Zizzies".

Here are a few pictures of her we had done for her 18 months.

She has been a little sick as of late. It seems that just as she is getting better from one thing another one gets her. The day we had the pictures done she was sick and in the beginnings of an ear infection. Sadly the infection got so bad the poor kid had her ear drum rupture some time on Friday. She has been taking antibiotics and is doing really well now.

We love our little Charity and are having more and more fun with her each day.

Charity's First Day at the Zoo

We got to see a lot of really cool things at the zoo. As soon as we got there we made our way to the first "Meet the Keepers". We learned about Chacoan Peccaries which Charity loved. She clapped and called at them and giggled every time they grunted or ate the yams their keeper was feeding them.

Next we checked out the bears, cougars, and zebras. She laughed at the silly bears. Then we saw the penguins and a Red Panda sleeping in a tree. She kept calling the Red Panda saying "Zizzie.... Zizzie..."

We also went the "Meet the Keepers" for the Pelicans and, later, the tigers. Charity loved seeing these animals get fed and talked to by their trainers and Camille and I loved learning about these animals.

Her favorite animal had to be the Giraffes. She was so amazed at how tall they were. She just sat there and stared at them for quite some time. Then we took her upstairs to see them from above and she was glued to the fencing just clapping and chattering excitedly.

We really loved getting to take her to the zoo and will probably take her back another couple of times this year. We hope you enjoy the pics of her visit.

So Much to be Thankful For

I know this is a short post but I intended it to be such for a lot of reasons that I may or may not actually get into here. All in all I wanted to just express how thankful I really am. The truth is that I, like most of us out there, have taken a lot for granted in my life. I do not mean to do it, I don't think anyone does, but I am thankful for a great many things.

First and foremost I am thankful for my family in all its varieties and combinations. I am blessed with a loving wife who puts up with me through all of my silly insane moments. She loves me unconditionally and is always patient with me and I cannot tell her enough how thankful I am for that.

I am thankful for my sweet Charity. She really is the light of our lives. We are blessed to have such a happy loving little girl and I want her to know how much her daddy loves her.

I am thankful for my puppies Harley and Lizzie. They have been so good to Charity and so good to us. They help bring a peace and comfort to us even in our hardest times and I do not know where we would be without them.

I am thankful for my parents, my brothers and sisters, Camille's parents and brothers and sisters. Camille and I really are blessed to have families that have been so supportive of us through all that we do.

I am especially thankful for my brother Marcus right now. Long story short we are glad he is with us after such a scare. He has been one of the best parts of my life and I really could not imagine my life without him. He is a brother, a friend, someone I trust and an immense example to me in my life. Our recent experiences with him have reminded me how much and all of my siblings and siblings in law really mean to us.

I love and appreciate our friends far and wide. Mark and Michelle and their family always helping us out and just being there for all of the little things as well as the big ones. Matt and Cathy Hicken and their long-lasting and far-reaching friendship and support. The girls at the salon. The wonderful people at BGM. All of our various friends and family who care enough to genuinely ask us how we are doing.

In this season of thankfulness, love and giving I want everyone that reads this to know that I am eternally thankful for all of my many blessings, especially the blessing of having such wonderful people around me to support me, guide me, and love me in spite of my failing and imperfections.

Thank you all so much and I love you.

....ok so maybe this did not end up as short as I thought it would be.

Scarecrow Festival 2008

Here are some pictures of our fun at the Scarecrow Festival at Thanksgiving Point. This was a few weeks ago but I figured it would be fun to see.

The Pumpkin Patch

So I have not posted our Hawaii pictures yet and they will be coming soon. I am still waiting on a decent tool for posting multiple pictures as a slide show. I promise to get it soon.

As of today, however, I thought I would show off my sweet Charity. We went to the pumpkin patch in Springville tonight with Mark and Michelle and their kids. Here are a few good pictures for you.

This is (Starting at the top left to right) Ella, Makayla, Charity and Emmitt. They loved picking their pumpiks from the patch.

Charity found the one she wanted but dad had to tell her no. We had to get something a little more her size.

It wasn't the biggest one in the patch but I think my sweet Charity will love this one. I could not get her to do it long enough for a picture but she loves to hug her pumpkin. I think she will like it just fine.

Charity is Having Fun!

Charity is having lots of fun with mom and dad. She is a really fun loving kid and always smiles. We take her out with us to dinner and movies and it does not bother her at all and she barely peeps. This is a picture of her sitting with us in our booth at Happy Sumo. I tried to convince Camille that the Buffalo Roll is good for babies but she wasn't having it. Just milk and fruity mush for Charity for a while longer yet.


Following dinner at Happy Sumo we took her to see Horton Hears a Who. She loved watching it and even was laughing with everyone else at a few parts. Come to think of it, I should get her a little stuffed Horton.


Spring has come and Camille has started playing softball with K&J Construction again. Charity and I had to miss the first game as it was way to cold but last week we got to attend the game and Charity was even blowing raspberries at the opposing team... sorry Korriane she just like's mommy's team better. Here we are at the game.



A while back our good friends Mark and Michelle Peterson gave Charity a bib that says "Future Mrs. Duritz" (referring to Adam Duritz the lead singer for the Counting Crows for those of you who dare profane). I found this picture of her that I had taken when she had first started eating. I had taken it to send to Michelle so she could see Charity's bib but I thought it belonged here too. She is getting really good at eating solid foods and I even have to take her graham crackers and banana puffs to Camille's games for Charity to munch on. She has even started drinking from Camille's glass... which has only helped reinforce our efforts to minimize our carbonated drink intake.


Charity has such a fun personality. I really get a kick out of all the silly little things she does. We love her and she is definitely keeping us very busy!

Charity: 3 Months and Growing

I know I am slow in posting this stuff and I am sorry. Here are a couple of new shots of my sweet Charity. We got these shots at about her 3 month date. It is getting harder and harder to believe how old she is getting.

The puppies love her and Harley is getting more interested in her all the time. He and I sit in our recliner and try to make her laugh. Harley gets as big a kick out of it as I do.

Both her grandparents are excited to see her grow and it seems like we never have enough time to parade her around to all the family and friends.

Anyway you slice it here is a little more of our dear little girl