Happiest Place on Earth

I hate doing back-to-back posts but I just had to throw up some pictures from Anaheim tonight too. It was so much fun. We stayed in Anaheim and went to Disneyland, the beach and RADIOHEAD! It was the best concert ever. I'm sure Wes will have plenty to say on that score. We met up with our friends Caleb and Trisha and had so much fun together. Holden was such a trooper despite the long days sans regular naps, being off schedule, having to be pushed or carried everywhere, etc. We all had such a fun trip.

"Our Trip to Bear Lake" Or "Finally I Got the Camera Back!"

The New Face on Holden Warren

Holden has this new face that is among the Top Ten favorite things.
(The display of my Top Ten Happiest Things list TBA).

He offsets his jaw like this . . . and then pinches up his nose and breathes really loudly while glowering at you.

He used to display it out only when he was concentrating or irritated. But now he pulls it out anytime he's feeling naughty, precocious or coy . . . consequently we see this face all day.

He's such a crack up.

Why I Like My Hometown

I realized today that I only blog when I have pictures - usually of Holden - to blog about. And since Wes is a camera hog (admittedly much better though at taking pictures than I) I don't have any. You'll have to take my word for it that Holden is as cute as ever. But since this blog was never meant to be a mommy blog - since it was Wes who actually started it, I think I'll expand my writing horizons every now and then and make other posts - non related to the day to day occurrences of my boy.

I always get asked why I live where I do. And I get pressure to move out of the "hood." But I love my neighborhood. I call Salt Lake my hometown because I hated so much where I was actually raised. I still can't drive North into Davis County without feeling a little queasy.

Bountiful to me really is a place of bounty: Bounty of the financially over-expensed. Bounty of steep hills where riding your bike as a kid was truly perilous. Bounty of snow on steep driveways in the winter which I had to shovel - every day. Bounty of homogenization. Bounty of judgment. Bounty of secret keepers. Bounty of the miserable who try very hard to pretend life is perfect.

Sugarhood on the other hand is exactly the opposite. I love this place because our neighbors don't disown us if we haven't cut our lawn in 10 days. But at the same time you don't find beer cans or all over your lawn after your neighbor has a party. I love this place because it's a true neighborhood in the sense that you have stores, libraries, parks, boutiques and gyms close enough to walk to. I love this place because the houses were built to last. I love knowing that someone lovingly picked out this house in the 1900's and that this cozy bungalow style will never be outdated. I love this place because you have easy access to the freeway. I love this place because our neighbors are different from me - but all friendly. I love this place because the trees enclose the houses in a protective, loving sort of way. I love this place because Holden and I can sit outside and watch enough cars and neighbors and pets going by to keep him entertained for at least an hour. And finally, I love this place because there is always something more to work on - just like there is with me.

The Perils of Vanity

Sounds like a conference talk, huh?
Oh, and he was fine. He was just shocked that someone so good looking would attack him like that.