holey jamies

yup, there are holes in the toes :)


For some reason this is one of my favorite pictures I have taken of Mason. He loves to pick up everything, examine it and then put it in his mouth. This was taken right after he picked up a fuzzy and pulled it apart... soon after it was heading for his mouth :)

goo biscut

So I have been playing around in my new photoshop, thus my lack of posting. My ancient computer isn't liking running photoshop and the internet at the same time... yippy. Here are some pictures of Mason eating a "goo" biscuit.

You can see all four teeth he has on top

photography

A couple of weekends ago, I all the sudden got this urge to learn about my camera and finally figure out how to use it properly, not just on auto. I have taken photography classes in high school, though not digital. Nonetheless I once upon a time new what ISO, shutter speed and aperture meant and how to manually take pictures.... but I seriously forgot all of this knowledge and had to get some info. My brother Brady has the same camera as me and was trying to teach me some things while I was in Utah.... but I was still having trouble. Anyway I found some great stuff. This site was the best one I found that could give clear simple instructions on how to use my camera and take pictures with good technique. It has been fun trying to figure out my camera and take better pictures, though looking at all the stuff on the internet made me realize that I really want another lens, hahaha but mine will do for now :) Yay for pictures and yay for Danny, who got me the camera and put up with me looking on the internet all weekend :O)

So I know there a few photographers who check out this blog... if you have any advice tricks or great places to that will help me take better pictures I would love to have them. Also I just got my photoshop elements and have been playing around with it (so fun) So if you know any great places that I can check out that can help me learn how to use it and give me some tips on making pictures awesome I would love that!

K thanks, pictures coming soon :)

10 months

Can you believe it? Mason is already 10 months old, wow time has flown! He is quite the little character and has done many new things this month...
(sorry the picture is blurry)

* sometimes when Mason gets happy or excited he spins in circles, on his bum, on the hardwood floor

* Mason goal in life is to eat and play with Ralph's dog food... his favorite new game is "I'm gunna get you!" while he races into the kitchen to his prize.

* he is obsessed with opening and closing doors

* "bap bap" is his new favorite phrase

* Mason sits in the high chair funny, he slouches and pulls his feet up

* he can now officially sit up himself from the tummy

* he can play "patty cake" now and clap his hands when he is excited or happy

* he likes to pull himself up to the coffee table and has started to cruise along the coffee table and couch... though he still prefers to scrawl

* he is starting to do the pincer grasp (thumb and pointer finger) when he feeds himself

* he can wave "bye bye"

*he always has to have something in his mouth while he plays, he will crawl around like this :)

* since Mason has figured out how to sit up on his own, he sits up in bed and can pull himself up to stand, so we had to lower the crib all the way

* also before naps (he goes down awake) he will sit up, but he doesn't know how to lay down after he is sitting (the only time it happens is if he falls) so he will cry and cry and I will have to go lay him back down

* to continue from above... I guess he is trying to figure out how to lay back down after sitting up, because I went in to check on him after he fell asleep for one of his naps and he was folded in half! I kid you not... imagine you are sitting up with your legs out straight and then you just lay your head right in your lap, yup, thats what he did. I wish I took a picture, but I am afraid of waking him up (its happened before) he did it a couple more times and not since, if he does I will take the video camera in. And don't worry, I unfolded him.

* he likes to try and drink water from the faucet in tub as its fill up, he sticks out his little tongue and goes in for the kill, over and over (too bad he won't drink it from a sippy cup)

* beginning of the month he was sleeping horribly, waking up a couple of times and not going back to sleep, argh -> now at the end he turned back into a good sleeper, yay! 10+ hours a night (trick, keep a couple of binkis in the crib and pray he finds one!)

* beginning of the month he was a great eater, he would sit calmly and open his mouth to anything I gave him -> now at the end of the month I am having to trick him to open his mouth and watch his hands so they don't slap a spoon full of food all over him and me

* can the terrible 2's start at 10 months? naw, j/k, its not that bad but seriously he is starting to throw temper tantrums if I take him away from something he wants to play with (Ralph's dog food, the cords to my computer)

* did I mention that he is obsessed with his binki? He would have it in all day if i'd let him...

random suprise

Guess whaaaaaaaaaaat.... Danny is no longer the seminary teacher! Yay, he got fired! haha I guess I shouldn't say that since the Bishop's wife will probably be reading this post... here is the story... We got a call on Saturday night that the Bishop wanted to meet with us on Sunday after church. Usually you would be worried and think "oh great what will I be getting into this time", but for us it was no biggie because Seminary teacher was changing from an assignment from CES (church educational system) to a calling. So since it was so late in the summer and Danny hadn't heard anything about his previous scheming (**see below) we assumed that he was officially going to get the calling as Seminary teacher. So we walked in a little late to church and someone from the bishopric came down from the stand during the opening song and pulled Danny aside so he could talk to him, they were gone for less than 30 seconds. Danny came back, looked at me, in total shock, and said "I am not the seminary teacher anymore" "WHAT!" I said in my loudest whisper. Can you believe it! We were both totally shocked, and after church Danny was asked to be the new ward mission leader.

I asked Danny when got home how he felt about this last minute surprise, and he said that he thought he would have loved teaching for about a month, and that teaching would have been better this year because a lot of kids graduated and of course he knew now what he was doing.... but he is super glad not to get up in the morning (Danny is the anti morning person) and we are both glad the he doesn't have to come home from work, eat dinner, study for 1-2 hours, and go to bed early! So yay for having hubby back :)

** previous scheming: In June after graduation Danny presented the Bishop with a plan that would make it so Danny didn't need to teach Seminary the next year. For those of you who don't know our church building supports 2 wards, between those 2 wards there are 2 seminary teachers. One teacher teaches the freshman and sophomore students and the other the junior and seniors. Danny taught the junior and seniors. 2/3 of Danny's students were seniors and graduated, and only 2 freshman were coming in the next year.... so really the amount of students almost cut in half. Danny's rationale... why have 2 teachers? So Danny gave his presentation, hand outs and graphs to the Bishop for consideration.... we never heard from him about it, so we assumed that the scheming was to no avail... instead they fired him and gave someone else the job, ha!

In all seriousness, Danny did enjoy teaching seminary. I won't speak for him but I know he did, and hopefully the students will appreciate all the hard work he did one day!

YAY for no more 5 am!

pictures from 2-do list

Here are pictures of some of things we accomplished on our 2-do list (check the previous post for the list)

Danny digging the "runoff drainage backyard swamping relief system" or the ditch

Can you see the difference? The right has been pressure washed, the left not. Pretty gross!

we put the sealer on as a family...

since we renewed our deck we celebrated by getting a BBQ, and of course the first time we grilled it rained cats and dogs!

here is the nice big window over looking our deck

bye bye window....

our big hole, you can see all the way into the kitchen

looking from the inside out

Our neighbor John was awesome! He does this professionally and he was nice enough to come over and help (also our friend Greg came over the night before to help remove the window (pic above) and stayed until midnight to help Danny frame the hole)

Danny and John installing the door

So what the heck... I haven't even taken a picture of our new 8 foot sliding glass patio door! I am special like that, I will take a picture soon :)

Oh and Danny just put the carpet in the basement :) Now he just needs to carpet the stairs and then put in the trim and the family room will be done, yay! Danny has been taking video's of the progress we will put that up as soon as its done.... I have to say that I have a pretty awesome hubby doing all this work on the house. Though I do have to say that I pressure washed the deck :)

Summer 2-do list

We have a list on the fridge of stuff that we want/need to buy and/or do around the house. It is a lengthy list and I am proud to say that we have have almost finished it :)

• wash deck (with a power washer, soooo fun and gratifying ) check
  
• seal deck check
  
• wash house (also with power washer) check
  
• buy patio door CHECK ( and it was a big check!)
  
• install 400 lb patio door (with help of great friends) check
  
• frame door in progress
  
• dig ditch (aka runoff drainage backyard swamping relief system) check
• frame, wire, Sheetrock and mud basement check
• paint basement check
  
• get carpet CHECK (also a big check, but yay!)
• attic ladder, buy and install check (yay for places to store our crap...er... stuff)
  
• car lights, buy and install to pass inspection check
  
• MAC not check (and unfortunatly not for a while) I really, really wanna :)
  
• Ralph's teeth (aka expensive breath relieving, dental cleaning) & appt (yearly checkup) check
  
• airline tickets for Christmas not check (hopefully soon)
  
• food storage in progress
  
• emergency kits in progress
  
• child gate check
  
• car seat check (and 1/2 off on clearance at Target, yay!)
• birthday cards not check (I am planning on sending a b-day card to everyone I missed this year, which is everyone :)
  
• cross stitches framed not check
  
• photo shop elements CHECK (should be here this week, (: )

We shall have pictures and videos of our projects up soon (mostly I am lazy because the pictures are on my computer upstairs, and I don't want to miss Phelps who is about to become the best Olympian ever!!!) So stay tuned :)

Work Party

A couple of weeks ago we went to Danny's work party... it was really fun and we got to hang out with the coworker babies :)


Kaede, Mason and Roy

baby Kaede (Alex in english)
baby Roy

hey... boys don't hold hands!

Mason always has to have a toy in his mouth

Dad's and their boys... Matt & Kaede, Cory & Roy, Danny & Mason

checking each other out

happy :)

this is baby Roy's first time swimming, and he doesn't like it

Alex on the other hand...

Mason just likes to chill and put things in his mouth :)

yay for swimming :)

more from Utah

Here are some pictures I took of the family while we were getting family pictures at Wheeler Farm.

Ice Queen faces
sisters

my siblings showing off their cute jeans... Brady, Heather, Raquel

my aunt Natali and her cute baby Olivia

pocket grandma

olivia

Brady being Brady

my mommy and sisters

cousin cassidy and heather

olivia and mason

my cousin Madison, I think we look a lot alike

me with my cousins, Mady and Ali

my bro and dad

more from Seattle

I have really been slacking on my blogging lately, here are some pictures I forgot to put up from Seattle.

Kristi and Mason, Mason is laughing at Danny

Danny's youngest brother, David

Look what Danny found in the tree, how yummy :)

four generations of Newman's

isn't he cute! check out the legs :)

us with Danny's parents

Mason with his great grandparents

David and Danny being weird

umm... that is my baby, please stop :)

Mason and Kristi

David and Julie with Mason

they are funny

I dunno, I like this picture

all the kids

Mason where are you going?