Sunset and View

My mother-in-law's house is right along the Columbia river. It has amazing views and Jason was able to capture a few as well as a beautiful sunset the other day.

Just Like Daddy

Calder has been really into Jason lately. It is so cute. He gets so excited when Jason comes home and loves to mimic him. He often brings me Jason's stuff and asks me to help him put it on. You can tell from this first picture that Calder is VERY proud of himself. His hands are back and his chest is pushed out. Oh my goodness is he proud.

This is Calder ready to go to work with Jason's briefcase and shoes.

Shoveling

Jason is teaching Calder the art of snow removal. We got about 9.5 inches of snow. I find it interesting that most of our neighborhood doesn't get plowed. I know some people don't think Chicago plows their roads well but that's because they haven't been to Columbus in a storm. It is ridiculous. I also find it interesting that nobody on our street shovels their snow. Jason is so good. He shoveled last night and again this morning. He follows his shoveling with rock salt to melt future snow.

Playing

I'm looking for your opinion over on Candied Apples, the craft blog I keep. I made this jacket you see and I'm a bit unsure. Please help me out.

If you ask Calder to show you his Happy Face this is what you get.

I loved catching Jason and Calder playing the other day. It's so sweet to see them interact.

Calder loves to wear Jason's boots. He can't actually walk in them but he could stand there for a really long time just enjoying them. He also likes to store his treasures in the boots. I think Jason's favorite item found inside was a wet washcloth. Nice.

Jason turns 28!

Due to the timing of my brother Cody's wedding reception, Calder and I were in Oregon for Jason's birthday. It turned out to be okay because Jason had a lot of work to do that week. We celebrated when we got home.

Jason has had cherry chip cake with cherry frosting for as long as he has chosen his cake. This is not an easy cake mix and frosting set to find. In fact, I couldn't find them in Chicago or Columbus. My mom buys them and sends them to me. Honesty, it's not my favorite kind of cake, but Calder and Jason sure seem to enjoy it.

One of Calder's new words this month: FROSTING.

Graduation

Jason's graduation from the University of Chicago Law School was yesterday. Instead of going to graduation Jason was in court in Cincinnati for the first time. It went well and Jason had a good time. Every six weeks or so the Judge goes to Cincinnati for oral arguments. He takes his clerks and Calder and I may go next time. It would be fun to see another Ohio city for a few days.

I'm so proud of Jason. He worked very hard in school and did very well. He received High Honors which is incredibly impressive. I know he really enjoyed school and appreciated the challenge it presented.

It's fun to move on to the next stage of life. We now have evenings and weekends together again. It's been years. Seriously. We're loving every minute of it.

Jason turns 27

Calder's Blessing Day

Jason blessed Calder today at church. It was such a sweet blessing and a special day for us. I'm so thankful for a husband who can perform such special priesthood ordinances. Calder did very well and didn't cry. He looked adorable of course. My mom was in charge of his outfit and she did very well.

As you can see I chose haircut #3. I just got it done so in a few days, after playing with it for a while I should be able to make it look more like the picture. But I like it a lot.


My brother Cody came to visit for the event. He flew in from California where he is working for his off track at BYU-Idaho. I'm so thankful that he was able to come spend a long weekend with us. We had tons of fun!

Calder Day 2-3

We're home from the hospital and everything is going splendidly. Here's a few pictures from day 2 and 3 of Calder's life. I promise we won't count in days for the next 18 years (although I'm sure his grandparents would be thrilled).

Jason is a fabulous dad. He is very patient, loving and caring. I love to watch him snuggle with Calder and tell him sweet stories. It looks so natural and comfortable for him. I don't know if anything makes you feel more in love with your husband than having a child.

This was us right before leaving the hospital. You can see part of our room. It was great. I really enjoyed our visit to St. Josephs Hospital. It was nice to be able to stay in the same room from labor to recovery. I was in no mood to move when it came time to deliver. I'll post about my labor etc. later.

Here's Calder today. He has discovered his fingers and is always trying to wriggle a hand out so he can suck on them. Of course I can't move fast enough to get a thumb sucking picture, but it did start happening today. He is so cute. I love him to pieces. It feels like he has been part of our family for much longer than 3 days. Jason is an incredible father and I am so excited to start this journey together.

Of course, we haven't forgotten about Deebo. He stayed with friends while we were at the hospital. He was very spoiled. They even let him sleep on their bed. Jason went and picked him up after we got home. Of course Deebo was very excited and curious about his new family member. Every time Calder made a peep Deebo was on high alert last night. I think Jason and I slept better than Deebo did.

Today, he is not as tense. He will still come running if Calder really belts it out but if Calder sighs, Deebo does't care anymore. It's probably a good thing. Deebo is dog tired today. He has not moved in hours. I think the adjustment will be pleasant but exhausting for Deebo.

Clerkship

I am so excited to announce that Jason has accepted a clerkship with Judge Sutton in Columbus, Ohio! He will start sometime next summer and we'll be there for a year. It feels so good to be done with the stressful process and to know where we're going to be next year.

I'm so proud of my husband. He has been blessed with a great desire to learn, a smart mind and many wonderful opportunities to exercise both of them. I also love that he has found something that he enjoys so much. I hope our son has such a great desire to learn and progress.

Our Last San Diego Weekend

I just uploaded pictures and realized I have a few posts that didn't make it onto the blog. So please excuse the mass amounts of posts you'll see tonight.

Our last weekend in San Diego was spent going to the beach (like we did every weekend) and going to Balboa Park. Balboa Park is a huge area holding museums, gardens and the San Diego Zoo. We took Deebo and it was a lot of fun to just walk around and look at the beautiful buildings and landscaping. And yes, in the last picture I'm wearing sweat pants. I'm a little embarrassed about it but they were the only thing that sounded comfortable that day. Please note, I haven't worn them outside the house before or after this episode of weakness.

I'm Lovin' It

There are quite a few things I've been loving lately, so I thought I'd share them with you.

I'm loving that strawberries are in season. They're cheap and local and delicious. I eat some every day! The other night Jason had strawberries for dinner. It's hard to beat a truly fresh strawberry.

I'm loving the way I feel so healthy. It helps that I get to go outside and walk with Deebo. We still do it 2-3 times a day. We both enjoy it. I also get to go swimming a lot, which is great. I realized the other day that I haven't had a headache since JANUARY! Yep, no joke. I feel like a strong healthy pregnant woman. :) And, although I am seven months pregnant I still feel like I can do everything I want to do (except take surfing lessons).

I'm loving my last week in San Diego. We went out to dinner on Tuesday with some associates at Fish & Richardson. It was Jason's farewell dinner and we went to Ruth's Chris Steak House. Yummy. If you haven't had their cheesecake you should. I'm not kidding when I say it is the best I've ever had. I've spent the rest of the week finishing up crafty things and getting us ready to go. We're all packed and this apartment looks better than when we got here. That makes me feel good.


I'm loving the new Heather Bailey fabric. This seems like a lame thing to love but I do. It's called Pop Garden and has a lot of lovely colors. This would make great skirts or baby blankets. If you love it too and want to have some for free visit Vintage Chic Boutique.

I'm loving the free time that Jason has these days. He has been able to read leisure books and everything this summer. It's so nice.

I'm loving the Olympics. Well, mostly loving the Olympics. There is one small thing that drives me crazy. The commentators. Yep, I would rather watch without sound. They are so annoying!

I'm loving all the stuff I was able to accomplish this summer. When I get back I'll take pictures of all my little projects. It's been a lot of fun to learn new skills. Danielle introduced me to the greatest fabric store ever. It is called Bev's. They have a great selection of modern designer fabric. Yum.

Surf Lessons

Tonight Jason had surfing lessons with Max & Danielle. It was a lot of fun and I was so incredibly jealous. I can't wait to come back so I too can participate. I was impressed how well everyone did.

Max & Jason paddle out.

MaxJason

Danielle

Jason

Jason

Danielle Max

Off To The Races

Jason and I went to the Del Mar Races today! It was a lovely way to spend a Thursday afternoon. We ate lots of food and enjoyed picking favorite horses to win the races. This is right after walking in, they rope off the walkway when a horse walks by. They are beautiful horses for sure!
A few action shots. I love how excited everyone gets at the races! There is a lot of cheering and arms in the air.

Hot Air Ballooning

Jason and I got to go hot air ballooning a while ago and had a great time! Here's a few pictures from our adventure. Plus there's the bonus of a belly picture. (Just for you Melanie!)