Wednesday, April 30, 2008
seriously?
paula abdul on american idol last night. what was the deal with that?? who do you guys think will be off tonight? i'm worried for jason (i confess, i really like the guy), and i want syesha to go.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Happy News
Here is a happy bit of news. Christine Brinton forwarded this to me this morning and I thought you'd all enjoy seeing it. For those unaquainted with Kim Brinton, she is the widow of our friend Hyrum Brinton. She is a great girl and I'm so happy for her!
Love to you all!
Wendy
Love to you all!
Wendy
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Pinewood Derby
Nathan had his first cub scout pack meeting. It was the pinewood derby! After some joint work on his car, Greg's car, and Katie's car we were off to the races! Katie won the award for the Loveliest car (car named Raspberry Lemonade), Gregory won the award for the Car with the Best Use of Decals (car named Lightning), and Nathan won the Mach Speed award (car name was Mach 5). Nathan also won 3rd place in the wolf den! Katie was 4th overall, and Gregory came in first in one of his races!
Here are some photos of the evening.
Here are some photos of the evening.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Surprise Ending
The first thing the boys do when I tell them it's time for baths is to run upstairs, into our bathroom, lean over the edge of the tub, and just scream. I wonder if they hear an echo, like when you yell over a cliff or something. Anyway, I was trying to get that on video, but instead, I got this.
Burke is learning to sing and do little hand actions. He is also smiling, hugging and kissing on demand...what more could I ask for?
Saturday, April 19, 2008
31 Years ago on April 20th
As I have been doing my Saturday activities, my mind has been thinking of events that occured 31 years ago....my world was spinning around the imminent arrival of a new baby. It was a planned c-section delivery, so my bag was packed and ready to go...ultrasounds to determine the sex of the baby were not done, so we didn't know if John would have a baby brother or sister. In the mid morning of April 20th, Dr. LaPata delivered an absolutey beautiful baby boy - Robert Lynn Bennion. That amazing face - so totally sweet. To this day, that face is still there although "handsomed" up by the years. As all moms will attest, there is no joy so sweet or so sacred as the birth of a child and so it was on April 20th that the magic of a soft adorable baby boy was placed in my arms and the life of Robert Lynn Bennion began....Happy Birthday, son. Let me be the first to say...."I love Rob because...."
He is persistent.
He is brave.
He is patient and kind.
He is smart and loves to learn.
He is undaunted by a hard task .
He is loyal to his family and friends.
He is the funnest sports fan.
He is the leader of the family in his lifelong commitment to fitness.
He is a great conversationalist.
He is a model gift giver....loves to give, loves to give something that will be "just right", takes the time to make it special.
He only needs to know you to like you....he sees the good in people.
He likes to think.
He loves people and loves to be around a group.
He is comfortable in his own skin.
He is married to the love of his life and I love being in their company...he has chosen so well.
He has great faith and loves to serve others.
He is a peacemaker.
He is the calm in a storm.
I am so lucky to be his MOM.
He is persistent.
He is brave.
He is patient and kind.
He is smart and loves to learn.
He is undaunted by a hard task .
He is loyal to his family and friends.
He is the funnest sports fan.
He is the leader of the family in his lifelong commitment to fitness.
He is a great conversationalist.
He is a model gift giver....loves to give, loves to give something that will be "just right", takes the time to make it special.
He only needs to know you to like you....he sees the good in people.
He likes to think.
He loves people and loves to be around a group.
He is comfortable in his own skin.
He is married to the love of his life and I love being in their company...he has chosen so well.
He has great faith and loves to serve others.
He is a peacemaker.
He is the calm in a storm.
I am so lucky to be his MOM.
Monday, April 14, 2008
why SC is a great place
thanks so much for the great birthday love! it makes me feel so fantastic to read your posts! i had a very happy week.
so, we totally have wild turtles here! who knew that was even a possibility? i was walking around my neighborhood, and there, in the middle of the street, sat a little turtle. and sometimes my roommate, aimee, has to stop her car and move a turtle from the middle of the road so that she doesn't run over it. big ones! i knew there was a reason for me to move here. wild turtles!! how do they even survive?
so, we totally have wild turtles here! who knew that was even a possibility? i was walking around my neighborhood, and there, in the middle of the street, sat a little turtle. and sometimes my roommate, aimee, has to stop her car and move a turtle from the middle of the road so that she doesn't run over it. big ones! i knew there was a reason for me to move here. wild turtles!! how do they even survive?
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Happy Birthday Anna
Happy Birthday, Anna. What a great day it was on April 9, 1981....A Girl!!!
I love Anna because
We share so many interests.
She is a fantastic listener.
She is intelligent and interesting.
She is beautiful, absolutely beautiful.
She is great at bringing people out of themselves.
She is a fantastic friend and beloved of many.
She is a gifted teacher.
She is pursuing her passion.
She is a thinker and is not afraid to face tough issues.
She is grateful for little things.
She is so good to me and Dad.
She is a fabulous sister for each of her brothers.
She is a delightful traveling companion.
She is always willing to learn new strategies to deal with tough issues.
She is well-read.
She is committed to living what she believes.
She is the perfect daughter, friend, confidant.
I absolutely adore her and consider her one of the most amazing women I know.
I am proud to be her mother and whenever anyone asks about her, I always say, "Anna is amazing " and I mean it.
I trust her and have the utmost confidence in her future and feel it the joy of my life to be a part of it.
Happy Birthday to my dear and amazing daughter.
I love Anna because
We share so many interests.
She is a fantastic listener.
She is intelligent and interesting.
She is beautiful, absolutely beautiful.
She is great at bringing people out of themselves.
She is a fantastic friend and beloved of many.
She is a gifted teacher.
She is pursuing her passion.
She is a thinker and is not afraid to face tough issues.
She is grateful for little things.
She is so good to me and Dad.
She is a fabulous sister for each of her brothers.
She is a delightful traveling companion.
She is always willing to learn new strategies to deal with tough issues.
She is well-read.
She is committed to living what she believes.
She is the perfect daughter, friend, confidant.
I absolutely adore her and consider her one of the most amazing women I know.
I am proud to be her mother and whenever anyone asks about her, I always say, "Anna is amazing " and I mean it.
I trust her and have the utmost confidence in her future and feel it the joy of my life to be a part of it.
Happy Birthday to my dear and amazing daughter.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Richard & Linda's Most Excellent Adventure
Tuesday morning we set out on our tour of the Danish countryside in search of my grandfather Soren Jacobsen's roots.
Below is Sct. Hans Kirke (St. Hans Church) named after Hans Christian Anderson. It is in the town of Odense, about 2 hours from Copenhagen. The town is large sized for Denmark (Wenatchee - East Wenatchee combined). We visited 3 other churches looking for this one. We asked several people in slow English for directions. We were misguided three times. Finally we went to the police station and asked. There we got the day's dumbest look. The policeman knew it was somewhere nearby he thought. The GPS is what saved the bacon. We only had to ask it twice...
Sct. Hans Kirke is where Maren Pedersen married Soren Knudsen Flensted. They are Soren Jacobsen's maternal grandparents.
The inside of the Church is beautiful. An original Carl Bloch painting is behind the altar. It is similar to the painting in Frederiksborg Castle (only better) :-) If you click on the picture you get a better view of the painting, plus a view of the lovely Irish girl on the pew :-)
Farther north in Hjorring district is the small town of Horby. Actually, Horby is an average size town (village really) - about 100 or so. It is amazing how small most villages are in northern Denmark. Below is Horby Kirke where my grandfather Soren Jacobsen was christened. His only brother Knud Jacobsen died here when he was one year old. His father, Martin Peder Jacobsen died before his second son was born and was buried here as well.
The inside of the chapel is simple. The font where he was christened is visible. Today the original font is inlaid in gold. Quite stunning.
The entire adventure was stunning - especially in the context of family. This is actually where my ancestors lived, walked, and are buried. Good stuff.
Below is Sct. Hans Kirke (St. Hans Church) named after Hans Christian Anderson. It is in the town of Odense, about 2 hours from Copenhagen. The town is large sized for Denmark (Wenatchee - East Wenatchee combined). We visited 3 other churches looking for this one. We asked several people in slow English for directions. We were misguided three times. Finally we went to the police station and asked. There we got the day's dumbest look. The policeman knew it was somewhere nearby he thought. The GPS is what saved the bacon. We only had to ask it twice...
Sct. Hans Kirke is where Maren Pedersen married Soren Knudsen Flensted. They are Soren Jacobsen's maternal grandparents.
The inside of the Church is beautiful. An original Carl Bloch painting is behind the altar. It is similar to the painting in Frederiksborg Castle (only better) :-) If you click on the picture you get a better view of the painting, plus a view of the lovely Irish girl on the pew :-)
Farther north in Hjorring district is the small town of Horby. Actually, Horby is an average size town (village really) - about 100 or so. It is amazing how small most villages are in northern Denmark. Below is Horby Kirke where my grandfather Soren Jacobsen was christened. His only brother Knud Jacobsen died here when he was one year old. His father, Martin Peder Jacobsen died before his second son was born and was buried here as well.
The inside of the chapel is simple. The font where he was christened is visible. Today the original font is inlaid in gold. Quite stunning.
The entire adventure was stunning - especially in the context of family. This is actually where my ancestors lived, walked, and are buried. Good stuff.
Monday, March 31, 2008
The Prayer Room
Just behind the back of the chapel is this tiny prayer room filled with the masterpieces of Carl Bloch. The room is not well lit and incredibly small. You can easily get right up to the pictures. They allow photography but no flash, so lighting is tricky. This ornate silver something-or-other is the centerpiece of the room, and the masterpieces surround it along the wall on all sides.
This picture of the Nativity is one of his most famous.
Christ raising Lazarus from the dead is breathtaking. The size is about 4 feet tall by 3 feet wide.
Below is my favorite showing the angel comforting Christ in the Garden of Gesthemane. Christ looks so pained and forlorn. It is the most difficult to see, as it is directly behind the silver something-or-other and can be viewed only from the side.
Interestingly, the entire collection is not particularly featured at the castle. There are a great many other paintings of Danish historical figures that are much more prominently featured. It truly is an overlooked gem of a collection.
This picture of the Nativity is one of his most famous.
Christ raising Lazarus from the dead is breathtaking. The size is about 4 feet tall by 3 feet wide.
Below is my favorite showing the angel comforting Christ in the Garden of Gesthemane. Christ looks so pained and forlorn. It is the most difficult to see, as it is directly behind the silver something-or-other and can be viewed only from the side.
Interestingly, the entire collection is not particularly featured at the castle. There are a great many other paintings of Danish historical figures that are much more prominently featured. It truly is an overlooked gem of a collection.
Trip to Frederiksborg Castle
Today we took the train to Frederiksborg. It is not far from Virum where Don and Amy live. The castle is a national museum and is breathtaking as you walk the 1/2 mile from the train, turn a corner, and get this incredible view of the lake and the castle in the distance.
Frederick presides over the view of his castle. Ducks roam the lake and a very large swan keeps order among the fowl. Below is a view from inside the courtyard. The clock impressively struck 12 as we arrived.
Below is a view of the chapel from the balcony. It rivals any of the great chapels of Europe.
In the Great Room - 2 stories high and 100 yards in length - with tapestry wall paper - William discovered a "friendly" hound. It was a spectacular day. We experimented with open faced pickled herring sandwiches. Interesting, but it is a taste to be acquired... :-)
Frederick presides over the view of his castle. Ducks roam the lake and a very large swan keeps order among the fowl. Below is a view from inside the courtyard. The clock impressively struck 12 as we arrived.
Below is a view of the chapel from the balcony. It rivals any of the great chapels of Europe.
In the Great Room - 2 stories high and 100 yards in length - with tapestry wall paper - William discovered a "friendly" hound. It was a spectacular day. We experimented with open faced pickled herring sandwiches. Interesting, but it is a taste to be acquired... :-)
Sunday, March 30, 2008
A Sunday walk
Sunday evening we took a 5 mile walk around a lake in Copenhagen. It was nippy and very beautiful. Daddy Donald pushed the stroller.
The homes around the lake were lovely. Many had a private dock for canoes, rowboats, or small sailboats.
Here we reinacted Christopher Plummer singing with Julie Andrews. Amy and Linda were singing "Here I am Loving You" to Don and me. (The kids were crying ... it was so touching....)
Some of the houses have thatched roofs (reminiscient of The Wheel on the School). The iron works on the peak is to prevent storks from nesting :-)
The homes around the lake were lovely. Many had a private dock for canoes, rowboats, or small sailboats.
Here we reinacted Christopher Plummer singing with Julie Andrews. Amy and Linda were singing "Here I am Loving You" to Don and me. (The kids were crying ... it was so touching....)
Some of the houses have thatched roofs (reminiscient of The Wheel on the School). The iron works on the peak is to prevent storks from nesting :-)
Saturday in Kobenhaven
Saturday we saw the sights in downtown Copenhagen. Here in Denmark they write it as Kobenhaven and they say it as Kuh-ben-houn. Who would have guessed? Not yours truly...
There are 3 canals in Kuhbenhoun (thus the 3 wavy lines on the back of Royal Copenhagen porcelain) Here is a great shot of one of the canals. The colorful buildings are a reminder of the colorful doors of Ireland
This is the big square in front of the Royal Palace. The statue is of someone famous and the church is the Danish equivalent of St. Paul's cathedral in London.
We had a royal escort on our drive into the downtown. They were on their way to the changing of the Royal Guard. Below is a Danish version of elite forces. If you zoom in you will notice that his visage is less than intimidating. I watched him for several minutes and he was unable to keep a straight face. They do look like little tin soldeirs or a cute little nutcracker.
There are 3 canals in Kuhbenhoun (thus the 3 wavy lines on the back of Royal Copenhagen porcelain) Here is a great shot of one of the canals. The colorful buildings are a reminder of the colorful doors of Ireland
This is the big square in front of the Royal Palace. The statue is of someone famous and the church is the Danish equivalent of St. Paul's cathedral in London.
We had a royal escort on our drive into the downtown. They were on their way to the changing of the Royal Guard. Below is a Danish version of elite forces. If you zoom in you will notice that his visage is less than intimidating. I watched him for several minutes and he was unable to keep a straight face. They do look like little tin soldeirs or a cute little nutcracker.
Friday, March 28, 2008
We're here!
Linda and I have arrived in Denmark and have loved our first day!
This is a view of Don and Amy's home from across their street. They live in Virum, Denmark - a suburb of Copenhagen. The cute Touregg in the driveway holds seven dwarves plus luggage (as long as luggage is no larger than a lunchbox. :-)
This is a view of the home from the backyard (spacious!)
We took the train from Virum station (note the sign in the background) into Copenhagen for dinner. The name of the restaurant is "Beef and Cheese". The consensus of the participants is "Danish cheese stinks to high heaven!) That did not deter the males in the group.
The crepes suzette were fun to watch. Our neighbors enjoyed the view as well.
The ambiance was only trumped by the company!
This is a view of Don and Amy's home from across their street. They live in Virum, Denmark - a suburb of Copenhagen. The cute Touregg in the driveway holds seven dwarves plus luggage (as long as luggage is no larger than a lunchbox. :-)
This is a view of the home from the backyard (spacious!)
We took the train from Virum station (note the sign in the background) into Copenhagen for dinner. The name of the restaurant is "Beef and Cheese". The consensus of the participants is "Danish cheese stinks to high heaven!) That did not deter the males in the group.
The crepes suzette were fun to watch. Our neighbors enjoyed the view as well.
The ambiance was only trumped by the company!Pop Culture Conference Strikes Back
So, once again I attended the PCAACA conference. This year it was in San Francisco and we had a blast. Brooke and Sarah (both great friends from the BYU MA) and Bethany and Kati (new friends from the USC grad program) and I all shared a room. The BYU girls and I spent a lot of time with my old professor, Dr. Cutchins, and his wife which was a blast. We went to pier 39, the museum of modern art, road a trolley car, ate great food and went to movies. It was a fantastic week. Brooke and I had our panel together and once again got torn apart. Good thing we were ready for it. Bring it on adaptation people!!! My paper was on Jane Austen films and how they've created this one trick pony out of Austen. Good times!
Here are some photo highlights:
Brooke and I at the BYU dinner.
Embarrassing and funny hot tub story for anyone who wants to ask. :) What a phenomenal week. We had gorgeous weather as well--clear and sunny all week.
Here are some photo highlights:
Brooke and I at the BYU dinner.
Me, Brooke, and Sarah at the pier
Me at the pier.
In the park by the modern art museum (next door, almost, to the hotel)
Sarah at City Lights bookstore, of Beatnik and Jack Kerouac fame.
Embarrassing and funny hot tub story for anyone who wants to ask. :) What a phenomenal week. We had gorgeous weather as well--clear and sunny all week.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
William
The other day I overheard William. "Holy Cow! Holy Hannah! Holy Joe!" Anna and Joe's names always come in pairs in our household, so I thought this was cute.
William doesn't quite get pretending yet. While he was playing with a cousin in Arizona, Luke said, " I am a cowboy!" William said, "I am a cake. A birthday cake!" Another time, with another cousin, they had some dress up clothes on. His cousin said, "I am a king!" William said, "I am a skirt!"
In the last couple of days, William has wanted to lead scripture reading at random times of the day. So he usually opens up the scriptures (after he makes sure my hands, feet and mouth are reverent) and says something like, “Jesus. (murmur). Important. (murmur).” Then he closes the scriptures, and says, “Do you know what that means, Mommy? It means Jesus and Heavenly Father love us. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.” It is pretty cute and pretty amazing. Then he’ll kneel down for prayers.
Thought we'd share some cute William stories.
William doesn't quite get pretending yet. While he was playing with a cousin in Arizona, Luke said, " I am a cowboy!" William said, "I am a cake. A birthday cake!" Another time, with another cousin, they had some dress up clothes on. His cousin said, "I am a king!" William said, "I am a skirt!"
In the last couple of days, William has wanted to lead scripture reading at random times of the day. So he usually opens up the scriptures (after he makes sure my hands, feet and mouth are reverent) and says something like, “Jesus. (murmur). Important. (murmur).” Then he closes the scriptures, and says, “Do you know what that means, Mommy? It means Jesus and Heavenly Father love us. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.” It is pretty cute and pretty amazing. Then he’ll kneel down for prayers.
Thought we'd share some cute William stories.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Holger the Dane
We're Back in Denmark!
Hamlet's Castle
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